Calecut and others Of Persia. THere be divers Countries between India and Persia but there are not famous Persia is a large Country which lyeth far West from India it hath on the North Assyria and Media on the West Syria and the Holy Land but next unto it Mesopotamia on the South the main Ocean which entreth in notwithstanding by a Bay called Sinus Perficus This is that Countrey which in ancient time was renowned for the great riches and Empire thereof These were they that tooke from the Assyrians the Monarchy and did set up in their Countrey the second great Empire which began under Cyrus and continued unto that Darius who was overthrown by Alexander the Great In this Countrey reigned the great Kings Cyrus Cambyses Darius the Son of Histaspes the great Xerrxes Artaxerxes and many others which in prophane writings are famous for their wars against the Scythians Egyptians and Grecians and in the Scripture for the delivery of the Jews from Babylon by Cyrus for the building of the 〈◊〉 Temple at Jerusalem and for many things which are mentio ed of them in the Prophency of Daniel The 〈◊〉 of this Nation although they were in former times very riotous by reason of their great wealth yet after they had lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians they have grown great Souldiers and therefore as they did ever strongly defend themselves against the old Romans so in the time of Constantine and the other Emperours they were fearefull Neighbours to the Romane Government and of late Time they have strongly opposed themselves against the Turkes ever making their party good with them And yet notwithstanding in the daies of Amurath the third father to Mahomet the Turke now reigning the Turke had a great hand upon the Persians going so farre with his Army as that he took the strong City Taunus standing within the Persians Dominions neer unto the Caspian sea but this losse was to be attributed partly to the great dissentions which were among the Persians themselves and partly to the multitude of the Turke his Souldiers who by fresh supply did overthrow the Persian although he slew down many thousands of them They fight commonly on horseback and are governed as in time past by a King so now by an absolute Ruler and a mighty Prince whom they terme the Shaw or Sophy of Persia. He hath many Countries and small Kings in Assyria and Media and the Countries ad joning which are tributaries Among other the Sophies of Persia about a hundred years since there was one of great power called Ismael the Persian who procured unto himself great fame by his many and valorous attempts against the Turk Surius in his Commentaries writting upon him saith that upon some fond conceit the Jewes were strongly of opinion that he was that Messias whom unto this day they expect and therefore hoped that he should have been their Deliverer and Advancer But he addeth in his report that it fell out so clean contrary that there was no man who more vexed and grieved them than that Ismail did The Persians are all at this day Sarazens in Religion beleeving in Mahomet but as Papists and Protestants do differ in opinion concerning the same Christ so do the Turks and Persians about their Mahomet the one pursuing the other as Herericks with most deadly hatred insomuch that there is in this respect almost cominâ—… all war between the Turk and the Persians Of Parthia and Media ON the North-East side of Persia lieth that Countrey which in old time was called Parthia but now named Arach of whom those great wars of the Romans with the Medians or Armenians in Tacitus and ancient Histories are true This Country aboundeth on Media by the West and it was in ancient time very full of people whose fight as it was very much on horseback so the manner of them continually was for to give an Onset and then to return their waies even to return again like to the Wild-Irish so that no man was sure when he had obtained any victory over them These were the people that gave the great Overthrow to that rich Marcus Crassus of Rome who by reason of his covetousnesse intending more to his getting of gold than to the guiding of his Army was stain himself and many thousand of the Romanes The Parthians with exprobration of his thirst after money poured molten gold into his mouth after he was dead Against these the great Lucullus fought many battles but the Romanes were never able to bring them quite to subjection On the West side of Parthia having the Mare Caspium on the North Armenia on the West and Persia on the South lyeth that Country which in time past was called Media but now Shirvan or Sirvan which is at this day governed by many inferiour Kings and Princes which are tributaries and do owe subjection to the Sophi of Persia. So that he is the Soveraign Lord of all Media as our English men have found who passing through the Dominion of the Emperour of Russia have crossed the Mare Caspium and Merchandized with the Inhabitants of this Media This Nation in former times was very famous for the Medes were they that removed the Empire from the Assyrians unto them which as in themselves it was not great yet when by Cyrus it was joyned to that of the Persians it was very mighty and was called by the name of the Empire of the Medes and Persians Here it was that Astyages reigned the Grandfather of Cyrus and Darius of the Mâ—…des The chief City of this Kingdome was called Ecbatana as the chief City of Persia was Babylon It is to be observed of the Kings of Media that in the summer time they did use to retire themselves Northward unto Ecbatana for avoiding of the heat but in the winter time they came down more South unto Susis which as it seemeth was a warmer place but by this meanes they were both taken for Imperiall Cities and chiefe residences of the King of Media which being known takes away some confusion in old stories The like custome was afterward used also by the Kings of Persia. Of Armenia and Assyria ON the West side of the Mare Caspium and of Media lyeth a Countrey called by a generall name Armenia which by some is distinctly divided into three parts The North part whereof being but little is called Georgia the middle part Turcomania the third part by the proper name of Armenia By which a man may see the reason of difference in divers Writers Some saying that the Countrey whence the Turkes first came was Armenia some saying Turcomania and some Georgia the truth being that out of one or all these Countries they did descend These Turks are supposed to be the issue of them whom Alexander the Great did shut up within certain mountaines neer to the Mare Caspium There is this one thing memorable in Armenia that after the great
Land about the River it hath been so calme that men did go in single thin linnen garments In this Countrey standeth the Lake called Lacus Asphaltites because of a kinde of slime called Bitumen or Asphaltum which daily it doth cast up being of force to joine stones exceeding fast in building And into this Lake doth the River Jordan runne This Lake is it which is called Mare Mortuum a Sea because it is salt and Mortuum or Dead for that no living thing is therein The water thereof is so thicke that few things will sinke therein in so much that Josephus faith that an Oxe having all his legges bound will not sinke into that water The nature of this Lake as it was supposed was turned into this quality when God did destroy Sodome and Gomorrah and the Cities adjoining with fire and brimstone from Heaven for Sodome and the other Cities did stand near unto Jordan and to this Mare Mortuum for the destruction of whom all that Coast to this day is a witnesse the Earth smelling of brimstone being desolate and yielding no fruit saving apples which grow with a faire shew to the eye like other fruit but as soon as they are touched do turn presently to soot or ashes as besides Josephus Solinus doth witnesse in his 48 Chapter The Land of Palestina had for iâ—…s Inhabitants all the Twelve Tribes of Israel which were under one Kingdome till the time Rehoboam the Sonne of Solomon But then were they divided into two Kingdomes ten Tribes being called Israel and two Iudah whose chiefe City was called Ierusalem The ten Tribes after much Idolatry were carried prisoners unto Assyria and the Kingdome dissolved other people being placed in their roome in Samaria and the Country adjoining The other two Tribes were properly called the Iewes and their Land Iudea which continued long after in Ierusalem aâ—…d thereabout till the Captivity of Babylon where they lâ—…ved for seventy-yeâ—…es They were afterward restored but lived without glory till the comming of Christ But since that time for a curse upon them and their children for putting Christ to death they are scattered upon the face of the earth as Runnagates without certaine Country King Priest or Prophet In their chiefe City Ierusalem was the Temple of God first most gloriously built by Solomon and afterward destroied by Nebuchadnezzar By the commandement of Cyrus King of Persia was a second Temple built much more base than the former For besides the poverty and smalnesse of it theâ—…e wanted five things which were is the former as the Jewes write First the Arke of the Covenant Secondly the pot of Manna Thirdly the Rod of Aaron Fourthly the two Tables of the Law written by the finger of God And fifthly the fire of the Sacrifice which came down from Heaven Herod the Great an Edomite stranger having gotten the Kingdome contrary to the Law of Moses and knowing the people to be offended therewithall to procure their favour he built a third Temple wherein our Saviour Jesus Christ and his Apostles did teach The City of Jerusalem was twice taken and utterly laid desolate first by Nebuchadnezzar at the Captivity of Babylon and secondly after the death of Christ by Vespasian the Roman who first began the Warres and by his sonne Titus who was afterward Emperour of Rome who brought such horrible desolation on that City and the people thereof by fire sword and famine that the like hath not been read in any History He did afterwards put thousands of them on one some day to be devoured of the Beasts which was a cruel custome of the Romans Magnificence Although Numbers and Times be not superstitiously to be observed as many foolish imagine yet it is a matter in this place not unworthy the noting which Josephus reporteth in his seventh booke and tenth Chapter de bello Judaico that the very same day whereon the Temple was set on fire by the Babylonians was the day whereon the second Temple was set on fire by the Romanes and that was upon the tenth day of August After this destruction the Land of Iudea and the ruines of Jerusalem were possessed by some of the people adjoining till that about six hundred yeares since the Saracens did invade it for expelling of whom from thence divers French men and other Christians under the leading of Godfrey of Bullen did assemble themselves thinking it a great shame that the Holy Land as they called it the City of Jerusalem and the place of the Sepulchre of Christ should be in the hands of Infidels This Godfrey ruled in Jerusalem by the name of a Duke but his successours after him for the space of 87. yeares called themselves Kings of Jerusalem About which time Saladine who called himself King of Egypt and Asia the lesse did winne it from the Christians For the recovery whereof Richard the first King of England together with the French King and the King of Sicilia did go in person with their Armies to Ierusalem but although they wonne many things from the Infidels yet the end was that the Saracens did retaine the HOLY LAND Roger Hoveden in the Life of Henry the second King of England doth give this memorable note that at that time when the City of Ierusalem and Antioch were taken out of the hands of the Pagans by the meanes of Godfrey of Bullen and others of his Company the Pope of Rome that then was was called Urbanus the Patriach of Ierusalem Heraclius and the Roman Emperour Fredericke and at the same time when the said Ierusalem was recovered again by Saladine the Popes name was Urbanus the Patriarke Ierusalem Heraclius and the Roman Emperour Fredericke The whole Countrey and City of Jerusalem are now in the dominion of the Turke who notwithstanding for a great tribute doth suffer many Christians to abide there There are now therefore two or more Monasteries and Religious houses where Fryars do abide and make a good commodity of shewing the Sepulchre of Christ and other Monuments unto such Christian Pilgrims as do use superstitiously to go in pilgrimage to the Holy Land The King of Spaine was wont to call himselfe King of Jerusalem Of Arabia NExt unto the Holy Land lieth the great Country of Arabia having on the North part Palestina and Mesopotamia on the East side the Gulph of Persia on the South the maine Ocean of India or Ethiopia on the West Egypt and the great Bay called Sinus Arabicus or the Red Sea This Countrey is divided into three parts North part whereof is called Arabia Deserta the South part which is the greatest is named Arabia Foelix and the middle betweene both that which for the abundance of Rocks and stones is called Arabia Petrea or Petrosa The Desart of Arabia is that place in the which God after the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt by passing thorow the Red Sea did keep his people under Moses for
subject to the great Knâ—…z or Duke of Moscovie But of these afterwards Within the Sound on the East part of the Sea lieth Dantzicke about which are the Towns of the Haustmen Confederates and Allies unto the King of Denmarke These are very rich Towns by reason of Merchandize which down the Rivers they receâ—…ve out of Polonia and transport into other parts of Christeâ—…dome through the Sound of the King of Denmarke They liâ—…e â—… fâ—…ee peâ—…ple keeping amity and 〈◊〉 with the Kings of Sweden and Denmarke and with the Empeâ—…our of Germany but within these late years Stephen Bacour the King of Polon doth challenge them to be members of his Crown and Dignity and by warâ—…e forcâ—…d them to capâ—…tulate â—…ith him There is no great thing to be noted in these Countries but that from Denmark commeth much corn to the supply of other parts of Christendom and that from all these Countries 〈◊〉 brought great furniture for warre or for shipping as Masts Câ—…bles Steele Saddles Armâ—…ur Gunpowder the lâ—…ke And that in the seas adjoyning to these parts there are fishes of much more monstrous shape than elâ—…e-where are to be found The people of those Countries are by their â—…rofession Lutherans for Religion Of Russia or Moscovia ON the East side of Sweden beginneâ—…h the Dominion of the Emâ—…eror or Râ—…ssia although Russia or Moscovia it self do lye somewhat more into the East which is a great and mighty Monarchy extending it selfe even from Lapland and Finmarke mâ—…ny thousand miles in length unto the Caspian sea so that it containeth in it a great part of Europe and much of Asia also The Governour there calleth himselfe Emperour of Russia Great Duke â—…f Mâ—…scovia with many other Titles of Princedomes and Cities whose Dominion was very muâ—…h inlarged by the Emperor not long since dead whom in Russia they â—…ll Ivan Vasiliwich in the Latine Iohannes Basilides who raigning long and being fortunate in warre did veâ—…y much inlarge this mighty Dominion This man â—…s in his younger 〈◊〉 he was veâ—…y fortunate and added very much unto the Glory of his Ancestors winning something from the Tartars and something from the Christiâ—…ns in Livonia and Lituaâ—…ia and oâ—…her confines of his Countrey so in his latter age growing more unweldâ—… and lesse beloved of his Subjects he proved as unfoâ—…tunate whereby it came to passe that Stephen Bacour King of 〈◊〉 had â—…very great hand of him winning from him large Provinces which he before had conquered Gregâ—…ry the thirteenth Bishop of Rome thinking by his inâ—…reaty for peace between those two Princes to have won the whole Russian Monarchy to the subjection and acknowledgment of the Papacy sent Roberâ—…us Posseviâ—…us a Jesuiâ—…e but yet a great States-man as his Agent to take up Controveâ—…sies between the Moscovitâ—… and the King of Polone who prevailed so farre as that â—…e dâ—…ew them to torlerable conditions for both parties but when he began to exhort him to the accepting oâ—… the Romish Faith the 〈◊〉 being therefore informed by the English Embassadors who he very much favoured for his Lady and Mistresse Queen Elizabeths sake that the Bishop of Rome was â—… proud Prâ—…late and would exercise his pretended authority so far as to make Kings and Princes hold his stirrop yea to kisse his very feet he utterly and with much scorne rejected all obedience to him Whereunto when Possevinus did reply that the Princes of Europe indeed in acknowledgement of their subâ—…ection to â—…im as the Viâ—…ar of Christ successor of S. Peter did offer him that service as to kisse his feet but that the Pope remembring himselfe to be â—… mortall man did not take that honor as due unto himself bâ—… did use to have on his Partâ—…phie the Caucifix or Picture of Christ hanging upon the Crosse and that in truth he would have the Reverence donâ—… thereunto the Emperor did grow into an exceeding râ—…ge reputing hâ—…s pride to be so much thâ—… greater when he would put thâ—… Cruciâ—…ix upon his shooe in as much as the Russians do hold that so hâ—…ly a thing as that is highly prophaned if any resemblance of it be worn above thâ—… girdle Possevinus in a Treatise written of his Embassage into that Country where he discourseth this whole matter confesseth that he was much afraid lest the Emperor would have strucken him and beaten out his brains with a shrewd staffe which then he had in his hands and did ordinarily carry with him he had the more reason so to feâ—…r because that Prince was such a Tyrant that he had not only â—…laire and with cruel torture put to death very many of his subjects and Nobility before shewing himselfe more brutishly cruel to them than ever Nero and Caligulu were among the Romanes but he had with his owne hands and with the same staffe upon a small occasion of anger kiâ—…led his eldest Son who should have succeeded him in his whole Empire The people of this Countrey are rude and unlearned so that there iâ—… very little or no knowledge amongst them of any liberall or ingenious Art yea their very Priests Monks whereof they have many are almost unlettered so that they can hardly do any thing more then read their ordinary Service And the rest of the People are by reason of their ignorant Education dull and uncapable of any high understanding but very superstitious having many Ceremonies and Idolatrous Solemnities as the consecrating of their rivers by their Patriarch at one time of the yeare when they think themselves much sanctified by the receiving of those hallowed waters yea and they bathe their horses and Cattell in them and also the burying of most of their people with a paire of shooes on their feet as supposing that they have a long journey to go and a letter in their hand to St. Nicolas whom they reverence as a speciall St. and think that he may give them entertainment for their readier admission into heaven The Moscovites generally have received the Christian Faith but yet so that rather they do hold of the Greek and the Eastern then of the Western Romane Church The doctrines wherein the Greek Church differs from the Latine are these First they hold that the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father alone and not from the Sonne Secondly that the Bishop of Rome is not the universall Bishop Thirdly that there is no purgation Fourthly their Priests do marry and fifthly they do differ in divers of their Ceremonies as in having 4 Lents in the yeare whereof they do call one Lent their great Lent At the time of the Councill of Florence there was some shew made by the Agents of the Greek Church that they would have joyned in opinion with the Latines but when they returned home their Countrey-men would in no sort assent thereunto In the Northern parts of the Dominion of the Emperour of Russia which have lately been joyned unto his Territories as specially
Country are none but Christians but so that liberty of â—…ll Religion is pâ—…rmitted insomuch â—…hat there be Papists Coilâ—…dges of 〈◊〉 boâ—…h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—… opinion 〈◊〉 Ar 〈◊〉 and diâ—…ers others But of 〈◊〉 years there 〈◊〉 been 〈◊〉 ea nest mâ—…tions in their Par 〈◊〉 that their Co ledges of Jâ—…suites shâ—…uld be dissolved and they banâ—…shed our of that Kâ—…ngdome as of laâ—…e they were from France The â—…eason of i is because that under colour of Religion they doe secretly deale in 〈◊〉 causes and many times sow sedi â—…ons and some of them have given couâ—…sell to murther Princes and â—…ever they be they are the only in telligencers for the Popâ—… besides that many of the Papiâ—…s but especially their Fryars and orders of Religion do hate and envye them first for that they take upon them with such pride to be called Jesuits as if none had to do with Jesus but they and are more inward with Princes then the rest are Secondly because many of them are more learned then common Monks and Fryars And thirdly because they professe more strictly and severely than others do the Capushins only accepâ—…ed This is that Country which in times past was called Sarmatia the chiefe City whereof is named Cracovia Of Hungaria and Austria ON the South-East side of Germany lyeth Hungaria called in the Latine Pannonia which hath been heretofore divided into Pannonia superior Pannonia inferior it is an absolute Kingdome and hath been heretofore rich and populous The Christians that do live there have among them divers sorts of Religion as in Poland This Kingdome hath been a great obstacle against the Turkes comming into Christendome but especially in the time of John Hunniades who did mightily with many great victories repulse the Tuâ—…ks Here standeth Bunda which was heretofore a great Fortresse of Christendome but the glory of this Kingdome is almost utterly decaied by reason that the Turk who partly by policy partly by force doth now possesse the greatest part of it so that the people are fled from thence and the Christians which remaine there are in miserable servitude Notwithstanding some part of Pannonia inferior doth yeâ—… belong to Christendome The Turks for the space of these forty or fifty years last past have kept continuall garrisons and many times great Armies in that place of Hungary which yet remaineth Christned yea and sometimes thâ—… great Turks themselves have come thither in person with huge Hosts accounting it a matter of their re ligion not only to destroy as many Christians as they can but also to win their land by the revenueâ—… whereof they may maintain some Religious house which they think themselves in custome bound to erect but so that the maintai ning thereof is by the sword to be wonne out of the hands of some of those whom they hold enemieâ—… to them Hungary is become the onely Cockpit of the World where the Turkes doe strive to gain and the Christians at the charge of the Emperor of Germany who entituleth himselfe King of Hungary doe labour to repulse them and few summers do passe but that something is either wonne or lost by eâ—…ther party That corner of Germany which lieth neerest to Hungary or Pannonia inferior is called Austria or Pannonia a superior whâ—…ch is an Arch-Dukedome From which house being of late much sprung come many of the Princâ—…s of Germany and of other parts of Europe so that the Crown Imperiall of Germany hath lately oft besallen to some one of this house In this Country standeth Vienna that noble City whâ—…ch is now the principle Bulwarke of Christendome against the Turke from whence Sâ—…liman was repelled by Ferdinandus King of Hungary in the time of the Emperour Charles the fift It was in this Country that Richard the first King of England in his return from the Holy Land was taken prisoner by the Arch-Duke of Austria and so put to a grievous ransome There were lately divers brothers of the Emperour Rodolphus the second which were all called by the name of Arch-Dukes of Austria â—…ccording to the manner of the Germans who give the titles of the Fathers nobility to all the children The names of them were Matthias Ernestus the youngest Albertus who for a good space held by dispensation from the Pope the Archbish oprick of Toledo in Spaine although he were no Priest and had then also the title of Cardinall of Austria and was imploied for Viceroy of Portugall by Philip the 2d King of Spain but after the death of the Duke of Parma he was sent as Lievtenant general Governor of the Low-Ciuntries for the K. of Spaine where since he hath attained to the marriage of the Infanta Isabella Eugenia Clara eldest daughter to K. Philip the second and last King of Spaine and by her hath he the stile of Duke of Burgundy although peaceably he cannot enjoy a great part of that Countrey Thorow both Austria and Hungary doth runne the mighty River Danubius as through Germany doth runne the Rheinc whereon groweth Vinum Rhenanum com monly calâ—…ed Rhenisir wine Of Greece Thracia and the Countries neere adjoining ON the South side of Hungary and South-East lieth a Country of Europe called in old time Dacia which is large and wide comprehending in it Transylvania Walachia Moldavia Servia Of which little is famous save that the men are warlike and can hardly bee brought to obedience They have lately been under the K of Hungary These Countries of Transylvania Walachia and Moldavia have certaine Monarchs of their owne whom they call by the name of Vâ—…gnode which do rule their Countries with indifferent mediocrity while they have the sway in their own hands but confining upon the Turke they are many times oppressed and overcome by him so that often they are his Tributaries yet by the wildnesse of the country and uncertaine disposition of the Rulers and their people he never hath any hand long over them but sometimes they maintain warre against him and have slain down some of his Bassaes comming with a great Army against them by which occasion it falleth out that he is glad now and then to enter confederacy with them so doubtfull a kind of regiment is that which now adaies is in those Countries The River Danubius doth divide this Dacia from Mysia commonly called Bulgaria and Russia which lyeth on the South from Danubius and is severed from Graecia by the Mountaine Haemus This Mountain is that whereof they reported in times past though but falsly that who so stood on the top thereof might see the sea four severall waies to wit East West North and South under pretence of trying which conclusion not Philip Alexanders Father but a latter Philip King of Macedonia did go up to that Hill when in truth his meaning was secretly to meet with others there with whom he might joine himself against the Romans which was shortly
great Country called Cathaie the bounds whereof extend themselves on the North and East to the uttermost Seas and on the South to China The people are not much learned but more civill then the Tartars and have good and ordinary traffick with the Countries adjoining This Country hath in it many Kings which are tributaries and do owe obedience unto one whom they call the great Cham or Can of Cathaie who is the chief governor of all the Land and esteemed for multitude of people and largenesse of dominion to be one of the greatest Princes of the World but his name is the lesse famous for that he lyeth so far distant from the best Nations and the passage into this Country is so dangerous either for the perils of the sea or for the long space by Land His chief Imperiall City is called Cambalu On the South side of Cathaie and East part of Asia next to the Sea lyeth China and the people thereof Osorius describeth by the name of Sina and called their Countrey Synarum Regio This is a fruitfull Countrey and yieldeth as great store of rich commodities as almost any Country in the World It containeth in it very many severall Kingdomes which are absolute Princes in their Seats The chief City in this Countrey is called Quinsay and is described to be of incredible greatnesse as were wont to be the ancient Cities in the East as Babylon Ninive and others This Countrey was first discovered by the late Navigation of the Portugals into the East Indies The people of China are learned almost in all Arts very skilful workmen in curious fine Workes of all sorts so that no Country yieldeth more precious Merchandise then the workmanship of them They are great souldiers very politick and crafty and in respect thereof contemning the wits of others using a Proverbe That all other Nations do see but with one eye but they themselves have two Petrus Maffaeus Historiographer to the King of Spaine for the Eastern Indies doth report of them that they have had from very ancient time among them these two things which we hold to be the miracles of Christendome and but lately invented The one is the use of Guns for the wars and the other is Printing which they use not as we do writing from the left hand unto the right or as the Hebrewes and Syrians from the right hand unto the left but directly downward and so their lines at the top do begin again Of the East Indies ON the South side of China toward the Molucco llands and the Indian Sea lyeth the great Country of India extending it self from the South part of the Continent by the space of many thousand miles westward unto the River Indus which is the greatest Riverâ—… in all the Country except Ganges one of the greatest Rivers in the World which lyeth in the East part of the same Indies This is that Country so famous in ancient time for the great riches thereof for the multitude of people for the conquest of Bacchus over it for the passage thither for Alexander the Great throughout all the length of Asia for his adventuring to go into the South Ocean with so mighty a Navy which â—…ew or none had ever attempted before him And certainly thither it was that Solomon did send once in three yeares for his gold and other rich Merchandise for the Scripture saith that he sent his fleet from Ezion-geber which stood upon the mouth of the Red Sea and it was the directest passage which he had unto the Eastern Indies whereas if his purpose had been to send to Peru as some lately have imagined his course had been thorow the Mediterranean Sea and the Straits of Gâ—…lbraltar This Countrey had in ancient time many absolute Kingdomes and Provinces as in the time of Alexander Porus Taxiles and divers others In it were many Philosophers and men of great Learning whom they called Gymnosophistae of whom was Calanus who burnt himself before Alexander The men of the South part of India are black and therefore are called men of Inde The cattell of all sorts that are bred there are of incredible bignesse in respect of other Countries as their Elephants Apâ—…s Monkies Emets and others The riches hereof have been very great with abundance of gold insomuch that the Promontory who is now called Malacha was in times past named Aurea Chersonesus The commodity of spice is exceeding great that comes from thence The Portugals were the first which by their long Navigations beyond the Equinoctiall and the farthermost part of Africke have of late yeares discovered these Countries to Christendome as heretofore to the use of the King of Portugall so now of the King of Spaine who is reputed owner of them The Portugals did finde divers Kingdomes at their first arrivall in those parts as the Kingdome of Calâ—…cut the Kingdome of Cambaia the Kingdome of Cananor the Kingdome of Cochin and very many other with the Kings whereof they first entring League and Traffick and having leave given to build Castles for their defence they have since by policy incroached into their hands a great part of the Countrey which lieth neer unto the Sea-coast and are mighty now for the space of many thousand miles together The K. of Spain hath there a Vice-Roy whose residence is commonly in the Imperiall City called Goa They do every year send home great store of rich commodities into Spaine The people of the Country when the Portugals came first thither were for the most part Gentiles beleeving in no one God yea at this day there are divers of them who do adore the Sunne as their God and every morning at the rising thereof do use very superstitious Ceremonies which our Mer chants who do trade to Aleppo do oftentimes see for divers o these Indians do come thither witâ—… Merchandize But the Saracens whâ—… reverence the Prophet Mahomet from the Bayes or Gulphes of Persia and Arabia do traffick much thither so that Mahomet was known among them but in one Town called Granganor they found certain Christians dissenting in many things from the Church of Rome and rather agreeing with the Protestants which Christians had received by succession their Religion from the time of Thomas the Apostle by whom as it is recorded in the ancient Ecclesiasticall History part of India was converted In this Countrey of India are many great and Potent Kings and Kingdomes which had been alto gether unknown and unheard of in our part of the World but that we were beholding to the Portugals for their discovery and before their Navigation thither by the back side of Africkâ—… to some Relations that we had from the Venetians who traded and travelled thither by land out of Turkie The 〈◊〉 of these Kings and Kingdomes are these The King of Bâ—…arme the great Mogol the King of Narsing Pegu Siam the forenamed King of
