loose much time in cutting down the woods before they could come to the inhabited places of their enimies They haue a few fortresses some built of stone some of bricke after the Italian fashion but without strength of moderne diuises or cunning workmanship Such are the castles of Mosco Nouograd Plescouia Porcouia Sloboda some are wrought with twigs earth wel troden downe as Smolonck But commonly the wals of strong places are built of great beames stuffed with turffe or mosse leauing loopholes for their shot This fortifying is very auailable against great ordinaÌ„ce but exceeding subiect to â—â—riâ—g They serue in the field as we told you before treating of his gouernment rather bearing themselues valiantly for feare of punishment then of their owne natures shewing alacritie or willingnes to the seruice He hath his captaines at a becke his soldiers suffer all extremities patiently they care not â—orâ—â—ost or raine they indure hunger scarcity with incredible conteÌ„tment they liue with a little better able to defend a fortresse then fight in field for here courage and agilitie there constancie and resolution are most seruiceable whereas the Polanders are better to fight in the field then to keepe a castle And therefore the Great Duke Iohn finding by experience the vnaptnes of his soldiers the readines of the Polonians in skirmishes and assaults was wont to say that his men had need of a spur to driue them forward the Polonians wanted a bridle to hold them back His chiefest force is in his horse but what number he can raise who can shew For I doe not beleeue that he is able as some say to arme three hundred thousand because though his Empire be large yet for the greatest part it lieth vnmanured as the many-daies iourney betweene Cazan and Astrachan and scarce meeting with one village in the way may well witnes In the war which king Stephen waged against him being not aboue 60. thousand foote and horse strong he was not able to raise so great a force I will not say to meete him in the open field yea not to hinder him from the forcing of Pozouia Vilocoluc and other pieces no nor to diuert him from the siege of Plescouia In the yeere 1570. the prince of the Tartars with fourescore thousand soldiers pierced euen to the bowels of his kingdome and set fire on his imperiall seat Mosco Therefore I thinke that they that report that the Great Duke can leuie three hundred thousand men and the king of Polonia two hundred do rather meane heads of horses then riders for there may be so many thousand horse and yet euerie one is not to be accounted a horse of seruice no more then euery horseman a rider or able to finde himselfe armour One hath his hart in his hose another wants abilitie a third wants strength of bodie a fourth both courage and strength yea admit he could raise so many horse and men as these men speake of yet would it be a hard matter perchance impossible for him to assemble them in one place or if he could where would wages or victuals be found sufficient to sustaine them For 200. horsmen in Moscouie require 300. packhorses and so many tenders who must all befed as likewise the victualers the merchants the artificers and such seruants as can hardly be spared in warlike enterprises To performe this whole Moscouie must of necessitie be gathered into one place and then it were to be feared least in so great a iourney from one part of the kingdome the other part opposite would run to ruine decay Likewise although such a proportion of horse as hath beene spoken of might be raised it were not wisedome for the state to strip the borders of their garrisons the prouinces of their sinewes the cities of their magistrates the countrey of husbaÌ„dmen Therefore I conclude that prince whose kingdome is able to affoord him 150. thousand horse to be brauely furnished if he can bring into the field but the third part I speake of warre and not of incursions Some more modest in writing affirme that the Moscouite could leuie 150. thousand horse if necessitie to defend himselfe should constraine him thereto and that Iohn the third in the voyage of Astracan entertayned 120. thousand horse and twentie thousand foote The same king inuading Liuonia in the time of king Alexander leuied a mightie armie and kept another vpon the borders of the kingdome The Great Duke Iohn adioyned to his troupes of horse certaine thousand of shot most strangers which yeelded him notable seruice in the defence of his cities Euerie second or third yeere he renueth his soldierie throughout the prouinces and keepeth a register of the sonnes of noblemen and the number of his seruants and horses The wealthier horsemen vse a curasse of brasse a helmet light and thin bucklers brought out of Persia and lances others are armed with Iacks quilted with bombast to resist arrowes These handle the bow and many of them the harquebuse all the sword and dagger The Germanes serue them in the field and the Italians in their fortifications To the Duke of Moscouie are adioyning the Tartars Precopenses the Taurici the Chersonesi the Circassi and the Tartars Negayans These people inhabite a countrey seuen daies iourney distant and are gouerned by Dukes after the manner of the Heluetians He hath receiued great iniurie of the Precopenses without hope of amends because they are confederate with the great Turke and by him furnished with harquebusiers ordinance and haue in their kingdome many strong places fortified with Turkish garrisons therefore he thinketh it hard and dangerous to inuade them being backed by the Turke whose power he should stir vp likewise against him It is the custome of the Precopi often vsed to make inrodes into the prouinces of the great Duke as likewise of the Polonian and to carrie away whatsoeuer comes to hand If the great Duke haue vanquished the Tartars of Cassan and Astracan let him attribute the conquest to his great ordinance which they wanted This Duke led against the Cassani an engine deuised on this fashion he fastened to the sides of charriots a broad and large planke bored full of holes and fitted for the shooting of harquebusiers and musketers with the which they did grieuously wound their enimies and could not be hurt againe by the arrowes of their aduersaries By these helpes it was no masterie to vanquish and subdue them But the Precopi haue the vse of gunnes and woorth all the rest the fauour and protection of the Turkish Emperor who thirsting to open a way into Moscouie or the Caspian sea assaied not many yeeres since to dig a trench from Tanais to Volga but his forces were put to flight by the Moscouites with the aid of the Tartars who feared their vtter destruction if the Turke had brought that designement to passe This was a deuise of greater courage then wisedome for the Moscouites not onely defeated his nauie taking
part thereof but put his land-forces to the sword consisting of fourescore thousand Tartars fiue and twentie thousand Turkes and amongst them three thousand Ianizars As we said before the Circassi liue after the manner of the Swissers they endeuour not to enlarge their owne bounds but serue for wages sometime the Turke sometime the Persian somtime the Moscouite from whose dominion they are so farre disioyned that they stand in no feare of their seuerall mightines The Tartars Negayans are more to be dreaded for their sudden inrodes furious incursions then for ielousie of their forces or that they are able to raise or vndertake any voyage royall Of late times they threatned the Moscouite but their furie was appeased by sending them presents It is the best course to hazard our money rather then our forces against the thefts spoiles of these barbarous natiōs for when they haue nether city nor strong place to subdue to keepe them in subiection what can you terme the warre made against them but a labour with losse a charge without profit The great Duke is constrained to keepe great troupes of horse in Citrachan Casan and Viatca against these Nagaij as likewise a great garrison in Culagan vpon Danais against the Precopi The next bordring neighbour by Finland side is the king of Sweueland Of late times this king holding a long war against him tooke from him by force the castles of Sorenesco Pernauia the great the lesse in Liuonia on the one side whilest king Stephen cruelly vexed him with war on the other In the vttermost bounds of the Fioland Bay the Sweuian to his great charges possesseth the fortresse of Viburge maintaining therein a great garrison to resist the attempts of the Russies and the great Duke Likewise in that sea and the coast adioyning he maintaineth ships of warre as well to be readie at all assaies against the approches of this great Duke as likewise to forbid the Easterling the bringing of any munition or warlike furniture into any part of his dominions neither doth he suffer other ships to saile in those seas without a speciall placard signed with his owne hand By the benefit of this nauie and sea force the king of Sweueland wheresoeuer he findeth meanes to vse it becommeth master of the field by vertue thereof ceaseth vpon many places on the coast of Liuonia and the bordering territories but where the Dukes horse and his great numbers of footemen may stand him in steed as in the open field or places remooued from the sea there he maketh his part good enough and most commonly putteth the Sweuian to the woorst The best is nature bath placed betweene them such rough mountaines such cold such yce and such snowes that they cannot greatly endammage one another The last neighbour is the king of Poland betweene whom and the great Duke this is the difference the Moscouite hath more territories the Polonian better inhabited and more ciuill the Moscouite more subiects and more subiect the Polonian better soldiers and more couragious the Moscouites are apter to beare the shoke then to giue a charge the Polonians to charge the Moscouite is fitter to keepe a fortresse the Polonian to fight in the open field the Moscouites forces are better vnited the Polonian more considerate and better aduised the Moscouite lesse careth for want and extremities the Polonian death and the sword yea either nation is of the greater woorth when either of their princes is of greatest valour and magnanimitie as it happened when Basilius conquered the great Duchie of Smoloncke and Poloncke and the large circuite of Liuonia And againe when Stephen king of Poland in his last warre against Iohn Basilius sonne reconquered Polonck with diuers other places of good reckoning besieged the citie of Plesko and forced the Moscouite to leaue all Liuonia whereby I conclude such as is the valour and wisedome of the prince such is the force and courage of his people The Great Cham. AS our Ancestors were ignorant of the regions situated vpon the east side of the Caspian sea which they imagined to be a branch of the Ocean Euen so as yet little or nothing knoweth this Age what regions lie or what people inhabite beyond that sea the mountaines commonly called Dalanguer and Vssont Marke Paule Venetus was the first that broke the ice in describing of those countries and of him haue we receiued what we know of the Tartars For the great distance of countries the difficultie of the iournie and the inaccessible situation of places hath hindered the discouerie of those prouinces for the great Duke of Moscouie by whose dominions we may easiest trauell thither will suffer no stranger to passe thorough his kingdome the Caspian sea a passage no lesse fitting for the iournie is not frequented and by the way of Persia infinite mountaines and vast deserts diuiding both prouinces oppose themselues against vs. And to the further hinderance of this discouerie neither the great Cham neither the king of China nor the Duke of Moscouie will suffer any of their subiects to trauell out of their dominions nor any stanger to enter in vnlesse he come as an ambassador neither in this case is it lawful for him to conuerse freely or range at his pleasure They liue vnder diuers princes the principall whereof are those that weare greene on their turbants These inhabite Shamarcand and are at continuall enmitie with the Persians Next are those of Bochan Mahumetans then those of Mogor of whom you shall heare hereafter and lastly those of Cathay whereof we now intreat Neuer was there any nation vpon the face of the earth that enioyed a larger emperie then they doe or haue vndertaken haughtier exploites and I would that they had had some who might haue recommended by writing their doings to the world M. Paule Venetus writeth that this people once inhabited Ciurga and Barge prouinces situated vpon the Scythick Ocean without citie castell or house wandering like the Arabians from place to place according to the season of the yeere They acknowledged Vncham whom some interprete Prester Iohn for their soueraine Lord to whom they gaue the tenth of their cattell In processe of time they multiplied to such numbers that Vncham being iealous of their neighborhood began to lessen their number forces by sending them now hither now thither vpon most long and desperate voiages as occasion offered Which when they perceiued they assembled themselues resoluing to leaue their naturall soile and to remooue so farre from the borders of Vncham that neuer after he should haue cause to suspect their numbers this they performed After certaine yeeres they elected amongst them a king called Changis to whom for the greatnes of his glorie and victories they added the sirname of Great This Changis departing from his owne territories in the yeere of our Lord 1162. with a most fearfull armie subdued partly by force partly by the terror of his name nine prouinces At last
of Mauritania Tingitan Which the better to effect he first sent his three sonnes Abdel Abuet Mahumet on pilgrimage to Meca and Medina to visit and worship the fepulchre of their great prophet Mahumet The yoong men returned from this pilgrimage with such opinion and estimation of holines and religion if it be lawfull to vse these termes to so great impietie and fopperie that the inhabitants as they trauelled could not be kept from kissing their garments and adoring them as saints They againe as men rapt in deep contemplation iournied through the prouinces sighing and sobbing and crying with a high voice Ala Ala. They had no other sustenance but the almes of the people Their father receiued them with great ioy and contentment and perceiuing the fauour and opinion of the people not to be like a woonder of nine daies but to continue fresh and the same as at first resolued to make vse thereof and thereupon sent two of them Abnet and Mahumet to Fes to the court The king receiued them kindly and made one of them president of the most famous college of Amodorac and the yoonger tutor of his children In processe of time when they perceiued the king to grace them and the people to fauour them by the counsell of their father taking occasion of the greenances which the Arabians and Moores seruing vnder the Portugall ensignes had done to the professors of their superstition they desired leaue of the king to display a banner against the Christians making him beleeue that they would easily draw the Portugal-Moors to their partie and so secure the prouinces of Sus Hea Ducala and Maroch Muley Nazer the kings brother resisted this petition alledging that if once vnder the shew of holines and colour of religion they grewe to a head it would not afterwards lie in his power to suppresse or range them vnder his obedience againe For war makes men awlesse victories insolent popularitie ambitious and studious of innouation But the king in whose hart their hypocriticall sanctimonie had taken a deepe impression little regarding his brothers counsell gaue them a banner a drum and twentie horsemen to accompanie them with letters of credence to the princes of Arabie and cities of Barbarie In these beginnings many things falling out to their honor and good liking they began to make incursions into Dencala and the countie of Safi ranging as farre as the promontorie Aguer then vnder the gouernment of the Portugals and perceiuing themselues to be fauoured strong and well followed vrged the people who for the most part in those daies liued in libertie to aide those which fought for their law and religion against the Christians as likewise with willing mindes to giue God his tithes which they obtained of the people of Dara Then by little and little they incroched vpon the territorie of Taradant of which they made their father gouernor and inuaded Sus Hia Dencala and the neighbouring places They first seated themselues in Tednest and afterward in Tesarot In their next iournie but with the losse of their elder brother they defeated Lopes Barriga a famous warrior and captaine generall of the Portugall armie By faire and flattering speeches they entred Marocho poisoned the king and proclaimed Amet Xerif king of the countrie After this happened the warre of the Arabians of Dencala and Xarquia with the Arabians of Garbi where while ech partie weakened other and either promised to himselfe the fauour and assistance of the Xerifs they turning their armes vpon both factions carried rich praies from both the nations Before this warre they sent vnto the king the fifth part of all their spoiles but after this victory little regarding their soueraigne and aduancer they sent him only sixe horses sixe camels those very leane and ill shapen Which the king disdaining sent to demand his fifths as also the tribute which the kings of Marocho were accustomed to pay him which if they denied he vowed reuenge with fire sword In the meane time the king died and Amet his sonne once the pupil of the yoonger Xerif not onely allowed but also confirmed Amet in the kingdome of Marocho vpon condition that in some things he should acknowledge the king of Fes to be his Lord paramount To this the Xerifs whose power estimation did daily increase when the day of paiment of the tribute came willed the messenger to say vnto his master that they were the lawfull successors of Mahumet and therefore that they were bound to pay tribute to no man yea that they had more right to Africk then he had but if he would reckon them in the number of his friends no doubt but it would turne to his good and honor but if he diuerted them from the warre of the Christians they would not leaue him so much as a hart to defend himselfe against them The king taking this in ill part proclaimed warre against them and besieged Marocho but for that time was constrained to dislodge Afterwards returning with 18. thousand horsmen and two thousand harquebushers to renew the siege as soone as he had passed the riuer he was ouercome of the Xeriffes who led an armie of seuen thousand horse and one thousand two hundred shot In the pride of this victorie they exacted tribute of this prouince passing Atlas they tooke the famous citie Tafilet and partly by loue and partly by force compelled diuers people of Numidia and the mountaines to beare the yoke of their subiection In the yeere 1536. the yoonger Xeriffe which called himselfe king of Sus gathering together a mightie armie with great store of artillerie part whereof he tooke from the king of Fes and part wherof were cast by certain renegado Frenchmen made a iournie to Cape Aguer This place is of great consequence possessed by the Portugals who built it and fortified it first at the expences of Lopeâ— Sequiera and then at the charges of king Emanuel after he vnderstood of the commodious situation thereof It was fiercely assaulted and as valiantly defended vntill the fire began to take hold vpon the bulwarke wherein their prouision of gunpowder was stowed with which misfortune the companies appointed for the defence of that quarter growing fearfull and faint-harted gaue way for the Xeriffe to enter the place who made slaues of the greatest part of the defendants After which victorie they subdued almost all Atlas the kingdome of Marocho and the Arabians which were vassals to the crowne of Portugall the residue as Safi Azamor Arzil and Alcazar places situated vpon the sea coast of Mauritania king Iohn the third perceiuing the profit not to equalize the charge voluntarily resigned These prosperous beginnings brought foorth sower endings for the brethren falling at discord and dissension twice put their fortunes vpon the hazard of a battell and twice the yoonger ouercame the elder tooke him and cast him in prison in the citie Tafilet Then turned he his armes against the king of Fes tooke
printing restored musicke framed the chariot deuised the laying of colours in oile the working of colours in glasse the making of tapestrie saies searges wosteds russets frisadoes and diuers sorts of linnen cloth with innumerable other small trifles all sorts of clocks and dials and the mariners compasse It is diuided into 17. prouinces viz. the Dukedomes of Brabant Limburg Lutzemburg and Guelders the Earledomes of Flanders Artois Henault Holland Zeland Namure and Zutphen the Marquisat of the sacred Empire the Seigniories of Friesland Mechlin Vtrecht Ouerissel and Groningen all territories rich plentifull and exceeding populous In them are 208. walled townes stately and magnificent besides 3230 townes hauing priuilege of walled townes and 6300. villages with parish churches It hath manie mines of lead copresse and cole and quarries of excellent good stone The Emperor Charles had an intention to erect it into a kingdome but the difficultie consisted herein that euerie of these prouinces being gouerned by peculiar customes prerogatiues and priuileges would neuer haue yeelded vnto one royall law common to all especially those that had the largest priuileges for which cause he gaue ouer his determination It is seated commodiously for all the prouinces of Europe and containeth in circuit about 1000. Italian miles The aire of later times is become much more holsome and tempelate then in times past whether it be by reason of the increase of inhabitaÌ„ts or the industry of the people who spare no charge to amend whatsoeuer is amisse The beeues of Holland FrieslaÌ„d are very great weigh some of theÌ„ 1600 pound of 16 ounces to the pound the ewes in these prouinces and some part of Flanders bring foorth three and fower lambes at a time and the kine often two calues at once It bringeth foorth great quantitie of mather very perfect woad but no great store but of flaxe and hempe great abundance Whosoeuer shall consider what commoditie they raise by their fishing and traffike only may well say that no nation thorough the whole world may compare with them for riches For Guieciardine writeth that of their he ring fishing they make yeerely 441000 pound sterling their fishing for cod 150000. pound sterling and of their fishing for salmon more then 200000 crownes which is of sterling money 60000. pound The continuall riches that groweth to the countrie of other sorts of fish takeÌ„ all the yeere is infinite The value of the principall merchandize yeerely brought in and caried out is likewise infinite the foresaid authour esteemeth it to about 14. millions one hundred and thirtie fiue thousand crownes whereof England onely bringeth to the value of fiue millions and two hundred and fiftie thousand crownes It is a woonder to see how that the inhabitants of all these prouinces especially of Brabant and Flanders vnderstand speake two or three languages and some fower or more according to their entercourse with merchants and strangers yea in Anwerpe you shall heare the women speake Dutch French Italian Spanish and English The kingdome of Spaine SInce the first time that man began to acknowledge a superior authoritie and submit himselfe to the behests of a ruler there was neuer a more spacious seigniorie then that which the Spanish enioieth at this day especially hauing vnder a colorable and defensible title embezeled the crowne of Portugall For 〈◊〉 the large and faire prouinces in Europe the goodly regions of Asia and rich countries in Africa he enioyeth in peaceable quietnes securitie being not disturbed or contested by any riuall or competitor the newe worlde in circuite more spacious then either Europe or Africke In Europe he is the sole soueraigne of Spaine holding it whole and intire a thing woorthie obseruation because for the space of these 800. yeeres before this age it neuer obeied any one prince but was dismembred and peece-meale claimed by diuers seigniors He hath very much shaked Belgia and lordeth it ouer the kingdome of Naples containing in bignes 1400. miles and retaineth Insubria otherwise called the Duchie of Millaine comprehending three hundred in circuite Of the Ilands he holdeth Maiorique Minorique and Huisa the first of three hundred miles space the second of 150. the third of eight Sicill is reported to be of 700. Sardinia 562. In Africa he holdeth the great hauen called Masalquiuir the most secure and safe harbor in the whole Mediterranean sea He hath also Oran Melilla and the rocke commonly called the Penion of Velez and without the Streights he possesseth the Canarie Ilands twelue in number and the least of seauen containing 90. miles In the right which he pretendeth to the crowne of Portugall he keepeth the woorthie places of Septa and Tangier which may rightly be surnamed the keies of the Streights yea of the Mediterranean and Atlantique Ocean without the Streights he holdeth the citie of Mazaga and by the same title in the vast Ocean he retaineth the Terceraz Porto Santo and Madera the ladie-like Iland of the Atlantique sea containing by estimation 160â— miles in compasse then the Ilands of Cape Verd seauen in number Vnder the aequinoctiall he holdeth the Iland of Saint Thomas somewhat more spacious then Madera but most plentifull in sugar and rangeth ouer that huge tract of land which tendeth from Cape Aguer to Cape Guardafu Lastly he is lord of all the traffique merchandize negociating and nauigation of the whole Ocean and of all the Ilands which nature hath as it were inameled the Ocean withall and scattered in the seas especially betweene the Cape of good Hope and promontories of Guardafu In Asia in the aforesaid right of the crowne of Portugall he ruleth the better part of the westerne coasts viz. Ormus Diu Goa and Malaca Ornius for his commodious satuation is growne so rich that it is a common prouerbe among the Arabians Si terrarum orbis quaqua patet annulus â—sset Iâ—â—ius Armusium geâ—â—â—ia decusque foret A great portion of Arabia Foelix belongeth to the principalitie of Ormus as likewise Baharem the Iland-queene within that gulfe both for the most plentifull circuite abounding in all varietie of fruites as also for the rich fishing of pearle In this sea the Portugals possesse Damain Bazam Tauaan and Goa which citie to omit Ohial Canora Cochin and Colan is of so great esteeme that it is thought to yeeld the king as great reuenue as many prouinces in Europe do their Lords and finally the Portugals hold all that sea coast which lieth betweene the citie Damain and Malepura wherein no prince except the king of Calecure challengeth one foote of land The Iland of Zeilan wherein they possesse a strong hauen and castle commonly called Columbo may rightly be called the delight of Nature and they enioy also Malaca which in those places is the bound and limite of their empire and also the key of the traffique and nauigation of the east Ocean and of all those Ilands which are so many and so spacious that in circuite of land they may be well compared to
