and to this they were called by a trumpeter or cornetter And the third was of such as dwelt in diuers parts of the country payd tribute vnto the cittie By the Parliament or conuocation-house of the Centuries where the Consuls put downe and the Decemviri created to whom all the power and Empirie of the Senate descended euen as the authority of the Consuls was first deriued from the Kings nor was it lawfull in any case to appeale from them These Decemviri when they went about to make any new lawes would do it in this manner first one of them had a whole day allowed him to consider what was fitting to be don in which day he bore the greatest authority and when hee had set downe his opinion in writing the next day was allowed for another and to haue the like prime place in gouernement and so likewise the rest euery one his seuerall day and when euery one had had his day and their opinions and doings written in seuerall tables and layd before them altogether they then collected and confirmed what they thought good out of euery ones sentence and so calling them the lawes of the ten tables they published them to the people And there went euer before him that had the chiefest Iurisdiction twelue men carrying bundels of roddes and the other nine had euery one his Vsher going before him But this kind of gouernement continued not long for euen as the power and authority of the Tribunes was vtterly banished out of the citie by the Decemviri so vppon mature consideration it seemed good to the Patricians that the Tribunes in requitall should extinguish and put downe theirs And then was there a law ordained that whatsoeuer was decreed by the Plebeians should go currant through all the people and if any one hindred or impeached the Tribunes or Aediles in their iudgements his head should be sacrificed to Iupiter and his whole family that were free should be sold for slaues at the Temple of Ceres After this there was another Councell created out of the Plebeians and then was it made lawfull and tolerable for the Plebeians to marry and enter into consanguinitie with the Patricians Besides these there were created two Censors who had the charge ouer the Scribes the keeping of the tables and the order and forme of taxing and leuying of money and mustering souldiers committed vnto them This pettie office beeing but meane at the first institution grew in processe of time to an incredible height in so much as the whole raines of correction and ciuill discipline were in conclusion let loose into their hands for the gouernement of the Senate the Equites and Centurians were so curbed and restrained as they had power only to decide controuersies touching honour and reproch and in the Censors consisted the chiefest soueraignty as to view and ouersee publike places to giue pensions to the people and againe to taxe them with exactions and tribute to consecrate sacrifices euery fift yeare for the purgation of the cittie to displace and thrust the Senators out of the cittie or to defame them and these continued in their office for fiue yeares and then new were created in their roomes Then was there another Magistrate created to heare and determine matters whom they called a Praetor and to him was committed power and authoritie ouer all publike and priuate dealings and to constitute and ordaine new lawes and statutes and to abrogate and repeale the old Of these Praetors there was first but one created and he was called Vrbanus Praetor because he had the gouernement of the cittizens to whome he alone beeing not able to vndergo so great a burthen by reason of the great accesse of strangers that daily resorted thither to dwell there was afterwards another Praetor added and him they called Praetor peregrinus as hauing the charge ouer aliens and strangers and this kind of gouernement was called Ius honorarium for the great honour and dignitie that belonged to the Magistrates for they had all the ensignes and ornaments attributed vnto them that before belonged to the Kings and their apparel and furniture was almost equall to the Consuls In this state did the cittie of Rome continue vntil Iulius Caesars time who reduced the gouernement into a Monarchie againe by taking vppon him the name of Imperator which kind of gouernement by Emperors did long after continue and then began to be celebrated at Rome the playes called Ludi Circenses the solemnitie whereof was thus The whole traine of Players issuing orderly from out the Capitoll passed by the forum into a great circle or rundle of ground like a theater made for the Spectators to behold the games And first went the sonnes of the Equites that for age strength and agilitie were most fit for exercises both on foote and horsebacke riding vppon horses and distinguished by their companies and Centuries to shew vnto strangers and forrainers the great hope the citty conceiued of her future happinesse by the exceeding aptnes and towardnes of their youth after them followed the wagoners with chariots some drawn with foure horses and some with two and some others leading little low horses that would stand without the bridle And after them followed the champions that were to try the masteries as wrastling running and the whirleabout called Caestus which was done with plummets of lead beeing all of them naked sauing their priuities then followed the troupe of dancers leapers and vaulters in their companies the men first the young striplings after and then the children in the next ranke vnto these followed the trumpetters and minstrels some playing vpon flutes some vpon pipes and some with a kind of Iuory harpes with 7. strings called Dulcimers the leapers and vaulters were apparelled in red coates girded in the wast with brazen belts and swords at their sides and the mens swords were shorter then the others they had also brazen helmets great plumes of fethers before euery company went men that were skilfull in those kind of exercises to shew them the maner of that dancing and skipping and other more violent and warlike motions by words in meeter consisting of foure syllables They practised also the Enoplian dancing otherwise called the Pyrrhichian dauncing inuented as is supposed by Pallas though some of a contrarie opinion thinke that the Curetes were the first authors of that kind of dancing Then followed the troupe of the Satyrisci with an Enoplian dance these Satyrisci were figured into Sileni and Satyres and they vsed taunting and scoffing motions in their dancing had also a consort of musick following after them Then went there a company with censors in their hands casting round about them sweet odors amongst whom were diuers that carried vpon their shoulders the images of their gods all guilded with gold and siluer and last of all followed the chiefe Magistrates of the city attended with great troups making shew by their easie pace and demure
much more beautifull and comely when their heades bee thicke growne with haires and smoothly combed then otherwise they would bee if their haire were shaggie rugged vncombed and neglected The King when he beginneth battaile sacrifiseth a shee-goate to the Muses They vse one certaine and strict kind of liuing both at home and in the warres For they held that they were not borne onely to themselues but for the good of their Countrie They practised no gainefull and commodious arts but were wholly employed in the studie of matters belonging to martiall discipline spending their spare time in sollemne banquettings by which meanes it came to passe that as Plutarch hath very well noted the Spartans neuer would or if they would yet they knew not how to liue priuately with a selfe-regard but were wholly deuoted to the common good of their countrie The Spartanes as they differed from all other nations in many other things so did they in giuing their voyces for electing of Officers For there were a few picked out from the rest to vndergo this businesse who were inclosed in a Chamber next adioyning to the Councel-house where they should neither see nor bee seene of any and then as the names of the Competitors were particularly drawne out one after another and at happe-hazard they did diligently marke and obserue the applause and assent of the people vnto euery name aduisedly noting and setting downe in a table who had the greatest applause and who the least which beeing afterwards openly reade it was thereby knowne which of the competitors had the most voyces Furthermore Lycurgus was the first that remoouing all superstition permitted the Cittizens to bury the dead bodies in the cittie allowing thē plots of ground about the Temples wherein to erect their monuments but it was not lawfull for any one to engraue or imprint the name of either man or woman vpon their sepulcher but the names of those onely which were manfully slaine in the wars nor to lament for those which were dead aboue the space of eleuen dayes The citizens moreouer were restrained from trauelling into other countries lest they should bring into their cittie strange customes and manners and all strangers and trauellers which arriued there were bar'd and excluded from out their citty vnlesse their presence were profitable to the common-wealth lest as Thucydides saith forraine nations should learne and be partakers of the Laconian discipline which may iustly be tearmed a very inhumane part or else as Plutarch writeth lest by the mutuall concourse and passage too and fro of strangers new speeches and languages might creepe into the cittie from whence might proceed new iudgements and dissonant desires which to the common-wealth would bee matters most pernitious and dangerous Young men hee allowed to weare but one coate throughout the whole yeare nor might any one go finer or fare more daintily then others did He commanded that nothing should be bought with readie money but by exchange of wares and commodities that children when they were of the age of twelue or fourteene yeares should not be suffered to come into the market-place or chiefe part of the cittie but were brought into the fields to the end they should not spend the prime of their youth in luxurie and wantonnesse but in labour and painfulnesse ordaining that they shold haue nothing layd vnder them to sleepe vpon and that they should eate no pottage nor gruell nor once returne into the cittie before they were men He ordained also that maydes should be married without portions to the end that none should couet wiues for their wealth and that husbands might carrie the more seueritie ouer their wiues when they could not vpbraide them with the greatnesse of their portions and how much they were aduanced by them that men shold be esteemed honourable not for their riches and greatnes but for their age and grauitie for old age was held in more reuerence and reputation amongst the Spartans then in any other countrie besides To the Kings he granted power ouer the wars to the Magistrates iudgements and yearely successions the keeping and custodie of the lawes to the Senate and to the people power and authoritie both to elect the Senat and to create Magistrates whom they pleased Now for because these new lawes and institutions all former customes beeing dissolued and abrogated seemed very harsh and difficult he fained that Apollo of Delphos was the author and inuentor of them and that frō thence at the commandement of that god hee brought them to Sparta thinking thereby that the feare and reuerence of religion would vanquish all rediousnesse and irkesomnesse of vsing them And finally to the end his lawes might remaine and continue to all eternitie he bound and obliged the cittizens by an oath that they should alter none of those lawes which he had made and established for them vntill he himselfe returned back vnto them alledging that he intended to go to Delphos to aske counsell of the Oracle there what he shold alter or adde to his lawes which done he tooke his iourney to Creete and there liued in perpetuall exile commanding when he lay vppon his death-bed that as soone as he was dead his bones should be cast into the sea lest by any chance they might be conueyed to Lacedemon whereby the Spartans might suppose themselues absolued and released from that oath which they had taken not to alter those lawes before his returne vnto them It is not amisse in this place to describe and set foorth what honors and dignities the Spartans were wont to giue to their Kings And first they had two Orders or Estates of Priests attending vppon them to do sacrifices one of the Lacedemonian Iupiter and the other of the celestiall Iupiter and their law of armes was that vpon what people or country the Kings intended to make warres it rested not in the power of any of the Spartans to prohibite or gaine-say it for if they did they offended so haynously as they would hardly purge themselues that in their marching and setting forward to the warres the kings should go foremost and be last in the retraite And that they should haue an hundred choice and select men to be their guard that in their expeditions and setting forward on their voyages they might haue what beast they would for sacrifice and that they might take to themselues the hides and skins of the beasts that were offered And these were their priuiledges in the warres And the honors and dignities attributed vnto them in time of peace were these when in their Common-wealth any banquets were made for the death of any great man the Kings should sit downe first and be first serued and that they two alone should haue betwixt them twice as much meate as all those that sate with them besides the skinnes of all beasts sacrificed Moreouer in the Kalends of euery moneth they had each of them a beast giuen them from out the reuenues of the
very charitable for there is almost no City but it hath in it a couent of Mendicant Friers and a common house to releeue and harbor poore Pilgrimes and strangers There bee also sostred and brought vp many yong youths that haue left their owne countries and fathers houses to attaine learning in Germany of which sort of striplings and yong students you shal see so many in one City as you will thinke it strange how they should be maintained And these bee onely nourished and brought vp by the almes and charity of the Citizens and goe singing from house to house for victuals whereof they haue inough giuen them for because they frequent the Church daily and helpe the Priests to singe masse and bee afterwards made priests themselues In euery parish is one publike house or free schoole wherein as well these as the Cittizens sonnes be brought vp in learning their maisters and tutors be such as bee both learned and vertuous who chastice those which be shrewde or neglect their learning sometimes with words and sometimes with stripes Their dwelling houses for the most part be ioyned together and builded according to euery mans ability some high some low but al aptly and conueniently disposed for their trading the rich mens houses be builded stately with lime and stone and poore mens with timber and morter and all of them couered either with tile or slate which whether it be done for state or to preuent danger of fire I am not able to say In Saxony and diuerse other places besides they couer their houses with smooth shingles which maketh their building seeme more base and more subiect to burning The streets for the most part throughout all the Cities of Germany be paued with flint stone and vpon the gates of euery City stand high turrets or watch-towers wherein in the day time be placed certaine skouts to giue notice vnto the warders below by the sound of a trumpet of all horsemen they perceiue comming towards them to the end that hauing warning afore-hand they may bee more prouident to prouide for the safety of the city Their cities for the most part be defended both naturaly artificially being scituated either vpon the tops of hils or by winding riuers such as be scituated vpon the plaine ground be compassed and immured with strong wals and trenches defended with innumerable towers and bulwarkes the fields also about many of their cities be so inclosed on all sides with deepe and large ditches as they serue for a sufficient defence against the inuasion of forraine enemies The fourth last and lowest estate of the Germaines be of such as dwel in country villages and follow husbandry and be therefore called clownes or bores whose estate and condition of all others is most hard and miserable for they liue basely by themselues vtterly seperated from all other sorts of people so as they haue no fellowship with others but their owne families and their cattaile Their dwelling houses be low cottages made of timber and clay and couered with straw their bread is meane and course their meate either oatmeale pottage or sodden beanes or pulse and their drinke is either water or whey their apparell a Canuas frocke such as our Carters vse in England high shooes or startvps and coloured caps These clownes be a very turbulent toylsome and beastly kinde of people they carry into Citties neere adioyning them all their fruites and increase that arriseth from their corne and cattaile other then what their Landlords haue for they themselues doe scarce taste of any fruite of their trauaile that good is where they sell them and make their prouision of such things as they haue need of for amongst them dwel few artificers or none at all Euery village hath a Church in it whether in the forenoone vpon holy daies all the people resort to heare seruice and in the after-noone some of them meete togither in one place or other where they fall to chopping and chainging or conferring of other busnesse the youth fall a dauncing after the minstrels and old men a tipling in tavernes and none of these clownes will goe abroad amongst other people but with weapons about them for they haue their swords ready at all assaies Euery village chooseth out two or foure of the most substantial men amongst them whom they call their maisters these be indifferent men to decide contentions and controuersies growing by contracts and haue the disposing and ordering of their little common-wealth next vnto their Land-lords for it is they that haue the sole gouernment and authority ouer them all other then what is by them permitted to these chosen praefects which in their vulgar tongue they call Sculteti These clownes liue in great drudgery and slauery vnder their Land-lords for they plow their grounds sow their seedes get in their haruest prouide them fuel repaire their houses skoure their ditches and maintaine their fencing in a word there is no slauery whatsoeuer but is wholy imposed vpon those bores nor dare they for their liues once refuse to doe any thing their Land-lords command them for if they doe they shall be soundly punished and yet there is no one thing that oppresseth them more neerely then that the farmes they possesse be none of their owne but that notwithstanding they be euery way else slaues vnto their Land-lords they must pay vnto them yeerely a great part of their corne and graine for rent And these bee generally the manners of the Germaines at this day and this their course of life Of Saxony and how the Saxons liued in times past and how they now liue CAP. XIII SAXONIA a particular Prouince of Germany is bounded vpon the West with the riuer Visera or as some will haue it with the riuer of Rheine vpon the North with Dacia and the Baltean sea with Franconia on the South against which lie opposite a longth-wise Boiarie and Bohemia and with Prussia on the East within which bounds and limits how many sundry sorts of people distinguished by sundry names be at this day comprehended and included may easily be vnderstood by the precedent description of Germany all which are said to liue vnder the Saxon law This country was named Saxony of a people called Saxons who according to the opinion of some writers were the remnant of the Macedonian army which followed Alexander the Great and at his death were disperced into all parts of the world Some others affirme that they were wandring Britans and such as had no certaine habitations and that they forsooke their natiue soile to seeke them better seates and getting shipping and arryuing in Germany expelled thence the Thuringij and possessed their land For at the first the people of Saxony were turbulent and troublesome il and ouerthwart neighbours vnto all those which dwelled neere vnto them yet were they at home peaceable and quiet and maruellous vigilant and industrious for the good of their country and common-wealth besides that
more daintily to haue more humanity in their speech more ciuilitie in their conuersation more state in their buildings and in all points to be more mild more wise and better qualified and laying aside all grosse barbarisme and beastly cruelty abstayning from mutuall slaughter from deuouring of humane flesh from rapine and robberie from open and incestuous coupling of children with their parents before indifferently vsed and from many more such enormities applyed their reason and strength to recouer the earth which beeing then either ouergrown with thicke woods ouerrunne with wild beasts or ouerflowed with standing waters lay rude barren desert vnfrequented and inconuenient for mans dwelling and with their industrie and labour playning and purging it from heapes of stones rootes of trees and superfluous waters made it fertill and very delightsome to behold And allowing the plaines and champion grounds for tilling and the lesser hilles for vineyards did so manure dresse the earth with instruments made for the purpose as it brought foorth both corne and wine in aboundance which before yeelded nothing but acornes and wild apples and those also sparingly produced The valleys they beautified and adorned with most delectable gardens and well watered medowes leauing onely the toppes of mountaines for woods and assigning so much soyle for the increase of fruite as they scarce left sufficient for fuell and fodder Then they began to people all places more plentifully to erect new buildings of ferme houses to make hamlets of boroughes great citties to build temples in valleys towers on mountaine tops to encompasse their fountains with hewed marble stones inuironing them with plants on all sides for shadow deriued their running waters thence into their cities through pipes conduits to search deepe in the ground for water where naturally it was wanting to hold in and restraine the streames and violent riuers with dams and bankes of earth which before would often flow at large to the great destruction of the Inhabitants and that they might bee passable and no hidderance or impediment to mens businesse to build ouer them strong and stately bridges vppon bending Arches or Pyles fastened and firmely rampered in the ground to cast downe Rockes in the sea which whilome were woont to bee daungerous for saylers to make hauens inroades and harboroughes both in Ilands and on the Continent To digge Dockes and Rodes wherein shippes might rest in securitie free from danger of wind or weather And so diligently to decke and garnish all things both by land and sea that the earth as now it is compared to his former filthinesse and deformitie may be thought to be an other earth different from that it was before and not much vnlike that most delectable garden out of which our vnfortunate first founders Adam and Eue were eiected for transgressing the diuine commandement Moreouer many most noble Disciplines and liberall Arts were by men found out which that they might remaine to all posteritie were by diuers Characters and new-inuented notes of letters committed to bookes and tables and did so farre exempt and aduance them beyond all humane condition as they might haue beene thought rather to leade the most blessed liues of deified men then men indeed Had not Satan the Prince of the world and enemie of mankind by sowing his most pestilent Cockles amongst the good corne confounded their most intire and happie estate For he seeing the multitude of people increase and the pleasure of the world held in better estimation stirred vp with enuie first found them guiltie to themselues for committing damnable sins and afterwards made them with curiositie to affect the knowledge of future and heauenly things from the obscure answers of Oracles And to the end he might abolish all knowledge of one true and onely God and trouble all mankind with some notable euill he taught them the prophane worship of false gods and goddesses causing them to commit idolatrie and do reuerence vnto them making the Delphian Temples in one place the Euboian in another in another the Nasamonian and the Dodoman okes by his diuellish inspiration to vtter foorth Oracles By which means he procured that diuine honors were attributed to Saturn in Italy to Iupiter in Creet to Iuno in Samos to Bacchus in Thebes and India to the Sun and Moone vnder the names of Isis Osyris in Aegypt to Vesta in Troy in Affricke to Pallas and Triton to Mercury vnder the name of Teutas in Fraunce and Germany to Mynerua in Himettū Athens to Apollo in Boeotia Rhodes Chius Patura in Lycia the lesser Phrigia and Thimbra To Diana in Delos and Scythia To Venus in Cyprus Paphos Gnydos and Cythera to Mars in Thrace to Vulcan in Lipara and Lemnos to Priapus in Lampsacus neere Hellispont and to others in many other places whose names for their rare inuentions and great benefits bestowed vpon their people were then most fresh in memory Moreouer also after Christ Iesus the true Sonne of the liuing God appearing in flesh and pointing out to the erring multitude the perfect path-way of saluation by his word and example exhorting to newnesse of life to the glory of his heauenly father and sending his Disciples forth into all the world by their wholsome doctrine and preaching had confounded their damnable idolatry and spread abroad a new religion and new institutions of life yea and preuailed so much as being receiued of all nations in the world there could nothing more be desired for the obtayning of true felicity when Satan returning into his former malice and going about to circumuent and get againe his habitation in mens curious hearts which before by the comming of Christ hee was forced to forsake reduced some into their former errors and so corrupted and blinded others with new hereticall opinions as it had beene better for them neuer to haue tasted the truth then so sodainely and maliciously to forsake the knowne way of saluation For now at this day all the people of Asia the lesse Armenia Arabia Persis Siria Assiria and Media and in Affrick the Aegiptians Numidians Libians and Muritanians In Europe all those of Greece Misia and Thrace vtterly abiecting Christ obserue and with all honor and deuotion adore that most accursed and Epileptical Makomet and his damnable doctrine The Scythians which at this day bee called Tartars a very large and populous nation d ee some of them worship the Idols of their Emperor Cham some the stars and some others the true and onely GOD at the preaching of Saint Paul the people of India and Aethiopia which bee vnder the gouernment of Prestor Iohn hold the faith of Christ but in a manner that is far different from ours But the sincere and right beliefe of our Sauiour Christ wherewith by his speciall grace the whole world was once illumined is retained onely in Germany Italy France Spaine England Scotland Ireland Dacia Liuonia Prussia Polonia Hungaria and of the inhabitants of the Isles
