AVstria heretofore called the higher Panonia hath on the east parte the kingdome of Hungarie on the west it hath Bouaria towards the south the mountaines of Stiria on the north Morauia It is very fruteful hauing many riuers and they for the moste parte do fall into the riuer Danubius which taketh his course through this country It hath such good store of wyne that it therewith furnisheth sundry other prouinces of Germany The chief citie is Vienna the walles whereof are said to haue bene buylded with the ransome that Leopold the duke did take of Richard the first King of England A litle beneath the citie of Greim there is in the riuer of Danubius a very dangerous place for such botes vessels as there do pas the water whirling about so very switftly some haue sought by lyne and plomet to haue measured the depth of this place which hetherto none hath bene able to do it is so exceeding deep Polibius sheweth diuers reasons that through the heapes of sand scowred downe the riuers of Danubius Borystenes others the sea called Pontus Euxinus whereinto they fall would be made innauigable which experience the best reason-teacher doth shew to bee otherwise that sea no whit lesse nauigable now then in Polibius tyme. Austria was first gouerned by Marck-graues afterward by Dukes now lastly by Arch-dukes AVSTRIA BOHEMIA THis kingdome lying in Germany is compassed about with hilles woods it hath on the north syde Silesia on the west Franconia on the south Austria Bauaria on the east Morania The ancient inhabitants where the Boy whereof the country tooke the name of Bohemia but by a people of Sclauonia they were vanquished The language of this country is not the Germaine but the Sclauonian tongue Prage is the chief citie of this realme now the more famous for the court and residence of the Emperor The riuer Multania vulgarly Vltania runneth through this citie entreth afterward into the riuer Albis or Elbe In wheat barley the country is very fruteful beastes both wyld tame it nowrisheth in great aboundance among the wyld beastes are store of Beares Reddeere Ouroxen this beast called the Ourox in the Germaine tongue in the Bohemian Lomi hath growing vnder the neck as it were a bag with water beeing hunted he casteth foorth thesaid water vpon the houndes who therby become as scortched or scalded The country is ritch in mynes which yeild gold siluer quicksiluer Iron sulpher Stones of price pearles are here also found wyne it hath reasonable store beere is here also vsed This kingdome was in former tymes a dukedome vntil the yeare 1086 at what tyme as Munsterus saith the Emperor Henry the fourth made Vratislaus King of Bohemia howbeit some authors say that Vladislaus was the first King aduanced to that dignity by the Emperor Frederik BOHEMIA THE DIOCES OF SALISBVRG THis Dioces is in Bauaria the chiefest Bishopryke of the whole country it lieth on the Southsyde of thesaid Duchy taketh name of the citie so called which is situated on the riuer of Saltza the which coming from the Alpes passeth by this citie hereof some think the citie it self to haue taken name though others hold it to come of the salt pits out of which salt is digged Iulius Ceasar did here buyld a fortresse calling it Iunania which the Germaines in their tongue called Helfenberg that is the hill of help aluding therin vnto the Latin name Iunania This place in the tyme tiranny of Attila suffred great detriment S. Rupertus Bishop of wormes having conuerted Theodon Duke of Bauaria to the faith of Christ in the yeare 540 was the cause of the reparation of this citie and became thereof the first Bishop there erected churches monasteries This Bishopryke hath mynes of gold siluer copper and Iron Brimstone allum and antimonie is here also found quarreys of marble stone The store of wyld beastes foule do heere yeild much delight exercise of hunting hauking Among the Bishops of this Dioces Bishop Ernestus by birth palsgraue of Rhene Duke of Bauaria a very learned man is renowmed for that he would trauaile abrode yea into other countries vnknowne as a meane person to do woorkes of charitie pietie THE DIOCES OF SALISBVRG BAVARIA IN all Germanie is not any prouince found where more fairer cities are then in Bauaria The country is deuyded into 2 partes to witt the higher the lower Bauaria It hath on the northsyde Franconia on the west Svvenia the Alpes of Italy in the south Bobemia and Austria on the east The