place Sommerset-shire THis Country besides other Commodities in some places is inriched by Lead-mines which yields great Plenty the most Marchantable Commodity that is in England and vented into all parts of the World Some places are beautified with Diamonds as St. Vincent Rock whereof there is great plenty and so bright of colour as they might equalize Indian Diamonds if they had their hardness yet being so many and so common they are less sought after or commended In this Country is the City of Bathe which takes name of the hot Baths A place of continual concourse for Persons of all degrees and almost of all diseases who by Divine Providence do very often find relief there the Springs thereof by reason of their Mineral and sulphurous passage being of such exceeding power and medicinal heat as that they Cure and Conquer the rebellions stubbornness of corrupt humors At Dunstere where as is reported a great Lady obtained of her Husband so much Pasture Ground in common by the Town side for the good and benefit of the Inhabitants as she was able in a whole day to go about bare-foot Wilt-shire SAlisbury the chief City in which every street almost hath a River running thorow in her midst The Cathedral a most rich Magnificent Church wherein are as many Windows as there are days in the year as many cast Pillars of Marble as there are hours in the year and as many Gates for entrance as there are months in the year Aurelius Ambrosus buryed at Stonheng Anno 500. THis ancient Monument was erected by Aurelius Surnamed Ambrosus King of the Britiains whose Nobility in the Reign of Vortiger his Countrys scourge about the year 475. by the Treachery of the Saxons on a day of parley were there slaughtered and their bodys there Interred In Memory whereof this King Aurel caused this Trophy to be set up Admirable to Posterities Both in form and quantity the matter thereof are stones in great bigness containing twenty eight foot and more in length and ten in bredth these are set in the ground by two and two and a third laid Gate-wise over-thwart fastn'd with tenons mortasses wrought in the same which seem very dangerous to all that pass there under The form is round and as it seemeth hath been circulated with three ranks of these stones Many whereof are now fallen down and the uttermost whereof containeth in compass three hundred foot by measure of assize They all are rough and of a gray colour standing within a Trench that hath been much deeper In this place this foresaid King Aurelius with two more of the Brittish Kings his Successors have been buryed with many more of their Nobility and in this place under little banks to this day are found by digging bones of Mighty men and Armour of large and ancient fashion Not far hence is seen the ruins of an old Fortress thought by some to be built there by the Romans when this Kingdom was possessed by their Emperours Bark-shire IN Reading in the Collegiate Church of the Abbey King Henry the first and Queen lay both veiled and Crowned with their Daughter Maud the Empress called the Lady of England were Interred as the private History of the place avoucheth But of far greater Magnificence and State is the Castle of Windsor A most Princely Pallace and Mansion of His Majesty In this Castle was King Edward the third born and here held at one and the same time Prisoners John King of France and David King of Scotland Neither was it ever graced with greater Majesty then by the Institution of the most Honourable Order of the Garter the invention thereof some ascribe to be from a Garter falling from his Queen or rather from Joan Countess of Salisbury a Lady of an uncomparable beauty as she danced before him whereat the by-standers smiling he gave the impress to check all evil conceits and in Golden Letters imbellished the Garter with this French Posie Honi Soit Qui Maby Pense The Princely Chappel of Windsor is graced with the bodies of Henry the 6 th and Edward the 4 th Kings of England the one of Lancaster the other of York as also King Henry the 8 th lyeth there Interred Finch-hampsted For wonder inferiour to none where as our Writers do witness that in the year a thousand one hundred a Well boiled up with streams of bloud and fifteen days together continued that Spring whose Waters made red all others where they came to the great amazement of the beholders Middlesex LOndon This City doth shew as the Cedars among the other trees being the seat of the British Kings the Chamber of the English the Model of the Land and the Mart of the World For thither are brought the silk of Asia the spices from Africa the balms from Grecia and the riches of both the Indies East and West No City standing so long in Fame nor any for Divine and Politick Government may with her be compared In King Johns time a Bridge of Stone was made over Thames upon nineteen Arches for length breadth beauty and building the like again cannot be found in the World Essex IN the year 1581. an Army of Mice so over ran the Marshes in Deugâ—y Hundred near unto