effusion of bloud than any the mercilesse Tyrants of the former Monarchies As for the College of Cardinals It stretcheth out the Westerne Churches on the Tenter-hookes of Vain-glory and Authority suffering no man no not so much as in thought if it were possible to depresse or question the privileges of religious persons who according to their meanes live in great State keepe Curtizans travell in Carosses though but for a quarter of a mile to the Consistory solemnize feasts and banquets make shew of ceremonies and are in truth of no Religion So that if a man were an Atheist and had no conscience to beleeve that God must one day call us to account for our transgressions I had rather live a religious man in Rome than be a Nobleman in Naples who of all men living wash their hands most in carelesnesse being never disturbed with worldly cares or incumbrances The great Duke of Tuscanie IT lieth betweene the Apenine and the Sea and containeth from Magra to Tenere above two hundred threescore and ten miles It hath larger Champians than Liguria because the Apenine stretcheth not so neere the Sea and so inlargeth the plaine In it are many large valleyes populous and rich in commodities But to speake of particulars when we are past Magra Sarazana offereth it selfe to our view a Citie holden by the Genoise with great jealousie by reason of the neighbour-hood of the great Duke and a little higher lieth Pentrimoli a Castle belonging to the King of Spaine of great account and situated not farre from the Sea then Massa and Carrara places famous for their quarries of white Marble Lucca standeth on the River Serichio Pisa on Arno and beyond the Citie of Florence To the State whereof belongeth Pistoia Volterra Montepulcino Arezzo Cortona Those of Lucca doe stand upon their guard for maintenance of their liberties The Citie is three miles in compasse strong in situation and wals and well stored with Artillery and Munition On the North it confineth Carfagnana a fruitfull Valley and well inhabited with serviceable people on the other parts it is incompassed with the Territories appertaining to the Great Duke Pisa was once of such wealth that at one instant the Citizens thereof held warre against the Venetians and the Genois They grew great by the overthrow which the Sarazens gave to the Genois in the yeare 1533. the remainder of which defeature was received into the protection of their Citie and declined by the slaughter of their people and also of their Navie given them by the Genois neere to the Isle Giglio For thereby they became so weake that not able to sustaine their wonted reputation they were forced to submit themselves under the protection of Florentines against whom when Charles the eighth invaded Italy they rebelled But being againe reduced to their former obedience the Citie notwithstanding was in a manner left desolate because the Citizens impatient of the Florentines government passed into Sardinia Sicil and other places to inhabit So that the place wanting Inhabitants and the Countrey people to manure it the situation thereof being low and moorish by reason of Fens and Marishes it became infectious Cosmo the great Duke undertooke to re-people it againe and to further his intention he builded there a stately house for the receit of the Knights of Saint Stephen gracing it with many privileges which yet to this day remaine unaltered As also by founding an Vniversitie by easing the people of many taxes and by dwelling himselfe amongst them two or three moneths in the yeare Florence is the fairest Citie in Italy it is in compasse six miles It is divided into foure and fortie Parishes and into one and twentie Companies It hath in it threescore and six Monasteries and seven and thirtie Hospitals The Citizens bought their freedome of the Emperour Rodolfe for six thousand Crownes as they of Lucca theirs for 10000. In whose time and ever since it hath flourished in great prosperity For upon occasion the City is able to arme 30000 men and the Country 60000. It is strongly walled the situation thereof being low especially on the North side but on the other parts is somewhat subject to the command of certaine hills which overlooke it the inconvenience whereof they have prevented by fortifications It hath a Citadell built by Duke Alexander and after inlarged by Cosmo. The streets thereof are straight large and very cleane kept There are to be seene the most artificiall buildings of all Europe both publike and private Charles Arch-Duke of Austrich was wont to say that it was a City not to be showne but on Holidaies No soile is tilled with more art diligence and curiosity for you shall see one little peece of ground to bring forth Wine Oyle Corne Pulse and Fruits Notwithstanding it will not afford sufficient victuals for a third part of the yeere to remedy which scarcity it was not without good reason that they spent two millions of Crownes for the recovery of Pisa. The last Duke became an earnest Petitioner to the Pope that he might be created King of Tuscanie but the Pope not brooking so lordly a Title in so neere a neighbour answered that hee was content that hee should bee King in Tuscanie but not King of Tuscanie which scholler-like distinctions great Princes cannot well digest The qualities of the Tuscans appeare by the excellency of the Florentines whom Nature above all the Provinces of Italy hath adorned with sharpnesse of wit frugality providence industry and speciall insight into the Negotiations of Peace and Warre yea their continuall dissentions and hazzards wherein they have almost lived from the first foundation of their city I doe to nothing so much attribute as to the sharpnesse of their wits So the civill discords of the Pistolians did not onely ruinate their owne estate but therein likewise ingaged Florence yea and as a man may say drew all Tuscanie after it by the factions of the Neri and Bianchi for thus it happened Two young men descended of Noble Families falling out the one of them chanced to be lightly hurt the Father of the other to extinguish all sparkes of malice and that no further inconveniencie should arise upon that quarrell sent his sonne to aske forgivenesse of him that was hurt but the effect insued contrary to his expectation for the Father of the wounded Gentleman caused his servants to lay hold on him and cut off his hands and so sending him backe againe willed him to tell his Father that wounds were not cured with Words but with Weapons Hereupon grew betweene those two Families a mortall and cruell warre which drew the rest of the Cities into the quarrell and was the cause of great effusion of bloud yea the Florentines in stead of executing due punishment upon the principall authors of the faction received the banished on both sides into their City where the Donati undertaking the protection of the Neri and the Chersi of the Bianchi
and standing in manner of Lakes as the Lakes of Gir and Ighidâ—â—ikengan to the great comfort of Travellers and preservation of the Inhabitants They live without any forme of Law in manner of bruâ—e beasts leading a miserable life What learning meaneth they know not and vertue they absolutely defie They are altogether addicted to hunting notorious theeves and most dangerous to Merchants Yet there live amongst them many Africans and Arabians civill and courteous entertainers of strangers and true of their words In comparison of the other Africans they live but a short time the strongest bodies not exceeding the yeares of sixtie Yet for the time they are very healthfull slender and leane of bodie riding upon Camels and feed very sparingly as also very patient of thirst and hunger Bread they know not but live upon Milke Camels flesh and butter Their clothing is a short rayment and rude scarce covering their middle Some of them cover their heads with blacke cloth in fashion of a Turbant Their Nobilitie goeth attired in a kinde of long garment like a shirt made of blew Cotton-wooll with large sleeves In stead of beds they use the greene bankes or Mats wrought of Bulrushes Their Tents are either wrought of Chamblet or of a course kinde of Wooll which they finde amongst the Date-trees The Land of Negroes or Aethiopia THis Region taketh his name either from the colour of the Inhabitants or from the River Niger Some Writers affirme that excepting Aegypt this Country was first inhabited and yet at this day is scarcely knowne although in latitude it containeth very neere foure hundred miles By reason of its situation neere the Torrid Zone it is extreme hot yet not altogether uninhabited Yea it is most full of Inhabitants and in some places alwayes Spring-time On this side the Riuer Cananga which is â—he bounder of thâ—se blacke people the Countrey is most drie sâ—ndie and desart but beyond for the most part fruitful by reason of their continuall letting of water from the River Niger running thorow the middest of the Countrey Whereby all the grounds which lye neere thereunto or such as participate of this water are exceeding fruitfull both in Graine Cattell Scarlet-die Cucumbers Onions and such like sawces But they have no trees save one which bringeth forth fruit not much unlike a Chest-nut but somewhat bitterer About the banks of Niger there are no Mountaines nor Valleyes but many Woods stored with Elephants and other strange creatures watered with many Lakes and Mists compacted with the over-flowings of Niger Here raine neither profiteth nor damnifieth but in the over-flowing of Niger consisteth welfare even as it doth in Aegypt by the mundation of Nilus For even as Nilus so this forty dayes from the five and twentieth of Iune increaseth and in so many againe falleth so that during those fourescore dayes they faile over the whole Land in Boats and Barges The Inhabitants derived their originall from Chuâ— the son of Cham the son of Noe whom at the first they worshipped as Lord of Heaven Afterward they received the Jewish Lawes and persevered thereiâ— many yeares untill they received the Christian faith But sithence the Alâ—â—mâ—â—an inperst it on impoisoned the whole confines of Lybia they likewise turned excepting some few Provinces which to this day observe the Christian Rites Towards the Ocean Sea they are all Idolaters and Gentiles Generally they all lead a brutish life farre different from the instinct of reason from imployment of wit and manuary Sciences They are exceeding luxurious by reason whereof the Countrey swarmeth with Whores But they that inhabit the good Townes are a great deale more neat and civill than these other Africans They live not long yet retaine they their wonted vigour and the soundnesse of their teeth to their last gaspe The Countrey was once divided into five and twentie Kingdomes now reduced to three that is to say the Kingdome of Tombut the Kingdome of Borneo and the Kingdome of Gâ—oga Besides Gualata hath its proper King Gualata is distant from the Ocean an hundred miles it is very small and containeth but three Boroughs with some Territory of ground Hamlets and Date-bearing fields thereunto adjacent The Inhabitants are most blacke lovers of Strangers exceeding poore without any government Gentrie or Judges Tombut taketh his name of a Citie so called and lyeth beyond the River Canaga It is exceeding plentifull of Corne Cattell Milke and Butter Salt they have none but buy it at a deare rate at the hands of Merchants Of Horse they have infinite store The King thereof is very rich as a Prince raigning over many other kingdomes and is Lord of some Ingots which weigh thirteene hundred pound weight He keepeth a royall Court guarded with three thousand Horse-men and many more foot armed with Bowes and impoysoned Arrowes Hee is an utter enemie to the Jewes and doth not only forbid them his Kingdome but likewise confiscateth those his subjects goods of whom he understandeth that they use any Trafficke with any of that Nation He maintaineth a great number of learned men The buildings of his imperiall Citie are built of mud and thatch except one faire Temple and the Kings Palace which are wrought of stone and Lime Sweet Springs are every where to be found in this Countrey and the people are courteous and merry spending the third part of their time in songs and dancing They are very rich and especially the Stranger Infinite sorts of Manuscripts are brought hither from Barbarie which are here sold at very high rates Gago is the name of the chiefe City where the King resideth It is very large without Wals and distant foure hundred miles from Tombut The buildings are very base except those which pertaine to the King and the Nobility Fresh water is here very frequent with plenty of Corne Rice and Flesh but of fruits except the Melon the Citron great scarcity The Merchants are very rich and their wares sumptuous and precious but excessive deare Borneo is a large Countrey hath upon the West Guangara and towards the East it reacheth almost five hundred miles In some places it is plaine in some mountainous The plaine Countrey is replenished with many Market Townes from whence commeth great store of Corne. The Mountaines are inhabited with Neat-herds and Sheep-herds and bring forth Mill and other fruits to us unknowne The Inhabitants are Infidels living like beasts neither knowing their proper wives nor their owne Children They have no names at all but are distinguished by bodily accidents The King is a mighty Prince as maintaining three thousand Horse and infinite troops of foot but hath no other Revenue than what he taketh by force from his Enemies Gaoga lieth betweene the Kingdome of Borneo and the desarts of Nubia stretched out five hundred miles in length and breadth The Inhabitants are uncivill ignorant and most rude especially the Mountainers They goe naked all save their privities Their houses are built of
Potentate Howsoever it be two things in his Kingdome are worthy consideration the one is Numbers which may be imagined by the spaciousnesse of his Dominions the other their Discipline because he keepeth them in continuall pay For as discipline rather than rash valour is to be wished in a souldier so in armies a few trained and experienced souldiers are more worth than many strong and raw bodies the one may well be compared to Eagles Lions and Tygers which obtaine principalitie amongst other beasts not because they exceed them in hugenesse of bodies for then should they be a prey to the Elephant Horse and Bufall but because they excell them as well in agility of bodie as incourage This Potentate the Moscovite termeth the Caesar of Kataia and the Turke Vlu-chan that is the Great Prince And not without reason for in magnificence of Court amplenesse of Dominion abundance of Treasure and number of Souldiers he goeth farre beyond all the Kings and Potentates of Asia and raigneth in such Majestie that his subjects foolishly call him The shadow of Spirits and the Sonne of the immortall God His word only is a Law wherein consisteth life and death He maintaineth Justice with admirable severitie except for the first fault for which the offender is grievously whipped for every other fault he is cut in peeces by the middle herein it should seeme they imitate the opinion of the Stoicks concerning the equalitie of offences A theefe is likewise slaine if he be not able to repay nine fold as well for a farthing as a pound The first Sonne is heire to the Crowne and installed with these ceremonies The chiefe of their seven Tribes clothed in white which is their mourning colour cause the Prince to sit upon a blacke woollen cloth spread upon the ground willing him to behold the Sunne and to feare the immortall God which if hee doe performe he shall finde a more plentifull reward in heaven than in earth if not that peece of black cloth shall scarcely be left him whereupon to rest his wearied body in the field besides a thousand other miseries that shall continually attend him Then they set the Crowne upon his head and the Great Lords kisse his feet sweare fealty and honour him with most rich presents Then is his name written in golden letters and laid up in the Temples of the Metropolitan Citie He hath two Councels the one for War wherein are twelve wise-men the other for Civill affaires consisting likewise of as many Counsellours These manage all things belonging to the government rewarding the good and punishing the evill taking speciall care to see those preferred who have done best service either in War or Peace to his Countrey or Emperour and others severely punished who beare themselves carelesly and cowardly in the charges unto them committed In these two points that is in rewarding and punishing consisteth so high a policie of good government that it may well be said That the greatest part of these barbarous Princes by these two vertues only have imprinted so majesticall a reverence in the hearts of their barbarous subjects For what other face of good Government see you in the Turke Persian Mogor or Xeriffe Whom reward they but Captaines and Souldiers Where use they liberalitie but in the field amongst weapons Surely they built the foundation of their States upon no other ground-works neither expect they for peace and quietnesse but by victory and strong hand yea they keepe no meane in disgracing base minds and cowards and in honouring high spirits and valiant souldiers Never was there any Common-weale or Kingdome that more devised to honour and inrich the souldier than these Barbarians and the Turke more than all the rest The Tartars Arabians and Persians honour Nobilitie in some good measure but the Turke rooteth out all the Families of Noblemen and esteemes of no man unlesse he be a souldier committing the fortunes of the whole Empire to the direction of slaves and men base borne but with a speciall care of their good parts and sufficiencie Let us returne to the Tartar and his forme of government Astrologians are in great request in those Provinces for M. Paul writeth that in the Citie of Cambula are fiftie thousand When Cublay-Cham understood by them that that Citie would rebell against him he caused another to be built neere unto it called Taindu containing foure and twentie miles besides the Suburbs There are also great store of Fortune-tellers and Necromancers in the Kings Palace of Xandu As also in China they are in high esteeme Ismael King of Persia enterprised few matters without their counsell and it is no wonder that it is of such repute in those places for betweene the Chaldeans and the Assyrians it tooke the first originall in those Countries The Turkes cannot abide it The Roman Emperors did more than once banish it and the professours thereof out of their governments I would to God the like might be done amongst us Christians for it is nothing else but a branch of Paganisme As part of these Tartarians inhabit Cities and are called Moores part live in the Fields and Mountaines and are termed Baduin so some of these people dwell in Cities as the Kataians Bochars and those of Shamercand others wander thorow the plaines and are divided into Hords being five in number as aforesaid Those Tartars who are farre situated from the residue and inhabit that remote Scythian promontory which Pliny calleth Tabin lying upon the fret of Anian are also dispersed into divers Hords wandering up and downe the Countrey and are in a manner all subject to the Great Cham of Kataia Certaine Writers affirme that these Hords issued from those ten Tribes of Israel which were sent into captivitie of Salmanasser King of Assyria beyond the Caspian mountains In remembrance whereof untill this day they retaine the names of their Tribes the title of Hebrewes and Circumcision In all other rites they follow the fashions of the Tartarians Some men likewise say that King Tabor came out of these parts to turne unto Judaisme Francis King of France Charles the fifth and other Christian Princes and for his pains in the yeare 1540. by the commandement of the said Charles was burnt to ashes at Mantua Turkie SVch shares of the Worlds vastnesse hath it pleased the Almightie to cast into the lap of this great Potentate commonly called the Gran Seignior that for wealth Territories and command of souldiery hee would have you to understand that all other Princes come short of him are terrified when his Armies are united to particular destructions Compound the ambiguitie by your owne discretions For Countries he possesseth Asia minor now Natolia with all the Regions within the Propontis and the Hellespont Which places in times past made the Crownes of Kings to shine with Gold and Pearle As Phrygia Galatia â—ithynia Pontus Lidia Caria Paphlagoâ—ia Lycia Magnesiâ— Cappadocia and Comogena Neerer the Caspian Georgia Mengrelia Armenia All
in such peace as he could not have done being a stranger amongst civiller bred people The King gave him good words without any kind of barbarous wondring or other distastfull fashion But at his returne to the river he found the Master of his House Master of his Boat accompanied with a great sort of Arabs who in conclusion â—o'ens nolens forces him to send his Master three verst of cloth of gold as a present for beholding his person Towards Syria this is somewhat fertile yet smally commended for that propertie by the Ancients for indeed it is exceeding barren and wanteth necessarie sustenance wood and fresh water The memorable things herein are the Mountaines of Sinai and Oreb upon the former whereof is at this day builded a Monasterie of Christians following the Greeke Church and the onely receptacle or Inne for way-faring Christians other place of releese is there none Arabia Felix is a very large Province better manured and watered than the other It is adorned with Noble Cities and full of villages especially towards the sea side where are many excellent places of trade The residue except the sand is made manurable either for feeding of Cattell or Camels in which places live infinite swarmes of divers Nations by grazing and husbandrie It bringeth forth whatsoeever will grow in India and that twice a yeare in abundant manner besides Cassia Cinamon Myrrh c. and soly as much Frankincense as will serve all the world It yeeldeth also metall and excellent pearle all along the coast by fishing It sendeth abundance of horse and sheepe into India whose tailes weigh forty pounds In it are many famous Cities as Medinat Al-naby Mecca Zidem Zibit and Aden This City of Aden together with the whole Country was in the yeare of our Lord 1538. fraudulently surprised by the Turke and their King hanged It is now strongly fortified and erected into a Stately Turkish Beglerbeg-ship Turcomania in times past a part of the greater Armenia TVrcomania comprehendeth no small portion of Armenia major what remaineth is accounted in Georgia Upon the North lieth Colchis now Mongrelia Upon the West Euphrates and the lesse Armenia upon the East that remainder of the greater Armenia which is counted in Georgia Upon the South Mesopotarâ—â—a now Dierbechia with the people Curdi It is invironed with Mountaines and beautified with plains amongst the which Periander now Chalderan Antitaurus now Mons-nigor are most renowmed It is generally exceeding fertile and stored with Cattell but marvellously subject to deepe snowes The people by nature are much given to theft and spoile as descending from the Tartars and so at this day lead their lives living in Tents and Hovels attending and pasturing their cattell Yet some of them inure themselves to tillage and mechanike Trades in weaving of Chamblets and Hangings watered and unwatered of the like qualities are the Curdi and some suppose that these Curdi inhabit the ancient seats of the Chaldeans whereupon it is called at this day Curdistan by the Turkes and Persians but by the Arabians Kelaan that is to say Chaldea Georgia by the Barbarians termed Gurgistan comprehendeth the ancient Iberia with part of the greater Armenia and peradventure Atropatia Upon the West lieth Mengrelia upon the North Zuiria once Albania upon the East the middle Atropatia now Siruan upon the South that part of the greater Armenia which now is called Turcomanta For the greater part it is covered with Mountains Woods and thickets and in that regard inconquerable for the difficulties of the mountainous passages It is notwithstanding fertile and adorned with many large plaines and vallies from whence arise many famoused Rivers as Cirus and Araxis springing from the Mountaine Taurus and running thorow the whole Province untill at last it disgorge it selfe into the Caspian The Inhabitants are termed Georgiani of S. George whom they advow their Patron and Advocate But this is but a vulgar errour seeing both Plinie and Mela make mention of the Georgiani one hundred yeares before the birth of Saint George the famous souldier and martyr They are Christians according to the Greeke Church with some small difference They are very populous and warlike strong of body and valorous in fight even untill our times mantaining their libertie in the midst of the Mahumetans sometimes following the fortunes of the Turkes sometimes of the Persians But at this day they have not onely lost their wonted libertie but also many Fortresses and Cities as Testis Lori Clisca Gâ—ri and Tomanis and withall some of of them have imbraced the Turkish infidelitie Palestine or the Holy Land PAlestine is one of the most excellent Provinces of Syria as well in regard of habitation as of many famous acts done therein and celebrated in holy Scripture Under the generall name whereof are comprehended Idumea Iudaea Samaria and Galile Anciently it was called Canaan of Chanaan the sonne of Cham whose posteritie divided the Land amongst them and under that name it continued untill the invasion of the Israelites who called it after their owne denomination Israel It was also called Philistim of the Philistians once a powerfull and mighty people after that the Land of promise and now lastly The holy Land It is situated betweene the Arabies and the mid-land Sea Northerly upon part of Phoenicia East-ward upon Libanus South-ward and South-East upon Arabia and Westward upon that part of the Mediterran which is termed the Syrian and Phinicean Seas From the very beginning as witnesseth the holy Scripture it hath beene a most famous Province and afterward more renowned for the Birth Miracles and Passion of our Saviour Christ. Distant from the line 31. degrees and extending unto thirty three and somewhat upward So that in length from Dan unto Beersheba it containeth no more than one hundred and fortie miles where broadest not fiftie A Land that flowed with Milke and Hony Adorned with beautifull mountaines and luxurious vallies the rocks producing excellent waters and no part emptie of delight and profit The ayre very temperate and the bodies of men healthfull and patient of labour The ancients will have it to be situated in the midst of the world where it is neither pinched with extremitie of cold nor vexed with over-much heat And therfore the Israelites say This to be the land which God promised unto Abraham For site it is very pleasant for plaines and hils no lesse delightsome rich in divers sorts of Manufactures and well watered Where although it raine but seldome yet was the soile batefull and that by testimonie of Scripture averring it to be a Land excelling all other in goodnesse and fertilitie So that their graine was most delicate their increase abundant and their Roses most sweet Rue fennell and sage and such like pot-hearbs it brought forth of its owne accord Olives Figges Pomegranets and Palme trees are very frequent with some store of Vines For although the Saracens are forbidden the drinking of Wine
last place to the particular Relations of our Author wee will premise a more exact and large description of the Countrey and the chiefe Cities of note in it Leaving all to your favourable construction Of the diuision of Temperature FIrst therefore according to best Authoritie let us firmely beleeve That the Creator of all things hath not bestowed upon any particular Region like and semblable blessings to another but that as experience may warrant to some one Countrey he hath given this good favour to another that partly in regard of situation partly by operation of his ministers as starres winds heat cold water aire diet c. Athenis tenue coelum Thebis crassum Athens enjoyes a cleare skie and Thebes a foggie And therefore without offence by the testimonie of good Authors wee may bee bold to conjecture that the people Nations inhabiting divers climates of this vast Vniverse are endowed with divers strange and opposite dispositions It is naturall to the Inhabitants bounding upon the North to be biggest boned strongest set and aptest for labour and to the nations of the South to bee weake yet more subtill Acuriores Attici valentes Thebani The Athenians are the sharper witted but the Thebans are the abler bodied Now how farre these Influences of North and South stretch in operation or whâ—re the East and West put periods to their owne potencies or what in generall truth is to be affirmed of their divers manners and qualities is hard to say and the harder for that no man hitherto hath presumed to undertake the taske amidst so many obscurities For if all credit should be given to Hippocrates whose authoritie was ever held oraculous he will tell you That the people of the North are slender dwarfish lean and swarthie And Averrois will be bold to affirme That the mountaine people are most pious and wittie whereas universall experience doth condemne them of rudenesse and barbarisme The ignorance of the Ancients saith Bodin was once so grosse that not a few of them deemed the Ocean a River all Iberia but a Citie And because all the Ancients in like error except Possidonius and Avicen limited the possibilitie of habitation to consist wholly betweene the Tropikes and the polar Circles affirming that beyond there was no health no place peopled c. let this erroneous imagination for evermore be silenced by the authoritie of all moderne Navigators who have found the wholsomest and best peopled Countries of all those parts to lie under the Aequator and the regions situated under the Tropikes to bee tormented with more rigorous heat Alvarez reporteth that the Abassine Embassador arriving at Lisbon in Portugall was that day almost choaked with heat and yet is Abassia or Prester Iohns country from whence he came neere upon 30. degrees more Southerly than Lisbon is yea and betweene the Tropike of Cancer and the Aequator also part of it lying even beyond the Line And Purquer the Germane reported that he had felt the weather hotter about Dantzike and the Baltike Sea than at Tholouza in a fervent Summer notwithstanding that Dantzike be farre more Northerly than Tholouza And this is no paradox The cause with good iudgement being to bee ascribed to the grossnesse and thicknesse of the aire considering that Europe and the North are full of waters which bursting out from hidden and unknowne concavities doe produce infinite bogs fens lakes and marishes in the Summer seasons causing thicke vapours to ascend Which without doubt being incorporated with heat scorch more fervently than the purer aire of Affrike being stored with no such super-abundance of watry elements Even so fire being invested in the body of liquors or metals scaldeth more furiously than in wood and in wood more fervently than in flame And if the keepers of stoves and hot houses doe not sprinkle the ground with water that the vapour being contracted and the aire thickned they may thereby the longer and better maintaine heat and spare fuell you must for me wander into the schooles of more profound Philosophers for further satisfaction Of the Situation of Nations NOw to the South-wards wee will limit the hithermost Spaniards the Siculi the Peloponnesians the Cretensians the Syrians the Arabians the Persians the Susians the Gedrosii the Indians the Aegyptians the Cirenians the Africans the Numidians the Libians the Moores and the people of Florida in America to be situated but with this caveat that those wholly to the West-wards in the same latitude live in a more cold temperature The people of the North I meane to be those which live under the fortieth degree to the sixtieth and those of more temperature who extend to the seventieth Vnder the first are situated Brittaine Ireland Denmarke part of Gotland Netherland and those Countries which from the River of Mase stretch to the outmost borders of Scythia and Tartaria containing a good portion of Europe and the greater Asia The inhabitants of the Middle Region as being subject neither to extreme heat not to extreme cold I place betweene both Extremes and yet able to endure both with indifferent content I also terme that the Middle Region which lieth betweene the Tropike and the Pole and not that which lieth betweene the Tropike and the Line because the extremitie of heat is not so forcibly felt under the Line as aforesaid as under the Tropikes So that that cannot be accounted the temperate climate which extendeth from the thirtieth degree to the fortieth but that which beginneth at the fortieth and endeth at the fiftieth and the neerer East the more temperate Vnder which tract lie the further Spaine France Italie the higher Germanie as farre as the Mase both Hungaries Illyria both Mysiaes Dacia Moldavia Macedon Thrace and the better part of Asia the lesse Armenia Parthia Sogdiana and a great part of Asia the great And the neerer the East the more temperate although they somewhat incline to the South-ward as Lydia Cilicia Asia Media c. The ancient Greekes and Romanes both to set forth their owne skill in Geographie and Philosophie and withall to make shew of the largenesse of their conquests with ignorance and idlenesse enough did like the Chinois at this day represent their owne kingdome in the map as bigge as all the rest of the world besides They therefore dividing the heavens into five Zones made three of them utterly inhabitable In those two next the Poles their philosophy judged not much amisse for though no man of Europe hath beene neere to either of them yet at that distance were the discoverers yea the Seas themselves frozen up with most insufferable cold and these the Ancients rightly called The frozen Zones But in that which is called the Torride Zone their philosophy was much mistaken This Zone takes up all that space which is betwixt the two Tropicks and is equally divided by the Aequinoctiall line the whole breadth of the Zone being 47. degrees that is 2820. Italian miles of ground Now in this vast tract
advantage yet at least it doth enable us to endure and withstand him that by drawing out the warre in length wee may make him weary of continuance and gives us benefit of time By this temporizing the Venetians being overthrowne in all places by the league of Cambray in the end became Conquerours So that as to him that hath a populous army and finds himselfe mighty and strong it is most convenient to hasten the encounter and to fight without prolonging of time for delay the overthrow of many actions can afford him no other but losse sicknesse infection scarcity famine mutinies and dissolution of forces So for him that is better furnished with money than with men it is most advantagious to prolong the warre and to stand upon the defensive for in the end his money may gaine him victory Finally although some men will not suffer money to be called the sinewes of warre because as Solon answered once to Croesus who in ostentation shewed him his gold Sir if another comes that hath better iron than you he will be master of all this gold yet notwithstanding where numbers policy valour and weapons have not either singly or altogether prevailed there hath money alone done the feat For this have Townes and Kingdomes beene bought of traitors with this purchase we either peace or victory No place is to be held impregnable whither an Asse laden with gold may get up Two great effects it workes First it levies forces suddenly and withall keeps them long together Secondly a monied enemie may fight when he will and but when he will and must needs therefore weary out his adversary and so at last endanger either to overthrow him or force him to a faire composition For want of pay Armies mutinie and will neither muster nor fight and especially the Germans But Spinola hath made great use of a secret of warre how in scarcitie of moneys to awe these mutiniers and that is by paying and contenting the horse and they shall keepe the foot in obedience But this tricke will not alwayes serve for in an Armie a man can hardly tell which is most necessary armes victuals or money this last alwayes fetches in both the other The advantage of site is of much importance for the defending or inlarging of dominion and doth chiefly consist in this that it be convenient for the making of an assault and uneasie to be againe assaulted For a Country being as it were naturally fortified hath easie meanes to make conquests and get victory to the inlargement of their owne dominions and to the overthrow of anothers Of this quality are the situations of Spaine and Araby for both these are as it were pene-Insulaes having their greatest parts incompassed with the Sea whereby they may assaile the Countries neere adjoyning and cannot without great difficulty be assaulted againe The one hath dangerous shores without harbors and is invironed with mountaines having few and secret passages the other is inclosed with sands and desarts Of like quality is Italy And among the Islands England But this advantage of situation I hold not sufficient of it selfe to effect any notable exploit for besides there is required plenty of victuals store of munition armes horses and divers other necessaries without which there is no hope to accomplish any famous expedition Moreover such a disposition and quality of the country is necessarily to be required that the aforesaid habiliments may easily be brought together and removed to places whither occasion shall command And although those which possesse the mountaines and higher places may with advantage come downe upon the plaine and low countries and by reason of the craggednesse and hard passages of their country can hardly be assaulted againe yet have not such people done any thing which may worthily commend them For the mountaines be ordinarily long and narrow or at the least much broken and divided amongst themselves which must needs hinder the speedy drawing together and uniting of their forces and necessaries againe are they unprovided of victuals and of all other things requisite of the warres and therefore altogether unable to continue in action So that they warre rather after the manner of robbers and theeves than of true souldiers It may also be added that the mountaine-men cannot live any long time without intercourse and traffike with the men of the plaine Countrey And therefore if upon any attempt they doe not prevaile at the first brunt their best course will bee to capitulate with their enemies and to returne home againe although with losse as did the Helvetii at the overthrow of Mount S. Claud. So wee may see that the Englishmen which inhabit a plaine and plentifull soile have alwayes prevailed against the Scots and Welshmen who upon presumptions of their naturall situations have divers times molested them For the plaine Country by reason of the fruitfulnesse doth minister all things requisite for warre and to defray charges conveniencie to joyne forces and being gotten together able long time to maintaine them Whereas on the contrary the Mountaines by reason of their barrennesse afford no provision for a long journey nor are any way able to beare the charge of any notable enterprise Wherupon it doth proceed that small Islands having the foresaid qualities of situation have never attained any great Soveraignty because the advantages of the Land are farre greater than those of the Sea Moreover their command cannot be great unlesse it be enlarged by meanes of the firme Land for Islands hold the same proportion with the Continent that the part doth with the whole Besides they be for the most part long and narrow as Candy Cyprus Spagniola Cuba S. Laurence and Sumatra and therefore cannot readily bring their forces together Neither will I sticke to say that Islands if not strong in shipping as England and the Netherlands although they may with advantage come forth and assaile others are not withstanding as it were Cities without wals laid open to the spoile of all Invaders As it happened to Sicil being assailed by the Athenians and the Lacedemonians and afterwards by the Carthaginians and the Romans But the Provinces of the firme Land being for the most part of a proportion more round and square have their forces continually neere together and to be speedily united and therefore more ready and apt for opposition Yet to small purpose are all these aforesaid advantages if opportunity give not aid thereunto This opportunity is a meeting and concurring of divers cadences which at one instant doe make a matter very easie and at another time being overslipped it will be impossible or at least very hard to bring to like facility Wherefore amongst many and divers I will here note the most principall The first groweth by the basenesse and negligence of the neighbour Princes arising either by reason of a naturall jealousie defect and dulnesse or of too long a peace So Caesar possest himselfe of Italy and of the Common-wealth being ready
