worke in the Mines of mettall The ayre of England is temperate but thicke cloudy and misty and Caesar witnesseth that the cold is not so piercing in England as in France For the Sunne draweth vp the vapours of the Sea which compasseth the Iland and distills them vpon the earth in frequent showers of raine so that frosts are somewhat rare and howsoeuer Snow may often fall in the Winter time yet in the Southerne parts especially it seldome lies long on the ground Also the coole blasts of Sea winds mittigate the heat of Summer By reason of this temper Lawrell and Rosemary flourish all Winter especially in the Southerne parts and in Summer time England yeelds Abricots plentifully Muske melons in good quantity and Figges in some places all which ripen well and happily imitate the taste and goodnesse of the same fruites in Italy And by the same reason all beasts bring forth their young in the open fields euen in the time of Winter and England hath such aboundance of Apples Peares Cherries and Plummes such variety of them and so good in all respects as no countrie yeelds more or better for which the Italians would gladly exchange their Citrons and Oranges But vpon the Sea coast the winds many times blast the fraites in the very flower The English are so naturally inclined to pleasure as there is no Countrie wherein the Gentlemen and Lords haue so many and large Parkes onely reserued for the pleasure of hunting or where all sorts of men alot so much ground about their houses for pleasure of Gardens and Orchards The very Grapes especially towards the South and Westare of a pleasant taste and I haue said that in some Countries as in Glostershire they made Wine of old which no doubt many parts would yeeld at this day but that the inhabitants forbeare to plant Vines aswell because they are serued plentifully and at a good rate with French wines as for that the hilles most fit to beare Grapes yeeld more commoditie by feeding of Sheepe and Cattell Caesar writes in his Commentaries that Britany yeelds white Leade within land and Iron vpon the Sea-coasts No doubt England hath vnexhaustible vaines of both and also of Tinne and yeelds great quantitie of Brasse and of Allom and Iron and abounds with quarries of Free-stone and Fountaines of most pure Salt and I formerly said that it yeelds some quantity of Siluer and that the Tinne and Leade is mingled with Siluer but so as it doth not largely quit the cost of the labour in seperating or trying it Two Cities yeeld medicinall Baths namely Buxstone and Bathe and the waters of Bathe especially haue great vertue in many diseases England abounds with Sea-coales vpon the Sea-coast and with Pit coales within land But the Woods at this day are rather frequent and pleasant then vast being exhausted for fier and with Iron-milles so as the quantity of wood and charcoale for fier is much deminished in respect of the old abundance and in some places as in the Fennes they burne Turffe and the very dung of Cowes Yet in the meane time England exports great quantity of Seacoale to forraine parts In like sort England hath infinite quantity as of Mettalls so of Wooll and of VVoollen cloathes to be exported The English Beere is famous in Netherland and lower Germany which is made of Barley and Hops for England yeelds plenty of Hops howsoeuer they also vse Flemish Hops The Cities of lower Germany vpon the sea forbid the publike selling of English Beere to satisfie their owne brewers yet priuately swallow it like Nectar But in Netherland great and incredible quantity thereof is spent England abounds with corne which they may transport when a quarter in some places containing sixe in others eight bushels is sold for twenty shillings or vnder and this corne not onely serues England but also serued the English Army in the ciuil warres of Ireland at which time they also exported great quantity thereof into forraigne parts and by Gods mercy England scarce once in ten yeeres needes supply of forraigne Corne which want commonly proceeds of the couetousnesse of priuate men exporting or hiding it Yet I must confesse that daily this plenty of Corne decreaseth by reason that priuate men finding greater commoditie in feeding of Sheepe and Cattell then in the Plough requiring the hands of many seruants can by no Law be restrained from turning corne fields into inclosed Pastures especially since great men are the first to breake these Lawes England abounds with all kinds of foule aswell of the Sea as of the land and hath more tame Swannes swimming in the Riuers then I did see in any other part It hath multitudes of hurtfull birds as Crowes Rauens and Kytes and they labor not to destroy the Crowes consuming great quantity of Corne because they feede on wormes and other things hurting the Corne. And in great Cities it is forbidden to kill Kytes or Rauens because they deuoure the filth of the streetes England hath very great plenty of Sea and Riuer fish especiallie aboue all other parts abundance of Oysters Makrell and Herrings and the English are very industrous in fishing though nothing comparable to the Flemmings therein The English export into Italy great quantity of red Herrings with gaine of two or three for one not to speake in this place of other commodities which they export with great gaine and in this fishing they are very industrious as well in the Sea vpon the coasts as in the Northerne Ilands To conclude they export in great quantity all kinds of salted fishes and those dried in the smoke and pickled as Pilchards Poore Iohn Cauiale Botargo and the like which they sell in Italy and those parts at a deare rate England abounds with pulse of all kinds and yeelds great quantitie of Saffron and of Flax wherof they haue also great quantitie frō Dantzke whence also they haue like plentie of Pitch and of Firre trees for Masts of ships which two things if England wanted not I durst say that this Iland or part of an Iland abounds with all things necessary for honest clothing large and dainty feeding and for warre by land and sea As for warre it hath not onely the aforesaid mettalls but also great quantity of Salt-peter Besides the famous Broad cloth it yeelds for clothing many Stuffes whereof great quantitie is also exported And I will not omit that howsoeuer it hath silke from forraigne parts yet the English silke stockings are much to bee preferred before those of Italy Spaine or any part in the World England abounds in Cattell of all kinds and particularly hath very great Oxen the flesh whereof is so tender as no meate is more desired The Cowes are also great with large vdders yeelding plenty of Whitmeates no part in the World yeelding greater variety nor better of that kind And the hides of Oxen are contrary to the common good exported in great quantity by vniustifiable licenses though
pardon and promised the Treasurer at warres Sir Henrie Wallop that he would continue his Alleageance to the Queene At this time likewise Feagh Mac Hugh Walter Reagh and many Lemster men began to enter into actions of hostility against the English The Lord Deputy who saw this storme of Rebellion would lye heauy on his shoulders in his letters to the I ords in England had let fall a request that some olderperienced Commander might be sent ouer to him for his better assistance meaning no doubt such a Captaine as should be commanded by the supreame authority of the Lord Deputie But the Lords either mistaking his intent or because they so iudged it best for her Maiesties seruice sent ouer Sir Iohn Norreys a great Leader and famous in the warres of the Low Countries and France giuing him the title of Lord General with absolute command ouer military affaires in the absence of the L. Deputie This great Commander was not like to be willingly commanded by any who had not borne as great or greater place in the warres then himselfe So as whether through emulation growing betweene him and the Lord Deputy or a declining of his Fortune incident to the greatest Leaders howsoeuer he behaued himselfe most valiantly and wisely in some encounters against Tyrone and the chiefe rebels yet he did nothing against them of moment About the beginning of Iune the L. Deputie and the Lord Generall drew their Forces towards Armagh and now Tyrone had sent letters of submission to them both intreating the Lord Generall more specially for a milder proceeding against him so as he might not be forced to a headlong breach of his loyaltie These letters should haue been deliuered at Dundalke but the Marshall Bagnoll intercepting them stayed the messenger at the Newrye till the Lord Deputies returne at which time because in this iourney Tyrone had been proclaimed Traytor he refused to receiue them in respect of her Maiesties Honour Yet shortly after at Tyrones instance Sir Henrie Wallop Treasurer at Warres and Sir Robert Gardner chiefe Iustice of Ireland were by Commission appointed to conferre with him and his confederate Rebels Tyrone in this conference complained of the Marshall for his vsurped iurisdiction in Vlster for depriuing him of the Queenes fauour by slaunders for intercepting his late letters to the Lord Deputie and Lord Generall protesting that he neuer negotiated with forraine Prince till he was proclaimed Traytor His humble petitions were that hee and his might be pardoned and haue free exercise of Religion granted which notwithstanding had neuer before either been punished or inquired after That the Marshall should pay him one thousand pound for his dead Sisters his wiues portion That no Garrisons nor Sheriffes should be in his Country That his Troope of fiftie horse in the Queenes pay might be restored to him And that such as had preyed his Country might make restitution Odonnell magnifying his Fathers and Progenitors seruices to the Crowne complained that Captaine Boyne sent by Sir Iohn Perrot with his Company into his Countrey vnder pretence to reduce the people to ciuilitie and being well entertained of his Father had besides many other iniuries raised a Bastard to be Odonnel and that Sir Iohn Perrot by a ship sent thither had taken himselfe by force and long imprisoned him at Dublin And that Sir William Fitz Williams had wrongfully kept Owen O. Toole aboue mentioned seuen yeeres in prison His petitions were for pardon to him and his and for freedome of Religion That no Garrisons or Sheriffes might bee placed in his Countrey And that certaine Castles and lands in the County of Sligo might bee restored to him Shane Mac Brian Mac Phelime Oneale complained of an Iland taken from him by the Earle of Essex and that he had been imprisoned till he surrendered to the Marshall a Barrony his ancient Inheritance Hugh Mac Guire complained of insolencies done by Garrison souldiers and by a Sheriffe who besides killed one of his nearest Kinsmen Brian Mac Hugh Oge and Mac Mahowne so the Irish called the chiefe of that name suruiuing and Euer Mac Cooly of the same Family of Mac Mahownes complained of the aboue-mentioned vniust execution of Hugh Roe Mac Mahowne in the Gouernement of Sir William Fitz Williams The Commissioners iudged some of their petitions equall others they referred to the Queenes pleasure But when on the Queenes part they propounded to the Rebels some Articles to bee performed by them they were growne so insolent as iudging them vnequall the conference was broken off with a few dayes Truce granted on both sides when the Queene for sparing of bloud had resolued to giue them any reasonable conditions This Truce ended the Lord Deputy and the Lord Generall about the eightenth of Iuly drew the Forces to Armagh with such terror to the Rebels as Tyrone left the Fort of Blackwater burnt the Towne of Dungannon and pulled downe his House there burnt all Villages and betooke himselfe to the Woods They proclaimed Tyrone Traytor in his owne Countrey and leauing a Guard in the Church of Armagh they for want of victuals returned to Dublin and by the way placed a Garrison in Alonaghan And when the Army came neere to Dundalke the Lord Deputie according to his instructions from England yeelded the command of the Army to the Lord Generall and leauing him with the Forces in the Northerne Borders returned to Dublin The third of September Hugh Earle of Tyrone Hugh O Donnel Bryan O Rourke Hugh Mac Guire Bryan Mac Mahowne Sir Arthur Oneale Art Mac Baron Henry Oge Oneale Turlogh Mac Henry Oneale Cormac Mac Baron Tyrones Brother Con Oneale Tyrones base Sonne Bryan Art Mac Brian and one Francis Mounfoord were for forme of Law indited though absent and condemned iudicially of Treason in the Countie of Lowthe neere the Borders of the North. From this time the Lemster Rebels began to grow very strong for Feegh Mac Hugh of the Obirns Donnel Spanniah of the Cauanaghs when they were declining in want of munition were not prosecuted but vpon fained submission were receiued into protection and so had meanes to renew their Forces and supply their wants so as this yeere about this moneth of September they began to oppresse al the subiects from the Gates almost of Dublin to the County of Wexford the most ancient English County and euer much cared for by the Queene which they spoiled wanting forces to defend it and so depriued the English souldier of great reliefe he might haue found therein The like may be said of the Oconnors in Ophalia Generall Norris being left by the Lord Deputie on the Northerne Borders with full command of the Army the Winter passed without any great exploit There was in many things no small emulation betweene the Lord Deputie and him and no losse in Tyrones particular The Lord Deputie seemed to the Lord Generall to be vnequall and too tharpe against Tyrone with whom he wished no treaty of Peace to bee