of Rhodes Scicilia Corsica Sardinia and of some few besides So far hath that most cruel enemy of mankinde preuailed by bringing in such diuersity of manners such hatefull and damnable superstitious abuses in ceremonies and sacred things that whilest euery nation contendeth by strongest arguments to prooue that the GOD which they worship and adore is the true and great GOD and that they onely goe the way of eternall happinesse and all others the by-path that leadeth to perdition Whilest also euery sect indeauoureth to aduance and set forth themselues it insueth that each one persecuting other with mortall enmity and deadly hatred it is not onely daungerous to trauell into forraine nations but in a manner vtterly bard and prohibited which I perswade my selfe is the cause that the names of bordering nations beeing scarce knowne to their neerrest neighbors whatsoeuer is either written or reported of them is now accounted fabulous and vntrue the knowledge whereof notwithstanding hath euer beene reputed so pleasant so profitable and so praise-worthy as it is most manifest that for the loue and desire thereof onely without other cause at all very many forsaking father and mother wife and children countrie and kin and that which is more neglecting their owne health haue aduentured through great difficulties and daungers care and troubles long and tedious iourneies into forraine nations onely to furnish themselues with experience So as it is vndoubtedly true that not in these daies onely but almost from the beginning of the world All those haue bin generally esteemed men of greatest authority wisdome and learning and by open consent haue beene elected and chosen Maisters and Gouernours Councellors and Iudges Captaines and Controllers who hauing sometimes trauelled strang countries haue knowne the manners of many people and cities for euer as those auncient Philosophers of Greece and Italy which were first founders of sundry sects wherin they instructed their Disciples Schollers as namely Socrates of the Socratick sect Plato of the Academicke Aristotle of the Peripatick Antisthines of the Cynick Aristyppus of the Cyrenaicke Zeno of the Stoicke and Pithagoras of the Pithagoricke As also those old law-giuers Minos and Rhodomanthus to the men of Creete Orpheus to those of Thrace Draco Solon to the Athenians Licurgus to the Lacedemonians Moses to the Iewes Zamolxis to the Scythians and many others which wee see haue set down to their people diuers prescript ceremonies ciuil disciplines inuented not of those seueral sects disciplines and lawes within their city walles but learned and brought them from the Caldeans themselues beeing the most wise men of the world from the Indian Philosophers the Brackmans Gymnosophists and from the Aegiptian Priests with whom sometimes they were conuersant To conclude wee plainely perceiue that those most renowned worthies Iupiter of Creete who was reported to haue measured the world fiue times ouer and his two sonnes of like disire and successe Dionysius surnamed Bacchus and valiant Hercules and Theseus his imitator Iason with the rest of the Greekes which went with him for the golden Fleece wether-beaten Vlisses and Aencas the outcast of Troy Cyrus Darius Xerxes Alexander the Great Hanibal the Carthaginiā Mithrydate king of Pontus expert in the language of fifty nations the great Antiochus and innumerable other Romane Princes and Gouernors the Scipios the Marii the Lentuli Pompey the Great Iulius Caesar Octauian Augustus the Constantines Charles Othones Conrades Henries and Frederickes haue by their warlike expeditions into forraine nations purchased vnto themselues an euerlasting fame and immortal memory Wherefore seeing there is so great pleasure and profit in the knowledge of countries and of their manners and also seeing it is not in euery mans power nor yet lawfull for many causes for euery one to trauel and behold lands far remote thou maist good gentle reader as wel by reading comprehend vnderstand the most renowned customes of al nations and the seueral sytuation of each country expressed in this booke and that as readily with as much pleasure as if taking thee by the hand I shold lead thee through euery nation one after an other faithfully relate vnto thee in what place and vnder what kind of gouernment each nation haue liued heretofore and now doe liue Nor would I haue thee distasted or carried away for that by some too seuere reformer it may bee obiected and laide in my teeth that I haue produced for new and for mine owne a matter written long agoe and heretofore handled of no lesse then a thousand Authors and that I haue vsed only their words without alteration But if thou diligently marke my purpose thou shalt find that in imitation of that liberal houshoulder to whom Christ in the Gospell compared euery learned scribe I haue presented thee my kinde guest with some things as well out of mine owne braine as wholy extracted from the hidden treasure of my bookes and not onely with borowed and vnknowne stuffe but with sundry new dainties of mine owne deuising Farewel and what euer thou findest herein accept in good part To the Reader in commendation of this worke NOt Soline Pliny Trogus nor Herodotus of worth Not Strabo best Geographer that Cretish Isle brought forth Not true historian Siculus nor yet Berosus sage Nor any other writer else within this latter age Not Siluius after Pius Pope the second of that name Nor yet Sabellicus whose workes deserue immortal fame In volums large doe touch so neere the state of th' viniverse As doth the Author of this booke in sewer words reherse For here each part of Asiae soile distinctly you may find Th' Arabians Persians and the Meades the Scythians the Inde The Sirian and Assirian and all the Parthians race The Getes and Dacians Europs Scythes the people ecke of Thrace The Sauromates and those which in Pannonia doe remaine The Germaine the Italian the French and those of Spaine The Irish and the British Isles of Islands all the best And Affricke nations al which first old Affrican possest The Aethiops and the Carthage men and those of Aegipt-land And al the people that doe dwel on the dry Libian sand And many more inhabitants of diuers Isles beside And where the sect of Mahomet most chiefly doth abide What ample large and spatious lands doe honor Christ their head And through what kingdomes of the world his faithfull flocke are spread FINIS The manners lawes and customes of all Nations LIB 1. The true opinions of Diuines concerning mans originall CAP. 1. WHen the diuine Maiestie vpon the first day of Creation had finished this great and wonderfull Architecture of heauen and earth which of his beauty and elegant forme is called the world and all things contained within the compasse thereof vpon the sixt day hee created man of purpose that hee might haue all other things in full fruition and be Lord and Gouernour ouer them and making him the noblest of all other Creatures
vessels or glasse vessels and kept them in their houses for the space of a yeare during which time they reuerenced them very religiously offering vnto them the first fruits of their increase Some say that thee that did most excell others in comlinesse of body skill in breeding cattell strength and riches him they elected for their King And that they had an ancient lawe that the Priests of Memphis might when they pleased depriue the King of his life by sending vnto him the messenger that caryed the signe of death and ordaine an other to raigne in his steed They beleeued that there was one immortall God and that hee was maker of the world and gouernor of all things any other God they esteemed mortall who was their vncertaine King as is said And hee that best deserued of their citty him next vnto their King they reuerenced as God And such was the state of Aethiopia at the beginning and for a long continuance these their customes and manners of their nation But at this day as Marcus Antonius Sabellicus out of whose history wee haue taken most matters which wee treate of both in this and the bookes following saith that hee had intelligence from some that were borne in those countries that the King of Aethiopia whome wee call Pretoian or Presbiter Ioan or Ioan and they Gyam which in their language signifieth mighty is so potent a Prince that hee is sayd to haue vnder him as his vassalls three-score and two Kings And that all their great Bishops and states of all those kingdomes are wholy guided by him at whose hands the order of Priesthood is obtained which authority was by the Pope of Rome giuen and annexed to the Maiesty of their Kings and yet hee himselfe is no Priest nor neuer entred into any holy orders There be a great number of Archbishops and euery one of them who euer hath the least hath twenty Bishops vnder his iurisdiction The Princes and other Bishops of great dignity when they goe abroad haue carried before them a crosse and a golden vessell filled with earth that the sight of the one may put them in minde of their mortality and the other of our Sauiours passion Their Priests are suffered to mary for procreations sake but if they bury one wife it is vtterly vnlawfull for them to mary an other Their Temples are very large and farre richer then ours and for the most part builded vp to the topp arch-wise They haue many religious houses and families of holy orders as Antonians Dominicks Calaguritans Augustines and Macarians who be all arrayed by permission of their Archbishops with apparell of one coulour Next vnto Almighty God and his Mother the blessed Virgin Mary Saint Thomas surnamed Didimus is chiefly honoured in that country They hold an opinion that their great King whom they call Gyam was ingendred of King Dauid and that the race of that one family hath continued euer since hee is not black as most of the Aethiopians are but rather white The citty Garama is now the Kings seate which consisteth not of Bulwarkes and houses with strong wals but of tents or tabernacles made of fine flaxe or silke imbrodered with purple and placed in decent and seemely order The King according to his custome liueth for the most part abroade not contayning himselfe within the circuite of the Citty aboue two daies together ether because they account it absurde and effeminate or that they are prohibited by some lawe They haue in redinesse vpon any little occasion tenne hundred thousand men well instructed in feates of armes fiue hundred Elephants besides an infinit number of Horses and Camels There be also throughout the whole kingdome certaine stipendary families the issue whereof haue a gentle incision made in their skinne and bee marked with a hot iron with the signe of the Crosse In warres they vse bowes speares cotes of male and helmets the order of Priesthood is in greatest dignity next vnto whome are the sages or wizards whom they call Balsamati and Tenquati They esteeme much also of innocency and honesty accounting them the first step to wisdome the Nobility are the third in honor and dignity and the stipendary the last the Iudges discerne of causes of life and death but referre the decree to the Praefect of the citty who is called Licomagia who alwaies representes the person of the King written lawes they haue none but iudge according to equity and right If any man bee convicted of adultery hee shall pay for his punishment the fortith part of his goods but the adulteresse shal receiue a domesticall reuenge by her husband for he shall punish her whome it doth most concerne The husbands assigne dowers for their wiues requiring noe portion with them There women are attired with gold wherof that country doth much abound pearles also and silke both men and women weare garments downe to the feete with sleeues and not open in any place all colours are alike vnto them except blacke which is there vsed onely for mourning garments They bewaile the dead for the space of forty dayes The second courses in their greatest banquets consist of raw flesh which beeing finely minced into small peeces and strawed ouer with sweete spices they feed vpon most hungerly wollen cloath they haue none insteed wherof they are clothed either with silke or flax they vse not all one language but diuers and distinguished by diuers names They exercise them-selues eyther in husbandry or about cattle they haue euery yeare two haruests two summers All the people of Lybia from this Aethiopia or India to the vtmost part of the west honour the impiety of Mahomet and liue in the same kinde of religion that those Barbarians practise which are now in Aegipt and bee called Moores as it is thought of their wandring or straying abroad for that country of Libia also was no lesse hatefull than the Sarasins in those accursed times wherein was the greatest alteration in humaine matters the manners of people loue of deuotion and names of all Nations being for the most part changed Of Aegipt and the ancient customes of that country CAP. 5. EGipt a region in Affricke or as some will haue it next adioyning to Affricke was so called of Aegiptus the brother of Danaus King of Argyues before which time it was called Aeria This country as Plinie in his first booke witnesseth ioyneth Eastward to the red sea and to Palaestyne vpon the West it hath Cyrene and the residue of Affricke and extendeth from the South to Aethiopia and from the North to the Aegyptian sea The most famous citties of that country were Thebes Abydos Alexandria Babilon and Memphis now called Damiata and the great citty Cayrus or Alcir which is the Soldans seate In Egypt as Plato reporteth it doth neuer raine but the riuer of Nylus ouer-flowing the whole land once euery yeare after the summer Solstice maketh the whole
was kild without any fault of his owne These beasts be kept with great cost and charge within the circuit of their Temples by men of no small account eating fine flower and porredge made of Oate-meale which in their banquets are mingled with milke They giue them Geese also dayly both sodde and broylde and catch birds for those which eate raw flesh To conclude they bee all nourished with maruelous great charge and diligence and their deaths as much bewayled of the people as the deaths of their owne Sonnes yea and their funeralls are farre more sumptuous than their ability can afford in so much as when Ptolomaeus Lagus was gouernour of Aegypt an oxe dying for age in the City of Memphis hee which had the charge of keeping him bestowed a great summe of mony vpon his buriall which was giuen to him to defray that charge besides fifty talents of siluer which he borowed of Ptolomy These things which we haue spoken of perhaps will seeme strange to some but no lesse strange will it seeme to any that shall consider the ceremonies of the Aegiptians in the buriall of thé dead for when one dyeth there all his neere friends and kinsfolkes defile and spoyle their heads with earth and goe round about the Citty wayling vntill the dead body be buryed in which Interim they nether wash themselues nor drinke wine nor eate any meate but that which is very vile and grosse nor yet weare any good apparrell They haue three formes or kinds of buriall for some be buried sumptuously some indifferently and some basely In the first manner of buryall is spent and layd out one talent of siluer in the second twentie minae and some small cost is bestowed in the last Those which haue charge of the funeralls which course of life decendeth from their auncestors as by Inheritance bring the funerall expences in writing to the houshoulders demanding at what rate they will haue the funeralls performed and the bargaine being made and concluded betwixt them the body is deliuered vnto them to be buried at the charge agreed vpon And then the Gramarian for so he is called the body being laid in the ground marketh and assigneth out a place about the flanck how farre from the left part the incisition must bee made after that hee which is called the breaker vp or vnboweler openeth his side with a sharp Aethiopian stone so wide as by the law is permitted which done he instantly runneth away as fast as he can all the standers by following after cursing him and throwing stones at him for they esteemed those men worthy of hate which had mangled or misused the body of their friend but those which haue charge and ouersight of the body which they cal Salitores they account worthy of honour and estimation this done they carry the dead corpes into the Temple before the Priests who standing by the dead body on of them plucketh out of the hole or wound in his side all the entralls except the kidneyes and heart al which an other washeth away with red wine compounded with odoriferous spices and perfumes after that they annoynt the whole body first with iuyce of Cedar tree and other pretious oyntments for thirty daies space and more and then they rub it ouer with mirhe and cinamon and other like stuffe wherby it is not only preserued the longer but yeeldeth a sweet sauour also the body being thus dressed they deliuer it to the dead mans kinsfolke euery part of him yea the heaires of his browes and eie lidds being so preserued as the forme of his body remaineth whole as though he were not dead but a sleepe before the body be interred the funerall day is declared to the Iudges and the dead mans friends saying that vpon that day the dead body is to passe ouer the fens the Iudges being aboue forty in number assemble them selues together and sit vpon a round scaffold beyond the poole then is there a shippe prouided for that purpose and brought thither by those to whome the charge is committed and before the body bee laid in the coffin euery one hath liberty that will to accuse the party deceased and if hee bee proued to bee an euillliuer the iudges proceed to sentence wherby they adiudge that his body shall bee depriued of Sepulture and if any one accuse him vniustly hee shall bee seuerely punished but if no one accuse him or that it is euident that hee was accused falsely and of malice his kindred leauing off their mourning fall to praysing him yet speaking nothing of his stock and parentage as the Greekes are accustomed to doe for the Aegiptians account them-selues all noble alike but beginning at his child-hood they recite his bringing vp and education the beginning of his life and learning and from that ascending to his mans estate they remember his religion and deuotion towards the gods his Iustice his Continency and all his other vertues and then inuocating the infernall gods they beseech them to place him amongst the Saints to which request all the multitude make answer extolling the dead-mans worth and renowne as if he should liue for euer below amongst the blessed which done each one buryeth his friends in his owne proper sepulcher and those which want sepulchers bury them in the strongest walls of their house setting the chest wherein the body lyeth on the one end But those which are forbidden buryall eyther for vsury or some other offence are buryed at home without a coffin whom his posterity growing of better ability and satisfying for his misdeeds doe afterwards bury very solemnly The Aegyptians custome is to giue the bodyes of their dead parents as pawnes to theyr creditors and those children that redeeme them not shall bee disgraced and want sepulture them-selues one may iustly maruell to see how the authors of all these ordinances did not onely prouide for things profitable for mans life but also regarded those things which appertained to the honour and buryall of dead bodies in so much that by this meanes mens liues were disposed as much as might be to good manners The Greekes which by their fained fables and Poeticall fictions farre exceeding truth deliuered many things of the rewards of the godly and punishment of the wicked could not with all their writings draw men to vertue but were rather derided and contemned themselues But with the Aegiptians due punishment being rendred to the wicked and commendation to the iust not in shew but in substance they did euery day admonish both the good and the bad what things were profitable for them for they saw before their eyes that to euery one according to his deeds was giuen a remembrance of his merits or demerits which was a cause that all men immitated the best course of life and stroue to doe well for those are not to bee esteemed the best lawes whereby men become rich but whereby they prooue honest and wise And thus much of the Aegiptians and
home and hauing no other garments to couer their bodies but goats skins Their greatest Potentates haue no citties but turrets standing neere vnto waters wherein they lay vp such things as they leaue for their prouision They sweare their subiects once euery yeare to their allegiance and obedience to their Prince and that they shall be louing to their equalls and persecute al such as refuse to be vnder their gouernment as theeues There weapons are answerable to their country and their customes for they themselues beeing light and nimble of body and the country for the most part plaine and euen do neither vse swords nor knyues nor any other weapons in their warres sauing onely euery one three darts and a few stones in a letherne budget and with those they will fight and conflict both when they incounter and in the retraite being by practise made perfect to throw therein stones and darts right at a marke They obserue neither law nor equitie towards strangers The Trogloditae which the Greekes call shepheards because they liue by cattell elect their King from out the people of Aethiopia wiues and children they haue in common the King onely excepted who hath but one wife and euery one that commeth to him presenteth him with a certaine number of cattell At such time as the wind standeth in the East about the canicular or dog dayes which season is most subiect to showers they eate bloud and milke mixt together and boyled and when their pastures be parched and burned away with the heate of the Sunne they go downe into the moorish grounds for which there is great contention amongst them When their cattle be either old or diseased they kill them and eate them for of such consisteth their chiefest sustenance Their children be not called after the names of their parents but aftet the names of Buls Rammes or Sheepe and those they call fathers and mothers because their daily nourishment is yeelded by them and not by their naturall parents The meaner sort of people drinke the iuice of Holly-tree or sea-rush and those of the better sort the iuyce that is strayned out of a certaine flower which groweth in that countrey the liquor whereof is like vnto the worst of our Must They neuer continue long in one place but remooue and flitte often into diuers Regions taking with them whither soeuer they go their flockes and heards of cattell they be naked on all parts of their bodies but their priuities which be couered with skinnes All the Trogloditae circumcise their priuie parts like the Aegyptians excepting those which are lame they remoue often into strange Countreys and are neuer cutte or shauen with razour from their infancie Those Trogloditae which are called Megauares vse for their armour round shields made of raw oxe hides and clubbes studded with yron and some vse bowes and lances They haue little regard how they burie the dead for they vse no other ceremonies in their funerals but wrappe the dead corps in Holly twigges and then binding the necke and legges together put the carcase into a hole and couer it ouer with stones setting vpon the heape of stones a Goates horne in derision and so depart from it beeing neuer touched with any griefe though hee were neuer so neere a friend They contend and fight amongst themselues not as the Greekes do for anger or ambition but onely for their victualls and in their conflicts they first throw stones till some of them be wounded and then taking their bowes in hand wherein they be very expert they fight it out till some of them be slaine And the auncient and grauest women giue end vnto those controversies who pressing boldly into the middle of the multitude without any danger for it is not lawfull to hurt them by any meanes the men foorthwith cease off their strife Those which for age bee vnable to follow their flockes tye their owne neckes to an oxe tayle and so strangle themselues to death And if any be vnwilling to dye he is forced to it by his fellowes but first he shall haue warning thereof and this kind of death they account a great benefit vnto them those also which be sick of feuers or of any vncurable disease are serued in like sort for they account it the greatest misery that may be for any one to inioy his life that can doe nothing worthy of life Herodotus writeth that the Trogloditae make them hollow Caues in the ground to dwell in and that they haue no desire to possesse riches but rather addict themselues to wilfull and voluntary pouerty that they onely are delighted and glory in one kinde of stone which we call Hexacontalithus which is a little precious stone with diuerse corners that they eate the flesh of Serpents and that they speake not any intelligible language but in steed of speach make a kinde of noyse or howling rather then speach In that Aethiopia which lyeth aboue Aegipt dwell another kinde of people which be called Rhisophagi these barbarous people liue onely vpon the rootes of weedes which when they haue cleane washed they bruse teare a peeces with stones till they waxe soft and clammy and then make it into cakes like vnto tiles and bake them against the sunne and so eate them and this kinde of meat is theyr onely food all their life time for they haue great aboundance thereof and it is very pleasant and delectable in taste so as peace is there perpetually maintained and yet they fight notwithstanding but it is onely with Lyons which ranging out of the deserts to shunne the shade and to prey vpon other lesser wild beasts destroy many Aethiopians comming forth of the fens and surely that nation had beene vtterly destroyed by Lyons had not nature afforded a defence against them for at such time as the Dogge-starre ariseth and appeareth in their Horizon the winde being calme there flyeth into those parts an innumerable multitude of Gnatts which offend not the people because they flye from them into the Fennes and moorish grounds but doe so annoy the Lyons with their stings and terrifying them with their humming and bussing as they compell them all to depart out of those Regions Next vnto these are the Ilophagi and the Spermatophagi the Spermatophagi liue without labour by gathering the fruites which fall from trees in Summer time and when fruites are gone they eate a certaine herbe which they finde growing in shadie places where-with they be succourd in theyr need But the Ilophagi their wiues and children feede them-selues by clyming into Tree toppes and plucking off the tender buddes from twigges and branches which is their onely sustenance by continuall vse and practise whereof they grow so expert in clyming that a thing strange to bee reported they will skippe and hoppe from tree to tree like birds or squirrells without danger and trusting to their lightnesse and nimblenesse of their bodyes ascend to the very top of slender branches and if
long obseruation the course of the stars by whose speculatiō they prophesied of mens future fortunes They imagined the planets to be of great power and especially Saturne supposing the sunne to be of most beauty and of greatest vertue and that Mars Venus Mercury and Iupiter were to be obserued more then the rest for that they hauing each one his proper and peculiar motion foreshewed things to come and were the true interpreters of the gods And of this they were so fully perswaded as they called these foure stars al by the name of Mercury They foretold many things to come both hole-some and hurtful by winds shewers heate comets eclipse of Sunne Moone earthquakes and by sundry other signes and prodigies besides And they imagined that there were other stars subiect inferior to these planets of which some wandred in our Hemisphere and some in that which is vnder vs besides this they held the like error that the Aegiptians did and fained to themselues twelue gods attributing vnto each of them a month a signe in the Zodiake They prophesied of many things that should happen to their Kings as foreshewing to Alexander the victory he should haue in the fight with Darius to Hircanor Seleucus and to other successors of Alexander and many things after that to the Romaine successors whose euents proued true They write also of foure and twenty other stars whereof twelue be beyond the Zodiake towards the North and the other twelue towards the South of which those which appeare to our view they suppose to haue dominion ouer the liuing and the other to pertaine to those which be dead These things other circumstances haue those Chaldeans set forth to mens sight as they haue noted by long obseruation alleaging that this their doctrine hath continued for the space of three and forty thousand yeers from the first inuentiō therof to the reigne of Alexander which allegation of theirs were a very grosse impudent fable vnlesse we should interprete that the time of each yeere were but a month as was amongst the Aegiptians Of Iudaea and of the customs lawes and institutions of the Iewes CAP. 4. PAlestine which is also called Iudaea is a perticular Prouince of Syria sytuated betwixt Caelosiria and Arabia Petrea vpon the West it is washed with the Aegiptian sea and vpon the East with the riuer of Iordan This land the bookes of holy Bible and Iosephus their imitator called Canaan a land abounding with many riches as hauing plenty of fruites famous waters and being well furnished with balme It is scituated in the very middle of the world and is therefore very temperate neither to hot nor to cold which for the temperature of the elements the Israelites or Hebreues being a very ancient people and with whom alone from the first Creation of mankinde the knowledge and worship of the Heauenly and true God and the first forme of speech remained esteemed to be that which was promised by God to their fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob a land flowing with milke and hony And therefore in the fortith yeere after the children of Israells departure out of Aegipt vnder the conduct of their valiant captaine Iosua they obtained the dominion thereof by force of their armes vanquishing and expelling one and thirty Kings which raigned in that Contry The Israelites retaine and liue vnder those laws which they receiued frō Moses their first captain althogh for many ages before Moses daies they liued without written law with great deuotion sanctity obtayning the truth by diuine Oracles and by the acutenesse magnanimity of their mindes and vnderstandings yet that great diuine Moses thought that no City could long continue in safety without the practise of law and equity And therefore when by rewarding the good punishing the wicked he had sufficiently exhorted his people to imbrace vertue and eschew vice he proposed vnto them other lawes and ciuel ordinances founded vpon those ten chiefe heads and grounds of lawes pronounced by God himselfe in mount Sina written in two Tables of which lawes being so many as they alone wold be sufficiēt matter to fill a whole volume I will onely touch those which be most worthy of remēbrance they that desire to know the rest let them read Iosephus the bookes of the Bible First Moses ordained that young children as soone as they were able to conceiue should bee instructed in the lawes seeing they contained in them the best kind of discipline That whosoeuer blasphemed the name of God should hang all a whole day be cast out at night without burial That no sacrifice should be solemnized vvith money gotten by whoredome That there should be 7. chiefe gouernors in euery city which were most noted for Iustice vvisdom that two of the leuitical Priests shold sit in iudgment with them if in discerning cōtrouersies the Iudges would not condiscēd to that which vvas right the vvhole matter should be decided by the discretion of the Priest Elder That the testimony of one man should not be currant to conuince an other of any crime nor yet of tvvo vnlesse their honesties vvere approued but the testimonie of three should stand and yet neither slaue nor woman should be sufficient witnesse because in one the basenesse of his fortune in the other the weaknesse and lightnesse of her sexe might rightly bee suspected that the fruite of trees new set or planted should not bee medled withall before the fourth yeere and that then they should pay for tithes the tenth part of the increase That neighbours and strangers should haue some part also and that the residue should remaine to him that planted them That they should sow cleane seed vpon their grounds and not mingled because the land would not like with seed of two sorts That trauellers should not bee restrained and interdicted from fruites but that they might gather as much as they pleased and their present necessity required and that if they were ashamed to take it the owners should offer it vnto them That the woman that gained vnlawfully or married her selfe to an other besides her lawfull husband should not bee regarded as a wife That shee that was supposed to bee a Virgine and was found defiled in her bodie with any man and conuicted of the crime should either bee stoned to death or burned aliue If one deflowred a Virgin espoused to an other man though she consented yet both parties should suffer extreame punishment and if he rauished her forcibly that then onely the author of the iniury should bee punished That if a man die and leaue no children behinde him his widdow should marry the brother of her deceased husband and by that matrimony bring forth issue to succeed them in their stocke but if the brother refused to marry her hee should shew the cause of his refusall before the elders and if his cause were approued good hee should haue liberty