Danuby to buy and hire ships so fast at this very present at Lubecke Rostocke and other coast townes and to appoint Mansfelt for his Admirall Such a friend is the Sea to those that border upon it and of such importance towards the defending or enlarging of Empire But as for Islands such as ours wholly situate in it certainly that wall of water and sand about us is a surer fortification than Frier Bacons wall of brasse could have beene Our Almighty Creator in an humble and a thankfull sense bee it spoken hath even married us to his owne providence protection the sand about us seemes to be our wedding Ring and the riches of the Sea our Dowrie By benefit of the Sea as long as we have kept our selves masters of it we have enjoyed peace and have heard of rather than felt the miseries of other Nations and certainly so long as we keepe our selves so wee are at liberty to take as much or little of the warre as wee please and at length verily even the wealth of the Indies will be but an accessary to the command of the Seas The Indies being but like the Bets at play he that winnes the game gets not only the maine Stake but all the Bets by follow the fortune of his hand This finally is the advantage of an Iland that it cannot be taken if it be master at Sea t is not so much matter what the Land-forces be in the resisting of the landing of an invading enemie seeing one Fleet is worth three Armies Wee had two Armies drawne together on foot in 88. and one of traine bands to be called for upon occasion yet our Fleet blessed be God did more service than they all and good reason is there for it For suppose an enemie this evening he discovered at Sea upon the coast of Kent thitherwayes presently make the Land forces but ere morning the wind chops about and the enemy is ready within foure and twenty houres to land Northward or Westward where the Army cannot possibly be to attend him but a Fleet now is ever ready to dogge him with the same wind and is ever and anon bearing up to him still beating upon his Reare and if it be able to doe no more can yet at least hold him play till the beacons be fired and the Country forces come in to hinder the landing And thus much for situation upon the Sea and the strength which that affords us either in offending or defending in keeping or inlarging of Empire Of all creatures in the world a River most resembles a monster The head like that of Rumor is oftentimes not to be found the mouth farre bigger than the head and withall farthest off from it The head hath no motion the veines feed the bodie the mouth serves not but to void the supersfluities How monstrous not withstanding soever it be yet most beneficiall it is The next advantage to that of the Sea being the commodity of great navigable impassable Rivers The Roman conquests never made stand in Germanie till they came to the banks of the Rhine and Danuby but there they did for many ages The swift River Oxus in the East of the world hath beene the fatall bounder of two Monarchies the River Don in Russia hath the honour to part Europe and Asia and the River Dee by Chester did a long time keepe our Welshmen thereabouts unconquered Nothing awes a great River so much as a bridge whose Arches he labours to overthrow with all his forces for a bridge is the saddle to ride this Sea-horse The Emperour Hadrian thought he had done such an act when he had laid a bridge over the Danuby that he expressed the memory of it as of a victory in medals and coynes That mighty Armies have beene defeated in their passing of Rivers need not be stood upon When Spinola in these late warres being guided by a country butcher had once passed the Rhine and undisturbed set footing in the Palatinate Be of good comfort fellow souldiers saith he to his Army I le warrant you that we shall never be fought withall by this enemie For in passing of a River the enemy hath so many disadvantages what by the swiftnesse of the streame the smalnesse of the boats the unsteadinesse of the footing and the disorder in the approaching that he that to save his owne will not then fight will never fight And thus see wee that though Rivers be not like the Sea so apt to inlarge Empire they bee most commodious to guard it being once acquired and that 's no small benefit seeing wise men have anciently accounted it That Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri T is an argument of no lesse valour or fortune to keepe what a man hath than to get that which a man hath not None of the weakest boundaries to Conquerours and Monarchies are the Mountaines for were all the world a levell and Campania what should hinder him that were strongest in horse to scowre it all over and as t is seene in the Low Countries to make all men pay contribution to the master of the field or the stronger party of horse even at pleasure Mountaines be naturall swellings of the earth above the usuall levell or surface of it which make the same exception to the definition of the roundnesse of the earth that a wart or pimple may to the smoothnesse of a young face They may seeme to be some heaps of rubbish and offals left of the creation of the world The difficulty of the ascent up to them the horridnesse of their cragges the savagenesse of their wilde inhabitants beasts or people the chillnesse of their frostie tops with the inhospitable barrennesse of their rugged sides may give scandall or leave an imputation of beggery and barbarousnesse to that country that hath most of them if their commodities be not thought upon as well as their discommodities For as they keepe their neighbours poore so they keepe them safe witnesse our unconquered Wales and Scotland which nor Romans nor Danes nor Saxons durst ever throughly set upon The Emperour Severus lost the greatest part of his Army in the hils of Scotland and how have our English Armies beene moyled in the Welsh mountaines and we have finally rather conquered the people than the Country Mountaines are natures bulwarkes cast up as the Spaniard sayes at God Almighties owne charges the Retreats they are of the oppressed the scornes and turne-againes of victorious Armies That knew the Barbarians in Q. Curtius well enough who having retreated from Alexander the great to the fastnesse of an inaccessible mountaine and Alexanders Orator in his parly and perswasive to them to yeeld telling them of his masters victories and of the Seas and Wildernesses that he had passed It may be so said they but can Alexander 〈◊〉 Over the Seas he might have ships and over land horses but he must have wings if he get up hither Where now
them beautifull and commonly all painted and deceitfull except some few of rare worth which may bee the wonder of the country And therefore as you finde them so let them have their due honour For Germany you shall finde the Nobles and chiefe Gentlemen either great Schollers or valiant Souldiers rather resolute to gaine honour than proud of Authority their Cities strong and their Merchants very rich and their Countries well peopled For their Ladies and Gentlewomen by the grossenesse of their diet and too much delight in drinking and banquetting they are for the most part a corpulent kinde of people yet many of them strong and of bigge bone as we commonly say good bearers and good breeders The younger sort as well men as women very industrious and the elder sort rather politike than Religious their Lawes very severe and therefore the people in better order and obedience For Poland the Cities are strong and the people rather wise than wealthy the Gentlemen for the most part given to armes and the peasant in much subjection to the Gentry The Merchant rather covetous than honourable and the Schollers rather beloved than advanced the women indifferent faire and better witted than spoken the old men studious and the younger sort seldome idle little given to drinke and as little accounting of honour except it be in the field For the Low-countries and Denmarke you shall finde them much to agree in nature but that Denmarke will admit a King which I finde not willing in the Low-countries Their Magistrates are rather wise by experience than by study and the Souldier fitter for the Sea than the field Denmarke is governed by the Kings law set downe but the Low-countries have divers formes of Government in a manner according to the disposition of the States and Governours much given to drinke and yet serving their times politike in their government their old men wise and covetous their young men thrifty and industrious and their Merchant very ambitious For their religious thinke of them as you finde them I have seene them much reverenced and well maintained And as for their Ladies they are wittie and of a good complexion for the most paâ—â— many of them are very faire and much given to honour vertue rather neat than proud in their attire very kinde where they take affection The Muscovite is proud stately malicious and those which be slaves are slaves indeed especially when their Emperour or Lord controlleth Superstitious tending almost to idolatry jealous as having many wives and bad performers of promise nor must you challenge him of the same for the good which floweth from him commeth commonly from the fountaine of free will Their women are very private fearefull to offend but once lascivious intolerably wanton beastly idle and ill attended The Greeks are merry lyers blasphemers promise-breakers buggers strong membred and blacke haired Their women are stately comely of person proud without doores no lovers of dalliance yet desirous of the company of men cleanly in washing and shaving themselves whom the Italians imitate as also doe the East hot Countries by reason the company of many men may grow otherwise to great inconvenience mercenary fantasticall in apparell and loving those who speake their language The Turke is a warlike proud man a scorner of other Nations and languages no idle talker or doer of any thing superfluous a judiciall sound fellow hot and venerious comely of person majesticall in gate a slave to his Emperour and a lover of Mahomets race and Religion Their women small of stature for the most part of good complexions and not to be seene or spoken to abroad jealous revengefull when they have opportunity lascivious within doores or in their baths very pleasing in matters of incontinency and cleanly The Persian is lordly in his complement rather fantasticall than curious in his apparell yet sumptuous and in his expences magnificent maintainers of Nobility lovers of learning and good qualities fearfull of troubles desirous of peace and superstitious in his Religion Their women gorgeous in attire with high Tiaras and veiles like the Sultaneses amongst the Turks long sitters at feasts delightsome in sequestration of pleasure as beginning with a modest shamefulnesse but ere you have concluded delicately wanton cleanly in much washing but withall using perfumes and odours loving truly and desirous to be preferred in the first place of her husbands affection For hauing many wives they are desirous to please The Armenians are very merry sluttish carelesse of greatnesse desiring peace and ease though it tend to slavery and bondage having great bodies comely and willing to be soothed in any thing Their women tall and not faire soone old poore loving their children and incontinent The Tartars are swartish illfavoured with a great thick lip flattish nose carelesse of outward ornaments swift on foot vigilant laborious warlike yet loving presents and desirous to be much made of their women sutable only wanting or scorning money they will bedecke themselves like the people of Virginia with gewgaies of copper and latton about their armes and necks The Moore is comely of body stately of gate of sufficient constitution to endure any worke or travell implacable in hatred treacherous tumultuous and superstitious Their women have delicate soft skins sumptuous in jewels odors and perfumes incontinent good bed-fellowes in the darke beautifull in blacknesse and revengefull yet being bought a slave extraordinary loving to their masters so they be well pleased and used accordingly but being once got with childe they expect manumission according to the custome of the Mahometan Law The Savoyen is penurious foolish and ill-nurtured yet doe the better sort imitate the Spanish pride and by reason of his neighbour-hood to France and Millane are reasonable good Souldiers and the better enabled by the hardnesse of the mountaines The women are strangely apparelled ill-favoured scolding must be discommended and for the most part wenny that is having great bunches under their chinnes with drinking snow water like the Helvetians and 13. Cantons The Switzer is strange in his attire yet not transgressing the limits of his inheritance have great bodies and are mercenary as performing what he is commanded and one that best approveth of his owne Country and habit even preferring his owne snowy hils and coldnesse before the fertillest places of Lumbardy Their women are honest somewhat better favoured than the Savoyen ill brought up plaine dealers and so loveth her husband or friend that she will goe with him to the campe and dresse his meat As for the Kingdomes of Saca Bactriae Sogdiana and many like Nations invironing the East and South of the Caspian I meane not to relate of because I finde the best Authors unacquainted with their properties and discoveries The Armenians report them to be tyrannous their chiefe exercise to be rapine and murthering of passengers without forme of government or controll of superiours
Beere are transported from thence into Belgia as also Pelts Hides Tallow and Sea-coale The Island is so commodiously seated for the Sea that it is never without resort of Portugall Spanish French Flemmish and Easterling Merchants The traffike betweene the English and the Flemmish ariseth to an inestimable value for Guicciardin writeth that before the tumults of the Low-countries they bartered for twelve millions of crownes yearely The aire is somewhat thicke and therefore more subject to the gathering of clouds raine and winds but withall lesse distempered with heat or cold for the same reasons of crassitude The nights are lightsome and in the Northermost parts of the Land they are so short that the falling and rising of the Sunne is discernde but by a small intermission for that the Island is situated almost full North and the Sunne in the Summer time moving slowly and staying long in the Northerne Climates doth almost compasse it round above In the Winter it is as farre removed when approaching neerer the South it runneth towards the East I my selfe have observed that in the City of London being seated in the Southerly part of the Island about the Summer Solstice the night hath not beene above five houres long At all seasons of the yeare the Country is most temperate being subject to no extraordinary evill influence of the Heavens so that diseases are not there very common and therefore lesse use of Physicke than in other places yea many times some people there are who attaine unto one hundred and ten yeares of age yea some to one hundred and twenty Earth-quakes are here seldome heard of and lightnings almost to speake of as seldome The soyle is very fruitfull and plentifull and of all necessaries it yeeldeth abundance except of those things which are peculiar to hotter or colder Regions Vines are fostered rather for the pleasure of their shadowes than for the increase of their profits yet prosper they in all places and bring forth Grapes which notwithstanding hardly wax ripe unlesse an unusuall hot Summer or an artificiall reflexion doe helpe them Wheat Rye Barley and Oats are sowed in their seasons other graines they commonly use not and of Pulse onely Beanes and Pease The fruits suddenly knot but ripen slowly the cause of either is the overmuch moisture both of the soile and the aire Wine as aforesaid the Land affordeth not in stead whereof beere is in request without controversie by use a pleasant and wholsome Beverage Wines are transported from France Spaine and Canaie The Woods are full of fruit trees and most plentifull of Mast. The Rivers faire and runne through many Provinces The Downes are many yet neither cumbred with wood nor overlayed with water which by reason therof bringeth forth a tender and short grasse gratefull and sufficient for the pasturage of infinite flockes of sheepe And whether it be by the influence of the Heavens or the goodnesse of the land they yeeld the finest and softest freeces thorow the whole world And first I must put you in minde of a Miracle how this beast besides the dew of Heaven ordinarily tasteth of no other water so that the shepherds of purpose doe drive them from all watry places upon true observation That to let them drinke is to let them bane Without doubt this is the true golden Fleece wherein the maine wealth of the whole Island consisteth And for to buy this commoditie immensive treasure is yearely reconveyed into the Land by Merchants from whence it is never conveyed because it is provided by the Lawes of the Kingdome That no person transport Gold or Silver Plate Iewels c. Whereby it commeth to passe that no Countrey under the Cope of Heaven is richer than England For besides those masses of Coyne which passe this way and that way through the hands of Tradesmen Merchants and Gentlemen there is almost no person of meane condition but for the use of his daily table he hath either a Salt Cups or Spoones of Silver and according to his estate more or lesse for divers services It is no lesse stored with all kinde of Beasts except Asses Mules Camels and Elephants It bringeth forth no materiall venomous Creature or Beast of prey save the Fox worthy talking of for the race of the Wolves is quite extinguished and therefore all sorts of cattell stray as they list and are in safetie without any great care-taking for an Heards-man so that you shall see Heards of Rother Beasts and Horses and Flocks of Sheepe in all places wandring by day and by night upon Hils and in Vallies in Commons and inclosed Grounds by ancient Customes laid open after Harvest wherein every Neighbour claimeth communitie to feed his Cattell For in truth the Oxe and the Weather are Creatures especially ordained for the Table than whose flesh there is not in any place a more savourie or delicious service Of the two the Steere is the best especially if it be seasonably powdered of which there is no marvell for that this choice is altogether exempted from labour and fed up for food and withall the diet of the English Nation consisting most upon flesh The people are tall of stature faire of complexion for the greater part gray-eyed and as in pronunciation they approach the Italian so in constitution of body and fashion they doe well-neere imitate them They are civilly qualified and take counsell by leasure knowing that profitable proceedings have none a more dangerous adversary â—han rashnesse Of their owne dispositions they are courteous and in all good offices forwards especially the Gentry even towards strangers Their acquaintance they invite to their houses and there entertaine them kindly and feast them both at noone and at night merrily neatly heartily and bountifully and this they terme courtesie or neighbourhood In battell they are fearlesse excellent Archers and in service unindurable of temporizing and therefore the sword being once drawne they forth with set at all upon the hazzard of a battell knowing that all good successe attendeth the fortune of the Victor Fortresses they build none but rather suffer those which heretofore have beene built and are now by age growne ruinous utterly to perish but being once in forren parts they retaine all military discipline to the utmost For Booke-men their maintenance is bountifull their proficiencie commendable and their number numberlesse Their attire differeth not much from the French their women are amiable and beautifull and attired in most comely fashion Their Cities are honourable their Townes famous Hamlets frequent and Villages every where magnificent So that if any courteous Traveller would desire of mee to behold an Idea of happinesse in abstracto fitting for the generall necessitie of life and upright conversation viz. the use of diet clothing sociable feastings solemne festivals and banquets with approbation of magnificence Or demand to see the place where Law indifferent to all sorts permitteth the private man to thrive to purchase estates to devise chattels and inheritances
let loose the Queene of Cities as they terme Paris to looke bigge and angerly upon us our London can affront her with a matching countenance and over-match her in many severall excellencies And surely if any man should materially object against these my assertions I should deeme him either some young humorist some petulant factor discontented traveller or head-strong Papist of which profession I misdoubt not but to finde many amongst men who being either distressed at home or unsetled abroad to their private ends will not blush with the King of Assyria to laugh at the weaknesse of Iuda for being confident in the promises of God will raile on religion condemne government extoll petty Princes and with Naaman the Syrian preferre the waters of Babylon before the wholesome River of Iordan But come to particulars they sticke in the clay and like an unbroken colt flâ—â—ging up and downe and sweating with rage and neither able to goe forward in a handsome course nor remaine patient in expecting the will of the Rider Or open them but one window to let in but the light of our glory by discoursing of our Navie the generall musters of the Country the arming of every Gentlemans house a Noblemans attendance a Ladies jewels the Majestie of our Vniversities the happinesse of our Husbandman the wealth of our great Cities and order in the administration of the sameâ— Then stand they with Niobe transhaped into stone and remaine confounded by reason of their former perverse and ignorant wilfulnesse But I will not be uncivill in exprobration only let me tell them that because in beastly Galata and Constantinople the Merchant may goe into divers Bashawes and Greekish houses and there by entertainment transported with outward deceit of colours as painting gilding in-laid workes and such like hee maketh a wonder at the cost and pompous expences not remembring how their best masters in England are scarce admitted up staires into many worthy houses of our Noblemen and Gentlemen which being admitted would afford other manner of discoveries both magnificent and wealthy even to true admiration Because in Venice they have overlooked the Bucentaure S. Marks Palace and Piazza a dainty front of buildings on the grand Canale the College of Iesuits a Mercer or two that selleth Copes and rich cloaths of gold for high Altars the fundamento novo the Arsnall c. Therefore England hath but poore furniture wanteth the essentiall meanes of Princelinesse and Majestie is onely gawdie in colours a little imbroidery and gold lace which they allow to Players and Mountebanks both in Venice Florence Verona and the rest of her Cities Because in Genoa Naples Rome and some other places they may see an even street of houses with a pillar or two of jet jasper and hard marble a Cardinals Palace and six moils in a Carosse to attend him but to the conclave a stately Mosque in Turkie the Domo in Florence new Saint Peters at Rome and some other ostentous buildings they say our beauty is eclipsed and wee must submit the controversie to the apparant bravery of forren magnificence whereas in truth they hold no more comparison for Majesty though dispersedly either with our Courts late Country buildings demesnes adjacent and commodious houses about the Citie for receit capacity and entertainment than bird-cages doe to delightsome Arbours But who are they that so entertaine Tables with this returne of discourse surely none but our fashion-follow-Travellers who with many long lookes expecting in an Almanacke for a yeare of Iubile flie over Sea by flocks towards Rome Where by the way in Ausburg Noremberg and some other Cities of Germanie meeting with a flaggon of wine wherewith the Burgers according to custome with such entertainment use to welcome strangers they presently write over with what state they were feasted and how graciously admitted into Cities resembling new Ierusalem in respect of our disproportion of building and unequall fashion of our streets Because in France they may drinke wine of Orleance or Lyons and for their money satisfie incontinencie wherein yet they confesse Italy to surpasse Oh! say they England is a barren Countrey and farre from becircling her forehead with the garland of Bacchus or wreath of Abundance but sitteth desolate like a widow having the curse of baldnesse inflicted upon her Because in Padoa they are told of Antenors Tombe in the streets seene the Amphitheatres in Verona or Rome monuments truly resembling the wrinkles of an old face or beheld the wals of Constantinople the ruinous Colosses of the Citie with the Aquaduct in the Country Oh! these be Kingdomes that make aged Time young againe and surpasse our new Nation for wonders and works of Majestie Because they have beheld though peradventure with little understanding the forts of Mount-mâ—lian and Saint Katherines the citadels of Millan and Antuerp the Castles of Naples and Saint Angelo and have beene acquainted with the examination of passengers at Lyons Millan and the frontier Townes of the Princes of Italie They presently exclaime against our weaknesse and ill-advised discipline which leaveth our Country as it were naked to all inconveniences of wind and weather In the next ranke come up our male-contents and they are such as being meerely gulled with pride selfe-conceit and fantastick vaine-glory have run a prodigall hunting-journey with Esau untill being weary and hungry they have beene inforced to sell their birth-rights for a messe of pottage Then with Yorke and Stanly and thousands more they enter into violent courses curse David raile on their Countrey and accuse Authoritie of injustice and partialitie With the Dukes of Guise and Bâ—ron they set up the praises of the Spanish King and the tender-heartednesse of the Pope for the decay of Religion supposing themselves sufficiently magnified for contesting with Kings and sleighting the Princes of the bloud In the reare slily stealeth up the obstinate Papist To him urge honestie reason yea the Scriptures and hee will discharge no other shot but the Ordinance of the Church Put him from that slanker and you shall see him like an Adder lurking in the grasse to sting the heele of the passenger And that is with telling you that in France the Church at Amiens hath delicate Pictures the nostre Dame at Roan and Paris maintaine brave processions Our Lady at Sichem works only miracles yea more than miracles for they will tell you of a Virgin got with childe in a Nunnerie by one of her sisters For say they she protested before our Lady that she never knew what the company of man meant But leaving these men to themselves and the sting of their owne consciences we will proceed to shew you with what affections other Nations doe at this day Court us France is so strengthened and beautified at home by the multitude of Princes and noble Gentlemen that now at this day enjoying the Kingdome intirely to themselves they are confident to defend it not seeking ambitiously to offend others though haply envying to
seated in an I le of the Seine We may distinguish it thus into Transequana Cisequana and Interamnis The part beyond the Seine that on this side the Seine and that in the I le incompast with the River It is reputed not onely the Capitall Citie of France but also the greatest in all Europe It is about the wals some ten English miles these are not very thicke the want whereof is recompenced with the depth of the ditch and goodnesse of the Rampart which is thicke and defensible save on the South side which no doubt is the weakest part of the Towne on which side it is reported that the Lord Willoughby offered the King in foure dayes to enter at such time as he besieged it Whereunto the King condescended not by the counsell of the old Marshall Biron who told him it was no policie to take the bird naked when hee may have her feathers and all On the other side especially towards the East it is very well fortified with Bulwarke and Ditch faire and moderne The Ramparts of the gates S. Anthony S. Michel and S. Iames and elsewhere were made 1544. This Bastile of Saint Anthonie was built some say by the English and indeed it is somewhat like those peeces which they have built elsewhere in France as namely that at Roven howbeit I read in Vigner his Chronicle that it was builded by a Provost of Paris in the time of Edward the third of England at what time our Kings began their first claime and had as yet nothing to doe in this Citie So in this Towne the Chastelet was built by Iulian the Apostata the Vniversitie was founded by Charlemaigne Anno 800. who also erected those of Bologna and Padoa The Church of Nostre Dame was founded Anno Dom. 1257. If you would know the greatnesse of the great Church of our Lady the roofe thereof is seventeene fadome high it is foure and twenty fadome broad threescore and five fadome long the two Steeples are foure and thirty fadome high above the Church and all founded upon piles The Towne-house was finished by Francis the first Anno 1533. with this inscription over the Gate S.P.E.P. that is For his well-deserving Senate People and Burghers of Pariâ— Francis the first most puissant King of France commanded this House to be built from the foundation and finished it and dedicated it to the calling of the Common Councell and governing the Citie in the yeare aforesaid This is as you would say the Guild-Hall of the Towne The Hostel Dieu in Paris was augmented and finished in 1535. by Antoine de Prat Chancellour in this Citie his pourtraict with Francis the first is upon the doore as yee enter This is as we call it at London the Hospitall The Palace de Paris was built by Philip le Bel 1283. purposing it should have beene his Mansion-house but since it hath beene disposed into divers Courts for the execution of Iustice just like Westminster Hall which likewise at first was purposed for the Kings Palace Here you have such a shew of Wares in fashion but not in worth as yee have at the Exchange Here is a Chappell of the Saint Espirit built by Saint Lewis 1242. Here are all the seven Chambers of the Court of Parliament which was first instituted by Charles Martel father to King Pepâ—â— Anno 720. but of them all the great Chamber of Paris is most magnificently beautified and adorned by Lewis the twelfth At the entry is a Lion couchant with his taile betweene his legs to signifie that all persons how high soever are subject to that Court. The Chamber also of Compts built by this Lewis is a very faire roome at the entry whereof are five pourtraicts with their Mots The first is Temperance with a Diall and Spectacle her word Mihi spreta voluptas I despise pleasure Secondly Prudence with a Looking-Glasse and a Sive her word Consiliis rerum speculor I prie into the counsell of things Iustice with a Ballance and a Sword her Mot Sua cuique ministro I give to every man his owne Fortitude with a Tower in one arme and a Serpent in the other her word Me dolor atque metus fugiunt Both paine and feare avoid mee And lastly Lewis the King with a Scepter in one hand and holding Iustice by the other and this written for his word My happy Scepter in calme peace doth flourish While I these Heaven-bred Sisters foure doe nourish The buildings of this Citie are of stone very faire high and uniforme thorowout the Towne only upon the port N. Dame our Ladies Bridge which is as it were their Cheapside Their building is of brick-bat all alike notwithstanding the fairest Fabrick in the Towne and worthily is the Kings Castle or Palace of the Louvre at the West It is in forme quadrangular the South and West quarters are new and Prince-like the other two very antique and prison-like They were pulled downe by Francis the first and begun to be re-built but finished by Henry the second with this inscription The most Christian King Henry the second began to repaire this time-ruined Edifice The Vniversitie in times past was wont to have by report above thirty thousand Schollers of all sorts but many of these children such as our petty Schooles in the Countries are furnished withall The streets both in the Citie Vniversitie and suburbs are very faire strait and long very many of them the shops thicke but nothing so full of wares nor so rich as they of London in comparison whereof these seeme rather Pedlars than otherwise But for number I suppose there be three for two of those The Faulxbourges are round about the Citie ruined and utterly desolate except those of Saint Germaines which was very fairely builded and was very neere as great as the faire Towne of Cambridge The benefit of this Towne is very great which it hath by the River as by which all the commodities of the Country are conveyed whereupon Monsieur de Argenton reports of it Of all the Townes that ever I saw it is environed with the best and fertilest Country And he there reports that for twenty moneths that hee was prisoner he saw such an infinite company of boats passe and repasse but that he was an eye-witnesse he would have thought it incredible which he also after proves by the maintenance of the three Armies of the three Dukes of Burgundie Guiennae and Bretaigne which consisted of an hundred thousand men against the Citie of Paris wherein they had besieged Lewis the eleventh and yet neither the Campe nor Towne had any want of victuals Some say this Towne was builded in the time of Amazias King of Iuda by some Reliques of the Trojan warre and that it was called Lutece à Luto because the soile in this place is very fat which is of such nature as ye cannot well get it out it doth so staine whereof they have a By-word It staineth like the durt of
people Besides these publike Receptacles we have private and goodly Colleges for Lawyers fitted for their private and publike uses receit of their Clients conveniently appropriated to their Offices All workes rather of oftentation amongst our selves than of imitation in others In stead of obscure Churches we have first the goodliest heape of stones namely Pauls next the most curious viz. Westminster Abby in the world and generally all out Churches exceed for beauty and handsomnesse In stead of Gentlemen riding on durty foot-cloaths and women footing it in the mierie streets the one with an idle Lackey the other with no company at all we have fashionable attendance handsome comely passage either in Carosse Coach or on horsebacke and our Ladies and Gentlewomen are never seene abroad without an honourable retinue In stead of confused intermixtures of all sorts as Citizens Lawyers Schollers Gentlemen Tradesmen and Religious persons so that you can scarcely know the one from the other nor the master from the man in London the Citizen lives in the best order with very few houses of Gentlemen interposed But in our suburbs the Nobility and Gentry have so many and such stately buildings that one side of the River may compare with the gran Canale at Venice but if you examine their receit and capacity Venice and all the Cities of Europe must submit to truth for in London and the places adjoyning five hundred severall houses may beare the attribute of Palaces wherein five thousand persons may conveniently be lodged In stead of a poore Provost and a disorderly company of Merchants and Tradesmen we have a Podesta or Maior that keepeth a Prince-like house accompanied and attended with grave and respective Senators and comely Citizens having severall Hals where every craft and mystery is governed by ancient persons of the same society and profession At time of yeare producing such solemne and rich triumphs that strangers have admired the brave spirits of Mechanicall men To conclude if you looke on and in our London truly as it is composed of men following trades and occupations there is not such a Citie such a Government such a method of conversation such an unity of society and good neighbourhood such a glasse to see lovelinesse and beauty in such a chamber of wealth and such a store-house of terrestriall blessings under the Sunne againe Or if you please to view it without at all times and yet consider the keeping of our Country houses you may boldly say There are not so many Gentlemen to be seene in any place nor to so good purpose generally for speaking somewhat liberally like an Orator of Contentation I aske if the pleasures of Paris can bring you into walkes of such variety with so little charge and expence as London can Surely no. And with us our riding of horses musicke learning of all Arts and Sciences dancing fencing seeing of comedies or enterludes banquets maskes mummeries lotteries feasts ordinary meetings and all the singularities of mans inventions to satisfie delight are easie expences and a little judgement with experience will manage a very meane estate to wade through the current of pleasure yea although it should runne unto voluptuousnesse But shall I dare to speake of our Court the map of Majesty in respect whereof Biron compared all others to confusion If I doe for stately attendance dutifull service plentifull fare orderly tables resort of Nobles beauty of Ladies bravery of Gentry concourse of civill people princely pastimes and all things befitting the Majesty of a King or glory of a Nation I may say for England as the King of France once answered the Emperours tedious Title France France France and nothing but France So England England England and nothing but England to their proudest comparisons Affirming that if ever Countrey Kingdome or Prince came neere Salomons royalty plenty peace and beatitude England and in England London hath the preheminence Besides the Cities and Ports of France well fortified there be also infinite numbers of Castles Cittadels which the people call The nests of Tyrants and the Prince Chastivillains Of the Castles the number is therefore most great and as uncertaine by reason that every Noblemans house of any age is built in defensible manner An example of one for many hundreds you may take that of Roch-fort belonging to the Seigneur de la Tremouville which in the civill warres endured a siege and five thousand Cannon shot and yet was not taken It is judged by the wisest that in great Kingdomes such as France no places should bee fortified but the frontiers after the example of Nature who armeth the heads and heeles of beasts but never the bowels nor middle part as in England where except frontier places none but his Majestie have fortified places You must understand that here in France all Inhabitants of Cities are liable to the common charges of the fortification of their Cities reparations of Bridges Fountaines High-waies such like And because the richer sort should not levie the money and then keepe it to themselves or imploy it as they list they must give information to the Chancellor of the necessity of the Levie and procure Letters Patents for the same by authority whereof they gather the money and use it yeelding after to the Kings Procurer their account And for their Watch and Ward it goes by course as in the City of Embden and divers other in those low countries As for Castles the Seigneur or Captaine may not force Vassall faire le guet to watch and ward except in frontier places upon forfeiting of their estates After this generall Survey of the Country it selfe wee must observe something of the government wherein I will not trouble you with fetching their first Pedigree from beyond the Moone as many of theâ—r Histories labour nor by disputing the matter whether it bee true or no that they came from Troy into the marishes of Maeotis whence after some small abode they were chased by the Roman Emperour into Bavaria and after into Frankeland in Germany It shall suffice that from hence this people came into France wherein all Writers agree For after the declination of the Roman Empire when the Ostrogothes conquered Italy the Visigothes Spaine and the Vandals Affrike then did the Burgundians and Franconians divide this Country betweene them conquering it upon the old Inquilines the Gaules who from Caesars time till then had not tasted the force of a forren power The Government was under Dukes till the yeare 420. when as Pharamond caused himselfe to bee intituled King In this race it remained till 751. when Pepin suppressed his M. Chilpericke and usurped His line lasted till 988. when Hugh Capet gave the checke to the succession of Charlemaignes line who was Pepins sonne and invested himselfe with the Diadem From him it hath lineally descended by heires males to the house of Valois and for want of issue malâ— in them is now come to
