simple and they couet for nothing but to suffice nature they eate flesh some-times boylde and sometimes broyld and dresse their meate them-selues reiecting the Arte of Cookery and all seasoning of their meates with salte or spices as friuolous and vnnecessary They worship the Firmament the Sunne and the rest of the celestiall bodyes they catch diuerse sorts of fishes and birds and they haue great store of Olyue trees and Vines which naturally hold their increase so as they haue Oliues and Grapes in aboundance without trauell or cost These Ilands also produce serpents that bee great ones but nothing hurtfull the flesh whereof is maruelous sweete and delicious Their garments are of a sine white Cotton or Downe which groweth in the middle of Reedes which being dyed with the Iuyse of these sea fishes that coloureth purple they make themselues purple garments thereof There be also diuerse sorts of liuing creatures of strange and almost incredible natures They obserue a certaine order and strict course in their dyet eating but onely one kinde of meate vppon one day for some day they eate fishes an other day fowles an other flesh of beasts and some-times Oyle and the table where they eate theyr meate is very meane and simple They bee addicted to diuerse exercises for some serue and are serued in course some are imployed in fishing some in fowling some in sundry Artes and manuall occupations and all of them in generall are busied in some one thing or other that redoundeth to their common good In their sacred ceremonies and vpon holy dayes they sing lawdes and himnes in honor of their gods and especially of the Sunne to whome they dedicate themselues and their Islands They bury their dead bodyes vpon the sea coast couering the carcasse with sand that by the flowing and inundation of the waters there may bee a great heape of sand in the place where the corpes are buryed The canes whereof they eate the fruite as they say doe increase and decrease according to the disposition of the Moone The water of their fountaines is both sweet and holsome alwayes hotte vnlesse it bee mingled either with wine or cold water When Iambolus and his companion had liued in that Iland seauen yeares they were forced to depart for the Ilanders held them to bee euill liuers and of bad behauiour and conuersation and therefore prouiding their shippe ready and victualling her they set forward on their iourney though fore against their wills and at the foure months end they came to the King of India by whome they were afterwards safely conducted through Persia and brought into Greece Of the Iland called Taprobane and of the manners of the Inhabitants CAP. 26. TAPROBANE before mans venterousnesse by exquisit searching into euery creeke and corner of the sea had truely and throughly discouered it was held to be as it were an other world that wherein the Antipodes were supposed to dwell But Alexander the great by his prowesse and valour remooued the ignorance of this common error which did much augment and increase the glory of his name for Onesicritus the praefect of his nauie being by him sent to search out what manner of land it was what commodities it yeelded and how and by whom it was inhabited made it most apparent and manifest vnto vs. The length of the Iland is seauen thousand stadia and fiue thousand in breadth and it hath a riuer running through the middle of it that deuideth it into two parts Some part of this Iland is wholy replenished with beasts and Elephants which be farre bigger then India breedeth any and some part of it is well peopled There bee great store of Pearles and precious stones of diuerse kindes It is situated East and West and beginneth at the sea called fretum Indioe from Prasla a countrie in India into Taprobane at the first discouery thereof was the space of 25. dayes sayling but it was with such boates as the riuer of Nilus carried that were made of reedes for at this day with our shippes it is not aboue seuen dayes sayle The sea that deuideth the Iland in twaine in many places is very shallow being not aboue seuen foote deepe but in some other places againe the channell is so exceeding deepe that no anchor can reache the bottome In sayling they obserue not the course of the starres for the North pole and the seauen starres doe neuer appeare to their view and the Moone is no longer seene in their Horizon but from the sixt day after his change to the sixteenth but the cleere and radiant starre called Canopus shineth there very bright and the Sunne riseth vppon their right hands and setteth vppon their left With coyne they were altogether vnacquainted vntill the raigne of the Emperour Claudius and it is reported that they were greatly amazed at the sight of money because it was stamped with sundry figures and similitudes and yet in weight and substance was all one In stature and bignesse of body they exceed all other men of what nation so euer They dye and coulour their hayre browne their heires bee gray or blew their visage grimme and sterne and their voyce harshe and terrible Those which dye an vntimely death liue commonly till they bee a hundred yeare old but those which spend out the full course of nature liue till they bee maruelous old farte exceeding mans ordinary frayltie They neuer sleepe in the day time and but part of the night neyther for they risâ— exceeding early Their buildings bee meane and lowe and their victualls alwayes alike they haue great store of Apples but no Vines They honor Hercules as their God Their Kings are elected as well by the voyces of the commons as by the nobility for the peoples care is to choose one of great clemencie and vnprooueable manners and such a one as is well striken in yeares and withall that hath no children for he which is a father is not there admitted to be a King be he neuer so good and vertuous and if the King at any time during his raigne hap to haue a child he is therefore instantly deposed and depriued of all Princely iurisdiction and this they doe for because they will not haue their kingdome become hereditary Moreouer bee their King neuer so iust and vpright yet will they not commit the absolute gouernment wholy into his hands for to the end he should not be sole Iudge in capitall causes there be forty Rectors or Guides annexed vnto him as his assistants and if the iudgement of the King and his forty assistants seeme partiall or distastfull to any one he may from them appeale to the people who haue likewise seuenty Iudges allowed them for the determining of such causes as come to them by way of appeale and the sentence that is pronounced by these seuenty Iudges must of necessity stand inuiolable The King in his apparell differeth much from the people and if he be found guilty of any offence
land such other commodities as the country affoordeth as colour medicines wooll or such like and somtimes cattel also It is not lawfull for the King to put any man to death for one onely cause nor for one Persian to commit any heynous offence against another of his owne family or kindered The Persians haue many wiues a peece and keepe diuerse concubines besides for increase of issue and the Kings reward those most liberally that haue begot most children in a yeare nor bee their children once brought into their fathers sight before they bee fiue yeares of age but all that while are brought vp with their mothers chiefly for this cause that if any of them in those yeares of education should miscarry and dye their losse should be no greefe or molestation to the father They celebrate their mariages all at one time of the yeare that is in the vernall Aequinoctium and the Brides-groome eateth nothing the first night he lieth with his wife but an Apple or the marrow of a Cammell The Persian children from the first yeare of their age to the foure and twentith practise nothing but riding shooting throwing the dart and chiefly to learne to speake the truth Their schoole-maisters are men of great continencie and seuerity and such as sometimes in rime some-times in prose rehearse vnto them for their instructions tales and histories containing the commendations of their gods and the deeds of worthy men They haue a place appointed them to practise in whether they are summoned by the sound of some winde instrument at vsuall houres and their teachers are often demanded and examined by others how their children do profit They practise running also choosing one of the Princes sonnes to be their Captaine and guide the field wherein they run their races is at the least thirty stadia in length and that they may the better indure both heate and cold they often exercise themselues in swimming and wading ouer great waters insomuch as they will eate their meate and go about their husbandry and other businesse with weapons in their hands and wet garments on their backs their meate is the gumme or turpentine that issueth out of Firre trees Acornes and wilde Peares but that which they vsually eat after their runing other exercises of their bodies is a kinde of heard bread and salt herbes called garden Cresses and flesh either broyled or boyled and their vsual drinke is water They hunt alwaies on horsbacke with darts bowes and slings In the fore-noone they either plant trees dig vp rootes make weapons or practise fishing their children be addorned with gold and many other dainties The stone Pyropus which is a kind of Carbuncle stone of a firy rednesse is with them in great estimation therefore they apply it not to any dead bodie nor yet the fire for the great honor reuerence they yeeld vnto it from the twentith yeere vnto the fiftith they be souldiours and follow the warres they haue no vse of pleading neither doe they buy or sell any thing They bee armed in the warres with a kinde of target in form of a wheele and besides their quiuer of arrowes they haue weapons called sangars and short swords caps with high crowns and on their breasts rough brest-plates ful of skales The Princes weare a kind of garment that is three double about their shoulders and cotes with sleeues hanging downe to their knees the out-side whereof is of diuers collours and the lyning white In the Sommer time the Persians be clothed in purple and in winter in changeable collours The head attires for their Priests or Magi be like vnto Bishops miters The common people bee clothed with two coates hanging downe to the middle of their legs and a great bundel of linnen cloath bound about their heads Their beds and pots be trimmed with gold siluer They consult of no serious matter but when they be halfe drunke esteeming that consultation to be more firme thē that which is with sobriety deliberatiō kinsmen equals salute one an other with a kisse the baser sort of people reuerence their betters by bowing their bodies vnto them They bury their dead bodies in the earth annoynting them first with wax but their Priests or wise-men they cast out without burial to be deuoured of birds their custome was also for sonnes to lie with their owne mothers and these in times past were the manners and customes of the Persians Herodotus also reciteth more of their maners very worthy of remembrance as that it was held a horrible and heynous offence to laugh or spit before the King That they scoffed at the Greekes who were of opinion that the gods tooke their original from men That whatsoeuer was vnlawful to be done was by them thought vnfitting to be spoken That it was a vile thing to bee in debt but to lie was most abhominable That they did not bury their dead bodies before they were pulled in peeces by dogges and which in the opinion of other nations was thought most absurde that parents being brought to pouertie might get money by being Pandars to their owne daughters which custome was alowed amongst the Babylonians also The Persians at this day being ouercome by the Sarrasins and infected with the madnesse of Mahomet liue altogether in darkenesse It was once a warlike nation and had for a long space the gouernment of the East but now for want of excercise in armes it fayleth much of his ancient glory Of India and of the monstrous and prodigious customes and manner of liuing of the people of India CAP. 8. INDIA a Country in the East and the vtmost bound of all Asia is so vast and large a country as it is thoght to be the third part of the whole world Pomponius writeth that it is as much in compasse by the sea shore as a ship will saile in forty daies and forty nights with a full winde It is called India of the riuer Inde where it finisheth his course vpon the West part and beginning at the meridionall sea stretcheth out vnto the vttermost part of the East extending Northward to the hill Caucasus It containeth sundry sorts of people and hath such great aboundance of Cities and walled townes therein as some are of opinion that there is no fewer then fiue thousand nor may it seeme strange that it hath so great numbers of people and Cities considering that the Indians of all other people neuer departed from their natiue soile The most famous riuers in that Country are Ganges Indus and Hypanis but the greatest of them is the riuer Ganges The Country by reason of the Westerne windes is most holsome they haue two haruests in the yeere and the wind bloweth Easterly all winter wine they haue none although there be that affirme that the Musican soile yeeldeth some wine in the South part of India is great store of Narde Cynamon Pepper and Sugar-cane as in Arabia and Aethiopia It produceth Ebon-trees
my owne part hath hitherto best contented my selfe and I trust hath beene most acceptable to God From the which if either ambition of high estate offered to mee in marriage by the pleasure and appointment of my Prince whereof I haue some records in this presence as you our Treasurer well knew or if the eschewing the danger of mine enemies or the avoyding of the perrill of death whose messinger or rather a continuall watch-man the Princes indignation was no little time daily before mine eyes by whose meanes although I know or iustly may suspect yet I will not now vtter or if the whole cause were in my sister her selfe I will not now burthen her therewith because I will not charge the dead if any of these I say could haue drawne or diswaded mee from this kinde of life I had not now remained in this estate wherein you see mee but so constant haue I alwaies continued in this determination although my youth and wordes may seeme to some hardly to agree together yet is it most certaine and true that at this day I doe stand free from any other meaning that either I haue had in times past or haue at this present with which trade of life I am so throughly acquainted that I trust in God who hath hitherto therein preserued and led mee by the hand will not of his goodnesse suffer mee to goe alone For the other part the manner of your petition I doe well like and take it in verie good part because that it is simple and contayneth no lymitation of place or person if it had beene otherwise I must needs haue misliked it verie much and thought it in you a verie great presumption beeing vnfitting and altogither vnmeete for you to require them that may commaunde or those to appoint whose partes are to desire or such to binde and limit whose duties are to obey or to take vpon you to drawe my loue to your likings or to frame my will to your fantasie For a guerdon constrained and a guift freely giuen can neuer agree together Neuerthelesse if any one of you bee in suspect that whensoeuer it may please God to incline my heart to another kinde of life you may well assure your selues my meaning or resolution is not to doe or determine any thing wherewith the Realme may or shall haue iust cause to bee discontented or complaine of imposed iniurie And therefore put that cleane out of your heads and remooue such doubtfull thoughts for I doe assure you what credit my assurance may haue with you I cannot tell but what credit it shall deserue to haue the sequell shall declare I will neuer in that matter conclude any thing that shal be preiudiciall to the Realme for the benefit weale good and safetie whereof I will neuer shunne to spend my life And whomsoeuer my chance shal be to light vpon I trust he shal be such as shal be as carefull for the Realme and you I will not say as my selfe because I cannot so certainelie determine of any other but at the leastwise by my good will and desire hee shal be such as shal be as carefull for the preseruation of the Realme and you as my selfe And albeit it might please Almightie GOD to continue mee still in this minde to liue out of the estate of marriage yet is it not to bee feared but hee will so worke in my heart and in your wisdomes as good prouision by his helpe may bee made in conuenient whereby the Realme shall not remaine and stand destitute of an heire to succeed mee that may bee a fit Gouernour and peraduenture more beneficiall to the Realme and generality then such off-spring as may come of mee For though I bee neuer so carefull of your well doings and minde euer so to bee yet may issue growe out of kinde and become perhaps vngratious And in the end this shal be for mee verie sufficient that a marble stone shall declare that a maiden Queene hauing raigned and ruled such a long time liued and died a virgine And heere I end and take your comming vnto mee in good part and giue vnto you all eft-somes my hearty thankes more yet for your zeale and good meaning then for your petition And thus farre Stowe THIS good Queene ELIZABETH was the last of the Royall issue of King Henry the eight shee died without any issue her selfe and left the Kingdome vnto Iames King of Scotland and next heire to the crowne of England King Iames the first of that name since the Conquest by the death of Queene Elizabeth vnited the two famous Kingdomes of England and Scotland which had beene long deuided the crowne of England rightfully and linially descending vnto him from Margueret eldest daughter to Henry the seuenth and Elizabeth wife of the sayd Henry eldest daughter to Edward the fourth which Margueret was maried to Iames the fourth King of Scotland who had issue Iames the fifth father vnto Mary the last Queene of Scots who was mother vnto Iames the sixth King of Scotland and of great Britan France and Ireland the first To omit Ireland an Island vnder our Kings dominion the people wherof of late yeeres haue growne to more ciuility by conuersing with other nations and to speake something more in perticular of this Island as now it is wee may deuide the whole Island of Britanny into three partes that is to say England Wales and Scotland Scotland the North of this Island hauing for a long time beene a Kingdome of it selfe seuered and distinct from England is now by this happy vnion as I said before made one againe with England and both of them gouerned by one King and Monarch This Country in respect of England is very barren and mountanous and the Inhabitants especially the vulgar sort farre more rude and barbarous their language in effect is all one with the English the Northerne Scots excepted which speake and liue after the Irish fashion nor is their any difference in their religion but all causes and controuersies bee there determined by the ciuill law as in most other Countries for with our common lawes of England they are little acquainted Wales an other part of this Island and the proper habitation of the Britans expelled thither out of England by the Englishmen was gouerned by Princes of their owne bloud vntil the raigne of Henry the third who slue Lhewellen ap Griffith the last Prince of the British race vnited that Prouince vnto the Kingdome of England and forced the Inhabitants to sweare fealty and alleagiance vnto Edward of Carnaruan his eldest sonne whom hee made Prince of Wales After the decease of Edward the first this title of Prince of Wales lay dormant during all the raigne of Edward the Second and was againe reuiued by Edward the Third who created his sonne Edward surnamed the Blacke Prince Duke of Cornwall Earle of Chester and Prince of Wales and euer since hath this title beene duely conferred vnto the