the King shall please to appoint In Hackstow Forrest at the hill Stiperstons are great heapes of stones which the vulgar sort dreame to haue been the diuels bridge Wrockceter of old the chiefe Citie burt by the Romans is now a pretty village and from the decay therof grew the well knowne Citie Shrewesburie now the chiefe Citie fortified by art and nature rich by making wollen cloth and trading with the neighbouring Welchmen where Henry Percy the younger with his forces was ouerthrowne by Henrie the fourth 32 Cheshire is a great County of Gentlemen no other County hauing so many Knights houses Westchester is a faire Citie where the twentieth Legion called victrix lay in Garison in the time of Vespasian the Roman Emperor Most white Salt is made at Nantwich and lesse white made at Middlewich and Norwich It is rich in Pastures and sends great quantitie of cheeses to London I know that Worcester cheeses are most esteemed but there is not such quantitie to transport them I know that Suffolke and the Fennes of Essex yeeld huge cheeses in great number to bee exported but they are not so pleasing to the taste as these I know that in all the Counties some quantity of very good cheeses is made for priuate mens vses but not in proportion to bee exported Whereas Cheshire yeelds great quantity of very good cheeses comparable to those of Holland seruing the greatest part of London therewith and exporting the same into other parts When the heyres males of this County faced Henry the third added this large patrimony to the Crowne so as the Kings eldest sonne should be Earle of Cheshire And Richard the second of a County made it a Principality and himselfe was called Prince of Cheshire but Henry the fourth reduced it againe to a Countie Palatine and at this day it hath Palatine iurisdiction administred by a Chamberlaine a speciall Iudge two Exchequer Barons three Serieants at Law a Sheriffe an Atturney an Escheator c. 33 Herefordshire was of old inhabited by the Silures and it so much abeundeth with all things necessarie for the life of man as it is not content in that respect to haue the second place among all the Counties of England Hereford is the chiefe Citie thereof Lemster iustly boasteth of the Sheepes wooll feeding in those grounds with which no part of Europe can compare excepting Apulia and Tarentum It yeelds excellent Fiax and so good Wheate as the bread of Lemster and drinke of Weabley a neighbour Towne are prouerbially praised before all others 34 Radnoxshire had of old the same inhabitants and is the first County of Wales whereof Radnox is the chiefe Towne 35 Brechnocshire the second County of Wales had of old the same inhabitants and hath the name of the chiefe Towne seated in the middest thereof where Henry the eight instituted a Collegiate Church 36 Monmouthshire had of old the same inhabitants and is so called of the chiefe Towne no way so glorious as in that Henry the fifth Conquerer of France was borne there It hath also another faire Towne called Chepstow 37 Glamorganshire the fourth County of Wales had of old the same inhabitants and the chiefe Citie Caerdiffe hath a commodious Hauen 38 Caermardenshire the fifth County of Wales was of old inhabited by the Dimetae and is fruitefull in Corne abounds in Sheepe and in some places yeelds Pit-coale It hath the name of the chiefe Citie where Merlin was borne begotten by an Incubus Deuill whom the common people tooke for a most famous Prophet 39 Pembrookeshire the sixth County of Wales had of old the same inhabitants Here a long neck of land makes an Hauen called Milford hauen then which Europe hath not a more noble Hauen or more safe or more large with many creekes and safe roades made more famous by the landing of H. the seuenth Pembrook is the chiefe Towne of the County The Flemming hauing their Townes drowned by the Sea had a Territorie of this County giuen them to inhabit by Henry the first before Wales was subdued and they euer remained most faithfull to the Kings of England 40 Kardiganshire the seuenth County of Wales and had of old the same inhabitants and hath the name of the chiefe City 41 Montgomeryshire the eight County of Wales was of old inhabited by the Ordouices and hath the name of the chiefe Towne 42 Mertonethshire the ninth County of Wales had of old the same Inhabitants where vpon the mountaines great slockes of sheepefeede without any danger of the wolfe for the wolues were destroied through all England when Edgar King of England imposed the yeerely tribute of three hundreth wolues vpon 〈◊〉 Prince of Wales The little and poore towne Bala is the eheefe of this Mountenous people 43 Caernaruonshire the tenth County of Wales had of old the same Inhabitants and was called Snodenforest before Wales was reduced into Counties so called of the mountaines whose tops are alwaies white with snow deseruing to be named the Alps of Britany and it is certaine that there be lakes and standing waters vpon the tops of those Mountaines The walled City Caernaruon checfe of the County hath a most faire Castle built by Edward the first wherein his sonne Edward the second was borne and named thereof Bangor that is faire Chancell is the seate of a Bishop Aberconway deserues the name of a strong and faire little City rather then of a Towne saue that it is not full of Inhabitants 44 Denbighshire the eleuenth County of Wales had of old the same Inhabitants and hath the name of the cheefe Towne well inhabited The little Village Momglath had the name of the mines of lead which that pleasant territory yeelds Not far thence is the Towne Wrexham bewtified with a most saire Tower called the Holy Tower and commended for the musicali Organes in the Church 45 The little County Flintshire the twelfth of Wales had of old the same Inhabitants the fields whereof the first yeere after they haue line fallow yeeld more then twenty measures for one in some places of Barly in other places of Wheate and generally of Rie and after for foure or fiue yeeres yeeld Oates Holiwell named of the sacred Fountaine is a little Towne where is the Fountaine of Winefrede a Christian Virgin who being defloured by force there was killed by the Tyrant and this Fountaine is farre and greatly famous for the Mosse there growing of a most pleasant smell A faire Chappell of Free stone is built vpon the very Fountaine and a little streame runnes out of it among stones vpon which a certaine bloody humour growes The Castle Flint gaue the name to the County 46 I will omit Anglesey the thirteenth County of Wales because it is to be described among the Ilands 47 Yorkeshire is the farre largest County of all England and was of old inhabited by the Brigantes In the Forrest called Hatfield Chase are great Heards of red Deare and Harts The Townes of Sheffeld and
the English and Saint Dauids Ilands right ouer against the seate of the Bishop of Saint Dauy. Next is the 10 Iland called Enhly by the Welsh Britans and Berdsey as the I le of Birds by the English wherein they report that twenty thousand Saints lie buried Next lies 11 Mona that is the shadowed or dusky Iland which after many yeeres being conquered by the English was by them called Anglesey as the Iland of the English It is a most noble Iland the old seate of the Druides Priests so called of old and so fruitfull as it is vulgarly called the Mother of Wales the cheefe Towne whereof is Beaumarish Neere that lies 12 Prestholme that is the Priests Iland whereof the Inhabitants and Neighbours make incredible reports for the multitude of Sea Fowle there breeding Next followes 13 Mona or Monoeda as the farther Mona which we call the I le of Man the Inhabitants whereof are like the Irish in language and manners but haue something of the Norway men It yeeldes abundantly Flaxe and Hempe hath pleasant Pastures and Groues and is fruitfull of Barly Wheate and especially of Oates the people feeding on Oaten bread in all parts are multitudes of Cattle but it wants wood and for fier vseth a kind of Turffe Russia which of the Castle we call Castle-Towne is the cheefe Towne and hath a Garrison of Souldiers but Duglas is the most frequented and best inhabited Towne because it hath an excellent Hauen easie to be entered In the Westerne part Bala-curi is the seate of the Bishop vnder the primacy of the Archbishop of Yorke and there is the Fort called the Pyle wherein a garrison of Souldiers is kept Vpon the Southerne Promontory lies a little Iland called the Calfe of Man which aboundeth with Sea Birds called Puffins and a kind of Duckes engendered of rotten wood which the English call Barnacles In generall the Inhabitants haue their proper Tongue and Lawes and had their proper Coyne They abhorre from stealing and from begging and are wonderfully religious generally and most readily conforming themselues at this day to the Church of England and the people in the Northerne part speake like Scots and in the Southerne part like Irish. Edwin King of Northumberland subdued the Northerne people and subiected them to the Crowne of England yet with many changes of Fortune this Iland long had their owne Kings euen since the Normans conquered England and since the time that Iohn King of England passing into Ireland by the way subdued this Iland about the yeere 1210 till the Kingdome came to the Scots in the yeere 1266. After that time Mary the daughter of Reginald the last laid claime to the Iland before the King of England as supreme Lord of Scotland and when sheecould not preuaile William Montague her Kinseman tooke the Iland of Man by force which his Heire sold for a great summe of money in the yeere 1393 to William Scroope who being beheaded for Treason the Iland fell by right to Henry the fourth King of England who assigned the same to Henry Pearcy Earle of Northumberland with prouiso that he and his Heires at the coronation of the Kings of England should carry the Sword vulgarly called Lancaster Sword before the King but the same Persey being also killed in ciuill warre the King gaue that Iland to Stanlye from whom discend the Earles of Darby who kept the same till Ferdinand Earle of Darby dying without heire male and the Earledome falling to his Brother but this Iland to his Daughters as Heires generall Queene Elizabeth thinking it vnfit that Women should bee set ouer her Souldiers there in garrison gaue the keeping thereof to Sir Thomas Gerrard But King Iames the foureteenth of August in the fifth yeere of his Raigne granted by Letters Pattents this Iland with all things thereunto appertaining to Henry Earle of Northampton and Robert Earle of Saltsbury their Heires and Assignes for euer they vpon doing homage for the same presenting his Maiesty with two Falcons and his Heires and Successours at their Coronation in like sort with two Falcons And howsoeuer no vse or intent of this grant be mentioned in these Letters Pattents yet no doubt the grant was made to the vse of those vpon whose humble petition to his Maiesty the Letters Pattents were granted as therein is expressely declared namely of William Lord Stanly Earle of Darby heire male to Iohn Lord Stanly and of Elizabeth Countesse of Huntington Anne wife to the Lord Chandois and Francis wife to Sir Iohn Egerton Knight being the Heires generall of the said Iohn Lord Stanly The famous Riuer Thames fals into the German Ocean ouer against Zeland and before it fals into the same makes the 14 Iland Canuey vpon the Coast of Essex so low as it is often ouerflowed all but some higher hils to which the sheepe retire being some foure thousand in number the flesh whereof is of delicate taste and they are milked by young men Neere that is the 15 Iland Sheppey so called of the sheepe wherein is Quinborrough a most faire Castle kept by a Constable Without the mouth of Thames lie the shelfes or sands dangerous to Sea men which of the greatest are all called Goodwin sands where they say an Iland the patrimony of the same Earle Goodwinn was deuoured by the Sea in the yeere 1097. In the Britan Sea lies the 16 I le of Wight hauing in the Sea most plentifull fishing and the Land being so fruitfull as they export Corne besides that in all parts it hath plenty of Conies Hares Partridges and Feasanes and hath also two Parkes of Fallow Deare Also the sheepe feeding there vpon the pleasant hils yeeld wool in goodnesse next to the Fleeces of Lemster and Cotswold Flockes It hath sixe and thirty Townes and Castles and the Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction thereof belongs to the Bishop of Wintchester Towards the West lie other Ilands pretented to be French but subiect to England namely 17 Gerzey whither condemned men were of old banished 18 Garnsey neither so great nor so fruitful but hauing a more commodious Hauen vpon which lies the Towne of Saint Peter both Ilands burne a weede of the Sea or Sea coales brought out of England and both speake the French Language I omit the seuen Iles called Siadae and others adioyning and will onely adde that the Ilands lie neere Cornewall which the Greekes called Hesperides the English call Silly and the Netherlanders call Sorlings being in number some 145 more or lesse whereof some yeeld Wheate all abound with Conies Cranes Swannes Hirnshawes and other Sea Birdes The greatest of them is called Saint Mary and hath a Castle wherein Souldiers lie in Garrison committed in our time to the keeping of Sir Francis Godolphin and after to his sonne Sir William Godolphin being of a noble Family in Cornewall Also many of the said Ilands haue vaines of Tynne and from hence was Leade first carried into Greece and the Roman Emperours banished condemned men hither to
theirs doubled I am the bolder to pronounce it in his name that euer hath protected my righteous cause in which I blesse them all And putting you in the first place I end scribling in hast Your louing Soueraigne E. R. The same day his Lordship receiued letters from the Lords in England signifying that renne shippes of warre set sayle from Rochester with the first wind after the eight of October last to attend the Coast of Mounster wherein were sent two thousand foot for the Army in Mounster vnder Captaines appointed That two thousand more were then leuied to bee sent to the Army by the way of Bristow and Barstable which were left to his Lordship to bee disposed in supplies or Companies as hee thought fit That one thousand foote more were sent to supplie Loughfoyle Garrison That two hundred horse were sent to his Lordship for the Army and fifty horse to Loughfoyle That they had sent his Lordship besides the former twenty last of powder thirty last more That they had sent large prouisions of victuals And that they greatly commended the Lord Presidents prouidence that he had made his souldiers former ly liue of their pay in money and so preserued the former store of victuals in Mounster for this time without which the Army could not haue kept the field till the new prouisions ariued The last part of their L PS letter followeth in these words Hereunto we must adde this as that whereof our selues haue been a good while both hearers and obseruers That no Prince can apprehend with better acceptation your Lordships proceeding in that Kingdome then her Maiestie doth in so much as she vsed often this speech that she would not wish her Army there nor the safetie of her people in better hands then in yours In whom and so in other Principall Officers of her State and Army as she doth obserue that all difficulties are well entertained with alacritie and resolution so we must let your Lordship know that when her Maiestie had read a priuate letter of yours to mee the principall Secretarie written from kilkenny with your owne hand assoone as you had heard the newes of a forraigne enemie it pleased her Maiestie to cause it bee read to vs all as being written in a stile wherein shee discerned both the strong powers of your owne minde in promising to your selfe all happy successe against such an enemie and the liuely affections you beare to her person for which you desire to bee made a Sacrifice wherein although you haue not deceiued her former expectation yet her Maiestie would haue you know that shee doth not doubt but you shall liue to doe her many more seruices after you haue made the Prouince of Mounster serue for a Sepulcher to these new Conquerours Of the foure thousand men which now her Maiestie sendeth into Mounster wee send onely two thousand vnder Captaines the rest wee leaue to conductors to be vsed as you shall please when they arriue and to displace any whom wee doe send if you thinke them not sufficient Now therefore till wee heare further from you wee haue no more to say but that wee account our selues all in one ship with you that wee will all concurre to aduance by our Ministerie whatsoeuer her Maiestie shall resolue to doe for you all of vs hauing one ende