land such other commodities as the country affoordeth as colour medicines wooll or such like and somtimes cattel also It is not lawfull for the King to put any man to death for one onely cause nor for one Persian to commit any heynous offence against another of his owne family or kindered The Persians haue many wiues a peece and keepe diuerse concubines besides for increase of issue and the Kings reward those most liberally that haue begot most children in a yeare nor bee their children once brought into their fathers sight before they bee fiue yeares of age but all that while are brought vp with their mothers chiefly for this cause that if any of them in those yeares of education should miscarry and dye their losse should be no greefe or molestation to the father They celebrate their mariages all at one time of the yeare that is in the vernall Aequinoctium and the Brides-groome eateth nothing the first night he lieth with his wife but an Apple or the marrow of a Cammell The Persian children from the first yeare of their age to the foure and twentith practise nothing but riding shooting throwing the dart and chiefly to learne to speake the truth Their schoole-maisters are men of great continencie and seuerity and such as sometimes in rime some-times in prose rehearse vnto them for their instructions tales and histories containing the commendations of their gods and the deeds of worthy men They haue a place appointed them to practise in whether they are summoned by the sound of some winde instrument at vsuall houres and their teachers are often demanded and examined by others how their children do profit They practise running also choosing one of the Princes sonnes to be their Captaine and guide the field wherein they run their races is at the least thirty stadia in length and that they may the better indure both heate and cold they often exercise themselues in swimming and wading ouer great waters insomuch as they will eate their meate and go about their husbandry and other businesse with weapons in their hands and wet garments on their backs their meate is the gumme or turpentine that issueth out of Firre trees Acornes and wilde Peares but that which they vsually eat after their runing other exercises of their bodies is a kinde of heard bread and salt herbes called garden Cresses and flesh either broyled or boyled and their vsual drinke is water They hunt alwaies on horsbacke with darts bowes and slings In the fore-noone they either plant trees dig vp rootes make weapons or practise fishing their children be addorned with gold and many other dainties The stone Pyropus which is a kind of Carbuncle stone of a firy rednesse is with them in great estimation therefore they apply it not to any dead bodie nor yet the fire for the great honor reuerence they yeeld vnto it from the twentith yeere vnto the fiftith they be souldiours and follow the warres they haue no vse of pleading neither doe they buy or sell any thing They bee armed in the warres with a kinde of target in form of a wheele and besides their quiuer of arrowes they haue weapons called sangars and short swords caps with high crowns and on their breasts rough brest-plates ful of skales The Princes weare a kind of garment that is three double about their shoulders and cotes with sleeues hanging downe to their knees the out-side whereof is of diuers collours and the lyning white In the Sommer time the Persians be clothed in purple and in winter in changeable collours The head attires for their Priests or Magi be like vnto Bishops miters The common people bee clothed with two coates hanging downe to the middle of their legs and a great bundel of linnen cloath bound about their heads Their beds and pots be trimmed with gold siluer They consult of no serious matter but when they be halfe drunke esteeming that consultation to be more firme thē that which is with sobriety deliberatiō kinsmen equals salute one an other with a kisse the baser sort of people reuerence their betters by bowing their bodies vnto them They bury their dead bodies in the earth annoynting them first with wax but their Priests or wise-men they cast out without burial to be deuoured of birds their custome was also for sonnes to lie with their owne mothers and these in times past were the manners and customes of the Persians Herodotus also reciteth more of their maners very worthy of remembrance as that it was held a horrible and heynous offence to laugh or spit before the King That they scoffed at the Greekes who were of opinion that the gods tooke their original from men That whatsoeuer was vnlawful to be done was by them thought vnfitting to be spoken That it was a vile thing to bee in debt but to lie was most abhominable That they did not bury their dead bodies before they were pulled in peeces by dogges and which in the opinion of other nations was thought most absurde that parents being brought to pouertie might get money by being Pandars to their owne daughters which custome was alowed amongst the Babylonians also The Persians at this day being ouercome by the Sarrasins and infected with the madnesse of Mahomet liue altogether in darkenesse It was once a warlike nation and had for a long space the gouernment of the East but now for want of excercise in armes it fayleth much of his ancient glory Of India and of the monstrous and prodigious customes and manner of liuing of the people of India CAP. 8. INDIA a Country in the East and the vtmost bound of all Asia is so vast and large a country as it is thoght to be the third part of the whole world Pomponius writeth that it is as much in compasse by the sea shore as a ship will saile in forty daies and forty nights with a full winde It is called India of the riuer Inde where it finisheth his course vpon the West part and beginning at the meridionall sea stretcheth out vnto the vttermost part of the East extending Northward to the hill Caucasus It containeth sundry sorts of people and hath such great aboundance of Cities and walled townes therein as some are of opinion that there is no fewer then fiue thousand nor may it seeme strange that it hath so great numbers of people and Cities considering that the Indians of all other people neuer departed from their natiue soile The most famous riuers in that Country are Ganges Indus and Hypanis but the greatest of them is the riuer Ganges The Country by reason of the Westerne windes is most holsome they haue two haruests in the yeere and the wind bloweth Easterly all winter wine they haue none although there be that affirme that the Musican soile yeeldeth some wine in the South part of India is great store of Narde Cynamon Pepper and Sugar-cane as in Arabia and Aethiopia It produceth Ebon-trees
that he was put to perpetual silence The second order is of husbandmen which are the greatest in number and be freed from the wars and from al other imployments whatsoeuer and bestow there whole time onely in tilling the grownd no enemy doth either wrong them or rob them but esteeming them to be euer busied for their common good sorbeare to doe them any iniury or damage by which means the husbandmen liuing voide of feare and tilling the land in security their labors yeeld them great plenty of increase they come not at all into the Cities but liue altogether in fields with their wiues and children They pay tribute vnto their Kings for all India is gouerned by Kings and it is not lawfull for any priuate person to possesse any grownds without tribute and besides this tribute they yeeld vnto their Kings the fift part of the increase of all their fruites The third order consisteth of shepheards of all sortes which liue neither in Cities nor villages but in tents and tabernacles and practise hunting and fowling whereby the country is free and safe both from rauenous birds and wild beasts for by this excercise they make all India more ciuill abounding otherwise with many and diuers sorts both of birds and beasts which would be much hurtfull to the husbandman Artificers supplie the forth place whereof some are occupied in making weapons and armour some in making instruments for husbandry and some in prouiding things necessary for themselues these be not onely free from tribute but haue all their bread corne allowed them by the King Souldiers be the fifth in order but the second in number they bee excercised in all manner of warlike discipline and be wholy deuoted to armes and both they their Horses and Elephants be wholy maintained at the Kings cost and charge The sixth order is of Tribunes or Protectors of the commons Whose speciall office is to spie and inquire what things are done throughout all India and to make report thereof vnto the King In the seuenth rancke be those which bee of the common Councell they be the fewest in number but in Nobilitie and vnderstanding they exceede all the other Orders out of this Order be elected the Kings Councellors which are to gouerne the common-wealth and to discern and iudge in doubtfull matters Princes moreouer and captaines are chosen out of this company The common-wealth of India beeing thus distributed into these seuen Orders it is not lawfull for a man of one Order to marry a wife out of another Order neither is it lawfull for any one to alter his function as for a souldier to become a husbandman or for an artificer to play the Philosopher There be also certaine Presidents or head Officers appointed amongst the Indians to defend and protect aliens and strangers from iniury and oppression and these if any strangers be sicke are to procure Phisitians to cure them and if they dye they must bury them and giue their money and goods to their nearest friends The Iudges determine controuersies and punish offenders there be none of the Indians of seruile condition for it is ordained by a law that none of them shall be seruants and so all being free-men are worthie of equall right and honor so long as they neither go about to excell others nor to iniure any man but settle themselues to indure all chances of fortune alike For it seemeth a ridiculous thing that lawes should bee ministred to all alike and that their fortunes should not bee alike also But now because there bee sundrie sorts of people in India which by reason of the spatiousnesse and large extent of the Countrey differ both in forme and language all of them therefore do not liue in that ciuil manner as I haue here declared but some are of a more barbarous and rude behauiour of which sort some be situated towards the Sun-rising and be much giuen to breeding cattell or other such like course of life and some liue altogether in moorish grounds and feede on raw fishes which they take by going out in botes made of Canes or Reedes that be so great that a bote is made of the space that is betwixt two ioynts of the reede These Indians weare garments made of flags or sedge that groweth in riuers which they plat together and make in fashion of a matte and weare them as an armour for their bodies Next vnto these East-ward be certaine Indians which be heards-men or breeders of cattell and be called Padae they feed on raw flesh and are sayd to liue in this manner when any citizens either man or woman is sick their most nearest and familiar friends kill him alleaging that his languishing in sicknesse would make his flesh corrupted and vnwholesome for those which should eate it and although he deny himself to be sick yet they wil not pardon him but kill him foorth with and feed vpon him and in such manner as men are vsed by men be women that bee sicke dealt withall by women that be their nearest friends And such also as liue in health till they be old be then killed and eaten by their friends and therefore both for this cause and for that they be killed when they be sicke there be very few of them that liue till they be old Another sort of Indians haue a custome different from those which I haue spoken of for they kill no creature they neither sow nor plant nor prouide houses but liue onely by herbes They haue a certaine graine much like vnto millet which naturally springeth out of the earth in a huske or codde which they gathering cod and all boyle them and eate them when any of them falls sicke hee goeth into some desert place and there lyeth downe and whether he languish or die no one regardeth him and also these Indians which I haue spoken of accompany with women in the sight of all people after the manner of beasts In India bee certaine Philosophers called Gymnosophists which as Petrarch writeth inhabite the vttermost and shadie parts of the region and going euer naked which is the cause they be so named And wandring all abroad in the wildernesse do there teach Philosophie abiding in one place from the Sunne-rising till his going downe euer fixing their eyes and beholding the circle of the brightest starre seeking out some secrets in the fierie globe They will stand vpon their feete all day long vpon the hote sands without shew of any griefe at all patiently induring both the cold of the snow and the heate of the Sunne Amongst whom be people called Brachmans who as Didimus their king writ to Alexander king of Macedon when he was minded to make warre vpon them do liue very vprightly and simply They be not allured with delectations of any novelties nor desire any thing else but what the law of nature inforceth them their diet is nothing daintie not such as to satisfie
all of gold and their speeres be poynted and their quiuers trimmed with Brasse for of Iron and siluer they haue no vse Euery one hath his wife and they accompany with women openly which is vsed by no other Scythians but onely they if they be iustly accounted Scythians for when any one there lusteth after another woman he hangeth his quiuer at his chariot and lyeth with her without shame The people haue no time prefixt them how long they shal liue but when one waxeth old his friends assemble together and sacrifice him with certaine sheepe and boiling the flesh together make a banket thereof And this kind of death they account most blessed but they eat none which die by any disease but bury them in the ground esteeming them damnâ—â— because they could not be sacrificed They neither sow nor plant any thing but liue of beasts and of fishes which the riuer Araxis affoords abundantly their vsuall drinke is milk Of the gods they worship only the Sun to whom they sacrifice horses thinking it fit to sacrifice a beast of the greatest speede to a starre of the swiftest course The people called Seres in Scythia of all others liue most curteously and quietly among theÌ„selues they auoid the company of all other men but themselues and despise the intercourse of merchandize with other countries for their merchants haue no communication for buying and selling with strange Merchants but onely set downe a price vpon their goods and deliuer them by racke of eye without buying any thing of others with theÌ„ is neither whore adulterer nor theefe brought to triall neither is any man there put to death at any time but the feare of their lawes with theÌ„ is of more force then the constellatioÌ„ of their natiuities They inhabit in the very beginning of the world and that they may the better liue chastly they be neither afflicted with canker or corruption nor with haile or pestilence When a woman is conceiued with child no man requireth her company nor till she be purified no one eateth vncleane flesh they know no sacrifices and all men iudge of themselues according to iustice and right wherefore they be not chastised with such punishments as are inflicted vpon men for their offences but liuing a long space yeeld vp their breaths without sicknesse The Tauro-Scythians so called of the hill Taurus about which they dwel sacrifice al those which suffer ship wrack vnto a virgin which they worship as a goddesse as also all the Greeks which be brought thither in this manner After they haue finished their praiers they cut off his head whom they meane to sacrifice and as some say throw his truncke head-long downe a Rocke for their Temple is scituated vpon a steepe Rocke which done they naile the head vpon a crosse or gybbet Some agreeing that their heads bee fastned to a crosse as is said doe notwithstanding deny that their bodies be throwne head-long down a Rocke but affirme that they bury them in the grownd The spirit or goddesse to whom they doe-sacrifice they terme to be Iphigenia the daughter of Agamemnon Euery one likewise cutteth off the heads of his enemies which he taketh in the warres and carrieth them home to his house and fixing them vpon poles setteth them vpon the highest part of his house and for the most part vpon the funnel of the chimney and the reason why they set them so high is for that they say the heads be the keepers and watchmen ouer the whole house these people liue by rapine and stealth and by the wars The Agathirsi be a very exquisit and well addorned people their garments for the most part be of gold Their women bee common to them all so as they be all cosins and kinsfolke one to an other there is neither enuy nor strife amongst them but in their liuing they much resemble the Thracians The Neury vse the Scythian customes these in the Summer before Darius expedition were constrained for the multitude of serpents which ingendred in their soile to alter their seate they perswades themselues so firmely as they will sweare it to bee true that for certaine daies euery yeere they become Wolues and againe after a while returne into their former habite and shapes The Anthropophagi that it is to say eaters of mans flesh vse the most sauage and rudest manners of all men they haue neither lawes nor ordinances to liue vnder they exercise themselues about cattel there garments be like the Scythians and they haue a language proper to themselues The Melanchlaeni goe all of them in blacke attire which is the cause they be so called and as many of them as feed onely on humaine flesh liue after the manner of the Scythians The Budini be a great and populous nation there Bodies be redish or yelowish and their eyes gray like Cats The City Gelon the people whereof be called Gelloni is the chiefe city of their Nation They solemnised certaine feasts euery third yeere in honour of Bacchus They were once Greekes but being remoued from thence they seated themselues in this Country and their language they now vse is a mixt speech betwixt the Scythian and Greeke tonge The Budini differ from the Gelloni both in life and language for the Budini being borne in the Country breed vp cattel and eate such fruites and herbes as the couÌ„try naturally produceth but the Gellony excercysing husbandry liue vpon corne and plant orchards gardens be nothing like the Budini either in collour or countenance The country is wel stored with trees out of a great and huge poole which they haue they take Ottors Beuers many other wild beasts of whose skins they make themselues clothes The Lyrcae line only by hunting which is on this manner they clime vp into the tops of trees which be very plentiful in that country and there lie in waite for wild beasts each huntsman hath his dog and his horse which be taught to couch down low vpon their bellies the better to intrappe the wild beast and after hee which is in the tree top hath spied the beast and stroke him with a darte hee leaueth the tree and pursueth him on horse-backe with his dogge vntill hee haue taken him The Argyphaei inhabite vnder the bottoms of high hils they bee a kind of people that bee balde from their birthes both men and women they haue flat nostrells a great chinne and a speech peculiar to themselues They be apparelled like the Scythians and liue by fruites of trees little caring for cattell whereof they haue no great store They lodge vnder trees and in the Winter-time they weare white caps but none in the Sommer There is none that will wronge them for they bee accounted a sacred people possessing no weapons of defence They determine such controuersies as arise amongst their neighbours and whosoeuer flyeth vnto them is in safety The Issedones were reported to vse this
haue little belles hanging about their horse neckes they haue a very ill fauoured and clamerous kinde of speech for when they sing they howle like Wolues and when they drinke they shake their heades and they drinke very often and for the most part vntill they bee drunke for to bee drunke they account a great commendations vnto them They neither dwell in Citties nor Townes but in the fields vnder tents and Tabernacles after the auncient custome of the Scythians They bee for the most part all shepheards and heardsmen In Winter they lie in the plaine and champion grounds and dwel vpon the hilles in Sommer liuing there vpon the profits of the pastures They make themselues mansion places in manner of tents or pauillions either of little sprouts or twigges or else of cloath sustained vp with small timber in the middle whereof they make a rounde window which serueth both to giue light and to let out the smoke and they make fires for all vses the men take great delight in shooting and wrestling They bee wonderfull good huntsmen and be armed from the toppe to the toe when they goe a hunting and when they see any wilde beast they presently inclose him in rounde about on euery side and stopping and hindering him with dartes kill him and so take him by that meanes bread they haue none and therefore they haue no vse of bakeing neither doe they vse any towelles napkins nor table-clothes They beleeue that there is one God and that hee is the maker and author of all things visible and inuisible yet doe they not worship him with any ceremonies or religious rites but rather making themselues certaine Idoles either of cloth or of silke in the forme of men and placing them vpon each part of their Pauilions pray vnto them to bee defenders of their Cattell and giuing them great reuerence offer vnto them of the milke of al their sheepe and Cattel and before they begin eyther to eate or drinke any thing they set part thereof before those Idoles what beast soeuer they kill to eate they lay his heart in a platter all night and in the morning boyle it and eate it they worshippe also and doe sacrifice vnto the Sunne the Moone and the foure elements and most religiously adore Cham their King and Lord esteeming him to bee the Sonne of God and to him the doe sacrifice and attribute so much honor as they suppose him to be the worthiest man in all the world nor will the suffer any one els to bee compared vnto him all other people they do so much contemne and despise and thinke them-selues so farre excelling others in wisdome and goodnesse as they scorne to speake vnto them but dryue them from them with rebukes and disdaine They call the Pope and all Christian men dogges and Idolaters because they worshippe stockes and stones they bee much giuen to Diuilish and Magike arts and obseruing dreames haue their wise men to expound and interpret them who do aske and receiue answeres of their Idols for they perswade them-selues that GOD hath conference with their Idolls and therefore they doe all things by Oracles they obserue certayne tymes and especially when the change of the Moone is yet they doe worshipppe nor honour no one time beefore another eyther by Feasting or Fasting but esteeme of all alike The Tartarians bee so much giuen to coueteousnesse and auarice as when any one of them seeth a thing that hee hath a desire to if hee may not haue it by the good will of the owner hee taketh it by force so it bee not belonging to one of their owne country men supposing it lawfull so to doe by the commandement and ordinance of their Kings for they haue this power giuen them by Canguista and Cham their first Kings that what Tartarian soeuer or Tartarian seruant shall finde vpon the way any horse or meete any man or woman not hauing the Kings pasport or letters of safe-conduct hee may challenge them to him-selfe and euer after vse them as his owne They will lend no mony to those that want but for an excessiue and intollerable gayne as taking a penny for tenne pence for euery monthes vse and vsury vpon vsury if the payment bee deferred and they molest and greeue those which bee tributary vnto them with such payments and exactions as it was neuer reade of any nation that did the like It is incredible to bee reported how they couet and extort as if they were lords of all but giue nothing not so much as an almes to beggars yet in this they are to bee commended that they exclude and put backe noe guest that commeth to them to dinner or supper but rather inuite them and giue them to eate very curteously and charitably They bee of a very vncleane diet for they haue neither table-clothes nor napkins as is sayde neither doe they wash their hands bodies nor apparell They make no bread for they eate none neither doe they eate hearbes or any kinde of graine but the flesh of all beasts as dogges cattes horses and rattes and to shew their barbarous cruelty and desire of reuenge they some-times rost or broyle the bodies of their captiue enemies vpon the fire and in their sollemne bankets teare and deuour them with their teeth like wolues and sauing their bludds power it into a potte and drinke it and some-times also they drinke milke the country yeeldeth noe wine but what is brought to them from other places and that they drinke most greedily they eate the vermine from one anothers heads or other places in eating whereof they vse to say these words sic inimicis nostris faciam this wil I doe vnto our enemies It is accounted a great offence that eyther meate or drinke should bee spoiled and therefore they throw not their bones to dogges before they haue taken out the marrow they be so sparing and niggardly as they will eat no beast while he is whole and sound but when they bee lame or begin to languish either through age or some other infirmity They bee exceeding frugall and thrifty and content with a little insomuch as they will drinke in the mornig a bole or two of milke and some-times neither eate nor drinke more of all the day after The men and women bee almost apparelled alike for the men weare shallow Miters vpon their heads made blunt before and a taile or labell hanging downe behind of a hand bredth in length and as much in bredth and that they may stay vpon their heads and not bee blowne of with the winde they haue strings sowed to them about the eares and those they tie vnder their chins The maried women weare vpon their heads a certaine round cappe made like a basket of a foote and a halfe in length and plaine vpon the toppe like a barrell wrought eyther of party-coulered silke or of Peacocks fethers and adorned about with great store of golde and precious stones vpon the rest
