in the heavenâ— Baronius who records this Letter An o 755. numb 17. was it seems pretty well perswaded by it that the Pope and Peter were all one For in his Exhortation or Paraeneses to the State of Venice being then upon differences with Pope Paul the fifth he stileth him in plain terms thus Paulus idemque Petrus vicem Christi agens in terris i.e. Paul who is also Peter and Christs Vicegerenâ— But leaving these imaginary clames and challenges of S. Peters privileges though they did really advance the reputation of that See in the darker times two things there were which did exceedingly conduce to the improvement of their power in the more knowing and discerning times of Christianity Of which the principall was the Orthodoxie of the Bishops or Popes of Rome their eminent and sincere profession of the Faith of Christ when almost all the other Churches were either torn in pieces by the fury of Schism or wasted and subverted by the fraud of Heresie In which regard Appeals were frequently made to the Church of Rome as a more competent Judge of the truth of Doctrine the communion of it much desired by all true Christians and a repair thither for relief and shelter in the times of trouble made by the Orthodox Professors under persecution And of these times and this condition of that Church we are to understand such passages of the Antient Writers as magnifie the Faith of the Church of Rome and set it above all the batteries and assaults of Heresie Such is that passage of S. â—yprian Romanos esse ad quos perfidia non potest habere accessum lib. 1. ep 3. and that of Hierome Romanam fidem i. e. Romanorum fidem Apostolica voce Laudatam ejusmodi praestigias non recipere in Apol. cont Ruffin and many others of that kind Which passages it were as foolish and ridiculous to apply to all following times the condition of that Church being different from what then it was as to accommodate all those Eulogies and commendations to the present Citie of Rome which the Orators and Panegyrists of the elder times have hyperbolically ascribed to old Rome in her greatest glories The next was the fixation of the Popes in the Metropolis or Imperiall City which drawing to it such a multitude of suters and attendants from all parts the world could not but add much to the power and reputation of those Prelates who had the happiness and honour to be resident there and thereby opportunity to gain more Disciples to solve more doubts of conscience and decide more controversies than any other could expect And so we are to understand that passage in S. Irenaeus in which he saith Ad hanâ— Ecclesiam propter potentiorem Principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire Ecclesiam i.e. eos qui sunt undique Ecclesias And so they did as long as Rome enjoyed the honour of a more potent Principality than other Cities But when that more potent Principality failed to be at Rome by the removall of the Imperiall See first to Constantinople and afterwards unto Ravenna then did the Bishops of Constantinople and Ravenna dispute with those of Rome for Superiority the S. at of Religion most commonly following the seat of the Empire And in this clame the Patriarch or Bishop of Constantinople prevailed so far that with the permission of Mauritius the Emperor he took upon him the title of Universall Patriarch Gregory the Great of whom it is said that he was the worst Bishop of all that went before him and the best of all that came after him was at that time Bishop of Rome Who sharply inveighed as well against the Emperor as thâ— Patriarch of Constantinople for this Title and plainly maintained that whosoever called himself Universall Bishop was the fore-runner of Antichrist As for himself it is probable that he took the title of Servus servorum Dei more in opposition to him of Constantinople than with an intent to be so truly To which though those of Rome reply that Gregory did not absolutely condemn this Title but only blamed John the Constantinoplitan Patriarch for assuming to himself that attribute which properly belonged to the See of Rome yet this cannot be For then we should either in the old Bulls of the former Popes find mention of this Title or else Pope Gregory would have assumed it to himself that the world might take notice whereto of right it did belong But Boniface who next but one succeeded Gregory having further aims applied himself to Phocas that bloody Tyrant who having murdered the Emperor Mauritius his wife and children and thereby got the generall hatred of all the good Subjects of the Empire the better to assure himself of Italie which he feared was ready to revolt declared this Boniface to be the Oecumenicall Bishop and Head of the Church To such a good beginning such a gracious Patron do the Popes stand indebted for that power and Empire which now they challenge to themselves over all the Church Now as the Bishop of Constantinople and Ravenna did challenge a priority or precedency of the Popes of Rome by reason that they were respectively honoured with the Seat Imperiall so were there divers other Bishops as Antioch Alexandria Carthage Millain which clamed an equality with them and would by no means yeeld them any superiority For triall of whose clame we must look back on somewhat which hath been said before where it was shewn that the Roman Empire was divided into fourteen Dioceses each Diocese being subdivided into severall Provinces each Province comprehending many severall Cities then that in every of those Ciâ—ies where the Romans had their Defensores the Christians also had a Bishop in the Metropolis of each Province which commonly was the seat of the Roman President the Christians had their Metropolitan and that in each principall City of each severall Diocese wherein the Vicar of that Diocese had fixed his dwelling there did the Christians place a Primate And this was done according to that famous Maxim of Optatus Respublica non est in Eâ—clesia sed Ecclesia est in Republica that the Church is in the Common-wealth and not the Common-wealth in the Church Upon which foundation the Fathers in the Councill of Chalcedon raised this superstructure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that the honours of the Church should be accommodated unto those in the State So that according to this Platform the Primates of the Church were of equall power each of them limited and restrained to his proper Sphere out of the which if he presumed once to act he moved irregularly and in his Excentricks And for those Primates I shall give you once for all this generall Muster that is to say the Patriarch or Pope of Rome for the Diocese or Prefecture of that City the Primate or Arch-bishop of Millain for the Diocese of Italie of Sirmium for that of Illyricum of Lyons for that of France of York for Britain of
us invaded and almost ingrossed by the Hanse and Hollanders And yet there is another thing which speaks me more an Englishman than all these together which I shall fall on soon enough and indeed too soon the sadness of the subject being well considered Next as a Church-man I have taken more especiall notice of the antient and present face of Christianity in all parts of the World the planting and Government of Churches the Hetrodoxies and opinions of those severall Sects into which it now doth stand dismembred By which it will appear most clearly amongst other things that the Doctrin and Government of the Church were of equall standing that this government was no other than that of Bishops and that wheresoever Christianity did find any admittance Episcopacie was admitted also as a part thereof the Gospel being in most places first preached by Bishops or growing to esteem and strength under their Authority And it is found on these Recherches that as Espiscopacie was co-aevall with the Church it self so the Subordination of Bishops to their severall Primates and the Coordination of those Primates amongst themselves in the common Government thereof was of such antiquitie as being setled and confirmed in St. Cyprians time who flourished in the year 250. that it is hard to trace the beginnings of it Debere Episcopos in commune Ecclesiam regere is a noted Maxime in St. Hierome but practically true in the Communicatoriae and Formatae of the Elder Ages Which happy course had it been preserved Episcopacie had been so far from being made a stirrup for Antichrist to mount into his throne as the Smectymnuans falsly charge it that it had served rather as a Martingall to have kept him down from lifting up his head too high above the rest of his Brethren And that this conrse was not preserved came not intentionally from the Popes for that by Antichrist they mean the Popes of Rome is a thing past question but from the Inundation of the barbarous Nations though I confess the Popes were apt enough to make the best advantage of those various Accidents which the distresses of the Church did present unto them For by the overflowing of the Barbarous Nations Christianitie was either quite extinquished or the authoritie of the Primates trodden under foot or that intelligence and commerce which had been antiently amongst them interdicted on good reasons of state by such Heathen or Mahometan Princes under whom they lived And then how easie was it for the Pope in the new planting of the Gospel in these Western parts done either by his Ministers or by his Incouragement to give unto the Bishops of his own appointing such a limited power as might make them more and more obnoxious unto his commands and afterwards to lessen their Authoritie as he saw occasion by granting large Exemptions to Monasteries Convents and Cathedrals with Jurisdiction over the Parochiall Churches which belong'd unto them So that it is most evident in the course of Story that the Popes never came unto their height nor could obtrude their Superstitions and Novations on the Church of CHRIST till they had weakened by degrees the Episcopall power Followed in that design though on different ends by Wicliff and some others in the Ages since who have driven on their private projects under the colour and pretence of a Reformation Episcopacie as it was co-aevall with the Church of CHRIST so was it the best and strongest Buttress in that sacred Building The weakning or subverting of which Primitive Order did either prostitute the Church to the lust and tyranny of that proud Vsurper or expose the Patrimonie thereof unto spoyl and rapine or finally subject it to the Anarchy and licentiousness of Hetrodoxies and confused Opinions But I fear I have digressed too far in this speculation As a Geographer I have been punctuall and exact in giving unto every Province its peculiar bounds in laying out their severall Land-marks tracing the course of most of the principal Rivers and setting forth the situation and estate of the chiefest Towns and did once think of beautifying the Work with as many Maps as the severall States and Kingdoms which are here described But upon further consideration how much it would increase the Book both in bulk and price and consequently make it of less publick use than I did intend it I laid by those thoughts and resied satisfied with the adding of four Maps for the four parts of the World by which the Reader may discern how each Countrie lies unto the other though he find not each particular Province and much less all the Towns and Cities which are here expressed and on the other side may meet with many Towns of inferior note which are here oâ—â—â—â—ed And herein I have took some pains in searching out the first Inhabitants of each severall Country as far as I could see by the light of Letters or go by probable conjectures in finding out the place of such antient Cities as are now decayed not easily visible in their ruins and adding to such Cities as are now in being if of any Antiquity their Originall names A thing as necessary to the understanding of the Histories of those elder times as the knowledge of the present names is to the more delightfull reading of our modern Stories And though I have not pretermitted any Town of note fit to be specified and insisted on in a work of this nature yet would I not have the Reader look for such a punctuall enumeration and description of them as he may meet withall in those who have written the Chorographie of some Countrey onely or think himself unsatisfied in his expectation if he find not here the situation and affairs of each Town of War or the Quartering place of every Company or Troop of Souldiers which are presented to him in the Weekly News-Books In all Countreys there are many places which either by the advantage of their situation or some present exigency of affairs are fortified and made Towns of Warr or otherwise remarkable for some signall battell in these late bustles and commotions of the Christian World of which no notice hath been taken in former times and consequently not within the compass of this Discourse and yet perhaps may grow as famous and considerable in the times to come as many of the mightier Cities now decayed and ruined He that shal think the work imperfect though I confess it to be nothing but imperfections for some deficiencies in this kinde may be likned to the Countrey-Fellow in Aristophanes if my memory fail not who picked a great quarrell with the Map because he could not finde where his own Farm stood And such a Countrey-customer I did meet with one a servant of my elder Brothers sent by him with some horses to Oxon to bring me and a friend of mine unto his house Who having lost his way as we passed thorow the Forest of Whichwood and not able to recover any beaten Tract did
League contracted by the people of any validity vvithout his privity and allowance and finally the Keyes of the Town presented to him as often as he pleased to lodge there as once for instance to Duke Charles the third comming thither with Beatrix his Wife a daughter of Portugall And in this state it stood till the year 1528 the Bishop being all this vvhile their immediate Lord and having jus gladii alias civilis jurisdictionis partes as Calvin himself confesseth in an Epistle to Cardinal Sadolet But in that year Religion being then altered in the Canton of Bern near adjoyning to them Viret and Farellus did endeavour it in Geneva also But finding that the Bishop and his Clergy did not like their doings they screwed themselves into the people and by their ayd in a popular tumult compelled the Bishop and his Clergy to abandon the Town And though the Bishop made them many fair overtures out of an hope to be restored to his Estate yet would they never hearken to him nor admit of him any more being once thrust out Nor did they only in that tumult alter the Doctrin and Orders of the Church before established but changed the Government of the State also disclaming all allegiance both to Duke and Bishop and standing on their own Liberty as a Free-Commonwealth And though all this was done by Viret and Farellus before Calvins comming to that City which was not till the year 1536 yet being come suffragio meo comprobavi as he saith himself no man was forwarder than he to approve the Action But Calvin being come amongst them made their Divinity Reader and one of the ordinary Preachers he first negotiated with them to abjure the Papacie and never more admit their Bishop to which he found a cheerful and unanimous consent in all the people Then finding that no Ecclesiasticall discipline was in use amongst them he dealt with them to admit of one of his own composing which at last he obtained also but with very great difficulty and got it ratified by the Senate July the 20th 1537. The next year after the people weary of this new yoke and he and his Colleagues Farellut and Coraldus as resolute to hold them to it they were all three banished the Town in a popular humor and with like levitie sued to to return again to which he would by no means yeeld except they would oblige themselves by a solemn Oath to admit of such a form of Discipline as he with the advice of the other Ministers should prescribe unto them This being condescended to by that fickle multitude he returns in triumph