and of vnreproueable manners both which I haue knowne by sight These two and Mathew the Ethiopian Embassador sayled towards India vnder the conduct of Lupo Soarez the Viceroy and after his death vnder Viceroy Didaco Lupeza a Sequeira who was Lupos successor with a Nauy well furnished which hee had prepared against the Turkes by whom they were brought to a hauen called Arquicum situated vpon the Erythraean shore vnder the dominiō of Prester Iohn into which hauen the ship ariued vpon the second day of Aprill in the yeare of Christ 1520. In which iourney Edward Galuanus dyed in Camara an Island in the Erythraean sea Rhodericus Limius was placed in his stead who with his fellowes in Embassage set forwards on their iourney from the said hauen of Arquicum towards the Court of Prester Iohn hauing Mathew with them as their guide and companion for that young man Abesynus whom I formerly mentioned was dead before this time And in this iourney Mathew dyed likewise and was buried in a famous Monastery called Bisayn after whose funerals performed they set forwards on their intended iourney and after great trauels infinite labours and many dangers they arriued at the Court of Prester Iohn of whom Rhodoricke with his associates were very honorably receiued and he hauing perfected his businesse and receiued new message was sent backe againe vnto King Emanuell which done hee went to the hauen of Arquicum but found not the Nauy there of whom Ludouicus Menesius was gouernour and which came purposely thither to carry them backe againe for they stayed so long that the ship could no longer expect their comming by reason of the outragious and vehement tempests within those coasts by an admirable secret of nature blow sixe monethes together from one climate and the other sixe monethes from the other At Arquicum hee found letters with the Gouernor of the towne left there by Pretor Ludouicus perporting the death of king Emanuell wherefore he determined to returne againe to Prestor Iohns Court at whose returne Prester Iohn writ letters vnto the Pope of Rome committing them to Francis Aluarez to bee carried to him at Rome All these hauing remained in those prouinces for the space of sixe yeares in the the end together with the Ethiopian Embassador whom Prester Iohn sent anew vnto our King entred into one of the Kings ships at Arquicum which was there laid for the purpose in the moneth of Aprill in the yeare of Christ 1526. and disankering thence sailed towards India and at length by tedious trauels at sea they returned to King Iohn at Lisbon in the moneth of Iuly in the yeare 1527. who retained the Ethiopian Embassador with him touching certaine poynts of his Embassage vnto the yeare 1539. and sent Francis Aluarez vnto Pope Clement the seuenth with letters from Prester Iohn from whom he came as Embassador Which letters the Pope receiued at the hands of the said Francis Aluarez at Bononia in the moneth of Ianuary 1533. In the presence of the Emperour Charles the fift of which letters and of others written to Emanuell and Iohn King of Portugall Paulus Iouius a very learned man was interpretor who hath translated them out of the Portingall language wherein they were written into Latine as here you may see A letter from Dauid the most renowned Emperour of Aethithiopia written to Emanuell King of Portugall in the yeare of our Lord 1521. Paulus Iouius being interpretor IN the name of God the Father as hee alwaies hath beene voyd of all beginning in the name of God his onely sonne who is like vnto him and was before the starres gaue light and before hee laid the foundation of the Ocean who at another time was conceiued in the wombe of the blessed Virgin without the seede of man without mariage for in this maner was the knowledge of his dutie in the name of the holy Ghost the Spirit of sanctity who knoweth all secrets that be where he was before that is of al the altitudes of heauen which is sustained without any pillers or props hee who amplified the earth which before was not created nor knowne through all parts from the east to the west from the north to the south Neither is this the first or second but the vndiuided Trinity in the only eternall Creator of all things of one only councell and one word for euer and euer Amen These letters are sent by Atani Thingil that is to say the incense of a virgin which name was giuen him in baptisme but now at his first entrance into his kingdome he tooke the name of Dauid the beloued of God the piller of faith a kinsman of the tribe of Iuda the son of Dauid the son of Salomon the son of the piller of Sion the son of the seed of Iacob a son of the hand of Mary and the carnal son of Nav Emperour of great and high Ethiopia and of great kingdoms lands and dominions king of Xoa Caffate Fatigar Angote Boru Baaligaze Adea Vangue Goiame where is the head of the riuer Nilus of Damaraa of Vaguemedri Ambeaa Vagne Tigri Mahon of Sabain where Saba was Queene and of Bermagaes and Lord vnto Nobia the end of Egypt These letters I say bee sent from him and directed to the high mightie and inuincible Lord Emanuell who dwelleth in the loue of God and remaineth firme in the Catholicke faith the sonne of the Apostles Peter and Paul King of Portingall and of the Algarbians friend of Christians enemy iudge Emperour and vanquisher of the Moores and of the people of Affricke and of Guiennea from the Promontory and Island of the Moone of the redde sea of Arabia Persis and Armutia of great India and of all places and of those Islands and adiacent Countries spoyler and ouerthrower of the Moores and strange Paganes Lord of Castles high Towers and Walles and increaser of the faith of Christ Peace be vnto you King Emanuell who by Gods assistance destroyest the Moores and with your Nauy your Armie and your Captaines driuest them vp and downe like vnbeleeuing dogges Peace be vnto your wife the Queene the friend of Iesus Christ hand-maide of the virgine Mary the mother of the Sauiour of the world Peace bee vnto your Sonnes who bee as a Table well furnished with dainties in a greene Garden amongst the flourishing Lillies Peace bee vnto your Daughters who are attired with garments and costly ornaments as Princes Palaces bee garnished with Tapestry Peace bee vnto your kinsfolkes which bee procreated of the seede of the Saints as the Scripture saith the sonnes of the Saints be blessed both within doores and without Peace be vnto your Councellors officers your Magistrates Lawyers Peace be vnto the captains of your castles borders and of all matters of munition Peace bee vnto all your Nation and to all your inhabitants Moores and Iewes excepted Peace be vnto all your parishes and to all that be faithfull to Christ and to you Amen I vnderstand
ready and willing mindes to vnder-goe all perils and dangers of warfare Their common-wealth also consisteth of three sorts of common people of husbandmen shepheards and craftsmen The husbandmen buy their ground at an easie rate of the Priests of the King or of the Souldiours and apply their husbandry without intermission all their time from their infancie by which meanes they are farre more expert in husbandry then others both for the precepts they receiue from their parents as also by reason of their continuall practise The sheapheards likewise receiuing the charge and skill of keeping cattell from their fathers follow that kinde of exercise for all their life long And arts and sciences amongst the Aegiptians are most exquisite and brought to the highest straine of perfection for the Egiptian tradesmen without intermedling in publicke affaires exercise no other labour but such onely as is eyther permitted by the law or taught by their fathers so as neither the enuy of the teacher nor ciuill hatred nor any other thing whatsoeuer can hinder them from that course of life they haue entred into The Egiptians censured not of things at hap hazard but with reason and discretion for they esteemed things rightly done to be very beneficiall for mans life and that the onely way to auoyde euil was to punish the offenders and to succor the oppressed but that the punishment due for an offence should bee forborne in regarde eyther of meede or money they held to be the vtter confusion of their publicke life and therefore they setled the best and choisest men of the most famous citties as at Heliopolis Memphis Thebes and set them as iudges ouer the rest which sessions of Iudges were thought to be nothing inferior to the Iudges of Areopagus in Athens nor to the Senate or councell of the Lacedemonians established long time after them when these Iudges being thirty in number were assembled together they made election of the worthiest man amongst them to bee their chiefe Iudge or Iustice in whose absence the whole company assembled appointed an other Iudge to be his substitute These Iudges were all maintained at the Kings cost but the cheefe Iudge was farre better allowed then the rest who alwayes had hanging about his neck in a chaine of gold bedeckt with diuers precious stones an Image which they called Truth and when they were set in Iudgment the Image of Truth being laid before them by the chiefe Iudge and all their lawes which were contained in eight volumes placed in the middle of the Iudges their maner was that the accuser should set downe his accusation in writing the maner of the iniury or losse committed and done and how much he esteemed him-selfe damnified then was there a time allotted for the accused to answer his aduersaries accusations by writing and eyther to purge himselfe that he did not the iniury or to auerre that what he did was iustly done or that the wrong or losse hee did was not of such value as was supposed after this the plaintiffe replied and the defendant made answer to his replication So as the pleading of both parties being twise heard after the Iudges had examined and reasoned of the matter in controuersie the chiefe Iudge turning the signe of Truth towards him that had truth of his side pronounced the sentence and this was the maner of their Iudgments And now because occasion is offered to speake of the Institution of their lawes I thinke it not impertinent to our purpose to make mention of the ancient lawes of the Egyptians that thereby we may know how farre they excelled others both in order and vtility And first of all periured persons were punished with death as those which had committed a double offence both in violating their duty towards the gods and in breaking and abolishing faith and truth amongst men which is the chiefest bond of humaine society if a Traueller finde one that is set vpon with theeues and robbed and beaten or suffered any other iniury and doth not set to his helping hand to ayde him if it lye in his power hee shall dye for it but if hee could not assist him then ought hee to make the theeues knowne and to prosecute the iniury with his accusation which if hee doe not he shall be whipped with a certaine number of stripes and bee bard from all sustenance for three whole dayes together hee which accuseth an other falsely and is called in question for it shall vndergoe the punishment prouided for false accusers and all the Aegiptians were at certaine times constrained to giue vp theyr names in writing to the Presidents and Gouernors and what trade of life they exercised in dooing whereof if any say vntruly or liued by vnlawfull gaine hee was punished with death if any one kill eyther free-man or seruant willingly he shall dye for it by the lawes which regarding not the quallity of the estate but the heynousnesse of the deed and the euill mind of the dooer deliuer men from euill so as by reuenging the death of seruants and slaues free-men may liue in more security The paines of death were not afflicted vpon fathers which had slaine their sonnes but they were inioyned to stand for three daies and three nights about the dead corps the publike watch standing by to see it done for they thought it vniust to depriue him of life that was author of his sonnes life but rather that he should be afflicted with continuall griefe and repentance of the fact whereby others might shunne the like offence To Paracides was imposed a most exquisite and extreame punishment for the lawe was that the liuing body and the dead corps should be bound together ioynt by ioynt vpon sharpe Pikes or stakes and burned vpon a heape of thornes adiudging it to be the most heynous offence that could bee amongst men for one to doe him to death violently of whom hee had receiued life If any woman great with child were adiudged to dye her death was deferred till she was deliuered for they thought it meere iniustice that an infant which committed no euill should perish with the guilty or that two should bee punished whereas but one offended Those which in warres did eyther breake theyr array or would not obey their Leaders and Captaines were not punished with death but with the reproch ignominy of all men which disgrace after they had blotted out by their vertue and valiant acts they recouered their former estate and dignities and that law brought it to passe in continuance of time that men accounted that dishonour to bee the greatest euill could hap vnto them and much more greeuous then death Those which reuealed any secrets to their enemies had their toungs cut out and those which clipped money or counterfetted any false coyne or altered it eyther in weight or fashion or stamped it with letters or defaced the letters or forged any false deeds were punished with the
home and hauing no other garments to couer their bodies but goats skins Their greatest Potentates haue no citties but turrets standing neere vnto waters wherein they lay vp such things as they leaue for their prouision They sweare their subiects once euery yeare to their allegiance and obedience to their Prince and that they shall be louing to their equalls and persecute al such as refuse to be vnder their gouernment as theeues There weapons are answerable to their country and their customes for they themselues beeing light and nimble of body and the country for the most part plaine and euen do neither vse swords nor knyues nor any other weapons in their warres sauing onely euery one three darts and a few stones in a letherne budget and with those they will fight and conflict both when they incounter and in the retraite being by practise made perfect to throw therein stones and darts right at a marke They obserue neither law nor equitie towards strangers The Trogloditae which the Greekes call shepheards because they liue by cattell elect their King from out the people of Aethiopia wiues and children they haue in common the King onely excepted who hath but one wife and euery one that commeth to him presenteth him with a certaine number of cattell At such time as the wind standeth in the East about the canicular or dog dayes which season is most subiect to showers they eate bloud and milke mixt together and boyled and when their pastures be parched and burned away with the heate of the Sunne they go downe into the moorish grounds for which there is great contention amongst them When their cattle be either old or diseased they kill them and eate them for of such consisteth their chiefest sustenance Their children be not called after the names of their parents but aftet the names of Buls Rammes or Sheepe and those they call fathers and mothers because their daily nourishment is yeelded by them and not by their naturall parents The meaner sort of people drinke the iuice of Holly-tree or sea-rush and those of the better sort the iuyce that is strayned out of a certaine flower which groweth in that countrey the liquor whereof is like vnto the worst of our Must They neuer continue long in one place but remooue and flitte often into diuers Regions taking with them whither soeuer they go their flockes and heards of cattell they be naked on all parts of their bodies but their priuities which be couered with skinnes All the Trogloditae circumcise their priuie parts like the Aegyptians excepting those which are lame they remoue often into strange Countreys and are neuer cutte or shauen with razour from their infancie Those Trogloditae which are called Megauares vse for their armour round shields made of raw oxe hides and clubbes studded with yron and some vse bowes and lances They haue little regard how they burie the dead for they vse no other ceremonies in their funerals but wrappe the dead corps in Holly twigges and then binding the necke and legges together put the carcase into a hole and couer it ouer with stones setting vpon the heape of stones a Goates horne in derision and so depart from it beeing neuer touched with any griefe though hee were neuer so neere a friend They contend and fight amongst themselues not as the Greekes do for anger or ambition but onely for their victualls and in their conflicts they first throw stones till some of them be wounded and then taking their bowes in hand wherein they be very expert they fight it out till some of them be slaine And the auncient and grauest women giue end vnto those controversies who pressing boldly into the middle of the multitude without any danger for it is