higher Bauaria which lieth southward hath diuers forests lakes riuers many wild beastes as beares wyld-swyne thowsands of stagges The cities of this parte of the country are Monaco where the duke moste resydeth Ingelstat which hath an vniuersitie Frising hauing a Bishops sea sundry others The lower parte is of both best inhabited through it passeth the famous riuer Danubius the cities thereof are Regensburg Passavv Straubing Lantsbut c. The country is frutefull in wyne corne cattel foule but of all beastes it moste aboundeth in Swyne whereof it furnisheth diuers other prouinces of Germanie If Strabe who esteemed all Bauaria to bee a wildernesse were now aliue he might see it mightely changed for that there are in it 34 cities besydes 46 faire marcket townes 72 monasteries infinite thorps castles lordes gentlemens howses Bauaria was somtyme a kingdome vnto the tyme of the Emperor Arnulphus for then began it to be gouerned by dukes BAVARIA NORTGOIA THis prouince of Northgovv beeing accompted a parte of Bauaria lieth on the westsyde next adioyning vnto the forest of Bohemia The chief citie of this countrie is Nuremberg the castle whereof lying on a high place was somtyme called Castrum Noricum The cittie is very strongly walled having on the walles 182 towers it standeth in a barten and sandy foile but yet is very ritch hath great trade trasike through the great industry of the people whose Iron copper woorcks are caried from thence almost to all countries of Europe Some authors say that by the Emperor Conrade in the yeare 913 a Burgh-graue was placed in this cittie howbeit some apoint the tyme to haue bene in the yeare 1140 by Henry then Emperor but the burgers or cittizens of Nuremberg for a somme of mony giuen by them to Frederic their fourth Burgh graue obtayned the gouernment of the cittie to themselues left him to gouerne in the country thereabouts In this prouince the Emperor Charles the great caused a ditch to bee begonne which should haue bene in length 2000 paces in bredth 300 whereby through the help of the riuers Regnits and Altmul he ment to haue made a passage for botes from the Danubius into the riuer of Rhene which begonne woork was hindred by continual raynes and the marishnes of the ground NORTGOIA
bene often subiect to the spoile of enemyes many of the inhabitants haue abandoned it gon to liue in other countries Lutzembourg was wont to bee an earldome til Henry the seauenth Emperor Earle of Lutzemburg as saith Levvis Guicciardin erected it into a Duchie LVTZEMBOVRG HENALT THe earldome of Henalt hath on the north parte of Brabant parte of Flanders on the south it hath parte of Champagne parte of Picardie on the east it hath the earldome of Namure a pece of the country of Liege on the west it hath the riuer of Skeld a pece of walsh-Flanders This prouince is very fertil aboundant in corne cattel with great store of Orchardes many fish pondes It hath mynes of Iron and lead hilles wherein are quarreys of marble Stone-coles corruptly called in english seacole are here found though not so good as in the country of liege Mouns is the chief citie so ordayned to bee by Carolus Magnus The next vnto this is Valeneyne called rightly val de cignes that is the valey of Swannes for the situation of the place is low the riuers there about haue bin wont to nowrish many swannes About a league from Valencyne is the faire Abbey of Vicogne wherein is a library stored with all sortes of rare booke many other walled cities there are in this country among which is Cimay the birth place of Iohn Frosard that wrote a french cronicle About Barbançon glas for the glasing of windowes is made as also other glasses HENALT ARTOIS IN this prouince Ceasar placeth the Atrebates so called of their chief cittie Atrebatum at this present Arras which now vnto the whole prouince giueth the name of Artois It is almost circuited by Flanders Picardie having the first of these on the northeast sydes the later on the southwest It hath hereto fore belonged to Flanders but afterward vnto France by S. Levvis King of France it was made an earldome but in the agreement made in the yeare 1529 betwene the Emperor Charles the fift Francis King of France the first it came to be vnder the how 's of Austria The ayre is very temperate the earth frutefull yeilding principally great aboundance of corne Arras afore named is the chief citie next vnto lers S. Omer which according to the opinion