also sheep whose tailes are of incredible greatnes conteyne 5 or 6 yea 8 or 9 pound of flesh A certaine beast there is which is called Hyena which draweth dead bodies out of the graues vnto his den and their feedeth on them it is about the bignes of a wolf the people of the country are of opinion that these beastes do vnderstand their speech espetialy when they go about to catche them These people are generally held to be very crafty fals deceatful NATOLIA EGIPT THis ritch ancient kingdome hath on the north syde thereof the Midland sea on the east the desert of Sues the northerne end of the Red sea on the south the countrie of Nubia on the west the land of Barcha In this country of Egipt it raineth not but the riuer of Nyle ouerflowing it at sundry tymes doth make it of great fertilitie in the said riuer is a piller of marble whereon are made certaine markes of the height that the water doth arise vnto when the yeare wil prooue plentiful The riuer is deep great ships may pas on it the great serpent called the Crocodile liueth heere and eateth both men horse the fish of the riuer The greatest cittie is called Cairo or Alcaire it is meruelous great of great welth Not far from hence are the moste wonderful Pyramides vpon the greatest whereof as Plinie writerh 2060 men did continually woork for the space of 20 yeares they are buylded foure square from the foot vnto the top do stil grow sloping lesse lesse a man standing on the top for there is some space to stand or go shooting a bolt out of a crosbow the bolt in falling downe wil light on the same Pyramide which argueth the greatenes of the space it carieth beneath at the foot which greatnes also apeereth in that it neuer yeildeth any shadow from it These Pyramides haue bene buylt by the ancient kinges of Egipt to serue for their sepulchres these sepulchres the Egiptians vsed for the conseruation of their dead bodies which euen at this present are found vnrotten the flesh of them is called Mummia caried thence into other countries to bee vsed in medicyne The 2 principall sea-hauens of Egipt are Alexandria Damiata EGIPT THE porte of CARTHAGE THe countrie enuyroning the gulf of Golette otherwise called Sinus Cartha ginensis hauing at the south end thereof the cittie of Tunis is now after the name of that cittie called the kingdome of Tunis It lieth on the northsyde on the Midland sea almost directly ouer against Sardinia on the west it extendeth to Algiers eastward to Mesurata all along on the southsyde it hath the mountaines that seperate Barbarie from Biledulgerid This kingdome conteyneth 5 prouinces to wit Bugia Constantine the iurisdiction of the cittie of Tunis Tripoli and Ezzab On the west syde of thesaid Gulf are the ruynes of an aquaduct of the Ancient cittie of Carthage whereof but some sew ruynes els are left behynde to testify that once so famous a cittie hath flowrished in that place some number of howses village-lyke to that it hath bin about 25 shops of marchants are now there to bee found This cittie of Carthage is a true glasse wherein the incertitude of this vaine world may bee seene that no glorie on earth can haue euerlasting durance THE porte of CARTHAGE ABISSINE or the EMPYRE of PRESTER-IOHN THe great King comannder of all Aethiopia sundry other kingdomes countries is called of Christians Proster Iohn of the moores Arictabassi of his owne people Acegue that is Emperor His dominions are limited on the southsyde with the Mountaines Lamae on the west with the kingdome of Congo the riuer Nyger c. on the north with Nubia Bugia that confyne vpon Egipt on the east with the Red sea Synus Barbaricus The country generaly is very fruteful albeit there bee litle corne yet is there other grayne other good frutes not found in Europe vineyards they haue but no olyue trees yet make they oyle of an herbe called Gena Of hony and wax they haue meruelous great store They haue al sortes of great beastes as Elephants Lions Camels horses red-deere kyen gotes c. they are much endamaged by great multitudes of grashopers Good mynes of metals they haue but not theskil to make vse of them They haue 2 somers 2 winters which are not greatly denyded by heat or cold but by rainy faire wheather The people are of a kynde of tawny colour vnseene in notable scyences without knowlege of Phisick They haue no coyned mony but vse peces or wedges of gold by waight They are Christians but