not lawfull to hurt them by any meanes the men foorthwith cease off their strife Those which for age bee vnable to follow their flockes tye their owne neckes to an oxe tayle and so strangle themselues to death And if any be vnwilling to dye he is forced to it by his fellowes but first he shall haue warning thereof and this kind of death they account a great benefit vnto them those also which be sick of feuers or of any vncurable disease are serued in like sort for they account it the greatest misery that may be for any one to inioy his life that can doe nothing worthy of life Herodotus writeth that the Trogloditae make them hollow Caues in the ground to dwell in and that they haue no desire to possesse riches but rather addict themselues to wilfull and voluntary pouerty that they onely are delighted and glory in one kinde of stone which we call Hexacontalithus which is a little precious stone with diuerse corners that they eate the flesh of Serpents and that they speake not any intelligible language but in steed of speach make a kinde of noyse or howling rather then speach In that Aethiopia which lyeth aboue Aegipt dwell another kinde of people which be called Rhisophagi these barbarous people liue onely vpon the rootes of weedes which when they haue cleane washed they bruse teare a peeces with stones till they waxe soft and clammy and then make it into cakes like vnto tiles and bake them against the sunne and so eate them and this kinde of meat is theyr onely food all their life time for they haue great aboundance thereof and it is very pleasant and delectable in taste so as peace is there perpetually maintained and yet they fight notwithstanding but it is onely with Lyons which ranging out of the deserts to shunne the shade and to prey vpon other lesser wild beasts destroy many Aethiopians comming forth of the fens and surely that nation had beene vtterly destroyed by Lyons had not nature afforded a defence against them for at such time as the Dogge-starre ariseth and appeareth in their Horizon the winde being calme there flyeth into those parts an innumerable multitude of Gnatts which offend not the people because they flye from them into the Fennes and moorish grounds but doe so annoy the Lyons with their stings and terrifying them with their humming and bussing as they compell them all to depart out of those Regions Next vnto these are the Ilophagi and the Spermatophagi the Spermatophagi liue without labour by gathering the fruites which fall from trees in Summer time and when fruites are gone they eate a certaine herbe which they finde growing in shadie places where-with they be succourd in theyr need But the Ilophagi their wiues and children feede them-selues by clyming into Tree toppes and plucking off the tender buddes from twigges and branches which is their onely sustenance by continuall vse and practise whereof they grow so expert in clyming that a thing strange to bee reported they will skippe and hoppe from tree to tree like birds or squirrells without danger and trusting to their lightnesse and nimblenesse of their bodyes ascend to the very top of slender branches and if
at any time their footing fayle them yet will they claspe theyr hands about the twiggs and so saue and defend them-selues from falling and though by some mischance they should fall yet receiue they no hurt by reason of the lightnesse of theyr bodyes These people goe alwayes naked and haue theyr wiues and children in common They fight one against another onely for places to liue in being weaponed with staues and domineere and exult greatly ouer those they vanquish They die for the most part by famine whem their sight faileth they are depriued of that sence wherewith they sought their food In an other part of the region dwell those Aethiopians which bee called Cyneci they bee few in number but of a different life from all the rest for they inhabit the wood-land and desolate countrie wherein be but few fountaines of water and they sleepe vpon the tops of trees for feare of wilde beasts Euery morning they goe downe armed to the riuer sides and their hide themselues in trees amongst the leaues and in the heate of the day when the Beefes and Libbards and diuers other kindes of wilde beasts goe downe to the riuers to drinke and that they bee full and heauie with water these Aethiopians descen'd from the trees and fall vppon them and kill them with staues baked at the fire and with stones and dartes and then deuide them amongst their companies and eate them By which cunning deuise they deuoure many of those beasts and sometimes though but seldome they are foyled and slaine themselues And if at any time their cunning faile them and that they want beasts to eate they take the hides of such beasts as they haue eaten before and plucking of the haires laie the hides in steepe and then drie them before a soft fire and so deuiding to euery one a share satisfie themselues with that Their young boyes vnder the age of foureteene yeeres practise throwings at markes and they giue meate to those onely which touch the marke and therefore beeing forced thereto by famine they become most excellent and fine darters The people called Acridophagi border vpon the desert the men bee something shorter or lower of stature then other Aethiopians beeing leane and marueilous blacke In the spring time the West and South-west windes blow an infinite number of slies called Locustes out of the deserts into their Country which bee exceeding great but the collour of their wings is foule and lothsome These Aethiopians as their custome is gather out of places there-abouts great store of wood and other sorts of fuell and laie it in a great large valley and when at their wonted time as it were a whole cloude of Locusts bee carried by the windes ouer the valley they set fire on the fuell and with smoke stiphle and smother to death the Locusts which flie ouer it so as they fal downe vnto the earth in such aboundance as are sufficient to serue the whole countrie for victualls and these beeing sprinckled with salt which that country plentifully yeeldeth they preserue for a long space beeing a meate very pleasant vnto they taste And so these Locusts bee their continuall sustenance at all seasons for they neither keepe cattell nor eate fish beeing farre remote from the sea nor haue any other maintenance whereof to liue They bee nimble of body swift of foote and shorte of life so as they which liue the longest exceede not aboue fortie yeeres their end is not onely miserable but also incredible for when old age creepeth and commeth vppon them there doth certaine lice with winges of a horrible and vglie shape ingendring in their bodies knaw out and deuour their bellies guts and intralls and in a small time their whole bodies and he which hath the disease doth so itch is so allured to scrach as he receiueth thereby at one and the same time both pleasure and paine and when the corruption cometh forth and the lyce appeare he is so stirred with the bitternesse and anguish of the disease as hee teareth his owne flesh in peeces with his nayles with great wayling and lamentation for so great is the number of those vermine issuing out of the wounds heape vppon heape running as it were out of a vessell full of holes as they cannot be ouercome and by this meanes they die a very miserable death the cause whereof is ether the meate they liue vpon or the vnholesomenesse of the aire Vpon the vtmost parts of Affricke towards the South dwell a people which the Greekes cal Cinnamimi but of their neighbouring Barbarians they bee called wild or vplandish people These haue very great beards and for the defence of their liues breed vp great number of Mastiues and wild dogs for from the Summer troppicke to the middle of winter an infinite number of Indian Beefes come into their country the cause of their comming is vncertaine whether it bee that they fly from other wild beasts which pursue them or for the want of feeding or that they doe it by instinct of nature all which are wonderfull but the true cause is vnknowne from these the people defend them-selues with their dogges their owne forces being insufficient to withstand them and kill many of them some whereof they eate fresh and some others they powder vp for their prouision afterwards and with these dogges they take many other beasts in like sort The last people and the vtmost towards the South bee the Ichthiophagi which inhabite in the gulph of Arabia vpon the frontiers of the Trogloditae these carry the shape of men but liue like beasts they be very barbarous and go naked all their liues long vsing both wiues and daughters common like beasts they be neither touched with any feeling of pleasure or griefe other then what is naturall Neido the discerne any difference betwixt good and bad honesty and dishonesty Their habitations are in rockes and hills not farre from the sea wherein they haue deepe dennes and holes the passages in and out being naturally very hard and crooked The entrances into these holes as if nature had framed them for their vse the Inhabitants damme vp with a heape of great stones wherewith they take fishes as it were with nets for the flowing of the sea which hapneth euery day twise about three of the cloke and nine of the Cloke surrownding the borders neere vnto the shore the water increasing very high and couering all places carrieth into the continent an innumerable company of diuers sorts of fishes which seeking abroad for sustenance at the ebbing of the sea are by those stones stayd vpon dry land those doe the inhabitants make hast to gather vp and taking them lay them vpon the rockes against the noone Sunne till they be scorched with the heate thereof and when one side is scorched inough they turne the other when they bee thus broyled against the Sunne they take all the meate from the bones and put it into a
receiued his griefe must be so hearty effectual as he must thereby assuredly hope to bee reconciled againe vnto God then must he humbly acknowledge and make verball recitall vnto some reuerent priest his confessor as vnto the vicar and minister of God of al thse sins offences as were causers of the losse of that innocency stirred vp the wrath of God against him then let him firmly beleeue that such power and authority is giuen by Christ vnto his priests ministers on earth that they can cleerely absolue him from al such sins as he confesseth is heartily sory for Lastly for a satisfaction amends for al his sins let him with alacrity cheerefulnes vndergo do whatsoeuer his confessor shall enioyne him beleeuing most stedfastly that he is absolued from al his sins as soone as the priest hath pronounced the words of absolution 7 The seuenth and last Sacrament is the Sacrament of extreame vnction which is ministred with oyle which for that purpose is yeerely consecrated and hallowed in euery Diocesse by the bishop himselfe vpon the thursday before Easterday as the holy Chrisine is cōsecrated by the priest This Sacrament according to the councel of the holy Apostle Saint Iames the institutiō of Pope Felix the 4. is ministred only to such as are at the point of death of ful age and not then neither vnlesse they desire it and by the prescript form repeating of the words of the Sacramēt often inuocation of the Saints those parts of the body being annointed which are the seats of the fiue sences seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching and are the chiefest instrumēts in offending as the mouth eyes eares nose hands and feet the holy fathers haue bin euer of this opinion and firme beleefe that he which is so anointed receiueth it worthily is not only thereby remitted purged frō al his light and venial sins but is either sodenly restored to his former health or else yeeldeth vp his spirit in more tranquility and peace of conscience The festiual daies which were cōmanded to be obserued in The festiuall dayes which were commanded to be obserued in the Church throughout the yeare begin with the Aduent of our Lord Iesus Christ In which by the institution of Saint Peter in the month of December the continuall exercise of fasting and prayer was commanded for full three weekes and a halfe together before the feast of the Natiuity of our Lord with vs called Christmas which with all ioy and solemnity is celebrated all the last eight dayes of December The yeare is deuided into 52. weekes the weekes into twelue months and euery month for the most part into thirty dayes vpon the first day of Ianuary the Church celebrateth the circumcision of our Lord according to the law of Moses Vpon the third day after is represented vnto vs how our Sauiour Christ by the adoration of the three Kings and his beeing Baptised of Iohn in the riuer Iordane laid the foundation of the new law vpon the second of February is shewed how his imaculate mother shewing her selfe obedient to the ceremonies of the Iewes presented her sonne Iesus in the Temple and was purified in memory whereof there is on that day a solemne procession vsed by the Church and all the tapers and wax lights bee then hallowed Vpon the 25. day of March is represented vnto vs the Annuntiation of the birth of Christ to the Virgin Mary by the Angel and how he was conceiued in her wombe by the inspiration of the holy ghost at which time is commended vnto vs also the remembrance of the forty daies which our Sauiour when he liued here on earth amongst vs vouchsafed to fast willing vs likewise to fast that time after his example then to celebrate his passion and death which willingly he offered himselfe to suffer to enfranchise and redeeme vs from the thraldome and slauery of the diuell Vpon the last day of which feast which often falleth out in Aprill is solemnised the greatest of all feasts how Christ hauing conquered death descended into hell where after hee had ouercome the Diuell he returned aliue againe to his Disciples and in a glorified body appeared vnto them In May is solemnized his Ascension into Heauen by his owne vertue in the sight of al his Disciples at which time by the ordinance of Saint Mamertine Bishoppe of Vienna it was instituted that throughout the whole Christian world Pilgrimages and processions should bee vsed vpon that day from one Church to an other In Iune and sometimes in May is the feast of the comming of the Holy Ghost who being before promised was on that day infused vpon all the Disciples of our Sauiour Christ appearing vnto them in the forme of fiery tongs by vertue whereof they spake and vnderstood the languages of all nations The eight day after is the feast of the blessed Trinity and then out of the first decretal of Pope Vrban the sixt the feast of Corpus Christi was instituted and with great solemnity generally celebrated the fifth day after Trinity Sunday as a perpetual memoriall of the most wholesome Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ by him bequeathed vnto vs in his last supper vnder the formes of bread and wine and continually of vs to be seene and eaten after his departure vpon the fifteenth day of Iuly wee are put in minde by a new festiuity of the departure of the blessed Apostles according to their seueral alotment the twelfth yeare after the assention of our Lord into heauen to preach the Gospell vnto all nations of the world The death of the Mother of Christ is celebrated the fifteenth day of August and her natiuity the eight of September How being presented in the Temple she continued in the dayly seruice of God from three yeares of age till shee was maryageable is shewed the one and twentih day of nouember vpon the eight day of December the Church reuerenceth her immaculate conception of her long barren parents And the second of Iuly how passing ouer the Mountaines shee visited her Cosin Elizabeth There are likewise holy-daies dedicated to the memory of the twelue Apostles of whom some were martirs some confessors and some Virgins as namely the twenty foure of February to Saint Mathias the twenty fiue of Aprill to Saint Marke the Euangelist on which day Saint Gregory ordained the litanies called the greater litanies to be said To Saint Philip and Iacob the elder the first of May to Saint Peter and Paul the twenty nine of Iune the twenty foure day of which moneth is dedicated to the natiuity of Saint Iohn Baptist the twenty fiue of Iuly to Saint Iames the younger to Saint Bartholemew the twenty foure of August to S. Mathew the twenty one of September the twenty eight of October to S. Simon and Iude the last of Nouember to Saint Andrew the twenty one of December to Saint Thomas and the twenty seauen
