the second booke of Chronicles But there being three Arabiaes Deserta Felix and Petraea we are especially in respect of the neerenesse and neighbourhood of it to Iudaea to speake of the later in this place ARABIA PETRAEA tooke the name of Petra the Metropolitane city of this prouince and place of residence of their Kings This also was called NABAIOTH by the Hebrews of Nabaioth the sonne of Ismaël Esa 60. Ezech. 27. whereupon the name and appellation of Nabataea arose amongst the old Historiographers It sometime did belong to the Edomites and Amalechites and was a part of their lands and country Whereupon the Israelites by the commandement of God were constrained to passe by this country Saint Hierome saith that Petra the city is of the Hebrews called Iacteel and of the Syrians Recem This country by reason of the passage of the children of Israel through it and the great workes and wonders of God done in it is very famous and oft mentioned in the holy Scriptures The places of it oft spoken of in the booke of God are these The Red sea Exod. 13.14.15.23 Num. 11.14.21.33 Deut. 1.2.11 Iosu 2.24 Psalm 77.105.113 Act. 7.1 Cor. 10. Sur and Mara Exod. 15. Elim Exod. 15.16 There were twelue wels and seuenty palme trees of which Strabo doth speake in the sixteenth booke of his Geography The wildernesse of Sin Exod. 16. Arabia Petraea in many places was a vast and horrible desert as is apparant out of the first and eight chapters of Deuteronomy of which there are also diuers other testimonies euery where to be obserued Sinay Exod. 16. Raphidim Exod. 17.19 Horeb Exod. 3.17 Obserue in this place that Horeb was part of those mountaines which the Greekes call Mélanas that is the Blacke hils which are of such a wonderfull height that vpon the toppe of them the sunne may be descried at the fourth watch of the night that is about three of foure of the clocke in the morning an houre or two before her appearance to those which dwell in the plaine But Sinay was the East part or ridge of mount Horeb. This is proued by these places of Scripture Exod. 33. Deut. 4.5.9.10.29 Psalm 105. Actor 7. In Deut. 33. Sinay is called the hill Pharan and in Exod. 18. the Holy mount Moreouer there is mention made of the hill and wildernesse of Sinay almost in euery chapter throughout the whole bookes of Exodus and Leuiticus and in the two and thirtith chapter of Deuteronomy it is againe spoken of The country round about it is called the Wildernesse of Sinay Num. 9.10.26 Amalec Exod. 17. Num. 14.24 Deut. 25. Madian Exod. 18. Num. 10. Act. 7. The Graues of lust and Haseroth Num. 11.12 Deut. 1. Pharan Num. 12.20 Deut. 1.33 The Desert of Zin Num. 13.20.26 Deut. 32. The Desert of Cades and Cadesbarne Num. 13.20.26.32.34 Deut. 1 9. Iosu 10.15 Horma Num. 14.21 Hor Num. 20. Deut. 32. The Waters of strife Num. 20.26 Oboth Ieabarim Zared the Brooke Mathana Nahaliel Bamoth Num. 21. Deut. 2. Also of Zared and Seir mention is made in Num. 24. Deut. 1.2.33 Iosu 24. Tophel and Laban Deut. 1. Elath Deut. 2. Asiongaber Deut. 2.3 Kings 22.2 Paral. 8. Beroth Mosera Gadgad Iatebatha Deut. 10. In the three and thirtith chapter of Numbers the foure and twenty mansions or places of abode where the children of Israel in that their tedious peregrination between Aegypt and the Holy Land pitched their tents are recited by name Which mansions and encamping places of theirs were greatly famoused with many miracles and wonderfull workes of God which he wrought there in the sight of that peruerse and froward generation These places were not remote one from another by equall distances as is very probable by these places of the Old Testament Exod. 14.15.19 Num. 10.14.33 Neither did the people of Israel being led through this wildernesse vp and downe euer crosse the first way which they had gone before but by winding turning this way and that way they came thrise to the Red-sea as may easily be demonstrated out of the three and thirtieth of Numbers the second of Deuteronomy and the eleuenth of Iudges These do necessarily appertaine to the vnderstanding of the tract of that their iourney and orderly placing of those forsaid mansions and resting places Of SYRIA and PHOENICIA Although in old time the name of SYRIA and the bounds thereof were more large yet that is properly called Syria which is enclosed within the mount Amanus Monte Negro Postellus calleth it a part of the riuer Euphrates Iudaea and the Phoenician sea PHOENICIA a part of Syria famous by many reasons and accidents amongst his more notable cities had Tyre and Sidon But the chiefe or Metropolitane city of COELESYRIA Hollow Syria or Holland in Syria we may call it lying Eastward from Iudaea was Damascus oft mentioned both in holy and prophane writers Of which places we haue spoken of in Palaestina Thus farre Stella