as it were the Dowre which the State brings to the King her Husband for her tuition defence and maintenance And therefore one saith It belongs not to the King but to the Crowne There are two sorts of Domaines first the Rent which the King holds in his hands of the Feifs given for service Secondly that which is united and incorporate to the Crowne The rights of the Domaine are these Rents Feifs Payments at alienations Tributes Penages Toll of whatsoever enters or comes out of Cities Woods Forests and divers other That is Domaine which belongeth to the Crowne First either by Possession time out of minde Or secondly by Re-union for want of heires males as the Apennages when they returne or by Confusion for want to such as can make just claime much like our concealed Lands in England Or lastly by Confiscation of offenders inheritances Of this last sort we reade that in the time of Saint Lewis there were confisked to the Domaine the Countries of Dreux Bray Fortyonne and Monstrevil Languedocke Guyenne Anjow Maine Turraine Auvergne And after in the time of Philip the Dutchy of Alencon the Countries of Perche Perigort Poutieu La Marche Angoulesme and the Marquisat of Saluzzes But Bodin saith most of this came to the Crowne by force La siur 〈◊〉 Serre saith it came by way of Exchange or purchase But the Author of the Commentaries of the estate of the Religion and policie of France is of the first opinion Thus great was the Domaine in former times that of it selfe without oppressing the people with impositions it was sufficient to maintaine the State and greatnesse of the Kings of France but it is now utterly wasted It is well knowne that the Domaine which alone maintained heretofore the beautie and lustre of the Royall Estate is not now such as it was in the reignes of King Lewis the eleventh Charles the eighth and Lewis the twelfth The continuance of our warres hath caused it to be engaged in many hands in such sort that there is need of more than 15. or 16. thousand pounds sterling to redeeme that which is worth above five millions of pounds And Bodin saith that almost all the Countries Baronies and Seigneuries of the Domaine are aliened for the ninth or tenth part of that they be worth Yee must observe that the lands of the Domaine are not alienable but in two cases 1. For the Apennage of the Kings brother 2. For the warres And these must be confirmed by the Arrest of the Parliament For all other cases all Lawyers and Historians of France agree That it is inalienable and many Arrests have beene made of late yeares to confirme it I have read that the Charta Magna of England saith the Kings when they are crowned take an oath not to alien ti so doe they here in France And there is no prescription of time to make such sales or alienations good but that they may be recovered and repurchased whensoever the Crowne is able To this purpose Plutarch saith well Men cannot prescribe against God nor particulars against the Respublique 2 Concerning the second meanes of raising Money by conquests the present State of France can yeeld no example it hath beene long but on the saving hand 3 For the third meanes it is now out of season it was used in that good old world when men wiped their nose on their sleeve as the French man sayes for now Princes are so farre from giving as they hardly pay that they owe. 4 The fourth meanes also of Pension which Princes have upon some consideration of their Allies helpeth the French Kings coffers nothing at all for they rather give than take As for example to divers Cantons of the Swisses to whom at first they payed not above one hundred and twentie thousand Livres yearely but for these sixtie yeares they never pay lesse the yeare than two Millions For saith Commines Lewis the eleventh entered league with the Swisses and they into his Pension to whom he yearely gave forty thousand Florins whereof 20. went to the Cities and 20. to particular men upon condition to have a certaine proportion of their forces to serve in his warres upon all occasions An advantagious alliance for the Swisse in my opinion who by this meanes enrich themselves cleare their Countrey of many idle and bad members and lastly breed good souldiers to serve themselves upon need at another mans cost The Turke hath also a Pension of the Emperour of Germany for certaine Lands hee holdeth in Hungary which hee notwithstanding vaunteth to be a Tribute Many examples might bee alleaged of this kinde as of Philip of Macedon that by Pensions got all Greece partiall on his side and the Kings of Persia by Pension got ever the forces of Asia diverted 5 The fifth which is of Trafficke availeth nothing the French Kings for they hold it here a base and sordid kinde of profession for a Gentleman much more for a King to trade by Merchandize And by the Lawes of England France and Germanie he loseth the quality of a Nobleman that doth Trafficke Notwithstanding these Lawes and the disparagement that it brings to Nobility yet so sweet is the savour of gaine that many have used this as no small meanes to increase their Finances The great Duke of Tuscane present gaines infinitely this way and the more by his most unlawfull and tyrannous Monopolies for he commonly buyeth up all the Graine of his owne Countrey at his owne price yea and that which commeth from other places also and then sendeth out a Bando or Proclamation that no man shall sell any corne thorowout his State till his owne be sold forcing also all Bakers and other people to buy thereof This manner of ingrossing Alphonsus of Arragon also used by the testimony of Bodin The Kings of Portugal also and the Seignory of Venice have beene great Traders by Merchandize but it hath beene in an honester fashion at sea and not to the grinding of their poore subjects The Nobilitie also of Italy in all Cities except Naples hold it no dishonour to Trafficke in grosse 6 The sixth meanes of raising money upon all Wares and Merchandize that come in and goe out of the Countrey is the most ancient and best agreeing with reason and used by all Princes in the World The particulars comprised under this branch are these Customes inward and outward By these the Prince is to have Impost five in the hundred So much just had the Romans as Cicero witnesseth in his Praetorship of Sicilia The Turke takes Ten in the hundred of the stranger and five of the subject the French quite contrarie You must observe that which here I call the Domaine forraine is generally called the Aides first granted by the Estates to Charles Duke of Normandie when Iohn his father was prisoner in England which was the payment of twelve Deniers upon all Merchandizes and Wares which should bee sold in this Kingdome except upon
communicates apart his principall and most importing affaires where are read all letters which come from other Princes and such like publike businesse and after a conclusion what is to be done the dispatch thereof is committed to the Secretaries The other is the Great Councell or Councell of Estate which at first was as it were a member of the Parliament and consisted of the Princes of the Bloud and Nobility having only to deale in the matters of the policy generall of France or of warres or of the enacting and publishing of Edicts But the faction of Orleans and Burgundy caused it to bee changed to a choice number of Counsellors provisioned of 1000. crownes pension apeece yearely Of this Councell the Chancellor is chiefe for neither the King himselfe nor any Prince of the Bloud comes there This is the Court of which the Frenchman saith every time it is holden it costs the King a thousand crownes a day And now saith Haillan he cannot keepe them so cheape so infinite is the number of them growne Where he also complaines that this Conseil d' Estat which was wont only to determine publike affaires as the establishment of justice the Reglement of Finances and redressing of common grievances is now so charged with private contentions as the glory thereof is much diminished The Chancellor anciently served as a Secretarie and so was called in the old Charters of France where hee is likewise called the Grand Referendaire The Secretary doth signe and the Chancellor doth seale The Secretary is next in office who at first were called Clerks They are either of the Finances which have their place among the Officers of the Finances before remembred or of Affaires which we heare speake of Of these are foure which are called principall Governours and Lieutenants generall of Cities and Provinces are as it were Vice-royes and Regents of those places committed to them and indeed the persons sustaining these charges are much more Noble than those of the Secreâ—aries as being for the most part conferred upon the Princes of the Bloud and Peeres of France The Governours of Cities were in old time called Dukes and they of Provinces Counts They were at first only in Frontier Provinces but now since the troubles of France they have had the command over Cities and Countries even in the midst and bowels of the Land So that now saith Haillan France is become a Frontier to it selfe on every side There are but few Cities whereof anciently there were Governours as Rochel Calais Paronne Bologne Mondidier Narbonne Bayonne and two or three others Others that had keeping of some small Castle or Fort was onely called the Keeper or Captaine at most But now saith Haillan lib. 4. every paltry fellow that hath the keeping of a Pigeon-house must forsooth be called My Lord the Governour and my Mistresse his Wife My Lady the Governesse The Governour of Daulphenie hath greatest privileges for hee giveth all Offices in his Province in other places they can give none except they have it by expresse words in their Patent The Governour may not be absent above six moneths in a yeare but the Lieutenant must never be absent without leave of the Prince except teh Governour be present There is yet an Office whereof I must remember you which is one of the chiefest in France either for honour or profit called grand Maistre des Eaues Forests All matters concerning the Kings Chases Forests Woods and Waters whatsoever are determined by him by the Grand M. Enquesteur and by their Reformateur at the Table of Marble under him are infinite sorts of Officers and divers others As the particular Master of each Forest their Lieutenants Overseers of the sale of woods and the other Officers here specified But I will not load this short Relation with reckoning up all the divers and infinite sorts of Officers where with France herselfe seemeth tâ— be over-loaden as partly ye have heard already and yee shall reade in Bodin how hee complaines not only of the multiplicitie of Offices in generall but also that even the Councell of Estate is surcharged with number where you may likewise observe how he approves the Privie Councell of England erected some foure hundred and odde yeares since where are never saith he above twentie by whose sage direction the Land hath long flourished in Armes and Lawes And for the execution of Lawes and administration of Iustice yee may remember what hath beene said before that the Lawes are good and just but not justly executed Where Haillan comparing the time saith Then great ones were punished but since only pettie fellowes and great ones goe Scot-free Th'ensnaring Lawes let Crowes goe free While simple Doves entâ—ngled bee HAving thus related of the Topography and Policie of France it remaineth I speake somewhat of the Oeconomie that is of the people of France comprised under the three Estates of the Clergie the Nobilitie and Comminaltie of the severall humour profession and fashion of each of them which is the third and last branch of this Relation The Church Gallicane is holden the best privilege of all those of Christendome that have not yet quit their subjection to the Pope It hath alwayes protested against the Inquisition It is more free from payments to the Pope than the Church of Spaine as also to the King For here in France they only pay the Disme but in Spaine the King hath his Tertias Subsidio Pilâ— and Escusado in all a moitie of the Church living Indeed it is reported of this Catholike King that he hath founded many Abbeyes and Religious Houses but what saith his Subject He steales the sheepe and gives the Trotters for Gods sake In this Church of France are twelve Archbishopricks one hundred and foure Bishoprickes five hundred and fortie Archpriories one thousand foure hundred and fifty Abbeys twelve thousand three hundred and twenty Priories five hundred sixtie seven Nunneries one hundred and thirtie thousand Parish Priests seven hundred Convents of Friers and two hundred fiftie nine Commendums of the Order of the Knights of Malta There are saith the Cabinet du Roy three millions of people that live upon the Church of France where he particularly setteth downe in each Diocesse the number of all sorts of Religious people as also the number of their Whores Bawds Bastards and Servants of all sorts And why not saith he as well as the Magitians undertake in their Inventory of the Diabolike Monarchie to set downe the names and surnames of 76. Princes and seven millions foure hundred and five thousand nine hundred twentie and six Devils The Church hath for all this rabble to live upon these two things First her Temporall Revenues and secondly her Spirituall which they call the Baise-mani Of her Temporall Revenues divers men judge diversly The Cabinet who in all his computations makes of a Mouse an Elephant saith that they are fourescore millions of crownes the yeare besides the Baise-mani which is as
much more and besides an infinite provision which they reserve and is paid them over and except their Rents by their Farmers and Tenants as of Wheat foure millions five hundred thousand quarters of Rye two millions three hundred thousand quarters of Oats nine hundred thousand of Barley eight hundred thousand of Pease and Beanes eight hundred sixtie thousand Capons one hundred sixty thousand Hens five hundred sixtie thousand Partridge 50000. Beeves 12000. Muttons one million two hundred thousand Wine one million two hundred thousand Cuues Egges seven millions Butter 230000. Quintaux Cheese five hundred thousand Hogs one hundred thirty six thousand Pigges three hundred forty thousand Tallow sixty thousand Quintaux Hey six hundred thousand loads Straw eight hundred thousand Wood two millions with an infinite proportion of other necessaries imaginary only and incredible And yet he there a voweth all things with as great confidence as if himselfe had had the true abstract from all the Bookes of Accounts in each Monastery and Benefice in this Land For how is it possible the Church should have 200. millions of crownes yearely Rent when as by the computation here are but just so many Arpens of Land in all France which to rate one with another at a crowne an Arpen comes to this account which he allowes the Clergie and then is there nothing left for the other two States of the Nobilitie and people But inasmuch as the better halfe of their Revenue is by the Baise-mani there remaineth the better halfe of the Land to the other two States which notwithstanding is a proportion small enough Neere unto this reckoning commeth that which we reade in Bodin of Alemant a president of accounts in Paris whose judgement must carry good authority in this case as a thing belonging to his profession and wherein he was best experienced The Church Revenues in Land are reckoned orderly at twelve millions and three hundred thousand Livres but I dare justifie saith he that of twelve parts of the Revenues of France the Church possesse seven This opinion Bodin seemes to allow But it is rather thought to be true that the Comment de l' estat saith who of the two hundred millions of Arpens allowes the Church forty seven millions which by particulars of their Vineyards Medowes arable-Pastures and Heaths with their Woods is there set downe which here to follow in particular were too tedious Besides this Temporall they have their Baise-mani as is said that consisteth in Churchings Christnings Marriages Burials Holy-bread Indulgences Vowes Pilgrimages Feasts Processions Prayers for cattle for seasonable weather for Children against all manner of diseases and infinite such purposes for which the superstitious people will have a Masse said which they pay the Priest for particularly over and besides all this there is scarce that Arpen in all France upon which there is not some Dirige or de profundis some libera me Domine or some reckoning or other liable Concerning them of the Reformed Religion whom here in contempt they call Hugnonets yee may note that the number is not small considering that after the conference of Poissie above forty yeares since here were found 2150. Churches of them whereof not one hath escaped without some murthers or massacres and we may imagine that since that time this number is much increased But as for Religion it hath onely beene the cloake and shadow of their ambitious pretences without the which they could never have insinuated themselves so farre into the hearts of the people who are alwayes the gros de la bataille the maine Battell and without whom the Nobilitie may well quarrell but they cannot fight And therefore yee shall reade in some of the same Religion reformed That there were Huguonets as well of Estateâ— as of Religion These have now free permission to professe and places allotted for exercise with all libertie of conscience possible save that in the chiefe Cities of France they have no Churches allowed neither can be buried in Christian buriall as they call it if any of them die among the Catholikes with whom not withstanding they now live peaceably thorowout the Countrey But me thinkes they have here small reason to let them live together in a house and not suffer them to lie together in a Church-yard And as for warring any longâ—r for Religion the French-mâ—â— utterly disclaimes it he is at last growne wise marry he hath bought it somewhat deare The Italian is wise bâ—forehand the Almaine in the doing and the Frenchâ— after the thing is done saith one of their own writers let us pâ—sâ—aetor sapâ—â—â— Concerning the Nobilitie of France saith La Nove They are exceeding valorous and courteous and there is no State in Christendome where they are in so great number It hath beene argued before in this Relation that there be at least 50000. able to beare Armes but that is thought with the most Monsieur du Fay thinks them about thirty thousand in which number ye must conclude all degrees of Gentlemen from the highest to the lowest that beare Armes for so the French call their Noblesse whereas we in England make two distinct orders of the Nobility Gentry as they call it Those are Noble which can prove a long tract of time wherein a Fee and Knights service thereto belonging hath resided in their family And another Writer saith In France men are esteemed Noble by bloud and profession of Armeâ— And sure if there be difference in Nobility as there must needs bee because the causes be different for some are ennobled by their valour and Martiall knowledge and others by their Offices and prudence in the manage of matters of Estate I see no reason but that these last should be holden the more Noble Nobility if I may so say alwayes giving the first place to them that are of Noble Houses by Race For of all these three sorts the French Writers speake when they say There is a difference of Nobles The first by Race The second by Ennobling and of Ennobling there are two sorts One by Patent duly proved in the Court of Parliament The other by meanes of Offices to which they are advanced And howsoever Turquet hereof inferreth that it is la vertu que fait la Noblesse carâ—ily a de nobles vilains et de vilains nobles Vertue that maketh Nobility for there are Noble Peasants and peasantly Nobles yet sure it is that the degenerating of one from the Vertue of his Ancestors cannot prejudice the Nobility nor Eclipse the glory of his Succeeder who as Histories shew many times excell all the former of their house The highest degree of honour in France is the Pairrie in which order have beene sometimes seven sometimes eleven never above seventeene and most commonly twelve Whereupon they are called the Twelve Peeres of France These have the precedence before all the rest of the Nobility and of these they of the Bloud although they were latest called into the Pairrie Of these Peeres
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
discipline they only of all Christendome have made best use thereof As the people to whose glory industry patience and fortitude and that in a good cause too much honour and commendation can never be attributed The States of the Low-Countries ALL the seventeene Provinces of Netherland were sometimes under one Lord but privileges being broken and warres arising the King of Spaine the naturall Lord of all these Low-Countries was in the treaty of peace Anno 1606. inforced to renounce all pretence of his owne right to these confederate Provinces Since when we may well handle them by themselves as an absolute and a free State of Government as the Spaniard himselfe acknowledged them The Provinces united are these Zeland Holland Vtrich Over-Isell Zutphen Groningen three quarters of Gelderland with some peeces of Brabant and Flanders This union was made Anno 1581. The Fleets and Forces of which Confederation are from the chiefe Province altogether called Hollanders The first of these is Zeland whose name given it by the Danes of Zeland in Scandia notifies its nature A land overflowed with the Sea Broken it is into seven Ilands whereof those three to the East beyond the River Scheld and next to Holland are Schowen Duvelant and Tolen the other foure be Walcheren Zuyd-beverlant Nort-beverlant and Wolferdijck 1. T'land van Schowen is seven of their miles about parted with a narrow fret from Nort-beverlant The chiefe towne is Zierickzee the ancientest of all Zeland built 849. The Port sometimes traded unto is now choaked with sand which they labour to cleare againe 2. Duveland so named of the Doves foure miles about hath some townes but no City 3. Tolen called so of the chiefe towne as that was of the Tolle there payed by the boats comming downe the Scheld 4. The chiefe of the seven is Walcheren ten miles compasse so named of the Walsh or Galles In the middle of it is Middleburgh the prime Citie of Zeland and a goodly Towne other Cities it hath as Vere Armuyden and Flushing all fortified 5. Zuyd-beverlant Nort-beverlant so named of the Bavarians The first is now ten miles about The Cities are Romerswael much endangered by the Sea and divided from the Island and Goesse or Tergoose a pretty and a rich towne 6. Nort-beverlant quite drowned in the yeare 1532. but one towne 7. Wolferdijck that is Wolfers-banke hath now but two Villages upon it Zeland hath ten Cities in all The land is good and excellently husbanded the water brackish Their gaines comes in by that which brought their losses the Sea Their wheat is very good some store they have the Cowes but more of Sheepe great store of Salt-houses they have for the refining of Salt of which they make great merchandize The Zelanders were converted to the faith by our Country-man Willebrord before Charles the greats time HOlland so named either quasi Holt-land that is the Wood-land which woods they say were destroyed by a mighty tempest Anno 860. the roots and truncks of which being often here found or quasi Hol-land Hollow and light land as it is indeed But most likely it is that the Danes also comming from Olandt in their owne Countrie gave name to this Province as they did to Zeland also The whole compasse is not above sixtie of their miles the breadth in most places is not above six houres travelling with a Wagon and in some places scarce a mile over The whole is divided into South-Holland Kinheymar West-Freesland Waterlandt and Goytland The chiefe Towne is Dort but the goodliest and richest is Amsterdam one of the greatest Townes of merchandize in the whole world they have almost twenty other Cities strong and elegant At Leyden there being a College and Vniversity Their banks mils and other workes for keeping out the Sea be most admirable vast and expensive Three of the foure Elements are there and in Zeland starke naught then Water brackish their Aire foggie their Fire smokish made of their Turses for which they are said to burne up their owne land before the day of Iudgement The men are rather bigge than strong some accuse them to love their penny better than they doe a stranger Their women are the incomparable huswives of the world and if you looke off their faces upon their linnen and houshold stuffe are very neat and cleanly At their Innes they have a kinde of open-heartednesse and you shall be sure to finde it in your reckoning Their land is passing good for Cowes they live much upon their butter and they bragge mightily of their cheeses As for flesh-meat I thinke that a Hawke in England eats more in a moneth than a rich Boore nay than a sufficient corporall Burger does in six weekes The industry of the people is wonderfull so many ditches have they made thorow the Country that there is not the most Iâ—land Boore but he can row from his owne doore to all the Cities of Holland and Zealand The Dutchman will drinke indeed but yet he still does his businesse he lookes still to the maine chance both in the City and Country by Sea and Land they thrive like the Iewes every where and wee have few such drunkards in England too many wee have apt enough to imitate their vice but too too few that will follow them in their vertue THis Duchie lies on the East of Holland and Brabanâ— touching also upon Cleve and Iuliers It hath two and twenty Cities and good Townes whereof Nimwegen Zutphon Ruremond and Arhneim are the chiefe Some peeâ—es the Spaniard here hath â— and the whole Country having heretofore beene infeâ—ted with the warres makes â— a little to come behinde his fellowes The land and people differ not much from those of Holland saving that towards Cleveland it is more mountainous the Champian is very rich pasturage for grazing THis touches Gelderland upon the South West-Freesland upon the North Westphalia upon the East and the Zuydersee on the West The chiefe Citie is Deventer others of the better sort be Campen Zwol Steinwick Oetmarse Oldenzeel Hesselâ—â— Vollenhoven c. This Countrey was of old inhabited by the Franks or Frenchmen of which there were two tribes the Ansuarii which gave name to the Hanse-townes whereof Deventer was first and the Salii which tooke name from the River Isala upon which Deventer stands and these gave name to the Salique Law which you see did rather concerne these Countries than France it selfe and was made by a barbarous people in an age as barbarous though this onely was pretended to barre women from the crowne of France and to hinder our Kings and occasion those warres and bloudsheds THe Bishopricke of Vtrecht hath Holland on the North and Gelderland on the West The circuit is but small yet hath it five pretty Cities whereof Vtrecht it selfe is large delicate and rich inhabited by most of the Gentry of Holland Much harassed hath it beene but now well recovered since it came into the union GRoningen
ready to march whither occasion calleth Because of the thicknesse of the Woods the Horsemen serve with Petronels and seldome use Pikes or Launces These are most excellent Footmen for every souldier is able to make and furnish himselfe with any furniture whatsoever even the making of his owne Flaske and Touch-box as likewise the common people in Pervina and the neighbouring Provinces being contented with a little have alwayes accustomed to make all implements for their houses and bodies to build to weave to play the Tailors to sow to reape and to forge tooles fit for their businesse And as for these Trades which are neither common nor necessary a to paint to worke in silver and such like there are notwithstanding found among them very good worke-men wanting rather matter than Art to worke upon The Swevian Horse-men are divided into thirteene Companies Sweveland and Gothland maintaine eleven and Finland two and upon necessitie they can raise a greater force for the Dukedome of Vrmeland as report goeth is able to furnish better than ten thousand men with Horse In Marchland there is such plentifull breed of Horse that there they are sold at a very low rate both these Provinces are in Gothland Their Horse is not so bigge bodied as the Frieslander but exceeding hardie active able to endure travell and fed with a little I will not omit to speake of two Noble usages of the King of Swethland towards his Souldiers one is that if a Souldier be taken prisoner he is ransomed at the Kings charges the other that if his Horse be slaine the King bestoweth another upon him To his Captaines and those which serve on Horse-back in part of payment of their wages hee giveth yearely a Garment which the Germans terme Idolis and may be taken for a Cassocke The rest of the Captaines meanes if he serves within the Kingdome against the Dane or Moscovite is but foure Dollars a moneth and exemption for himselfe and family from other duties and payments to the King The common souldier is not thus exempted unlesse in time of warre or danger his other pay is one Dollar and a quarter for a moneth small pay if you consider not the cheapnesse of victuals In their marches in loose troopes they are billetted in the next houses at the countries charges But when the Armie is in the field altogether the King findes them victuals without deducting it out of their meanes It was not long since that the Horseman in time of peace received more than twenty Dollars standing for a yeare with a Horsemans coat and his exemptions but this is increased in the warres The Officers of Horse-troopes receive monethly pay for themselves their servitors horse-boyes c. The Nobilitie and Courtiers also Privie Councellors excepted which may be about three hundred in all are bound to wait on the King on horseback every of which for himselfe and followers receiving each five Dollars a moneth Every Captaine must be a Gentleman borne As touching their Sea-affaires by reason of their huge Sea-coast and infinite Havens the Kingdome swarmeth with Mariners and shipping which the King may arrest in his Dominions as other Princes are accustomed to doe hee maintaineth commonly fiftie Ships of warre whereof every one carrieth fortie peeces of Ordnance more or lesse King Gustavus first brought in the use of Gallies In the Warre which King Iohn waged with the Danes before the Peace treated on at Stetin was agreed he put to Sea seventie great ships besides other of smaller burthen in which were 22000. fighting men In the Summer time they warre at Sea in the Winter at Land for then the Rivers are frozen as likewise the Sea neere the shore for a great space Seeing I have spoken of Guns I will adde thus much that the King is thought to have about eight thousand great Peeces the most part of Brasse and that hee could cast many more if hee had more store of Tin In the Castle of Stockholme only are numbred foure hundred Certaine it is that the King can on the sudden rigge up a sufficient Fleet both for defence and offence and that cheaper than any Prince of Christendome For first he hath store of Mariners and they easily paid as desiring little more than cloaths and victuals Their cloathes are simple enough and their victuals the Countrie is bound to send them a proportion namely of Beefe Bacon Salt-fish Butter Barly and Peason As for materials for building a ship he either hath them of his owne timber pitch iron and cordage or else they are brought him but from the next doore Brasse peeces such plentie of metall he hath that they cost him little or nothing So that well might King Iohn the third of Swethland affirme that he would set out and maintaine as good a Fleet for 100000. Dollars as the King of Spaine could for a million of pounds The chiefe of the Kings Navie in time of peace rides like our Kings at Chatham commonly in two places either at Stockholme where they may lye safe even afloat without mooring or so much as anchoring the Harbour being thirty English miles within Land and the high cliffes keeping off all winds The other Stations are in Finland still in a readinesse against the Muscovite and to watch that nor Armes nor munition be brought them out of Germanie The chiefe Fort of this Countrey is the Finnish Sea which breaking in about Dantzik runs up with a long gut or free thorow the midst of his Countrey from South to North a great deale beyond the Arctick Circle into Finmarch and Lapland another Arme of it neere the first entrance parting Liefland and Finland of which it is called the Finnish Bay flowing even to the Frontiers of Russeland Both of them are wonderfull strengths eases and riches to his Countrey Fortified Townes and Castles he hath in all his Frontiers upon the Dane and Muscovite some twentie in all Vpon the West-side of Swethland is Denmarke on the East Moscovie with both which he hath had long war The Swevians have suffered much losse by the Denmarkes for King Christian the second besieged Stockholme and forced it committing all kinde of cruelty against the Inhabitants filling the Citie with bloud and dead carkases The title which the Dane pretendeth to the Crowne of Swethland is the cause of their enmities The Havens the situation of the Countrey and especially Gothland which is a member of Gothia and therefore the Swevian claimeth it as his right affordeth the Dane this facility of invading at his pleasure After Gustavus recovered the Kingdom he and his son Henry and John reigned successively and although bloud enough hath beene shâ—â— in the warres betweene Gustavus and the Paris yet the Kingdome hath retained her honour and the Citâ—e of Lubeck the mightiest State in that Sea sometimes by consederating with the one sometime with the other doth in so even a ballance poise the differences of these two Nations as it suffereth
interlaced so riotously her golden and silver Veines in the bosome and wombe of Peru it hath bestowed no suâ—h blessing upon her neerest daughter Brasile but instead thereof hath inriched it with a most temperate and wholsome aire with many pleasant Springs and large Rivers not without sufficiencie of wood she hath divided the land into fruitfull and delightsome hils cloathed it with the beautie of continuall greennesse abounding above beleefe with Sugar-canes which the Portugals have there planted and now transport in infinite quantitie into forren Regions The Philipinae may well be termed the appendances to this New-World for although in respect of their site and proximitie they may be thought a part of Asia yet the discoverers thereof travelled thorow New-Spaine before they could discover them of which Islands more than forty are subject to this Soveraigntie and by them have beene reduced unto civill kinde of life and policie Having thus generally run over the spacious or rather boundlesse members of this Empire I will now relate unto you the true qualitie and State of this great Prince of Christendome the matter being so much the more hard by how much the more copious in it selfe And not to wearie your patience with long discourse I will restraine my selfe to things of most importance with all possible varietie In performance whereof forbearing to tell how out of this House of Austria in the space of three hundred yeares ten Emperors have already successively succeeded one another from Father to Sonne As also by what casualties so many Kingdomes and Provinces have beene united unto this Crowne And in particular how the Houses of Austria and Burgundie have in such sort beene conjoyned that had his enterprises against England and France fallen out conformable to expectation without question he had beene much inabled to have marcht on with large paces to the Monarchie of the whole world This his Empire is divided into foure parts the Kingdome of Spaine the Estates of Italie the Dominions of the Indies and the Countries of Flanders Spaine is by the Spaniards for the greater grace divided into ten Kingdomes and hath beene alway acknowledged for so wealthie puissant and so spacious a Kingdome that the Romans and Carthaginians continued so long and so cruell warres for the possession and royaltie thereof The Goths and Vandals when with the streame of their over-flowing multitudes they swarmed over the greatest part of the Roman Empire here sate them downe and made it the place of their habitation Trebellius Pollio termed it and France The joynts and finewes of the Roman Empire Constantine when he divided the Empire preferred it before Italie and in the division when England France Spaine and Italie fell to his lot hee little esteeming the last and voluntarily leaving it to his competitor contented himselfe with the three formost The Estates of Italie the finewes and nurseries of his warres comprehend the Kingdomes of Naples Sicilie Sardinia the Dukedome of Millaine and the three Forts situate upon the Sea-coast of Tuscain Orbatello Vrcole and Telemon The dominion of India is divided into the East and West In the East he hath but some Islands farre distant from the firme Land but in the West he hath divers Provinces adjoyning upon the Sea-coast yet not penetrating farre within the Land And although he doth daily conquer some of the neighbouring places yet they be of no great value nor consequence From the Low-Countries he reapeth small profit for hee hath there lost his ancient Revenues with his reputation being faine to acknowledge the States of Holland Zeland c. for free before they would yeeld to capitulate with him To intreat first of Spaine because it is the centre of this spacious Empire it is conserved by two meanes that is to say by Iustice and Religion keeping this people in obedience more with severity and chastisement than with clemency and mercy The Province it selfe is barren if we consider each part thereof by it selfe but being reduced into one grosse it aboundeth with all things necessary especially towards the Sea coast being also stored with divers Minerals True it is that it hath few men and is not populous both by reason that a great number are drawne from thence to serve in the warres to re-enforce the garrisons and to defend the forts abroad as well amongst the Indies as in many other places of his dominions as also for that many of them doe exercise Merchandize and Navigation Which although it bring some dammage to the State because so many leave the Country yet proveth it very beneficiall and commodious by their enricht returne unto their owne houses and ridding by that meanes the Country of the more slothfull sort of home-livers Two parts are incompast with the Ocean and Mediterran Seas the third is secured from the power of the French Armes not onely by reason of the craggy situation of the Pirenean of Scialon Pargnan and Pampelone where it is mountainous and hard to passe and by the forts but also through the difficulty that they should there finde in journeying and the incommodity and want of victuals entring into a Country so sterill and unfruitfull The other part confining as aforesaid upon the Mediterran Sea remaineth onely exposed unto the Turkish Navie from which it is well secured by having few Ports and those diligently kept and guarded with powerfull forces But amongst all the offensive Potentates the Kingdome of England is able to infest it more than any other for in the late warres it did beyond measure trouble the Kingdome of Portugal in pitying the quarrell of Don Antonio a man much favoured of that Crowne in such sort that the City of Lisbon once famous and well inhabited became poore and well-nigh dispeopled For whereas in 〈◊〉 past one might number a thousand vessels within her Ports 500 of them were consumed taken by the enemie which did not much displease his Majestie for some said he was well content to see the Portugals so impoverished and abased because they live male-contentedly under his obedience and government Whereupon at all times his Majesty is constrained to maintaine a strong Armada in these Seas to safeguard the Navigation to the Indies and to secure the Merchants comming from thence into these Countries over and besides twenty foure Gallies which he keepeth to guard the coast and to defend it from the Turkish fleet and the incursions of Pyrats the charges whereof with the maintenance of the fortifications and defences amount yearely to halfe a million of Gold The number of souldiers in all the presidiarie places of Spaine amount to eight thousand not reckoning any man of sort nor Mariners for instead of these the Moores and Turkish slaves doe serve in the Gallies This Kingdome doth never send forth any Horsemen because there be but few and yet not sufficient for their owne affaires In the next ranke follow the Italian Provinces Naples Millaine and Sicilie