especially honour and adore is the Fire which they perswade themselues to be most holy and euerlasting because it is fedde with continuall fuell and there was a fire kept euer burning by the Priests vpon the top of a high hill neere vnto the Riuer Meuiasa Vladislaus King of Poland who first reduced that nation to the Christian Religion quenched that fire and ouerthrew the turret wherein it was kept together with all the woods which the people of Sarmatia held to be as holy as the fire and worshipped them with as much deuotion and Religion esteeming and accounting them to bee the dwellings and habitations of the gods according to the saying of the Poet The gods inhabited and kept the woods Nor did they worshippe and reuerence the fire and woods onely but euery other thing likewise which vsually remained and abidde in the woods as birds and wilde beasts and if any one violated and contemned their witchcrafts and Inuocation of diuels their heads and feete would incontinently close and shrinke together by the deceipt and illusion of their euill spirits Within the woods each family had a place or hearth wherein they kept a fire for all that family in which fire their custome was to burne their dead bodies with their horses saddles and best garments firmely beleeuing that in that place those which be dead and burned meet together in the night and therfore they made them settles or benches to sit vppon of Corcke tree and placed them in readines the best meath and a kind of meate made of paste like vnto a cheese for them to eate Euery yeare vppon the first day of October all the people of the whole countrey assembled and mette together in those woods and there vsing all kind of deuotion celebrated a sollemne Feast each family feeding in his owne cottage vppon the daintiest fare and most delicious viands they could get At which feast they sacrificed by the firesides vnto all their goddes and especially vnto one who me they called Percumo which in their language signifieth thunder Their language is all one with the Lithuanians and the Polonians for the Priests preach vnto the people in the Polonian tongue they obserue the Customes of the Romane Church although there be some Ruthens towards the South and Muscouites which dwell farre north which obserue the Ceremonies of the Greeke Church yeelding their obedience to the Bishoppe of Constantinople and not to the Bishop of Rome Vppon the North side of this Countrey lyeth Muscovia it is fiue hundred miles in compasse rich in siluer and vppon all sides so garded enuironed and defended with such strong holds as not only strangers but their owne natiue countrey-men be interdicted and prohibited to passe in and out at their pleasures without the Dukes letters of safe-conduct The countrie is euen and plaine no hils but great store of woods and marish grounds it is watered with many great riuers as Occa Volha Dzuvina Boristhines and Dinaper and therefore affoordeth as many fishes and wild beasts as Lithuania from which it differeth not much neither in customes nor situation sauing that it is somewhat colder because more North-ward and therefore bee their cattell little and small and for the most part halting and lame of their lims The Metrapolitane and chiefe Cittie of the Region is Moscua it is twise as bigge within the compasse of it as Prague in Bohemia the building is of timber as all their other Citties bee it hath many streetes and lanes but they stand straggling with broad fieldes betwixt them the riuer Mosca runneth through the middle of it and diuideth it into two parts and in the middest of the Cittie standeth a castell or tower builded vppon leuell ground wherein be seuenteene turrets and three bul-warkes or Blocke-houses so strong and so stately as there be but few such to bee found within this Castell bee seuenteene Churches whereof those three which be dedicated to our blessed Ladie Saint Michael and Saint Nicholas bee walled about with stone but the rest be made of timber there is also in it three large and spatious Courts for Noblemen and Courtiers to spend their time in a stately and beautifull pallace also for the Duke to dwell in builded after the Italian fashion but not very large The Countrey containeth many famous Dukedoms out of which vppon any occasion in the space of three or foure dayes they will get together in a readinesse two hundred thousand able men Their vsuall drinke is water and meath and a certaine leauened or sowre liquor which they call Quassatz they plow with woodden ploughes and harow their ground with branches of trees or thorns Their corne by reason of continuall cold ripeneth but slowly and therefore they drie it in hote houses and so thresh it Against the extremitie of cold they vse diuers spices and make a kind of water to drinke of oates hony and milke so strong that they will sometimes be drunke with it Wine and oyle they haue none and to auoide drunkennesse the Gouernour of the countrey forbiddeth the drinking of all strong drinkes vppon paine of death except twise or thrice in a yeare and then it is tolerable for them to be drunke They haue siluer coyne of two sortes a bigger and a lesser it is not made round but somewhat long and with foure corners This coyne they call Dzuvingis They speake the Slauonian language and in religion follow the Greeke Church Their Bishops bee vnder the Patriarch of Constantinople and by him bee confirmed They be all Christians sauing the Kosannenses which worship Mahomet like the Sarrasins there dwell some Scythians also towards the North which speake their owne language and worship Idolles and one Idoll aboue the rest which they call Zlota baba that is to say the image of an old woman made of gold this Idoll they do so highly reuerence and adore as euery one that passeth by it falleth downe and worshippeth it offering thereunto a haire from their garments if they haue nothing else to offer And although the Slauonian toung be generally spoken throughout the whole nation yet is there so great difference in their speech it beeing so mixt confounded and corrupted with other languages as they can hardly vnderstand one another In the time of Idolatrie they had one high Priest or Bishop which they called Criue his dwelling was in the cittie Romoue so called of Roma And this custome was generall to all the whole nation not onely to sell their seruants and slaues like beasts but their sonnes and daughters likewise yea sometimes themselues suffering thē to be carried into other countries in hope of better meanes to liue for in their owne their diet was grosse and bad Of Polonia and of the latter customes of the Polonians CAP. 9. POLONIA a vast countrey of Europ is so called of his plainenesse and eeuennesse for Pole in the Slauonian toung which is spoken by the Polanders signifieth plaine leuell or eeuen it is otherwise called
the sea for the exceeding desire shee hath to auaile man-kinde whereby she becommeth as I may say the lappe and bosome that openeth and offereth trafficke and trading into all countries so as shee is iustly termed of some the nurse of all other nations and elected by Gods diuine prouidence as parent and Princesse of all other Prouinces and such a one as should gather together vnder one head and gouernment all dispersed dominions and should asswage and mitigate the rage and rudenesse of many barbarous people and by the diuine helpe of learning and the Latine toung should vnite and bring to sociable conference all nations though neuer so different in life and language for to passe ouer many people and kingdomes which the Romaines haue wone and conquered with their armies and cloquence the Citty of Rome alone is as amply stored with examples of all vertues as the Grecians with all their eloquence are with precepts yea they themselues deuining as it were that their land should become the head and gouernor of all others when they surnamed one part therof great Greece In a word it was not without the diuine prouidence ordained that where that most wise and omnipotent God had reiected all other nations it pleased him to make that the chiefe Empire fortresse and defence of all people that should afterwards bee the seate throne and chaire of the head of Gods Church and the Christian religion The Italians differ much amongst themselues both in countenance and stature for in Cisalpine France and about the gulfe of Venice the people be of a pale complexion neat in their apparell and curious in their speach but the inhabitants of Hetruria Latium Campania Lucania and the Brutij be of a more browne and swartie complexion and their haire black in stature they be lower and withall very leane and in apparell and speech more plaine and simple The Piceni and those which dwell on the skirts of the Adriatticke sea vntill you come to great Greece haue much resemblance to the former but in Apulia Calabria and in the vppermost parts of Italy towards Greece their speach and behauiour doth little differ from the Greekes Throughout all Italy and in a manner throughout all Europe it is not lawfull for any man to haue more wiues than one and all diuorses betwixt man and wife had their originall from the Citty of Rome for there it was that Spurius Carbillus complaining of his wiues barrennesse was the first that euer was diuorsed from his wife The Cittizens heretofore consisted of three sorts of people that is to say slaues libertines which were such as were once slaues and were manumitted and made free freemen The freemen were likewise deuided into three orders or ranks to wit the Plebeians the Equestri and the Patritij the solemnizing of their sacrifices and sacred rites was committed to Priests and Flamins besides whom they had diuerse colleges and societies of religious persons wherof some did sacrifice to one God and some to an other The Dictator was most honored of all other officers and bore the greatest sway amongst them from whom no appeale was sufferable for he bearing a Kinglike gouernment they had no higher officer to whom they might appeale the dignity of the Dictator continued but halfe a yeare for the most part they came to that high office by degrees as being first Questors or Treasurers then Aediles or ouer-seeers after that Praetors or chiefe Iustices then were they made Consuls then Censors then they attained to the highest office of all which was Dictatorship But yet it did not alwaies necessarily follow that the Dictator had born all those offices before recited for he was oftentimes elected out of some inferior office for his valor worthinesse yet he had chiefest power and authority ouer all those ciuill gouernors as likwise ouer all officers that bore rule in the warres for in military affaires they had their degrees of gouernors aswell as in domesticall businesses for there the cōmon soldiors yeelded obedience to the Centurions the Centurions to the Tribunes the Tribunes to the Lieutenant the Lieutenants or deputies to the Consuls or vnto their Vice-presidents by them assigned to rule in their steeds and all these together with the Captaines and conductors of horsmen were subiect to the authority of the Dictator In warres that were lawfully begun souldiors might continue for the space of ten yeares if in all that time they neuer skirmished with the enimy nor were sommoned away to wage wars in other countries Besides this lawfull making of wars whereof I now speake there was an other sort of warfare called Causaria which was when the army for some reasonable cause was dismissed and the campe remooued This latter maner of warfare as it was not so honorable as the first yet did it carry with it no touch of ignominy nor disgrace because they were called thence for some speciall cause Seruius Tullius ordained that none should be soldiors but such as were betwixt the age of seuenteene yeares and eight and forty those which were men of peace went alwaies in gownes and the souldiors in short cassocks and coate armors When they intended to make battell against any country they would first send an herald or officer at armes to denounce warrs and being once entred into it they might not leaue it but for some lawfull cause All the citties of Italy were either confederats with Rome or such as were newly inhabited by those that came out of Rome and were called Colonia or Municipia which were such Citties as had liberties and priuiledges proper and peculiar to themselues of which sort some were made by plurality of voyces and some otherwise and those Cittie 's called Municipia were euer gouerned by their owne decrees but the Cittie 's called Coloniae were accounted as members of Rome and liued vnder the Romaine law In the citties or corporations called Municipia where there were Burgesses and Free denizens together their chiefest officers were called Decurions which were the same that Senators were at Rome The order of the Patritij were distinguished from the Equestri by their purple robes and the Equestri were knowne from the Plebeians by their gilden garments if he which had the chiefest authority and bore the prerogatiue royall amongst them had misdemeaned himselfe his cause was discerned by the whole body of the citty and the hearing and determining of all other capitall offences was committed to certaine Iudges elected by lots to that dignity out of that band of souldiers which were assistants to the Magistrates in matters of life and death for that yeare The deciding of all ciuill contentions belonged to the Praetor of the Centumuiri and so in like sort other crimes were committed to the consideration of other Magistrates And such generally were the manners and customes of all the people and citties of Italy which institutions and forme of gouernment they receiued
By this diuision of Romulus the three hundred yong men of his garde called Celeres did not onely accomplish his commands in matters concerning the ciuill estate and gouernement of the Citty but they had also the managing of military affaires so as when the King intended to rayse an army it was needelesse for him to create Tribunes oner the Tribes decurions ouer the wards or gouernors and praefects of his horse men but it was inough for him to commande the Tribunes and they the centurions and then the Decurious by their instructions were to bring forth such souldiors as they thought fittest for that purpose by which meanes they would be altogether in redinesse at an instant He elected also a thousand fighting-men which as some write he called Milites because they were a thousand in number And then the more to shew his Maiesty and to bee thought more honorable in the eyes of his people hee ascribed and tooke vnto him-selfe tytles markes and ornaments of Empire and honour as to goe in sumpteous attyre and to haue euer going before him twelue Sergeants or Ministers of execution which hee called Lictores carying euery one a bunch of rods in their hand In ordering these Sergeants or executioners to march before him it may seeme his intent was by them being in number twelue to represent the twelue Augures or south sayers which told him by diuination and coniectures of things to come which manner of diuiners he called Vultures though some bee of opinion that in that ceremony he immitated the Hetrussi or Tuscans who being Twelue sorts of people in number when by generall consent they elected a cheefe Magistrate that should haue the soueraigntie ouer them euery one of those twelue Trybes or sorts of people would present vnto their gouernor such a Sergant Bedell ot apparytor to make way before him and to bee euer in redinesse for execution of any project from whence likewise were vndoubtedly deryued the little Chariots with chaires of estate in them wherein the Romaine Kings vsed to ride their kirtles or robes which they wore vnder their mantles of estate and all their other ensignes and ornaments of honour Now Romulus the better to settle secure and strengthen the state of this Citty invented and deuised this honest pretence and stratagem following intending it wholy to the honour of his Gods for he erected and builded vp a Temple or Church in a darke and shadowed place into which if any stranger did fly and take sanctuary hee would vndertake and secure them in argument of the awe and reuerence he bore vnvnto his Gods that their enemies should not wronge molest or disturbe them promising further that if they would stay with him hee would make them partakers of the priuileges of his Citty and giue them a portion of the ground which hee had gotten by the warrs to liue vpon Then did hee make an institution that no citty gotten by the sword should bee vtterly ruinated and destroyed or brought into bondage and slavery but that there should bee colonies and competent companies of people sent thither from Rome answerable to the quantity of ground so gotten there to inhabite and dwell and that those conquered Citties should bee accounted as vnder Citties vnto Rome and within the compasse of the common-weale But after the death of Titus Tatius which whome Romulus raigned fiue yeares both ouer the Sabinians and the Romaines who were then vnited together into one people hee began to bee more religious and instituted diuers new statutes and decrees as well priuat as publike first hee made a law concerning Matrimony that the wife should haue equall power with her husband ouer all their mony and goods and as much authority in their sacrifices and that shee should liue in as good sort as her husband and be called Mistris ouer the house as well as he Maister and that if hee dyed without Issue his wife should succeed him and inherite all his goods and possessions and if hee left children behinde him yet shee should haue an equall share with them That if shee were conuicted of adultery it should bee lawfull for her husband or his kinsfolke to kill her and that if she drinke any wine at her owne house shee should bee punished as an adultresse by meanes of which institution arose this custome amongst the Romaines that the husbands when they had beene a broade and came home to their houses should imbrace and kisse their wiues and daughters of purpose as Fortius Cato interpreteth it to smell whether they had drunke any wine thereby approuing that as corruption is the beginning of madnesse and frenzie so is drunkennesse the forerunner of rottennesse and corruption Then hee ordayned that parents should haue full power ouer their children to dispose of them as they pleased to restrayne and keepe them vnder to beate them and bynde them and set them to all drudgery yea it was lawfull for them to slay them or sell them for slaues and if any were sold by his father and of him selfe regained his liberty his father might sell him againe and againe after that if hee were so disposed The contents of this law was three hundred yeares after the institution thereof written in twelue tables but yet the rigor and authority was first mitigated and abridged by Numa Pompilius next King to Romulus for he ordained that if the sonne did marry by his fathers consent all the authority his father had ouer him before was then extinct from this seuere law Romulus proceeded to other ordinances establishing that no free-man should exercise any arte or occupation wherein his worke was done sitting as Taylers Shoomakers Scriueners c. and that the Cittizens should practise themselues in husbandry as well as in martiall discipline whereby in after-times it was a great commendation for one to be accounted both a good souldier and a good husbandman for the King thought it a point of great imperfection in any man to be ignorant in either of these exercises but that to be skilfull in manuring and tilling the ground and expert in feats of armes should inseperably go together according to the law of the Lacedemonians and in time of peace his will was that they should wholy giue themselues to husbandry permitting them notwithstanding to buy and make prouision of such things they wanted when necessity constrained them therevnto And in argument that hee was not vnmindfull of matters of religion hee ordained and made Temples Altars and Images of the gods adding there-vnto festiuall dayes and times of solemnity oblations sacrifices holydayes fayres and martes wherein as well to buy any thing they wanted as also to vnderstand their lawes and many other things pertaining to the honor of their gods excluding notwithstanding out of the cittie all forraine and out-landish sacrifices and especially those which were solemnized after the ceremonies of the Greekes those onely excepted which were dedicated and celebrated