by certaine women asfigned to that businesse he answereth in the middle of the people and all men to whom he speaketh ought to listen vnto him kneeling vpon their knees when how long soeuer his speech be and so diligently to attend his words as they misconster not his meaning in any point for it is not lawfull for any to alter the Emperours words nor in any sort to contradict or gaine-say the sentence hee pronounceth hee neuer drinketh in any publick assembly nor yet any other Tartarian Prince vnlesse some doe sing and play vnto him vppon a harpe before hee drinke and men of great worth when they ride are shadowed with a certaine fanne or curtaine fastned to a long speare and caried before them which custome is said to be vsed also by the women And these were the customes and maner of liuing of the people of Tartary about two hundred yeares sithence The Georgiani whom the Tartarians ouercame much about that time were worshippers of Christ obseruing the custome of the Greeke Church they dwelt neere vnto the Persians and their dominion extended a length wayes from Palestine to the Caspian hilles they had eighteene Bishopricks and one Catholicke or vniuersall Bishop who was insteed of a Patriarch at the first they were subiect to the Patriarch of Antioch the men be very warlike their Priests heads bee shauen round and the lay-men foure square some of their women were trained vp in the warres and serued on horseback The Georgians hauing disposed their armies and entering into the battell were wonte to carouse a gourd as bigge as ones fist filled full of the best wine and then to set vpon their enimies with greater courage The Cleargie bee much addicted to vsury and symonie there was mutuall and perpetuall enmity betwixt the Armenians and them The Armenians were Christians also vntill the Tartarians after they had subdued the Georgians ouer-came them likewise but they disagreed in many things from the faith and approoued fashion of the true Church they knew not the day of our Lords natiuitie for they obserued no feasts nor no vigils nor yet the foure Ember weekes they feasted not vpon Easter Eue alledging that Christ rose from the dead about the euening of that day they would eate flesh vpon euery Friday betwixt the feasts of Easter and Penticost yet they fasted much beginning their fast so strictly and precisely in Lent as they would neither vse oyle wine nor fish vpon Fridayes and Wednesdayes throughout the whole Lent holding it a greater sinne to drinke wine on those dayes then to lye with a strumpet in a brothell house Vpon Mondayes they abstained wholy from all meates vpon Tuesdayes and Thursdayes they did eate once and receiued no sustenance at all vpon Wednesdayes and Fridayes but vpon Saterdayes and Sundayes they would eate flesh and refresh themselues well They would not celebrate the office of the Masse throughout all Lent but vpon Saterdaies and Sundaies nor vpon Fridayes throughout the whole yeare for thereby as they were of opinion they brake and violated their fasts Infants moreouer of the age of two months and all others whatsoeuer were indifferently admitted to their communion and they put no water into the Sacrifice In the vse of Hares Beares Choughes and such other like creatures they imitated the Iewes as well as the Greekes they celebrated their Masses in glasse and wodden Chalices and some hauing no paraments nor Priest-like vestiments at all some of them also wore Miters belonging to Deacons or Subdeacons both Clergie and Lay-men allowed of vsury and Symony as well as the Georgians the Priests exercised themselues in Diuinations and Negromancie they vsed more drinking then lay men and all of them had or might haue wiues but after the death of one wife as well lay-men as the clergy men were prohibited to marry againe the Bishops gaue liberty to any to put away their wiues that were sound in adultery and to marry an other they beleeued not that there is a purgatory and obstinately denyed that there was two natures in Christ The Georgians report that they erred in thirty articles from the right path and diameter of Christian religion Of Turcia and of all the manners lawes and ordinances of the Turkes CHAP. 11. THat country which is now called Turcia or Turkie hath vpon the East the greater Armenia and extendeth to the Cilicke sea vpon the North it is bounded with the Euxine sea Aitonus calleth it Turquia it consisteth of many Prouinces as Lycaonia wherein Iconium is the chiefe towne Cappadocia where Cesaria is chiefe citty of the Prouince Isauria where Seleucia is head Licia now called Briquia Ionia now called Quiscum wherein standeth the citty of Ephesus Paphlagonia where Germanopolis and Lenech where Trapezus be chiefe cities All this vast country which is now called Turcia is not inhabited by one onely people but by Turkes Greekes Armenians Sarrasins Iacobitans Nestorians Iewes Christians all of them for the most part liuing after the lawes and institutions which that false Prophet Mahomet a Sarrasin ordained for the people of Arabia in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ 631. This Mahomet some say was an Arabian some a Persian but whether he was it is doubtfull but his father was certainly a worshipper of euill spirits his mother an Ismaelite and therfore not ignorant in the true law now whilst his father and mother instructed him in both their lawes they distracted the boy and made him doubtfull and wauering betwixt both so as being trained vp in both religions when hee grew of mans estate he followed neither of them but being a very crasty fellow of a subtill wit and long conuersant with Christians he framed and inuented out of both those lawes a religion most dangerous and pernicious to all mankinde First he affirmed that the Iewes did very ill in denying that Christ should be borne of a Virgin seeing that the Prophets men of wonderfull sanctity and integrity of life indued with the spirit of God did long before prophesie and soreshew that it should be so and that hee was to bee expected on the other side he condemned the Christians folly in beleeuing that Iesus the deerest friend of God borne of a Virgin would suffer reproches punishments of the Iewes Martinus Segonius Nouomontanus hath written thus of the Sepulcher of Christ our King and Lord. The Sarrasins and Turkes saith he by the ancient preaching of Mahomet laugh the Christians to scorne which attribute any honor to that Sepulcher affirming that the great Prophet Christ proceeded from the spirit of God that he was voide of all earthly blot or sinne and that hee he shall come to be iudge of all people but that they may approach vnto his true Sepulcher they vtterly deny because his glorious body conceiued by the diuine spirit was altogether impassible thus much hath Segonius written more to the same purpose which the Mahometans are wont to
time liued very moderately and sparingly their children frequented those meetings and assemblies which they called Greges And their young men when they came to mans estate haunted and celebrated publike feastes practising feates of armes for the good and generall commoditie of the Common-wealth and exercising and inuring their bodies in their youth to all kind of labour and extremitie whatsoeuer as heate and cold stormes and tempests both by sea and by land to runne through thicke woods and vn-euen pathes to prouoke and stirre vppe brawles and contentions in places appoynted for their exercises To bee skilfull and experienced in shooting and darting and vsually to practise and frequent a certaine forme of dancing in armour and weapons inuented by Pyrrhus and therefore called the Pyrrichan dancing or vaulting in which dancing they vsed to bow and bend their bodies the better to shunne and auoide weapons and wounds Their garments were short Clokes or Cassockes and soldiers shooes and they esteemed of weapons and armour as most rare and pretious gifts Moreouer they were so skilfull and expert in sea-faring matters as that it was an vsuall Prouerbe if one dissembled that hee knew not that which hee knew right well to say No more is a man of Creete acquainted with the Sea All Marriages were made and solemnized betwixt equals and it was lawfull and tolerable for Virgins to chuse and elect them husbands out of that troupe of young men But the custome was that their husbands should not take them from their fathers houses before they were fit to gouerne an house and play the good hous-wiues at home And their dower was if they had any brother the one halfe of the patrimonie Children by their law were instructed in learning singing and musicke and brought to the Feastes called Syssitia where men were assembled and there made to sitte downe vppon the ground apparelled in base attire and to fall out and brawle amongst themselues and the boy of the best courage was made captaine ouer the whole companie And euery one as hee was of power got the most companions vppon his side Then would they go a hunting and practise running And vppon certaine dayes the whole companie of children were put together and taught to sing to the pipe and harpe as is vsed in warres Some report that the custome of this countrey-people was to note their luckie and fortunate dayes with a white stone and their dismall and vnhappie dayes with a blacke though other-some ascribe this custome to the Thracians Of Thrace and of the barbarous manners of the people of Thrace CAP. 5. THRACIA which is now called Romania is a Region of Europe and accounted as part of Scythia It lyeth next vnto Macedonia on the one side hauing vppon the North the riuer Ister the seas called Pontus and Propontis vpon the East and the sea Aegaeum on the South It was once called Scython and after that Thracia of Thrax the sonne of Mars or else of the peoples rudenesse and barbarous manners for the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth rudenesse and inciuilitie This Countrey as Pomponius writeth hath neither fruitfull soyle nor temperate ayre vnlesse in some places nearest vnto the sea side for it is maruellous cold and hardly bringeth foorth any fruite that is planted or sowed for there be few trees which yeeld any increase at all and though they haue many vines yet the grapes neuer ripen and come to perfection vnlesse they be couered with leaues to keepe the ayre and cold from them The Citties of Thrace which heretofore were of greatest fame and renowne were Apollonia Aenos Nicopolis and Bizantium which was afterwards called Constantinopole of the Emperour Constantine who reedified and inlarged it making it the chiefest seate of his most glorious Empire and the head Cittie of all the East Perinthos also Lysimachia and Calliopolis The chiefest riuers are Hebrus Nessus and Strymon and the greatest and highest hilles Haemus Rhodope and Orbelus The countrey is very populous and the people very fierce and barbarous in such manner as if they were all subiect vnto the gouernement of one man or that they were all of one mind they were then as Herodotus the father of Histories is of opinion a people inuincible and the most valiant of al Nations but because this is too hard a matter to bee hoped for and too vnpossible to be expected therefore be they weake and of little force In Thrace be many and diuers Regions distinguished by seuerall names but all of them indued with like manners and opinions the Getae and Transi onely excepted and the people that dwell aboue Crestonae of which three sorts of people the Getae are of opinion that they shall neuer die but that after their departure out of this lyfe they goe instantly vnto Zamolxis their god This Zamolxis was once the Disciple of Pythagoras who vppon his returne into Thrace perceiuing how rudely vnciuilly and sottishly the Thracians liued hee himselfe beeing formerly instructed of the manner of gouernement in Ionia taught and furnished them with manners lawes and ciuill institutions and after perswaded them that those which kept and obserued his lawes and ordinances iustly and as they ought should after their deaths come vnto him into a place where he would stay for them and that there they should euer liue and enioy his presence all other things that good were by which meanes hauing setled in them a conceit of his god-head he withdrew himselfe from their sight and vanishing away they knew not whether left thē in a great desire and longing after him And vnto this Zamolxis their god do the people as yet send messengers the manner of which superstition is thus first they elect by lot one to vndergoe that businesse and putting him into a ship furnished with fiue watermen or owers they instruct him in those things which they cheefly want and which he shall desire of their God so send him away Then doe they giue charge vnto the mariners that some of them shal hold three darts or iauelins vpright and the rest to take the messenger that is sent to Zamolxis by the legges and armes and to hoise and tosse him vp vpon their pikes or iauelin points then if he die sodenly they imagine that their god is appeased and well pleased with them but if he die not instantly but languish and linger long then they accuse the messenger as a wicked and lewde fellow Whom after they haue accused and blamed they forthwith send an other giuing vnto him the like charge vnto the first These Thracian Getae when it lightens and thunders shoot arrowes and fling dartes vp towards heauen menacing and threatning as it were reuenging themselues of God and for that they beleeue that there is no other God in deed but theirs The Trausi agree with the Thracians in all other things sauing onelie concerning their birthes and deathes wherein this is their order As soone as a child is borne into
the world presently all his kinsfolke and friends flocke about him bewayling greatly his natiuity and saying that seeing he is borne he must of necessity suffer and indure all humaine and worldly calamities and againe when one is departed out of this life they commit him to the ground with great ioy and exultation shewing what and how many euills he hath escaped to liue for euer in eternal happinesse But those which dwell beyond the Crestonae haue many wiues a yeere and when a man dieth there is great controuersie amongst his wiues all their friends being accited to giue their iudgements of the matter which of those wiues was best beloued of her husband and she that is adiudged to haue beene deerest vnto him in his life time which shee esteemeth a great honour vnto her is both by the men and women adorned and gallantly decked vp and so brought vnto her husbands tombe and there killed by one of her own deerest friends and interred with her dead husband all the other wiues lamenting and accounting that a great crosse and disgrace vnto them All other Thracians in generall sell their children openly nor be virgins there restrained from accompanying with their neerest kin no not with their owne fathers but may lie with whom they please and yet husbands be very chary of their wiues chastity for they buy them of their parents with great summes of money and the signe them in the forheads with certaine markes which kind of marking is held a very generous and worthy thing but to be without those markes is an argument of ignominy and basenesse where diuers maides are to be married those which be most beautifull be first taxed and prized and beeing once prized their parents will not by any meanes giue them in marriage for lesse money then they were rated at and when all the fairest bee bought then those which be deformed be sold at more easier prices so as in conclusion all goe away In their banquets both men and women sit round about a fire whereinto they cast the seeds of certaine herbes which grow in those parts the very smell and sauour whereof doth so stop and stifle them as their senses be dulled and they as pleasant and iocund as if they were merry drunke To liue idlely and by theft they account an honest course of life but to labour and husband the ground they hold base and ignoble The gods which they chiefly worship and religiously adore be Mars Bacchus Diana and Mercury but they swere onely by Mars accounting him as the author and orignall of their race The people of Thrace exceed all other men in bignesse and stature of body their eyes be gray their lookes grim frowning and menacing their speech terrible and themselues long of life Their buildings be very low and base their diet is nothing dainty they haue no vines but great store of apples the King is elected as well by the voices of the commons as by the nobility and they elect such a one as is of approued good manners singular clemency and by reason of his age of very great grauity and one that hath no children for hee which is a father is not admitted amongst them to bee a gouernor bee his life and conuersation neuer so vprigh◠and lawdable and if at any time in all his raigne he chance to haue a child he is therfore depriued of his gouernment For by no meanes will they admit that their Kingdome should become hereditary and though the King be neuer so iust and rightfull Yet will they not allow him the whole power in his owne hands and to rule as he list himselfe but he must bee assistwith forty Rectors or Iudges to the end he should not be sole Iudge in capital causes and if the King himselfe bee found faulty of any offence he is punished with death yet not with such a death as any one shall lay violent hands vpon him but by the common consent of all he is deposed from his Kingly authority and then famished to death whom when hee is dead the great men bury on this manner First they lay forth his body vpon the ground for the space of three daies and then fall to banquetting and slaying of all sorts of beasts for sacrifices which done they weepe ouer him burne his body and bury his bones in the ground and lastly vpon his monument they proclaime and set out combats of all sorts and especially the Monomachia which is the single combat or fighting of two hand to hand The armour and weapons which as Herodotus writeth they vsed in the warres against Darius were helmets made of foxes skinnes souldiours coates and short cassockes ouer them and vpon their legges they were buskins made of fawnes skinnes their weapons wore dartes targets short poyniardes and bowes wherein they bee so skilfull and expert as they alleadge that they were the first inuentors of that weapon Their language and the Scythians is al one Pliny writeth that all Thrace was once deuided into fifty Stratageas which are counties or captainships that part of Thrace which was once called Getica where Darius the sonne of Hydaspis was wel-nigh ouerthrowne is now called Valachia of the Flacci a family of Rome For the Romaines after they had ouercome and vtterly vanquished the Getes sent thither a Colony vnder the conduct of one Flaccus wherevpon the countrie was first called Flaccia and afterwards by corruption Valachia which opinion carrieth more likely-hood of truth for that the Romaine language is yet spoken in that Countrie but they speake it so corruptly as a Romane can scarce vnderstand it the Romaine letters also bee there vsed sauing that the forme or fashion of the letters is somewhat alterred their rites and ceremonies of Religion doe ioyntly agree cohere and are all one with the Greekes The Daci afterwardes possessed this Countrie of whom for a certaine space it was called Dacia but now it is enioyed by the Almaines the Siculi and the Valachians The Almaines or Teutones were a verie valiant and hardie people sent thether out of Saxonie by Charles the Great who in their owne naturall language and dialect were called Seibemburges of the seuen Cities which they inhabited The Siculi or Sicilians were an ancient people of Hungaria and such as abandoning their owne Countrie first came thither from out of Scythia and seated themselues in that Countrie Of the Valachians were two sortes of people and of two sundrie factions the Dragulae and the Dani otherwise called Davi for there doe some Greeke writers reporte that the Getes and Daui were the names of seruantes which in times past came thither from other places The Dragulae being neither equall nor matchable to the Danes nor able to make their partie good with them not much aboue a hundred yeere since brought the Turkes into that coūtry by whose force armes the Dani were almost vtterly killed and vanquished had not that valiant man Iohn Huniades brought aide
vnto them who rescuing them and recouering the land againe from the enemy tooke seisure thereof for himself the chiefe excercise of the Valachians is husbandry and keeping of cattaile which argueth and declareth the originall of that people They pay tribute to the Kings of Thrace and but once to euery King and then by the Kings declaration each family giueth him an oxe in the name of a tribute and the number of families in Valachia is said to be aboue sixtie thousand Those which be commanded to goe to the warres and refuse to goe are punished with death Valachia vpon the West bordereth vpon Transiluania and runneth East-ward into the Euxine sea vpon the North-east and North it ioyneth to Russia and vpon the South it is washed with the riuer of Ister about which whatsoeuer those wandring people be that therein inhabite the ayre is very intemperate and cold and their winter in a maner continuall the soile in Valachia was heretofore very barren yeelding them but slender sustainance and their chiefe defence against raine and ill wether was either reedes or leaues they would goe ouer great pooles and waters vpon the Ise and their victuals was such wild beasts as they could catch mansion houses or set places of abode they had none but rested where euer they were weary Their diet was very vile and base by reason of the horrible intemperatnesse of the aire and they went alwaies bare-headed Of Russia or Ruthenia and of the latter manners and customes of the Russians CAP. 6. RVSSIA which is also called by two other names Ruthenia and Podolia is deuided into three parts viz Russia Alba Russia superior and Russia inferior That part which extendeth in lengthwise towards Sarmatia or Poland is bounded North with the riuer Peucis towards the East lieth the riuer Moscus and West-ward are Liuonia and Prussia the furthest partes of Germany The bounds and limits of the Ruthenians or Roxallanians for by that name they bee also called at this day is the space of eight daies iourney ouer from the riuer Tanais to the North Ocean and from the Germaine Ocean which they call the Balthean sea to the Caspian sea is the space of aboue ninty daies iourney The country is so fertill and fruitfull as though the soile bee but rudely and vnhusbandlike tilled and corne throwne vpon it will yeeld increase three yeeres together and that without plowing the two latter yeeres for the corne which shedeth at reaping will be seed sufficient to yeeld an other haruest and the second a third likewise and the graine which it produceth groweth vp a ful perch in height There is such great store of Bees in Russia that for want of hiues and hollow trees they build in rockes and holes of the earth there is great store of the bast Meth and waxe which is carried thence into diuers other countries in great aboundance The Russians store not their ponds and pooles with fish because as they say fishes doe their naturally breede and multiply by the influence of the heauens In a certaine lake there called Katzibe when the wether is drie is salt gotten for which there is much warre betwixt the Russians and the Tartarians and it is very strang which is reported that in the Country of the Chelmenses if the armes and braunches of pine trees be cut off from the trees and lie vpon the ground for the space of two or three yeeres they will bee hardned and turned into stones there is also good plenty of chalke And towardes the riuer Tanais and Maeotis poole groweth great store of sweete cane or reed called Callamus Aromaticus or Callamus Reuponticus and many other herbes and rootes which bee not found in other places There chiefe Citty and Kings seat is called Moscouia it is seitutated vpon the riuer Moscus and is foureteene miles in circuit coine or stamped siluer they haue none in that City and in the middle of the market place standeth a foure-square stone vpon the toppe whereof hee that can clime vp and ascend and in performance thereof bee not violently thrust downe by others obtaineth the principality and gouernment of all the City wherevpon oftentimes arise great contentions and debate amongst the people each one indeauouring to supplant his corriuall that himselfe may ascend The Country is so populous and strong that not long since in a certaine warlike assembly in the Kings campe were numbred and reckoned a hundred and twenty thousand horsemen euery one whereof were able to leade an armie In their warres they vse bowes which weapon by longe vsage is most familiar and proper to that nation and launces of twelue foote long their horsemen which serue in compleat armour weare iron brest-plates vpon their brigandines or cotes of maile with the belly or middle standing out In steed of helmets they haue hattes made sharpe vpon the crowne and this kinde of horsemen bee more seruiceable and in greater request in the warres then footemen Some foote-men fight with a certaine weapon called Scorpio because it is like a scorpion wherewith they shoote small arrowes or quarrels it is the same which the Italians call Balista and with vs a Crosse-bow Stocke-bow or Tiller some others doe vse for to shoote leaden bullets out of brazen peeces after the manner of the Almaines The Russians cannot indure for to haue their Gouernors called Kings but Dukes as beeing a name more popular and hee that is Duke hath the dominion and gouernment ouer the whole nation betwixt whom and the Nobles there is no difference in their apparell sauing that the Duke weareth a cappe some-what higher then the rest Their garments bee of all collours sauing blacke and both men and women are apparelled in fine linnen cassockes or shirtes hanging downe to their knees This garment they trimme and garnish rounde about the necke with gold and redde silke it is wide and loose and but little differente from those which the Grecians weare the like also is worne by the Turkes and all the Northerne people but that the Ruthens garments haue wider sheeues and bee hemmed or garded with gold about the breasts and shoulders edged or welted round about the skirtes with Otters skinne None but onely the wife lamenteth and bewaileth the death of her husband and then is her head couered with a white linnen cloath hanging downe to her elbowes the richer sort of people haue a banket made them vpon the forteeth daie after the funeralls in remembrance of him that is dead but the poorer sorte bee feasted fiue times within the fortie daies the daies of their deathes be likewise obserued wherein they celebrate yeerly feastes And those which suruiue keepe a register of all their friends which bee dead to the end they may know vpon what daies the obites and Annuall feasts are to bee celebrated for euery one that is departed the dead bodies bee buried and interred with weeping and lamentation The women vsually hange at their eares
Citie of the Region is called Vilna it is a Bishops seate and as bigge as all Cracouia with the suburbes the houses whereof ioyne not together but stand one a good distance from an other as they doe in the Countrie hauing orchardes and gardens betwixt them There bee in it two very stronge castles or holdes one scituated vpon a hill and the other lower vpon the plaine or champion ground This cittie of Vilna is distant from Cracouia the chiefe citie of Poland one hundred and twenty miles About the Citie there are certaine Tartarians haue places assigned them for to dwell in who tilling and manuring the ground after our manner doe labour and carry commodities from one place to an other They doe speake the Tartarian tongue and worship the Religion of Mahomet Of Liuonia Prussia and of the souldiors called Mariani in Spaine CAP. 8. LIVONIA now professing the true and sincere religion ioyneth Northward vnto Ruthenia and the borders of Sarmatia or Poland The Tartarians a people of Scythia haue made often incursions into that Country The people of Liuonia were first made pertakers of the Christian religion by souldiors of Spaine called Mariani of Marianus whereas before they acknowledged and adored no other god but euill spirits There hath beene very much controuersie and wars about the possession of that countrie sometimes one sometimes an other getting the vpper hand and gouernment It is inuironed vpon the West part thereof with the Sarmatian sea and with a gulph of an vnknowne bignesse the mouth whereof Westward is not very farre from Cimbrica Chersonesus the which is now called Dacia or Denmarke about this gulphe Northward there doth dwell or inhabite a sauadge and wilde kinde of people which beeing voide of any language vsed in other lands doe exchange there Merchandise by signes and beckes Prussia the inhabitantes whereof bee called Pruteni pertaketh now with Germania and Sarmatia which countries it incountreth vpon the West This land if Ptolomeus report a truth is washed with the famous Riuer Vistula from the Cittie Tornum to Gedanum where it falleth into the Baltean sea it lyeth beyond Germany and reacheth from the riuer Vistula to the Sarmaticke Ocean Vpon the East and South is the Prouince of the Massouitae the inhabitants whereof be Polanders and the Saxons vppon the West Prussia is an exceeding fruitefull countrey well watered and very populous It is pleasant withall and abounding with cattell there is very good fishing and much hunting Iornandes writeth that this land was inhabited by a people called Vlmerigi at such time as the Gothes remooued from the Iland of Scandinavia into the continent and maine land And Ptolomeus reporteth that the Amaxobij the Aulani the Venedes and the Gythones dwelt neere the riuer Vistula or Wixell The people of this Countrey were worshippers of euill Spirits vntill the time of the Emperour Fredericke the second and than our Ladies souldiers which bee also called Deiparini or Mariani after they had lost the towne of Ptolomais in Siria returned into Germanie and beeing men of haughtie and noble spirits and very expert in feats of armes and to the end their courages should not be danted and they out of vse by ouer-much idlenesse they came vnto the Emperor declaring vnto him that the people of Prussia which border vpon Germanie were vtterly ignorant of the Christian Religion and that they made often incursions vppon the Saxons and other their bordering neighbours stealing from them whole heards of cattell shewing him moreouer that they had a desire to suppresse that barbarous nation wherunto the Emperor consented and gaue the kingdom to his two brethren as their lawfull inheritance if they could conquer it by armes the Dukes Gouernors of Massouia which before had proclaimed themselues Lords of that land surrendred their estates and titles foorthwith to the Emperours brothers which gift was thankefully taken by the Emperour himselfe who commending his brothers intent gaue vnto them what letters and commission they desired signed with the golden seale These breethren prouiding themselues for the warres in a short time brought vnder their subiection all the Countries which were vnder the Prussian gouernement on each side the riuer Vistula who beeing conquered by battell willingly submitted themselues to their subiection and imbraced the true faith and Christian Religion therewithall exchanging their speech for the Almaine toung Nere vnto the riuer Vistula grew an Oke where the victors atchieued the conquest and there they first erected a Castell which shortly after as many things in time grow great of small beginnings grew vppe into a great towne and was called Maryburge it is now the chiefe cittie of the Countrey and his seate which hath the gouernement of that whole order of souldiers which holy order of warfare had his beginning from the Almaines and there is none but Almaines which enter into that order or bond and those too must be nobly or worshipfully descended at their entrance into that order they are enioyned to be alwayes in readines to fight against the enemies of the holy Crosse of Christ they be cloathed in white cassockes with blacke crosses sowed on them all of them suffering their beards grow long but onely such as be Priests and are employed in their seruices The souldiers in steade of the Canonicall houres repeate the Lords prayer for they bee altogether vnlearned yet bee they very rich and their power as great as if they were Kings They haue many conflicts with the Polonians for incroaching vppon the Confines of their countrey in which sometimes they haue the better and sometimes the worse and they will neuer refuse to submit all their forces to the hazard of the warres what euer the euent or successe be There is a little Region bordering vppon Prussia and Lithuania called Samogithia it is closed and enuironed round about with woods and waters and is fiftie myles in length the people thereof be very tall and of a comely stature and yet very vnciuill and of rude behauiour they marry as oft as they will and without respect of kindred or blooud for the father beeing dead the sonne may marry his step-mother and one brother deceased his other brother may marry his wife Money they haue none their buildings be base and low and their houses for the most part made of hempe stalkes and reedes and fashioned like boates or helmets vppon the ridge or toppes whereof is made a window to giue light to the whole house and in euery house is but one fire which is euer burning both to dresse their meate and drinke and other necessaries belonging to their bodies as also to expell the violence of cold which is there very vehement and extreame a binding frost continuing for the most part of the yeare These houses haue no chimneys in them for all the smoke goeth out at the window The people bee much inclined to diuination and witchcraft the god in whome they repose most confidence and trust and which they