the authour of this Mappe hath discoursed vpon the same Of the old Palaestina read Saint Hierome and that which the learned B. Arias Montanus hath written of it in his Chaleb Iacobus Zieglerus Wolfangus Wissenburgius and Michaêl Aitzinger haue described the same in seuerall and peculiar treatises Iosephus in the six and seuen bookes of the warres of the Iewes Adam Reisner in seuen bookes and Christianus Adrichomius haue described Ierusalem the chiefe city of Palaestina IEWRY and ISRAEL An exposition with an history or discourse vpon certaine places of this Mappe ADER or Eder a tower The Iewes do call a flocke or herd Eder although others do thinke that the word rather signifieth a defect or want and I know not whether it do in those places signifie a floore or plot of ground I meane that which the Latines do call Aream In this place some write that the natiuity or birth of our Sauiour Christ was by the Angels told vnto the Shepheards Beersabe the well of the oth or the well of confirmation made by an oth so called for that Abimelech King of Gerar made a couenant neere this place first with Abraham Gen. 21. then with Isaac Gen. 26. Againe Iacob going into Aegypt when he came vnto this well he was encouraged and commanded by a voice from heauen that he should boldly go downe into Aegypt and not feare God promising him that out of his seed should come the Captaine or Leader of the Gentiles and the Redeemer of Israel Gen. 46. It is also called the Fountaine of fulnesse or saturity for Agar the handmaid of Abraham when she was with her sonne Ismaël cast out by Sara her mistresse she wandred vp and downe in this place ready to die presently with her sonne for want of drinke but the Angell shewed her this well whereby she with the child drunke their fill and were satisfied Gen. 21. Neither is that Beersabee Gen. 22.3 King 13. diuerse from this BETHANIA the house of obedience or the house of affliction or the house
in the vttermost skirtes of Phoenicia and Galiley which comprehended tenne cities these although those authours which write of them do not wholly agree which they should be it is certaine by the iudgement of all men were neighbour cities And it is that country which is conteined between Damascus and Sidon and between the Lake Genesareth and Caesarea Philippi EMMAVS afterward it was called Nicopolis And in my iudgement the Greek name is but an interpretation sense of the Hebrew name which signifieth the mother of strength fortitude or victory Others haue giuen out that the interpretation of it is the Mother of counsell EPHRATA which also is otherwise called Betháchem or Bethléhem as our bookes vulgarly haue Ephrata signifieth abundance fertility a fertile soile plentifully bringing foorth all maner of fruites For in the whole earth there was no place more fruitfull than Ephrata that is than Bethláchem where Iesus Christ the Lord of Heauen and Earth and Redeemer of all mankind was borne whom the Proph t Micheas in his fift chapter did foretell should be borne in this place And therefore was it called Bethlachem that is The house of Bread In the same place was also seated Bethhacaris Beth-haccarem I thinke he meaneth that is the house of vineyeards Bethlachem was the natiue soile of Dauid where he was annointed king of Israel 1. King 16.17 GALGAL this word signifieth a wheele or a wheeling and turning about the trundling of any thing that is round It may be that this name was giuen to that place and rose vpon this occasion for that Iosua the captaine and generall of the Israelites out of the camp heere and standing garrisons did vse to draw new supplies and armies wherewith he conquered and ouercame the enemies and by chacing vp and down and continually vexing the nations round about at length vtterly consumed them Heere the royall army and campe was continually resident vntill such time as the whole land was diuided into 12. tribes and so was quietly and freely possessed and inhabited of the Israelites These were the first campes that the children of Israel had in Iudaea the land of promise and heere the Manna ceassed For now they began to eat and liue vpon the fruites of the land Heere also the Passeouer was celebrated and all those almost were heere circumcised which had passed ouer Iordan For they which had been circumcised in Aegypt they were dead long since in the wildernes Ios 4.5 The same Galgala is meÌ„tioned in the 1. king 11.15 2. king 19 4 king 4. GALILEA that is a limit or bound it was a country situat in the borders of Iudea GAZA AZOTVS ASCAION GETH ACCARON The exposition of which names it thus Gaza or Aza signifieth strength or might Azotus or Asdod a robbing or spoiling or else the fire of the beloued or rather in my iudgement a fortification bulwarke blockhouse or muniment for so the