GElderland 202 Geneva 304 Gâ—noa 337 Groningen 203 Guatimala 631 Guiana 641 H HEbrides 121 Hispaniola 634 Holland 201 Hungarie 378 I IAmaica 633 Iapan 621 Ilands of England 129 India Asiatica or East-India 574 Ireland 68 Italy 317 Iudea 551 K KAthaia 498 L LOrrayne 428 Lybia 376 M MAlta 373 Man the I le 120 Manly Arts breed martiall valour 29 Mantua 362 Marishes their description and use 44 Mexico 630 Millaine 336 The Great Mogor 578 Moldavia 539 Mona 120 Monomotapaâ— 453 Moravia 278 Moscovia 463 Mountaines their description and use 42 N NAplâ—s Kingdome 330 Narsinga 613 Natolla 540 Navarre 194 Negroes Land 429 Netherlands 195 New Spaine 630 Nicaragua 632 Norwey 212 Nova Francia 636 Numidia 427 O OF Observation 1 Over-Isel 203 P PAlatinate 285 People of the North their constitutions complexions and natures 8. Of the South 12. Of the middle Region 15 Persia. 563 Peru. 637 Polâ—nd 409 Popes Estate 320 Prester Iohn 444 R REligion a great advancer of Monarchie 30 Rewards military the benefit of them 30 Rivers their use in preserving of Empire 41 Roman Empire 262 Russia 463 SAvoy 364 Sarmatia 463 Saxonie 287 Situation the aptnesse of it for Empire 35 Of the Situation of Nations 4 Scotland 114 Sea the commodities in inlarging Empire 29 Seigniories divers pettie ones easily overcome one by one by a common enemie 37 Siam 602 Sicily 369 Spaine 222 States of the Low-Countries 200 Swethland 213 Switzerland 309 T TArtaria 494 Tartars their manners and armes 485 Temperature the division of it 2 Terra australis 643 Transylvania 394 Travell instructions for it 46 Treasure the use in Warre 33 Turkes their originall and story 554 Turkie 505 Turcomania 545 Tuscanie 324 V VAlour the commendations of it 23. Military Valour how increased 27 Venice 339 Virginia 635 Vrbine 361 Vsage to the Wars the effects 27. Free Vsage of people a meanes to make Princes potent 28 Vtrecht 203 W WAlachia 539 Wales 117 Weapons their qualities and advantages 32 West-India 625 Wildernesses their descriptions 45 Wisdome the use of it in Warres 25 World and the greatest Princes in it and the means to inlarge Dominion 19 X Great Xeriff 433 FINIS * The States of the world * Petrus Bertius Numbers Valour Wisdome Rashnesse I Vse 2 〈◊〉 3 Manly arts 4 Military rewards 3 Religion 4 Weapons Treasure Situation Pettie Seigniories 1 The commodities of the Sea for the defending or inlarging of Empire 2 Rivers 3 Mountaines 4 Marishes 5 Wildernesses 6 Desarts 〈◊〉 Of Minde Of Religion Of Persons and Places Of Language Of Reading Of Conference Of the body Of Exercises Of outward necessaâ—ies Of Money Of Bookes Of Apparell Manners of Nations Nature of Soiles Of people Of the Spaniard Of the Italian The Frenchman The German Of the Pole laque Of the Netherlander and Dane The Muscovite The Grecian The Turke The Persian The Armenian The Tartar The Moore The Savoyen The Switzer Government The Situation of England Bishopricks Wealth Qualities of the English England compared with Russia and Aethiopia With Germanie With Italie With Spaine With France M Paris fol. 68â— The King The Court. The Nobility Courts of Iustice. The Gentry The Citizens The Husbandman or Yeoman compared Compared with the Turk With the Hungarian With the Italian With the Spaniard With the Frenchmen With the German With the Irishman Concerning traffike The disposition of Male-contents abroad What other Nations conceive of us Spaine The Emperor The Pole and Moscovite The Turke Italy Millan Mantua Venice The Florentine The Pope Nâ—ples Sicil. The situation of England Forces At land Neighbourhood France The Spanish The Netherlands The Archduke Scotland Pit coale or Sea-coale Wales Ilands belonging to the Crowne of Great Brittaine Camden and Gyraldus Provinces Commodities Rivers Havens and Ports Paris Vniversitie London compared with Paris For populousnesse For neat and cleane streets For Aire For River For Bridges For a Castle For places of Retreit For seats of Iustice and concourse of Merchants For Colleges for students of the Lawes For Churches For decent riding For unconfused intermixtures For a Maior For the Court. Castles Charges Governments Lawes Officers of Court Great Master Gentlemen of 〈…〉 Mastâ—r or Stewâ—â—d of the Kings House Great Provost of France Great Faulciner and Common Hunt Gentlemen of the Kings Guard His Forces His Infantery Officers of waâ—â—e Constable The Marshall Admirall Discipline His Expence His Revenue The Domaine Conquest Pension Trafficke Sale of Offices Riches A good note Officers of his Finances The Treasurer Generalities Elections Receivers Controlleâ—s His Coine The Clergie The Temporal livings of the Church The grosse errors of the Cabinet of France 〈…〉 â—ecâ—es of â—â—ance Their Apparel Their Exercises Shooting Tennis-play Dancing Musicke Their Language 1. In deliberation 2. In matter of Warre 3. Entertaining of friendship 4. In managing 〈◊〉 〈…〉 his wife 6. In aptnesse to scoffe Townes Nature of the soile Forces Holland Gâ—ldeâ—lanâ— Over-Isel Vtrecâ—â— Groningen The Richeâ— Their forces By Land â—y Sea Belgian Riches Forces at Land At Sea Gotâ—â—â—â— Finland Riches Coâ—per Forces at land Sea-forces Fortifications Borders His dominions in Europe In Africa Within the Streights Without the Streights Vnder the Aequinoctiall In Asia In the New-World Islands Continent The riches of these places Peru. 〈◊〉 Philipinae His greatnesse in Europe Division of his dominions Spaine The Estates of Italy The dominion of India The Low-Countries Italian Provinces under the Spaniard Revenues ordinary Extraordinary Orders of Knighthood Malecontents The Iewes The Portugals The Arragonou The Nobles Revenues from Italie The Italian humouâ—â— The Indies 〈◊〉 yeare 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 made of another Oâ— Flanders Councell Government Correspondencie With the Pope With the College of Cardinals With the Emperour With the Archduchesse With France With Savoy Polonia With 〈◊〉 Tuâ—ks Forces at land Humours of the Spaniards Their Cavalrie Borderers The Venetians The French The Persian In Barbarie In Tuscanie Parma Vrbine Genoa Malta Lucca Venice From him Forces These Galleons I suppose were but poore â—â—gats Borderers Situation Plentie Climate Soyle Commodities Rivers Cities 〈…〉 Temporall Princes Revenue Forces Forces by Sea Austrich Bohemia Moravia 〈◊〉 Swevia Saxonie Situation Borderers Anhault Mansfield Force Erdford Dresden Vniversities Wittenberg 〈…〉 Fertilitie Riches Commodities People Manners of the people Artizans Merchants Nobles Valour Conceit of the English Councell Revenues The Duke of Brunswicke Bavaria Wirtemberg Michelburg Hesse Baden Ansbach Situation Circuit Strength The Territories Fertilitie Handicrafts Revenue Government Behaviour Situation The Causes of their first Revolts Levying of souldiers Government Their Soveraigne Magistrate Situation Length and Breadth Natures and manners of the people Merchants Artificers Husbandmen Sharers The King of Spaine The Pope The Venetians Genoa Florence Sienna Lucca Ferrara Mantua Vrbine Parma The Bishop of Rome Marchia Romagna Riches The State of Rome The College of Cardinals Tuscan Pisa. Florence Manners of the Florentines Arezzo Sienna His forces at land At Sea His Revenues Naples House of Piety Calabria Compasse and conteinue Calabria superior Situation Caesaria Gallipolis Apulia The extent Capitanato Mansredonia Puglia and Abruzze Malsi Benevento Forces at Land At Sea Revenue Nobilitie Riches Calabria Genoa Mâ—ineâ—s of the 〈◊〉 Venice The increase thereof The description Murano The Glasse-houses Venice The site thereof and hardnesse to approach Division of the State of Venice Of the Continent Of the Island s of the Gulfe Of the Islands out of the Gulfe Riches Of the Sea The strength of the State Forces at land At Sea Of Neighbours The Turke The Spaniard The Emperor The Pope Lombardie Milan Brescia Bologna Verona Modena Mantua Number of Inhabitants Moderne Forces Nature of the people Sicil. Garrisons 〈◊〉 Revenues Forces by land By Sea Bounded Fertility Manners Riches Forces Neighbours 〈◊〉 of Hungarie Bounded Government Forces at land forces by water Fortification Plentie Mines Reasons why the Turke standeth at a stay in Hungarie Causes of greatnesse of Empires Causes of declination Riches Revenues Neighbours Forces Government Riches Revenues Government Forces Riches Forces Infantery Pioners The description of Africke Creatures proper to Africke Numidia Gualata Tombut Gago Borneo Gaoga Kings Court. Its privileges Plentie His manner of government Revenues Forces Fertilitie State Revenue Borderers King of Borno Turke King of Adel. The Slaves Greatnesse Elephants teeth Mines Salomons Oâ—hir Government Fertility Riches Cair Anciently called Gâ—â—es Riches Bounded Shires Situation Mosco The soyle and climate Of Waters Forme of government 〈…〉 Riches and commodities Of his Entrada or Revenue Their crueltie in punishing offenders Of his strength Borderers The Circassi The Nagayans The Chrim Tartars Tartaria The Pole The large extent of all Tartaria Their features Their fashions Their Riches The ancient division Their moderne division Tartaria minor The Precopenses Tartaria deserta Astrachan The Zagataâ—e Bounded Fertilitie Forces His Coronation Government His Countries Cities Their Government The Iemoglans or tribute-children Their preferments A Beglerbeg A Sanziake A Chause The Spachi and then distinctions The Ianizars and their distinguishments Their birth-place Their training Their allowance Their licentious liberty Some say forty thousand The Azapi properly belonging to the Gallies The Tartars Forces at Sea Administration of Iustice. Revenues ordinary besides Timariots Extraordinary The Timariots Report saith that this is againe reconquered by the Persian Administration of Justice Borderers The Persian The Portugals Prester John The Xeriffe The Polander The Austrian The Venetians The Spaniard Patriarches of Constantinople Of Alexandria Of Ierusalem Of Antioch Thrace Gallipolis Macedon Epyrus Achaia Peloponnesus Dalmatia Maesia superior Servia Bulgaria Valachia The reason of the desolation of these Countries Moldavia Pontus Bithynia Bursia Asia minor Caramania Cappadocia or Amasia Cilicia Armenia minor Arabia Deserta Arabia Potrea Arabia Felix Situation Nature of the people The Curdines Gurgistâ—n or Georgia in times past Iberia Situation * Now Caesaria Pâ—ilippi * Now Gibelin Iordan Asphaltites Forces Galilie Nazareth Samaria Iudea Ierusalem Mount Calvarie Valley of Ichosaphat Bethlem Gaza Jdumea Phoenicia Sydon Acon Beritus Cities Government Desarts Forces Riches Borderers The Mogor The Zagatai The Turke One Tomana maketh twenty French Crownes Government Arts. Forces at land Force at sea Treasure Borderers Riches Forces Government Borderers Aracan Macin
the first patternes Vniversities indowed we onely have Our Armes and Navigations have made us Lords of the Vniverse Our Arts mechanicke are incomparable And all these hath God Almightie blessed with the seat of the Christian Religion among us Europe is much inlarged to the Northward since Ptolomees time The bounds are best seene in the map the length of it is about 3600. Italian miles the breadth 2200. miles The Religions are such as are professed in severall nations either by toleration as the Iewish by the Turke Emperour Pole Pope Venetian and Amsterdam or the Heathen in some remoter parts of Lapland Finland and Norwey where they are rather Witches than Christians Religions established by command are first Mahometisme under the Turke Secondly the Greeks religion in the same parts and in Russia Thirdly the Romish in Spaine Italy France Poland most of the dominions of the Emperour and other Princes of Germanie the Walâ—â—ns and Archduchesse Countries Fourthly the reformed Churches and they follow the doctrine either of the Scriptures Fathers and Councels according to their puâ—â—ty as in England or else have they a relation to the opinions of Doctor Luther as those of Sweden Denmarke the dominions of the Electors of Saxony Brandenburgh and divers others of Germany or of Master Calvin as in France especially the Palatinate Hessenland and Low Countries Calvinisme is also received in Hungaria and Transilvania where there be many reliques withall of Antitrinitarians Arrians Ebionites and Anabaptists Lower likewise in five of the thirteene Cantons of Helvetia and amongst the Grisons doe the Calvinists professe publikely In Bohemia Moâ—avia Silesia c. the Protestants of the Augustane confession were esteemed two third parts Of these severall Churches though some follow the Augustane confession as the Lutherans some the Helvetian as the Switzâ—â—s some the Gallicane as the Calvinists yet all of them agree in the fundamentall and saving points and all accord in their detestation of the Roman as is to bee seene in the Harmony of Confessions Of the Languages of Europe Scaliger finds eleven mother tongues the foure noblest of which be the Greeke Latine Sclavonian and Dutch each subdivided into her daughter-dialects â—â—e learned Greeke is no where vulgarly spoken at this day The moderne is nothing but a barbarous composition of Turkish Sclavonian and Italian with the old Greeke corrupted The Latine worne also out of vulgar use is degenerated into the Italian Spanish and French all which three were anciently called Romanse The Sclavonian is a large a stately tongue it hath these dialects the Bohemian Russian Polonian 〈◊〉 Windish and the Dalmatian The Characters be of two kindes the ancient called the Dalmatian and the Russian letter corrupted from the Greekish These Sclavonian dialects and tongues doe differ yet not so much as the Italian and Spanish The worst of the foure best is the German tongue and that varied into the high and Low Dutch as also into the Saxish Frisâ—an English North-Albing and the Danish which last is variously spoken by the Danes of Denmarke Sweden and Norway whence the Island speech also commeth if these two last be not the ancient Gothish The other seven of meaner elegancie are first the Albanian spoken by the Epirotes Secondly the Tartarian Thirdly the Hungarian brought out of Asia by the Hâ—nnes Fourthly the Finns and Laplanders speech in the North of Sweden Fifthly the Irish. Sixthly the Welsh whose worth being most expressively significant and having beene the language of the ancient Celtae and â—oken in the most part of Europe could not be valued because not understood by the learned Scaliger Dialects if this but much varied are our Cornish and that of Brittaigne in France Seventhly The Biscaigners inhibiting for seven dayes journey on both sides the Pyreâ—â—â— mountaines T is the reliques of the ancient Spanish before it was altered by the Latine Scaliger never heard of the Monks language spoken by ours of the I le of Man the most of which is surely derived from the Irish. The Wallons also of the Low Countries have a French dialect scarce to be understood by a peasant about Paris Ireland THis kingdome by the English Spanish and French is tearmed Irland or Ireland by the Brittish Yuerdhon by the Inhabitants Eryn According to the Celestiall Globe it is situated betweene the Artike Circle and the Tropike of Cancer but neerer the Artike containing in Latitude foure degrees and an halfe and according to the computation of our late Writers betweene the twentie and the 25. Paralels In the South parts their longest day is of sixteene houres with three fourths In the Northerne of almost eighteene According to the Terrestriall it stands between the greater Brittanie and Spaine on the East disjoyned from England wich a tempestuous sea termed Hibernicum not above one dayes sailing upon the West beateth the vast Ocean upon the North where the Deucalidon Ocean disgorgeth it hath Island disjoyned no further than a ship in one day may saile unto upon the South it beholdeth Spaine distant three dayes sailing and the Vergivian Sea From South to North it representeth an Ovall forme and by halfe is lesse than Brittanie Amongst many writers Camden whom a man may best relie upon reporteth that it containeth 400. miles in length and in breadth 200. The aire hereof is most wholsome the situation milde the weather temperate but not altogether good to ripen fruit For neither in Summer season the heat is so parching that it driveth the Inhabitant to seeke the shade neither the cold in Winter so rigorous but that he may well live from the fire side By the influence of the aire all parts of the yeare are tolerably warme It bringeth forth no venomous creature neither nourisheth any brought from other places The quality of the soile and constellation of the Heavens is moist with the most whereupon it commeth to passe that both inhabitants and strangers are troubled with the flix and Rheumes and holpen or prevented with drinking Aqua-vitae The Land is of divers Natures in some place rough and mountainous in others boggie and waterish shadowed with huge woods and exposed to the winds with intermixture of many great Lakes Yea in the ridge of their highest hils mountaines indeed I cannot terme them you shall find pooles marishes It hath goodly havens and delectable plaines but neither comparable to the woods for largenesse nor greennesse It is generally fertile except Vlster which in some parts is fertile in othersome barren And Conaght which in times past through idlenesse hath beene lesse manured than any other Country is fuller of hils and bogges and for the greatest portion woody The hils swarme with cattell and sheepe from whence they reape plenty of butter cheese and milke The wheat thereof is small and short and those vines which they cherish serve rather for shade than profit For in those countries the sunne entring into Virgo causeth cold gales to blow and in Autumne the' after-noones heat is so faint