and one desire to inable you as her Maiesties principall instrument to free that Kingdome from the malicious attempts of forraine power and to redeeme it out of the in ward misery by intestine rebellion The fifth of Nouember foure barkes with munition and victuals that were sent from Dublin arriued in Kinsale harbor and vpon certaine intelligence that Tyrone was comming vp with a great Army to ioyne with the Spaniard it was resolued by the Counsell of States and the Colonels of Councell at warre that the next day the Camp should be fortified against Tyrone on the North side furthest from the towneward and that the next day following the Lord President with two Regiments of foote consisting of two thousand one hundred men in Lyst and with three hundred twentie fiue horse should draw to the borders of the Prouince to stop or at least hinder Tyrones passage To which purpose the Lord Barry and the Lord Bourke with the forces of the Countrie had direction to attend the Lord President The sixth day the Campe was accordingly fortified and the seuenth in the morning the Lord President with the said horse and foote left the Campe at which time it was concluded by both Counsels that wee could attempt nothing against the towne vntill either the Lord President returned or the new Forces and prouisions promised from England arriued it being iudged a great worke for vs in the meane time to continue our lying before the Towne since the Spaniards in the Towne were more in number then we who besieged them The same seuenth day his Lordship and the Counsell here wrote to the Lords in England this following letter IT may please your Lordships The first and second of this present moneth we receiued her Maiesties and your Lordships most comfortable letters of the fourth and sixth of the last and for the speciall care it pleaseth you to take of vs doe yeeld as we haue iust cause our most humble and heartiest thankes protesting that we will labour to deserue the same and the continuance which it pleaseth your Lordships to promise thereof with the vttermost of our endeuours and seruices euen to the sacrificing of our liues And in the meane time humbly pray your Lordships both to accept in good part and fauourably to report vnto her Maiestie what hitherto we haue been able to performe though nothing to that we did affect if our meanes had answered our desires or that little we expected to come fome Dublin which we sent for vpon the Spaniards first landing here had by a more fauourable wind arriued sooner as we hoped Wee beseech your Lordships giue vs leaue to referre you for your information in that point to the Iournall which herewithall we send for thereby wee conceiue will best appeare both what wee haue done and were enabled to doe since the returne of Master Marshall and other Officers and Commanders sent of purpose into the Pale and the parts Northwards to draw the forces thereabouts the more speedily hither to vs and to hasten hither such other prouisions as 〈…〉 here we should haue need off And with your Lordships fauour license vs to adde that wee can hardly proceede any further till our supplies of men and munitions come for we finde it a worke of great difficulty and assured losse of men and expence of al prouisions of warre to vndertake with these meanes we haue to force so many men out of any place although it were not greatly otherwise fortified but by the bodies of men onely whereas this Towne of Kinsale hath a good wall and many strong Castles in it Wee doe looke howerly for Tyrone esteemed to
and victuals as her Maiestie thought fit prouisionally to send though for lacke of aduertisement wee could not make any other particular iudgement what were too much or too little Only this we know that if that body of Spanish forces which are now in that Kingdome shall not be defeated before the like body of an army or a greater arriue her Maiesty shall be put to such a warre in the end as howsoeuer this State may vndergo the excessiue charges of continuall leauies and transportation which you wil well consider to be of intolerable burthen to this Kingdome all circumstances considered yet such will be the extreme difficulties to maintaine such an Army in that Realme where it must fight against forraigne Armies and an vniuersall rebellion and in a climate full of contagion and in a Kingdome vtterly wasted as we do wel foresee that it wil draw with it more pernicious consequents then euer this State was subiect to For whosoeuer shall now behold the beginning of this malitious designe of the King of Spaine must well conclude although he hath now begun his action vpon a false ground to find a powerfull party in that Kingdome at his first discent wherin he hath bin in some measure deceiued yet seeing he is now so deepely ingaged and so well findeth his errour that he will value his honour at too high a rate to suffer such a worke to dissolue in the first foundation In consideration whereof her Maiesty like a prouident Prince resolueth presently to send a strong Fleet to his owne coast to preuent his new reinforcement not doubting if such a disaster should happen that these forces should remaine so long vnremoued by you in Ireland which we cannot beleeue that her Maiesties Fleet shall yet be in great possibilitie to defeate the new supplies by the way for which purpose her Maiestie perceiuing how dangerous a thing it is for the Fleete in Ireland to lie off at Sea in this Winter weather which they must doe if it be intended that they shall hinder a descent and how superfluous a thing it is to maintaine such a Fleet only to lie in Harbours her Maiestie is pleased to reuoke the greatest part of her Royall ships hither and to adde to them a great proportion and send them all to the Coast of Spaine leauing still such a competent number of ships there as may sufficiently blocke vp the Harbour and giue securitie and countenance to transportation To which end we haue written a letter in her Maiesties name to reuoke Sir Richard Leuison and to leaue Sir Amias Preston with the charge of those ships contained in this note to whom we haue giuen directions in all things to apply himselfe to those courses which you shall thinke most expedient for that seruice You shall also vnderstand that we haue now directed Sir Henrie Dockwra to send eight hundred men by pole to Knockfergus to Sir Arthur Chichester and commanded him to make them vp one thousand and so with all speede the said Sir Arthur himselfe to march vp with a thousand of the best men to your reinforcement in Mounster And thus hauing for the present little else to write vnto you till we heare further we doe conclude with our best wishes vnto you of all happy and speedy successe And so remaine c. at the Court at whitehall the foure und twentieth of December 1601. The same eleuenth day of Ianuary his Lordship receiued other letters from the Lords dated the seuen and twentieth of December signifying that whereas his Lordship had often moued on the behalfe of the Captaines that they might receiue their full pay without deduction of the souldiers apparrell which they themselues would prouide now her Maiestie was pleased to condescend thereunto I remember not whether his Lordship had moued this since or before the new mixed coyne was curtant but sure this was great aduantage to her Maiestie at this time hauing paied siluer for the apparrell and being to make the full pay in mixed money The same eleuenth day of Ianuary his Lordship receiued from the Lords in England letters dated the fiue and twentieth of Nouember signifying that a proportion of victuals was prouided at Plimoth for which he should send foure Merchants ships of the Queenes Fleere at Kinsaile And requiring to bee aduertised vpon what termes the Spaniards had yeelded which were then sent ouer for England that they might be disposed accordingly By the old date of this letter and another aboue mentioned of the two and twentieth of Nouember receiued all on the eleuenth of Ianuary it may appeare how necessarie it is to haue the Magazins in Ireland well stored and how dangerous it is that the Army should depend on sudden prouisions The same day his Lordship receiued letters from the Lords in England that her Maiestie had made a leauy of foure thousand foote whereof two thousand were now at the Ports to be imbarked for Mounster namely one thousand one hundred committed to the charge of eleuen Captaines and nine hundred vnder the conduct of some of the said Captaines left to his Lordships disposall The fourteenth his Lordship lying at the Bishop of Corkes house receiued this following letter from Don Iean lying in the Towne of Corke translated out of Spanish Most Excellent Lord SInce they carried me to the Citie of Corke certaine Merchants haue told me they thinke they should find ships to carry me and my folke into Spaine if your excellency would giue them license and pasport of which I humbly beseech your highnes as also that of your great beniguitie your excellency will haue pitie of these his prisoners who here do expect the great mercie which so great a Prince as your Excellency vseth towards his seruants and prisoners These poore prisoners suffer extreme wants both with hunger and cold for there is no sustenance giuen them at all nor find they any almes I beseech your Excellency will bee pleased to haue compassion of them There is one dead of hunger and others are ready to die of it God keepe your Excellency the yeeres which we his seruants wish his Excellency From Corke the foure and twentieth of Ianuary 1602 stile nouo and as they write Your Excellencies seruant Don I can del ' Aguila The Spanish prisoners were these Taken at Rincorran Castle men and women 90. Taken at Castle Nyparke 16. Taken in the sallye the second of December 13. Taken at Tyrones ouer throw the foure and twentieth of December aswell principall as ordinary men one and forty prisoners in all one hundred sixtie besides the runnawaies during the siege were thirty and these together with many of the said prisoners had been sent into England and the rest of whom Don lean writes were still prisoners as 〈◊〉 The foure and twentieth of Ianuary the Lord Deputy and Councell here wrote to the Lords in England this letter following MAy it please your Lordships wee haue receiued your letters of the foure and
other Cities is commonly of timber clay and plaster sometimes of freestone and foure or fiue roofes high whereof each as it is higher so is more proiected into the streete much darkening the same and causing the raine to fall into the middest thereof The streetes are no broader then for two Carts to meete and passe one by the other Almost vnder euery house is a Cellar to lay vp wine Perry Cyder and alll kinds of drinke and few of the windowes are glazed which are also darkened with grates of wood the rest are altogether open to be shut by night with windowes of wood The building of the Villages is like ours in England commonly of timber and clay and thatched ouer The Gentlemens houses are built like those in the Cities whereof I haue spoken but the Pallaces of great Lords for the most part are stately built of free stone yet more beautifull and stately are the Kings Pallaces commonly of free stone curiously carued with pillers of marble and sometimes of brickes with pecces of marble in the parts most open to the eye Among these Pallaces of the King that of Fontainebleau is the most stately and magnificent that I did see and most pleasant for the gardens and sweete Aire Caesar in his Commentaries saith that buildings of England were then like those of France Now at London the houses of the Citizens especially in the chiefe streetes are very narrow in the front towards the streete but are built fiue or sixe roofes high commonly of timber and clay with plaster and are very neate and ommodious within And the building of Citizens houses in other Cities is not much vnlike this But withall vnderstand that in London many stately Pallaces built by Noblemen vppon the Riuer Thames doe make a very great shew to them that passe by water and that there be many more like Pallaces also built towards Land but scattered and great part of them in backe lanes and streetes which if they were ioined to the first in good order as other Cities are built vniformely they would make not onely faire streetes but euen a beautifull City to which few might iustly be preferred for the magnificence of the building Besides that the Aldermens and chiefe Citizens houses howsoeuer they are stately for building yet being built all inward that the whole roome towards the streets may be reserued for shoppes of Tradesmen make no shew outwardly so as in truth all the magnificence of London building is hidden from the view of strangers at the first sight till they haue more particular view thereof by long abode there and then they will preferre the buildings of this famous City to many that appeare more stately at the first sight Great part of the Townes and Villages are built like the Citizens houses in London saue that they are not so many stories high nor so narrow in the front towards the streete Others of them are built in like sort of vnpolished small stones and some of the Villages in Lincolneshire and some other Countries are of meere clay and couered with thatch yet euen these houses are more commodious within for clenlinesse lodging and diet then any stranger would thinke them to be Most of the houses in Cities and Townes haue Cellers vnder them where for coolenesse they lay Beere and Wine Gentlemens houses for the most part are built like those in the Cities but very many of Gentlemens and Noblemens Pallaces aswell neere London as in other Countries are stately built of bricke and free stone whereof many yeelde not in magnificence to like buildings of other Kingdomes as Homby built by S r Christopher Hatton Tybals lately belonging to the Earle of Salisbury seated neere London the Earle of Exceter his house neer Stamford by which Pallaces lying neere the high way a stranger may iudge of many other like stately buildings in other parts The Kings Pallaces are of such magnificent building so curious art and such pleasure and beauty for gardens and fountaines and are so many in number as England need not enuie any other Kingdome therein Among them being manie a stranger may see neere London the King Pallaces of Hampton Court of Richmond of Greenewich of Nonsuch of Otelands of Schene of Winsore and in London the Pallace of White Hall In Scotland the Citie Edenborough is fairlie built of vnpolished stone but the galleries of timber built vpon the fronts of the houses doe rather obscure then adorne them And the Kings Pallace at one end and the fortified Castle at the other end of the City are more statelie built then the rest but all the beautie of the Citie confirsts of one large streete the by lanes being few and full of beggery The houses in Villages and scattered in the Countrie are like to those in England but the Gentlemens and Noblemens houses are nothing so frequent nor so stately built as the better sort of the English Neither are their I ownes and Cities in number building or pleasantnesse comparable to those in England Lastly the Villages of clay couered with straw are much more frequent then in England and farre lesse commodious within Among the Kings Pallaces that at Edenburg and that of Sterling for the building and Fawkland for the pleasure of hunting are the chiefe The houses of the Irish Cities as Corke Galoway and Lymrick the fairest of them for building are of vnwrought free stone or flint or vnpolished stones built some two stories high and couered with tile The houses of Dublin and Waterford are for the most part of timber clay and plaster yet are the streetes beautifull and the houses commodious within euen among the Irish if you pardon them a little slouenlinesse proper to the Nation In generall the houses very seldome keepe out raine the timber being not well seasoned and the walles being generally combined with clay only not with morter of lime tempered The Irish haue some quarries of Marble but only some few Lords and Gentlemen bestow the cost to polish it Many Gentlemen haue Castles built of free stone vnpolished and of flints or little stones and they are built strong for defence in times of rebellion for which cause they haue narrow staires and little windowes and commonly they haue a spatious hall ioyning to the Castle and built of timber and clay wherein they eate with their Family Neither are many of these gentle mens houses void of filth and slouenlinesse For other Irish dwellings it may be said of them as Caesar said of the old Brittanes houses They call it a Towne when they haue compassed a skirt of wood with trees cut downe whether they may retire themselues and their cattle For the meere barbarous Irish either sleepe vnder the canopy of heauen or in cabbines watled and couered with turfe The Germans long inioying settled peace the French and the Nitherlanders for many yeeres distracted with warres haue many Cities strongly fortified with ditches and earthen walles
