till that in the yeare one thousand five hundred twenty and one Solyman the Great Turke did winne it from the Christians by force From thence South-ward is the I le * The Ile Carphathus Carphathus but in the farthest end of the East part of the Mediterranean is * The I le of Cyprus Cyprus which about three hundred yeares since was a Kingdome and did afford great ayde unto the Christians that went to conquer the Holy-Land but it is now under the Turke The chiefe City thereof is * The Citie of Famogusta Famogusta which is an Archbishops Sea for Christians for their Tribute doe yet live there In this Countrey in old time was Venus much honored and therfore she was called Cypria as also Paphia because shee had a Temple in a Citie there called * The Citie Paphos Paphos * The Iland Tyrus Neere unto Syria stood the Iland Tyrus against the pride whereof the Prophets doe much speake this was a rich Citie for Merchandize and Navigation in old time and is the place from whence Dido and the builders of Carthage did come The destruction of it is most famous by Alexander the Great Of the rest of the small Ilands wee doe say nothing Of the Ilands in the Jndian Sea THe Ilands are very many that doe lie in the Seas adjoyning to the East Indies but the most famous among them shall only be touched Among old Writers as especially appeareth by Solinus was well knowne that which was then called Taprobana which lieth neere the Aequinoctiall Line It was in that time a Monarchy where the Kings raigned not by succession but by election and if any of them did grow intolerable hee was deposed and enforced to die by withdrawing from him all things necessary This is now called * The Iland of Sumatra Sumatra and hath in it divers Kings Not farre from thence lie Eastward the two Ilands called * Two Jlands Iava major and Iava minor Java-major * Java-minor which were all knowne to the old Writers as in generall may bee noted that all the East-part either in the Continent or in the Ilands have very many small Kings and Kingdomes From whence yet more East lieth a great number of Iles which are now called the * The Ilands of Moluccoes the great Riches which the King of Spaine receives from hence yearly Moluccoes which are places as rich for their quantity as any in the World from these it is that the Spaniards have yearely so great quantity of all kindes of Spice neither is there any place of all the East Indies that doth more richly furnish home their Carrects then doe these Moluccoes The Ilands which are called by that name are by some of our Writers accounted to bee at least foure and twentie or five and twentie and some of them which are the bigger have in them two or three Kings a peece and some of them which are lesse are either the severall Dominion of severall Kings or else two or three of them doe belong to some one Prince * Note When Sir Francis Drake did compasse the whole World hee came neere unto these but did not touch at any of them but Master Candish taking at large a journey was in one or more of them where hee found the people to bee intelligent and subtill and the Kings of the Countrey to take upon them as great state as might be convenient for such petty Princes Some of these Islands the Spaniards in right of the Portugals have got into their owne possession with the Kings of some other they have leagued and a third sort utterly detest them More North-ward over against China lyeth a Countrey consisting of a great many Islands called Iapona of * The Iland of Iapan Iapan the people whereof are much of the same nature with the men of China this Countrey was first discovered by the Jesuites who in a blinde zeale have travelled into the farthest parts of the World to winne men to their Religion This Iland is thought to be very rich About the parts of Iapan there are divers people whose most ordinary habitation is at the Sea and doe never come into the Land but onely for their necessities or to furnish themselves with new vessels wherein they may abide but lying not farre from the Land they have Ducks and other Fowles swimming about them which sometimes they take into their Boats and Ships and in such sort doe breed them to the maintenance of them and their Children Into this Iapan of late dayes have our English also sayled as into other parts of the East Indies and there erected a Factory The rest that be either neere unto Asia or Africa because there is little written of them wee passe over Divâ—rs smal Iionds onely named onely naming them as the Philippina Borreo Bandara as also on the side of Africke the Island of Saint Laurence called by the Inhabitants Madagascar Sumatra and other of lesse note And yet we doe finde in Solinus and Plinie but especially in Pomponius Mela that it was knowne in old time that there were many Ilands neere unto the East Indies which as it might bee first discovered by the trafficking of the Ilanders into the Continent so no doubt that Navie which Alexander sent out to Jndia to descry and coast thorow the Easterne Seas did give much light thereunto partly by that which themselves did see and partly by those things which they heard in such places or of such persons as they met with in their travell Of the Ilands in the Atlanticke Sea THere bee many Ilands which be westward from Africa and from Europe as those which are called the * Iland of Gorgades Gorgades that lie in the same climate with Guinea which are foure in number not inhabited by men but they are full of Goates Peter Martyr in his first Decade the sixt Booke saith that the Admirall Colonus in the yeare of Christ 1498 sailing to Hispaniola with eight Ships came to the I le * The Ile Madera Madera from whence sending directly the rest of his Ships to the East Indies hee in one Ship with deckes and two Carayels sayled to the Equinoctiall betweene which and the I le Madera in the middest way lie thirteene Ilands of the Portugals in old time called * Hesperides Hesperides now Cabonerde two dayes sayling distant from the inner parts of Ethiâ—pe one whereof is called * Bonavista Bonavista North-ward from thence in the same climate with the South part of Morocco lie those which are called * Canariae Ilands Canariae or the fortunate Ilands which are seven in number being most fruitfull and very pleasant and therefore called by that name Fortunatae insulae This is famous in them that it hath pleased all Cosmographers to make their Meridian to bee their first point where they doe beginne to reckon the computation of their Longitude and unto them after three hundred and
the midst of which stands the great City of Tenustitan or Mexico the Mistris or imperiall City of those parts and on the bankes or sides of that Lake many other Cities also beside which though they are but little in comparison of the greatnesse of Tenustitan yet of themselves are great This Tenustitan is supposed to consist of sixty thousand houses as you may reade in the third Chapter of the fifth of the Decades and this City standing in the midst and centre of this salt Lake goe which way you will from the Continent to the Citie it is at least a league and an halfe or two leagues on the Lake unto it some of the other Cities are said to be thirty some of fortie thousand Houses the names of these are * Foure Cities more in America Mesiqualcingo Coluacana Wichilabasco Iztapalapa and others the Lake though it bee in the middest of the Land hath his fluxus refluxus his ebbing and flowing like the Sea and yet seventy leagues distant from the Sea But certaine it is that towards the South of these parts which is the Northerne part of Hispania nova above Mexico there * The burning Hill in America is a burning Hill which oftentimes breaketh out into flames as Vesuvius in Campania did in the time of the elder Plinie and as Aetna hath done many Ages since and before Peter Martyr in the fift of his Decads saith that eight leagues from Tenustitan or Mexico as Ferdinando Cortes went thither from the Chiurute Calezthere is a Hill called of the Inhabitants Popecatepeque as much as to say a smokie Mountaine at the top whereof there is a hole of a League and a halfe wide out of which are cast * A strange fire fire and stones with Whirlewindes and that the thicknesse of the ashes lying about the Hill is very great It is reported also elsewhere of this Hill that the flames and ashes thereof oft times destroy the fields and Gardens thereabouts When Cortes went by it he senten Spaniards with Guides of the Countrey to see and make report thereof unto him two of which ten venturing further then the rest saw the mouth of this fiery Gulph at the Hils top and had they not happily soone returned towards their Fellowes and sheltred themselves under a Rock on the side of the Hill such a multitude of stones were cast out with the flame that by no meanes they could have escaped * Of Virginia the first plantation The Englishmen also desirous by Navigation to adde some thing unto their owne Countrey as before time they had travelled toward the farthest North part of America so lately finding that part which lyeth betweene Florida and Nova Francia was not inhabited by any Christians and was a Land fruitfull and fit to plant in they sent thither two severall times two severall Companies as Colonies to inhabite that part which in remembrance of the Virginitie of their Queene they called Virginia But this Voyage being enterprized upon by private men and being not throughly followed by the State the possession of this Virginia for that time was discontinued and the Countrey left to the old Inhabitans * The second plantation I here was some English people who after they had understood the calmnesse of the Climate and goodnesse of the foyle did upon the instigation of some Gentlemen of England voluntarily offer themselves even with their Wives and Children to goe into those parts to inhabit but when the most of them came there upon some occasions they returned home againe the first time which caused that the second yeare there was a great company transported thither who were provided of many necessaries and continued there over a whole Winter under the guiding of Master Lane but not finding any sustenance in the Country which could well brooke with their nature and being too meanely provided of Corne and Victuals from England they had like to have perished with Famine and therefore thought themselves happy when Sir Francis Drake comming that way from the Westerne Indies would take them into his Ships and bring them home into their Native Country Yet some there were of those English which being left behind ranged up and downe the Countrey and hovering about the Sea coast made meanes at last after their induring much misery by some Christian Shippes to bee brought backe againe into England While they were there inhabiting there were some children borne and baptized in those parts and they might well have endured the Countrey if they might have had such strength as to keepe off the inhabitants from troubling them in tilling the ground and reaping such Corne as they would have sowed * The third plantation Againe in the dayes of our now raigning Soveraigne in the yeere of our Lord 1606. the English planted themselves in Virginia under the degrees 37 38 39. where they doe to this day continue and have built three Towns and Forts as namely Iames-Towne and Henrico Fort Henricke and Fort Charles with others which they hold and inhabite sure retreats for them against the force of the natives and reasonably secured places against any power that may come against them by Sea In the same height but a good distance from the coast of Virginia lyeth the Iland called by the Spaniards La Bermuda but by our English the * Of the Summer Ilands Summer Ilands which of late is inhabited also by our Countrey-men North-ward from them on the coast lyeth Norumbega which is the South-part of that which the French-men did without disturbance of any Christian for a time possesse For the French-men did discover a large part of America towards the Circle Articke and did build there some Townes and named it of their owne Countrey Nova Francia As our English-men have adventured very farre for the discovery of new found Lands so with very great labour and diligence they attempted to open something higher than Nova Francia and therefore with some Shippes they did passe thither and entred upon the Land from whence they brought some of the people whose countenance was very tawny and duskie which commeth not by any heate but the great cold of the Climate chilling and pricking them but the digestion and stomacke of these people is very good in so much that like unto the Tartars some other Northerne Nation their feeding was for the most part upon raw meate their manners otherwise being barbarous and sutable to their Diet. They had little leatherne Boats wherein they would fish neere the brinckes of the Sea and at their pleasure would carry them from place to place on their backes Notwithstanding all their paines there taken it was a great errour and ignorance in our men when they supposed that they should finde good store of Gold-mines in those quarters for the Countrey is so cold that it is not possible to find there any full concoction of the sunne to breed and worke such a mettall within the