losse of their Country in their utmost extremities retired themselves and there partly by the strength of the Mountaines and partly by the fastnesse of the Woods and Bogs where with that Province was for the most part replenished they purchased unto themselves places of safety which unto this day they have made good and retaine Thence-forth the English stiled the Countrey Wales and the Inhabitants Welshmen which denomination in the German language signifieth a Stranger an Alien a Guest or a New-come person that is to say one that speaketh a different language from that of the German for in their understanding Walsh signifieth a Forrainer or Stranger whether it be Italian or Frenchman if he differ in language from the German and Man is as Homo in Latine The Angles therefore being a people of Germany becomming Lords of Brittanie after their Country manner termed those Brittons who escaped the ruine of their Country Wallons or Welshmen for that they spake a language contrary to that of their owne and also the Soile whither they fled to inhabit Wallia which Name the Nation as well as the people retaine unto this day And so the Brittons lost their name together with their Empire The soile of the Country especially of that which adjoyneth unto the Sea or consisteth of Champian is most fertile which both to Man and Beast supplieth great store of provision but contrariwise for the Major part it is barren and lesse fruitfull and peradventure for that good husbandrie is wanting which is the cause that the Husbandmen live hardly eat Oaten-bread and drinke Milke sometime mingled with water In it are many fine Townes with fortified Castles and foure Bishopricks if Hereford be accounted in England as aforesaid according to the Moderne description The people have also a different language from the English which they who boast to derive their pedegree from the Trojan Line doe affirme to participate partly of the Trojan antiquity and partly of the Grecian Verily however the case standeth their pronuntiation is not so sweet and fluent as is the pronuntiation of the English for that the Welsh in my opinion do speak more neere the throat whereas on the contrary the English truly imitating the Latines doe pronounce their words a little betweene their lips which to the Auditor yeeldeth a pleasing sound Thus much of Wales the third portion of Brittany THe fourth and last part followeth and that is Cornewall This Province taketh its beginning upon that part of the Iland which looketh towards Spaine and the setting of the Sunne To the Eastward it stretcheth ninetie miles even a little beyond Saint Germains a fine Village and seated towards the right hand upon the Sea-shore where its greatest breadth is but twenty miles over For this portion of ground upon the right side is incircled with the Ocean upon the left with that inlet of Sea which as before we told you pierceth into the Land as farre as Chepstow where taking the similitude of a horne it runneth along first narrow and afterwards broader a little beyond the Towne of Saint Germaines Eastward it bordereth upon England upon the West the South and the North the maine Ocean incompasseth it The Soile is very barren and yeeldeth profit rather by the toyle of the Husbandman than its owne good nature But for Tinne it is admirable bountifull in the Mines whereof consisteth the better part of the Inhabitants happinesse However the Language is greatly different from the English but with the Welsh it participateth with no small affinitie for either language hath the denomination of many things in common The onely difference is that a Welshman hearing a Cornishman speaking rather understandeth some words than his whole speech A thing worthy admiration that in one and the same Iland there should be so different a confusion of Languages Cornewall pertaineth unto Exeter Diocesse and in times past was thought worthy to be accounted for a fourth part of the Iland partly for the dissimilitude of the language and partly for that it received the first inhabitants as aforesaid But afterwards the Normans who constituted a new forme of a Common-wealth admitted Cornewall amongst the number of the Counties THe first are the Sorlings lie against the Cape of Cornewall They are now termed Silly and are few lesse than 145. covered with grasse and inclosed with huge and massie rocks They are fruitfull enough for Corne but are used altogether to the feeding of Conies Cranes Swannes and Sea-Fowle Some of them yeeld Tinne and the fairest thereof is called Saint Maries being fortified with a Castle and Garrison The residue of lesse fame for brevitie we will willingly omit In the Severne Sea lie Chaldey and Londay Londay is two miles long and as many broad full of good pasture and abounding with Conies and Doves and those Fowles which Alexander Necham termeth Ganimed his birds And though it be wholly incircled with the Sea yet it yeeldeth fresh water from the Mountaines and openeth but one only passage where thorow two men can hardly passe afront the residue is inclosed with high and horrible overshuts of Rocks MOna or Anglesey is a famous Iland separated from Wales by a small fret the ancient dwelling place of the Druides It is two and twenty miles long and threescore broad Although that in ancient times this Iland seemed barren and unpleasant yet in these dayes it hath beene so well husbanded and become so fertile that it is stiled the Mother of Wales It is sufficiently stored with Cattell it yeeldeth the Grind-stone and the Minerall earth whereof Allom and Vitriall are confected It once contained 363. Villages and is at this day reasonable populous The Ilanders are wealthy and valiant and altogether speake the Welsh tongue MAn lieth just betweene the Northerne parts of Ireland and Brittaine In length it containeth little lesse than thirty Italian miles in bredth where it is broadest not above fifteene and in some places hardly eight In Bedas time saith Camden it contained three hundred families but now it can shew not above seventeene parish Churches It yeeldeth plentifull store of Flax and Hempe Tillage and Pasture Wheat and Barley but especially of Oats whereof for the most part the inhabitants feed There are also droves of Rother beasts to be seene flocks of sheep without number but generally all sorts of Cattell are lesse of growth than in England In stead of Wood they use a bituminous Cole in digging whereof sometimes they light upon trees buried in the earth The Inhabitants above all things hate theft and begging being but weake by nature Those which inhabit the Southerne parts speake the Irish tongue those whâ—ch dwell towards the North speake the Scottish THe Hebrides are foure and forty in number and lie upon the South of Scotland the Orcades are thirty and extend towards the North. The Inhabitants of the former speake Irish the people of the latter Gottish Wight is seated in the Brittish Ocean the
there be six of the Clergie 1. Arch-Bishop and Duke of Rhemes 2. Bishop and Duke of Laon. 3. Bishop and Duke of Langres 4. Bishop and Comte of Beauvais 5. Bishop and Comte of Novon 6. Bishop and Comte of Chalons Of Temporall 1. Duke of Burgundy 2. Duke of Normandie 3. Duke of Guyenne 4. Count of Tholouse 5. Count of Champaigne 6. Count of Flanders Since these were first instituted many other houses have beene admitted into the Pairrie by the Kings of France and the old worne out As to them of Burgundie and Flanders were added the Dukes of Bretaigne Burbon Anjow Berrie Orleans the Counts of Arthois Ereux Alenson Estampes all of the Bloud in Charles the fifths time Since also in the times of Charles the ninth and Henry the third have new Pairries beene erected as Nevers Vandosine Guise Monpensier Beaumont Albret Aumal Memorencie Vzes Pentheur Mercoeur Ioieuse Espernon Rets Mâ—nbâ—son Vantadoure and others Ye must observe that the five ancientest Pairries of the Temporality are returned to the Crowne the sixth which is of Flanders doth recognize it no longer as now being Spanish Some say these Pairres quasi paresâ—inter se were first erected by Charlemaigne others by Hugh Capâ—t and others which is holden for the truest by Lewis le yeune 1179. to aid and assist the King in his Councell saith Bodin And therefore the Session of the King with his Pairres was called The Parliament without addition as the Kings Brothers and Sisters are called Monsieur and Madame sans queve whereas all other Soveraigne Courts are named with an addition as Le Parlement de Paris le Parl. de Roven c. Yee may also observe that they of the Laity have the right hand of the King and the Clergie the left in all assemblies or solemne Sessions whatsoever I thinke this division of the Pairrie into these two sorts was derived from that ancient order of the Gaules of whom Caesar speaketh Of the Nobility of Gallia are two sorts the Dâ—â—â—des and Gentlemen where he likewise discourseth of their divers Offices This Honour of Pairre of France was at first given for life onely afterwards for them and their Heires Males and lastly to the women also for default of Males who likewise are called to sit in Councell and Assemblies as are the Queenes of France as at the Assembly at Blois and at the the Arrest of Counte de Clermont in the time of Saint Lewis where the Countesse of Flanders is named present among the other Peeres Ye must note that Peeres and Princes of the Bloud bee privileged from being subject to any Writ or Processe but in case of high Treason and then also no Processe can bee commenced against them before any other Iudges whatsoever but before the King sitting in his Court of Parliament sufficiently assisted by the Peeres of France All other Iudges are incompetent But to leave the discourse of this highest honour in France and speake of the Noblesse in generall ye shall read in history that at the end of the second Race of Kings they beganne to take their surnames of their principall Feifs Since when of later yeares some have contrarily put their surnames upon their Feifs which hath so confounded the Noblâ—sse saith Haillan as it is now hard to finde out the ancient and true Nobility These are they among whom the Proverbe is still currant A man of Wâ—rre should have no more learning but to be able to write his owne name And therefore their profession is onely Armes and good Horsemanship wherein if they have attained any perfection they little esteeme other vertues not caring what the Philosopher saith One only Anchor is not sufficient to hold a great ship Nor considering that the old Gallants of the World were wont to joyne the one with the other and ancient Painters were accustomed to paint the Muses all together in a troope to signifie that in a Nobleman they should not be parted Hereof it commeth that the French Noblesse glorying in their Armes call themselves The Arme of their Country the Guardians of Armes and Terrour of their Enemies but they never stile themselves the Professors of vertue This Estate of the Nobility saith one of all the three Estates is smallest in number of men and poorest in living which no question must needs be true after so long a civill warre and herewith accordeth he that wrote the late troubles The French Noblesse is fallen from their ancient wealth wherwith they were adorned in the times of Lewiâ— the twelfth and Francis the first And I durst affirme that if all they that bear this Title were divided into ten parts eight of them are impaired by sales morgages or other debts The same Author yeeldeth five reasons of the poverty of the Noblesse of France First the Civill Warres Secondly Superfluous expences in apparell Thirdly Houshold-stuffe Fourthly Building Fifthly Diet and Followers And in another place taxing the extreme prodigality superfluity of the French in their Apparell Building and Diet he saith If the Warre hath brought us foure ounces of poverty our owne follies have gotten us twelve I will not herein bee mine owne judge saith hee but let us doe as Players at Tennis be judged by all the lookers on and they will confesse that by these excessive expences a great number of the Noblesse goe a foot pace others trot and many runne post to the downfals of poverty I should in this relation of the French Nobility doe them great wrong to beleeve and report for truth what the Cabinet du Roy one of their owne Country saith of them who according to the severall Provinces giveth them severall Epithites The Noblesse of Berry saith he are Paillards Leachers they of Tourraine are Voleurs Theeves they of Guyenne Coyners they of Tholouse Traitors they of Narbonne Covetous they of Province Atheists they of Lyonnois Treacherous they of Rhoimes Superstitionâ—â— they of Normandie Insolent they of Prâ—â—â—die Proud and so forth of all the rest But I will doe them more right and conclude of them that for privilege and noblenesse of Race they may compare with any Nobility of Christendome For proofe of the first The King hath nothing of his Noblesse but Sword-service And for the second saith another The French Noblesse is composed of so famous houses that there are a dozen of them descended by right line from Kings that have peaceably possessed Kingdomes Having briefly spoken of the two first Estates of France the Clergy and Nobility It lastly remaineth I speake of the people in generall and namely of their freenesse of Speech manner of Diet kinds of Buildings sorts of Exercises fashion of Apparell diversitie of Language suddennesse of apprehending rashnesse in executing impatience in deliberation and divers other natures and humours proper to the Frenchmen wherein ye shall not looke for a methodicall and large discourse but a briefe and compendious remembrance of such things as I have read and observed in this Nation It is