of Ortelius was that Iccius Portus where Ceasar embarked himself when hee made his voyage to England then Britannie And that the sea hath of old tyme come vnto this towne is aparent by the often fynding of ankers in digging in the meddowes other places there abouts Not far from S. Omer is a lake wherein are certaine litle Iles that with acord or the wynde are made to pas vp downe from the one syde to the other ARTOIS NAMVRE THis earldome is enclosed betwene Brabant Henalt and the country of Liege It is but a litle countie very hillie but a fyne and pleasant region It aboundeth in mynes of Iron it yeildeth a black or browne marble as also a veyned marble of different colours and here are Stone coles also found as in the country of Liege There are in it fowre fortified or strongly walled townes The first is the citie of Namure which is principal a Hishops sea and situate where the riuer of Sambre runneth into the Mase The second is Boâ—inâ—s the third Charlemont the fowrth VValcourt The citie of Namur taketh name as some say of an Idol called Nanus which was placed on the top of the hil where now the castle standeth where to the demaunders of thinges to come he gaue answere vntil the coming of Christe by whose coming this fals God as all the others which the Pagans honored became dumme NAMVRE BRABANT THe Duchie of Brabant is limitted eastward with Geldres westward with Flanders northward with Holland and southward with the country of Liege In it is conteyned the Marquisat of the holy Empyre whereof Antvverp is the chief towne The country is very pleasant fruteful but moste towards the south It beareth all kynde of grayne about Louayn it hath vineyards but they yeild a small kynde of wyne Campinia or Kempenland is the most barren parte of all this country by reason of the sandy heathes howbeit it nowrisheth kyne sheep the soile is much bettered through the labor of the people It hath fiue woods whereof that of Sonien which beginneth neere vnto Bruxels conteyneth about 7 Brabant myles in circuit is the chief There are in it 26 walled townes whereof the moste fayre famous citie of Antvverp lying on the riuer of Skeld is the principal in trafike opulence not only of this country of Brabant but of all the netherlandprouinces inferior to no citie in Christendom In one day a man may pas from Antvverp to Macklyn which albeit it bee a prouince a parte yet lieth it within the limitts of Brabant from Macklyn to Bruxels from Bruxels to Louaine ryde an easy pace taking his repast by the way The first of these hath the trafike of marchandise the second the highest court of Law the third the court of the Prince the fourth the vniuersitie The people of Brabant haue many great strong priueleges graunted vnto them by their former Dukes Princes BRABANT FLANDERS FLanders the best fairest earldome in Europe hath lying next vnto it on the east syde Brabant on the west the Germaine Ocean on the north it hath Zealand but separated by some smal parts of the sea on the south it hath Artois VVhence this country took name it is diuersly reported the lykelyest is to bee of the lady Flandria for whose husband the earle of Harlebeke his great seruice to Charles the great the said Charles did of espetial fauor giue vnto the whole prouince her name In old tyme it was as a wildernisse therefore the gouernour was alwayes called Forestier de Flandres The whole earldome is deuyded into 3 partes to wit Flemish Flanders vvalsb Flanders Emperial Flandres Gant is the chief citie of all the country beeing 7 Italian myles in compas it is very ancient was before the tyme of Iulius Ceasar called Odueum Bruges is the next conteyneth in circuit 4 Italian myles Then followeth Ipers Lyle Tornay Dovvay sundry other In brief there are accompted in Flanders 35 cities or townes almoste all walled such as are vnwalled haue the priuileges of walled townes Of thorps or villages there are 1174 to wit such as haue their seueral parish churches The country is very fruteful easely cultiued faire horses are bred therein the yeowes do ordinarily bring 2 lambes at a tyme and very often 3. Twelue riuers take their passages through this prouince the principal whereof is the Skeld certaine Iles adiacent do belong vnto Flanders as Cadsant Osburg and Biervliet in the later of these lieth buried VVilliam Beuckelens who died in the yeare 1397 was the first