in honour of Heroules and were long since instituted in the dayes of Euander Dionysius Halicarnasseus following the opinion of Varro herein saith that Romulus ordained three score priests to make publike sacrifices through euery tribe and euery ward annexing vnto them as their assistants the diuiners and southsaiers euery ward likewise had his proper Genius or spirit which they supposed did defend them and their proper ministers to doe sacrifice vnto them but the goddesse Vesta was generally worshipped of all And lastly hee deuided and digested the yeere into tenne monthes by all which ordinances and decrees it may easily bee gathered and plainely perceiued that Romulus was most skilfull and expert in all matters both diuine and humaine and that they detract much from his glory and wisdome which report that the people of Rome liued without morality amongst themselues or religion towards their gods vntill the raigne of Numa Pompilius And these were the ciuil institutions ordained by Romulus But Numa Pompilius that afterwards succeeded him in the Kingdome in some part altered and in some part added vnto his Statutes and first in following the course of the Moone hee disposed the yeere into twelue monthes whereas before Romulus made it to consist but of tenne and altering the order of the monethes hee set Ianuary and February before March whereas till that time March was the first month and the beginning of the yeere and so hee made March for to bee the third in order and ranke Next hee appointed some daies to bee festiuall and holy and some other as dismal ominous and vnluckie wherein he would not any way meddle with the people or beginne any businesse After this hee created one chiefe Flamin or Priest to doe sacrifice to Iupiter whom he called Dialis and honored him with a roabe of dignity and chaire of state hee then created two other priests one to sacrifice to Mars and the other to Romulus and these were also called Flamines for the caps of honour which they wore vpon their heads moreouer he elected the Virgine Vestals which for the first ten yeeres did nothing but learne the rites and manner of sacrifising the next ten yeeres they spent in doing sacrifice themselues and the third ten yeeres they taught and instructed nouisses and fresh commers into that profession and then at the thirtith yeeres end it was in their choise whether they would mary or continue still in that course of life And those Virgin Vestals were maintained at the common cost of the City and reuerenced with titles of perpetual virginity and other ceremonies but if any of them were conuicted of incest her sentence was sorrowfully pronounced by the Cittizens that shee should bee set quicke in the ground at the gate called Collina which is in the hill Quirinalis and there couered with earth till shee were dead Hee dedicated also vnto Mars twelue other priests which hee called Salij whose office was vpon certaine daies in the month of March which tooke his name of the god Mars to lead a solemne dance in some of the principall places of the City they were cloathed with coates of diuers collours and their vppermost garments were red and changeable they had swords by their sides hanging in brazen belts in their right hand they caried launces and rods and brazen bucklers in their left and vpon their heads they wore high hats waxing sharpe towards the crowne These priests which for their solemne dancing the Romaines called Sallij according to the opinion of Dionysius did little differ from the Coribantes or Sibilles priests which the Greekes called Curetes finally he created a Bishop or high priest to whom he gaue supreme authority ouer all infreior priests and in him it lay to appoint what oblations should bee offred vpon what daies and in what Temples Besides all these holy orders of priests and religious persons hee ordained the Feciales or herraulds to denounce warre or peace and they were to haue a speciall regard that the Romanes should not make warres against any vniustly and if the Romaines were iniured or robbed by any others these Feciales were to require restitution of the goods wrongfully taken and detained but if they denied to make restitution then were they to denounce open war against them Their power was likewise to deliuer offenders to bee punished to those whose goods they had iniuriously taken if wronge were offered to Legats or Ambassadors they were to correct it and if the causes were honest and iust they might conclude a peace and breake it againe if it appeared that the League was vnlawfully established And if either the captaine or chiefe conductor of the army or the whole army in generall had done any thing contrary to their oths and alleagance in them it rested wholy to punish the offence This done he limitted their times of mourning commanding that the death of infants vnder three yeeres old should not bee lamented at all and that for elder children they should bewaile them as many monthes as they were yeeres old so as it exceeded not ten monthes which was the vttermost time prescribed for mourning for any ones death When Numa Pompilius had established these lawes for the gouernment of the common-wealth he then seuered and distributed the people into sundry companies and societies according to their arts and profession as minstrels crafts-men head-carpenters dyers shoomakers tanners masons potters c. making of diuers of those arts one fraternitie or bodie politicke Seruius Tullius deuided the whole multitude of citizens into sundry orders ranckes or armies which he called Classes and into centuries or bands consisting of a hundred men the manner of his disposition of them was thus In the first order or degree he inroled those who were taxed in their subsidie bookes at a hundred thousand Asses and of this order there was fourescore centuries consisting indifferently of young men and old so as the old men should euer remaine at home to saue and defend the city and the youth were to try the fortune of warres abroad he then commanded them both to weare armor and weapons both of defence of offence as helmets shields priuie-coates and bootes to defend themselues and speares and swords to offend the enemy to this first ranke or degree hee added two centuries of workemen or pioners which were to cast trenches build rampiers and to make all their engines and instruments of warre and they euer went vnarmed to bee alwaies in redinesse for any labor The second order or degree consisted of twentie centuries and were such as were taxed betwixt seuentie fiue and a hundred thousand Asses they were deuided into young and old as the former order and tollerated to weare the same armor and weapons the other did saue onely the coate of fence which they might not weare The third order was of such as were taxed at fifty thousand Asses they consisted of as many centuries as the other and did nothing
language is breefe and obscure and for the most part carrying a double sence and doubtfull vnderstanding they be great boasters of themselues and dispisers of others menacers braggarts and detractors proud and puft vp in their owne opinions sharpe-witted and learned withall They haue a certaine manner of Poets or Musitions which they call Bardi that sing vnto Organs and winde Instruments as others doe to the Harp or Lute praysing some in their songs and sonnets and dispraysing others but those that bee of greatest estimation and honour amongst them bee the Philosophers which they call Saronidae Diuyners and South-saiers bee also there in great request and highly honored and obeyed of the common people these by their sorceries and sacrifices foretel things to come vsing when they consult of any weighty affaires a ceremony most horrible and execrable and almost incredible for they cut a mans throate with a sword and when he fainteth they iudge of future euents both by his falling and sincking downe as also by ripping vp his members and opening his intrals and bowels and by the effusion of his bloud And they will neuer offer sacrifice without some one of these Philosophers supposing that no sacrifice can bee acceptable vnlesse it bee offred by some of those nature serchers beeing in their opinions men most neere to the Gods And their Poets be of such reuerence and estimation as when the battaile is set in aray their swords drawne and their darts throwne if any of these Poets aproach neere vnto the battaile the whole hoast yea and the enemy himselfe will at his comming abstaine from fight so as euen amongst these rude and barbarous people anger will yeeld to wisdome and Mars giue place to the Muses The Galatian women be equall vnto the men both in strength and bignesse of body there boies be for the most part white and old men carry a very graue and fatherly aspect The Galatae that dwell vnder the North-pole and be neerest vnto Scythia and therefore more barbarous then the other are said to feed on mans flesh like vnto those that inhabited that part of Britany called Iris. These Northerne Galatians through their courage and cruelty are reported to be those people that once ouerrun almost all Asia and were called Cimmerij and are thought to be the very same that afterwards by corruption of the name for Cimmerij were called Cimbri they liue after their old accustomed manner by rapine and stealth little regarding such things as they haue of their owne for the great desire they haue to steale and filch from others And these Galatae be they who after they had sacked Rome and spoiled the Temple of Appollo at Delphos subdued and made tributary vnto them a great part both of Europ and Asia vtterly ruinating many Kingdomes and possessing their lands for those that came into Greece called that part of the country they inioyde there Gallo-Gretia or the Region of Galatia in Asia the lesse It is bounded on the East with Cappadocia and the riuer Halis with Asia and Bythinia on the West on the South lieth Pamphilia and Pontus Euxinus on the North But those Cimbri whereof now wee speake were people of an intollerable cruelty vsing such blasphemous and impious ceremonies in their sacrifices of their gods as is strang and incredible for they had euer following and attending vpon their hoastes certaine women priests that were very skilful in diuinations the haire of their heads was hoare and gray and their garments white and they had vnder those white gownes yellow smockes made of fine linnen and clasped together with brazen buttons or copper claspes they had girdles about their wastes and went bare-footed and if any captiues were taken and brought into the campe they were incountred by these she priests with their naked blades and by them lug'd and drawne vpon the ground vnto a place where stood a brazen pot or kettle conayning twenty Amphora's ouer which stood a pulpit or high seate where-into they would nimbly ascend and take the captiue vp with them and there cut his throate ouer the caldron and euer as the bloud distilled and ranne into the kettle they would pronounce their prophesies of some they would rippe the bellies and bowell them prophesing by their intralls of their successe in the warres And euery fift yeere they would sacrifice one of their owne people that was guilty and condemned of some crime by fixing him quicke vpon speares or stakes and all the beasts and cattaile that they tooke from their enemies they would kill and slay as well as the captiues and either burne them vpon piles of wood or put them to death by some other kinde of torture and the Cimbrian women as they were very beautifull and goodly women so were they maruelous luxurious and wanton There beds were beasts skinnes laide vpon the bare ground vpon which when they slept they would haue vpon each side of them an excubitor or watchman there carts also when they had any warres were couered with skinnes whereon they would labour and strike so hard as they would make a horrible and ill fauored noyse and clankering But their impudency was of all things most admirable and odious for they so far exceeded the bounds of modestic as they would offer their naked bodies to men in the open streetes esteeming it no fault but rather condeming those for dastards and fainte-hearted cowards that should refuse their offered fauours Valerius Maximus reporteth that the Cimbri and Celtiberi would exult and reioyce when they were in the warres because if they died there their ends were honourable and happie but if they languished in any disease they would lament and bee sorrowfull accounting that kinde of death as base and reprochfull Of Gallia and of the ancient customes and latter manners of the Frenchmen CAP. 22. GALLIA a broade Countrie of Europe is scituated betwixt the inner French sea and the Britaine Ocean the riuer of Rhene the Alpes and the Pyrenean hils The Pyrenean hils include it in vpon the West and the Britain Ocean vpon the North vpon the East lieth the riuer of Rhene which inuironeth as much of France from the Alpes to the Ocean as the Pyrenaean hils doe from the inmost to the vttermost sea and vpon the South it is inclosed with the Narbon sea It is called Gallia of the whitenesse of the people for gala in Greeke signifieth milke All that part of France which is called tonsa or togata Gallia is also named Cisalpina and is comprehended within the limits of Italy and all that part which is called Transalpina or France beyond the Alpes is surnamed Gallia Comata and is by Historiographers deuided into three Prouinces of the three sorts of people that inhabite therein to wit Belgica Celtica and Aquitanica which three Prouinces be thus bounded and limitted Belgica is all that Country which lieth betwixt the riuers Scaldis and Sequana from thence then to the riuer Garumna is
to hang downe about their shoulders dangling like women and they fight with Myters vpon their heades in stead of helmets Their daintiest meate is bucke goates which they also sacrifice to Mars as they do captiues and horses They haue also in imitation of the Greekes their Hecatombes which are sacrifices made with an hundred beasts of all sorts and as Pindarus is of opinion they sacrifice and offer euery hundreth thing likewise They haue their Gymnick playes which are so called for that they be done by naked men and these playes are exercised with weapons horses plummets of Leade called the Whirle-about running and disordered fighting and sometimes they diuide themselues into parts and fight one side against another These mountainous Lusitanians feede two parts of the yeare vppon Acornes which when they haue dried and ground into meale they make bread thereof and so eat it In stead of wine wherof those parts are barren they haue drinke made of barley and that they euer drinke new assoone as it is brewed When kinsfolke and friends are assembled together to banquet in stead of oyle they vse butter and haue seates made in the walles for them to sit in where euery one taketh his seate according to his worth or grauitie and euer in their drinking they vse to sing and dance after musicke leaping and capering for ioy as the women in Boetica do when they ioyne all their hands together and so fall a dauncing Their apparell for the most part is black cassockes which they will wrap about them and so lye themselues downe to sleepe vppon straw or litter They eate their meate in earthen platters as the French men do and women weare for the most part red garments In steade of money they vse thinne plates of siluer or else exchange and barter one commoditie for another Those which are condemned to dye are stoned to death and Parricides are carried from out the confines of their hilles or beyond some riuer and there couered and ouer-whelmed with stones They contract matrimonie after the manner of the Greekes and according to the custome of the Aegyptians bring those which are sick into the streets to the end that those which haue beene troubled with the like griefes themselues may shew them how they were cured And these be the customs vsed in those mountainous and northerne countries of Spaine It is reported that those Spaniards which inhabite the vtmost parts of Portingall when they be taken prisoners by their enemies and readie to bee hanged they will sing for ioy That the men there giue dowers to their wiues and make their sisters their heires who do also marrv their own brothers And that they be so barbarous and bloudy-minded that mothers will murther their owne children and children their parents rather then that they should fall into the hands of their enemies They do sacrifice to a god whose name is vnknowne when the Moone is in the full they will watch all night euery one at his owne dore dancing and skipping all the night long The women haue as good part of all profits and increase as men haue for they practise husbandry and be obedient and seruiceable to men when they themselues are with child The Spaniards make poyson of a kind of herbe much like vnto Persley which offendeth not vppon a sodaine but by litle and litle and this they alwaies haue in readinesse for any one that wrongs them in so much as it is sayd to be proper to the Spaniards to be great poysoners and that their custome is also to offer themselues to bee slaine and sacrificed for those to whome they are newly reconciled Of England Scotland and Ireland and of many other Ilands and of the manners and customes of the Inhabitants CAP. 25. ENGLAND otherwise called great Brittaine is the greatest Iland contained within the bosome of the Ocean It is in the forme of a triangle much like vnto the I le of Sicily and is wholly imbraced and infolded within the armes of the Ocean in no part touching but altogether diuided frō the continent It was first called Albion of the white cliffes or rockes that shew the country a far off vnto passengers Some are of opinion that after the destruction of Troy by the Greekes the Troianes guided by the Oracle of Pallas rigged a nauie betooke them to the seas and arriuing in this Island fought many battels with the Gyants which then inhabited the country destroyed some expelled the rest and possessed the soyle themselues These also continuing their possession many yeares together were afterwards driuen thence by the Saxons a warlike people of Germany vnder the conduct of Angla their Queene The Inhabitants wholly vanquished and expelled and their soyle and substance shared amongst souldiers vtterly to extinguish and roote out all memorie of the former name and nation they called the country Anglia after the name of Angla their guide and gouernesse Some others are of opinion that it was called Anglia as beeing an angle or corner of the world Vpon the North it lieth opposite to France and Spaine and the circuit or vtmost bounds of the whole Island is about 1836. English miles Their longest day consisteth of seuenteene houres their nights are light in the Sommer season the eyes of the Inhabitants are gray their stature tall and their naturall complexions so comely so faire and so beautifull as Saint Gregory seeing by chance certaine English boies in Rome and demaunding of what Country they were said that they might well bee called Angli their faces and countenances resembling the Angels and lamenting that such diuilish Idolatry should harbor in such diuine features he shortly after effected that the faith of Christ was planted in the Country In warre they are vndaunted and most expert Archers their women bee maruelous comely and beautifull their common sort of people rude barbarous and base their nobility and gentrie curteous ciuill and of singular humanity They salute one an other with cappe and knee and incounter the women with kisses leade them into Tauernes and there drinke together which they deeme no touch to their reputations if therein bee discouered no lasciuious intent If they haue warres they delight not in subuerting citties destroying burning and consuming corne cattaile or country but bend their forces wholy to the destruction of their enemies and he that is vanquisher hath command of all England of al other prouinces was the first that imbraced the Christian religion The country aboundeth with cattaile and wool wolues it breedeth none nor norisheth any that are brought thither in so much that their flockes may feed at liberty without feare or guide The country is rich in mettals as lead copper especially and some siluer there is also the Magerite or pearle and the stone Gagates there called Iette which burnoth in water and is extinguished with oyle In steed of wine whereof the land is barren they vse a kinde of licor which they