three hundred beautified with Churches imbatteled and of many severall fashions besides Granges Castles Religious houses Towers and Gentlemens Manours The aire seemeth moist yet not prejudiciall to the health of the inhabitants for in the Campaine of Brabant men live an hundred yeares and glory in the same as if the promise were fulfilled in them to haue their dayes long in the Land which the Lord God hath given themâ— The Emperour Charles had an intention to erect it into a Kingdome but the difficultie consisted herein that every of thâ—se Provinces being governed by peculiar customes prerogatives and privileges would never have yeelded unto one Royall Law common to all especially those that had the largest privileges for which cause he gave over his determination It is seated commodiously for all the Provinces of Europe and containeth in circuit about a thousand Italian miles The aire of later times is become much more wholesome and temperate than in times past whether it be by reason of the increase of Inhabitants or industry of the people who spare no charge to amend whatsoever is amisse Whosoever shall consider what commodity they raise by the fishing and traffike onely may well say that no Nation through the whole world may compare with them for riches For Guicciardine writeth that of their Herring-fishing they make yearely 441000. pound sterling their fishing for Cod 150000. pound sterling and of their fishing for Salmon more than 200000. crownes which is of sterling money 60000. pound The continuall riches that groweth in the Country of other sorts of fish taken all the yeare is infinite The value of the principall Merchandize yearely brought in and carried out is likewise infinite the aforesaid Author esteemeth it to be about foureteene millions one hundred and thirty crownes whereof England only bringeth to the value of five millions and two hundred and fifty thousand crowns It is a wonder to see how that the Inhabitants of all these Provinces especially of Brabant and Flanders understand and speake two or three languages and some foure or more according to their entercourse with strangers yea in Antwerp you shall heare the women speake Dutch French Italian Spanish and English The Countrey is everywhere bettered by navigable Rivers and those not empty handed but affording delicate water and excellent fish It is reasonably beautified with woods affording materials to build withall and pleasure for hunting It is smally or not at all mountainous except about Namurs Lutzenburg and Henalt fruitfull of corne grasse and herbs fit for medicine in some places of Brabant and Gelder-land full of heath yet not so barren but cartell are well sustained there their flesh having an exdinary sweet taste It is free from those creatures which are either noysome or dangerous to man and wanteth none of those blessings wherwith the God of all blessings indoweth a country but a noble Prince unity of Religion and a quiet Government Which if it might please the Almighty to regrant it would questionlesse shine as the Sunne amongst the inferiour Planets with the rest of their adjacent neighbours in treasure potencie content and ordinary felicitie For their Forces at Land of them it may truly be reported that they have not only made their parties good against the potent wealth and exact discipline of the Spanish but have also at all times prevented the intimations intrusions and underminings of all their neighbours and lately regained the freedome of their ancient libertie even to point of admiration That where all other Nations grow poore by warre they only thrive and become rich For the store of shipping they are also immatchable In the yeare 1587. the King of Denmarke upon some pretences of displeasure arrested one with another 600. in the Sunds at one time In 88. upon short warning they rigged to the narrow seas 100. good men of warre And if suggestion deceive not at this day Holland Zealand and Freesland are said to rejoyce in the possession of 2500. good ships from 150. to 700. tun a peece In regard whereof other nations professing the same religion and accommodated with like advantages may first observe to what height of courage and confidence this people is growne by good order and faithfull dealing who in truth being but two or three small shires have for forty yeares space resisted and beaten the forces of a mighty King who keepes Millan Naples and Sicil under great bondage in despight of all the Italians for valour and policie notwithstanding proclaiming themselves to be the sole Minions of the habitable world But truth is These petty Princes have not now those daring spirits which they had in former times when the Visconti Neapolitans Fortibrachio Francis Sforza with other Lords and Common-weales were of power to invade the territories of the Church and inforce the Romans themselves to thrust their Pope Eugenius out of Rome to save their citie from sacking The Country now representeth unto all Christendome nothing more livelier than a Schoole of Martiall Discipline whereunto all Nations resort to learne and see the practice of Armes and the models of Fortifications Whereupon no few considerations are to be observed first into what follies and extremities Princes run by inuring their people to the assiduitie of warfare and secondly what great advantages a small or weake Estate gaineth by fortifying places and passages for surely there is nothing that sooner undoeth a great Price than to be forced to besiege a Towne which is excellently defended because herein he consumeth his time and most commonly loseth his reputation As did Amurath before Belgrade Soliman before Vienna Charles the fifth before Mets Francis the first before Pauie Maximilian before Padoa The Catholikes before Rochel The Protestants before Saint Iohn de Angeli And Albert before Oastend This manner of defence grew in use first in Italie by occasion of the comming of Charles to the Conquest of Naples whose manner of warfare together with the terrour of his Ordnance never before that time practised in Italie gave the Inhabitants occasion to raise their wits to the utmost of resistance Then followed the famous overthrow of the Venetians at Caravaggio where in an adverse battell they almost lost all they held upon the sinne Land By which examples Princes being instructed in the danger that came by fields so foughten the most part afterward turned all their imaginations of defence from the field to fortresses And the first that put this in practice to his highest commendation was Prosper Collouna who at two severall times most honourably defended the Duchie of Millaâ—ne against the French only by shutting them from victuall wearying them with all manner of distresses and opposing them to the want of all things requisite for an Armie Whether the Netherlands borrowed this discreetnesse from the Italians or more lately provided for their best safeties being by long time beaten with the rod of experience I will not here dispute but sure I am that by this manner of
obedience so that at this day the Empire is inclosed in Germanie Whereupon sithence the glory thereof at this day consisteth only in Germanie It is good reason to say somewhat of this most ample and flourishing Province It lyeth betweene Odera and Mosa betweene Vistula and Aa and betweene the German Sea the Baltick Ocean and the Alpes The forme thereof is foure-square equall in length and breadth stretching six hundred and fifty miles every wayâ— That it aboundeth with Corne Cattell and Fish let experience shew For Charles the fifth had under his Ensignes at Vienna ninety thousand foot-men and thirty five thousand horse Maximilian the second at Iavorin had almost one hundred thousand footmen and thirty foure thousand horse and yet no man complained of dearenesse or scarcitie In the warre betweene Charles the fifth and the Protestants for certain moneths one hundred and fifty thousand men sustained themselves abundantly in the field And surely of all Europe it is the greatest Countrey and beautified with the best and richest store of Cities Townes Castles and Religious places And in that decorum and order for in a manner see one and see all as if there had beene an universall consent to have squared them like Courts to one anothers proportion whereto may be added a secret of moralitie That the inhabitants for honesty of conversation probity of manners assurance of loyaltie and confidence of disposition setting apart their imperfect customes of drinking exceed our beleefe For notwithstanding these their intemperate meetings and phantasticalnesse in apparell yet are they unoffensive conversible and maintainers of their Honours and Families wherein they steppe so farre as if true Gentrie were incorporate with them and there had his principall mansion And wanted they not an united and heeditary succession of government having sometime an Emperour by partiality of election and sometime by the absolute command of the Pope I should stand as forward as the best to say with Charles the Emperour That they were indeed a valiant a happie and an honourable Nation But in respect of these apparant and materiall defects in some abatement of their ostentation concerning their owne glory and the honour of Majestie in my judgement they should not doe amisse to reforme the custome of intituling the younger sonnes of Dukes Earles and Barons by the honourable Titles of their Ancestours especially sithence the Italians in facetiousnesse doe jest That these Earles of Germanie the Dukes of Russia the Dons of Spaine the Monsiers of France the Bishops of Italy the Knights of Naples the Lairds of Scotland the Hidalgos of Portugal the Nobles of Hungarie and the younger Brethren in England make a very poore company Otherwise if noveltie transport you to view their Palaces of Honour you shall eft-soones bee brought into their well fortified Cities wherein you shall finde Armorie Munition c. with a presence of the very Burgers excellently well trained in Militarie discipline you shall see brave musters of Horse with their exercises of Hunting Hawking and Riding yea how every man liveth of his owne the Citizen in quiet and the women blessed with plentifull issue The Nature of this Climate is temperate enough somewhat of the coldest yet tolerable and healthie No place thereof unlesse by nature it be utterly barren lieth unmanured insomuch that few remainders of that huge wood of Hercynia are to bee seene at this day unlesse in place where humane necessitie requireth their growing or Nature hath made the Earth fit for no other imployment as are the Blacke-Wood the Ottonique Wood and the Woods of Bohemia And yet doe they neither carry that horrid face of thicknesse as in old times neither are they so untravelled or unhabitable but exceeding full of Habitations Hamlets Villages and Monasteries It is rich in Mines of Gold Silver Corne Vines Bathes and all sorts of Metall and therein surpasseth the residue of the Provinces of Europe Nature hath also bestowed upon the Vp-land Countries many Springs and pits of Salt Water of which hard Salt is boiled Neither is it lesse stored with Merchandize for the Inhabitants more than any other Nation doe excell in curious workmanship and mechanicall invention and it is so watered with Navigable Rivers that all sorts of merchandize wares are with ease conveied from one place to another The greatest of them is Danow next the Rhene which runneth cleane through the Country from the South to the North as the Danow from East to West Albis riseth in Bohemia passeth by Misnia Saxonie Marchia and the ancient Marquisat Odera springeth in Moravia watereth Sâ—â—â—sia the two Marquisats and Pomeran Then followeth Wesar Neccar Mosa Moselia Isara Câ—nus Varia the Mase This divideth Germanie into two parts the higher and the lower The high stretcheth from the Mase to the Alpes the low from the Mase to the Ocean It is divided into many Provinces the chiefe whereof I meane the true members of the Empire are Alsatia Swevia Bavaria Austria Bohemia Moravia Silesia Lusatia the two Marquisates Saxonie Masaia Thuringia Franconia Hassia Westphalia Cleveland Magunce Pomeran In these Provinces besides Belgia and Helvetia are esteemed to bee ten Millions of men and eightie great Cities Villages innumerable and those plentifully stored with all sorts of Mechanicall Occupations Those which are seated neere Rivers for the most part are builded of Stone the Vp-land part of Stone and part of Timber The Houses thereof are very faire and high the Streets strait large and paved with stone yea more neat and handsome than those of Italy Strabo writeth that the Romans excelled the Grecians in cleanlinesse of their cities by reason of their Channels to conuâ—y away the soile but at this day the Dutch-men doe farre exceed the Romans herein These Cities are of three sorts viz. free Cities yet those stiled imperiall Hanse-townes and Cities by inheritance immediately holden of Princes and Prelates The free Cities are those which are by time and prescription immediately subject to the Emperour and have no other protector but him onely In times past they have beene accounted 96. now 60. Of Hanse cities there were 72. mutually bound by ancient leagues to enjoy common privileges and freedomes both at home and in forren Countries In ancient times they were of high estimation in England and other Provinces in regard of their numbers of shipping Sea-trade whereby they stored all Countries with their Easterne commodities and served Princes turnes in time of warre with use of shipping But at this day wee shall finde neither themselves nor their meanes so great that the English should either feare them or favour them especially in cases of prejudice I write this because of their continuall grudges and complaints against our Nation For if the State upon occasion as of late yeares after the example of other Princes should forbid them all offensive trade into Spaine which is their chiefest support they would in short time be quit of that indifferent
is brought out of Germanie The Countie is so populous and so replenished with buildings in all places that here are credibly affirmed 29237. Cities Townes and Villages to be numbred Others say 780. Castles and walled Townes and 32. thousand Villages Here is also plentie of Fowle and great store of Fresh-water Fish by reason of the great Lakes which are found in many places of this Kingdome The people are for the most part Lutherans and their language is more than halfe Polish They are a free people and after the death of their King they may make choice of whom they will to be their Governour So did they lately chuse Matthias And for their more strength and better securitie against the Romanists they linked themselves with the Silesians their next neighbours in a perpetuall and firme bond of amitie offensive and defensive against all men whatsoever The people of Bohemia live in great plentie and delicacie they much resemble the English the women be very beautifull white-handed but luxurious and that with libertie of their husbands also They are divided in opinion of Religion the Protestants of the Augustane Confession being so potent that they were able to chuse a King and to put out the Emperour Their Kingdome is meerely elective although by force and faction now almost made hereditary to the House of Austria which it seemes it was not when as within these two Ages that State made choice of one M. Tyndall and English Gentleman father to M. Doctor Tyndall Master of Queenes College in Cambridge sending over their Ambassadors to him and by them their presents which story is famously knowne in Cambridge Their chiefe Citie Prague is one of the greatest of Christendome as being three townes in one each divided from other by the River Multaw and all three conjoyned by a goodly woodden bridge of foure and twenty arches by it runnes the famous Elve which receives two others into him in that Country Eger and Wattz The Kingdome hath many mighty men of estate into whose Lordships the Countrey is altogether divided and not as others into Shires and Counties The King hath three silver Mines and one of gold some pearles are there found also The tinne Mines there were first found by an English Tinner who fled thither for debt and is the best of Europe next our English All the Nobilitie and Gentrie are by their tenures obliged when their King is in the field to wait upon him on horsebacke