Flood the Ark of Noah did â—…est it self on the Mountaines of Armenia where as Josephus witnesseth it is to be seen yet to this day the hils whereon it resteth â—…re called by some Nâ—…ae Montes The people of this Nation have retained amongst them the Chriâ—…tian faith as it is thought from the â—…ime of the Apostles but at this say it is spotted with many absurdities Among other Errors which the Church of Armenia hath been noted to hold this is one that they lid bathe their Children waving them up and down in flames oâ—… fire and repute that to be a necessary circumstance of Baptisme Which errour ariseth by mistaking that place of John the Baptist where he saith That he that came after him meaning Christ should baptize them with the holy Ghost and with fire In which place the word doth not signifie materiall fire but expresseth the lively and purging operation of the Spirit like to the nature of fire On the South part of Armenia bending towards the East lieth the Country of Assyria which is bounded on the West with Mesopotamia This Country was that Land wherein the first Monarchy was setled which began under Ninus whom the Scripture calleth Nim rod living not long after Noahs Flood and it ended in Sardanapalus continuing a thousand and three hundred yeares The King of this Country was Senacherib of whom we read â—…n the book of the Kings and here reigned Nebuchadnezzar who took Jerusalem and led the Jewes away prisoners unto Babylon In this Countrey is the swift River Tygris near unto the which was Paradise Upon this River stood the great City Ninive called by prophane Writers Ninus which was almost of incredible bignesse and exceeding populous by the nearnesse of the River and marvellous fruitfulnesse of the soil which as Herodotus writeth did return their Corn sometime two hundred and sometimes three hundred fold and did yield sufficiency for to maintain it This City for a long time was the Imperiall Seat of the Monarchy but being destroied as God foretold it should be by the Chaldeans the residence of the King was afterwards removed unto Babylon a great City in Chaldea first built by Semiramis Of Chaldea NExt unto Assyria lyeâ—…h Chaldea having on the East side Assyria on the West Syria or Palestina on the North Armenia on the South the Desart of Arabia This Countrey is often called by the name of Mesopotamia which name it hath because it lieth in the middle of two great Rivers Tygris and Euphrates It is called also by the name of Babylonia which word of it self properly taken doth signifie only that part of the Countrey which standeth about Babylon The chief City whereof was Babylon whose ruines do remain unto this day It was a rich and most pleasant City for all kind of Delight and was in the latter time of that Monarchy the Imperiall City of the Assyrians where Nebuchadnezzar and other their great Kings did â—…ye It was to this City that the children of Israel were carried captives which thereof was called the Captivity of Babylon The Kings of Persia also did keep â—…heir residence here it was built upon the River Euphrates some part of it standing on the one side and some part on the other having for its foundresse Semiramis the wife of Ninus Ammianus Marcellinus reporteth one thing of this Countrey wherein the admirable power of God doth appeare for he writeth that in these parts are a huge number of Lyons which were like enough to devour both men and beasts throughout the Countrey but withall he saith that by reason of the store of water and mudd thereof there do breed yearly an innumerable company of Gnats whose property is to flye unto the eye of the Lyon as being a bright and orient thing where byting and stinging the Lyon he â—…eareth so fiercely with his clawes that he putteth out his own eyes and by that meanes many are drowned in the Rivers others starve for want of prey and many the more easily killed by the Inha bitants It is supposed by Divines that in this Mesopotamia between the River Tygris and Euphrates Paradise did stand This was the Country wherein Abraham the Patriarch was born unto which the Romanes could very hardly extend their Dominion For they had much to do to get the Government of any thing beyond the River Euphrates From this people it is thought the wise men came which brought presents to Christ by the guiding of the Starre For as in India and all the Eastern parts so especially in this Country their Noblemen and Priests and very many people do give themselves to all Arts of Divination Here were the great Southsayers Enchanters and wise men as they call them Here were the first Astrologians which are so described and derided in the Scripture and against the Inhabitants of Babylon and Chaldea were the Lawes of the Romans made which are against divining Mathematicians who in Tullie de Divinatione Cornelius Tacitus as also in the Lawes of the Emperors are Ordinarily collected by the name oâ—… Chaldeans and indeed from these and from the Egyptians is supposed to have sprung the first knowledge of Astronomy It is thought that a great reason whereof these Chaldeans were expert in the laudable knowledge of Astronomy was partly because the Countrey is so plain that being without hils they might more fully and easily discover the whole face of the Heaven and partly because the old Fathers which lived so long not only before but in some good part also after the flood of Noah did dwell in or near to these parts and they by observation of their own did find out and discover many things of the heavenly bodies which they delivered as from hand to hand to their posterity But as corruption doth staine the best things so in proces of time the true Astronomy was defilled with superstitious Rules of Astrology which caused the Prophets Isaiah and Ieremiah so bitterly to inveigh against them And then in their fabulosity they would report that they had in their Records Observations for five and twenty thousand yeares which must needs be a very great untruth unlesse we will qualifie it as some have done expounding their yeares not of the Revolution of the Sun but of the Moon whose course is ended in the space of a moneth Of Asia the lesse ON the North-west side of Mesopotamia lyeth that Countrey which is now called Natolia but in times past Asia minor having on the North side Pontus Euxinus on the West the Hellespont and on the South the maine Mare Mediterraneum In the ancient writings both of the Grecians and of the Romans this is oftentimes called by the single name of Asia because it was best knowne unto them and they were not so much acquainted with the farther places of Asia the Great This Countrey in generall for the fruitfulnesse of the Land standing in so temperate a Climate and
destroy so many ships and was called Syrtis magna as also on the North and West part was the other sand called Syr t is parva Some part of this Country was heretofore under the Sultan of Egypt whose Dominion did extend it self so farre to the West and there was divided from the Kingdome of Tunis but it is now wholly under the Turke and is commonly reputed as a part of Barbary For now by a generall name from the confines of Cyrene unto the West as farre as Hercules Pillar is called Barbary though it containe in it divers Kingdomes as Tunis Fessa and Morocco Of Mauritania and Caesariensis A Part of that Countrey which by a generall name is called at this day Barbary hath in old time been called Mauritania which was divided into two parts The East part whereof next to Africa minor was called by the Romanes Mauritania Caesariensis as the other was called Mauritania Tingitania In Mauritania Caesariensis was the Countrey of Numidia the people whereof were used in the warres of the Carthaginians as Light-horse-men and for all nimble services were very active In the East part of this Countrey standing in the sea was that famous City of Carthage supposed to be built by Dido who came from Tyâ—…us This City was it which for the space of some hundred yeares contended with Rome for the Empire of the world In the Romane histories are recorded the great warres which the people of Rome had with the City of Carthage In the first war of the three the contention 〈◊〉 the Iles of Sicilia Corsica and Sardinia when the victory fell to the Romans and the Carthaginians were glad to redeem their peace with the leaving of those Ilands The second warre was begun by Hanniball who brake the league and after he had taken same part of Spaine from the Romanes and sacked Sagantum a City of their friends came first over the Pyrena hils to France then over the Alpes to Italy where he overthrew the Romanes in three great battels and much endangered their estate he continued in Italy with his Army sixteen yeares till Scipio attempting on Carthage forced Hanniball to return to rescue his own Countrey There was Hanniball overthrowne and his City put to a great pension by Scipio who for his victory there was named Africanus In the third warre because the people of Carthage still brake the league their City was razed to the very ground by the earnest and continuall counsell of Cato the elder fearing evermore so dangerous a Neighbour though Scipio Nasica counselled to the contrary fearing lest if the dread of that enemy were taken away the Romanes would grow either to idlenesse or civill dissention which after they did It is reported of Cato that he never spake his judgement of any thing in the Senate but his conclusion was thus Thus I think for this matter and withall that Carthage is to be razed down And Scipio Nasica would reply in his conclusion Thus I think for this matter and withall that Carthage is not to be razed down Livy reporteth that the way whereby Cato prevailed that Carthage should be razed down was this while the question was very hot he bringeth into the Senate-house green Figs and let the Senators understand that the same day three weekes those figs were growing in Carthage Town whereby he made mannifest unto them that it was possible that an Army might be conveied from Carthage to Rome in so short a time as that they would not be able on a sudden to resist and so Rome might be surprized whereby they all concluded that it was no safety for their City to have so bad a neighbour so neare unto them In this Countrey toward the West not farre from Carthage stood Utica whereof the younger Cato was termed Cato Uticensis because he killed himself there in the Civill warres betwixt Caesar and Pompey because he would not come within the hands of his enemy Caesar. Not far from thence Westward standeth Hippo which was the City where S. Augustine was B shop This whole Countrey at this day is called the Kingdome of Tunis the King whereof is a kind of stipendary unto the Turke the people that inhabit there are generally Saracens and do profess Mahomet Some do write that Tunis standeth in the very place where old Carthage was which is not so but is siâ—…ua ed very neare unto the old ruines of the other Against the King of Tunis Charles the fifth had some of his warres by Sea Of MauritaniaÌ„ Tingitania THE other part of Barbary that lyeth along the Mediterranean farthest into the West was called in old time Mauritana Tingitana The people of which Country were those which almost in all the old histories were called by the name of Mauri Those of the other Mauritania being rather termed Numidia Into the Northwest part thereof did Hercules come and there set up one of his Pillars which answereth to the other in Spain they both being at the straits of Gilbralter in times past called Fretum Herculeum On the South part thereof lay the Kingdome of Bocchus which in the tiaâ—… of Marius had so much to do with the Romans In the west part of this Mauritania standeth on the hill called Atlas minor and on the South part is the great hill called Atlas major whereof the maine Ocean which lyeth between Mauritania and America is called Mare Atlantum This hill is so high that unto those who stood on the bottome of it it seemed to touch heaven with his shoulders This Country hath been long inhabited by the Saracens who from thence finding it to be but a short passage into Spaine did goe over now seven hundred yeares ago and possessed there the kingdome of Granado on the South side of Spain till they were thence expelled by Ferdinandus and Elizabeth or Izabell King and Queen of Castile In this Countrey since that time have the Spaniards taken some Cities and Holds and so also have the Portugals which by the divers event of victory have often been lost and won by them Here it was that the Emperour Charles the fifth had divers of his great warres against the Moores as well as in the Kingdome of Tunis For the assistance of one who claimed to be King of a part of this Country did Sebastian the King of Portugall go with all his power into Africa in the year 1578. where unadvisedly bearing himself he was slain together with two other the same day who claimed to be Kings so that there it was that true battell was fought whereof it was said that three Kings died in one day which battel is called the battell of Alcazar and was the ruine of the Kingdome of Portugall and the cauâ—…e of the uniting it to the Crowne of Spaine Astrologers did purpose that the blazing Starre which appeared the â—…eare before did signifie that iâ—…l eâ—…ent This whole Countrey doth maisâ—…aine in it besides some Imperiaâ—… government two absolute Kingdomes
the one of Fezza or Fez which lyeth on the North part toward the Mediterranean and Spain the other is the Kingdome of Morocco which lyeth from above the hill Atlas minor to the South and West part of Mauritania These are both Saracens as be also their people holding true league with the Turke and with some other Christian Princes a league onely for Trafficke and Merchandize It may be doubted whether it was in this Mauritana Tingitana or rather but near unto it in Mauritania Caesoriensâ—… that which Saint Augustine in his book De doctrina Christiana doth of his own knowledge report that in a City of that Countrey was this brutish custome that once in the year for certaine dayes the Inhabitants of the place did assemble themselves into wide and large fields and there divided themselves each from other so that perhaps the Fathers were on one side and the children or brother on the other and did throw stones with such violence that many were hurt and divers killed with the fury of that assault But S. Augustine relleth that he deâ—…esting the brutishnesse thereof dâ—…d make a most eloquent and elaborate Oâ—…ation or Sermon unto them whereby he did prevaile with those of the City where he was that theâ—… give over that foolish and rude exercise Yet Leo Assâ—…icanus who lived about a hundred yeares since and in his owne person travelled over the greate part of Africke doth write in his description of Africke that in one place of the Kingdome of Fez this barba â—…us custome is yet retained Of the other Countries of Africke lying neare the Sea FRom beyond the hill Atlas major unto the South of Africke is nothing almost it Antiquity worthy the readiag and those things which are written for the most part are fables For towards the South parâ—… of Africke as well as towards the North part of Europe and Asia be supposed to be men of strange shapes as some with Dogs heads some without heads and some with one foot alone which was very huge and such like which that counterfeit Fryer who write that book which is counted Saint Augustines ad fraetres in Eremo and who would gladly father upon Saint Augustine the erecting of the Augustine Fryers doth say that he saw travelling down from Hippo Southward in Africa But as the Asse in Aesope which was cloathed in the Lyons skin did by his long ears shew himself to be an Ass and not a Lyon so this foolish fellow by his lying doth shew himself to be a counterfeit and not Saint Augustine In the new Writers there are some few things to be observed as first that all the people in generall to the South lying with the Zona Torrida are not onely blackish like the Moor but are exceeding blacke And therefore as in old time by an excellency some of them are called Nigritae so at this day they are named Negro's as then whom no men are blacker Secondly the Inhabitants of all these parts which border on the Sea coast even uâ—…to Caput bonae spei have been Gentiles adoring Images and foolish shapes for their Gods neither bearing of Christ nor beleeving on Mahomet till such time as the Portugals comming among them having professed Christ for themselves but have won few of the people to embrace their Religion Thirdly that the Portugals passing along Africa to the East Indies have setled themselves in many places of those Countries building Castles and Townes for their own safety and to keep the people in subjection to their great commodities One of the first Countries famous beyond Morocco is Guinea which we call Ginnie within the compasse whereof lyeth the Cape called the Cape Verde and the other the Cape of the three points and the Towne and Castle named Siâ—…rta Liâ—…na at which place as commonly all Travellers do touch that do pâ—…sse that way for fresh â—…er and â—…ther shâ—…p-provision â—…ur English men have found traâ—… icke into the parts of this Countrey where th iâ—… greatest commâ—…dity is Gold and Elephants teeth of both which there is good store Beyond that toward the South not â—…arre from the Equinoctiall lyeth the Kâ—…gdome of Congo com monly called Mani-congo Where the Portugals at their first arrivall finding the people to be Heathens without Gâ—…d did induce them to a profession of Christ and to be baptized in great abundance allowing of the principles of Religion untill such time as the Priest did teach them to lead their lives according to their profession which the most part of them in no case enduring they returned back again to their Gentilisme Beyond Mani-congo so fare to the South as almost ten degrees beyond the Tropicke of Capricorne lyeth the Lands end which is a promontory now called Caput bonae spei which Vascus Gama the Portugâ—…l did discover and so called it because he had there good hope that the Land did turn to the North and that following the course thâ—…reof hee might bee brought to Arabia and Persia but esâ—…ecially to Calecut in India Which course when himself and other oâ—… his Countrey-men after him did follow thâ—…y fouâ—…d on the coast up towards Arabia the Kingdome of Mosambique Melinda Magadazo and others whose people were all Gentiles and now are in league with the Portugals who have built divers holds for their safety Of which Countries and manners of the people he that listeth to read may finde much in the History of Oso 〈◊〉 and Petrus Maffaeus but there is no matter of any great importance Beyond the Cape toward the North before you come to Mosumbique between the Rivers of Cuama and Sancto Spirito lyes the Kingdome of Monomotapa where the Portugals also have arrived and so much was done there by the preaching of Gonsalvo de Silva a Jesuite that the King and Queen of that Countrey with many others were converted from Gentilisme to Christianiâ—…y and baptized But certaine Mahumetans incensing the King thereof afterwards against the Portugals made him to revolt from his Religion and to put to death this Jesuite and divers others Which fact of his the Portugals assaviâ—…g to revenge with an Army sent for out of Portugall they profited little against him but were themselves consumed by the discommodities of the Countrey and the distemperature of the aâ—…e There are also other Kingdomes sin this part of Africke of whom we know little besides their names and site in generall as Adel Monomugi Angola and therefore it shall be sufficient to have named them in a word Of Abissines and the Empire of Prester John IN the Inland of Africke lyeth a very large Countrey extending it self on the East to some part of the Red Sea on the South to the Kingdome of Molinda and a great way farther on the North to Egypt on the West to Manicongo The people whereof are called Abissini and it self the dominion of him whom we commonly call in English Prester John
world is Albion or Britania which hath heretofore contained in it many severall Kingdomes but especially in the time of the Saxons It hath now in it two Kingdomes England and Scotland wherin are four several languages that is the English which the civill Scots do barbarously speake the Welch tongue which is the language of the old Britains the Cornish which is the proper speech of Cornewall and the Irish which is spoken by those Scots which live on the West part of Scotland neer unto Ireland The commodities and pleasures of England are well known unto us and many of them are expressed in this verse Anglia Mons Pons Fons Ecclesia Foemina Lana England is stor'd with Bridges Hils and Wooll With Churches Wels and Women beautifull The ancient inhabitants of this land were the Britaines which were afterward driven into a corner of the Countrey now called Wales and it is not to be doubted but at first this Countrey was peopled from the continent of France or thereabout when the sons of Noah had spread themselves from the East to the West part of the world It is not strange to see why the people of that Nation do labour to fetch their pedigree from one Brutus whom they report to come from Troy because the original of that truth began by Galfridus Monumentensis above 500. yeares agone and his book containeth great shew of truth but was noted by Nubringensis or some author of his time to be meerly fabulous Besides that many of our English Nation have taxed the saying of them who would attribute the name of Brittannia unto Brutus and Cornubia to Corynaeus Aeneas Sylvius Epist. 1. 3. hath thought good to confirm it saying The English people saith he do report that after Troy was overthrown one Brutus came unto them from whom their Kings do fetch their pedigrees Which matter there are no more Historians that deliver besides a certaine English man which had some learning in him who willing to aequall the blood of those Iflanders unto the Roman stock and generosity did affirm and say that concerning Brutus which Livy and Salust being both deceived did report of Aeneas We do find in ancient Records and Stories of this Island that since the first possessions which the Britains had here it was over-run and conquered five several times The Romans were the first that did attempt upon it under the conduct of Julius Caesar who did onely discover it and frighted the inhabitants with the name of the Romans but was not able to sarre to prevaile upon it as any way to possesse it yet his successours afterwards did by little and little so gain on the Country that they had almost all of it which is now called England and did make a great ditch or trench from the East to the West sea between their dominion here and Scotland Divers of the Emperours were here in person as Alexander Severus who is reputed to be buried at York Here also was Constantius father unto Constantine the Great who from hence married Helena a woman of this Land who was afterward mother to the renowned Constantine But when the Romans had their Empire much weakned partly by their owne discords and partly by that decay which the irruptions of the Gothes and Vandals and such like invaders did bring upon them they were forced to retire their legions from thence and so leaving the Countrey naked the Scots and certaine people called the Pictes did breake in who most miserably wasted and spoiled the Country Then were the Inhabitants as some of our Authors write put to that choise that either they must stand it out and be slaine or give ground till they came to the sea and so be drowned Of these Pictes who were the second over-runners of this Land some do write that they did use to cut and pounse their flesh and lay on colours which did make them the more terrible to be seen with the cuts of their flesh But certaine it is that they had their name for painting themselves which was a common thing in Brittaine in Caesars time as he reporteth in his Commentaries the men colouring their faces with Glastone or Ode that they might seem the more dreadfull when they were to joyn battell To meet with the cruelty and oppression of these Barbars the Saxons were in the third place by some of the Land called in who finding the sweetnesse of the soile and commodiousnesse of the Countrey every way did repaire hither by great troops and so seated themselves here that there were at once of them seven several Kingdomes and Kings within the Compasse of England These Saxons did beare themselves with much more temperance and placability towards those few of the Countrey that remained then the Pictes had done but yet growing to contention one of their Kings with another partly about the bounds of their territories and partly about other quarrels they had many great battels each with other In the time of these Religion and Devotion was much embraced and divers Monasteries and rich Religious houses were founded by them partly for pennance which they would do and partly otherwise because they thought it too meritorious insomuch that King Edgar alone is recorded to have built above foure severall Monasteries And some other of their Kings were in their ignorance so devoted that they gave over their Crownes and in superstition did goe to Rome there to lead the lives of private men These seven Kingdomes in the end did grow all into one and then the fourth and most grievous scourge and conquest of this Kingdome came in the Danes who Lording it here divers yeares were at last expelled and then William Duke of Normandy pretending that he had right thereunto by the promise of adoption or some other conveiance from Harald did with his Normans passe over into this Land and obtained a great victory in Sussex at a place which he caused in remembrance thereof to be called Battell and built an Abby there by the name of Battell Abby He took on him to winne the whole by conquest and did beare himselfe indeed like a Conquerour For he seised all into his hands gave out Barons Lordships and Mannors from himself reversed the former Lawes and Customes and instituted here the manners and orders of his own Country which have proceeded on and been by little and little bettered so that the honourable government is established which we now see at this day It is supposed that the faith of Christ was first brought into this land in the days of the Apostles by Joseph of Arimathea Simon Zelotes and some other of that time but without doubt not long after it was found here which appeareth by the testimony of Tertullian who lived within lesse then 200. yeares after Christ And there are records to shew that in the daies of Eleutherius one of the ancient B shops of Rome King Lucius received here both Baptisme and