Arabicke a neere dialect of the Hebrew tongue doth most properly signifie For the theme or Arabicke roote Schadada signifieth to strengthen fortifie bind together or enclose with a defence Psalm 147.12 Gen. 12.10 Auscen lib. 2. tractatu 2. cap. 596. Luc. 12 35. from hence is deriued Teshdid a note or marke vsed by the Grammarians answering vnto Dagesh forte of the Hebrew so named of his power and force for it doth double the letter ouer which it is put therefore the forme of it is like vnto the Greek omega or our double 00. Againe Shadid signifieth strong hard stubborne Matt. 25.24 Psalm 60.5 as also in Mahomets Alkoran in the 32. Azoara Shaddah strength might 2. Pet. 2.11 Firmamentum the Firmament any thing that is solid and firme Psalm 73.4 Ascalon the keeper of fire or fire of ignominy Geth that is a wine presse Accaron a barrennesse weakenesse feeblenesse a plucking vp by the rootes a body or stumpe of a tree These were the chiefe cities of the Nation of the Pâ—â—listines which was so mighty a people that all the whole country of Iudaea or Israël euen from Aegypt vnto Phoenicia was after their name called PALAESTINA This their power and greatnesse continued from the first entrance of the Israelites into the Holy land euen vnto the daies of king Hezechia 4. Reg. 18. For all the while between these times they maintained almost continuall and cruell warres with the Israelites GEHENNA the vale of Hinnon compounded of Ge which signifieth a vally and Hinnon the proper name of a man to whom that piece of ground did belong It was a dale in the tribe of Beniamin where those deuilish sacrifices were made in which they burnt and sacrificed children to their idols For this cruell fact it came to passe that the name afterward figuratiuely was vsed for Hell and place of the damned and indeed the etymologie also doth somewhat fauour this sense for Hinnon is a spoiler destroier conspiratour or traitour Ios 15.18 Mat. 18. TYPVS CHOROGRAPHICVS CELEBRIVM LOCORVM IN REGNO IVDAE ET ISRAHEL arte factus à Tilemanno Stella Sigenensi Priuilegio Imperiali et Belgico ad decennium Abrahammus Orcelius in hanc formam minorem redigebat Anno M.D.LXXXVI GENEZARETH a lake in Galiley of most pure water well stored with diuers sorts of fish It was so called of the pleasantnesse of the country round about it For Genesar signifiâ—th the Princes orchycard Moreouer both the cities neere adioining and the lake are called Cinnereth of the forme and figure For Cinnéreth is the same in Hebrew that Cinnor that is an Harpe a kind of musicall instrument which the Latines call Cithara and which doubtlesse was made of the foresaid Hebrew Cinnor This place diuersly written you haue mentioned in diuers places of Holy Scripture 1. Machab. 11. Matt. 14. Marc. 6. In the 6. chapter of the Gospell of S. Iohn at the first verse it is called the Sea of Galiley for that it was situate in the Lower Galiley or the Sea of Tiberias of the city Tiberias so named by flattering Herod the tetrarch in honour of Tiberius Caesar Emperour of Rome as Iosephus in the 18. chapter of his 4. booke of the warres of the Iews and Egesippus in the 3. chapter of his 2. book do witnesse when as formerly it was named as before is signified Cinnereth which together with the lake vpon which it standeth is notâ—ably described by the same Egesippus in the 26. chapter of his 3. booke of the destruction of Ierusalem GERAR signifieth a Peregrination Because that Abraham going from Hebron soiourned in Gerar where Sara his wife was violently taken from him by Abimelech the king of that place whose striuing lust God did so punâ—sh that he was forced to restore Abraham his wife againe before euer he had come neere vnto her as is shewed in the 20 chapter of Genesis Heere Isaac was borne Gen. 21. to whom in this place Christ was promised after that Agar forced by hunger had fled from the well vnto Abimelech king of Gerar. Gen. 26. HAI in
the Paradise of Italy The hils that are which are but very few are exceeding bleake cold and barren so that they will beare nothing but barly Maroccho which we said was the chiefe city of this kingdome is accounted one of the greatest cities of the whole world for it is of such a wonderfull bignesse that in the raigne of Haly the sonne of Ioseph their king it had more than an hundred thousand families It hath about it 24. gates The wall of a maruelous thicknesse is made of a kind of white stone and chalke vnburned There are heere such abundance of Churches Colledges stoues or hothouses and innes as iustly more may not be desired Amongst the Churches there is none more artificially and gorgeously built than that which standeth in the middest of the city built by the foresaid Haly. There is another beside this first raised by Abdu'-lmumen his successour and