completely armed which are enow to make an Army of twenty or thirty thousand This service the Protestants promised to King Fredericke of late but the tenth man appeared not They serve willinger on horsebacke than on foot and are rather for a Summer service than to lie in the field all Winter and yet are every way better souldiers than the Germans The Protestants were suffered to plant and increase there by the craft and plot of Cardinall Glessel who was governour to the Emperour Matthias his pretence was that they would bee a sure bulwarke against the Turke should spare the service and lives of the Catholikes this was his pretence but his plot was an expectation of some stirres to be raised by them which some lay he did in hatred of the house of Austria whom hee desired to see set besides the cushion others imagine it was but a tricke to make the great men of the Protestants to forfeit their Estates Howsoever the plot tooke and the Cardinall after the taking of Prague being invited to a banquet by the Elector of Mentz was by him sent prisoner to Rome where he remained two yeares but was afterward both inlarged and rewarded And this was one of the secrets of the Mysterie of iniquitie Moravia lying on the East of Bohemia so named of the River Mora for the bignesse thereof affordeth more corne than any Country of Europe It aboundeth also with good and pleasant wine like unto Rhenish and is wonderfully replenished in all parts with faire Cities Towns Villages all built of stone or bricke It is very mountainous and woody but the South part is more champian It containes two Earledomes one Bishopricke divers Baronies two good Cities and foure or six faire Townes The people be very martiall and fierce especially the mountainers who stood so stoutly to King Frederick at the battell of Prague that had all the rest of the Army done so the Kingdome had not beene lost It is a free State like Poland and may make choice of whom they will to be the Lord whose stile is to be called Margrave of Moravia And for that informer times the Emperour and Matthias his brother offered them some wrongs concerning religion they have sithence contracted a league offensive and defensive with the Nobility of Hungarie and Austria as well against the invasions of the Turke as the oppressions of the Romanists Amongst these Provinces Silesia and Lusatia are as large as Bohemia but in strength and numbers of people farre inferiour These two Provinces with Moravia are incorporate to the Crowne of Bohemia Silesia lies on the East of Bohemia Poland on the South of it to which it sometimes belonged Hungaria and Moravia on the East It is two hundred miles long and fourescore broad It is a most delicate and a plentifull Country finely divided in the middle by the faire River Oder on which stand foure or five handsome Cities the chiefe of which is Breslaw the Bishop whereof is for his revenue called the golden Bishop here is also an Vniversity Niesse is also another Bishopricke who now is a Cardinall The people especially of the Cities be civill and generous nor is there any where a more gallant or warlike Gentry which the Turke well tried in the warres of Hungarie for very sufficient serviters they be both on horse and foot and they are able to levie great numbers The government is Aristocraticall that is by the States yet in most things a dependant upon the will of the King of Bohemia It was sometimes divided amongst fifteene Dukes but all their families being extinct nine of those Lordships are escheated to the King of Bohemia the other six still remaine amongst three of the heires of the ancient owners The two Dukedomes of Oppelen and Ratibor in this Country were by this present Emperour given to Bethlem Gabor in consideration of his relinquishment of the Crowne of Hungaria For which two Dukedomes and for the lands of the old Marquesse of Iegerensdorff in Lusatia who being prescribed by the Emperour and beaten out by the Duke of Saxony fled to Bethlem Gabor who had newly married his neece that is the sister to the present Elector of Brandenburgh whose fathers brother this Iegerensdorff was For these lands I say came part of the discontents still depending betweene Bethlem Gabor and the Emperour T is reported that if King Frederick would have laid downe his right to Bohemia the Emperour would have beene content to have made him King of Silesia
And Ravenna which was situated in a Lake as Venice is was once of such respect that it was thought fit and chosen first by Honorius and afterwards by the Gothes and Exarchs for the seat of the Empire In our daies by the conjuration of Cambraie it was besieged by Maximilian with seven hundred French Launces a thousand two hundred men at Armes Italians 18000. Dutch foot six thousand Spaniards two thousand Italians in pay and six hundred Adventurers of divers Nations with a huge quantitie of Artillery and all other Munition Against this force the Seigniory opposed as great a force for defence and put into the Citie six hundred men at Armes fifteene hundred light-Horse as many Carabines under very expert Commanders And for foot they had above twelve thousand Italians ten thousand drawne out of the Gallies a great number of Gentlemen of Venice and Peasants of the Country without number together with an Army of inestimable quantity of Munition and victuall with which quantity of men and provisions the greatnesse of their workes and fortifications well answered Now there being about and in Padoa two so great and populous Armies one to assault it another to defend it and that this infinite number of Horse on both sides did never cease from boot-haling and forraging the Country about setting fire on all that they could not carry away and that the Peasants had also conveyed away as much as they could into the Citie and the adjoyning holds yet did neither of these Armies ever want victuals during all that siege And yet as fruitfull as is Padoa the Country of Crema is no whit behinde it for all things for store and finenesse of flax beyond it Of Polesine it shall only suffice to say that it holdeth the like proportion with Padoa The Country of Vicenza hath the Champian exceeding fat and for that part thereof which is hilly few Countries come neere it for pleasantnesse It leaneth its shoulders upon the Alpes it hath on the right hand the new River on the left Bronta in the middest of it runnes Bacchilion Remon c. it is the Garden of Venice The Territory of Trevisa as it cannot bee reckoned amongst the fertillest yeâ— it is numbred amongst the pleasantest Now the Countries where the industrie of the people is more than the goodnesse of the soile are those of Verona Bergamo and Friuli For in the Bergamash there is more than forty miles of mountaine the Veronese hath many miles of champian altogether barren and sandy The like hath Friuli whence it commeth that these parts are much subject to dearths and scarcity of corne but what they want in Bread is re ompenced in Wine abundantly so that as I understand the Island alone of Scala which is one great Village in the Veronesse doth rent in this commodity to the number of five thousand crownes yearely Nor are they destitute of very good Wooll whereof they of Verona doe weave Cloths and Felts The Burgamash an infinite quantity of Dornix besides Broad-clothes and Kersies which they vent partly into Lombardie and partly into Almaigne The fruitfulnesse of the soile and industry of the people together is notably discovered in the territory of Brescia insomuch that I beleeve that no part of Italy in these two points can be compared thereto for opulencie and plenty in those two parts which for goodnesse of soile wee count to be fertill There is no private mans Garden for art and gracefulnesse of compartment or order more exquisitely cast or more diligently planted or more neatly kept and dressed than this whole territory Now touching that part of the â—rescian territory that is unfruitfull impossible it were to declare the diligence and art that is there used for ploughing of mountaines and for planting of Vines throughout the said mountaines But a sufficient testimonie thereof will bee that the barrenest part of this territory is no lesse well inhabited than is the best In the towne of Cordove alone it is knowne that if need require they are able in one day to make two hundred Harquibushes at all points out of the Masse although there be no Harquebush that goeth through lesse than ten hands at the least No Iron is brought in more than groweth in the Country and yet little goeth out imwrought Some is sold made into barres but most into wares In the City of Brescia are accounted more than two hundred Smiths shops of which fifty at least are Cutlers There are also some Iron Mines in Vâ—â—l Coâ—â—â—â—â—â— which yeeld water for six furnaces and six mills in which they make plate for Armour In the Citie of Cordove are made in great quantity Swords Daggers Halberds Knives and other like weapons In the Marquisate of Trevisae great quantity of excellent steele and so in Alphaga Soldo and in Cador exceeding good Swords are wrought in Belluno Felire and Seravalle The dominion which the Venetian hath by Sea is of two kinds as hath formerly bin said partly Continent partly Islands The greatest territory of the Continent is Istria and the best unlesse it were for that the ayre thereof is naturally unwholesome or rather to speak freely contagious and pestilent especially about Nola. For which cause that it grow not to be disinhabited the Seigniory alloweth to all men that will dwell there a certaine quantity of land with divers immunities and privileges besides It yeeldeth great abundance of Oyle Fish and Salt Dalmatia Sclavonia and Albania afford excellent wines and in these quarters partly by the commodiousnesse of the Sea and partly by reason of the entértainment and pay that runs there amongst the garrisons with the carefull industry of the Inhabitants the people live indifferently well there The Islands belonging to this State and lying within the Gulfe are not many The names of them are Veggia Arbe Brazza Pago Liesina Curzola Lissa with the Islands of Zara and Sesa They all yeeld in generall Wines of reasonable goodnesse Cherso with some other doe exceed for plenty of Cattell Milke Meats and Wooll Pago hath Salt-pits and yeeldeth great profit Veggia hath store of Pulse light Wines Wood and Horse though small They are all beautified with Havens excepting Arbe which defect is there recompenced with the naturall pleasantnesse of the Country They have very rich Fishings especially Lesina whose Sea yeeldeth Pilchers in great abundance The greatest of these Islands is Lesina containing in compasse fifty miles The best peopled is Curzola The most delicious Arbe and both with the parts of the Continent over against them whereof wee spake before doe yeeld great number of serviceable men for the field and the Gallies It remaineth to speake of the Islands out of the Gulfe Of which the first inorder is Corfu for commodiousnesse of situation of great account For it lieth in a manner in the very centre of all the Sea-dominious belonging to this State betweene the Adriatike and the Ionike Seas equally distant from Venice and
this Iland goes much upon the number of threescore Many masters hath this also had first the Phenicians and then the Greekes thirdly the Moores of Barbary from them the Spaniard tooke it after their expulsion out of Spaine Charles the fifth lastly gave it to the Knights of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem when the Turke had beaten them out of the Rhodes Anno 1522. the length of it is twenty miles and the breadth twelve The countrey people both in language and attire much resemble their old Masters and Sires of Affrica their Arabick Dialect being much corrupted with words crept in out of the severall Countries from whence their Knights doe come The women are handsome and the men jealous The Citizens be altogether Frenchified The whole number of Inhabitants is about 20000. The weather is hot and the soile barren as being onely a flat Rocke with a pan of earth a foot or two thicke Trees hath it few and Rivers none watered only with fountaines and raine water All their Corne is Barley which and Olives makes the best part of a Malteses dinner Plenty of Anice seed Comine seed and Hony they vent to Merchants Here also growes the perfectest Cotton Wooll The people are healthy dying rather of age than of diseases The Religion Popish Foure Cities be upon the I le quartered under the command of ten Captaines whereof Valetta is both the fairest and the strongest built 1565. and so named of Valetta the Grand Master famous for his valour against the Turks Founded upon a rocke it is high mounted wonderfully fortified close to the Sea and by land assaultable onely at the South end Victualled continually it is for three yeares new provision still supplying the expence of the old sent in from Sicily and by reason of the heat of the Country preserved under ground This small City is neighbour to two others La Isula and Saint Hermes each distant but a musket shot from other neere to the Haven and on the East end and North side of the Iland from which Malta the fourth City is eight small miles separated Two Forts more it hath Saint Michael and Saint Angelo So that all together this Iland is thought the most impregnable place of the world The Knights of Ierusalem since called of the Rhodes command all in all here no man daring to contradict Of these there bee five hundred continually resident in the Iland and five hundred mâ—re a thousand being their whole number dispersed in other Alberges or Hospitals in Europe Of them at this day there be seven seminaries one of France in generall one of Auvergne one of Provence one of Casrile one of Germany one of Arragon and one of Italie the eighth of England was suppressed by Henry the eighth These knights be all Friers by profession their Vow was to defend the Sepulcher of Christ now it is to defend the Romish Religion and Countries against the Infidels Of every one of these there is a Grand Prior having goodly houses and Seminaries in divers Countries living in great plenty and reputation Such an house of theirs was that of Saint Iohns commonly called Saint Ioanes without Smithfield The builder of which house was Thomas Docwra Prior then whose name lives in Esquires estate at Offley in Hartford shire c. A Knight of this order was to prove himselfe a Gentleman for six descents over the gate therefore may you see that testified by so many Eschutcheons There also is to be seene their Vow and Title expressed in the Motto Sarie ✚ Boro The word Sarie being accented with harsh aspirations to brand the Saracens with a note of wickednesse Both words with the figure of the crosse betwene signifie thus much Defender of the Crosse of Christ against the wicked Saracens This is written in the Saracen tongue the language of Malta which words expressing their Vow and Title is not much unlike to that of Raimund the first Master of their order whose Motto was The poore servant of Christ and defender of the Hospitall of Ierusalem And thus much by the way out of Docwra's pedigree for preserving of this antiquity Of these thousand Knights of the Rhodes there be sixteene more eminent than the rest called Great-Crosses for that the white crosse upon their blacke cloake which is the cognizance of their order they are privileged to weare larger than the rest Over all these there is one grand Master for whose election two are appointed out of each of the eight Nations two supplying the place of the English also these sixteene make choice of a Knight a Priest and a Frier-servant and those three nominate one of the sixteene Great Crosses to bee Grand Master for which place the foresaid Docwra was once in competition The stile of this Master is The illustrious and most reverent Prince my Lord Frier great Master of the Hospitall of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem Prince of Malta and Goza The Estate of the Grand Master arising out of the profits of the Iland of Malta â—tselfe is valued at ten thousand ducats besides what he hath out of the I le of Goza which the ancients called Glacon and Strabo Gaudon lying but one mile to the South-west of Malta and twenty miles in compasse The rest of his Entrada is made up out of fat Commendams of Ecclesiasticall dignities in severall Countries and of pensions from other Princes He hath an allowance out of the publike treasury the tenth of all prizes by Sea as also the whole or the cheife part of whatsoever estate any of the officers belonging to his owne person shall chance to leave behinde them The severall Knights are very rich besides their temporall lands in severall Countries enjoying divers Commendams and pensions also of which they are capable after five yeares of their admission and when they have made foure martiall expeditions Their common treasury is maintained by the gifts of Princes by the admissions of novices into their order each Knight paying an hundred and fifty crownes and every Frier-servant an hundred at his first entrance and lastly by the deaths of their brethren for when any of the Fraternity dies the whole order is heire excepting onely of one fifth part These consist not so much in the number of the Knights for they are but five hundred upon the Iland at once though the other five hundred are to come in upon summons as in their valour and resolution the whole Iland may perchance make six or eight thousand men able to beare armes and Goza the third part of that number The Ilanders are alwayes well trained for land-service and how much they are able to doe was seene by their repulsing the Turkish invasion By Sea the religion maintaineth but only five Gallies and one ship by report so stinted each galley carrying seventeene peeces of Ordnance and foure or five hundred men More than these wise men peradventure will imagine that a barren and small Iland living for the most part