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
Lusatia is on the South bounded with Silesia t is neere upon two hundred miles long and fifty broad it lies betweene the Rivers Elve and Viadrus and is divided into the Vpper and Lower both given to Vratislaus as Silesia also was King of Bohemia by the Emperour Henry the fourth Anno 1087. It still retaines the honour of a Marquisate Gorlitz is the chiefe Citie and a faire one Bandzen Sutaw Spremberg and Tribel bee neat and well peopled Townes The people as in Northerly situation they are neerer to the Germans so are they like them more rough mannerd than the Silesians and Bohemians Their Countrey is fruitfull enough and there may upon necessity be levied twenty thousand foot as good as any in that Kingdome All these incorporate Provinces use the Sclavonian tongue Sâ—ria is rich in Mines of Silver and Iron threescore miles broad and an hundred and ten long Carinthia a hilly and woody Countrey is seventy five miles long and fifty five broad Carniola with the bordering Countries up to Tergisâ—e is an hundred fiftie miles long and forty five broad They are plentifull of Corne Wine Flesh and Wood. The Country of Tirol is full of Mines of Silver and Salt-pits and is eighteene German miles long and broad The territories Swevia Alsatia and Rhetia doe pay little lesse than two millions and a halfe of ordinary revenue and so much extraordinary besides the eighteene Cantons of Rhetia are under the same jurisdiction They are so well peopled that upon occasion they are able to levie an hundred thousand footmen and thirty thousand Horse I know no other Province in Europe able to say the like And therefore the Emperour is not so weake a Prince as those ignorant of the State of Kingdomes doe suppose him to be reporting his Territories to be small unprovided of necessaries poore in money and barren of people But this is certaine that as he is Lord of a large dominion fertill rich and infinite of people so let every man thinke that by the neighbourhood of the Turke bordering upon him from the Carpathian Mountaines to the Adriatike Sea the forces of a mightier Prince may seeme small be overlaid For what Prince is there bordering upon so puissant an enemie but either by building of fortresses or by entertaining of Garrisons is not almost beggered I will not say in time of warre but even during the securest peace especially considering that the forces of the Turke are alwayes ready strong and chearefull yea better furnished in the time of peace than any other Nation in the hottest fury of warre Wherefore it stands him upon who is a borderer upon so powerfull an enemie either for feare or jealousie to be ever watchfull to spare no charges as doth the Emperour retaining in wages continually twenty thousand souldiers keeping Watch and Ward upon the borders of Hungarie These aske great expences and yet lesse than these are not to be defraied for the strengthning of other places besides other expences not meet here to bee spoken of To conclude with the State of the Empire though it cannot be said to be hereditary nor to have which is strange any chiefe City appropriate to the residence or standing Court of the Emperour as Rome sometimes was yet for neighbourhood and conveniences sake the Emperours have in this last age beene chosen out of the house of Austria yea when there have beene severall brothers of them they have all lookt for the Empire one after another and have had it too And for the same reasons have the Bohemians made choice of the same person yea and sometimes the Hungarians also the Austrian being the ablest Prince to defend them against the Turks So that Bohemia though in possession of the Emperour yet is no more part of the Empire than Hungaria is but a Kingdome absolute of it selfe free to chuse a King where it pleases So that the Emperour in Germany is to be considered two wayes first as a German Prince secondly as the German Emperour First as a Prince he hath by inheritance the lands and honours of his family such bee Austria Alsatia Tirol Styria Carinthia Carniola with some parts of Rhetia and Swevia and these dominions are like other principalities subjects of the Empire and for them the Emperour is his owne subject Secondly as a German Prince though not by inheritance but by election may the Emperour be considered when he is King of Bohemia Which though it be an independant kingdome yet being included within Germany and the King of Bohemia by office chiefe Taster to the Emperour and one of the seven Electors of the German Empire as having the casting voice if the other six be equally divided nay and with power to name himselfe if he be one of the two in election in consideration hereof may he thus also be brought within the Empire But yet neither of these wayes can the Emperour or Empire so properly be considered Thirdly therefore to speake of him as the German Emperour is to consider of him as Lord of those portions and States of the Empire properly so called And those be either the States or Imperiall Cities of Germanie The States and Princes of Germanie are naturally subjects to the Emperour yea and officers to his person too which is a part of their honour so the Palsgrave is chiefe Shewer and Brandenburgh Sword-bearer c. They are also as subjects to be summoned to the Imperiall Diets their lands are to be charged towards the Emperours warres made in defence of the Empire But yet on the other side the German Princes bee not such subjects as the Lords of England and France but much freer Lorraine is a member of the Empire and yet will not that Duke suffer the Emperour to have any thing to doe in his dominions and if any other Prince should take up Armes against the Emperour as Saxonie did in the case of Luther yet cannot the Emperour escheat their lands as other Princes may serve their Rebels by his owne private power without the consent of the other Electors Princes in a Diet. So that the German Princes be subjects and no subjects The Emperour is as it were the Grand Land-lord who hath made away his right by lease or grant but hath little to doe till the expiration or forfeiture The second member of the Empire be the Imperiall and Hanse-townes in which because they have lesse power the Emperour hath more than in the Princes Estates Theâ—e acknowledge the Emperour for their Lord but yet with divers acceptions For first they will stand upon their owne privileges and for them will deny any request of the Emperour Secondly they depend and trust unto their owne private confederacies amongst themselves as much as to the Emperour as the Switzers and Grisons leaguers amongst themselves and the Princes of the lower Creitz or circle of Saxony amongst themselves in defence of which the King of Denmarke as Duke of Holstein being one
garrison to keepe the Towne in obedience To it resort divers Merchants for traffique and many Gentlemen to leaâ—â—â— the â—â—â—â—uage There are besides divers other pretty and reasonable stâ—oâ—g Townes but above all Dresden the ancient seat of the Dukes of Saxonie It standeth in the Countie of Misâ—â—a round and containing in compasse about the walls the circuit of two English miles These Walls are of faire and large squared stones wel countermined with earth on the inside and wonderfully fortified with seven strong Bulwarks and as many great Mounts on the outside On the which as also on the walls are one hundred and fifty goodly peeces of Brasse artillerie with a garrison of five hundred well appointed Souldiers in continuall pay This City within the walls hath eight hundred houses foure Churches three Gates two faire Market places and a great Bridge of stone over the Elve The Mote which incompasseth the wall is deepe and cleere without any filth or weeds and is on all sides walled with faire stones to the bottome The streets are not many but very faire the houses not very great but of one uniformitie and pleasing to behold In most of the streets runneth from the River a small streame of water and in many of these streets are tubs placed upon sleds full of water alwaies ready to be drawne by horses or men whither occasion of fire should crave imployment For prevention whereof they maintaine men of purpose to walke every night in the streets and some to watch carefully on the highest Towers The Palace of the Duke is of great beauty and majesty the Chambers are flowerd with coloured Marbles and garnished round with Stags heads of extraordinary greatnesse many bed-steds and tables also are of divers coloured Marbles most curiously carved and polished Within the Palace is an Armory for horsemen of unspeakable magnificence with a great number of horses curiously framed in wood and painted to the life with as many woodden men on their backes furnished most richly with all furniture fit for a horseman to use in the warres Amongst these are the lively portraictures of many of the Dukes of Saxonie carved and painted to life covered with such robes armour and furniture for their horses made of gold and silver and set with precious stones as they used to weare when they were living There are also thirty six sleds for pleasure of great beauty and rare invention with two carved and painted horses to every of them richly furnished with silver bits and the bridles and capar sons imbrodered with silver and gold hanging full of silver bels according to the German custome Here are also many Chambers full of Masking garments and other abiliments for triumphs and pastimes both for Land and Water In this Armory also are many costly weapons both offensive and defensive such so good and so rich as mony can procure or the wit of man invent Vnder this Armory standeth a most princely Stable arched with stone and supported with goodly pillars of Marble Out of every of which pillars runneth sweet and fresh water for the daily use of the Stable The rackes are of iron the mangers plated over with copper the stalles for the Horses of strong carved timber every Stall having a faire glazed window and every window a greene curtaine The ground betweene the stalles is paved with faire broad stones In this Stable are an hundred eight and twenty horses and yet no wet nor filth to be perceived nor dung to be seene or smelt Neere unto the Palace standeth the Arsenall wherein is seene such plenty of great Artillerie yellow as gold such strange Engins and such wonderfull qualities of all kind of Armour and Munition whatsoever necessary for the Wars or a long siege that for Land-service it farre excelleth the Arsnall of Venice or any other Storehouse in Europe able to arme 300000. Horse and Foot at a dayes warning And as the Armory and Arsenall excell all others so the City for its quantity in my judgement is to be accounted the fairest and strongest of Europe and that far surpassing Noremberg Anwerp or Lubech at this day reckoned to bee the prime Cities of Christendome Besides this Armory all the Cities and Townes have their Armories very well kept and provided neither are the Noblemen Gentlemen and Country people unfurnished There are in Saxonie three Vniversities Wittenberg Liepâ—que and Iene The first is supposed to be the prime-Vniversity of all Germany It is about two miles compasse within the walls being neither strong nor faire In it are only two Churches and foure Colleges being neither rich nor beautifull and in them about a thousand Students of all sorts It hath a strong Bridge of Timber over the Elve and a faire Castle or Palace appertaining to the Duke In the Church of this Castle are interred the bodies of M. Luther and P. Melancthon under two faire Marble stones with superscriptions of copper upon them and their pictures from head to foot in great tables set up by them The other two have some six or seven hundred Schollers a peece but in Colleges Lectures Order Proceeding and all things else infinitely inferiour either to Cambridge or Oxford There are all professions in each of them but Wittenberg is esteemed the chiefe Seminary of Divines Iene of Civilians and Liepsiege of Philosophie All the Dukedome but especially Misen is one of the pleasantest and fruitfullest parts of all Germany and in truth much exceeding any that I saw but onely the Dukedome of Wittenberg It hath great store of very good Corne of all sorts reasonable good and convenient store of most sort of Cattell of Horses they have plenty and those strong and tall of stature but fitter to draw than to serve yet very well fitting their manner of service being heavily armed viz. with a Petronell a case of Pistols a Courtle-axe and divers times with a Battle-axe over and above all which his Horse must be able to carry two or foure bottles of Wine or Beere in his great heavy Saddle left in any case his Master should faint for want of liquor in his journey But their best races they have out of the nether Saxonie where there be exceeding store The Bullocks are but small and nothing good Of sheepe they have in some places indifferent store especially within these few yeeres of body little and but reasonable good yet so as bearing indifferent good wooll either the sheepe themselves or their fleeces are bought up by the Netherlands and imployed in the making of cloth to some prejudice of ours in England They have great store of Mines of most sorts as Silver Copper Tin Lead Iron and as they say some Gold The chiefe places of the Silver Mines are Tiberg Aviberg Mariaberg and other Townes at the foot of the Bohemian Mountaines In Voitland there are also some Hills very rich in Minerals especially one called which being much celebrated for having some Rivers running out
of it East West North and South is exceedingly spoken of for Silver and Gold Mines insomuch as in a Storie written of the Mines of Saxonie called Berg-Cronicon it is affirmed that this Hill yeelded to the Dukes of Saxonie in eight yeares twenty two Millions of Florens only for the Tenths Besides these Mines the Duke hath the Mine of Mansfielt pawned to divers Merchants of Norimberg and Augusta and are thought to be worth yearely thirty thousand pounds sterling It is held that all his Mines of Saxonie besides those of Mansfielt yeeld the Duke one yeare with another seven hundred thousand Florens which is about an hundred and thirty thousand pounds sterling Other commodities of worth they have none but flax and a kinde of thicke course cloth which by reason of the exceeding falsifying and dearenesse of ours groweth every day into more and more request with them The whole Dukedome but especially Misen is very populous full of Cities walled Townes and Country Villages and all of them very well peopled It is certainly affirmed that the Duke at twenty dayes warning is able to make an Armie of fourescore thousand men very well armed and furnished The people generally are reasonable faire of complexion and flaxen haired but not well favoured either men or women in behaviour as civill as any part of Germanie whatsoever especially the women who taking themselves as they are indeed for the fairest and best spoken of all Dutchland are in their apparell and entertainment indifferently gracefull For their disposition as indeed almost all the rest of the Germans it is very honest true and not ordinarily given to any notorious vice but drinking nor willingly offering any injurie either to their owne country-men or to strangers but when they are drunke and then very quarrelsome and as it is said more valiant than when they are sober Wise in mediocritie but not of any great sharpnesse or subtiltie of wit Of body strong and big boned especially the Countrey people but of a kinde of lumpish heavie and unactive strength fitter for husbandrie and other toilesome labour than fighting In their chiefe Cities some few give themselves at their great and principall Feasts to a little use of their Peece in shooting at a marke but otherwise by reason of their long peace altogether untrained to the warres or any warlike exercises But the use of the pot serveth for all other pastimes and delights in which notwithstanding they have very small store of wine yet they are nothing inferiour to any other part of Dutchland They have great store of Artizans and Handy-crafts men of all sorts but in their severall trades nothing so neat and artificiall as the Netherlanders and English or those of Norimberg and Augusta Of Merchants they have great store especially in Liepsiege and other chiefe Cities and those for the most part very rich whereof this reason is yeelded that though they have no commodities save those before mentioned nor are neere the Sea or any great Rivers by which they may have cheape and commodious importation or exportation of wares yet Germanie is so seated in the midst and heart of all Christendome and Saxonie in the bowels of it as by continuall trafficking with England France the Low-Countries Italie Poland and all the Easterne Countries and by daily conveying all the commodities of each Countrey over-land to others that want them they grow very wealthy For such as give themselves to the warres and have no other profession of living though generally all the Germans are mercenary souldiers and so their service accordingly yet I heard of as few in this Province as in any part of Germanie whether it were that the wars of Hungarie imployed them all or that other Princes growing weary of their service their occupation began to decay Touching the Nobilitie I can say nothing in particular of their numbers names titles dispositions c. only in generall there be Earles and Barons Some are meerely subject to the Duke others are borderers which are only but homagers as the Princes of Anhalt the Counts of Mansfielt the Counts of Swarzenberge c. Of Gentils there are good store to the number as it is supposed of three or foure thousand at the least by which meanes the Duke is alwayes in his warres well furnished with Horsemen every one one with another bringing three or foure good horses with him to the field The Nobilitie and Gentilitie generally thorow all Germanie and particularly in this Dukedome have great royalties and revenues The lands goods and chiefe houses are usually equally divided amongst all the children reserving but little prerogative to the eldest brother The Honours likewise descend equally to the whole Familie all the sonnes of Dukes being Dukes and all the daughters Duchesses all the sonnes of Counts Counts and the daughters Countesses c. They are exceedingly had both Noblemen and Gentlemen in extraordinary reverence and estimation amongst the vulgar people which both in their Gate and Seats in publike places they very religiously maintaine In time of Peace they are but little used in counsell or matters of State being almost all utterly unqualified either with wisdome learning or experience only contenting themselves with shadow of honour which their ancestors have left them And if they have beene famous as by the raising of their Houses to that greatnesse it should seeme they have â—eene they imitate them in nothing but in only continuing their so long and so holily observed order of carowsing In time of warre which hath beene for many yeares till the late warres of Hungarie very small or rather noâ—â— â—ecause of their greatnesse both in Revenues and number of Tenants their service hath beene usually imployed but now by reason of their long disuse of Martiall matters which therefore seemed to make some amends or at least some excuse of their other defects they are become if I ghesse not amisse not to fit for their greatnesse as unfit for their want of knowledge every way either in experience or contemplation And truly I cannot so much as heare almost of any of them either Noble or Gentlemen that give themselves to any Noble studies exercises or delights except now and then to the hunting of the wilde Boare by which and by accustoming their heads to the wearing of their heavie thrummed Caps in stead of a head-peece they take themselves to be greatly enabled for service For the valour and warlike disposition of the people of this Dukedome I cannot commend them above the rest of their Country-men neither shall I as I thinke need to stand much upon that point sithence their actions shall plead their sufficiencie in generall The great matters which they have undertaken and the little that they have performed will produce sufficient testimonie What they did one against another in the time of Charles the fifth is not much materiall to prove their courage since without question Bulrushes against Bulrushes
well maintained there is the house of Piety called Il monte della pieta which by ordinary Revenues and gifts may dispend yeerely 60000. Crownes wherewith amongst other charitable workes it maintaineth thorow the Kingdome two thousand Infants It is one of the regions belonging to the Kingdome of Naples It is bounded with the River Iano and the Terrhene and Ionian Seas it is in compasse above five hundred miles and is divided into two Provinces the one lieth on the Terrhene Sea where in ancient times the Brutians did inhabit and that part is properly called Calabria the other lieth on the Ionian and called Magna Graecia It is divided into the higher and lower Of the higher the chiefe seat is Cosenza of the lower Catanzara Cosenza is a large Citie Catanzara a strong Betweene the Cape of the Pillars and the Cape Alice is Corone a place of very wholesome aire Vpon this territorie Anno 1551. the Navie of the Great Turke landed and made some stay which was the cause that moved Charles the fifth to fortifie this Citie It is a thing worthy to be noted how much the Inhabitants of this country in former ages exceeded the numbers of this present for in those dayes this Citie sent more men against the Locrians than the whole Kingdome of Naples is now able to afford being numbred to an hundred and thirty thousand A little above that doe inhabit the Sabarits who were alwayes able to arme thirty thousand At Tarent beginneth the Country of Otranto in ancient times called Iapigia It containeth all that corner of land almost invironed with the Sea which lieth betweene Tarent and Brundusium In it as Strabo writeth were once thirteene great Cities but in his time onely two Tarent and Brunduse The aire is very healthfull and though the superficies of the soile seeme rough and barren being broken with the plough it is found to bee excellent good mold It is scarce of water neverthelesse it yeeldeth good Pasture and is apt for Wheat Barley Oats Olives Cedars excellent Melons Oxen Asses and Mules of great estimation The people are in their manners dangerous superstitious and for the most part beastly The Gentlemen lovers of liberty and pleasure scoffers at Religion especially at that which we terme the reformed and yet themselves of their owne great blasphemers For outward shew they live in great pompe and make the City more stately because they are not permitted to live in the Countrey yet as they dare they bitterly grone under the Viceroyes controll who exerciseth the Spanish pride amongst them so that in these dayes they come nothing neere their native glory nor customary wantonnesse In this Country is bred the Tarantola whose venome is expelled with Fire and Musicke as Gellius reporteth out of Theophrash his History of living creatures There are likewise bred the Chersidi serpents living both on the land and in the Sea yea there is no part of Italy more cumbred with Grashoppers which leave nothing where they come but would utterly consume in one night whole fields full of ripe corne if Nature by sending the birds called the Gaive into those quarters had not provided a remedie against this misery The place at all times of the yeare endureth much dammage by Haile Thunder is as usuall in Winter as in Summer This Province is situated betweene two Seas The Citie is seated in an Island like unto a ship and joyned to the Continent with bridges where the tide setteth violently on the other side the two Seas joyne together by meanes of a trench cut out by mans hand and is of largenesse sufficient to receive a Gally Where the Citie now standeth was before a rocke and is holden to be the strongest fortresse of the Kingdome From thence along the shore lieth Caesaria now ruined by them of Gallipoli Gallipolis is seated on a ridge of land running into the Sea like a tongue On the furthest point whereof standeth the Citie and is of great strength by reason of the situation being fenced with unaccessible rocks well walled and secured by a Castle with which motives of encouragement in the warres betweene the French and the Arragons the citizens thereof to their great honour continued ever faithfull to the fortunes of the Arragons It hath beene counted one of the chiefest Cities of Italy it is now by their civill dissentions almost desolated the cause as I take it wherefore the aire thereabouts is become so unhealthfull an influence incident to all great Cities For as nothing doth better temper the aire than the frequencie of Inhabitants because by husbandry and industry they drie up Fennie and unwholesome places prune such woods as grow too thicke and obscure with their fires purge noysome exhalations and with their high buildings extenuate grosse vapours So on the contrary there is nothing apter to breed infection than desolation for so the places are not onely deprived of the aforesaid helps but even the houses and their ruines are receptacles of infection and matter of corruption Which appeareth to be true by the ruines of Aquilea Rome Ravenna and Alexandria in Aegypt For which inconvenience the Grecians never built huge Cities Plato would not that his should exceed 500. families and Aristotle wished that all his people might at once heare the voice of one Crier This Province extendeth from the confines of Brunduse to the River Fortore It is divided into two territories the one at this day called Bari and by the Latines Peucetia the other Puglia and by them Dawnia divided each from other by the River Lofanto In the second part it comprehendeth Capitanato containing in it many great Cities places of trade and Fortresses of good account Amongst the number whereof is Mansredonia built by K. Manfredi in a high place healthfull with a convenient and safe harbour It lieth under the hill Gargano at this day called S. Angelo because of the appearing of S. Michael who is honoured there with great devotion It should seeme that in this hill all the riches of Puglia are heaped together it hath plenty of water an element rare in this Province The Sarazens finding the opportunitie of the situation thereof did there fortifie therein maintained themselves a long time for in truth there is no place better to molest the Kingdome and to command the Adriatike Sea Puglia is another Province of this Kingdome it is bounded with the River Fortorie and the River Tronto in which circuit are contained many people Towards the Sea it is a fruitfull Country in the middest rough and mountainous and the coldest Region in the Kingdome The wealth thereof consisteth in Cattell and Saffron The Country of Malsi is divided with the River Pescara the Governour thereof resideth in San-Severino This Province hath no famous place upon the Sea-coast but in the Inland Benevento was given to the Church by Henry the fourth in recompence of
other advantages required in the situation of a City hath those two which are required in a well seated City whereof having already discoursed in the site of England wee will here surcease further to dilate of The safety then of this City groweth from the Waters and the situation thereof in the Water where neither it can be well approached or assaulted by Land for the interposition of the Water betweene it and the Land nor yet by Sea for that the streames are not navigable but by Vessels of the lesser size onely for greater ships riding out of the Channels where the Water is somewhat deepe would drive and riding within the Channels with every turning water should bee on ground So that a Navie of lesser shipping would doe no good and greater shipping cannot well there be mannaged In conclusion these Waters are rather made for the places and entertainment of peace than for motions of warre We may adde to these difficulties which nature and the situation doe present another as great which ariseth from the power and provisions of the City which are ever such as will better inable the Inhabitants to offend another in those Waters than any man can invent to offend them All which young Pepin tasted to his losse Who with his ships and men fild all the Coast From the Fornaci to the greater shore And Laid a bridge to passe his ventrous boast From Mâ—lamocco all the Channellore Even to Rialto yet for all this boast Hee 's faine to flie with shame the Seas doe drowne His men His bridge the waves have beaten downe And lastly wee may adde the continuall Art and care which the Seigniorie doth use ever to augment something to the fortification of this their Citie and State The whole Dominion of the Venetian Seigniorie is divided into firme land and Sea By the firme land we understand all that which they possesse in Lombardie in Marca Trâ—visâ—â— and in Friuli for that all those parcels doe make one continued country passable from one to the other without helpe of Sea Wee will terme that Sea which confineth with the Lake Sea-ward or that which cannot be approached without passing by Water This State is againe divided into Continent and Island On the Continent they have Istria Dalmatia Sclavonia Albania or at least some parts thereof The Islands stand partly within the Gulfe not farre distant from the Continent and part of them are without the Gulfe which are Corfu Cephalonia Zante Candia Cenigo Tine and other in the Adriatique The State of the firme Land containeth one of the Marquisats of Italie to wit Trevisa which besides the head Citie whereof it taketh its name hath also in it the Cities of Feitre Belluno and Câ—nâ—da It hath moreover two of those Cities which are of the first ranke of the Cities in Italie namely Venice and â—resâ—la Nor let it seeme strange to any man that Treckon â—râ—scia amongst the said Cities considering that for largenesse of Territorie it giveth place to no Citie thorow Italâ—â— containing in length one hundred miles and in bredth fiftie considering also the number of Inhabitants and the entrade it yeeldeth to the Seigniorie besides the private revenue of the Citie it selfe In all which few other Cities come neere it There is also in the firme Land the Citie of Verona called so for its superemment conditions as Verâ— una and is the first of the second ranke of Cities of Italie The Citie of Padoa which for goodnesse of soile exceedeth Bolognia it selfe There are also the Cities of Bergamo Vicenza and Crema There is againe the State of Friuli with two honourable Cities Vdine where the Lieutenant of the State resideth and Cividal besides a number other populous Townes little inferiour to Cities Lastly there is the fruitfull Polesine with the noble Citie of Rovigo therein with other places of good respect If wee consider the water there are few States of Italy that have more abundance in that kinde either for standing Waters or Rivers In the Territorie of Bergamo is the Lake of Iseo in the Country of Brescia the Lake of Idro In the Veronesse and Brescian is the Lake of Guardo It is also watered with many great Rivers that not only serve to make the fields fruitfull but also to fortifie the place And those Rivers are Oglio Chiese Navilio Mincio Seri Mela and Garza which indeed is rather a Mountaine Bourne than a River c. The Countrey of Polesine and Padoa are so stored with Lakes and Rivers that therein is no Burg or place which standeth not within five miles of some fresh Water And all this Countrey of the firme Land whereof I have spoken is also for aire exceeding wholesome and temperate as the complexions and cheerefull countenances of the Inhabitants can well witnesse together with the quicknesse of their apprehension and wit as well for matter of Armes as Learning Touching the Land this State hath in it many parts that are very diverse in qualitie some-where exceeding happy and fruitfull but lesse industrie in the people other-where the people are exceeding industrious but the ground defective Againe some parts there are where both the people are exceeding carefull industrious and the soile also good Of the first sort is the Territorie of Crema of Padoa of Vicenza of Trevisa and the Polesine Of the second sort is the Countrey of the Bergomasche the Veronise and Friuli Of the third sort is the Country of Brescia And touching the first it is almost incredible what the riches and increase is of those grounds what fresh Meadowes what fruitfull arable what abundance of Cattell of Flesh of all things that come of Milke what plenty of Corne of Pulse of Fruit Wood Flax Linnen and Fish Amongst all which particularities the Padoan doth notwithstanding excell which for goodnesse of soile doth carrie the praise from all the rest of Lombardie The wealth of this Territory may hence be conjectured that it hath the richest Bishopricke and Prebendaries of Italy It hath one of the richest Abbeies of Saint Benet in Italy which is Saint Iustina It hath one of the most beautifull Convents of the same order viz. that of Praxa It hath the richest Monastery belonging to the Austen-Friers which is that of Caudiana It hath two of the greatest Churches that may bee found in Italy which are Saint Iustina and Saint Anthony with one of the greatest Customes of salt in Europe In the time of the Roman Common-wealth no City of the Empire had more Knights of Rome than had Padoa For that as Strabo testifieth there were sometimes counted five hundred of them at once Which must needs proceed from the extraordinary goodnesse of the soile and the greatnesse of private livelihoods But at this day the greatnesse of the Venetian Nobilitie hath in great part diminished the Nobilitie of other Cities Amongst which Aquileia in old time tooke in compasse twelve miles and made an hundred and twenty thousand Citizens
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
wont to say hath something of the nature of Dice which no man knoweth how they will runne I may say as much of the house of Austria Princes that doe exceedingly cherish and affect quietnesse wherewith they are become great and with the same meanes doe maintaine their greatnesse Of the Church it were alike superfluous to speake for that neither Saint Peter can make any excuse to make warre upon Saint Marke nor will Saint Marke seeke to trouble Saint Peter unprovoked In summe the Venetian hath two maine advantages above all other Princes The one is that they have a councell that is immortall the other that the heart of the State cannot be pierced unto by any enemie And so conclude that the Pope and the Venetian at this time are more potent and of greater antiquity in Italy than ever heretofore they have beene not only for that the Pope hath a more ample Territory and that but little incumbred with petty Lordships and that the Venetian hath his Dominion better fortified and his Coffers fuller than in times past but also in regard that the States of Naples and Millan are in the hands of a Prince absent and farre off and therefore circumspect to raise innovations Lombardie anciently called Cisalpina extendeth from Panaco unto Sesia lying betweene the Apeniae and the Alpes Marca Trivigiana sometime called Venetia lieth betweene the Menzo and the Po. Most commonly both Provinces passe under the name of Lombardy because there the Kings of the Longobards seated their dwellings longer than in any other place of Italy Besides the soyle the ayre and the Inhabitants hold such correspondencie that they ought not to be distinguished This is the richest and civillest Province of Italy For such another peece of ground for beautifull Cities goodly Rivers Fields and Pastures for plenty of Fowle Fish Graine Wine and Fruits is not to be found againe in all our Westerne world arising partly by the ease of Navigable Rivers as Tesino Adda Oglio Menzo Adige and Po partly by channe's cut out of those Rivers and partly by the great Lakes of Verbano Lario and Benaco No lesse commodâ—ty ariseth by the plaines passable for Carts Mules and other carriage The greatnesse likewise of the Lords of Lombardie hath bin a great furtherance thereto For while the Visconti reigned this State maintained wars of great importance against most puissant Princes And for the Empirie hereof happened those notable wars of our daies betweene the Emperor and the French King And no marvell that two such puissant Potentates contended with so great effusion of bloud for this Dukedome for though to many it should not seeme great yet in very truth for the wealth of the Country and the quantity it hath been of as great reputation as some Realmes of Europe some Dukes whereof have possessed greater Territories enjoyed wealthier Revenues and have beene more puissant in Warres and more honourable in Peace than divers Princes graced with Kingly titles Amongst the Cities of these Provinces accounting Venice amongst the Islands Millan without controversie holdeth the precedencie It is able to reckon upon two hundred thousand persons and hath a large and populous Territory A Citie saith Guicciardine most populous and rich in Citizens plentifull in Merchants and Artificers proud in pompes and sumptuous in ornaments for men and women naturally addicted to feastings and pleasure and not only full of rejoycing and solace but also most happy in all other nature of contentment for the life of man And however now the Spaniard one in the Citie and another in the Castle overlooketh both City and Country yet is the bravery of the place very little abated nor doth the Nobleman shrinke under the burthen but carrieth his load lightly however his inward grones are breathed yet lifteth he up a face of chearefulnesse as if he dranke wine and fed on oyle according to the properties of either so good and bountifull is the Country The second Citie of Lombardie is Brescia not for compasse or multitude of people for it is not able to make fiftie thousand men but by reason of the large jurisdiction thereof comprehending therein many large Towns and populous Champians therefore censured to be able in all to levie 350000 men Among the Townes subject thereto Asalo and Salo have the preheminence amongst the Vallies Valcamonia being fifty miles in length and therewith populous and full of Iron Mines Bologna if it please you to account it in Lombardie and Verona are alike populous Verona is larger and of more beautie Bologna more rich and commodious as well for that it hath a larger Territory â— also for that there is no City that doth more absolutely enjoy her owne commodities and doth more freely partake of others by the great resort of Courtiers Clergie-men and Officers dispersed through all the Ecclesiastike State To which three things are much availeable the Vniversitie where all professions are practised their wealth which is equally divided and lastly their inclination and patience to take paines and doe service Betweene Verona and Padoa there is no great difference in respect of circuit but Verona hath double the people Whereof the Venetians to supply that defect doe as much as they may grace their Vniversitie and the Schollers As in this Province the Cities are great and beautifull so are the fortresses many and impregnable And whereas other Provinces have their places of strength on their Frontiers in this the neerer you approach the centre the stronger shall you see the Country planted and fortified The Dukedome of Vrbine THis State touching the Apenine mountaines on the South and the Adriatike Sea upon the North is on the two other sides high hemb'd in with the dominions of the Pope whose Liege-man or Feudatary the Duke hereof is for severall bounties received from the Church This State is threescore miles long and five and thirty broad containing seven Cities and two hundred Castles and Villages The land very good His Revenue comes in two wayes First from his subjects which he being a gracious Lord is not above an hundred thousand ducats a yeare But secondly he much helps himselfe by the Sea and especially by his customes upon Wine and Corne exported of which last there is a great trade in his ports Of this Revenue he issues but 2200. ducats a yeare by way of tribute or acknowledgement to the Pope and the great Duke of Tuscanie which last sometimes writes himselfe Duke of Vrbine also Both these gape for the Duchie if the succession should faile A pretty case lately hapned thereupon It chanced that Guido Baldus Duke of Vrbine in his owne life time resigning his Estate to the sonne and that sonne dying without issue before his father in the yeare 1624. that both these pretenders being ready to seaze upon it and yet 〈◊〉 afraid of another the old Duke was re-estated with both their consents The great Duke of Tuscanio hath as it seemes since