and so to the Molucco Ilands then homeward from the East by Africke did in a devise give the Globe of the Earth with this word or motto Primus me circumdedisti which is not simply to be understood that never any had gone round the World before him but that never any of fame for Magellane himselfe was slaine as before is noted or else he did doubt of the truth of that narration that the Ship called Victoria did returne with safety into Spaine The Maps which were made at first concerning America Peru did so describe the Westerne part of Peru as if when a man had passed Magellane Straits and did intend to come upwards towards Nova Hispania on the further side he must have borne much West by reason that the Land did shoot out with a very great Promontory and bending that way But our Englishmen which went with Sir Francis Drake did by their owne experience certainely finde that the Land from the uttermost end of the Straits on Peru side did goe up towards the South directly without bending to the West and that is the cause wherefore all the new Maps and Globes especially made by the English or by the Dutch who have taken their directions from our men are reformed according to this new observation When the Spaniards had once found an ordinary passage from the South Sea towards the Moluccoes they never ceased to travaile that way and discovered more and more and by that meanes they have found out divers Ilands not knowne in former Ages as two for example sake a good distance from the Moluccoes which because * Insulae Latronum they be inhabited by men which do steale not only each from other but doe pilfer away all things that they can from such strangers as doe land thereabouts they are called Insulae Latronum They have also descryed some other neere unto the East Indies which they now tearme * Jnsulae Solomonis Insulae Solomonis But the most renowned of all are those of whom the name is given * Philippinae Philippina in remembrance of Philip the Second King of Spaine at whose cost they were discovered * Their Richâ—s These Philippinae are very rich and from thence is brought abundance of costly Spices and some other rich Merchandize yea and Gold too There were also some other Ilands descryed by Magellanus himselfe which he called * Insulas infortunatas Insulas infortunatas as being of quality contrary to the Canaries which are tearmed the fortunate Islands for when hee passing thorow the South Sea and meaning to come to the Moluccoes where hee was slaine did land in these Ilands thinking there to have furnished himself with victuals and fresh water hee found the whole places to be barren and not inhabited Of the Countreys that lie about the two Poles HAving laid downe in some measure the description of the olde known World Asia Africa and Europe with the Islands adjoyning unto them and also of America which by some hath the title of New-found-world it shall not be amisse briefly to say something of a fift and sixt part of the Earth the one lying neer the South Pole and the other neer the North which are places that in former times were not known nor thought of When Magellanus was come downe to the Southerne end of Peru he found on the further side of the Straits a maine and huge land lying towards the South-Pole which some of his name called since * Regio Magellanica Regio Magellanica and that so much the rather because he touched upon it againe before he came to the Moluccoes Since his time the Portugales travelling towards Calecut and the East Indies there have some of them bin driven by tempest so far as to that which many now call the South Continent and so divers of sundry Nations have there by occasion touched upon it It is found therefore by experience for to goe along all the degrees of longitude and as in some places it is certainely discovered to come up so high towards the North as to the Tropicke of Capricorne so it is conjectured that towards the South it goeth as farre as to the Pole The ground whereof is that never any man did perceive the Sea did passe thorow any part thereof nay there is not any great River which hath yet beene described to come out of it into the Ocean whereupon it is concluded that since somewhat must fill up the Globe of the Earth from the first appearing of this land unto the very Pole and that cannot be any Sea unlesse it should be such a one as hath no entercourse with the Ocean which to imagine is uncertaine therefore it is supposed that it commeth whole out into the Land to the Antarticke Pole which if it should be granted it must needs be acknowledged withall that this space of Earth is so huge as that it equalleth in greatnesse not only Asia Europe and Africa but almost America being joyned unto them Things memorable in this Countrey are yet reported to be very few only in the East part of it over against the Moluccoes some have written that there bee very waste countries and wildernesses but we find not so much as mention whether any do inhabit there or no. And over against the promontory of Africke which is called Caput bonae spei there is a Countrey which the Portugals called * Psittacorum Regio Psittacorum regio because of the abundant store of Parrots which they found there Neere to the Magellane straits in this South part of the world is that land the Spaniards call Terra del fuego * Terra del fuego those also which have touch'd at it in other places have given to some parts of it these names Boach Eucach Maletur but we have no perfect description of it nor any knowledge how or by whom it is inhabited * A description of the people About this place the said Portugals did at one time saile along for the space of 2000. Miles and yet found no end of the land And in this place they reported that they saw inhabitants which were very faire and fat people and did goe naked which is the more to be observed because we scant read in any writer that there hath bin seen any people at all upon the South-coast More towards the East not far from the Moluccoes there is one part of this countrey as some suppose although some doubt whether that be an Iland or no which commeth up so high towards the north as the very Aequinoctial line and this is commonly called * Nova Guinea Nova Guinea because it lieth in the same climate and is of no other temperature then Guinea in Africke is I have heard a great Mathematician in England finde fault both with Ortelius and Mercatâ—r and all our late Makers of Maps because in describing this Continent they make no mention of any Cities
lyeth neerest to the Mediterranean was by the space of seven hundred yeers possessed by the Moores and Saracens who do confesse the Religion of Mahumet the reason whereof Rodericus Toletanus in the third Book of his Story doth shew to be this Rodericus Toletanus that whereas the Saracens after Mahumets time had spred themselves all along Africk even unto the Western part of Barbary a King of Spaine called Rodericus employed in an Embassage to them one Iulian a Nobleman of his who by his wise demeanour procured much reputation amongst the Moores but in the time of his service the King Rodericus destoured the Daughter of the said Iulian which the Father tooke in such indignation that hee procured those Saracens to come over into Spaine that so he might be revenged on his King but when those barbarous people had once set foot in there they could never be remooved untill the time of Ferdinando and Elizabeth King and Queen of Spain about a hundred yeeres since The Authour before named writeth that before the comming of those Moores into Spaine the King Rodericus would needs open a part of a Palace which had been shut long before and had by discent from hand to hand beene forbidden to be entred by any yet the King supposing there had beene great treasure therein broke into it but found nothing there saving in a great Chest the pictures of men who resembled the proportion Attire and Armour of the Moores and a Prophecie joyned therewithall A strange and unexpected prophecie that at that time when the Pallace should be entred such a people as was there resembled should invade and spoile Spaine which fell out accordingly The Spaniards that now are be a very mixt people descended of the Gothes which in former times possessed that Land and of those Saracens and Iews which are the basest people of the World Portugall added to the Kingdome of Spain The Kingdome of Portugall did contain under it Regnum Algarbiorum but both of them are now annexed unto Castile by the cunning of the King of Spaine Philip the Second who tooke the advantage after the death of Sebastian who was slaine in Barbary in the Yeere 1578. Then after him raigned Henry who sometimes was Cardinall and Vncle to Sebastian in whose time although shew was made that it should be lawfully debated unto whom the Crowne of Portugall did belong yet Philip meaning to make sure work did not so much respect the right as by main force invaded and since to the great griefe of the Portugals hath kept it The chiefe City of Portugall is Lisbone Lisbone the chief City of Portugall called in Latine Olysippo from whence those Navigations were advanced by which the Portugals discovered so much of their South part of Africk of the East Indies possessed by them to this day The City from whence the Castilians do set forth their ships to the West Indies is Sevill Sevill called in Latine Hispalis Another great City in Spain is Toledo Toledo where the Archbishopricke is the richest spirituall dignity of Christendome the Papacy onely excepted The magnificent greatnes of Spain and Portugall In the time of Damianus à Goes there were reckoned to be in Spain foure Archbishoprickes of great worth three other inferiour and forty Bishopricks as also in Portugall three Archbishoprickes and eight Bishopricks Hee reckoneth up also in Spaine besides the great Officers of the Crown 17 Dukes 41 Marquesses 87 Earles or CouÌ„ts 9 Viscounts as also in Portugall besides the Officers of the Crown six Dukes 4 Marquesses nineteen Earles and one Vicount In Spaine he saith are seven Vniversities The Country is but dry and so consequently barren in comparison of some other places What commodities it doth yeeld it may be seen in the Treatise of Damianus a Goes which hee calleth his Hispania Not onely this great and large Countrey heretofore divided into so many Kingdomes is now under one absolute King but that King also is Lord of many other Territories as namely of the Kingdome of Naples in Italy and the Dutchy of Millaine of the Isles of Sicily Sardinia Majorque Minorque Evisa In the mid-land Sea of the Ilands of the Canaries in the Atlantique besides divers strong Towns and goodly Havens in Barbary within without the Straits On the back side of Africk he commands much on the Frontiery besides the Islands adjoyning to the mayn Land In the Western Indies he hath Mexico Peru Brasil large Territories with the Islands of the South the North Sea And Philip the Second getting Portugall as a Dowry to that forc't Marriage got also all the dependances of that Crown in Africke the East Indies and the Atlantique Sea the Towns of Barbary and the East Indies willingly submitting themselves unto him but the Terceras hee wonne by force at the first and second Expedition so if we consider the huge tract of ground that is under this Kings Dominion The Empery of the Kingdome of Spain the greatâ—st in the Christian World wee will say that the Empery of the King of Spain is in that respect the largest that now is or ever was in the World Of France France how bounded THE next Countrey is France which is bounded on the West with the Pyrenie hils on the North with the English Seas on the East with Germany on the South-east with the Alpe-hils on the Southwest with the Mediterranean Sea The Kingdome of France is for one entire thing France oâ—â— of the most absolute kingdomes of the World one of the most rich and absolute Monarchies of the World having both on the North and South side the Sea standing very convenient for profit of Navigation and the land it selfe being ordinarily very fruitfull The consideration wherof caused Francis the first King of France to compare this Kingdome alone to all the Dominions and Seigniories of Charles the fifth Emperour for when the Herauld of the sayd Charles bidding Defiance to King Francis did give his Majestie the title of Emperour of Germany King of Castile Arragon Naples Sicilie c. Francis commanded his Herauld to call him so often King of France as the other had Titles by all his Countryes implying that France alone was of as much strength and worth as all the Countries which the other had Concerning this Argument see the warlike and politike Discourses of Monsieur de la Nove. He who writeth the Commentaries of Religion and state of France doth shew that when there had beene of late in France in the dayes of Francis the second and Charles the ninth three Civill warres which had much ruinated the glory and beauty of that Kingdome Civil wars in France when a little before the great Massacre in the yeare one thousand five hundred seventy two there had beene peace in that Country scant full two yeares yet so great is the riches and happinesse of that Kingdome that in that short time