it aboundeth with Wood but towards the Sea they burne Turfe made of earth and also burne Cow dung 3 The County of Hanaw hath the Principality of Arscot vnited to the Dukedome of Brabant by which the Dukes sonne hath the title of Prince The chiefe Cities of this County are Mons and Valinciennes It hath mines yeelding Leade and Marble of many colours and a good kind of Coales 4 The County of Zeland is by situation the first of the Vnited Prouinces consisting of many Ilands whereof seuen are principall and the chiefe is Walcherne the chiefe Citie whereof is Midleburg famous for trafficke and the Staple for Spanish and French Wines Neere that is the City Vlishing strongly fortified being the chiefe of the Forts then ingaged to the Crowne of England and kept by an English Garrison vnder the command of Sir Robert Sidney Knight for the second Fort ingaged to England lyes in another Iland and is called Brill being then kept by an English Garrison vnder the command of the Lord Barrows All these Ilands are fertile and yeeld excellent Corne more plentifully then any other Prouince so as one aker thereof is said to yeeld double to an aker of Brabant But they haue no sweete water nor good aire and for want of wood burne turffe They take plenty of sea-fishes which they Salt and carry into other Countries Madder for dying of wooll growes there plentifully which likewise they export and grow rich by selling these commodities as likewise Spanish and French Salt and like trafficke 5 The County of Holland called of old Battauia and inhabited by the Chatti as Tacitus writes is in situation the second of the vnited Prouinces but the first in dignity The Cities whereof are Amstelrodam famous for trafficke Rhoterodam where Erasmus was borne Leyden an Vniuersity Harlem Dort the staple for the Rhenish Wines and Delph all very faire Cities And I may not omit the most pleasant Village of the Hage called Grauenhage because the Counts Court was there and it is now the seate of the vnited States wanting onely wals to make it numbred among the most pleasant Cities being no doubt a Village yeelding to none for the pleasant seat This Prouince doth so abound with lakes pooles of water and artificiall ditches as it giues passage by water as well as by land to euery City and poorest Village which are infinite in number And these ditches itoweth for the most part to the Riuer Rheine For the Rheine of old running towards Leyden did fall a little below it into the Sea but at this day by reason the Land is low and subiect to ouerflowings it hath changed the bed and at Lobecum in the Dukedome of Cleue deuides it selfe into many branches The first runnes to Arnheim a City of Gelderland then to Vaua Rena and Battouodurum where Lecca receiues his waters and takes away the name from the Rheine yet so as a little branch thereof still holds the name of Rheine which running to Mastricht there deuides into two one whereof fals into Vecta and so into an arme of the Sea neere Munda the other runnes by Woerden and after a long course necre Leyden is deuided into fiue little branches whereof three fall into a lake and the fourth turnes to Renoburg and leeseth it selfe in mountaines of sand neere the Village Catwicke I remember that the water falling through Leyden is called Rheine so as I thinke it probable that all the standing waters lying betweene the seuerall pastures there come from the Rheine after it hath lost the name I said that the Rheine at Battouodurum is called Lecca which runnes to Culenburg and to Viana where in a ditch is the fountaine of Isala which runnes to 〈◊〉 Thus to omit the little branch at Battouodurum the first branch of the Rheine is lost in the Riuers Lecca and Isala The second branch bends from Lobecum to Neomagum and fals into the Brooke Meroutus taking the name of the old Family of Kings among the Gals where is an old Castle compassed with the Brooke and of the same name then running to Dort in Holland it receiues the foresaid Lecca and Isala and so neere Rhoterodame fals into the Mosa and vnder that name fals neere Brill into the German Sea The third branch of the Rheine running from Lobecum within two miles of Arnheime fals into the ditch of Drusus or rather of Germanicus and so runnes to Dewsborows the City of Drusus where it receiues the old Isala springing in Westphalia and by the name of Isala or Isell running to Zutphane and then to Deuentry fals into Tatus at Amstelrodame and by an arme of the Sea is carried to West-Freesland and so fals into the German Sea neere the Iland Flye 5 To returne to my purpose Holland is little in circuite but abounds with people and dwellings and being poore of it selfe is most rich by industrie and wanting both Wine and Corne yet furnisheth many Nations with both Neither Wooll nor Flax grow there but of both brought in to them they make linnen clothes much prised and also Woollen both carried to the very Indies I need not speake of Holland Cheeses so vulgarly knowne and much esteemed Lastly Holland is famous for the traffique of all commodities and the Romans so highly esteemed the Fortitude and faithfulnes of the old Battani as they had a Band of them for their Guard 6 The County of Zutphane is accompted part of Gelderland and subdued by the States Arinie was ioyned to the vnited Prouinces in the yeere 1591. 7 The County of Namures so called of the Cheese Citie hath Mines of Iron and plenty of stony Coale contrarie to all other Coales in that it is quenched by the infusion of Oyle It hath also an ill smell which they take away by the sprinckling of Salt and it burnes more cleere hauing water cast vpon it This County hath also quarries of Free-stone and of Marble of diuers colours 8 The Dukedome of Luxenburg hath the name of the chiefe Citie and the inhabitants of the vpper part are Germanes but they of the lower parts are like the French in language and Manners 9 The Dukedom of Brabant hath faire Cities namely Antwerp most famous before the ciuil War because Maximilian of Austria brought thither frō Bruges in Flanders the famous traffique of all Nations by a ditch drawne to Sluce onely to bee failed vpon at the flowing of the Sea tides At this day forsaken of Merchants it lies ouergrowne with grasse and the said trafficke inricheth Holland and the vnited Prouinces The next City is Brissell of old the seate of the Dukes and now of the Spanish Gouernours Then Louan a famous Vniuersity Then Mechlin subiect to the vnited States Then Bergen-ap-zome a fortified City at this time committed to the custody of Sir Thomas Morgan Knight with an English Garrison The Inhabitants of this Dukedome were of old called Tungri 10 The Dukedome of Limburg hath Mastricht for the chiefe City
and haue plentie of milke aswell of cowes as of goates In stead of bread they eate vnleauened cakes baked on the cinders which commonly are mingled with a kind of seede They feede commonly on hens and rice either sod alone or with a hen or mutton in a vessell full of holes without any liquor put in when it is set on the fier so as there being no other iuce but that of the meat the rice is made very thick Within these narrow bounds is their most costly feeding restrained In time of the yeere they feed much vpon fruites and keepe grapes all winter so as you would iudge them fresh They abhor from swines flesh as the Iewes do for the rest I did neuer see nor heare by relations of others that the richest of them did affect any other variety of meate then I haue named and I haue often seene Men of the better sort eating out of the seething pot without any dish set before them The aboue named flesh of Muttons is very sauoury and the sheepe of Syria and the adioyning parts of Asia are of such greatnesse as many times a taile of them hanging to their heeles and very woolly and fat and close wouen in many plights doth weigh thirty or more pounds They haue also Venyson for in the woodes there be many wild Goates dispersed and I haue seene a kind of fallow Deare in Syria called Gazelle of which kind I haue seene some brought out of Barbary into England And they much delighting in fruites haue excellent of many kindes aud in great quantity namely Abricots and muske Melones and diuers kinds of Pumpions whereof one called Angouria as bigge as our Pumpions is exceeding full of a very cold iuyce being most pleasant for the coolenesse in any great heat which coolenesse though I take to be vnwholsome for one sicke of an ague yet my selfe almost wasted with the burning of that disease did vehemently desire to eate of this fruite and found it nothing hurtfull or rather healthfull to me In the Hauen of Alexandretta or Scanderona a Graecian the Master of a Venetian ship gaue me a present of foure or fiue Apples which he called as they vulgarly doe the Apple of Adam and I neuer in my life tasted so delicete a-fruite It was of forme like a long Peare or rather for the crookednesse like a Cucumer of the lesser sort and it had a most thinne skinne of colour like a Peeches skinne the least part whereof being opened the iuyce was easily to be sucked out which was very pleasant and not much vnlike to the iuyce of a figge newly pulled from the tree If I should particularise all the kindes of pleasant fruites I might be infinite therein The Turkes when they haue eaten not while they eate goe like good fellowes together and like Horses at once drinke for that meale as greedily as if the water were turned into wine which kind of drinke those that are zealous of their Law and those that iourney by the high way more specially and all Turkes in generall most commonly vse for which cause those that iourney vse to pitch their tents vpon the banks of pure fountains or running waters which they no lesse know or as curiously search out as we doe the best Innes or Tauernes Besides commonly they haue a cup if I may so call it being a purse of leather that opens or shuts with strings hanging at their Horses saddle pomell which as they sit on Horsebacke they put downe into the fountaines and draw water to drinke not omitting to taste a good spring of water no more then we would a peece of rare Wine Their water especially in Prouinces lying neere the Sunne is in this property contrary to ours that it loosens the body no lesse then the rice binds it In Cities diuers kinds of drinkes are to be sold some esteemed as much as wine with vs. One kind I remember presented vnto vs in Palestine by the Sobasha of Ramma which was made of medicinall hearbs to purifie and coole the blood and they drinke it hot so as it seemes a very physicall potion They drinke sugar or hony mingled with water and water sodden with grapes rosewater and hony and they haue whole Tunnes of the iuyce of Cytrons and Limons which they willingly drinke and all these kinds are to be sold in their Ctties Wine is forbideen by Mahomets law which permits Aquauite vulgarly called Harech which Aquauite they often drinke euen to drunckennes And whether it be out of the common error of mankinde to desire forbidden things or out of the licentiousnes of Souldiers which euery day growes greater then other howsoeuer in Idlenes they obey theire lawe in not planting Vines yet not only the Ianizaries but euen the religious men will drinke wine largely euen to drunkennesse with Christians as well Ambassadours as others yea if Christian passengers carry wine by the way for their owne drinking and haue a Ianizary to protect them yet they will familiarly come to drinke with them and if they haue no protector they will take their wine and whatsoeuer they haue else at their pleasure so as their false Prophet hath onely prouoked vice by forbidding it Many Prouinces yeeld rich wines the chiefe wherof are the Greek wines which notwithstanding seemed to me for the most part to be corrasiue fretting the stomacke and entrals and as well the white as red wines of Mount Lybanus and Antilibanus which are carried to Tripoli and as farre as Haleppo the wines about Ierusalem being sharpe and small but the best wine of all is the white wine of Palorme in Natolia which is like the Spanish sacke but more pleasant to the taste being not so sweete as the Canary wines nor so harsh and strong as the Sherry sacke This Wine is carried to Constantinople where also good wines grow planted by Christians there but this is most esteemed For onely Christians plant Vines and make wine howsoeuer the Turkes are content to take part of them at the Christians charge The Turkish Souldiers being to fight if they can find no wine drinke the iuyce of blacke poppy called Opium to raise their spirits to a kind of fury thinking them selnes made more valiant thereby For howsoeuer we thinke this hearbe especially taken largely to be dangerous for the health yet there is not a Turke from the highest to the lowest who doth not as it were daily vse it nothing being more frequently sowed nothing more plentifully growing especially in Natolia nothing more easily finding a buyer yea if their Cammels and Dromidaries faile by the way or vpon necessity must goe further then they vse to iourney as sometimes it fals out in Armies and other Iourneys then they giue them this hearbe by which they report their spirits so to be stirred vp as they will goe till they fall downe dead In this vast Empire I did see no Iunes no not in their Cities and a man shall rarely find any beds