Piedmont is taken up with Montferrat but that belongs to Mantua Though in all Piedmont there be reckoned one Duchie of Aosta Marquisates fifteene Earldomes fifty besides Baronies many but these alas bee but petty ones such as have but Fiefs being but Gentlemen holding Fees or Mannors of the Dukes favour of which one writes that singly they are not very rich though all together they make a great noise Three Counties are reckoned in it and in them seven good Cities besides an hundred and fifty walled Townes Whereupon a Gentleman of that Nation boasted that his Countrie was an intire Citie of three hundred miles compasse Piedmont is said no nourish seven hundred thousand soules whereof the lesser halfe may be reckoned within this Dukes Dominions so that he may have some eight or nine hundred thousand subjects in the whole number The Dukes chiefe Citie here is Turin honoured now with an Vniversitie A strong place but made lesse than it was when the French were Masters of it that it might be the more defensible Saluzzes is a Bishops See also The first Founder of this Noble Family was Beroaldus of Saxonie brother to Otho the third Emperour who flying hither for killing that brothers wife taken in the act of Adultery was first made Generall to the Duke of Burgundie for whom he conquered Maurienne on Italy side which Lands the Duke giving to him hee became Lord of Maurienne His sonne was first made Count or Earle of Maurienne who marrying the daughter and heire of the Marquesse of Susa joyned both those Titles together His grand-childe inlarged his Dominion by the conquest of some of the neighbour Valleyes and his sonne Amadeus was for service done to the Emperour Henry the fifth made Earle of Savoy His grand-childe Humbert marrying the Count of Geneva's daughter made his father in Law to submit and acknowledge obedience unto him This Prince also upon the sailing of the heires of the Princes of Piedmont â—â—ts in for himselfe conquers divers places and takes Piedmont into his title also His son gains further upon his neighbours His grand-childe Peter winnes the Citie of Turine and gets confirmations of Richard Duke of Cornwall his kirsman and then Emperour in those Valleyes conquered by himselfe and his grand-father His sonne Philip marrying the heire of Burgundie was in her right made Earle of Burgundie and Savoy His brothers sonne Amadeus the fourth gained the Countrey of Bresse by marriage also His sonne Edward was made a Prince of the Empire and his son Amadeus wanne something from the Count of Geneva To whose sonne Amadeus the sixth part of Piedmont veelded itselfe He instituted the Order of Knight-hood of the Annanciada To his sonne Amadeus the seventh did the Countrey called Nizza en Provenza freely yeeld To honour his sonne Amadeus the eighth did the Emperour Sigismund advance Savoy to the title of a Dukedome Him did the Councell of Basile choose to be Pope which he afterwards quit to compound the schisme His sonne Lewis was in his fathers life-time first called Prince of Piedmont which is ever since the title of the heire apparrant he also obtained to be called Earle of Geneva Charles the first made the Marquesse of Saluzzes to performe homage Finally this present Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel first got that Marquisate of Saluzzes intirely into his hands which Henry the fourth of France wrung from him and made him release the County of Bresse to have Saluzzes againe And thus by degrees and yeares came this Family to these possessions Besides all which hee makes title and claime to the Marquisate of Montferrat the Earldome of Geneva the Principalitie of Achaia in Greece and the kingdome of Cyprus His ordinary Revenues are thus collected His customes upon Salt fiftie thousand crownes from Susa foure and twenty thousand forren Merchandize eighteene thousand from Villa Franca c. five and twentie thousand Ancient Rents c. threescore and ten thousand The ordinary tax of Piedmont two hundred threescore and three thousand from confiscations condemned persons commutations of punishments and of the Iewes c. fifty thousand The totall is five hundred thousand French crownes What his extraordinaries may amount unto cannot be knowne but certaine it is that in a few yeares he raised eleven millions of crownes out of Piedmont alone So that we may well allow him one million of yearely commings in one with another out of which these summes are yearely issued upon certaine expences Diet wages c. of the Dukes owne Court threescore thousand crownes Allowed to the Duchesse twenty thousand The Duke of Nemeurs his kinsman pension fourteene thousand Standing wages to Iudges Counsellors c. on both sides the Alpes fourescore and ten thousand Vpon Embassadors Intelligences c. sixteene thousand Vpon his Guard Pages Messengers c. ten thousand Given away in Pensions and favours twelve thousand Expences of pleasure ten thousand Charges of his souldiery ten thousand and of his Gallies two and twenty thousand The totall is three hundred and eightie thousand French crownes The rest goes into the Treasury But in this former account the expences upon building and repairing of Forts is not reckoned which must needs amount to a masse of money seeing that no Prince of Europe in so little ground unlesse those of the Low-Countries perchance hath so many fortified places and few stronger in the world either by Nature of Arâ— eight hundred Castles being reckoned in Piedmont alone Of Land-souldiers his muster-bookes shewes him about twenty thousand often exercised by their Captaines and Collonels and three Gallies for scowring of the Coast. And now for the State and termes he stands in with other Princes his neighbours they be these To the Papacie is his Family much beholding the Pope having made his second son Victor a Cardinall and his third son Philibert Admirall of the Gallies of the Church A great dependancie hath he on the Pope besides for whereas Cardinall Aldabrandino Nephew to Clement the eighth hath purchased Raiensa in Piedmont to the Duke after whose decease that rich Territory must fall to the Church unlesse the Pope be pleased to confirme it upon the Duke With Spaine both the Duke and his eldeâ—â— son Philip Emanuel have very neere alliance Aâ— time there was that the Spaniard with-held his Pension from the Duke and he againe discharged his garrison of Spaniards in Turâ—ne c. but all being now piec't up betweene them it concernes Spaine not to displease him because hee may stop up the passages by which the Spanish forces might march out of Italy into Germanie Venice and hee are in a common league and correspondencie Divers States and persons of the Switzers take pension of him and the Citie of Geneva is in bodily feare of him so was Genoa in these late warres and may be againe With other Princes of Italy he is in good termes except with Mantua it equally concernes them all to see that one another grow not too great and
upon the neighbourhood of Sicily can hardly maintaine If more there are they pertaine to private men Besides which certaine Phaluccoes they have vessels they be twice so bigge as a wherry and rowed by five men which they send out for scouts and to discover the booty The expeditions which they make are little better than for bootie either in the night time landing on the maine of Africa and surprizing some villages or scowring along the coast and taking small and weake barkes out of which they take the men and goods and turne the hulke adrift with wind and weather Lorraine THis was once a Kingdome of it selfe containing all those Countries lying betwixt the Rivers Rhine and Scheld and the mountaine Vogesus wherein are Brabant and Gelderland Lutzenburg Limburg and the Bishopricke of Leige These were at severall times taken away from it some given by the Emperours to the younger families and some to the Church That which is now left to the Duke was of his ancestor Lotharius called by the Latines Lotharij regnum or as the Germans speake Lotars-ricke is bounded upon the East with Alsatia upon the South with Burgundie towards the West with Champaigne and towards the North with the Forest of Arden The length is foure dayes journey and the breadth three In it are many goodly Rivers as the Meuse Mosel c. And fine Townes as Nancie where the Duke commonly resideth Saint Nicholas and five others of good esteeme upon the Frontier and Inland whereof Pont Musson is an Vniversity It yeeldeth Wine and Wheat sufficient for the provision of its owne Inhabitants and affordeth Cattell Horse and River-fish in some good measure to the defects of their neighbours In manners and fashion they resemble their neighbours the French and the Germans both whose languages the most can speake In courtesie and civility they strive to imitate the French in drinking the Germans Yet not here the one so punctually as the French nor the other so inordinately as the Dutch They are good souldiers free of disposition and rather subtill than politike The Duke of Lorraine is of the best and ancientest bloud of Europe as descended from Charles the Great He also claimes to bee King of Ierusalem And for such Courts as these petty Princes maintaine you shall finde therein many fine Gentlemen His counsels are mostly directed by the Iesuits and his favourite Count de Boulla Surely his Riches cannot be great for of commodities nothing of value can bee said to arise therein save certaine workes or cups of Cassidony-stone some horses linnen cloth and manufactures and those vented into France and Germanie What to thinke of the silver mines therein I cannot shew Those that have estimated with the most have not related of above seven hundred and eight thousand crownes of yearely Revenue ordinary viz. five hundred thousand of rent and royaltie two hundred thousand from the Salt-pans and from the fishing of the Rivers and Lakes two thousand pounds sterling But others more probably allow him twelve hundred thousand crownes which might be more would he put his people to it Nancie is exceedingly well fortified after the moderne fashion and inlarged of late by addition of a new Towne and that also fortified And in former ages as it resisted the whole forces of Charles the Great Duke of Burgundie so this people also but united with the Switzers gave him three fatall overthrowes in the field Of any great Expeditions which they should particularly make of themselves I never read neither that any of their Neighbours have much affrighted them With the Switzers and the House of France they have alwayes held good correspondencie and Alliance So that if the Arch-Duke should quarrell with them on one side they have the Low-Countrimen their friends on the other And as for the King of Spaines neighbour-hood by reason of the proximity of the French Countrey of Burgundie it may alwayes be supposed that in regard of the Alliances before spoken of the one will bee loth to prejudice the other to neithers boast of advantage As for other petty Princes they stand in as much need to take care for their owne preservations as to invade anothers for that in truth this Prince exceedeth most of them in meanes forces friends and circuit of Territory This Principalitie gives titles of honour first to the Duke of Barre which is now united to the Dukes owne Family to six Counts or Earles and to seven Lords or Barons Hungarie HVngarie is a Noble Kingdome I call it Noble because whole volumes might be writ and yet extenuate the worth but not relate the troubles thereof Externall with the enemie of Christendome Internall by reason of confused dissention For sometime the glory of the Kingdome elateth them sometime private revenges divide them sometime the Nobility doth tyrannize over them and sometime the generall cause exciteth compassion For the plenty wherewith it aboundeth of all things both for use and pleasure it may be numbred amongst the most fertile Kingdomes of Europe In it are found fruits of as much variety and goodnesse as in Italy Corne sufficient to sustaine the Inhabitants Wine to furnish their neighbours Poland Silesia Moravia Bohemia Fish in such plentie that strangers borrow of their abundance from them and out of Valachia before the losse of Agria in 96. were Beeves driven into Italy and all parts of Germanie which now finde a present want in their former provision thorow the Turkes stopping of that passage The Hungarian Horse by nature are not improper for warre being couragious strong hardy and swift but for want of management they fit no service but travell to which the Italian Hackney-men and Almain Coach-men finde-them excellent Hungarland is divided by the River Danubius into two parts the one mountainous and therefore called the upper Hungarland abounding in Gold Silver and Copper-Ore the other nether Hungarland plaine without hils and called for the fertility thereof the Store-house of Italy and Germanie The Metropolitan Citie of that part of Hungarland that obeyeth the Emperour is Possonium or Presbâ—rgh which the Hungarians call Posonie little and not very beautifull no more than are Sirigonium Cassovia Niâ—ria Tervanio or any other Cities of Hungarland a reason whereof may be that the Gentlemen have their Houses in the Countrey and the Citizens are more studious to build for use than for pompe In confineth toward the North with Poland and Moravia on the East lieth Transilvania and Valachia on the South Bulgaria Servia Bosnia Sclavonia and Croatia and towards the West it is joyned to Stiria and Austria two thirds of it possessed by the Turke The Inhabitants be of stature and complexion not unlike the English but in habit resembling the poore Irish in Warre strong valiant and patient covetous above measure yet having rather desire than art to enrich themselves permitting of negligence the Germans to inherit in their Cities and to Trafficke their Merchandize a
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
made a Prince of the Empire and thirdly are the two Dukedomes of Oppelen and Ratibor in Silesia estated upon him This yeare his wife Susanna Katherina leaves him a widower and the rest is spent in Embasiâ—es and Treaties with the Emperour The next yeare 1623. was passed over in peace the Emperour sends him a diamond ring which some conjectured was meant for a wedding ring and that the Emperour was desirous to allie him to his house of Austria Ann. 1624. was quiet and peaceable Anno 1625. he by his Ambassadours wooes the Lady Katherine sister to the Elector of Brandenburgh whom in February 1626. he solemnly espouses in Cassovia and is so potent and happy that Iuly 16. following he procures her to be elected Princesse of Transilvania after him in case she survived him and his owne brother Stephan Bethlen to be Regent under her This yeare there hapned some more bustâ—ng against the Emperour but a peace quickly concludes it The next yeare 1627. the Turkish Sultan honours of Bethlens Princesse with a solemne Embassie to her principally directed sends her a Scepter requires her name also as an absolute Princesse which one day might be to be put into the treaty of a perpetuall league The yeare 162â— he had peace on every side which continued the next yeare also When October 21. he solemnly buries his Predecessor Gabriel Bathori aforesaid Finally this yeare 1629. for thinkfulnesse to God and the good of his Church and Countrey hee erects an University at Alba Iulia which crownes and blesses all the fame of his former actions He hath this Summer beene dangerously sicke but we have heard newes of his safe recovery And thus ends the Chronicle of Bethlen Gabor the famous a man much talkâ— of but little knowne Let this at last be answered to his Traducers that he must needs be a brave fellow who was favoured and preferred by so many Princes that from a private fortune should upon his owne deserts be advanced by his Nation to he chaire of soveraignty that was able to gaine so much upon the Emperour to succour his friends and compose a quarrell betweene two such potent enemies that is in his owne person so dexterous both at Arts and Armes that desires so much the good of his Country as to fortifie all the passages to adorne it with Palaces Churches Colleges and Universities that takes the right course to advance Religion to incourage countenance and promote learning to doe that in beating down heresie by the Word which the laws of his Nation forbid him to do by the Sword that hath quickned Justice and good manners is beloved of his loyall subjects and feared by the disloyall that being so dangerously situated hath the spirit and skill to defend his little Countrey from the power of the house of Ottoman the ambition of the house of Austria the might of the Pole and the barbarous inroads of the Russes and Tartarians that finally maintaines his subjects in abundance of safety and abundance of plenty and though perchance hated yet feared and highly honoured by his greatest enemy the Emperour The most of this description of Bethlen Gabor and his dominions wee owe unto Master Petrus Eusenius Maxai a Transilvanian borne and servant to the illustrious Prince aforesaid Poland THis Kingdome inhabited of old by the Sarmatians was never so spatious as at this day the great Dukedomes of Lituania and Livonia being joyned therto It stretcht from the flouds Notes and Orba which divide it from Marchia and Odera which separateth it from Silisia to Beresay and Boristhenes which two parteth it from Moscovia It reacheth from the Baltike Sea to the River Niester which divides it from Moldavia and to the Mountaines Carpathie which separate it from Hungarie By this limitation from the borders of Silesia to the Frontiers of Moscovia betweene the West part and the East it containeth an hundred and twenty German miles and from the uttermost bounds of Livonia to the borders of Hungarie not much lesse So allowing the forme thereof to be round it is farre larger than a man would take it to be as taking up six and twenty hundred miles in compasse It containeth many and goodly large Provinces as Polonia the great and the lesse Mazovia Podolia Podlassia Samogithia Prussia Russia Volinia Livonia and Lituania Among these Provinces Poland was the proper inhabitation of the Polonians but Pruse part of Pomeran Podolia Volonia Mazovia and Livonia have beene obtained and gained by Armes as were the Dukedomes of Oswitz and Zator in Silesia also Lituania and Samogithia Provinces of Russia were the inheritance of the House of Iagello For in the yeare 1380. Iagello then Duke of Lituania tooke unto wife the Princesse Hedwiga the last of the bloud Royall of Polonia and was then installed King on three conditions the first that he should become a Christian secondly that he should cause his people to doe the like and thirdly that he should for ever unite his principalities to Poland The two former conditions were presently performed but the latter not till within these few yeares For the Kings of Poland standing upon election Iagello was loth to trust his owne patrimonie upon the uncertaine voyces of the people who if they should chuse a stranger then should his posterity not only lose the Kingdome of Polonia but their paternall Dukedome of Lituania also And this deferred the union all the time of Iagello and his descendants but the race failing in Sigismund Augustus and the Lituanians on the other side fearing the force of the Moscovite they agreed to union and election In times past Livonia was the fear of the Dutch Knights and they had therein their chiefe Governour whom they termed the Great Master But in the yeare 1558. being spoiled of the greatest part of their territory by the great Duke of Moscovie they fled to Sigismund King of Poland who tooke them into his protection and untill the raigne of K. Stephen 1582. the Province was never regained For the most part Poland is a plaine Country and but for certaine mountaines rather hils than mountaines situated in the lesser Poland dividing it from Prusland all the residue of the Countrey stretcheth it selfe into most ample plaines wherein are very many woods especially in Lituania The greater and lesser Poland are better inhabited than any other Province of the Kingdome The like may be almost spoken of Russia for the neerenesse of the Sea concourse to the Havens and commodiousnesse of the Rivers Prussia and Livonia have fairer Cities good lier buildings and by traffike and concourse of Merchants greater plenty of riches For when the Dutch Knights were Lords of the Country they builded Cities like those of Germanie and all along the Sea-Coast for the space of fourescore miles many Castles and peeces of good esteeme They have many faire Havens of good worth and are Lords of all the traffike betweene Poland and the Baltike Sea which is a thing of great value
party-coloured Ensignes These and such like furnitures doe cause them to bee discerned of their fellowes make them seeme terrible to their Enemies and doe encourage their minds to fiercenesse and prowesse Their Horse are but small yet very nimble and farre more couragious than the Dutch It is thought that upon necessity Poland is able to raise an hundred thousand horse and Lituania seventy thousand but far inferiour in goodnesse to the Polish They have so great trust in the great number of their horse that nothing fearing the power of any Enemies they regard not the building of Fortresses but resolve that they are able to defend their Country their Wives and Children their liberty and goods in the open field against any Prince whatsoever boasting that in either chance of warre they never turned their backes Sigismund Augustus laboured that in the Diets of the Kingdome order might be taken for the fortifying of Cracovia because of neighbour-hood of the Emperour but he could never effect it partly because it should not give their Kings opportunity of absolute authority and tyrannicall Emperie partly because they thinke themselves by noble courage sufficiently able to defend the Kingdome They have no infanterie for all the people of the Kingdome are divided either into Merchants and Artificers which inhabit the Cities or labourers which live in the country in such subjection as we spake of before and this is the reason that the Gentlemen onely goe to the war and will not in any case serve on foot but alwaies when occasion serveth they doe give wages unto the German and Hungarish footmen and of these King Stephen in his journey into Livonia entertained under his colours little lesse than 16000. to convey his great Ordnance 1609. Sigismund being called into Moscovie by the treason of Sulskey who had slaine Demetrius his Lord and Master in Mosco departed from Cracovia with 30000. horse and 10000. foot exceedingly well furnished and resolute Wherein in truth consisteth the sole commendation of the Polish Gentlemen As for manners for the most part they are discourteous and uncivill a very murderous and wicked people especially in their drunkennesse and that towards strangers For Pioners they use the Tartars and their owne unplandish people The Kingdome is sufficiently furnished stored with great Ordnance and all furniture belonging thereto of which it can suffer no manner of scarcitie first because the Gentlemen and Noblemen keepe many in their castles next for the neighbour-hood of Germany which is exceeding rich in Metall to that use and plentifull of Antificers to forge anything belonging thereunto And though it is not usuall to see many castles in Polonia yet the Fortresses of Leopolis and Camentzie in Russia the Castle of Cracovia in the lesse Poland Polocensis on the Frontiers of Moscovia Mariembourge and some other Townes in Livonia are peeces in truth of great strength These forces of Polonia which wee have spoken of are such in quantity and quality that few Nations in Europe can equall them none surpasse them one thing they want and that is Celeritie For to the sure strengthening of every Kingdome foure things are required that is to say That their forces be of their owne subjects That it be Populous Valiant and Quicke their owne because it is dangerous trusting to a stranger Populous because of re-enforcements after checkes or overthrowes Valiant because number without courage little availeth yea it bringeth forth confusion And Quicke that they may lightly move and speedily be drawne whither necessitie enforceth The last of these foure are Polacks especially want that is Celerity occasioned two waies First for defect of absolute authority in the Prince which is much checked by prolonging and adjourning of Parliaments procured many times by the frowardnesse of the Nobilitie And secondly for want of ready money and quicke levies thereof For the King hath no power to determine any thing to denounce warre to impose taxes or to gather treasure without the consent of these Parliaments and these Parliaments where it is necessary that many be present are like an Engine made of many peeces which without losse of time can neither easily be joyned nor readily moved For in warlike affaires those Princes make best speed which are best able to command and have most money in readinesse otherwise in appointing and ordering the Diets and devising that the Actions may answer the Counsels than in executing and in providing of money there hapneth such losse of time that little is left for the beginning of the journey much lesse to accomplish Besides the Barons and Nobles are at such charges and tarry so long when they are there that at their departure they have little left to maintaine after-charges It may be that for the defence of the State quicker and readier resolution would bee taken because of the imminent danger fatall in generall But for the conquest of any forren place I beleeve they will alwaies proceed with like flownesse and irresolution for the hope of good doth not so much move vs as the feare of evill Yet hath our age seene in the reigne of Sigismund Augustus the Moscovite to have conquered the Provinces of Moloch and Smolock and that without resistance or revenge a cowardize ill beseeming so great a King and so mighty a State as likewise hee invaded Livonia without impeachment which had shadowed it selfe under the protection of the said Sigismund In the daies of Henry of Anjow Iohn Prince of Moldavia even he that with an undaunted spirit and famous victory held warre against the Turke was shamefully forsaken of them contrary to the covenants of confederacy betweene him and this Sigismund concluded So that we must needs confesse that such as is the courage valour and reputation of the Prince such is the resolution alacrity and forces of the Polackes of themselves populous valiant and couragious Stephen Bathori had good testimony hereof in whose time Polonia not onely maintained the honour of a King sufficient to defend it selfe from forren Armes but also to make conquests of great matters from most potent Enemies And seeing we have spoken of Celerity a vertue most necessary for every State it shall not bee amisse to speake of the causes thereof which as is aforesaid are two viz. The reputation of the Prince which giveth it life and store of Coine which preserves it in action for wee have seene in mightiest Armies the body by the slownesse of the head to have spent the time most idly and very famous victories for want of money to give continuall motion to action to have brought forth small or no effects Besides the disposition of a Souldier is a great helpe hereunto for no man can truly praise the German and Bohemian Foot-men for Celerity but this commendation without doubt is proper to the Italian Spaniard and Frenchmen not onely for that they are of better constitution of body but for that which in warre is all in all they are better contented
to live with a little Though they want Coine they are not discouraged neither wax sicke with fruits if flesh be wanting and happen what may they longer and better can indure hardnesse and scarcitie Their riding light armed is of more execution than armed at all pieces and their Argolitires more serviceable than Lanciers for which cause the French also in their late broiles have quitted their Lances wherein of old did consist the glory of their Armes and now taken themselves to the Pistoll But to what purpose they have thus done let another dispute for I say not that a light armed man is absolutely to be preferred before a man at armes in chances of warre but only affirme that he is more active and more ready yea the goodnesse of the Horse is of great consequence For the Flanders Horse â—arâ—e excelleth the Frislander and German The Hungariâ— Horse the Polonian the Turkie Horse the Genet the Barâ—â—ry Horse is more speedy than the rest betweene both is the Courser of Naples who though he be not so swift as the Spanish Genet yet is he better able to indure travell and to â—eare the weight of Armor not becomming over-flow therwith To speake truth experience manifesteth the German Horse by reason of their slow pace to worke small effect either to pursue the flying Enemie or swiftly to flie from their executing adversary for if the Wallachian Hungarian Polish Turkish Moorish or Barbarie Horsemen should breake the Germans they cannot speedily fall and if it happen the Germans to overthrow them they are as unable to pursue them for they charge slowly and retire heavily So in fights at Sea ships of burthen are of small service because iâ— wind want they cannot be moved the Galleasses are some what better yet performe little more but the best of all is the Galley for his â—wife stâ—rage And for proofe hereof wee have seene the Navie of the Christians consisting of great Ships to have spent the better part of Summer and warlike season in preparations onely And on the contrary the Turkish Fleet soone furnished and speedily put to Sea Of such advantage is spare diet and needfull provision of the Turkish affaires and so discommodious is gluttony to the proceedings of the Christians For the provision of Wine and other delicates is as troublesome to the Christians as the whole provision for a Campe to the Turkish Armies Therefore let no man marvell if they march in all their journies excellent well furnished with Ordnance Shot Gun-powder and all necessaries for at land they have their Carriages laden onely with provision at Sea their Ships without Wine Pullets and such needlesse vanities At a word they goe to the warre to fight and not to fill their bellies THE THIRD BOOKE Of Africke THat tract of the habitable World tending towards the South which at this day wee call Africa and the Grecians Lyâ—ia containeth one of those three divisions which were knowne to the Ancients and yet not fully discovered partly in regard of vast Desarts impossible to bee travelled by Land and wholly covered with wind-driving sands in manner of a tempestuous Sea and partly in regard of the long tedious and uncertaine Navigation undertaken by few discovered but little and fully knowne to none The undertakers whereof were Hanno the Carthaginian and Eudoxius a banished man under Ptolomie King of Alexandria But in this latter age it hath beene wholly navigated by the Portugals and sufficiently by them discovered especially from the Pillars of Hercules almost to the very bottome of the Arabian Gulfe The first of them that passed the Cape of Good Hope was Vaseo de Gama in the yeare of our Lord 1497. from whence continuing his course to Calecut and so to the residue of the East Indies to the unspeakable honour and achievement of that Nation I will not spend time in discourse upon the Originall of the name Quia paucae civitates norint originem but it is situated in manner of a Peninsula conjoyned with a small necke of Land lying betweene the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Gulfe In quantity it exceedeth Europe at least by twice but it is not halfe so well inhabited for that is not so temperate for inhabitation Many places lying waste somewhere for want of water somewhere for want of manurance somewhere for abundance of light sand and sterile Dust and all subject to the immoderate heat of the scorching Sun And the nature of these Sands are such that sometimes they lie as Mountains in one part of the Desarts and presently upon the rising of any gale of wind they are carried most furiously to another in manner of a violent and terrible tempest And last of all the increase of venomous Serpents and devouring Creatureâ— is so generall that in some places no man will in some places no man dare to manure or inhabit the adjoyning Countrie although most fruitfull By reason whereof as aforesaid the Region seemeth rather waste than inhabited but where it is manured it is exceeding fruitfull and full of inhabitation especially toward the North side which looketh toward Europe and alongst the Sea Coasts betweene the promontory of Good Hope and Cape Niger where the â—aines Mountaines and Vallies are singular fruitfull and pleasant as places injoying the benefit of a perpetuall Spring-tide Our moderne Cosmographers upon the North side bound it with the Mediterranean and Herculian Sea upon the East with the Arabian Gulfe and that Istmus of Asia that lieth betweene the said Mediterranean and the Arabian Seas Vpon the South beat the waves of the great Ocean especially towards the Cape of Good Hope which deriving its denomination from the Country adjoyning viz. Aethiopia is termed the Aethiopian Sea Vpon the West on this side the Equinoctiall heth the Atiantike Ocean and beyond that it is termed the Aethiopian The Celestiall situation with the description of the renouned Mountaines famous Rivers and remarkable Capes all worthy to be registred if brevity requisite for so small a volume did not perswade the contrary I would not omit for the delight of those who desire to make deepest progressions to this kinde of study The living Creatures both tame and wilde which this and no other climate affordeth by the testimony of Leo Afer are many As first the Elephant a docible and wilde beast found in many parts of the Continent The Giraffa most admirable fierce and seldome seene The Camel is a gentle beast and tame wherein the wealth of the Arabians doth chiefly consist The Barbarie Horse and the wilde Horse whereof many of the Arabians inhabiting the desarts doe feed The Dant or Iant resembleth the Oxe and of his bide are wrought â—mpenetrable Bâ—cklers Here likewise live the wilde Oxen and the wilde Asse The Adimain is like the Ramme but in stature resembling the Asse with cares long and slagging The tame Oxen that live on the mountaines are small bodied but laboursome and strong Their Rammes differ onely in their