the Gospel insomuch that it is fabulous vanity to say that Austin the Monk was the first that here planted the Christian Faith for he lived 600. yeares after Christ in the time of Gregory the great Bishop of Rome before which time Gildas is upon great reason thought to have lived here of whom there is no doubt but that he was a learned Christian Yea and that may be perceived by that which Beda hath in his Ecclesiasticall story concerning the comming in of Austin the Monk that the Christian Religion had been planted here before but that the purity of it in many places was much decaied and also that many people in the Island were yet Infidels For the conversion of whom as also for the reforming of the other Austine was sent hither where he behaved himselfe so proudly that the best of the Christians which were here did mislike him In him was erected the Archbishoprick of Canterbury which amongst old writers is still termed Dorobarnia The Archbishops do reckon their succession by number from this Austine The reason whereof Gregorie the great is reported to have such care for the conversion of the Ethnicks in Britaine was because certain boyes which were brought him out of this Countrey which being very goodly of countenance as our Country children are therein inferior to no Nation in the world he asked them what country-men they were and it was replyed that they were Angli he said they were not unfitly so called for they were Angli tanquam Angeli nam vultum habent Angelorum And demanding further of what Province they were in this Island it was returned that they were called Deires which caused him again to repeat that word to say that it was great pitty but that by being taught the Gospel they should be saved de ira Dei England hath since the time of the Conquest grown more and more in riches insomuch that now more then 300. years since in the time of King Henry the third it was an ordinary speech that for wealth this Countrey was Puteus inexhaustus a Well that could not be drawn dry Which conceit the King himself as Matthew Paris writeth did often suggest unâ—…o the Pope who there upon took advantage abusing the simplicity of the King to suck out inellimable summes of money to the intolerable grievance of both the Clergy Temporalty And among other things to bring about his purpose the Pope did perswade the King that he would invest his young son in the Kingdome of Apulia which did contain a great part of all Naples and for that purpose had from thence many thousands besides infinite summes which the King was forced to pay for interest to the Popes Italian Usurers Since that time it hath pleased God more and more to blesse this Land but never more plentifully then in the daies of our late and now raigning Soveraigne whose raigne continuing long in peace hath peopled the Land with abundance of inhabitants hath stored it with Shipping Armour and Munition hath fortified it many waies hath encreased the trafficke with the Turk and Muscovite and many parts of the earth farre distant from us hath much bettered it with building and enriched it with Gold and Silver that it is now by wise men supposed that there is more Plate within the Kingdome then there was Silver when her Majesty came to the Crowne Some Writers of former times yea and those of our owne Countrey too have reported that in England have been Mynes of Gold or at the least some gold taken out of other Mynes which report hath in it no credit in as much as the Country standeth too cold neither hath it sufficient force of the Sun to concoct and digest that metall But truth it is that our Chronicles do witnesse that some silver hath been taken up in the Southerne parts as in the Tin-mines of Devonshire and Cornwall and such is sometimes found now but the virtue thereof is so thin that by that time it is tried and perfectly fined it doth hardly quit the cost notwithstanding Lead Iron and such basers metals be here in good plenty The same reason which hindreth gold ore from being in these parts that is to say the cold of the climate doth also hinder that there is no wine whose grapes grow here For although we have grapes which in the hotter and warm summers do prove good but yet many times are nipped in the frost before they be ripe yet notwithstanding they never come to that concocted maturity as to make sweet and pleasant wine yet some have laboured to bring this about and therefore have planted vineyards to their great cost and trouble helping and aiding the soil by the uttermost diligence they could but in the end it hath proved to very little purpose The most rich commodity which our Land hath naturally growing is Wooll for the which it is renowned over a great part of the Earth For our Clothes are sent into Turkie Venice Italy Barbary yea as farre as China of late besires Moscovie Denmarke and other Northerne Nations for the which we have exchange of much other Merchandize necessary for us here besides that the use of this Wooll doth in several labours set many thousands of our people in worke at home which might otherwise be idle Amongst the Commendations of England as appeareth in the place before named is the store of good Bridges whereof the most famous are London Bridge and that at Rochester In divers places here there be also Rivers of good Name but the greatest glory doth rest in three the Thames called in Latine of Tame and Isis Tamesis Servene called Sabrina and Trent which is commonly reputed to have his name of trente the French word signifying thirty which some have expounded to be so given because thirty several Rivers do run into the same And some other do take it to be so call'd because there be thirty several sorts of fishes in that water to be found the names whereof do appear in certain old verses recited by Master Camden in his booke of the Description of England One of the honourable commendations which are reputed to be in this Realme is the fairnesse of our greater and larger Churches which as it doth yet appear in those which we call Cathedrall Churches many of them being of very goodly and sumptuous buildings so in times past it was more to be seen when the Abbies and those which were called religious houses did flourish whereof there were a very great number in this Kingdome which did eate up much of the wealth of the Land but especially those which lived there giving themselves to much filthiness and divers sorts of uncleannesse did so draw downe the vengeance of God upon those places that they were not only dissolved but almost utterly defaced by King Henry the eighth There are two Archbishopricks and 24 other Bishopricks within England and Wales It was a
tradition among old writers that Britaine did breed no Wolves in it neither would they live here but the report was fabulous in as much as our Chronicles do write that there were here such store of them that the Kings were enforced to lay it as an imposition upon the Kings of Wales who were not able to pay much mony for tribute that they should yearly bring in certaine hundreds of Wolves by which meanes they were at the length quite rid from Wolves The Country of Wales had in times past a King of it self yea and sometimes two the one of North-Wales and the other of South-Wales between which people at this day there is no great good affection But the Kings of England did by little and little so gain upon them that they subdued the whole Country unto themselves and in the end King Henry the 8. intending thereby to benefit this Realme and them did divide the Country into Shires appointed there his Judices Itinerantes or Judges of the circuit to ride and by Act of Parliament made them capable of any preferment in England as well as other Subjects When the first newes was brought to Rome that Julius Caesar had attempted upon Britain Trully in the elegance of his wit as appeareth in one of his Epistles did make a flout at it saying That there was no gain to be gotten by it For gold here was none nor any other commodity to be had unlesse it were by slaves whom he thought that his friend to whom he wrote would not look to be brought up in learning or Musick But if Tully were alive at this day he would say that the case is much altered in as much as in our Nation is sweetness of behavior abundance of learning Musick all the liberal Acts goodly buildings sumptuous apparel rich fare and whatsoever else may be truly boasted to be in any Country near ad joining The Northern part of Britaine is Scotland which is a Kingdome of it self and hath been so from very ancient time without any such conquest or maine transmutation of State as hath been in other Countries It is compassed about with the sea on all sides saving where it joyneth upon England and it is generally divided into two parts the one whereof is called the Highland and the other the Low-land The Low-land is the most civill part of the Realm wherein religion is more orderly established and yieldeth reasonable subjection unto the King but the other part called the High-land which lyeth further 〈◊〉 the North or else bendeth towards Ireland is more rude and savage and whither the King hath not so good accesse by reason of Rocks and mountaines as to bring the Noblemen which inhabite there to such due conformity of Religion or otherwise as he would This Countrey generally is more poor then England or the most part of the Kingdomes of Europe but yet of late yeares the wealth thereof is much encreased by reason of their great traffick to al the parts of Christendome yea unto Spain it self which hath of late years been denied to the English and some other Nations and yet unto this day they have not any ships but for Merchandize neither hath the King in his whole Dominion any vessel called A man of war Some that have travelled into the Northerne parts of Scotland do report that in the Solstitium aestivele they have scant any night and that which is is not above two houres being rather a d mnesse then a darknesse The language of the Countrey is in the Lowland a kind of barbarous English But towards Ireland side they speak Irish which is the true reason whereof it is reported that in Britain there are four languages spoken that is Irish in part of Scotland English for the greatest part Welch in Wales Cornish in Cornwall In the confines between the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland which are commonly called the Borders there lye divers out-laws and unruly people which being subject to neither Prince by their good wits but so far as they list do exercise great robberies and stealing of cattell from them that dwell therabout and yet the Princes of both Realmes for the better preservation of Peace and Justice do appoint certain Warders on each side who have power even by Martiall Law to represse all enormities The Queen of England had on her side three whereof one is called the Lord Warden of the East Marches the other of the west Marches the third the Warden of the middle Marches who with all their power cannot so order things but that by reason of the outrages thereabouts committed the borders are much unpeopled whiles such as desire to be civill do not like to live in so dangerous a place It hath been wondred at by many that are wise how it could be that whereas so many Countries having in them divers Kingdomes and Regiments did all in the end come to the dominion of one as appeareth at this day in Spaine where were wont to be divers Kings and so in times past in England where the seven Kingdomes of the Saxons did grow all into one yet that England and Scotland being continuate within one Iland could never till now be reduced to one Monarchy whereof in reason the French may be thought to have been the greatest hindrance For they having felt so much smart by the Armes of England alone insomuch that sometimes all that whole Country almost hath been over run and possessed by the English have thought that it would be impossible that they should resist the force of them if both their Kingdoms were united joined into one The Custome theresore of the Kings of France in former times was that by their gold they did bird unto them the Kings and Nobility of Scotland and by that means the Kings of England were no sooner attempting any thing upon France but the Scots by and by would envade England Whereupon the Proverb amongst our people grew That he who will France win must with Scotland first begin And these French-men continuing their policy did with infinite rewards breake off the Marriage which was intended and agreed upon between King Edward the sixth and Mary the late unfortunate Queen of Scotland drawing her rather to be married with the Dolphin of France who was son to King Henry the second and afterward himself reigned by the name of King Francis the second But this was so ill taken by the English that they sought revenge upon Scotland and 〈◊〉 them a great overthrow in that 〈◊〉 which was called Musselborough field The people of this Country were in times past 〈◊〉 barbarous that they did not refuse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flesh which as S. Hierom doth 〈◊〉 of them he himselâ—… saw some of 〈◊〉 to do in France and the 〈◊〉 hereof went so far that Chrysostome in one place doth allude to such a matter There be many little Islands adjoining unto the
dead bodies into Morea which is not farre distant to be buried there among the Greekes and after their fashion The naturall Inhabitants of Zant are Greeks both by Language and Religion and observe all fashions of the Greekish Church in whose words being now much corrupted depraved there may yet be found some tokens and remainders of the old pure and uncorrupted Greek There are in this Countrey great store of Swine kept whereof the Inhabitants do feed and carry them into Morea but the Turks there by their Mahumetane profession will taste no Swines flesh In Zacynthus our English Merchants have an house of abode for their Traffick South-East from Moreah lyeth the great Island Creta where Minos sometimes did reign so famous for his severity This Countrey was then called Hecâ—…tompolis as having in it a hundred Towns and Cities Here stood the labyriâ—…th which was the work of Dedalus who conveighed the house so by the manifold turnings infiniteness of Pillars and Doors that it was impossible to find the way yet Theseus by the help of Ariadne the Daughter of King Minos taking a bottome of thred and â—…ing the one end at the first doore did enter and slâ—…y the Minotaur which was kept there and afterwards returned safe out again The ancient Inhabitants of this Country were such noted lyars that beside the Proverbs which were made of them as Crettenscmendacium Cretisandum est cum Cretensibus the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Titus who was left there by him as Bishop of that Island doth cite a verse out of the Heathen Poet Epimenides that the Cretians are ever lyars evil beasts slow bellies This Island is in our daies called Candy being the place from whence our Sugar of Candy is brought It is under the Venetians and repute a part of their Seigniory although the Turks when they had taken Cyprus did think also to have surprised it but that it pleased God by the meanes of Don John of Austria in the behalf of his brother the King of Spaine and the Venetians to give the Turke that great overthrow at sea in the sight near unto Lepanto Yet since that time no doubt the Turks have a greedy eye upon the sland of Canay Between Creta and Peloponnesus lyeth Cithera There was the fine Temple of Venus who thereof by the Poets is called Citherea The Islands are many which lye in the Sea called Mare Aegeum from the bottome of Greece unto the top of the Hellespont as all the Cyclades Euboia and the great Iland Samos and Chios so Seyres where Achilles was born and was King of that Coutrey There is also Lesbos and Cemnos Mytilene and Ithaca where Ulysses was King and Andnos whither Themistocles was sent by the Athenians for Tribute as Plutarch layeth down the History Themistocles did tell them that he came to demand Tribute or some great imposition upon them being ' accompanied with two goddâ—…sses the one was Eloquence to perswade them and the other Violence to enforce them Whereunto the Andrâ—…ans made answer that they had on their side two goddesses as strong whereof the one was Necessity whereby they had it not and the other was Impossibilitie whereby they could not part with that which they never possessed Of these places something may be read in the old History of the Greekes Divers of these did strive that Homer was borne in them but of certain many of those Kings which Homer saith came with Agamemnon to the siege of Troy were Kings but of those small Ilands Eastward from thence not farre from some part af Natolia or Asia the lesser is the Iland of Rhodes the friendship of the inhabitants whereof was in ancient time very much desired by the Princes that had to do that way so that Alexander first and the Romans afterwards did embrace their league Here was that huge and mighty Image of the Sun which was called Colossus Rhodius This Country was long defended by those who were called the Knights of Rhodes against the power of the Turke and it was a great bulwarke to defend Christendome till that in the yeare one thousand five hundred twenty and one Solyâ—…an the Great Turke did win it from the Christians by force From thence Southward is the Isle Carpathus but in the farthest end of the East part of the Mediterranean is Cyprus which about 300. yeares since was a Kingdome and did afford great aide unto the Christians that went to conquer the Holy Land but it is now under the Turke The chief City thereof is â—…amogusta which is an Archbishops sea for Christians for their tribute do yet live there In this Countrey in old time was Venus much honoured and therefore she was called Cypria as also Paphia because she had a temple in a City there called Paphos Neer unto Syria stood the Island Tyrus against the pride whereof the Prophets doth much speak this was a rich City for Merchandise and Navigation in old time and is the place from whence Dido and the builders of Carthage did come The destruction of it is most famous by Alexander the great Of the rest of the small Islands we do say nothing Of the Islands in the Indian Sea THe Islands are very many that do lye in the Sea adjoining to the East Indies but the most famous among them shall onely be touched Among old writers as especially appeareth by Solinus was well known that which was then called Tâ—…probana which lieth neer the Equinoctiall Line It was in that time a Monarchy where the Kings reigned not by succession but by election and if any of them did grow intolerable he was deposed and enforced to dye by withdrawing from him all things necessary This is now called Sumatra and hath in it divers Kings Not far from thence lâ—…e Eastward the two Islands called Java major and Java minor which were also known to the old Writers as in general may be noted that all the East part either in the Continent or in the Ilands have very many smal Kings and Kingdomes From whence yet more East lieth a great number of â—…les which are now called the Molucco's which are places as rich for their quantity as any in the World from these it is that the Spaniards have yearly so great quantity of all kinds of spice neither is there any place of all the East-Indies that doth more richly furnish home their Carracts than do these Molucco's The Islands which are called by that name are by some of our writers accounted to be at least four twenty or five and twenty and some of them which are the bigger have in them two or three Kings apiece and some of them which are lesse are either the several Dominions of several Kings or else two or three of them do belong to some one Prince When Sir Francis Drake did compasse the whole World he came near unto these
but did not touch at any of them but Master Candish taking as large a journey was in one or more of them where he found the people to be intelligent and subtill and the Kings of the Country to take upon them as great state as might be convenient for such petty Princes Some of these Islands the Spaniards in right of the Portugals have got into their own possession with the Kings of some other they have leagued and a third sort utterly detest them More Northward over against China lyeth a Country consisting of a great many Islands called Japona of Japan the people whereof are much of the same nature with the men of China This Country was first discovered by the â—…esuites who in a blind zeale have travelled into the farthest parts of the world to win men to their Religion This Island is thought to be very rich About the parts of Japan there are diâ—…ers people whose most ordinary habitation is at the Sea and do never come into the Land but only for their necessities or to furnish themselves with new vessels wherein they may abide but lying not farre from the Land they have ducks and other fowls swimming about them which sometimes they take into their Boats and Ships in such sort do breed them to the maintenance of them and their Children Into this Iapan of late daies have our English also sail'd as into other parts of the East Indies and there erected a Factory The rest that be either neer unto Asia or Africa because there is little written of them we passe over onely naming them as the Philipinâ—… Borneo Bandaâ—…a as also on the side of Africke the Island of Saint Laurence called by the inhabitants Madagasâ—…ar 〈◊〉 and others of lesse note And yet we do find in Solinus and Pliny but especially in Pomponius Mela that it was known in old time that there were many Islands neer unto the East-Indies which as it might be first discovered by the trafficking of the Islanders into the continent so no doubt that Navy which Alexander sent out to India to desâ—…ry and coast thorow the Eastern seas did give much light thereunto partly by that which themselves did see and partly by those things which they heard in such places and of such persons as they met with in their travell Of the Islands in the Atlantick Sea THere be many Islands which he Westward from Africa and from Europe as those which are called the Gorgades that lye in the same climate with Guinea which are four in number not inhabited by men but they are full of Goats Peter Martyr in his first Decade the sixth Book saith that the Admirall Colonus in the year of Christ 1498 sailing to Hispaniola with eight ships came to the Isle of Madera from whence sending directly the rest of his ships to the East Indies he in one ship with decks and two Carayels sailed to the Equinoctiall betweene which and the Isle Madera in the middest way lye 13. Islands of the Portugalls in old time called Hesperides now Cabonerde two daies sailing distant from the inner parts of Ethiope one whereof is called Bonavista Northward from thence in the same climate with the South part of Morocco lye those which are called Canariâ—… or the fortunate Islands which are seven in number being most fruitful and very pleasant and therefore called by that name Fortunate Insulae This is famous in them that it hath pleased all Cosmographers to make their Meridian to be their first point where they do begin to reckon the computation of their Longitude and unto them after three hundred and threescore Degrees to return again From these Islands it is that those strong and pleasant Sacks which are called Canary Wings are brought and from thence are fetched those that they call Canary Birds These Islands are under the Crowne of Spaine The heat of the Countrey is very great and therefore fitter for concoction but besides that the sayle of it self is accommodated thereunto and by reason of them both these Islands do bring forth a Grape which is sweeter in taste then any other Grape and hath that property with it that the Wine which is made thereof doth not â—…ume into the head like other Sack but doth help the stomacke and exercise the force of it there The slips of their Vines have been brought into Spaine and some other places of Europe but they have not sorted to the same purpose as they do in their native Countrey ... There do grow also in these Isles good store of Sugar-canes which yeeldeth plentifully that kinde of commodite unto Spaine either for Marmelets wherein they much delight or for other uses Peter Martyr in the beginning of his Decades which he hath written de Orbe novo doth particularly touch the names and some other things of these Islands On the backside of Africa also just under the Equinoctial is the Isle of Saint Thomas inhabited by the Portugals which Island was taken in the later time of Queen Elizabeth by the Dutch it is reported that in the midst of this Iland is an Hill and over that a continual cloud where with the whole Island is watered such a like thing as this is reported of the Isle of Cloves The aire of this Island is unwholsome and there is hardly seen any Portugal or stranger that comes to dwell there which lives till he be above forty years of age More Northward from Africke lye those Islands which are called Azores Insulae being six or seven in number of which Tercera is one of the chief of whom the rest by some are called Tercera's which are farre inferiour in fruitfulnesse unto the Canaries These were first under the Crown of Portugal and one of them was the last which was kept out from the King of Spaine by the Prior Don Antonio who afterward called himself King of Portugal but the Spaniard at last took this Terrera from him and doth possesse all these Islands together with the rest of the Dominion which did belong to the Portugall He who list to see the unadvised proceedings of Don Antonio both in parting with Lisbon and the rest of Portugall as also in losing these Islands which last of all held out for him let him read Conestagio of the union of Portugall to the Crown of Castile But these Azores have in times past yeelded much Oade which thereupon in England was called Island Oade but now they are the place where the Spaniards do commonly touch and take in fresh water both going and comming to and from America finding that to passe directly without turning on either hand towards America is very hard by reason of the strong current of the water from the gulph of Mexico and so forward to the East and therefore they are enforced either to go lower to the South and so to water in some part of Guinea or thereabout or else to keep
up as high as these Islands Of America or the new World ALthough some do dispute out of Plato and the old Writers that there was not only a guesse but a kind of knowledge in ancient time that besides Europe Asia and Africa there was another large Country lying to the West yet he that shall advisedly peruse the conjectures made thereupon may see that there is nothing of sufficiencie to enforce any such knowledge but that all antiquitie was utterly ignorant of the new found Countries towards the West Whereunto this one Argument most forcible may give credit that at the first arriving of the Spaniards there they found in those places nothing shewing Trafficke or knowledge of any other Nation but the people naked uncivill some of them devourers of mens flesh ignorant of shipping without all kind of learning having no remembrance of History or writing among them never having heard of any such Religion as in other places of the world is known but being utterly ignorant of Scripture or Christ or Moses or any God neither having among them any token of Crosse Church Temple oâ—… Devotion agreeing with other Nations The reasons which are gathered by some late Writers out of Plato Seneca and some other of the Ancient are rather conjectural that it was likely that there should be some such place than any way demonstrative or concluding by experience that therewas any such countrey and the greatest inducement which they had to perswade themselves that therewas any more Land towards the West then that which was formerly known was grounded upon this that all Asia Europe and Africke concerning the longitude of the World did containe in them but 180 degrees and therefore it was most probable that in the other 180. which filleth up the whole course of the Sun to the number of 360 degrees God would not suffer the water only to possesse all but would leave a place for the habitation of men beasts flying and creeping creatures I am not ignorant that some who make too much of vain shewes out of the British Antiquities have given out to the world and written something to that purpose that Arthur sometimes King of Britain had both knowledge of these parts and some Dominion in them for they find as some report that King Arthur had under his government many Islands and great Countries towards the North and West which one of some special note hath interpreted to signifie America and the Northern parts thereof and thereupon have gone about to entitle the Queen of England to be Soveraigne of those Provinces by right of descent from King Arthur But the wisedome of our State hath been such as to neglect that opinion imagining it to be grounded upon fabulous foundations as many things are which are now reported of King Arthur only this doth carry some shew with it that now some hundreds of years since there was a Knight of Wales who with shipping and some pretty company did go to discover those parts whereof as there is some record of reasonable credit amongst the Monuments of Wales so there is this one thing which giveth pregnant shew thereunto that in the late Navigation of some of our men to Norumbega and some other Northern parts of America they find some tokens of civility and Christian Religion but especially they do meet with some words of the Welch language as that a Bird with a whitehead should be called Pengwiun other such like yet because we have no invincible certainty hereof and if any thing were done it was only in the Northern and worse parts and the entercourse betwixt Wales and those parts in the space of divers hundred years was not continued but quite silenced we may go forward with that opinion that these Westerne Indies were no way known to former ages God therefore remembring the prophesie of his Son that the Gospel of the Kingdome should before the day of judgement be preached in all coasts and quarters of the world and in his mercy intending to free the people or at the least some few of them from the bondage of Satan who did detaine them in blockish ignorance and from their Idolatrous service unto certain vile spirits whom they call their Zemes most obsequiously did adore them raised up the spirit of a man worthy of perpetual memory one Christopherus Columbus born at Genua in Italy to set his mind to the discovery of a new World who finding by that compasse of the old known World that there must needs be a much more mighty space to the which the Sun by his daily motion did compasse about then that which was already known and discovered and conceiving that this huge quantity might as wel be Land 〈◊〉 Sea he could never satisfie himself till he might attempt to make proof of the verity thereof Being therefore himself a private man and of more vertue than Nobility after his reasons and demonstrations laid down whereby he might induce men that it was no vain thing which he went about he went unto many of the Princes of Christendome and among others to Henry the seventh King of England desiring to be furnished with shipping and men fit for such a Navigation but these men refusing him partly because they gave no credit to his Narration and partly lest they should be derided by their Neighbour Princes if by this Genoe-stranger they should be cousened but especially for that they were unwilling to sustaine the charges of shipping At last he betook himself unto the Court of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth King and Queen of Castile where also at the first he found but small entertainment yet persisting in his purpose without weariness with great importunity it pleased God to move the mind of Elizabeth the Queen to deale with her husband to surnish forth to ships for the discovery only and not for conquest whereupon Columbus in the year thousand four hundred ninety and two accompanied with his brother Bartholomeus Columbus and many Spaniards sayled farre to the West for the space of three score daies and more with the great indignation often mutinies of his company fearing that by reason of their long distance from home they should never return again insomuch that the General after many perswasions of them to go forward was at length enforced to crave but three daies wherein if they saw not the Iland he promised to return and God did so blesse him to the end that his Voyage might not prove in vain that in that space one of his Company did espye Fire which was a certain Argument that they were near to the Land as it fell out indeed The first Land whereunto they came was an Island called by the Inhabitants Haity but in remembrance of Spaine from whence he came he termed it Hispaniola and finding it to be a Countrey full of pleasure and having in it abundance of Gold and Pearle he proceeded further and