to Geneva September the thirteenth 1541 and got his new Discipline established on the twentieth of November following The sum of the device was this All Ministers to be equall amongst themselves two Lay-men to be super-added unto every Minister the Minister to continue for term of life the Lay-Elders to be annually chosen these being met together to be called the Presbyterie and to have power of Ordination Censures Absolution and whatsoever else was acted by the Bishop formerly Hitherto it related to Geneva only which being but one City and a small one too was not capable of more than one Presbyterie The names and notions of Classicall Provinciall and Nationall Assemblies came not in till afterwards as it got ground in Kingdoms and larger Provinces This Platform though of purpose framed to content the people yet since the Lay-officers were to be but annuall and after subject to the lash like other Mortals it gave but sorry satisfaction unto wiser men And being built withall on a false foundation was for a long time hardly able to stand alone and fain at twelve years end to borrow a support from Zurich and others of the Protestant Cantons whom Calvin earnestly sollicited to allow his project against which one Perinus and some principall Citizens had begun to spurn And so we have the true beginning of the Genevian Discipline begotten in Rebellion born in Sedition and nursed up by Faction Being born into the World by the means aforesayd some other helps it had to make it acceptable and approved of in other Churches As first the great content it gave to the common people to see themselves intrusted with the weightiest matters of Religion and thereby an equalitie with if not by reason of their number being two for one a superiority above their Ministers Next the great reputation which Calvin for his diligence in Writing and Preaching had attained unto made all his Dictates as authentick amongst some Divines as ever the Popes Ipse dixit in the Church of Rome Whereby it came to pass in a little time that only those Churches which embraced the Doctrines and Discipline authorised by Calvin were called the Reformed Churches those in high Germany and elswhere which adhered to Luther being generally called by no other name than the Lutherans or the Lutheran Churches as not reformed enough from the dregs of Rome Then comes in his endeavours to promote that Platform in all other Churches which he had calculated for the Meridian of Geneva only commending it to Gasper Olevianus Minister of the Church of Triers as appearby his Letters dated April the twelf 1560 congratulating the reception of it in the Churches of Poland as appeareth by others of his Letters And for the last help comes in Beza who not content to recommend it as convenient for the use of the Church beyond which Calvin did not go imposed it as a matter necessary upon all the Churches so necessary ut ab ea recedere non magis liceat quam ab ipsius Religionis placit is that it was utterly as unlawfull to recede from this as from the most materiall points of the Christian Faith So he Epist 83. By means whereof their followers in most of the Reformed Churches drove on so furiously that rather than their Discipline should not be admitted and the Episcopall Government destroied in all the Churches of CHRIST they were resolved to depose Kings ruin Kingdoms and to subvert the fundamentall constitutions of all civill States And hereunto their own Ambition gave them spur enough affecting the supremacy in their severall Parishes that they themselves might Lord it over Gods inheritance under pretence of setting CHRIST upon his Throne Upon which love to the preheminence they did not only prate against the Bishops with malitious words as Diotrephes for the same reason did against the Apostles but not therewith content neither would they themselves receive them nor permit them that would casting them out of the Church with reproach and infamy Which proud ambition in the ordinary Parochiall Minister was cunningly fomented by some great persons and many Lay-Patrons in all places who underhand aimed at a further end the one to raise themselves great fortunes out of Bishops Lands the other to keep those Tythes themselves to which by the Law they only were to nominate some deserving Person Such were the helps
their Consonants and thereby giving occasion to this By-word that the Frenchmâ—npronounceth not as he writes singeth not as he pricketh nor speaks as he thinketh In the Original thereof it is a Compound of the old Gallick German and Latin Tongues the old Gallâ—ck being questionless the same with the Welch or British as appeareth clearly by these reasons 1. The Lâ—tâ—n words are known to have been received from the Romans and the Germans at the coming in of the Frankes and Burgundians but of the Welch words which they have we can give no reason but that they are the remainder of the antient Language of which Welch words which still continue in that Language Camden in his Britannia reckoneth not a few 2. It is said by Tacitus that the Britans were the Descendants of the Gauls and this he proveth as by other Arguments so from the identitie or neer resemblance of the Language which both Nations speak Vtriusque sermo haud multum diversus as his own words are And 3. It is said by Caesar That the Gauls used to pass into Britain to be instructed in the Rites and learning of the Druides which sheweth that both People spake but own common tongue there being in those times no one learned Language which other nations studied besides their own The Soil is extraordinary fruitfull and hath three Loadstones to draw riches out of other Countries Corn Wine and Salt in exchange for which there is yearly brought into France 1200000 li. Sterling the custome of Salt only to the King being estimated at 700000 Crowns per Annum And indeed the benefit arising on this â—ne â—â—mmodity is almost incredible it being constituted by the Kings Edict which is all in all that no man shall have any Salt for Domestick uses except by special privilege and that dearly paid for but what he must buy of the Kings Officers and that upon such prices too as they please to sell it Nor can it but be very well stored with Fish for besides the benefit of the Seas their Lakes and Ponds belonging to the Clergie only are said to be 135000. Their other Merchandizes are Beeves Hogs Nuts Woad Skinnes vast quantities of all sorts of Linnen And to say truth there are not many Countries in the Christian World to which Nature hath been so prodigall of her choicest blessings as she hath to this the fields thereof being large and open and those so intermingled with Corn and Vines and every hedge-row so beset with choice of fruits that never any covetous or curious eye had a fairer object And yet so miserable is the condition of the common Paisant partly by reason of the intolerable Taxes laid upon him by the King and partly by those great but uncertain Rents which are set upon him by his Landlord for the poor husbandman is Tenant only at the will of his Lord that there is many one amongst them who farmeth yearly thirty or forty Acres of Wheat and Vines that never drinks Wine or eats good Bread from one end of the year unto the other The Christian Faith was planted first amongst the Gauls by some of St. Peters Disciples sent hither by him at his first coming to Rome Xystus Fronto and Iulianus the first Bishops of Rhemes Perigori and Mants Cenom inensium in the Latine being said to be of his ordaining in the Martyrologies The like may be affirmed but on surer grounds of Trophimus the first Bishop of Arles For on a Controversie betwixt the Arch-Bishops of Vienna and Arles for the dignity of Metropolitan in the time of Pope Leo the first it was thus pleaded in behalf of the Bishop of Arles quod prima inter Gallias c. That Arles of all the Cities of Gaul did first obtain the happiness of having Trophimus ordained Bishop thereof by the hands of St. Peter Nor is St. Paul to be denied the honour of sending some of his Disciples thither also to preach the Gospell Crescens sent by him as he telleth us 2 Tim. 4. into Galatia being the first Bishop of Vienna spoken of before as not the Martyrologies only but Ado Viennensis an antient Writer of that Church doth expresly say And that it was into this Country that he sent that Crescens at that time and not unto Galatia in Asia minor the testimonies of Epiphanius and Theodoret which affirm the same and that which hath been said before of this name of Galatia may confirm sufficiently But Christianity being destroyed by the French at their first coming hither was again planted by the industry of S. Remigius the first Bishop of Rhemes Clovis or Clodivaeus the fifth King of the French giving way unto it for his Wives sake who was zealous in it and after taking on himself that holy calling on a great victory which he wonne against the Almains By whom being over-laid in the day of batbell he made his prayers to CHRIST whom his Wife Crotilda worshiped vowing to be of that Religion if he gat the victory which vow he had no sooner made as the story telleth us but Alemannos invasit timor a sudden fear fell upon the Almains and the French were Conquerours At this time they are divided in Religion as in other places some following the Doctrine of the Church of Rome and others that of those Reformed Churches which adhere to Calvin But this division is more antient than Calvins days the same opinions as they relate unto the Errors in the Romish Church being maintained formerly by the Albigenses the Waldenses or Pauperes de Lugduno the Vaudoys as the French Writers call them of whom we shall speak more when we come to Lyons Suffice it in this place to note that the doctrine of the Reformed Churches was not new in France when Zuinglius first preached against the superstitions of the Mass and the worship of Images and Calvin travelled in advancing the Reformation though much suppressed as to the outward profession of it But being revived by their Endeavours it sprung out again and spread it self so speedily in this Kingdom that there were reckoned in the year 1560. above 2150. Churches of them which cannot in such a long time but be wonderfully augmented though scarce any of them have scaped some massacre or other Of these massacres two are most memorable viz. that of Merind ll and Chabriers as being the first and the massacre at Paris as being the greatest That of Merindall hapned in the year 1545. The instrument of it being Minier the President of the Councâ—ll of Aix For having condemned this poor people of heresie he mustred a small Army and set fire on the Villages They of Merindoll seeing the flame with their wives and children sled into the woods but were there butchered or sent to the Gallies One boy they took placed him against a tree and shot him with Calivers 25 which had hid themselves in a Cave were in part 〈◊〉 in part burned In Chabriers they so inhumanely dealt with the
young wives and maids that most of then died immediatly after The men and women were put to the sword the children were 〈◊〉 800 men were murdered in a Cave and 40 women put together in an old Barn and â—uâ—ned Yea such was the cruelty of these Souldiers to these poor women that when some of them had clambred to the top of the house with an intent to leap down the Souldiers beat them book again with their pikes The Massacre of Paris was more cunningly plotted A Peace was made with the â—rotestants for the assurance whereof a marriage was solemnized between Henry of 〈◊〉 chief of the Protestant party and the Lady Marguerite the Kings sister At this Wedding there assembled the Prince of Conde the Admirall Coligni and divers others of chief note but there was not so much Wine drank as Bloud shed at it At Midnight the Watch-bell rung the King of Nazarre and the Prince of Conde are taken Prisoners the Admirall murdered in his Bed and 30000 at the least of the greatest and most potent Men of the Religion sent by the way of this Râ—d Seâ— to find the neerest paâ—sage to the 〈◊〉 of â—anan Anno 1572. Yet notwithstanding these Massacres and the long and frequent Wars which were made against them by their Kings they grew so numerons and got unto so great a power that partly by Capitulations with the French Kings at the End of every 〈◊〉 War but principally by the connivence of K. Henry the fourth who was sometimes the Head of their partie they had gotten above an hundred walled Towns and Garrisons and were absolute Masters in effect of all those Provinces which lie along the Aquitain shore and the Pyrerees from the Mediterranean Sea to the River of Loyre But being grown too insolent by reason of so great a strength and standing upon terms with the King as a Free Estate the Commonwealth of Rochâ—ll as King Henry the fourth was used to call it they drew upon themselves the jealousie and furie of King Lâ—â—â—s the thirteenth Who seeing that he could not otherwise dissolve the knot of their combination than by the sword drew it out at last And was so fortunate in the success of his Vndertakings that in two years viz. Anno 1621. 1622. he stripped them of all their walled Towns except Mentalban and Rochell onely and those too he reduced not long after by the power of his Arms Leaving them nothing to relie on for their future security but the grace and cleâ—e of their King promerited by their obedience and integritie And it hath sped so well with them since that time that they never had the exercise of their Religion with so much freedom as they have hitherto enjoyed since the reducing of their Forts and Garrisons to the Kings obedience The other Party in Religion having the Countenance of the State and the prescription and possession of so many yeers to confirm the same is in as prosperous a condition both for power and pâ—trimoni as any that acknowledgeth the Authority of the Popes of Rome In point of Patrimâ—nie the Author of the Cabinet computes the Tythes and Temporall Revenues of the Clergie besides provisions of all sorts to 80 millions of Crownes but this Accompt is disallowed by all knowing men Bodâ—â— reporteth from the mouth of Monsieur Alemant one of the Presidents of Accompts in Paris that they amount to 12 millions and 300000 of their Livres which is 1200000 l. of our English money and he himself conceiveth that they possess seven parts of twelve of the whole Revenues of that Kingdom The Book entituled Comment â—'Est gives a lower estimate and reckoning that there are in France 200 millions of Arpens which is a Measure somewhat bigger than our Acre assigneth 47 millions which is neer a fourth part of the whole to the Gallicane Clergy And then it is resolved by all That the Baisonam as they call it which consists of Offerings Churchings Buâ—â—ls Dâ—riâ—es and such like Casualties amounteth to as much per annum as their standing Rents Upon which ground Sir Edwâ—n Sandys computeth their Râ—venne at 6 millions yeerly And to say truth there needs a very great Revenue to maintein their numbers there being reckoned in this Kingdom 13 Arch-Bishops 104 Bishops 1450 Abbies 540 Arch-Priories 1232 Priories 5â—â— Nunneries â—00 Convents of Friers 259 Commanderies of Malta besides the Colleges of the 〈◊〉 which being of a late foundation are not here accompted And for the Parish-Priests they are reckoned at 130000 of all sorts taking in Deacons Subdeacons and all those of inferiour Orders which have some Ministery in their Churches the number of which was reckoned in the time of King Lewis the 11th to be little lesse than 100000. But then 't is like that Charteries and 〈◊〉 happeâ— went in that Accompt or else the Hugenots in the Wars have destroyed more Churches than they are like to build in hast there being found in France on a just Accompt no more than 2â—400 Parish Churches besides Oratories and Chappels of Ease appertaining to them In which there are supposed to live 15 millions of people whereof the Clergy and the Ministers depending on them doe make up 3 millions which is a fift part of the whole And for their power the Gallâ—an Clergy stand's more stoutly to their naturall rights against the usurpations and encroachments of the See of Rome than any other that live under the Popes Autoritie which they acknowledge so far only as is consistent with their own privileges and the rights of their Soveraign For neither did they in long time submit to the Decrees of the Councill of Trent nor have they yet admitted of the Inquiâ—â—ion nor yeeld such store of Grist to the Popes Mill as probably might redound to him from so rich a Clergie And for his Temporal power over Kings and Princes it is a doctrine to averle from the Positions and Principles of the Gallican Church that in the year 1610. the Divines of Paris published a Declaration in which it was affirmed That the doctrine of the Popes Supremacy was an Erroneous doctrine and the ground of that hellish position of deposing and killing Kings And this indeed hath constantly been the doctrine of the Gallican Church since the time of Gerson mainteining the Autoritie of a Councill above that of the Pope But to proceed The men most eminent for learning of either side have been besides those mentioned in the Alpine Provinces Peter du Mouliu highly commended for his Eloquence by the pen of Balsac Fr. Junius a moderate and grave Divine Chamiet the Controverser and Philip de Morney Lord of Plessis Of the other party â—laudius Espencaeus a Sorbon Doctor the famous Cardinall of Peron Genebrard the Historian Petavius a learned Iesuite c. In the middle times S. Bernard Abbot of Clarevalle Pet. Lambard Bishop of Paris Iohn Gerson Chancellor of that University More antiently Prosper of Aquitain Cassianus the Hermit Irenaeus the renowned Bishop