effect he first sent his three sonnes Abdel Abnet and Mahumet on pilgrimage to Meca and Medina to visit and worship the Sepulcher of their great Prophet Mahumet The young men returned from their pilgrimage with such opinion and estimation of holinesse and Religion if it bee lawfull to use these termes to so great impiety and fopperie that the Inhabitants as they travelled could hardly be kept from kissing their garments and adoring them as Saints They againe as men wrapt in deepe contemplation journied through the Provinces sighing and sobbing and crying with a high voice Ala Ala. They had no other sustenance but the almes of the people Their father received them with great joy and contentment and perceiving the favour and opinion of the people not to bee like a nine dayes wonder but to continue fresh and the same as at the first resolved to make use thereof and thereupon sent two of them Abnet and Mahumet to the Court at Fez. The King received them kindly and made one of them President of the famous College of Amadorac and the younger Tutor of his Children In processe of time when they perceived the King to grace them and the people to favour them by the Counsell of their father taking occasion of the grievances which the Arabians and Moores serving under the Portugall Ensignes had done to the professors of their superstition they desired leave of the King to display a Banner against the Christians making him beleeve that they would easily draw the Portugal Moores to their partie and so secure the Provinces of Sus Hea Deucala and Maroch Muly mazer the Kings brother resisted this petition alleaging that if once under the shew of holinesse they grew to head it would not afterwards lie in his power to suppresse them under his obedience For warre makes men awlesse victories insolent popularity ambitious and studious of innovation But the King in whose heart their hypocriticall sanctimony had taken a deepe impression little regarding his brothers counsell gaue them a Banner a Drumme and twenty horsemen to accompanie them with Letters of credence to the Princes of Arabie and Cities of Barbarie In these beginnings many things falling out to their honour and good liking they beganne to make incursions into Deucala and the Countrey of Safi ranging as farre as the promontory Aguer then under the government of the Portugals and perceiving themselves to be favoured strong and well followed urged the people who for the most part in those dayes lived in liberty to aid those which fought for their Law and Religion against the Christians as likewise with willing mindes to give God his tithes which they obtained of the people of Dara Then by little and little they incroached upon the territory of Taradant of which they made their Father Governour and invaded Sus Hia Deucala and the neighbouring places They first seated themselves in Tedâ—â—st and after in Tesarot In their next journey but with the losse of their Brother they defeated Lopes Barriga a great Warriour and Captaine generall of the Portugall Armie By flattering speeches they entred Marocho poisoned the King and proclaimed Amet-Xeriffe King of the Country After this hapned the warre of the Arabians of Deucala and Xarquia with the Arabians of Garbi where while each party weakned other and either promised to himselfe the favour and assistance of the Xeriffes they turned their armes upon both factions and carried rich preyes from both Nations Before this warre they sent unto the King the fifth part of all their spoiles but after this victory little regarding their Soveraigne they sent him onely six Horses and six Camels and those very leane and ill shapen Which the King disdaining sent to demand his fifths and also the Tribute which the Kings of Marocho were accustomed to pay to him which if they denied hee vowed revenge with fire and sword In the meane time the King died and Amet his Sonne once the pupill of the younger Xeriffe not onely allowed but also confirmed Amet in the Kingdome of Marocho upon condition that in some things he should acknowledge the King of Fez to be his Lord paramount To this the Xeriffes whose power and estimation daily increased when the day of paiment of the tribute came willed the messenger to say unto his Master that they were the lawfull successors of Mahumet and therefore that they were bound to pay tribute to no Man yea that they had more right to Africke than he had but if he would reckon them in the number of his friends no doubt but it would turne to his good and honour for if hee diverted them from the warre of the Christians they would not leave him so much as a heart to defend himselfe The King taking this in ill part proclaimed warre against them and besieged Marocho but for that time was constrained to dislodge Afterward returning with eighteene thousand Horse-men and two thousand Harquebusiers to renew the siege as soone as he had past the River hee was overcome of the Xeriffs who led an Armie of seven thousand Horse and one thousand two hundred shot In the pride of this victory they exacted Tribute of this Province and passing Atlas they tooke the famous City Tafilet and partly by love and partly by force compelled divers people of Numidia and the Mountaines to beare the yoke of their subjection In the yeare 1536. the younger Xeriffe which called himselfe King of Sus gathering together a mighty Armie with great store of Artillery part whereof hee tooke from the King of Fez and part whereof were cast by certaine Renegada Frenchmen made a journey to Cape Aguer This place is of great consequence and possessed by the Portugals who built it and fortified it first at the expences of Lopes Sequiera and then at the charges of King Emanuel after he understood of the commodious situation thereof It was fiercely assaulted and as valiantly defended untill the fire beganne to take hold upon the Bulwarke where their Gun-powder was stowed with which misfortune the companies appointed for the defence of that quarter growing fearefull and faint-hearted gave way for the Xeriffe to enter who made slaves of the greatest part of the defendants After which victory they subdued almost all Atlas the Kingdome of Marocho and the Arabians which were vassals to the Crowne of Portugal the residue as Safi Azamon Arzil and Aleazar places situated upon the Sea-coast of Mauritania King Iohn the third perceiving the prose not to equalize the charge voluntarily resigned These prosperous beginnings brought forth sowre ends for the Brethren falling at discord twice put their fortunes upon the hazard of a battell twice the yonger overcame the elder tooke him and cast him into prison in the City Tafilet Then turned he his Arms against the King of Fez tooke him prisoner and restored him to his liberty but taking him againe for breach of Covenants deprived him and his Son of life and Kingdome By the valour of his
to make reckonings even they supply the want with Corne and Salt For Pepper Frankincense Myrrh and Salt they give Gold and that by weight as for Silver it is in little request The greatest concourse of people is about the Kings Court which never stayeth long in one place but is ever in progresse sometime in one place sometime in another and ever in the open fields under Tents and Pavillions It is said to containe ten miles in circuit His government is tyrannicall for he intreateth his Vassals rich and poore more liker slaves than subjects which to doe with the greater safetie he carrieth himselfe amongst them with a holy and Saint-like adoration for at his bare name they bow their bodies and touch the earth with their hands They reverence his Pavillion yea though he be absent In old times they were accustomed to shew themselves to the people but once in three years but since they are growne lesse Majesticall shewing themselves thrice in one yeare to wit on Christmas-day on Easter-day and on Holy-Rood-day yea and in these times the Kings which now reigne are become more gracious When any matter is committed in the Princes name to any man hee is to attend his Commission starke naked to the middle Being called to witnesse a matter in controversie they hardly speake truth unlesse they sweare by the life of the King Hee giveth and taketh to whom and from whom he pleaseth neither dare he from whom he taketh for his life make shew of a discontented countenance He presenteth to holy Orders and disposeth at his good pleasure of the goods of the Spiritualtie as well as of the Laitie In travelling he rideth shadowed with red Curtaines high and deepe incompassing him round about He weareth on his head a Crowne the one halfe wrought with Gold and the other of Silver in his hand he beareth a Silver Crucifix He covereth his face with a peece of watchet Taftata which more or lesse he lifteth up and putteth downe according as hee is minded to grace him with whom he talketh Sometimes he sheweth his whole legge lifting it without the hangings then may no man approach but by degrees and after many courtesies and divers messages passing to and fro No man hath vassals but the King to whom once a yeare they doe homage and protest obedience as subjects to their Liege Soveraigne Hee derived his pedegree from Milech the sonne of Salomon and Saba In the reigne of Candaces they received the Christian Faith and about that time one Gasparis became famous in Aethiopia from whom after thirteene generations descended that Iohn who first tooke upon him the Surname of Sanctus and left it an hereditary Title to his house and successours This man having no issue of his body about the time of Constantine gave the Kingdome to the eldest sonne of his brother Caius and invested the younger Balthasar and Melchior the one with the Kingdome of Fatigar the other with the Kingdome of Goiam and so divided the bloud royall into three Families the Gaspars Balthasars and Melchiors To avoid sedition and innovation hee made a Law that the sonnes brethren and neerest kindred of the Emperour should be kept and shut up in the Castle of Amara and that they should neither succeed in the Empire nor enjoy any honourable estate for which cause the Emperours ever since have seldome married He manureth his Domaines with his owne slaves and Cattell who by reason they are suffered to marrie and their issues remaine in the same estate of villenage as doe their Fathers they increase to infinite multitudes Every man that hath any inheritance doth likewise pay tribute some Horses some Oxen others Gold Cotton-wooll or such like It is thought that he is Lord of infinite Treasures and to have store of houses full of Cloth Jewels and Gold In his Letters to the King of Portugal upon condition that he would wage war against the Infidels he offered him a Million of Gold and a Million of men with provision according He is reported to lay up yearely in the Castle of Amara three Millions of Gold And true it is that before the dayes of King Alexander he did hoord up great store of Gold in rude and unwrought Masses but no such quantity as is spoken because they know not how to refine it His Revenues are of three sorts the first ariseth of his Crowne-land the second of the Taxes of his people who pay every man by house somewhat besides the tenth of all that is digged out of their Mines the third he levieth of the great Lords and they give him the Revenue of any one of their Townes which he will chuse so he chuse not that wherein themselves inhabit And albeit the Prince be very rich yet the people are idle and beggarly partly because they are intreated as slaves which usage taketh from any people that courage alacritie of spirit which should be in men professing armes and undergoing dangers and partly because in respect of that base bond of servile fidelity wherewith they are over-awed to his Majesty they perceive their hands are fast bound through feare whereof they have no other weapon fit for service than a rusty head-peece a Scull or Curasse which the Portugals have brought thither So that having neither fortresse to slie unto nor weapons to repulse wrongs their Villages and substance lie alwayes open to the prey and spoile of whosoever will invade them Their offensive weapons are certaine darts and arrowes without feathers They observe a Lent of fifty dayes which by reason of their true or rather superstitious abstinence doth bring their bodies so weake and low that for many dayes after they are not able to gather strength to move themselves from one place to another At which time the Moores watching opportunity invading their Dominions carry away men women and wealth Francis Alvarez writeth that he is able to bring into the field an hundred thousand men but experience hath manifested that even in his extremities his numbers were far inferior to that reckoning He hath Knights of an order dedicated to the protecton of S. Anthony Every Gentleman Father of three sons except the eldest is bound to give one to the service of the King out of these are chosen twelve thousand Horsemen for the guard of his person Their vow and oath is to defend the bounds of the Empire and to fight against the enemies of the Christian Faith He is fronted with three puissant neighbours the King of Borno the great Turke and the King of Adel. The King of Borno is Lord of that Countrey which from Guangula Eastward stretcheth about five hundred miles betweene the desarts of Seth and Barca In situation it is very uneven sometime mountainous and sometime plaine the people indifferent civill the Countrey reasonably well inhabited and in regard of plenty of victuall somewhat resorted unto by Merchants On the Mountaines dwell Neat-herds and Sheep-herds living for the
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
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
wealth As may be ghessed by that That 1589. out of Siberia onely by way of custome were collected foure hundred threescore and six timber of Sables five timber of Martrons one hundred eightie cases of black Foxes besides other commodities To these may be added Seisures Confiscations and Incomes of like nature whereof I will shew you some cases As by coyning his Plate into money in shew of want thereby to colour some new taxations so did Theodor Iuanowich And as by suffering every man to give unto Monasteries what pleaseth him that the wealth being stowed in grosse the Prince may come by it the readier to satisfie his pleasure So did Iuan Vasilowich wringing from some Bishops and Monasteries one hundred thousand rubbles from some fortie and from others fiftie c. For the subtile Friers are content without noise to part from somewhat rather than by clamour to indanger the losse of the whole By forestalling homebred commodities and ingrossing the forren as Silkes Cloth Lead Pearle To give out monopolies for staying of Sables till the Emperors be vented By rent corne and provision of victuall hee hath some yeares raised two hundred thousand rubbles Of rent wood hay c. thirtie thousand rubbles But the most Unchristian abuse is that in every great towne he hath a Caback or Tap-house to sell Aqua-vite Mead Beare c. wherein besides the vice of drunkennesse many foule faults as it cannot otherwise fall out are committed The poore labouring man and artificer many times spendeth all from his wife and children Some will lay 20 thirty or forty rubbles into the Caback vowing themselves to the pot till the stock be spent and all this as the drunkard will vaunt for the honour of Hospodare viz. the Prince For for hindering this base and ungodly profit none may dare to call or intreat him out of the Caback Of these some yeeld eight hundred some nine hundred some a thousand some three thousand rubbles by yeare Sometime he will cause his Botarens or Nobles to feigne themselves robbed and then will he send for the Aldermen of the Citie to finde out the fellon and upon an Ignoramus he will sesse the Citie upon colour of misgovernment eight thousand nine thousand or ten thousand rubbles Iuan Vasilowich sent into Permia for certaine loads of Cedar wood whereof he knew none to grow in the Countrie The Inhabitants returned word that they could finde none whereupon he sessed the Countrie at 12060 rubbles So sent he to the Citie of Mosco to provide a Colpack or measure full of live fleas for a medicine They returned answer that the thing was impossible whereupon he praved or beat out of their shins seven hundred rubbles for a mulct So at another time he praved thirty thousand rubbles from his Nobilitie because he missed of his game when he went on hunting Which they againe praved out of the Monsicks or common people of the Countrie as the manner is Besides in their Diets or Parliaments they are reputed of no degree or order For therein the Nobilitie and Clergie onely have voices In all their supplications and petitions to any of the Nobles or chiefe Officers they subscribe Kelophey slaves and so doe they of the Nobilitie to the Emperor So that if a poore Mousal meeteth any of them upon the way hee must turne himselfe about and not dare to looke this Magnifico in the face but conge to the ground with his head as Priests doe to their Wafer-cakes As for the quiet enjoyment of their lands besides the taxes customes feasings and other publike exactions practised by the Emperour himselfe and permitted unto his Nobles Messengers and Officers you shall see Yammes thorow-fare townes of halfe a mile and a mile long stand uninhabited by reason of these ungodly pressures So that in the way towards Mosco betweene Vologda and Yeraslâ—ve which is some what more than an hundred English miles there have beene in sight fiftie Villages at least of the foresaid length quite disinhabited And this is the reason that the people doe not give themselves to thrive nor to trades as in former times whereby honest labour is much decaied and the present quantities of Merchandize nothing answerable to the former reckoning As well you may perceive in this one Historie wherein I will shew you two rare accidents how three Brethren Merchants did rise up to great wealth and in what manner they were fleeced They traded together in one stocke and were found to be worth three hundred thousand rubbies besides lands stocke and other commodities They that knew them report That they set ten thousand men on worke all the yeare long in making of salt carriages by cart and water hewing of wood and such like labours besides five thousand bond-slaves at least to inhabit and till their land They had all manner of Artificers Physitians Surgeons Apothecaries Dutchmen belonging unto them And for custome paid unto the Emperor came the true cause wherfore they were the longer permitted to enjoy their thrift twentie three thousand rubbles per annum besides the maintayning of certaine garrisons on the borders of Siberia which were neere unto them Now if any man object how these men could come to such an estate of wealth under such an exactious Prince First he must understand that their dwelling was in Wichida a thousand miles from Mosco and the eye of the Court Secondly that forbearance is no quittance For the Emperour was well content to use their purses untill such time as they had perfected their designes in Siberia and that by burning and cutting downe woods from Wichida to Permia a progresse of a thousand Versts they had made the land habitable But at last He envying disdayning that a Monsick should grow to be so great a man against the rules of their policie first began to pull from them sometimes twentie thousand rubbles and sometimes more and then the greatest part of their Inheritance So that at this day their Sonnes are well eased of their stocke and have but small part of their Fathers substance Neither is this State content to tyrannize ouer their bodies goods and lands but he doth the like ouer their wits and capacities For for any extraordinarie perfection in any common Art much lesse in learning you shall never see them excellent from which they are kept of purpose as they are also being no Boiardi Gentlemen from all militarie practice And because they should prove utterly unapt for any profession save servilitie they are forbidden to travell so that you shall never meet with a Russe in forren Countries except it be some Ambassadour or perhaps some stragling companion who hath narrowly escaped the watch on the borders The penalty upon taking is no lesse than confiscation of all his goods Neither will they suffer any stranger willingly to enter their Countrie further than the necessitie of venting their commodities and taking in of forren doth inforce them Their capitall punishments are hanging rodding
knocking on the heads drowning putting under the ice impaling a stake and such like By this a man may ghesse of his riches for he is not only absolute Lord of all but also he useth the service of their bodies at his pleasure and what portion of their goods him listeth Of the skins of wilde beasts he challengeth what portion he liketh and of every sort of Fish even what he will as hereafter The skins are sold or given as pleaseth him the Fish dried in the winde is kept for victualling the garrisons In the market no man may sell his wares before the King hath sold. He hath not many Mines of Gold or Silver The best Mart-Townes from whence he gathereth the greatest part of his Revenues are Astrachan at the Caspian sea whither the wares of the Persians and Armenians are brought and S. Nicholas whither the ships of the English and Hollanders doe arrive laden with Cloth and other Merchandize which from thence are transported to Vologda When his Ambassadors returne he taketh from them the presents given them by forren Princes and in stead thereof bestoweth upon them some other reward and many times nothing at all To speake in a word he gleaneth whatsoever is good or ought worth through his whole Kingdome it is thought that he hath great store of Treasure in his Castles of Mosco Ieraslave and the Marishes of Albi which may be true for the great Duke Iohn wasted in a manner all Livonia sparing neither Relique Chalice Crucifix nor any ornament of silver and of that which is once brought in he suffereth no part thereof to be transported unlesse it be for the ransome of souldiers taken in the war or of the poore people carried into captivitie This is most true that when he lost Livonia which King Stephen of Poland reconquered in the yeare of our Lord 1582. he lost the richest Province of all his Dominions for the Traffike of the Baltike sea and the best for the strength of 34. castles standing therein The strength of the Kingdome consisteth in the manifold numbers of Rivers and Marishes and in the thicknesse of woods Besides they use to lay wast the parts neerest their enemies that there the Woods may grow thicker which for the moisture of the soyle quickly commeth to passe and are as available as a wall or trench to the defence of the next townes This policie brought great travel to the Polanders for they were constrained to lose much time in cutting downe the woods before they could come to the inhabited places of their enemies They have a few fortresses some built of stone some of bricke after the Italian fashion but without strength of moderne devices or cunning workmanship Such are the Castles of Mosco Novograd Plescovia Porcovia Slobadie some are wrought with twigs and earth well troden downe as Smoloncke But commonly the wals of strong places are built of great beames stuffed with Turffe or Mosse leaving loop-holes for shot This fortifying is very available against great Ordnance but exceeding subject to firing They serve in the field as we told you before treating of his government rather bearing themselves valiantly for feare of punishment than of their own natures shewing any alacritie or willingnes to the service He hath his Captaines at a becke his Souldiers suffer all extremities patiently they care not for frost or raine they indure hunger and scarcitie with incredible contentment they live with a little better able to defend a fortresse than to fight in field for here courage and agilitie there constancie and resolution are most serviceable whereas the Polanders are better to fight in the field than to keepe a Castle as well appeared in either NatioÌ„ at the siege of Vobsco where the Russe repulsed the Polonian King Stephen Battore with his whole Armie of one hundred thousand men forced him in the end to give over his siege with the losse of many of his best Captaines and Souldiers but in a set field the Russia hath beene ever noted to have had the worse of the Polonian and Sweden And therefore the Great Duke Iohn finding by experience the unaptnesse of his Souldiers and the readinesse of the Polonians in skirmishes was wont to say That his men had need of a spur to drive them forward and the Polonians wanted a bridle to hold them backe His chiefest force is in horse but what number he can raise who can shew For I doe not beleeve that hee is able as some say to arme three hundred thousand because though his Empire be large yet for the greatest part it lieth unmanured as the many dayes journey between Cazan and Astrachan and scarce meeting one Village in the way may well witnesse In the war which King Stephen waged against him being not above sixtie thousand Foot and Horse strong hee was not able to raise so great a force I will not say as to meet him in the open field but not to hinder him from forcing of Pocovia Vâ—locoluo and other peeces no nor to divert him from the siege of Plescovia In the yeare 1571. the Prince of the Tartars with 80000. Souldiers pierced even into the bowels of his Kingdome and set fire on his Imperiall seat Mosco Therefore I thinke that they who report that the Great Duke can levie three hundred thousand men and the King of Polonia 200000. doe rather meane heads of Horses than Riders for there may be so many thousand Horse and yet every one is not to be counted a Horse of service no more than every Horseman a Rider or able to finde himselfe Armour One hath his heart in his horse another wants abilitie a third wants strength of bodie a fourth both courage and strength yea admit he could raise so many men as these Writers speake of yet would it be a hard matter perchance impossible for him to assemble them in one place or if he could where would wages or victuals be found sufficient to sustaine them For two hundred Horsemen in Moscovie require three hundred Packe-horses and so many tenders who must all be fed as likewise the victualers the Merchant the Artificers and such Servants as can hardly be spared in warlike enterprises To performe this whole Moscovie must of necessity be gathered into one place and then it were to be feared lest in so great a journey from one part of the Kingdome the other part opposite would runne to ruine and decay Likewise although such a proportion of Horse as hath beene spoken of might be raised it were not wisdome for the State to strip the Borders of their Garrisons the Provinces of their finewes the Cities of their Magistrates and the Countrie of Husbandmen In which point Basilius in the conquest of Lituania and Livonia committed a great oversight for that taking away with him the upland and Country people who should have tilled the ground and might easily have been kept in order without any danger by other good policies by this course
was afterwards driven many yeres together to victuall the Countrie especially the great Townes out of his owne Countrie of Russia And againe when he first conquered the Countries he committed no lesse an error in suffering the Natives to keepe their possessions and to inhabit all their Townes onely paying him a tribute under the government of his Russe Captaines whose conspiracies and attempts were the losse of these places The like fell out at the Port-Towne of Narve in Liesland where his Son Iuan Vasiliwich built a Towne and a Castle on the other side of the River called Ivangorod to keep the Countrie in subjection which so fortified was thought to be invincible When it was furnished for reward to the Architect being a Polonian he put out both his eyes to disable him to build the like againe But having left all the Natives within their owne Countrie without abating their number and strength in due order the Towne and Castle not long after was betraied to the King of Sweden Therefore I conclude that that Prince whose Kingdome is able to afford him an hundred and fiftie thousand Horse to be bravely furnished if he can bring into the field but the third part I speake of war and not of incursions Some more modest in writing affirme that the Moscovite could levie an hundred and fiftie thousand Horse if necessitie to defend himselfe forced him thereunto And that Iohn the third in the voyage of Astrachan entertained an hundred twentie thousand Horse and twentie thousand foot The same King invading Livonia in the time of King Alexander levied a mightie Army and notwithstanding maintained another upon the borders of the Kingdome The great Duke Iohn adjoyning to his troops of Horse certaine thousands of shot most Strangers which yeelded him notable service in the defence of his Cities And to make good the aforesaid proportion of Cavalrie the Englishmen who by reason of their intercourse in those Countries are best acquainted with these Relations doe write that the ordinarie number of souldiers entertained in continuall pay is this first hee hath his Dowrancie viz. Pensioners or guard of his person to the number of 15000. horsmen with their Captaines other Officers that are alwaies in a readinesse These 15000. are divided into three sorts the first are cheife Pensioners they receive some an hundred some fourescore rubbles a yeare none under seventie The second sort receive betwixt sixtie and fiftie none under fortie The third and lowest sort receive thirtie a yeare some 25 some 20 none under 12. the whole summe ariseth to fiftie five thousand rubbles by yeare Besides these 15000 Horsemen being the guard of the Emperours owne person when himselfe goeth to the wars resembling the Roman praetorian souldiers there are 110. men of speciall account for their Nobilitie and trust chosen by the Emperour who are bound to finde 65000. Horsemen with all necessaries meet for the wars after the Russian manner For the which service they are yearly allowed for themselves and their companies the summe of 40000. rubbles These 65000. are bound to repaire to the field every yeare towards the borders of the Chrim Tartars except they be otherwayes appointed whether there be wars with the Tartar or no. And because it should not prove dangerous unto the State to intrust so great a power to Noblemen first as they are many viz. 110. so are they changed by the Emperour at his pleasure Secondly they have their maintenance of the Emperour being men otherwise borne but to small Revenue Thirdly for the most part they are about the Emperours person being of his Councell either speciall or at large Fourthly they are rather pay-masters than Captaines to their Companies themselves not going forth ordinarily to the wars save when they are directed by speciall command So the whole number of horsemen alwayes in readinesse and continuall pay are fourescore thousand few more or lesse If he need a greater number which seldome hapneth then he entertaineth those Gentlemen which are out of pay If yet he want he giveth charge unto his Noblemen that hold Lands of him to bring into the field everie man proportionable number of his Servants called Rolophey viz. such as till his Lands with their furniture the which service being done presently they lay downe their Weapons and returne againe to their servile labours Of Footmen in continuall pay he hath twelve thousand all Harquebushers whereof five thousand attend about the citie of Mosco or where the Emperour shall abide and two thousand called Stremaney strelsey or Gunners at the stirrop about his own person at the Court or House where himselfe lodgeth The residue are placed in Garrisons till times of service and receive for their salarie every man seven rubbles a yeare besides twelve measures apeece of Rice and Oates Of mercenary souldiers being strangers 1588 he had three thousand Polonians Of Chyrchasses who are under the Polonians about foure thousand Of Dutch and Scots 150. Of Greekes Turkes and Swedens all in one band a hundred or thereabouts These they imploy only upon the Tartarian side and against the Siberians as they doe the Tartar souldiers whom they sometime hire but only for the present on the other side against the Polonian and Sweden Concerning their arming they are but sleightly appointed The Common Horseman hath nothing but his Bow in his case under his right arme and his Quiver and Sword hanging on the left side except some few that beare a case of Dags or a Iavelin or short Staffe along their Horse side The Noblemen ride better and richer appointed their Swords Bowes and Arrowes are of the Turkish fashion and practise as the Tartars to shoot forwards and backwards as they flie or retire The Footman hath nothing but his peece in his hand his casting-hatchet at his backe and his sword by his side provision of victuall the Emperour alloweth none either for Captaine or Souldier neither provideth any except peradventure some corne for their money Every man is to bring sufficient for himselfe for foure moneths and if need require to give order for more to be brought after him to the Campe from his Tenant that tilleth his Land or some other place for diet and lodging every Russie is prepared a Souldier before-hand for though the Chiefe Captaines carry tents with them after the fashion of ours with some better provision of victuall than the rest yet the common sort bring nothing with them save a kinde of dried bread with some store of meale which they temper with water and so make it into a ball or small lumpe of dough and this they eat raw in stead of bread their meat is Bacon or some flesh or fish dried after the Dutch manner If this Souldier were as hardy to execute as he is able to beare out toyle and travell or as apt well trained as he is indifferent for his lodging and dyet he would farre exceed the servitors of other Provinces For every Souldier
more than may seeme to agree with their barbarous conditions By their continuall invasions and robberies they are very pregnant and witty to devise stratagems on the sudden for their advantage As in their Warres against Beala the fourth Kings of Hungarie whom they invaded with 500000. men and obtained against him a great victory Wherein having slaine his Chancellor they found about him the Kings privie Seale and there with presently counterfeited Letters in the Kings name to the next Cities with charge That in no case they should convey themselves or their goods out of their dwelling places encouraging the people to abide therein without feare of danger and withall recounting how base a resolution it were to abandon their countrey and possessions to so barbarous a Nation as the Tartar dispraising themselves in all despightfull manner letting them to understand that though he had lost his carriages with some few straglers who had marched disorderly yet hee doubted not but to recover that losse with the fortune of a noble victory if the savage Tartar durst abide him in the field To this purpose having written their Letters in the Polish Character by the helpe of certaine young men taken prisoners in the field signed with the Kings seale they dispatched them forth to all the adjacent quarters of the Countrey whereupon the Hungarians that were now posting away with their goods wives and children on the rumour of the Kings overthrow by the comfort of these counterfeit letters stopped their journey and so being surprized were hem'd in and made a prey to the huge numbers of these barbarous Tartarians When they besiege a Towne or Fort they offer much parle and pretend many flattering courtesies to perswade a surrender and being once possessed of the place they leave no cruelty unpractised affirming that faith justice is to be kept toward no people but their owne In their encounters where they alway practise by ambushments they retire as repulsed for feare so to draw their enemies within danger but the Russe being well acquainted with this subtiltie is very wary of them When they warre in small numbers like Rovers to make their Army seeme greater they set counterfeit shapes of men on horsebacke When they give the onset they make a great and barbarous shout crying all together Olla Billa Olla Billa God helpe us God helpe us They contemne death in that desperate manner that they chuse rather to die than yeeld and when they are wounded to death past recovery they have beene seene to bite their weapons in rage wherein appeareth the great difference of courage between the Tartar the Russe and the Turke For if the Russe souldier be once put to retire all his safety is set on speedy and resolved flight and being once taken he neither defendeth himselfe nor intreateth for mercy as reckoning straight to die and the Turke commonly when he is past hope of escaping falleth to intreat and casting away his weapon offereth both his hands as it were to bee manacled chusing rather to live a slave than to die constantly The chiefest bootie they desire is to get store of captives especially young Boyes and Girles whom they sell to the Turkes or other their neighbours And the Russe borderers being used to their invasions lightly every Summer keepe few other Cattell on the borders save Swine which the Tartars will not touch nor drive away because they are of the Turkish Religion and will eat no Swines flesh Of Christ they confesse as much as the Turke doth in his Alcoran viz. That he came of the Angell Gabriel and Mary that he was a great Prophet and shall bee Judge of the world at the last day In other matters likewise they are much ordered after the manner and direction of the Turke as having felt his force at the winnings of Azon and Caffa with some other territories about the Euxine Sea which before were Tributaries to this Chrim Tartar So that at this day most usually the Emperour of the Chrim is chosen out of the Tartar Nobility by the Turks appointment and to him they give the tenths of their spoiles gotten by warre from the Christians Under the Emperour they have certaine Dukes whom they call Morses or Divoy morses that rule over a certaine number of 1000. 20000. or 40000. apeece which they terme Hords When the Emperour hath use of them in his warres they are bound to come and to bring with them their proportion of Souldiers every man with two horse at least the one to ride on the other to kill when it commeth to his turne to have him eaten For their chiefe victuall is horse-flesh which they eat without bread or any thing else with it And yet with marvell though they serve all on horsebacke and eat all of horse-flesh there are brought yearely to the Mosco to bee sold 30 or 40000 Horse So they have great droves of Kine and flocks of blacke Sheepe which they keepe rather for their skinnes than for their flesh though sometime they eat of it Townes they plant none nor other standing buildings but have moving houses built on wheeles like a Shepherds cottage these they draw with them wheresoever they goe driving their Cattell with them and when they come to their journies end they plant these Cart-houses in a ranke in forme of a Towne with large streets neither hath the Emperour himselfe other place ormanner of dwelling saying That the fixed and standing buildings of other Countries are unwholesome and unsavoury In the Spring they beginne to move their houses from the South parts towards the North and so driving on till they have grazed up all to the farthest part of the North they returne backe againe towards the South where they continue all the Winter by ten miles a stage Of Money they have no use at all preferring Brasse and Steele before other Metals which they use for swords knives and other necessaries gold and silver they neglect of purpose as also tillage to be more free for their wandring kinde of life and to keepe their Countrey lesse subject to invasions Which course indeed cannot but prove disadvantagious to the Invaders as it hapned in old time to Cyrus and Darius Histaspis For their manner is when they are invaded by flying reculing and fained feare to draw their enemies some good way into the bowels of their Countrey and then when victuals beginne to grow scarce and other extremities to oppresse their enemies as needs they must where nothing is to be had they stop up the passages and inclose them with multitudes By which policy as some write they had well-nigh surprized the Army of Tamerlane had hee not with all expedition retired towards the River Tanais For Person and Complexion they have broad and flat visages of a tawny colour firce and cruell in lookes thinne-haired on the upper lip and a pit of the chinne light and nimble bodied and short leg'd as if they were naturally created for horsemen Their
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