the chiefe City by the Lattines called Mediomatricum and Metis is now vulgarly called Metz which City the King of France tooke in the yeere 1551 from the Empire in the time of the Emperor Charles the fifth who besieged the same long but in vaine the Kings of France still holding it The Dukedome of Burgundy belonged of old to the Empire but is now subiect to the Kings of France the chiefe City whereof is Dijon where the Parliament of the whole Dukedome is held It hath other Cities namely Beaulue Challon Chastillon Noyres and a place called Bourgougne which gaue the name to the Dukedome yet others write that it had the name of Bourges that is Townes The County of Burgundy belonged of old to the Empire but is now subiect to the King of Spaine whose progenitor married the daughter and heire of the Duke of Burgundy at which time the Kings of France tooke the foresaid Dukedome from the said daughter and heire And this County is vulgarly called Franche Conte as free from tributes It hath two free Cities Dole an Vniuersity and Besancon 2 The second part of Transalpina Gallia is Narbonensis which onely at this day yet not all may truly be called Gallia It was of old called Braccata of the Inhabitants apparell and is called Narbonensis of the chiefe City Narbona lying vpon the Riuer Athesis neere the Mediterranean Sea which Strabo witnesseth to haue beene of old a famous City for trafficke The Riuer Rhodanus runnes through it which falling from the Alpes and increased by Araris but still retaining the first name fals into the Mediterranean Sea This part called Narbonensis by the benefit of the Ayre and Sunne yeelds Figges Grapes Cytrons Peaches Pomegranates Chessenuts rich Wine and all delicate fruites and all the fields are made odoriferous by wild Rosemary Myrtels Palmetrees and many sweete hearbes and the Inhabitants haue lately planted Canes of sugar To conclude the Prouince is very pleasant and plentifull in all things On the West side of Rhodanus the Tectosages dwelt of old in the Prouince called Languadoc hauing that name because the Inhabitants vse Oc for the French Ouy The chief Cities thereof are Narbona aforesaid Mompeliers of old a famous Vniuersity Clermont The Dukedome of Sauoy lies in a corner from the alps to the mediterranean Sea of old inhabited by the Focuntij and it lying on the same side of the Alpes with France is reckoned a part thereof but the Duke thereof is an absolute Prince and the chiefe City is Chambery The Prouince is very fertile and where it is more barren yet affoordes excellent fruites and all things for foode at a conuenient price Dolphiny lies betweene the Riuer Rhodanus and the Dukedome of Sauoy and giues the name of Dolphin to the French Kings eldest sonne Prouence is a most sweete Territory and hath the Cities Marseile famous by trade with the Turkes Arles and Auignon subiect to the Pope for when many Popes were at one time Iohn the two and twentieth did long sit in this City giuen by Ioane Queene of Naples to the Popes in the time of Clement the sixth alienated from the Kingdome of Naples by her and annexed to the Patrimony of Saint Peter in the yeere 1360. The Principalitie of Orange is an absolute dominion hauing the chiefe City of the same name and seated betweene Languedoc Dolphiny and the Popes Territorie of Auignon The ayre of the Northerne part of France is purer then that of England and being not couered with cloudes drawne out of the Sea as England is for that cause in winter becomes more cold and in summer more hot and farre lesse annoied with mists rainy weather But on the other side more lesse according to the clyme the parts of France lying towards the Mountaines Pirenei and neerer to the Equinoctiall line are subiect to intemperate heate yet often allaied by the winds blowing from the Sea and by the shaddow of the Mountaines This Southerly part yeeldes all the fruites of Italy and in the Northerly parts as in Normandy they haue abundance of Apple and Peare trees of which they make great quantity of Sider and Perry and this part as towards the Sea it yeelds also plenty of Corne so within Land it affoords the like of Wines And in the very Northerly Iland called France they haue plenty of Grapes vpon pleasant hils watered with sweet Riuers but the wine made of them is small and sharpe All France is most pleasant and not onely about Narbona but in many other territories according to the commodity of the clime it yeelds great plenty of red and white wines exported in great quantity which are held excellent to be drunke the white in the moaning and the red with meate which red is otherwise reputed vnholsome as prouoking and causing rhumes France aboundeth with all things necessary for food as well Corne as Cattell red Deare Fowle and also with all kinds of Fish by reason it is partly compassed with the Sea and vpon all sides is watered with sweete Riuers For fier they vse wood and coales yet haue they no pit coales or sea coales but haue their sea eoales out of England for their Smiths Forges and where they haue lesse store of wood within land there they burne straw furres and other kinds of stubble They haue good races of Horses which the greater part vse in the Warre who are not able to buy Neapolitan Coursers Spanish lanets or English Coursers bred of the Neapolitan Horses and English Mares but for their iournies they haue no Gueldings or ambling Nagges as wee haue but commonly vse trotting and stoned Nagges The Gentlemen doe not meddle with trafficke either because it was of old forbidden to great Lords and Gentlemen lest the Kings impositions should thereby suffer domage they being by singular priuiledges exempted and freed from all such burthens or because in deed they thinke such trafficke ignoble and base and so vnfit fot them which error the French no lesse deerely buy then the English as I haue shewed in the discourse of Italy and shall againe proue in that of England In generall the French are lesse studious of Nauigation or industrious in that kind because they abound almost with all things for plentifull foode and rich attire and if they want any thing strangers gladly bring it to them and exchange it for their wines salt and course linnen cloaths neither haue I heard or read that they euer did any braue exploit by sea They haue in time of warre some few men of warre for piracy and some few ships to export their commodities but they saile onely to neighbour Countries as out of Normandy and Bretaigne into England Ireland and the Low-Countries and onely those of Marseile to Tripoli in Syria As for the Colonies which in our Age they haue led into the West Indies their vnhappy successe therein hath discouraged them from like new attempts And whosoeuer sees their rich Cities within
Land witnessing that their wealth consists in natiue commodities more then trading by Sea may easily guesse that they are not much addicted to Nauigation The French haue many commodities by which they draw forraigne Coynes to them but foure especially Wine Salt Linnen course cloth and Corne which in that respect some call the loadestones of France Neither is it a matter of small moment that they haue many Riners giuing commodity to the mutuall trafficke of their Cities They haue plenty of Flaxe and Hempe whereof they make canuas sayles ropes and cables Neither want they wooll whereof they make cloth little inferiour to the English cloth but not in quantity to be exported Bourdeaux is a famous City for exportation of Wines as Rochell and the neighbour Ports are no lesse for Salt France yeeldeth Saffron and Oade for dying which they call Du Pastell and many small commodities to be exported as Cards Pinnes Paper and the like yea they export into Spaine linnen cloathes made thinne with wearing and sell them there for a good price The Spaniards bring into France some quantity of wooll raysons Oliues Oyle Cytrons and other fruites whereof France needes no great quantity and Cochenillo for dying The Fortingals bring into France holy Thistle an hearbe like a white thorne hauing leaues like cotten on them and sugar and diuers kinds of Indian wood as 〈◊〉 Schomache Fustocke and Logwood and a smal quantity of Dates And these carry out of France great quantity of Linnen cloth which we call white Roanes and greater quantity of vittree Canuas and Paper some woollen cloth much Corne especially Wheate good quantity of waxe and cardes and the like commodities The English bring into France great quantity of woollen-cloaths called Kersies and Cottons Leade Tynne English Vitriall or Shooemakers blacke sheepe skinnes and by stealth other Hides forbidden to be exported great quantity of Hearrings and new found land Fish dried of wooll though forbidden to be exported Oyle Soape tunned Soape ashes old worne cloakes and I know not to what vse very old shooes with other natiue and forraigne commodities And they bring from thence Linnen cloathes called white Roanes and Vitree Canuas Paper white and red wines in great quantity Threed Saffron Waxe and from Paris Gold and siluer The Hollanders bring into France two or three kindes of their Linnen cloathes Copper Feathers and Wier and they carry thence the foresaid Linnen cloathes Wines Prunes Paper and the aboue named commodities The French carry into Italy Tinne Lead dry fish called Poore Iohn brought to them by the English and their owne aboue named commodities And they bring out of Italy silke cloaths and other Italian commodities Among the French onely those of Marseile trafficke with the Turkes and their greatest trade is onely at Tripoli in Syria who carry into Turkey Spanish siluer and French Linnen cloathes and bring from thence raw silke spices gals cotton and Indico for dying Old Writers relate that the Gals vsed to lie on the ground to feed on milke and Swines flesh and to be giuen to gluttony At this day none eate lesse Bacon or dried flesh for ordinary diet then the French yet I cannot commend their temperance since all as well Men as Weomen besides dinner and supper vse breakefasts and beuers which they call collations and gouster so eating foure times in the day All France abounds with necessaries for food as well all kinds of Cattle as fruites not inferiour in some places to those of Italy and wild Boares and Red Deare for they haue no fallow Deare and Birds and Fowle and all kinds of Fish affoorded by the Sea and their many pleasant riuers but their Beef is neither very good nor much vsed Their Sheep are lesse then ours in England but the flesh of them is sweete and sauoury In the Innes they haue greater plenty of Partridges and diuers kinds of Birds because the Countrey people neither doe nor may eate them and the Gentlemen are generally sparing in their ordinary diet so as great plenty of these dainties is brought to the chiefe Innes Howsoeuer England be happy in all aboundance and hath some dainties for food proper to it selfe as God wits and some other kinds of Sea Fowle and especially fallow Deare and Brawne Though it passeth France generally in plenty of Sea Fowles and as well the variety as plenty of Sea fishes yet hath it not such aboundance as France hath of Land Fowle or such as haunt the woods and fields as Partridges Feasants Woodcocks and the like or at least by reason of the common sort not feeding thereon and the said spare ordinary diet of the Gentlemen France seemeth much more to abound with them being common in all the chiefe Innes I speake of England in generall for in some places they so abound with vs as they beare little or no price The French are commended and said to excell others in boyled meates sawces and made dishes vulgarly called Quelques choses but in my opinion the larding of their meates is not commendable whereby they take away all variety of taste making all meates sauor of Porke and the French alone delight in mortified meates They vse not much whitmeates nor haue I tasted there any good Butter which our Ambassadours cause to be brought vnto them out of England and they haue onely one good kinde of Cheeses called Angelots pleasing more for a kind of sharpenesse in taste then for the goodnesse As well the Gentlemen as Citizens liue more sparingly then the English in their ordinary priuate diet and haue not their Tables so furnished with variety and number of dishes They dine most with sodden and liquid meates and sup with roasted meates each hauing his seuerall sawce but their Feasts are more sumptuous then ours and consist for the most part of made fantasticall meates and sallets and sumptuous compositions rather then of flesh or birds And the cookes are most esteemed who haue best inuention in new made and compounded meats And as in al things the French are chearefull and nimble so the Italians obserue that they eate or swallow their meate swiftly and adde that they are also slouenly at meate but I would rather say they are negligent or carelesse and little curious in their feeding And to this purpose I remember an accident that happened to a Frenchman eating with vs at the Masters table in a Venetian ship gouerned by Greekes and sailing from Venice to Ilierusalem who turning hir foule trencher to lay meat on the cleane side did so offend the Master and all the Marriners as well the best as common sort as they hardly refrained from offering him violence For Marriners in generall but especially the Greekes are so superstitious as they tooke this his negligence in turning his trencher being of like opinion for the turning of any thing in the ship vpside downe as if it had been an ominous signe that the ship should be cast away In a Village of Normandy halfe way