not the least cause why hee resigned the Empire to his Brother Ferdinando The manner of Germany is that the Title of Nobility which is in the Father The titles of their Nobility commonly is imparted to all the sonnes so that every Sonne of a Duke of Saxony is called Duke of Saxony and every Childe of the Count of Mansfield is honoured by the name of Count or Countesse of Mansfield but in the eldest House the chiefe livelihood doth remayne for keeping upright the dignity of the Family Free States and Cities There are also free States and Cities which have the same authority as Argentine Frankeford and other This is to be noted of the Germanes that they may boast this above other more Westernly Nations of Europe A note worthy of observation that they are an unmixed Nation for whereas the Lombards and Gothes at severall times have set downe in Italy and mixed themselves with the people thereof the Gothes Vandals and Saracens in Spaine the Francks in Gaule or France and the Normans also the Saxons Angles Danes and Normans in Great Brittaine they have beene free from such inundation and mixture yea many of the people that have inflicted and inhabited these other Nations have come from thence so that therein Germany hath an advantage of these other Nations that have been subject hereunto Of Italie ON the South side of the Alpes and Germany lyeth Jtaly Situation of Italy stretching it selfe out at length toward the South East It hath on the Southside the Iland of Sicilia on the East that part of the Mediterranean which is called Mare Adriaticum or Mare superum which severeth Italy from Graecia on the Westside that part of the Mediterranean which is called Mare Tyrrhenum or Mare Inferum and the upper or more Northerne part of it neere Liguria Mare Ligusticum This Country for the figure therof is by some likened unto a long leafe of a tree It hath in the middle of it which goeth all in length a mighty Mountain named Mons Apenuinus which is likened unto the Spina or Ridge-bone of the backe Out of this Hill springeth divers Rivers which run on both sides of it into the Adriatick and Tyrrhene or Tuscane Seas As in other Countries so in Italy in times past there were divers severall people and severall Provinces Jtaly divided into foure parts like our Shires in England and so there be at this day but the mayn division of Italy is properly into â—oure parts as in our age we do account it The first Lombardy which â—yeth to the North. The second Tuscane which boundeth toward â—he Mediterranean Sea which way Corsica the Iland lyeth The third is â—he Land of the Church which is the Territory of the Bishop of Rome â—nd containeth in it that which is â—alled Romania The fourth is Naâ—les and in this division now is all â—taly comprehended The North part of this Italy is that which in ancient time was called Gallia Togata or Gallia Cisalpina â—nhabited then by Frenchmen It is â—ow called Longobardia or Lomâ—ardy wherein stand many rich GovernmeÌ„ts vernmeÌ„ts as the Dukedom of Millain of Mantua of Florence and other It is for the pleasantnesse therof in respect of the soyle ayre waters and great variety of wines and fruits Lombardy the Garden of God likened now by some to Paradice or the Garden of God In this Italy which was heretofore one entire government in the flourishing estate of the Romans are now many absolute States and Princedomes by the great policy oâ— the Bishop of Rome The policy of the Bishops of Rome who thoughâ— it the best way to make himself great to weaken the Empire So hâ— hath not onely driven the Emperouâ— out of all Joaly into Germany buâ— hath diminished his Majesty iâ— both by making so many petty governments which hold themselueâ— soveraigne Rulers without relatioâ— to any other The States of Venice As there are many States in Italy so one of the chiefest are the Venetians called Resp Venetorum or thâ— State of Venice because they are noâ—â— governed by any one but by theâ— Senate Gentlemen although they have a Duke with whose stampe their mony is coyned and in whose name all their executions of Iustice are done But this Duke is every way limited by the State City of Venice This City of Venice which joyneth to a corner of Lombardy standeth in Aestuarium or shallow of earth in the North part of the Adriaticke Sea so safely that it is held invincible There is in it but one street of firme Land into the other the Sea doth flow at every tide They have been a great rich State not onely â—ossessing much in Italy as Padua their Vniversity and other things which still they do but a great part of Illiricum many rich Ilands in the Mediterraneum as Candy called commonly Creta Cyprus Zazinâ—hus and other But Cyprus was taken from them a â—ittle before that fight at Sea wherin Don Iohn of Austria together with â—he Venetians had so renowned a viâ—tory against the Turk at the fight â—eer Lepanto The Venetians impoverished The impoverishing of their State hath partly bin by the incroching of the Turk but especially by the decaying of that traffique which they had to Alexandria in Egypt for their Spices and other riches of Persia Arabia and the East Indies since the course of the Portugals to those Eastern Countries hath been by Sea by the backside of Africa These Venetians which in time past were great warriours do now altogether decline enmity or hostility with all other Princes adjoyning and therfore by all means do take uâ— quarrels and cease controversies bâ— wisdome and patience temporizinâ— with the Turk the King of Spain and the Emperour who are mosâ— like to offend them The manner of their governmenâ— and the excellent course which theâ— have in chusing their Duke is written by Contarenus The excelleney of their government and some otheâ— of their Countrymen When theâ— do make any warres they seldomâ— send forth any General of their own but entertaine some Prince of Italy who is renowned for the warres In Lombardy standeth Millain In Lombardy standeth also the Dukedom of Millain a most rich pleasant thing which sometime had beene governed by a Duke of their own but of late hath been possessed by the Spaniard sometime by the French and is now in the government possession of the K. of Spain Tuscany Flo ence In Tuscany the chiefe City and Commander of all the rest is Florence where is supposed to be the best language of Italy called the vulgar Italian and the most circumspect policy of all the governments of Christendome which hath much bin increased since the time of Machiavel who was Secretary or Recorder to that State This was in times past a free City but of late by the policy of the Family of the Medices it is brought under the subjection
Asia and Europe so neere together and the Sea running between them which serveth each place with alâ— manner of commodities it appeareth that Constantinople is marvelâ— lously richly and conveniently seated and therefore a fit place from whence the Turke may offer to archieve great attempts After this strait the Sea openeth iâ— selfe more large toward the South and it is called by the name of Propontis But then it groweth againâ— into another strait which they writâ— to be in breadth about two mileâ— This is called Hellespontus Hellâ—spontus Xerxes Bridge having on the one side Abidus in Asia on the other side Sestus oâ— the side of Europe This is thâ— place where Xerxes the great Kinâ— of Persia did make his Bridge oveâ— the Sea so much renowned iâ— ancient History which was not impossible by reason of the narrow nesse the foundation of his Bridg being rested on ships Here alâ— may appeare the reason of the stoâ—â— of Leander and Hero which Leaâ—der is reported for the love of Herâ—to have oftentimes swom over thâ—â— Sea till at last hee was drowned From this strait Southward the Sea groweth more wide and is called afterwards by the name of Mare Aegeum Mare Aegeum and so descendeth to the full Mediterranean Of Asia and first of Tartary ON the Northside of Asia joyning unto the dominion of the Emperour of Russia is Tartary Tartary bounded in ancient time called Scythia the bounds wherof did then extend themselves into a good part of Europe therefore was called Scythia Europea but the greatest part of it lyeth in Asia a mighty large Country extending it selfe on the North to the uttermost Sea on the East to the Dominion of the Great Cham or Prince of Cathaie on the South down to Mare Caspium The Tartarians which now inhabit it are men of great stature rude of behaviour no Christians Their Religion but Gentiles neither doe they acknowledge Mabumet They have few or no Citieâ— among them but after the manner of the old Scythians doe live iâ— Wildernesses lying vnder their Carts and following their drove of cattell by the milke whereoâ— they doe nourish themselves Theâ— sowe no Corne at all because theâ— abide not long in any one place buâ— taking their direction from theâ— North-pole-starre they remoovâ— from one coast of their Countreâ— unto another The Countrey is populous and the men are great warriers fighting alwayes on horse backe with their bow Their manner of war arrowes anâ— a short Sword They have amongâ— them infinite store of horses wheâ—of they sell many into the Countries neere adjoyning Their ordnary food in their warres is horse flesh which they use to eate rawâ— being chafed a little by hanging 〈◊〉 their Saddle They have great wars with thâ— Countries adjoyning but especiall with the Muscovite and sometimes with the Turke from hence came Tamberlaine Tamberlain the Great a Tartarian who brought 7000000 of the Tartarians at once into the field wherein he distressed and took prisoner Bajazet the great Turke whom he afterward forced to feed as a Dogge under his table They have now amongst them many Princes and Governours as those have one whom they call the Crim Tartars and those have another which are the Tartars of Magaiae and so divers others The English have laboured to their great expences to finde out the way by the North Seas of Tartaria to go into Cathay and China but by reason of the frozen Seas they have not yet prevailed although it hath beene reported that the Flemmings have discovered that passage which would be very likely to the great benefit of the Northern parts of Christendome yet that report doth not continue and therfore it is to be thought that the Flemmings have not proceeded so farre Of Cathaie and China NExt beyond Tartaria on the Northeast part of Asia lyeth a great Countrey called Cathaie Situation of Cathaie the bounds whereof extend themselves on the North and East to the utter most Seas and on the South to China The people are not much learned but more civil than the Tartars and have good and ordinary trafficke with the Countries adjoyning This Countrey hath in it many Kings which are tributaries and do owe obedience unto one whom they call the great Cham The Great Can of Cathaie or Can of Cathaie who is the chiefe Governour of all the Land and esteemed for multitude of people and largenesse of Dominion to be one of the greatest Princes of the World but his name is the lesse famous for that hee lyeth so farre distant from the best Nations and the passage into his Countrey is so dangerous either for the perils of the Sea or for the long space by Land His chiefe Imperiall Citie is called Cambalu On the South side of Cathaie Cambalu the chiese Citie of China and East part of Asia next to the Sea lyeth China and the people thereof Osorius describeth by the name of Sina and calleth their Countrey Sinarum Regio A very rich Countrey This is a fruitfull Countrey and yeeldeth as great store of rich Commodities as almost any Countrey in the World It containeth in it very many severall Kingdomes which are absolute Princes in their Seats The chief Citie in this Countrey is called Quinsay Quinsay the chiefe Citie and is described to be of incredible greatnesse as were wont to be the ancient Cities in the East as Babylon Ninivie and others This Countrey was first discovered by the late Navigation of the Portugalls into the East Indies The people skilfull in Arts. The people of China are learned almost in all Arts very skilfull Worke-men in curious fine works of all sorts so that no Countrey yeeldeth more precious Merchandize than the workmanship of them They are great Souldiers very politicke and crafty and in respect thereof contemning the wits of others using a Proverbe That all other Nations doe see but with one eye Their Proverbe but they themselves with two Petrus Maffaeus Historiographer to the King of Spaine for the Easterne Indies doth report of them that they have had from very ancient time among them these two things which wee hold to be the Miracles of Christendome and but lately invented The one is the use of Gunnes for the Warres Two rare wonders invented in China Guns and Printing and the other is Printing which they use not as wee doe writing from the left hand unto the right or as the Hebrewes and Syrians from the right hand unto the left but directly downeward and so their lines at the top doe beginne againe Of the East Indies ON the Southside of China toward the Molucco Ilands and the Indian Sea lyeth the great Country of India extending it selfe from the South part of the Continent Thâ— situation of the Indies by the space of many thousand miles Westward unto the River Indus which is the greatest River in all the Countrey except Ganges one of the greatest Rivers