Earldom by Charles the Grosse in the cantoning and dismembring of the Kingdom of Burgundie The Earldom containing at that time not only Lionois it self but also Forrest and Beaujolois before described The Earls hereof were at first onely Provinciall Governours but under the distractions of the German Empire they shifted for themselves and became hereditarie but long it held not in one hand For first the Earldom of Forrest and the Lordship or Signeurie of Beaujeu being taken out of it about the year 990. the rest of the Estate fell in some tract of time to the Bishops and Church of Lions but under the Soveraignty of the French Kings as Lords Paramount of it The places in it of most note are 1 Mascon Matisconum a Bishops See situate on the Soasne antiently a distinct Earldom from that of Lions one of the five as that of Lions was another which made up the Dukedom of Burgundie on this side of the Soasne purchased of William the last Earl hereof and of Elizabeth his Wife by King Lewis the 9th and afterwards subjected to the Jurisdiction and Court of Lions as it still continueth 2 Eschalas on the Rhosne on the South of Lions opposite to Vienne the chief Citie of the Lower Danlphine 3 Dandilli 4 Francheville 5 Chaumont and 6 Labrelle all somewhat Westward of that River but not much observable 7. Lions it self pleasantly seated on the confluence of the Soasne and the Rhosâ—e antiently a Roman Colonie testified by many old Inscriptions and honoured with a magnificent Temple dedicated by the Cities of France to Augustus Caesar now the most famous Mart of France and an Vniversitie by our Latine Writers called Lugdunum These Marts in former times were holden at Geneva from thence removed hither by King Lewis the 11th for the enriching of his own Kingdom When Iulio the 2d had excommunicated Lewis the 12th he commanded by his Apostolicall autoritie that they should be returned to Geneva again but therein his pleasure was never obeyed the Marts continuing still at LIONS as a place more convenient and capacious of that great resort of French Dutch and Italian Merchants which frequent the same As for the Vniversitie questionless it is very antient being a seat of learning in the time of Caius Caligula For in those times before an Altar consecrated to Augustus Caesar in the Temple spoken of before this Caligula did institute some exercises of the Greek and Roman Eloquence the Victor to be honoured according to his merit the vanquished either to be ferulaed or with their own tongues to blot and expunge their writings or to be drowned in the River adjoyning Hence that of Iuvenal Vt Lugdunensem Rhetor dicturus ad Aram applied to dangerous undertakings In the time of the Romans first comming into Gaule it was the chief Citie of the Hedui and Secusiani afterwards the Metropolis of Lugdunensis Prima The Archbishop hereof is the Metropolitan of all France and was so in the time of S. Irenaeus one of the renowned Fathers in the Primitive Church who was Bishop here In this Town lived Peter Waldo a wealthy Citizen about the time of Frederick Barbarossa Emperour of Germanie who being a devout and conscientious man sensible of the many errours and corruptions in the Church of Rome distributed the greatest part of his riches amongst the poor and betook himself to meditation and studying of the holy Scriptures In the carnall eating of CHRISTS body the substraction of the Cup in the blessed Sacrament in matter of Purgaterie the Supremacie adoration of Images Invocation of the Saints departed and many other points of moment he held opinions contrary unto those of Rome and little different from those of the present Reformed Churches And yet it may not be denied but that amongst some good Wheat there were many Tares which gave the juster colour to their Adversaries to exclame against them Being much followed in regard of his pietie and charitie he got unto himself and them the name of Pauperes de Lugduno or the Poor men of Lions given in derision and contempt Afterwards they were called Waldenses by the name of Waldo the beginner of this Reformation and by that name opposed and writ against by Frier Thomas of Walden The French according to their manner of Pronunciation drowning the L. and changing the W. into V. call them commonly Vaudois by which name they occurre in the stories of that State and Language But Lyens proving no safe place for them they retired into the more desart parts of Languedoc and spreading on the banks of the River Alby obtained the name of Albigenses as before was said Supported by the two last Earls of Tholouse they became very masterfull and insolent Insomuch that they murdered Trincanell their Viscount in Beziers and dashed out the teeth of their Bishop having taken Sanctuarie in S. Magdalens Church one of the Churches of that Citie Forty yeers after which high outrage the divine Providence gave them over to the hand of the Crâ—isadas under the conduct of the French Kings and many other noble Adventurers who sacrified them in the self-same Church wherein they had spoyled the blood of others About the yeer 1250 after a long and bloodie War they were almost rooted out of that Countrie also The remnants of them being bettered by this affliction betook themselves unto the mountains lying betwixt Daulphine Provence Piemont and Savoy where they lived a godly and laborious life painfully tilling the ground re-building villages which formerly had been destroyed by Warre teaching the very Rocks to yeeld good pasturage to their Cattel insomuch as places which before their comming thither scarce yeelded four Crowns yeerely were made worth 350 Crowns a yeer by their care and industrie Lasciviousness in speech they used not Blasphemie they abhorred nor was the name of the Devil in the way of execration ever heard amongst them as their very enemies could not but confess when they were afterward in troubles The Crimes alleged against them were That when they came into any of the neighbouring Churches they made no address unto the Saints nor bowed before such Crosses as were erected in the high-wayes and streets of Towns Great crimes assuredly when greater could not be produced And so they lived neither embracing the Popes doctrines nor submitting unto his Supremacie for the space of 300 yeers uutouched unquessiooned even till the latter end of the reign of King Francis the first But then the Persecution raging against the Lutherans they were accused condemned and barbarously murdered in the Massacres of Merindol and Chabriers before mentioned After which time joyning themselves with the rest of the Protestant partie they lost the name of Vaudois by which called before and pass in the Accompt of the Reformed Churches of France enjoying the same privileges and freedom of Conscience as others of the Reformed doe And though I look not on these men and their Congregations as founders of the Protestant Church or of the
of Chrysostom 13 Sir Henry Spelmâ—n a right learned antiquary and a religious assertor of the Churches rights 14 Camden Clarentieux the Pausanias of the British Ilands 15 Matthew Paris 16 Roger Hoveden 17 Henry of Huntingdon 18 William of Malmesbury 19 Matthew of Westminster and 20 Thomas of Walsingham all known Historians And finally for Poetrie 1 Gower 2 Lidgate a Monk of Burie 3 the famous Geofrie Chawcer Brother in Law to Iohn of Gaunt the great Duke of Lancaster of which last Sir Philip Sidney used to say that he marvelled how in those mistie times he could see so cleerly and others in so cleer times go so blindly after him 4 Sir Philip Sidney himself of whom and his Arcadia more when we come to Greece 5 The renowned Spencer of whom and his Faerie Queen in another place 6 Sam. Daniel the Lucan 7 with Michael Draiton the Ovid of the English Nation 8 Beaumont and 9 Fleâ—cher not inferiour unto Terence and Plautus with 10 My friend Ben. Iohnson equall to any of the antients for the exactness of his Pen and the decorum which he kept in Dramatick Poems never before observed on the English Theatre Others there are as eminent both for Arts and Arms as those here specified of whom as being still alive I forbear to speak according to that caution of the Historian saying Vivorum ut magna admiratio â—ta Censura est difficâ—lis But from the men to return again unto the Countrie we find it to be subject according to the severall respects of Church and State to a treble division viz. 1 into 6 Circuits destinated to the â—inerary Iudges Secondly into 22 Episcopal Dioceses Thirdly into 40 Shires The Realm was first divided into Circuits by King Henry the second who appointed twice in the year two of the most grave and learned Iudges of the Land should in each Circuit administer Iustice in the chief or head Towns of every Country Of these Iudges one sitteth on matters Criminal concerning the life and death of Malefactors the other in actions Personall concerning title of Land Debts or the like between party and party The first Circuit for we will begin at the West comprehendeth the Counties of Wilts Somerset Devon Cornwall Dâ—rset and Southampton The second containeth the Counties of Oxford Berks Glocester Monmouth Hereford Worcester Salop and Stafford The third hath in it the Counties of Surrey Sussex Kent Essex and Hartford The fourth consisteth of the Shires of Buckingham Bedford Huâ—tingdon Cambridge Norfolke and Suffolke The fift of the shires of Northampton Rutland Lincolne Nottingham Derby Leicester and Warwick And the sixt and last of the Shires of York Durham Northumberland Cumberland Westmoreland and Lancaster So that in these six Circuits are numbred 38 Shires The two remaining are Middlesex and â—heshire whereof the first is exempted because of its vincinity to London and the second as being a County Palatine and having peculiar Iudges and Counsellours to it self The second division but more antient far in point of time is that of Dioceses 22 in all proportioned according to the number of Episcopall Sees each Diocese having in it one or more Arch-Deaconries for dispatch of Ecclesiasticall business and every Arch-Deaconrie subdivided into Rurall Dâ—anries fewer or more according to the bigness and extent thereof Of these there are but four in the Province of York that is to say the Dioceses of York Chester Duâ—ham and Carlile the other 18 together with the 4 of Wales being reckoned into that of Canterbury In respect of which great authority and jurisdiction the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury had antiently the titles of Primates and Metropolitans of all England for some ages before the Reformation used to take place in all General Councils at the Popes right foot Which custom took beginning at the Council of Laterane when Vrban the second called Anselm the Arch-Bishop of Caâ—terbury from amongst the other Prelates then assembled and placed him at his right foot saying includamus hunc in Orbe nostrâ— tanquam alterius Orbis Papam this hapned Anno 10â—9 They were antiently also Legatinaâ—i which honourable title was first given to Arch-Bishop â—heobald by Innocent the second and continued unto his successors And both to honour their calling in the course of their Government and to have the benefit of their Council being men of learning both the Arch-Bishops and the Bishops were antiently privileged to have their place and suffrage in the High Court of Parliament ever since any Parliaments were first held in England as Peeres of the Realm and that too in a double respect first in relation had to their sacred Office and secondly to those temporall estates and Barronies which they held of the King yet did they not enjoy in the times of their greatest power and flourish all the Prerogatives and Privileges of the Temporal Barons as neither being tryed by their Peers in Criminal causes but left to an Ordinary Iury nor suffered in examinations to make a Protestation upon their honour to the truth of a fact it put unto-their Oathes like others of the lower Clergy As for their Ecclesiasticall Courts bt was antient Ordered also that besides such as appertained to the Arch-Bishops themselves besides those holden by the Chancellours and Arch-Diacons of every Bishop in their severall Dioceses and some in many private parishes which they called Peculiars and finally besides the Court of Visitation held every third year by the Bishop himself in person or his lawfull Deputy there should be also Synods or Convocations which are the Parliaments of the Clergy assembled primarily for the Reforming of the Church in Doctrine and Discipline and secundarily for granting tenths and Subsidies to the King and naturally consisting of all the Right Reverend Fathers the Arch-bishops Bishops the Deans Arch-deacons and one Prebend out of each Cathedrall and a certain number of the Clergy two for every Diocess elected by the rest to serve for them in that great Assembly the Clergy not being bound antiently by any Act to which they had not given consent by those their Proxies The third and last Division though the second in course of time is that of Shires made by King Alfride both for the easier Administration of justice and to prevent such Outrages and Robberies as after the example of the Danes the naturall Inhabitants of the Realm began in all places to commit For over every one of these Shires or Counties he appointed an High-Sheriff and divers Officers to see into the behaviour of private men and to punish such as were delinquent and in times of warre either already begun or intended he instituted a Prefect or Lieutenant to whom he gave authority to see their musters their provision of armes and if occasion served to punish such as rebelled or mutinied This wise King ordained also that his Subjects should be divided into tens or tithings every of which severally should give bond for the good abearing of each other and he who was of