comprehended the better part of the ancient threefold diuision of the earth He holdeth in Europe the whole sea coast which from the borders of Epidaurus stretcheth it selfe to the mouth of Tanais whatsoeuer lieth betweene Buda and Constantinople and from the Euxine sea to the banks of Savus is his In that perambulation is contained Hungarie all Bosnia Seruia Bulgaria Macedon Epire Greece Peloponnese Thrace and the Archipelago with the Ilands He holdeth in Asia and Afrike all that is betweene Velez de la Gomera and Alexandria in Egypt betweene Bugia and Guargula betweene Alexandria and the citie Siene and from the citie Suez as farre as Swachen The hugenes of this territorie may be imagined by the circuit of some of the parcels Palus Meotis which is wholy his spreadeth it selfe one thousand miles into the land two thousand and seuen hundred miles do hardly incompasse the Euxine sea The coast of the Mediterranean sea as much as is subiect to him containeth in circuit 8000. miles Egypt wholy his is esteemed fiue hundred miles long From Tauris to Buda is 3000. and 200. miles so far it is from Derbent vpon the Caspian sea to Aden vpon the red sea and from Balsara vpon the Persian gulfe to Tremissen in Barbarie is accounted little lesse then 4000 miles In the sea he is Lord of the most noble Ilands of Ciprus Euboea Rhodes Samos Chio Lesbos and many other in the Archipelago In this progresse are contained many most puissant kingdomes abounding with all sorts of sustenance for the vse of man What prouince is richer in corne then Egypt Africko Syria and Asia What region more flowing with all good things then Hungarie Greece and Thrace In these prouinces hath the Turke fower cities of inestimable wealth Constantinople Cair Aleppo and Tauris Constantinople exceedeth all the cities in Europe in populousnes for it is thought that there are therein more then 700. thousand persons which if it be true it is twice as much as may be said of Paris Aleppo is a great citie in Syria and the staple of the whole traffike of Asia Tauris was the seate of the kings of Persia but taken from them in our daies and thought to containe more then 200. thousand persons Amongst all the cities of Africke Cair by many degrees may challenge the principalitie though some men compare Cano to it for greatnes It may well be called the garner not onely of Egypt but of the greater part of Africke and India whose treasures being conueied by the red sea and from thence to Cair vpon the backs of camels are at length distributed through all the regions of the Mediterranean sea This Empire from finall beginnings hath risen to such greatnes partly by their owne armes partly by the discords of the Christians that at this day it is the onely terror of the Christian commonwealth It hath been their hereditarie practise to stand vpon their garde and to preuent their enemies in their iourneies to vse admirable celeritie to keepe their forces readie and to haue them at hand not to haue many irons at one time in the fire nor long to manage warre with one nation least by practise they become better warriors then themselues not to spend their time and treasure in voyages of base account nor at one cast to set at all but to proceede leisurely and aduisedly and which is not the least policie amongst many that their princes march in person in most of their actions Diuers other lessons they obserue by which in the space of 300. yeeres they attained vnto a most mightie dominion and that too since the yeere 1500. to this day they haue almost doubled Their gouernment is meerely tyrannicall for the great Turke is so absolute a Lord of all things contayned within the bounds of his dominions that the inhabitants doe account themselues his slaues not his subiects no man is master of himselfe much lesse of his house wherein he dwelleth or of the field which he tilleth excepting certaine families in Constantinople to whom for some good seruice immunitie was graunted by Mahumet the second Neither any man be he neuer so great standeth secure of his life his goods or estate longer then Durante beneplacito of the Grand-Seignior By two policies he establisheth this tyrannicall gouernment by disfurnishing the people of weapons and by putting all commands into the hands of renegados whom he taketh as tithe from their parents in their childhood By this subtilty he gleaneth the prouinces of the flower sinewes of their strength for the likeliest and ablest springals are chosen and secondly with the same meanes he armeth himselfe and secureth his estate For these Ianizars being taken from the laps of their parents and deliuered to the trayning of this or that schoolemaster are made Mahumetans before they perceiue it and so by reason of their yoong yeeres forgetting their father and mother depend wholy vpon the pleasure of the Grand-Seignior yeelding him all dutifull and acceptable seruice as their maintainer and aduancer to honor and riches His forces consist in horsemen footemen shipping corne and treasure As touching his treasure it is generally receiued that he inioyeth little lesse then eight millions of ordinarie reuenue And where some men thinke that out of so large a dominion a greater reuenue may be raised therein they deceiue themselues for not calling to remembrance that the Turkes giue their minds to nothing but warre nor take care of any thing else but prouision of armour and weapons courses fitter to destroy and waste then to preserue and inrich prouinces Hereupon to maintaine their armies and to continue their expeditions they doe so pill and spoile the people that they hardly leaue them wherewith to hold life and soule together And therefore the poore men not sure of so much as their houshold prouisions much lesse of their wealth which by time and industrie they may gather take no more paines about their husbandrie and traffique then they needs must yea no more then their owne necessitie as neere as they can shall inforce them to make cleere at the yeeres ende For say they why should we sow and another reape Or why should we reape and another deuoure the reward of our labours This is the cause that in the Ottaman dominions you shall see admirable huge woods all things laide waste few cities well peopled especially the better part of the fields lie vnmanured In our countries by the abundance of people ariseth the decrenes of victuals and in Turkie through the scar sitie of inhabitants The greatest number of the husbandmen perish with carrying prouision and other necessaries to the remote places through which their armies are to trauell In their galleies likewise falleth most commonly so great mortalitie that of ten thousand rowers haled from their houses scant the fourth part returneth againe This the rather happeneth because the Turkes in winter time moring their galleies do not inure their mariners and gally-slaues to the change of
shadowed it selfe vnder the wing protection of the said Sigismund In the daies of Henrie of Aniow Iohn prince of Moldauia euen he that with an vndaunted spirit and famous victorie held war against the Turke was shamefully forsaken of them contrary to the couenants of confederacy betweene him and Sigismund Augustus concluded Yet must we needes confesse that such as is the courage valour and reputation of the prince such is the resolution alacritie and forces of the Polands of themselues populous valiant and couragious Stephen Bathor gaue good testimonie heereof in whose time Polonia not onely maintained the honor and glory of a kingdome sufficient to defend it selfe from forraine armes but also to make conquests of great matters from most potent enimies And seeing we haue spoken of celeritie a vertue most necessarie for euerie state it shall not be amisse to speake of the causes of this celeritie which as is aforesaid are two viz. the reputation of the prince which giueth it life and store of coine which preserues it in action for we haue seene in most mightie armies the body by the slownes of the head to haue spent the time most idly and very famous victories for want of money to giue continuall motion to the armie to haue brought forth small or no effects Besides the disposition of the soldier is a great helpe hereunto for no man can truly praise the Germane and Bohemian footemen for celeritie but this commendation without doubt is proper to the Italian Spaniard and Frenchmen not onely for that they are of better constitution of body but for that which in warre is all in all they are better contented to liue with a little though they want coine they are not discouraged neither waxe sicke with fruites if flesh be wanting and happen what may they longer and better can indure hardnes and scarcitie Their riding light armed is of more execution then armed at all peeces and their argoletiers more seruiceable then lanciers for which cause the French also in their late broiles haue giuen ouer their lances wherin of old did consist the glory of their armes and betaken themselues to the pistoll But to what aduantage they haue thus done let another dispute for I say not that a light armed man is absolutely to be preferred before a man at armes in chances of warre but onely affirme that he is more actiue and more readie yea the goodnes of the horse is of great consequence For the Flanders horse farre excelleth the Frieslander and Germane the Hungarie horse the Polonian the Turkie horse the Genet the Barbarie horse is more speedie then any of the rest Betweene both is the courser of Naples who though he be not so swift as the Spanish genet yet he is better able to indure trauell and to beare the waight of armour not becomming ouerâ—low therewith To speake truth experience manifesteth the Germane horse by reason of their slow pace to worke small effect either to pursue the fleeing enimie or swiftly to flie from their executing aduersarie for if the Wallachian Hungarian Polish Turkish Moorish or Barbarie horsemen should breake the Germans they are not able to flie and if it happen the German to ouerthrow them they are as vnable speedily to pursue for they charge slowly retire heauily So in fights at sea ships of burden are of small seruice because if winde want they can neither be mooued nor turned the great Galleons are somwhat better yet performe little more but the best of all is the galley for his swiftnes And for proofe hereof we haue seene the nauy of the Christians consisting of great ships to haue spent the better part of sommer and warlike season in preparations onely and on the contrarie the Turkish fleete soone furnished and speedily put to sea of such aduantage is spare diet and needfull prouision to the Turkish affaires and so discommodious is gluttonie to the proceedings of the Christians for wine and other delicates onely are as troublesome to the Christians as the whole prouision for a campe to the Turkish armie Therefore let no man maruell if they march in all their iorneies excellently well furnished with ordinance shot gunpowder and all necessaries for at land they haue their carriages laden onely with prouision at sea their ships and not with wine pullets and such needlesse vanities At a word they go to the warre to fight and not to fill their bellies The great Duke of Moscouia THE great Duke of Moscouia is Lord of a most large territorie and within the limits of his iurisdiction are contayned many regions Northward his scepter stretcheth to the north Ocean from the Bay of Granico to the riuer of Ob on the south all alongst the riuer Volga to the Caspian sea westward it reacheth to the borders of Liuonia and almost to the riuer Boristhenes and eastward to Volga Some write that it containeth in length three thousand miles in bredth 1500. wherein are contained fifteene Dukedomes sixteene prouinces and two kingdomes They were once subiect to the Tartars whose Prince Roydo in the yeere 1140. conquered all Moscouie but Iohn the first great Duke incouraged by their ciuill dissentions denied them tribute In processe of time when Ammetes the last successor of Roydo who died at Vilua had ouercome the Tartars Precopenses the great Duke adioyned to his Empire Permia Veatia and Iugria prouinces subiect to Ammetes From this time the forces of the great Duke increasing Basilius Casan and Iohn the second conquered the prouinces of Citrahan which are called kingdomes To confesse truth the great Dukes haue mightily enlarged their bounds and haue taken the great Duchies of Seuerin and Smoloncke Bielchese Prescouia Nouogrod Iaroslaue Roscouia some from the Polands some from other prouinces they possessed part of Liuonia and made their armes feareful to their neighbours The chiefe citie of the kingdome is Mosco where the Patriarch resideth Roscouia and Nouogrode are the seats of the Archbishops Cortisa Resania Columna Susdelia Casan Vologda Tueria and Smolonck are Bishopricks Plescouia Porcouia Staritia Sloboda Ieroslaue Volodomer from whence the kings seat was translated to the citie Mosco by Iohn the second Mosayco Saint Nicholas Sugana Vstiud Cargapolia The Emperor abideth in the citie Mosco which taketh his name of the riuer Mosco rising fourescore ten miles higher into the countrey The citie hath beene greater then now it is was nine miles compasse but since that in the yeere 1570. it was sacked and burnt by the Tartars Precopie it contayneth not aboue fiue miles According to Posseâ—inus a writer of good iudgement and industrie there are housed in this citie thirtie thousand people besides oxen and other cattell Nouograde hath the name of Great and yet the same author alloweth it not aboue twentie thousand inhabitants as likewise Smolonck and Plescouia This seemeth most incredible to me if it be true as some write that Plescouia when king Stephen of Poland besieged it had within it
being denied the daughter of Vnchan in marriage he made warre vpon him and ouercomming him in battell cast him out of his kingdome After the death of Changis his successors afflicted Europe In the yeere 1212. they droue the Polosochi from the banks of the Euxine sea In the yeere 1228. they inuaded and spoiled Russia In the yeere 1241. they raced Kiouia the chiefe citie of the Rutheni and Battu their captaine wasted Polonia Silesia Morauia and Hungary Innocentius the fourth amazed with the tempest of these inuasions in the yeere 1242. sent certaine friers of the orders of Dominicke and Francis to the court of the great Cham to intreate a peace for Christendome The circuit of this Empire in the times aboue spoken of stretched from the vtmost bounds of Asia to Armenia and from Bengala to Volga yea their incursions pierced euen to Nilus and Danubius The Macedonian and Roman Empires were neuer so large But bicause they were rather runnagates then men of warre wanting politike gouernment and militarie discipline sometime ruling one prouince sometime another they rather wrought spoile and terror to the conquered nations then feare of bondage or subiection and at last seated themselues beyond the mountaine Caucasus After it became diuided into many principalities yet so that the title and maiestie of the Empire remained alwaies to the great Cham who as we said before tooke the originall of his name from the great Changis At this day this Empire reacheth from the desert Lop on the one side and the lake Kicauia on the other to that famous wall of China situate betweene 43. and 45. degrees which leadeth from mountaine to mountaine till it end at the Ocean and diuideth the Tartars from the Chinois and from the Scythian Ocean to the confines of Tipura and the bordering regions In the foresaid compasse are contained many and mightie kingdomes and many puissant prouinces as Tangut wherein are the cities Succuir and Campian built after the manner of Italie Ergimul Carazan Tebet and Caindu the chiefe cities of prouinces In the middest of the Empire is Tenduch which in the time of Paule Venetus was in the iurisdiction of Prester Iohn but now subdued by the great Cham. The greater part of the people were Christians but Nestorians the rest Mahumetans Here is the citie Cambalu the imperiall seate containing in compasse 28. miles and neere vnto it Taiduc situated vpon a lake containing in compasse 24. miles Then Xaindu the palace of the great Cham being foure square euery square containing eight miles and fower gates Within that square is another palace sixe miles square in the middest whereof are three gates towards the south and as many towards the north from whence as likewise from euery corner you may behold the imperiall pallace And within this circuit is yet an other square of one mile hauing sixe gates like the former Betweene euery wall you may see meadowes and woods and within this square is the Imperiall pallace of whose pleasures riches and magnificence neither of his chases fowlings and fishing am I able to write This whole region for the most part is very populous full of townes rich and ciuill which you may the rather beleeue first for that the Tartars choosing this for their seate and countrie beautified it with the spoiles of Asia China and that part of Europe which they harried and were neuer woon or taken from thence againe to this day next for that the prouinces are most commodiously situated for traffike and negotiation partly by reason of their admirable plaines and huge lakes amongst which are Cazaia whose waters are salt Guian Dangu Xandu Catacora partly by reason of their large riuers which with a long course do run by the prouinces of Curato Polisango Zaiton and Mccon Paul Venetus calleth it Quion A great helpe hereunto likewise is the variety of fruits and the aboundance of graine rice wooll silk hempe Reubarbe muske and excellent fine chamblets wouen of camels haire Paule writeth that it affoordeth ginger cinnomom cloues which for my part I hardly beleeue In many riuers are found graines of gold Their coine is not all of one value In Cathaia a coine is currant made of the blacke rinde of a certaine tree growing betweene the bodie and the barke This rinde being smoothed rounded tempered with a gummie substance is stamped with the image of the great Cham. In the kingdomes of Caiacan Carazan certaine sea shels are currant which some men terme Porcelline This kinde of money is frequent in many places of India and Aethiopia By this meanes the princes get vnto themselues all the gold and siluer of the prouinces which they cause to be molten and laid vp in most safe places without euer taking any thing from thence againe In like sort Prester Iohn is thought to be Lord of an inestimable treasure while he maketh graines of salt and pepper to passe for currant coine amongst his subiects They brew an excellent beuerage of rice and spices which sooner procureth drunkennesse then wine As the Arabians so they delight in sower milke or Cosimus a kinde of charmed sower mares milke very forcible to turne the braine His force consisteth first as we told you in situation in spacious territorie in magnificent cities in plentie of prouision in rich reuenues for amongst many other things he taketh the tenths of wooll silke hempe graine cattell and is absolute Lord of all but the chiefest sinewes of his state consisteth in his armed troupes which he keepeth in continuall pay and action These liue alway in the field foure or fiue miles remote from the cities Ouer and aboue their salary they are allowed to make profit of their cattell milke wooll When he goeth to warfare according to the custome of the Romanes he mustereth part of that soldierie which lyeth dispersed through the prouinces For the most part all the nations of the Tartars except the Varcheni who are not subiect to the Great Cham fight on horsebacke Their weapons are the bow and arrow which they vse as desperately in their flight as in the charge They are verie swift their tents are made of wouen wooll with which they shelter themselues from foule weather Their chiefest sustenance is milke dried in the sunne after the butter is queased out yea the blood of their horses if famine inforce They fight not pel-mel with their enimes but somtime on the front sometime on the flanke after the Parthian maner they ouerwhelme them as it were with a showre of arrowes Whosoeuer carrieth himselfe valiantly stands assured of reward and are graced with honor immunities gifts Twelue thousand horsemen are appointed for the guard of the Prince and it is said that of this kinde of force he is able to leuie a greater power then any other potentate Howsoeuer it be two things in his kingdome are woorthie consideration the one is numbers which may be imagined by the spaciousnes of his dominions the other