especially honour and adore is the Fire which they perswade themselues to be most holy and euerlasting because it is fedde with continuall fuell and there was a fire kept euer burning by the Priests vpon the top of a high hill neere vnto the Riuer Meuiasa Vladislaus King of Poland who first reduced that nation to the Christian Religion quenched that fire and ouerthrew the turret wherein it was kept together with all the woods which the people of Sarmatia held to be as holy as the fire and worshipped them with as much deuotion and Religion esteeming and accounting them to bee the dwellings and habitations of the gods according to the saying of the Poet The gods inhabited and kept the woods Nor did they worshippe and reuerence the fire and woods onely but euery other thing likewise which vsually remained and abidde in the woods as birds and wilde beasts and if any one violated and contemned their witchcrafts and Inuocation of diuels their heads and feete would incontinently close and shrinke together by the deceipt and illusion of their euill spirits Within the woods each family had a place or hearth wherein they kept a fire for all that family in which fire their custome was to burne their dead bodies with their horses saddles and best garments firmely beleeuing that in that place those which be dead and burned meet together in the night and therfore they made them settles or benches to sit vppon of Corcke tree and placed them in readines the best meath and a kind of meate made of paste like vnto a cheese for them to eate Euery yeare vppon the first day of October all the people of the whole countrey assembled and mette together in those woods and there vsing all kind of deuotion celebrated a sollemne Feast each family feeding in his owne cottage vppon the daintiest fare and most delicious viands they could get At which feast they sacrificed by the firesides vnto all their goddes and especially vnto one who me they called Percumo which in their language signifieth thunder Their language is all one with the Lithuanians and the Polonians for the Priests preach vnto the people in the Polonian tongue they obserue the Customes of the Romane Church although there be some Ruthens towards the South and Muscouites which dwell farre north which obserue the Ceremonies of the Greeke Church yeelding their obedience to the Bishoppe of Constantinople and not to the Bishop of Rome Vppon the North side of this Countrey lyeth Muscovia it is fiue hundred miles in compasse rich in siluer and vppon all sides so garded enuironed and defended with such strong holds as not only strangers but their owne natiue countrey-men be interdicted and prohibited to passe in and out at their pleasures without the Dukes letters of safe-conduct The countrie is euen and plaine no hils but great store of woods and marish grounds it is watered with many great riuers as Occa Volha Dzuvina Boristhines and Dinaper and therefore affoordeth as many fishes and wild beasts as Lithuania from which it differeth not much neither in customes nor situation sauing that it is somewhat colder because more North-ward and therefore bee their cattell little and small and for the most part halting and lame of their lims The Metrapolitane and chiefe Cittie of the Region is Moscua it is twise as bigge within the compasse of it as Prague in Bohemia the building is of timber as all their other Citties bee it hath many streetes and lanes but they stand straggling with broad fieldes betwixt them the riuer Mosca runneth through the middle of it and diuideth it into two parts and in the middest of the Cittie standeth a castell or tower builded vppon leuell ground wherein be seuenteene turrets and three bul-warkes or Blocke-houses so strong and so stately as there be but few such to bee found within this Castell bee seuenteene Churches whereof those three which be dedicated to our blessed Ladie Saint Michael and Saint Nicholas bee walled about with stone but the rest be made of timber there is also in it three large and spatious Courts for Noblemen and Courtiers to spend their time in a stately and beautifull pallace also for the Duke to dwell in builded after the Italian fashion but not very large The Countrey containeth many famous Dukedoms out of which vppon any occasion in the space of three or foure dayes they will get together in a readinesse two hundred thousand able men Their vsuall drinke is water and meath and a certaine leauened or sowre liquor which they call Quassatz they plow with woodden ploughes and harow their ground with branches of trees or thorns Their corne by reason of continuall cold ripeneth but slowly and therefore they drie it in hote houses and so thresh it Against the extremitie of cold they vse diuers spices and make a kind of water to drinke of oates hony and milke so strong that they will sometimes be drunke with it Wine and oyle they haue none and to auoide drunkennesse the Gouernour of the countrey forbiddeth the drinking of all strong drinkes vppon paine of death except twise or thrice in a yeare and then it is tolerable for them to be drunke They haue siluer coyne of two sortes a bigger and a lesser it is not made round but somewhat long and with foure corners This coyne they call Dzuvingis They speake the Slauonian language and in religion follow the Greeke Church Their Bishops bee vnder the Patriarch of Constantinople and by him bee confirmed They be all Christians sauing the Kosannenses which worship Mahomet like the Sarrasins there dwell some Scythians also towards the North which speake their owne language and worship Idolles and one Idoll aboue the rest which they call Zlota baba that is to say the image of an old woman made of gold this Idoll they do so highly reuerence and adore as euery one that passeth by it falleth downe and worshippeth it offering thereunto a haire from their garments if they haue nothing else to offer And although the Slauonian toung be generally spoken throughout the whole nation yet is there so great difference in their speech it beeing so mixt confounded and corrupted with other languages as they can hardly vnderstand one another In the time of Idolatrie they had one high Priest or Bishop which they called Criue his dwelling was in the cittie Romoue so called of Roma And this custome was generall to all the whole nation not onely to sell their seruants and slaues like beasts but their sonnes and daughters likewise yea sometimes themselues suffering thē to be carried into other countries in hope of better meanes to liue for in their owne their diet was grosse and bad Of Polonia and of the latter customes of the Polonians CAP. 9. POLONIA a vast countrey of Europ is so called of his plainenesse and eeuennesse for Pole in the Slauonian toung which is spoken by the Polanders signifieth plaine leuell or eeuen it is otherwise called
Sarmatia Vppon the West it bordereth vpon Slesia vpon Prussia and Massouia vpon the North vppon the East lyeth Ruthenia and Hungaria on the South The hill Carpathus which is there called Crapack diuideth the Countrey into two parts whereof that part which is next vnto Saxonie and Prussia is called the greater Polonia and the other the lesser lying ouer against Russia and Hungaria The whole kingdome is diuided as it were into foure seuerall and distinct Prouinces all which the king visiteth euery yeare in course one after another and each of them maintaineth the king and his whole court for three moneths together but if he stay longer then three months in any one part of the kingdome it is at their choice whether they wil yeeld him any further maintenance or no. The kings seate is the great and famous cittie Cracouia where is preserued and kept all the wealth of the kingdome and all the other citties are meane and simple in comparison of it most of their houses be made of rough stone rudely compacted and heaped together without mortar or clay and dawbed with mudde the countrey is full of woods and thickets the people bee prudent and wise courteous towards strangers and exceeding great drinkers as most of your Northerne people bee yet is there small store of Wine as hauing no Vines in all the whole country insteed whereof they drinke a kinde of counterfet Ale made of Wheat and other graine for the soyle is very fertile and affoordeth great store of wheat it is also very commodious and fitte for feeding yeelding large grounds for beasts to pasture in There is very good hunting as namely of wilde horses which haue hornes like Harts and the wilde Bull which the Romaines call Vrus mettall mines there bee none but onely of Ledde but Salt is there digged out of the ground in such aboundance as no one thing yeeldeth more custome to the King then that doth and there is so-great store of honey both in Poland and Russia that they haue not spare places sufficient wherein to keepe it for all their trees and woods bee couered blacke ouer with Bees The forme of their letters is much like vnto the Greeke Character their ceremonies of religion are indifferent betwixt the Romaine and the Greeke Church and both men and women in their apparrell doe much resemble the Greekes Of Hungaria and of the institutions and manner of liuing of the Hungarians CAP. 10. HVNGARIA is the same which was once called Pannonia although it was not so large and spacious a countrye when it was so called as now it is all betwixt the the riuer Laytha and the riuer Savus is knowne by the name of the inferiour or lower Pannonia Hungary beyond Danubius reacheth vnto Poland and comprehendeth all the country which was inhabited by the Gepidae and Daci so as the limits of the Empire is now farre larger then the name of the nation This land as auncient writers report is deuided into nine parts or diuisions which in the Germaine tongue bee called Hagas euery one whereof is compassed and inclosed with walls made of blockes or piles of oakes beech or fyr tree fixed fast in the ground twenty foote high and twenty foote broade The soyle is full either of hard stones or stiffe clay and all the vallies bee couered ouer with turfes vpon the borders or marches of the land bee many trees or shrubes planted and set which beeing cut vp and cast away will not-with-standing beare leaues and florish Euery one of these nine circles or diuisions of ground bee twenty Germaine miles distant one from another although they bee not all of one length but some one shorter than other some and in euery part of them bee Citties Castells and Villages builded in such good order and vniformity as a man may bee heard speake from one Castell Towne or village to another Their buildings be compassed and inclosed with strong walls but their gates bee ouer narrow for them to goe in and out at their pleasure to steale and filch from others Euery one of those Circles or inclosed portions of ground called hagges were wont to giue signes vnto others of euery accident by the sound of a trumpet The Pannones long since called Paeones were first that inhabited that land after whome it was possessed by the Huns a people of Scythia and after them by the Gothes which came out of the Ilands of the Germaine ocean when the Gothes were gone it was possessed by the Longabards which came from Scandinauia an iland of the Ocean also And lastly by the Hungarians who came from out the other Hungaria in Scythia which is not farre from the head of the riuer of Tanais and is now called Iuhra This Scithian Hungary is a miserable could country as being scituate wholy vnder the Frigid zone it is trybutary to the Duke of Muscouy the tribute which the inhabitants pay is neither gold nor siluer for thereof they haue none but rich Skins and furres of sundry wild beast as of Sabells and such like They neither plow nor sow nor haue any kind of bread but liue only vpon flesh of wild beasts and fish and drinke water and their lodgings bee cabbins made of twigs and bowes in groues and thicke woods wherevpon it insueth that men liuing in woods with wilde beasts weare neither linnen nor wollen garments but skins only either of harts beares or wolues Some of them addore the Sunne some the Moone and other Starrs or what euer first commeth to their vew they haue a proper and pecular language to themselues They fish for coralls that grow in the sea and fishes called Balenae of whose skins they make coaches and purses They haue exceeding fat Bacon whereof they sell much to other nations Vpon that side of this Hungary in Scythia which is neerest vnto the Ocean bee sundry little hills or cliffes vpon which certaine fishes called Mors or death fishes making offer by meanes of their teeth to clime to the toppe of the rockes when they bee almost at the highest their hold fayleth them and they fall downe and kill themselues with the fall These fishes doe the Inhabitants gather vp and eate reseruing their teeth which bee very white and broad which they exchange with strange Merchants for other commodities of these fish teeth bee made very good kniues hafts But Hungaria in Europe hath vpon the west Austria and Boemia vpon the South that part of Illyria which is next to the Adriatticke sea vpon the East lyeth Seruia once inhabited by the Triballii and Misii and now of many called Sagaria and vppon the North and Northeast Poland and Muscouie The chiefe Citty and Kings seate is Buda so called of Bada the brother of Attila the soyle of the country so much thereof as is errable is very fertile and there bee many veines of gold and siluer It is strange that is reported by the Inhabitants that there is a riuer in Pannonia whereinto if Iron
come into the Senate or Councell house and many were so deeply touched with that indignitie as they would violently procure their owne deaths rather then indure such disgrace Their Kings were elected for their worth and Nobility and their power and authority was not altogether free but limitted and restrained the worthiest souldiers and men of greatest valour and such as could effect more by their good examples then by all their force and authority were ordained leaders and conductors of their armies There was none had power to chastice beat or punish an other but the Priests only for they held that reuengment belonged only vnto the gods whose ministers the Priests were They would pourtray the Images of their gods and carry them with them into the warres as a speciall incouragement to fight And their friends and kinsfolke likewise were placed neere vnto the battell that in their presence they might either atchieue a glorious victory or end their dayes with honor and their parents wiues and children were eye-witnesses of their valor and prowesse and euer as any of them that fought were wounded they were brought vnto their mothers and wiues and other friends that were lookers on who were euer readie and willing to heale and cure them and to supply the soldiers with victualles exciting and encouraging them to fight manfully through which exhortations as some haue written the battell hath renewed and begunne a fresh when the souldiers were almost spent and wearied out for they esteemed their women to be of great sanctitie and prouidence and therefore their Councels were not to be contemned nor their aduises despised Vppon certaine dayes they vsed to sacrifice men vnto Mercurie and beasts to Mars and Hercules and they were generally giuen to sorcerie and witch-craft Trifling and pettie causes were managed and decided by the Rulers and Magistrates of the citties but all great businesses and difficult affaires were handled by the whole body of the city in generall They would neuer begin any busines but when the Moone was either in the change or in the full and they reckened their computation not by the dayes but by the nights They came armed into the Councell-house to decide controuersies and to maintaine the right of causes and hee vppon whose side the sentence passed and was conmended had a Iaueling shaken and brandished against him which manner of sentence giuing they accounted to be most honorable and againe those whose causes were nought were condemned by the Iudges frownes and sterne lookes All traytors anâ— turne-coates and such as fled to the enemie were hanged Sluggards dastards and such infamous persons and those that had any noysome disease were laid vpon a hurdle and dragged till they were dead No Magistrate would execute any publike or priuate businesse but when he was armed there was great emulation amongst them about their diet and they were incredibly giuen to affectation for he carried the greatest credit and estimation amongst his friends and neighbours that was best attended and accompanied with young gallants when hee went abroad about any businesse If the Prince that was Generall or Leader of the armie departed out of the field without victorie he liued in discredite and infamie all his life time after for the Prince fighteth only for victorie and the other Noblemen for the safetie of the Prince They would oftentimes take occasion to make warres without cause giuen onely because they could not indure to liue quietly and peaceably For they held it a point of sloth and sluggishnesse to get their liuing by their labors if they might get it by warres though it cost them their liues if they had no warres the valiantest men of them all spent their times wholy in eating drinking and sleeping committing both houses and husbandrie to the care and guidance of old men and women So as it seemeth strange to see two such contrarie dispositions in one people to be both louers of idlenesse and yet enemies to peace and quietnesse Their dwellings were in villages and euery one in seuerall houses their apparell short cassockes or souldiers coates buttoned together with claspes or pinned with thornes and the richer sort were knowne and distinguished from others by their clothes for they wore their coates so close to their skins as you might plainely perceiue the perfect proportion of each lim and member and the selfe same fashion of apparell which serued men was worne by women likewise Most part of the Germaines which dwelt towards the East and North side of the countrie contented themselues with one wife a peece some few excepted which had many and the wife was not indowed by the husband but the husband by the wife nor was their dowers of such dainties as were onely fit to make them fine and gay but of such things as they had most vse of as yokes of oxen horses with their furniture shields swords Iauelings and such like The women were wonderful chast and modest and their lookes nothing want on to procure allurements they frequented no banquets nor common feasts so as though the nation were very populous there was few women found offending in adulterie but if any were thereof conuicted her owne husband would pull her headlong out of his house starke naked before her neighbours and friends and whip her round about the towne nor was there any place for pardon for such lasciuious strumpets no not their youth beautie nor riches could any whit priuiledge them or reconcile them to their husbands It was not tolerable for any one to scoffe at vice for thereby they thought they both corrupted others and were corrupted themselues And as euery woman had but one bodie and one life so should she haue but one husband nor ought she to haue any idle cogitation or wanton desire as if shee more regarded the act of matrimonie then her husbands loue so as more good was done by their manners and examples then in other places by wholesome strict lawes Yong men were not very prone to lust especially when their youthfull dayes drew to an end and maides were not married til they were of good yeares that they might bee more strong and able to beare children Murder was punished with a certaine number of cattell which the murtherer must giue to al the dead mans friends as a satisfaction for his death They were very desirous to diet together and to keepe good hospitalitie accounting it an vnhonest and vndecent part to forbid any one their houses or tables Rewards were willingly taken and giuen nor would they vpbraide any one with that they had giuen nor thinke themselues in any matter beholding for what they receiued They would spend whole nights and dayes in drinking and carowsing esteeming and accounting it a credit to be drunken and oftentimes after their gluttonie and gormandize they would brall and fall out one with another exchanging ill words and sometimes blowes whereof oftentimes insued mayming and murder They consulted of all serious
matters touching both warre and peace amidst their banquets deeming their iudgements more acute and themselues more carefull at that time then at any other and more fit to vndergo any notable enterprise The people were plaine and simple without craft dissimulation or cunning and easily drawne to lay open and discouer the very secrets of their hearts They would call to mind the day after what they had done before considering of the matter more deliberatly when they knew not how to alter it shewing then what their intent was when they could not be deceiued They drunke a corrupt drinke made of barly in stead of wine but those which dwelt nere vnto great riuers had wine brought them out of other countries their meat was simple and grosse as wild apples new dow thicke milke or clottered Creame but their drinke was much more immoderate They delighted to behold and see young men naked amongst swords and speares and other militarie weapons belonging to warre and to see how finely and nimbly they could deliuer themselues out of the danger of them the often practise whereof made them skilful and their agilitie and skill was a great ornament vnto them They were so exceedingly giuen to dicing as when they had lost all that euer they had they would aduenture their owne liberties vppon one chance at dice and if they lost they would willingly become slaues and suffer themselues though neuer so strong and lustie to be bound and sold like beasts They diuided the yeare into Winter Spring and Sommer making no recknning of Autumne by reason of their scarcitie of wine and fruites In their Funerals they made little shew of sorrow by weeping and outward lamentations but the dolor and griefe of their hearts continued long and women onely bewayled the dead it being enough for men to remember them And these in times past were the customes of the Germaines and their manner of liuing But how much they bee altered from what they then were as well as other nations may bee gathered by this their present estate for now the whole state and condition of the Germaines consisteth of foure sortes of people the first sort or Order is the Clergie which be of two sorts likewise that is to say secular Priests and religious persons both of them beeing indowed with great and large rents reuenues and riches and held in great honour and estimation wirh the people both for that they offer sacrifice vnto God extoll the prayses of the Saynts and haue cure of soules as also for that they vnderstand the Scriptures and holy Writ bee able to interpret and expound them and leade a single life for those which haue not all these good parts in them are despised and contemned of the vulgar sort of people And euery order of religious persons haue their garments made of their owne fashion very decent and comely The secular or lay-Priestes weare loose Coates for the most part black or russet and linnen myters on their heads not very high crowned but sticking close about their eares And when they go abroad they cast about their neckes for decencies sake a broade lace either of silk or linnen which hangeth downe on each side their shoulders Vpon their shooes are pumps they weare Pantofles or Sandals putting them off euer when they come home Most of them liue very idlely bestowing little time in obtaining learning but spending all the after-noones in gaming and drinking The inferiour Priests if any one iniure them complaine vnto their Bishoppe and sometimes to the Court of Rome whereby they worke their owne security and condigne punishment is inflicted vpon the offenders The second estate or condition is of the Nobilitie wherof there bee many degrees as Princes Earles Barons and Knights which is the lowest degree of that Order the Princes excell all the other degrees as well in dignitie and bloud as in power and strength as hauing very large lands and ample possessions The Earles Barons and other Nobles liue dispersed abroade in the countrie some in one place some in another flowrishing like so many flowers in a greene field But that which is very strange worthy to be obserued in the Nobilitie is this that both Princes Earls acknowledge a soueraignty yeeld their obedience vnto the Emperor so oft as necessitie or the Emperour himselfe requireth it and yet the Knights say that they be exempted and that they will not serue any one nor suffer those which be vnder thē to serue but for wages and stipend yet notwithstanding they acknowledge and say that the Romaine Emperour is their Soueraigne Lord and Gouernor The Nobilitie in generall thinke it a great discredit vnto them and a blemish vnto their kindred and house to exercise merchandize or any mechanicall art or to take a wife from among the common people or that is their inferiour or to liue in a strange citty like towns-men for they skorning all company and commerce with cittizens liue freely with their wiues and families in stately castels strong holdes and beautifull pallaces situated some vppon mountaines some in woods and some in champion countries Some of the Nobles frequent the Courts of Kings and great Princes and follow the warres and some others liue at their owne houses vppon their Rents and reuenues They be much giuen to hunting affirming that by continuall custome and their auncient libertie they only are allowed to hunt and all other interdicted and depriued of that pleasure for for a priuate man to hunt either hares ro-buckes kids hynd-calues or stagges in some place is punished with the losse of his eyes and in some other places with the losse of his head but it is lawfull for euery one that can to take such wild beasts that be noysome and hurtfull Moreouer they fare daintily and be sumptuously cloathed as well men as women both at home and abroade beeing decked and adorned with gold siluer and silkes of sundry colours When they walke abroad they are attended with a troupe of their friends and familiars and they may easily be knowne and discerned from the common-people onely by their gate it is so graue and demure They neuer go farre from home but on horse-backe for to take a iourney on foot they account a great dishonor vnto them and a plaine demonstration of pouertie but if they stand in want of any thing they will straine courtesie to take it from others either priuily or by force They seldome go to law with any one for iniuries done vnto them but rather gather a troupe of their friends together and reuenge themselues either by fire sword or rapine therby compelling the wrong-doers to make what satisfaction they thinke good They be proude turbulent and couetous practising how to get Church-mens goods by deceit and wracking their slaues and clownes of the country with an vnrelenting authoritie It is almost incredible to be spoken how they vexe pill and poll those miserable and vnfortunate caytiues