thither have written concerning those West Indies shall find that the inhabitants there do use it most as a remedy against that which is called Lues venerea whereunto many of them are subject being unclean in their conversation and that not only in fornication and adultery with women but also their detestable and excrable sin of Sodomy After that the Spaniards had for a time possessed Hispania nova for the desire of Gold and Pearle some of them travelled towards the South and as by water they found the Sea westward from Peru which is alwaies very calme and is by them called the South sea as the other wherein Cuba standeth ' is termed the North sea so by land they found that huge and mighty Country which is called Peru wherein the people are for the most part very barbarous and without God men of great stature yea some of them far higher than the ordinary sort of men in Europe using to shoot strongly with bows made of Fish-bones and most cruel people to their enemies Our English people who have travelled that way do in their writings confess that they saw upon the South of Peru very huge tall men who attempting upon them when they put to land for fresh water were much frighted with their Guns or else doubtless had offered violence unto them which our men fearing got them away as speedily as they could There was one Petrus de Cieca a Spaniard who when he had travelled two and twenty years returned back again into Europe and wrote an excellent Book of the Discovery of that whole Country And he amongst other things doth record that there are found in some parts of Peru very huge and mighty bones of men that had been Gyants who dwelt and were buried there Amongst these the Spaniards partly by force but especially by perfidious treason did get infinite sums of Gold and Pearls wherewith being allured they hoped for more by reason that a great part thereof hath under the Zona torrida and that caused them to spread themselves here and there as far as they durst in the country where in some places they digged Gold out of the â—…rth and in some other they found it ready digged and tried unto their hands by the people of the Country which had used that Trade before their comming thither Amongst other creatures which are very famous in this Peru there is a little beast called Cincia which is no bigger than a Fox the tale whereof is long the feet short and the head like a very Fox which hath a bag hanging under her belly whereinto she doth use to put her yong when she seeth them in danger of any hunter or passenger That Petrus de Cieca of whom mention was made before telleth that himself saw one of them which had no less then seven young ones lying about her but as soon as she perceived that a man was comming neer unto her she presently got them into her bag and ran away with such incredible swiftness as one would not have imagined After the Spaniards had conquered Mexico they discovered Peru travelling towards the south and as they prevailed against the Mexicans taking part with an enemy neighbour so finding two brothers striving in Peru Guasâ—…ar Atabaliba they so demeaned themselves in their difference that they ruined both and got their incredible store of Gold The first that attempted against the Peruvians and destroyed their Kings were James of Almagra and the two brothers of Pizarres but dealing treacherously and cruelly with the Peruvians they long enjoyed not their victory but all of them died a violent death The people of Peru are in many places much wiser than those of Cuba Hispaniola and some others parts of the Continent where the Spaniards first landed and therefore they have some orders and solemne customes among them as among the rest they do bury their dead with observable ceremonies laying up their bodies with great solemnity into a large house prepared for that purpose They have also in one Province there a custome of carrying news messages veryspeedily to the end the King and Governor of the Country may presently take advertisement of any thing which falleth out and this is not on horse-back or by the Dromedary or Else as they use in other places but only men who pass over Rocks and thorow Bushes the next way and in 〈◊〉 set places there be alwaies fresh Posts to carry thaâ—… further which is brought unto them by the other The Spaniards have here and there scatteringly upon the sea-coasts set up some Towns and Castles but are not able to possess almost any thing of the land neither have they as yet discovered the inward parts thereof â—…hough daily they spread themselves more and more insomuch thâ—…t it is supposed that within these seven years last past they have gotten into Guiana where in former time no â—…ranger of that Nation hath been Guiana is a country which lieâ—…h to â—…he North sea in the same height as Peru to the South as it is discribed â—…bout five degrees from the Aequinâ—…ctial and that as I take it toward the South The Country is supposed to be exceeding rich to have in it many mines of gold which have not yet been touched or at least but very lâ—…tely to be exceeding fertile and delightful otherwise although it lie iâ—… the heat of Zona torrida but there is such store of rivers fresh waters iâ—… every part thereof and the soile it self hath such correspondency thereunto that it is reported to be as green and pleasant to the eye as any place in the world Some of our Englishmen did with great labour and danger pass by water into the heart of the country earnestly desire that some forces of â—…he English might be sent thither a Colony erected there by reason of the distance of the place the great hazard that if it should not succeed well it might prove dishonourable to our nation and withal because the Spaniards have great companies and strength although not in it ye many wayes about it that intendment was discontinued In divers parts of this Peru and near unto Guiana there are very many great rivers which as they are fiâ—… for any navigation that should be attempted to go up within the land so otherwise they must needs yeeld health and fruitfulness to those that iâ—…habit there The greatest of these rivers is that which some call Oregliana or the river of the Amazones And next is the river Maragnone down towards Magellane straights Rio de la Plata and our English men do speak of the river Orinoque in the greatest of which this is famous that for a good spece after they have run into the main sea yea some write 20. or 30. Miles they keep themselves unmixt with the salt water so that a very great way wiâ—…hin the sea men may take up as fresh water as
defloured the Daughter of the said Julian which the Father took in such indignation that he procured those Saracens to come over into Spaine that so he might be revenged on his King but when those barbarous people had once set foot in there they could never be removed untill the time of Ferdinando and Elizabeth King and Queen of Spaine about a hundred years since The Author before named writeth that before the comming of those Moores into Spaine the King Rodericus would needs open a part of a Palace which had been shut long before and had by descent from hand to hand been forbidden to be entred by any yet the King supposing there had been great Treasure therein broke into it but found nothing there saving in a great Chest the Pictures of Men who resembled the proportion Attire and Armour of the Moores and a Prophecy joyned therewithall that at that time when the Palace should be entred such a people as was there resembled should invade and spoyle Spaine which fell out accordingly The Spaniards that now are be a very mixt people descended of the Goths which in former times possessed that Land and of those Sarazens and Jews which are the basest people of the World The Kingdome of Portugall dâ—…d containe under it Regnum Algarbiâ—…rum but both of them are now annexed unto Castile by the cunâ—…ing of the K ng of Spaine Philip he Second who took the advantage after the death of Sebastian who was slaine in Barbary in the year 1578. Then after him raigned Henry who sometimes was Cardinall and Uncle to Sebastian in whose time although shew was made that it should be lawfully debared unto whom the Crown of Portugal did belong yet Philip meaning to make sure worke did not so much respect the right as by maine force invaded and since to the great griefe of the Portugals hath kept it The chief City of Portugal is Lisbone called in Latine Olysippo from whence those Navigations were advanced by which the Portugals discovered so much of their South part of Africk and of the East-Indies possessed by them to this day The City from whence the Castilians do set forth their ships to the West-Indies is Sevill called in Latine Hispalis Another great City in Spain is Toledo where the Archbishoprick is the richest spirituall dignity of Christendome the Papacy only excepted In the time of Damianus à Goes there were reckoned to be in Spain foure Archbishopricks of great worth three other inferiour and forty Bishopricks as also in Portugal three Archbishopricks and eight Bishopricks He reckoneth up also in Spaine besides the great Officers of the Crown 17 Dukes 41. Marquesses 87. Earles or Counts and 9. Vicounts as also in Portugal besides the Officers of the Crown fix Dukes four Marquesses nineteen Earles and one Vicount In Spaine he saith are seven Universities The Country is but dry and so consequently barren in comparison of some other places What commodities it doth yeeld it may be seen in a Treatise of Damianus à Goes which he calleth his Hispania Not only this great and large Country heretofore divided into so many Kingdomes is now under one absolute King but that King also is Lord of many other Territories as namely of the Kingdome of Naples in Italy and the Dutchy of Millain of the Isles of Sicily Sardinia Majorque Minorque Evisa in the midland sea of the Islands of the Canaries in the Atlantique besides divers strong Towns and goodly Havens in Barbary within and without the Straits On the back side of Africk he commands much on the Frontiery besides the Islands adjoyning to the maine Land In the Westerne Indies he hath Mexico Brasil large Territories with the Islands of the South and the North Sea And Philip the second getting Portugall as a Dowry to that soâ—…ct Marriage got also all the dependances of that Crown in Africke the East-Indies and the Atlantique Sea the Towns of Barbary and the East-Indies willingly submitting themselves unto him but the Terceras he won by force at the first and second Expedition so if we consider the huge tract of ground that is under the Kings Dominion we will say that the Empery of the King of Spaine is in that respect the largest that now is or ever was in the World Of France THe next Country is France which is bounded on the west with the Pyrenay hils on the North with the English Seas on the East with Germany on the South-east with the Alpe-hils on the South-west with the Mediterranean Sea The Kingdome of France is for one entire thing one of the most rich and absolute Monarchies of the World having both on the North and South side the Sea standing very convenient for profit of Navigation and the Land it selfe being ordinarily very fruitful The consideration whereof caused Francis the first King of France to compare this Kingdome alone to all the Dominions and Seigniories of Charles the fifth Emperour for when the Herauld of the said Charls bidding Defiance to the King Francis did give his Majesty the title of Emperour of Germany King of Castaile Arragon Naples Sicily c. Francis commanded his Herauld to call him so often King of France as the others had Titles by all his Countries implying that France alone was of as much strength and worth as all the Countries which the other had Concerning this Argument see the warlike and politick Discourses of Monsieur de la Nove. He who writeth the Commentaries of Religion and state of France doth shew that when there had been of late in France in the daies of Francis the Second and Charles the Ninth three Civill Wars which had much ruinated the glory and beauty of that Kingdome when a little before the great Massacre in the yeare One thousand five hundred seventy two there had been peace in that Countrey scant full two yeares yet so great is the riches and happinesse of that Kingdome that in that short time all things were renewed and repaired again as if there had never been any such desolation The Revenue of the Crowne of France is exceeding great by reason of the Taxes and impositions which through the whole Kingdome are laid upon the Subjects for their Sizes and Toules do exceed all the Imposts and tributes of all the Princes of Christendome in as much as there are few things there used but the King hath a commodity issuing out of them and not only for matters of Luxury as in other states but from such things as be of necessity as Flesh Wood Salt c. It is supposed at this day that there be in the Kingdome thirty thousand men who are under-officers and make a good part of their living by gathering of the Kings tribute This is much increased no doubt in these latter times but yet of old it was in so great measure which caused that speech of Maximilian the Emperour as Iohannes Eventinus witnesseth
De Bello Turcico who said that the Emperour of Germany was Rex Regum meaning that his Princes were so great men The King of Spaine was Rex Hominum because his People would obey their Prince in any reasonable moderation The King of England was Rex diabolorum because the subjects had there divers times deprived their Kings of their Crowns and Dignity But the King of France was Râ—…x asinorum in as much as his people did beare very heavy Bâ—…thens of Taxes and Impositions In this Kingdome of France is one great Misery to the Subjects that the places and Officers of Justice are ordinarily bought and sold the beginning whereof was this Lewis the twelfth who was called a Father of the Country began to pay the debts of his Predecessor Charls the seventh which were very great and intending to recover unto France the Dukedome of Millain and minding not to burden his people further than was need thought it a good course to set at sale all the Offices of the Crown but with the places of Justice he did not meddle But his successors after him took occasion also to make great profit of them witness the Author contra Machiavel l. 1. c. 1. By the customes of that Country the King of France hath not that absolute power to muster and presse out Souldiers as in England and some other places of Christendome the Princes have But the manner is when the King will set forward any Military Service he sendeth abroad his Edicts or causeth in Cities and good Towns the Drum to be strucken up and whosoever will voluntarily follow he is enrolled Notwithstanding he wanted few Souldiers because the Noble and Gentlemen of France do hold it their duty and highest honour both to attend the King unto the wars and to beare their own charges yearely for many months The person of the King of France hath in former times been reputed so sacred that Guicciardine saith of them that their people have regarded them in that respect of devotion as if they had been demi-gods And Machiavel in his Questions upon Livie saith that they doted so much upon their Kings that they thought every thing did become them which they did and that nothing could be more disgracefull than to give any intimation that such or such a thing was not well done by their King But this opinion is much now decayed the Princes of the bloud are in the next ranke under the King himself There be many and very rich goodly Cities in France but the chiefest of all is Paris called Lutetia quasi Luto sita as some have merrily spoken which place is especially honoured first by the presence of the King most commonly keeping Court and Residence there Secondly by the great store of goodly houses whereof part belong to Noblemen and part are houses of Religion Thirdly by the University which is incomparably the greatest most ancient and best filled of alâ—… France Fourthly in that it is the chiefe Parliament City of that Kingdome without the Ratification of which Parliament at Paris Edicts and Proclamations coming from the King are not held authenticall Fifthly by the great Traffique of all kind of Merchandize which is used in that place The Parliament Cities in France are places where their Termes are kept and in severall Provinces are seven unto which the causes of inferiour Courts within their distinct Provinces may be brought by appeale but the Parliament of Paris hath that Prerogative that appeales from all Courts of the Kingdome do lie there That which we call our Parliament in England is amongst them tearmed Conventus Ordinum or the States France in ancient time as Caesar reporteth in the first of his Commentaries was divided into three parts Aquitania which was towards the West Celtica towards the North and West and Belgica which is towards the North. Belgium is sometime called Gallia inferior and sometime Germania inforior but we commonly call it the Low-Countries the Government whereof at this day is not at all under France but Gallia Celtica and Aquitania are under the French King The ancient Inhabitants of this Country were the Gaules who possessed not only all that we now call France being the greatest part of that the Romans called Gallia Transalpina but also a good part of Italy which they call Gallia Cisalpina a people whose beginnings are unknown this of them is certaine that they were a Nation of valourâ—… for they not only sackt Rome buâ—… also carried their conquering armeâ—… into Greece where they sate downâ—… and were called by the Name oâ—… Gallogrecians or Galathians Some report also that they enâ—… tred into Spaine and subdued anâ—… inhabited that part which was calâ—… led Lusitania now Portugallia buâ—… howsoever their former victoriâ—… and greatnesse they were by Iuliâ—… Caesar subdued and made a Provinâ—… of the people of Rome and so coâ—… tinued under the Romane Empiâ—… till about four hundred yeares afâ—… ter Christ when in the ruine an dismembring of the Roman Empirâ—… the French invaded Gaule and erâ—… cted a Monarchy which hath coâ—… tinued to this day in the successioâ—… of sixty four Kings of three sevâ—… ral races that is to say the Merâ—… vingians Carolovingians and Capâ—… vingians about twelve hundre years and now flourisheth undeâ—… Lewis the 13. the now raigning Kâ—… of France Although the French have done many things worthily out of their own Countrey in the East against the Saracens although they have â—…or a while held Sicily the Kingdome of Naples and the Dutchy of Millaine yet it hath been observed of them that they could never make good their footing beyond the Alpes or in other for reign Regions Howbeit in it self France is one of the strongest Kingdomes in all Europe at this day That which we commonly call the Low-Countries containeth seventeen several Provinces whereof the most part have several titles and Governours as the Dukedome of Brabant the Earledome of Flanders c. Of which the inheritance at several times did fall on Daughters who being married unto the Heire of some of the other Provinces did in the end bring the whole Country into one entire Government which was commonly called by the name of the Dukedome of Burgundy and yet so that in the uniting of them together it was by composition agreed that the severall Provinces should retaine their severall ancient Laws and Liberties which is the reason yielded why some of those Provinces in our age thinke themselves freed from obedience unto the King of Spain unto whom by inheritance they did descend because he hath violated their liberties to the keeping whereof aâ—… the first composition he was bound When this whole Country did be long unto the Crown of France the Dukedome of Burgundy was bestowed by Philip de Valois K. of France unto John de Valois a younger Soâ—… of his from whom by descent iâ—… came at last to Charles the Bold otherwise Proud Duke of Burgundy who left one
Lapland Biarmia and thereabouts they are people so rude and heathenish that as Olaus Magnus writeth of them looke whatsoever living thing they doe see in the morning at their going out of their doors yea if it be a bird or a worm or some such other creeping thing they do yield a Divine Wâ—…ship and Reverence thereunto for all that day as if it were some inferiour God Damianus à Goes hâ—…th written a pretty Treatise describing the manner of those Lappians The greatest part of the Country of Russia is in the winter so exceeding cold that both â—…he Rivers are frozen over the land covered with snow and such is the sharpnesse of the aire that if any go abroad bare-faced it causeth their flesh in a short time to rot which befalleth to the fingers and toes of divers of them therefore for a great part of winter they live in stoves and hot-houses and if they be occasioned to go abroad they use many furs whereof there is great plenty in that Country as also wood to make fire but yet in the summer time the face of the soyle and the aire is very strangely altered insomuch that the Countrey seemeth hot the birds sing very merrily and the trees grasse and coâ—…n in a short spâ—…ce do appear so chearfully green and pleasant that it is scant to be beleeved but of them which have seen it Their building is most of wood even in the chiefe City of Mosco insomuch that the Tartars who lie in the North-east of them breaking oft into their Countries even unto the very Mosco do set fire on their Cities which by reason of their woodden buildings are quickly destroyed The manner of government which of late years hath been used in Russia is very barbarous and little less than tyrannous for the Emperour that last was did suffer his people to be kept in great servility and permitted the Rulers and chief Officers at their pleasures to pil and ransack the common sort but to no other end but that himself might take occasion when he thought good to call them in question for their misdemeanor and so fill his own coffers with flee cing of them which was the same course the old Roman Empire did use calling the Deputies of the Provinces by the name of Spunges whose property is to suck up water but when it is full then it selfe is crushed and yi ldeth forth liquor for the behalfe of another The passage by Sea into this country which was wont to be through the Sound and so afterward by land was first discovered by the English who with great danger of the frozen Seas did first adventure to saile so far North as to compass Lapland Finmark Scricfinia Biarmia and so passing to the East by Nova Zembla halfe the way almost to Cathaio have entred the River called Ob by which they disperse themselves for Merchandize both by water and land into the most parts of the dominion of the Emperor of Russia The first attempt which was made by the English for the entrance of Moscovia by the North seas was in the daies of King Edw. the sixt at which time the Merchants of London procuring leave of the King did send forth Sir Hugh Willoby with shipping and men who went so far toward the North that he Coasted the corner of Scricfinia Biarmia and so turned toward the East but the wheather proved so extream the snowing so great and the freezing of the water so vehement that his ship was set fast in the ice and there he his people were frozen to death and the next year some other comming from England found both the ship and their bodies in it and a perfect Remembrance in writing of all things which they had done and dis covered where amongst the rest mention was made of a land which they had touch'd which to this day is known by the name of Sir Hugh Willobies Land The Merchants of London did not desist to pursue this discovery but have so far prevailed as that they have reached one halfe of the way toward the East part of Chyna and Cathaio but the whole passage is not yet opened This Empire is at this day one of the greatest dominions in the world both for compasse of ground for multitude of men saving that it lyeth far North and so yieldeth not pleasure for good Traffick with many other of the best situated nations Among other things which do argue the magnificence of the Emperour of Russia this one is recorded by many who have travelled into those parts that when the great Duke is disposed to sit in his magnificence besides great store of Jewels and abundance of massie plate both of Gold and Silver which is openly shewed in his Hall there do sit as his Princes and great Nobles cloached in very rich and sumptuous attyre divers men ancient for their yeares very seemly of countenance and grave with white long beards which is a goodly shew besides the rich state of the thing But Olaus Magnus a man well experienced in those Northern parts doth say how truely I cannot tell that the manner of their sitting is a notable fraud and cunning of the Russian in as much as they are not men of any worth but ordinary Citizens of the gravest and seemliest countenance which against such a solemnity are picked out of Mosco and other places adjoining and have robes put on them which are not their own but taken out of the Emperours Wardrobe Of Spruce and Poland IN Europe on the East and North corner of Germany lyeth a Countrey called Prussia in Latine most times Borussia in English Pruthen or Spruce of whom little is famous saving that they were governed by one in a kinde of order of Religion whom they call the Grand-Master and that they are a meanes to keep the Moscovite and the Turke from some other parts of Christend me This Country is now grown to be a Dukedome and the Duke thereof doth admit traffick with our English who going beyond the Hance Townes do touch upon his country and amongst other things doe bring from thence a kinde of leather which was wont to be used i Jerkins and called by the name of Spruce-Leather-Jerkins On the Eâ—…t side â—… Germany between Russia and Germany â—…eth Polonia or Poland which is a â—…gdome diffeâ—…ing from others 〈◊〉 Europe because the King there is â—…osen by Election out of some of the Princes neere adjoining as laâ—…ely Henry the third King of France These Elections oftenâ—…mes doe make great factions there so that in taking parts they grow often there into Civill warre The King of Polonia is almost continually in warre either with the Moscovite who lyeth in the East and North-East of him or with the Turke who liâ—…th on the South and South Eâ—…st and someâ—…imes also with the Princes of Germany whereupon the Poles doe commonly desire to chule warriours to their King In this
the overthrow of that Kingdome It should seem that about this mountaine it is very cold by reason of that jest which Athenaeus reported Stratonieus to have uttered concerning that Hill when he said that for eight months in the yeare it was very cold and for the other foure it was winter From Haemus toward the South lieth Grecia bounded on the West by the Ad iaticke sea on the East 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thracianâ—… sea and Maâ—…e Aâ—…geum on the South by the main Mediterranean sea This contained an old time four speciall parts Peloponnesus Achaia Macedonia and Epirus Adjoining whereunto was Illyricum Peleponnesus which is now called Moreah in the south part of Grecia being Peninsula or almost an Iland for that it is joined by a little strait called Istâ—…es unto the rest of Graecia Herein stood Sparta and the ancient state of Lacedemon the lawes thereof were made by Lycurgus by the due observation of which Tullie could say in his time that the title of Sparta in Lacedemon had continued in the same means and behaviour for the space of 700. yeares This Sparta was it which so often made warre against the Athenians and this and Athens were called the two edges of Grecia Neare the Isthmos or Straits stood tâ—…e famous City of Corinth which was in old time called the Key of Greece and whether St. Paul wrote two of his Epistles Aereus Sylvius in his Cosmograph call Treatise De Europa cap. 21 saith that the straits which divide Moreah from the rest of Grecia are in bredth but five miles and that divers Kings and Princes did go about to dig away the earth that they might make it to be an Iland He nameth King Demetrius Julius Caesar Caius Caligula Domitius Nero of all whom he doth note that they not onely failed of their purpose but that they came to violent and unnaturall deaths From the Isthmos which is the end of Pelopennesus or Moreah beginneth Achaia and spreadeth it self Northwards but a little way unto the Hill Othris which is the bounds between Achaia and Macedonia but East and West much more largely as Eastward even unto the Island Euâ—…oea with a great Promontory and Westward bounding unto Epirus The inhabitants of this place were they which properly are called Achivi which word is so oft used by Virgil. Here towards the East part stood Beotia and upon the Sea-coast looking South-ward towards Moreah was Athens which was famous for the lawes of Solon for the warres against Sparta and many other Cities of Grecia and for an University of learned men which long continued there In this part of Greece stood Pernassus and Helicon so much talked of by Poets and Phocis and Thebes and briefly all the Cities whereof Livie speaking doth term by the name of Achai or 〈◊〉 Archaeorum The third Province of Graeciâ—… câ—…lled Epirus lyeth Westward from Achala and exâ—…en s it self for a good space that â—…av but toward the North and South it is but narrow lying along the sea-coast and looking Souâ—…hward on the Islands of Conegra and Cephalonia This was be Counâ—…ry wherein Olympias wife unto Philip of Macedâ—…nia and Mother unto Alexander the gâ—…ea was born This also was the Kingdome of that noble Pyrrhus which made such great warres against the Romans and in our lâ—…tter age it was made reâ—…owned by the valiant Scand rberg who was so great a scouâ—…ge unto the Turke whose life is so excellently written by Martinus Partesius From the East part oâ—… Epiruâ—… Northward lyeth a Country which was never noted by anâ—… famous name but as it should seen was sometime under Epirus from which it lieth Northward some imes under Macedonia from which it lyeth Westward and sometimeâ—… under Illyris or Dalmatia from which it lyeth Southward and i may be that there was in old time divers free Cities there Illyricum which confineth upon Graecia toâ—…ard the North and West near un â—…o the top of the Adriatick sea and not far from Venice is for a good part of it at this day under the Vene iâ—…s The soâ—…rth and greatest part oâ—… â—…ld Grecia was Macedâ—…nia which is faâ—…sty by the Maps of the Râ—…man Empâ—…re placed on the West side of Gâ—…aecia for in truth it â—…yeth on the East side looking toward Asia the lesser being bounded on the East side by the Sea called Mare Egeum on the South side by Achaia and the Hill Othris and part of Epirus and on the West side by certaine great mountains but on the North by the Hill Haemus This was the Kingdome so famous in times past for Philip and Alexander his son who conquered the whole world and caused the name of the third Empire to be attributed unto this place Here stood the hill Athos whereof part was digged down by the army of Xerxes the great King of Persia who warred against the Grecians Here was the Hill Olympâ—…s the City of Philipai 〈◊〉 he e the Philippians dwelt to whom Sr. Paul wrote Here was Ampollonia Amphipolis Edâ—…ssa Pella Thessalonica and Bâ—…rea yea and the whole Couâ—…try of Thessalia lay on the South side of this part oâ—… Greece In this Country of Grecia were in ancient times many Kingdomes and States as at this day there are in Italy as the Macedâ—…nians the Kingdome of Epirus the State of Athens the government of Spartaâ—…he â—…he City of Thebes and very many other places insomuch that almost every Town had a peculiar government But now it is all under oneâ—… Monarchy From Grecia in old time did almost all famous things come These were they that made the waâ—… against Troy that resisted Xerxes the mighty King of Persia that had the famous Law-makers as Solon in Athens and Lycurgus of Lacedemon that took away the Monarchy from the Persians that brought forth theâ—… famous Captaines as Themistceles Milâ—…iades Alexander and many others that were the Authours of civility unto the Western Nations and to some in the East as Asia the lesse that gave to Italy and to the Romans the first light of learning because from them arose the first Poets as 〈◊〉 Hesiodus Sophocles and divers others The great Phâ—…losophers Socrates Plaâ—…o Aristotle and all the Sects of the Academicks Stoicks Peripateticks Epicureâ—…ns and almost all their Scholars The great Oratours Demosthenes and Aeschines and in one word the Mathematicks excepted which came rather from the Chaldeans and the Egypâ—…ians the whâ—…le flowers of Arts and good Learning On the North-East part of Graecia standeth Thracia which thoâ—… hereâ—…ofore it hath been distinguished yet now is accounted as the chiefe part of Greece Here on the edge of the sea-coast very near unto Asia stâ—…deth the City called Bizantium but since Constantinople be cause Constantine the Great did new build it and made it an Imperiall City This was the chiefe residence of the Emperour of Graecia sometimes called New Rome and the