and hauing gathered a most mightie and populous armie compacted of Gentiles Mahumetans and Christians after he had raigned twentie yeeres he died in the height of his prosperitie leauing his son Mamudza behind him whom the king graced with his fathers regencie vpon condition to pay him a yeerely tribute which payment the yoong man neither regarded nor shewed himselfe loyall to his soueraigne in many things besides It happened that Sanosaradin dying in the warre which he made against Persia left behind him a sonne of such pusillanimitie and so base a spirit that Mamusda hereupon tooke courage to intitle himselfe king of Canora calling the countrey Decan and the people Decaini that is illegitimate After this he erected eighteene captainships and diuided his dominion amongst them assigning to euerie one his limites only with this penaltie to finde alwaies in readines a certaine number of footemen and horsemen To preuent future rebellion he did choose these Captaines not out of the orders of his nobilitie but from the number of his slaues Nay more then this to be assured of their loyaltie he commanded that euerie one of them should build him a house in his royall citie Bider in which their children should remaine and that once euerie yeere at least they should make their appearance in his court But because all authoritie which is not as well vnderpropped with his proper vertues as grounded vpon the affections of the people is of small continuance so happened it to this Prince for his slaues and vassals hauing soueraigne authoritie put into their hands made no more account of him then of a cipher stripping him poore Prince without respect or reuerence of all his dominions sauing his chiefe citie Bider with the territorie adioyning For euerie one of a Lieutenant became an vsurper of those states which were committed to his trust the mightier alwaies oppressing the weaker so that all in the ende became a pray to a few Two of them are famous at this day the one of them stretching his dominion to the borders of Cambaia the other to the skirts of Narsinga the first called by the portugals Nissamalucco the other Idalcan Either of them is so puissant that in the yeere 1571. Idalcan belegred Goa with an armie of thirtie fiue thousand horse threescore thousand elephants two hundred and fiftie pieces of ordinance Nissamalucco besieged Chaul with lesse forces but better fortune for though he did not force it yet he brought it to an hard pinch with the slaughter of twelue thousand Moores In those countries in which Sanosaradin began his empire not aboue 70 yeeres agone a great prince whom the east people call the great Mogor in the same sense as we call the great Turke laid the foundation of a mightie empire for as the king of Biarma in our times greatly hazarded the states of Pegu and Siam and the bordering regions euen so the Mogor turned topsie turuie the kingdomes lying on this side the riuer Ganges The receiued opinion is that they tooke their originall from Tartaria and that they came from that coast where the ancient Mossagetae a people accounted inuincible in armes did once inhabite and liuing as it were lawlesse and vnder no gouernment by inuasion of their neighbours procured vnto themselues the soueraigntie of most spacious kingdomes By the riuer Oxus they border vpon the Persians and are at continuall enmitie with them sometimes for religion sometime for inlargement of the bounds of their empire Their chiefe citie is Shamarcand from whence came Tamarlan and of whose bloud these Mogor princes do boast that they are descended The predecessor of him who is now prince of the Mogors was very famous in the east for in the yeere 1536. being sollicited by king Mandao of the north from whom Badurius king of Cambaia had taken his kingdome to aide him against the Cambaian he is reported to haue brought with him an infinite number of soldiers which we may coniecture out of that which Maffeus writeth of the armie of king Badurius to witte that this king had vnder his standard one hundred and fiftie thousand horse whereof fiue and thirtie thousand were barbed the number of footemen was 500. thousand Amongst these were fifteene thousand forreine soldiers and fower-score Christians French Portugals at which by what meanes or by what way they should come thither I do mightily woonder Their Galleon which they called Dobriga suffered shipwracke in the chanell of Cambaia I know that if these preparations and prouisions for warre be compared with our forces of Christendom they will hardly be taken for true but we haue alreadie declared the causes why the princes of the east and south may gather greater armies then we can consequently that those things which are spoken of their incredible store and woonderfull prouision of furniture may be answerable to their leuies and proportions of soldiery And as they are able to leuie millions of men for arming and feeding them they take no great care so likewise do the prouinces affoord great plentie of prouision and an inestimable multitude of warlike engines for they carry nothing with them saue that which is necessarie and needfull for the warres Wines cates such like which cannot but with great expence labour and trouble be carried along with armies are by these men wholy omitted and vtterly reiected All their thoughts tend to warlike prouisions as to get brasse iron steele and tinne to forge peeces and cast great ordinance iron and lead to make bullets iron and steele to temper cymitars oxen and elephants to draw their artillerie graine to nourish their bodies mettals to arme them and treasure to conserue them They are all tyrants and to preserue their estates and induce submissiue awednes they hold hard hands ouer the comminaltie committing all gouernment into the hands of soldiers And to make these men faithfull and loyall they ordaine them lords of all things committing vnto their trust townes castles expeditions of great waight but the expectation of the prince is often deceiued by the rebellion of these vassals for sometimes they vsurpe whole prouinces and impose vpon the people all kinde of miuries But let good princes thinke it as necessarie to build their safetie vpon the loue of their subiects as vpon the force of the soldier Feare admitteth no securitie much lesse perpetuitie and therefore these tirants expecting no suretie at the hands of their subiects trust wholy vpon their men of warre flattering them with promise of libertie and bestowing vpon them the goods of their subiects as rewards of their seruice So with vs the Turke strengthneth his estate with Ianizars and as he coueteth to be beloued and fauoured of them to that end bestowing vpon them the riches and honors of the empire so they againe acknowledge no other lord and master I may very well say father and protector And so many of the Malaber princes vsing and accounting the people but as beasts lay all their hopes
Pacquin wherein the king keepeth his court is situated in 48. degrees The Empire is diuided into fifteene prouinces sixe maritime Cantan Foquem Chiqueuan Pantora Nanquij the rest inland Quichiu Iuana Quancij Suiuam Fuquam Cansij Xianxij Nonam Sancij The prouinces of Quinci Cantan and Foquem are diuided from the vplandish with mountaines like the Alpes but not aboue two daies iourney asunder Thomas Perez the king of Portugals ambassador made fower moneths iourney from Cantan to Nanquij alwaies bearing northerly It is not so spacious but it is as fertil for it yeeldeth not only what is fitting for humane life but whatsoeuer the delicate and effeminate appetite of man may lust after Many plants yeeld fruit twice or thrice a yeere and that not onely by the temperature of the aire but by the number of riuers and plentie of waters which doe both cause traffike through euery corner of the region and so water it on all sides that it resembleth a most pleasant and delectable garden plot Of this plentie there are two causes one the prodigall expences of the king in digging of trenches through the whole land sometime cutting through rockie mountaines sometime damming vp deepe vallies to make them leuell with high mountaines to draine the waters of lakes and marishes the other for that the whole region is situated vnder the temperatre Zone and in no place either by nature or mans industrie wanteth moisture so that all creatures taking nourishment of heate and moisture must needes here wonderously prosper In no place plants may take larger scope to spread their branches nor cattell larger walkes to wander in then in this countrie The last reason is for that the idle are neither seuerely punished nor altogether tolerated euery one is forced to doe somewhat no foote of land is left vnhusbanded nor dram of stuffe cast away vnwrought Amongst all admirables one thing is woorthie consideration that in Cantan they keepe fower thousand whales to grinde corne and rice In China euery one is set about somewhat according to his yeeres and strength one laboureth with his hand one with his foote one with his eie another must be dooing with his toong those onelie who are impotēt in their limes haue no friends liuing to succour them are prouided for in hospitals That none may excuse themselues in saying he can do nothing euery one is bound to learne his fathers occupation which is the reason that the children borne as it were tradesmen learne their fathers occupations before they perceiue it becomming in time most artificiall mechaniques He that can not liue at lande seeketh his maintenance at sea for that is no lesse inhabited then the land yea infinite housholds liue vpon the riuers in boats without comming to land for a long season Some of these liue by ferrying ouer people some by transporting passengers and their merchandise others keepe shops other vessels of lodgings for merchants and trauellers Whatsoeuer is needfull for clothing for foode or nourishment delight or case of a ciuill life is to be found in the midst of great riuers Many nourish all sorts of poultrie especially ducks in their vessels To hatch the egges and nourish the yoong ones they vse not the dams as we do but an artificiall heate in a manner as they do in Egypt especially at Cair All night he keepeth them in his boat at morning sendeth them to feede in the fields sowed with rice whence all day long hauing fed vpon the weeds to the great good of the husbandman they returne towards euening to their cages at the sound of a little bell or cimball Many liue by carrying fish both salt and fresh into the high countries for in the spring when the riuers rise through thawes and land-flouds so incomparable quantities of sea fish do abound in the hauens or creekes that the fishermen depart rather wearied then wanting This fish the skippers buy for a small matter of the fishermen and keeking them aliue in certaine vessels made for the purpose they transport them into prouinces farre remote from the sea There they are sold and preserued in pooles and stewes neere cities and great townes to serue the markets and tables of the Chinois all the yeere long Because it is forbidden any inhabitant to passe out of the land without leaue and therewith neither but for a time limited it must needs be that by the daily increase of people the countrey be euen pestered with inhabitation It hath beene obserued amongst themselues that for euery fiue that haue died seauen haue beene borne The climate is so temperate and the aire so wholesome that in mans memorie any vniuersall pestilence hath not beene knowen to infest the countrey Notwithstanding least any man should thinke this people to enioy all sweetes without some mixture of sower you must note that their earthquakes are more dreadfull to them then any pestilence to vs for whole cities haue beene swallowed and prouinces made desart by this punishment They choke vp the course of ancient chanels and make new where were neuer any before they lay mountaines leuell with the ground making hauocke of the people In the yeere 1555. a deluge breaking out of the bowels of the earth deuoured 180. miles of firme land with the townes and villages standing thereupon those which scaped the floud lightning and fire from heauen destroied There are saide to be in China 150. cities 235. great townes 1154. castles and 420. boroughes without wals wherein soldiers are quartered of villages and hamlets some of them conteining a thousand housholds the number is infinite for the countrey is so couered with habitation that all China seemeth but as one towne They haue two metrapolitan cities Nanquin and Panquin In Nanquin towards the north the king keepeth his court Vnder the iurisdiction of the one are seuen prouinces vnder the other eight Both of them are so spacious that it is a daies iourney for a horseman to ride from one end to the other Of the number of inhabitants no certainty can be produced but according to manuscript relations and report of trauellers it is said that the kingdome containeth 70. millions of liuing soules This is an admirable report and not to be beleeued if it be compared with the prouinces of Christendome but surely something aboue conceite is to be credited to these spacious populous and barbarous nations Let vs set the largenes of their prouinces the circuite of their cities their plentie and aboundance of all things and in all places either prospering by nature or mans industrie with their numbers and inhabitation and we shall finde a countrey like inough to affoord such a reckoning cities and dwellings able to containe them and nourishment sufficient to maintaine them Italy exceedeth not nine millions Germany excluding the Swissers and Netherlands not ten and with the foresaid prouinces not aboue fifteene which number peraduenture France may reach vnto Spaine is farre inferior to Italy Sicilie hath but
him prisoner and restored him to his libertie but taking him againe for breach of couenants he depriued him and his sonne of life and kingdome By the valor of his sonnes he tooke the citie of Tremissen But Sal-Aries viceroy of Algier being iealous of these good fortunes gathered a puissant host recouered Tremissen put the Xeriffe to flight tooke Fes and bestowed it with the territorie vpon the Lord of Velez who afterward in a battell against the Xeriffe lost both life and kingdome At last in his iournie to Taradant by the subornation of the viceroy of Algier he was murdered in his tent by certaine Turks who with their captaine Assen comming to Taradant rifled the kings treasures but were all slaine except fiue by the inhabitants in their iournie homewards This came to passe 1557. when Muley Abdala the Xeriffes sonne was proclaimed king Let this suffice for the originall of the Xeriffe now let vs see how these risings were like the fortunes of Ismael king of Persia. Both of them in small time conquered many prouinces both grew great by the ruine of their neighbours both suffered great crosses by the armes of the Turkes and to them lost part of their dominions Selim tooke from Ismael Caramit and diuers other cities of Mesopotamia the viceroy of Algier droue the Xeriffe from Tremissen and the adiacent territorie Selim woon Tauris the chiefe seate of Persia and then gaue it ouer Sal-Aries tooke Fes the head citie of Mauritania and left it when he had done This potentate is absolute Lord of the bodies and goods of his subiects whatsoeuer impositions he layeth vpon them they dare not repine at For tribute he taketh the tenth and the first fruits of their fruits and cattell yet is it most true that for first fruits he taketh not aboue one in twentie and though it exceede that number euen to one hundred yet he neuer taketh aboue two Of euery acre of land he taketh a ducat and the fift part and so much of euery houshold and of euery pole male and female aboue 15 yeeres of age yeerely If he want he taketh a greater summe To make the people more willing to pay what is imposed he alwaies demandeth more by halfe then is to be paid that so by paying their due they may think they are wel dealt withall in seeming to be forgiuen somewhat of his full demand The inhabitants of the mountaines a people sauage and vnciuill for the difficult accesse vnto them he cannot inforce to pay tribute but those that manure the plaines he constraineth to giue the tenth of their haruest Besides these reuenues he taketh tole and custome of all kindes of merchandize in cities inward of a citizen two in the hundred of a stranger ten His rent of mils is a great matter for vpon euery asse-load of graine grineded in Fes he taketh halfe a riall in this towne there are aboue 400. mils The church of Carruven was indowed with fower score thousand ducats of yeerely reuenue the colleges and monasteries of Fes with much more all which now are escheated into the kings cofers Moreouer he is heire to all the Iudges which they call Alcaids and hath the bestowing of all their offices When they die he seiseth vpon all their horses armour apparell and all their other chattels If the intestate leaue children behind him fit for the warre he bestoweth their fathers annuitie vpon them if they be sons yoong he nurseth them till they come to ful yeeres if daughters he maintaineth them till they find husbands To be fingring the wealth of the richer sort he hath alwaies some office or lieutenantship with an annuitie to sell them but commonly to preuent those sales they will not be acknowne of their abilities remoouing their abodes far from the court and the kings sight which is the cause that the citie of Fes is much fallen from the ancient splendour He hath no castles or peeces well fortified but only Aguer Labace and Tetuan vpon the sea side His chiefest confidence is in the valour of his soldiers especially his horsemen like the Turke and Persian In this regarde he taketh no great care to furnish himselfe with ordinance yet hath he great store therof in Fes Marocho Taradant in the foresaid hauen townes taken from the Portugals and others As he seeth occasion he causeth new to be cast for which seruice he can want no workmen out of Europe In Marocho he hath an Arsenall wherein he laâ—eth vp monethly at least 46. quintals of gunpowder Here he causeth his harquebushes and bowes to be likewise made In the yeere 1569. by fire which happened amongst the gunpowder-houses the greatest part of the citie was very much defaced His soldierie is of diuers sorts The first consisteth of 2700. horsemen and 2000. harquebushers part lying in garrison in Fes and part in Morocho where lieth the court The second consisteth as a man may say of a royall troupe of sixe thousand horse all Gentlemen pensioners and of great reputation These ride vpon braue horses with rich caparisons their armes and furniture shining with gold siluer stones and all things else which for varietie of colours or rich deuises may delight the eie with gallant shew or feede the humour of the curious beholder To these seruitours besides their allowance of corne prouender butter and flesh for themselues their wiues children and seruants they receiue yeerely from seuentie to one hundred ounces of siluer The third â—ort are a kinde of Timarots for the Xeriffe doth alot a certaine portion of land and tenants to his sonnes brethren and men of qualitie amongst the people of Africke and Arabia for the maintenance of their degrees Those whom they terme Alcaids looke to the manuring of the fields gather the rents of corne rice otes oyle butter flesh poultrie and money distribute it monethly amongst the soldiers to euery man according to his place They likewise giue them wollen linnen silke for their garments armor and horses for seruice If their horses chance to be slaine they giue them new so did the Romanes to those which serued vpon the horses of the state The commanders of these troupes are verie carefull to see their soldiers in hart and full of life excellent well armed and competently attired They receiue betweene fower and twentie and thirtie ounces of siluer yeerely The fourth sort make the Arabians who commonly liue in tents diuided by 120. vnder their seuerall leaders to be alwaies readie vpon all occasions They serue on horsebacke but more like theeues and outlawes then soldiers The fift sort is like the presse of the Christian common-weales These companies consist of citizens villagois and mountaine people Of these men the king maketh no great reckoning neither doth he willingly arme them for feare of sedition and innouations vnlesse it be to warre vpon the Christians wherein he cannot forbid them to serue For vpon remembrance of the slaughter of the Moores by the Christians
in safetie The sea coast is on euerie side cliffie and inaccessible except in some certaine places which are strongly fortified as Barwicke Douer Dertmouth Plymmouth Falmouth Bristow Milford c. so that the whole Ilande may be taken for one impregnable castell or Bulwarke To this strength of situation may be ioyned their sea and lande forces As touching their sea-forces besides the Nauie Royall the kingdome hath so many faire hauens and those so frequented with merchants that two thousand ships are reported to trafique there Be this as it may it is vndoubtedly true that vpon necessitie they are able to put to sea aboue fower hundred ships Edward the third at the siege of Caleis and Henrie the eight at the siege of Bullen waisted ouer with a thousand faile of all sorts and therefore to inuade that Iland whose hauens are hard to approch and worse to enter by reason of the fortifications and which haue so many ships at commaund I account a most difficult and dangerous enterprise And to this dangerous difficultie may be added another which is that the English people are maruellous expert in maritime actions then whom at sea there is not a valianter and bolder nation vnder heauen For in most swift ships excellent well furnished with ordinance wherewith the kingdome aboundeth they goe to sea with as good courage in winter as in sommer all is one with them They trade into Moscouie Cathay Alexandria of Egypt Constantinople Liuonia Barbarie and Guinea Anno 1585. with a fleete of fiue and twentie ships whererein were 2500. souldiers they sayled into the west Indies and tooke Saint Iago Saint Domingo in Hispaniola and Cartagena on the continent Saint Augustines a citie built of timber and by them destroyed with fire In the time of warre they continually veâ—e the Terceraz and the coast of Brasill Two of their Captaines haue sayled round about the world with no lesse courage then glorie and good fortune Their force at land is nothing inferiour to that at sea for the kingdome is diuided into two and fiftie shires in one onely whereof commonly called Yorkeshire it is thought seuentie thousand footmen may be leuied Euerie shire hath a lieutenant who seeth to the election and trayning of soldiers when necessitie requireth In choosing of soldiers they take the names of all the inhabitants of the countrey from aboue sixteene yeeres of age to sixtie and out of these they choose the likeliest and ablest for seruice The taller and stronger are chosen for footmen and these diuided into fower kinds The first are archers by whose dexteritie they conquered the greatest part of France tooke king Iohn captiue and held Paris sixteene yeeres The arrowes of the Parthians were neuer more dredfull to the Romaines then the bowes of the English to the Frenchmen The second sort vsed light staues well headed with iron with which they would strike a man from his horse The other two vse and experience of latter times hath taught them the one is the harquebuse the other the pike a fit weapon for their constitution by reason of their tall strong and manlike stature For their seruice on horsebacke they choose the men of small stature but wel set actiue and nimble These horsemen are of two sorts some heauie armed and those for the most part are gentlemen other lighter armed some riding after the manner of the Albannesses some after the fashion of Italy vsing a scull a Iacke a sword and long light speares And although they are able to bring to the field two thousand lanciers and infinite troupes of light horsemen yet their horsemen neuer carried like reputation to their footemen for Edward the third which made so many iorneies into France and obtayned so many famous victories to shew what confidence he reposed in his infanterie euer left his horse and put himselfe into the battell of his footemen whereas the French kings not daring to inure their commons to warfare least leauing their manuell occupations and trades they should grow insolent in the warres to which humour they are greatly addicted alwaies put themselves and their hopes in the fortune of their caualerie being all almost gentlemen But for as much as the French mantaine no good races of horse and to purchase them from other places is a matter of great charge and good cannot alwaies be gotten for money for these reasons and for that horsemen are nothing so seruiceable in the fielde as footemen I thinke the French haue so often beene ouerthrowen by the English To shew what force the King of England is able to bring into the field let this one example stand for many Henrie the eight passed to Bullen with an armie diuided into three Battallions in the vantgard passed twelue thousand footemen and fiue hundred light horsemen clothed in blew iackets with redde gardes The middle ward wherein the King was and passed last ouer consisted of twenty thousand footmen two thousand horse cloathed with red iackets and yellow gards In the rereward was the Duke of Norfolke and with him an armie like in number and apparell to the first sauing that therein serued one thousand Irishmen all naked saue their mantles and their thicke gathered shirts their armes were three darts a sword and a skeane They drew after them one hundred great pieces besides small They caried vpon carts an hundred mils which one horse would turne and grinde Their carriages were so many that therewith they intrenched their campe as with a wall And for the carriage of their ordinance and their baggage and for drawing of their prouision they transported into the continent aboue fiue and twentie thousand horse and besides all other kinde of prouision they brought with them fifteene thousand oxen and an infinite number of other cattell The quantities of ladders bridges shot powder and other furnitures following so royal an armie what pen can number In England the nobilitie possesse few castels or strong places inuironed with wals and ditches neither haue they iurisdiction ouer the people The dignities of Dukedomes Marquesses and Earldomes are no more but bare titles which the king bestoweth on whom he pleaseth and peraduenture they possesse neuer a penie of reuenue in the place from whence they take their titles where on the contrarie the nobilitie in France possesse some absolute some mixt gouernment with the hereditarie titles of Lords Barons Earles Marquesses Dukes and Princes They are Lords not of townes onely but of great and goodly cities receiuing homage and fealtie of their tenants but acknowledge the soueraignty of the king the parliaments Netherland OF all the three parts of Gaule Belgia which we commonly cal Netherland is the noblest by the authoritie of Casar Strabo and other approoued authors not only for the nobilitie and excellencie of the people of the countrie but likewise for the greatnes and woorthines of those things that haue been inuented there and the accidents that there haue happened They inuented the art of