and receiued it againe at his hands onely to appease the Pope being then his enemy To passe ouer the seuerall peoples that haue inhabited this Island and the times of their continuance as Britans Romans Danes and Saxons and to come to times more nere vnto vs for that my purpose is not to wade in vncertaine waters but briefly to touch the present state and condition of my country too sleightly slipt ouer by mine author William surnamed the Conqueror bastard sonne to Robert the sixth Duke of Normandy and cousin germaine vnto King Edward the Confessor by the mothers side pretending a title vnto this Kingdome by the guift of Edward his kinseman and also by a couenant confirmed by oth betwixt Harrold and him entred this land slue King Harrold in battaile and obtained the crowne by conquest vpon the fourteenth day of October 1066. Hee alterred the whole state of the country dispossessed the Inhabitants and distributed their lands by portions vnto his people that came in with him he raigned twenty yeeres eight monthes and sixteene daies and left the Kingdome to William his third sonne surnamed William Rufus who was flaine in hunting after hee had raigned twelue yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and hauing no issue left the gouernment to Henry his brother and youngest sonne to William the Conqueror Henry the first surnamed Henry Beuclarke raigned fiue and thirty yeeres foure months and eleuen daies and dying without issue male left the crowne vnto Stephen Earle Morton and of Bologne sonne to the Earle of Bloys and Adela William Conquerors daughter and nephew to King Henry the first Stephen raigned eighteene yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and Henry sonne to Maude the Empresse whose mother was Maude Queene of England wife to King Henry the first and daughter to Margaret Queene of Scots who was daughter to Edward the sonne of Edmund surnamed Ironsyde by which meanes the Saxon line was againe restored succeeded in his Kingdome Henry the second raigned foure and thirty yeeres nine months and two daies and then departing this life left the managing of the estate vnto his third sonne Richard surnamed Richard Ceur de Lyon Richard the first raigned nine yeeres nine months and two and twenty daies and dying without issue his brother Iohn disinheriting Arthur and Eleanor the right heires to the crowne as being the issue of Ieffrey Duke of Britan his elder brother who was fourth sonne to Henry the second and died before his father tooke vpon him the gouernment Iohn raigned seuenteene yeeres seuen monthes and Henry his eldest sonne raigned in his steed Henry the third raigned sixe and fiftie yeeres and one month and left his sonne Edward surnamed Long-shankes to rule after him Edward the first raigned foure and thirty yeeres eight monthes and nine daies and exchanging his Kingdome for the Kingdome of heauen left the crowne to his sonne Edward of Carnaruon so called because hee was borne there Edward the second raigned nineteene yeeres seuen months and sixe daies and beeing then deposed the gouernment was committed to Edward his sonne Edward the third raigned fifty yeeres foure monthes and seuen daies and left the Kingdome vnto Richard his grand-child the sonne of Edward the Black Prince who died before his father Richard the second was deposed when hee had raigned two and twenty yeeres foureteene weekes and two daies and Henry Plantagenet sonne to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster fourth sonne to Edward the third got possession of the crown rather by force then by lawful succession Henry the fourth raigned thirteene yeeres six months and foure daies and his sonne Henry succeeded him in the Kingdome Henry the fifth whose valor France well knew raigned nine yeeres fiue months and foure and twenty daies and left the gouernment to his sonne Henry likewise Henry the sixth raigned eight and thirty yeeres sixe months and nineteene daies and Edward Earle of March eldest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke clayming the crowne by liniall discent from Lionel Duke of Clarence third sonne to Edward the third and elder brother to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster succeeded him in the gouernment Edward the fourth raigned two and twenty yeeres fiue weekes one day left the Kingdom to his son Edward Edward the fifth was murthered by Richard Duke of Glocester youngest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke and youngest brother to Edward the fourth when hee had raigned onely ten weekes and foure daies Richard the third hauing butchered his Nephewes and vsurped the crowne of England was slaine by Henry the Seuenth when hee had raigned two yeeres two monthes and fiue daies and left the Crowne vnto the said Henry who was next heire from the house of Lancaster and married Elizabeth Daughter vnto Edward the Fourth next heire from the house of Yorke by which marriage hee revnited the two long deuided houses of Yorke and Lancaster Henry the Seuenth raigned three and twenty yeeres eight monthes and nineteene daies and left the Kingdome to Henry his Second sonne for his eldest sonne Arthur died before his father without issue Henry the Eight raigned seuen and thirty yeeres ten monthes and one day and left the charge of the gouernment to Edward his sonne Edward the Sixth raigned sixe yeeres fiue monthes and nineteene daies and Queene Mary his eldest sister succeeded him Queene Mary raigned fiue yeeres fiue monthes and two and twenty daies and her sister Queene Elizabeth raigned after her Queene Elizabeth raigned foure and forty yeeres foure monthes and foureteene daies Shee was the mirrour of the world for Gouernment and her sex considered beyond compare admirable religious prudent magnanimous mercifull beloued euill spoken of by none but onely the wicked neuer to bee remembred of any true hearted Englishman but which reioycing for her birth and sorrowing for her death Her Virgine life was such as that for politique respects beeing mooued to marry in the first yeere of her reigne her answere was that that estate liked her best wherein she then liued with all concluding for satisfaction to her subiects with a Deus Prouidebit God shall prouide an heire for this Kingdome which blessed bee God therefore our eyes haue after foure and forty yeeres of her gratious raigne now to our comfort seene But for your better satisfaction I will here set downe her words at large as they are penned by Maister Stow in his Annals of England AS I haue had good cause so doe I giue you all my hearty thankes for the good zeale and louing care you see me to haue as well towardes mee as the whole estate of your Country your petition I perceiue consisteth of three partes and mine answere to the same shall depend of two And to the first part I may say vnto you that from my yeeres of vnderstanding sith I first had consideration of my selfe to bee borne a seruitor of almighty God I happily chose this kinde of life in the which I yet liue which I assure you for
Queene Margaret in the yeare of our Lord God 1506. 14 Magdalin Colledge founded by the Lord Audley in the yeare of our Lord 1509. and enlarged by Sir Christopher Wrey Lord chiefe Iustice of England 15 Trinity Colledge founded by k. Henry the 8. for the inlarging whereof he added thereunto Michael house and Kings hall and made therof one Colledge in the yeare of our Lord 1546. so as now the names of Michaell house and kings hall is almost worne out of memorie 16 Gonvel and Caius Colledge first founded by one Gonvell about the yeare of our Lord 1348. and perfected by Iohn Caius Doctor of Phisicke and by him called Gonuell and Caius Colledge in the yeare of our Lord 1557. 17 Emanuell Colledge founded by Sir Walter Mildmay in the yeare of our Lord 1588. 18 Sidney-Sussex Colledge founded by Francis Sidney Countesse of Sussex for the erecting whereof she bequeathed at her death fiue thousand pounds it was begun in the yeare of our Lord 1597. Now hauing thus farre spoken of the Country in particular it resteth to say something with like breuity of the seuerall sorts of people that inhabite the same their proceedings in courses of law as well spirituall as temporall and their seuerall Courts The whole number of English men may therefore be diuided into these foure ranckes or degrees of people that is to say Gentlemen or Noblemen Cittizens Yeomen and artificers or labourers Of Gentlemen or Nobility there be two sorts to wit the king himselfe the Prince Dukes Marquesses Earles Vicounts and Barons And this sort of Gentlemen are called Nobilitas maior and the second sort of Gentlemen or Nobility which are also called nobilitas minor consisteth of Knights Esquires and priuat Gentlemen into which ranke of gentry are added Students of the lawes and schollers in the Vniuersities next vnto the Gentry are cittizens whose fame and authority for the most part extendeth no further than their owne citties and boroughes wherin they liue and beare rule sauing that some few of them haue voices in our high Senate of Parlament The third order or degree are the Yeomanrie which are men that liue in the country vppon competent liuings of their owne haue seruants to do their businesse for them serue vpon Iuries and Inquests and haue generally more employment in the gouernement of the common-wealth then citizens haue And the last and lowest sort of our people are artificers or labourers which though they be rude and base in respect of our gentry yet are they much improoued and bettered by conuersing with Gentlemen cittizens and yeomen so as if those authors were now liuing that haue written so contemptuously of all estates of our people vnder the degree of gentry and saw the ciuilitie now generally practised amongst most of vs they would not for some few of the rascalitie censure and condemne all as base and ignoble All these seuerall sorts and degrees of people in our kingdome may more briefly bee deuided into two Orders or ranckes that is to say the Nobilitie and the Commons vnder the title of Nobilitie are comprehended all the Nobilitas maior together with the Bishops that haue place in the vpper house of Parlament and by the commons are meant the nobilitas minor cittizens yeomen and labourers who by common consent elect from amongst them Knights and Burgesses to possesse the lower house of Parlament who haue their voices there in the name of the whole multitude of commons for the making and establishing of lawes ordonances and statutes The Parlament therfore is the highest most absolute Sessions or iudiciall Senate in the whole kingdome consisting of the King himselfe and the Lords spirituall and temporall in their own persons which is the higher house and the whole body of the commons represented by the Knights and Burgesses lawfully elected and those are called the lower house In this high Court of Parlament are such new lawes made and ordained and such old statutes abrogated and annihilated in part or in all as are agreâ—â— vppon by consent of both houses and confirmed by the King so as whatsoeuer is there decreed and constituted is inuiolably to be obserued as established by the generall assembly of the whole kingdome There be three manner of wayes by one custome of England whereby definitiue iudgements are giuen by act of Parlament by battell and by great assise The manner of giuing Iudgement in the Parlament in matters depending betwixt Prince and subiect or partie and party concerning lands and inheritances is by preferring of billes into the houses of Parlament and by the allowance or disallowance thereof but such billes are seldome receiued for that the Parlament is chiefly summoned and assembled for the setling and establishing of matters for the good of the King and common-wealth not to busie themselues in priuate quarrels The triall by battell likewise though it bee not vtterly abrogated and altogether annihilated yet is it quite growne out of vse at this day So as the most vsuall manner of Iudgement is by the verdict of twelue men lawfully impaneled and sworne to giue a true verdict concerning the matter in question be it for life or land or any thing tending to the hurt or good of any subiect whatsoeuer These twelue men ought to be Legales homines as wee terme them that is men of good quality fame and abilitie and they are to giue their verdict according to their euidence before a lawfull Iudge in their Sessions at termes and times vsually appointed for those purposes And for that there be many suites of diuers natures therefore bee the trials therof in diuers courts and before diuers Iudges whereof the chiefest bench or tribunall seate of Iudgement is the Kings bench so called for that the Kings of England haue sat there theÌ„selues in person and this Court is chiefly for pleas of the Crowne the Iudges whereof bee called Iustices of the Kings bench and they be commonly foure or fiue in number whereof one is head and therfore called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings bench and by that place he is also Lord Chiefe Iustice of England Next vnto the Kings bench is the Court of Common pleas which is for all matters touching lands and contracts betwixt partie and partie and of this Court be likewise foure or fiue Iudges the chiefest whereof is called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Common-pleas and this court may well be called the Common-pleas as being the chiefest place for the exercise of the Common law And there may none plead at the Common pleas barre but Sergegeants at the law onely wheras in all other Courts councellors that be called to the barre may plead their Clyents causes as well as Sergeants The third Court for practise of the common law is the Exchequer where all causes are heard that belong to the Kings Treasury The Iudges of this Court are the Lord high Treasurer of England the Chancelor of the Exchequer the Lord chiefe Baron and
three or foure other Barons which be called Barons of the Exchequer Besides these three Courts of the common law and the court of the Councell for the Marches of Wales whereof I haue spoken before there is a Court for the North part of England which is likewise called the Councell hauing a President Iustices and assistants as in the Councell of Wales and the same forme of proceeding And for the more ease and quiet of the subiect the King by his commission sendeth the Iudges and Barons of the Exchequer twise a yeare into euery seuerall County of the countrie as well to see the lawes executed against malefactors as for the triall and determining of causes depending betwixt partie and party These two Sessions are vsually called the Assises or Goale deliuery and their manner of proceedings is by Iurors who are to giue their verdicts according to euidēce And for because the time of these Iudges commission is ouer short to determine all matters that may arise in halfe a yeare the Iustices of peace in their seuerall Counties haue their Sessions likewise which be kept foure times in the yeare and be therefore called the quarter Sessions in which Sessions are heard and determined all pettie causes for the more ease of the Iudges in their circuits And for the better maintenance of peace in euery part of the Realm there be diuers other petty Courts as county Courts hundred Courts towne Courts Leets Court Barons and such like all which hold plea according to the course of the common law Next vnto these Courts of common law is the Court of Star-chamber which is the court of the kings Councell therin sit as Iudges the L. Chancelor as chiefe the L. Treasurer and the rest of the priuy Councel both spirituall and tēporall to gether with the chiefe Iustices of both benches And in this court be censured all criminall causes as periurie forgerie cousenage ryots maintenance and such like The court of Wards and Liueries is next which is a court of no long continuance being first ordained by Henry the 8. the matters that are determinable in that court are as touching wards and wardships and the Iudges are the Master of the wards and liueries the Atturney of the court of wards and other officers and assistants Then is there the Admirals court which is only for punishment of misdemeanors done at sea the Iudges of which court be the Lord high Admirall of England and a Iudge with other officers The Duchie court which is a court for the determining of matters depending within the Duchy of Lancaster wherein be Iudges the Chancelor of the Duchie and the Atturney And a late erected court called the court of the Queens reuenues for the deciding of controuersies amongst the Queenes tenants Next vnto these are the courts of Equity which are the Chancery and the court of Requests The court of Chancery which is commonly called the court of conscience is chiefly for the mitigation of the rigor of the cōmon lawe