Mediolanium now Llanvillin in the County of Montgomerie By these three Nations was all that tract possessed which lyeth on the other side of the Severn a very stout and hardie people and so impatient of the yoke that two of the three Legions which the Romans kept constantly in Britain as before is said were planted in and neer these people the better to contein them in due obedience that is to say the second Legion at Caer Leon upon Usk of which more anon and the twentieth at Deuvana where now stands West-Chester So difficult a thing it was to make this Nation subject to the power of Rome and no less difficult to bring them under the command of the Saxons whom they withstood when all the rest of Britain had been conquered by them and lived to see their Victors overcome by the Normans before themselves had yielded to a forrain yoke The Christian Faith planted amongst the Britans in the time of Lucius they still retained when all the residue of the Iland had replapsed to Paganism and they retained it not in secret as afraid to own it but in a well-constituted Church Insomuch that Angustine the Monk when he first preached the Gospell to the English Saxons found here no fewer than seven Bishops that is to say Herefordensis Tavensis Paternensis Banchorensis Elwiensis Wicciensis and Morganensis or rather Menevensis all which excepting onely Paternensis doe still remain amongst us though in other names Hereford and Worcester Wicciensis reckoned now in England S. Davids or Menevensis Tavensis or Landaff Bangor and Elwyensis or S. Asaph in Wales according to the present boundaries and limits of it And as they did retain the Faith so they retained it after the tradition of their Predecessors neither submitting unto Augustine as Archbishop of Canterbury nor to the Pope from whom he came as Occumenicall or châ—ef Pastor of the Church of Christ nor receiving any new doctrines or traditions from them but standing on those principles of Liberty and Religion which they were possessed of till all the world almost had yeelded to that powerfull See Not manumitted from the vassalage and thraldom to it till they embraced the Reformation of the Church of England in Doctrine Discipline and Worship the Liturgie whereof was by the command of Queen Elizabeth translated into the Welch or 〈◊〉 as the Bible also was by vertue of an Act of Parliament in the fift of that Queen the care thereof committed to the Bishop of Hereford and the four Bishops of Wales But because the Bible then set forth was onely in the large Church volume it was in the beginning of the Reign of King Charles reduced to a more portable Bulk at the cost and charge of my Cousin Mr. Rowland 〈◊〉 one oâ— the Aldermen of London who also caused the book called The Practice of Pieâ—ie to be printed in that Language for the instruction of the People and a Welch or British Dictionarie to be made and published for the understanding of the Language But to return unto the Church and affairs thereof for the better ordering of the same it hath been long agoe divided into four Dioceses besides that of Herefora for the exercise of â—ccleâ—acall Discipline those Dioceses subdivided into 9 Archdcaconries as before in England all subject heretofore to their own Pâ—â—mate or Archbishop residing in the City of Isca Silurum the â—eâ—repolis of the Province of Britannia Secunda called by the â—â—elch or Britans Caâ—-â—eon or the Citie of the Legion from the second Legion fixt there for defence of the Province and Caâ—-Leon upon â—sk because situate on the River so named But this City being too much exposed to the sury of the Saxons the Archiepiscopall See was translated to Menew standing on a Promontoâ—â—e in the extreme Angle of Pembrokeshire by David then Archbishop thereof and neer of â—in to Arthur that renowned King of the Britans from whom in tract of time the name of Menew being left off the See and Citie came to be called S. Davids From David unto Samson the 26 Archbishop of the VVelch being above 400 yeers did they hold this dignity but then the Pestilence extremely raging in these parts Archbish Samson carried with him the Episcopall Pall and therewith the dignity it self to Dole in Bretagne After which time we hear of no Archbishops in Wales in name and title though the power proper thereunto still remained amongst them the VVelch Bishops acknowledging no other Primate nor receiving consecratioâ— from any other hands than their own Bishop of S. Davids till Bishop Bernard was compelled to submit himself to the power and jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of King Henry the first But its time to look upon the face of the Country as it stands at the present which we find mountainous and barren not able to maintain its people but by helps elsewhere To make amends for which defect there were some Silver mines discovered in it not long since by Sir Hugh Middlâ—ton Knight and Baronet not onely to the great honour of his own Countrie but to the profit and renown of the whole Iland of Great Britain Their chief commodities are course Clothes entituled commonly by the name of Welch Freeze and Cottons which Merchandise was heretofore brought to Oswestâ—e the furthest Town of Shropshire as the common Emporie and there bought by the Merchants of Shrewsbury But the Welch coveting to draw the Staple more into their own Countrey occasioned the Merchant to hold off from buying their commodities till in the end the Merchant got the better of them and inforced them to settle the whole trade at Shrewshury where it still continueth To speak of Mountains in a Country which is wholly mountainous were a thing unnecessary yet of most note are those of 1 Snowdon 2 Brechâ—n 3 Rarduvaure and 4 Plinlimmon Not much observable but for their vast height and those many notable Rivers which issue from them The principall whereof are 1 Dee in Latine called Deva arising out of Rarduvaure hils in Merionethshire and running into the Sea not far from Chester Over this River Edgar King of England was rowed triumphantly in his Barge by eight inferiour Kings Vassals and Tributaries to him that is to say Kenneth King of the Scots Malcolm King of Cumberland Mac-cuâ—s King of the Isles Dufwall Gryffith Howel lago and Indethel Princes or Kings of Wales using these words to such as attended on him that then his Successors might call themselves Kings of England when they did the like This was in the yeer 973 and the last of his reigne 2 Wie in Latine called Vaga arising from Plinlimmon hils and emptying it self into the Severn at Chepstow More in the heart of the Countrie for these are but borderers for the greatest part of their course 3 Câ—nwy which rising in Merionethshire and dividing the Counties of Denbigh and Caâ—narvon mingleth with the Sea at Abur Conwey 4 Tyvie which rising in Montgomeryshire and
the Teeth of Fishes white as the driven Snow or the polished Ivorie and therein placed the greatest part of their pride and bravery Nor are the modern Irish much abhorrent from such barbarous customs as plainly shew from what Originall they descend altered but little by converse with more civill Nations Oâ— naturall constitution generally strong and nimble of body haughty of heart careless of their lives patient in cold and hunger implacable in enmity constant in love light of belief greedy of glory and in a word if they be bad you shall no-where find worse if they be good you shall 〈◊〉 meet with better The Diet especially of the meer Irish is for the most part on herbs roots butter mingled with oat-flower milk and beef-broth eating flesh many times without bread which they disgest with â—â—quebaugh and give their bread-corn to their horses instead of Proâ—â—nder But more particularly those of the richer sort in all parts and of all sorts those which inhabit within the Pale as they themselves call it and in such places where the English Discipline hath been entertained conformable to civility both in behaviour and apparrell The Kernes for by that name they call the wild Irish of the poorer and inferiour sort most extremely barbarous not behaving themselves like Christians scarcely like men All of them so tenacious of their antient customs that neither power nor reason nor the sense of the inconveniencies which they suffer by it can wean them to desert or change them A pregnant evidence whereof is their use oâ— Ploughing not with such geares or harness as in other places but by tying the hindmost horses head to the tayl of the former which makes the poor Jades draw in a great deal of pain makes them unserviceable by the soon losing of their tayls and withall is a course of so slow a dispatch that they cannot break up as much ground in a week as a good Teem well harnessed would perform in a day yet no perswasion hath been able to prevail upon them for the changing of this hurtfull and ridiculous custom And when the Earl of Strafford the late Lord Deputy had damned it by Act of Parliament and laid a penalty on such as should after use it the people thought it such a grievance and so injurious to the Nation that among other things demanded towards a Pacification of the present troubles their Agents and Commissioners insisted eagerly on the abrogation of this Law An humour like to this in the point of Husbandry we shall hereafter meet with in another place Neer of kin to which is a lazie custom that they have of burning their straw rather than put themselves to the pains to thresh it by that means to part it from the corn From which no reason can disswade them nor perswasions winne them They have among them other customs as absurd though less inconvenient as placing a green bush on May-day before their doores to make their kine yeeld the more milk kneeling down to the New Moon as soon as they see it desiring her to leave them in as good health as shee found them and many others of like nature They use a Language of their own but spoken also in the West of Scotland and the Hâ—brâ—des or Western Ilands which though originally British or a Dialect of it by reason of their intermixture with 〈◊〉 Danes Easterlings or Oost-mans and English-Saxons hath no Affinitie with the Wâ—lch for ought I can learn The Christian Faith was first preached among them by S. Patrick affirmed to be the Nephew of S. Maâ—tin of â—ouâ—s Anno 435. Reformed in the more civill parts and the English Colonies according to the platform of the Church of England but the Kernes or naturall wild Irish and many of the better sort of the Nation also either adhere unto the Pope or to their own superstitious fancies as in former times And to say truth it is no wonder that they should there being no care taken to instruct them in the Protestant Religion either by translating the Bible or the Engliâ—h Liturgâ—e into their own Language as was done in Wales but forcing them to come to Church to the Engliâ—h Service which the people understand no more than they do the Mass By meanâ— whereof the Irish are not onely kept in continuall ignorance as to the doctrine and devotions of the Church of England and others of the Protestant Churches but those of Rome are furnished with an excellent Argument for having the Service of the Church in a Language which the common Hearers doe not understand And therefore I doe heartily commend it to the care of the State when these distempers are composed to provide that they may have the Bible and all other publick means of Christian Instruction in their naturall tongue The Soil of it self is abundantly fruitfull but naturally fitter for grass and pasturage than it is for tillage as may be seen in such places where the industrie of man is aiding to the naturall goodâ—ess of the Soil But where that wanteth the Country is either over-grown with Woods or encombred with vast Boggs and unwholesom Marishes yeelding neither profit nor pleasure unto the Inhabitants In some places as in the County of Armagh so rank and fertill that the laying of any soil or compost on it doth abate its fruitfulness and proves the worst Husbandry that can be It hath been antiently very famous for the Piety and Religious lives of the Monks Amongst whom I cannot but remember Columbus and of him this memorable Apothegm when offered many fair preferments to leave his Country he returned this Answer It becomes not them to imbrace other mens goods who for Christs sake had forfaken their own Of no less pietie but more eminent in point of Learning was Richard Fitz-Rafe Arch-Bishop of Armagh commonly called Armacanus who flourished about the yeer 1350. A declared Enemie of the Errors and corruptions of the Church of Rome It is affirmed of this Iland that amongst other Privileges which it hath above other Ilands it fostereth no venomous Serpent and that no such will live here brought from other places Hence of her self we find her speaking in the Poet. Illa ego sum Graiis Glacialis Hibernia dicta Cui Deus melior rerum nascentium Origo Ius commune dedit cum Creta altrice Tonantis Angues ne nostris diffundant sibila in oris I am that Iland which in times of old The Greeks did call Hibernia ycie-cold Secur'd by God and Nature from this fear Which gift was given to Crete Ioves Mother dear That poisonous Snake should never here be bred Or dare to hiss or hurtfull venom spred The other miracles of this Iland are 1 That there is a Lake in the Countie of Armagh into which if one thrust a peece of Wood he shall find that part of it which remaineth in the Mud to be turned into Iron and that which is in the Water to be turned into a Whet-Stone richly
II. called the Good Duke of Burgundie son and heir of John Duke of Burgundie elder brother of Anthony on the deth of his two Cousin Germans John and Philip succeeded In the Dukedom of Brabant as the direct heir of the Lady Margaret wife of Lewis de Malain and daughter of John the third the last Duke of Brabant of the house of Lovain The Arms hereof are Sable a Lyon Or. 12. HOLLAND 13. ZELAND 14. WESTFRISELAND Having thus spoken of those Provinces which stil continue in subjection to the King of Spain except some few towns in Flanders and Brabant before mentioned let us next look on those which have withdrawn their obedience from him beginning first with Holland and its Appendixes as of more power and consideration then all the rest Which though distinct Provinces and acting in their severall capacities at the present time yet having been alwayes under the command of the same Princes they must be joined together in the Storie of them but shall be severally handled as to the Chorographie HOLLAND so called quasi Holt-land that is to say a woodie country as Ortelius hath it but rather quast Hollow-land from the bogs and marishes and unsound footing on the same hath on the East the Zuider See Vtrecht and some part of Guelderland on the West and North the German Ocean on the South the Islands of Zeland and some part of Brabant The country for the most part lyeth very low in so much that they are fain to fence it with Banks and Ramparts to keep out the Sea and to restrain the Rivers within their bounds so that in many places one may see the Sea far above the Land and yet repulsed with those Banks and is withall so fenny and full of marishes that they are forced to trench it with innumerable dikes and channels to make it firm land and fit for dwelling yet not so firm as to bear either trees or much graine But such is the industry of the people and the trade they drive that having little or no corn of their own growth they do provide themselves elsewhere notonly sufficient for their own spending but wherewith to supply their neighbours having no timber of their own they spend more timber in building ships and fencing their water-courses then any country in the world having no wine they drink more then the people of the country where it groweth naturally and finally having neither Flax nor Wool they make more cloth of both sorts then all the countries in the world except France and England The present inhabitants are generally given to Sea-faring lives so that it is thought that in Holland Zeland and West-Friseland there are 2500. ships of war and burden The women for the most part laborious in making stufles Nay you shall hardly see a child of four years of age that is not kept to work and made to earn its own living to the great commendation of their government The greatest of their natural Commodities is Butter and Cheese of which besides that infinite plenty which they spend in their own houses and amongst their Garrisons they sell as much unto other Countries as comes to 100000 Crowns per annum By which means and by the greatnesse of their fish-trade spoken of before they are grown so wealthy on the land and so powerfull at Sea that as Flanders heretofore was taken for all the Netherlands so now Holland is taken generally for all the Provinces confederated in a league against the Spaniard The whole compasse of it is no more then 180 miles no part thereof being distant from the Sea above three houres journey and yet within that narrow circuit there are contained no fewer then 23 walled Towns and 400 Villages some situate in the North and others in South-Holland as it stands divided In South-Holland being that part hereof which lyeth next to Zeland and the middle channell of the Rhene passing from Vtrecht unto Leiden the principall Towns are 1. Dort in Latine Dordrectum formerly the Staple for Rhenish wines a large rich and well-peopled town anciently joined to the firm land but in the year 142 rent from it by the violence of the Sea and made an Iland of great command upon the traffique of the Maes and the Wael upon whose confluence it stands but of most note for an Assembly of Divines out of divers Countries following Calvins doctrine for condemnation of the Lutheran or Arminian Tenets concerning Universall Grace and Predestination deâ—â—â—nation anno 1618. 