through Cambressi Tournay into Flannders cometh vnto Antwerp so downe into Zealand is there receaued into the sea VERMANDOIS PICARDIE PIcardie accompted of old a parte of Galia Belgica hath on the east syde Vermandois on the west Normandie a parte of the narrow sea on the north it hath Artois and on the south Champagne The riuer of Somme which of Ptolomey seemeth to bee called Phrudis watreth this country maketh it frutefull and the townes to bee furnished with all necessary prouision The soile yeildeth great aboundance of corne albeit it hath no wyne it is rather thought to procede of the negligence of the inhabitants in not planting vineyards then through the vnfitnes of the soile to nourish them The principall citie of this country is Amiens which is a Bishops sea ancient very famous and aswel fortified as any citie in France Next vnto this is Abbeuile then haue ye Peronne as also the towne of Guyse whereof the how 's family of Guyse taketh name From whence the name of Picardie is deryued there are diuers opinions Some think that the Begardi should be changed into Picardos which Caenalis wil not affirme of certainty Others do say that these people haue the name of Picardes consequently their country the name of Picardie for hauing in warr first taken vp the vse of pykes PICARDIE GERMANIA THis great spatious country hath on the northsyde thereof the Germaine Baltish sea southward it confyneth with Italy westward it reatcheth vnto France eastward northerly it ioyneth on Polonia southerly vpon Hungaria within it lieth the Kingdome of Bohemia It is a country mightely replenished with goodly cities townes and villages exceeding populus hauing therein many goodly riuers whereof the Rhene the Danubie the Elbe are the chief It is deuyded into sundry Dukdomes Earldomes other gouernments yet all in some sorte depending on the Empyre for here in Germany the Emperor hath his seat residence for whose election Pope Gregory the fyft beeing of the how 's of Saxony ordayned seauen Princes electors to wit three spiritual 4 temporal the spiritual are the Bishops of Magunce Cullin Treuers The 4 temporal are the Dukes of Saxon and Bohemia for Bohemia now a kingdome was then a dukdome The Palsgraue of the Rhene the Marquis of Brandenbourg The earth ayre as also the people of Germanie seeme much altered since the tyme of C. Tacitus who described the soyle to be barren the ayre not very good the country woodie watrish the people very rude vnciuil for now wee fynde the ayre to be helthsome good the country fruteful the inhabitants courteous ciuil It hath now good wyne growing in it such aboundance of corne in the east partes thereof that it sustayneth sundry other countryes neither is it vnfurnished of all other necessaries It hath also mynes of Gold Siluer Copper Iron other metalles The people are warlyke very industrious many rare inuentions haue bene by them found out GERMANIA INFERIOR GERMANIE INferior Germany conteyning the seauenteene prouinces which the Emperor Charles the fift left vnto his sonne King Philip the second of Spaine Is corruptly of some strangers called Flaunders the inhabitants Flemings whereas Flaunders is but one of these prouinces the inhabitants thereof properly Flemings The names of the prouinces are these The Dukedomes of Brabant Geldres Limbourg and Lutzembourg The Earldomes of Flanders Artois Henalt Holland Zeland Namure and Zutphen The Marquesat of the holy Empire The Signories of Friseland Macklin Vtreck Ouerysel and Grooning The prouinces are generally by the inhabitants called by the name of Nederlant which in English is Netherland and the people generally call themselues Netherlanders There are in it as Levvis Guicciardyne affirmeth the number of 226 walled townes diched about and more then 6300 villages each village hauing a parish Church then are there Castles fortresses noble mennes howses a great number Some parte of this country is very euen flat lyke vnto Lombardy other partes are more high hilly It is very frutefull having plenty of corne of flesh and fish some of which comodities are in some prouinces more or lesse abounding then the others according to the nature situation of the place The people are maruelous industrious and do excell in all artes and sciences whereby as also by their great trade of marchandise this country may wel bee said to bee one of the moste pecuniary countryes of the world INFERIOR GERMANIE LIEGE THis Bishopryk ioyneth on the north west syde unto