wherein the Lord high Chancelor of England is chiefest Iudge and moderator to whom are ioyned as assistants the M. of the Rolles and certaine graue Doctors of the ciuill law which are vsually called Masters of the Chancery The court of Requests is much like to the Chancery and is chiefly for the kings seruants the Iudges wherof are the Masters of Requests which bee alwaies reuerent men and well seen in the ciuill law and one of them is euer attendant on the King to receiue supplications and to answer them according to the Kings pleasure Hauing thus passed ouer the seueral courts of common law the courts of Equity and those which are of a mixt nature betwixt the common ciuill law I wil only name the spirituall courts the chiefest wherof are these The first and most principal is the conuocation of the Clergy which is a Synod of the chiefest of the Clergie of the whole Realme held only in Parlament time in a place called the Conuocation house where cannons are ordained for church-gouernment And this court may be called a generall Councell next vnto which are the particular Synods of both Prouinces Canterbury and York and are called prouinciall Synods Then is there the Archb. of Cāterburies court called the Arches the court of Audience the Prerogatiue court the court of Faculties the court of Peculiars with many other courts in each seuerall Dioces In all which courts what matters are there handled their Iudges and assistants and all their whole manner of proceedings I leaue to the report of such as are better acquainted in those courts And thus much may suffice for the present estate of our country as it is now in the ninth yeare of the raigne of our dread Soueraign Lord K. Iames the first whome God graunt long to rule and raigne ouer vs. OF IRELAND HIBERNIA an Iland bordering vpon Brittaine on the North and West side and much about halfe as big as Brittaine was so called according to some ab hyberno tempore that is to say of the winter season The ground there is so exceeding rancke and the grasse so pleasant and delicious withall that their beasts in Sommer time will kill themselues with feeding and supersluosly grazing if they be not driuen from pasture some part of the day This Island breedeth neither spider nor toade nor any other venimous or infectious creature nor will any liue that are brought thither out of other Countries but dye instantly as soone as they do but touch this Countries soyle Bees there be none the aire is very temperate and the earth fruitfull and yet be the people exceeding barbarous vnciuill and cruell For those which prooue vanquishers in their battels swill and drinke vp the bloud of their slaine enemies and then defile and gore their owne faces with it And whether they do right or wrong it is all one vnto them When a woman is deliuered of a male child the first meate she giueth him shee putteth into his mouth with her husbands sword point signifying by that manner of feeding and also praying after her countrey fashion that the child may dye no other death but in the field amongst his enemies Their greatest gallants adorne the hilts and pummels of their swords with beasts teeth which bee as white as Iuorie and brought thither out of other countreys And their chiefest delight and greatest glorie is to be souldiers Those which inhabite the hilly and mountainous part of the countrie liue vppon milke and apples and are more giuen to hunting and sporting then to husbandrie The Sea betwixt England and Ireland is very raging vnquiet and troublesome all the yeare long and but in summer hardly nauigable Yet do they sayle ouer it in boates or whirries made of Ozier twigs and couered with Oxe hides or buffe skins they abstaine from meate all the while they are vpon the seas And this sea according to the opinion of the best writers is in breadth one hundred and twenty
arriued into an Island in forme round and in compasse about fiue thousand stadia into which when they were entred some of the Inhabitants came to meete them and some others runing towards them being greatly amazed and wondering at the comming of strangers into their Island receiued them very curteously and bountifully offered them such things as their country afforded The Inhabitants of that Island are nothing like to vs either in stature or manners for though they carry the same proportion of body and members yet bee they farre taller then wee are the most of them being aboue foure cubits hie and notwithstanding their exceeding height their bones bee not solid like ours but flexible like nerues or sinewes by which meanes they exceed vs in agility and nimblenesse of body and they are so strong with al as what euer they grasp with their hands can hardly bee wrested from them They be a very beautiful comely and well featured people and their skinnes so smooth and so slike as you can hardly perceiue any wrinkle or haire vpon any part of their bodies The hollownesse of their eares is much wider then ours and their tongues as farre different for nature assisted with their ingenious wits and dispositions hath indued them with this extraordinary priuiledge that their tongues are naturally so cleft and deuided from the roote to the tip as they seeme to haue euery one two tongues by which meanes they doe not onely speake a humaine and intelligible voice but they can truely imitate the chirping and singing of diuers birdes likewise and that which is more strange they will talke and conferre with two seuerall persons of seuerall matters at one and the selfe same time the one part of the tongue speaking and giuing answere vnto one and the other part to the other The ayre is there very pure and wholesome all the yeere long according to the saying of the poet that apples peares and grapes will rotte and corrupt vpon the trees and vines and the daies and nights are euer of an equall length and when the Sunne is directly ouer their heads there is no shadow of any thing towards the South All the people of one stocke or kindred liue together so as they exceed not the number of foure hundred their chiefest abode is in the fields for the earth naturally produceth great store of fruits without tillage or trauell in so much as through the vertue and quality of the Island and temperature of the aire they haue more then they are able to spend There be a kinde of reeds growing in that Island which beare great store of fruite like vnto white vetches the fruite of these reedes they gather and sprinkle with warme water and then euery graine will bee as bigge as a Doues egge which they afterwards grinde or beate into meale and make thereof a kinde of bread which in taste is most pleasant and delicious There bee many great springs and fountaines of water whereof some bee hot and serue for bathes and to cure diseases and some cold and withall maruelous sweete and very phisicall likewise They be a people very industrious and greedy of learning and especially of Astrology Their letters which they vse in sence and signification are eight and twentie but their carecters are but seuen in number for euery caractar hath foure seuerall significations or interpretations and they write not from the left hand towards the right as wee doe but beginne at the top and write downewards They be very long of life the most of them liuing the full age of a hundred and fifty yeeres and for the most part without any sicknesse at all and if any hap to fall either into an ague or any other infirmity of body they are compelled by their law to die forth-with They are also appointed how long they shall liue which age when they haue accomplished they willingly procure their owne deathes some by one meanes and some by an other There is an herbe in that countrie vpon which if any one lay his body hee falleth into a sweete and delectable slumber and in that sheepe departeth his life without paine Mariages they haue none but women bee there common to all children equally loued of al and brought vp in common amongst al so as no man can say this is my wife or this is my child yet oftentimes they take the children from their nurses least mothers should afterwards reknowledge their owne sonnes through which community it happeneth that being voide of ambition and affectation or curious desire of that which nature denieth them they liue quietly and peaceably without sedition or dissention There bee also in that Island certaine beasts which though they bee little of body yet in respect of their nature and vertue of their bloud they bee most rare and admirab they bee of a round body like vnto a Tortoise or Seacrable and haue two lines crossing their middle vpon euery end whereof standeth an eare and an eye so as they heare with foure eares and see with foure eyes and yet haue but one belly or paunch that receiueth their meate and round about their body grow many feete with which they can goe backward and forward at their pleasure the bloud of this beast is said to be of a maruelous strange efficacy for if a body bee cut and mangled into peeces so as it appeare to haue life in it be anointed with the bloud of this beast euery part wil instantly grow to other and the body will bee whole againe Euery family or company that liue together doe likewise breed and norish vp great birds of a diuerse nature and by those birds they make triall how their children will prooue afterwards for they set them when they bee very young vpon the backes of the birds and if they sit fast when the birds biginne to flutter and flie without feare of falling those children they bring vp but if they shew themselues dastardly and timerous they are reiected and thrust away and suffered to liue no longer as beeing vnprofitable for any excercise of the minde And the eldest of euery kindred or company that so liue together is Lord and commander ouer the rest to whom they yeeld obedience as to their King and when he accomplisheth the age of an hundred and fifty yeers he depriueth himself of life for so their law commands and hee that is next vnto him in age taketh the gouernment vpon him The sea that incloseth the Island is very boysterous rugged yet is the water most pleasant delightsome in taste the North pole and many other starres which are seene in our Horison appeare not in theirs There bee other seuen Islands of like quantitie and of like distance one from an other and indued with like manners and lawes as this is The Inhabitants of these Ilands vse the fruites of the earth which shee bountifully affordeth of her owne accord very sparingly for their dyet is
and thereof conuicted he dyeth for it yet not with such a death as any one should lay violent hands vpon him but by common consent hee is shut vp in some close place from the sight and company of all men and there famished to death This people bee generally addicted to husbandry and hunting of Tygers and Elephants for other common beasts they little regarde and some delight in fishing for shell fishes the shells weereof bee so bigge as one shell will make a house sufficient to containe a whole family The greater part of this Iland is burned with the heate of the Sunne and is therefore desert vppon the side of the Iland beateth a sea that is very greene They esteeme much of gold whereof and of all sorts of precious stones they garnish and beautifie their pots They haue great store of Marbles and Margarites and very bigge ones And these bee the people countries and nations whose manners customes and institutions are commended vnto vs by Historiographers and which by any meanes I could collect out of them yet I confesse there be many other which I haue eyther wholy omitted or lightly passed ouer because I could not write more of them than I found in other Authors hauing neuer by trauelling into those parts beene eye witnesse of them my selfe nor could otherwise attaine to the perfect knowledge thereof neyther doe I thinke it possible for mee or any man else to know and declare the manners of all nations but God onely to whom nothing is hidden nor nothing vnpossible for hee onely it is that first laide the foundation of the earth it was hee that first founded the depth and bottome of the sea and pointed vnto vs the passages through the deepe hee onely it is that so bountifully hath bestowed vpon vs wealth dignities honor and riches and all other commodities necessary for our beeing and hee it is that hath allotted vnto euery one his profession and course of life wherein to imploy himselfe for some hee hath ordained to bee husbandmen permitting then to growe wealthy by vnripping the bowels of the earth to some others hee hath giuen the sea wishing them to prouide their liuings some by fishing and some by merchandize some others he hath addicted to the study of Sciences and Philosophie that thereby they may attaine to honor and estimation and some others he hath put in places of authority to gouerne and praecede the rest And therefore it is no maruell that all men are not of one condition nor of one nature nor yet indued with like manners seeing wee perceiue such difference and variety in kingdomes and countries as that one country produceth white people an other swaithy an other tawny and some cleane black or like vnto flowers which grow in Assyria and euen so hath God appointed that people should be of variable mindes and dispositions as other things are and that euery one should rest contented with that course of life that God hath appointed for him FINIS The manners of diuerse nations collected out of the workes of NICHOLAS DAMASCEN THE Thyni which bee a people of Thrace receiue such as haue suffered shipwracke or fallen into pouerty by their owne defaults very courteously and friendly and all strangers likewise which come willingly vnto them are highly honored but those which come perforce whether they will or no are as seuerely punished The Aritoni kill no kinde of beast they haue their Oracles written in lots which they keepe in golden couers The Dardani a people of Illyrium bee washed onely three times in all their liues that is to say when they bee borne when they be marryed and when they lye a dying The Galactophagi a people of Scythia liue not in houses as most of the other Scythians doe their sustenance consisteth for the most part of Mares milke which serueth them both for meat and drinke They bee seldome ouer-come in battaile for that their prouision of victuals is in euery place and at all turnes in readinesse This people forced Darius to returne home without conquest they bee maruellous iust one towards an other as hauing both wiues and wealth in common to all they salute old men by calling them their fathers the yong men their children and their equals brethren of this people was Anacharsis one of the seuen wise men who came into Greece to learne the laws ordinances of other nations Homer remembreth this people where he saith the Mysi fight nigh at hand the Agaui milke Mares and the Galactophagi and Abij be most iust men And the reason why he calleth them Abij is either because they would not till the earth or for that they liued without houses or else because they onely vsed bowes in the warres for a bow of the Poets is often called Bios there is not one amongst them all as is reported that is either stirred with enuy swelled with hatred or striken with feare by reason of their exceeding great Iustice and communitie of all things The women there be as warlike as the men and go with them to the warres when need requireth and therefore it may well be true that the Amazons be women of such valerous and generous spirits as that they went forth with an army vnto Athens and Scicily at such time as their abode was about the poole of Maeotis The women of Iberia do once euery yeare being their whole yeares worke into an open and publicke place in presence of all the people where certaine men be elected by voyces as Iudges to censure of their labours and those which by them are adiudged most laborious are most honored and in highest estimation they haue also a girdle of a certaine measure within the compasse wherof if the belly of any will not bee comprehended they be thereby much disgraced The Vmbrici in their battels against their enimies hold it vnfitting for the vanquished to suruiue and that it is necessary eyther to ouer-come the enemy or to bee slaine themselues This people when any controuersie happeneth amongst themselues fight armed as if they made warre against their open enimies and hee which killeth his aduersary in fight is supposed to haue the iustest cause The Celtae a people inhabiting neere the Ocean account it a disgrace for any one to withdraw himselfe or leane his body to a wall or house when any inundation commeth towards them from the sea they arme themselues to meete the floud and make resistance vntill they be drowned neuer retiring back nor shewing the least feare of death any manner of way They weare their swords aswell when they bee occupied in the affaires of their common-wealth as in the warres and a greater punishment is infllicted vpon those which kill strangers then Cittizens for the first is punished with death the other with banishment And those aboue all others bee most honoured which atchiuing any victory haue thereby purchased any ground for their publicke vse the