South-Minster in this County that they shore the grass to the very roots and so tainted the same with their venemous teeth that a great Murrain fell upon the Cattel which grazed thereon to the great loss of their owners Suffolk RAlph Coggeshall in the Monuments of Colchester declareth that a Fish in all parts like a Man was taken near Orford and for six Months was kept in the Castle whence after he escaped went again to the Sea As strange but most true was a crop of Pease that without tillage or sowing grew in the Rocks betwixt this Orford and Aldebrough in the year 1555. when by unseasonable weather a great dearth was in the Land there in August were gathered above one hundred Quarters and in blossoming remained as many more where never grass grew or Earth ever seen but hard sollid Rocks three yards deep under the roots Hereford-shire AT Langley in this Country was buryed Richard the second that unfortunate King who in the Cell of Fryers Preachers was there first buryed but afterwards removed and enshrined at Westminster And in another Langley near the East from thence was born that Pontifical Breakspear Bishop of Rome known by the name of Hadrian the fourth and famous for his Stirrup-holding by Frederick the Emperour whose breath was lastly stopped by a fly that flew into his mouth Bedford-shire IN the year 1399. immediately before those Civil Wars broke out between the Princes of York and Lancaster The River Ouse near unto Harwood stood suddenly still and refrained to pass any further so that forward men passed three miles together on foot in the very depth of her channel and backwards the waters swelled unto a great height which was observed by the judicious to fore-tell some
is inricht with variety of Mines which yields her plenty of Iron Steel Copper Silver and Gold Lead she hath not and scarce at all any Tin DENMARK THe people are valiant and Warlike strong of body and big boned and of a terrible countenane ambitious of a glorious death rather than a sluggish idle life Such incredible plenty of Herring near the Isle of Scunia that say they are scarce able by main strength of Oars to Row out of the Harbour Here are furniture for War both by Sea and Land Armour Masts Cables Steel Saddles c. POLAND IT is well-nigh past belief which is reported of their Multitudes of Bees such as yield more Honey and Wax then the people can find room for they need here neither Art nor care of the good Huswife to order their Hives but naturally are their own Guardians and provide so diligently for their own safety within the bulks of Trees that they easily pass over the hardest winter without hurt The Polanders have a good mind to Religion but cannot fasten upon any one to their liking and therefore they will try all Christians they have been ever since the year 965. but from that time they have scarce slipt any Error Schism or Heresie which hath crept into the Church Here are Jesuits and other of the Romish Sects Here are Lutherans and Calvinists and Arians Anabaptists and Antirinitarians none allowed but all tollerated And indeed Poland had the Seniority of Amsterdam for that old saying that if a Man had lost his Religion here he might find it They have one ancient Custom in their Churches when the Gospel is Reading the Nobility and Gentry unsheath their Swords and stand as it were prepared to defend it with their lives against any which dare violate it In Samognia near to Livonia a people there which is called the Peasants who are most of them gross Idolaters and are oftimes met in their Woods with horrid Visions and are strangely cozened by the Devil with a belief that they can Prophesie The silly blasphemers nourish in their House a poor Snake like themselves gathered out of some Ditch and call it their God Ziemenike Their greatest Commodity is of Honey which they gather ready made to their hands in their hollow Trees PERSIA FOr want of lawful Heirs to Cambyses their second King their Princes consulted to salute him whose Horse first neighed at a set meeting upon the Court Green before the Sun-risin Darius Histaspes was one and by the subtilty of his Horse-keeper carryed the Crown for the night before in the same ground he had coupled a Mare with the Horse his Master should ride which when the lustful Steed missed the next Morning being full of spirit no sooner had he set footing upon the place but with much eagerness he snuffed and neighed after his Mare and gave the quue to the other Princes to Proclaim Darius King of the Pesiians This was he whom the Scriptures call Ahasuerus he was Hesters Husband The ancient Persians Customs were most of them Superstitious but they held nothing almost in so great reverence as Water It might not lawfully be soiled so much as with a foul hand but to piss or cast rubbish or a dead Carkase into their Rivers was a kind of Sacriledge They had many Wives and more Concubines for they were exceeding desirous of increase and great Rewards were appointed by their King himself for him that could most augment the number