2. â—eterdam seated on a dike or channell called the Rotter not farre from which at a 〈◊〉 named 〈◊〉 the Leck one or the three main branches of the Rhene falleth into the Maâ—s among â—air and well traded Port the birth-place of the learned Erasmus 3. Schoon-heven situate on the 〈◊〉 a fair town having a commodious haven 4. Gorichom upon the VVael where it 〈◊〉 with the 〈◊〉 from the Church whereof one may discerne 22 walled townes 5. 〈◊〉 one of the six principall towns of Holland rich and well fortified seated on a Dike called Yssei drawn from the middle channell of Rhâ—ne as is also 6. Over-water and 7. Yssel-stein this last belonging properly to the Prince of Orange the first of great trade for making cables and cords for shipping 8. 〈◊〉 or Lugdunum Batavorum an University founded anno 1564. The town consisteth of 41 Islands to which they passe partly by boats partly by bridges whereof there are 144 and of them 104 builded with stone Here is in this town a castle said to have been built by Hengist the Saxon at his return out of England And not far off stood the famous Nunnerie of Rainsburg of the same nature with those of Mentz and Nivelle before described so liberally endowed that 2000 persons did there dayly receive relief 9. Vianen on the Leck a Seigneurie distinct from Holland pertaining antiently to the Lords of Brederode 10. Delse a town of great trade for cloathing large and well built beautified with spacious streets and goodly Churches the birth-place of that monstrous Heretick David George who called himself King and Christ Immortall He fled with his wife and children anno 1544 to Basil there he set up his Doctrine the points whereof were 1. That the Law and the Gospell were unprofitable for the attaining of Heaven but his Doctrine able to save such as receive it 2. That he was the true Christ and Messas 3. That he had been till that present kept in a place unknown to all the Saints and 4. that he was not to restore the house of Israel by death or tribulation but by love and grave of the Spirit He dyed in the yeare 1556. and three dayes after his Doctrine was by them of Basil condemned his goods confiscate and his bones taken up and burned Hee bound his Disciples to three things 1. to conceal his name 2. not to reveale of what condition hee had been and 3. not to discover the articles of his Doctrine to any
the Councell of Colen in the reign of Constantius the son of Constantine the Great anno 347. But the light hereof being extinguished for a time by those barbarous nations who fell upon these out-parts of the Roman Empire began to shine again on the conversion of the French in all parts of this countrey the Conquests and example of this puissant Nation giving great incouragement thereunto In which as those of other Countries doe not want their honour so the greatest part thereof belongs to the English Saxons Willibrod the first Bishop of Vtrecht Willibald of Aichstat Swibert of Virden Willibald of Breme and specially Boniface the Archbishop of Mentz being most gloriously fortunate in that sacred service The Moravians Boâ—emians and others farther off came not in till afterwards Not fully converted to the faith they began to suck in the corruptions of the Church of Rome discerned and opposed by John Husse and Hierome of Prague Bohemian Divines who by reason of the marriage of King Richard the second of England with the daughter of Wenceslaus Emperour and King of Bohemia had opportunity to be acquainted with the preachings of Wiclef the points of whose Doctrine they approved and propagated But these two being burnt at Constance by the decree of that Councell their followers in Bohemia would not so give over but after many sufferings and much bloudshed obtained at last a toleration of the Emperour Sigismund their King more able to make good his word in his own dominions then he had been to save the two Martyrs from the fire at Constance to whom he had granted his safe conduct for their comming and going In this condition they remained under the name of those of the Sub utraque or Calistini because of their Administring the Sacrament in both kindes till the rising of Luther who justly offended at the impious and unwarrantable Assertions of Frier Tekel and others of the Popes Pardon-mungers first opposed their doings and after questioned that authority by which they acted falling from one point to another till he had shaken the foundations of the Roman Fabrick Of the successe of his undertaking we shall speak more punctually in the Dukedome of Saxony the place of his birth the Scene of this great Action and the proper Sphere of his Activity Suffice it now to say that his doctrine was so well approved of that the Dukes of Saxonie Brunswick Lunenbourg Wirtenberg Mecklenberg and Pomerania the Marquesse of Branderbourg the Lantgraves of Hassia and most of the Free and Imperial Cities did adhere unto it who from their Protestation made at Spires the Imperiall Chamber to that effect anno 1529. had the name of Protestants The next year following they delivered in the Confession of their faith at Auspurg a City of Suevia thence called Confessio Augustana authorized or tolerated at the least after a long war with variable successe on both sides by the Emperour Charles the fift at the Pacification made at Passaw anno 1552. and afterwards more fully at Ausbourg where their Confession had first been tendred anno 1555. In the mean time arose up Zuinglius amongst the Switzers of whose both Doctrine and successe we have spoken there These not communicating Councels went two severall waies especially in the points of Consulstantiation and the Reall presence not reconciled in their times nor like to be agreed upon amongst their followers For Calvin rising into the esteem and place of Zuinglius added some Tenets of his own to the former doctrines touching Predestination Free-will Vniversall Grace Finall perservance points fitter for the Schooles then a popular Auditory by which the differences were widened and the breach made irreparable the cause being followed on both sides with great impatience as if they did not strive so much for truth as victory And of the two those of the Lutheran party seemed more violent though the other was altogether as irreconcilable who could not choose but stomach it to see themselves undermined and blown by a new form of doctrine not tolerated in the Empire but under colour of conformity to the Confession of Ausburg For Zuinglianisme being entertained amongst the French a busie and active people spread it self further in few years then it was propagated by the Switzers men of the same temper with the Dutch in all times before Insomuch as it did not only prevail in France but by the reputation of Calvin and the diligence of his followers was wholly entertained in the Kingdome of Scotland the Netherlands and even in Germanie it self in which it got footing in all the territories of the Counts Palatines of the Rhene in some of the Lantgraves of Hassia in the Imperiall City of Strasburg many of the Hanse-towns and amongst other Princes and Free Cities of inferiour note The rest of Germanie containing the Patrimoniall Estates of the house of Austria the Dukedomes of Bavaria and Lorrain the territories of the three Spirituall Electours and of all the other Bishopricks in the hands of the Clergie some of the Marquesses of Baden part of the subjects of Cleve and but three of the Imperiall Cities and those small ones too that is to say Gmund Vberlinque and Dinekell-Spuell unlesse some more be added by the late great successes of the house of Austria remain in their obedience to the See of Rome yet so that there be many Protestants in Bohemia Austria and in other the Estates of the Popish Princes as there be Papists in the Free Cities of Frankford Nurenberg Vlm Aken and some other places besides the late increase of them in both Palatinates As for the Government of their Churches those that continue in obedience of the See of Rome are under the old form of Archbishops and Bishops co-aevall in all Germanie as in most places else with the faith it self The Calvinists by which name the Zuinglianâ—st now also passeth if not eaten out submit themselves for doctrine discipline and formes of worship to Calvins Modell whereof we have spoke more at large when we were in Geneva And for the Lutherans they have divided the Episcopall function from the Revenues giving those last to some of their younger Princes with the title of Administrators of such a Bishoprick the function or jurisdiction to some of the more eminent Clergie with the title of a Superintendent assigning to them a priority both of place and power before other Ministers which they enjoy for term of life together with some liberall maintenance in proportion to it In other things as habit and title of dignitie they differ not at all from the other Ministers and over them in place of Archbishops they have their generall Superintendents all of them of each sort accomptable to the supreme Ecclesiastical Consistory as formerly to the Provinciall or Nationall Synod made up of Counsellors of State and the heads of the Clergie so that the form is much the same as in elder times the greatest Alteration being in the names and that no other in
the fortunes of Bavaria till the year 1339. when Ludovick the Emperour and Duke of Bavaria on the partition of the estate betwixt him and Rodolphus his elder brother relinquished it for ever to the house of the Palatines Returned for the present to the Dukes of Bavaria on whom conferred together with the Electorall dignity by the Emperour Ferdinand the 2. in recompense of the great service don him by Maximilian the now Duke thereof in the war of Bohemia and the great charge he had been at in the reduction of that Kingdome to the house of Austria How long it will continue thus is known only to God the disposer of all things Yet neither the Bavarians formerly nor the Palatines since have been so fully Masters of it but that the Landgrave of Luchetenberg and the Citie of Nurenberg have put in for a share The Arms of which great and puissant Citie are Azure an Harpie displayed crowned crined and armed Or. 13. The KINGDOM of BOHEMIA The Kingdom of BOHEMIA containing Bohemia it self with the incorporate Provinces is bounded on the East with Poland and Hungarie on the West with the Vpper Palatinate Voiteland and Misnia on the North with the Marquisate of Brandenberg and some part of Misnia and on the South with Austria and Bavaria It comprehends in it besides Bohemia it self the Marquisate of Moravia with the Dukedoms of Silesia and Lusatia 1 BOHEMIA encompassed about with woodie Mountains part of the Hercynian is bounded on the East with Moravia on the West with the Vpper Palatinate and Voiteland on the North with Misnia Lusatia and some part of Silesia on the South with parts of Bavaria and Austria It took this name from the Bemi or Boiemi the old Inhabitants hereof of whom more anon and containing in compasse about 550 English miles The soil is indifferently fruitfull and enriched with mines of all sorts except of gold Tinne they have here in good plenty the mines whereof were first found out by a Cornish man banished out of England anno 1240. which discovery of Tinne in these parts was as saith my Author in magnam jacturam Richardi Comitis Cornubiae he meaneth that Richard which was afterwards King of the Romans and no marvail for in those times there was no Tinne in all Europe but in England Wood they have here good store and in some of their Forrests a Beast called Lomie which hath hanging under its neck a bladder full of scalding water with which when she is hunted she so tortureth the Dogs that she easily escapeth them Of corn they have sufficient for their own use and sometimes also an increase above their spending wherewith they do supply their neighbours of the Vpper Palatinate but they want wine the Air here being too sharp and piercing to produce a good Vintage And it yeelds also store of Saffron no where to be bettered with plenty of medicinable drugs The principall Rivers hereof are 1 the Elb or Albis having here its spring of whose course we have spoken elsewhere 2 Egra 3 the Muldaw or Muldavius and 4 the Warts all three exonerating themselves into the Elb which runneth through the midst of the Country The Kingdome is not as others divided into Counties and Provinces but into the Territories and possessions of severall Lords who have great authority and command over their Vassalls The figure of the whole in a manner Circular the Diameter whereof reacheth every way some 200 miles containing in that compasse 700 Cities walled Townes and Castles and as some say 30000 Villages Inhabited by a people given to drink and gluttony and yet valiant and with sense of honour this last belonging to the Nobility and Gentry the former to the common people but more moderately then most others of the German Nations All of them Princes or Plebeians rich poor noble and base use the Sclavonian language as their mother tongue The chief Bohemian Captain that ever I read of was Zisca who in eleven battels fought in the defence of the Hussites against the Pope and his confederates prevailed and went away victorious insomuch that at his death he willed the Bohemians to flea him and make a drumme of his skin perswading himself if they so did they could never be overcome A fancie like to that of Scipio African and Vortimer King of Britain spoken of before Scholars of most note John of Hus and Hierome of Prague two eminent Divines of whom more anon The Christian faith was first here preached by one Borsinous anno 900 or thereabouts Borzivoius the 8 Duke from Crocus was the first Christian Prince and next to him Wenceslaus the second This last most cruelly murdered by Boleslaus his brother at the instigation of Drahomira an obstinate Heathen mother to them both who having caused the Ministers of the Lord to be butchered and their bodies to lie unburied for two years together was swallowed coach and all in that very place where their bodies lay Confirmed by this prodigy they continued constant in the Faith to this very day though not without the intermixture of some notable vanity For one Picardus coming out of the Low-countries drew a great sort of men and women unto him pretending to bring them to the same state of perfection that Adam was in before his fall from whence they were called Picards and Adamites They had no respect unto marriage yet could they not accompany any woman untill the man coming to Adam said unto him Father Adam I am inflamed towards this woman and Adam made answer Increase and multiply They lived in an Island which they called Paradise and went stark naked but they continued not long for Zisca hearing of them entred their fooles Paradise and put them all to the sword anno 1416. But to make amends for this folly they were exceeding zealous of the Reformation For much about the same time the works of Wickliffe were brought into Bohemia by a certain scholar who had been Student in the University of Oxford which hapning into the hands of John Husse and Hierome of Prague two men whereof the Country may worthily boast wrought in their hearts a desire to reforme the Church A businesse which they prosecuted so earnestly that being summoned to the Councell of Constance they were there condemned for Hereticks and burned anno 1414. yet had their doctrine such deep root in the hearts of the people that it could never be destroyed by the Tyrannies of war or persecutions though both were used to this very day multitudes of the Professours of it living in this Kingdome under the names of Calistini and Sub utraque as before is said though perfected by the writings of Luther Melanchthon Calvin and such other of the Protestant Doctors as travelled in the work of Reformation The first Inhabitants hereof of whom there is any good record were the Benni whom Pomponius Mela placeth in this tract with the addition of Gens Magna By Tacitus they are called Boiemi who makes them the