all Europe For trade with the Chinois and Ilands of Tidore and for their safe merchandizing with Molucca and Banda they are so secure of their welfare that they count it an vnnecessarie charge to erect any castles or fortifications of defence but onely inhabite dispersed in weake cottages Certainly it would amaze and bewoonder a man to thinke how many puissant kings and fierce nations are brideled and yoked by the armes of twelue thousand Portuguezes for in so huge atract of land and sea there are nor euer were a greater number inhabiting and not onely to haue discouered and conquered the Atlanticke Indian and east sea but also to defend it against all forrein inuasions or inrodes vpon their confines for it is 90 yeeres since they fortified those places with an ouerlasting memoriall of their valiancie Neither can any man to ecclipse or detract from their iust commeÌ„dation obiect vnto them the facilitie of subduing a naked and vnarmed people altogither raw and vnexperimented in the feates of armes if he will recall to his remembrance how by the vertue of their armes they tooke the kingdome of Ormus from the vassall and confederate of the king of Persia as also that they drowned and defeated at Diu the nauie of the Sultane of Egypt fully furnished with Mammelukes a kinde of soldier no lesse famous for their armes and discipline then the Praetorian Turkish soldiers called Ianizaries as also that they made good the saide place against the leaguer of the Turkes and Guzarits and in the red sea they haue often forced the Turkish gallies to retire with a most dishonorable foile In the yeere 1552. they defeated his whole fleete at Ormus In Trapoban they affronted and contested with the kings of Decan Cambaia Calecute and Achem princes both fauored and also aided with the forces of the Turkish Emperour yea such haue beene their expeditions in Cambaia India the whole Ocean and along the coasts of Asia that in desart of glorie and admiration they are to be censured nothing inferior to the victorious praises of Alexander the great yea so much the rather to be preferred because neither in circuit of territorie nor numbers of people they were euer comparable to the Macedonians for with nineteene ships they ouerthrew the Egyptian nauie farre greater in number and furniture with two thousand soldiers they forced Goa and recouered it being lost with 1500. with 800. they wonne Malaca and not with many more Ormus Another member of the Spanish dominions lieth in the new World wherein because be hath no corriuall able to make head against him he challengeth as his owne whatsoeuer either by discouerie or conquest he attaineth vnto This new Worlds dominions is diuided into the continent and Ilands In the north sea are so many Ilands most of them of forty miles compasse that their number can hardly be ascertained or knowne some of them so rich and spacious that they might suffice to erect a magnificent and stately soueraigntie Of these Boriqâ—en is 300 â—iles long and threescore broad Cuba is 300 miles long and twentie leagues broad Hispaniola is 1600 miles in compasse As for the continent he is absolute lord of all that sea coast which watereth Florida Noua Hispania Iucatan and that spacious south erly promontorie to the cape of California and Quiuira For euen so farre the discoueries and nauigations of the Spaniard haue proceeded The coast of Noua Hispania counting his beginning at the towne of Santa Helena and cutting by Panama to Quiuira containeth about 5000. and 200 miles in length to which if you please to adde the vpland regions coasting towards the north you shall finde no lesse then 9000. miles Peru beginning at Panama containeth by the maritimate coast 12000. and 600. miles of which three thousand lying betweene the riuer Maragon and Argenteum and including Brasile do acknowledge the supremacie of Portugall In the continent are many kingdomes and seigniories amongst which these of Mexico and Peru once most powerfull and wealthie dominions were counted chiefe and as it were the two imperiall seats The kings of Mexico did not claime by inheritance from their ancestors but were chosen by sixe electors Him whom they iudged yoong valiant and wise of an able bodie and fit for the warre they crowned and one of their kings because he prooued a coward slothfull and irresolute they poisoned There was a Senate of Sages continually resident about his person which consisted of fower degrees of Nobilitie and Magistracies without whose authoritie and consent no matters of consequence or weight could be determined or put in action They regarded nothing so seuerely as the good education of their youth their ceremonious superstitions their orders of soldiarie Amongst them there was a most woorthie chiefetaine called Tlacaellell so expert in militarie prowesse that he subdued the greatest part of the Mexican seigniorie and of so great and admired spirit that he obstinately refused and forsooke the kingdome being offered him saying that it was auaileable and commodious for the common-weale that another should weare the crown and he attend vpon him as a minister and counseller and that his shoulders were too weake to sustaine so weightie a burden adding moreouer that he would no lesse endeuour with a carefull and warie foresightfulnesse the safetie of the common-weale then if he himselfe were inuested in the soueraigntie These kings liued in great maiestie inhabited sumptuous palaces and maintained a mightie troupe of their vassals for the guard of their persons On one quarter they enlarged their bounds and planted their religion and language to the skirts of Teguante-Pecum two hundred leagues remote from Mexico and on another quarter as farre as Guatimall 300. leagues distant In these places they made the north and south seas their bounds but Mecoican Tascalan and Terpeacan they could neuer bring vnder their yoke Their differences and troubles with the citie of Tascala incouraged the Spaniards to inuade their dominions and being entred made their victories easie without any difficult resisting or hinderance from the pursuite of their coÌ„quest which happened in the yeere of our Lord 1518. The Mexicans diuided into seauen tribes came into those regions from that part of the north where of late yeeres the Spaniards discouered a most wealthie and populous prouince which at this day they call new Mexico The most respected honor which doth ennoble their men is purchased by alacritie couragious forwardnes to armes Matezuma their last king instituted certaine orders of horsemen surnaming them Lions Eagles and Leopards These he priuileged to weare gold and siluer and a silken cassock after the Arabian fashion to go shod and occupy gilded and painted vessell which things were prohibited to the vulgar and forbidden all such who had not inwoorthied himselfe by some noble seruice The Empire of Peru whose king was surnamed Inga is found to be larger and more magnificent when it was in the prime and highest it reached from Pasto to Chile 1000.
they haue vndertaken diuers famous expeditions into Barbarie Ethiopia India and Brasile Within these 90. yeeres they haue taken and fortified the principall places and harbours of those prouinces chalenging vnto themselues the peculiar traffike of the Atlantike and east Ocean They seised vpon the Terceraz knowing that without touching at those Ilands no ship could safely passe into Ethiopia India Brasil or the New-world Returning from those countries towards Spaine or Lisbone they put in to releeue their wants and sicke passengers and outward they touch to take in fresh water and fetch the winde In Africke they are Lords of those places which we spake of before in the description of Spaine In Persia they haue Ormus in Cambaia Diu Damain and Bazain in the hither India Chaul Goa and the neighbour fortresses of Cochin Colan the Iland Mauar and the hauen Columbo in the Iland Zeilan Amongst these Goa is the chiefest as the place where the Viceroy keepeth his court Ormus famous for the iurisdiction of the sea and the traffike of the Persian and Cambaian gulfes Cochin and Colan for their plentie of pepper Mauar for the pearle-fishing Columbo for the abundance of Cinnamon Damain and Bazain for fertile prouision In these quarters they haue some princes their confederates others their feodaries The chiefe and wealthiest of Allies is the king of Cochin sometime tributarie to the king of Calecute but now by the intercourse and traffike with the Portugals he is growne so rich and mightie that the other princes do enuie his prosperitie The king of Colan is likewise their confederate Their chiefe force consisteth in situation and strength of their places and in the number goodnes of their shipping As concerning situation this people wisely considering that in regard of their contemptible numbers they were not of power to make any famous iourney into the inland regions neither to match the Persians the Guzarits the princes of Decan the king of Narsinga and other barbarous potentates in Campania turned all their cogitations to immure themselues in such defensiue places that with small forces they might euer haue hope to diuert great attempts and make themselues Lords and commanders of the sea and nauigation which when they had done they intertained and maintained so strong a nauie that no prince in those parts was able to wrong them yea they furnished those vessels so thoroughly that one single ship would not refuse to cope with three or fower of the Barbarians With this Armada of one and twentie ships Francis Almeida defeated the Mamelucks neere the towne of Diu. Alfonse Alburquerck with thirtie great ships woon Calecute with one and twentie he tooke Goa and regained it with fower and thirtie with three and twentie he tooke Malaca with sixe and twentie he entred the red sea and with two and twentie recouered Ormus In processe of time as their mightines increased Lopes Zuarezius made a iourney into the red sea with seuen thirtie Galleons Lopes Sequeira with twentie fower ships but with greater number of soldiers then euer before laid siege to Gnidda in the red sea Henry Menesius wasted Patane with fiftie ships Lopes Vazius Sampaius left in the Arsenal 136. ships of war for the greater part all excellent well furnished Nonius Acunia vndertooke a iourney to Diu with 300. ships wherein were three thousand Portugals and fiue thousand Indians besides a great number of his guard and seruants which ordinarily follow the Viceroyes in those countries Besides his confederates and feodaries he is confined with most mightie princes his enimies as the Persian who chalengeth Ormus as holden of him in vassalage the king of Cambaia who maketh title to Diu and other places which were once vnder his iurisdiction Nizzamaluc Idalcam for so the Portugals call the two princes of Decan the kings of Calecute Narsinga As for the kings of Persia Narsinga they neuer waged warre against the Portugals because they haue alwaies had to do with more dangerous enimies other princes though they haue enterprized to their vttermost to regaine Diu Chial Goa and other places and haue left no meanes vnattempted to bring their desseignes to effect yet their abilitie could not worke any prosperous successe to their laborious indeuors by reason of the places situate so commodiously for the transportation and receit of continuall succours from the sea And though they haue vndertaken the like actions in the deepe of winter hoping by tempests and other casualties to barre the Portugals from their sea succours yet they neuer preuailed because the ships and courages of the Portugals the one resolute to indure the siege and by patience to ouercome the other determining hap what may neuer to forsake their distressed countrey-men haue set all vpon hazard and exposed their fortunes to the mercy of the winde waues of the sea Their woorst greatest and fiercest enimie is the Turke who being backed with the like aduantage of situation which the citie of Aden affoordeth him sometime pricked by his proper enuie emulation and ambition sometime egged on by the perswasions of the king of Cambaia hath often indeuored to dispoile them of the soueraigntie of the red sea and finally to driue them out of the east India The greatest nauie that euer he sent against them was to recouer Diu consisting of sixtie fower ships and by them defeated Afterwards he sent a nauie of greater ships to the conquest of Ormus and that likewise was almost wholie beaten bruised and drowned In the further Indies they hold nothing but Malaca and the Moluccas In times past Malaca was far greater then now it is for it lay scattered three miles alongst the sea coast but the Portugals that they might the better defend it haue brought it into a round forme containing not aboue a mile in compasse Heere the king hath two puissant enimies Ior and Achem the one mightie at land the other farre mightier at sea by whom the towne not without great danger hath more then once beene besieged but by the aide sent from India alwaies releeued with great slaughter of the enimie At length Paulus Lima defeated king Ior and raced the castle built by him neere Malaca wherein besides other spoiles he found 900. brasen cast peeces This territorie is subiect to great danger by reason of the puissance of this king of Achem bending all his cogitations to the rooting and finall destruction of the Portugals out of this prouince and therefore the king of Spaine of late yeeres sent Matthias Alburquerk with a great power into India with authoritie to secure the territorie of Malaca and to fight with the king of Achem. To secure their trade of spices and nutmegs in the Moluccas and Banda they built a castle in the Iland Ternate of late yeeres for want of succours deliuered vp to the Mahumetans and the Portugals reculed into the Iland of Tidore there establishing their trade and factorie The Great Turke VNder the Empire of the Turkes is
the whole world multitudes of men vnconquerable militarie discipline vncorrupted corne and prouisions store infinite Multitudes in times past haue bred confusion and commonly we haue seene great armies ouerthrowen by small numbers but the Turkish multitudes are managed with so good order that although it be farre more easie to range a small armie then a great yet euen in order haue their great armies excelled our small so that I must needs conclude that they goe far beyond vs both in discipline and numbers herein giuing place no not to the ancient Romanes much lesse to any moderne nation how warlike soeuer And this their due commendation consisteth not only in armes but in thirst patience hard diet as for wine by their law they are vtterly forbidden it In the field euerie ten soldiers haue their corporall to whom without any grudging they dutifully obey You shall neuer see woman in their armies their silence is admirable for with the becke of the hand and signe of the countenance they vnderstand without words what they are to doe rather then they will make any noise in the night they will suffer their slaues and prisoners to escape They punish theft and quarrelling extremely They dare not for their liues step out of their ranks to spoile vineyard or orchard They feare not death beleeuing their destinies to be written in their foreheads ineuitable The valiant are assured of preferment the cowards of punishment They are neuer billetted in townes nor suffred to lodge one night within them To keepe them in breath and exercise their princes are alwaies in action with some neighbour or other being verie iealous of the corruption of their discipline The Princes adioyning Toward the east from Tauris to Balsara lie the Persians toward the south and the Persian gulfe the Portugals toward the red sea Prester Iohn vpon the west the Xeriffe and the kingdome of Naples on the north border the Polonians and the Germans Without all question the Turke excelleth the Persian in militarie discipline for Mahumet the second tooke Vssuncassan Selim the first and after him his sonne Soliman defeated Ismael and Tamas Amurath the third by his Lieutenants tooke from them all Media the greater Armenia and their chiefe citie Tauris Their batallions of footemen and the vse of great ordinance which the Persians want and know not how to manage haue beene the chiefest occasions of these good fortunes And although they haue sometime ouerthrowen them in horse-fights yet alwaies with the losse of ground not to themselues onely but to their confederates Selim the first tooke from the Mamelucks Siria and Aegypt Amurath the third almost wholy extinguished the nation of the Georgians their surest allies To the Portugals he is far inferiour for in sea-fights and sea forces there is as great inequalitie betweene them as betweene the Ocean and the Persian gulfe The Portugals haue in India hauens and castels territories and dominions plentifull in timber prouision and all sorts of warlike furniture for the sea not without many great princes their allies and confederates whereas the Turke hath no one place of strength in the Persian gulfe but Balsara The tract of the sea coast of Arabia which may seeme to stand him insteed hath but fower townes and those weake and of small esteeme which are reasons sufficient to induce that in this gulfe as likewise in the red sea he hath small meanes to rig out any gallant Armada Besides the soile is vtterly barren of timber fit for the building of galleies for which scarcitie whensoeuer he had occasion to set foorth a nauie in those seas he was constrained to send downe his stuffe from the hauens of Bithinia and Cilicia by Nilus to Cair and from thence to conuay it vpon camels backes to his Arsenal at Suez What successe his fleetes haue had in those parts you may read in the discourse of Portugall for the Portugals take great care to preuent him of setting foote in those seas yea as soone as they doe but smell that he is preparing any sea forces they presently looke out and spoile whatsoeuer they light vpon For captaines soldiers armes and munition he is better prouided then Prester Iohn for this prince hath a large territorie without munition and infinite soldiers without weapons Bernangasso his lieutenant lost all the sea coast of the red sea and brought the Abissine into such extremities that to obtaine peace he promised the payment of a yeerely tribute In Africke he hath a greater iurisdiction then the Xeriffe for he is Lord of all those prouinces which he betweene the red sea and Velez de Gomera but the Xeriffe hath the richer the stronger and better vnited Neither of them for the neighbourhood of the king of Spaine dare molest one another The residue of his neighbours are the Christians and first the king of Poland what either of these princes can effect the one against the other hath beene manifested by their forepassed actions In some sort it seemeth that the Turke feareth the Polaques for vpon sundrie occasions being prouoked as in the raigne of Henrie the third in the warre which Iuonia Voyvod of Walachia made with the Turkes wherein great numbers of Polaques serued And in the raigne of Sigismund the third notwithstanding the incursions of the Kosacks and the inrodes of Iohn Zamoseus Generall of Polonia he stirred not neither with woontlike disdaine once offered to reuenge these indignities Againe since the infortunate iourney of Ladislaus they neuer enterprised iourney against the Turkes no nor at any time aided the Walachians their neighbours their friends and confederates but suffered whatsoeuer they held vpon the Euxin sea to be taken from them This vile part I rather attribute to the base minde of the king then to any want of good will in the gentlemen or nobilitie Sigismund the first being by Leo the tenth mooued to war vpon the Turke answered Few words shall serue make firme peace betweene the Christian princes then will I be nothing behinde the most forward Sigisâ—und the second bore a minde so far abhorring from warre that he not onely neuer made attempt against the Turke but being iniuried by the Moscouite let him doe what he would vnreuenged King Stephen a great politician thought the warre of Turkie full of danger notwithstanding discoursing with his familiars he would often say that if he had but thirtie thousand good footeâ—en ioyned with his Polonian horsemen he could haue found in his hart to trie his fortune with this enimie The princes of Austrich are borderers by a far larger circuit of land then any other prince and being constrained to spend the greatest part of their reuenues in the continuall maintenance of twentie thousand footemen and horsemen in garrisons they seeme rather to stand content to defend their owne then any way minded to recouer their losses or inlarge their bounds Ferdinands iourney to Buda and Possouia was rather couragious then prosperous the reason was not because his