of his Subjects in one year They seldom entred into any Consultation of State till they had well armed themselves with drink for then they thought they should be most free to speak what they most thought To spit or laugh before their Prince was a Crime well-nigh unpardonable Some say that they bury not their dead but cast them forth to be devoured by wilde Beasts and thought him most happy which was soonest torn to mammocks the rest their friends bewailed as such who had lived impurely and were therefore by this sign declared worthy of Hell only without any Redemption In Assyria now Arzeram stands the most famous City Ninive near the River Tigris containing full three score Miles in compass they had a Custom to sell their Virgins which were fair and most desired and tender the price into the common Treasury The homelier sort were placed in Marriage with that Money to those which would accept of them for gain at least if not for Beauty Bermudas ISLAND THis Island having been formerly shunned by Travellers as most dangerous and seldom seen by any except against their Wills reputed to be rather a hold and habitation of Devils then any fit place for men to abide in was discovered by Sir John Gates and Sir George Sommers in the year 1609. they found there in great abundance Fish Fowl Hogs and other things for sustenance of Man but no people nor any kind of Cattel Sir John and Sir George having with them 150 Men abode there nine Months Most of these Men afterwards returning for England and making it known to the Virginia Company obtained a Charter from His Majesty and so hold it In Mr. Richard Moor the Governours time he having spent three years of his Government for the most part Fortifying the Country c. A wonderful annoyance fell out by silly Rats These Rats coming at the first out of a Ship few in number increased in the space of two years or less so exceedingly that they filled not only those places where they were first Landed But swimming from place to place spread themselves into all parts of the Country Insomuch that there was no Island though severed by the Sea from all other Lands and many Miles distant from the Isles where the Rats had their Original but was pestred with them They had their nests almost in every Tree and in all places their Burrows in the ground like Connies to harbour in They spared not the Fruits of Plants or Trees neither the Plants themselves but eat them up When we had set our Corn they would commonly come by troops the night following or so soon as it began to grow and dig it up again If by diligent watching any of it were preserved till it came to earing it should then very hardly scape them yea it was a very difficult matter after they had it in their Houses to save it from them for they became noy some even to the persons of Men. They used all diligence for the destroyng of them nourishing many Cats wild and tame for that purpose they used Ratsbane and many times set fire on the Woods so as the fire might run half a Mile or more before it were extinct Every Man in the Country was enjoyned to set twelve traps and some of their own accord set near a hundred which they visited twice or thrice in a night they trained up their Dogs to hunt them wherein they grew so expert that a good Dog in two of three hours space would kill forty
was unsightly their necks was hung with Chains and Carkaneths their Arms wreathed with many Bracelets and over their side garments the Shag Rug Mantles purfled with a deep fringe of divers colours both Sexes accounting idleness their only liberty and ease their greatest riches In Warâ— they were forward and fought with Battle-axes whose bearers were called Galloglasses the common souldier but lightly armed who served with darts and sharp skeines their Trumpet was a Bag-pipe and word for encounter Pharroh which at the first Onset with great acclamation they uttered and he that did not was taken into the Air and carryed into the Vale of Kerry where transformed as they did believe he remained until he was hunted with hounds from thence to his home For the dying and dead they hired Women to mourn who expostulated with the sick why he would die and dead at his Funeral such out-crys were made such clapping of hands such howlings and gestures that one would think their sorrows unrecoverable holding the opinion of Pythagoras for their souls departed Their Diet in necessity was slender feeding upon Water-cresses Roots Mushrooms Shamroh Butter tempered with Oatmeal Milk Whey yea and raw fish the bloud being crushed out their use was also to let their Kine bloud which standing a while and coming to Jelly with Butter they did eat as a very good dish Out of the Description of the Civil Wars fought in England Wales and Ireland FRance felt the heavy hands of Edward and Henry our English Kings when the one of them at Poictiers took Prisoners John King of France and Philip Sirnamed the hardy his son the other Henry the fifth at Azincourt in a bloudy battel took and slew four thousand Princes