no night at all which is a mighty disproportion from the length of the longest day in the most Southern parts being but 16 houres and an half as before is said And by this rule we are to take the dimensions also For though some make the length hereof from North to South that is to say from Cala in the North to Astrachan near the Caspian Sea to be no more then 2260 Versts or 3690 Italian miles yet they confess that reckoning forwards from Tromschua the furthest point of Petzora the full length thereof will be nigh so much more And for the breadth reckoning from Narve on the Bay of Finland now in possession of the Swedes to the Province of Severia in the East it amounteth to 4400 Versis or 3300 Italian miles each Verst being estimated at three quarters of an English mile Which mighty Territorie if it were peopled answerably to some other parts of the world would either make it too great for one Prince to hold or make that Prince too great and puissant for all his neighbours The people as is commonly reported of them are very perfidious crafty and deceitful in all their bargains false-dealers with all they have to do with making no reckoning of their promises and studying nothing more then wayes to evade their Contracts Vices so generally known and noted in them that when they are to deal with strangers they dissemble their Countrie and pretend to be of other Nations for fear lest no bodie should trust them Destitute of humane affections and so unnaturall that the father insults on the son and he again over his father and mother So malicious one towards another that you shall have a man hide some of his own goods in the house of some man whom he hateth and then accuse him for the stealth of them They are exceedingly given to drink insomuch that all heady and intoxicating drinks are by Law prohibited and two or three dayes only in a year allowed them to be drunk in For the most part they are strong of body swift of foot of a square proportion broad short and thick grey-eyed broad-bearded and generally furnished with prominent paunches The Commons live in miserable subjection to the Nobles and they again in as great slavery to the Duke or Emperour to whom no man of all the vulgar dares immediately exhibit a Petition or make known his grievances nay the mean Lords and Officers are squeamish in this kinde and but on great submission will not commend unto the Duke a poor mans cause They are altogether unlearned even the Priests meanly indoctrinated it being cautionated by the great Duke that there be no Schools lest there should be any Scholâ—rs but himself so that the people use to work commonly on the Lords day holding it fit only to be kept by Gentlemen and to say in a difficult question God and our Great Duke know all this and in other talk All we enjoy health and life all from our Great Duke According to whose pleasure every man is prescribed what habit he shall wear both for matter and fashion suitable unto their condition In the time of my Author their habit was a long Garment without plaits which hung down to their heels commonly of white or blew with very strait sleeves on their legs wearing buskins up as high as the calf for the most part red high at the heels and beset with nails of iron The stuffe and trimming of this dresse is the only difference betwixt the Noble and the Paisant The women are attired also much after this manner but if great and Noble suffered to set forth themselves with store of pearls and precious stones which hang so thick about their ears that they do almost pul their ears from their heads A second marriage is conceived no blemish in point of chastitie but the third condemns them of incontinence naturally subject enough to the lusts of the flesh but private and fearful to offend if once lascivious then most intolerably wanton It is the fashion of these women to love that husband best which beareth them most and to think themselves neither loved nor regarded unlesse they be two or three times a day well favouredly swadled The Author of the Treasurie of times telleth a story of a German Shoomaker who travelling into this Country and here marrying a widow used her with all kindnesse that a woman could as he thought desire yet did not she seem contented At last learning where the fault was and that his not beating her was the cause of her pensivenesse he took such a vein in cudgelling her sides that in the end the Haâ—gman was fain to break his neck for his labour They use the Sclavonian language but so corrupt and mixt with other languages that they and the Sclavonians understand not one anothers meaning but by circumstance only yet in Jugaria out of which the Hungarians are thought to have issued they speak a corrupt Hungarian and in Petzora and the Countrie of the Czâ—remissians they have a language to themselves distinct from others They first received the Christian Faith in the year 987. or as some say anno 942. by the preaching and ministerie of the Greeks sent hither by the Patriarch of Constantinople of which Church they are constant followers both for rites and doctrine but not without some superstitions of their own superadded to them viz. not coming near a Crosse Church or Monasterie but they kneel down and make the sign of the Crosse saying Milâ—y Hispodi i. e. Lord have mercy upon us not entring into any Church untill washed and bathe They bear a deadly hatred to the Jews whom they suffer not to live amongst them and so great friendship unto a Calfe that they hold it a great offence to kil one or to eat his flesh Their Church is governed by 18 Bishops and 2 Metropolitans al of them subordinate to their Archbishop or Patriarch as he in former times to the Constantiâ—opolitan by whom he used to be confirmed But about an hundred years agoe they withdrew themselves from that subjection the Patriarch being nominated by the Great Duke and consecrated by two or three of his own Suffragans Without the counsell and advice of this Patriarch the Emperour or Great Duke doth nothing of any moment The Bishops are all chosen out of the Monastick or Regular Clergy which makes the Monks being all of the Order of S. Basil to live very religiously in hope to be advanced to the Episcopall dignity And for the Secular Clergy or Parochiall Priests there is not much required of them but to say their Masses which being in their own language they may easily do and to read now and then one of S. Chrysostoms Homilies translated heretofore for the use of those Churches after the death of their first â—lves not permitted to marry in other things little differing from the rest of the people Once in the year it is lawfull and usuall with them to
lâ—qui liceat when as a man might thinke as hee listed of the publick and speak what he thought But whether this be such a Rara temporum felicitas such a felicitie of these our times as Tacitus conceived the other to be of those future times will shew But to return againe to Poland notwithstanding this mixture of Religions yet that most publickly allowed and countenanced is the Religion authorised by the Church of Rome asserted here by the zeal of the Kings unto that cause and the great power of the Bishops who seeing how those of their Order have spâ—d in Germanie and other places under colour of Reformation of some things amisse have hitherto upheld the Ecclesiasticall Estate in the same forme they found it The Government of the Church as formerly by 3 Archbishops and 19 Bishops who challenge a jurisdiction over all the kingdome â—ut exercise it upon those onely who submit unto them those who embrace the Doctrines of Luther or Calvin following the formes of Government by them established as others doe some new ones of their owne devising And for those Provinces and people which lie towards Greece or were parts heretofore of the Russian Empire and still hold a Communion with those Churches they have Archbishops and Bishops of their owne Religion that is to say the Archbishops of Vilne and Lemburg the Bishops of Polozko Luzko Pinsko Volodomire Presmil and Kiovia Yet amongst all these different Churches and formes of Government there is this conformitie that whensoever the Gospell is read openly in the Congregation the Nobility and Gentrie use to draw their swords according to an antient custom which they had among them signifying their readinesse to defend it against all opposers Which reason doubtlesse gave beginning to the standing up at the Creed and Gospell in the primitive times retained still in the Church of England whereby we doe declare how prepared and resolute we are to defend the same though some of late holding it for a Relick of Popery with greater nicety then wisdome have refused to doe it Chief Rivers of this Kingdome are 1 Vistula or Wixel the antient Boundary betwixt Germany and Sarmatia Europaea which rising in the Carpathian Mountaines passeth by Cracovia the chief City of Poland and dividing Prussia from Pomerella falleth into the Baltick sea not far from Dantzick and is navigable for the space of 400 miles of old called Vandalis 2 Warta which runneth through the lesser Poland 3 Duina the lesse watering Livonia and 4 Borysthenes or Nieper passing through Podolia both spoken of before when we were in Russia 5 Niester by Ptolemie called Tyras which falleth into the Euxine Sea having first parted Podolia from Moldavia 6 Jugra by some called the lesser Tanais arising in Lituania and falling into the more noted Tanais which is now called Don. Of lesse note there are 1 Reuben or Reuhon 2 Chronuâ— now called Pregel 3 Bogh said by some to bee the 〈◊〉 of the Antients 4 Minnael 5 Niemen the Maeander of these Northern parts 9 Winde a Livonian river falling into the Baltick Mountains of note here are not many the Countreys for the most part being plain and Champain and those which be are rather boundaries betwixt this and some other Kingdome then proper unto this alone The chief of which are those called Sarmatici dividing Gâ—rmany from Sarmatia Europaea by Solinus named Sevo by Ptolemie the Carpathian Mountains the boundary at this time betwixt Poland and Hungary The common metes and Land-markes being thus laid down we will next take a view of those severall Provinces of which this kingdome doth consist being ten in number that is to say 1 Livonia 2 Samogitia 3 Lituania 4 Prussia 5 Poland specially so called 6 Mollovia 7 Podlassia 8 Russia Nigra 9 Voltinia and 10 Podâ—lia all of them except the proper Poland within Sarmatia Europaea 1 LIVONIA 1 LIVONIA or LIEFLAND is bounded on the East with the Empire of Russia on the West with the Baltick Sea on the North with the Gulf or Bay of Finland on the South with Samogitia and Lituania Extended in length along the shore of the Baltick for the space of 125 Dutch or 500 Italian miles 40 Dutch or 160 Italian miles in breadth and called thus perhaps from the Lenovi a people of Germany inhabiting not far from the River Vistula The countrey for the most part plaine without any mountaines furnished with corn and fruits in so great aboundance that they send part thereof into other countries and yet there is much ground untilled in it by reason of the bogs and marishes which are very frequent Here is also store of wax honey and pitch but they have neither oyl nor wine the want of which last is supplyed by Meth. Of tame beasts fit for mans service they are well provided as also of such whose skins are of more value with the Merchant then their flesh at the market as Ermins Sables Castors others of that kinde besides good store of game for hunting the countrey having in it many large woods parts of the Hercynian And as for Rivers there are few countries which have more watered by the Winde the Beck the Dwine the Ruho all of them falling into the Baltick many great Lakes whereof the chiefe is that of Beybas 45 miles long and full of fish The people are much given to gluttonie and drunkennesse especially in rich mens houses where it is to be had for the paisant lives in want enough meere slaves to their tyrannicall Landlords who spend in riot and excesse what these get by drudgerie And when at any time the poore wretch leaves his Landlord to mend his condition with some other the Lord if he can overtake him will cut off his foot to make sure of him for the future They are a mixture of many Nations as the Fstones which are the naturall Inhabitants derived from the Estii a Dutch people spoken of by Ptolemie of which Nation are almost all the Paisants the Moscovites Swedes Danes Dutch and Polanders intermingled with them comming in upon severall conquest and planting themselves in the best parts of it in which they still Lord it over the Native but the Dutch especially for long time Masters of the whole The Christian Faith was first here planted by Meinardus of Lubeck imployed herein in the time of Frederick the first at the perswasion of some Dutch Merchants who traded hither by the Archbishop of Breme by whom made the first Bishop of the Livonians The Church hereof at this time governed by the Archbishop of Riga the Bishops of Derpt Asâ—lia Oesel Curland and Rivallia in those parts which remaine subject to the Polander where the Religion of the Church of Rome is onely countenanced Such parts of it that are under the Swedes or Danes are for the most part of the Lutheran profession planted with colonies of that people But the Estones or originall Inhabitants as they have a language so they have a Religion