Persians but the Georgians and Arabians also betooke themselves to the exercise of Armes and therein attained to such ability that to this day they are ever and anon in tumult and beginne to recover some of their losses This was the true reason as aforesaid that induced Amurath and his Counsellours distrusting the obedience of that people against the Turkish custome there to erect many Citadels as at Chars Nassivan Lori Teflis and at Tauris whereinto they thrust great Garrisons as namely into that of Tauris eight thousand The predecessors of Amurath who reposed the maine reputation of their forces to consist in being Masters of the field made no account of these holds maintaining this rule That who is strong in the field needeth not the assistance of Holds and who will maintaine many fortresses garrisoned can never be very strong in Campania From these and such like oversights have arisen all the corruptions whereof I have spoken in this relation of the Turkish greatnesse Whereby those Armies which were wont to amount to two hundred thousand fighting men and upward and their Navies accustomed to bee of two hundred saile and more are now brought to a farre lesse reckoning They are now come to fifty thousand the proportion that Hebraim brought with him not many yeares since into Hungarie And to some thirty six Gallies or thereabouts with which Cicola Admirall of that Empire came of late into the Levant Seas By which diminutions it hath fallen out that a poore Prince of Transilvania durst meet Sinan Bassa and fight with him and that the Vayvod of Valachia durst also make him the like opposition So likewise I say that this one Kingdome and one Common-wealth hath done more in abatement of the ambition and checking the fortune of the Ottoman than all Christian States have done all together For where all the rest of the Princes bordering anciently upon them were in short time devoured spoiled of their Estates the Hungarian and the Venetian alone have for the space of one hundred and fifty yeares and more maintained themselves And though both the one and the other have quitted unto the Ottoman some parts of their Territories yet have they well warded and retained the residue So that to speake truth Christianity hath at this day no other frontier upon the Turke but what is theirs which how much it importeth no man can rightly judge who hath not by experience made triall how dreadfull the Ottoman power is to all those that dwell neere it And howbeit in these later yeares the Hungarian hath had in his favour the continuall supplies of Germanie and the Venetian hath beene assisted by the association of the Pope and the Spaniard yet it is to be understood that unlesse both those and these had had of their owne a sufficient body of warre the cold assistance of others would finally have helped their sudden necessities The State of Bethlen Gabor in Transilvania c. THis Country hath Nature it selfe at one time both fortified and honoured for the woods and Hercynian mountaines doe round about inviron it gathering it into the shape of a Crowne The length is two hundred twenty five miles English and the breadth two hundred The Ancients made it a part of Dacia but the latter Writers from the lying of it beyond the woods have called it Transylvania 〈…〉 name Sienburgen or the new Latine name Septâ—m â—aâ—â—ra it hath not from the seven Castles set to defend the Frontiers as some mistake it but from those seven Quarters or Camps into which the old Hunnes at their invasion divided their Army Thorow these woods and mountaines there be but eleven Avenues or entrances out of other Countries into Transylvania T is inhabited by three severall Nations the Siculi which be the ancientest the Hungarians and the Saxons The Religions publikely professed are three also The Arrian the Romish and the Reformed and this last divided into the Lutheran and Calvinisticall The Popish hath continued there of old The Arrian heresie was first brought in by Blandrata Anno 1556. It chiefly infected the Towne of Clausenburg where even at this day the Arrians have a populous College and a free Church though by the religious diligence of Bethlen Gabor scarce one fourth part of the City be now infected with this poyson Both Papists and Arrians professe in great freedome for that the Prince at his Inauguration is alwayes sworne to defend them As members politike of the Kingdome The Saxons use their own mother tongue the rest speak the Hungarian The number of Seven is much observed in Transilvania for by this number is the whole Countrey variously divided For first both the Siculi and Saxons and each severally have divided their portions into seven Countries or Seats the Shire-towne as it were being head of the Villages about it to which Townes those of that division repaire for matter of Justice Secondly there bee seven capitall Townes unto which the Villagers round about are to bring their Taxes and Tributes where being received by Auditors and under-Treasurers it is afterward returned into the grand Exchequer Thirdly over and above all these is the whole land of Transilvania divided into seven larger Counties First Coloszien whose Metropolis or chiefe City is Clausenburg Secondly Szolnok whose chiefe Towne is Dees Thirdly Dobocen-Landt The fourth Countie hath Alba Iulia or Weisenburg for its chiefe and that famous for the Residence and Palace of the Prince The fifth is named Thorden from Thorda its Metropolis The sixth is Keokeollea which takes name from the River Keokeolleo and gives name to its chiefe Towne Keokeolleovar The seventh and last Towne and County is Hungad which gave birth and name to the famous Family of Hungades Seven principall Cities it also hath First Hermanstadt the ancient Metropolis of Transylvania Secondly Cronstat Thirdly Szas Fourthly Clausenburg Fifthly Bestereze Sixthly Sespurg And seventhly Medroish in the middle of all the Countrey The whole Countrey is very fruitfull in one commoditie or other Corne Beeves Muttons and Fish Gods plentie all cheape beyond imagination a fat one being not worth above ten or twelve shillings English So much Wine they have in some places that at Vintage time it may be bought for an English farthing or halfe-peny a pinte Very rich it is also underground as in Salt-pits Stone-quarries whereof some be pretious and mines both of Gold and Silver Iron Quick-silver and other metals So that nothing is wanting for the life of man either for nutriment or ornament and that which is part of a wonder also though there be no where more store of money yet be there no where meaner prizes for their commodities For proofe of this at the election of Bethlen Gabor there were an hundred measures of Wheat sold in Clausenburg Market for one Rix Dollar and few Gentlemen there be who yearely reape not ten twenty or thirty stacks of Wheat as big as houses saith mine Author Their droves and flocks be answerable
also This did Trajan expresse in his-Coine or Medaglia which had the Image of Ceres on the Reverse with this Motto Abundantia Daciae From the Riches of the Countrey comes in the Revenue of the Prince This is raised first out of his own Crown-lands the Tenants it seemes paying as in Scotland so many Chaldron of victuals So that one where or other in the Country the Princes yearly parts come to a thousand mowes or stacks of wheat foure thousand Beeves and as many Horses hee hath still running and of sheepe about thirty thousand His second way of Revenues is by his Tenths out of the mines c. whereof Transilvania hath three of Gold two of Silver with Quick-silver among three of Iron some of Copper Steele and Antimony Lastly out of eight Salt-pits something comes to him also The third way arises out of the yearely Tribute and ordinary impositions besides his extraordinary Subsidies in times of warre So that though we by reason of distance and information cannot certainly value his Entrada yet verily hath it never beene read that the Princes of Transilvania ever wanted either money or victuals for their Armies either in warres offensive or defensive The neighbours unto Transilvania bee the Moldavians and Walachians all three Confederates who in a leaguer war have not only resisted the Turks but freed their Countries of them The Turke at this day being glad of a small Tribute for an acknowledgement from them knowing that if he should oppresse them the Emperour would be glad to take them into his protection His other neighbours be the Tartars and Russes who being Boot-halers rather than Souldiers he keeps them out of his Countrey by fortifying upon the eleven Gates or Passages But the two neighbours most to be accounted of are the Turke and the Emperour able friends but too mightie enemies for the Transilvanian But this helpe he hath against them both that if one proves his enemie hee puts himselfe under the protection of the other Thus Iohn Zepusio beaten by Ferdinand was restored by the Armes of Solyman and Sigismund of Transilvania falling out with the Turkes committed himselfe to the Emperour Rodulphus Againe for these last thirtie yeares have three severall Princes of Transilvania thought it more ease and safetie to incline themselves unto the Turkish favour than unto the Emperours The Forces that this Prince is able to raise â—â—y be some five and twenty or thirty thousand horse and foot and so many he may well lead out of the Countrey to a forren Expedition but the whole strength of the Land for the resisting of a common Enemie have beene numbred to amount unto ninety thousand fighting men resolute souldiers able bodies and still inured at least to heare of the warres But the maine strength of Transilvania consists in the multitude of Forts and Castles built not only upon the eleven passages aforesaid for the keeping out of the Invaders but aptly disposed in severall places within Land also as two namely at Alba Iulia lately erected by Bethlen Gabor as very many other likewise have beene since the yeare 1614. that he came to the government so that if hee continues but a few yeares he will leave his Transilvania as well fortified as the Low-Countries 18. or 20. principall peeces of strength are in the Princes hand all well garrison'd the Country being bound to finde the souldiers their provisions The Fort of Fogaras is one of the most impregnable places in the whole world and not much inferiour unto that is the Caâ—â—le of Radnet where sometimes Bethlen Gabor keepes his Court. I omit here the usuall Guards of the Prince which though they be souldiers in time of warre yet are they but like our Gentlemen pensioners and my fellowes of the Guard in time of peace The Government and Religion both are wonderfully much amended since the time of the noble Bethlen Gabor The people are growne more civill and the Countrey lesse Infested with Robbers As for the Religion Bethlen himselfe is a zealous Calvinist seldome going without a Latine Testament in his pocket Churches are so well repayred and served that none wants an Universitie man for its Minister Bethlen still maintaining an hundred poore Schollers upon his owne charges in the Universities of Germanie Colleges he hath built and endowed whereof that one of Clausenburg hath thirtie Fellowships yearely Synodes and disputations he appoints himselfe setting on incouraging and feasting the Divines and Disputers Thus reclaimes he the Hereticks for he usually cals it a marke of Antichrist By the sword to inforce the conscience The Estate of Gabriel Bethlen or Bethlen Gabor in Hungaria which came to him either by Election or by Conquest atchieved from the Emperour With a briefe Relation or Chronicle of his Birth and fortunes TRansilvania is as the maps shew on the East confined by Hungaria in the description whereof we told you of 11. famous gates or Avenues thorow which the Passages lead out of one Countrey into another Foure of which lie betwixt the possessions of this Prince in both kingdomes and next to the first of them on Hungaria side are his Counties of Szolnok and Maramaros this latter being governed by Stephan Bethlen brother unto Gabriel Bethlen The chiefe Towne is Szighet A rich Countrey it is and watered with the famous Tibiscus which in this County hath its fountaine Abutting upon the next Passage is the most plentifull Countrey called Szilagy and is divided into two Counties Crastno and the other Szolnok Upon the ninth Passage along the River Keoreo lyes the most delicate Country Keoreos Videke the chiefe Towne whereof is Varad whose Castle indured a siege of three hundred thousand Turkes in the yeare 1598. who yet rose without it Which Fort hath the famous Bethlen now re-edified from the very foundation fortified it alla moderna and built most stately Palaces about it Adorned also it is with a College of five and thirty Fellowes an hundred Schollars a Master and a publike Reader It hath two hot Baths like wise In this Countrey lyes the County of Bihar so named of Bihar its Metropolis and another County called Ermâ—llyâ—ke whose head is Dioszâ—gh and the chiefe Forts Somlgo and Szâ—kâ—lhid Upon the fourth Passage which is the eighth in order of those of Transilvania lyes the Countrey of Belenyes the head-Towne being of the same name also This is the native soile of our famous Gabriel Bethlen who was here borne in a Mannor house of his owne called Iktar hereabouts also is the Seat of Kornis the Family of his mother A Country it is plentifull in Woods Cattoll Corne Iron and Copper mines and on the South part it reaches unto the Castle of Illyem the Inheritance of his brother Stephan Bethlen on another side touching upon the County of Torontali which is under the Turke who hath also incroached into a part of this Countrey Here be the two strong Castles Ieneo and Baiom this latter is built in