Dancasler are well knowne but of all other Hallifax is most famous for the Priuiledges and the rare Law by which any one found in open theft is without delay beheaded and boasteth that Iohn de sacrobosco of the Holy Wood who writ of the Sphere was borne there Wakefield is a famous Towne for making Woollen cloth Pontfreit named of the broken bridge is a towne fairely built and hath a Castle as stately built as any can be named Neere the little Village Towton are the very Pharsalian fields of England which did neuer see in any other place so great Forces and so many Nobles in Armes as here in the yeere 1461 when in the ciuill warres the faction of Yorke in one battell killed fiue and thirty thousand of the Lancastrian faction Neere the Castle Knarshorow is the Fountaine called Droppingwell because the waters distill by drops from the rockes into which any wood being cast it hath been obserued that in short space it is couered with a stony rinde and hardens to a stone Rippen had a most flourishing Monastery where was the most famous needle of the Archbishop Wilfred It was a narrow hole by which the chastity of women was tried the chaste easily passing through in but others being detained and held fast I know not by what miracle or art Neare the little towne Barrobridge is a place where stand foure Pyramides the Trophces of the Romans but of 〈◊〉 workmanship Yorke the chiefe Citie of the Brigantes is the second of all England and the seate of an Archbishop The Emperour Constantius Chlorus died there and there begat his sonne Constantine the great of his first wife Helena whereof may be gathered how much this scare of the Emperours flourished in those daies By a Pall or Archbishops cloake sent from Pope Honorius it was made a Metropolitan Citie ouer twelue Bishops in England and al the Bishops of Scotland but some fiue hundred yeeres past all Scotland fell from this Metropolitan feare and it selfe hath so deuoured the next Bishoprickes as now it onely hath primacy ouer foure English Bishops of Durham of Chester of Carlile and the Bishop of the I le of man Henry the eight did here institute a Councell as he did also in Wales not vnlike the Parliaments of France to giue arbitrary iustice to the Northerne inhabitants consisting of a President Counsellors as many as the King shall please to appoint a Secretary c. Hull a well knowne Citie of trade lyes vpon the Riuer Humber where they make great gaine of the Iseland fish called Stockfish Vpon the very tongue called Spurnchead of the Promontory which Ptolomy calles Ocellum vulgarly called Holdernesse is a place famous by the landing of Henry the fourth Scarborrough is a famous Castle where in the sea is great fishing of Herrings 48 Richmondshire had of old the same inhabitants and the Mountaines plentifully yeeld leade pit-coales and some brasse vpon the tops whereof stones are found which haue the figures of shelfishes and other fishes of the neighboring sea Neare the Brookes Helbechs as infernal are great heards of Goates Fallow and Red-Deare and Harts notable for their greatnesse and the spreading of their hornes Richmond is the chiefe Citie of the County 49 The Bishoprick of Durham had of old the same inhabitants and the land is very gratefull to the plower striuing to passe his labour in fruitfulnesse It is pleasant in Meadowes Pastures and groues and yeelds great plenty of digged Coales called Sea-coales The Bishops were of old Counts Palatine and had their royall rightes so as Traytors goods sell to them not to the Kings Edward the first tooke away these priuiledges and Edward the sixth dissolued the Bishopricke till Queene Mary restored all to the Church which it inioies to this day but the Bishop in Queene Elizabeths time challenging the goods of the Earle of Westmerland rebelling the Parliament interposed the authority therof and for the time iudged those goods to be confiscated towards the Queenes charge in subduing those Rebels Durham is the chiefe City of that County 50 Lancashire had of old the same inhabitants and hath the title of a Palatinate Manchester an old towne faire and wel inhabited rich in the trade of making woollen cloth is beautified by the Market-place the Church and Colledge and the clothes called Manchester Cottons are vulgarly knowne Vpon the Sea-coast they power water vpon heapes of sand till it get saltnesse and then by seething it make white Salt There be some quicksands wherein footemen are in danger to be wrecked especially at the mouth of Cocarus Lancaster the chiefe Towne hath the name of the Riuer Lone The Dukes of this County obtained the Crowne of England and Henrie the seuenth Duke of Lancaster vnited this Dutchy to the Crowne instituting a Court of Officers to administer the same namely a Chauncelor of the Dutchy an Attorny a Receiuer a Clarke of the Court sixe Assistants a Pursuiuant two Auditors twenty three Receiuers and three ouerseers 51 Westmerland had of old the same inhabitants and Kendale the chiefe Towne well inhabited is famous for making of woollen cloth 52 Cumberland had of old the same inhabitants and hath mines of Brasse and vaines of siluer in all parts yeelding blacke leade vsed to draw black lines Carleile a very ancient City is the seate of a Bishop In this County still appeare the ruines of a wall which the Romans built to keepe out the Pictes from making incursions being so poore as they cared not to subdue them And the Emperike Surgeons that is of experience without learning of Scotland come yeerely to those fields of the borders to gather hearbs good to heale wounds and planted there by the bordering souldiers of the Romans the vertue of which herbs they wonderfully extoll 53 Northumberland was of old inhabited by the Ottadini and the inhabitants of our time now exercising themselues in warre against the Scots now resisting their incursions vpon these borders are very warlike and excellent light Horsemen In very many places this County yeelds great quantity of Sea coales Newcastle is a faire and rich City well fortified against the incursions of the bordering Scots whence aboundance of Sea coales is transported into many parts Barwicke is the last and best fortified Towne of all Britany in which a Garrison of Souldiers was maintained against the incursions of the Scots till the happy Raigne of Iames King of England and Scotland To describe breefly the Ilands of England In the narrow Sea into which the Seuerne fals are two little Ilands 1 Fatholme and 2 Stepholme and the 3 Iland Barry which gaue the name to the Lord Barry in Ireland There is also the 4 Iland Caldey and that of 5 Londay much more large hauing a little Towne of the same name and belonging to Deuonshire On the side vpon Pembrookeshire are the Ilands 6 Gresholme 7 Stockholme and 8 Scalmey yeelding grasse and wild thime Then Northward followes 9 Lymen called Ramsey by
strictly forbidden by many Statutes The flesh of Hogges and Swine is more sauoury then in any other parts excepting the bacon of Westphalia and of the Southerne Ilands where they commonly feede on Rootes and Chesnuts The goodnesse of the Sheepe may be coniectured by the excellency of the wooll and wollen clothes which Sheepe are subiect to rotting when they feede on low wet grounds excepting the Marshes ouerflowed by the sea which for the saltnesse are held very wholsome for them and these rots often destroy whole stocks for they seldome drinke but are moistned by the dewes falling in the night And the feeding of Sheepe vpon like accident of discases often vndoes the ownet in his estate but more commonly preferued from that ill they inrich many so as it is prouerbially said He whose Sheepe stand and wiues die the husbands gaining their dowries must needs be rich The Kings Forrests haue innumerable heards of Red Deare and all parts haue such plenty of Fallow Deare as euery Gentleman of fiue hundreth or a thousand pounds rent by the yeere hath a Parke for them inclosed with pales of wood for two or three miles compasse Yet this prodigall age hath so forced Gentlemen to improue their reuenews as many of these grounds are by them disparked and conuerted to feede Cattell Lastly without offence be it spoken I will boldly say that England yea perhaps one County thereof hath more fallow Deare then all Europe that I haue seene No Kingdome in the World hath so many Doue-houses I formerly said that the Wolues were altogether destroied in England and Wales so as the Sheepe feede freely in the fields and Mountaines England hath much more Dogges aswell for the seuerall kinds as the number of each kind then any other Territorie of like compasse in the World not onely little Dogges for beauty but hunting and water-Dogges whereof the bloud-Hounds and some other haue admirable qualities It hath infinite number of Conies whereof the skinnes especially black and siluer haired are much prised and in great quantity transported especially into Turkey The Nagges and Gueldings are singular for the Gentle ambling pace and for strength to performe great iournies So are the hunting Horses of exceeding swiftnes much esteemed in forraigne parts especially in France and Scotland and of both kinds the number is infinite The great Horses for seruice and to draw Coaches and carts are of like number and goodnes and one kinde for seruice called the Corser as bred of the Neapolitan Corsers and English Mares yeelds not for brauery of race to the Neapolitan Corsers or Spanish Gennets I said that they are all strong and the horses for iornies in defatigable for the English especially Northerne men ride from day breake to the euening without drawing bit neither sparing their hories nor 〈◊〉 whence is the Prouerb that England is the Hell of Horses the Purgatory of Seruants and the Paradise of Women because they ride Horses without measure and vse their Seruants imperiously and their Women obsequiously The Gentlemen disdaine trafficke thinking it to abase Gentry but in Italy with grauer counsell the very Princes disdaine not to be Merchants by the great and hardly leaue the retailing commodity to men of inseriour sort And by this course they preserue the dignity and patrimony of their progenitors suffering not the sinew of the Commonwealth vpon any pretence to be wrested out of their hands On the contrary the English and French perhaps thinking it vniust to leaue the common sort no meanes to be inriched by their industry and iudging it equall that Gentlemen should liue of their reuenews Citizens by trafficke and the common sort by the Plough and manuall Artes as diuers members of one body doe in this course daily sell their patrimonies and the buyers excepting Lawyers are for the most part Citizens and vulgar men And the daily feeling of this mischiefe makes the error apparant whether it be the prodigalitie of the Gentry greater then in any other Nation or age or their too charitable regard to the inferiour sort or rashnesse or slothfulnesse which cause them to neglect and despise traffick which in some Commonwealths and namely in England passeth all other commodities and is the very sinew of the Kingdome I haue at large related in this booke treating of Poland the English trafficke in the Baltick Sea and treating of Germany their trafficke with the Hans Cities and so treating of other seuerall States the English traffick with each of them so as it were lost labour to repeare it againe Onely for Spaine whereof I had no cause to speake touching their trafficke with England I will adde that the English carry into Spaine Wollen clothes Saffron Wax and Corne and bring from thence Oyle Fruits Sacks and sweet wines Indian spices with God and Siluer And in generall I wil obserue that England abounds with rich commodities of their owne and exports them with their own ships from very Iseland and Moscouye to both the Indies and at this day buy not so much of the Turkes as they were wont but by long Nauigation fetch Spices and like commodities from the farthest East Indies So as the shipping of England must needs be very great in number and strength But of Englands Nauall glory I must speake at large in the discourse of that Common-wealth In the meane time I freely professe that in my opinion the English Marriners are more daring then any other Nation in stormes of winds raging of Seas and thundring of Ordinance in Nauall fights And if any stranger take me of too much boasting in this point I desire him to consider of Martin Furbushers attempts in the frozen Sea of Sir Francis Drakes and Sir Thomas Candishes dangerous Nauigations round about the world and if these things shal not moue him the worst I wish him is that in person he may experience their courage and art in a fight vpon equall termes Caesar in the fourth Chapter and fifth booke of his Commentaries writes thus of the Britans dyet It is vnlawfull for them to taste Hares Geese or Hennes yet they keepe them all for their pleasure and the inward parts sow no Corne but liue vpon milke and flesh At this day the English inhabitants eate almost no flesh more commonly then Hennes and for Geese they eate them in two seasons when they are fatted vpon the stubble after Haruest and when they are greene about Whitsontide at which time they are held for dainties and howsoeuer Hares are thought to nourish melancoly yet they are eaten as Venison both rosted and boyled They haue also great plenty of Connies the flesh whereof is fat tender and much more delicate then any I haue eaten in other parts so as they are in England preferred before Hares at which the Germans wonder who hauing no Venison the Princes keeping it proper to themselues and the hunting of Hares being proper to the Gentlemen in most parts they esteeme Hares as Venison and seldom eate
Connies being there somewhat rare and more like rosted Cats then the English Connies The English Husbandmen eate Barley and Rye browne bread and preserre it to white bread as abiding longer in the stomack and not so soone disgested with their labour but Citizens and Gentlemen care most pure white bread England yeelding as I haue said all kinds of Corne in plenty I haue formerly said that the English haue aboundance of Whitmeates of all kindes of Flesh Fowle and Fish and of all things good for foode and in the ducourle of the French dyet I haue shewed that the English haue some proper daintics not knowne in other parts which I will in a word repeate The Oysters of England were of old carried as farre as Rome being more plentifull and lauorie then in any other part England hath aboundance of Godwits and many Sea-fowles which be rare or altogether vnknowne elsewhere In the seasons of the yeere the English eate Fallow deare plentifully as Bucks in Summer and Does in Winter which they bake in Pasties and this Venison Pasty is a dainty rarely found in any other Kingdome Likewise Brawne is a proper meate to the English and not knowne to others They haue strange variety of Whitmeates and likewise of preserued banquetting stuffe in which Preserues France onely may compare with them It is needelesse to repeate the rest and I should bee tedions if I should search particularly like dainties which the English haue only or in greater abundance thē other Nations In generall the Art of Cookery is much esteemed in England neither doe any sooner finde a Master then men of that profession and howsoeuer they are most esteemed which for all kinds are most exquisite in that Art yet the English Cookes in comparison with other Nations are most commended for roasted meates As abundance of all things makes them cheape so riches preferring a gluttonous appetite before Gold and the prodigalitie of Gentlemen who haue this singular folly to offer more then things are worth as if it were a point of dignity to pay more then others and lastly the great moneys of siluer and the not hauing small coynes or brasle monies to pay for small matters these things I say in this great plenty make vs poore and greatly increase the prices of all things Also the said abundance and the riches vulgarly increased and the old custome of the English make our tables plentifully furnished whereupon other Nations esteeme vs gluttons and deuourers of flesh yet the English tables are not furnished with many dishes all for one mans dier but seuerally for many mens appetite and not onely prepared for the family but for strangers and reliefe of the poore I confesse that in such plenty and variety of meates euerie man cannot vse moderation nor vnderstandeth that these seuerall meates are not for one man but for seuerall appetites that each may take what hee likes And I confesse that the English custome first to serue grosse meates on which hunger spares not to seede and then to serue dainties which inuite to eate without hunger as likewise the longe sitting and discoursing at tables which makes men vnawares eate more then the Italians can doe at their solitary tables these things I say giue vs iust cause to cry with Socrates God deliuer mee from meates that inuite to