there is nothing to be seen but some scattered houses few Villages and not above from Towns of note viz. 1 Orâ—zakow at the influx of the Borysthenes or Nieper into the Euxine sea 2 Vaszow at the fall of the River Bog into that of Nieper 3 Braclaw more high upon the Bog 4 Camienecz on the borders of Russia nigra built by some divine hand as it were amongst the precipices of high and inaccessible Rocks and so well fortified withall that it is impregnable as is apparent by the many and great repulses which the Turks Tartarians and Valachians have received before it with much shame and losse 2 Lemburg remarkable for the sawces or salt-meats which they send thence into other Countries 6 RUSSIA NIGRA RVSSIA NIGRA hath on the East Volhinia Podolia and Moldavia on the West Mazoâ—ia and Poland specially so called on the North Lituania and Podlassia and on the South the Sarmatian on Carpathian Mountains It is called also Roxolania from the Roxolani a chief people of Sarmaâ—â—a Europaea and by some Ruthenia but generally Russia from the Rossi spoken of before in the Empire of Russia who spread themselves over all these parts Some hold that it was first called Rosseia which signifieth in the Sclavonian language a scattered Nation or a Nation disseminated and dispersed into many parts and that this was the name generally of all that spake the Sclavonian tongue and followed the religion and â—ites of the Church of Greece extended from the frozen Seas to the Adriatique and from the Euxine to the Baltick This and a greater tract of ground I grant to have been heretofore possessed by divers Nations under the name of Sclavonians a very considerable part of Germany and Pâ—land being conquered by them But for the name of Russia given at first to all the Russian Empire distinguished now into Russia Alba and Russia Nigra I adhere unto my former Vote conceiving that it came from the Rossi an Armenian people inhabiting about Mount Taurus who in the year 864 or there abouts attempted the taking of Constantinople and after placed themselves on the Northern banks of the Euxine getting ground of the Sclavonians to the North and East till they had made themselves masters of all Russia Alba Lituania Volhinia Podolia and this Russia Nigra Distinguished from the former by the adjunct of Nigra after the destruction of that great Empire by the coming in of the Tartars either from the colour of their garments or their black and more southernly complexion In which regard called also Russia Meridionalis or the Southern Russia The Country is generally fruitfull abounding in Horses Oxen Sheep Sables and Foxes such store of Bees that they breed not only in Hives and hollow trees but in Rocks and Caves Well watred both with Pools and Rivers affording them great plenty of fish more naturally spawning here then in other places insomuch that if a Pond be digged and spring accordingly the fish will breed therein of their own accord without being brought from other waters The greatest want hereof is wine either supplyed with Mede or from other places And it is said that in the Territorie of Cheline the branches of the Pine trees left upon the ground for three years together will be converted into stone The people are generally valiant and so strong of bodie that they use Bows of 12 foot long Being formerly governed by Dukes they doe but ill brook the name of King which much induced the Kings of Poland to send Colonies of naturall Polonians into most parts of the Countrie insomuch as most of the Knights and Gentrie of it are of that extraction and follow the religion of the Church of Rome the Paisants and originall inhabitants of it being more generally affected to the Rites and doctrines of the Church of Greece Places of most importance in it are 1 Chelme in the Territorie whereof it is affirmed that the branches of Pine trees left upon the ground for three years together are converted to stone 2 Premisten 3 Halitz 4 Belzo 5 Grodeck and 6 Leopolis by the Natives called Lemburg built by one Leo a Moscovite a Town of great traffique and an Archbishops See who is of the Religion of the Church of Rome But the Patriarch of Mosco hath here also an Archbishop of his own ordaining there being Churches both in the Citie it self and all Russia generally as before was said which are of the communion of the Church of Greece There are also in this Citie some Armenian Merchants who have a Church a Bishop and some Priests of their own religion Of the affairs of this Province and how it was a part once of the Russian Empire hath been said already Dismembred from it by the Tartars it had a while Dukes or Provinciall Governours subject and tributarie unto those Barbarians as had also Podolia its next neighbour Both conquered by the Polander were for a time kept under by strong hand and the power of Garrisons But being upon all occasions apt to revolt by reason of the hard hand which the Kings held over them by whom treated rather like slaves then subjects they were assured unto the State by giving them the same liberties and immunities both for the Nobilitie and the Commons which the naturall Polonians had and by that means made fellow-members of that Common-wealth The Act of Ladislaus the 6. the son of Jagello imitating therein the ancient Romans who much augmented their forces and assured their Estate by communicating the freedome of Rome and the priviledges of Latium to many of 〈…〉 7 MASSOVIA MASSOVIA is bounded on the East with Lituania on the West with 〈◊〉 specially so called on the North with Prussia and 〈◊〉 on the South with Russia Nigra or 〈◊〉 So called 〈…〉 one of the Dukes hereof who in the year 1045. being vanquished by Casiâ—â—â—e Duke of Poland 〈◊〉 into â—â—ussia and there unfortunately dyed The Countrie large and for the most part full of woods where they finde store of Bugâ—â—s and wild 〈◊〉 The people strong valiant and couragious in war differing little from the 〈◊〉 in speech manners or apparell save that they use a kinde of whistling which the others do not The principall Towns of it are 1 Marschow the chief of the Province and heretofore the residence of the Duke or Prince remarkable for the best Mâ—de or Metheglin 2 Egrâ—d Czirko 3 Poltouvoski 4 Gadzâ—ck 5 Lozara 6 Droâ—e the seat of a Palatine but not else observable This Province was once subject to Princes of its own not subject or subordinate unto any Superiour Of which number that Masso was one from whom named Massovia In the years 1246. and 1260. being strangely wasted and distressed by Mindâ—y Duke of Lituania they were fain to put themselves under the power of the Polander by whom made the portion of the second son of that Kingdom But John and Stamslaus the two last Dukes hereof dying without issue it returned unto the Kings of Poland by whom
incorporate to that Crown and priviledged in the election of the King and all matters which concern the publick as all others of the Polonians are anno 1526. 8 PODLASSIA Podlassia is bounded on the East with Volhinia on the West with Prussia on the North with Lituania and on the South with Massovia and Russia nigra The reason of the name I know not The Countrie not much differeing from those before the people a mixt generation of Russes Moscovites and Polâ—nians partake a little of the manners and garbe of those severall Nations from which they lineally are descended Places of most importance in it are 1 Bielsko 2 Brunsko 3 Suras all of them having fair and ample Territories 4 Tykdiskin strongly fortified and well garrisoned as being the place where the Kings Treasures are kept 5 Knyssin beautified with a royall Palace and a pleasant Park wherein are store of wilde beasts for hunting and fish-ponds very well replenished 6 Narew 7 Vasilkow and 8 Augustow a very strong Town built and well fortified by Sigismund Augustus and by him thus named anno 1569. at what time he dismembred this Province from Lituania to which before it appertained uniting it forever to the Crown of Poland 9 PRUSSIA PRVSSIA is bounded on the East with Lituania and Podlassia on the west with Pomerania on the North with the Baltick Sea and on the South with Poland and Massovia Called first Borussia from the Borussi who subdued it of whom more anon which by an easie alteration was changed into Prussia by which name still called The Countrie is extended all along the Baltick Sea from the Citie of Dantzick in the west to Labian on the mouth of the Maillank East for the space of 50 Polish miles and from Torune bordering on Massovia to Memel in the confines of Lituania 58 miles of the same measure The air thereof very mild and temperate the soil both profitable and pleasant full of Lakes and Rivers stored with fish plentifull of corn and other necessaries and well clad with Forrests which yeeld them game for hunting rich skins for profit and abundance of honey Of which last they make Mede for their own use their ordinarie drinke where there is no wine and fell the rest unto the Merchant But the commoditie wherein they doe excell their neighbours is their plentie of Amber which is the juice of a stone which groweth like a Corall in a Mountain of these Baltick Seas covered quite with water and shunned by Mariners 3 leagues off for fear of Shipwrack the Mountaine reasonable large about 50 yards high of English measure And when any tempest riseth in these Northern Seas especially in September and December the liquor by violence thereof is rent from the rock and cast into divers Havens and on divers Coasts of this Countrie and sometimes upon those of Sweden and Pomerania the people leaping into the Sea when it rageth most whence they take up first some store of weeds after that this Liquor which being taken out of the water hardneth like to Corall Besides the beauty hereof and the quality it hath of attracting straws and iron as the Adamant doth burning like pitch and others of this nature it is excellent good for stopping bloud all kinde of Agues falling-sicknesse dropsies stone colick weaknesse of stomach head-ach and the yellow jaundise The people especially the Gentrie descend from the Germans and retain much of their nature having more art and industry then the other Polonians and being more tenacious of their ancient cuâ—omes Idolaters for long time together converted first unto the Faith in the time of the Emperor Frederick the 2. by whose setting on they were subdued by the order of the Dutch Knights anno 1215. and either wonne or forced to the Christian Faith As Christians governed since the first plantation of the Gospell by the Bishops of Culm Warme Sambâ—a and Pomesan suffragans to the Archbishop of Guesna under whom those parts of it doe still continue which have not yet forsaken the Church of Rome the Lutherans Calvinians and other separate Congregations distinct from them having their own forms both of doctrine and discipline Few Provinces of the North are better watered then this is both for Lakes and Rivers some of the Lakes 7 Dutch miles in compasse and well stored with fish the Rivers 12 in number that is to say 1 The Vistula 2 Chronus 3 Nogat 4 Elbing 5 Vasera 6 Passaria 7 Alla 8 Pregel 9 Ossa 10 Drebmez 11 Lica and 12 Lavia all plentifully stored with fish besides a large Sea coast both for trade and fishing no small commoditie to the Natives The Country formerly divided into twelve Dukedomes so they called the parts and fractions of it was by the industrie of the Dutch Knights so adorned and beautified after they had once brought it under their obedience that there were no fewer then 72 Castles and 62 good Towns of their foundation Which number being much increased in these later times hath made it the most flourishing part of the whole kingdom of Poland But the Order of these Knights being suppressed in this Countrie by an agreement betwixt Sigismund the first King of Poland and Albert of Brandenbourg the last great Master of the Order both Towns and Countrie are divided between the successours of the said Alberâ— as Dukes of Prussia and of the said Sigismund as Kings of Pole the Dukedoms or divisions of Hogerland Warme Galmadia Micklow Calmigeria with the Citie of Mariemberg the Soveraignty of Dantzick and Melvin with the whole Countrie of Pomerella lying on the West side of the Vistula being allotted to the King the residue containing the divisions of Schalavonia Sambia Natangia Nadravia Baâ—vnia Sudavia and Pomesama except the City and Territorie of Marâ—emberg to the Dukes oâ— Prussia Chief Towns belonging to the Duke are 1 Mimel a well frequented Port the Mart town for the commodities of Lituania which are brought hither and here bought by the forein Merchant part of this Province interposing betwixt Lituania and the Baltick 2 Coningsberg as the Dutch Regimâ—m as the Freâ—ch and Mons Regius as the Latines call it situate in the Province of Sambia at the bottome of a Gulâ—e or Bay where the Pregel falleth into the Baltick Sea built by the Dutch Knights in the year 1260 and made an Universitie by Albert the first Duke hereof 1525. the seat and principall residenâ—e of his succeslours as also of the Bishops of Sambia in Latine called Sambienses by the name of 〈◊〉 Province 3 Mubneburg founded by the Dutch Knights anno 1279. 4 Brandenburg on the South side of that bay but more near the Sea built as I gueste by some of the great Masters of that familie 5 Ragmtz the furthest town of note towards Lituaâ—ia 6 Angersburg in Sclavenia as was also Ragnitz 7 Nordenburg in Baâ—tonia 8 Ottelburg in Galmdia of which little memorable 9 Marienwerder the furthest of the Dukes estate towards the Vistula and
Archbishops 2. Bishops 6. Universities 4. viz. Cracow Vilna Dantzick Regimont And so much for POLAND THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS IN our way from Poland unto Hungarie whither now we goe wee must of necessity passe over the CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS the ancient boundarie of Sarmatia Europaea from the rest of Europe A long and craggie ledge of hils which beginning near the Citie of Presburg and the borders of Austria passe on in a continuall course till they come to the very Euxine Sea and by that means not only divide Hungary from Poland specially so called but parting Transylvania and Moldavia two Dacian Regions from Russia Nigra and Podolia Provinces of the Polonian Kingdom By Ptolemie in his second Book they are called Montes Sarmatici Sarmaticae Rupes by Solinus because disterminating the Sarmatian Nations who possessed the mos part of it from Germanie and the more Southern parts of Europe and in his third booke by one name Carpates or Mons Carpatus so called as some think from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying Fruit from the fruitfulnesse of it compared with other Mountaines in those Northerne Countries At the present known by divers names according to the Provinces and people which it passeth by By the Dutch generally called Wurtzgarten or a Garden of Herbs which alludeth to the name of Carpatus by the Hungars Tarchzall Betwixt Moravia and Hungaria where it is at the highest it is called in the Sclavonian tongue by the name of Tatri in the German Schneberg where it parteth Transylavania from Russia Nigra the Rosses call it Biescid and the Dutch men Crapack A chaine of hils of more length then fame not much observable in storie but for the shutting up the Hungari Sclaves and others of those Northern Nations which afterward invaded the Roman Provinces nor of much notice at the present but for giving an Originall to many of the principall Rivers which water the Countries lying on both sides of it And therefore having nothing more to detain us here we will passe them over and descend into the Plains of Hungarie OF HUNGARIE HVNGARIE is bounded on the East with Transylvania and Walachia on the West with Stiria Austria and Moravia on the North with the Carpathian Mountains which divide it from Poland and on the South with Sclavonia and some part of Dacia Extended in length from Presburg along the Danow to the borders of Transylvania for the space of 300 English miles and 190 of the same miles in breadth The reason of the name we shall have anon It lyeth in the Northern temperate Zone betwixt the middle Parallels of the 7. and 9. Climates so that the longest Summers day in the Southern parts is but 15 houres and an half and not above 16 houres in the parts most North taking up all that tract of ground on the North side of Danubius possessed by the Iazyges Metanasiae a Sarmatian people and part also of Panonnia Superior and Pannonia Inferior both on the South of that River But being it passeth generally under the name of Pannonia we are to know that the Romans having made themselves Masters of all Pannonia divided it into four Provinces part of the Diocese of Illyriâ—um Occidentale that is to say Pannonia Superior bordering on Noricum and containing part of the Higher Austria and the most Western parts of the present Hungarie on the South side of the Danow 2 Pannonia Inferior containing the Eastern parts of Hungarie on the same side of the River 3 Valeria anciently part of Pannonia Superior comprehending Stiria or Stiermark in the Archdukedome of Austria And 4 Savia so called of the River Savus anciently part of Pannonia Inferior now called Windeschland one of the Provinces or Subdivisions of Sclavonia But the name of Pannonia falling with the Roman Empire and this Countrie being fallen into the hands of other Masters it took a new name from the Nations who possessed themselves of it and was called Hungaria quasi Hunni-Avaria by a mixt name made of the Hunni and Avares two Scythian Nations who either successively or conjunctly were possessed thereof or from the Hungari another race of Scythians mentioned by Jornandes in his Book De Rebus Geticis drawn into this Countrie by the Emperour Arnulph to aid him in his war