Nobles Knights and Esquires even all the flower of France as their own writers have declared And at Paris the Crown of France was set upon Henry the 6 th his Head homage done unto him by the French that Kingdom made subject and their Flower deluces quartered with our Lions of England An enterprize remaining fresh in Memory of Philip date King of Spain against our Dread Soveraign Queen Elizabeth in the year 1588. attempting by his invincible Navy as he thought and so termed under the Conduct of the Duke of Medina Celi which with great Pride and Cruelty was intended against us arrived on our Coasts to Englands Invasion and Subversion had yet nevertheless here in the narrow Seas the one part of his Fleet discomfited taken and drowned and the other part forced to their great shame in poor Estate to make a fearful and miserable flight about the Coast of Ireland homeward so that of 158 great ships furnished for War came to their own Coast of Spain but few and those so torn and beaten by the English Canons that it was thought they were unserviceable for ever and eleven of their Ensigns or Banners prepared for Triumph and Pride in Conquest were contrariwise to their dishonour shewed at Pauls Cross and in other places of this Realm Out of the Description of the Turkish EMPIRE WE will take notice of their Religion how it is a meer Couzenage thrust upon the filly people by the impious subtilty of one Mahomet whose story is well worth our knowledge and may cause us to commiserate the desperate Estate of those ignorant yet perverse and bloudy Antichristians His place of Birth is questioned whether he were a Cirenick an Arabian or Persian it is not yet fully decided certain enough it is he was of base Parents his Father some say a Worshipper of Devils and his Mother a faithless Jew betwixt them they sent into the World a pernicious deceiver which none but two such Religions could have made up In the year 597. when he had been for a while thus instructed by his distracted Parents poverty and hope to improve his Fortunes perswaded him from his Native soil to live for another while among true professed Christians where he received so much knowledge of the Word and light of the Gospel as to pervert it to his destruction and ruine of many Millions of souls In his first adventurous travels abroad he fell into the hands of theevish Saracens which sold him to a Jewish Merchant and he imployed him to drive his Camels through Egypt Syria Palestine and other forrain Countries where he still gathered farther instructions of that truth which he intended to abuse His wickedness first brake forth into fraud open Theft and Rapine and other sins of highest rank in which he continued and seduced others till the death of his Master and after marryed his Aged but rich Mistress He had means now to act his malicious purposes and wealth to countenance his exceeding Pride which would not be satisfied with a lower Ambition then to be called a Prophet of God This he began to practice by the Counsel of one Sergius a Monk who being cast out for Heresie from Constantinople betook himself into Arabia and joyned in with Mahomet to make up this mischief perfect see now their Juggling There wanted no craft betwixt them to make use of his worst actions to gull the simple For when by his debaucht drinking and gluttony he was fallen into an Epilepsie and in his fits lay Bear like grovelling and foaming upon the Earth as one without sense he pretended an Exta-like swoon wherein his soul was wrapped from his body in which he converst with Gabriel an Angel from Heaven To make this familiarity with God the more to be believed he had bred up a Dove to take her meat from his ear which he most blasphemously professed to be the Holy Ghost who in such times and in that shape infused the prophesies which he was to preach Lastly what they in their wicked fancies had conceived and meant to propagate they digested into a Volume and called it the Alcoran For this too they had a trick that it might seem to have been sent from Heaven into the hands of Mahomet and to this purpose he had himself fed up a tame Bull which by custom became so familliar that no sooner he heard the voice of his Master but he would straight run cast the head in his lap and use his wanton dalliance as with a Fellow Betwixt the horns of this Bull had he fastned the Alcoran and conveyed him into a by-place near where he had assembled the Multitude at a set time to expect a wonderful Miracle from Heaven that might confirm his Prophecy The Scene thus ordered on the sudden he lift up his voice and made a loud cry which no sooner the beast heard but he brake his way through the Press over-turned many of the Spectators which now stood at a gaze and gently laid his horns and book in the bosom of this false couzener which he with much ceremony and feigned Reverence received and in their presence opening the Volume began to interpret the chief of their Laws which for hereafter they were to observe Circumcision he allowed and with the