glory of the East where the generall Council was once assembled and one of the seas of the Patriarks who was called the Patriark of Constantinople But by the great discord of the Christians all Graecia and this City are fallen into the hands of the Turk who now maketh it his place of imperiall aboad It was won 〈◊〉 the time of Constantine the last Emperor so that by Constantine it obtained his honour and by Constantine it lost it In this City lyeth resident with the Turk an Ambassadour or Agent for the King of England The Christians that do now live in Grecia are in miserable servitude unto the Turke They disagree in many things from the doctrine of the Church of Rome Of the Sea running between Europe and Asia IF there were no other Argument that the Northern parts of the World were not discovered in times past by any that travelled that way yet this would sufficiently avouch 〈◊〉 that there was never thought upon anâ—… land between Asia and Europe higher than the River Tanais which doth not extend it selfe very faâ—… into the North but is short of the uttermost bounds that was by the space of foure thousand miles but this river which by the Tartarians is now called Don where it doth run it leaveth Asia on the Eastside and Europe on the West but going forward towards the South it disburtheneth it self into a dead Lake or Fen for so it seemeth which is called Meotis Palus spoken of in the second book of Justine and not forgotten by Ovid de Ponto and at this day in the dead of winter it is usually frozen that the Scythians and Tartarians neer adjoining do both themselves and their cattel yea sometimes with sleads after them passe over as if it were dry land On the Southern part of this Meotis is a narrow strait of the Sea which is commonly called by the name of Bosphorus Cimmerius because as it is thought sometime Oxen have ventured to swim crosse there from Asia to Europe or backward When the water hath run for a pretty space iâ—… so narrow a passage there beginneth â—… great and wide Sea named Pontus Euxinus whether as Josephus reporteth the whale did carry the Prophet Jonas and there did disburthen himselfe of his carriage by casting him upon the land At the mouth of this Sea is a very great strait knowne by the name of Thracius Bosphorus where the breadth of this sea is not above one mile serving Asia and Europe Oâ—… the side of Europe standeth Constantinople On the side of Asia the City called Pera or Galatae which for the neerenesse is by some reckoned a part of Constantinople When any of the Turks Janizaries have committed ought worthy of death the custome is is to send the same party in the night time over by boat from Constantinople to Pera whereby the way he is thrown iâ—… to the water with a great stone about his neck and then there is a piece of Oâ—…dnance shot off which is a token of some such execution The Turke is forced to take this course lest the rest of his Janizaries should mutiny when any of their fellowes is put to death By reason of the standing of Asia and Europe so neare together and the sea running between them which serveth each place with all manner of commodities it appeareth that Constantinople is marveâ—…lously richly and conveniently seaâ—…ed aâ—…d therefore a fit place from whence â—…e Turke may offer to atcâ—…ieve attâ—…mps After this stâ—…ait the sea openeth it self more large toward he 〈◊〉 â—…is called by the name oâ—… 〈◊〉 But then it groveth again into a â—…other straâ—…t which they write to be 〈◊〉 bâ—…ead 〈◊〉 two in 〈◊〉 This is called Hâ—…ll spâ—…ntus having on the one side 〈◊〉 in Asia on the otherside Sâ—…stus on the side of Euâ—…pe This is that place where â—…rxes the great King oâ—… Persia dâ—…d â—…ike his bridge over the Sea so muâ—…h renowned in ancient history which was not impossible by reason of the narrownesse the foundation of his bridge being rested on ships Here also may appeare the reason of the story of Leander and Hero which Leander is reported for the love of Hero to have often times swum over the Sea till at last he was drowned From this straâ—…â—…outhward the Sea groweth more wide and is called afterwards by the name of Mare Aegeum and so descendeth to the full Mediterranean Of Asia and first of Tartary ON the South side of Asia 〈◊〉 unto the Dominiâ—… the Emperour of Râ—…ssia is Tartary in ancient time 〈◊〉 Scyâ—…hia the bouâ—…ds whereof did then extend themâ—…es into a good part of Europe and therefore was called Scythia Europea but the greatest part of â—…t lyeth in Asia a mighty large Country extending it self on the North to the uttermost Sea on the â—…ast to the Dominion of the Great Cham or Prince of Cathaie on the South down to Mare Caspium The Tartarians which now inhabit it are men of great stature rude of behaviour no Christians but Gentiles neither do they acknowledge Mahomet They have few or no Cities among them but after the manner of the old Scythians do live in Wildernesses lying under their Carts and following their droves of Cattell by the milke whereof they do nourish themselves They sowe no corne at all because they abide not long in any one place but taking their direction from the North-pole-starre they remove from one coast of their Countrey unto another The Countrey is populous and the men are great warriours fighting alwaies on horseback with their bow arrowes and a short sword They have amongst them infiniâ—…e store of horses whereof they sell many into the Countries neere adjoining Their ordinary food in their warres is horse-flesh which they use to eat raw being chafed a little by hanging at their saddle They have great wars with the Countries adjoining but especially with the Moscovite and sometimes with the Turke from hence came Tamberlain who brought 700000. of the Tartarians at once into the field wherein he distressed and took prisoner Bajazet the great Turke whom he afterward forced to feed as a dog under his table They have now amongst them many Princes and Governours as those have one whom they call the Crim Tartars and those have ano ther which are the Tartars of Ma gaiae and so divers others The English have laboured to their great expences to finde out the way by the North Seas of Tartaria to go into Cathay and China but by reason of the frozen Seas they have not yet prevailed although it hath been reported that the Flemmings have discovered that passage which would be very likely to the great benefit of the Northern parts of Christendome yet that report doth not continue and therfore it is to be thought that the Flemmings have not proceeded so farre Of Cathaie and China NExt beyond Tartaria on the North-East part of Asia lyeth a
for the convenience of the Sea every way and so many good Havens hath been reputed alwaies a very commodious and pleasurefull Countrey It is wholly at this day under the Turke The mountaine Taurus goeth along from the West unto the East part of it The greatnesse of this Countrey is such that it hath comprehended many Kingdomes and large Provinces besides Cities of great fame On the South-East part thereof neare to Palestina lyeth Cilicia the chiefe City whereof is Tarsus the Countrey of Saint Paul the place whither Solomon sent for great store of his gold and provision for the Temple whither Jonas also fled when he should have gone to Niniveh In the straits of the Cilicia neare to the mountaine Taurus did Alexander give a great overthrow in person to Darius in the joining of their first battell This place seemes to have been very fortunate for great Fights in as much as there also neare unto the straits was the baâ—…ell fought out between Severus the Emperour and Niger who being Governour of the Romanes of Syria would needs have aspired to the Empire but in a battell which was very hardly fought out he was overthrown in the straits of Cilicia In the very corner where Cilicia is joined unto the upper part of Syria is a little Bay which in times past was named Sinus Isicus near unto which Alexander built one of his Cities which he called by his own name But howsoever in times past it was named Alexandria it is now by the Venetians and other Christians called Alexandretta who should say little Alexandria in comparison of the other In Egypt the Turkes do call it Scandarond and it is a petty Haven where our Merchants do land most of their goods which are afterwards by Camels carried up to Aleppo At this day the City is so decayed that there be onely a few houses there Westward from Cilicia lieth the Province called Pamphylia wherein stands the City Seleucia built by Seleuchus one of the foure great successours of Alexander the Great On the West of this Pamphylia standeth Lycia and more west from thence confining upon the I le of Rhodes is Caria one of the Sea-Townes whereof is Halicarnassus which was the Countrey of Herodotus who is one of the most ancient Historians that is extant of the Gentiles and who dedicated his nine bookes to the honour of the Muses Here also was that Dionysius borne who is called commonly Dionysius Halicarnassus one of the Writers of the Romane Story for the first three hundred yeares after Rome was built The whole Countrey of Caria is sometimes signified by the name of this Halicarnassus although it was but one City and thereupon Artemisia who in the dayes of Xerxes came to aid him against the Graecians and behaved her selfe so manfully in a great fight at sea when Xerxes stood by as a coward is intituled by the name not of Queen of Caria but of Halicarnassus Also in the daies of Alexander the Great there was another Queen named Ada who also is honoured by the title of Queen of Halicarnassus We have thus farre described those Cities of Asia the lesse which do lie from that part that joineth unto Syria along the Sea coast Westward but being indeed the Southern part of Asia minor Now upwards towards the North standeth Ionia where those did dwell who had like to have joined with Xerxes in the great battell at sea but that Themistocles by a policy did winne them from him to take part with the Grâ—…cians Diodorus Siculus writeth that the Athenians who professed to be of kin to those Ionians were on a time marvellous importunate with them that they should leave their own Country and come and dwell with them which when the Ionians hardly but yet at length did accept the Athenians had no place to put them in and so they returned with great disgrace to them both A little within the Land lying North and East from Ionium was Lydia which sometimes was the Kingdome of Croesus who was reputed so rich a King when he was in his prosperity making best of his happinesse he was told by Solon that no man could reckon upon felicity so long as he lived because there might be great mutability of Fortune which he after ward found true For he was taken prisoner by Cyrus who was once minded to have put him to death but hearing him report the advertisement of Solon formerly given to him he was moved to thinke that it might be his own case and so took pity on him and spared his life These Lydians being inhibited afterward by Cyrus to use any Armour and give themselves to Bathes and Stewes and other such effeminate things Upon the sea-coast in Ionia standeth the City Ephesus which was one of the seven Cities unto which John in his Revelation did write hiâ—… seven Epistles and Saint Paul also directed his Epistle to the Ephesi ans unto the Church which was in this place This was one of the most renowned Cities of Asia the lesse but the Fame thereof did most arise from the Temple of Diana which was there built and was reputed for the magnificence thereof one of the seven wonders of the world This Temple was said to be two hundred yeares in building and was burnt seven severall times whereof the most part was by lightning and the finall destruction thereof came by a base person called Herostratus who to purchase himself some fame did set it on fire This was the place of which it is said in the Acts of the Apostles that all Asia and the whole World doe worship this Diana Tully reporteth De natura Deorum that Tinâ—…us being asked the reason why the Temple of Diana was on fire that night when Alexander the Great was born gave that jest thereof that the mistresse of it was from home because she being the Goddesse of Midwives did that night wait upon Olympias the Mother of Alexander the Great who was brought to bed in Macedonia Another of the seven Cities unto which John did write is Smyrna standing also in Ionia upon the Sea coast but somewhat more North then Ephesus which is the place where Polycarpus was Bishop who sometimes had been Scholler unto Iohn the Evangelist and living till he was of great age was at lâ—…st put to death for Christs sake when before he had been moved by the Governour of the Countrey to deny his Sa viour and to burn Incense to an Idoll But he answered that â—…ourescore and six yeares he had served Christ Jesus and in all that time he had never done him harm and therefore now in his old age he would not beginne to deny him The third City unto which the Epistle is directed in the Apocalyps is Sardis which standeth within the land in Lydia as is described by the best Writers and it was a City both of great pleasure and profit unto the
Kings in whose Dominion it stood which may be gathered hereby that when once the Grecians had wonne it Durius Histaspis or Xerxes who were Kings of Persia did give charge that every day at dinner one speaking aloud should remember him that the Grecians had taken Sardis which intended that he never was in quiet till it might bee recovered again There stood also in the In-land Philadelphia Thyatina Laodicea and most of all to the North Pergamus which were the other foure Cities unto which St John the Evangelist did direct his Epistle Going upward from Ionium to the North there lyeth on the Sea-coast a little Country called Eolis and beyond that although not upon the Sea the two Provinces called Mysia Major and Mysia Minor which in times past were so base and contemptible that the people thereof were used in speech as a proverb that if a man would describe one meaner then the meanest it was said he was Mysiorum postremus On the West part of Mysia major did lye the Countrey called Troas wherein stood Ilium and the City of Troy against which as both Virgil and Homer have written the Grecians did continue their siege for the space of tenne yeares by reason that Paris had stollen away Helena the wife of Menelaus who was King of Sparta Eastward both from Troas and Mysia major a good space within the land was the Countrey called Phrygia where the Goddesse which was called Bona Dea or Pessinuntia or Cybele the mother of the old gods had her first abiding and from thence as Herodiaâ—… wrteth was brought to Rome as implying that good fortune should follow her thither In this Countrey lived that Gondius who knit the â—…ot called for the intricatenesse thereof Nodus Gordianus and when it could not be untied was cut in sunder by Alexander the Greâ—…t supposing that it should bee his fortune for the loosing of it so to be the Conquerour and King of Asia as by a prophecy of the same Gordius had been before spoken Yet North-ward from Phrygia lyeth the Countrey of Bythinia which was sometimes a Kingdome where Perusias raigned that had so much to do with the Romanes In this Countrey standeth the City Nicea where the first General Councill was held against Arius the Hereticke by Constantine the Great thereof called the Nicene Councilâ—… Here standeth also Chalcedon where the fourth Generall Councill was held by the Emperour Marcianus against the Heretick Nestorius From Bythinia Eastward on the North side of Asia the lesse standeth the Countrey of Paphlagonia where was the City built by Pompey the Great called by his name Pompeiopolis On the South of Paphlagonia toward the Iland of Asiâ—… minor diâ—… stand the Countrey of Galatia whereunto Saint Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galathians And this also was one of those Countries where the Iewes were dispersed unto which Saint Peter wrote his first Epistle as also unto them which were in Pontus Cappadocia and Bythinia from whence Southward lyeth the Province termed Lyeaoni And from thence yet more South bordering upon Pamphylia which touches the Mediterranean sea lyeth Pisidia concerning which Countries we find oftentimes mention made in such stories as do touch Asia the lâ—…sse From these Sourthern parts if we returne back againe unto the North and East of Asia major lieth the Kingdome of Pontus confining upon that which is named Pontus Euxinus In this Pontus did reigne Mithridates who in his younger daies had travelled over the greatest part of Asia and is reported to have been so skilfull that he could well speak more then twenty Languages His hatred was ever great towards the Romans against whom when he meant first to put his malice in practise he so combined with the Naturals of those parts that in one night they slew more than threescore and ten thousand of the Romans carrying their intendment so close that it was revealed by none till the execution was done Pompey the Great was the man who distressed this Mithridates and brought him to that extremity that he would gladly have poisoned himselfe but could not in as much as his stomack had been used so before unto that kind of Treacle which by reason of his inventing of unto this day is called Mithridate which is made of a kinde of poyson allaied that no venome would easily work upon him Southward from this Pontus standeth the old Kingdome of Cappadocia which in times past was observed to have many men in it but little money Whence Horace saith Mancipiis locuples eget aris Cappadocum Rex Eastward from this Cappadocia as also from Pontus is Armenia minor whereof the things memorable are described in the other Armenia And thus much touching Asia the lesse Of Syria and Palestina or the Holy Land SOuthward from Cilicia and Asâ—…a the lesse lyeth Syria a part whereof was called Palestina having on the East Mesopotamia on the South Arabia on the west Tyre and Sidon and the end of the Mediterranean Sea The people of this Syria were in times past called the Ardmites In their language is the translâ—…ion of the New Testament called Syriacke In this Countrey standed Anâ—… which was sometimes one of the ancient 〈◊〉 See and is a City of reckoning unto this day Here also standeth now the City of Aleppo which is a famous Mâ—…rt Towne for the Merchandizing oâ—… the Persians and others of the Eâ—…st and for the Turks and such Countries as be adjoining Here standeth â—…th also Tripolis The South part of Syria lying downe toward Egypt and Arabia was the place where the Children of Israel did dwell being a Country of small quantity not 200. Italian miles in length it was so fruitfull flowing with Milke and Honey as the Scripture calleth it that it did maintaine above thirty Kings and their people before the comming of the children of Israel out of Egypt and was sufficient afterwards to relieve the incredible number of the twelve Tribes of Israel It is noted of this Countrey that whereas by the goodnesse of the Climate wherein it stood and the fertility of the soyle but especially by the blessing of God it was the most fruitfull Lâ—…nd that was in the World Now ouâ—… Travellers by experience do finde the Countrey in respect of the fruitfulnesse to be changed Gâ—…d cursing the Land together with the Iewes the Inhabitants of it It is observed also for all the Easterne parts that they are not so fertile as they have been in former Ages the Earth as it were growing old which is an Argument of the Dessolution to come by the day of Judgement Through this Countrey doth run the River Jordan which hath heretofore been famous for the fruitfulnesse of the trees standing thereupon and for the mildnesse of the Aire so that as Josephus writeth when snow hath been in other places of the
forty yeares because of their rebellion feeding them in the mean time with Manna from Heaven and sometimes with water miraculously drawn out of dry Rocks for the Country hath very little water almost no trees and is utterly unfit for tillage or corne There are no Towns nor inhabitants of this Desart in Arabia Petrosa are some but not many Arabia Foelix for fruitfulness of ground and convenience standing every way toward the Sea is one of the best Countries of the world and the principall cause why it is called Foelix is for that it yieldeth many things in abundance which in other parts of the world are not to be had as Frankincense especially the most precious Balmes Myrrhe and many other both Fruits and Spices and yieldeth withall store of some precious stones When Alexander the great was young after the manner of the Macedonians he was to put incense upon an Altar pouring on great store of Frankincense one of the Nobility of his Countrey told him that he was too prodigall of that sweet perfume and that he should make spare untill he had conquered the Land wherein the Frankincense did grow But when Alexander afterward had taken Arabia and had possession thereof he sent a ship load of Frankincense to the Noble man and bad him serve the gods plentifully and not offer incense miserably This is that countrey wherein Mahomet was borne who being of mean parentage was brought up in his youth in the trade of Merchandise but afterward joyning himself with thieves and robbers his life was to rob such Merchants as passed thorow Arabia and to this purpose having gotten together many of his own Countrey-men he had afterward a whole legion or more of the Roman Souldiers who being offended with Heraclius the Roman Emperour for want of their pay joined themselves to him so that at length he had a great Army wherewith he spoiled the Countries adjoining And this was about the yeare of Christ 600. To maintaine his credit and authority with his own men he fained that he had conference with the Holy Ghost at such times as he was troubled with the falling sicknesse and accordingly he ordained a new religion consisting partly of Jewish Ceremonies and partly of Christian Doctrine and some other things of his own invention that he might inveigle both Jewes and Christians and yet by his own fancy distinguish his own followers from both The Booke of his Religion is called the Alcaron The people which are Sectaries whereas indeed they came of Hagar the Hand-maid of Sarah Abrahams wife and therefore should of her be called Ishmaelites or Hagarens because they would not seeme to come of a bond-woman and from him whom they suppose a bastard they terme themselves Saracens as comming from Sarah they are called by some Writers Arabians instead of Saracens their name being drawn from their first Countrey Mahomet did take something of his doctrine both from the Jewes and Christians as that there is but one God that there is a life eternall in another world and the ten Commandements which they do admit and beleeve but from the Jewes alone the false Prophet did borrow divers things as that all his males should be circumcised that they should eate no swines flesh that they should oftentimes bathe purge and wash themselves which divers of their people which are more religious than the ordinary sort do five times in the day and therefore they have neare to their Churches and Houses of Devotion divers Baths whereinto when they have entred and washed themselves they do perswade themselves that they are as cleare from sinne as they were the first day they were born In this Country of Arabia standeth a City called Mecha where is the place where Mahomet was buried and in remembrance of him there is builded a great Temple unto which the Turkes and Saracens yearely goe on pilgrimage as some Christians doe to the Holy Land For they account Mahomet to be the greatest Prophet that ever came into the world saying that there were three great Prophets Moses Christ and Mahomet and as the doctrine of Moses was better by Christ so the doctrine of Christ is amended by Mahomet In this respect as we reckon the computation of our yeares from the incarnation of Christ so the Saracens account theirs from the time of Mahomet The Turkes whose fame began now about 3000 yeares since have imbraced the opinions and religion of the Saracens concerning Mahomet Some of our Christians doe report that Medina a City standing three daies journy from Mecha is the place where Mahomet was buried and that by order from himself his body was put into an Iron Coffin which being carried into a Temple the roofe or vault whereof was made of Adamant or perhaps of the Loadstone is attracted unto the top of the vault and there hangeth being supported by nothing But there is no certainty of this Narration This false Prophet as Lodovicus Vives de veritate fidei doth write being desirous in some sort to imitate Christ Jesus who foretold that he should rise again within the space of 3. dayes did give out that himself should rise again but he appointed a larger time that was after 800. yeares and yet that time also is expired but we heare no newes of the resurrection of Mahomet As the Deviil hath ever some device to blinde the eyes of unbelievers so he hath suffered it to be reported and credited among the Turkes that as Moses did allude to the comming of Christ so Christ did foretell somewhat of the appearing of Mahomet Whereupon it is ordinarily received among them that when Christ in St Johns Gospel did say That although he departed he would send them a Comforter it was added in the Text and that shall be Mahomet But that the Christians in malice to them have raced out those words Their own bookes do mention that Mahomet while he lived was much given to lasciviousnesse and all uncleannesse of body even with very beasts and his followers are so senslesse that in imitation of him they think no such wickednesse to be unlawfull For they are utterly unlearned and most receive whatsoever is delivered unto them out of the Alcaron Mahomet having made it a matter of death to dispute sift or call in question any thing which is written in his Law On the West side of Arabia between that and Egypt lieth the Gulph called of the Country Sinus Arabicus by some Mare Erithraeum but commonly the Red sea not from the rednesse of the water but because the land and bankes thereabout are in colour red This is the Sea through the which by Moses the people of Israel were led when they fled out of Egypt from Pharaoh God causing by his power the waters to stand on both sides of them that they passed through as on dry land This is that Sea through which the spices of the East Indies were in times past brought to