round about with the Hyrcanian wood which with his high hilles incloseth and defends it on all sides like a naturall wall and through it runne Sala Thuberus Neccharus and the nauigable Riuer Moganus These Riuers passe by many wide and large Valleys vppon the bankes whereof on both sides be planted great store of vineyards which yeeld wines so rare and of so great worth as they be transported into other countries far remote The land is fertile enough and not sandy and ouergrowne with Fearne as Aeneas Syluius reporteth sauing that part of the countrie which is now called Norica or in some places neere vnto riuers It yeeldeth great increase of barley wheate and all other kind of graine and pulse and no one part of Germanie affoordeth so many and so great Onions Rape rootes and Rape stalkes as this doth besides about Babenburge grow such great store of Lycoras rootes as they be caried away by cart loades It is full of gallant medowes and goodly Orchards very populous and abounding with beasts there is much fishing by reason of the multitude of Riuers and better hunting for the great store and varietie of wild beasts for the Princes preserue them of purpose in woods and forests making them stables and dennes to lye in and to defend them from winters boysterous and cold stormes allowing them meate also if need be and no priuate man may be suffered to take or hunt any of these beasts The whole countrie of Franconia is vnder the dominion of fiue princes whereof two be secular or lay Princes that is to say the Burgraue of Norinburg and the Count Palatine of Rhene and the other three bee ecclesiasticall Gouernors to wit the Bishops of Babenburg Herbipolis and Magnus The Bishop of Herbipolis holdeth his Duke-dome by hauing a naked sword and an ensigne or flag placed before him vppon the altar while he is at Masse And the first day that he entreth into the Metrapolitan or chiefe cittie and taketh vppon him the Episcopall seate he is vsually attended with a great troupe of gallant and excellent hors-men and when he is admitted and entred into the cittie he lighteth off his horse in the very gate of the cittie and there disrobeth himselfe of his vppermost garment and putteth on a poore and base coate and girdeth himselfe about the wast with a cord and in this humble manner bare headed and bare handed he goeth vp into the pallace vnto the Canonicall or Regular Priests who after they haue done their fealtie vnto him exalt and install him in his seate but before his instalment hee is conducted to the picture of some deuout Bishop that is dead where he is seriously and earnestly admonished to follow and imitate his examples who being elected of a poore student did notwithstanding gouerne the State of the Church vprightly as it ought And none of the linage of either Dukes or Earles may possesse this Cathedrall sea but onely such as be of the inferior Order of Nobilitie not for that it is not sufficient to maintaine a Prince for the possessions and reuenues bee very large and great but because none may enioy the Bishoppricke but onely such as be canonicall or regular persons which are for the most part of the meanest degree of Nobilitie To be Bishoppe of Herbipolis is a title of maruellous great dignitie and honour and when a Bishop is new created the custome is that at his first entrance into his Bishoppricke he should progresse ouer all his dominion and visit all the townes and villages which pay him tyth and in euery towne he bringeth out into the streetes whole hogsheads of wine with dishes for euery one to drinke that will The Franconians do nothing differ from the rest of the Germanes either in their apparell or shape of their bodies They be very laborious and none of them giuen to idlenesse but the women as wel as men plant in vineyards and yet by reason of their pouertie they sell their wines and drink water themselues Beere they cannot indure nor will haue any brought vnto them yet in Herbipolis vpon fasting daies those which will drinke no wine may buy it in dockes and roades without the cittie to drinke in steade of water The people be insolent arrogant and proude contemning all others in respect of themselues and so much giuen to cauilling and brawling as no stranger can indure to stay with them vnlesse he can flatter and dissemble and behaue himselfe discreetly and soberly but those which can indure their floutes and taunts and pocket vp their iniuries with patience may safely dwell with them for such they account and esteeme honest and sufficient men and permit them to marry wiues and enter into consanguinitie with them by which meanes many Suevians Bavarians and Hassians do dwell and continue in Franconia They be very deuout and religiously giuen and yet subiect to two horrible and execrable vices which are swearing and filching for they will glorie and vaunt themselues in blasphemie and horrible prophanation and account stealing a thing honest commendable and lawful because long vsed as a custom They obserue many strange ceremonies which I wil here set downe for the more credit and better approbation of such things as be written and reported of them by strangers In the nights of those fiue dayes of Aduent which go immediatly before the day of our Lords Natiuitie all the children of the towne both men-children and women-children go vppe and downe the streetes from one house to another knocking and beating at euery ones doore wishing them a happie and prosperous new yeare and shewing them in a song that the birth-day of our Sauiour Christ is nigh approching and euery houshold giueth them either apples peares nuttes or money or some other thing that they can best spare But with what ioy and exultation the birth-day of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is solemnized in their churches both by Priests and lay-people may be vnderstood by this Ceremonie following for then they place vppon the Altar the image of a young child in representation of the new birth of the babe Iesus which done the young men and maydes daunce and hoppe round about the Altar and those which be married and old folkes sing a song or hymne which kind of ceremonie is not much vnlike to the triumph and exultation which as Poets faine was vsed by the Coribants in a caue in the mountaine Ida about the image of their god Iupiter In the Kalends of Ianuarie which by their computation is the beginning of the yere is a sollemne meeting of friends and kinsfolkes together who ioyning their hands and lifting them vp to heauen with one heart and consent pray for a prosperous and happie new yeare spending all that day in pleasant congratulation meriments and drinking Which done they send new yeares gifts to their friends which bee absent which gifts the Romaines in their Feastes dedicated to Saturne which were solemnized about that time
but onely to dance drinke and reuell for their manner of comming argueth little deuotion but rather an intention to brawle and quarrell for they come all well weaponed and Minstrils playing before them and often-times they fall out and goe together by the cares and part with crackt crownes The like kinde of meetings and assemblies we haue in many places of England which we call wakes Vpon Munday Tuesday and Wednesday in Rogation weeke or crosse weeke when as generall Letanies and Processions are vsed to bee said ouer all the Christian world there meete together at one Church in most parts of Franconia many crosses for by that name bee the whole company of parishioners called that goe the preambulation with the Procession and haue a banner with the signe of the crosse caried before them when many seuerall crosses or companies be mette together in one Church they sing not altogether but each seuerall company hath a seuerall quire and a seuerall place to sing by themselues The yong men and maides bee arrayed in their holy day apparell with wreaths or garlands of flowers about their heads and willow staues in their hands The Priests and Ministers of the Church stand by giuing diligent eare to their singing and which of the Quiers they thinke haue song sweetest and made the best melodie they adiudge that the other Quiers shall giue vnto them certaine bowles of Wine And vpon Whitsunday this is their order euery one which hath either a horse of his owne or can borrow one doe meete in one place and ride together to view the bounds and limits of their fields hauing with them a Priest with the body of our Lord Iesus Christ put in a pursse and hanging at his neck and all the way as they ride they sing and pray beseeching God of his great mercy to defend and preserue their corne and to send such temperate and seasonable wether as they may receiue the fruits of the earth to their comfort and sustentation Vpon Saint Vrbins day all the Vintners and maisters of Vineyards set a table either in the market steed or in some other open and publick place and couering it with fine napery and strawing vpon it greene leaues and sweete flowers doe place vpon the table the Image of that holy Bishop And then if the day bee cleare and faire they crowne the Image with great store of Wine but if the wether prooue rugged and rainie they cast filth mire and puddle water vpon it perswading themselues that if that day be faire and calme their grapes which then begin to florish will prooue good that yeare but if it bee stormie and tempestious they shall haue a bad vintage Vpon Saint Iohn Baptists day at night in euery village and streete in Germany be common fires or as wee call them heere in England bone-fires about which all the people gather together both men women and children dancing and singing and vsing many other superstitions as wearing vpon their heads garlands made of Mugwort and Veruin and flowers in their hands wreathed and pleated together in fashion of a spurre which wreathes they call military spurres and they dare not looke vpon the fire vnlesse they looke through those spurres firmly beleeuing that by that meanes their eyes be preserued all the yeare after from all paines and diseases and euery one as he goeth away throweth the garland hee wore about his head into the fire vsing this coniuration Goe thy way and burne and all my ill luck perish and burne with thee The like fashion is vsed by the Bishop of Herbipolis seruants and courtiers for they cause a great fire to bee made before the tower which standeth vpon a hill aboue the citty of Herbipolis and throw into the fire many wodden hoopes bored full of holes which when they bee all of them on a red fire they put crooked stickes into the holes of the hoopes and cunningly and forceably hoyse them vp into the ayre a great height so as they flying from the top of the hill ouer the riuer of Moganus which runneth vnder the hill seeme to bee firie Dragons to those which neuer saw the like before At the same time of the yeare their manner is to make earthen potts with so many holes in them as they will hardly hold together and these potts doe the maides buy and couer them round about with red Rose leaues and then put Candles into them and hang them vpon the toppes of the houses insteed of Lanthornes the yong men at that time bring into their villages each one a Pine tree with all the little shootes and vndermost branches lopped off and garnishing and triming the vpmost boughes with little hoopes garlands glasses and glittering rayes or plates of golde or copper they set their trees fast in the ground where they must stand all summer resembling many poles in England In Autumne when their Grapes wax ripe they gather not their Grapes one one day and an other an other day but all the owners of a Vineyard are appointed to pull their Grapes all at one time to continue pulling till they haue all done that Vineyarde for they haue not power to pluck them when they please them-selues but when they be allowed by those to whom the tithe is due And these tithe-maisters appoint such a hill of Grapes to bee got such a day and such a Vineyard such a day and their tithes be euer brought by the owners of the Vines into the valley at the hill foote but those which neglect to gather their Grapes at the time appointed ought and are inforced whether they will or no to carry the tithe into the Lords Wine-presse at their owne cost and charge But about the citty of Herbipolis the owners of tithes bee more precise for they distrusting that the Vine maisters will not tithe truly set a boy ouer euery one of them to marke their manner of tithing and to see that their maister haue his due and when haruest is done and all the Grapes gathered all those boyes meete together in the field and euery one beeing couered all ouer with strawe and a Torche or two in his hand they kindle their Torches a little before night and so come singing with their Torches burning into the citty And in this sort they say they burne and make cleane Autumne The Franconians celebrate the feast dayes of the two pillers of the Church Saint Martin and Saint Nicholas with great ioy and triumph but after a diuerse maner for the one is solemnized in Churches and Altars the other in victualing houses and tauernes and there is 〈…〉 throughout all the whole country be hee neuer so needy or neuer so niggard but vpon Saint Martins day hee will haue some roste meate or boild meat and it be but Hogs intrailes or Calues intrailes glut themselues with wine for then they tast of their new wines from which till that time they haue abstained and all their housholds drinke wine with
them and vpon this day in Herbipolis and in diuerse other places besides is much wine giuen to the poore for charity then haue they their publike shewes and pastimes as to haue two or three Boares put into a place together and to behold them fight and teare one another with their tuskes till their guttes traile about their heeles deuiding the flesh when the Boares bee dead some to the common people and some to the Magistrates But vpon Saint Nicholas day all the yong fry and Schollers choose out three amongst them one to represent the person of a Bishop and the other two Deacons he which is elected in the place of a Bishop is solemnly vpon that day conducted into the Church by all his Schoole-fellowes decked and trimmed with a Bishops Miter and all his other ornaments and so sitteth in place of authority as Lord and Protector ouer them all the while Masse is in saying and when the sacrifice is finished hee chooseth out a few of them from amongst the rest and hee and they goe singing vp and downe the towne from house to house collecting and gathering money and alleadging that the money they gotte by this meanes is not taken as an almes or beneuolence but giuen franckly for the maintenance of the Bishop Vpon Saint Nicholas Eeue Parents will aduise their children to fast and the more to incite them there vnto they perswade them that if they set their shooes vnder the table ouer night what so euer they shall finde in them in the morning is sent them from that bountifull Bishop Saint Nicholas which causeth the children to fast so truly and so long as their parents bee faine to compell them to eate for being sick with ouer long fasting and these bee the most vsuall customes of the Franconians these their annuall ceremonies Of Sueuia and how the people of that country liued heretofore and how they now liue CAP. 16. SVEVIA a Prouince of Germany is at this day limitted and bounded vpon the East with Baioaria vpon the West with Alsatia and the riuer of Rhene it hath the Alpes vpon the South and Franconia on the North. Sueuia as Antonius Sabellicus is of opinion was so called of a certaine people called Sueui who departing from that part of Scythia which is now called Liuonia Prussia obtained this country to dwell in which opinion of Sabellicus Lucan seemeth to confirme where he saith He brought the yellow Sueuians from the vtmost Northern coast Before it was named Sueuia it was called Alemannia of the lake Lemannus which is also called Lausanensis Sueuia is the vtmost part of all Germany and is watered with two notable riuers Rheine and Danubius whereof the one running slowly falleth into the sea Westward the other running a contrary course passeth by many regions and falleth at length into the sea called Pontus The country is some part of it plaine and euen and some part cragged and mountanous and all of it fertile and fruitfull sauing lakes mountaines and woods There be great store of woods and therefore very good hunting and especiall good fowling by reason of the multitude of riuers and lakes Of cattell there bee great abondance and plenty of all kinde of graine it is also full of gallant and flourishing valleis watered and manured with brookes riuers and running waters some running one way some an other ouer-flowing and fatting the soyle all which disburthen themselues either into Rhine or Danubius The land is very wholsome and healthfull and well replenished with stately cities townes and castels aspiring towers likewise walled and fortified both by arte and nature and for the aduancement of Christian religion it is sufficiently furnished with beautifull and rich temples parish Churches and Chappels Bishops Pallaces Colledges and monasteries containing sundry orders of religious persons both men and women vpon the hills bee mines of Siluer Yron and diuerse other mettals it is very populus and the people very hardy strong valerous they be tall of stature yellow haird faire and welfauoured and marueilous ingenious so as Plutarch concludeth them in a word for the most famous people of all Germany The glory and fame of this people grew once to that height as they obtained the Empire and gouernment of the world and in that honour and renowne continued for one age but afterwards beeing destitute and depriued of their Princes I know not how it came to passe whether by the ficklenesse and variety of fortune or by their owne folly and sloth but their gouernment ceased and their power and strength in short time became so weake and feeble as they could hardly hold their owne and defend themselues much lesse extend their fame to her former greatnesse in such sort as noe one considering their present estate would thinke that euer they had beene Lords and Gouernors of the world Iulius Caesar in the fourth booke of his commentaries writeth of this people thus The Sueuians sayth hee the worthiest and warlikst people of all Germany are sayd to haue a hundred Citties great Burrowes or townes out of euery of which hundred citties townes yearely is furnished and set forth to the warres a hundred thousand armed men well appoynted These hundred thousand men wage warrs abroad and be maintayned by those which remaine at home and at the yeares end returne home againe to husbandry and send forth as many more of those which were at home so as going to the warres and remayning at home in course they bee all well excercised is husbandry and skilfull in feats of armes and hauing noe grounds nor possessions priuat to them-selues they yeeld reciprocall Maintaynance one to another for it is not lawfull for them to remayne and abyde in one place longer than one yeare Their vsuall foode is bread milke and flesh they bee much giuen to hunting as well for their dayly excercise and liberty of life which they much regard for they bee neuer from their infancy vnder the rule and correction of any or constrayned to doe any thing against their wills the practise of hunting also maketh them more feerce and couragious and their bodies more strong able to indure all extremities as although they dwell in a very cold clymate they will wash and bath them-selues in cold riuers and weare no other garments but skins and those so little as the most part of there bodies bee starke naked if any marchants trafficke thether it is more to buy such things of them as they haue got by the warres than for any great desire the Sueuians haue of their commodities besides they haue great store of laboring beasts more than they haue vse for which the French men much desire and pay deere for them and those beasts which with them bee naturally froward ilfauored and almost good for nothing by much vse and handling bee made fit and able both to draw and carry or to be imployed in the warres for their horses be so well mand and taught
as when the skirmish is at the hottest their riders for their better adrantage will oftentimes skippe of their backes and fight on foote and finde their horses againe in the very same place they were left when they haue occasion to vse them nor doe they esteeme any one thing more ilde or more ilbeseeming them than to ride vpon horses that bee harnessed or haue saddles on their backes by continuall vse whereof though they bee but few they dare and boldly will aduenture to incounter with a troope of armed men and harnessed horses though the number of them bee very great The Sueuians will suffer no wines to bee brought vnto them supposing that the drinking of wine maketh men more effeminate and lesse able to indure labour they hold it a generall commendations to them to haue their feelds and territories of their citties large and wide signifying thereby that their forces bee not able to maintaine such a multitude of citties for which cause in Sueuia the feelds be said to extend a thousand and six hundred paces from their citties on euery side Cornelius Tacitus writing the scituation of Germany and the manners of the people speaketh thus of the Sueuians The Germaines saith hee haue distinguished the greatest part of Germany by sundry names and nations although they be al called by one general name Sueuians and the property of that people is to plat their lockes and then to knitt and bind them vp on a knot by which marke and token the Sueuians be discerned and knowne from other Germaines and the Freemen from slaues There vse is to turne vp their curled lockes vntill they waxe so old that their haire grow white and oftentimes they will bynde it on a knot vpon the crowne of their heads in doing whereof the better sort of people bee most curyous They obserue a certaine time by tradition from their fathers which ceremony they esteeme so reuerent as they dare not omit it that all the people of one stocke or kindred assemble themselues and meete together in a certayne woode consecrated and made holy after their fashion there to doe sacrifice which as a most barbarous and horible ceremonie and detestable sacrifice is euer solemnized by killing of a man This woode or holy groue they reuerence another way also for there is none of them will aduenture to goe into it vnlesse he bee bound hand and foote with a corde that they may perceiue the power of their Gods and if any of them happen to fall it is not lawfull for him to be taken vp or to re-enfore himselfe to rise againe but hee must bee rowled or tumbled thither vpon the ground And all this their superstition tendeth to no other ende but to know thereby the originall of their nation where God the gouernor of all things is and of all inferior things that are in subiection and yeeld obedience vnto that God Some of the Sueuians as Cornelius also reporteth doe sacrifice vnto Isis And as for all their other customes though heretofore neuer so peculiar they bee now common to all the rest of the Germanes But so it is that at this day not onely the manners of the Sueuians but almost of all other nations else bee changed and turned cleane topsie turuy and that which is most to bee lamented alterred from better to worse for now most of the welthiest men of all Sueuia bee marchants and a great company of them compact and confederate them-selues together euery one disbursing a summe of mony to bee imployed in Marchandize wherewith they doe not onely buy vp and get into their hands spices silkes and other things of great value which bee brought thither by sea from forren countries but sometimes also they will deale with things of small worth as spoones needles spectacles and puppets and many such like tryfles and trinkets ingrossing vp much wine and graine likewise which manner of trafficke is not to bee commended for it is not onely greeuous and hurtfull to crafts men and husband men who bee constrayned to sell their wares and commodities to these grypers as I may terme them rather than Marchants before they can make the best profit of them when neede shall afterwards inforce them to buy the same of them againe for dubble the price but preiudiciall also to all the whole country in generall For whereas the people were wont to make their prouision of such things as they wanted from their neighbour Princes at the cheapest rate they haue so fed and bribed those corrupt Princes and gouernors of the contry that nothing shall be bought but of themselues either in Stutgardia or in other places where they keepe Marts and faires And yet those rich men doe not traffick themselues but by their seruants and common factors who gathering in the moneys disbursed with the increase yeeld an account thereof at such time as they bee called therevnto rendring vnto euery man truly and faithfully his owne money and his part of the gaine The common people of Sueuia doe most of them practise dressing of Toe and spinning which maner of worke they apply so busily and vse so generally as in the winter time in some parts of Sueuia you shall not only see maids and women but men and boyes also with Spindles and Distaffes in their hands They make a kinde of cloth the warpe whereof is linnen and the oofe silke which they call Pargath and an other manner of cloth which they call Golsch and that is all linnen of these manner of clothes they make great aboundance for it is knowne to bee true that the Vlmenses onely doe make euery yeare a hundred thousand of these clothes and if so many bee made in one part of the country which is but a handfull in respect of the whole one may easily coniecture that the number which is made in the whole land is almost infinite These clothes bee carryed to nations farre from them and especially twise a yeare to Franckford Marte from whence the people of Sueueland receiue great custome and tribute Moreouer as euill things bee often-times mingled with good and no one thing is perfect in all points the Sueuians be meruailous lecherous people the women as willing to yeeld as the men to aske yea both sides bee apt to slide but slow to repent and surely I thinke that this vice is generally fauoured both in Sueuia and throughout all Germany for neither there nor in any other part of Germany is any punishment inflicted nor any one excommunicated by the Ecclesiasticall censure either for open fornication adultery nor yet for rauishing of women And thereof ariseth this Prouerbe that Sueuia onely is able to yeeld whores inough for all Germany as well as Franconia affendeth good store of theeues and beggars Boemia hereticks Bauaria pilferers and slaues Heluetia Butchers and Bawdes Drunkards in Saxonie periurers in Frisia and Westphalia and gluttons about the Rheine Of Bauaria and Carinthia and of the lawes and