enlarged by Mansor his nephew and lastly more richly set out with many goodly columnes which he caused to be brought out of Spaine He made a fountaine or cestern vnderneath the Church as large and wide as the whole Church it selfe The roofe of the Church he couered all ouer with lead At euery corner he made spoutes by which the raine water falling vpon the roofe might runne into the cestern vnderneath The steeple made of a very hard kind of stone like that of the Amphitheater of Vespasian at Rome is higher than that towre of Bononia in Italy The greeses or staiers by which they go vp to the toppe of it are euery one nine handfull thicke but in the outside of the wall are tenne This tower hath seuen roomes or lofts one aboue another Vpon the toppe of it is set another turret or spire like a pyramis sharpe toward the top This hath three lofts one aboue another into which they go vp from one to another by staires or ladders made of wood On the toppe of this spire vpon a shaft of iron in steed of a weather-cocke doth stand a most goodly Moone of pure gold with three golden globes so put vpon the iron shaft that the greatest is lowest the least highest of all If any man from the toppe of the steeple shall looke downe toward the ground the tallest man that is seemeth no bigger than a child of a yeare old From the toppe also of this the cape or fore-fore-land which they call Azaphy being an hundred and thirty miles off may easily be descried And although one should skarcely find a greater Church if one should trauell all the world ouer yet the place is almost wholly desert for none do euer vse to come hither but vpon Fridaies Vnder the cloisters of this Church they report that there were wont to be an hundred Stationers and as many ouer against them on the other side of the Churchyard which daily heere kept shoppe where as now I do not thinke that all this whole city can affoord at this time one booke-seller Hardly the one third part of the towne is inhabited Heere hence it is that within the wals there are many vineyeards large gardens of palme-trees and other fruites with goodly corne fields most fertile and well manured for without the wals they cannot till the ground by reason of the frequent inrodes of the theeuish Arabians This one thing is most certaine that this city is suddenly growne old before the time for it is not aboue fiue hundred and six yeares since it was first built There is also in this city a very strong castle which in respect of the large bignesse the great thickenesse and compasse of the wals the high and many towers or lastly the goodly and stately gates built of the richest Tiburtine marble may iustly be accounted for a faire towne Within this castle is a most beautifull Church with a very high steeple vpon whose toppe is a golden moone with three golden globes of different bignesses all of them weighing 130. crownes There haue been some kings of this country who moued with the loue and valew of the gold haue attempted to take these globes downe and to put them into their purses but alwaies some strange euent or misfortune or other did hinder their purpose and crosse their desires So that it is now commonly amongst the people held for a very ominous thing for any man but once to offer to touch these globes with his hand Let this be sufficient to haue spoken of this city in this place he that desireth a larger discourse both of the city and castle let him haue recourse vnto Leo Africanus who in his 2. booke will satisfie him to the full In this kingdome also is the city TARADANT the Moores call it Taurent a very great and goodly city built by the ancient Africanes It conteineth about 3000. houses or families The people are more ciuill and curtuous than in other places heere about Heere are many artificers of diuers and sundry occupations The townesmen do yearely raise a great profit by keeping of a gard to defend merchants that from hence do trauell vp higher into the country from the assault of theeues and robbers and to conduct and lead them the neereest and best way for it is a place of great resort of strangers aswell of Christians as others There are also other cities as the mappe doth shew amongst the which is MESSA hauing a Church not farre from the sea which they do most religiously reuerence For there are some heere that most fondly do beleeue and affirme that the Prophet Ionas when he was sent of God to preach vnto the Niniuites was at this place cast vp of the fish which before had swallowed him The sparres of this Church and the beames are made of whale bones for it is a common thing for the sea to cast vp heere dead whales of maruailous bignesse Vpon the coast also of this country is found that kind of Amber which we call Amber-greese Not farre from this city is TEINT a