that Gordius who knit the knot called for the intricatenesse thereof Nodus Gordianus Gordius knot and when it could not bee untied was cut in sunder by Alexander the Great supposing that it should bee his fortune for the loosing of it so to bee the Conquerour and King of Asia as by a prophecie of the same Gordius had beene before spoken Yet North-ward from Phrygia lyeth the Countrey of Bythinia Bythinia which was sometimes a Kingdome where Prusias raigned that had so much to doe with the Romanes In this Countrey standeth the Citie Nicea Citie of Nice where the first Generall Councell was held against Arius the Heretike by Constantine the Great thereof called the Nicene Councell Here standeth also Chalcedon where the fourth Generall Councell was held by the Emperour Martianus Chalcedon against the Heretike Nestorius From Bythinia Eastward on the Northside of Asia the lesse standeth the Countrey of Paphlagonia Paphlagonia where was the Citie built by Pompey the Great called by his name Pompeiopolis On the South of Paphlagonia toward the Iland of Asia Minor Pompeiopolis did stand the Countrey of Galatia whereunto Saint Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galathians Galatia And this also was one of those Countries where the Iewes were dispersed unto which Saint Peter wrote his first Epistle as also unto them which were in Pontus Cappadocia and Bythinia from whence Southward lyeth the Province termed Lycaonia Lycaonia And from thence yet more South bordering upon Pamphilia which touches the Mediterranean Sea lyeth Pisidia Pisidia concerning which countries we finde oftentimes mention made in such Stories as doe touch Asia the lesse From these Southerne parts if we returne backe againe unto the North and East of Asia Major The kingdome of Pontus lyeth the Kingdome of Pontus confining upon that which is named Pontus Euxinus In this Pontus did raigne Mithridates Mithridates who in his younger dayes had travelled over the greatest part of Asia and is reported to have beene so skilfull that hee could well speake more than twentie Languages His hatred was ever great towards the Romanes against whom when hee meant first to put his malice in practise he so combined with the Naturals of those parts that in one night they slew more than threescore and tenne thousand of the Romanes carrying their intendment so close that it was revealed by none till the execution was done Pompey brought Mithridates to distresse Pompey the Great was the man who distressed this Mithridates and brought him to that extremity that hee would gladly have poysoned himselfe but could not in as much as his stomack had beene used so before unto that kinde of Triacle which by reason of his inventing of unto this day is called Alithridate which is made of a kinde of poyson allayed that no venome would easily work upon him Southward from this Pontus standeth the old Kingdome of Cappadocia Cappadocia which in times past was observed to have many men in it but little money Whence Horace saith Mancipiis locuples eget aris Cappadocum Rex Armenia Minor Eastward from this Cappadocia as also from Pontus is Armenia Minor whereof the things memorable are described in the other Armenia And thus much touching Asia the lesse Of Syria and Palestina or the Holy Land SOuthward from Silicia and Asia the lesse Syria bounded lyeth Syria a part whereof was called Palaestina having on the East Mesopotamia on the South Arabia on the West Tyre and Sydon and the end of the Mediterranean Sea The people of this Syria were in times past called the Aramites Their ancient names In their language is the translation of the new Testament called Syriacke Citie of Antioch In this Countrey standeth Antioch which was sometimes one of the ancient Patriarchs Seas and is a Citie of reckoning unto this day Here also standeth now the Citie of Aleppo Aleppo which is a famous Mart Towne for the Merchandizing of the Persians and others of the East and for the Turks and such Countries as be adjoyning Here standeth also Tripolis Tripolis The South part of Syria lying downe toward Aegypt and Arabia was the place where the Children of Israel died well being a Country of small quantity not 200 Jtalian miles in length it was so fruitfull flowing with Milke and Honey as the Scripture calleth it that it did mayntayne above thirty Kings and their people Thirty Kings before the comming of the Children of Israel out of Aegypt and was sufficient afterwards to relieve the incredible number of the twelve Tribes of Israel It is noted of this Countrey Note that whereas by the goodnesse of the Climate wherein it stood and the fertilitie of the Soyle but especially by the blessing of God it was the most fruitfull Land that was in the World Now our Travellers by experience doe finde the Countrey in respect of the fruitfulnesse to be changed God cursing the Land together with the Iewes the Inhabitants of it It is observed also for all the Easterne parts that they are not so fertile as they have beene in former Ages the Earth as it were growing olde which is an Argument of the dissolution to come by the day of Iudgement The River Iordan Through this Countrey doth runne the River Iordan which hath heretofore beene famous for the fruitfulnesse of the trees standing thereupon and for the mildnesse of the Ayre so that as Iosephus writeth when Snow hath been in other places of the Land about the River it hath beene so calme that men did goe in single thinne linnen garments In this Countrey standeth the Lake The Lake Asphaltites called Lacus Asphaltites because of a kinde of slime called Bitumen or Asphaltum which daily it doth cast up being of force to joyne stones exceeding fast in building And into this Lake doth the River Iordan run Mare Mortuum This Lake is it which is called Mare Mortuum a Sea because it is salt and Mortuum or Dead for that no living thing is therein The water thereof is so thicke that few things will sinke therein in so much that Iosephus saith that an Oxe having all his legges bound will not sinke into that water The nature of this Lake as it was supposed was turned into this quality when God did destroy Sodome and Gomorrah and the Cities adjoyning with fire and Brimstone from Heaven for Sodome and the other Cities did stand neere unto Iordan and to this Mare Mortuum for the destruction of whom all that Coast to this day is a witnesse the Earth smelling of Brimstone being desolate and yeelding no Fruit saving Apples which grow with a faire shew to the eye like other Fruit but as soone as they are touched doe turne presently to soot or ashes as besides Josephus Solinus doth witnesse in his 48 Chapter Twelve Tribet of Israel The Land of Palestina had for its Inhabitants all the Twelve Tribes of
Israel which were under one Kingdome till the time of Rehoboam the Sonne of Solomon But then were they divided into two Kingdomes ten Tribes being called Israel and two Iudah whose chiefe Citie was called Ierusalem Jerusalem Twelve Tribes divided The ten Tribes after much Idolatry were carried prisoners unto Assyria and the Kingdome dissolved other people being placed in their roome in Samaria and the Country adjoyning The other two Tribes were properly called the Iewes and their Land Iudaea The Iewes which continued long after in Ierusalem and thereabout till the Captivity of Babylon where they lived for seventie yeares They were afterward restored but lived without glory till the comming of Christ But since that time for a curse upon them and their children for putting Christ to death they are scattered upon the face of the Earth as Runnagates without certaine Countrey King Priest or Prophet In their chiefe City Jerusalem was the Temple of God first most gloriously built by Salomon and afterward destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar Jerusalem destroyed By the commandement of Cyrus King of Persia was a second Temple built much more base than the former For besides the poverty and smalnesse of it there wanted five things which were in the former as the Iewes write Note First the Arke of the Covenant Secondly the pot of Manna Thirdly the Rodde of Aaron Fourthly the two Tables of the Law written by the finger of God And fiftly the fire of the Sacrifice which came downe from Heaven Herod the Great an Edomite stranger having gotten the Kingdome contrary to the Law of Moses and knowing the people to be offended therewithall to procure their favour did build a third Temple wherein our Saviour Iesus Christ and his Apostles did teach The City of Jerusalem was twice taken and utterly laid desolate Ierusalem twice destroyed 1 By Nebuchadnezzar 2 By Vespasian first by Nebuchadnezzar at the Captivitie of Babylon and secondly after the death of Christ by Vespasian the Romane who first began the warres and by his Sonne Titus who was afterward Emperour of Rome who brought such horrible desolation on that Citie and the people thereof by Fire Sword and Famine that the like hath not beene read in any History Hee did afterwards put thousands of them on some one day to be devoured of the Beasts which was a cruel Custome of the Romanes magnificence Although Numbers and Times be not superstitiously to be observed as many foolish imagine yet it is a matter in this place not unworthy the noting which Iosephus reporteth in his seventh Booke and tenth Chapter de Bello Iudaico that the very same day whereon the Temple was set on fire by the Babylonians was the day whereon the second Temple was set on fire by the Romanes and that was upon the tenth day of August After this destruction the Land of Iudaea and the ruines of Ierusalem were possessed by some of the people adjoyning till that about sixe hundred yeares since the Saracens did invade it for expelling of whom from thence divers Frenchmen and other Christians under the leading of Godfrey of Bullen did assemble themselves thinking it a great shame that the Holy Land as they called it the Citie of Jerusalem and the place of the Sepulchre of Christ should bee in the hands of Infidels This Godfrey ruled in Ierusalem by the name of a Duke but his successours after him for the space of 87 yeares called themselves Kings of Ierusalem About which time Saladine who called himselfe King of Aegypt and Asia the lesse did winne it from the Christians For the recovery wherof Richard the first King of England together with the French King and the King of Sicilia did goe in person with their Armies to Ierusalem but although they wonne many things from the Infidels yet the end was that the Saracens did retaine the Holy Land Roger Hoveden in the life of Henry the Second King of England doth give this memorable note that at that time when the Citie of Ierusalem and Antioch were taken out of the hand of the Pagans by the meanes of Godfrey of Bullen and other of his Company the Pope of Rome that then was was called Vrbanus the Patriarch of Ierusalem Heraclius and the Romane Emperour Fredericke and at the same time when the said Ierusalem was recovered againe by Saladine the Popeâ— name was Vrbanus the Patriarch of Jerusalem Heraclius and the Roman Emperour Frederick Ierusalem in the Turkes Dominions The whole Countrey and Citie of Ierusalem are now in the Dominion of the Turke who notwithstanding for a great Tribute doth suffer many Christians to abide there There are now therefore two or more Monasteries and Religious Houses where Friers do abide and make a good commoditie of shewing the Sepulchre of Christ and other Monuments unto such Christian Pilgrimes as do use superstitiously to go in Pilgrimage to the Holy Land The King of Spaine was wont to call himselfe King of Ierusalem Of Arabia Arabia bounded NExt unto the Holy Land lyeth the great Country of Arabia having on the North part Palaestina and Mesopotamia on the East side the Gulph of Persia on the South the mayne Ocean of India or Aethiopia on the West Aegypt and the great Bay called Sinus Arabicus or the Red Sea This Countrey is divided into three parts the North part whereof is called Arabia Deserta Arabia divided into three parts the South part which is the greatest is named Arabia Foelix and the middle between both that which for the abundance of Rockes and Stones is called Arabia Petrea or Petrosa Of the Desart of Arabia The Desart of Arabia is that place in the which God after the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt by passing thorow the Red Sea did keepe his people under Moses for forty yeares because of their rebellion feeding them in the mean time with Manna from Heaven and sometimes with water miraculously drawne out of dry Rockes For the Countrey hath very little water almost no Trees and is utterly unfit for Tillage or Corn. There are no Townes nor inhabitants of this Desart in Arabia Petrosa are some but not many Arabia Foelix for Fruitfulnesse of ground and convenient standing every way toward the Sea is one of the best Countries of the World and the principall cause why it is called Foelix is for that it yeeldeth many things in abundance which in other parts of the World are not to be had as Frankincense especially the most precious Balmes Mirrhe and many other both Fruits and Spices and yeeldeth withall store of some precious stones When Alexander the Great was young after the manner of the Macedonians hee was to put Incense upon an Altar and powring on great store of Frankincense one of the Nobilitie of his Countrey told him that hee was too prodigall of that sweet perfume and that hee should make spare untill hee had conquered the Land wherein the Frankincense did grow But when