Alexandria in Egypt and from thence dispersed into Christendome by the Venetians which spices and Apothecaries drugs are found to be farre worse than before time they were by reason of the great moisture which they take on the water by reason of the long navigation of the Portugals by the back parts of Africa This is the sea through the which Solomon did send for his gold and other precious Merchandise unto the East Indies and not to the West-Indies as some lately have disputed Whereout the vanity of that opinion may appeare that America and the West Indies were known in the time of Solomon For if he had sent thither his course had been along the Mediterranean and through the straits of Gibraltar commonly called Fretum Herculium between Spain Barbary But the Scripture telleth that the Navy which Solomon sent forth was built at Ezion Geber which is there also said to stand on the Red Sea So his course might be East-ward or South-ward and not West-ward In the Desart of Arabia is the Mount Horeb which by some is supposed to be the same that is called Mount Sinai where they think it was that Abraham should have offered up his sonne Isaac But this is certaine that it is the place where God in the wildernesse did give unto the people of Israel his Law of the ten Commandements in thundering lightning and great earth quake in most fearefull manner Of Africke and Egypt FRom Arabia and Palestina toward the West 〈◊〉 A fricke having on the North side from the one end of it to the other the Mediterranean sea The greatest p rt of which Coun try although it hath been guessed at by Writers in former time yet because of the great heat of it lying for the most part of it under the Zona Torrida and or the Wildernesses therein it was in former time supposed by many not to be much inhabited but of certainty by all to be very little discovered till the Portugals of late began their navigation on the backe side of Africa to the East Indies So exact a description is therefore not to be looked for as hath been of Asia and Europe Joining to the Holy Land by a little Istmos in the Countrey of Egypt which is a land as fruitful as any almost in the world although in these daies it doth not answer to the fertilty of former times This is that which in the time of Joseph did relieve Canaan with corne and the family of Jacob which did so multiply in the land of Egypt that they were grown to a huge multitude when God by Moses did deliver them thence This Countrey did yield exceeding abundance of corne unto the City of Rome whereupon Egypt as well as Sicilia was commonly called Horreum populi Romani It is observed from all antiquity that almost never any raine did fall in the land of Egypt Whereupon the raining with thunder and lightning and fire running on the ground was so much more strange when God plagued Pharaâ—…h in the daies of Moses But the flowing of the River Nilus over all the Countrey their Cities onely and some few hils excepted doth so water the Earth that it bringeth forth fruit abundantly The flowing of which river yearly is one of the greatest miracles of the world no man being able to yield a sufficient and assured reason thereof although in Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus many probable causes and opinions are assigned thereof That there doth not use any rain to fall in Egypt besides other heathen testimonies and experiences of Travellers may be gathered out of the Scripture for in the 10 Chapter of Deuteronomy God doth make an Antithesis between the Land of Canaan and Egypt saying that Egypt was watered as a man would water a garden of herbes that is to say by the hand But they should come into a Land which had hills and mountaines and which was watered with the raine of Heaven and yet some have written that ever now and then there is mists in Egypt which yield though not raine yet a pretty dew It is noted of this River that if in ordinary places it doe flow under the height of fifteen cubits that then for want of moisture the earth is not fruitfull and if it doe flow above seventeen cubits that there is like to be a dearth by reason of the abundance of moisture the water lying longer on the Land than the inhabitants do desire It is most probably conjectured that the falling and melting of snow from those hils which be called Lunae Montes do make the increase of the River Nilus And the custome of the people in the Southerne parts of Arabia is that they do receive into ponds and dams the water that doth hastily fall and the same they let out with sluces some after some which causeth it ordinarily to come down into the plaines of Egypt For the keeping up of these Dammes the Countrey of Egypt hath time out of mind paid a great tribute to Prester-John Which when of late it was denied by the Turke Prester John caused all the sluces to be let go on the sudden whereby he marveliously annoied and drowned up a great part of the Countrey of Egypt In Egypt learning hath been very ancient but especially the knowledge of Astronomy and Mathematicks whereof before the time of Tully their Priests would report that they had the discent of 1500 yeares exactly recorded with observations Astrological which as it is a fable unlesse they do reckon their yeares by the Moone as some suppose they did every month for a year so it doth argue knowledge to have been among them very ancient Their Priests had among them a kinde of writing and describing of things by picture which they did call their Hieroglyphica This in times past was a Kingdome and by the Kings thereof were built those great Pyramides which were held to be one of the seven wonders of the world being mighty huge buildings erected of exceeding height for to shew the magnificence of their founders There is part of two or three of them remaining unto this day Divers learned men are at this day of opinion that when the children of Israel were in Egypt and so oppressed by Pharaoh as is mentioned in the beginning of the booke of Exodus their labour in burning of bricke was partly imployed to the erecting of some of those Pyramides but the scripture doth onely mention walling of Cities The founders of these Pyramides were commonly buried in or under them and it is not unfit to remember that the Kings and great men of Egypt had much cost bestowed upon them after they were dead For in as much as Arabia was neare unto them whence they had most precious balmes and other costly Spices they did with charge embalme their dead and that with such curious art that the flesh thereof and the skin will remaine unputrified for divers hundred years and all learned men
think thousands of yeares Whereof experiments are plentifully at this day by the whole bodies hands or other parts which by Merchants are now brought from thence and doth make the Mummia which the Apothecaries use the colour being very black and the flesh clung unto the bones Moses doth speak of this when he saith that Jacob was embalmed by the Physicians after the manner of embalming of the Egyptians But this manner of embalming is ceased long since in Egypt In Egypt did stand the great City Memphis which at this day is called Caire one of the famous Cities of the East Here did Alexander build that City which unto this day is of his name ca led Alexandria being now the greatest City of Merchandized in all Egypt of which Ammianus Marcellinus doth observe that there was never any or almost have ever been but that once in the day the Sun hath been ever seen to shine over Alexandria This City was one of the four Patriarchall seas which were appointed in the first Niâ—…ene Councill This Countrey was governed by a King as long agoe as almost any Countrey in the World Here reigned Amasis who made those good Lawes spoken of by Herodotus and Diodorus Sioulus in whose writings the ancient customes of the Egyptians are worthy to bee read After Alexanders time Ptolomeus one of his Captaines had this Kingdome of whom all his successors were called Ptolomeis as before time all their Kings were called Pharaohs they continued long friends and in league with the people of Rome till the time of Julius Caesar but after wards they were subjects to the Romanes till the Empire did decay When they had withdrawne themselves from the Romanes government they set up a Prince of their owne whom they termed the Sultan or Souldan of Egypt of whom about 400 yeares since Saladine was one But when the race of these were out the Mamabucks who were the guard of the Sultaine as the Janizaries be to the Turke appointed a Prince at their pleasure till that now about an 100 yeares ago or lesse the Turk Solimus possessed himself with the sole government of the Countrey so that at this day Egypt is wholly under the Turke There be Christians that now live in Egypt paying their tribute unto the Turke as others do now also in Graecia Aeneas Sylvius doth report in his History de mundo universo cap 60. that divers did go about to dig through that little Istmos or strait which at the top of the Red Sea doth joyne Egypt to some part either of Arabia or of the Holy Land imagining the labour not to be great in as much as they conceived the space of ground to be no more then one thousand five hundred furlongs Sesostris the King of Egypt as he saith did first attempt this Secondly Darius the great Monarke of the Persians Thirdly Ptolomy one of the Kings of Egypt who drew a ditch a 100. foot broad 30. foot deep and 37. miles and a halfe long but when he intended to go forward he was forced to cease for fear of inundaiton and over-flowing the whole land of Egypt the Red Sea being found to be higher by three Cubites than the ordinary plaine of Egypt was But Pliny affirmeth that the digging was given over lest the Sea being let in should marre the water of Nilus which alone doth yield drinke to the Egyptians Pet. Maffaeus in his Indian story doth tell that there was a Portugal also that of late yeares had a conceit to have had this work finished that so he might have made the third part of the old known world Africa to have been an Iland compassed round with the Sea Men commonly in the description of Egypt do report that whole Country to stand in Africk but if we will speake exactly and repute Nilus to be the bound between Asia and Africa we must then acknowledge that the Easterne part of Egypt from Nilus and so forward to the Red Sea doth lye in Asia which is observed by Peter Martyr in that pretty Treatise of his Delegatione Babylonica Although this Country of Egypt doth stand in the selfe same Climat that Mauritania doth yet the inhabitants there are not black but rather dunne or tawny Of which colour Cleopatra was observed to be who by inticement so won the love of Julius Caesar and Antonie And of that colour do those runnagates by devices make themselves to be who go up and down the world under the name of Egyptians being indeed but counterfets and the refuse of rascality of many Nations Of Cyrene and Africke the lesse ON the West side of Egypt lying along the Mediterranean is a Country which was called in old time Cyrene wherein did stand that Oracle which was so famous in the time of Alexander the Great called by the name of the Temple or Oracle of Jupiter Hammon whither when Alexander did repaire as to take counsell of himselfe and his successe the Priests being before taught what they should say did flatteringly confesse him to be the Sonne of God and that he was to be adored so that as the Oracle of Delphos and some other were plaine delusions of Sathan who did raigne in that darke time of ignorance so this of Jupiter Hammon may be well supposed to be nothing else but a cousenage of the Priests In this Countrey and all neare about where the Oracle stood are very great wildernesses where did appeare to Alexander for foure daies journy neither Grasse Tree Water Man Bird nor Beast but onely a deep kind of Sand so that he was enforced to carry water with him for himself and his company and all other provision on Camels backs At this day this Countrey hath lost his old name and is reckoned as a part of Egypt and lieth under the Turke In dry Countries as in Africa and the Wildernesse of Arabia they have much use of Camels First because they can carry a huge burthen of water and other provision Secondly because that themselves will go a long time without drinke travelling as Solinus writeth foure daies together without it but then drinking excessively and that especially of muddy and puddle water And thirdly because that in an extremity those that travell with them do let them blood in a veine and sucke out the blood whereby as the owner is much relieved so the Camell is little the worse Westward from this Countrey along the Mediterranean lieth that which in ancient time was called Africa minor for as in Asia one part above another was by an ex cellencie called Asia or Asta the lesse so this part of Africa was termed by the Romanes sometimes Africa simply some Africke the lesse In this Countrey did stand that place so famous mentioned by Salust under the name of Philionorum aroe which was the bound in that time betweene Africke and Cyrene On the North and East part hereof in the Sea neere unto the shore was the Quick-sand which in times past did
but in Latin some terme him Prestiosus Johannes but the most part Presbyter Johannes writing of him As he is a Prince absolute so he hath also a Priest-like or Patriarchall function and jurisdiction among them This is a very mighty Prâ—…nce and reputed to be one of the greatest Emperors in the world What was known of this Countrey in former time was knowne under the name of Ethiâ—…pia but the voyages of the Portugals in these late daies have best described it The people therefore are Christians as is also the Prince but differing in many things from the West Church and in no sort acknowledging any supreme Prerogative of the Bishop of Rome It is thought that they have retained Christianity even from the time of our Saviour being supposed to be converted by the Chamberlaine of Candace the Queen of Ethiopia who was instructed concerning Christ by Philip the Evangelist in the Acts of the Apostles Eusebius 〈◊〉 his Ecclesiasticall story doth make mention of this But they do to this daâ—… retaine Circumcision whereof the reason may be that the 〈◊〉 their Converter not having any fuâ—…ther conference with the Apostle nor any else with him did receive the ceremonies of the Church imperfectly retaining Circumcision which among the Jewes was not aboli shed when he had conference with Philip. Within the dominion of Prester John are the mountaines commonly called Lunae montes where is the first well-spring and rising of the river Nilus yet there are that fetch the head of this River out of a certaine great Lake toward the South called Zembre out of which toward the West runnes the River of Zaire into the Kingdome of Mani-congo The Râ—…ver of Zuama or Cuama towards the South to the Kingdome of Monomoâ—…apa or Benomotapa as the River Nilus towards the North through the Kingdome of the Abissines to Egypt which River running violently along this Countrey and sometimes hastily increasing by the melting of much snow from the Mountaines would over-runne and drown a great part of Egypt but that it is slaked by many ponds dammes and sluces which are within the Dominion of Prester John And in respect hereof for the maintenance of these the Princes of Egypt have paid upto the Governour of the Abissines a great Tribute time out of mind which of late the great Turke supposing it to be a custome needlesse did deny till the people of the Abissines by commandement of their Prince did breake downe their dams and drowning Egypt did enforce the Turke to continue his pay and to give much money for the making of them very earnestly to his great charge desiring a peace In this Countrey also of Prester John is the rising of the famous River Nigar supposed to have in it the most and the best precious stones of any River in the World which rising likewise out of a great Lâ—…ke out of that Mount after it hath runne a good space hideth it self for the space of 60. miles under ground then appearing again after it hath runne somewhat further makes a great Lake and again after a great tract another and at last after a long course fals at Cape Verde into the Atlantick sea Ortelius in his larger Maps describes it falling into the Sea like Nilus in Egypt with seven streames or Ostia but those that travell these parts say that there are only some Bayes but there is no River in those parts running into the Sea but 〈◊〉 There be other Countries in Africke as Agâ—…simba Libia interior Nubia and others of whom nothing is famous but this may be said of Africke in generall that it bringeth forth store of all sorts of wild Beasts as Elephants Lyons Panthers Tygers and the like yea according to the Proverbe Africa semper aliquid oportet novi Oftentimes new and strange shapes of wild Beasts are brought forth there the reason whereof is that the Countrey being very hot a d full of Wildernesses which have in them little water the Beasts of all sorts being enforced to meet at those few watering places that be where oftentimes contrary kindes have conjunction the one with the other so that there arifeth a new kind of Species which taketh part of bo h. Such a one is the Leopard begotten of the Lyon and the Beast called Pardus and somewhat resembling ei her of them A d thus farre of Africke Of the Northern Ilands THE Ilands that do lye in the North aâ—…e in number almost infinite the chiefe of them only shall be briefly touched Very farre to the North in the same Climate also with Sweden that is under the circle Articke lyeth an Iland called in old time Thule which was then supposed to be the farthest part of the world North ward and therefore is called by Virgil Utima Thule The Countrey is cold the people barbarous and yielde hâ—… liâ—…tle commodity saving Hawkes in some part of the yeare there is no night at all Unto this land divers of our English Nation do yearely travel and do bring from thence good store of fish but especially our deepest and thickest Ling which are therefore called Isl nd â—…ings It hath pleased God that in these latter times the Gospell is there preached and the people are instracted in Christianity having also the knowledge of good Learning which is brought about by the meanes of the King of Sweden unto whom that Iland is now subject There is lately written by one of that Nation a pretty Treatise in Latine which describeth the manner of that Countrey and it is to be seen in the first Tome of Master Hackluits Voyage Southward from thence lyeth Frizeland called in Latine Frizlandia whereas the Frizeland joyning to Germany is in Latine called Frizia On the coast of Germany one of the seventeene Provinces is called Zealand which continueth in it divers Ilands in whom little is famous saving that in one of them is Flishen oâ—… Flushen a Town of war and Middleburge is another a place â—…f good Mart. Livinus Limnius and some of the low Germans be of opinion â—…hat this City was fiâ—…t built by Metellus the Roman and that which now is called Middlâ—…burge was at the first termed Metolli Burgum The States of the Low-Countries do hold this Province against the King of Spain These Ilands have been much troubled of late with inundation of water The Iland that lyeth most West of any Fame is Ireland which had in it heretofore many Kings of their own but the whole land is now annexed to the Crowne of England The people naturally are rude and superstitious the Country good and fruitfull but that for want of tillage in divers places they suffer it to grow into boggs and deserts It is true of this Countrey which Solinus writeth of some other that Serpents and Adders do not breed there and in the Irish timber of certaine experience no Spiders web is ever found The most renowned Island in the
great Island Bri tain as at the very North point of Scotland the Orcades which are in number above thirty the chiefe whereof is named Orkney whereof the people are barbarous On the West side of Scotland towards Ireland lie the Islands called Hebrides in number 4. where inhabite the people ordinarily called the Red-shankes Not farre from thence is the Isle Mona commonly is called the Isle of Man the peculiar jurisdiction of the Earls of Darby with homage notwithstanding reserved to the Crowne of England On the North part of Wales is the Island of Anglisey which is reputed a distinct Shire Towards France side on the South part of England is the Isle of Wight in Latine called Victis which is a good hold in the narrow seas against the French More neer France are the Isles of Gernsey and Jernsey where they speak French and are under the Crown of England There are also many other but of small account As the Isles of Thanet and Sheppy on the side of Kent the Sorlings or Sullâ—…y at the end of Cornwall in number as it is said 145. Caldey Lunday and the Flatholns with others in the mouth of Severn Holy-farn Cocket Ilands on the side of Northumberland And thus much of Great Britaine and the Islands thereunto adjoining Of the Ilands in the Mediterranean Sea THere be many Ilands in the Mediterranean renowned in all the old Writers but the chiefe of them onely shall be touched From the Pillars of Hercules going East-ward are two Islands not faâ—…re from Spaine which in times past were called Insulae Baleares for that the people of them did use both for their delight and armor sâ—…ings which they continually almost carried about with them and whereunto as Pliny writeth they did traine up their Children from their youngest years not giving them any meat till they had from some post or beam cast it down with a sâ—…ing Of these were those Fonditors or Sling-casters which the Carthaginians and Spaniards did use in their wars against the Romans The lesser of these which lyeth most West was called in the old time Minorica The bigger which lyeth more East was called Majorica and now Minorica and Majorica are both under the domiâ—…ion of the King of Spaine More Eastward in the Sea called Mare inferum or Tyrrhenum â—…ieth the Iland of Corsica over against Genua and direct Southward from thence lieth the great â—…sland Sardinia for the quiet possession of which two the warres were oftentimes revived between the old Carthaginians and the Romans for these two Islands lie in the middle very fitly The Island of Corsica is subject to the state of Genua whither the Genoes do transport things out of the Maine and are ruled by their Governours as the Venetians do Candy This Island is but barren either in respect of some other that lye neere unto it or of the Country of Italy but yet yeeldeth profit ease and honour unto the States of Gâ—… nua which hath little land besidâ—… it The Island of Sardinia also is nâ—… way so fruitful as Sicily but it is under the government of the King of Spain and was the same which was promised to Anthony the King of Navarre father to Henry the fourth King of France in recompence of 〈◊〉 and the rest of the Kingdome of Navar then and now detained from him and his heires by the Spaniard But this was the device onely of the Cardinall of Lorain who intending to draw him to Papistry and to order his politick purposes did make shew of this which was no way meant by the Spaniard Further to the East at the very point of the South pâ—…rt of Italy lyeth the great Iland Sicilia which some have supposed to have been heretosore a part of the continent but by an earth-quake and inundation of water to have been rent off and so made an Iland The figure of this Country is Triquetra triangle or three square Justin in his 4 Book doth seem to suspect that Sicily was in times past fastned unto Italy But Seneca in consolatione ad Martian cap 97. doth say plainly that it was sometimes a piece of the continent There was also a great contention for this Countrey between the Carthaginians and the Romans but the Romans obtained it and had from thence exceeding store of Corn yearly whereupon Sicily was called Horreum Pope Rome Here stood the goodly City called Siracusa which was destroyed and sacâ—…ed by Marcellus the Roman When as Livy writeth of him he being resolved to set on fire that City which was then one of the goodliest places of the world could not choose but breake forth into teares to see how vain and transitory the glory of worldly things is here At that time lived Archimedes who was a most admirable ingenious Engine-maker for all kind of fortifications of whom it is said that by burning glasses which he made he did set on fire divers ships which the Romans had lying in the Haven When the City was taken he was making plots and drawing figures on the ground for to prevent the assaults of the Romans and being unknown he was slaine by some of the Souldiers which did break in upon him Some think that it was he and not Architas which made the dove of which it is written that it was so equally poised that being thrown up into the aire it would hover or flutter there and in a good space not fall down This was in times past a Kingdome where the two Tyrants the elder and the younger Dyonisius did reigne where Gelo also that great friend to the Romans did remain It was afterward made a province and goverâ—…ed by a Praetor or Deputy of the Romans whereof Verres was one who was so inveighed against by Tully It grew afterward to be a Kingdome again in so much that Tancredus was King of Sicily which entertain'd our Richard the first when with Philip the King of France he went to the conquest of the Holy Land Here was likewise Phalaris the Tyrant so famous King of Agragentum The tyrannies which were used in Sicily were in times past so famous that they grew into a Proverb as Invidi â Siculinon invenêre Tyranni tormentum majus but they who were the causes of all did oftentimes speed very ill themselves as appeareth by the elder Dionysius who being driven out of his Dominion did flee into Italy and was glad there to teach children that so he might supply his necessity His son grew more tyrannous then the father and stood so farre in fear of his own people that many times he caused himself to be shut up in a Tower and his guard to keep the door that nobody might come at him He durst not trust his barber to shave or clip him for fear of cutting of his throat but that which was done he caused his Daughters to do who with the
thin innet skin of walnuts being set on fire are said to have taken off the hair of his face This was he whose felicity when Damocles a flatterer did seem marvelousty to admire he caused him to be set one day at dinner in his royall seat with dainty fare before him Plate rich Hangings Musick and all other matters of delight but withall a naked sword which was onely tyed with a single haire of a horses mane to be hanged directly over him the feare whereof did so feare the flatterer left it should fal upon him that he continually looked upwards and about him and took no joy of that which was before him whereby Dyonisius did evidently teach him that the state of some Princes howsoever it seem glorious unto others yet it doth bring little contentment unto themselves by reason of the continual dangers which hang over them It is reported of this man that when all the people of this Country did for his cruelty continually curse him there was one woman which daily did go to the Churches and prayed the gods to lengthen his life where withall when Dionysius was acquainted marvelling himself at the reason of it he sent for her and asked what good thing he had done unto her that she was so careful evermore to pray for him But the woman answered that it was not for love but for feare that she begged these things of the gods For said she I am an old woman I do remember when your Grandfather lived who being very hard unto his people was much maligned by them and they prayed that they might be rid of him which falling our afterward your father came in place and he was worse than the former which when the subjects could not endure they prayed also that he might dye hoping that the next would be better Then came your self in place who have much exceeded the cruelty of your father And whereas others wish that you were gone also trusting for amendment in the next I that have lived so long and see that things grow worse and worse do pray that you may continue because that if we should have one that should succeed you if he walke in the steps of his predecessors he must needs be as bad as the Devill himself for none else in tyranny can go beyond you Phalaris of Agrigentum was he who proposed rewards unto him who invented new torments which caused Perillus to make a Bull of Brasse into the which if offenders should be put and fire should be set under then it would make them roare like a Bull But when upon the terror thereof none would so offend as to deserve that torment Phalaris took Perillas the Authour thereof and to try the experience put him into it whereby Perillus lost his life This Countrey is now also under the King of Spaine who among other titles was wont to call himself King of both Sicilies reckoning this Island for one and that part of Italy for another which is now called Calabria and was in the Romane H stories named Magna Graecia There is nothing more renowned in all Sicilia either with new or old Writers then the mountain Aetna which being on the outside oft covered with snow yet by a sulphurous or brimstony matter doth continually burn within yea so that whereas it was supposed in the ages last before us that the matter being consum'd the fire had ceased twice in our age it hath broke forth again to the incredible loss of all the country adjoining the ashes thereof destroying vines and fruits which were within the compass of many mâ—…les about Agatheas in his History doth tell that in his one time there was an incredible deale of ashes which did fall about Constantinople and the places neer adjoining insomuch that the ground was covered with the same which he reputeth to have been brought from the hill in Sicily But Bâ—…din in his Method Hist. doth reprove this as a fable which can have no shew of truth by reason of the great distance of the place notwithstanding it is certaine that sometimes when it doth strongly break out the fields and vineyards and all the fruits within the compasse of some miles à re much hurt therewithall The reason of this Fire was laid down by Justine in his 4. Books and is since approved both by Historians and Philosophers which is that within the ground there is great â—…ore of Sulphuâ—…e brimstony matter which having once fire in it is apt to keep it And whereas all the whole Country is full of chinks and chaps and hollowness within the ground the matter which entreth there doth minister substance to the continuance of that â—…me as we see that water cast on coales in the Smiths Forge doth make them burn more servently and then into the Chinâ—…es and Châ—…ps the wind doth also enter which by blowing and 〈◊〉 dâ—…th both cause the fire never to extinguish and sometimes according unto the strength of the blast doth make flames break out either more or lesse There are in the Hill Aetna two principal places which are like unto two Furnaces with Tunnels on the top of them where divers times but especially in the Evening and night the flame doth appear mounting upwards and it is so strong that oftentimes it brings up with it burnt scorching stones pieces of hard substances which seem to be rent out of some rocke to the great terrour and danger of any that do come near This is that place whither Empedocles threw himsâ—…lf that he might be reported a god This was it whereof Virgil doth make his Tract called Aetna which the Poets did report to be the shop of Vulcan where Cyclopes did frame the Thunder-bolts for Jupiter And to conclude that is it which some of our grosse Papists have not feared to imagine to be the place of Purgatory As they have been so foolish to think that there is also another place called the Mount Vidu in Iseland where soules have another Purgatory to be punished in but there by cold which Surius in his Commentaries is so absurdly grosse as to report an â—…allow The Papists have shew for their Purgatory in Aetna out of that Book which is commonly called by the name of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great For in that Booke there are divers things to that purpose But our best Writers of late have discovered that that same Treatise is a counterfeit being made by a later Pope Gregory and not by the first of that name ordinarily called Gregorius Magnus who although he have in his Works divers things tending to superstition yet he was never so absurd as to write things so unprobable foolish and grounded upon so bare reports as these were Such another Hill as the Mountain of Aetna is was in time past Vesuvius a Hill in Campania which is part of Italy but this never had the like continuance as that of Aetna although in the time of