upon hope of meriting salvation by the slaughter of our people The same fury be it spoken to our shame inrageth the Turkes especially for the propagation of their heresies you shall see them more liker people running to the celebration of a mariage-feast than to a war-journey hardly induring to stay the limited time of the Randevou They account them Saints which die with their weapons in their hands and those most unhappie which depart this world amongst the teares of their children and the mournings of their wives By this it may sufficiently appeare what forces the Xeriffe is able to bring to the field but examples will make it more cleare Muley Abdala beleagred Magazan with two hundred thousand men He filled the ditch with a mount made of earth and with his Ordnance beat the wall levell with the ground but by the prowesse of the Portugal and fury of their Miners he was forced to raise his siege and depart It is certaine he is not able to hold any warre above three months because the souldier liveth upon his daily allowance of Diet and Apparell and when such like provisions cannot be conveyed to the place of necessitie without great labour and hazard it commeth oftentimes to passe that for want of provision the armie is constrained to breake and retire Molucco King of Fez who defeated Sebastian had under his standard forty thousand Horse-men and eight thousand hired foot-men and with the Arabians and other common souldiers it is thought that hee is able to levie seventie thousand horse and a farre greater number of foot The Higher Aethiopia or the Empire of Presbyter Iohn LInschoâ—en is of opinion that Presâ—er Iohn is but a supposed name The Moores terme him Asiclabassi his owne Subjects Acegune prime Emperour and Negus chiefest King He saith his true denomination is Bel-gian Bel as afore signifieth highest and Gian Lord which is also proper to many Commanders and Governours under him but Bel-gian to none â—ave the Emperour himselfe whereunto he addeth the Sir-name of David in the same sense as the Christian Emperours assume the Titles of Caesar or Augustus and worthily For he is the greatest and powerfullest Prince in all Africke His Dominions begin at the entrance of the Red-sea and stretch to the entrance of the Island of Siene lying under the tropicke of Cancer excepting some part of the Coast upon the same Sea which the Turke within these fourescore yeares hath taken from him So that his government towards the North-west and East lyeth most part by the Red-sea and North-east upon Aegypt and the desarts of Nubia and upon the South-side upon Monemugi So that to set downe the greatnesse of all the Countries which this Christian King hath under his command were to say that in compasse they containe foure thousand Italian miles Iosâ—phus affirmeth that in ancient times they were called Chusaet of Chus the sonne of Cham And at this day some hold that the Portugals terme them Câ—ssios But in the Aegyptian tongue they are stiled Abessini by reason of their scattering habitation The Countrey by report of late Travellers is most fertill For admit it yeeld Wheat in scarcitie yet aboundeth it in Barley Millet Pease Beanes and such like Pulse as we neither know nor can name And although the Soveraigntie of this Prince be very magnificent powerfull and spacious yet in truth doth it nothing answer the fame and report of the vulgar Horatius Malaguccius in his discourse De amplitudine dominiorum hujus temporis maintaineth it to be larger than the Empire of any other Potentate except that of the King of Spaine Truly I must needs say that in elder age by the number of his Titles it may be conjectured that his Dominions did stretch farre for he did intitle himselfe King of Goiam which is beyond Nilus Vaâ—gue and Damur places situated beyond the River Zair whereas at this day he hardly commeth neere the bankes of either River yea Iohn Baroz writeth that the Abessines by reason of the Mountaines betweene them and Nilus have little or no knowledge of that River It is divided into vast Plaines fertill Hillocks and Mountaines though wonderous high yet fit for tillage and full of habitation It is not very well stored with Wheat but it bringeth forth Barley Millet a certain other Graine wholesome and indurable Indian Wheat and all other kinde of Pulse as well knowne as unknowne to us in very plentifull manner They have Vines but make no Wines unlesse it be in the Kings Court or the Patriarchs Palace instead wherof they brew a kinde of sharpe Beverage made of the fruit of Tamerind The Orange Limon and Cedar tree grow wilde They make Oyle of a certaine fruit which they call Zava it is of a good colour but unsavoury The Bees build their Hives even in their houses whereupon ariseth a great quantitie of Wax and Honey Their garments are woven of a Cotton-wooll The richer sort are clothed in sheep-skins the Gentlemen in cases of Lions Tygers and Linces Their riches consist in heards of Oxen Goats Sheepe Mules Asses and Camels Of horses their breed is small but they have great store of goodly Coursers brought them from Arabia and Aegypt They have Hens Geese wilde-swine Harts Goats and Hares but no Conies yea and such Beasts of which we have not the like as Panthers Lions Elephants and Linces To speake in a word there is no Countrie under heaven fitter for increase of Plants and all living creatures but none lesse helpt by art or industry for the Inhabitants are idle and unthriftie They have Flax but make no cloth they have Sugar-canes and Iron-mines but know not the use of either and as for Smiths they feare them as fiends They have Rivers and streames yet will not they take paines in droughts to cut the bankes to water their Tillage or hearten their grounds Few give themselves to hunting or fishing which causeth their fields to swarme with fowle and venison and their Rivers with fish But it seemeth that the true ground of their idlenesse ariseth from their evill usage for their poore people perceiving their Land-lords to pole and pill them never sow more than they needs must They keepe no method in their speeches and to write a letter many men and that many dayes must lay their wits together At meales they neither use cloth napkin nor tables They are utterly ignorant in Physicke The Gentlemen Burgers and Plebeians dwell apart yet may any man rise to honour by vertue and prowesse The first borne is heire to all even to the uttermost farthing Thorow the whole Land there is not a Towne containing above sixteene hundred housholds and but few of that quantity For for the most part they dwel dispersed in small Villages They have no Castle or fortification in imitation of the Spartans maintaining that a Countrey ought to be defended by the Sword and not by strength of earth or stone They barter one thing for another and
Manicongo Coâ—go Mombassa Quiolasafola Melinde Mosambique Monâ—â—â—â—gi with the rest within land are all inhabited with Moores Mahumetans Heathen and barbarous people who live plentifully upon those good nutriments which God and nature hath provided for those places traffiking and bartering one with another some for Ambergrice Wax Silver Copper and Rice some for Gold Pearle Linnen and Silks and others for Ivory Cotton and such inbred commodities as each Province peculiarly can spare to the necessities of the other Monomotapa seemeth to be civiller and better governed than any of the residue and is almost an Island lying betweene the Rivers of Cuama and Spirito Sancto from whence it stretcheth along the Sea-coast to the Cape of good Hope and on the North to the Kingdome of Moâ—emugi It is an hundred and fifty leagues in compasse and all the Vice-Royes or Lieutenants throughout that whole territory doe acknowledge the King thereof for their Soveraigne Of Townes and Villages they have few but Cottages many and those compacted of timber thatcht Cities there are also many whereof Zimbas and Benemetaxa are betweene twenty and five and twenty miles distant from Sofola towards the West The soile aboundeth with Corne and Cattell great and small wandring by herds through the fields and woods By the store of teeth from thence yearely transported we can but conjecture that lesse than five Elephants cannot but die in this Country these beasts are herevery huge There is no climate like it for plenty of Gold for there are said to be three thousand Mines whereout Gold is usually digged Which commodity is also found as well in the Plaines as in Rocks and in Rivers Whereof the Mine of Manica Boro Quiticui and Teroâ— which some men all Butna are the chiefest So that some men are of opinion that out of this Countrey Salomon procured his Gold and Ivory to be brought unto Ierusalem Which seemeth not unlikely for that in this Kingdome were found many old and Prince-like buildings and those very costly in Timber Stone Chalke and Wood which in the Countries thereabouts are not to be found The Government is great and extendeth over many warlike people all Pagans meane of stature blacke well set and very swift Their weapons are Darts and light Targets and the men much given to rebellion the cause wherefore the Prince retaineth the heires of his vassall Princes to be secured of their parents as also that he entertaineth strong Regiments in severall Provinces divided into legions after the Roman manner Amongst the which that he accounteth his battalion of Amazons comparable for trust of person to the Turkish Pretorian Ianizars with their manner of warfare copulation and educating of their males according to the ancient custome of those masculine Viragoes you may by my leave confidently beleeve because some late travellers have as lately reported it But truth it is that according to their uncivill civility they converse with the King kneeling on their knees and to sit in his presence is the use with them as with us to stand and that is granted but to great Lords onely The assay of meat and drinke is not made before but after the Prince hath eat and drunke Here are no prisons because Law passeth upon the offender in the very moment wherein the offence was committed The offences most severely punished are Witch-craft Theft and Adultery They pay no other tribute but certaine daies worke and presents without which no man may appeare in the Princes presence The King beareth in his Coat-Armour a little spade with an Ivory handle and two small Darts One of them not long since was converted and baptized by Gonsalva Silva a Iesuite with the greater part of his Courtiers but afterwards by the perswasion of certaine Moores in great credit about him hee caused him to bee slaine Sebastian King of Portugall offended hereat proclaimed warre against him under the leading of Francisco Berotio This Armie consisted of sixteene hundred the greatest part Gentlemen to whom the Monomotapa fearing their Armes and valour offered honourable conditions but the Captaine whom no offer or indifferency could satisfie was overcome and his Armie utterly consumed yet not by the enemy but by sicknesse and in the infectious aire of the Country Aegypt IN this description I will rather follow the opinion of Ptolomy and some others who make it a part of Africa than those who either referre some portion thereof to Asia and the residue to Africke It is a most noble and ancient Region much celebrated both in Scripture and other profane Writers for the excellency and antiquity thereof In holy Writ as witnesseth Iosephus it is called Misraim and so the Inhabitants For Misraim was the Sonne of Chus the Sonne of Cham the Sonne of Noe. The Arabians call the country Mesre but the Inhabitants Chibeth for such was his Name that first brought his Colonie into these parts It is plaine sandy and low Land without Mountaines which is the reason that it cannot be seene afar off the aire is hot and infectious and therefore either to avoid or mollifie the intolerable heat of Summer Sunne the Inhabitants are accustomed in all their Cities upon the tops of their Houses to build open Tarases to let the wind drive in thorow all their roomes Yet is not this Country as the rest of Africke infested with the Southerne winds ingendred of heat but is especially refreshed with the Northerne which here is moist and in other places drie It hath no Earth-quakes nor showres but of very able fertility and if it raine as it seldome doth it bringeth many diseases as Murres Catars Agues and such like The inundation of Nilus is mother of all fertility the want thereof an assured prediction of famine and scarcitie The Country is full of cuts and inlets from this River which long agoe Sesostris caused to bee intrenched left those Townes which were situated from the maine banke in the heart of the Kingdome should want water upon the ebbing of the River This inundation causeth such plentifull harvests that through the whole earth better increase and speedier ripenesse is not to be found The wealth hereof is rather to be admired than estimated in reviewing the spendor magnificence of their regall Antiquities their Labyrinths their Pyramides water-works all built and perfected at inestimable charges The ruines whereof are to be seene at this day whereunto the bravest Monuments of the Roman Empire are nothing comparable The revenue of this Kingdome in times past both in regard of the fertilitie of Nilus and the infinite quantity of Merchandize transported from Aethiopia Arabia and India hath beene very great Some report saith Ptolomie that Auletes received from hence twelve millions and fifty talents which according to the computation of Budaeus ariseth to seven millions and a halfe of Crownes the Romans received a farre greater masse but now by the Portugall Navigations it yeeldeth the Turke no such reckoning Howbeit
it cannot be but at this day very great for that in feare of the Florentine Fleet the grand Seigniour dare not commit the treasure thereof to the passage by Sea but is at charges every yeare to transport it over land by a convoy of Ianizars About the beginning of Aprill they goe to harvest by the twentieth of May no one eare of Corne is left growing About the bankes of Nilus it brings forth the fruits of the earth with great ease but farther off they are faine with the labour of Oxen and Men to let in Water from the Rivers by trenches to moisten their grounds Besides wilde Beasts and harmefull in abundance it affordeth infinite store of tame cattell as the Buffall the Oxe Camell the Horse the Asse the Ramme and the Goat All which as Bellonius affirmeth by reason of their deepe pastures and excellent temperature of the Country doe exceed common proportion As the Ramme who groweth very fat and extraordinary big having a large and grosse taile trailing after him upon the earth and a dewlap in manner of an Oxe And for that the Winter is very pleasant and the soile moorish it is no lesse stored with Fowle especially with Storkes who for their infinite abundance especially towards the Nile a man would imagine the fields to be covered with white But as these flockes of Birds are admirable no lesse noisome are their swarmes of Frogs So that if God had not ordained these Birds to devoure this Vermine all places would prove lothsome barren and infectious The Country is now divided into three Provinces Sahid exceeding in Flax all sorts of Pulse Poultrie and Cattell Errisia in Fruits and Rice Maremma in Cottons and Sugar The Pharaohs resided in Sahid the Ptolomies in Errisia and the Romans and Greeks alongst the Sea-shores But the Mahumetans have made the midst of the land the seat of their Empire The people of the middle times were prone to innovations luxurious and cowardly cruell Those that now inhabit the Country are for the most part Moores Of Turkes and Iewes there are many but they reside in Cities Of Arabians and Negroes not a few Of Christians the Natives are most and those termed Copties some Greeks there be and a few Armenians of all the poorest and honestest labouring painfully and living soberly These Copties be the true Aegyptians and hold the Roman Church for hereticall rejecting all generall Councels after that of Ephesus In this Country was Thebes destroyed by Cambises Memphis Babylon and Alexandria if not