hold many grosse errors both men and women are circumsised they are Christened at 40 dayes old They haue a book which is deuyded in 8 partes which they beleeue the Apostles to haue written before their departure from Ierusalem Mōnasteries they haue many both of men women wherein they do liue stricktly but it is lawfull for lay men to haue 2 or 3 wyues at once deuorcements are also allowed The Emperor affirmeth him self to be descended from the lyne of King Dauid he hath no one setled place of residence but remoueth from one prouince to another dwelleth in tents It is said hee is not of the colour of his people but of a whyter fairer skin He may surely bee accompted one of the greatest princes of the world is esteemed able to bring to the feld a million of men 500 elephants a great nomber of horses camels ABISSINE or the EMPYRE of PRESTER-IOHN BARBARIE ON the northsyde of Africa all along by the Mediteraneum sea oueragainst the south partes of Spaine France Italy lieth this country of Barbarie al along on the southsyde thereof are certaine woodie mountaines that deuyde it from Biledulgerid in these hilles are great store of wyld beastes This country of Barbarie is held the best moste fruteful parte of Africa conteyneth 4. kingdomes or rather in deed prouinces to wit Maroco Fez Telesine and Tunis The inhabitants are of a duscish colour are called Barbarians of the woord Barbara which in the Arabee tongue signifieth grumbling because their speech soundeth in the eares of the Arabians as no perfect or cleere pronunced speech but as a kynde of grumbling they were first Idolaters afterward conuerted to the faith of Christ yet at the length they came to Mahometisme wherein they yet continew are for the most parte subiects or tributaries to the Turck except some few places which are in the possession of the King of Spaine BARBARIE FESSE and MAROCCO AT the west end of Barbarie are thease 2 kingdomes of Fesse Marocco that of fesse lieth of the twaine more toward the north the Mediteraneum sea that of Marrocco more inward toward the south The realme of Fesse taketh name of
ruled this cittie the rule thereof is stil continued in that famile The territories of Siena Perugia are in this epitome perticularly described The cittie of Luca albeit within the boundes of Tuscane is a free cittie state by it self Viterbo lieth not farr from monte Fiascone which yeildeth the moste excellent wyne of all Italy Pisa is situated somwhat neere the sea not far from the hauen of Linorno TVSCANE THE KINGDOME of NAPLES AT the farthest southeast end of Italy lieth this kingdome of Naples the limits whereof are in the west the riuer Trâ—ntâ— in the north the Adritatyk sea the sea of Sicilia in the south and the Ionish sea in the east And herein are enclosed besydes a parte of Latium 8 of the goodliest regions of Italy as namely Terra di Lauora Basilicata Calabria inferiore Calabria superiore Terra d Otranto Terra de Barri Puglia Piana and Abrazzo The country generally is mountanous yet are there also plaine euen fieldes faire riuers it is very fruteful yeilding aboundance of all necessaries it hath also faire hauens as Gaeta Taranto Naples and Brindiso If we look into the histories of former ages wee shal not see any knowne kingdome in the world that hath seemed more vnforunate then this hauing bene as it were the very butte whereat fortune hath shot her sharpest-hedded arrowes heer haue the Romanes the Gothes the Lougebards the Greekes the Saracius the Normannes the Frenchmen Spagniards at seuerall tymes had their seueral dominations It is at this present vnder the comaund of Philip the 3. King of Spaine who hath there his vice-roy for the gouerning thereof The noble cittie of Naples which lendeth that name to the whole kingdome is situate on the sea syde at the foote of pleasant hilles it is great spatious inhabited with the nobilitie of the whole realme who haue herein their goodly palaces gardens so pleasant it is without the cittie by reason of the fyne walkes odoriferous trees that it seemeth an imitation of Paradise Eight miles from this cittie lieth the mount Somma of old called Veseuium accompted though now it hath left burning among the burning mountaines of the world heere Plinie the curious searcher of natural causes shewed himself too curius when of the fyre he was consumed THE KINGDOME of NAPLES ABRVZZO THis territorie lieth on the north