that giue sucke will cast their throates behinde their backes like a wallet to the end they should not hinder their children in their sucking the cause of this strume or great throates they attribute to the water and ayre whereof they drinke and bee nourished The Stirians resemble the Germaines both in speach habit and behauiour excepting those that dwell about the riuer Dravus that speake the Slauonian tongue There is much Salt made which they carry into other countries and exchange it for other commodities There bee also mines of Iron and Siluer though but little gotten which happeneth through the negligence and carelesnesse of the Princes and gouernors This country was once called Valeria it is very mountanous and craggie excepting the East part thereof next vnto Pannonia and there it is very plaine and euen Of Italy and of the manners of the Italians of Romulus also and his ciuill institutions CAP. 18. ITALY a Region of Europe was first called Hesperia of Hesperus the brother of Atlas who beeing expelled by his brother left his name both vnto Spaine and Italy But Macrobius is of opinion that it was called Hesperia of the starre Hesperus which is their euening starre It was also called Oenotria either for the goodnesse of the wine which is made in Italy for Ocnum in Greeke signifieth wine or else of Oenotrius King of the Sabines And lastly it was named Italy of Italus King of Scicily who taught them the Arte of husbandry and gaue them lawes to liue vnder for he comming into that part wherein Turnus afterwards raigned called it after his name as is prooued by Virgil in these verses thus translated by maister Phaer There is a place the Greekes by name Hesperia do call An ancient lâ—nd and fierce in warre and fruitfull soyle withall Out from Oenotria they came that first did till the same Now Italy men say 't is cald so of the Captaines name But Timaeus and Varro hold opinion that it was called Italia of the great store of goodly Buls which bee there bred aboue other places for Bulls in the ancient Greeke tongue were called Itali That part of Italy which is next vnto the mouth of Tyber is called Latium euen as that part is called Ausonia according to Aristotle which is next vnto the Tyrrhen fea Italy is in forme like a crosse and situated betwixt the Adriattick and the Tuscan sea and extending from the Alpes and the hill Appenine reacheth vnto the citty Rhegium and the Brutian shores Towards the end it deuideth it selfe into two parts whereof the one looketh into the Ionian sea and the other into the Scicilian in the vtmost part whereof standeth the citty Rhegium The length of Italy from Augusta Praetoria passing by Rome and Capua to the citty Rhegium according to Solynus is a thousand and twenty miles and the bredth where it is broadest foure hundred and ten miles and a hundred thirty and six where it is narrowest hauing as it were a belly ietting further out then the rest in Agro Rhâ—â—ith which now is confined with the riuer Rubicon sliding by the side of the Adriaticke sea Italy is deuided into many Regions for from the riuer Varus to the riuer Macra is Liguria where Genoua is the chiefest citty from Macra then to Tyber is Hetruria the Metropolitan citty whereof is Pisa from Tyber vnto Lyris is that part of Italy called Latium wherein standeth Rome and the citty Antium which wee call Netnut is situated within the prouince vpon the shore side from Lyris vnto the riuer Sarnus is Campania where Naples is chiefe citty from Sarnus to Silarus is the country called Picentum the two greatest townes whereof bee Surrentum and Salernum betwixt Silarus and Laius is Lucania of which prouince the most notorious townes bee Pestum and Buxentum with vs called Beluedere from the riuer Laius to the promontory of Leucopetra is the country called Brutium wherein standeth the citty of Rhegium Iulium from the promontary of Leucopetra to the promontory of Iapigium otherwise called Salentinum is the borders or frontires of great Greece wherein are situated the two famous citties Croton and Tarentum from Iapigium to Brundusium is Calabria wherein is Hydruntum from the citty Brundusium to the hill Garganus now called Saint Angelus hill is Apulia wherein stand the citties Barium or Barry Salapia from the hill Garganus to the mouth of the riuer Sarnis is the country of the Frentani in which Prouince Isconium is chiefe citty froÌ„ the riuer Sarus to the riuer Apernus is the coast of the Marrucini and therein is the citty Orton from Apernus to the riuer Aesius whilom the vtmost bounds of Italy dwell the Piceni whose citty is Ancona from Aesius or Asius as others write it to Rubicon the latter confines of Italy bee the Senones whose chiefest townes are Phanum fortunae Pisaurum and Ariminum from Rubicon to the mouth of the riuer Padus liue the people called Boij amongst whome is the citty Rauenna betwixt Padus and Tilta vemptum is the Venetians country wherein standeth the famous and renowned citty of Venice from Tilia vemptum to Natison are the people called Carni or Foroilienses and in that prouince is Aquileia from Natison to Arsia are the Iapyges and Istri and therein is the citty of Tergestum and the riuer Formio which is now the vtmost limits of all Italy The hill Appenyne deuydeth all Italy as it were into two clymates or regions leauing the one part towards the west and South and the other towards the North and East This hill taketh his beginning from the Alpes and from thence runneth into Liguria and after that it parteth Cisalpine France and Picenum from Hetruria and Sabinia and so passeth to the Citty Ancona from whence it auerteth his course and extendeth into Apulia and the hill Garganus seperating the countries of the Marucini the Peligni and the Frentini from Latium and Campania and so finisheth his race from the hill Garganus when it commeth to the promontory of Leucopetra hauing vpon the one hand Apulia Calabria the confines of great Greece and Picenum and the Lucani and Brutij vpon the other Italy of all other countries is most wholsome and healthsome both for sweenesle of the ayre and temperature of the heauens it aboundeth with all sorts of mettall Ceres adorneth her feelds and Phoebus dallyeth vpon her hills the forrests parkes and chases bee safe and secure for passengers and replenished with goodly trees of sundry kinds which yeeld great variety of fruites and commodities to the inhabitants of wynes and oyles there is plenty and exceeding great store of all sorts of grayne their sheepe cary very fine fleeces and their oxen and bulls of all other places bee most beautifull their riuers lakes and pooles be cleere and full of fish and delightsome of hauens and port townes there bee great abundance the land her selfe in sundry places making as it were Roades and breaches into
in honour of Heroules and were long since instituted in the dayes of Euander Dionysius Halicarnasseus following the opinion of Varro herein saith that Romulus ordained three score priests to make publike sacrifices through euery tribe and euery ward annexing vnto them as their assistants the diuiners and southsaiers euery ward likewise had his proper Genius or spirit which they supposed did defend them and their proper ministers to doe sacrifice vnto them but the goddesse Vesta was generally worshipped of all And lastly hee deuided and digested the yeere into tenne monthes by all which ordinances and decrees it may easily bee gathered and plainely perceiued that Romulus was most skilfull and expert in all matters both diuine and humaine and that they detract much from his glory and wisdome which report that the people of Rome liued without morality amongst themselues or religion towards their gods vntill the raigne of Numa Pompilius And these were the ciuil institutions ordained by Romulus But Numa Pompilius that afterwards succeeded him in the Kingdome in some part altered and in some part added vnto his Statutes and first in following the course of the Moone hee disposed the yeere into twelue monthes whereas before Romulus made it to consist but of tenne and altering the order of the monethes hee set Ianuary and February before March whereas till that time March was the first month and the beginning of the yeere and so hee made March for to bee the third in order and ranke Next hee appointed some daies to bee festiuall and holy and some other as dismal ominous and vnluckie wherein he would not any way meddle with the people or beginne any businesse After this hee created one chiefe Flamin or Priest to doe sacrifice to Iupiter whom he called Dialis and honored him with a roabe of dignity and chaire of state hee then created two other priests one to sacrifice to Mars and the other to Romulus and these were also called Flamines for the caps of honour which they wore vpon their heads moreouer he elected the Virgine Vestals which for the first ten yeeres did nothing but learne the rites and manner of sacrifising the next ten yeeres they spent in doing sacrifice themselues and the third ten yeeres they taught and instructed nouisses and fresh commers into that profession and then at the thirtith yeeres end it was in their choise whether they would mary or continue still in that course of life And those Virgin Vestals were maintained at the common cost of the City and reuerenced with titles of perpetual virginity and other ceremonies but if any of them were conuicted of incest her sentence was sorrowfully pronounced by the Cittizens that shee should bee set quicke in the ground at the gate called Collina which is in the hill Quirinalis and there couered with earth till shee were dead Hee dedicated also vnto Mars twelue other priests which hee called Salij whose office was vpon certaine daies in the month of March which tooke his name of the god Mars to lead a solemne dance in some of the principall places of the City they were cloathed with coates of diuers collours and their vppermost garments were red and changeable they had swords by their sides hanging in brazen belts in their right hand they caried launces and rods and brazen bucklers in their left and vpon their heads they wore high hats waxing sharpe towards the crowne These priests which for their solemne dancing the Romaines called Sallij according to the opinion of Dionysius did little differ from the Coribantes or Sibilles priests which the Greekes called Curetes finally he created a Bishop or high priest to whom he gaue supreme authority ouer all infreior priests and in him it lay to appoint what oblations should bee offred vpon what daies and in what Temples Besides all these holy orders of priests and religious persons hee ordained the Feciales or herraulds to denounce warre or peace and they were to haue a speciall regard that the Romanes should not make warres against any vniustly and if the Romaines were iniured or robbed by any others these Feciales were to require restitution of the goods wrongfully taken and detained but if they denied to make restitution then were they to denounce open war against them Their power was likewise to deliuer offenders to bee punished to those whose goods they had iniuriously taken if wronge were offered to Legats or Ambassadors they were to correct it and if the causes were honest and iust they might conclude a peace and breake it againe if it appeared that the League was vnlawfully established And if either the captaine or chiefe conductor of the army or the whole army in generall had done any thing contrary to their oths and alleagance in them it rested wholy to punish the offence This done he limitted their times of mourning commanding that the death of infants vnder three yeeres old should not bee lamented at all and that for elder children they should bewaile them as many monthes as they were yeeres old so as it exceeded not ten monthes which was the vttermost time prescribed for mourning for any ones death When Numa Pompilius had established these lawes for the gouernment of the common-wealth he then seuered and distributed the people into sundry companies and societies according to their arts and profession as minstrels crafts-men head-carpenters dyers shoomakers tanners masons potters c. making of diuers of those arts one fraternitie or bodie politicke Seruius Tullius deuided the whole multitude of citizens into sundry orders ranckes or armies which he called Classes and into centuries or bands consisting of a hundred men the manner of his disposition of them was thus In the first order or degree he inroled those who were taxed in their subsidie bookes at a hundred thousand Asses and of this order there was fourescore centuries consisting indifferently of young men and old so as the old men should euer remaine at home to saue and defend the city and the youth were to try the fortune of warres abroad he then commanded them both to weare armor and weapons both of defence of offence as helmets shields priuie-coates and bootes to defend themselues and speares and swords to offend the enemy to this first ranke or degree hee added two centuries of workemen or pioners which were to cast trenches build rampiers and to make all their engines and instruments of warre and they euer went vnarmed to bee alwaies in redinesse for any labor The second order or degree consisted of twentie centuries and were such as were taxed betwixt seuentie fiue and a hundred thousand Asses they were deuided into young and old as the former order and tollerated to weare the same armor and weapons the other did saue onely the coate of fence which they might not weare The third order was of such as were taxed at fifty thousand Asses they consisted of as many centuries as the other and did nothing
lookes of great deuotion religion The place or circuit of ground appointed for both these sort of dancers to practise in was three stadia and a halfe in length and foure akres in breadth so that whole compasse of ground lying betwixt Pallatinum and Auentinum hauing gates in three seuerall places to go in and out was able to hold an hundred fifty thousand spectators which were orderly placed vpon Skaffolds round about the Theater there were also acted within this Theater diuers Interludes the beginning whereof at Rome was thus there were certaine fencers or such as could flourish a two hand sword sent for from Hetruria who dancing there after the stroke of the musick made diuers sorts of motions after the Tuscan manner these fencers or dancers the youth of Rome did afterwards imitate pronouncing at the first their iests deuises in harsh verses their motions also being as disagreeable as their voyces were vntuneable but in tract of time by much practise they came to more perfection so as they were as cunning in those exercises as the Hetrurians and then the professors thereof were called Histriones for Hister in the Tuscan toung is Ludio in Latine which signifieth a player and in time they vtterly abandoned those disorderly and confused kind of verses which they vsed at the beginning as most scurrill and dishonest and beganne to settle themselues to more ciuill decent motions pronouncing their speeches Satyrs with more harmony and singing pricke-song to their instruments Lucius Andronicus digressing somewhat from these Satyres deuised fables vnto their arguments and caused thē to be pronounced with a low voice hee appointed a boy also to sing before the minstrell and at his side hee set the players to act their parts and so by little and little it grew from a ridiculous toy to be an art and then the Romaine youth leauing off the dancing and mimicke actions vsed by the Histriones or players fell to acting of Comedies composed in good verses and this was the beginning of their fables and merry interludes and these kind of playes being deriued from the people called Osci in Campania were euer after put in vse and the histriones forbidden the practise of those sorts of playes Now the manner how the Senate and people of Rome did consecrate and deifie their dead Emperours was thus first as Herodianus writeth they placed in the portall or entrance into the Emperors pallace an image made like vnto the dead Emperor vppon a bed of iuorie decked and garnished with gold so as the image lay vppon the bed pale and wan like one that were sicke and about the bed vppon the left hand for the most part of the day sate all the Senate attired in blacke and the Noble-mens wiues vpon the right hand in white for white was then vsed by women for mourning attire and they then vsed no curiositie at all in their apparell and thus they did for seuen dayes together the Phisitians all that while visiting the Image as though it had life and telling them that his death was neare approching at the end of the seuen dayes as though the Emperour had then died all the youth of the Order of the Equestri and Senatours carried the bed betwixt them whereon the image lay by the way called sacra via where none might passe but liuing Priests and dead Emperors vnto the Forum and there placing it in the pulpit wherein they vsed to pleade and make orations a great sort of boyes and girles of the order of the Patricii the whole company being orderly placed on each side of the pulpit did sing in a mournefull and lamentable Ditty certaine hymnes in commendation of the dead Emperor Then did they carry the Iuorie bed with the Image on it from the forum to campus Martius which is a field nere Rome wherin they vsed all manner of exercises and there placed it vppon a high throne of estate made of wood and foure square and rising higher by degrees and narrower towards the top in manner of a watch-tower all the troup being decked in gold and purple and adorned with images and ensigns of iuorie and diuers other pictures within the hollownesse of which throne was set a great pile of dry wood then was the image placed vpon the second step or degree of the throne with all sorts of odors and sweet perfumes which were brought thither from all parts of the cittie and the noblest young men of the Order of the Equestri clothed and attired in linnen garments rode round about the throne with a Pyrrhichian motion and solemne gate and with them all the Nobility in chariots and coaches and last of all the successor of the deceased Emperor brought a torch readie light and deliuered it to the people who set the pile on fire at the bottome of the throne And when the fire began to burne they had a deuise that an Eagle should fly out frō the top of the building which wilfully and foolishly they supposed to bee the soule of the Emperor flying and ascending into heauen all the Romane Emperors that were consecrated by these absurd ceremonies they euer after superstitiously honored as gods And thus much of the state of the citty All parts of Italy be now perfect and religious Christians and obseruers of the ceremonies of the Romane Church some few excepted which dwell in the vttermost part towards Greece which indeed be more then halfe Grecians no man may haue more wiues then one from whom they may not bee diuorced but by the permission of the bishop of Rome The eldest sons of Princes and Noble-men inherit their fathers possessions but amongst priuate men all the issue male do equally inherit so as they be legitimate like our gauelkind in Kent The law of Italy is of three sorts first the spirituall law wherof the Bishop is head then the Emperors law which is generall ouer all and the particular lawes and orders of each seuerall city which particular customes do much differ one from another yet all concur for the good gouernment of their cities In some cities the examination of all ciuill matters is committed vnto certaine Iudges and in some againe to the Magistrates of the same citty for euery cittie hath not one the same forme of gouernement The chiefest of the Nobility of Italy addict themselues vnto the wars and the meaner sort vnto learning to be a priest is a more venerable title then to be a Nobleman for of al learned men the Diuines be best esteemed and next vnto them the Lawyers the Phisitions liue in greater wealth then admiration Mathematicians Logicians Astronomers and Poets bee more famous amongst themselues then amongst the people but Grammarians of all others be lesse esteemed who only liue and dye among children Merchants liue now in as great fame as euer they did and painters caruers of images and bellfounders be better esteemed then husbandmen although husbandry in
chiefe guide and conductor in all their trauels and very propitions vnto them in trafficke and trading All the spoiles they tooke in the warres they vowed and consecrated vnto Mars for their victory obtained so as in many Cities you might see great heapes of warlike spoiles laide together and if any one stole any part of the prey to his owne purse hee was seuerely punished The Gaules perswaded themselues that they were the of spring of Pluto the god of riches and therefore they celebrated the beginning of their feasts the night before the feast day supposing that night to bee consecrated vnto Dis The men suffered not their children once to come into their sights before they were growne to mans estate that they were able to manage armes holding it vnfitting and absurde that the sonne while hee is a childe should approach neere the presence of his father The husbands looke how much money they receiued with their wiues in portion so much did they adde vnto it out of their owne stocke and all the increase that came of that coyne was reserued and kept for him or her that was suruiuer The husbands had power and authority of life and death as well ouer their wiues as ouer their children and if any mans wife were conuicted of witch-craft or sorcery she was put to death by her husbands neighbours and friends either by fire or by some other greeuous torments In their funerals all those things which the deceased person held deere vnto him in his life time yea the beasts he loued best were burned with him and not much before the Country was conquered by Iulius Caesar their seruants and retainers were burned with their Maisters dead bodies In their Cities which were maruellous wel gouerned a few of the most worthy and substantialest men amongst them ruled the rest hauing at the first one chiefe ruler ouer them who continued his office for a yeere and in warres they vsed likewise to appoint one to take the charge and command vpon him of al matters belonging to the warres If any priuate person heard any thing spoken by strangers touching the common-wealth they were to make report thereof to the Magistrates though some things they might conceale without danger It was not lawfull for any one to mutter any thing in secret of the common-wealth but in publike places and hee that came last into the councel-house was put to death If any factious fellow raised any tumult or mutiny there was sent vnto him an officer with a sword in his hand ready drawne to proclaime silence and if hee desisted not at the second or third proclamation the officer would curtaile so much of his cloake or cassocke thereby to put him to disgrace as the remnant that was left would serue him to no purpose The chiefe Magistrates had golden maces carried before them they wore chaines about their neckes and bracelets on their armes The common people wore short cloakes and in steed of coates a loose garment slit on the one side that would scarce couer halfe their buttocks their wool is very rough long and shaggy so as their cassockes they called Lenae were maruellous rugged and hairy They tooke great delight in trimming dressing their haire They be tal of stature and for the most part pale of complexion and their armor and weapons are answearable to the proportion of their bodies for they wore long swords hanging at their right sides and long shields proportionable to their speares wherewith they might couer their thighes some of them also had bowes and were very good archers but yet they vsed shooting more in fowling and birding then in the warres and few of them would goe into the field either with slings or clubs They lay vpon the ground and eate their meate sitting vpon straw the substance of their meate was either milke or flesh and especially hogs-flesh for they haue such store of swine feeding in their fields and so large so strong and so swift that strangers that know not their nature are as fearefull of them and in as much daunger as if they were wolues They haue sheepe in as great aboundance as swine whereof when they bee fed and powdred they send many to Rome and diuers other parts of Italy and there sell them Their buildings dwelling houses were made of wood in proportion of shels beeing very large with many spars or rafters They bee naturally cruell and simple withall and in the warres more valiant then politike and much more addicted to follow the warres then husbandry The French women be exceeding fruitful in so much as Gallia Belgica alone sent vnto the warres at one voyage aboue three hundred thousand fighting men when they haue had any victory they bee wonderfull ioyfull and as much amazed after an ouerthrow Their custome was when the battaile was ended and the souldiors departed the field to cut off the heads of their vanquished foes and to hange them at there horse neckes and so to carry them home and there to sticke them vpon poles for a spectacle vnto others But the heads of worthy and renowned souldiors if any such were slaine they would season with odors of Cedar-tree and keepe them for strangers to looke vpon not suffering them to bee ransommed for their weight in gold The ancient Country guise was to weare chaines of gold bracelets and garments spangled with gold In their Diuinations their manner was to strike a man ordained for that purpose vpon the backe and then by his impatience and manner of affliction in his death to Iudge of future euents They had other sorts of humaine sacrifices also for some they would shoot to death and then hang them vpon gibbets within their Temples and some of them would make a great huge Image and put therein men wood sheepe and diuers other sorts of cattaile and so sacrifice them altogether The Frenchmen by reason of their continuall labour and exercise were wont to bee very macilent leane and lanck bellyed for they were so carefull to auoyde all pampering and excesse that if any young mans belly did out-grow his girdle he was openly punished But at this day the French-men by reason of their commerce conuersation and continuall acquaintance with the Romaines are greatly altered from what they were and their manners much bettered for they bee now most ardent professors of the true Religion and all vnder the gouernement of one King Their marriages be solemnized after the Italian rites they be very studious in all the liberall arts and in diuinity especially which is well demonstrated by the great multitude of Students in the citty of Paris which is now the most famous and renownedst Vniuersitie in all Christendome The lawes in France be executed by Magistrates but instituted by the kings their horsmen in time of warres go al in compleat armor and their footmen in light harnesse they haue many good archers that shoote well in long bowes and their bowes be not
to the first Court of Parliament which is there by them so ratified and confirmed as no one can appeale from it and he which is found guiltie before them must pay vnto the Courts three-score pounds of Tours weight and some are adiudged to pay more according to the quality of the offence but if the party so condemned thinke that his cause was not well vnderstood and discussed and that he had some iniurie done him thereby receiuing some losse or hinderance hee may bring the matter thus crazed by misinformation againe into question before the Iudges but it shall not be heard vnlesse he pawne and put into their hands an hundred and twenty pounds to stand to their censure The fourth Court in the Court of Requests and is kept by the Masters of the Kings pallace or Masters of requests and supplications and none shall haue their causes heard there but only the kings seruāts or such as haue some priuiledges from the King and they shall not be molested in other Courts of this Court there be onely sixe Iudges it is lawfull to appeale from them to the Parlament If in handling controuersies any great difficulty arise it must be decided by the assembly of all the Iudges and Councellors of euery Court together which happeneth oftentimes in matters proposed by the King touching the gouernment of the Commonwealth for no law can be throughly established without the consent of this Senate or Parlament-house In this Parlament the Peeres of France and other masters of Requests that be the kings fauorites may sit as assistants vnto the Iudges and their places be next vnto the Presidents of the first Court or Chamber but all matters touching the king or any of the Peeres be defined and determined by the Peeres themselues and the Iudges of the first Court. There be twelue chiefe Peers elected out of all the Nobility of France whereof sixe be spirituall men six temporall the spirituall Peeres be the Bishop of Rhemes the Bishop of Lavdunum and the Bishop of Langres which be called Episcopi Duces or chiefe Bishops the Bishop of Beuvois the Bishop of Noyon and the Bishop of Challons which be Episcopi Comites or secundarie Bishops The sixe secular Peeres be the Duke of Burgundie the D. of Normandie and the Duke of Aquitania which bee chiefe Princes or Arch-dukes the Duke of Flanders the Duke of Tholousa and the Duke of Campania which be secundary Princes These twelue according to the opinion of Robertus were first instituted by Charles the great who taking them with him into the warres called them his Peeres as hauing equall power in assisting of the King and they were euer present at his coronation and yeelded obedience to no other Court but onely to the King and his Court of Parliament And these be the ancient and later maners of the Gauls and French-men and their customes most worthie of memorie Of Spaine and of the manners of the Spaniards CAP. 23. SPAINE the greatest country in Europe is situated betwixt France and Affricke and bounded with the Ocean sea and the Pirenaean hils It is comparable to any other country both for fertilitie of soyle and aboundance of fruites and vines and so sufficiently stored with all kind of commodities that be either necessarie or behoofull as it affordeth great part of her superfluitie to the city of Rome and all Italy ouer If you require gold siluer or pretious stones there they are in aboundance if mynes of Iron and sundry other mettals you shall find no defect if wines it giueth place to none and as for oyles it excelleth all other nations of Europe besides that they haue such store of salt as they neuer boyle it but dig it out of the earth in full perfection Yea there is no part of their ground be it neuer so barren but it yeeldeth increase of one thing or other the heate of the Sunne is not there so violent as in Affricke nor be they tossed with such continuall stormes and tempestuous winds as France is but there is an equall temperature of the heauens and wholesomnes of the ayre ouer all the Region it beeing greatly wasted with marine winds without such foggie mists and infectious exhalations as proceed from fennes and moorish grounds There is great plenty of hempe flaxe and broome the pill or skin wherof serueth to tye vp their vines and it affordeth more vermilion then any other countrie besides The currents of their riuers be not so swift and violent as they thereby become hurtfull but gentle and mild to water and manure their fields and medowes and the armes of the Ocean sea which adioyne vnto them affoord great store of fish and yet for no one thing was Spaine more commended in times past then for the swiftnesse of their horses whereof grew this fiction That the Spanish horses were conceiued of the winds Spaine taketh her beginning at the Pyrenaean hilles and winding by Hercules pillars extendeth to the Northerne Ocean so as all places contained within that compasse may iustly be said to be of Spaine The breadth of Spaine as Appianus writeth is ten thousand stadia the length much answerable to the breadth it ioyneth vnto France only at the Pyrenaean hils and on al other sides it is inclosed with the sea it is distinguished and knowne by three names Tarragon Bethica and Lusitania Tarragon the chiefe citties whereof were called Pallantia and Numantia now called Soria at the one end ioyneth vnto France and vnto Bethica and Lusitania at the other The Mediterranean sea runneth by the South-side thereof and vpon the North it lyeth opposite to the Ocean the other two prouinces be diuided by the riuer Anas so as Bethica the chiefe citties whereof were Hispalis and Corduba looketh West-ward into the Atlanticke sea and into the Mediterranean vpon the South Lusitania lyeth opposite onely to the Ocean the side of it vnto the Northerne Ocean and vnto the Western at the end the city Emerita being once the chiefe Cittie of that Prouince Spaine was first called Iberia of the riuer Iberus and after that Hesperia of Hesperus the brother of Atlas and lastly it was named Hispania of Hispalis now called Sibilia Their bodies bee very apt to indure both hunger and labour and their minds euer prepared for death they bee very sparing and strict both in their diet and euery thing else and they be much more desirous of warres then of peace So much as if warres be wanting abroade they wil grow to ciuill dissention and home-bred garboiles among themselues They will suffer torments euen vnto death rather than reueile a thing committed to their secrecie hauing more care of their credits and trust reposed in them then of their liues They be maruellous nimble and swift of pace and of an vnquiet and turbulent disposition their horses be both speedie and warlike and their armes more deare vnto them then their bloud They furnish not their tables with daintie