towne where all those rich skinnes are dressed which are commonly called Maroccho pelts More of this kingdome thou maist read of in Leo Africanus Marmolius and in the Saracen history of Caelius Augustinus Curio where he hath a seuerall treatise of this prouince Thus farre of Maroccho it remaineth now that we should speake likewise of Fesse FESSE like as Maroccho is a kingdome so called of the chiefe city and metropolitane of the same This city is situate in the hart and middest of the kingdome It was built as they affirme about the yeare of our Lord 786. Neither is it only the head city of this kingdome but it is esteemed The Metropolitane of all Barbary and is vulgarly called as Marmolius testifieth The Court of all the West part of the World Some there are which do thinke it to haue been named Fesse of a masse of gold that heere was found when first they began to lay the foundations of the same for fes in Arabicke signifieth an heap or masse
length being released for a long time preacheth the Gospell in Rome and other places of Italy v. 31.32 Some there are that thinke that after his enlargement he went also into Spaine and France and planted the Gospell amongst those Nations Lastly he was againe apprehended by Nero and at Rome put to death by him in the last yeare of his raigne which was the 70. yeare after the birth of Christ The PEREGRINATION of ABRAHAM the Patriarke ABraham the first Patriarke whom Iesus the sonne of Syrach chapter 44. v. 19. calleth a Great man and Admirable for glory and honour the sonne of Thare was borne as Iosephus writeth in the 292. yeare after the vniuersall floud in V R a city of the Chaldees otherwise called Camarine as Eusebius witnesseth it may be it is the same that Ptolemey calleth Vrchoa He goeth forth of his country and natiue soile at the commandement of God when he was as Suidas teacheth but foureteen yeares old into CHARRAN which S. Stephen in that oration which he made to the Iewes Act. 7.2 3.4 as also Achior in the story of Iudith chapter 5. v. 7. in his speech to Holofernes and likewise the 72. interpretours do expound to be Mesopotamia Iosephus taketh it for a city That this place was Carrae famous for the great ouerthrow heere giuen to the Romane forces led by Crassus against the Parthians although there be some which are of that opinion yet I dare not wholly yeeld vnto them only I leaue it to the learned to determine Hauing staid a while in this country of Mesopotamia his father being dead there as the same Suidas reporteth from thence he goeth with Sarai his wife Lot his brothers sonne and all his family and the soules or liuing creatures that he had gotten in Charran toward the land of Chanaan Gen. 12.5 And if you will beleeue Nicolaus Damascenus in Iosephus he dwelt sometime neere Damasco where in his daies he saith there was to be seen a street which they vulgarly called Abrahams house When he came from thence into SICHEM at the plaine of MOREH a place which diuers interpreters diuersly interpret some the Oke Moreh others the Oke-groue of Moreh Zozomene writeth that in his time it was called Terebinthus the Terebinth or Turpentine tree Gen. 12.6 God appeared vnto him and promised to giue to him and to his seed that land for an inheritance for euer therefore in this place he built an altar to the Lord which heere appeared vnto him v. 7. From thence remouing vnto a mountaine Eastward from Bethel he pitched his tent hauing Bethel on the Westside and Haai on the East and there also he built an altar vnto the Lord and calleth vpon the name of the Lord v. 8. thence he remooueth and goeth on toward the South v. 9. But a great famine arising in that land and euerie day growing still more grieuous than other he goeth downe into EGYPT to soiourne there v. 10. And comming thither with his wife a very faire and beautifull woman v. 11. whom he called by the name of his sister v. 13. Pharao the king of Aegypt fell in loue with her and tooke her into his house v. 15. and for her sake intreated Abram extraordinarily well and bestowed great gifts vpon him v. 16. who also was there as Iosephus affirmeth for his eloquence wisedome and great experience in all things had in great estimation amongst the Aegyptians But when the Lord punished Pharao and all his family with many great and greeuous plagues for Sara Abrams wiues sake v. 17. he debated the matter with him and examined him what his reason was to giue out speech that she was his sister and that he had not told him that she was his wife v. 18. and so he restored her to her husband againe v. 19. and gaue commandement that he his wife and all that he had should be conueighed out of the land v. 20. Therefore Abram goeth vp backe againe to Bethel chapter 13.3 into that place where formerly he had built an altar and there