east syde vpon the gulf of Venice other wise the Adriatyk sea and the other sydes are limitted with the riuers Tronto Salino the Apenyne hilles From whence the name Abruzzo cometh is vncertaine through the difference of opinions thereof This prouince is somwhat colder then the others of Italy it yeildeth much saffron though not so good as that of England nowrisheth great store of cattel It hath sundry high steepe mountaines that which is called Mounte Maiella is alwayes couered with snow Monte de la Virgine is very famous for the faire Church of the B. Virgin which is builded vpon the highest parte thereof The chief cittie is Aquila but of no antiquitie Beneuento is very old was first called Malenentum as both Plinie Liuius do witnes because the wynd was there so forceible that a man fitting on horseback was thereby throwne to the ground Ortano is a place exceeding ancient and there the ships out of Epirus Dalmatia do arryue with comodities for the faire or mart of Lanciano which lieth 4 myles from the sea is a towne of trafike Sulmo is wel knowne through the famous poet Ouid who heere was borne as himself doth tel vs. Ascoli is by Leander accompted among the chief townes of Abruzzo was the birth-place of Ventidius Bassus who of poore yea contemptible race himself beeing but a mule-keeper was by the Romaines made Consul a comaunder of the world of whose rising from so low estate to such greatnes the poet Iuuenal maketh memorie Aquino where S. Thomas the great diuine philosopher was borne is also in this territorie sundry other townes citties of name ABRVZZO SICILIA THis Iland kingdome lieth in the Mediteraneum sea at the north-northeast end thereof it is neere vnto the southeast end of Italy It is of diuers authors holden to haue bin continent with Italy that the force of the sea hath broken through deuyded it It is a fertile country but moste of all abounding incorne where with sundry partes of Italy from thence are serued The whole I le is deuyded in 3 partes the first is called Valle di Demona herein is the cittie of Catania more famous heretofore then at this present In this valley lieth Mount Aetna knowne through the world for the flaming syte thereof it was in opinion confirmed that the stuf or matter where through this fyre was caused was wholy consumed that therefore the fyre was ceassed but in the yeare 1536 the flame againe burst foorth to the great terror and annoyance of the inhabitants there abouts The cittie of Messino is also in this parte hauing a comodibus hauen neere thereunto is the dangerous Caribdis as much feared by sea as Aetna by land but the danger is now farr lesse then of old by reason that the hollow places on the land syde beeing stopped the sea yeildeth not such violence smalle botes may pas ouer there as ouer a calme riuer The second parte of the I le is Valle di Mazzara and in it is the cittie of Palermo therein the vice-Roy for the King of Spaine with moste of the Nobilitie resideth there is a plaine or spatious place where Constanza Normanna was deliuered of Frederyk the second vnder a pauilion vvould so bee deliuered not in any hovvs because it should not so be said that her chyld-bearing vvas vncertaine or by stelth this she did for that she vvas past the ordinary yeares of conception The third parte is Valle di Noto heerin lieth the ancient cittie of Syracusa famous heretofore through the infamous tyrants thereof It is at this present much decayed SICILIA SARDINIA THis I le lieth in the Midland or Mediterraneum sea hauing Tunes in Africa ouer against it on the south syde the I le of Corsica on the north The ayre of this country is not held very pleasing espetialy in somer That syde which lieth towards Corsica is hilly but that which is towards Africa is more plaine euen It yeildeth much corne good wyne Oliue trees it hath great store but no oyle is there made Many horses are there bred there are also wyld horses which are lesse then the other of lesse accompt Heer moreouer is bred a certaine heast called Musions which in other places is not found the skin heare thereof is lyke vnto that of the hert the hornes wreathing turned lyke vnto the hornes of a ram it is lesse in bignes then a hert it feedeth liueth vpon high mountaines and the