destroyed yet were defaced by time and divine punishment Cair is seated on the East side of Nilus winding therewith in the forme of a Crescent stretching South and North with the suburbs adjoyning containing in length five Italian miles in breadth scarce one and a halfe at broadest The wals carry small shew of strength yet is it strong as appeared by that three daies battell which Selimus was constrained to carry thorow it being opposed by a poore remainder of the surviving Mamalucks For the streets are narrow and the houses high built all of stone well high to the top At the end almost of all a Gate which being shut as every night they are make every street a defensible Castle The Inhabitants consist most of Merchants and Artificers not frequenting forren Marts The Country was no sooner knowne but it was inhabited And although it were and is of hard accesse by reason of the huge Desarts steepe Mountaines moorish places and violent Seas where with it is wholly incompassed yet hath it suffered divers and lamentable alterations under the yoke of strangers For first it was subject to their native Kings and they were the Pharaohs then to the Aethiopians whom Cambises King of Persia expulsed and subjected After that they revolted from Darius sir-named Nothus and elected Kings againe of their owne Nation untill the daies of Alexander the Macedonian After whose death the third time they had their owne Kings called Ptolomies of Ptolomie the sonne of Lagus In whose race it continued till the times of Ptolomeus Auletâ—s Father of Cleopatra whom Augustus Caesar utterly defeated and annexed the Province to the Roman Empire Under the Romans the Aegyptians became Christians and in the division of the Empire it accrued to the share of the Constantinopolitan Emperours But in the declination thereof the people being weary of their oppressions called in the Saracens to assist them in the expulsion of these Greekes And expulsed they were by Hamro Generall to Homar the second Mahumetan high Priest who onely imposing a tribute afforded unto all liberty of Religion Long time his successors held the soveraignty therof untill the reigne of Melec-sala who being often foiled by those Christians which after the dayes of Godfrey reigned in Soria and Ierusalem and hereupon distrusting the courages and effeminacy of the Inhabitants procured a multitude of Circassian slaves in his assistance from the Tartars who first in those daies began to amaze the Provinces with their multitudes These he armed and by these he gave the Franks a direfull overthrow And they againe insulting in their victories and mutuall valours slew their patron Melec-sala elected a Sultan of their owne tyrannized over the naturall Inhabitants and by yearely purchases of Circassian children erected and maintained that strong body of warre which untill the daies of our Ancestors in this Kingdome bare the name of Mamalucks and so continued dreadfull in power and abounding in riches for the space of two hundred and seventy yeares even untill the times of Selimus who utterly extinguished both the name and discipline of the said souldierie together with their Sultans Empery and Fortunes In whose posterity it remaineth to this day and is now governed by a Bassa who as absolute Soveraigne resideth and commandeth in Caire Under him are 16. Sanziacks and 100000. Spahies by estimation The revenues amount to three millions of Shariffs The grand Seignior hath one part wherof is conveyed over land with a guard of 600. souldiers for feare of the Florentine Fleet as afore Another is spent in payes and in setting forth the Carvan to Mecha The third the Governour hath for support of his charge and estate and entertainment of dependants Aethiopia Inferior THe lower Aethiope siteth most Southerly of any part of Africke unknowne to Ptolomie and but lately discovered by the Portugals It containeth many Kingdomes whereof some are famous and unwritten of some obscure and not worth the recording Amongst them is Adel a large Kingdome adorned with two famous Mart-Townes Zeila and Barbora Adea Magadazzum a Kingdome and Citie Zanzibar Melina Mombassa Quiola Mozambique Cafala Angola and Loangi all Kingdome Amongst the Islands Insula Spiritus sancti Madera the Canaries Capo verde Saint Thomas Magadascar and Zocotarie are the most famous THE FOVRTH BOOKE Of Asia ASia is the greatest and vastest part of the World and in ancient times acknowledged for the third part thereof Now it is accounted the fourth or if
confesse the truth the great Dukes have mightily inlarged their bounds and have taken the great Duchies of Severin and Smoloneke Bulchese Prescovia Novogrod Iaroslave and Roscovia some of them from the Polaques and some from other Potentates they possessed thirtie great Townes in Lituania with Narve and Dorp in Livonia but they are all quite gone being of late yeares surprized by the Kings of Poland and Sweveland The chiefe Citie of the Kingdome is Mosco where the Patriarch resideth Roscovia and Novogrod are the Seats of Archbishops Cortisa Resania Columna Susdelia Casan Vologda Tuera Smoloncke Plescovia Staritia Sloboda Ieroslave Volodomir from whence the Kings Seat was translated to Mosco by Iohn the second Mosayco Saint Nicholas Suâ—ana Vstium and Gargapolia are Bishoprickes The Emperour abideth in the Citie of Mosco which taketh his name from the River arising fourescore and ten miles higher into the Countrey The Citie hath beene greater than now it is and was nine miles compasse the forme thereof is in a manner round invironed with three wals the one within the other and streets lying betweene whereof the inmost wall and the buildings closed within it lying safest as the heart within the body fenced and watered with the River Mosco that runneth close by it is all accounted the Emperours Castle The number of houses thorow the whole Citie being reckoned by the Emperour a little before it was fired by the Enemie was accounted to be 41500. in all But since it was sacked 1571. and burnt by the Tartars it containeth not above five miles According to Possevinus a Writer of good judgement and industrie there are housed in this Citie thirty thousand people besides Oxen and other Cattell Doctor Fletcher writeth that it is not much bigger than the Citie of London Novograde hath the name of Great and yet the same Author alloweth it not above twenty thousand Inhabitants as likewise Smoloncke and Plescovia As the Russe saith here was committed that memorable warre so much spoken of in histories of the Scythian servants that tooke armes against their Masters who in memory of their great victorie have ever since in their coine stamped the figure of a horse-man shaking a whip aloft in his hand This seemeth most incredible to me if it bee true as some write that Plescovia when King Stephen of Poland besieged it had within it fifty thousand foot-men and seven thousand Horse Truly this is a great number and though they were not all Moscovites yet this reckoning asketh a great proportion of Inhabitants For if the King thrust in fifty seven thousand fighting men it must needs be that the Inhabitants were very many moe Some will have it that in times past the Country was better replenished with people and that afterwards it became desolate for three causes the first was the Plague a new disease in Moscovie which gleaned away many thousand soules the second the Tyranny of their Emperours who have put infinite numbers to death especially of the Nobility the third the Incursions and robberies of the Tartars Precopians and the Nagayans which never cease vexing their bordering neighbours For the nature of these roguish Tartars is to make spoile of all men and to captivate their bodies selling them to the Turkes and other Nations By reason whereof many farre removed Provinces partly upon feare and partly upon policie are suffered to lie waste and unmanured And this is all the good which ambitious Princes gaine by their undiscreet invasions of their neighbours to the destruction of their people and their owne vexation No Prince made longer journeyes and greater expences than the great Duke Iohn he vanquished the Kingdomes of Casan to Volga and Astrachan on the Caspian Sea he subdued a great part of Livonia But what honour what profit or what continuance of security gained he by these victories What was the end of this warre In those expeditions perished infinite numbers of men in journeying in assaults with the Sword with sicknesse with hunger and other extremities When he had overcome them he was enforced to keepe great Garrisons yea to bring thither whole Colonies Besides when men were so farre from home either busied in getting other mens goods or in keeping what they had got their wives stayed at home like widdowes and the inward part of the Realme remained empty as a heart void of bloud wanting his necessary nutriment whilst the Inhabitants were wasted on the skirts of the Kingdome And therefore when it was invaded by King Stephen of Poland these remote forces were wanting to make resistance and through this oversight he lost againe Pozovia and other peeces of good reckoning yea and was enforced to leave the whole possession of Livonia to the Polander To proceed the soyle of the Countrey for the most part is of a sleight sandy mould yet very much different one place from another for the yeeld of such things as grow out of the earth Northwards toward the parts of Saint Nicholas and Chola and North-East toward Siberia it is barren and full of desart Woods by reason of the climate and extremity of cold So likewise along the River Volga betwixt the Countries of Casan Astrachan notwithstanding the soyle be fruitfull it is all inhabited saving that upon the West-side the Emperor hath some few Castles and Garrisons in them This happened by meanes of the Chrim Tartars that will neither plant Townes to dwell in living a wilde and vagrant life nor suffer the Russe being farre off with Colonies to people those parts From Vologda which lieth almost a thousand seven hundred versts from the Port of Saint Nicholas downe toward Mosco and to toward the South parts that border upon the Chrim containing the like space of a thousand seven hundred Verstz or thereabouts it is a very pleasant and fruitfull Countrey yeelding Pasture and Corne with Wood and Water in great store and plenty The like is betweene Rezan lying South-East from Mosco to Novogrode and Vobsco that reacheth farthest towards the North-West So betwixt Mosco and Smolensko that lieth South-West towards Lituania is a very fruitfull and pleasant soyle and also very fertill and commodious for those Inhabitants that dwell therein The Countrey differeth very much from it selfe by reason of the yeare so that a man would marvell to see the great alteration and difference betwixt Winter 〈…〉 In Winter it lieth under snow which falleâ—◠〈…〉 unually sometime a yard or two of thicknesse but deeper towards the North. The Rivers and other waters are frozen up a yard or more thicke how swift or broad soever they bee And this continueth commonly five moneths viz. from the beginning of November till towards the end of March about which time the snow beginneth to melt The sharpnesse whereof you may judge by this for that water dropped downe or cast up into the aire congealeth into Ice before it come to the ground In extremity of weather if you hold a pewter dish or a pot in your
If you will heare of their riches then must you raise your eyes East-ward and take notice of Tangut a wealthy Province affording many things befitting Europe especially Rhubarb a simple of that prerogative as if the whole world of necessity should be beholding unto them for this distribution In Kataia amongst many others the great City of Cambalu will excite admiration if you may be induced to measure a quadrant of thirty miles compasse and over-looke at every corner a square Tower very neere forty furlongs in circuit in which the Emperours Munition Armour and provision for warre are secured In Mangia as Queene of the rest is the City of Quinzay having a circumference of an hundred miles by reason that a great Lake divideth the streets into Chanels over which are numbred twelve hundred and threescore bridges some opening the Arches so high and wide that a good Ship under saile hath a passage of ease For beleefe I will neither force the travels of Sir Iohn Mandevil nor the writings of Munster nor the constant asseveration of moderne Travellers but for mine owne part I would modesty perswade you That the world is a stage of variety and that within our owne Kingdome we are acquainted with such novelties of wonder that if they were but delivered by report wee would soone prove as incredulous of the one as we are of the other But to proceed As I told you the ancient Provinces were divided into three particulars and in those dayes knowne by the names of Sarmatia Asiatica both Scythiaes and the Regions of Serica now Kataia Most fierce and barbarous Nations did alwaies inhabit this Country as first the Amazons a warlike kinde of women which in their daies casting away the properties of their sex vexed the whole world usurped Asia and built Ephesus Upon their small extirpation arose the Scythians no lesse dreadfull than the former Then succeeded the Gothes or Getes termed by their neighbours Polouci that is ravenous or theevish These the Tartars tamed and then erected their Monarchie about the yeare of our Lord 1187. or as others say 1162. electing for their King one Cingis a man of base birth and calling This mans followers at that time lived without Manners Law or Religion in the plaines of Caracoram tended their Cattell and paied their duties to K. Vn-cham otherwise Presbyter Iohn who without doubt in those daies kept his Court in Tenduch in the Kingdome of Argon But this King Cingis first subdued the Kingdome of Vn-cham and afterwards imposed the yoke of subjection on the bordering Provinces And certainly that famous Comet seene in the moneth of May 1211. lasting eighteene daies and glimmering on the Gothes Tanais and Russia with its taile extended towards the West did foreshew the succeeding inundation of these Tartars For in the yeare following this Nation whose name as I said was not so much as dreamed of before in Europe wholly subdued Sarmatia Asiatica or Scythia invaded Russia Hungaria and Polonia And lastly erected other famous Monarchies in China Mein and Bengala So that at this day it is divided into five great Provinces Tartaria minor lying in Europe betweene Tanais and Boristhenes Tartaria deserta of old Sarmatia Asiatica containing most of the Hords but not all Zagatai Kataia And lastly that great Promontory which lieth out-stretched in the furthest part thereof towards the North and East and may be called Tartaria antiqua as the motherplace of the true Tartar Nation utterly unknowne to Ptolomie Those that live in the open field about the Euxine Sea the Lake of Meoris and the Tauricke Chersonesse which adjoyneth upon Boristhenes and Tanais in Europe are the Precopenses In this straight or Peninsula standeth Theodosia now Caffa once a Colonie of the Genois now a Sangiacie of the Turkes Their whole Territories are very fruitfull for Corne and Cattell and tho people more civill and courteous than many of the residue yet retaining a smatch of their ancient Barbarisme For they are sworne enemies to the Christians yearely invading Russia Lituania Valachia Polonia and many times Moscovie yeelding to the Turke in the name of Tribute yearely three hundred Christian soules To one of these Princes Selimus gave his daughter in marriage This in old time was called Sarmatia Asiatica and better inhabited before the comming of the Tartars It lyeth betweene Tanais the Caspian Sea and the Lake of Kitay It is a plaine Country by nature fertile if it were manured by these Tartars nothing given to husbandry but addicted to lead a roguish and wandring life after the manner of the Arabians Their chiefe delight is in hunting and warfare Mill and Panicke they cast carelesly into the ground which notwithstanding yeelds sufficient increase Their store of Horse and Cattell is so plentifull that they have to spare for their Neighbours For the most part they dwell upon Cartrages covered with skins and woollen cloth Some defensible Townes they have whereunto they flie in times of necessity Astrachan is situated upon the Caspian Sea it is rich affordeth excellent good Salt and very well frequented by Moscovish Turkish Armenian and Persian Merchants In the yeare 1494. it was taken by Iohn Basilides great Duke of Moscovie and by him with the Title thereof annexed to the Moscovian Empire The Zagatayan Tartars were so named of their Prince the Brother of the great Cham or Can which once reigned amongst them They are now called Ieselbas that is to say Greene-heads of the colour of their Turbants They inhabit the ancient Countries of Bactria Sogdiana and Margiana in times past the habitation of the Massagetes so famous in Armes These are the most honourable people of the Tartars indifferent civill given to Arts and Lords of many faire Cities built with stone as Shamercand once a Towne of great fame and renowned for the birth of the great Tamerlan or Temar-lang but now decayed Kataia AS our Ancestors were ignorant of the Regions situated upon the East side of the Caspian which they imagined to bee a branch of the Ocean even so as yet little or nothing knoweth this Age what Regions lie or what people inhabit beyond that Sea and the Mountaines commonly called Dalanguer and Vssont M. Paul Venetus was the first that brake the ice in describing of those Countries and of him we received what we know of the Tartars The great distance of Countries the difficulty of the journey and the inaccessible situation of places hath hindred the discovery of those Provinces and the great Duke of Moscovie by whose Dominions we may easiest travell thither will suffer no strangers to passe thorow his Kingdome The Caspian Sea a passage no lesse fitting for the journey is not frequented and by the way of Persia infinite Mountaines and vast Desarts dividing both Provinces oppose themselves against us And to the further hindrance of this discoverie neither the great Cham neither the King of China nor the Duke of