he called vpon the name of the Lord v. 4. After this returne Abram and Loth who had alwaies accompanied him grew exceeding wealthy and rich in sheep cattell tents and familie v. 5. that the land could not conteine them both neither might they dwell together v. 6. Besides that their heard-men sheep-heards and seruants could not agree v. 7. Therefore they consent to diuide the land between them v. 9. Loth he chose the plaine of Iordane a champion country well watered euery where with that goodly riuer diuers smaller brookes lakes wels and poolles a tract of ground for pleasantnesse and fertility like vnto Paradise and Aegypt In this place then stood Sodome Gomorrha and those other cities which as yet the Lord had not destroied v. 10. In these cities Loth dwelt euen vp as high as Sodome but Abram he abode still in the land of Chanaan v. 12. Thus they being parted the Lord appeared vnto Abram and shewed him all the country round about Northward and Southward Eastward and Westward as farre as he could see v. 14. all which he promised to giue to him and to his seed for euer v. 15. From thence he remoued and came to dwell in the plaine of Mambre The Septuagint interpretours haue translated it The oke of Mambre quercum Mambre Iosephus hath the Oke Ogyn Euagrius writeth that in his time the place was called Terebinthus the Turpentine tree of the Turpentine tree as I suppose that stood six furlongs off as we read in Iosephus and which Eusebius Pamphilus saith stood still in that place euen in his time This place was not farre from HEBRON or as some write it Chebron v. 18. Heere Abram hearing of the newes of Lots captiuity with his whole familie and goods and substance whatsoeuer taken by the kings of the Nations when they sacked and spoiled Sodom for Lot dwelled at Sodome chapter 14.11.12 he armed 308. slaues or bond-seruants bred and borne in his owne house and with all possible speed maketh out after the enemy v. 14. following them euen as high as DAN and CHOBA Saint Hierome calleth it Hoba and Iosephus Soba v. 15. rescueth his nephew recouereth all his goods and booty that they had taken and bringeth them backe againe with the women and all the people v. 16. Being come home from the slaughter of Chodorlaomer and the rest of the kings which were with him at the VALLEY OF SAVE the Kings dale as Saint Hierome doth call it or the Kings field as Iosephus nameth it the King of Sodome meeteth him v. 17. together with Melchisedech King and Priest of Salem or Ierusalem who bringing forth bread and wine entertained him most kindly v. 18. blessing him and wishing all good fortunes vnto him v. 19. to whom Abram gaue tith of all that he had v. 20. These things being thus performed God appeareth vnto him againe chapter 15.1 and promiseth him an heire of his owne seed v. 4.
to wit the Irish of the which the Euboniae the West iles commonly of the Historians called Hebrides are The reuerend Beda and Henry Huntington in that they write it Menauia do seeme to allude to the Welsh name Manaw but this is it which we would haue thee diligently to obserue that none of them do call it Mona By these arguments and testimonies it is manifest that Mona is that iland which the inhabitants as I haue shewed before doe at this day name Mona or Mon acknowledging no other name and is that which of the English is called Anglisea but the other which Polydore Virgil and such as doe loue with him to wallow in the mire rather than to seeke for the cleere streames doe call Mona is of Gildas called Eubonia of Henry Huntington Menauia and of others Mania Here I will conclude this discourse with this one testimonie which may indeed woorthily stand for many to wit this of Syluester Girald a Welsh man borne a man no lesse famous for his learning than for his noble birth For he was descended from that noble house of the Giralds to whom the Kings of England are beholding for that footing which they haue in Ireland Moreouer he was greatly beloued of Henrie the second King of England and was afterward Secretarie to King Iohn his sonne whose name also is very famous and oft mentioned in the Popes Decretals For being but bishop of S. Dauids in Wales he did notwithstanding contend with the Archbishop of Canturburie about the prerogatiue primacy This man I say in that his booke which he intituled Itinerarium Balwini Archiepiscopi Cantuariensis crucem in infideles per Cambriam praedicantis The Iournall or trauels of Baldwin Archbishop of Canturbury when as he preached the Gospell and crosse of Christ against the Infidels thorowout all Wales whose company he neuer forsooke in all that peregrination writeth thus of the I le MONA On the morrow we passed by the castle of Caer-aruon and from thence thorow the valleys and steepe hilles and mountaines we came vnto Bangor