the birth-place of the right renowmed Titius Liuius as also of sundry other excellent persons The countrie about it is very pleasant it yeildeth great aboundance of corne which maketh the purest whyte bread of all Italie In lyke manner the wyne which groweth here is very much esteemed for the singular goodnes thereof THE TERRITORIE of PADVA THE IVRISDICTION of BRESCIA THis region whereof Brescia is the chief cittie is bordered on the north with the earldome of Tirol on the south with the territorie of Cremona on the east it hath the Laga di Garda westward the country of Bergamo It is aboundant in corne wyne oyle pleasant frutes It hath also mynes of Gold siluer copper allum quarreyes of marble much other good stone The hilles valleyes plaine groundes are so wel inhabited that hardly is any prouince in all Italy better The cittie of Brescia comonly called the bryde of Venice is both in old new bookes registred hauing passed many tumultuous changes it now resteth vnder the tranquilitie of the venetians There are in this country three lakes to wit Laga di Garda Lago Idro Lago D'Iseo Lago di Garda doth far exceed the two others both in same greatnes is by old authors called Lacus Benacus it is by tempests so moued that it rather seemeth a sea then a lake so high do the waues billowes thereof arise The riuer Sarca coming out of the mountaines of Trent doth fall into this lake At such tyme as the venetians had warre with Phillip Vesconte Duke of Milan they found meanes to haue their Gallies other ships caried ouer hard steep hilles so put into this lake which was doubtlesse a wonderful woork but that the veritie is sufficiently knowne might rather seeme a fable then a truthe THE IVRISDICTION of BRESCIA THE TERRITORIE of VERONA THe towne territorie of Verona beeing in Lombardy is paled on the northsyde with the Alpes of Germany on the west parte it hath the lake of Garda on the south the state of Mantua on the east the territorie of Vecentino Verona whereof the countrie about it taketh name is accompted one of the chief citties of Italy it is very ancient hauing so faire a Theatre that in all Europe none is seene to haue better withstood the force of deuouring tyme then this After the decay of the Romane Empyre the Signorie of this cittie hath bene vnder diuers different comaunders it was 127 yeares gouerned by princes of the noble family of the Scaligers At this present it is vnder the rule of the Venetians the strength thereof is much by them encreased There is in this territoriea high hil called Monte Baldo which yeildeth great varietie of good madicinable herbes which from thence are brought into diuers regions Here are many pure holsome brookes smale riuers one fountaine among other is not to bee omitted to wit that in the valey of Policella by Negarino where in a hard stone is carued the two brestes of a woman out of the nipples whereof there issueth continually certaine drops of cleere water which hath so great vertue that a mother whose milk is dried vp coming thether washing her brestes with thesaid water obtayneth againe plenty of milk The riuer Athesus now called Ladice hauing but a smalle beginning in the mountaines of Trent runneth afterward so swiftly to Verona that through the great swiftnes it is not nauig able yet running from thence in a more calmer cours it beateth vessels and entring into the gulf of Venice it maketh there a very good hauen THE TERRITORIE of VERONA THE TERRITORIE of CREMONA THis territorie lying in Lombardy is ioyned northward vnto that of Brescia eastward with Mantua south ward with Panna Placenza westward with Crema The country is plaine euen very fruteful but abounding chiefly in corne wyne The principal cittie is Cremona the name-giuer to the countrie about it rightly of the Poet Virgil it was called Miserable Cremona in regard of the many miseries which it hath sustayned hauing bene sundry tymes sacked giuen to the spoile of soldiers the howses pallaces burnt the cittie left waste and desolate Afterward about the yeare 1248 it was againe renewed then was the high faire steeple builded that may bee reconed among the moste accompted of in all Europe howbeit after all this this vnfortunate cittie came againe to feele a new smarte through the wicked warres of the Gelphes Gibellines Lastly after many disastrous changes it came to bee vnder the gouernment of the duke of Milan consequently now to belong vnto the King of Spaine It was first founded as saith Tacitus in the tyme that Ti. Sempronius and P. Cornelius were consuls