legions of Britannie were transported into the continent Holland and the bordering countries reuoked and immediately after the Sarracens finding the frontires of the Empire without garrisons passed ouer Danubius The Alani woon the streights of the Caspian hils the Persians indeuoured to get them a name and reputation the Gothes wandered throughout Moesia and Macedonia the Frenchmen entred Gallia But Constantine the Emperor restored it to the former glorie made an end of ciuill warre and tamed the barbarous and cruell nations and had he not committed two faults the Romane Empire might long haue flourished The first was the translating of the Imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople which action weakened the West and ouerthrew the Empire For it is more cleere then day that as plants remooued out of their naturall soile and transported into regions contrarie in temperature and aire retaine small vigour of their naturall vertue So humane actions but especially cities and kingdomes loose their glorie and splendour by these great alterations And for this cause the Romane Senate would neuer consent that the people should leaue Rome and dwell at Veij a citie far more pleasant and commodious then Rome especially after the sacking thereof by the Frenchmen The seate of Constantinople is so pleasant so commodious and so fertile that it is hard to iudge whether humane wisedome or nature shewed most industrie in the situation thereof There is no citie vpon the face of the earth better serued by land and sea on one side lie the most beautifull meadowes on the other side the pleasant vallies here rise the fruitfull hillocks there floweth and refloweth the plentifull sea yeelding all sorts of needfull and delicate prouision to the inhabitants thereof He that did see it would say that here stroue Bacchus with Ceres Pomana with Flora magnificence with plentie who should be most bountifull to this citie After the sea hath made many gallant bayes and safe roades whereof Bospherus onely in the space of fiue and twenty miles yeeldeth thirtie it runneth by the citie and countrie with so quiet and gentle a streame that the great ships bringing corne from Siria and Egypt and the riches of Trapezond from Capha doe seldome miscarrie Here is euermore haruest which now and then faileth in Thrace and Asia Here sholes of fish frisking and playing hard vnder the wals of the citie swim in such woonderfull abundance that he which hath not seene it will hardly beleeue it but he may easily be perswaded hereof that considereth how in the winter time the fish flying the cold places ascend by Pontus Euxinus euen in the view of Constantinople towards Propontus then shunning the heate of summer returne againe by the same way which they went before At these two seasons of the yeere the inhabitants as well for their profit as delight store themselues with great quantities thereof At this day on the Northeast part of the citie on the other side of the water is the towne of Pera on the North part is the Arsenall where the gallies are built and doe remaine and on the South side is all the ordinance artillerie and houses of munition To speake in a word there is no place fitter seated for plentie of all things for weakning mens valors for corrupting vertue with vice then this great and most stately citie of Constantinople prooued by the sloth and delicacie of the greatest number of the Greeke Emperors and their armies For if the pleasures of Tarent and the soile of the Siberites were inchantments sufficient to make men effeminate and quite alter the nature of the inhabitants if the delights of Capua could soften and quench the fierce courages of Hannibal and his soldiers if Plato deemed the Cyrenians incapable of discipline by reason of their long prosperitie what may wee thinke of Constantinople for situation proud for buildings sumptuous especially of their temples for beautifull and commodious hauens pleasant and delightsome aboue any other citie through the whole world To conclude when nothing can be more dangerous to a state then innouations what could be more hurtfull I may say desperate to the Romane Empire then that great so daine and vnlooked for mutation That good wel meaning Emperor in this did neither more nor lesse then as a man endeuouring to adde a greater grace to his bodie should place his face on his knees and his hart on his heeles The second fault of Constantine was the diuision of the Empire to his children ann Dom. 341. By this diuision of one Empre he made three and withall a memorable diminution of his authoritie and force For when his sonnes fell to ciuill dissention they consumed one another so cruelly that the Empire resembled a bloodlesse yea liuelesse bodie And though sometime vnder some one prince it stood on foote againe yet it remained alwaies subiect to diuision and departed into two Empires the east and the west till the comming of Odoacer king of the Herules and Turingi into Italy with a mightie host by which inuasion Augustulus was brought to such a narrow pinch that for despaire he cast himselfe into the protection of the east Empire This happened in the yeere of our Lord 476. And about this time the Huns passed Danubius Alaricus king of the Gothes tooke Rome the Vandals first spoiled Andoluzia afterwards Africke the Alans woon Portugall the Gothes conquered the greater part of Spaine the Saxons Britaine the Burgundians Prouince Iustinian restored it somewhat to a better staie driuing the Vandals out of Africke and the Gothes out of Italy by his captaines anno 556. But this faire weather lasted not long For in the yeere 713. the armes and heresies of the Mahumetans began to vexe the east Empire and shortly after 〈◊〉 the Sarracens wasted Syria Aegypt the Archipelago Africke Sicill Spaine In the yeere 735. they vanquished Narbon Auignion Tolouse Burdeâ—â— and the bordering regions Thus by little and little went the westerne Empire to ruine As for the easterne it stood so weake and tottering that with all the force it had it was scarce able to defend Constantinople against the armes of the Sarracens much lesse to minister aide to the westerne prouinces But in the yeere of our Lord 800. Charles the great king of France obtained the title of the westerne Empire which Ado bishop of Vienna remembreth in these words Vpon the holy feast day of the natiuitle of our Lord assoone as the mightie king Charles had made an end of his praiers Leo the Pope set the Imperiall crowne vpon his head whereat all the people with one voice cried Câ—â—olâ— Augusto 〈◊〉 Deo coronatâ— magno pacifico Imperatori Romanorum vita â— victoria The westerne Empire was diuided from the easterne in this sort that Naples and Sipont eastward with Sicill should belong to the Greeke Empire Bononâ—a should remaine to the Lombards the Venetians were neuters the popedome free the rest Charles should possesse Bloudus saith that the Empresse Iren gaue the first
of Ferara was there is person with 1500. horsemen better horsemen were not in the whole campe William Duke of Mantua was there also with a gallant troupe offootmen and Henrie of Lorraine Duke of Guise had there three hundred gentlemen with the aide of these Princes Pitu the fift Maximilian the second had in the field one hundred thousand footemen and fiue and thirtie thousand horse The Emperor fortie thousand footmen and eight thousand horsemen for eight moneths and twentie thousand footemen and fower thousand horsemen for three yeeres next following The Bishop of Rome THE state of the Pope consisteth in two things the one is his temporall dominion the other his spirituall authoritie His temporall dominion is either immediate and of himselfe without relation to another or else mediate and by substitution as representing anothers person As touching his temporal dominion immediate he is Lord of a great part of Italy of all that lieth betweene the riuer Flore and Caietta betweene Preneste and the Truentian Streights except the Duchie of Vrbin In that compasse are contained the prouinces of Bonnonia and Romandiolia Marchia Vmbria the Duchie of Spolet Saint Peters patrimonie and Tuscan For situation it is seated in the verie hart of Italy stretching from the Adriatique to the Tirrhene sea And in regard of this situation it is comparable to any state of Italy as also in abundance of prouision especially of corne wine and oyle for Romandiola imparteth great store thereof to their neighbours the Venetians and Slauonians In some yeeres Marchia hath supplied the wants of the Venetians with many thousand measures of corne and great quantitie of oyle And although Spoletum is not so plentifull of graine as to spare for their neighbours yet is it able to maintaine it selfe without buying of others and in steed thereof it is abundantly stored with wines cattell and some saffron Tuscan hath often releeued Genes and at some seasons Naples This territorie bringeth foorth fierce and warlike soldiers and herein it is reported to excell all the residue of the Italian Prouinces Bonnonia Romania Marchia are able to leuie twentie thousand footmen and the other prouinces as many In the time of Pope Clement Marchia alone aided him with one thousand soldiers The chiefe seat is Rome once the Ladie of the world and at this day inhabited with one hundred thousand people The defensible places are the castle borough of Rome Ouietta Terracine c. It is a great credit and commendation to this state to haue many noble men therein so excellent in negotiation of peace and warre that the residue of the states and princes doe most commonly choose their leaders and lieutenants out of these prouinces If the prince thereof were secular for people and power it might well be compared with any state of Italy Besides these dominions the Pope hath the territorie of Auignion in France wherein are fower cities and fowerscore walled townes In Naples he hath Beneuent As touching his temporall soueraigntie 〈…〉 mediate Lord of the kingdomes of Naples and Sicill and of the Duchies of Vrbin Ferrata Parma Placentia and many others Where his authoritie is maintayned he hath supreme gouernment of all religious orders and bestoweth the ecclesiasticall benefices at his dispose Hauing thus many strings to his bow he hath so many meanes to raise money that Xistus the fourth was woont to say that the Popes should neuer want money as long as their hands were able to hold a pen. Paul the third in the league betweene him the Emperor and the Venetians against the Turke bore the sixt part of the charges of the warre Against the Protestants and in aide of Charles the fift he sent twelue thousand footemen and fiue hundred horsemen bearing their charges during the warre this was he that aduanced his house to that honor wherein it continueth to this day Pius the fift aided Charles the ninth king of France with fower thousand footemen and one thousand horse Xistus the fift in fiue yeeres and an halfe of his Pontificie raked together fiue millions of crownes and spent bountifully notwithstanding in bringing conduits and water-pipes into the citie and in building pyramides palaces and churches The Dukedome of Austrich BEcause the westerne Empire hath long continued in the most noble familie of the house of Austrich and seuen Emperors haue successiuely succeeded one another of that line for the delight of the reader we will speake somewhat thereof This house grew famous almost about the same time that the Ottoman Prince began his Empire and as it may seeme raised vp of God to stand as a wall or bulwarke against the Turks and infidels Philip the first king of Spaine Archduke of Austrich c. had two sonnes Charles the fift afterward Emperor and Ferdinand the first king of Romanes To Charles as to the eldest fell Belgia and Spaine with the dependancies Ferdinand succeeded him in his Lordships of Germanie as Austrich Boheme Tirol and other prouinces whereunto by the marriage of his wife Anne Hungarie was adioyned This Ferdinand left three sonnes behind him who although they diuided their inheritance into three parts yet their successors euen to this day did and doe gouerne them as one intier gouernment their counsels are one their mindes one their deseignâ—â—â—nts one most liuely representing the ancient Gerion where for the common safetie if any part be afflicted euerie member runneth to the succour of the other as if it were to their proper tranquillitie Their dominion stretcheth so large and is of such force that if by reason of the great tract of land lying betweene the Carpathy mountaines and Segonia they did not border vpon the great Turke who alwaies constraineth them to looke to their safetie and to be at excessiue charges no prouince throughout the Christian world could goe beyond them for numbers of people for wealth and treasure or for magnificent cities Any man may perceiue this to be true that considereth the distance from Tergiste to the borders of Lusatia from Tissa to Nabus from Canisia to Constantia vpon the lake Podame In this progresse is contained Lusatia Silesia Bohemia Morauia Austria and a great part of Hungarie territories large and ample abounding with people corne and riches Then follow Stiria Carinthia Carniola the Counties of Carinthia Tirol Cilia the Princedomes of Sweuia Alsatia Brisgouia and Constantia Amongst these prouinces Bohemia is the largest stretching in length 140. miles and reported to containe 780. castles and walled townes and 32. thousande villages Morauia Silesia Lusatia are as large as Bohemia but in strength and numbers of people far inferiour These three prouinces are fower hundred miles long and 120. broad they abound with excellent good horsemen and footemen The inhabitants of Lusatia where twenty thousand men fit for the warre may be gathered are accounted as good footemen as any other Stiria rich in mines of siluer and iron is 60. miles broad and 110. long Carinthia a hillie and wooddie
reuenues They grieue the enimie with so much the more dammage by how much the neerer they are situated vnto them Of this effect was Cale is in the possession of the English the places which the Spaniards Portugals hold in Africke But the fortresses built in our owne borders serue to no other end then to defend what is alreadie ours that to our great disaduantage for as often as they are inuaded all things are done at a sudden and it cannot be auoided but somewhat will fall to the spoile of the enimie To ende with the king of Sweueland he is so much better able then the Moscouite to defend his territories by how much sea-forces ioyned to land-forces are able to preuaile against a state furnished with land-forces onely Poland THE kingdome of Polonia was neuer so great as at this day the great Dukedomes of Lituania and Liuonia being ioyned thereto It stretcheth from the flood Notes and Obra which diuideth it from Marchia and Odera which seperateth it from Silesia to Berâ—say and Boristhenes which two parteth it from Moscouia It reacheth from the Balticke sea to the riuer Niester which parts it from Moldauia and to the mountaines Carpathie which diuide it from Hungarie By this limitation from the borders of Silesia to the frontires of Moscouia betweene the west part and the east it containeth 120. Germain miles and from the vtmost bounds of Liuonia to the borders of Hungarie not much lesse So allowing the forme thereof to be round it is far larger then a man would take it to be It containeth many and goodly large prouinces as Polonia the great and the lesse Massouia Prussia Russia Volinia Liuonia and Lituania Among these prouinces Poland was found inhabited of the Polonians but Prâ—se part of Pomeran Podalia Volinia Masouia and Liuonia haue been obtained and gained by armes Lithuania and Saâ—otgathia prouinces of Russia were the inheritance of the house of Iagello For in the yeere 1380. Iagello then Duke of Lithuania tooke to wife the Princesse Hedinge the last of the blood royall of Polonia and was installed king on three conditions the first that he should become a Christian the second that he should cause his people to do the like the third that he should vnite his principalities to Poland These couenants were accomplished in our age when the race of Iagello ended For when the people were vnwilling by depriuing the heires which had right to the empire of their iust inheritance to subiect it to election they alwaies called vpon the performance of the conditions hoping that the nobilitie and people of Lituania would not loose their honor and dignitie by this mixture yet at last on the one side when they considered the issue of their Princes to faile for Sigismund Augustus was the last heire male and on the other side fearing the force of the Moscouite they agreed to vnion and election In times past Liuonia was the seate of the Dutch Knights and they had therein their chiefe gouernor whom they termed the Great Master But in the yeere 1558. being spoiled of the greatest part of their territorie by the great Duke of Moscouie they fled to Sigismund king of Poland who tooke them into his protection and vntill the raigne of king Stephen 1582 the prouince was neuer regained For the most part Poland is a plaine countrie and but for certaine mountaines rather hils then mountaines situated in the lesser Poland and diuiding it from Prusland all the residue of the countrie stretcheth it selfe into most ample plaines wherein are very many woods especially in Lithuania The greater and the lesser Poland are better inhabited then any other prouince of the kingdome The like may almost be spoken of Russia for the neerenes of the sea concourse to the hauens and situation of the riuers Prussia and Liuonia haue fairer cities goodlier buildings and by traffike and concourse of merchants greater plentie of riches For when the Dutch Knights were Lords of the countrie they builded cities like those of Germanie and all alongst the sea coast for the space of fowerscore miles many castles and places of good esteeme They haue many faire hauens of good woorth and are Lords of all the traffike between Poland and the Balticke sea which is a thing of great value and consequence For the riuer Vistula arising in the extremest bounds of Silesia watereth all Poland the lesse and part of the greater and Mazouia and Prussia and falleth into the Baltike sea below Danske whither it transporteth the greatest quantitie of Rie corne hony and waxe of the whole kingdome a iourney of fower hundred miles From another coast the most famous riuer Duina arising out of the lake Ruthenigo parting Liuonia into euen portions falleth into the sea about Riga a citie of great concourse There are in Prussia and Liuonia many lakes amongst which one is called the new sea one hundred miles long in Liuonia is a lake called Berhas more then 400. miles long from thence spring the riuers which running by Pernouia and Narue make two notable hauens for traffike Betweene these two cities standes Riualia giuing place to neither in beautie Samogithia is more rude and barbarous then the other prouinces and Podalia more barren which is not to be attributed to the nature of the soile for it is most plentifull of those commodities which the climate vnder which it lieth can affoord but to the crueltie of the Tartars which so vexe it with continuall inrodes that the inhabitants are driuen either to flie for feare or to be ledde away captiues of the barbarous Tartars The riches of Poland are the abundance of corne and all sorts of graine which grow there in so plentifull sort that in the yeere 1590. and 1591. it releeued not onely the bordring nations oppressed with famine and scarcitie but also yeelded some portion of releefe to the wants of the Genowaies Tuscane Rome It floweth with honie waxe whereas in all these northerly nations of Poland Lithuania Russia Muscouia there are no wines growing insteed thereof nature hath bestowed vpon them incredible quantities of honie whereof these people doe brew an excellent kinde of Beuerage The Bees make honie either in the woods where they finde the trees made hollow by rottennes or mans industrie or in hiues set in the open field by the countrey people or in holes of the earth or in any place where they can finde neuer so small a liking It aboundeth with flaxe and hempe with sheepe cattle and horses Amongst the beasts of the wood are found wilde oxen and wilde horses and the bufle which cannot liue out of the wood of Nazouia The riches of the land consist in the salt-pits of Bozena and Velisca in the territorie of Cracouia The reuenues of the kingdome for the most part are equally diuided betweene the noblemen and gentlemen for no man is left so rich by inheritance that he may excel others aboue measure and the greatest reuenue
their discipline because he keepeth them in continuall pay For as discipline rather then furie is to be wished in a soldier so in armies a few trained and experienced soldiers are more woorth then many strong huge of stature and raw The one may well be compared to eagles lions and tygres which obtaine principalitie amongst other beasts not because they exceed them in hugenes of bodies for then should they be a pray to the Elephant horse and bufall but because they excell them in swiftnes and nimblenes ioyned to the strength of their bodies Beside these things which Marke Paul writeth certaine Englishmen sayling by the Moscouite sea and the bordering regions haue pierced euen to Cathaia and haue set downe many memorable matters of this Prince whom the Moscouite termeth the Caesar of Cathay and the Turke Vlucham that is the Great Prince And not without reason for in magnificence of courts amplenes of dominion abundance of treasure number of soldiers he goeth far beyond all the kings and potentates of Asia and raigneth in such maiestie that his subiects foolishly call him the shadow of spirits and the sonne of the immortall God His word only is a law wherein consisteth life death He maintayneth iustice with admirable seueritie except for the first fault for which the offender is grieuously whipped for euerie other fault he is cut in pieces by the middle herein it should seeme they immitate the opinion of the Stoikes concerning the equalitie of offences A theefe is likewise slaine if he be not able to repay ninefold as well for a farthing as a pound The first begotten sonne is heire to the crowne and installed with these ceremonies The chiefe of their seuen tribes clothed in white which is their mourning colour as likewise of the Iapans cause the prince to sit vpon a blacke woollen cloth spred vpon the ground willing him to behold the sonne and to feare the immortall God which if he doth performe he shall finde a more plentifull reward in heauen then in earth if not that piece of blacke cloth shall scarcely be left him whereupon to rest his wearied bodie in the field besides a thousand other miseries that shall continually attend him Then set they the crowne vpon his head and the great Lords kisse his feete sweare fealtie and honour him with most rich giftes Then is his name written in golden letters and laide vp in the temples of the metropolitan citie He hath two councels the one for warre wherein twelue wise men consult the other of state matters consisting likewise of as many counsellers These manage all things belonging to ciuill gouernment rewarding the good and punishing the euill taking especiall care to see those preferred who haue done any good seruice either in warre or peace to his countrie and Emperor and others seuerely punished who haue borne themselues carelesly and cowardly in the charges committed to their discretion In these two points that is in rewarding punishing consisteth so high a policie of good gouernment that it may well be said the greatest part of the barbarous princes by these two vertues only imprint so maiestical a reuerence in the harts of their barbarous subiects For what other face of good gouernment see you in the Turke Persian Mogor or Iariff whom reward they but captaines and soldiers where vse they liberalitie but in the field amongst weapons Surely they built the foundation of their state vpon no other ground-worke nor hope for peace and qutetnes but by victorie and strong hand yea they haue no meane in disgracing base mindes and cowards and in honoring high spirits and valiant soldiers Neuer was there common wealth or kingdome that more deuised to honor and inrich the soldier then these Barbarians and the Turke more then all the rest The Tartars Arabians and Persians honor nobilitie in some good measure but the Turke rooteth out the families of Noble men and esteemeth of no man vnlesse he be a soldier committing the fortunes of the whole Empire to the direction of slaues and base borne but with an especiall consideration of their fitnes and sufficiencie Let vs returne to the Tartar and his forme of gouernment Astrologians are in great request in those prouinces for M. Paul writeth that in the citie of Cambula are fiftie thousand and when Cublay C ham vnderstood by them that that citie would rebell against him he caused another to be built neere vnto it called Taindu contayning fower and twentie miles besides the suburbs There are also great store of fortune-tellers and nigromancers in the kings palace of Xandu as also in China they are in high esteeme Ismal king of Persia enterprised few matters without their councell and it is no woonder that it carrieth such reputation in those places for betweene the Caldeans and Assirians it tooke the first originall in those countries The Turkes cannot abide it The Roman Emperors did more then once banish it and the professors thereof out of their gouernments I would to God the like might be done amongst vs Christians for it is nothing else but a branch of Paganisme To ende with the nature of this people in outward shape they are vnlike to all other people for they are broader between the eies bals of their cheeks then men of other nations be they are of meane stature hauing flat small noses little eies broad faces and eie-lids standing streight vpright swartie of complexion strong of constitution patient of extremities excellent horsemen and verie good archers And as part of the Arabians inhabite cities and are called Moores part liue in the fields and mountaines and are termed Baduini so some of these Tartars dwell in cities as the Cathaians Bochars and those of Shamarcand others wander through the plaines and are diuided into hords and they are fiue in number Zauolenâ—ses Cossanenses Praecopits Nagaians and Kossacks The Great Mogor IT hath beene alwaies beleeued that the territorie lying betweene Ganges and the riuer Indus hath beene euermore subiect to great and mightie Monarchs For to be silent in matters of more ancient memorie about the yeere of our Lord 1300. there raigned in the kingdome of Delos an Arabian Prince of the sect of Mahumet named Sanosaradin as Iohn Barros reporteth of so great power and strength that he enterprised the conquest of Asia Vpon which resolution forsaking those regions in which Indus and Ganges take their beginnings with a huge and mightie armie by little and little he subdued those Princes and people which did oppose against him vntill he pierced to the bounds of Canora where it beginneth at the riuer Bate aboue Chaul and stretcheth betweene Bate and the gulfe of Bengala to Cape Comorine When he had woon so large and famous a territorie resoluing to returne into Delos he left Abdessa his lieutenant in Canora This man incouraged by the victories of his master and presuming vpon his owne good fortune bereaued the Gentiles of the greater part of Canora