Brabant on the east on the duchie of Limbourg southward it extendeth vnto Lutzembourg partly vnto France The ayre is sweet the country exceding frutefull in corne and other graine it hath wyne albeit but smalle it hath store of beastes both wyld tame It hath exceeding good Iron it hath lead also gold Alablaster very faire marble is digged out of the hilles with great labor and arte of vndermyning Stone-coles are digged out of deepe pittes which kynde of cole was first discouered to be there in the yeare 1198 whereof besydes those there spent there is transported yearely to other prouinces to the value of more then 100000 ducates Sr Iohn Mandeuill knight doctor of phisick beeing borne in England having trauailed so farr through somany countries kingdomes did not fynde a place that for the sweetnes of the ayre the frutefulnes of the earth accompagned with a very great freedome that better pleased him then did this country of Liege where he chose to end the rest of his dayes there died in the yeare 1272. The citie of Liege is the chief of all the townes in this country wherein are 8 collegiat Churches with ritch Canonries Tungres for the antiquitie thereof is reconed next vnto Liege the ruynes without and within the towne do aswel as old bookes declare the oldnes of this citie there apeereth yet the paued high way that reatched from thence vnto Paris Some thinke the fountaines to bee about Tungres whose vertues Pliny somuch comendeth but experience sheweth them to bee at the Spaw LIEGE LVTZEMBOVRG THis Duchie is bordered on the northsyde with the Bishopryk of Liege the Earldome of Namure on the south Lorraine on the east the Mosel the Bishopryk of Treuers westward partly with the Mose partly with the forest of Arden The country is altogether hilly woody much of the wood of late yeares is turned to corne land The chief cirie is of the same name that the whole Duchie beareth but was by Ptolomey called Augusta Romanduorum It lieth parte on a hil parte on low ground The inhabitants do speake the high duitsch for the more parte except those which dwel on the syde towards France for they vse the french tongue By reason of the situation of this country beeing frontyred with so many seueral iurisdictions it hath
man that found out the manner of salting barrelling vp of hering FLANDERS GELDRES GEldres extendeth in the northwest vnto the Zuder-sea south west it confyneth with Brabant eastward it hath the Duchie of Cleue westward the Signory of Vtreck It is deuyded into 4. seueral quarters whereof the 4 principall cities are Nimmegen Ruremond Zutphen Arnhem The country is very frutefull hauing come wood but it moste exceedeth in medow pasture ground by reason of the riuers of Rhene VVale Mase which do all take their passage through this country Leane oxen are sent from other partes to bee here fatned in the yeare 1570 an Ox was brought from hence to Antvverp that weyed 3200 pound The people of all the inhabitants of the Netherland prouinces haue alwayes bene reputed the moste warlyke the country by warre hath bin moste wasted They were of old tyme called Sicambri as Henricus Aquilius in his compendious Cronicle plainly proueth who also sheweth how it afterward took the name of Geldres It was somtyme an Earldome but Reynold the second for his great valour whereby the made himself both feared honored being withal a great iusticer hauing don great faithful seruice to the Romaine Empyre was in an assembly or diet holden at Frankford in the yeare 1329 by Levvis the Emperor honored with the tytle of Duke in the presence as is said of the Kings of France England of all the Princes electors GELDRES ZELAND VNder the name of Zeland are comprised all the Iles lying betweene Flanders Brabant Holland and the sea VVhereof 7 are esteemed the principall to wit VValkere Southbeuerland Northbeuerland VVolferdyk Skovv Doueland and Tole These 7 with certaine other of lesse accompt do altogether make an earldome which hath in all 8 walled townes with some other that are vnwalled and 102 thorps or villages The chief citie of Zeland is Midlebourg situate in the I le of VValkere where the staple of wyne is kept in this I le is Flushing Campheere Armuy And Midlebourg lying in the middest taketh there of that name VVel may this country be called Zealand or Sealand beeing so low that the sea is at euery high water higher then the land men standing in the meddowes may see in looking