against Suantobogius King of the Moravians This last I look on as most probable the first as more probable then that of Aventine and others of our later Writers who finding a poor Province in the most North-east point of the Russian Empire called Jugra and by them Jugaria would have the name of Hungarie to be thence derived The people are strong of body and rude of behaviour respecting neither the liberall Arts nor mechanick Trades The greatest aspersion is the name of a coward which cannot be wiped off without the killing of a Turk after which they are priviledged to wear a feather and by the number of their feathers to shew how many Turks they have slain in battell They desire wars and like no trade better being naturally slothfull like the Irish and therefore best approve of that course of life whereby they may rather live upon other mens labour then take pains for their living Extremely covetous yet having rather desire then art to enrich themselves permitting the Dutch to ingrosse all their trading and manage such commodities as the Country yeeldeth which is the cause seconded by the oppressions of the Turk and the Austrian Princes under whom they are that none of them rise to any considerable wealth And for such as have estates in land they grow every day more poor then others For though the Females be excluded from inheriting their fathers possessions to whom they give no portion but new Cloaths on the wedding day yet being the sons do equally inherit the Estate as such who hold in Gavelkinde do here in England it must needs be that by so many divisions and subdivisions the greatest patrimonie that is will be brought to nothing Both Sexes in the way of their education are inured to hardnesse not suffered to lie in beds till the night of their marriage The Christian faith was first planted here in the time of Stephen surnamed the Saint the first King of this Country invited thereunto by the speciall means and procurement of the Emperour Henry the 2. giving him upon that condition his sister Gisla in marriage and through the preaching and industrie of Albert Archbishop of Prague anno 1016. or thereabouts Since which time Christianitie hath continued here without interruption defended gallantly and couragiously against the Turks but broken into fractions and subdivisions among themselves some pertinaciously adhering to the Church of Rome some following the doctrine of Luther others that of Calvin and some new fancies and opinions disavowed by all the rest yet all these different parties doe agree in this to punish adulterie and fornication with no lesse a punishment then death the father forcing his daughter the husband his wife
Desarts which are in it and is called also Asiatica to difference it from Preâ—opensis which is wholly in Europe or because it taketh up the whole Continent of Sarmatia Asiatica according to the bounds thereof laid down by Ptolomy except some part hereof incorporated to the Russian Empire The Countrey of it self sufficiently fruitful if well mannured and were it in the hands of a laborious and industrious people would yield large increase as appears by the ill husbandry of the Tartars who sow nothing on it but Mill and Puateum grains unknown to us and that without giving it any â—llage receive very plentiful returns of both But the Tartar being a Nation that hateth Agriculture and laugheth at Christian for living on the tops of Reeds so they call our bread neglect all that which is not of a rank pasture for their Herds and Cattell moving from one place to another as the grass faileth them which maketh it so full of Desarts and so empty of Towns as to deserve the name of Tartarta Deserta The people or Inhabitants of it are of severall sorts derived from three severall Originalls and disposed of in three severall parts 1. The Samoyede dwelling towards the Northern Ocean who are wholly Idolaters 2. the Circassians bordering on the Euxine for the most part Christians and 3. the Tartars planted betwixt both being all Mahometans These again subdivided into severall Tribes which they call their Hordes of which the most considerable are 1. the Nagaian Tartars 2. the Zavalhanses 3. the Thumenenses 4. the Kirgessi besides the Hordes or Kingdomes of Casan and Astrachan added unto the Empire of Russia where described already and others of inferiour note not here considerable But before we come to speak of these people in their severall places we must first look upon the whole Countrey as presented to us under the name of Sarmatia Asiatica bounded by Ptolomy as before save that it did extend more Westwards and was unknown to him in the Northern parts of it now possessed by the Moscovite So populous in the time of that Author that he giveth us the names of fourty severall Nations which did then inhabit it and of about as many Towns of good estimation Of which there are few or none remaining and for the names of some of the principall of them we shall have them presently Rivers of most note in it 1. Marabius 2. Rhombitus the Greater and 3. the Less 4. Auticus 5. Theophanius 6. Psathis 7 Thesyris 8. Corax and 9. Vardanes all of them falling into the Euxine and Moeotick Fennes 10. Udonis 11. Alnuta and 12. Rha paying their tributes to the Caspian or Hrrcanian Sea Of these the principall is Rha by the modern Latines called Volgo by the Tartars Edi rising in Russia not far from the City of Mosco where we have described it Most memorable besides the seventy mouths or Channels wherewith it openeth into the Caspian for a medicinable and wholesome root growing on both sides thereof which the Physicians call Rha by the name of the River and for distinctions sake Rha Pontick to difference it from Rhubarb or Rha Barbarum as of a different nature from it this last being purgative and the other more apt to bind 13. Ob a River unknown to Ptolomy rising out of the lake of Kitay a Lake in bigness like the Sea and full of many little Ilands most of them inhabited Which River at its first parting from this Lake is said to be of 8 miles breadth and growing still bigger and bigger emptieth it self at last in the Northern Ocean the present boundary betwixt the Russian and the people in the North of this Countrey Principall Mountains of this part 1. Corax giving name unto the River issuing out of it 2. Montes Hippici extended towards the Caspian Sea 3. Montes Ceraunii lying in the furthest parts hereof then known unto my Author to the North and East 4. Caucasus or Caucasii Montes extended from the Euxine to the Cuspian Seas and parting Sarmatia Asiatica from Colchis Iberia and Albania A chain of hills of which Aristotle saith acumine latitudine omnium maximi c. that for height and breadth they are the greatest of the East the tops whereof are lightned by the Sun-beams in midnight till almost day-break when it is dark-night in the valleys beneath Not passable for horse or foot except they creep along by the Euxine shore but at one place onely called Sarmatiae Pylae or the Gates of Sarmatia by others named Caucasie Portae from the hills adjoining Situate in the 81 degree of Latitude and not far from the Caspian Sea but that so intricate and narrow that very small force may keep it against strong Armies So carefully did Almighty God in his heavenly Providence shut up this fierce and barbarous people from the rest of Mankind by such unfordable Waters and impassable Mountains not to be freed out of their prison till he thought good to use them as the executioners of his wrath and vengeance for the punishment of sinful and impenitent Nations This said we will consider those particular Nations which before we named and are now possessed of it in their several places 1. Opposite to the Precoâ—enses lie the CIRCASSIANS extended from the Cimmerian Bosphorus and the Fennes of Maeotis towards the Eastern shores of the Euxine Sea for the space of 500 miles and reaching 200 miles towards the North. The name imposed on them by the Tartars whereas before they were called by Pliny Zigae by some writers Zychi conceived to be the Zinchi of Ptolomy The Countrie very fitly seated for trade and merchandise as having a fair and large Sea-coast with many Rivers opening into it nine of those spoken of before passing thorow these tracts and not a few capacious Baies and commodious Havens Of which the principall were Sinus Cerceticus or the Bay of Cercetis Syndi and Bata two known Havens and specified by my Author with the adjunct of Portus But these conveniences not much looked after by the present Inhabitants who are more inclined to the warres than to trades or merchandise A stout and military people trained to their weapons from their child-hood and sold as soon as trained to it by unnaturall Parents For from these parts did the Mamalucks of Egypt fetch their first Originall from hence supply themselves with a perpetuall Seminary of slaves and Souldiers raised by degrees unto the highest dignities of that slavish Empire And from these parts the Persian Sophies are supplied with their Cozzel-Bassas disciplined and instructed by them like the Turkish Janizaries The Christian faith was here planted in the year 860 or thereabouts by the Ministry of Cyrill or Chiarill and Methodius employed in that service by the Patriarch of Constantinople In which respect their Churches are of the Greek Communion conform thereto in rites and doctrine and of the jurisdiction of that Patriarch but differing from them very much in matters practicall For it is ordinary
the course of business or the conduct of humane affairs Those of most note in the Open Ocean which still preserveth the name of the Red-Sea and is sometimes called the Indian sometimes the Arabian Ocean and by a particular name Pelagus Hypadis are but four in number that is to say 1 Myrica by the Translator of Ptolomie called Myrsiaca 2. 3. two Ilands called by the name of Menan a degree more Northwards then the other and 4 Amicusia as Stephanus or Amici Iusula as called by Ptolomie the most North of all which I conjecture to be that which is now called by the name of Socotara the most noted Iland of this Sea I know that many Learned men will have this Iland to be that which Ptolomie and others of the Antients call Dioscoridis but because Dioscoridis by all those Antients is made to be an Iland of Arabia Felix and Socotara by all the Moderns affirmed to be an Isle of Africk I can by no means yield unto it Again it is affirmed by our best modern Geographers that Socotara lieth over against Cape Guardafu the Aromata of Ptolomie as before is said from which distant not above 30 leagues which site and distance sort well with Amicusia but can by no means be applied unto Dioscoridis Amicusia being placed but two Degrees on the East of that Promontorie in the Longitude of 85. whereas Dioscoridis is situate from it almost four degrees in the Longitude of 86 and 40 Minutes besides as great or greater difference in their several Latitude So that supposing it for granted that Socotara is that Iland which was antiently called Amicusia and having cleered my way so far I now proceed to the Description and affairs thereof 2. SOCOTARA 2. SOCOTARA the greatest Iland of these Shores is situate as before was said against Cape Guardafu from which distant about 30 leagues Abadalenry a small Iland lying in the middest that is to say 15 leagues from the Cape and 14 from the Iland The length here of 60 miles 25 the breadth divided in the middle by craggy Mountains of great height the top of which are for the most part covered with sands The Iland extremely vexed with winds and molested with dryness insomuch as it is destitute of most things necessary for the life of man affording nothing towards it of the growth of the Earth but some small quantity of Mill Dates and some kind of Fruits Provided notwithstanding of some good Pastures for the breed of Cattel and liberally furnished with medicinal Drugs as Cinnabar Dragons blood which is a Red gum issuing from the bark of a tree and the best Aloes in the world from hence called Aloes Socotrina The People of an Ash-colour very rude and barbarous their bread for the most part of Dates the rest of their food being milk and butter their hair long and their clothing only enough to hide their nakedness The Women as good Soldiers as the Men countenancing or occasioning the tradition of the Arabians that they came from the Amazons And the better Husbands of the two governing all affairs both within and without All of them by profession Christians governed by a Bishop of their own with some few Priests but ignorant enough of all things which concern Religion More generally Circumcised then Christened though both used among them Jacobites in Sect as the Abassines their neighbours are and zealous worshippers of the Cross which they alwayes hang about their necks So pertinaciously addicted unto Magick and therein so expert that they bring incredible things to pass not to be weaned from those black Arts though the Bishop excommunicate all such as use them They hold opinion that S. Thomas suffered shipwrack upon their Coasts as he sailed towards India and that his Ship being drawn to land was turned into a Church but it appeareth neither by their life or doctrines that any Apostolical man hath set foot amongst them They live for the most part in Caves or Cabbins of no other stuffe then the boughs of trees so that we are to look for few Towns among them The principal 1 Zocotara giving name to the Iland the place of the Kings residence and a Bishops See 2 Tamarind and 3 Delisha two Port-towns and reasonably well traded in the hands of the Natives as 4 Coro and 5 Benin two other Ports possessed and garrison'd by the Portugals The King hereof a Vassal to the King of Fartac one of the petit Princes of Arabia Felix not far from Aden in habit and Religion Turkish Attended on when the Relater was there An. 1614. by five Camels and five Horses only yet those all in the Iland Nigh hereunto are two Islands those possibly which Ptolomie calleth Monan the one inhabited by men only and the other by women who do meet at their accustomed times to preserve their kind but make no long stay the Air of the one being found unhealthy for the constitution of the other Sex The other Ilands of these Coasts scattered up and down in the Bay of Barbaria but not known by any name in the time of Ptolomie as 1 Don Garcia 2 the three Brethren 3 S. Brandon 4 Francis 5 Mascadenna 6 Comoro and many others of as small note are not worth the speaking of 3. MADAGASCAR 3. MADAGASCAR the greatest of the world is situate over against Mosambique in Aethiopia Inferior supposed to be the Menuthias of Ptolomie the onely Iland by him named on the Coast of that Country but by the Portugals called the Isle of S. Lawrence because discovered by them on the day of that Saint An. 1506. The length hereof affirmed to be 1200 miles which is longer then Italy and 4000 in compass the middle part hereof opposite to the Promontory which Ptolomie calleth Prassum now the Point of Mosambique from which distant 170 miles in reference to the Heavenly Bodies situate from the 17 Degree of Southern Latitude to the 26. The Country plentifull of all things necessary for the life of man particularly of Mill Rice Hony Wax Cotton wooll Sugars Stags Goats Deer and other Creatures both wild and tame Limons and other cooling fruits some store of Ginger Cloves but little different from those of India Red Sanders Saffron Amber and some Mines of Silver Iron Gold and Copper not to say any thing of their Beeves and Muttons so large and good and so good cheap that for a twopenny Bead or some such trifle they will sell Beeves and Sheep of good taste and bigness such numbers of Elephants that they send thence yearly great store of Ivory and amongst other rare fruits they have plenty of those which they call Cocos or Coconuts a kind of Date as big as a Cabbage the liquor in it about the quantity of a pint tastes like wine and sugar the kernel big enough to content two men and like good Ale it affords not only meat and drink but clothing as also furniture for their houses tackle for their ships fewel