and fortunes on the Nairs the kings of Ormus Cambaia Decan and Achan lay all vpon the shoulders of these slaues In a word as a lawfull and iust prince hath a great regard and singular care to haue the liking and loue of the people by which being guarded and inuironed as with a strong rampire he is able to withstand all attempts so contrariwise tyrants knowing themselues hatefull to the people imploy their whole studie how to winne the fauour of their soldiers and slaues thereby to represse innouations at home and inuasions from abroad Seeing therefore the safetie and foundation of their greatnes is built vpon the intertainment of their soldiers as their Nairs their Ianizars free or bond strangers or subiects yea whatso-soeuer they be it must needes follow that onely actions of warre be the end and scope of all their cogitations as likewise that they be very prodigall to keepe their estates very well furnished and appointed with soldiers and prouisions And this reason I take to be a sufficient inducement to beleeue these reportes of the king of Cambaia and these other barbarous Indian princes For besides that I spake of before it is reported that with this armie did march a thousand pieces of ordinance amongst which were fower basiliskes euery one drawen with an hundred yoke of oxen fiue hundred waggons laden with gun-powder and bullets two hundred armed elephants fiue hundred vessels full of golde and siluer to pay soldiers wages many princes and petie lords with their courtiers and followers merchants vittailers artificers and their seruants numberlesse Notwithstanding this incredible preparation hee was twise ouerthrowen by Marhumedio once in the territorie of the citie of Doce another time at Mandao from whence disguising his apparell to saue his life he fled to Diu. Being out of danger and feare he sent ambassadors to Soliman with a present esteemed woorth six hundred thousand crownes desiring his aide and assistance in these warres But afterward weighing in his minde that his affaires required speedier succours hee contracted a league with those Portugals which were neerest adioyning to make them his friends and partners of the warre the composition was that he should permit them to build a castell in the Iland of Diu. Now to speake of Marhumedius His fortunes were not much vnlike to those of Tamerlane for as this prince brought terror and feare vpon the inhabitants of Persia and Asia so did that no lesse innouation and trouble vpon India and the Orient this defeated in battell Baiazet emperor of Turks that ouerthrew Badurius king of Cambaia and his armie farre greater then his owne both of them had the sirname of Great When the Mogors vnderstood of the riches of India and the fertilitie thereof they neuer ceased by a continued course of victorie their armes and inuasions vntil they had made themselues Lords of all the prouinces lying betweene Caucasus and the sea Ganges and the riuer Indus in this tract are contained 47. kingdomes For Adabar the successor of Marhumedius woon Madabar with the better part of Cambaia Of what goodly consequence this prouince is may be magined by the famous cities of Madabar Campana so called for the situation vpon the top of an high hill rising in the middest of a spacious plaine and Cambaia a citie consisting of one hundred and thirtie thousand houses as likewise by the populous host of king Badurius his warlike prouision for such an armie and plentie of graine to sustaine such a multitude I assure you the world affoords not a soile for all necessaries for the life of man as rice corne pulse sugar oxen sheepe pullen of all sortes and silke more richer or plentifull then this prouince wherein also there are reported to be sixtie thousand borroughes which number certainly is very great and admirable Guicciardine writeth that in Netherland within the territorie of the 17. prouinces are contained 208. walled townes and 150. borroughes enioying the rights and priuileges of cities and 6300. villages hauing parish churches In Naples are 1800. of these some are townes some but castles In Bohemia are 780. townes and 32. thousand villages In France as Iohn Bodine writeth there are 27. thousand borroughes hauing churches and bels besides those in Burgundie which in those times were not numbred amongst the townes of France I write not this to induce a true and absolute iudgement of the power of any prouince by the number of parishes for I knowe that ought to be made according to their greatnes but yet their number maketh much to the purpose as in both which Cambaia may carrie the credite and esteeme of a most spacious populous and puissant kingdome Acabar also conquered the rich kingdome of Bengala so that a man may truly say that in this part of the orient there are three Emperors one in Cambaia the other in Narsinga the third in Bengala whereof Cambaia and Bengala farre exceed all the other prouinces in fertility of soile concourse of merchants both riotously abounding in sugar cotten wooll cattell elephants and horses in Bengala also groweth long pepper and ginger The first is watered and cut as it were into two halfes by the riuer Indus the other by Ganges hauing two famous mart townes Satagan and Catagan The great Mogor doth likewise possesse the kingdomes of Citor Mandao and Delly wherein he keepeth his court He hath infinite store of horses elephants and camels as also all sorts of artillerie and warlike furniture by meanes whereof he is growen fearefull to the whole inhabitants of the East It is written of him that he is able to bring into the field 300. thousand horse and that there are within his dominions fiftie thousand elephants Some man perhaps will aske how it commeth to passe that this Prince being so mightie and his neighbours so naked vnarmed and poore doth not get into his possession the dominion of the rest of India and the Orient In this as in the former vnlikelihoods the wisest man is soonest answered There are many obstacles one is that as the spirit and bodie of man cannot endure in continuall trauell and motion for that onely is proper to God and Nature so a continued and open passage is not euermore giuen to the ambitious reaches of kings and Princes Great Empires seldome feare forreine inuasion yet oftentimes faint they vnder their owne weight It is not destined vnto great things to stand alwaies at the highest much lesse to increase they haue their flood but vpon a condition that there follow an ebbe They are lifted on high but by the irreuocable decree of nature that a fall succeed yea that themselues by themselues decline The greater they are the more subiect to mutabilitie the larger the harder to hold and manage they mooue but slowly and of what effect celeritie is in warre who knoweth not The greatest conquest carrieth the greatest enuie with it and greatest care to conserue what is got and yet not care but long continuance perfecteth
one million and three hundred thousand England three millions and Belgia as many if by the continuance of the war in those countries that number be not much decaied The Italians conceiting marueilous highly of themselues thinke no prouince vpon the face of the earth for wealth and people comparable to Italy but they forget that as it is long so it is narrow and nothing wide or spacious neither that two third parts haue not one nauigable riuer a want of great consequence neither that the Apenine a mountaine rockie and barren doth spred itselfe ouer a fourth part Let them not deceiue themselues nor condemne others plentie by their owne wants nor measure others excesse by their handfuls For fertilitie doth France in plentie of graine or cattle giue place to Italy Or England for cattle wooll fish or mettall Or Belgia for number or goodlines of cities excellencie of artificers wealth or merchandise Or Greece for delectable or commodious situation hauens of the sea or pleasant prouinces Or Hungarie for cattle wine corne fish mines and all good things else But I will not stand vpon these discourses onely let me tell you that Lumbardie containeth the thirde part of Italy a prouince delightsome for battell plaines and pleasant riuers without barren mountaines or sandie fieldes and to be as full of people as the whole halfe of Italy besides Yea what may be said of Italy for profite or pleasure that may not be spoken perticularly of France England Netherland both the Pannonies Wherefore sithence the countrey is not onely large mightie and spacious but vnited populous plentifull and rich at least let it be beleeued and accounted for one of the greatest empires that euer was The gouernment is tyrannicall for throughout the kingdome there is no other Lord but the king They knowe not what an Earle a Marquesse or a Duke meaneth No fealtie no tribute or tole is paid to any man but to the king He giueth al magistracies and honors He alloweth them stipends wherewith to maintaine their estates and they dispatch no matter of weight without his priuitie His vassals obey him not as a king but rather as a God In euery prouince standeth his portraiture in gold which is neuer to be seene but in the newe moones then is it shewed and visited of the magistrates and reuerenced as the kings owne person In like manner the gouernours and Iudges are honored no man may speake vnto them but vpon their knees Herein the people shew their base mindes making themselues the slaues not the subiects of the prince Strangers are not admitted to enter into the kingdome least their customes and conuersation should breede alteration in manners or innouation in the state They are onely permitted to traffike vpon the sea coasts to buy and sell vittaile and to vent their wares They that doe traffike vpon the land assemble many together and elect a gouernor amongst them whom they terme Consul In this good maner strangers enter the kingdome but alwaies awaited on by the customers and kings officers The inhabitants cannot trauell but with licence and with that neither but for a prefixed season and to be sure of their returne they grant no leaue but for traffikes sake and that in ships of 150. tun and not aboue for they are iealous that if they should goe to sea in bigger vessels they would make longer iourneis To conclude it is a religious law of the kingdome that euerie mans endeuours tend wholy to the good and quiet of the common wealth By which proceedings Iustice the mother of quietnes policie the mistresse of good lawes and industrie the daughter of peace doe flourish in this kingdome There is no countrey moderne or ancient gouerned by a better forme of policie then this Empire by this gouernment haue they ruled their Empire two thousand yeeres And so hath the state of Venice flourished 1100. yeeres the kingdome of France 1200. It is two hundred yeeres since they cast off the yoke of the Tartars after their ninetie yeeres gouernment For their arts learning and policie they conceiue so well of themselues that they are accustomed to say that they haue two eies the people of Europe one the residue of the nations none They giue this good report of the Europeans because of their acquaintance with the Portugals with whom they trafficke in Macao and other places and the renowme of the Castilians who are their neighbours in the Philippinae By the multitudes of people before spoken of you may imagine the state of his forces for herein all other prouisions take their perfection But to speake somewhat in particular The power of this Prince remembring his contentment and nature detesting all inuasion is more readie and fit to defend then offend to preserue rather then increase His cities for the most part are builded vpon the bankes of nauigable riuers enuironed with deepe and broad ditches the wals built of stone and bricke strong aboue beleefe and fortified with caualiers and artificiall bulwarks Vpon the borders toward Tartarie to make sure worke against such an enemie they haue built a wall beginning at Chioi a citie situate betweene two most high mountaines and stretching it selfe towards the east sixe hundred miles betweene mountaine and mountaine vntill it touch the cliffes of the Ocean Vpon the other frontires you may behold many but small holds so built to stay the course of the enemie vntill the countrie forces be able to make head and the royall armie haue time to come leisurely forward for in 400. great townes he keepeth in continuall pay forces sufficient vpon the least warning to march to that quarter whither occasion calleth Euery citie hath a garrison and guarde at the gates which at nights are not only fast locked but sealed and may not be opened before the seale at morning be throughly viewed To speake truth their soldiers horsemen and footemen by land or sea are more famous for their numbers their gallant furniture and plentie of prouision then for strength and courage For the inhabitants partly by their effeminate and wanton kinde of life partly by their forme of gouernment whereby they are made vile base and vmbragious haue little valour or manhood left them They vse noforren soldiers except those whom they take in warre these they send into the inland countries where being marked to distinguish them from other they serue more like slaues then soldiers yet haue they pay with rewards for their good seruice and punishment for their cowardize true motiues to make men valorous The rest which are not inrold are not suffered to keepe weapons in their houses Their sea forces are nothing inferior to their land forces for besides their ordinarie fleets lying vpon the coastes for the safetie of the sea townes by reason of the abundance of nauigable riuers and so huge a sea-tract full of hauens crecks and Ilands it is thought that with ease they are able to assemble from fiue hundred to a thousand great
ships which they terme Giunchi To thinke that treasure can be wanting to leuie so great a number of ships soldiers and mariners many men affirme that the kings reuenues amount to 120. millions of gold which value although it may seeme impossible to him that shall make an estimate of the states of Europe with the kingdome of China yet may it finde place of beleefe if he do but call to minde first the nature and circuite of the Empire being little lesse then all Europe next the populousnes of the inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches then tho diuersitie and plentie of mines of gold siluer iron and other sorts of mettall the vnspeakable quantitie of merchandise passing from hand to hand by so many nauigable riuers so many armes and inlets of the sea their vpland cities and maritime townes their toles customes and subsidies For he taketh the tenth of all things which the carth yeeldeth as barly rice oliues wine cotton wooll flaxe silke all kinds of mettall fruits cattle sugar hony rubarbe campher ginger woad muske and all sorts of perfumes The custome onely of salt in the citie Canto which is not of the greatest nor the best traffike yeeldeth 180. thousand crownes yeerely the tenth of rice of one small towne and the adiacent territory yeeldeth more then 100. thousand crownes By these you may coniecture of the rest He leaueth his subiects nothing saue foode and clothing He hath vnder him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor priuate persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore sithence this empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands and at his disposition how can the former assertion of so great a yeerely reuenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable There are two things moreouer which adde great credite to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paide in coine but some in haie some in rice corne prouender silke cotton wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the king of 120. millions which he receiueth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so sithence it goeth round from the king to the people it ought to seeme no woonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the princes vse at the yeeres end For as waters do cbbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily leuied suffice for the expences of the state and the people receiue againe by those expences as much as they laide out in the beginning of the yeere The king of China feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enimie the ancient kings built that admirable wall so much renowmed amongst the wonders of the Orient Towards the sea he bordereth vpon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is diuers From Goto one of the Ilands of Iapan to the citie Liampo is threescore leagues from Cantan 297. The Ilanders of Iapan doe often spoile the sea coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the countrey more like pirats then men of war For in regard that Iapan is diuided into manie Ilands and into diuers seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselues though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Vpon another frontire lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are verie iealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the inuasion of China and the fame of their riches well knowen to the Spanish But the king of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them whereof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage thereunto For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their dominions yet certain Iesuits zealous in the increasing of the Christian religion in a territorie so spatious as that is entered with great secrecie and danger and obtayning the fauour of certaine gouernors obtained a priuilege of naturalization especially frier Michaell Rogerius who in the yeere 1590. returned into Europe to aduise what course were best to take in this busines About the same time intelligence was brought from two friers remaining there that after diuers persecutions they were constrained to forsake the citie wherein they soiourned and had conuerted many and to make haste to sea-ward The Portugals are likewise eie-sores vnto them but by the report of the iustice and moderation of Ferdinand Andrada which he shewed in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Iland of Tamo by the traffike which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbourhood then that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arriued in the citie of Cantan and set a land Thomas Perez Iegier for Emanuell king of Portugall But other captaines being there afterwards disimbarked behaued themselues so leudly that they occasioned the said Embassador to be taken for a spie and cast in prison where he died most miserablie the residue were entreated as enimies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffike sake to settle a factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their colony they were coÌ„strained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisedome friendship and allians with the Castilians they became suspicious therfore they do daily more more bridle their libertie of traffike carrying so heauie a hand towards them that they would faine giue them occasion to leaue Macao of their owne wils and retire backe againe into India from whence they came The kingdome of Siam VPon the borders of China to speake nothing of Cauchinchina because we know nothing woorth relation of that territorie ioineth the countrey of Siam accounted amongst the great kingdomes of Asia It tooke his name of the citie Siam situated vpon the entrance of the riuer Menan It is also called Gorneo It stretcheth by east and west from the citie Campaa to the citie Tauai in which tract by the sea coast are conteined 500. leagues Of which the Arabians once vsurped 200. with the cities Patan Paam Ior Perca and Malaca now in the possession of the Portugals From the south towards the north it reacheth from Sinca-Pura situate in degree to the people called Gueoâ—â— in 29. degrees The lake Chiamai is distant from the sea six hundred miles the vpland circuit stretcheth from the borders of Canchinchina beyond the riuer Auan where lieth the kingdome of Chencra Besides the lake of Chiamai the riuers Menon Menam Caipumo Ana which cause greater fertilitie of graine through the whole region then a man would beleeue are all his The better part of his kingdomes are muironed with the mountaines Ana Brema and Iangoma the residue is plaine like Egypt abounding with elephants horses pepper gold and tin In the west part are huge woods tygres lions tinces and serpents It containeth these prouinces Cambaia Siam Muantai