after for infamous persons which punishment as some thinke was imposed vpon the father of Euripydes who had his beginning from the people of Baeotia The Assiryans sell their virgins in the open market to any that desire to marry them and those which be most beautyfull bee first sould and then the rest but when they come to the most deformed they make proclamation by a common cryer how much mony any one will take to marry them and so by this meanes that which is gotten for the saile of the faire virgins is bestowed in placing the foule in like-manner they ioyne together those that in their manners bee most like for grauity and humanity With the Persians that which is esteemed dishonest to bee done is held vnfitting to bee spoken if any one kill his father they esteeme him a changeling and not a naturall childe if the King command any one to bee beaten or whipped hee is as thankefull as if he had receued a great benefit because the King remembred him they which haue many children are for that cause regarded of the King and they teach their children as well to speake the truth as to learne any art whatsoeue◠Amongst the Indians when any one is deceiued or cozoned of that which hee lent or left in trust with an other he bringeth not his action against him that deceiued him but imputeth the fault to him selfe because he trusted him if any one cut of the hand or pull out the eye of an artificer hee is punished with death for it hee which is guilty of any haynous offence is by the Kings command shauen which is the greatest ignominy amongst them that may bee when an Indian man dyeth one of his wiues which hee most loued in his life time is layde on the pyle and burned with him And there is great controuersie and stryfe amongst them euery one hauing their friends to speake and plead for them who shall bee shee that shall bee burned with her deceased husband for each one desireth it The Lacedemonians thinke it not fitting nor honest to bestow themselues in learning any other arts then such as belong to the warres the men dyet all together in one place they reuerence all old men as their parents and as the men haue exercises proper to them-selues so haue the maides likewise to themselues It is not lawfull for strangers to dwell at Spatta nor for a Spartane to trauell into other countries they giue power and licence to their wiues to take the fairest men they can finde to beget children of them whether they be Cittizens or strangers It is vnseemly for a Spartane to make any gaine of any thing their money is made of Lether and if any man haue either gold or siluer found in his house hee dyeth for it They account it the greatest glory that may bee to shew themselues humble and obedient vnto Magistrates and farre more happy are they accounted amongst them that dye an honourable death then those which liue in great prosperity Their children by a certaine custome they vse are whipped round about a pillar till most of them bee runne away and those which tarry still vnder the whipps haue Garlands giuen them for a reward for they hold it vnhonest to take any dastard for their companions schoole-fellowes or friends Old men when they draw neere their deaths bee censured who of them haue liued well and who otherwise when an armie is conducted without the limitts of their country a certaine Priest which they call Pirphorus that is to say a fire-bearer maketh and kindleth a fire at the Altar of Iupiter their guide which fire he carieth before the King keeping it euer from going out The King when he goeth to the warres is attended with Prophets and Soothsayers Phisitions and Minstrils and they vse Pipes or Flutes in the warres in steed of trumpets and those which fight be adorned with garlands All men arise to the King to doe him reuerence but the officers called Ephori and the King is sworn before he enter into his Kingdome to gouerne according to the lawes of the common-wealth The Cretenses were the first of all the Grecians that obeyed the lawes ordained by King Minos who was first that obtained dominion of the sea This Minos when hee inuented and framed those lawes fained that hee learned them of Iupiter and therefore for the space of nine yeeres together he would vsually goe vnto a certaine hil wherein was a denne consecrated to Iupiter and euer when hee returned backe hee brought some new lawes to the Cretenses as though hee had beene their instructed by Iupiter Of this Minos and his fained conference with Iupiter Homer speaketh thus Amongst them saith hee is the City called Gnossus where Minos who had often conference with the great god Iupiter raigned nine yeeres The Cretensian children be broght vp altogether in one publike place and that very hardly and painefully for they be much accustomed to hunting when they bee yong and to run barefooted as also to goe armed to the Pirrichan vawting or leaping whereof Pyrrichicus Cydoniates a Cretensian born is said to be the inuentor which is a very laborious difficult exercise for youth The men in like maner eate together in one publike place by reason of their sustenance and prouision all things be indifferently ministred vnto them the gifts or presents which amongst them be in most request be weapons The Autariatae if any of there souldiors faint or sick by the way wil rather kil them then leaue them liuing in a strang place The Triballi set their army in foure squadrons or orders the first ranke consisteth of those which bee feeble and weake the next vnto it of such as bee stronge and lustie the third of horse-men and the last of women which when all the rest be put to flight sticke to their enemies still pestring and afflicting them with their reuilings and skoldings The Cusiani bewaile those which bee borne into the world and account them happy and blessed that depart out of this life The Cij whē they haue burned their dead bodies gather vp all their bones and beate them to poulder in a morter and then taking ship they lanch into the deepe where putting the poulder into a siue they scatter and disperce it in the winde till all be blowne away and consumed The Tauri a people of Scythia when their King is dead bury with his body such of his friends as hee loued best in his life time and on the other side the King when any of his friends die cutteth off part of the lap of his eare either more or lesse as his deceased friend was of deserts The Sindi when they bury any one looke how many enemies hee slew in his life time iust so many fishes doe they cast into his sepulcher with him The Colchi bury not their dead bodies in the ground but hang them
declaration of these Epistles hath promised to translate into Latine the booke which Francis Aluarez composed concerning the scituation manners and behauiour of the Ethiopians in which booke he expresseth and setteth forth his whole iourney or trauels One coppy of which booke I my selfe haue in my keeping But if Iouius surcease to translate it I would not bee strange to take the matter in hand although not willingly vnlesse most holy father it please you to command and then shall I be more free and safe from all malitious detractors who may happily suppose that I vndergoe the busines not with a desire to further the Christian common-wealth but rather in aemulation of Iouius glory For the doing of which busines effectually faithfully I suppose I am sufficiently instructed for when I had executed my embassage into Germany and Sarmatia was returned vnto my king Iohn the third of that name of whose great courtesie and bountie in receiuing of me I had sufficient triall I fell in conference with the Ethiopian Embassador at Lisbon a man honoured and indued with the dignity of a Bishop admirable for his credit doctrine and eloquence in the Chaldean and Arabian tongue and in briefe a man most fit to bee sent from the most mighty Emperour of Ethiopia vnto great and potent princes for vrgent and weightie affaires his name was Zaga Zabo and after an assured and firme friendship was established betwixt vs I had often conference with him and reasoned and debated with him especially of the manners and Religion of the Christians of Aethiopia for I desired to know those things not by the bare narration of trauelling interpreters but from a man borne in that Country and that in his presence and receiuing it from his mouth Amongst other things I shewed vnto him an Epistle sent into Portugall by Mathew the Embassador which Epistle together with the Articles which he proposed before King Emmanuel I translated as I haue sayd into the Latine tongue and many things I haue corrected by his direction where the interpretation obtained not sufficient credit nor likelihood which he affirmed did oftentimes happen both to me and to Iouius for as then I had with me the Epistles of the same Iouius which we conferred with great diligence and after vnfained friendship and the true loue of Christ flourished and was esteemed amongst vs I was imboldened to require of him a plaine and sincere declaration of the faith and religion of the Aethiopians and to haue it penned downe with his owne hands which hee graunted vnto me with great alacritie and foorthwith beganne to make description thereof which relation of his I haue faithfully translated into Latin as by the sequele will appeare wherein I went forward with greater desire my conscience vrging me that I was not ignorant that if these things should haue perished with me they could neuer after that be published by any other man for because they were so framed and composed after the Chaldean and Aethiopian phrase as they could hardly of any man bee vnderstood but of my selfe who by much familiaritie might attaine to the knowledge of all those things as well from the mouth as from the writings of the sayd Aethiopian Ambassadour In the name of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen THese be the things which be vsed obserued amongst vs Aethiopians as touching our faith and religion First we beleeue in the name of the holy Trinity the Father Sonne and holy Ghost who is one Lord three in name but one in Diuinity three representations but one similitude the coniunction of the three persons is equall equall I say in Diuinitie one Kingdome one throne one Iudge one Charity one Word and one Spirit but the word of the Father and of the Sonne the word of the holy Ghost and the Sonne is the same word and the word with God and with the holy Ghost and with himself without any defect or diuision the Sonne of the Father and the Sonne of the same Father without beginning to wit first the Sonne of the Father without mother For no one knoweth the secret and mysterie of his Natiuity but the Father Sonne and the holy Ghost and the same in beginning was the Word the Word was the Word with God and God was the Word the Spirit of the Father the holy Spirit and the Spirit of the Sonne is the holy Spirit but the holy Spirit of his Spirit is without any diminution or augmentation for that the holy Ghost the Aduocate or Comforter the true God which proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne spake by the mouth of the Prophets and descended in the fierie flame vppon the Apostles in the porch of Syon who declared and preached throughout the whole world the Word of the Father which Word was the Sonne himselfe Moreouer the Father is not first in that hee is Father nor the Sonne last in that he is the Sonne euen so the holy Ghost is neither first nor last for they be three persons but one God which seeth and is seene of no man and who by his onely counsell created all things and after that the Sonne of his owne accord for our saluation the Father himselfe being willing and the holy Ghost consenting thereunto descended from his high and heauenly habitation and was incarnate by the holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary which Mary was adorned with a double Virginity the one spirituall the other carnall he was also borne without any corruption the same Mary his mother after her child-bearing remaning a Virgin inspired with great wonder and hidden fire of Diuinity brought foorth without bloud paine or dolors her Sonne Iesus Christ who was a man innocent and without sinne perfect God and perfect man hauing one onely aspect As he was an infant he grew vp by little and little sucking the milk of his mother Mary the Virgin and when he attained to the age of thirty yeares he was baptized in Iordan he walked like other men he was wearie he sweat he was both hungrie and thirstie and all these things he suffered freely and voluntarily working many miracles and by his Diuinitie he restored sight to the blind healed those which were lame cleansed the leapers and raised vp the dead and last of all he was willingly apprehended and taken scourged beaten with buffets and crucified he languished and died for our offences and by his death he ouercame death and the diuell and by his sorrow in his life time hee dissolued our sinnes and bare our griefes and with the Baptisme of his bloud which Baptisme was his death he baptized the Patriarchs and Prophets and he descended into hell where was the soule of Adam and his sons the soule of Christ himselfe which is of Adam which soule of Adam Christ himself took of the blessed Virgin Mary and in the brightnes of his diuinity and strength of his crosse he brake the brazen gates of hell binding Satan in chaines of yron and
redeeming thence Adam his sons Al these things Christ did wherfore he was replenished with diuinity and that diuinity was with his soule also with his most holy body which diuinity gaue vertue to the crosse which diuinity he euer had yet hath commune with the Father in Trinity Vnity nor did that Christ while he walked vpō the earth euer want his diuinity for the least twinckling of an eye After this he was buried and the third day the same Iesus Christ the Prince of resurrection Iesus Christ the chiefe of the Priests Iesus Christ the King of Israel arose againe with great power and fortitude and after all things were fulfilled which the holy Prophets fore-shewed hee ascended with great glorie triumph into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of the Father and he shall come againe in glorie carrying his crosse before his face and the sword of Iustice in his hand to iudge both the quicke and the dead of whose kingdome shall be no end I beleeue one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church I beleeue one Baptisme which is the remission of sinnes I hope for and beleeue the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come Amen I beleeue in our Ladie the blessed Virgin Mary a Virgin I say both in spirit and flesh who as the mother of Christ is the charity of all people the Saint of Saints and Virgin of Virgins whome I do worshippe all manner of wayes I beleeue the sacred wood of the crosse to bee the bed of the sorow of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God which Christ is our saluation by whome wee be saued a scandall to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentils But we preach and beleeue the strength of the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ euen as S. Paul our Doctor hath taught vs. I beleeue S. Peter to be the rocke of the lawe which law is founded vpon the holy Prophets the foundation and head of the Catholike and Apostolike Church both east and west where euer is the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the power of which Church Peter the Apostle hath and the keyes of the kingdome of heauen with which he can shut and open loose and bind and hee shall sit with the other Apostles his fellowes vpon twelue seats with honor and praise with our Lord Iesus Christ who in the day of Iudgement shall pronounce the sentence vpon vs which day to the Saints shall be cause of ioy but to the wicked griefe and gnashing of teeth when they shall bee cast out into the burning flames of hell fire with their father the Diuell I beleeue that the holy Prophets and Apostles Martyrs and Confessors were the right imitators of Christ whom with the most blessed Angels of God I worship honor in like maner also do I imbrace affect as their followers Also I beleeue that vocall and auricular confession of all my sinnes is to bee made to the priest by whose prayers through Christ our Lord I hope to obtain saluation Moreouer I acknowledge the B. of Rome to bee the chiefPastor of the sheep of Christ yeelding obedience vnto all Patriarks Cardinals Archb. Bishops of whom he is head as vnto the Ministers of Christ himselfe This is my faith and law and of al the people of Aethiopia that be vnder the power of Precious Iohn which faith the loue of Christ be so confirmed amongst vs as with the help of our Sauiour I shall neuer deny it neither by death fire nor sword which faith all we shall carry with vs in the day of iudgment before the face of the same Lord Iesus Christ Now hauing gone thus farre I will expresse the discipline doctrine and law which the Apostles in their holy books of Councels and Canons which we call Manda Abethylis haue taught vs and of those bookes of the ordonances of the Church there be 8. all which were compiled by the Apostles when they were assembled together at Ierusalem wherof making great inquiry of many Doctours after I came into Portugall I found none that did remember them The obseruatiōs which the Apostles prescribed vnto vs in these bookes be these following First that we ought to fast euery wednesday in remembrance of the Iewes Councell for vpon that day they consulted and decreed amongst themselues that Christ shold be killed and that we shold fast euery Friday vpon which day Christ Iesus was crucified and died for our sins and vpon these two dayes we are commanded to fast till the Sun-setting They also inioyned vs to fast with bread water the forty daies of Lent and to pray seuen times in the day and night By those edicts also we be bound to celebrate our sacrifice vppon Wednesdayes and Fridayes in the euening because at that time our Lord Iesus Christ yeelded vp the ghost vpon the holy Crosse They willed also that vpon Sundaies we should al assemble together in the holy church at the third houre of the day from the Sun rising to reade and heare the bookes of the Prophets and that after that we should preach the Gospell and celebrate Masse Moreouer they appointed nine festiuall daies to be celebrated in memorie of Christ to wit the Annunciation the Natiuity the Circumcision the Purification or Candlemas his Baptisme Palm sunday vnto the octaues of good Friday as we term it which be 12. dayes the Ascension also and the Feast of Penticost with their holy dayes And by the precepts of these bookes we eate flesh euery day without any exception from the Feast of Easter vnto Penticost neither bee we bound to fast in all this time vnto the octaues of Penticost which thing we do for the more honour reuerence of the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ They will vs also to celebrate the day of the death assumption of the Virgin Mary with all honor Moreouer besides the precepts of the Apostles one of the Precious Iohns surnamed The seed of Iacob ordained that besides these dayes euery thirtith yere 3. dayes should be celebrated in honor of the same blessed Virgin he also commanded one day in euery moneth to be celebrated for the Natiuity of our Sauior Christ which is euer the 25. day of the month in like manner he appointed one day in euery moneth to be kept holy in honor of S. Michael Furthermore by the cōmandement of the Apostles Synods wee celebrate the day of the Martyrdom of S. Stephen and of other Martyrs We he bound also by the institution of the Apostles to sollemnize two dayes to wit the Sabbath and the Lords day in which daies it is not lawfull for vs to do any manner of businesse no not the least trifle The Sabbath day we obserue for this cause for that God hauing perfected the Creation of the world rested vpon that day which day as it was his will it should be called the Holy of Holies so if that day should not be reuerenced