it is well knowne but at this day it is Turkish and without any famous Cities save in a peece of Albania In it is nothing memorable but the Mount Athos or the holy Mount It is 75. miles in compasse three dayes journey long and halfe a dayes journey broad resembling the shape of a man lying with his face upward whose highest Cone alwayes covered with snow is seene thirtie miles off at Sea It is exceeding fertile in Grasse Fruit Oyle and Wine Long agoe it was dedicated in honour of Saint Basile to the Greeke Caloieri and endowed with privileges which at this day it enjoyeth by the Turkes good favour that is to say that no man neither Grecian nor Turke may inhabit in this place except he be a Priest So that their number in these dayes are about six thousand dispersed into twentie and foure Monasteries ancient and warlike so built for feare of theeves and pyrats although there be no such great cause In these Monasteries are many relickes which cause great concourse of people and they are stately built and richly adorned This hill is in as great request with the Grecians for their sanctimonious strictnesse of life as is Rome with the Latines yea the Turks themselves doe send hither many bountifull almes None of them live idly but must doe somewhat and so doe daily for the oeconomike of the house as to dresse Vines fell Timber yea to build ships and such like mechanicall labours They are poorely clad like Hermits neither weare they shirts of Linnen but Woollen and them they spin and sow themselves never giving themselves to studie and that more is many of them can neither write nor read And yet notwithstanding if any man have occasion to journey by their houses he shall if he please finde viands scot-free according to his calling Epyre now Albania was once a very famous Province as witnesseth P. Aemilius It had in it seventie Cities now destroyed and turned into ruines or Villages meanly inhabited For the most part it is woodie and barren but neere the sea fertile and adorned with very beautifull havens Achaia is a very goodly Region as may be gathered by the goodly Cities which therein once flourished viz. Delphos Thebes Athens Megara many moe now destroyed So is Peloponnesus termed by Plinie the bulwarke of Greece It yeeldeth all things that man can desire either for life or pleasure And although the ancient Cities be now defaced yet is it for quantitie the best peopled part of Greece It is now under the Turke and counted the best Sangiak-ship in Turkie as bound to bring at the commandment of the Beglerbeg of Greece one thousand horsemen under his owne pay It is worth yearely fourteene Ducats The Ilands adjoyning unto these large continents I will not discourse of for as they are diverse in worth and estimation so are they many in number and for the most part not worthy relation Dalmatia is at this day divided into Sclavonia Dalmatia and Albania Sclavonia lieth upon the West Albania upon the East and in the middle Dalmatia In all fertilitie it is as good as Italy Of a Countrie first wasted by Caesar Augustus secondly by the Gothes thirdly by the Turkes and at this day shared amongst three such Lords as are the Venetians the Turke and the Emperour it may be said to be reasonable well inhabited And so it is having many fine Cities in it as Iadera Ragusa c. Howbeit that part which is subject to the Turke lieth almost desart by reason of their continuall inrodes Bossina or Maesia superior is also a parcell of Illyria and erected into a Turkish Beglerbeg-ship having under it nine Sangiaks Servia now Rascia lieth between Bosnia and Bulgaria it was taken by the Turke 1438. and reduced into a Sangiak-ship under the Beglerbeg of Buda Bulgaria which some take for the lower Maesia is so famous a Province that the Turkish Emperour hath erected it for the cheife Seat of the Beglerbeg of Europe under whose command are twentie and one Sangiaks Valachia containeth the two Provinces of Moldavia and Transalpina Valachia is a plaine and fertile Countrey smally inhabited and destitute of fire-wood but stored with excellent Horse Cattell and Mines of Gold and Silver if the people durst dig them for feare of the Turkes It is 500. miles long and 120. broad It hath one Archbishop and two Bishops and is more populous than Moldavia They speake both one language being almost halfe Italian This Countrey and Moldavia are plagued with three bad neighbours viz. the Turkes the Tartars and the Cassoks They follow the Greeke Church and in matters of Religion obey the Patriarch of Constantinople They are the same which in ancient times were called Daci The Turks have often attempted with their mightiest powers to have made a small conquest of these Provinces but they have hitherto bin valiantly resisted and repulsed partly by the Natives and partly by the Polonians Transylvanians and the Cassoks in dislike of each others bad neighbourhood Yet is it tributarie to the Grand Seignior and payeth him yearely twentie foure thousand Chechini Moldavia being in a manner round is almost 300. English miles over every way It hath two Archbishopricks and two Bishopricks and is exceeding fertile in Corne Wine Grasse and Wood. It affordeth great plentie of Beefe and Mutton and therwith feedeth Polonia a great part of Germanie the populous citie of Constantinople A great fat Oxe in this Country is valued but at thirtie shillings a Sheepe at three shillings The tenth whereof which of duty is yearely payed to the Prince amounteth to 150000. The Clergie and Gentrie for they alwayes can make best shift for themselves contribute no parcell hereof It hath a small River passing thorow the Country and falleth into Danubius neere unto Gallatz called Pruta the water whereof as also of Danubius is unwholsome to drinke for it causeth the body to swell In 1609. certaine English Gentlemen travelling 240. miles in this Country could meet but with nine Towns and Villages in all the way and yet for above a hundred miles space together the Grasse groweth at least one yard high and rotteth every yeare upon the ground for want of Cattell and manurance On the East it hath the black Sea on the West Podalia on the North the Tartars and on the South the Danubie and the Country of Bulgaria It payeth yearely unto the Great Turke by way of Tribute 3200. Chechini besides one thousand horses sent yearely unto Constantinople for a present from both these Princes of Moldavia and Valachia It also payeth tribute to the Polander but how much I cannot shew you Therin dwell many Armenians Iewes Hungarians Saxons and Ragusians who forestall the whole traffick in those parts bartering their Corne and Wine into Russia and Polonia and their Skins Wax Hony powdered Beefe Butter and Pulse into Constantinople The Malmesey likewise which is
transported out of Creet into Poland and Germany is carried thorow this Country whereof the Vaivod receiveth a massie impost Of those Countries which at this day the Turks terme Natolia THat which the Turkes at this day terme Natolia or Turcia major once Asia minor comprehendeth the Provinces of Pontus Bithynia Asia it selfe Lycia Galacia Pamphylia Cappadocia Cilicia and Armenia the lesse and in these Provinces of ancient times flourished the States and Kingdomes of the Trojans of Mithridates of Craesus of Antigonus of the Paphlagonians of the Galathians of the Cappadocians and Phrygians All which at this day are not sufficient to satisfie the onely ambition of the Turkish tyranny The Inhabitants for the most part are Mahumetans and naturall Turkes of simpler natures than the Turkes of Europe and nothing so cruell as the Renegado Christians Yet are there many Christians among them in many of these Regions following the Rites of the Greeke Church Among these Turkes there is no acknowledgement of Superioritie Bloud or Nobility but all are equall slaves to the Grand Seignior over whom he appointeth Beglerbegs and Sanziaks They are either a kinde of idle or lofty people for they are smally industrious and were it not for their slaves their grounds would generally lie unmanured Pontus and Bithynia are now united under one name and called Bursia Here once reigned the great King Mithridates and here stood the famous Cities of Chalcedon Nicomedia Apamaea Prusia Nice and Heraclea Ponti Asia propria now Sabrun is the peculiar Province of Asia minor containeth in it many famous Provinces as Phrygia major minor Caria Mysia c. In Phrygia minor stood that Noble citie of Troie famous at this day saith Bellonius an eie-witnesse for its very ruines of wals gates circuit and marble sepulchers found upon the wayes without the wals Pamphilia now Caramania is one of the old seven Sangiakships of Turkie and yeeldeth 8000. ducats of yearly revenue In this Country as also in Cilicia are woven those fine cloths which we call Chamblets watered and unwatered they are made of the haire of Goats so fine and white as no Silke can surpasse them in those two properties Cappadocia now Amasia is a goodly Country and the seat of the Turks eldest Son In it are many goodly cities as Trapezond once the seat of the Comneni Emperors of Trapezond whose Name and Progenie ahumet the second utterly extinguished Cilicta now part of Caramania is a good Country the Inhabitants are given to pasturing of Goates for lucre of their fleeces of which they make their Chamblets but otherwise neither given to Fishing Navigation nor Husbandrie At the foot of Mount Taurus saith Bellonius are divers small Villages and excellent pastures about them which for the fertilitie thereof should seeme to be one of the Turkish Races from thence he culleth out every yeare six hundred horse of service which they highly esteeme and name Caramanni Armenia minor is a better soile and more populous than Cappadocia and round about incircled with tall huge broken and wooddie mountaines Arabia triplex THe three Arabiaes are likewise a parcell of the Empire which is a marvellous great Country included between two huge bosomes of the sea in manner of a Peninsula viz upon the West and East with the Arabian and Persian gulfes upon the South with the Ocean and upon the North with Syria and Euphrates The Inhabitants are indifferently called Arabians Saracens or Moores Those are the true Arabians which live out of Cities in Tents dispersed over Syria Aegypt and Africke these give themselves to feed cattell and droves of Camels Those which inhabit Cities are called Moores and were once of such puissance that they not onely subdued Syria Persia and Troglodytica but likewise Aegypt a great part of Africke and almost all Spaine with the Iland of Sicilie and the Kingdome of Naples Two hundred yeares they kept possession of these peeces but of some part of Spaine 700 even untill the dayes of our fathers And further this accursed generation at this day is not onely spread over all the Southerne coast of Asia viz Persia East India and the Islands of the Indian Sea but are likewise advanced with great prosperitie unto divers wealthy Kingdomes famous Cities worthy Mart-townes yea overall the South-coast of Africke Under this people the Turkes were first called into Asia to beare armes Of their manners we have spoken elsewhere In their Religion they are Mahumetans for in this Countrie that false Prophet first opened his superstitious Wardrobe This is a vast Countrie full of Desarts yet well inhabited with populous warlike multitudes especially toward Euphrates and the Mountaines of Arabia felix whither Merchants resort The residue towards the West is sandy by which if a man be to travell he must have the Starres to his guide company for his safeguard and provision for his diet Otherwise he shall surely lose his way surrender his goods to the theevish Arabes or starve in the Desart for want of food To secure the which passages as well against those who live on the side of Euphrates towards Aegypt as through all Arabia Petrea and Deserta the Grand Seignior entertaineth the king of those Arabians which inhabit Mesopotamia And for this his service as a Turkish Sanziak hee holdeth Ana and Dir two townes situated upon the said river He is a poore King but accompanied with 10. or 12. thousand beggerly subjects living and lying intents of course blacke Hair-cloth which forces notwithstanding these wilder ones are so infinite in multitudes and so unpossible to be brought unto a more civill manner of living that for their danger toward strangers and the continuall spoiles which they commit upon those parts of the Turkes Dominions which every way border upon them necessitie inforceth him also to maintaine two other garrisons the first of twelve thousand in Cairo the other of one thousand five hundred in Damasco Wherein it is to be noted That sithence those of Damasco doe not only defend that peece but are also distributed thorow other cities of Soria as Aleppo Antiochia and Ierusalem one thousand five hundred men were not able to sustain and answer to such a charge unlesse by being both Ianizars and Timariots also they have many followers and attendants Who as else where I have shewed you are not onely mightie in reputation and powerfull in number but also every yeare accustomed to spare and cull out strong troops warlikely and pompously provided to send into Hungarie For surely without this order all the passages of the Caravans which yearely come from Balsara and the Red-sea would become so infectious that neither Bagdet nor Damasco could receive the commodities of those parts to the annuall losse of two millions of Entrado to the grand Seignior Amongst these it was that Sir Anthony Sherly travelled and found them so well governed that without any wrong offered he passed thorow them all
the mountaines but Amazar detesting the tyranny of his Lord conveied the children to his owne house and brought them up like Gentlemen amongst his owne sonnes and falling sicke of a deadly disease forecasting what might happen after his decease gave them horses and money willing them to flie and to betake themselves to their mothers house and tuition Ismael the eldest was no sooner returned to his mothers place but he vowed revenge for his fathers death and after some fortunate expeditions tooke upon him the cause and protection of the followers of Halie from whom hee derived his pedegree Hee made the Turbant higher and sent Ambassadours to all the Orientall Mahumetans to exhort them to unity in Religion and Cognisances By these meanes and fortune of his armes he became a terror to the East and slew Ossan then Usurper of the Persian State with his ten brethren except Marabeg who saved himselfe and sled to Soliman first Emperour of the Turkes imploring his aid This Ismael at the Lake Vay overthrew with a great slaughter the Prince of the Tartars Zagatai and in heat of his victory had passed the River Abbian if his Astrologian in whom he greatly trusted had not foretold him that his passage should bee prosperous but his returne unfortunate Hee left to his sonnes a most spacious Empire bounded with the Caspian Sea the Persian Gulfe the Lake Sioc the Rivers Tygris and Oxus and the Kingdome of Cambaia which Provinces containe more than twenty degrees from East to West and eighteene from North to South And although these Kingdomes lying within these bounds held not immediatly of the Crowne of Persia yet all acknowledge the Persian for their soveraigne Prince that is to say the Kings of Matam Patan Guadel and Ormus Georgia and Mengrellia being Christian Countries according to the superstition of the Greeke Church submitted to certaine conditions as toleration of Religion payment of Tribute and disclaiming to assist the Turke against them and so obtained a kind of peace and protection untill againe the Persians declined by the fortunes of the Ottomans The like course ranne Media now called Servan Dierbechia once Mesopotamia Cusistan the inhabitation of the Susiani Farsistan the Country of the Persians Strava once Hircania Parthia at this day called Arac Caramanie now Sigestan Carassa Sablestan and Istigiu whose ancient names were Drangia Bactria Parapamisus Margiana Of these Regions those which lie neerest to the Persian Sea are most plentifull by reason of the Rivers every where dispersed thorow the whole Land Amongst these Rivers the most famous is Bindimir to whose waters the Inhabitants are much beholding conveying it by trenches and other inventions into their grounds to their great ease and commodity The Provinces lying upon the Caspian Sea for their Rivers and temperature doe likewise participate of the said fertility especially all those quarters which are watered with the River Puly-Malon falling into the Lake Burgian the residue of the Province is dry by reason whereof Townes and Villages are seldome seene in those places unlesse it be by some springs or waters side The most ample and magnificent Cities of Persia are Istigias the chiefe seat of Bactria thought to be one of the pleasantest Cities of the East Indion the chiefe City of Margiana situated in so fat and fertile a territory that therefore Antiochus Soler caused it to be walled about Candahar the chiefe seat of Pamaparisus famous for the trafficke of Indiae and Cathaia whither the Merchants of those Countries doe resort E rt the chiefe City of Aria so abounding with Roses that thereof it should seeme to take the name Barbarus saith it is of thirteene miles compasse Ispaa the chiefe seat of Parthia so spacious for the circuit thereof that the Persians hyperbolically terme it the halfe World Chirmaine is the chiefe seat of Caramania renowmed for the excellent cloth of gold and silver woven therein Eor is a noble City and so is Custra of Susiana But all these for beauty and magnificence may bow and bend to Syras seated upon the River Bindimire It was once the chiefe seat of Persia and as some thinke called Persepolis Alexander the Great burnt it to the ground at the intreatie of his Concubine but afterward being ashamed of so vile an action caused it to bee re-edified It is not at this time so great as in times past yet it is thought to bee one of the greatest Cities in all the Orient with its suburbs which are in compasse twenty miles It is a Proverbe among the Persians Quando Suars erat Siras tunc Cairus 〈◊〉 Pagus yet they account it not very ancient neither are they of their opinions who will have it the head of â—â—â—ia Tauris and Casbin are famous Cities and besides their magnificence they may glory that in them the Kings of Persia for the most part keepe their residences The forme of Government of this Nation is not like the Government of any other Mahumetan people neither is â—â— There are also many desarts and many mountaines disjoyning the Provinces farre asunder Herein it resembleth Spaine where for want of navigable Rivers except towards the Sea-coast traffike is little used and mountaines and Provinces lie unmanured for scarcity of moisture But Nature unwilling that humane life should want any easement hath so provided for mutuall commerce in these sandy and barren places that through the labour of Camels the want of Navigation is richly recompenced thorowout Persia the bordering Countries These beasts carry wondrous burdens and will longer continue than either Horse or Mule They will travell laden with a thousand pound weight and will so continue forty dayes and upward In sterile and deepe sandy Countreyes such as are Lybia Arabia and Persia they drinke but once every fifth day and if extremity enforce they will endure the want of water ten or twelve When their burdens are off a little grasse thorns or leaves of trees will suffice them There is no living thing lesse chargeable and more laborious certainly ordained of nature a fit creature for those sandy and deepe places of Asia and Africke wherein even man himselfe feeleth the want of food and water Of these there are three sorts upon the lesser men travell the middle sort have bunches on their backs fit for carrying of Merchandize the greater and stronger are those which carry burdens of one thousand pound weight these are their ships the sands their Seas What numbers of horsemen this King is able to levie was manifested in the warres betweene Selim the first and Ismael betweene Ismael and Soliman and betweene Codabanda and Amurath Not one of them brought above thirty thousand horse into the field but so throughly furnished that they had little cause to feare greater numbers The richer and abler sort arme themselves after the manner of our men at Armes the residue being better than the third part of their Cavalry content themselves with a Scull a Jack and
frequent his Dominions Without the which inticements peradventure they might be unwilling to hazard their estates from farre Nations amongst such barbarous and unsure customers For sure hee was that his Neighbours could not and the Portugals would not supply those necessities which concerned the life and essence of an intire Estate THE FIFTH BOOKE Of India commonly called Asiatica or East-India INdia is a spacious portion of Asia the most Noble part of the World and far exceeding any other apportionment comprehended under one name Tartarie only excepted As that which without other addition lifteth up her Title alone to challenge all the Territories betweene China and Persia A conteinue almost twelve hundred leagues yet divided into many Kingdomes Amongst whom he is principall that most obtaineth by force and popularitie The Region is most wholesome to inhabit by the favour of the Westerne winds but in regard of its spaciousnesse subject to diverse Temperatures As in some places to heat viz. towards the Equator In some to temperatures or rather to cold as towards the North. But generally for goodnesse of situation health and fertilitie it is farre better than any other Countrey And therefore seldome or never feeleth famine or scarcitie the misery whereof is prevented by the benefit of Rivers as in Aegypt For the two great Rivers of Indus and Ganges water it thorowly which being divided into a thousand brookes insulteth of two Summers temperature of Aire with duplicitie of increase And that wee are but Adventurers for those delicacies which shee vtlipendeth and yet not admitted to the understanding of one halfe of her worth yet hath it its Desarts scorching Sands places infested with wilde Beasts and unpeopled by reason of impenetrable woods And although the Region wanteth Wheat yet aboundeth it with divers sorts of fruits of Pulses of Barley and Rice Vines they haue none but rare and therefore brew their Beverage of Barley and Rice Fruit-trees and trees fit to make linnen cloth of they have in abundance and out of the Palme they produce Wine Vinegar and fruit to eat The particular of their Silkes Bombasies Elephant Serpents Spices Stones and divers famous Rivers being well knowne I will not stand to recite The natures and fashions of the Inhabitants briefly I will who being diversly dispersed into divers Regions and Principalities doe diversly differ in language visage habit manners and religion Both men and women imitate a noble pompe as not incountred abroad nisi mâ—gna comitante caterva using many odours in their baths and washings nor are they without oiles and perfumes jewels pearls and other ornaments befitting the businesse they intend Of whom the foure principall Nations that inhabit this tract are the Indians viz. the Natives and they for the most part are Gentiles The second are the Iewes and they are dispersed here as else-where over the whole face of the earth The third are the Mahumetans whereof some are Persians and some Scythians now called Mogors living in the upland Countries The fourth are the Moores or Arabians who within these two hundred yeares usurping upon the maritime coasts of the Country have built them places and Cities very fit for Trafficke and expulsed the Natives into the more Inland Countries And now of late besides those ancient Christians which Saint Thomas converted there reside many Portugals natives and Mâ—sticos who are daily converted by the industry of the Iesuits to the Christian beleefe who have taught them to baptize Children and to fast Wherein they are now tedious observants as all barbarous people are the best maintainers of customes and ceremonies especially where the Roman Church instructeth The Portugals intruded by armes prayers and policie Their purchases I account to be so farre from the name of a Conquest as was the possession of the English from the Crowne of France when they held nothing but â—alais in Picardie Howbeit for state and ostentation every third yeare a Vice-Roy is sent to Goa from whom and from whence all inferiour deputations have their directions and governments Here he hath his Councell his Nobles his Chancery and Iustices as is used in Portugal from whence in Civill cases the parties may appeale to Portugal but in Criminall no one person except he be a Gentleman He is very magnificent in State and never goeth abroad unlesse to Church and then attended with musike and accompanied with all the principall Gentlemen and Burgers of Goa on horsebacke with a guard of souldiers before behinde and on each side It is a place of great honour and profit For besides the presents which the bordering Princes round about Goa send them at their first entrances for contraction of peace and friendship by their Embassies they have also the management of the Kings revenues and treasure with absolute allowance from his Majestie to give spend and reward as best pleaseth him When a new Vice-Roy arriveth the time of the former being expired hee presently dispatcheth his Lieutenants with sufficient authoritie in their Masters name to receive the possession of the Government of India and to prepare the Palace Whereupon the old Vice-Roy maketh quicke and cleane riddance of all Vtensils neither leaving one stoole in the Palace nor one peny in the Treasury So that these great Officers by reason of their short time of imployment have enough to doe The first yeare to furnish their house with necessaries The second to gather treasure and to respect the causes that moved them to come into India The third and last yeare to prepare themselves and to settle their businesses in order left they be overtaken and surprised by the approach of a new successour The like is to be understood of all the Captaines in the Forts and of all other Officers thorowout these Indies The Great Mogor IT shall alwayes beene beleeved that the territory lying betweene Ganges and the 〈◊〉 Indus hath evermore beene subject to great and mighty Monarchs For to be silent in matter of more ancient memory about the yeare of our Lord 1300 there reigned in the Kingdome of Delos and Arabian Prince of the fâ—â—t of Mahumet named Sanofaradin as Iohn Barros reporteth of so great power strength that he enterprised the conquest of Asia Upon which resolution forsaking these Regions in which Indus and Ganges take heir beginnings with a mighty Army by little and little he subdued those Princes and people which did oppose against him untill he pierced to the bounds of Canora where it beginneth at the River Bate about Chaul and stretcheth betweene Bate the Gulfe of Bengala to Cape Comerine When he had wonne so large and famous a territory resolving to returne to Delos he left Abdessa his Lieutenant in Canora This man encouraged by the victories of his Master and presuming upon his owne good fortune bereaved the Gentiles of the greater part of Canora and hauing gathered a most mighty and populous Army compacted of Gentiles Mahumetaâ— and Christians after he had reigned twenty
Virgins to be deflowred of Idols abominable their exorcismes damnable and the varietie of senselesse profanations most contemptible It is not so spacious but it is as fertill for it yeeldeth not only what is fitting for humane life but whatsoever the delicate and esseminate appetite of man may lust after Many Plants yeeld fruit twice or thrice a yeare and that not only by the temperature of the ayre but by the number of the rivers and plentie of waters which doe both cause trafficke thorow every corner of the Region and so water it on all sides that it resembleth a most pleasant and delectable garden-plot Of this plentie there are three causes one the prodigall expences of the King in digging of trenches thorowout the whole Land sometime cutting thorow rockie Mountaines sometime damming up deepe valleyes to make them levell with high mountaines and to draine the waters of Lakes and Marishes the other for that the whole Region is situated under the temperate Zone and in no place either by nature or mans industrie wanteth moisture so that all creatures taking nourishment of heat and moisture must needs here wonderously prosper In no place Plants may take larger scope to spread their branches nor Cattell larger walkes to wander in than in this Country The last reason is for that the idle are neither severely punished nor altogether tolerated but every one is forced to doe somewhat no foot of land is left unhusbanded nor dramme of stuffe cast away unwrought Among other things note-worthy this one is of great consideration that in Cantan they maintaine foure thousand blind people to grinde corne and Rice every childe is set about somewhat according to his yeares and strength those only who are truly impotent in their limbs and have no friends living to succour them are provided for in Hospitals That none may excuse themselves in saying hee can doe nothing every one is bound to learne his fathers occupation which is the reason that the children borne as it were tradesmen learne their fathers occupations before they perceive it by continuall practice becomming in time most artificiall mechanickes He that cannot live at Land seeketh his maintenance at Sea for that is no lesse inhabited than the Land yea infinite housholds live on the Rivers in Boats without comming to Land for a long season Some whereof live by ferrying over people some by transporting passengers and their merchandize others keepe shops others vessels of lodging for their Merchants and Travellers Whatsoever is needfull for cloathing for food or nourishment delight or ease of a civill life is to be found in the middest of great Rivers Many likewise nourish all sorts of Poultrie especially Duckes in their vessels To hatch the egges and to nourish the young ones they use not the dams as we doe but an artificiall heat in a manner as they doe in Aegypt especially at Cair All night he keepeth them in his Boat and at morning sendeth them to feed in the fields sowed with Rice where all day long having fed on the weeds to the great good of the husbandman they returne toward evening to their Cages at the sound of a little Bell or Cimball Many live by carrying Fish both salt and fresh into the high Countries for in the Spring when the Rivers rise through thawes and landstouds so incomparable quantities of sea-fish doe abound in the havens and creekes that the fishermen depart rather wearied than wanting This fish the Skippers buy for a small matter of the fishermen and keeping them alive in certaine vessels made for the purpose they transport them into Provinces farre remote from the Sea There they are sold and preserved in Pooles and Stewes neere Cities and great Townes to serve the Markets and Tables of the richer Chinois all the yeare long Because it is forbidden any inhabitant to passe out of the Land without leave and therewith neither but for a certaine time limited it must needs be that by the daily increase of people the Country is even pestered with inhabitation It hath beene observed among themselves that for every five that have died seven have beene borne The Climate is so temperate and the aire so wholsome that in mans memory any universall pestilence hath not beene knowne to infest the Country Notwithstanding left any man should thinke this people to enjoy all sweets without some mixture of sowre you must note that their earth-quakes are more dreadfull unto them than any pestilence to us for whole Cities have beene swallowed and Provinces made desart by this punishment These casualties choke up the course of ancient Chanels and make new where were never any before they lay Mountaines levell with the ground and make havocke of the people In the yeare 1555. a deluge breaking out of the bowels of the earth devoured an hundred and fourescore miles of firme land with the Townes and Villages standing thereupon those which escaped the floud lightning and fire from Heaven destroyed There are said to be in China one hundred and fifty Cities two hundred thirty five great Townes one thousand one hundred fifty foure Castles and foure thousand two hundred Boroughs without walls wherein souldiers are quartered of Villages and Hamlets some of them containing a thousand housholds the number is infinite for the Country is so covered with habitation that all China seemeth but as one Towne They have two Metropolitan Cities Nanquin and Panquin In Nanquin toward the North the King keepeth his Court under the jurisdiction of the one are seven Provinces under the other eight Both of them are so spacious that it is a daies journey for a horseman to ride from one end to the other Of the number of the Inhabitants no certainty can bee produced but according to manuscript relations and the report of travellers it is said that the Kingdome containeth threescore and ten millions of living soules This is an admirable report and not to bee beleeved if it be compared with the Provinces of Christendome but surely something above conceit is to be credited to those spacious populous and barbarous Nations Let us set the largenesse of their Provinces the circuit of their Cities their plenty and abundance of all things and in all places either in prospering by nature or mans industry with their number and inhabitation and we shall finde a Country like enough to afford such a reckoning with places cities and dwellings able to containe them and nourishment sufficient to maintaine them Italy exceedeth not nine millions Germany excluding the Swizzers and Netherlands not ten and with the foresaid Provinces not above fifteene which number peradventure France may reach unto Spaine is farre inferiour to Italie Sicilie hath but one million and three hundred thousand England three millions and Belgia as many if by the continuance of the warre in those Countries that number be not much decayed The Italians conceit marvellous highly of themselves thinking no Province upon the face of the earth for wealth and
people comparable to Italie but they forget that as it is long so it is narrow and nothing wide or spacious neither that two third parts have not one navigable River a want of great consequence neither that the Apenine a Mountaine rockie and barren doth spread it selfe over a fourth part thereof Let them nor deceive themselves nor condemne anothers plenty by their owne wants nor measure others excesse by their handfuls For fertility doth France in plenty of Graine or Cattell give place to Italy or England for Cattell for Wooll Fish or Metall Or Belgia for number or goodlinesse of Cities excellency of Artificers wealth or merchandise Or Greece for delectable situation commodious Havens of the Sea or pleasant Provinces Or Hungarie for Cattell Wine Corne Fish Mines and all things else But I will not stand upon these discourses only let me tell you that Lombardy containeth the third part of Italy a Province delightsome for battle-plaines and pleasant Rivers without barren mountaines or sandy fields and to be as full of people as the whole halfe of Italy besides Yea what may bee said of Italy for profit or pleasure that may not bee spoken particularly of France England Netherland and both the Panonies Wherefore since the Country is not onely large and spacious but united populous plentifull and rich at least let it bee beleeved and accounted for one of the greatest Empires that ever was The Government is tyrannicall for thorowout the Kingdome there is no other Lord but the King they know not what an Earle a Marquesse or a Duke meaneth No fealty no tribute or toll is paied to any man but the King He giveth all magistracies honors He alloweth them stipends wherewith to maintaine their estates and they dispatch no matter of weight without his privity His vassals obey him not as a King but rather as a God In every Province standeth his portraicture in gold which is never to be seene but in the new Moones then is it shewed and visited of the Magistrates and reverenced as the Kings owne person In like manner the Governours and Judges are honoured no man may speake to them but upon their knees Strangers are not admitted to enter into the Kingdome left their customes and conversation should breed alteration in manners or innovation in the State They are onely permitted to trafficke upon the Sea-coasts to buy and sell victuall and to vent their wares They that doe trafficke upon the Land assemble many together and elect a Governour amongst them whom they terme Consull In this good manner strangers enter the Kingdome but alwaies waited on by the Customers and Kings Officers The Inhabitants cannot travell but with a licence and with that neither but for a prefixed season and to bee sure of their returne they grant no leave but for traffickes sake and that in Ships of an hundred fifty tun and not above for they are jealous that if they should goe to sea in bigger vessels they would make longer journies To conclude it is a religious Law of the Kingdome that every mans endevours tend wholly to the good and quiet of the Common-wealth By which proceedings Justice the mother of quietnesse Policy the mistresse of good Lawes and Industry the daughter of peace doe flourish in this Kingdome There is no Country moderne or ancient governed by a better forme of policy than this Empire by vertue whereof they have ruled their Empire 2000. yeares And so hath the State of Venice flourished 1100. yeares the Kingdome of France 1200. It is a thousand two hundred yeares since they cast off the yoke of the Tartars after their ninety yeares government For their Arts Learning and Policy they conceive so well of themselves that they are accustomed to say that they have two eyes the people of Europe but one and the residue of the Nations none They give this report of the Europeans because of their acquaintance with the Portugals with whom they trafficke in Macoa and other places and the renowne of the Castidians who are their neighbours in the Philippinae Printing Painting and Gun-powder with the materials thereunto belonging have beene used in China many yeares past and very common so that it is with them out of memory when they first began Their Chronicles say that their first King being a great Necromancer who reigned many thousand yeares past did first invent great Ordnance and for the antiquity of Printing there hath beene Bookes seene in China which were printed at least five or six hundred yeares before Printing was in use with us in Europe and to say when it first began it is beyond remembrance But not to make our Readers beleeve reports beyond probability or credit we must needs informe the truth That the Arts and Manufactures of China are not comparable to ours of Europe Their buildings are base and low but one story high for feare of earth-quakes which makes them take up more roome on the ground than in the ayre no marvell then if their Cities be great Their Painting is meere steyning or trowelling in respect of ours Their Printing is but stamping like our great Letters or Gaies cut in wood for they cut many words in one peece and then stampe it off in paper This makes their Printing very difficult and chargeable and therefore so little used Of liberall Arts they know none but a little naturall Rhetoricke which he that there excels in is more beholding to a good wit and a fine tongue than to the precepts of his Tutor Their great Ordnance be but short and naught Finally they are a people rather crafty than wise their common policy is made up of warinesse and wilinesse By the multitudes of people before spoken of you may imagine the state of his forces for herein all other provisions take their perfection But to speake somewhat in particular The power of this Prince remembring his countenance and nature detesting all invasions is more ready and fit to defend than offend to preserve rather than to increase His Cities for the most part are builded upon the bankes of navigable Rivers environed with deepe and broad ditches the walls built of stone and bricke strong above beleefe and fortified with ramparts and artificiall bulwarks Upon the borders toward Tartarie to make sure worke against such an enemy they have built a wall beginning at Chioi a City situate betweene two most high mountaines and stretching it selfe toward the East six hundred miles between mountaine and mountaine untill it touch the cliffes of the Ocean Upon the other frontiers you may behold many but small holds so built to stay the course of the enemie untill the Country forces bee able to make head and the Royall Army have time to come leasurely forward for in 400. great Townes hee keepeth in continuall pay forces sufficient upon the least warning to march to that quarter whither occasion calleth Every City hath a Garrison and Guard at the gates which at nights