As hee is a Prince absolute so hee hath also a Priest-like or Patriarchall function and jurisdiction among them * One of the greatest in the world This is a very mighty Prince and reputed to bee one of the greatest Emperours in the world What was knowne of this countrey in former time was knowne under the name of Aethiopia but the voyages of the Portugalls in these late dayes have best described it The people thereof are Christians * Their Religion as is also their Prince but differing in many things from the West Church and in no sort acknowledging any supreme prerogative of the Bishop of Rome It is thought that they have retained Christianity even from the time of our Saviour being supposed to bee converted by the Chamberlaine of Candace the Queene of Aethiopia who was instructed concerning Christ by Philip the Evangelist in the Actes of the Apostles Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall story doth make mention of this But they doe to this day retaine Circumcision whereof the reason may be that the Eâ—nuch their Converter not having any further conference with the Apostle nor any else with him did receive the Ceremonies of the Church imperfectly retayning Circumcision which among the Iewes was not abolished when he had conference with Philip. Within the dominion of Prester John are the Mountains commonly called * Lunae montes Lunae montes where is the first wel-spring and rising of the river Nilus Yet there are that fetch the head of this River out of a certaine great Lake toward the South called Zembre out of which toward the West runnes the River of Zaire into the Kingdome of Moni-congo The River of Zuama or Cuama towards the South to the Kingdome of Monomotapa or Benomotapa as this River Nilus towards the North through the Kingdome of the Abissines to Aegypt which River running violently along this Countrey and sometimes hastily increasing by the melting of much Snow from the Mountaynes would over-runne and drowne a great part of Aegypt but that it is slaked by many Ponds Dammes and Sluces which are within the Dominion of Prester Iohn And in respect hereof for the maintenance of these the Princes of Aegypt have paid unto the Governour of the * The Abissines drowned Egypt Abissines a great Tribute time out of minde which of late the great Turke supposing it to be a custome needlesse did deny till the people of the Abissins by commandement of their Prince did breake downe their Dammes and drowning Aegypt did enforce the Turke to continue his pay and to give much mony for the new making of them very earnestly to his great charge desiring a peace In this Countrey also of Prester Iohn is the rising of the Famous River * The River Nigar Nigar supposed to have in it the most and the best precious stones of any River in the World which rising likewise out of a great Lake out of that Mount after it hath runne a good space hideth it selfe for the space of sixty miles under ground then appearing againe after it hath runne somewhat further makes a great Lake and againe after a great Tract another and at last after a long course fals at Cape Verde into the Atlantick Sea Ortelius in his larger Mappes describes it falling into the Sea like Nilus in Egypt with seven streames or Ostia but those that travell these parts say that there are only some Bayes but there is no River in those parts running into the Sea but Senega There bee other Countries in Africke * Countrie 3 more in Africk as Agisimba Lybia interior Nubia and others of whom nothing is Famous but this may be said of Africke in generall that it bringeth forth store of all sorts of wild Beasts as Elephants Lions Panthers Tygres and the like yea according to the Proverbe Africa semper aliquid apportat novi Oftentimes new and * Strange shapes of wild beasts strange shapes of wilde beasts are brought forth there the reason whereof is that the Countrey being very hot and full of Wildernesses which have in them little water the Beasts of all sorts being enforced to meet at those few watering places that bee where oftentimes contrary kinds have conjunction the one with the other so that there ariseth a new king of Species which taketh part of both Such a one is the Leopard begotten of the Lion and the Beast called Pardus and somewhat resembling either of them And thus farre of Africk Of the Northerne Ilands THe Ilands that do lie in the North are in nuÌ„ber almost infinite the chief of them onely shall bee briefly touched Very farre to the North in the same Climate almost with Sweden that is under the Circle Articke lyeth an Iland called in old time * Thule Thule which was then supposed to be the farthest part of the world North-ward therfore is called by Virgil Vltima Thule The Countrey is cold the people barbarous and yeeldeth little * Their commodities commodity saving Hawkes in some part of the yeare there is no night at all Vnto this land divers of our English Nation doe yearely travell and doe bring from thence good store of Fish but especially our deepest and thickest Ling which are therefore called Island-Lings It hath pleased God * Their Religion that in these latter times the Gospell is there preached and the people are instructed in Christianity having also the knowledge of good Learning which is brought about by the meanes of the King of Sweden unto whom that Iland is now subject There is lately written by one of of that Nation a pretty Treatise in Latine which describeth the manner of that Countrey and it is to be seene in the first Tome of master Hackluits Voyages Southward from thence lyeth * Frizeland Frizeland called in Latine Frizlandia whereas the Frizeland joyning to Germany is in Latine called Frizia On the coast of Germany one of the seventeene Provinces is called * Zealand in it standeth Flushen and Middleburge Zealand which containeth in it divers Ilands in whom little is famous saving that in one of them is Flishen or Flushen a towne of war and Middleburge is another a place of good Mart. Levinus Lemnius and some of the low Germanes bee of opinion that this Citie first was built by Metellus the Romane and that which now is called Middleburge was at the first termed Metelli Burgum The States of the Low-countries doe hold this Province against the King of Spaine These Ilands have beene much troubled of late with inundation of water The Iland that lyeth most West of any fame is * Ireland Ireland which had in it heretofore many Kings of their owne but the whole Land is now annexed to the Crowne of England The people naturally are rude and superstitious the Countrey good and fruitfull but that for want of tillage in divers places they suffer it to grow into Bogges and Desarts * A rare
Nobility of Scotland and by that meanes the Kings of England were no sooner attempting any thing upon France but the Scots by and by would invade England Whereupon the * A Proverbe Proverbe amongst our people grew That hee who will France winne must with Scotland first begin * The policie of the French And these Frenchmen continuing their policie did with infinite rewards breake off the Marriage which was intended and agreed upon betweene King Edward the sixt and Mary the late unfortunate Queene of Scotland drawing her rather to bee married with the Dolphine of France who was Sonne to King Henry the second and afterward himselfe raigned by the name of King Francis the second But this was so ill taken by the English that they sought revenge upon Scotland and gave them a great overthrow in that battell which was called * Musselborough field Musselborough-field The people of this Countrey were in times past so * The barbarousnesse of these Scots in former times barbarous that they did not refuse to eate mans flesh which as Saint Hierome doth witnesse of them hee himselfe saw some of them to doe in France and the fame thereof went so farre that Chrysostome in one place doth allude to such a matter There bee many little Ilands adjoyning unto the great Iland Britaine as at the very North point of Scotland the * The Orcades the people barbarous Orcades which are in number above thirty The chiefe whereof is named Orkney whereof the people are barbarous On the West-side of Scotland towards Ireland lye the Ilands called Hebrides in number forty foure where inhabite the people ordinarily called the * The Red-shankes Red-shankes Not farre from thence is the I le Mona commonly called the * The I le of Man I le of Man the peculiar jurisdiction of the Earles of Darby with homage notwithstanding reserved to the Crowne of England On the North part of Wales is the Iland of * The I le of Anglesey Anglesey which is reputed a distinct Shire Towards France side on the South part of England is the I le of * The I le of Wight Wight in Latine called Vectis which is a good hold in the narrow Seas against the French More neere France are the Iles of * The Iles of Gernesey and Iernesey Gernesey and Iernesey where they speake French and are under the Crowne of England There are also many other but of small account As the Iles of Teanet and Sheppy on the side of Kent the Sorlings or Sully at the end of Cornewall in number as it is said 145. Caldey Lunday and the Flatholnes with * Divers other Ilands others in the mouth of Severne Holy-farne Cocket Ilands on the side of Northumberland And thus much of Great Britaine and the Ilands thereunto adjoyning Of the Ilands in the Mediterranean Sea THere be many Ilāds in the Mediterranean renowned in all the old Writers◠but the chiefe of them onely shall bee touched From the Pillars of Hercules going Eastward are two Ilands not far from Spaine which in times past were called * Iusulae Baleares Insulae Baleares for that the people of them did use both for their delight and Armour Slings which they continually almost carried about with them and whereunto as Pliny writeth they did traine up their Children from their youngest yeares not giving them any meat till they had from some post or beame cast it downe with a Sling Of these were those Fonditors or Sling-casters which the Carthaginians and Spaniards did use in their Warres against the Romanes The lesser of these which lyeth most West was called in old time Minorica The bigger which lyeth more East was called Majorica and now Minorica and Majorica they are both under the Dominion of the King of Spaine More Eastward in the Sea called Mare Inferum or Tyrrhenum lyeth the Island of * The Iland of Corsica Corsica over against Genua and direct Southward from thence lyeth the great * The Iland of Sardinia Island Sardinia For the quiet possession of which two the warres were often revived betweene the old Carthaginians and the Romanes for these two Islands lye in the middle very fitly The Iland of Corsica is subject to the State of Genua whither the Genoes doe transport things out of the Mayne and are ruled by their Governours as the Venetians doe Candie This Iland is but barren either in respect of some other that lye neere unto it or of the Countrey of Italy but yet yeeldeth profit ease and honour unto the States of Genua which have little land beside it The Island of Sardinia also is no way so fruitfull as Sicily but it is under the Government of the King of Spain and was the same which was promised to Anthony the King of Navarre Note Father to Henry the Fourth King of France in recompence of Pamplona and the rest of the Kingdome of Navarre then and now detained from him and his heires by the Spaniard But this was the device onely of the Cardinall of Lorraine who intending to draw him to Papistry and to order his politicke purposes did make shew of this which was no way meant by the Spaniard Further to the East at the very point of the South part of Jtaly lyeth the great * The Iland of Sicilia Iland Sicilia which some have supposed to have beene heretofore a part of the Continent but by an Earth-quake and inundation of water to have beene rent off and so made an Iland The figure of this Countrey is Triquetra triangled or three square Iustin in his fourth Booke doth seeme to suspect that Sicily was in times past fastned unto Italy But Seneca in Consolatione ad Martian Cap. 97. doth say plainly that it was sometimes a peece of the Continent There was also a great contention for this Countrey betweene the Carthaginians and the Romanes but the Romanes obtained it and had from thence exceeding store of Corne yearely whereupon Sicily was called Horreum Pop. Rom. Here stood the goodly * The Citie Syracusa Note City called Syracusa which was destroyed and sacked by Marcellus the Romane When as Livie writeth of him hee being resolved to set on fire that Citie which was then one of the goodliest places of the World could not chuse but break forth into teares to see how vaine and transitory the glory of worldly things is here At that time lived * Archimedes the famous Engine-maker Archimedes who was a most admirable ingenious Engine-maker for all kinde of Fortifications of whom it is said that by burning Glasses which hee made he did set on fire divers ships which the Romanes had lying in the Haven When the Citie was taken hee was making plots and drawing figures on the ground for to prevent the assaults of the Romanes and being unknowne he was slaine by some of the Souldiers which did breake in upon him Some thinke that it was