twenty stations and the fourth last at Balsara in the Persian gulfe consisting of fifteene Gallies and these two last under the charges of the Beglerbegs of Balsara and Cairo In the time of Selâ—mus we reckoned one million and three hundred thirty three thousand Christian soules to live within his Dominions not accounting those that enjoyed freedome of conscience by privilege nor those that then were subject to the Aegyptian Sultan whom the said Selimus vanquished The Iewes likewise live dispersed over his whole Dominions in such infinite numbers that scarce no Towne nor Village but is very populously replenished with their families speaking divers languages and using the trade of Merchandize in royall and rich fashion A people scattered over the face of the earth hated by all men amongst whom they live yet of incredible patience as subjecting themselves to times and to whatsoever may advance their profit worldly wise and thriving wheresoever they set footing Men of indifferent statures and best complexions Those that live in Christendome are the relikes only of the tribes of Iuda and Benjamin the other ten some say are lost Others that they be in India or driven by Salmanasser into the extreme parts of the North. Their owne Country after the expulsion of the Aegyptian Sultans by Selimus at this day is adjoyned unto the Crowne of the Ottoman Empire being governed by divers Sanziacks all under the Bassa of Damasco It is now inhabited by Moores and Arabians Those possessing the vallies these the mountaines Of Turkes there be some few of Greekes many with other Christians of all sects and Nations especially of such as impute an adherent holinesse to the place Those Iewes that live here are not proprietors of any land therein but live as strangers and aliens and pay their duties to their Lords The Arabians are said to be descended from Ismael dwelling in tents and removing their aboads according to opportunity of prey or benefit of pasturage not worth the conquering nor can they be conquered retiring to places inaccessible for Armies A Nation from the beginning unmixed with others boasting of their Nobility and this day hating all mechanicall Sciences They hang about the skirts of the inhabited Countries and having robbed retire with wonderfull celerity They are of meane stature raw-boned tawny having feminine voices of a swift and noislesse pace being behinde you and upon you before you bee aware Their Religion if any Mahumetisme their Language extending as farre as their Religion Yet if any one of them undertake that conduct he will performe it faithfully not any of the Nation offering to molest you Then will they lead you by unknowne waies farther in foure dayes than a man can travell by Caravan in fourteene Persia. PErsia and the Persian glory hath beene often obscured First by the Arabians who to bury in oblivion the memory of former reputation enacted by Law according to the custome of Conquerours that the people should no more be called Persians but Saracens Secondly by the Tartarians led by Chingâ—s And lastly by Tamerlan and his followers But not long before the daies of our Ancestors by the vertue of Ismael Sophy of whose originall and fortunes for the better understanding of this History it will not bee amisse to discourse the King some might truly have beene said to have recovered its ancient splendour if the Turkish depredations upon the Natives had not through bloud and devastation inforced this Ismael to re-people the Country with Tartars Turcomans Courdines and the scumme of all Nations who though they live in a better Country yet doe they nothing resemble the ancient and noble descended Persians but at this day retaine the inheritance of their bad trecherous and vilde dispositions When Mahumet after the decease of his first wife who adopted him her heire by her riches and his new superstition had gotten him a name amongst the vulgar he married for his second wife Aissa the daughter of one Ahubacer a great rich man and of high authority in those quarters By this mans continuance and the friendship of Oman and Ottomar his kinsmen hee gathered together a great rabble of Arabians and partly by faire meanes and partly by colour of Religion he became Master of many bordering Territories and also about the same time gave Fatime his Daughter by his first Wife to Halie his Cousin and to him after his death all his earthly substance making him the head of his superstition with the title of Caliph Abubacer by whose countenance Mahumet became gracious taking in ill part the preferment of the young man by the aide of Omar and Ottomar whose desires wholly built upon hope of succession by reason of the old mans yeares and for kindred sake were inclined rather to see Abubacer than Halie to bee their Caliph beganne openly to resist Halie and to spoile him and his wife Fatime of all the substance which was left them by the Uncle Abubacer died Omar and Ottomar succeeded Omar was slaine by a slave Ottomar in a private quarrell after whose death Halie succeeded Against him rose Mavie who accusing him as accessary to the death of Ottomar his Lord caused him to be slain neere Caffa a City within two daies journey of Babylon where likewise he lieth buried The place is called to this day Massadel that is the house of Halie After his decease the Inhabitants of Caffa proclaimed Ossan the son of Fatime Caliph but him likewise Mavie opposed and flew by poison Then was he absolute Caliph and after him his sonne Iazit Ossan left behinde him twelve sonnes one whereof was called Mahumet Mahadin The Moores say he never died but that hee shall returne againe to convert the world and therefore they keepe alwaies ready in the Mosque of Massadella a horse gallantly furnished where in their foppery they affirme that this worlds conversion shall first begin Upon these differents of Halie Abubacer Omar Ottomar and Mavie have mighty factions of armes and opinions arisen amongst the sectaries of this new superstition The Persians labour to prove Halie true Caliph by the last Will of Mahumet the Arabians stand as stifly to the three first When from the yeare of our Lord God 1258. to the yeare 1363. the Moores had no Caliph Mustapha Mumbala the last Caliph being slaine by Alcu King of the Tartarians a certaine Nobleman in Persia named Sophi Lord of Ardevel deriving his pedegree from Halie by Musa Ceresin his Nephew and one of the twelve sonnes of Ossan in memory of whom he altered the forme of the Turbant by his vertue and valour won great credit and estimation to his new faction To him succeeded Adar the sonne of Guine to whom Assembeg a powerfull Prince in Syria and Persia gave his daughter in marriage But his sonne Iacob-beg fearing the power and estimation of Adar caused him to be slaine and delivered his two sons Ismael and Soliman to his Captaine Amanzar willing him to cast them in prison in Zaliga a Castle in
a Cemiter They use the Launce the Bow indifferently There is scarce a better Musketteer in the whole world than the Persian generally is at this day nor a sorer fellow at the Spade or at a Mine Of both these the Portugals had sensible experience at the siege of Ormuz lately taken from them by the Persian Touching their riches the common opinion is that in the dayes of King Tamas the yearely Revenues amounted to foure or five millions of Gold who by a sudden doubling of the value of his coine raised it to eight and accordingly made payment to his Soldans and souldiers But in these dayes by the conquest of the great Turke they are much diminished and it is thought that they amount to little more than two But indeed the feodary Lands Townes and Villages Tenths Shops c. which are very many supply a great part of the pay due to the companies of those his horsemen above mentioned Towards the East bordereth the Mogor upon the North the Zagatai Towards the West the Turke possesseth a large frontier With the Mogors he is little troubled for as Spaine and France by reason of the narrow streight and difficult passages over the mountaines cannot easily convey necessaries the life of an Armie to infest one another So towards the frontiers of India and Cambaia Provinces belonging to the Mogors high Mountaines and vast Desarts keepe good peace betweene these two Princes yet infest they one another on the borders of Cahull Sablestan of which certaine Lords of the Mogors have gotten the dominion He commeth not neere the borders of the great Cham betweene whom certaine petty Princes and impassable Desarts doe oppose themselves It seemeth that toward the Zagatai he standeth content with those bounds which the River Oxus hath laid out for he never durst passe it and when Zaba King of the Zagatai had passed it hee was overthrowne with much slaughter by Ismael So was Cyrus by Tomyris who slew him and all his host The Turk is a borderer all alongst the western coast of this whole Empire even from the Caspian Sea to the gulfe Saura a tract almost of fifteene degrees He hath no enemy so dangerous nor more to be feared nor at whose hands in all conflicts for the most part he hath received greater losse Mahumet the second overthrew Vssanchan and tooke from David his Vassall and Confederate the Empire of Trapezond Selim the first did overthrow Ismael in Campania and tooke from him Caramit Orfa Merdis and all the territory which they call Alech Soliman put Tamas to flight and tooke from him Babylon and all Mesopotamia In our dayes Amurath wonne whatsoever lieth betweene Derbent and Tauris wherein is comprehended Georgia and Sirvan and by building of fortresses in Teflis Samachia and Ere 's assured the passages of Chars Tomanis and Lori He is Lord of all that lieth betweene Erzirum Orontes a River three daies journey beyond Tauris In this City he caused a Citadell to be built not minding to leave it as did Selim and Soliman but thereby as with a curbe to bridle and keepe it In this warre which lasted from the yeare 1591. to 1597. the Turks altered their forme of warfare for whereas they were wont to lay their whole hopes upon their numbers the valour of their horsemen and footmen their store of artillery and warlike furniture scorning to be cooped up in Castles and Fortresses for the most part spoyling and burning whatsoever they overcame or became Lords of and taking as little care to keepe what they had conquered supposing it no good policie to fortifie Castles or strengthen Townes by weakning of their companies in these warres to avoid the inconveniences where into Selim and Soliman were plunged they were glad to build strong places upon commodious passages and Citadels in the chiefest Townes furnishing them with good Garrisons and great store of Artillery This warre cost them very deare for by surprises by famine and extremities of weather infinite thousands perished yet alwayes to the losse of the Persian or his Confederates In the field the Persian is farre inferiour to the Turke in numbers and goodnesse of footmen in Ordnance in all sorts of warlike furniture and the chiefe stay of a State in obedience of subjects Notwithstanding if Selim Soliman or Amurath had not beene allured thither either by rebellion or intestine discords they durst not have medled with this warre Selim was called into the aid of Mara-beg the son of Ossaen a mighty Prince in Persia. Soliman came in aid of Elcaso the brother of Taemas hatefull to his Soveraigne for his ambition and aspiring humour and in the end abused the credit and good will of the people toward Elcaso to the furtherance of his owne designments Amurath never tooke weapon in hand against this people before he understood by the letters of Mustapha Bassa of Van that all Persia was in uprore about the election of a new Prince thereby certifying him that some had chosen Ismael some Ainer both sonnes of Tamas and that Periacocona slaying her owne brother Ismael and betraying Ainer had procured the Kingdome to Mahumet Codobanda After this mischiefe fell those fatall jarres betwixt Codobanda and his sonne and betwixt the Turcoman Nation a mighty family in Persia and the King A faction no lesse disasterous to the State of Persia than the warre of Turkie Against the Portugal for want of Sea-forces hee stirreth not and againe for want of Land-forces the Portugals are not able to molest his upland Countries Tamaes being counselled to make a voyage against Ormus asked what commodities the Island brought forth whether Corne Cattell Fruit or what other good thing When it was answered that the soile was utterly barren and destitute of provision but excellently well seated for traffike and navigation scoffing at the motion he replied That of this kinde of Revenue he had released unto his people above 90000. Tomana Truth is that he wanteth shipping to put the Portugals out of those Seas where these stead not he is content to reigne from India to Arabia East and West and from the Caspian to the South side of the Persian gulfe And as for these ninety thousand Tomana being in our account eighty thousand French crownes of annuall Revenue said to bee decreed in the dayes of this Tamas upon the generall customes of importation and exportation thorowout the whole Realme I can give my Reader no other satisfaction why to thinke the stomacks of great Princes can at any time be cloyed with such surfets unlesse hee be pleased to imagine that after this Prince or his Predecessor had received one or two dismall overthrowes by the Turkish forces and that not so much by their valours as by his owne deficiencie in shot ordnance and discipline he set on foot this Proclamation First to induce his owne people to manuall thrift and mutuall commerce And secondly to allure Gentlemen and forren Merchants to