Bremea Caipumo and Chencra The inhabitants of Lai which border vpon the north of the prouinces of Muantai and Caipumo and are diuided into three principalities are vnder his obeisance The first is that of Iangoma the second of Cucrai the third Lanca neere Chachinchina They inhabite a plaine and welthie countrey into which the Gueoni Marke Paul calleth their country Cangigu discending from the mountaines to hunt for men make oftentimes cruell butcheries amongst them The people of Lai for feare of these anthropophagi acknowledge the soueraingtie of Siam but they often rebell and obey as they list The wealth of the countrey may be coniectured by the firtilitie for being situated in a plaine and watered with most noble and famous riuers like an other Egypt it cannot but abound with plentie of all things It bringeth foorth rice graine of all sorts horses elephants infinite store of cattle gold and tinne siluer is brought thither by the people of Lai By reason of this plentie the people are drowned in pleasure and wantonnesse They follow husbandry but take no great delight in manuell occupations which causeth the kingdome to be poore in merchandise Amongst many other cities three are famous Cambaia seated vpon the riuer Menon which rising in China is so hugely augmented by the falling in of many riuers that his owne chanell not sufficing for receit thereof it renteth the earth to disgorge it selfe into a thousand Ilands making a second Meotis more then 60. miles long Meicon signifieth the captaine Menon the mother of waters The second citie is Siam whose statelines giueth the name to the whole countrey It is a most goodly citie and of admirable trasfike which may the better be imagined by the writing of a certaine Iesuite who reporteth that besides the naturall inhabitants there are more then thirtie thousand Arabian housholds The third citie is called Vdia greater then Siam consisting of fower hundred thousand families It is said that two hundred thousand boats belong to this citie and the riuer Caipumo whereupon it is seated This king to shew his maiestie and magnificence keepeth a guard of sixe thousand soldiers and two hundred elephants of these beasts he hath thirtie thousand whereof he traineth three thousand for the warre This is a great matter if you weigh their woorth and their charges in keeping His gouernment is rather tyrannicall then kinglike for he is absolute Lord of all the demeanes of the kingdome and either setteth them out to husbandmen or giueth them to his nobles for their maintenance during life and pleasure but neuer passeth the right of inheritance He bestoweth vpon them likewise townes and villages with their territories but vpon condition to maintaine a certaine number of horsemen footemen and elephants By this policie without any pennie pay or burden to the countrie he is able to leuie twentie thousand horsemen 250. thousand footemen Vpon occasion he can wage a greater number by reason of the largenes of his kingdomes and the populousnes of his townes For Vdia onely the chiefe seat of his kingdome mustered 50. thousand men And although he be Lord of nine kingdomes yet vseth he no other nation in the warre but the Siamits and the inhabitants of the two kingdomes of Vdia and Muantai All honors and preferments are bestowed vpon men of seruice in this kingdome In times of peace they haue their warlike exercises and in certaine pastimes which the king once a yeere exhibiteth at Vdia are shewed all militarie feats of armes vpon the riuer Menon where more then 3000. vessels which they terme Paraos diuided into two squadrons skirmish one against the other Vpon the land runne the horses and elephants and the footemen trie it out at sword and buckler with point and edge rebated the remainder of their daies they spend in riot and wantonnes Their borders towards the East reach to Canchinchina betweene whom are such huge woods lions tigers leopards serpents and elephants that they cannot infest one another by armes Towards the lake Chiamai they border vpon the Chinois Towards the sea they affront the Arabians and Portugals The one tooke from them Patan Paam Ior and Peam the other Malaca and the territorie adioyning so that betweene them they bereaued him of two hundred miles of land and contenting themselues with the sea coasts and the customes arising vpon the carriyng out and bringing in of merchandise they abstaine from further inuasion of the inland prouinces and hold it good policie to keepe firme peace with the king and his countries Toward the west lieth the kingdome of Pegu like an halfe moone betweene the mountaines of Brama and Iangoma Towards the north lye the Gudoni inhabiting the barrein and sharp mountaines betweene whom and Siam dwell the people of Lay. This people is subiect to the crowne of Siam for feare of these Canibals of whom if it had not beene for his protection they had long agon beene vtterly deuoured Not fortie yeeres since the king made a iourney against them with twentie thousand horse their horse are small but excellent good in trauell 250. thousand footemen and ten thousand elephants part imploied for seruice part for carriage No kingdome hath greater store of these beasts or doth more vse them An innumerable number of oxen buffals and beasts of carriage followed this armie whom they slew when they wanted other prouision Hitherto haue we deuised of Siam and Pegu as they stood before the comming of the Portugals into India but how in proces of time the state was altered you shall now heare In times past diuers kingdomes of Barma situated along the riuer towards the lake Chiamai obeyed the king of Pegu vnder the gouernment of certaine Lieutenants Sixtie yeeres sithence one of these captaines ruler of the kingdome of Tengu by the aide of his faction and reputation of his vertues entred into rebellion and slaying the Nobles of the land vsurped the kingdome Afterward he forced the cities and conquered the kingdome of Prom Melintai Calam Mirandu and Ana all inhabited by the Bramians for the space of one hundred and fiftie leagues towards the north He assaied likewise the conquest of Siam but comming before Vdia the chiefe citie of the kingdome he was forced to raise his siege and depart He vndertooke this iourney with 300. thousand footemen consuming more then three moneths in making way for his armie through stonie mountaines huge woods maccessible places and in lieu for the losse of 120. thousand of his soldiers he tooke two hundred thousand Siamits prisoners At his returne home he inuaded the kingdome of Pegu and woone it Afterward in the yeere 1507. he renued his iourney against Siam and ouercame the king thereof who slew himselfe with poison but he tooke his sonnes and with them the better part of the kingdome He belegerd Vdia with a million of men and vpward Our late writers call this man and his successors because their fame arose by the conquest of the kingdomes of Brama
kings of Brama or Barmia but the Portugals of a more sound iudgement grounded vpon neerer neighbourhood call them kings of Pegu. And for that it may not seeme that what we write as concerning their infinite numbers is either fabulous or reported altogither vpon heresay because that now heerebefore and hereafter we shall haue occasion to discourse of this point we thinke it not amisse to spend some time in shewing how by what likelihoods both in this and the other barbarous dominions such huge and numberlesse companies are leuied and nourished First therefore it is a ground infallible that populous armies at home or abroad cannot long endure without great reuenues and a continuall sea of readie money for as the members of our bodie cannot mooue without sinewes nor motion auaile vs if ioints were wanting so without money an armie can neuer be gathered nor being gathered kept togither nor resolutely lead foorth to any piece of seruice if coine be wanting which preuenteth infinite mischances and draweth after it armour prouision victuals and whatsoeuer is necessarie for life or armes And sithence the wealth of Princes euen as of priuate persons from whose purses they supply their occasion hath limits and measure Let them not thinke to begin any long warre much lesse to continue it vnlesse they throughly prouide aforehand or are Lords of mines rich and inexhaustible for great treasures are soone spent and that which hath thriftily been gathered in peace must prodigally be disbursed in warre euen one yeere of warre wasteth the reprisals of many yeeres peace Which mooued a certaine Portugall captaine to tell king Sebastian prouiding for his iournie into Barbarie that warres should be performed with three streames the first of men the second of vittaile the third of siluer For all warres are exceeding chargeable but those most excessiue and beyond opinion which are managed far from home The great Turke in his Persian iourneies felt the smart hereof who though he were so potent a prince was notwithstanding constrained to raise the value of his coine and abase the allay so farre foorth that the Ianizars finding themselues aggrieued thereat raised commotions set fire on the citie of Constantinople and rifled a great part thereof Neither could the king of Spaine sustaine the burden of so many warres and in so remote prouinces if he trusted to no other supplies then those of Spaine but Fortune hath giuen him a countrie prodigall in mines of gold and siluer assuredly paying the expence of one yeere with the income of another This clotheth and feedeth the soldier bringeth them to a head and maketh them to march cheerefully vpon all seruices Iohn laques Triuulce being demanded how many things were necessarie in warre answered three Monie monie monie But these grounds onely holde when the burden of the warre lieth vpon the purse of the prince and his people for sometime it happeneth that the soldier liueth vpon the enemies countrie as did the Huns Vandals Gothes Arabians and in our daies Tamerlane They entred the prouinces without controle or resistance being vnprouided of forces and made pray and spoile of whatsoeuer came into their reaches they ransacked the cities and fed vpon the villages The like good lucke had the Portugals in the East Indies and the Castilians in the West but the one far better then the other for neuer any nation conquered with lesse cost so much as the Spaniards haue done in New Spaine and Peru. But let not any people thinke to doe so in these daies no not in Asia or Afrike much lesse in Europe where the vse of great ordinance is in perfection and the arte of fortification so ingenious that one castell shall be able to sustaine yea well prouided to wearie the forces of the greatest potentate The Turks at Zigeth a sinall castell in Hungarie approoued this which in the yeere 1566. Soliman belegered with three hundred thousand men of warre and at last forced but with so great a slaughter of his people that scant the third part of this huge armie returned to their houses In like manner the Portugals in the beginnings of their Indian acquisitions with a few soldiers and in little time woon admirable victories but when the Barbarians began to grow acquainted with artillerie to allure Carpenters and Masons to build them castels and to arme vessels to sea their courages became calme and there set an end to their plus vltra The like did the Spanish in the new world to their Non sufficit orbis For after their first good fortunes they found in Noua Hispania the Chichimechi and in Peru the Pilcosonij the Ciriguani and the Luchij people so well prouided to stop the furious course of their former victories that sithence in twenty seuen yeeres space they haue not beene able to adde one footes bredth to their new emperie In the vale of Aranco Tecapel and the kingdome of Chile when the inhabitants saw them to be wounded and slaine with the strokes of their arrowes and swords they neuer afterward vouchsafed them their former reuerence nor carried the woonted conceit of their immortalitie and now being beaten by experience they feare not the cariere of the horse nor the terror of the harquebuse If the warre be at or within our owne doores then is it easie to leuie strong and populous forces as we reade of the Crotons Sibarites and Gauntois who made head against the power of France with fourescore thousand fighting men For when the warre was made in these populous countries and neere at hand euerie man made one in the medle gallantly armed and well prouided with furniture and victuall to hold out certaine daies but when the warre continued longer then expectation for want of money and foode euerie man retired one to the plough another to his shop the rest to those trades whereby they sustained themselues and their families The Scots for want of wealth neuer made famous iourney out of the Iland but at home they haue lead mightie armies for a short time either to reuenge wrongs or defend their frontires euen as did the Romanes for certaine ages warring with their neighbours at their priuate charges They tooke the field euerie man prouided with victuall for two or three daies and in one battell and few howers finished that warre But in the iourney against the Veij the warre continuing beyond opinion the State was inforced to procure pay for the armie That armies may far casier be gathered in the east and in Africke then in Europe the reasons are many Those regions for the most part are more plentifull and copious of all necessaries for humane life the people of the south are better contented with little then we their diet is spare and simple onely to maintaine life and not excesse but the Europeans must eate and drinke not to sustaine nature but to comfort the stomacke and expell colds Wine which with vs is deerer then bread is not to be found amongst them their
Samori which signifieth Emperor or as some write God on earth Although the reputation of this king be much ecclipsed by the Portugals partly by diuersion of traffike from his countries and partly by astisting his rebels and vassals the kings of Tauor and Cochin and though his title of Samori be little regarded yet maintaineth hee his woonted maiestie in very good sort amongst the Barbarians Calecute is 25. leagues long Malabar in the broadest place exceedeth not ten The citie of Calecute from whence the prouince taketh his name is three miles long situated vpon the sea side It containeth but few houses and those of little woorth not aboue ten fifteene or twentie nobles rent by yeere which is the common rent of all the housing of the East Indies if the Arabians or Portugals be not dealers therein The inhabitants liue vpon rice palmito cattell and fish Their riches consist in ginger and pepper which draweth yeerely a great masse of treasure into the hauens of this kingdome The Arabians were Lords of this traffike for many ages till the Portugals setting light by the incredible dangers of a long nauigation arriued there not aboue 100. yeeres since and bartred their wares for pepper and other commodities of the land And as the Portugals enriched the townes of Cochin so did the Arabians Calecute and that kingdome For this commoditie is of such consequence that it not onely enricheth the prince with presents and customes but in such sort so augmenteth the state of the merchants that some of them are comparable to many dukes in Europe and kings in Afrike In their wars in Malabar they vse not the seruice of horse not onely for that the climate breedeth none for those that they haue are brought out of Persia and Arabia but for that the nature of the countrey is not fit for horsemanship For as in Sweuia the footemen vse no pikes and the horsemen no launces for the thicknes of the woods which maketh them vnseruiceable so in Malabar because of the streights riuers of the sea and marishes they seldome vse horses so that all their forces consist in shipping and footemen It is strange to see how readie the soldier of this countrie is at his weapon they are all gentlemen and termed Naires At seuen yeeres of age they are put to schoole to learne the vse of their weapons where to make them nimble and actiue their sinewes and ioints are stretched by skilfull fellowes and annointed with the oile of Sesamus by this annointing they become so light and nimble that they will winde and turne their bodies as if they had no bones casting them forward backward heigh and low euen to the astonishment of the beholders Their continual delight is in their weapon perswading themselues that no nation goeth beyond them in skill and dexteritie Euery one inureth himselfe to that weapon whereto he findeth his bodie most agreeable Their ancient weapons were the Iauelin the bowe and the sword but after the comming of the Portugals they learned so exactly the mixing of mettals the casting of great ordinance and the practise thereof that some say their artillerie and powder surpasseth ours They go to the warre all naked saue their priuities neither vse they head peeces which is the reason that in fights and skirmishes they shew exceeding agilitie charging retiring more like falcons then soldiers When a man would take them to be farre off he shall see them houering round about him in a trice so that it is as dangerous to follow them flying as to deale with them fighting They are swift as leopards and their flight as much to be feared as their charge If they come to handstrokes which they will not do but vpon necessitie or aduantage they vse altogither to strike with the point They binde copper or siluer shingles to the hilts of their swords the sound whereof in steede of drums and trumpets encourageth them to the encountre They wil lie so close vnder their bucklers that you shall not see any part of their bodies lie open to danger There are one kind of Nairs called Amochi which accurse themselues their kinred and posteritie with most bitter execrations if they leaue iniuries done to their societie vnreuenged If their king happen to be slaine so much the more furious runne they through fire water and assured destruction to reuenge his death And therefore the kings of India suppose their estates weake or strong as they perceiue the numbers of those Amochi to be few or many By the lawe of the countrie they may not marrie but they are all allowed women in common They maintaine those women very well according to their birth and degrees They must be all gentlewomen for the Nairs may not take any countriewomen yea so great is their disdaine and pride that without ill vsage they will not indure any of the common people to come neere them In their iournies they send their seruants before to the Innes and villages to declare their masters approch then must all trauellers depart and giue roome If it be thought in Turkie that by licentious libertie in time of peace the Ianizars become more hardie and couragious in warre what may we deeme of these Nairs who will not indune a man of meane calling to looke them in the face They inhabite no townes but dwell in houses made of earth inuironed with hedges and woods and their waies as intricate as into a laborinth Of what force this kingdome is may be gathered by the armie of sixtie thousand soldiers and two hundred vessels of warre which he leuied 1503. against Edward Pacheco the king of Portugals captaine taking part at that time with the king of Cochin this warre lasted almost fiue monethes In the yeere 1529. with an armie of one hundred thousand he belegered the fortresse which the Portugals built in Calecute vnder the keeping of Iohn Lima. In this siege he spent a whole winter wherein although the Portugals behaued themselues very valiantly yet weighing the kings forces and their owne possibilities they thought it best to destroy it with their owne hands In the yeere 1561. he besieged Ciale with 90. thousand men and tooke it by composition He hath more then once giuen an instance of his power at sea He is Lord of many hauens whereunto great numbers of shipping doe resort and in that regarde cannot choose but be well furnished with a great nauie But in goodnes of shipping and martiall discipline we must needes confesse the sea-forces of all the Indian princes to be far inferior to those of the Portugals whose dominion both at sea and land nothing hath so much augmented as their defensiue warfare To speake truth it seldome falleth out but the naked man feareth the sword and the armed more incouraged thereby bearing himselfe bolder vpon his skill then his strength and preuailing more by temporizing then in ioyning foote to foote by rash fighting whereas the Barbarians putting more confidence in their numbers then
to be walled about Candahar the chiefe seate of Paramisus famous for the traffike of India and Cathaio whither the merchants of those countries do resort Eri the chiefe citie of Aria so abounding with roses that thereof it should seeme to take the name Barbarus saith it is of thirteene miles compasse Ispaa the chiefe seat of Parthia so spatious that for the circuite thereof the Persians hiperbolically terme it the halfe world Chirmain is the chiefe seat of Caramania renowmed for the excellent cloth of gold and siluer wrought therein Eor is a noble citie and so is Custra of Susiana But all these for beautie and magnificence may bow and bend the knee to Siras seated vpon the riuer Bindimire It was once the chiefe seat of Persia and as some thinke called Persepolis Alexander the great burnt it to the ground at the intreatie of his Concubine but afterward being ashamed of so vile an action caused it to be reedefied againe It is not at this time so great as in times past yet it is thought to be one of the greatest cities of all the Orient with his suburbs contayning twentie miles in compasse It is a prouerbe amongst the Persians quando Suars erat Siras tunc Cairus erat eius Pagus yet they account it not verie ancient neither are they of their opinions who will haue it the head of Persia. Tauris and Casbin are most famous cities and besides their magnificence may glorie that in them the kings of Persia keepe their courts The forme of gouernment amongst this nation is not like the gouernment of any other Mahumetan people neither is there to be seene the like policie in any place through the whole east as amgōst the Persians Al the rest hate nobility depending vpon the faith and seruice of slaues do either murder their brethren or put out their eies But amongst these people nobilitie is honored the king entreateth his brethren kindly and magnificently and they allow in their dominions many noble rich and mightie Barons of which sort there is not one to be found through the whole Ottoman dominions They likewise grace gentilitie and highly esteeme their seruice on horsebacke they delight in musicke and learning they studie poesie and therein become excellent They giue their minds to Astrologie all which good parts the Turks do vtterly reiect and despise Merchandize and Mechanicall trades are fauoured in Persia and in all kinde of ciuilitie and curtesie excell the Turkish The security of this state consisteth rather in prowesse then numbers they maintaine three sorts of soldiers one sort the king keepeth in continuall pay and alwaies about his owne person The second is the Timarotes for this kingdome likewise as doth the Turke in lieu of wages allotteth certaine quantities of land to great numbers of horsemen The third are Auxiliaries which serue for pay and those are onely Georgians and Tartarians To speake of the two first the essentiall sinewes of this king and kingdome they are all horsemen For where princes relie onely vpon the valour of the gentrie there is little regard had of the footemans seruice the like reason may be giuen for their want of shipping For although on the one side lieth the Caspian and on another the Persian gulfs yet to this day were they neuer owners of any warlike shipping If they chance to saile vpon the Caspian a sea eight hundred miles long and sixe hundred broad they dare not venter into the maine but houering by the shore timerously saile from one place to another Of the Persian sea the Portugals are lords It aboundeth in mettall of excellent fine temper especially in the prouince of Cazan They haue not the vse of artillerie neither the Arte of defending besieging assaulting mining or intrenching of fortresses and all because they want the vse of footemen to whom these peeces of seruice do properly belong as it doth to horsemen to fight in plaine and open field Besides these wants they are infested with two other more greeuous mischiefes and those are ciuill dissentions arising of the greatnes and disloialtie of their Sultans with the length of iourneies and the scarcitie of nauigable riuers Those riuers which they haue are not frequented at all or at leastwise so little that small ease ariseth thereby They fal all into the Caspian or Persian seas The Inland regions are sandie and vtterly destitute of water How can then the forces of that land make any commodious or speedie rendeuous when halfe the land is drie and barren in so waste a tract not one riuer seruing for nauigable transportation as doth the Loir in France Poo in Italy Vistula in Poland Sheild in Flanders and such like in other kingdomes There are also many deserts and many mountaines disioyning the prouinces farre in sunder Heere in it resembleth Spaine where for want of nauigable riuers except towards the sea coast traffike is little vsed and mountaines and prouinces lie vnmanured for scarcitie of moisture But nature vnwilling that humane life should want any easement hath so prouided for mutuall commerce in these sandie and barren places that through the labour of Camels the want of nauigation is richly recompenced throughout Persia and the bordering countries These beasts carrie woonderous burdens and will longer continue then either horse or mule They will trauell laden with one thousand pound weight and will so continue fortie daies and vpward In sterill and deepe sandie countries such as are Lybia Arabia and Persia they drinke but once euery fift day and if extremitie inforce they will indure the want of water ten or twelue When their burdens are off a little grasse thornes or leaues of trees will suffice them There is no liuing thing lesse changeable and more laborious certainly ordained of nature a fit creature for those sandie and deepe places of Asia and Africke wherein euen man himselfe feeleth the want of foode and water Of these there are three sorts vpon the lesser men trauell the middle sort haue bunches on their backs fit for carrying of merchandise the greater and stronger are those which carry burdens of one thousand pound weight What numbers of horsemen this king is able to leuie was manifested in the warres betweene Selim the first and Ismael betweene Ismael and Soleman and betweene Codabanda and Amurath Not one of them brought aboue thirtie thousand horse into the field but so thoroughly furnished that they had little cause to feare greater numbers The richer and abler sort arme themselues after the manner of our men at armes the residue being better then the thirde part of their Caualrie content themselues with a skull a iacke and cemiter They vse the launce and the bow indifferently Touching their riches the common opinion is that in the daies of king Tamas the yeerely reuenues amounted to fower or fiue millions of gold who by a sudden doubling of the value of his coine raised it to eight and accordingly made paiment to his souldans and soldiers But