where we were most kindly enterteined of the bishop whose name was Gwian who was almost constrained to take vp the crosse of Christ with a great lamentation and shout of all sorts of people both men and women From thence crossing a vety narrow arme of the sea we passed ouer to MONA an iland lying about two miles off from the maine land Here Rothericke the yonger sonne of Owen came very deuoutly with all the people of that I le and of the countreys round about him to meet vs. There they making as it were a theater of the craggie rocks by the preaching of the Archbishop and of Alexander the Archdeacon of that place many were wonne vnto the crosse and to beleeue in Iesus Christ but certeine yong men lustie-bloods of the seruants and followers of Rothericke which sate oueragainst vs would by no meanes be drawen to beare the crosse Of these some within a little while after following certeine theeues or free-booters being slaine outright others hurt and dangerously wounded did of their owne heads lay a worldly crosse one vpon anothers backe Rothericke was married to Prince Reese's daughter who was allied to him in the third degree her by no admonitions he could be made to put away from him hoping that by her meanes he should the better be able to defend himselfe against his brothers children whom he had disherited and put by their lands and possessions notwithstanding it fell out contrary to his expectation for within awhile after they recouered all againe out of his hands This Iland hath three hundred three and fortie villages or farmes yet it is esteemed but at three Cantreds Britaine hath three ilands lying not farre off from it all almost of like quantitie and bignesse VVight vpon the South Mon vpon the West and Man vpon the Northwest The two former are very neere to the continent the armes of the sea by which they are seuered from England being but very narrow and not farre ouer The third which is called Man lieth mid way betweene Vlster a prouince of Ireland and Gallawey of Scotland Mona or Mon of the inhabitants by reason of the great plenty of wheat which it yeeldeth ordinarily euery yeere is called The mother of Wales And a little beneath the same Authour writeth thus of this iland Hugh Earle of Shrewsbury and Arundell with Hugh Earle of Chester entring this iland by force did shut dogs all night in the church of Fefridanke which the next morning were found all starke madde and he himselfe afterward by the inhabitants of the Orkeney iles comming thither as pirats and sea-robbers vnder the leading of Magnus their captaine being shot in the eye which part of his body only was vnarmed and subiect to the enemies weapon fell stone dead from the decke of the shippe into the sea which Magnus beholding cried out in the Danish language Leit loope that is as much to say in English Let him leape Moreouer Henry the Second going into North-Wales with an armie of men ioyned battell with the aduersarie at Caleshull in a narrow straight betweene two woods and withall sent a saile of ships into Mona which spoiled the foresayd Church with other places there wherfore they were almost all slaine taken dangerously wounded or put to flight by the inhabitants of that I le There were in this company two noble men and his vncle which wrote this story with other mo sent hither by the King to wit Henry the sonne of Henry the First and the vncle of Henry the Second begotten of the honourable lady Nesta daughter of Reese Theodore's sonne borne in the confines of South-Wales I meane in the skirts of it next vnto Demetia or West-Wales and the brother of Steuen brother to Henry by the mothers side but not by the fathers a man that first in our dayes breaking the way for others not long after this attempted the entrance and conquest of Ireland whose worthy commendations the prophicall history doth at large set foorth Henry being too venturous and not being seconded in time was killed at the first encounter with a pike But Robert distrusting his owne strength and doubting whether he should be aided or not fled and being sore wounded very hardly recouered the shippes This iland outwardly appeareth as if it were barren rough and ouergrowen like as the countrey of Pebidion neere Menauia doth although indeed it be very fertile of many things in diuers places Thus farre Gyraldus What could euer be spoken or written more plainly and euidently of the name situation fertility and valourous inhabitants of Mona as also of the situation and name of that other iland The same authour in his description of Wales thus speaketh of this Iland In North-Wales betweene Mona and Snowdon hilles is Bangor the bishops sea As of all Wales the South part about Cardigan shire Cereticam regionem he calleth it but especially euery where in West-Wales Demetia