against the approching force of Hanibal and the Gaules that inhabited beyond the Po vpon which notable riuer this cittie is situated THE TERRITORIE of CREMONA THE IVRISDICTION of CREMA THis iurisdiction is vnder the venetians it lieth in Lombardy hath confyning vnto it from the east vnto the west vpon the south syde the state of Milan on the northwest syde it ioyneth vnto the countrie of Bergamo northeast vnto the iurisdiction of Brescia The chief towne is called Crema the venetians haue sought to haue it made a cittie according to the right accompt of citties but the townesmen for some reasons haue refused it it is strong beautified with faire buyldinges the inhabitants are very welthy the country round about it is full of villages of many faire vineyardes many fyne cleere brookes do pas through it which do yeild vnto the inhabitants very good fish The moste memorable thing of this citie is of the long besieging thereof by Fredericus Barbarossa who in the end obtayned destroyed it but after the destruction of Cremona this towne of Crema was againe builded vp THE IVRISDICTION of CREMA TVSCANE TVscane in old tyme called Hetruria esteemed equal to the best partes of all Italy lieth al along from the south vnto the west on the Mediteraneum sea on the northsyde it hath Lombardy and eastward a parte of Latium VVithin the limits of Tuscane are diuers goodly citties as Florence Siena Pisa Perugia Viterbo Luca others Faire Florence is the first chief of all where the duke of Florence who almoste comaundeth all Tuscane hath his principal residence It is moste pleasantly seated vpon the riuer Arno and by thesaid riuer seperated The countty round about flourisheth with fruteful beautiful trees yeildeth ahoundance of excellent comodities within this cittie are moste goodly edifices among which is the moste sumptuous Church of S. Maria Florida all of faire marble there is also an old round temple of Mars the gates whereof are of caste copper There is the stately Pallace of the Duke before the which is a moste goodly fountaine with statuaes of whyte marble The famile of Medices hath with sundry fortunes
He endued the monasteries which he founded with competent landes renenues the churches with vessels of gold siluor faire hanginges goodly paintinges ornaments c. His sonne after his death perusing his bookes of accompts did fynd that there was scarsly found any one citizen that was not one way or other in his debt And notwithstanding his great opulence he did not in his porte or apparel beare himself otherwise then the other citizens neither maried hee his children or kin folks but among his neighbours fellow citizens Thus much I thought good to ad in this place by occasion of this faire cittie of Florence which is so ancient that the name thereof was not vnknowne to Tacitus Procopius Agathias other ancient authors Touching the soile countrie becauseit is alredy spoken of in this epitome in the description of Tuscane it is heer omitted THE SIGNIORIE of FLORENCE APVLIA APulia otherwise called Terra di Otranto is the furthest east end of Italy enuyroned with the sea saue where it ioyneth vnto Terra di Barri aprocheth vnto Calabria It seemeth one of the moste temperate partes of the world Corne frute all sortes of pot-herbes medicinal herbes are heer most excellent The oates may bee compard vnto barley the barley vnto wheat of other countries But the countrie with thease extraordinarie good comodities is not exempt from incomodities as extraordinarie euil for the foile doth heer bring foorth the serpent Tarantola whose venim is cured by instrumental music Here are also certaine water-serpents and gras-wormes that poison and destroy the thinges which they touch Tarentum in tymes past was a towne of this prouince situated betwene 2 armes of the sea thought impregnable Calliopolis standeth vpon a promontorie stretching out into the sea with so narrow a passage vnto it in some places that 2 cartes cannot pas together in front Hydruntum which hath a good hauen is thought to haue bin in tymes past the Metropolitaine cittie of all this Peninsula Brindezi is also a good comodious hauen-towne the hauen whereof is chained vp euery night with 2 chaynes of Iron fastened vnto the rockes that are on either syde APVLIA ISLAND IN the north sea south from Groneland lieth the I le of Iseland so called because immediately beyond it the Icie sea is accompted