eate beyond hunger But the Italian Sansouine is much deceiued writing that in generall the English care and couer the table at least foure times in the day for howsoeuer those that iourney and some sickly men staying at home may perhaps take a small breakfast yet in generall the English eate but two meales of dinner and supper each day and I could neuer see him that vseth to eate foure times in the day And I will professe for my selfe and other Englishmen passing through Italy so famous for temperance that wee often obseraed that howsoeuer wee might haue a Pullet and some flesh prepared for vs eating it with a moderate proportion of bread the Italians at the same time with a Charger full of hearbs for a sallet and with rootes and like meates of small price would each of them eate two or three penny-worth of bread And since all fulnesse is ill and that of bread worst I thinke wee were more temperate in our dyet though eating more flesh then they eating so much more bread then wee did It is true that the English prepare largely for ordinarie dyet for themselues and their friendes comming by chance and at feastes for inuited friendes are so excessiue in the number of dishes as the table is not thought well furnished except they stand one vpon another Neither vse they to set drinke on the Table for which no roome is left but the Cuppes and Glasses are serued in vpon a side Table drinke being offered to none till they call for it That the old English Hospitality was I will boldly say a meere vice I haue formerly showed in the discourse of the Italian diet which let him reade who shall thinke this as dissonant from truth as it is from the vulgar opinion If any stranger desire to abide long in a City or Vniuersity he may haue his Table with some Citizen of the better sort at a conuenient rate according to his quality from ten pound to twenty pound yeerely I haue heard some Germans complaine of the English Innes by the high way as well for dearenesse as for that they had onely roasted meates But these Germans landing at Granesend perhaps were iniured by those knaues that flocke thither onely to deceiue strangers and vse Englishmen no better and after went from thence to London and were there entertained by some ordinary Hosts of strangers returning home little acquainted with English customes But if these strangers had knowne the English tongue or had had an honest guide in their iournies and had knowne to liue at Rome after the Roman fashion which they seldome doe vsing rather Dutch Innes and companions surely they should haue found that the World affoords not such Innes as England hath either for good and cheape entertainement after the Guests owne pleasure or for humble attendance on passengers yea euen in very poore Villages where if Curculio of Plautus should see the thatched houses he would fall into a fainting of his spirits but if he should smell the variety of meates his starueling looke would be much cheared For assoone as a passenger comes to an Inne the seruants run to him and one takes his Horse and walkes him till he be cold then rubs him and giues him meate yet I must say that they are not much to be trusted in this last point without the eye of the Master or his Seruant to ouersee them Another seruant giues the passenger his priuate chamber and kindles his fier the third puls of his bootes and makes them cleane Then the Host or Hostesse visits him and if he will cate with the Host or at a common Table with others his meale
to that of fifteene and a halfe and the Latitude extends also foure degrees from the Paralel of fifty foure degrees to that of fifty eight degrees In the Geographicall description I will follow Camden as formerly This famous Iland in the Virginian Sea is by olde Writers called Ierna Inuerna and Iris by the old Inhabitants Eryn by the old Britans Yuerdhen by the English at this day Ireland and by the Irish Bardes at this day Banno in which sence of the Irish word Auicen cals it the holy Iland besides Plutarch of old called it Ogigia and after him Isidore named it Scotia This Ireland according to the Inhabitants is deuided into two parts the wild Irish and the English Irish liuing in the English Pale but of the old Kingdomes fiue in number it is deuided into fiue parts 1 The fast is by the Irish called Mowne by the English Mounster and is subdeuided into sixe Counties of Kerry of Limricke of Corcke of Tipperary of the Holy Crosse and of Waterford to which the seuenth County of Desmond is now added The Gangaui a Scithean people comming into Spaine and from thence into Ireland inhabited the County of Kerry full of woody mountaines in which the Earles of Desmond had the dignity of Palatines hauing their House in Trailes a little Towne now almost vninhabited Not farre thence lies Saint Mary Wic vulgarly called Smerwicke where the Lord Arthur Gray being Lord Deputy happily ouerthrew the aiding troopes sent to the Earle of Desmond from the Pope and the King of Spaine On the South side of Kerry lies the County of Desmond of old inhabited by three kinds of people the Lucens being Spaniards the Velabri so called of their seate vpon the Sea waters or Marshes and the Iberns called the vpper Irish inhabiting about Beerehauen Baltimore two Hauens well known by the plentiful fishing of Herrings and the late inuasion of the Spaniards in the yeere 1601. Next to these is the County of Mec Carti More of Irish race whom as enemy to the Fitz-geralds Queene Elizabeth made Earle of Glencar in the yeere 1556. For of the Fitz-Geralds of the Family of the Earles of Kildare the Earles of Desmond descended who being by birth English and created Earles by King Edward the third became hatefull Rebels in our time The third County hath the name of the City Corke consisting almost all of one long streete but well knowne and frequented which is so compassed with rebellious neighbours as they of old not daring to marry their Daughters to them the custome grew and continues to this day that by mutuall marriages one with another all the Citizens are of kinne in some degree of Affinity Not farre thence is Yoghall hauing a safe Hauen neere which the Vicounts of Barry of English race are seated In the fourth County of Tipperary nothing is memorable but that it is a Palatinate The little Towne Holy-Cresse in the County of the same name hath many great priuiledges The sixth County hath the name of the City Limerike the seate of a Bishop wherein is a strong Castle built by King Iohn Not farre thence is Awue the seate of a Bishop and the lower Ossery giuing the title of an Earle to the Butlers and the Towne Thurles giuing them also the title of Vicount And there is Cassiles now a poore City but the seate of an Archbishoppe The seuenth County hath the name of the City Watersord which the Irish call Porthlargi of the commodious Hauen a rich and well inhabited City esteemed the second to Dublyn And because the Inhabitants long faithfully helped the English in subduing Ireland our Kings gaue them excessiue priuiledges but they rashly failing in their obedience at King Iames his comming to the Crowne could not in long time obtaine the confirmation of their old Charter 2 Lemster the second part of Ireland is fertile and yeelds plenty of Corne and hath a most temperate mild Aire being deuided into ten Counties of Catterlogh Kilkenny Wexford Dublyn Kildare the Kings County the Queenes County the Counties of Longford of Fernes and of Wickle The Cariondi of old inhabited Caterlogh or Carloo County and they also inhabited great part of Kilkenny of vpper Ossery and of Ormond which haue nothing memorable but the Earles of Ormond of the great Family of the Butlers inferiour to no Earle in Ireland not to speake of Fitz pairic Baron of vpper Ossery It is redicnious which some Irish who will be beleeued as men of credit report of Men in these parts yeerely turned into Wolues except the aboundance of melancholy humour transports them to imagine that they are so transformed Kilkenny giuing name to the second County is a pleasant Towne the chiefe of the Townes within Land memorable for the ciuility of the Inhabitants for the Husbandmens labour and the pleasant Orchards I passe ouer the walled Towne Thomastowne and the ancient City Rheban now a poore Village with a Castle yet of old giuing the title of Barronet I passe ouer the Village and strong Castle of Leighlin with the Countrey adioyning vsurped by the Sept of the Cauanaghs now surnamed Omores Also I omit Kosse of old a large City at this day of no moment The third County of Wexford called by the Irish County Reogh was of old inhabited by the Menappij where at the Towne called Banna the English made their first discent into Ireland and vpon that Coast are very dangerous flats in the Sea which they vulgarly call Grounds The City Weshford Weisford or Wexford is the cheefe of the County not great but deseruing praise for their faithfulnesse towards the English and frequently inhabited by Men of English race The Cauci a Seabordering Nation of Germany and the Menappij aforesaid of old inhabited the territories now possessed by the Omores and Ohirns Also they inhabited the fourth County of Kildare a fruitfull soyle hauing the cheese Towne of the same name greatlie honoured in the infancie of the Church by Saint Briget King Edward the second created the Giralds Earles of Kildare The Eblani of old inhabited the territory of Dublin the fifth County hauing a fertile soyle and rich pastures but wanting wood so as they burne Turffe or Seacoale brought out of England The City Dublyn called Diuelin by the English and Balacleigh as seated vpon hurdles by the Irish is the cheefe City of the Kingdome and seate of Iustice fairely built frequently inhabited and adorned with a strong Castle fifteene Churches an Episcopall seate and a faire Colledge an happy foundation of an Vniuersity laid in our Age and indowed with many priuiledges but the Hauen is barred and made lesse commodious by those hils of sands The adioyning Promontory Hoth-head giues the title of a Barron to the Family of Saint Laurence And towards the North lies Fengall a little Territory as it were the Garner of the Kingdome which is enuironed by the Sea and great Riuers and this situation hath defended it from the incursion of Rebels in former
ciuill warres I omit the Kings and Queenes Counties namely Ophaly and Leax inhabited by the Oconnors and Omores as likewise the Counties of Longford Fernes and Wicklo as lesse affoording memorable things 3 The third part of Ireland is Midia or Media called by the English Methe in our Fathers memory deuided into Eastmeath and Westmeath In Eastmeath is Drogheda vulgarly called Tredagh a faire and well inhabited Towne Trym is a little Towne vpon the confines of Vlster hauing a stately Castle but now much ruinated and it is more notable for being the ancient as it were Barrony of the Lacies Westmeath hath the Towne Deluin giuing the title of Baron to the English Family of the Nugents and Westmeath is also inhabited by many great Irish Septs as the Omaddens the Magoghigans Omalaghlens and MacCoghlans which seeme barbarous names Shamon is a great Riuer in a long course making many and great lakes as the large Lake or Lough Regith and yeeldes plentifull fishing as doe the frequent Riuers and all the Seas of Ireland Vpon this Riuer lies the Towne Athlon hauing a very faire Bridge of stone the worke of Sir Henry Sidney Lord Deputy and a strong faire Castle 4 Connaght is the fourth part of Ireland a fruitfull Prouince but hauing many Boggs and thicke Woods and it is diuided into sixe Countyes of Clare of Letrim of Galloway of Rosecomen of Maio and of Sugo The County of Clare or Thowmond hath his Enrles of Thowmond of the Family of the Obrenes the old Kings of Connaght and Toam is the seate of an Archbishop onely part but the greatest of this County was called Clare of Phomas Clare Earle of Glocester The adioyning Territory Clan Richard the land of Richards sonnes hath his Earles called Clanricard of the land but being of the English Family de Burgo vulgarly Burck and both these Earles were first created by Henry the eight In the same Territory is the Barony Atterith belonging to the Barons of the English Family Bermingham of old very warlike but their posteritie haue degenerated to the Irish barbarisme The city Galway giuing name to the County lying vpon the Sea is frequently inhabited with ciuill people and fairely built The Northern part of Connaght is inhabited by these Irish Septs O Conor O Rorke and Mac Diarmod Vpon the Westerne coast lyes the Iland Arran famous for the fabulous long life of the inhabitants 5 Vlster the fifth part of Ireland is a large Prouince woody fenny in some parts fertile in other parts barren but in al parts greene and pleasant to behold and exceedingly stoared with Cattell The next part to the Pale and to England is diuided into three Countyes Lowth Down and Antrimme the rest containes seuen Counties Monaghan Tyrone Armach Colrane Donergall Fermanagh and Cauon Lowth is inhabited by English-Irish Down and Antrimme being contained vnder the same name and the Barrons thereof be of the Berminghams family and remaine louing to the English Monaghan was inhabited by the English family Fitzursi and these are become degenerate and barbarous and in the sense of that name are in the Irish tongue called Mac Mahon that is the sonnes of Beares I forbeare to speake of Tyrone and the Earle thereof infamous for his Rebellion which I haue at large handled in the second part of this work Armach is the seate of an Archbishop and the Metropolitan City of the whole Iland but in time of the Rebellion was altogether ruinated The other Countyes haue not many memorable things therefore it shall suffice to speake of them briefely The neck of land called Lecale is a pleasant little territory fertile and abounding with fish and all things for food and therein is Downe at this time a ruined Towne but the seate of a Bishop and famous for the buriall of S Patrick S. Bridget and S. Columb The Towne of Carickfergus is well knowne by the safe Hauen The Riuer Bann running through the Lake Euagh into the Sea is famous for the fishing of Salmons the water being most cleare wherein the Salmons much delight The great Families or Septs of Vlster are thus named O Neale O Donnel wherof the chiefe was lately created Earle of Tirconnel O Buil Mac Guyre O Cane O Dogharty Mac Mahown Mac Gennis Mac Sorleigh c. The Lake Ern compassed with thicke Woods hath such plenty of fish as the fishermen feare the breaking of their nets rather then want of fish Towards the North in the middest of vast woods and as I thinke in the County Donergall is a lake and therein an Iland in which is a Caue famous for the apparition of spirits which the inhabitants call Ellanui frugadory that is The Iland of Purgatory and they call it Saint Patricks Purgatory fabling that hee obtained of God by prayer that the Irish seeing the paines of the damned might more carefully auoide sinne The land of Ireland is vneuen mountanous soft watry woody and open to windes and flouds of raine and so fenny as it hath Bogges vpon the very tops of Mountaines not bearing man or beast but dangerous to passe and such Bogs are frequent ouer all Ireland Our Matriners obserue the sayling into Ireland to be more dangerous not onely because many tides meeting makes the sea apt to swell vpon any storme but especially because they euer find the coast of Ireland couered with mists whereas the coast of England is commonly cleare and to be seene farre off The ayre of Ireland is vnapt to ripen seedes yet as Mela witnesseth the earth is luxurions in yeelding faire and sweete hearbs Ireland is little troubled with thunders lightnings or earthquakes yet I know not vpon what presage in the yeere 1601 and in the moneth of Nouember almost ended at the siege of Kinsale and few daies before the famous Battell in which the Rebels were happily ouerthrowne we did nightly heare and see great thundrings lightnings not without some astonishment what they should presage The fields are not onely most apt to feede Cattell but yeeld also great increase of Corne I wil freely say that I obserued the winters cold to be far more mild thē it is in England so as the Irish pastures are more greene and so likewise the gardens al winter time but that in Summer by reason of the cloudy ayre and watry soyle the heate of the Sunne hath not such power to ripen corne and fruits so as their haruest is much later then in England Also I obserued that the best sorts of flowers and fruits are much rarer in Ireland then in England which notwithstanding is more to bee attributed to the inhabitants then to the ayre For Ireland being oft troubled with Rebellions and the Rebels not only being idle themselues but in naturall malice destroying the labours of other men and cutting vp the very trees of fruits for the same cause or else to burne them For these reasons the inhabitants take lesse pleasure to till their grounds or plant trees content to