much hinder the courses of the Turks from Graecia and Asia and of the other Saracens from Fez and Morocco They are very valiant men fit to doe great service either by Land or Sea as appeared when Solyman did thinke to have surprised them and their Iland the description of which warre is diligently laid downe by Caelius secundus Curio in a Treatise dedicated to Elizabeth Queene of England There hath beene divers other Orders of Knights yea and some of them reputed to bee a kinde of Religion in Portugall France England Burgundy and some other places of Christendome but because their service hath not beene employed purposely as these which are before mentioned wee doe not touch them in this place Neere unto Graecia and Peloponnesus on the West side towards Italy is the I le of Corcyra now termed * The Iles Corfu Corfu and not farre South from that is * Cephalenia Cephalenia and from thence South is * Zon. Zon called by Virgill Nemorosa Zacynthus alâ— which Ilands are at this day under the Venetians The greatest * The commodities of the countrey commodity which that Countrey doth yeeld are Currans which are gathered of a kinde of small Grapes and for the making whereof they commonly one time every summer for the space of three weekes haue a continuall drought day and night in which time the Currans are laid abroad in the open ayre and may not be taken in insomuch that if the season doe continue hot and dry their Merchandize is very good but if there fall any raine untill the time be expired of their full drying the Currans are not good but doe mould and change their colour to be somewhat white like meale The state of Venice under whom this Iland is doth make a great commodity of the impost or taxation which is laid upon this Merchandize calling the Tribute which is paid for them the * The Impost laid on this Iland called the Revenue of S. Marke Revenue of S. Marke for unto that Saint is the Citie of Venice dedicated and they hold him foâ— their Patron In this Iland besides the Merchants who repaire thither are divers Italians who be there in Garison for the Venetians in one speciall Castle which commandeth the whole Iland There are also divers Fryers 〈◊〉 that Nation who performe unto their Countrey-men such exercises of Religion as are convenient They will not suffer any of our Merchants to have Christian burial among them unlesse at his death he be confessed after the Romish fashion whereupon some have been forced to convey over some 〈◊〉 their dead bodies into Morea which is not farre distant to be buried there among the Greekes and after their fashion The naturall Inhabitants 〈◊〉 * Zant the Inhabitants Greekes Zant and Greekes both by Language and Religion and observâ— all fashions of the Greekish Church in whose words being now mucâ— corrupted and depraved there may yet be found some tokens and remainders of the old pure and uncorrupted Greeke There are in this Countrey great store of Swine kept whereof the Inhabitants doe feed and carry them into Morea but the Turkes there by their Mahumetane profession will taste no Swines flesh In Zacynthus our English Merchants have an House of abode for their traffick South-east from Morea lieth the great Iland * Creta Creta where Minos sometimes did raign so famous for his severity This Countrey was then called Hecatompolis as having in it an hundred Townes and Cities Here stood the * The Labyrinth of Dedalus Labyrinth which was the worke of Dedalus who conveighed the house so by the manifold turnings infinitenesse of Pillars and Doores that it was impossible to finde the way yet Theseus by the helpe of Ariadne the Daughter of King Minos taking a bottome of threed and tying the one end at the first doore did enter and slay the Minotaur which was kept there and afterwards returned safe out againe * The most noted lyers The ancient Inhabitants of this Countrey were such noted lyers that beside the Proverbes which were made of them as Cretense mendacium Cretisandum est cum Cretensibus the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Titus who was left there by him as Bishop of that Iland doth cite a verse out of the Heathen Poet Epimenides that the Cretians are ever lyers evill beasts and slow bellies * The Iland Candie This Iland is in our dayes called Candy being the place from whence our Sugar of Candy is brought It is under the Venetians and reputed a part of their Seigniory Although the Turke when they had taken Cyprus did thinke also to have surprised it but that it pleased GOD by the meanes of Don Iohn of Austria in the behalfe of his brother the King of Spaine and the Venetians to give the Turke that great overthrow at Sea in the fight neere unto Lepanto Yet since that time no doubt the Turkes have a greedy eye upon the Island of Candy Betweene Creta and Peloponnesus lyeth * Cithera where was the fine Temple of Venus Cithera There was the fine Temple of Venus who thereof by the Poets is called Citheraea The Islands are many which lie in the Sea called Mare Aegeum from the bottome of Greece unto the top of the Hellespont as all the Cyclads Euboia and the great Island Samos and Chios â—o Scyros where Achilles was borne and was King of that Countrey There is also Lesbos and * Divers small Ilands Cemnos Mytelene and Ithaca where Vlysses was King and Androse whither Themistocles was sent by the Athenians for Tribute as Plutarch layeth downe the History * Note Themistocles did tell them that hee came to demand Tribute or some great Imposition upon them being accompanied with two Goddesses the one was Eloquence to perswade them and the other Violence to enforce them Whereunto the Andraeans made answere that they had on their side two Goddesses as strong whereof the one was Necessitie whereby they had it not and the other was Impossibility whereby they could not part with that which they never possessed Of these places something may bee read in the olde History of the Greekes Divers of these did strive that Homer was borne in them but of certaine many of those Kings which Homer saith came with Agamemnon to the siege of Troy were Kings but of those small Ilands Eastward from thence not farre from some part of Natolia or Asia the lesser is the * The Iland of Rhodes Iland of Rhodes the friendship of the Inhabitants whereof was in ancient time very much defired by the Princes that had to do that way so that Alexander first and the Romanes afterwards did embrace their league Here was that huge and mighty Image of the Sunne which was called Colossus Rhodius This Countrey was long defended by those who were called the Knights of Rhodes against the power of the Turke and it was a great Bulwark to defend Christendome
threescore Degrees to returne againe From these Ilands it is that those strong and pleasant Sacks which are called * From hence the best Canary Sackâ—s Canary Wines are brought and from thence are fetched those that they call Canary Birds These Ilands are under the Crowne of Spaine The heat of the Countrey is very great and therefore fitter for concoction but besides that the soyle of it selfe is accommodated thereunto and by reason of them both these Ilands doe bring forth a Grape which is sweeter in taste then any other Grape and hath that propertie with it that the Wine which is made thereof doth not fume into the head like other Sacke but doth helpe the stomacke and exercise the force of it there The slips of their Vines have beene brought into Spaine and some other places of Europe but they have not sorted to the same purpose as they doe in their native Countrey There doe grow also in these Iles From hence great store of Sugar-canes good store of Sugar-canes which yeelde plentifully that kinde of commoditie unto Spaine either for Marmalets wherein they much delight or for other uses Peter Martyr in the beginning of his Decades which hee hath written De Orbe novo doth particularly touch the names and some other things of these Ilands On the backe-side of Africa also just under the Aequinoctiall is the * The I le of S. Thomas I le of Saint Thomas inhabited by the Portugals which Island was taken in the latter time of Queene Elizabeth by the Dutch it is reported that in the middest of this Island is an Hill and over that a continuall Cloud wherewith the whole Island is watered such a like thing as this is reported of the * The I le of Cloves Isle of Cloves The ayre of this Island is unwholsome and there is hardly seene any Portugall or stranger that comes to dwell there which lives till hee be above fortie yeares of age More Northward from Africke lie those Islands which are called * The Ilands of Azores Azores Insulae being sixe or seven in number of which Tercera is one of the chiefe of whom the rest by some are called Terceras which are farre inferiour in fruitfulnesse unto the Canaries These were first under the Crowne of Portugall and one of them was the last which was kept out from the King of Spaine by the Prior Don Antonio who afterward called himselfe King of Portugall but the Spaniard at last tooke this Tercera from him and doth possesse all these Islands together with the rest of the Dominion which did belong to the Portugals Hee who list to see the unadvised proceedings of Don Antonio both in parting with Lisbon Note the unadvisednesse of Don Antonio and the rest of Portugall as also in losing these Islands which last of all held out for him let him read Conestagio of the uniting of Portugall to the Crown of Castile But these Azores have in times past yeelded much Oade which thereupon in England was called Jsland Oade but now they are the place where the Spaniards do commonly touch and take in fresh water both going and comming to and from America finding that to passe directly without turning on either hand towards America is very hard by reason of the strong current of the water from the Gulph of Mexico and so forward to the East and therefore they are enforced either to goe lower to the South and so to water in some part of Guinea or thereabout or else to keepe up as high as these Ilands Of America or the new World ALthough some doe dispute out of Plato and the old Writers that there was not onely a guesse but a kind of knowledge in ancient time that besides Europe Asia and Africa there was another large country lying to the West yet he that shall advisedly peruse the conjectures made thereupon may see that there is nothing of sufficiencie to enforce any such knowledge but that all Antiquity was utterly ignorant of the new found Countries towards the West Whereunto this one argument most forcible may give credite * The people of America utterly void of all manner of God or goodnesse that at the first arriving of the Spaniards there they found in those places nothing shewing trafficke or knowledge of any other Nation but the people naked uncivill some of them devourers of mens flesh ignorant of shipping without all kinde of learning having no remembrance of Historie or writing among them never having heard of any such Religion as in other places of the World is knowne but being utterly ignorant of Scripture or Christ or Moses or any God neither having among them any token of Crosse Church Temple or Devotion agreeing with other Nations The reasons which are gathered by some late Writers out of Plato Seneca and some other of the Ancient are rather conjecturall The reasons conjecturall of a new found World that it was likely that there should bee some such place then any way demonstrative or concluding by experience that there was any such Countrey and the greatest inducement which they had to perswade themselves that there was any more Land towards the West then that which was formerly knowne was grounded upon this that all Asia Europe and Africk concerning the Longitude of the World did containe in them but 180 Degrees and therefore it was most probable that in the other 180 which filleth up the whole course of the Sunne to the number of 360 degrees GOD would not suffer the water onely to possesse all but would leave a place for the habitation of men beasts flying and creeping creatures I am not ignorant that some who make too much of vaine shewes out of the British Antiquities have given out to the World and written something to that purpose that Arthur sometimes King of Britaine had both knowledge of these parts and some Dominion in them for they finde as some report that King Arthur had under his government many Ilands and great Countries towards the North and West which one of some speciall note hath interpreted to signifie America and the Northerne parts thereof and thereupon have gone about to entitle the * Some have entitled the Queene of England Soveraigne of these Provinces Queene of England to bee Soveraigne of those Provinces by right of Descent from King Arthur But the wisedome of our State hath beene such as to neglect that opinion imagining it to be grounded upon fabulous foundations as many things are which are now reported of King Arthur onely this doth carrie some shew with it that now some hundred of yeares since there was a Knight of Wales who with shipping and some pretty Company did goe to discover those parts whereof as there is some record of reasonable credit amongst the Monuments of Wales so there is this one thing which giveth pregnant shew thereunto that in the late Navigation of some of our men to Norumbega and some other