Pliny the fire did breake forth there and so strongly as that the elder Pliny who spent all his time in discovering the secrets of Nature pressing neer to behold it was stifled with the flame smoak ashes or that he died in the place as is most excellently described in the Book of his Epistle 〈◊〉 his Nephew the yonger Pliny Not farre from Sicily on the â—…outh lieth the little Isle called in old â—…ime Melita whence those dogs come which are so much desired under the names of Canes Melitenses This was the place where S. Paul was cast up after his ship-wrack in his journy to Rome where the Viper hanged on his hand and did not hurt him This Country is now called Malta and is one of the places most renowned in the world for repelling of the Turks When Soliman the Emperour of them did send against it a most mighty arm it was then defended by them who are called the Knights of Malta which by sea do great spoile to the Gallies of the Turk that passe that way There were in times past diverâ—… Orders of Knights and men that â—…ad vowed themselves to adventure their lives and whole state for the maintenance of Christs Religion and some places of the earth against the Infidels and Sarazens The most ancient of all those were called the Templers who were a great corporation or society consisting of divers Gentlemen yonger brothers for the most part out of all the Realms of Christendome Their chiese charge was to defeâ—…d the City of Jerusalem and the Reliques or remainder of the Temple there and Sepulchre of Christ for the preservation of which places together with the rest of the Holy Land they had given unto them and purchased for their mony very rich and ample possessions in England France Spaine Italy and other places of Europe insomuch that in the daies of Matthew Paris he reporteth that they had under them many thousands of Mannors They had also in every Kingdome where their Order was permitted a great and ample house where some chief of their company did lye who received the Rents within that Kingdome and caused the money to be transported into the Holy Land and other Ordinances to be made and executed belonging unto their Order of which Houses the Temple that is now in London was a chiefe one which had in former times belonged to the Jewes but was afterwards translated to that use when the Holy Land was quite taken by Saladine and could never be recovered into the hands of the Christians since the society of these Templers ceased the Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruines and their Land were dispersed into divers mens hands In the same time when the Timplers were in their strength there was another sort called the Hospitallers whose condition and im ployment was very like unto the other both of them fighting for the preservation of Palestina We read that sometimes these two companies had great jarrs between themselves whereby grew much hinderance to the wars against the Infidels All these were accounted as Orders of Religion and therefore it was forbidden them at any time to marry without dispensation from the Pope because not being entangled to Wife and Children they might be more resolute to adventure their lives After them grew up the Order of the Knights of Rhodes who since they could not live in the Holy Land yet would abide as near unto it as possibly they might and therefore partly to preserve Pilgrims which should go to visit the Sepulcher of Chirst and partly to infest the Turke and Saracens but especially to keep the enemies of Christs faith from encroaching further upon Christendome which most earnestly they did and do desire they placed themselves in the Island of Rhodes where daily doing grea fâ—…th to the Turk Soliman the great Warriour could not endure them but with a mighty Army so ove lâ—…id them that he won the Island from them After the losse of Rhodes the Iland of Malta was given unto these Knights by Charles the 5. Emperour whereupon they are now called the Knights of Malta for the great Master after he came from Rhodes went into Candy and from thence into Sicily and so into Italy from thence he made a voyage into England and then into France and hastly inâ—…o Savoy from whence he departed with the Religion into this Island and there they continue and behave themselves as in the former Iland and offering no violence unto Christians they much hinder the courses of the Turkes from Graecia and Asia and of the other Sarazens from Fez and Morocco They are very valiant men fit to do great service either by Land or Sea as appeared when Soliman did think to have surprised them and their Iland the description of which war is dilipently laid down by Caelius sâ—…undus Curio in a Treatise dedicated to Elizabeth Queen of England There have been divers other Orders of Knights yea and some of them reputed to be a kinde of Religion in Portugal France England Burgundy and some other places of Christendome but because their service hath not been emploi'd purposely as these which are before mentioned we do not touch them in this place Neer unto Graecia and Peloponnsus on the West side towards Italy is the Isle of Corcyra now termed Corfu and not far South from that is Cophalenia from thence South is Zon called by Virgil Nemerosa Zacynthus all which Ilands are at this day under the Venetians The greatest commodity which that Countrey doth yield are Corans which are gathered of a kind of small Grapes and for the making whereof they commonly one time every summer for the space of three weekes have a continuall drought day and night in which time the Currans are laid abroad in the open aire and may not be taken in insomuch that if the season do continue hot and dry their merchandize is very good but if there fall any raine untill the time be expired of their full drying the Currans are not good but do mould and change their colour to be somewhat white like meale The State of Venice under whom this Iland is doth make a great commodity of the impost or taxation which is laid upon this Merchandize calling the Tribute which is paid for them the Revenue of Saint Mark for unto that Saint is the City of Venice dedicated and they hold him for their Patron In this Iland besides the Merchants who repaire thither are divers Italians who be there in Garison for the Venetians in one special Castle which commandeth the whole Iland There are also divers Fryars of that Nation who perform nnto their Country men such exercises of Religion as are convenient They will not fuffer any of our Merchants to have Christian buriall among them unlesse at his death he be confessed after the Romish fashion whereupon some have been forced to convey over some of their
discovered another bigge Isle which is called Cuba of the which being very glad with great treasure he returned unto Spaine bringing joyful newes of his happy successe When Columbus did adventure to restraine the time of their expectation within the compasse of three daies engaging himself to return if in that space they saw no Land there be some write that he limited himself not at all adventures but that he did by his eye discerne a difference in the colour of the clouds which did arise out of the west from those which formerly he had seen which clouds did argue by the clearnesse of them that they did not arise immediately out of the Sea but that they had passed over some good space of the Land and thereby grew clearer and clearer not having in them any new or late risen vapours but this is but conjectural The Spaniards who are by nature a people proud have since the death of Columbus laboured to obscure his fame envying that an Italian or stranger should be reported to be the first discoverer of those parts And therefore have in their writings since given forth that there was a Spaniard which had first been there and that Columbus meeting with his Cards and descriptions did but pursue his enterprize and assume the glory to himself But this fable of theirs doth savour of the same spirit wherewithall many of them in his life time did reproach him that it was no matter of importance to find out these Countries but that if that he had not done it many other might and would Which being spoken to Columbus it a solemne dinner he called for an Egge and willed all the guests one after another to set it up on end Which when they could not do he gently bruising the one end of it did make it flat and so set it up by imitation whereof each of the other did the same whereby he mildly did reprove their envy towards him and shewed how easie it was to do that which a man had seen done before To go forward therefore Columbus being returned to Castile after his welcome to the Princes was made Great Admirall of Spain and with a new Fleet of more Ships was sent to search further which he accordingly did and quickly found the maine Land not farre from the Tropick of Cancer Which part of the Countrey in honour of Spain he called Hispania nova in repect whereof at this day the King of Spaine doth entitle himself Hispaniarum Rex Some there be which write that Columbus did not discover further then the Islands and that he spent the greatest part of his former labours in coasting Cuba and Hispaniola to see whether they were Islands or a Continent and that some other in the meane time did thrust themselves forward and discryed the firme Land among whom Americus Vespucius the chiefe of whose name a great part of the Countrey is called at this day America They found the people both of the maine Lands and Islands very many in number naked without cloaths or Armour sowing no Corn but making their Bread of a kinde of Root which they call Maiz. Men most ignorant of all kind of Learning admiring at the Christians as if they had been sent downe from Heaven and thinking them to be immortall wondring at their Ships and the tacklings thereof for they had no Ships of their own but big troughs which they call their Canoes being made hallow or the â—…ody of a Tree with the sharp bones of Fishes for yron and such like Instruments they have none Although it do appear that by the Warres of one of their petty Princes or Kings whom they call Cassickes had against another many thousands of the Inhabitants of those Countries were continually wasted and spoiled yet the number of them was so great in every part of the West-Indies that in Hispaniola alone there were supposed to be by computation of the Spaniards first arriving there not so few as 2000000. which yet by the cruelty of the Spaniards were so murthered and other ways made away that within fifty years after as their Writers report there were scant any thousands in that Island remaining of them The like is to be said of the populousnesse of other Coasts and quarters there The Armour which those people did weare when they entred into the Warres was nothing but some sleight covering either made of Wood or Sâ—…els of Fishes or of Cotton-wooll or some such foolish matter For thèy had no use at all of Iron or Steele but the most part of them came without any kinde of cloathing or covering yet armed with Bowes and Arrowes which were made sharp at the end with the scraping of Fish-bones or with Fish-bones themselves put on the end like an Arrow-head and that oftentimes they dipped in a kind of most venomous poyson Some other of them had for their Weapons great clubs wherewith they did use to beat out the braines of those with whom they did combate They had amongst them no good or wholsome food for even that Maiz whereof they made their bread had in the root thereof a most venomous kinde of liquor which is no better than deadly poyson but they crush out that juice and afterward do prepare the rooâ—… so that it maketh them a kinde of Bread There was no sort of good Literature to be found among them nay they could not so much as distinguish any times the one from the other but by a blockish kind of observation of the course of the Moon according to which they made their computation but without any kind of certainty saving for some few Moneths which were lately past but for the set calculaâ—…ing of ought which was done divers years before they could do nothing therein but onely grossely aime at it But that in all Ages it hath appeared that Satan hath used ignorance aâ—… one of the chiefest meanes whereby to increase Idolatry and consequentlie to enlarge his kingdome it were other wise incredible that any who have in them reason and the shape of men should be so brutishly ignorant of all kind of true Religion devotion and understanding For the adoration which they do give was only unto certain foule spirits which they call bâ—… the name of their Zemes. In remembrance of whom divers of them did keep in their houses certain things made of cotton wooll in the manner of puppets or like Childrens babies and to these they did yeeld a reverance supposing some Divine Nature to be in them because sometimes in the Evening and in the night time they had such illusions offered unto them as that they saw these their Puppets to move and stirre up and down in their houses and sometimes to utter voices and give divers sâ—…gnifications of such things as they would have to be done or not to be done Yea and that with such effect from the devill also that if their wills and commandements weâ—…e
issueth into divers streets of it as it is in Venice and from some part whereof there are diver Bridges unto the main Land mad also of brick but from the other â—…des men do come by boats where of there is abundant store continually going in that Lake The Writers do record thaâ—… there is to be found in this City a bundance of all kind of provision but especially fruits and other delightfull things which are brought in from other parts of the Countrey This was the chief City of all those quarters before the arrivall of the Spaniards there and in subjection thereunto were many large Provinces extending themselves every way so that the King of this place was a Prince of great estate And accordingly thereunto the Spaniards at this day have made it their chiefe and royall City where the King keeps his Vice-Roy of Mexico for the West-Indies as he hath his Vice-Roy at Goa for the East-Indies and from thence have all the parts of America but especially that which they call Hispania nova their directions and hence they fetch their Laws Ordinances and determinations unlesse it be such great causes as are thought fit to be referred to the Councell of Spaine The Sea which confineth neerest unto this City is called the Gulph of Mexico where as in divers other Bayes or Gulphes the stream or current is such that ships cannot passe directly to and fro but especially out of the Gulph that they are forced to take their course either high to the North or low to the South In and neer unto this Gulph are divers Iland conquered and inhabited by the Spaniards as the forenamed Cuba and Hispaniola where the Spaniards were visited by our English in the time of Queen Elizabeth and their Towns of Sancto Domingo and Saint Jago taken by Sir Francis Drake as also Jarvaica and Boriquen otherwise called the Iland of Saint Phu where the Earle of Cumberland took the Town of Porto-Ricco and many other Islands of lesse note In the Sea coasts of all this Nova Hispania the King of Spaine have built many Towns and Castles and therein have erected divers Furnaces and Forges for the Trying and Fining of their Gold They that do write of the discovery of the West-Indies do report that when Columbus at the first went thitherward in their greatest distraction and doubtfulnesse of minde whether to go forward or backward and Columbus had begged only two or three daies respite there was one of his company who after the Sea manner going up to discover the Land did espie some fire for the which being so happy and lucky a token he did hope to receive at the hands of the King of Spaine some bountiful reward but when he returned home there was nothing at all given unto him which he took with that malecontentednesse and disdaine that he fled over into Africa and there among the Moores did apostate and renounce the Christian faith so that he became a Saracen Of the parts of America towards the North. THE rumor of the discovery of these parts being blown over Christendome and the great quantitie of the Land together with the fruitfulness thereof being reported abroad some other Nations did enterprize to set foot therein as namely the Frenchmen who sent certain ships to a part of this Country lying North from Hispania nova some few degrees without the Tropick of Cancer into which when they had arrived because of the continuall greennesse of the ground and trees as if it had been a perpetual spring they called it Florida where after some few of them had for a time setled themselves the Spaniards took notice of it and being unwilling to endure any such neighbours they came suddenly on them and most cruelly slew them all without taking any ransome And the French in revenge of this deed of the Spaniards came in again afterwards into this Country and slew those that were the slaiers of their country men yet the Syaniards for want of men are not able to inhabite that Countrey but leave it to the old people The French had built in Florida upon the River of Mayo where they were visited by our Sir John Hawkins a Fort which they called Fort Carolin and had reasonably assured themselves for their defence against the Natives but some malicious spirits amongst them fled to the Spaniards with whom they return again into Florida to the murther and overthrow of their own Country-men He who list to see both the attempt of the French-men for the inhabiting of that part and the usage of the Spaniards towards them let him read the Expedition into Florida which is the end of Benzo's story concerning the New found World and there he shall find both the covetous and infatiable nature of the Spaniards who would not endure the French neere unto them although there was land sufficient and much to spare for both of them also their perfidiousnesse in breaking of Oaths and promises and their unchristian cruelty whereby they massacred all The Spaniards also to the number of three hundred foot and two hundred horse under the conduct of Ferdinando de Sota entred Florida about the year of our Lord 1550. and there conquered a thousand miles wide and large and after four or five yeares continuance in that Country betook themselves again from thence and went to new Spain landing at Panuc in Ships and Vessels that they had built in Florida And in all that time notwithstanding many conflicts with the natives and divers discommodities and wants which they sustained in the Countrey they lost but two hundred men After this departure of the Spaniards out of Florida brought thither by Ferdinando de Sota who died in the Country after the defeat of the French and their revenge again taken on the Spaniards the King of Spaine sent thither some small forces to take possession of the Country and sit down there for no other end as it is thought but to keep out other Nations from entring there the one half whereof set down on the River of Saint Augustine and the other half a dozen leagues from thence to the Northward at a place by them called Saint Helena In the year 1586. as Sir Francis Drake came coasting along from Cartagena a City in the main land to which he put over and took it after he departed from Sancto Domingo when the mortality that was amongst our English had made them to give over their enterpriâ—…e to go with Nombre de Dios and so over land to Panama there to have stricken the stroake for the Treasure he was on the coast of Florida in the height of thirty our men discryed on the shore a place built like a Beacon which was made for men to discover to Sea-ward so comming to the shore they marched along the Rivers side till they came to a Fort built all of whole trees which the Spaniards called the Fort of Saint John where the
King entertained halfe his Forces that he then had in the Countrey which were an hundred and fifty Souldiers the like number being at Saint Helena all of them under the government of Petro Melendez Nephew to the admirall Melendez that fifteen or sixteen years before had been to bring with onr English in the Bâ—…y of Mexico this Fort our English â—…ook and not far from thence the Town also of Saint Augustine upon the same river where resolving to umdertake also the enterprize of Saint Helena when they came to the Havens mouth where they should enter they durst not for the dangerous shoals wherefore they sorsooke the place coasting along to Virginia where they took in Mr. Ralph Lane and his company and so came into England as you shall heare when we speak of Virginia In these Northerne parts of America but especially within the main Continent some have written but how truly I cannot tell that there is a sea which hath no enter course at all with the Ocean so that if there be any third place beside the Mare Caspium and the Mare Mortuum in Palestina which retained in it self great saltnesse and yet mingleth not with the other sea it is in these Countries There is also in new Spain a great salt Lake as big or bigger than the dead sea of Palestine in the midst of which stands the great City of Tenustitan or Mexico the Mistris crâ—…imperiall City of those parts and on the Bankes or sides of that Lake many other Cities also beside which though they are but little in comparison of the greatnesse of Tenustitan yet of themselves are geeat This Tenustitan is supposed to consist of 60 thousand houses as you may read in the third Chap. of the fifth of the Decades and this City standing in the midst and center of this salt Lake go which way you will from the Continent to the â—…ity it is at least a League and an half or two Leagues on the Lake unto it some of the other Cities are said to be thirty some of forty thousand Houses the names of these are Mesiquailâ—…ingo Coluacana Wiohilabasco Iztapalapa and others the Lake though it be in the midst of the Land hath his fluxus and refluxus his ebbing and flowing like the Sea and yet seventy leagues distant from the Sea But certain it is that towards the South of these parts which is the Northern part of Hispania nova above Mexico there is a burning hill which often times breaketh out into flames as Vesuvius in Campania did in the daies of the elder Pliny and as Aetna hath done many ages since and before Peter Martyr his his fifth of his Decades saith that eight leagues from Tenustitan or Mexico as Ferdinando Cortes went thither from the Chiurute Calez where is a Hill called of the Inhabitants Popecatepeque as much as to say A smoakie mountaine at the top whereof there is a hole of a league and a halfe wide out of which are cast fire and stones with whitl-winds and that the thickness of the ashes lying about the Hill is very great It is reported also elsewhere of this hill that the flames and the ashes thereof oft times destroy the fields and Gardens thereabouts When Cortes went by it he sent ten Spaniards with Guides of the Countrey to see and make report thereof unto him two of which ten venturing further than the rest saw the mouth of this fiery gulph at the hils top and had they not happily soon returned towards their fellows and sheltered themselves under a rock on the side of the hill such a multitude of stones were cast out with the flame that by no meanes they could have escaped The English-men also desirous by Navigation to adde something unto their own Countrey as before time they had travelled toward the farthest North part of America so lately finding that part which lieth between Florida and Nova Francia was not inhabited by any Christians and was a Land fruitfull and fit to plant in they sent thither two severall times two severall companies as Colonies to inhabite that part which in remembrance of the Virginity of their Queen they called Virginia But this voyage being enterprized upon by private men and being not throughly followed by the State the possession of this Virginia for that time was discontinued and the Country left to the old inhabitants There were some English people who after they had understood the calmnesse of the Climate and goodnesse of the soyle did upon the instigation of some Gentlemen of England voluntarily offer themselves even with their Wives and Children to go into those parts to inhabite but when the most of them came there upon some occasions they returned home again the first time which caused that the second year there was a great company transported thither who were provided of many necessaries and continued there over a whole winter under the guiding of M. Lane but not finding any sustenance in the Country which could well brooke wiâ—…h their nature and being too meanely provided of Corn and Victuals from England they had like to have perished with famine and therefore thought themselves happy when Sir Francis Drake comming that way from the Westerne Indies would take them into his ships and bring them home into their native Country Yet some there were of those English which being left behind ranged up and down the Country and hovering about the sea-coast made means at last after their enduring much misery by some Christian ships to be brought back again into England While they were there inhabiting there were some children born and baptized in those parts and they might well have endured the Country if they might have had such strength as to keep off the inhabitants from troubling them in tilling the ground and reaping such corn as they would have sowed Again in the daies of our now raigning Soveraigne in the year of our Lord 1606. the English planted themselves in Virginia under the degrees 37 38 39. where they do to this day continue and have built three Towns and Forts as namely James-town and Henrico Fort Henricke Fort Charls with others which they hold inhabite sure retreats for them against the force of the natives and reasonable secured places against any power that may come against them by Sea In the same height but a good distance from the coast of Virginia lieth the Iland called by the Spaniards La Barmuda but by our English the Summer Ilands which of late is inhabited also by our Country men Northward from them on the coast lieth Nâ—…rumbega which is the south part of that which the French men did without disturbance of any Christian for a time possess For the French-men did discover a larg part of America towards the Circle Articke and did build there some Towns and named it of their own Country Nova Francia As our English men have adventured very far for the discovery of
new-found lands so with very great labour and diligence they attempted to open something higher than Nova Francia and therefore with some Ships they did passe thither and entred upon the Land from whence they brought some of the people whose countenance was very tawny and dusky which commeth not by any heat but the great cold of the Climate chilling and pricking them but the digestion and stomack of these people is very good insomuch that like unto the Tartars and some other Norther nations their feeding was for the most part upon raw meat their manners otherwise being barbarous and suitable to their diet They had little leatherne Boats wherein they would fish neare the brinks of the Sea and at their pleasure would carry them from place to place on their backs Notwithstanding all their pains there taken it was a great errour and ignorance in our men when they supposed that they should find good store of Gold-mines in those quarters for the country is so cold that it is not possible to find there any full concoction of the sun to breed and work such a metall within the ground and therefore howsoe ver they brought home some store of earth which they supsed to be Ore and of shining stones yet when it came to the triall it proved to be nothing worth but verified the Proverb All is not Gold that glisters In very many parts of these Northern Countries of America there is very fit and opportune fishing some pretty way within the sea and therefore divers Nations of Europe do yearly send fishers thither with shipping and great store of salt where when they have taken fish and dried it and salted it at the land they bring it home into Christendome and utter it commonly by the name of New found-land-fish The English about the year 1570 did adventure far for to open the North parts of America and sayled as far as the very Circle Articke hoping to have fonnd a passage-by the North to the Moluccoes and to China which hitherto neither by the North of Asia nor by the North of America could be effefected by them by reason of the very great cold and ice in the climate The rest of the Iland being a huge space of earth hath not hither to by any Christian to any purpose been discovered but by those near the sea coast it may be gathered that they all which do there inhabite are men rude and uncivill without the knowledge of God Yet on the north west part of America some of our English men going through the straights of Magellane and passing towards the North by Hispania nova have touched on a Countrey where they have found good entertainment and the King thereof yeelded himself to the subjection of the Queen of England whereupon they termed it Nova Albion Sir Francis Drake who toucht upon that Country and for some pretty time had his abode there doth report in his Voyage that the country is very good yeelding much store of divers fruits delightful both to the eye and taste and that the people are apt enough by hospitality to yeeld favour entertainment to strangers but it is added withall that they are marvellously addicted to Wichcraft and adoration of Devils from which they could not be perswaded to abstain even in the very presence of our Country-men Of Peru and Brasile VVHen the Portugals had first begun their Navigation by Africk into the East-Indies some of them intending to have held their course Eastward unto Catut bonae spei were driven so far Westward by tempest that they landed in a large and great Country which by a general name is called Brasilia where they began to enter traffick and with Towns and Castles to plant themselves before that the Spaniard had discovered Peru which is the South part of America So that at this day whatsoever the King of Spaine hath in Brasilia it is in the right of the Crown of Portugal We may read in Guicciardine how when the Spaniards towards the West and the Portugals towards the East had descried many new-found-lands there grew great contention between them what should be appropriated unto the one and what might be seized on by the other therefore for the better establishing of peace amongst them they had both recourse unto Alexander the sixt who was Pope in the year 1492 and somewhat before and after and he taking on him after the proud manner of the Bishops of Rome to dispose of it which belonged not unto him did set down an order between them which was that all the degrees of longitude being 360. in the Globe being divided into two parts the Spaniards should take one and the Portugals the other so that in this division they were to begin in those degrees under which some of Peru standeth from the which they counting forwards towards the East did allow Brasilia and 180 degrees to the Portugals Eastward and so from Brasilia Westward to the Spaniards as many so that he had in his portion all America accept Brasilia This Country is large having in it many people and several Kingdoms which are not all possessed by the Portugals but so that other Christians as namely the Frenchmen being driven out of their Country for Religion have set foot in there though afterwards again they have abandoned it What the Portugal do at this day in Brasilia I know not but it is likely now that whatsoever there is held by the Christians is reputed to be under the Spaniards as many other parts of Brasile promiscuously are yet certaine it is that now almost forty yeares since some of the French-men which professed sincere religion and could not then be suffered quietly to live in France did provide certain shipping and under the conduct of one Villagagno a Knight of Malta but their own country-men did go thither continued there the space of one year having Ministers and Preachers among them and the exercise of the Word and Sacraments but after by the evill counsell of some of the chief Rulers in France which were addicted unto the Pope the heart of Villagagno was drawn away insomuch that he contumeliously using the Pastors and chiefe of that company did force them to retire into France so that the habitation there was then utterly relinquished and hath not siâ—…ce been continued by any of the French There is a learned man one Johannes Lyreus who was in their voyage and hath written a Tract called Navigatio in Brasiliam which is very well worth the reading not only to see what did befall him and his company but what the manners of that people with whom they did converse The inhabitants here are men also utterly unlearned but men more ingenious than the common sort of the Americans goodly of body and straight of proportion going alwaies naked reasonable good Warriours after their country fashion using to fat such enemies as they take in the wars that afterwards they may devour