entred into great part of the Atlantick shore wherein many townes citties and Islands were discouered and found forth in all which places by his meanes the faith of Christ was made knowne and Churches there erected especially in those Islands which before lay desart the principall whereof was the Iland of Wood commonly called Medeyra now a most famous and fruitfull Iland But in the end as there is no certaintie in mortal matters in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one thousand foure hundred and three score this Henry was surprised by death and for that he was neuer married he had lest al which he had got by his voiages traueling by sea vnto the crown of Portugal as his proper inheritance which being giuen by his own hands continued vnto the time of Iohn the second of that name without enuy or emulation of other forraine kings or Princes In which Kings daies Columbus a Genoan borne a very skilfull Sayler being repulsed vnregarded and dismissed by the same King Iohn to whome he promised to discouer the West Indies by the ayde and furtherance of Ferdinand and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile he most fortunately attempted the voyage and found out those large and ample prouinces to their great and vnspeakeable profit shewing also how they might come to them by shippes This Iohn oftentimes reuoluing in his minde the affaires of the East Indies of whose fruitfulnesse many and sundry things were deliuered by auncient writers Amongst his other great labours and costes whereof hee was no niggard hee determined to send certaine men skillfull in the Arabian tongue vnto those prouinces and especially vnto Prestor Iohn whereof two of them which hee sent were Alfonsus of Payua borne at the white Castell and another Iohn Peter of Couilham both Portingales These luckely began their iourney from Schalabiton the seauenth day of May in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one thousand foure hundred foure-score and six and fayning them selues to be Marchants for their more quietter passage they iournyed first to Barchiona from thence to Naples and so to Rhodes then taking their iourney from Alexandria they arriued lastly at Cayre and their getting the company of some Marchants they tooke their iourny towards Thor where taking shipping they arriued neere a certayne citty called Cuaquen sytuated on the Aethiopian shore from thence they sayled towards Adenes where they agreed betwixt themselues that Alphonsus should returne againe into Aethiopia vnto Prestor Iohn and that Peter should go forward into India but Iohn hauing found out Calecut Goa and the whole shore of the Malabars sayled to Zofala and from thence againe to Adenes so went straight to Caire expecting to finde his companion there and that they might returne together into Portingale to their king for they appointed when they went from Adene to meete againe at a time limited at the same Cayre whither when he was returned he receyued letters from King Iohn out of Portugale by the hands of two Iewes whereof one was called Rabbi Abraham a Biensian and the other Ioseph a Lamacensian by which letters he was certified that his fellow Alfonsus was there dead and whereby hee was also commanded not to returne into his country before hee had vewed Ormuzia and saluted Prestor Iohn of whose state the king did greatly desire to be certified Wherefore Iohn Peter not knowing what his companion Alphonsus had done in his life time went backe againe to Adenes accompanied with the same Rabbi Abraham and sent Ioseph backe againe to the King with letters signifiing his trauels and what he had done so taking water sayled from Adenes to Oromuzia where leauing Abraham the Iew and dispatching him with more letters to the King he determined to saile towards Mecha which when hee had deseryed he ernestly desired to see mount Synai from thence hee departed to Thor and againe taking shipping and passing ouer the straights of the Erythrean sea hee came to Zeila and from thence went all the rest of the way on foote vnto the court of Prestor Iohn who was then called Alexander of whome beeing very curteously receiued hee deliuered vnto him the letters which hee had from King Iohn offerring into his hands also the Topography or Mappe wherein he might see all our voyage This Alexander determining to send him backe to his King was preuented by death that hee could not doe it who being dead his brother surnamed Nau succeeded him in his place of whome this Iohn Peter could neuer obtaine licence to depart into his country and Nau dying likewise his liberty to depart was in like manner denied him by Dauid the Sonne of Nau and next heire to his Kingdome but seeing hee could by no meaues haue leaue to depart from that prouince and to mitigate and asswage the exceeding desire he had to returne home the King bestowed vpon him most ample and large gifts and then he tooke to his wife a noble woman of whome hee begot many children This man our Embassadors found out in the court of Prestor Iohn and had conferrence with him from whence when they departed in the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred twenty and sixe they were very desirous to take him with them into their country and he himselfe was as willing to depart but they could neuer get leaue of king Dauid for hee euer answered to their desires that hee receiued that man of his father Nau when he receiued his Kingdomes and that hee would regard him with the like care and loue as he did his Kingdomes And that there was noe cause why it should bee irckesome to him to liue amongst the Aethiopians where both from his fathers liberality and his owne he had receiued great welth and riches This Iohn Peter as our Embassadors reported was skilfull almost in all languages for which cause and more especially for his wisdome which was very great was he so earnestly retayned of the Aethiopian Emperors from whome they exactly understood the estate of Portugall and their nauigations by the often recytall whereof as he was very learned and eloquent he purchased the loue and affections of the people of Aethiopia both to him-selfe and to vs all After Iohn the second King of Portugall was dead and Emanuell most happily succeeded him in his Kingdome he sent a nauy whereof Vascus a Gama was gouenor in the yeare of our redemtion one thousand foure hundred ninty and seauen for Aethiopia who disankerring at Vlysbone and recouering and escaping that dangerous poynt called caput bonaespei at last arriued in East India where by armes they reduced many prouinces and citties vnder our subiection and gouernment which newes being made knowne in Aethiopia by the borderers as also by some Portugalls which at that time came out of India to Prester Iohns Court Helena the grand-mother of David who by reason of Dauids non age had the administration and gouernment of his Kingdomes sent one Mathew Armenius a skilfull man and learned in
the sytuation of our countries should bee publikely knowen which matters I neuer writ vnto any one till this time nor yet declared in words not that I was sparing of my labour but because no Christian after my comming into portugall desired to know such things of me whereof I could not nor cannot but greatly maruell And seeing by many arguments I perceiue that you much desire the knowledge of our affaires I beeseech you by the wounds of our Sauiour Christ and by his crosse to put this my confession of our faith and religion into the latine tongue that by your meanes all the Godly Christians of Europe may vnderstand our customes the integrity of our maners Moreouer if in your trauells you hap to goe to Rome then let mee intreat you to salute in my name the Pope the most reuerent Cardinalls Patriarches Archbishops and Bishops and all other the true worshippers of Christ by Christ Iesus in a kisse of peace and that you will desire of the Pope that hee will send vnto me Francis Aluarez furnished such letters whereby he may answere my Lord the Emperor of Aethiopia that after my long stay I may returne into mine owne country and visit my owne mansion house for I haue bin long here detained that before my death which by reason of my great age is at the dore I may effect that which I am commāded And that hauing furnished this Embassage I might dedicat the residue of my life vnto God only spēd my time in deuotion moreouer I intreate you if you finde any thing in my writings not well penned that you will frame it to the latine phrase but in such manner as in no point you alter the sēce lastly I desire you that in your translatiō you wil search the old new testament that you may know from what place I haue alleaged my authorities that you may be more certain in your translation but if I haue not handled euery thing so happily as may satisfie those which bee curious I am to be pardoned by reasō of my want of Chaldean bookes whereof I haue none for those I had I lost by misfortune in my iourny wherefore being destitute of the vse of all bookes I could speake of nothing but what was fresh in my memory yet haue I deliuered all things most faithfuly Farwel my deare beloued sonne in Christ Vlispone the twenty foure day of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord God 1534. When I had finished this busines I remembred my selfe of that place whereas I say that Christ descended into hel for the soule of Adam and for the soule of Christ which the same Christ receiued of his mother S. Mary the virgin Of which thing wee haue an assured testimony in those bookes which wee call the bookes of gouernance which Christ Iesus deliuered vnto his Apostles in which bookes be expressed these words which be called the misteries of doctrines by whose authority and testimony we all of vs continue in this opinion without doubting but after I came into Portugall I found diuines teaching a contrary doctrine against all our opinions which is so certaine as wee doe not onely beleeue this but also affirme that the soules of all men had their beginning from Adam and that as our flesh is of the seed of Adames flesh so like-wise our soule being as a candle kindled by the soule of Adam had her originall and nature from Adam whereby it appeareth that we bee all the seede of Adam both of the flesh and of the soule All the relation aboue sayd was written and subscribed with the Embassadors owne proper hand with the Chaldean caracters The deploration of the people of Lappia by the same Damianus a Goes I Thinke it not vnfitting most worthy Bishop to make some mention in the end of this treatise because this also appertaineth to faith and to the vnion of the Church of Iohn Magnus Gothus Archbishoppe of Vpsalia in the Kingdome of Suetia that by him we may be moued to take compassion of the people of Lappia for this Iohn Magnus Gothus was borne of very good parents and rich maruelous well seene in the Scriptures and of an honest conuersation and so addicted to the Roman Church that for the zeale therevnto he lost the great Archbishoppricke of Vpsalia with all the reuenewes thereunto belonging amounting to forty thousand crownes a yeare and al his patrimony besides and hauing lost both dignity and goods and tossed in the variable streames of fortune he lay close in Prussia liuing poorely a long time at the Citty Daniz in Germany where while I was dispatching my Kings affaires in those parts of Germany I grew into great familiarity and indissoluble friendship with him and with Olaus Magnus Gothus his brother which two I afterwards found vnlooked for at Vecenza in poorer estate then befor they wer vnto which place they went purposly by reason of a councel divulged wherby they conceiued much hope for themselues and redresse of their calamities And when the councell was discontinued adorned those good mē being vtterly depriued of al their goods wherwith while they inioyed them they often in those Northerne parts contended much in defence of the Roman Church and yet would haue contended if matters had prospered remoued to Venice there to get their liuing either vpon others liberality or by their owne industry and labour which was cheefly in teaching and instructing others for other succor could they get none but that they reposed their whole cōfidence in Gods assistance whither when they were come they were very curteously intertained only of Hieronymus Quirinus the Patriarke of Venice in his Patriarchship and ther they remaine to this day expecting the divulging of that councel vnder the Archbishoppricke of Vpsalia is contained a great part of that large and vast prouince of Lappia the people wherof be ignorant of the laws of our Sauiour Christ which as I vnderstand by many good and credible men proceeded from the abhominable extortion and couetuousnesse of the prelates and nobles for if they were Christians they should bee free from those taxations and tributes wherwith they as Ethnickes be punished on the other side the nobility and Bishops wax rich and welthy and therefore they forbid them to be Christians least bearing the sweet and delectable yoke of Christ they might withdraw from there tirany and extortion some part of their gaines and diminish some parte of their taxations wherby that miserable nation is most beastly and insatiably vexed and oppressed by those Monarches bearing the burthen most impatiently for if they were Christians they should pay no more tribute vnto them than other Christians pay vnto their princes And therefore nothing regarding the saluation of so many soules they preferre their horrible sacrilegious gaine before the true Faith and Christian religion so as they may rightly bee said to carry the keies and neither enter them-selues nor suffer others to enter Q insatiable
Abraham and his seed The Israclites lawes ordained by Moses Moses lawes The manner of the Iewes oblations The opinion of Heathen writers concerning the Iewes Three sectes of the Iewes The Pharises The Saduces The Esseians Media why so called The confines of Parthia Foureteene kingdomes vnder the Parthians The Confines of Persia and why so called The Persian gods The Persians create their Kings all of one family The discription and bignesse of India Fiue thousand Cities and 〈◊〉 walled townes in India The long liues of the Jndians The Jndians haue neither written lawes nor learning Their Kings are committed to the keeping of women The people of India once deuided into seauen orders The first was the order of Philosophers The second order of husbandmen The third order is of sheepheards Artificers the fourth order The fifth of of soudiers Tribunes in the sixth order The common Councell the seuenth order No slaues amongst the Jndians The Padae kill their friends when they be sicke The Cymnosophists The people called Cathiae Monstrous and prodigious people The Cathaeians Scythia why so called The Scythians delight in humane slaughter The Scythian gods How the Scythians bury their kings The Massagetae The Seres in Scythia The Tauro-Scythians The Agathirsi The Neuri The Anthropophagi The Melanchlaeni The Budini The Lyrcae The Argyphaei The Issedones The scituation of Tartaria Tartaria why it is so called Tartaria aboundeth with cattaile Foure sorts of Tartarians Canguista first King of Tartaria How the Tartarians are apparrelled Some Tartarians are Christians but very bad ones How the Tartarlans elect their Kings The Georgians a kinde of Christians The Armenians were Christians likewise till they were vanquished by the Tartarians The limits of Turkie Turkie inhabited by people of sundry nations Mahomet his parentage Sergius the Munck a helper of Mahomet Mahomets lawes compounded of diuerse sects The manner of the Turkes warfare Three sorts of footmen Friday a solemne holy day with the Turkes VVhereof the Clergie be so called The Creed The 10. Commandements The seuen Sacraments The festiuall dayes throughout the yeare Europe why so called The limits of Europe The commendations of Evrope The discription of Greece Thermopilae The Region of Greece Athens and why so called Dracoes lawes to the Atheninians The citty of Athens diuided into societies by Solon The councellin Areopagus A strange law for women Mony dowries forbidden Against slaunderers The punishment for adultery A law for the maintenance of souldiers children A law for the benefit of Orphanes and VVards The original of the Athenians Their inuentions The three lawes made by Cecrops against women How the Athenians bury those which are slaine in the warres Marathron is a city not far from Athens Lycurgus law giuen to the Lacedemonians Eight and twenty Elders elected Democratia Olygarchia or gouernment of the Tribunes The diuision of their land by the Olygarthy The vse of money prohibited and iron money made Men called their wiues their mistresses Maides exercises Old men that had young wiues permitted young men to lye with theÌ„ The manner of electing officers Lycurgus exild himself voluntarily The discipline of Creete No venimous creatures in Creete No King admitted that hath children because their Kingdome shal not be hereditary The King that offendeth is famished to death The diuision and bounds of Russia One seed time yeeldeth three haruests Russia aboundeth with Bees VVood turned â—nto stone The Russians cannot indure to call their Gouernor a King but a Duke as a name more popular Many Russians make themselues bondmen Lithuania is full of moores and fennes Samogithia The limits of Hungaria The limits of Boemia The ancient limits of Germany Germany deuided into superior and inferior Germany why so called The punishmeÌ„t for murder Drunkennesse a commendation amongst the Germaines The Germains were great dicers The later manners of the Germanes The Germains diuided into foure sorts of people whereof the first is the Clergie The second order is of the Nobilitie The third order is of cittizens Citizens deuided into two sects The fourth order is of husbandmen The limits of Spaine Saxony why so called The Saxons deuided into noble-men free-men libertines and slaues Merccury obserued as a god by the Saxons A Temple in Alberstade de dicated to our Lady The Saxons immoderate drinkers The bounds of VVestphalia Secrete Judges ordained by Charles the Great ouer the VVestphalians Franconia why so called The bounds of Franconia The fertility of Franconia The Princes of Franconia The Bishop of Herbipolis one of the Princes of Franconia The limits of Sueuia Sueuia why so called There may no wines bee brought into Suevia Much cloth made in Sueuia Bauaria why so called The bounds of Bauaria Bauaria heretofore gouerned by Kings but now by Dukes The lawes vsed in Bauaria which they receiued when they receiued Christianity The manner how the Carinthians elect their Duke A seuere punishment against theeues The discription of Stiria Italy first called Hesperià and then Ocnotria Italy why so called The length of Jtaly Jtaly deuided into many Prouinces The hill Apenine deuideth Italy into two parts The praise of Jealy Italy the nurse of all nations The commendations of Rome The stature and complexion of the Italians and how they differ Three sorts of Cittizens Three orders of Free-men The Dictator their chiefest officer Three sorts of Citties How Romulus disposed the cittizens of Rome into sundry orders and degrees The ground deuided into thirty equall parts The office of the Patritij How the Patritians and Plebeians behaued themselues one towards another The Centumviri elected which were after called Senators of Rome The election of three hundred yong men called Celeres The office of the King The office of Senators The priuileges of the Plebeians The office of Celeres The Milites elected The lictores ordayned â—â—wes made by Romulus VViues made equall to their husbands Jt was Death for a woman to drincke wine VVhat power parents had ouer their children Numa Pompilius and his lawes The Feciales ordained The people deuided into sunday bands called Classes and centuries The first Classis The second Classis The third order or Classis The fourth Classis The fift and last degree The Kings put downe and Senators ordained The Dictator elected Tribunes of the people ordained The Decemviri created and Consuls put downe The two Censors created A Praetor ordained The manner of celebration of the games called Ludi Circenses Jnterludes how they began How the Romanes deified their Emperors The apparel of the Italians Galatia why so called The bounds of Gallia Gallia why so called The diuision of France The seuerall prouinces of Gallia Belgica The French men a factions people The office of the Druides The Equites an other sort of people Husbands had power to kil their wiues The latter customes of the French Capricorne ruleth in France The Parlament of France The 12. Peeres of France The commendations and riches of Spain and her bounds Spaine why so called The bounds of Portugall England also called great Brittaine England once called Albion The Saxons once Lords of England Anglia why so called The compasse of England England the first Christian Island London the chiefe city The auncient manners of the Britans Scotland denided from England Of Scotland Stowes Annal Anno Eliz. primo Syllura The Jsles called Eubudes The Island called Thyle now called Jsland The Gymnesiae or Baleares Of the Jsland found out by Iambolus They haue a time prefixed how long to liue An admirable herbe A rare beast Seuen other Jslands Of Taprobane The conclusion of the booke Of the Thyni Of the Aritonâ— Of the Dardani Of the Gelactophagi Of the Iberi Of the Vmbrici Of the Celtae Of the Pedalij Of the Telchines Of the Tartessij Of the Lucani Of the Samnites Of the Limyrnij Of the Sauromatae Of the Cercetae Of the Mosyni Of the Phryges Of the Lycij Of the Pisidae Of the Ethiopians Of the Buaei Of the Basuliei Of the Dapsolybies Of the Ialchleueians Of the Sardolibies Of the Alitemij Of the Nomades Of the Apharantes Of the Baeoti Of the Assirij Of the Persae Of the Indi Of the Lacedemonij Of the Cretenses Of the Autariatae Of the Triballi Of the Cusiani Of the Cij Of the Tauri Of the Sindi Of the Colchi Of the Panebi The stature and disposition of the Barbarians The age of the Barbarians The Barbarians neglect all worldâ—y things All Barbarians go naked
the Prouince of Celtica which is all that which is now the countrie of Lyons and from that againe vnto the Pyrenaean hils is the country of Aquitanica once called Armorica Augustus deuideth France into foure parts by adding to those three the Prouince of Lyons And Ammianus maketh many subdiuisions by distributing the country of Lions into two parts and Aquitanica into two parts Braccata Gallia which is also called Narbon was so called of a certaine fashion of mantles or breeches called Braccae which by them were much worne Gallia Belgica which adioyneth vnto Rhene speaketh for the most part the Almaine tongue and comprehendeth many prouinces as Heluetia Alsatia Lotharingia Luxenburg Burgundy Brabant Gelderland Holland Zeland all which may bee more rightly accounted part of Germany then of France but that the riuer of Rhene hath deuided it from Germany And surely I see no reason why hils riuers should limit bound Kingdoms but rather the language and gouernment and that each Country should extend as farre as his owne proper language is spoken The Romanes called the people of Gallia by one generall name Celtae after the name of their King and Gallatae of Galata his mothers name but they bee now called Franci and Gallia France of those people of Germanie so called by whom it was al subdued as Baptista Mantuanus writeth in his booke intituled Dionysius and Anthonius Sabellicus in his third booke of the tenth Aeneade The Dictator Caesar saith that the French men doe differ much amongst themselues both in language lawes and institutions and that many things be common to most of them as to bee factious which is a general aspertion not only vnto Citizens and Burgesses but in priuate families also for euery one as he excelleth others in wealth or wisdome contendeth to haue the souerainty and to aduance his owne faction coueting to haue all things done by his owne direction rather then by others though as wise wealthy as himself an other institution they haue very ancient and grounded vpon good reason that is that the common people should liue in security and not bee iniured by the nobility for but for that there is no country in the world wherein the clownes liue in greater contempt and slauery then in France for there was held little difference betwixt them and slaues being neuer called to any publike councel but oppressed with tributes or constrained to lend their money without security in so much as they were content to retaine to noble men and gentlemen yeelding themselues as slaues and bondmen vnto them only to bee freed from other mens extortions and wrongs There were two sorts of men that caried most estimation amongst them which were the Equites and the Druides some likewise did attribute as much honour to Poets and Prophets as vnto the Druides for that the Prophets bended their whole courses to finde out the causes of natural things the Poets wholy imployed themselues in praises and poems and all these were by Caesar called by the name of Druidae These Druidae had the charge and ouersight of al sacrifices both publike and priuate their function was also to expound and interpret their religion and to instruct and bring vp children and young men in learning and decipline for the assemblies and troupes of such youth were much accounted of to them was committed likewise the disciding of controuersies the bounding limitting of mens grounds power to punish offendors by death torments or otherwise and if either priuate person or Magistrate offred to withstand or gainsay any of their decrees or refused to stand to their awarde they would interdict and forbid him to come to their sacrifices which amongst that people was the greatest punishment that could bee inflicted The Druides shunned the communication and company of all men least they should bee polluted and no one could haue iustice or bee honoured and reuerenced according to his place dignity and deserts if any of these Druides were against it They had one that was the gouernor and Arch-priest ouer them who bore the chiefest sway as head of the whole order and euer as one of those prouosts or gouernors died an other was elected in his roome out of those Druides either by worthinesse of person or plurality of voices This councel or Senate of Druides assembled at one time of the yeere at Lyons which is about the middle of France and there they kept their Sessions for the hearing and determining of all controuersies that were brought before them from al parts of the Country which kinde of Iudgement and establishing of lawes and statutes was afterwards receiued amongst al the nobles commons of France the superstition beeing first brought out of Britany and by them called the Parliament of which I will speake more hereafter The Druides were exempted from the warres and had immunity from tribute and whosoeuer addicted himselfe to that kinde of profession must learne by heart thousands of verses yea so many as some of them spent twenty yeeres in conning verses without booke nor was it lawfull for them to commit any thing to writing that belonged to the knowledge of that science for that they auoided all meanes that might either bee a helpe vnto their memories or anywise concerne the authority of that discipline and also that their idle superstitious rites might not bee laide open to the common people and yet all other sorts of Gaules and themselues in all other matters both publike priuate vsed at that time the Greeke character The Druides beleeued and preached the immortality of the soule that after her departure out of one body shee remooued into an other by which means al feare of death being taken away they were more hardy and venturous to vndergo al dangers They would reason and dispute much of the stars and of their motion of the magnitude the worlde and sytuation of the earth and of the naturall causes of things and power of their prophane gods they held a position likewise that the world was eternall and that the elements of fire and water preuailed one against an other by turnes An other sort of religious persons and which were most deuoute of all others were those they called Equites and they when they fell into any dangerous disease or any other perill of their liues would offer for the recouery of their health or auoiding of imminent danger a humaine sacrifice which sacrifice must euer bee solemnized by the assistance of some one of the Druides Some others of that sect had great huge Images made hallow and couered with twigges into the concauity whereof they would put men aliue and then set fire about the Image vntill all were consumed away The punishment inflicted vpon theeues and offenders they esteemed most gratefull and acceptable to their gods and all those ancient Gaules held the god Mercury in great veneration as first founder and inuentor of all arts and misteries the