being kindely intreated of the natives who much desire them to come and make some plantation amongst them hoping by them to be defended against the Spaniards whom they * They hate the Spaniard and love the English greatly hate and feare When Sir Walter Raleigh came to Guiana he overthrew the Spaniards that were in Trinidado and tooke Bereo their Captaine or Generall prisoner he loosed and set at liberty foure or five Kings of the people of that Countrey that Bereo kept in chains and sent them home to their owne which deed of his did winne him the hearts of that people and make them much to favour our English at this day Divers also of that Country which amongst them are men of note have beene brought over into England and here living many yeares are by our men brought home to their owne Countrey whose reports and knowledge of our Nation is a cause that they have beene well intreated of these Guianians and much desired to plant themselves among them * A strange Storie Our men that travelled to Guiana amongst other things most memorable did report and in writing delivered to the world that neere unto Guiana and not far from those places where themselves were there were men without heads which seemed to maintaine the opinion to be true which in old time was conceived by the Historians and Philosophers that there were Acephali whose eyes were in their breasts and the rest of their face there also situated and this our English travellers have reported to be so ordinarily confidently mentioned unto them in those parts where they were that no sober man should any way doubt of the truth thereof Now because it may appeare that the matter is but fabulous in respect of the truth of Gods creating of them and that the opinion of such strange shapes monsters as were said to be in old time that is men with heads like Dogs some with eares downe to their ankles others with one huge foot alone whereupon they did hop from place to place was not worthy to be credited although Sir Iohn Mandevill of late age fondly hath seemed to give credit and authority thereunto yea and long since he who tooke upon him the name of Saint Augustine in writing that counterfeit Booke Ad fratres in Eremo It is fit that the certainty of the matter concerning these in Peru should be knowne and that is that in Quinbaia and some other parts of Peru the men are borne as in other places and yet by devises which they have after the birth of Children when their bones and grisbles and other parts are yet tender and fit to be fashioned they doe crush downe the heads of the Children unto the breasts and shoulders and doe with frames of wood and other such devises keepe them there that in time they grow continuate to the upper part of the trunk of the body and so seeme to have no necks or heads And againe some other of them thinking that the shape of the head is very decent if it bee long and erect after the fashion of a Sugar-loafe doe frame some other to that forme by such wooden Instruments as they have for that purpose and by binding and swathing them doe keep them so afterwards And that this is the custome of those people and that there is no other matter in it Petrus de Cieca who travelled almost all over Peru and is a grave and sober Writer in his description of those Countries doth report * Their strange devises to take fowles There be in some parts of Peru people which have a strange device for the catching of divers sorts of Fowles wherein they especially desire to take such as have their feathers of pyed orient and various colours and that not so much for the flesh of them which they may eate as for their feathers whereof they make garments either short as Cloakes or as Gownes long to the ground and those their greatest Nobles doe weare being curiously wrought and by order as appeareth by some of them being brought into England And here by this mention of feathers it is not amisse to specifie that in the Sea which is the Ocean lying betwixt Europe and America there be * Divers flying fishes divers flying Fishes yet whose wings are not feathers but a thin kinde of skin like the wings of a Bat or Reare-mouse and these living sometimes in the water and flying sometimes in the ayre are well accepted in neither place for below either ravenous Fishes are ready to devoure them or above the Sea-Fowles are continually beating at them Some of the Spaniards desirous to see how farre this Land of Peru did goe towards the South travelled downe till at length they found the Lands end and a little straight or narrow Sea which did runne from the mayne Ocean toward Africke into the South Sea One * Magellanus Straits Magellanus was he that found this Straight and although it be dangerous passed through it so that of his name it is called Fretum Magellanicum or Magellane Straights And this is the way whereby the Spaniards do passe to the backside of Peru and Hispania Nova and whosoever will compasse the whole World as some of our English men have done hee must of necessity for any thing that is yet knowne passe through this narrow Straight Ferdinandus Magellanus having a great mind to travell and being very desirous to goe unto the Malucco Islands by some other way then by the backside of Africke if it might be did in the yeere 1520 set forth from Sivill in Spain with five ships and travelled toward the West Indies and went so farre toward the South as that he came to the lands end wher he holding his course in a narrow passage towards the West for the space of divers dayes did at the length peaceably passe through the Straights and came into a great Sea which some after his name doe call Mare Magellanicum some others Mare pacificum because of the great calmnesse quietnes of the waters there but most commonly it is termed the * The So th Sea South Sea the length whereof hee passed in the space of three Moneths and twenty dayes and came unto the Moluocos * The Moluccoâ—s where being set upon by the East Indian people himself and many of his company were slaine and yet one of his Ships as the Spaniards doe write called Victoria did get away from those Moluccoes and returning by the Cape Bonae Spei on the South side of Africke came safe unto Spaine * Magellanus the first that ever compassed the World So that it may be truely said that if not Magellanus yet some of his company were the first that did ever compasse the World through all the degrees of longitude Johannes Lyrius in the end of his Booke De Navigatione in Brasiliam doth tell that Sir Francis Drake of England when he passed thorow Magellane straits
in the World which lyeth in the East part of the same Indies This is that Countrey so famous in ancient time for the great riches thereof for the multitude of people for the conquest of Bacchus over it for the passage thither of Alexander the Great throughout all the length of Asia for his adventuring to goe into the South Ocean with so mighty a Navy which few or none had ever attempted before him And certainly thither it was that Salomon did send once in three yeeres for his Gold and other rich Merchandise for the Scripture saith that hee sent his Fleet from Ezion-geber which stood upon the mouth of the Red Sea and it was the directest passage which hee had unto the Easterne Indies whereas if his purpose had been to send to Peru as some lately have imagined his course had been thorow the Mediterranean Sea and the Straits of Gibraltar This Countrey had in ancient time In Jndia are many Kingdomes many absolute Kingdomes and Provinces as in the time of Alexander Porus Taxiles and divers others In it were many Philosophers and men of great Learning whom they called Gymnosophistae of whom was Calanus who burnt himselfe before Alexander The men of the South part of India are blacke Their Cattle very big and therefore are called men of Jnde The Cattell of all sorts that are bred there are of incredible bignesse in respect of other Countries as their Elephants Apes Monkies Emêts and other Their riches The riches hereof have beene very great with abundance of Gold insomuch that the Promontory which is now called Malacha was in times past named Aurea Chersonesus The commoditie of Spice is exceeding great that comes from thence The Partugals first discovered the Indies The Portugals were the first which by their long Navigations beyond the Equinoctiall and the farthermost part of Africk have of late yeeres discovered these Countries to Christendome as heretofore to the use of the King of Portugall so now of the King of Spaine who is reputed owner of them Four Kingdoms by the Portugals discovered The Portugals did finde divers Kingdomes at their first arrivall in those parts as the Kingdome of Calecut the Kingdome of Cambaia the Kingdome of Cananor the Kingdome of Cochin and very many other with the Kings whereof they first entring League and Trafficke and having leave given to build Castles for their defence they have since by policie encroched into their hands a great part of the Countrey which lyeth neere unto the Sea-coast and are mighty now for the space of many thousand miles together The K. of Spain hath there a Vice-roy whose residence is commonly in the Imperiall Citie called God Chief City God They doe every yeare send home great store of rich commodities into Spain The Indians Religion The people of the Country when the Portugals came first thither were for the most part Gentiles beleeving in no one God yea at this day there are divers of them who doe adore the Sunne as their God and every morning at the rising thereof doe use very superstitious Ceremonies which our Merchants who doe trade to Aleppo doe oftentimes see for divers of these Jndians do come thither with Merchandize But the Saracens who reverence the Prophet Mahomet from the Bayes or Gulphes of Persia and Arabia doe trafficke much thither so that Mahomet was knowne among them but in one Town called Granganor they found certain Christians dissenting in many things from the Church of Rome and rather agreeing with the Protestants which Christians had received by succession their Religion from the time of Thomas the Apostle by whom as it is recorded in the ancient Ecclesiasticall History part of India was converted In this Countrey of Jndia are many great and potent Kings and Kingdomes which had beene altother unknown and unheard of in our part of the World but that we were beholding to the Portugals for their Discovery and before their Navigation thither by the backside of Africk to some relations that wee had from the Venetians who traded and travelled thither by Land out of Turkie The names of these Kings and Kingdomes are these The King of Biarme the great Mogol Sâ—â— Kingdomes the King of Narsing Pegu Siam the forenamed King of Calecut and others Of Persia Situation of Persia THere be divers Countries betweene India and Persia but they are not Famous Persia is a large Country which lyeth farre West from India it hath on the North Assyria and Media on the West Syria and the Holy land but next unto it Mesopotamia on the South the mayn Ocean which entreth in notwithstanding by a Bay called Sinus Persicus This is that Countrey which in ancient time was so renowned for the great riches and Empire thereof These were they who tooke from the Assyrians the Monarchie and did set up in their Country the second great Empire which began under Cyrus continued unto that Darius who was overthrowne by Alexander the Great In this countrey raigned the great Kings Cyrus The g eat and famous Kings of Persia Cambises Darius the Son of Histaspes the great Xerxes Artaxerxes and many others which in prophane writings are famous for their wars against the Scythians Aegyptians and Graecians in the Scripture for the delivery of the Iewes from Babylon by Cyrus for the building of the second Temple at Jerusalem and for many things which are mentioned of them in the Prophecie of Daniel The people of this Nation although they were in former times very riotous by reason of their great wealth yet after they had lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians Persians great Souldiers they have growne great Souldiers and therefore as they did ever strongly defend themselves against the old Romanes so in the time of Constantine and the other Emperours they were fearefull neighbours to the Romane government and of late time they have strongly opposed themselves against the Turkes ever making their party good with them And yet notwithstanding in the dayes of Amurath the third father to Mahomet the Turke now raigning the Turke had a great hand upon the Persian going so farre with his Army as that hee tooke the strong Citie Tauris standing within the Persian dominions neere unto the Caspian Sea but this losse was to bee attributed partly to the great dissentions which were among the Persians themselves and partly to the multitude of the Turke his Souldiers who by fresh supply did over-beare the Persian although hee slew downe many thousands of them They fight commonly on horseback are govern'd as in time past by a King so now by an absolute ruler Sophy of Persia and a mighty Prince whom they tear me the Shaw or Sophy of Persia Hee hath many Countries small Kings in Assyria Media and the countries adjoyning which are tributaries Among other the Sophies of Persia about a hundred years since there was one of great power called Ismael the