them which they do with great pleasure For divers of the People of those quarters as the Caribees and the Cannibals and almost all are eaters of mans flesh In this Country groweth abundance of that wood which since is brought into Europe to die red colours and is of the place whence it commeth called Brasil wood the trees whereof are exceeding great The people of Brasil where Lyrius and his fellows lived are called by the name of Tauvaupinambaltii by description of whose qualities many things may be learned concerning the rest of the inhabitants neere thereobout First then they have no letters among them and yet seem to be very capable of any good understanding as appeared by the speech of some of them reproving the Frenchmen for their great greedinesse and coveâ—…ousness of gain when they would take so much pains as to come from another end of the world to get commodities there Their computation is onely by the Sun and Moon whom they hold to be of a Divine nature and although they know nothing truly concerning God yet they have a dark opinion that the soule doth live after the seperation from the body The men and women throughout the whole Countrey do go starke naked even very few of them having any thing on to cover their privities onely some of them do pull some kind of ornaments thorow their eares and the most of them have their lower lip boared thorow with a great hole therein putting some device or other They look very disguisedly but they are wonderful straight of limb and proportion insomuch that the Author writeth that in all the time wherein he lived among them he saw not one crooked backt or mis-shapen in any part whereof seeking to give a reason he ascribeth it to this that their children are never swathed or bound about with any thing when they are first born but are put naked into the bed with their parents to lie which beds are devised of Cotton wooll and hung up between two trees not far from the ground in the which flagging down in the middle men and their wives and their children do lie together But whether this be the true reason of the straightnesse of their bodies it may be doubted from the authority of S. Hierom who in one of his treatises mentioning that the children of the noblest and greatest Romans in his time were very crooked when other which were breed of meaner parents were not so imputeth it to this cause that the Gentlewomen of Rome in a kind of wantonness did not suffer their infants to be so long swathed as poorer people did and that thereby their joynts and members not being tied and restrained within compass did flye out of proportion Certainly howsoever there may be some reasons naturally given of these things it is much to be ascribed to the immediate will of God who giveth and taketh away beauty at his pleasure The men of these parts are very strong and able of body and therefore either give sound strokes with their clubs where with they fight or else shoot strong shoots with their bows whereof they have plenty if any of them be taken in the wars after they have been cramed of pur pose to be eaten of their enemies they are brought forth to execution wherein marvellous willingly they do yeeld themselves to death as supposing that nothing can be more honourable unto them then to be taken and to die for their Country He therefore who is to kil the other doth with very much insolency and pride insult over him which is to be slain saying thou art he which would'st have spoyled and destroyed us and ours but now I am to recompence thee for thy pains and the other without all fear replies Yea I am he that would have done it and would have made no spare if I had prospered in mine intent and other such sutable words shewing their resolution to conquer or willingly to die in the common cause of themselves and their people It is strange to see the inhumane and unatural custome which many of the people of the West Indies have for there are whole Islands full of such Canibals as do eat mans flesh and amongst the rest these 〈◊〉 are famous that way who when they are disposed to have any great meeting or to have any solemne feast they kill some of their adversaries whom they keep in store for that purpose cutting him out into collops which they call Boucan they will lay them upon the coals and for divers dayes together make great mirth in devouring them wherein they have this fashion very strange that so long as they are in their eating banquet although it continue divers daies they do never drink at all but afterwards when they are disposed to fall to drinking of a certain liquor which they have amongst them they will continue bousing at it for two or three dayes and in the mean time never eat In many parts both of Hispania nova and Peru as also in the Islands neer adjoyning they have an herbe whereof they make great use of which some is brought into divers parts of Europe under the name of Tobacco Paetum or Nicosiana although we have also much conterfeit of the same the people of those parts do use it as Physick to purge themselves of humours and they apply it also to the filling of themselves the smoak of it being received through a leafe or some such hollow thing into the nostrils head and stomack and causing the party which receiveth it to lie as if he were drunk or dead for a space needing no food or nourishment in the mean while Whereof it cannot be denied but that it is possible that by prescript of Physick it may by serviceable for some purposes among us although that also it be very disputable in as much as they who speak most highly of it must and do confess that the force of it is obstupâ—…factive and no other whereby it produceth his own effects and wise men should be wary sparing in receiveing of such a thing But when we do consider the vaine and wanton use which many of our Country-men have of late taken up in receiving of this Tobacco not only many times in in a day but even at meat and by the way to the great waste both of their purse and of their bodies we may wel deplore the vanity of the nation who thereby purpose themselves as ridiculous to the French and other our neighbours And certainly if it were possible that our worthy warlike and valiant Progenitors might behold their manners who do most delight therein they would wonder what a generation had succeeded in their rooms who addict themselves to so fond and worse than effeminate passion Benzo who lived among them of the West Indies doth call the smell of it a Tartarus and hellish savour And whatsoever looketh into those Books which our Christians travelling
avouch that there be a great many and that it is as good a Countrey as almost any in the world But the arguments why he gathered it to be so he did not deliver and yet notwithstanding it may be most probably conjectured that the Creator of the world would not have framed so huge a masse of Earth but that he would in his wisdome appoint some reasonable creatures to have their habitation there Concerning those places which may be supposed to lie neer unto the Northern Pole there hath in times past something been written which for the particularity thereof might carry some shew of truth if it be not throughly lookt into It is therefore by an old tradition delivered and by some written also that there was a Friar of Oxford who took on him to travel into those parts which are under the very Pole which he did partly by Negromancy wherein he was much skilled and partly again by taking advantage of the frozen times by meanes whereof he might travell upon the Ice even so as himself pleased It is said therefore of him thà t he was directly under the Pole and that there he found a very huge and blackrock which is commonly called Nigra rupes and that the said rock being divers miles in circuit is compassed round about with the Sea which Sea being the breadth of some miles over doth run out into the more large Ocean by four severall Currents which is as much to say as that a good pretty way distant from the Nigra Rupes there are foure several lands of reasonable quantity and being scituated round about the rock although with some good distance are severed each from other by the sea running between them and making them all foure to be Islands almost of equall bignesse But there is no certainty of this report and therefore our best Mathematicians in this latter age have omitted it Our travellers of later years have adventured so far to their great danger in those cold and frozen countries that they have descried Groinland which lieth as far or beyond the circle Artick but whether it go so far out as unto the Pole they cannot say which is also to be afirmed of the Northern parts of America called by some Estote-land for the opening whereof our English-men have taken great pains as may easily appeare by the â—…ew â—…lobes and Maps in which all the Capes Sounds and Furlongs are called by English names Their purpose was in attempting this voyage to have found out a passage to China and Cathaio by the North parts of America but by the snows which fell in August and September as also by the incredible Ice there after many hazards of their lives they were forcâ—…d to return not knowing whether there be any current in the Sea that might lead to the East-Indies or how far the Land doth reach Northward In like sorâ—… some of our English Merchants to their great charges set forth â—…eets to descry the Seas towards the East yet going by the North and there have found many unknown countries as Nova Zembla Sir Hugh Willoughbies land and other mâ—…re but of certain what is very near unto the Pole they could never find They have also so far prevailed as to reach one half of the way toward Cathaio by the North going Eastward insomuch that by the River Ob and by the Bay of St. Nicholas they bring the Merchandize downwards into Russia But whether the sea do go throughout even to the fatherest Eastern parts or whether some great Promontory do stretch out of the main Continent unto the very Pole they cannot yet attain to know These things therefore must be left uncertain to further discoveries in fature ages UNIVERSITIES In England 1 Oxford 2 Cambridge Universities in Spaine 1 Toledo latitude 40. 10. longitude 16. 40. 2 Sivill lat â—…7 â—…0 long 14. 20 3 Valencia lat 39. 55. long 21. 10 4 Granada lat 37. â—…0 long 17. 1â—… 5 S Jago lat â—…0 5 long 15. 40. 6 Valindolid lat â—…2 5. long 15. 45. 7 Alcalade Henaros lat 40. 55. long 17. 30 8 Salamanca lat 14. 10. long 24 4 9 Caragoca lat 4â—… 22 long 22. 20 10 Signencâ—… lat â—…4 35. 20. long 18. â—…0 11 Lerida lat 42 20 long 18. 10 12 Huesca lat 12 50. long 2â—… 20 13 Lisbon lat 38. 50. long 0 50 14 Coimbra lat 40. long 11. 2â—… 15 Ebora lat 37 38 long 20 In the Isle Majorica 1 Majorica In Polonia 1 Câ—…acovia 2 Posne In Prussia 1 Koningsberg In Lituania 1 Wild In France 1 Paris lat 48. â—…0 long â—…3 2 Poictiers lat 46. 10 long 1â—… 1â—… 3 Lyons lat 44. 30 long â—…5 40 4 Anger 's lat 47. 25. long 18. 10 5 Avignon lat 42. 30 long 25 50 6 Orleans lat 47. 10 long â—…2 7 〈◊〉 lat 46. 20 long 22. 10 8 Cacn lat 40. 45. long 1â—… 20 9 Reims lat 48 30 long 25 25 10 Burdeaux lat 44 30 long 17. 50 11 Tolouse lat 43 5 long 20 30. 12 Nismo lat 42 30 long 25 13 Montpelieâ—… lat 42 long 24 30 14 Bisantâ—…n lat 46 3â—… long 27 48 15 Lole lat 46 10 long 27 In Italy 1 Rome lat 41 20 long 38 2 Venice lat 44 50 long 37 3 Padna lat 44 45 long 32 10 4 Bononia lat 43 33 long 35 50 5 Ferrara lat 44 long â—…6 6 Millan lat 44 40 long 33 7 Pavia lat 44 long 33 5 8 Turin lat 43 45 long 31 30 9 Florence lat 42 35 long 35 50 10 Pisa lat 42 40 long 35 11 Sienna lat 42 20 long 36 15 12 Modena lat 13 50 long 35 40 In Boheâ—…a 1 Prague In Germany 1 Collen lat 51 long 30 2 Basil lat 47 40 long 31 3 Alents lat 50 long 31 4 Witzburg lat 50 5 Triers lat 49 50 6 Heidleberg lat 49. 25 long 33 7 Tubinge lat 49 50 8 Ingolsted lat 49 â—…0 9 Erfurt lat 50 10 Leistgige lat 51 10 11 Wittenberg lat 51 50 12 Frankford in Oder 51 10 13 Rostoch lat 53 40 14 Grislwald lat 53 10 15 Friburg lat 48 16 Marburg lat 50 40 17 Viena lat 43 40 18 Diling in Suitzerland neate Dâ—…yaw In Germania Inferiori 1 Lovain lat 50 long 23 2 Doway lat 50 30 long 29 3 Liege lat 50 30 long 29 4 Leiden lat 5â—… 10 long 27 20 In Denmarke Copenhagen lat 56 50 long 34 30 In Moraviâ—… 1 Olmues In Scotland 1 Saint Andrews 2 Abeâ—…don Of England In England are contained Sâ—…ires 52 Bishopricks 26 Castles 186 Rivers 555 Chases 13 Forrests 68 Parkes 781 Clties 25 Parish-Churches 9725 Bridges 956 FINIS Of the seas The divers names given to the seas and the reason why Of the straits or Narrow Seas Of the Earth How Spain is bounded The original name of the Country of Spaine Carthaginians sent to defend the Gaditanes Spaine once a Province of the Roman Empire Sarazens and Moores
erected it a Kingdome They were utterly expelled by Philip the Tâ—…ird Spaine in â—…ormer time twelve several Kingdomes Granada 700. yeares Possessed by the Moores Sarazens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A strange and unexpected prophesie Portugal added to the Kingdome of Spaine Lisbone the chiefe City of Portugal Sevill Toledo The Magnificent greatness of Spaine and Portugal The Empery of the Kingdome of Spain the greatest in theâ—…â—…an world France how bounded France one of the most absolute Kingdoms of the world Civill wars in France Revenue of the Crown of France exceeding great In France the Offices of Justice bought and sold. The Custom of France for mustering and pressing Souldiers Paris the chief City France The Kingdome of France divided into three parts Gaules the ancient inhabitants of France Note The riches of the states in General The names of the 17 Provinces By this Law Ed. the 3 K of England was put by the Crown France The Switzers Government 23 Cities or Cantons in Switzerland Geneva A rare and excellent Law Germany how bounded The Emperor Governor of Germany Who be the seven Electors His manner of Election The Empire went sometimes by succession and sometimes by election Ferdin Emâ—…eror Caesar or Romani Imperii Imperator The Empire divided by Theodosius A great policy in the Bishops of Rome Munsters complaint Most of the Princes of Germany take onthem as absolute Governours How they came by a great strength The strengh of the Princes of Germany The titles of their Nobility Free States and Cities A Note worthy of observation Scituation of Italy Italy divided into four parts Lombardy the Garden of God The policy of the Bishop of Rome The States of Venice The Venetians impoverished The ex â—…llency of their Government Tuscany Florence The great Duke of Tuscany A great part of Italy under the Bishop of Rome The manner of the rising of the Popes greatnesse Denmarkes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Riches of Denmarke Their Religion Russia sâ—…tuate Emperor of Russia Possevin a Iesuit sent by the Pope to the Emperor A fine excuse for the Popes pride â—…he Emperours rage 〈◊〉 the Pâ—…pe Possevinus fear of the Emperor Difference between the Greek and Latine Church The people of Lapland very heathenish The passage by sea into this Country The first attempt Sir Hugh Willobies Land This Empire one of the greatest in the world Prussia hew scituated Spruce Leather Pâ—…lands sci tuâ—… ion Their ii ves Reti gons They hate the Iesuites Thâ—…ir chief City Cracovia Hungary 〈◊〉 Bunda Austria Vienna Arch Duks of Austria The River of 〈◊〉 Scituâ—…tion of Dacia Transylvania Walachia Moldavia Servia The mountain Hamus Grecia bounded Moreah Sparts Corinth Achaia Euboea Beotia Athens Pernassus Helicou Epirus Illyricum Macedonia Many famâ—…us things from Greece Famcus Laws Famous Captaines The firstPoets The great Oratours Thracia Constantinople Northerne parts were not discovered in times past Meotis Palus Iustine Ovid. Bosphorus Cimmerius Pontus Euxinus Thracius Bosphorus A strange custome among the Turks Hellespon â—…us Xâ—…rxes bâ—…idge Mare Aegeum Tartary bâ—…unded Their Religion Their manner of wars Tamberlain the Great â—… Tartarian Scituation of Cathaie The great Can of Cathaie Cambalu the chiefe City of China A very rich Country Quinsay the â—…hiefe City The people skilfull in Arâ—…s Their Proverbe Two rare wonders invented in Chinai guns and printing The situâ—…tion of the Indies In India are many Kingdomes Their Cattle vâ—…ry big Their Richs The Portugals first discovered the Indies Four Kingdoms by the Portugals discovered The City of Goa The Indians Religion Six Kingdomes 〈◊〉 of Persia. The great and famous Kings of Persia. Persians great Souldiers Sophy of Persia. Their Religion Scituation of Parthâ—…a Their manner of fight Great wars of the Perthians against the Romanes A famous Nation Situation of Armenia Divided into three parts A memorable Note Bathing of thâ—…ir children Assyria bounded Kings of Assyria The swift River Tygris The City Ninive Situation of Chaldea Babylon be chief City of Chaldea The admirabâ—… power of God in preseâ—…ving the peâ—…ple Note Here were the fiâ—…st A strologians Cilicia The City Tarsus Alexanders overthrow of Darius The City of Alexandria Pamphylia â—…he City of Seleuchus Lycia Caria Halicarnassus Ionia Lydia Croesus overthrowne by Cyrus Ephesus The Temple of Diana City of Smyrna Polycarpus Scholar to St John the Evangel st City of Sardis Four Cities of â—…ote Eolis Mysia major Mysia minor The City of Troy Phrygia Gordianus knot Bythinia Ciâ—…y of Nice Chalcedon Paphlagonia Pompciopolis Galatia Lyeaonia Pisidia The Kingdome of Pontus Mithridates Pompey brought Mithridates to distresse Cappadocia Armenia minor Syâ—…ia bounded Their â—…ient â—…ames Ciâ—…y of 〈◊〉 Alâ—…ppo Tripolis Thirty Kings Note The River Iordan Asphaltites Mare mornum Twelve Tribes of Israel Ierusalem Twelve Tribes divided The Iews Ierusalem destroied Note Jerusalem twice destroied 1 By Nebuchadnezzar 2. By Vespasian Jerusalem in the Turks dominion Arabia bounded Arabia divided into three parts Of the Desart of Arabia Mahomet born in Arabia The Turks Alcaron The Turks Religion The City Mecha The blasphemous prophecy of Mahomet Mahomet a lascivious person The red sea Mount Horeb. Situation of Africke The Country of Egypt In fertility The flowing of Nilus Learning very ancient in Egypt Their Pyramides one of the wonders of the world The City Memphis Good Laws made by the King of Egypt The Country of Cyrene Carthage a famous City The Kingdome of Bocchus Atlas minor Atlas major The Kingdome of Morocco A brutish customâ—…uled in this counâ—… Their Religion The Portu gals have there setled themselves The Country of Guinea Their Commodities for Trade The Kingdome of Congo Their Religion The Kingdom of Monomotapa Their Religion The Kingdome of Adel c. The Situation of the Empire of Prester John One of the greatest in the world Lunae Montes The Abissines drowned Egypt The River Nigar Their commodities Their Religion Frizeland Zealand in it standeth Flushen Middleburge Ireland * A rare admirable Note Of Britain Four languages there spoken Their originall The Briâ—…taines five times conquered First by tâ—…e Romans Secondly the Pictes who used to paint or pounse their faces Thirdly the Saxons Their religion and devotion Fourthly the Danes King Lucius the first that here received Baptism the Gospel Note No Country like England The riches of the countrey The rich commodity of wooll Bridges Rivers Faire and large Churches 2. Archbishopricks and 24. other Bishopricks Note Of Scotland Scotland very poor in formertimes The reason why it is said that in Britain are foure languages Borderers great robbers and stealers Lord Warden of the Marches Note A Proverb The policy of the French Musselborough field The barbarousnesse of the Scots in former times The Orcades the people barbarous The Redshankes The Isle of Man The Isle of Anglisey The Isle of Wight The Isles of Gernsey Jernsey Divers other Ilands Insulae Baleares The Iland of Corsica The Iland of Sardinia Note The Iland of Siâ—…lia The City Siracusa Note Arthimides the famous
Engine-maker Sicily once a Kingdom two famous Tyrants in it The tyrant Phalaris The tyrannies of Sicily were very famous Note that cruelty is alwaies attended with scar. Damocles the flatterer Note how the poor woman prayed for this Tyrant A good note for all inventers of tortures cruelty and likewise for time flatterers The mountian Aetna The reason of the fire in the mountain Aeina Note The Papists Purgatory is the fiery Aeana The death of Pliny the elder Note Malta the only place for repelling the Turks The society of the Knights Templers The Pope the King of France conspiring their ruine Hospitallers The Knights of Rhodes The Knights of Malta The Isle Corsu Cephalenia Zon. The commodities of the Countrey The Impost laid on this Island called the Revenue of St Mark. Zant the Inhabitants Greeks Creta The labyrinth of De dalus The most noted lyars The Island Candy Cithera where was the siue Temple of Venus Divers smal Islands Note The Island of Rhodes The Isle Carpathus The Isle Cyprus The City â—…amogusta The City Paphos The Island Tyrus The Island of Sumatra Two Ilands Iava major and Iava minor The Islands of Molucco's The great richs which the King of Spaine receives from hence yearly Note The Island of Iapan Diverssmal Ilands onely named The Ilands of Gorgades The Isle Madera Hesperides Bonavista Canary Ilands From hence she best Canary Sacks From hence great store of Sugar-canes The Isle of St. Thomas The Isle of Cloves The Ilands of Azores Note the unadvisedness of Don Antonio The people of America utterly void of all manner of knowledge of God or goodnesse The reasons conjectual of a new found World Some have entituled the Queen of England Soveraigne of these Provinces Their Religion Columbus the first discoverer of America In the year 1492. America discovered by Columbus The Island Haity The richs of the country The Island Cuba The pride of the Spaniard labouring to obscure the fame of Columbus Hispania nova Of whom this Country had its name Manner of the people The cruèlty of the Spaniards Their Armour Note their bread No good literature amongst them Note how the Devill did strangely delude these people Note the malice of Satan The admiration of the people at the approach of the men and shipping The mighty bignesse of the trees of Brasile They conceivâ—…d them to be some gods They admired and feared a Letter Some very rare Beasts The Sâ—…a Crocodiles Some rare stones Divers tree not elsewhere found The abun dance of Kin and Buls The condition of the people of America The Religion Yet many grievous sins by them committed Their attire Infinite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gold and silver in America Precious mines Attabaliba his ransome The Country people exchanged it for bablâ—… They dreaded men on horse-back The King had the fist part for his tribute A Councel at Sivill for the government of America Note the Spaniards cruelty His insolency and tyrannising pride Their beastly bassness Note their inhnmanity The Friars complaint of their cruelty Note Mexico described A great Lake Mexico the chief City of all those quarters The Gulph of Mexico Divers Islands in the gulph of Mexico Note And named it Florida The river Mayo Note the Spaniards unchistian cruelty Sir Francis Drakes Voyage Four cities 〈◊〉 in America The burning hill in Americs A strange fire Of Virginia the first plantation The second planta ion The third plantation Of the summer Ilands The fish of New found land Nova Al bion The Portugals discovery of Brasile A large Countrey and much inhabited Note The abundance of Brasile wood Their Religion Their apparell The proportion of the Inhabitants Note The Canibals or man eiters which is the country custome Their great use of Tobacco Note Note this ye Tobacconists A discription of the people of Peru. The riches of the Country of Peru. A strange story of the beast Cincia the first attempters against the Peruvians Guiana The rich ness anâ—… 〈◊〉 os the cuntry The river of the Amazone â—…ir Walter â—… leigh lid first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it to the Englâ—…sh They haâ—…e he Spaniâ—…rds and â—…ove the English A strange story Note Their strange devises to take fowls Divers flying fishes Magellanus straits The South Sea The Moluccoes Magellane the first that evercompased the world Insulae Latornum Insulae Salomonis Philippinae Their Riches Infulas infortunatas Regio Mâ—…gellanica Psittacorum regio Terra del fuego A description of the people Movâ—… Guinea Note Nigra Rupes Groin-land Nova Zembla S Hugh Willonghbies land
if they were neer the Land The first oâ—… our Nation that sailed to Guiana and made report thereof unto us was S. Walter Raleigh who â—…ravelled far up into the country upon the river Orinoque after him one or two voyages thither did captain Kemish make and now lately captain Hâ—…recourt with others have visited â—…hat Country where our men conâ—…inued the space of 3. or 4. yearâ—… being kindly intreated of the natives who much desired them to come and make some plantation amongst them hoping by them to be defended against the Spaniards whom they greatly hate and fear When Sir Walter Raleigh come to Guiana â—…he overthrew the Spaniards that were in Trinidado and took Bereo their Captain or General prisoner he loosed and set at liberty four or five Kings of the people of that country that Bereo kept in chains and sent thâ—…m home to their own which deâ—…d of his did win him the hearts of the people them and make much to favour our English at this day Divers also of that country which â—…mongst them are men of note have been brought over into England here living many years are by our men brought home to their-own country whose reports and knowledge of our Nation is a cause that they have been wel entreated of these Guiancans and much desired to plant themselves amongst them Our men that travelled to Guiana amongst other things most memorable did report and in writing delivered to the world that near unto Guiana and not far from those place where themselves were there were men without heads which seemed to maintain the opinion to be true which in old time was conceived by the Historians and Philosophers that there were Acephali whose eies were in their breasts and the rest of their face there also scituated and this our English travellers have reported to be so ordinarily and 〈◊〉 mentioned unto them in those parts where they were that no sober man should any way doubt of the truth thereof Now because it may appear that the matter is but fabulous in respect of the truth of Gods creating of them and that the opinion of such strange shapes and monsters as were said to be in old time that is men with heads like Dogs some with eares down to their ankles others with one huge foot alone whereupon they did hop from place to place was not worthy to be credited although Sir John Mandevile of late age fondly hath seemed to give credit and authority thereunto yea and long since he who took upon him the name of S. Augustine in writing that counterfeit Book Ad frates in Ermo It is fit that the cerainty of the matter concerning these in Peru should be known that is that in Quinbaia and some other parts of Peru the men are borne as in other places yet by devises which they have after the birth of Children when their bones and gristles and other parts are yet tender and fit to be fashioned they do crush down the heads of the children unto the breasts and shoulders and do with frames of wood other such devices keep them there that in time they grew continuate to the upper part of the trunke of the body and so seem to have no necks or heads And again some other of them thinking that the shape of the head is very decent if it be long and erect after the fashion of a Sugar-loaf do frame some other to that form by such wooden instruments as they have for that purpose and by binding and swathing them to keep them so afterwards And that this is the custome of those people and that there is no other matter in it Petrus de Cieca who travelled almost all over Peru and is a grave and sober writer in his description of those Countries doth report There be in some parts of Peru people which have a strange device for the catching of divers sorts of fowls wherein they especially desire to take such as have their feathers of pâ—…ed orient and various colours and that not so much for the flesh of them which they may eate as for their feathers whereof they make garments either short as Cloaks or as Gowns long to the ground and those their greatest Nobles do wear being curiously wrought and by order as appeareth by some of them being brought into England And here by this mention of feathers it is not 〈◊〉 to specifie that in the sea which is the Ocean lying betwixt Europe America there be divers flying fishes yet whose wings are not feathers but a thin kind of skin like the wings of a Bat or Rearmouse and these living sometimes in the water and flying sometimes in the aire are well accepted in neither place for below either ravenous fishes are ready to devourt them or above the sea-fowls are continually beating at them Some of the Spaniards desirous to see how far this Land of Peru did go towards the South travelled down till at length they found the Lands end and a little strait or narrow Sea which did run from the main Ocean toward Africk into the South-sea One Magellanus was he that found this strait and although it be dangerous passed through it so that of his name it is called Fretum Magellanicum or Magellans straits And this is the way whereby the Spaniards do pass to the back-side of Peru and Hispania nova and whosoever will compass the whole world as some of our English men have done he must of necessity for any thing that is yet known passe through this narrow strait Ferdinandus Magellanus having a great mind to travel and being very desi rous to go unto the Molucco Islands by some other way than by the back side of Africk if it might be did in the year 1520 set forth from Sivill in Spain with five ships and travelled toward the West Indies went so far towards the South as that he came to the lands end where he holding his course in a narrow passage towards the West for the space of divers daies did at the length peaceably pass through the straights and came into a great sea which some after his name do call Mare Magellanicum some others Mare pacaficus because of the great calmness and quietness of the waters there but most comonly it is termed the South sea the length whereof he passed in the space of three months and 20. daies and came unto the Moluccoes where being set upon by the East Indian people himself and many of his company were slain yet one of his ships as the Spaniards do write called Victoria did get away from those Moluccoes and returning by the Cape Bonae spei on the South side of Africk came safe into Spain So that it may be truly said that if not Megellanus yet some of his company were the first that did ever compass the World through all the degrees of longitude Johannes Lyrius in the end