to begin In this I le in somer when the Sun is in the Tropyk of Cancer there is no night contrariwise in winter no day The countrie is all ful of high hilles stony iockes the people do make themselues dwellinges in the rock sydes some do buyld themselues cabins of the bones of whales other fishes Townes villages are scarse among them not a tree is to bee found in the country neither haue they corne growing there but the valeys are so aboundant in grasse that they are faine to keep vp their cattel from ouermuch eating thinking they would els die of to great fatnesse They haue wonderful aboundance of fish much of it they do dry so make it stockfish The I le is deuyded into fowre partes those according to the foure quarters of the world east west north south They are subiect vnto the King of Denmark who yearly sendeth them a gouernor There Bishop who is of the Lutheran religion they haue in great reuerence They delight exceedingly in songes of the valiant actes of their fore fathers and euery where in the stony rockes the doughty deedes of their predecessors are grauen carued Sundry of their hilles are so high that they are alwayes couered with snow yea somtymes the snow may bee seene on the top of the hil when the foot of it burneth in flame of these the hil Hecla is the chief it lieth on the west syde of the I le There are also 2 other burning hilles the one is called Crosberg the other Helga and neer vnto mount Hecla are heard diuers hideous and strange noises ISLAND IAPPONIA BEyond the furthest continent eastward of all Asia ouer against China lierh the I le of Iapponia or Iapan it conteyneth in length about 400 english myles in bredth in some places but 20 where it is largest not aboue 60. It is deuyded into 3 partes the first whereof conteyneth 2 kingdomes to wit of Miace Amaguco In the second part are also 2 kingdomes whereof Bungi the principal of al is one Figen is another The third parte is deuyded into fowre prouinces lieth betwene the other two partes and in the kingdomes aforesaid are many seuerall gouernments The I le is hilly somwhat cold rather vnfruteful then fruteful in diuers places Howbeit in some places they gather in their graine in the moneth of May and their rice in the moneth of September they make no bread of their corne but a kynde of potage They haue neither eyle not butter beastes they haue both wyld tame but they eat the flesh of the wyld rather then of the tame they haue a kynde of auersion from much seeding on flesh therefore their greatest sustenance is ryce herbes fish they also eat the fat of fish serueth them in steed of oyle or butter Two mountaines in this I le exceed all the other the one in wonderful heigth reatching aboue the cloudes the other in casting foorth flaming fyre Many of these people haue of late yeares through the preaching of the Iesuits receaued the Christian faith howbeit not al for fome do yet continew in paganisme haue a custome diuers tymes to kil their new borne children thereby to auoyd the trouble charge of bringing them vp IAPPONIA ROMANIA THe region which now is named Romania the ancients called Thrace It is the furthest southeast parte of Europe and hath on the east syde the sea now called Mare Magiore of old Pontus Fuxinus On the southsyde it hath the sea called Archipelago on the west it hath Bulgaria c. on the north Syrfia vvalachia c. In this region lieth the ancient famous cittie of Constantinople of old called Byzantium of the Turks that now possesse it corruptly called Stambol the countrie lying about this cittie the Turks do call Galatie neere vnto this said cittie is a litle towne called Galata but more modernly Pera of old tyme Cornu-Byzantium This countrie of Thrace or Romania is neither of good soile nor good ayre but cold and barren except towards the sea syde The principall citties thereof are Abdera Apollonia Phinopolis Philippopolis Nicopolis Hadrianopolis Selybria Debeltus Heraclea Lysmachia the chief of all the aforesaid cittie of Constantinople called Byzantium of Byza the founder thereof afterward Constantinople after Constantyne the Emperor of whome it also receaued new honor new augmentation ROMANIA THE TABLE VNTO THE ADDITION LImagne 1 Champagne 2 Touraine 3 The territorie of Blois 4 Maine 5 Languedoc 6 The I le of France 7 Daulphiney 8 The Signorie of Florence 9 Apulia 10 Island 11 Iaponia 12 Romania 13 Typis Henrici Svvingenij