is not onely fast locked but sealed and may not be opened before the seale at morning bee throughly viewed To speake truth their souldiers horsemen and footmen by land or sea are more famous for their numbers their gallant furniture and plenty of provision than for strength and courage For the Inhabitants partly by their effeminate and wanton kinde of life partly by their forme of government whereby they are made vile and base have little valour or manhood left them They use no forren souldiers except those whom they take in war these they send into the in-land Countries where being marked to distinguish them from other they serve more like slaves than souldiers yet have they pay with rewards for their good service and punishment for their cowardize true motives to make men valorous The rest which are not inrolled are not suffered to keepe weapons in their houses Their Sea-forces are nothing inferiour to their Land-forces for besides their ordinary Fleets lying upon the Coasts for the safety of the Sea-townes by reason of the abundance of navigable Rivers and so huge a Sea-tract full of Havens Creeks and Islands it is thought that with case they are able to assemble from five hundred to a thousand such great Ships which they call Giunchi we Iunks To thinke that treasure cannot bee wanting to levie so great a number of Ships Souldiers and Marriners many men affirme that the Kings revenues amount to an hundred and twenty millions of gold which value although it may seeme impossible to him that shall make an estimate of the States of Europe with the Kingdome of China yet may it finde place of beleefe if he doe but call to minde First the nature and circuit of the Empire being little lesse than all Europe Next the populousnesse of the Inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches Then the diversity of Mines of Gold Silver Iron and other sorts of Metall the unspeakable quantity of Merchandize passing from hand to hand by so many navigable Rivers so many armes and in-lets of the Sea their upland Cities and maritime Townes their Tolls Customes Subsidies and lastly their rich wares brought into Europe Hee taketh the tenth of all things which the earth yeeldeth as Barley Rice Olives Wine Cotton Wooll Flax Silke all kinds of Metall Fruits Cattel Sugar Hony Rubarbe Camphire Ginger Wood Muske and all sorts of Perfumes The custome only of Salt in the City Canto which is not of the greatest nor of the best trafficke yeeldeth 180000. Crownes yearely the tenth of Rice of one small Towne and the adjacent Territory yeeldeth more than 100000. Crownes By these you may conjecture of the rest He leaveth his subjects nothing save food clothing He hath under him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor private persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore since this Empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands how can the former assertion of so great and yearely a revenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable at all There are two things moreover which adde great credit to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paid in Coine but some in hay some in Rice Corne Provender Silke Cotton Wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the King of 120. millions which he receiveth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so since it goeth round from the King to the people it ought to seeme no wonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the Princes use at the yeares end For as waters doe ebbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily levied suffice for the expences of the State and the people receive againe by those expences as much as they layed out in the beginning of the yeare This King feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enemy the ancient Kings built that admirable wall so much renowned amongst the wonders of the Ortem Towards the Sea hee bordereth upon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is divers From Goto one of the Islands of Iapan to the City Liampo is threescore leagues from Canian 297. The Islanders of Iapan doe often spoile the Sea-coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the Countrey more like Pyrates than men of Warre For in regard that Iapan is divided into many Islands and into divers Seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselves though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Upon another Frontier lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are very jealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the invasion of China and the fame of the riches well knowne to the Spanish But the King of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them wherof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their Dominions yet certaine Jesuites zealous in the increasing of Christian Religion in a Territory so spacious as that is entred with great secrecie and danger and procuring the favour of certaine Governours obtained a privilege of naturalization specially Frier Michael Rogerius who in the yeare 1590. returned into Europe to advise what course were best to take in this businesse After whose departure intelligence was brought from two Friers which remained behinde that after divers persecutions they were then constrained to forsake the Citie wherein they sojourned and to make haste to sea-ward Nor plainly would the Chinois suffer the said Frier Rogerius to come into their Countrey as himselfe confessed to an English Gentleman of very good worth and curious understanding Mr. W.F. who purposely asked that question of him If any man of Europe hath beene in China it is Matthew Riccius the Jesuite The Portugals are likewise eye-sores unto them but by the report of their justice and the moderation which Ferdinand Andrada shewed in the government of the Island of Tamo and by the Traffick which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbour-hood than that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arrived in the Citie of Cantan and set on land Thomas Perez Legier for Emanuel King of Portugal But other Captaines being there afterwards dis-embarked behaved themselves so lewdly that they occasioned the said Ambassadour to be taken for a Spie and cast into prison where hee died most miserably the residue were intreated as enemies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffick sake to set a Factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their Colonie they were constrained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisdome friendship and alliance with the Castilians they became suspitious and therefore they doe daily more and more bridle
their libertie of Trafficke carrying so heavie a hand toward them that they would faine give them occasion to leave Macao of their owne wâ—ls and retire backe into India from whence they came The Kingdome of Siam VPon the borders of China to speake nothing of Cauchinchina because wee know nothing worth relation of that Territory joyneth the Countrey of Siam accounted one of the greatest amongst these great Kingdomes of Asia It tooke its name of the Citie Siam situated upon the entrance of the River Menon it is also called Gorneo It reacheth by Fast and West from the Citie Campaa to the Citie of Tavaâ— in which tract by the Sea-coast are contained five hundred leagues whereof the Arabians once usurped two hundred with the Cities of Patan Paam Ior Perca and Malaco now in the possession of the Portugals From the South toward the North it reacheth from Sincapura situate in degrees to the people called Guconi in nine and twentie degrees The Lake Chimai is distant from the Sea six hundred miles the upland circuit stretcheth from the borders of Cauchinchina beyond the River Avan where lieth the Kingdome of Chencra Besides the Lake of Chimai the Rivers Menon Menam Caipumo and Ana which cause greater fertilitie of Graine thorow the whole Region than a man would beleeve are all his The better part of his Kingdome is environed with the Mountaines Ana Brema and Iangoma the residue is plaine like Aegypt abounding with Elephants Horse Pepper Gold and Tinne In the West part are huge Woods and therein are many Tygers Lions Ounces and Serpents It containeth these Provinces Cambaia Siam Muantai Bremo Caipumo and Chencra The Inhabitants of Lai which border upon the North of the Provinces of Muantai and Caipumo and are divided into three Principalities are under his obeysance The first is that of Iangoma The second of Currai The third Lanea neere Cauchinchina They inhabit a plaine and wealthie Countrey into which the Gueoni Marke Paul calleth their Countrey Gangigu descending from the Mountains to hunt for men make oftentimes cruell butcheries amongst them The people of Lai for feare of those Anthropophagi acknowledge the soveraigntie of Siam but they often rebell and obey as they list The wealth of the Countrey may be conjectured by the fertilitie for being situated in a Plaine and watered with most famous Rivers like another Aegypt it cannot but abound with plentie of all good things It bringeth forth Rice graine of all sorts Horses Elephants infinite store of Cattell Gold and Tinne Silver is brought thither by the people of Lai By reason of this plentie the people are drowned in pleasure and wantonnesse They follow husbandrie but take no great delight in manuall occupations which causeth the Kingdome to be poore in merchandize Amongst many other Cities three are famous Cambaia seated upon the River Menon which rising in Chinae is so hugely augmented by the falling in of many Rivers that his owne Channell not sufficing for receit thereof it rendeth the earth to disgorge it selfe into a thousand Islands making a second Meoâ—is more than threescore miles long Meican signifieth the Captaine Menon the mother of waters The second is the Citie of Siam whose statelinesse giveth the name to the whole Countrey It is a most goodly Citie and of admirable Trafficke which may the better bee imagined by the writing of a certaine Jesuite who reporteth that besides the naturall Inhabitants there are more than thirtie thousand Arabian housholds The third Citie is called Vdia greater than Siam consisting of foure hundred thousand families It is said that two hundred thousand Boats belong to this Citie and the River Caipumo whereon it is seated This King to shew his majestie and magnificence keepeth a Guard of six thousand Souldiers and two hundred Elephants of these beasts he hath thirtie thousand whereof hee traineth three thousand for the Warre This is a very great matter if you weigh their worth and their charges in keeping His Government is rather tyrannicall than King-like for he is absolute Lord over all the demeanes of the Kingdome and either setteth them out to husbandmen or giveth them to his Nobles for maintenance during life and pleasure but never passeth the right of inheritance Hee bestoweth on them likewise Townes and Villages with their Territories but on condition to maintaine a certaine number of horsemen footmen and Elephants By this policie without any peny pay or burthen to the Countrey he is able to levie twentie thousand horsemen and two hundred and fiftie thousand footmen Upon occasion he can wage a greater number by reason of the largenesse of his Kingdomes and the populousnesse of his Townes For Vdia only the chiefe seat of his Kingdome mustered fiftie thousand men And although he be Lord of nine Kingdomes yet useth he no other Nation in the Warre but the Siamits and the Inhabitants of the two Kingdomes of Vdia and Muantai All honours and preferments are bestowed upon men of service in this Kingdome In times of peace they have their warlike exercises and in certaine pastimes which the King once a yeare exhibiteth at Vdia are shewed all military feats of armes upon the River Menon where more than three thousand vessels which they terme Paraos divided into two squadrons skirmish one against another Upon the land run the Horses and Elephants and the footmen trie it out at sword and buckler with point and edge rebated the remainder of their dayes they spend in not and wantonnesse Their borders toward the East reach to Cauchinchina betweene whom are such huge Woods Lions Tygers Leopards Serpents and Elephants that they cannot infest one another by armes Toward the Lake China they border upon the Chinois Toward the Sea they affront the Arabians and Portugals The one tooke from them Paiam Paam Ior and Peam the other Malaca and the Territory adjoyning so betweene them they bereaved him of two hundred miles of land and contenting themselves with the command of the Sea-coasts and with the customes arising upon the carrying out and bringing in of merchandize they abstaine from further invasion of the Inland Provinces and hold it good policie to keepe firme peace with this King and his Countries Towards the West lieth the Kingdome of Pegu like a halfe Moone betweene the Mountaines of Brama and Iangoma Towards the North lie the Gudoni inhabiting the barren and sharpe Mountaines betweene whom and Siam dwell the people of Lay. This people is subject to the crowne of Siam for feare of these Canibals of whom if it had not beene for his protection they had long agoe beene utterly devoured Not forty yeares since the King made a journey against them with twenty thousand horse their horse are small but excellent good in travell five and twentie thousand footmen and ten thousand Elephants part imployed for service and part for carriage No kingdome hath greater store of these beasts or doth more use them An innumerable number of Oxen Buffals
and beasts of carriage followed this armie whom they slew when they wanted other provision Hitherto have wee devised of Siam and Pegu as they stood before the comming of the Portugals into India but how in processe of time the State was altered you shall now heare In times past divers Kingdomes of Brama situated along the River towards the Lake Chiamai obeyed the Kings of Pegu under the government of Lieutenants Sixtie yeares since one of these Captaines Ruler of the Kingdome of Tengu by the aid of his faction and reputation of his Vertues entered into Rebellion and slaying the Nobles of the Land usurped the Kingdome Afterward he forced the Cities and conquered the Kingdome of Prom Melintati Calam Mirandu and Ana all inhabited by the Bramians for the space of one hundred and fiftie leagues towards the North. He assayed likewise the conquest of Siam but comming before Vdia the chiefe Citie of the Kingdome he was forced to raise his siege and depart Hee undertooke this journey with three hundred thousand footmen consuming more than three moneths in making way for his armie thorow stonie Mountaines huge Woods and inaccessible places in prosecution whereof he lost two hundred and twentie thousand of his Souldiers and re-enforced his losses with captive Siamus At this returne home he invaded the Kingdome of Pegu and won it Afterward in the yeare 1507. he renued his journey against Siam and overcame the King thereof who slew himselfe with poyson but he tooke his sons and with them the better part of the Kingdome He beleagred Vdia with a million of men and upward Our late Writers call this man and his successors because their fames arose by the conquest of the Kingdomes of Brama Kings of Brama or Bramia but the Portugals of a more sound judgement grounded upon neerer Neighbour-hood call them Kings of Pegu. And for that it may not seeme that what we write as concerning these infinite numbers is either fabulous or reported altogether upon heare-say because that now here-before and hereafter we shall have occasion to discourse of this point wee thinke it not amisse to spend some time in shewing how and by what likly-hoods both in this and other like barbarous dominions such huge and numberlesse companies are levied and nourished First therefore it is a ground infallible that all Monarchies consist of people government and revenues and that howsoever in times of peace Princes may live at pleasure yet populous Armies neere home or farre off cannot long indure without great supplies and a continuall Sea of ready money For as the members of our bodie cannot move without sinewes nor motion availe us if joynts were wanting so without money an Army can never bee gathered nor being gathered kept together if coine be wanting which preventeth infinite mischances and draweth after it Armour Provision Victuals and whatsoever else is necessary for life or armes And sithence the wealth of Princes even as of private persons from whose purses they supply their occasions hath limits and measure Let them not thinke to beginne any long warre much lesse to continue it unlesse they throughly provide aforehand for when this torrent breaketh forth no man can make an estimate what will bee the expence of reparation therein which moved a certaine Portugal Captaine to tell King Sebastian providing for his journey into Barbarie that warres should be accompanied with three streames The first of men The second of Victuall The third of Silver For whosoever will rightly judge of a Princes estate must examine whether his ordinary receits be sufficient to answer his ordinary issues leaving alwayes a portion to answer extraordinary accidents which are so certaine in proofe as all men must provide for though they know them not beforehand especially in the condition of a great Prince The great Turke in his Persian journies felt the smart thereof who though he be so potent a Prince by default of this providence was constrained to raise the value of his coine and abase the allay so farre forth that the Ianizars finding themselves aggrieved thereat raised commotions set fire on the City of Constantinople and rifled a great part thereof Neither could the King of Spaine have sustained the burthen of so many warres and in so remote Provinces if he had trusted to no other supplies than those of Spaine But fortune hath given him a Countrey prodigall in Mines of Gold and Silver assuredly paying the expence of one yeare with the income of another A providence so farre from neglect in the late reigne of Queene Elizabeth that before she had any warres with Spaine or had sent her forces of prevention into the Low-Countries she had ready in deposito two millions of Crownes And being engaged by her politike government she raised such an annuall assistance from the love of her subjects against the malicious and injurious attempts of her enemies that during her reigne she levied three millionâ— five hundred and nineteene thousand five hundred and sixty foure pounds Iohn Iaques Trivulce being demanded how many things were necessary hereunto answered three Money Money Money But these grounds especially hold when the burthen of the war lieth upon the purse of the Prince his people for sometime it hapneth that the souldier liveth upon the enemies Countrey as did the Hunnes Vandals Gothes Arabians and in our dayes Tamerlane They entred the Provinces without controll being unprovided of forces and made prey and spoile of whatsoever came in their reaches The ransacked the Cities and fed upon the Villages The like good lucke had the Portugals in the Fast Indies and the Castilians in the West but the one farre better than the other for never any Nation conquered with lesse cost so much as the Spaniards have done in new Spain and Peru. But let not any people thinke to doe so in these dayes no not in Asia or Africke much lesse in Europe where the use of great Ordnance is in perfection and the art of fortification so ingenuous that one Castle shall be able to sustaine yea well provided to weary the forces of the greatest Potentate The Turkes at Zigeth a small fortresse in Hungarie approved this which in the yeare 1566. Soliman beleagred with three hundred thousand men of warre and at last forced but with so great a slaughter of his people that scant the third part of this huge Army returned to their houses In like manner the Portugals in the beginning of their Indian acquisitions with a few souldiers and in little time wonne admâ—rable victories but when the Barbarians began to grow acquainted with Artillery to allure Carpenters and Masons to build them Castles and to arme vessels to Sea their courages became calme and there set an end to their Plus ultra The like did the Spanish in the New world to their Non sufficit orbis For after their first good fortunes they found in Nova Hispania the Chichimechi and in Peru the Pilcosony the Chiriguani and the Luchy
people so desperate to stop the furious course of their former victories that sithence in almost one hundred yeares space they have not beene able to adde one foots breadth to their new Empiry In the vale of Aranco Tecapell and the Kingdome of Chile when the Inhabitants saw them to be wounded and slaine with the shot of their arrowes and the strokes of their swords they never afterward vouchsafed them their former reverence nor carried the wonted conceit of their immortality and now being beaten by experience they feare not the carieâ—e of the horse nor the terrour of the Harquebush If the warre be at or within our owne doores then is it easie to levie strong and populous forces as wee reade of the Croâ—ons Sibarites and Gauntois who made head against the power of France with fourescore thousand fighting men When the warre was made in these populous Countries and neere at hand every man made one in the medlie gallantly armed and well provided with furniture and victuall to hold out certaine dayes but when the warre continued longer than expectation for want of mony and food every man retired one to the Plough another to his Shop the rest to those imployments wherby they sustained themselves and their families The Scots for want of wealth never made famous journey out of the Island but at home they have led mighty armies for a short time either for revenge of wrongs or to defend their frontiers even as did the Romans for certaine ages warring with their neighbours at their private charges They tooke the field every man provided with victuall for two or three dayes and in one battell and few houres finished those warres But in the journey against the Veij the warre continuing beyond opinion the State was enforced to procure provision for the Army That Armies may farre easier be gathered in the East and Africke than in Europe the reasons are many Those Regions for the most part are more plentifull of all necessaries for humane life the people of the South are better contented with little than we their diet is bare and simple onely to maintaine life and not excesse but the Europeans must eat and drinke not to sustaine nature but to comfort the stomacke and to expell colds Wine which with us is dearer than bread is not to be found amongst them their waters are better than our drinkes Cookery is not in such request with them as with us nor their tables accustomed to such Cates their banquets are onely furnished with Rice and Mutton Neither doe the people of the East spend a quarter of that clothing which we doe they goe to the warre halfe naked hiding nothing but their privities they stand not in need of that number of workmen which we doe among whom the greatest part of our life is spent in weaving and devising stuffes and fashions to cloath the carkasse and adorne the body with cloth silke colours and embroderies All their expences are onely upon clothing of Cotton-wooll and that but from the Navell to the Knee These are the reasons which I meant to lay why they may gather forty thousand men with more case than we ten and to these may be added this as the last that upon Ordnance their furnitures upon provisions and their cariages upon horses pioners and a thousand like necessaries infinite summes are spent of which the people of the East are uttterly ignorant especially those which have not to deale with the Portugals or Arabians They go to War without Armour without Curaces Helmets Launces or Targets which with us cannot be conveyed from place to place without great expence Virgil calleth this luggage Injustam fascem because it seemeth to be needlesse therein degenerating much from the ancient Roman discipline wherein for ten dayes journie and more every souldier carried his proper weapons both offensive and defensive yea and sometimes his victuals What should we speake of the Armies of the Assyrians and Aethiopians of Belus Ninus Semiramis Cambises Cyrus Darius Sesostris and Sesacus were they not as huge and populous by the report of all histories as these whereof wee intreat Or in times lesse ancient have not we and our ancestors seene the Arabians Tartarians and Turkes invading Provinces with Armies of three hundred thousand people and upward By moderne examples and memory of later accidents to give credit to the ancient I will set downe that hapned in Angola a noble and rich Province of the West Aethiope adjoyning to Congo reported by the letters of certaine Iesuites and Portugal Captaines In the yeare 1584. Paulus Diasius by the favour of God and valour of his people upon the second day of Februarie put to flight the King of Angola and defeated his Armie consisting of one million and two hundred thousand Moores which may well prove that these populous Armies are of little service and small continuance rather like violent stormes than dripping showres and though with ease they are gathered yet without greater provision than any Province is able to afford them they are not easily held together When their provision is spent they beginne to breake and bid adue to the action and that most commonly not in the midst of their course but even in their first removes for Merchants Victualiers Taylors Shoomakers and such like follow not their warres and if they should then this inconvenience would follow that for one million of souldiers iâ— were very necessary to provide a million of Wagons Pack-horses Caâ—ters Carpenters Victuallers Merchants c. and then neither Rivers would serve them for drinke nor the fields with bread nor the earth for lodgings so must they needs sinke under their owne weight which the Easterne Princes leading these unaccustomed numbers upon long journeyes in some fashion forecasting did alwayes provide incredible masses of money victuall and such like warlike provisions long before they entred into action as was well seene in Xerxes who to maintaine the great Army as well at Sea as at Land which he led for the conquest of Greece spent seven yeares in preparation for the journey To returne to the King of Barma Of late yeares he tooke the havens of Martela and Pernasor and turning his armes sometime towards the North sometime toward the West he vexed the Princes of Caor and Tipura tooke the kingdomes of Aracan and Macin leading upon this journey three hundred thousand men and forty thousand Elephants Aracan is a kingdome invironed round with mountaines and woods as with a wall or trench the chiefe citie which giveth the name to the Countrey is situated on a river fifteene leagues from the Sea and thirty five from Catagan Macin is a kingdome abounding in Aloes this wood which the Arabians call Calambuco and others Lignum vitae for the sweet favour is valued by the people of the East at the weight in silver In India and Cambaia they use it at the buriall of great Lords in baths and other wantonnesse It groweth most
frequent in the rough mountaines of Campa Cambaia and Macin That which is brought to us is in no esteeme with them the right is found say they in Congo and Angola and the bordering Countrey and used by them in all their grievous and dangerous maladies which if it be true I marvell that the Portugals will let slip so precious a commoditie Narsinga IN the row of these potent Princes inhabiting betweene Indus and Ganges dwelleth the King of Narsinga Whatsoever lieth betweene the mountaine Guate and the gulfe of Bengala betweene the promontories Guadaverne and Comorin by the space of two hundred leagues abounding as prodigally as any other province in the Indies with all good things is under his dominion The waters sometime falling from the mountaines sometime from the rivers and received into trenches meeres and lakes doe wonderfully coole moisten and enrich this land causing the Graine and Cattell to prosper above imagination It is no lesse plentifull of birds beasts wilde and tame Buffals Elephants and Mines of precious stones and metals It breedeth no races of horse for the warre but they buy them of the Arabian and Persian Merchants in great numbers the like doe all the Princes of Decan Within the bounds of Narsinga dwell five Nations different in language he hath many strong places on the Indian Ocean Canera is at his command wherein are the haven Townes of Mangolar Melinâ— Berticala and Onor but the Portugals receive the custome of Berticala and also in times past of Onor In Narsinga are two imperiall Cities Narsinga and Bisnagar by reason whereof he is termed sometime King of Narsinga sometime King of Bisnagar It is undoubtedly beleeved that this King receiveth yearely twelve millions of ducats of which he layeth up but two or three the residue he expendeth upon the troopes of his souldiers that is to say forty thousand Nairs and twenty thousand horsemen kept in continuall pay Upon necessitie he is able to levie a farre greater number for besides these allowances he setteth out certaine lands to two hundred Captaines on condition to keepe in readinesse a proportion of Horsemen Footmen and Elephants The wages of these Captaines to some of whom he giveth a million of ducats yearely may be an argument of his great revenues for to these projects this Prince and all the Potentates of the Fast keepe in their possession all the profits of the lands woods mines yea and the waters of pooles and rivers thorow their whole Dominions No man may wash himselfe in Ganges which runneth by Bengala nor in Ganga which watereth the Land of Orissa before he hath paid toll to the King The King himselfe is now inforced to buy this water causing it to be brought unto him by long journies upon a superstitious custome either to bathe or to purge himselfe therein He is absolute Lord of the bodies and goods of his subjects which he shareth to himselfe and his Captaines leaving the people nothing but their hands and labour of lands the King hath three parts and his Captaines the residue Whereupon sithence all these barbarous Princes maintaine not peace and justice as arches whereupon to lay the ground-worke of their Estates but armes conquest and the Nurserie of a continuall Souldierie it must needs follow that they are able to levie greatertroopes of horse and foot than otherwise wee were bound to beleeve But to induce some measure of credit let us compare the abilities of some Christian Princes with theirs If the King of France were absolute Lord of all the lands and domaines of his whole dominion as these men are it is thought that his yearely revenues would amount to fifteene millions and yet therein are neither mines of gold nor silver The Clergie receiveth six millions the Kings demesnes amount to one and an halfe the residue is theirs who have the inheritance and yet here the peasants live well in comparison of the Villagoâ— of India Polonia and Lituania Besides this the King hath eight millions of ordinary revenue arising of customes and escheats How mighty a Prince would he be if hee were Landlord of the demesnes and rents of the whole Kingdome and should imploy them upon the maintenance of Souldiers as doth the King of Narsinga Surely whereas now the Kings revenues doe hardly suffice for the maintenance of foure thousand men at armes and six thousand Crosse-bowes if this allowance were added to the former he might as easily maintaine an hundred and fifty thousand To returne to Narsinga The King to see that his Captains performe their duties once a yeare proclaimeth a muster whereat they dare not but be present At the muster day those who have presented their companies defective either in number or furniture are sure to be cashiered but those who bring their companies compleat and well armed hee honoureth and advanceth What forces may be gathered out of so ample a dominion armed after their manner as aforesaid you shall gather by that which Iohn Barros writeth of the Armie which King Chrismarao lead against Idalcan in the journey of Raciel These are his words verbatim Under sundry Captaines the Armie was divided into many battalions In the Vantguard marched Camraque with one thousand horse seventeene Elephants and thirty thousand footmen Tirabicar with two thousand horse twenty Elephants and fifty thousand footment Timapanique with three thousand horsemen and fifty six thousand footmen After them followed Hadanaique with five thousand horsemen fifty Elephants and one hundred thousand footmen Condomara with six thousand horse sixty Elephants one hundred and twenty thousand footmen Comora with two hundred and fifty horse forty Elephants and fourscore thousand footmen Gendua with a thousand horse ten Elephants and thirty thousand footmen In the rereward were two Eunuchs with one thousand horse fifteene Elephants and forty thousand footmen Betel one of the Kings Pages lead two hundred horse twenty Elephants and eight thousand foot After all these followed the King with his Guard of six thousand horsemen three hundred Elephants and fortie thousand footmen Upon the flankes of this battell went the Governour of the Citie of Bengapor with divers Captaines under whose colours were foure thousand two hundred horse twenty five Elephants and sixty thousand mercenary footmen Upon the head of the battell ranged 200000. horsemen in small troops like our vantâ—urrers in fâ—â—â—h sort and order scowring the Countrey before behinde and on all sides that no novelty could so suddenly happen but notice thereof was given at the Imperiall Tent in a moment Twelve thousand carriers of water and twenty thousand light huswives followed this Armie The number of Lackies Merchants Artificers and Water-bearers Oxâ—n Buffals and carriage-beasts was infinite When the Armie was to passe any River knee-deepe before the foremost were passed there was scant sufficient for the latter whereof to drinke Before this journey the King sacrificed in nine dayes twenty thousand three hundred seventy six head of living creatures as well of birds as beasts the
and Arrow which in stead of Iron they head with the teeth of Fishes and the bones of Beasts Gold Silver and Stone they little regard their chiefest delight is in Feathers and Plumes Insomuch that if these Countries had beene travelled into with unarmed search and peregrination for what occasion of warre could justly bee applied unto those who neither held wealth in estimation neither coveted Honour with ambitious emulation No doubt but all Authors in discoursing of these Nations could have informed you of nothing but Gold-yeelding-Rivers miraculous temperature of Atre strange shapes in Beasts and Birds The Sea abounding with Pearle and Land with Gems And above all Man here living and conversing in his rude and anticke simplicity under the shield of genuine innocency with irkesome hatred of our vile custome and wrangling conditions But alas Avarice under the marke of Religion and Vain glory had no sooner set foot in these terrestriall places as I may say of Paradise but depravation turned all things topsi-turvie Since when happinesse hath taken its flight into some ether Climate and as now nothing is thereof recorded save undermining of Mountaines disembowelling the Earth exiling the Natives unpeopling of Villages and that by tyranny and slavery For in one or two petty battels whole Empires have beene subdued by an handfull of men and a Kingdome conquered in a manner before it hath beene entred And no wonder for this simple and naked people had never seene Horse nor ever heard the report of the Harquebush Without the which peradventure the Spanish Nation had not galloped in so short a time to such miraculous victories no though every petty Commander imployed in that action in these daies stand comparatively paraleld with the worthy Scipio and the Great Alexander To whom in truth the ancient exprobration of the Brittons against the Romans mentioned in Tacitus cannot more feelingly be applied than unto these Indian Spaniards They are the Robbers and Ravishers of the World After the spoile of all Nations through defect of strange Lands and new Conquests they scowre the wide Ocean The riches of the enemy breeds covetousnesse in them the poverty ambition which neither the East nor West can terminate or containe They onely alone covet the wealth and penury of all Nations with equall greedinesse and affectation On Robbery Murther and Villany they colourably impose the glorious title of Empery Solitude and desolation they terme Peace and Tranquillitie So that had not Charles the Emperour cast strict reines upon these licentious and injurious proceedings Spaine had swarmed with slaves and India had quite beene bereaved of almost all her Natives Of foure hundred thousand Inhabitants living in New Spaine at the arrivall of these Spaniards the Country at this day can scant shew you eight thousand About the like number you shall finde in the Fonduras remaining of foure hundred and ten thousand when the Spaniards therein set first footing If you reade their owne Histories you shall meet with no better accounts concerning the present Inhabitation of Hispaniola Guatimala Nicuragua and the Ilands adjacent The greatest number whereof were either slaine led captives or consumed in the Mines Doubtlesse in divulging of the aforesaid Proclamation the good Emperour could not chuse but remember that God whose judgements are profound did once by the cruelties of the Goths the Huns and Saracens waste Italy persecute France and consume Spaine and the consumers were againe consumed in fulnesse of time So may it fall out with those who following the steps of their Predecessors take a glory to amaze the Sea with Ships and the Land with Armies Time may come that Pride shall burne and be consumed with warre and he that buildeth his house wrongfully upon the ruine of another shall himselfe become a booty to Aliens and Strangers The linage of the Moores is not quite extinguished The race of the Indians is not utterly extirpated That progeny as yet surviveth in Italy which in times past and in one day at one watchword slue all the loose French Vsurpers of other mens fortunes And albeit that the fatall cowardize of these Nations dare not presume to arme themselves against their Oppressors yet there raigneth a just God in Heaven who can raise footmen and horsemen from the utmost bounds of the North to asswage and correct the intemperate insolency of bloud-thirsty Tyrants New Spaine or Mexico NEw Spaine is a very large Province better manured pleasanter and more populous than any part of this New world It was possessed by the Spaniard in the yeare 1518. under the leading of Ferdinando Cortez to the great slaughter of the Inhabitants and of his owne people In reward of whose service Charles the fifth bestowed on him the Countrey of Tecoantepec Although it lye under the Torrid Zone yet it is temperate mountainous and full of woods It aboundeth with all good things necessary for life and profitable either for thrift or pleasure as fish flesh gold and stones Of all part of the Indies none is like unto it for habitation For therein the Spaniards have erected many Colonies as Compostella Colima Purificatio Guadaâ—lara Mechoochan c. Whereof the best and fairest is Mexico thorow the whole Indies It should seeme the Shire tooke its name from the Citie In ancient time it was built in the middest of the Lake like Venice but Cortez removed it to the banke therof It is at this day a Citie excellent well built containing six miles in compasse one part whereof the Spaniards inhabit the residue is left to the Natives In this Citie the Vice-Roy and Archbishop keepe their Seats having the privileges of supreme Justice Printing and Coyning The Lake whereon the Citie is built is salt and ebbeth and floweth as the Ocean At ebbe it sendeth its waters into another Lake adjoyning but fresh it yeeldeth no fish but wormes which in Summer putrifie and corrupt the aire and yet of the waters thereof they boile great store of salt The circuit of both these Lakes is about fiftie leagues and about the bankes and in the Islands doe lye above fiftie Townes every one consisting of ten thousand housholds Upon these waters doe ferry fiftie thousand Boats which they terme Canoas to serve the use of the Citie This Countrey was an Indian Empire full of order and State as having seene a succession of ten Kings and enjoying a Soveraigntie over the neighbour Provinces But all this was about an hundred yeares since utterly overthrowne by Ferdinando Cortez who with nine hundred Spaniards assisted with an hundred thousand Indians of Tlascalan neighbours and enemies to the Mexicans with the helpe also of eightie Spanish horse the terrour of seventeene field-peeces and a fleet of twelve or thirteene Pinnaces and six thousand Indian Canoas to trouble the Towne on the Lake side performed this great but easie worke made an absolute Conquest of the Empire of Mexico and imposed the name of New Spaine upon it The Citie hath at this day six
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