in these daies by the conquest of the great Turke they are much diminished and it is thought that they amount to little more then two millions but the feodarie landes townes and villages which are very many supply a great part of the pay due to the companies of the horsemen aboue mentioned Towards the East bordereth the Mogor vpon the North the Zagatai Towards the West the Turke possesseth a large frontire vpon the South lieth Ormus and therein the Portugals With the Mogors he is little troubled For as Spaine France by reason of the narrow streights difficult passages ouer the mountaines cannot easily conuey necessaries the life of an armie to infest one another so towards the frontiers of India and Cambaia prouinces belonging to the Mogors high mountaines vast deserts keepe good peace betweene these two princes Yet infest they one another on the borders of Cabul Sablestan of which certaine Lords of the Mogors haue gotten the dominion He commeth not neere the borders of the great Cham betweene whom certaine petie princes and impassible deserts doe oppose themselues It seemeth that towards the Zagatai he standeth content with those bounds which the riuer Oxus hath laid out for he neuer durst passe it when Zaba king of the Zagatai had passed it he was ouerthrowne with a great slaughter by Ismael So againe was Cyrus by Tomiris who slew him and all his host The Turke is a borderer all alongst the westerne coast of this whole empire euen from the Caspian sea to the gulfe of Saura a tract almost of 15. degrees He hath no enemie like dangerous to this prince more to be feared or of greater power at whose hands in all conflicts for the most part he hath reaped nothing but losse and dishonor Mahumet the second ouerthrew Vssanchan and tooke from Dauid his vassall and confederate the empire of Trapezond Selim the first ouerthrew Ismael in Campania and tooke from him Caramit Orfa Merdis and all the territorie which they call Alech Soliman put Tamas to flight and tooke from him Babylon and all Mesopotamia In our daies Amarath woon whatsoeuer lieth betweene Derbent and Tauris wherein is comprehended Georgia and Siruan and by building of fortresses in Testis Sumachia and Ere 's assured the passages of Chars Tomanis and Lori He is Lord of all that lieth betweene Erzirum and Orontes a riuer three daies iournie beyond Tauris In this citie he caused a citadell to be built not minding to leaue it as did Selim and Soleman but thereby as with a curbe to bridle and keepe it for euer In this warre which lasted from the yeere 1591. to 1597. the Turks altered their forme of warfare For whereas they were woont to lay their whole hopes vpon their numbers the valor of their horsmen and footemen their store of artillerie and warlike furniture scorning to be cooped vp in castles and fortresses for the most part burning whatsoeuer they became Lords of and little caring to keepe what they had conquered supposing it no good policie to strengthen townes by weakning their companies in these wars to auoide the inconueniences whereinto Selim and Soliman were plunged were glad to build strong places vpon commodious passages and citadels in the chiefest townes furnishing them with good garrisons and great store of artillerie This warre cost them very deere for by surprises by famine and extremities of weather infinite thousands perished yet alwaies to the losse of the Persian or his confederates In the field the Persian is farre inferior to the Turke in numbers and goodnes of footemen in ordinance in all sorts of warlike furniture and the chiefest stay of a state in obedience of subiects Notwithstanding if Selim Soliman or Amarath had not been allured either by rebellion or intestine discords they durst not haue medled with this warre Selim was called in to the aide of Marabeg the sonne of Ossan a most mightie prince in Persia. Soliman came in aide of Elcaso the brother of Tamas hateful to his soueraigne for his ambition and aspiring humor and in the end abused the credit and good will of the people towards Elcaso to the furtherance of his owne desseignes Amurath neuer tooke weapon in hand against this people before he vnderstood by the letters of Mustafa Bassa of Van that all Persia was in vprore about the election of a newe prince thereby certifying him that some had chosen Ismael some Ayner both sonnes of Tamas and that Periacocona slaying her owne brother Ismael and betraying Ayner had procured the kingdome to Mahumet Codobanda After this mischiefe fell those fatalliars betweene Codabanda and his sonne and betweene the Turcoman nation a mighty familie in Persia and the king a faction no lesse disastrous to the state of Persia then the warre of Turkie Against the Portugals of Ormus for want of sea forces he stirreth not and againe for want of land forces the Portugals are not able to molest his vpland countries Tamas being counselled to make a voiage against Ormus asked what commodities the Iland brought forth whether corne cattell fruit or what other good thing When it was answered that the soile was vtterly barren and destitute of all prouision but excellent well seated for traffike and nauigation scoffing at the motion replied that of this kinde of reuenue he had released vnto his people aboue ninetie thousand Tomana The kingdome of Iapan IApan may well be called a politike bodie compacted of many sundry Ilands of diuers different formes circuits which as they are diuided from the rest of the cōtinent so are they inhabited by a people much differing in manners customes from the residue of the Orient They stand round and close togither like the Maldinae in the Indian sea and the Hebrides and Orchades in the north Ocean They are in number 66. diuided into three partialities The first conteineth nine the second fower the third fiftie three Amongst these fiue are renowmed but especially one for the famous citie of Macao And it is most commonly seene that they who haue the soueraigntie of those fiue are Lords of all the rest It is distant from new Spaine 150. leagues from China 60. The soile is to be accounted rather barren then fertile The inhabitants are of a very readie wit and marueilous patient in aduersitie Their new borne children they immediately wash in the riuers and assoone as they are weaned they take them from their mothers and bring them vp in labours of hunting and such like exercises They go bare headed men and women as well in foule weather as faire They are very ambitious and desirous of honor Pouertie is no disgrace to the Gentrie of their bloud They will not suffer the least wrong to passe vnreuenged they salute one another with many curtesies they are verie staied and of a setled resolution They are very iealous to shew themselues fearefull or base minded in word or deed they will make no man priuie of their losses or
against true religion to arrogate to himselfe the name of God an imagination as I said before full of extreme ambition and madnes But in the midst of these proud and vnreasonable cogitations God raised vp against him a new enimie from the easterne parts of Iapan who as we vnderstand by aduisoes of the last yeere is likely to giue him his hands and head full of busines The Xeriffe AMongst all the potentates of Afrike I do not thinke that there can any one be found to excell this prince either in wealth or power His dominion conteineth all that tract of Mauritania which the Romans called Tingitana and stretcheth from the promontory Bayador to Tanger and from the Atlantike Ocean to the riuer Muluia In which progresse is conteined the best portion of all Afrike the best inhabited the pleasantest the fruitefullest and most ciuill Herein amongst others are the famous kingdomes of Fez and Marocho the one diuided into seuen prouinces the other into eight The countrey is diuided into plains and mountaines The mountaines are inhabited with a strong and fierce people rich in pastures cattle possessing a great part of the lesse and bigger Atlas Betweene the greater Atlas and the Ocean lieth the plaine countrey and therein the roiall citie of Marocho distant fowreteene miles from Atlas watered with many springs brookes and riuers In times past this citie conteined one hundred thousand housholds and was the chiefest of Afrike but by little and little is decaied and nowe lieth more waste then inhabited In the kingdome of Marocho besides others is Tedsi a towne of fiue thousand housholds and Tagaost of eight thousand Taradant giueth place to none for noblenes and traffike though for largenes and circuit It is situated betweene Atlas and the Ocean in a plaine sixteene miles long and little lesse broad abounding with sugar and all kinde of prouision The good regard and continuall abode which Mahumet Xeriffe made in this place did greatly augment and innoblish this towne Being past Atlas you enter into most batle plaines wherein how fruitefull the soile is of sugar oliues cattle and all good things can hardly be spoken The kingdome of Fez likewise conteineth diuers prouinces excellent well peopled Amongst them is Alga a territorie of fowrescore miles long and sixtie broad Elabut is 100. miles long and 60. broad Eriff is a prouince wholy mountanous therein are said to be 23. branches of the mount Atlas inhabited for the most part with sauage and barbarous people Caret is drie and rockie more like Lybia then Barbarie Now because the glory and maiestie of this kingdome consisteth especially in the citie of Fez I thinke it not amisse to describe the situation thereof It is diuided into two parts a little distant one from the other the one called the old towne the other the new A little riuer likewise diuideth the old into two parts The east part is called Beleyda containing fowre thousand housholds the west part is commonly called old Fez and hath fowerscore thousand and vpward standing not farre from the new Fez which likewise hath eight thousand Old Fez standeth partly vpon hils partly on plaines and hath in it 50. Mahumetan temples of admirable largenes All of them haue their fountaines and pillers of Allablaster and Iasper besides these there are sixe hundred of a lesse sort amongst the which that which is commonly called Carucen is most beautifull builte in the hart of the citie and containing halfe a mile in compasse in bredth it containeth seuenteene arches in length 120. borne vp by 2500. white marble pillars vnder the chiefest arch where the tribunall is kept hangeth a most huge lamp incompassed with 110. lesse Vnder the other arches hang very great lampes in each whereof burne 1500. lights They say in Fes that all these lampes were made of the bels which the Arabians brought out of Spaine who not onely made praie of bels but of columns pillars brasse marble and whatsoeuer was rich and curious first erected by the Romans and afterwards by the Gothes There are in Fez aboue 200. schooles of learning 200. Innes and 400. water milles euery one driuen with fower or fiue wheeles There are also diuers Colleges amongst the which that which is called Madarac is accounted for one of the most finest peeces of workemanship throughout all Barbarie There are likewise 600. conduits from whence almost euery house is serued with water It were a long labour to describe their Burse they call it Alcacer it is a place walled about hauing twelue gates and diuided into fifteene walkes where the merchants meete and dispatch their busines vnder tents Their delightsome gardens and pleasant parks with the rillets and waters running through them I can hardly describe For the most part the king keepeth his court at Fes wherein he hath a castle palaces houses adorned with rare workmanship rich and beautifull euen to his harts desire He hath a way vnder ground from the old towne to the new For the greatnes and statelines thereof by the grant of former kings it enioieth this strange priuiledge not indure any siege vnlesse the citizens shall thinke their prince for strength and forces able and equall to cope with his enimie if not without reproch of treason or ignominie they may yeeld their citie before their enimie approch within halfe a mile of the wals This haue they done that so goodly and so flourishing a citie should not suffer spoile vnder pretext of vnprofitable temporizing It is of no lesse moment for situation store of corne oile flaxe and cattle then for pleasantnes of territorie and plentie of water The wals are very strong and defended with manie bulwarkes The inhabitants are very thriftie giuen to traffike and especially to the making of clothes of wooll silke and cotton The kings eldest sonne is called the prince of Mequiuez Though the kingdome haue no good hauens vpon the Mediterranean sea yet great store of Englishmen and Frenchmen resort to Alarach Aguer and other ports in the Ocean whereof some belong to the kingdome of Fes and other to the kingdome of Marocho They carrie thither armor and otherwares of Europe which they bartre for sugar and other commodities Now how the kingdomes of Fes and Marocho two seuerall principalities with their dependances became subiect to one crowne I think it worthy relation bicause a more strange and memorable accident hath not happened in our age About the yeere of our Lord 1508. a certaine Alfaique borne in Tigumedet in the prouince of Dara began to grow in reputation a man of a reaching wit and no lesse ambitious then learned in the Mathematicks His name was Mahumet Beâ—-Amet otherwise called Xerif by his owne commandement This man deriuing his peregree from Mahumet and imboldened by the ciuill wars of Africke and the differents of the states and common weales thereof wherein in those daies the Portugals were of no small puissance began to dreame vpon the conquest
of their bodie as blinde lame tall bold c. This king is verie puissant in people of whom he exacteth no other tribute then the tenths of the increase of their liuely hoods For exercise and insteed of occupations they giue themselues to steale to slay their neighbours and to take them prisoners and then to barter them for horses with the merchants of Barbarie He hath vnder him many kingdomes and nations some white some blacke He is an heauie enemie to the Abessines taking away their cattell rifling their mines and leading away the people in captiuitie His horsemen ride after the Spanish manner armed with lances steeled at both ends darts and arrowes but their inrodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles then wars managed by valiant soldiers The Turke likewise on the east and the king of Adel on the southeast do cruelly vexe him for they haue curtald his large dominion and brought his prouinces into great miserie In the yeere 1558. the Turke harried the whole territorie of Bernagasso but since expulsed and tooke from Prester Iohn whatsoeuer he was Lord of vpon that sea coast especially the hauen and citie of Suaquen and Erococo in which place the mountaines betweene Abex and the red sea make a gate as it were for the traffique and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians And sithence that Bernangasso was inforced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands to buy his peace and in name of a tribute to pay one thousand ounces of gold yeerely The king of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie he bordereth vpon the kingdome of Fatigar and his siegniorie stretcheth alongst the red sea as far as Assum Salir Meth Barbora Pidar and Zeila Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with merchandise which they trucke for flesh honie wax and vittail these commodities are carried to Aden gold iuorie and such wares are sent to Cambaia the greatest part of vittail honie wax corne and fruits brought from Zeila are carried into Aden and Arabia as likewise much cattell especially sheepe hauing tailes of 25. pound weight with heads and necks all blacke the rest of their bodies all white Of these cattell there are some altogether white with turning crooked tailes as long as a mans arme and dewlaps like oxen Some of their kine haue hornes with many branches like our deere othersome haue one horne in their forehead growing backward a span and halfe long The chiefe citie of this kingdome is Arar 38. leagues distant from Zeila towardes the southeast He professeth Mahumetisme and since his conuersion he hath intitled himselfe with the sirname of Holy aâ—owing continuall war against the Abessine Christians and therefore he watcheth the time of the foresaid fast of fiftie daies when he entreth their territories burneth their villages taketh prisoners and then committeth a thousand other mischiefes The Abessine slaues doe often leaue their countrie and take vpon them great iournies putting themselues in the seruice of great Lords where many times by their industrie and good carriage they become high commaunders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra For the Mahumetan princes being all tyrants Lords of those countries which they haue forced from the Gentils to secure their estates doe neuer trust their home-bred subiects but wage strangers and slaues vnto whose fidelitie they commit their persons and the managing of all the affaires of their kingdomes And amongst all sorts of slaues the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnes and towardly disposition The king of Adel ouerlaieth Egypt and Arabia with these slaues which hee changeth with the Turks and princes of Arabie for armour prouision of warre and soldiers In the yeere of our Lord 1500. Claud king of Abex perceiuing himselfe inferior to Grad-Ameda king of Adel for he had vexed his land with 14. yeeres incursions forsaking the frontires retired himselfe into the inward parts of his kingdome intreating for aide of Stephen Gama viceroy of India vnder Iohn the third king of Portugall who was then in the red sea with a warlike nauie In compassion of his miseries and religion he sent him fower hundred Portugall-shot very well furnished vnder the conduct of Christopher his brother By their aide and vse of their artillerie he ouerthrew his enemies in two battels but the king of Adel obtaining of the gouernor of the citie of Zebit one thousand harquebushers and ten pieces of ordinance in the third fight put the Portugals to flight and slew their captaine Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes king Claudius set vpon him at vnawares by the riuer Zeila and the mountaine Sana with eight thousand footemen fiue hundred Abessine horsemen and the remainder of the liuing Portugals one of whome gaue Grada-Amada his deaths wound But in March 1509. Claudius fighting with the Moores of Malaca gaining the victorie was slaine in the battel Adam his brother succeeded against whom being a demi-Mahumetan the greatest part of the Abessine nobilitie rebelled and was ouerthrowne in the yeere 1562. by Bernagasso By this casualtie did the Aethiopian affaires ebbe flow vntill in the raigne of Alexander things began in some sort to returne to their ancient estate by the aide of the Portugals who furnished them with weapons both offensiue and defensiue and by their examples incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies All that were liuing after the defeature of Christopher Gama and all that euer went thither since that day to this doe still remaine there marrying wiues and begetting children King Alexander gaue them leaue to elect a Iusticer and to end all matters of controuersie amongst themselues which maketh them so willing to stay and to teach them the vse of their weapons the manner of our warfare and how to fortifie passages and places of importance Sithence those times Francis Medices contracting friendship with the Abessine diuers Florentines some for pleasure and some for profit haue trauelled into those prouinces wherein when they are once entred the king intreateth them so faire and giueth them so largely whereupon to liue that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne countries Besides these he hath other enemies as the king of Dancali whose citie and hauen is Vela vpon the red sea and the Moores of Doba a prouince diuided into foureteene Lieutenantships These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire yet doe they often rebell hauing a law amongst themselues that no yoong man may contract matrimonie vnlesse he can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelue Christians Monomotapa IN the residue of Aethiop raigne diuers powerfull princes as the kings of Adel Monomugi Monomotapa Angola and Congo of which as yet we vnderstand very little But that the Reader by the description of one may coniecture of the rest I wil speake somwhat of the state policie of Monomotapa because it is mightier and more famous then the rest This kingdome containeth all that Iland which lieth between the riuers of Cuama and Spirito Santo a territorie of 150. leagues in compasse and from Spirito Santo it stretcheth euen to the Cape of Good Hope for the Vizeroys of that huge tract do acknowledge him for their soueraigne and supreme gouernour of townes villages they haue few those cottages which they haue consist of timber and tâ—ach One of their chiefe cities is called Zimbas and other Benema taxa the one fifteene miles the other 21. distant from Cefala towards the west The soile aboundeth with corne with cattle great and small wandring by heards through the fields and woods By the store of teeth from thence transported we may coniecture that lesse then 5000. elephants cannot but die yeerely in this countrey These beasts are here very great There is no climate like it for plentie of gold for by report there are 3000. mines whereout gold is digged gold is likewise found in the earth in rocks and riuers The mines of Manica Boro Quiticui and Toroe which some men call Butua are the richest The people are meane of stature black wel set They conuerse with the king kneeling on their knees and to sit in his presence is the vse with them as with vs to stand and that is granted but to great lords The assay of meate and drinke is not made before but after the prince hath eate and drunke Heere are no prisons because law passeth vpon the offendor in the very moment wherein the offence was committed The offences most seuerely punished are witchcraft theft and adulterie They pay no other tribute but certaine daies worke and presents without the which no man may appeere in the princes presence The king beareth in his coat of armes a certaine little spade with an Iuorie handle and two small darts He keepeth for his faithfullest guard two hundred dogs He keepeth the heires of his vassall princes to be secured of their parents loyaltie One of the kings not long sithence was conuerted and Baptized by Gonsalua Silua a Iesuite with the greater part of his courtiers but afterwards by the perswasion of certaine Moores in great credite about him he caused him to be slaine Sebastian king of Portugall offended heereat proclaimed warre against him vnder the leading of Francisco Barreâ—â—o This armie consisted of sixeteene hundred the greatest part gentlemen to whom the Monomotapa fearing their armes and valour offered honorable conditions but the captaine whom no offer or indiffeferencie could satisfie was ouercome and his armie vtterlie consumed yet not by the enimie but by sicknes and the infectious aire of the countrey FINIS Faults escaped Page 17. lin 30. for lanciers read men at armes Page 20. lin 38. for defensible r. defeasible Page 24. lin 22. for supremacie r. soueraigntie Page 28. lin penult these words without relation to the kingly authoritie are superfluous Page 65. lin 30. for it might r. he might Page 65. lin 34. for he is immediate r. mediate he is Page 127. lin 24. for can be wanting r. cannot be wanting 1597.