liue for the day in continuall feare of like mischiefes Yet is not Ireland altogether destitute of these flowers and fruites wherewith the County of Kilkenny seemes to abound more then any other part And the said humility of aire and land making the fruits for food more raw and moyst hereupon the inhabitants and strangers are troubled with loosenes of body the Country disease Yet for the rawnes they haue an excellentremedy by their aquauitae vulgarly called Vsqucbagh which binds the belly and drieth vp moysture more then our Aquauitae yet in flameth not so much Also inhabitants aswell as strangers are troubled there with an ague which they call the Irish. Ague and they who are sick thereof vpon a receiued custome doe not vse the helpe of the Phisitian but giue themselues to the keeping of Irish women who starue the ague giuing the sick man no meate who takes nothing but milke and some vulgarly knowne remedies at their hand Ireland after much bloud spilt in the Ciuill warres became lesse populous and aswell great Lords of countries as other inferiour Gentlemen laboured more to get new possessions for inheritance then by husbandry and peopling of their old lands to increase their reuenues so as I then obserued much grasse wherewith the Iland so much abounds to haue perished without vse and either to haue rotted or in the next spring-time to bee burnt lest it should hinder the comming of new grasse This plenty of grasse makes the Irish haue infinite multitudes of cattle and in the heate of the last Rebellion the very vagabond Rebels had great multitudes of Cowes which they stil like the Nomades droue with them whither soeuer themselues were driuen and fought for them as for their altars and families By this abundance of cattle the Irish haue a frequent though somewhat poore trafficke for their hides the cattle being in generall very little and onely the men and the Grey-hounds of great statute Neither can the cattell possibly bee great since they eat onely by day and then are brought at euening within the Bawnes of Castles where they stand or lye all night in a dirty yard without so much as a lock of hay whereof they make little for sluggishnesse and that little they altogether keep for their Horses And they are thus brought in by nights for feare of theeues the Irish vsing almost no other kind of theft or else for feare of Wolues the destruction whereof being neglected by the inhabitants oppressed with greater mischiefes they are so much growne in number as sometimes in Winter nights they will come to prey in Villages and the subburbes of Cities The Earle of Ormond in Mounster and the Earle of Kildare in Lemster had each of them a small Parke inclosed for Fallow Deare and I haue not seene any other Parke in Ireland nor haue heard that they had any other at that time yet in many Woods they haue many red Deare loosely scattered which seeme more plentifull because the inhabitants vsed not then to hunt them but onely the Gouernours and Commanders had them sometimes killed with the piece They haue also about Ophalia and Wexford and in some parts of Mounster some Fallow Deare scattered in the Woods Yet in the time of the warre I did neuer see any Venison serued at the table but onely in the houses of the said Earles and of the English Commanders Ireland hath great plenty of Birds and Fowles but by reason of their naturall sloth they had little delight or skill in Birding or Fowling But Ireland hath neither singing Nightingall nor chattering Pye nor vndermining Moule nor blacke Crow but onely Crowes of mingled colour such as wee call Royston Crowes They haue such plenty of Pheasants as I haue knowne sixtie serued at one feast and abound much more with Rayles but Partridges are somewhat rare There be very many Eagles and great plenty of Hares Conies Hawkes called Gosse-Hawkes much esteemed with vs and also of Bees as well in Hiues at home as in hollow trees abroad and in caues of the earth They abound in flocks of Sheepe which they sheare twise in the yeere but their wooll is course Merchants may not export it forbidden by a Law made on behalfe of the poore that they may be nourished by working it into cloth namely Rugs whereof the best are made at Waterford mantles generally worne by men and women and exported in great quantity Ireland yeelds much flax which the inhabitants work into yarne export the same in great quātity And of old they had such plenty of linnen cloth as the wild Irish vsed to weare 30 or 40 elles in a shirt al gathered and wrinckled and washed in Saffron because they neuer put them off til they were worne out Their horses called hobbies are much commen ded for their ambling pace beuty but Ireland yeelds few horses good for seruice in war and the said hobbies are much inferior to our geldings in strength to endure long iournies being bred in the fenny soft ground of Ireland are soone lamed when they are brought into England The hawkes of Ireland called Goss-hawks are as I said much esteemed in England and they are sought out by mony all meanes to be transported thither Ireland yeelds excellent Marble neere Dublin Killkenny and Corke and I am of their opinion who dare venture all they are worth that the Mountaines would yeeld abundance of Mettals if this publike good were not hindred by the inhabitants barbarousnes making them apt to seditions and so vnwilling to inrich their Prince Country and by their slothfulnesse which is so singular as they hold it basenesse to labour and by their pouerty not able to beare the charge of such workes besides that the wiser sort think their pouerty best for the publike good making them peaceable as nothing makes them sooner kick against authoritie then riches Ireland hath in all parts pleasant Riuers safe and lange Hauens and no lesse frequent Lakes of great circuit yeelding great plenty of fish And the sea on all sides yeelds like plentie of excellent fish as Salmonds Oysters which are preferred before the English and shel-fishes with all other kinds of Sea-fish So as the Irish might in all parts haue abundance of excellent sea and fresh-water fish if the fisher men were not so possessed with the naturall fault of slothfulnesse as no hope of gaine scarsely the feare of authoritie can in many places make them come out of their houses and put to sea Hence it is that in many places they vse Scots for Fisher-men and they together with the English make profit of the inhabitants sluggishnesse And no doubt if the Irish were industrious in fishing they might export salted and dried fish with great gaine In time of peace the Irish transport good quantity of Corne yet they may not transport it without license left vpon any sudden rebellion the Kings forces and his good subiects should want Corne. Vlster and the
Westerne parts of Mounster yeeld vast woods in which the Rebels cutting vp trees and casting them on heapes vsed to stop the passages and therein as also vpon fenny Boggy places to fight with the English But I confesse my selfe to haue been deceiued in the common fame that all Ireland is woody hauing found in my long iourney from Armah to Kinsale few or no Woods by the way excepting the great Woods of Ophalia and some low shrubby places which they call Glinnes Also I did obserue many boggy and fenny places whereof great part might be dried by good and painefull husbandry I may not omit the opinion commonly receiued that the earth of Ireland will not suffer a Snake or venimous beast to liue and that the Irish wood transported for building is free of Spiders and their webs My selfe haue seene some but very few Spiders which the in habitants deny to haue any poyson but I haue heard some English of good credit affirme by experience the contrary The Irish hauing in most parts great Woods or low shrubs and thickets doe vse the same for fier but in other parts they burne Turfe and Sea coales brought out of England They export great quantity of wood to make barrels called Pipe-staues and make great gaine thereby They are not permitted to build great ships for warre but they haue small ships in some sort armed to resist Pirats for transporting of commodities into Spaine and France yet no great number of them Therfore since the Irish haue small skill in Nauigation as I cannot praise them for this Art so I am confident that the Nation being bold and warlike would no doubt proue braue Sea-men if they shall practise Nauigation and could possibly bee industrious therein I freely professe that Ireland in generall would yeeld abundance of all things to ciuill and industrious inhabitants And when it lay wasted by the late Rebellion I did see it after the comming of the Lord Montioy daily more and more to flourish and in short time after the Rebellion appeased like the new Spring to put on the wonted beauty Touching the Irish dyet Some Lords and Knights and Gentlemen of the English-Irish and all the English there abiding hauing competent meanes vse the English dyet but some more some lesse cleanly few or none curiously and no doubt they haue as great and for 〈◊〉 part greater plenty then the English of flesh fowle fish and all things for food if they will vse like Art of Cookery Alwases I except the Fruits Venison and some dainties proper to England and rare in Ireland And we must conceiue that Venison and Fowle seeme to be more plentiful in Ireland because they neither so generally affect dainty foode nor so diligently search it as the English do Many of the English-Irish haue by little and little been infected with the Irish filthinesse and that in the very cities excepting Dublyn and some of the better sort in Waterford where the English continually lodging in their houses they more retaine the English diet The English-Irish after our manner serue to the table ioynts of flesh cut after our fashion with Geese Pullets Pigges and like rosted meats but their ordinary food for the common sort is of Whitmeates and they eate cakes of oates for bread and drinke not English Beere made of Mault and Hops but Ale At Corck I haue seene with these eyes young maides starke naked grinding of Corne with certaine stones to make cakes thereof and striking of into the tub of meale such reliques thereof as stuck on their belly thighes and more vnseemely parts And for the cheese or butter commonly made by the English Irish and English man would not touch it with his lippes though hee were halfe starued yet many English inhabitants make very good of both kindes In Cities they haue such bread as ours but of a sharpe fauour and some mingled with Annisseeds and baked like cakes and that onely in the houses of the better sort At Dublyn and in some other Cities they haue tauerns wherein Spanish and French Wines are sold but more commonly the Merchants sell them by pintes and quartes in their owne Cellers The Irish Aquauitae vulgarly called Vsquebagh is held the best in the World of that kind which is made also in England but nothing so good as that which is brought out of Ireland And the Vsquebagh is preferred before our Aquavita because the mingling of Raysons Fennell seede and other things mitigating the heate and making the taste pleasant makes it lesse in name and yet refresh the weake stomake with moderate heate and a good relish These Drinkes the English-Irish drink largely and in many families especially at feasts both men and women vse excesse therein And since I haue inpart seene and often heard from others experience that some Gentlewomen were so free in this excesse as they would kneeling vpon the knee and otherwise garausse health after health with men not to speake of the wiues of Irish Lords or to referre it to the due place who often drinke tell they be drunken or at least till they voide vrine in full assemblies of men I cannot though vnwilling but note the Irish women more specially with this fault which I haue obserued in no other part to be a womans vice but onely in Bohemia Yet so as accusing them I meane not to excuse the men and will also confesse that I haue seene Virgins as well Gentlewomen as Citizens commanded by their mothers to retyre after they had in curtesie pledged one or two healths In Cities passengers may haue featherbeds soft and good but most commonly lowsie especially in the high waies whether that came by their being forced to lodge common souldiers or from the nastie filthinesse of the nation in generall For euen in the best Citie as at Corck I haue obserued that my owne other English mens chambers hyred of the Citizens were scarce swept once in the week the dust then laid in a corner was perhaps cast out once in a month or two I did neuer see any publike Innes with signes hanged out among the English or English-Irish but the Officers of Cities and Villages appoint lodgings to the passengers and perhaps in each Citie they shall find one or two houses where they will dresse meate and these be commonly houses of Englishmen seldome of the Irish so as these houses hauing no signes hung out a passenger cannot challenge right to be intertained in them but must haue it of courtesie and by intreaty The wild and as I may say meere Irish inhabiting many and large Prouinces are barbarous and most filthy in their diet They skum the seething pot with an handfull of straw and straine their milke taken from the Cow through a like handfull of straw none of the cleanest and so clense or rather more defile the pot and milke They deu oure great morsels of beefe vnsalted and they eat commonly Swines flesh seldom mutton and