vpward the very keeles of the ships as they saile along were it not for the sand-bancks or downes on the one syde the banckes of earth fagots made on the othersyde the sea would soone ouer-runne it It is said for a prouerb that none of the 4. elements are good in Zealand or Holland the ayre is strong the earth vnfirme by reason of the marishnes the fyre stincking because it is made of turf the vvater salt brackish Zeland notwithstanding bringeth foorth faire corne the meddowes do nowrish cattel ZELAND HOLLAND THe earldome of Holland lieth al along on the west syde vpon the Germaine Ocean with the creeks whereof it is almost enuyroned hauing a great number of waters riuers euery way passing through it It is said to haue the name of Holland by reason that the earth through the vnfirmnes thereof seemeth hollow others affirme it to haue taken the name of Holland of the Danes or Normans that inuaded it in Anno 837 hauing before bene called Batauia for that they called it Oland after an I le so named in their northern region The country of Holland is lyke vnto Zealand very low the earth soft weak much of it beeing by the waters ouerflowen All along the maine Ocean it hath through the mercie of nature the downes or sand-hilles that defend it from the inundation of the sea in these downes are woonderful store of conies The medow groundes for the feeding of cattel are so exceeding good as the great aboundance of butter and cheefe transported from Holland into so many countryes doth declare The inhabitants do also reap great comoditie by their wyld ducks waterfoule but espetially by their sea-fishing principally by there hering-fang Litle or no corne groweth in Holland but they haue it from the east countries of Germany VVood they haue not their fuel for the moste parte is turf their wood beth for howsing shipping is brought from Norvvay other places The chief citie is Amsterdam the howses whereof are built vpon pyles of wood which are driuen into the watrish ground The court of Holand is kept at the Hage which is no walled towne howbeit the fairest village in all Europe situate in the moste pleasant parte of all the countrie The people are exceeding industrious the country ful of townes cities HOLLAND FRIESLAND BOth east west Friesland hath all along on the northsyde the Germaine Ocean on the southsyde VVestphalia ce Tacitus in his description of the manners of the old Germaines parteth Friesland in Maiores and Minores that is the greater the lesser freslanders according to their power and habitation The country is now deuyded into east and west Friesland Generally it is very low the Somer beeing past it is not to bee vsed it hath litle corne ground but very notable meddowes yeildeth very fat oxen as also faire great horses The chief citie in VVest friesland is Grooning and in East-friesland Embden Groening with the territory thereof is accompted one of the seauenteene Netherland prouinces but Embden belongeth vnto the earle of the same place The Frizons or Frieslanders are an ancient and warlyk people beeing in old tyme gouerned by a king of their owne Plinie saith that an herb groweth in this country which he calleth Herba Britannica which herb is good for the fastning of loose teeth for the weaknes of the legges knees espetial good for the disease called the Scorruie which disease is scarsly knowne but in these low-landes the remedy in lyk forte espetialy here to bee found FRIESLAND VVESTPHALIA THat VVestphalia should take that name of the Goddesse Vesta is very fabulous for the name is aptly significant in the self countrie language It ioyneth on the northwest syde with Friesland on the northeast with the dioces of Breme on the southeast syde it hath the country of Padelborne on the southwest the dioces of Cullen parte of the duchie of Cleue It was according to the opinion of Sebastian Munster the ancient habitation of the Saxons It hath in it diuers earldomes Signories The people of this country are strong faire good soldiers the country is moste woody pasture ground very good for the nowrishing of cattel Dainty meates delicacies are not he ere found with bacon beef browne bread the people do liue very long helthfully and here is the best Bacon the greatest store The chief citie of westphalia is Munster which in Anno 1535. the Anabaptists hauing gotten into possession erected there a new comon welth vnder their king Iohn of Leyden who before had