Northern parts of America they finde some tokens of civility and Christian Religion but especially they doe meet with some words of the Welch Language as that a bird with a white head should be called Pengwinn and other such like yet because we have no invincible certaintie hereof and if any thing were done it was only in the Northerne and worse parts and the entercourse betwixt Wales and those parts in the space of divers hundred yeares was not continued but quite silenced wee may goe forward with that opinion that these Westerne Jndies were no way knowne to former ages God therefore remembring the Prophecie of his Sonne that the Gospell of the Kingdome should before the day of judgement bee preached in all coasts and quarters of the World and in his mercy intending to free the people or at the least some few of them from the bondage of Satan who did detaine them in blockish ignorance and from their Idolatrous service unto certaine vile spirits whom they call their Zemes Their Religion and most obsequiously did adore them raised up the spirit of a man worthy of perpetuall memory one * Columbus the first discoverer of America Christophorus Columbus borne at Genua in Italy to set his mind to the Discovery of a new World who finding by that compasse of the old knowne World that there must needs be a much more mighty space to the which the Sunne by his daily motion did compasse about then that which was already known and discovered and conceiving that this huge quantity might as wel be land as Sea he could never satisfie himselfe till that he might attempt to make proofe of the verity thereof Being therefore himselfe a private man and of more vertue then Nobility after his reasons and demonstrations laid downe whereby hee might induce men that it was no vaine thing which hee went about hee went unto many of the Princes of Christendome and among others to Henry the seventh King of England desiring to bee furnished with shipping and men fit for such a Navigation but these men refusing him partly because they gave no credit to his Narration and partly lest they should bee derided by their neighbour Princes if by this Genoe-stranger they should be cousened but especially for that they were unwilling to sustaine the charges of shipping at last hee betooke himselfe unto the Court of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile where also at the first hee found but small entertainment yet persisting in his purpose without wearinesse and with great importunity it pleased God to move the mind of Elizabeth the Queene to deale with her husband to furnish forth two Ships for the discovery onely and not for conquest whereupon * In the yeare 149. America discovered by Columbus Columbus in the yeare one thousand foure hundred ninetie and two accompanied with his brother Bartholomeus Columbus and many Spaniards sayled farre to the West for the space of threescore dayes and more with the great indignation and often mutinies of his company fearing that by reason of their long distance from home they should never returne againe insomuch that the Generall after many perswasions of them to goe forward was at length enforced to crave but three dayes wherein if they saw not the Land hee promised to returne and God did so blesse him to the end that his voyage mighâ— not prove in vaine that in that space one of his Companie did espie fire which was a certainâ— Argument that they were neere to the Land as it fell out indeed The first Land whereunto they came was an Iland called by the Inhabitants * The Iland Haity Haity but in remembrance of Spaine from whence heâ— came hee termed it Hispaniola and finding it to bee a Countrey full of pleasure * The riobes of the Countrey and having in it abundance of Gold and Pearle hee proceeded further and discovered another bigge Ile which is called * The Iland Cuba Cuba of the which being very glad with great treasure hee returned unto Spaine bringing joyfull newes of his happy successe When Columbus did adventure to restraine the time of their expectation within the compasse of three dayes engaging himselfe to returne if in that space they saw no Land there bee some write that hee limited himselfe not at all adventures but that bee did by his eye discerne a difference in the colour of the Clouds which did arise out of the West from those which formerly hee had seene which Clouds did argue by the clearenesse of them that they did not arise immediately out of the Sea but that they had passed over some good space of the Land and thereby grew clearer and clearer not having in them any new or late risen vapours but this is but conjecturall * The pride of the Spaniard labouring to abscure the same of Columbus The Spaniards who are by nature a people proud have since the death of Columbus laboured to obscure his fame envying that an Italian or stranger should be reported to bee the first discoverer of those parts And therefore have in their writings since given forth that there was a Spaniard which had first beene there and that Columbus meeting with his Cardes and Descriptions did but pursue his enterprize and assume the glory to himselfe But this fable of theirs doth savour of the same spirit wherewithall many of them in his life time did reproach him that it was no matter of importance to finde out these Countries but that if that hee had not done it many other might and would Which being spoken to Columbus at a solemne Dinner hee called for an Egge and willed all the Guestâ—one after another to set it up on end Which when they could not doe he gently bruising the one end of it did make it flat and so set it up by imitation whereof each of the other did the same whereby hee mildely did reprove their envy towards him and shewed how easie it was to doe that which a man had seene done before To go forward therefore Columbus being returned to Castile after his welcome to the Princes was made Great Admirall of Spaine and with a new Fleete of more Ships was sent to search further which hee accordingly did and quickly found the mayne Land not farre from the Tropick of Cancer Which part of the Countrey in honour of Spaine hee called * Hispania nova Hispania nova in respect whereof at this day the King of Spaine doth entitle himselfe Hispaniarum Rex Some there bee which write that Columbus did not discover further than the Islands and that hee spent the greatest part of his former labours in coasting Cuba and Hispaniola to see whether they were Ilands or a Continent that some other in the meane time did thrust themselves forward and descryed the firme Land Among whom * Of whom this Countrey had its name Americus Vespucius was the chiefe of whose name a great
low to the South * Divers Ilands in the Gulph of Mexico In and neere unto this Gulph are divers Ilands conquered and inhabited by the Spaniards as the forenamed Cuba and Hispaniola where the Spaniards were visited by our English in the time of Queen Elizabeth and their Towns of Sancto Domingo and Saint Iago taken by Sir Francis Drake as also Iarvaica and Boriquen otherwise called the Island of Saint Phu where the Earle of Cumberland tooke the Towne of Porto Ricco and many other Ilands of lesse note In the Sea coasts of all this Nova Hispania the Kings of Spaine have built many Townes and Castles and therein have erected divers Furnaces and Forges for the Trying and Fining of their Gold They that doe write of the discovery of the West Indies doe report that when Columbus at the first went thitherward in their greatest distraction and doubtfulnesse of minde whether to goe forward or backward and Columbus had begged onely two or three dayes respit there was one of his Company who after the Sea manner going up to discover the Land did espie some fire for the which being so happy and lucky a token hee did hope to receive at the hands of the King of Spaine some bountifull Reward but when hee returned home there was * Note nothing at all given unto him which hee tooke with that male contentednesse and disdaine that hee fled over into Africa and there among the Moores did apostatate and renounce the Christian Faith so that hee became a Sarazen Of the parts of America towards the North. THe rumour of the discovery of these parts being blowne over Christendome and the great quantitie of the Land together with the fruitfulnesse thereof being reported abroad some other nations did enterprize to set foote therein as namely the Frenchmen who sent certaine Shippes to a part of this Countrey lying North from Hispania nova some few degrees without the Tropicke of Cancer into which when they had arrived because of the continuall greenenesse of the ground and Trees as if it had beene a perpetuall spring they call it * And named it Florida Florida where after some few of them had for a time setled themselves the Spaniards tooke notice of it and being unwilling to endure any such neighbours they came suddenly on them and most cruelly slew them all without taking any ransome And the French in revenge of this deed of the Spaniards came in againe afterwards into this Countrey and slew those that were the slayers of their Countrey men Yet the Spaniards for want of men are not able to inhabite that Countrey but leave it to the old people The French had built in Florida upon the * The River Mayo River of Mayo where they were visited by our Sir Iohn Hawkins a Fort which they called Fort Carolin and had reasonably assured themselves for their defence against the Natives but some malicious spirits amongst them fled to the Spaniards with whom they returned againe into Florida to the murther and overthrow of their owne Countreymen Hee who list to see both the attempt of the French-men for the inhabiting of that part and the usage of the Spaniards towards them let him reade the Expedition into Florida which is the end of Benzo his Storie concerning the New found World and there hee shall finde both the covetous and insatiable nature of the Spaniards who would not endure the French neere unto them although there was Land sufficient and much to spare for both of them also their perfidiousnesse in breaking of Oathes and Promises and their * Note the Spaniards unchristian cruelty unchristian cruelty whereby they massacred all The Spaniards also to the number of three hundred Foote and two hundred Horse under the conduct of Ferdinando de Soto entred Florida about the yeare of the Lord 1550 and there conquered a thousand miles wide and large and after foure or five yeares continuance in that Countrey betooke themselves again from thence and went to New Spaine landing at Panuc in Shippes and Vessels that they had built in Florida And in all that time notwithstanding many conflicts with the Natives and divers discommodities and wants which they sustained in the Countrey they lost but two hundred men After this departure of the Spaniards out of Florida brought thither by Ferdinando de Soto who died in the Countrey after the defeat of the French and their revenge againe taken on the Spaniards the King of Spaine sent thither some small Forces to take possession of the Countrey and set downe there for no other end as it is thought but to keepe out other Nations from entring there the one halfe whereof set downe on the River of Saint Augustine and the other halfe a dozen leagues from thence to the Northward at a place by them called Saint Helena In the yeare 1586. as * Sir Francis Drakes Voyage Sir Francis Drake came coasting along from Cartagena a Citie in the mayne Land to which hee put over and tooke it after hee departed from Sancto Domingo when the mortality that was amongst our English had made them to give over their Enterprize to goe with Nombre de Dios and so over Land to Pannaenia there to have stricken the stroake for the Treasure hee was on the Coast of Florida in the height of thirtie our men described on the shoare a place built lâ—ke a Beacon which was made for men to discover to Sea-ward so comming to the Shore they marched along the Rivers side till they came to a Fort built all of whole Trees which the Spaniards called the Fort of Saint Iohn where the King entertained halfe his Forces that hee then had in the Countrey which were a hundred and fifty Souldiers the like number being at Saint Helena all of them under the governement of Petro Melendez Nephew to the Admirall Melendez that a fifteene or sixteene years before had beene to bring with our English in the Bay of Mexico this Fort our English tooke and not farre from thence the Towne also of Saint Augustine upon the same River where resolving to undertake also the Enterprize of Saint Helena when they came to the Havens mouth where they should enter they durst not for the dangerous shols wherefore they forsooke the place coasting along to Virgina where they tooke in Master Ralph Lane and his Company and so came into England as you shall heare when wee speake of Virginia In these Northerne parts of America but especially within the maine Continent some have written but how truely I cannot tell that there is a Sea which hath no entercourse at all with the Ocean so that if there be any third place beside the Mare Caspium and the Mare Mortuum in Palestina which retaineth in it selfe great saltnesse and yet mingleth not with other Seas it is in these Countries There is also in new Spaine a great salt Lake as bigge or bigger then the dead Sea of Palestine in
by blowing and whifling doth both cause the fire never to extinguish and sometimes according unto the strength of the blast doth make flames breake out either more or lesse There are in the Hill Aetna two principall places which are like unto two Furnaces with Tunnels on the top of them where divers times but especially in the Evening and Night the flame doth appeare mounting upwards and it is so strong that oftentimes it brings up with it burnt and scorching stones and peeces of hard substances which seemes to bee rent out of some Rocke to the great terrour and danger of any that doe come neere This is that place whither Empedocles threw himselfe Note that hee might be reported a God This is it whereof Virgil doth make his Tract called Aetna which the Poets did report to bee the Shop of Vulcan where Cyclopes did frame the Thunderbolts for Iupiter And to conclude that is it which some of our grosse Papists have not feared to imagine to be the place of Purgatory As they have beene so foolish to thinke that there is also another place called the Mount Veda in Jseland where soules have another Purgatory to bee punished in but there by colde which Surius in his Commentaries is so absurdly grosse as to report and allow * The Papists Purgatory is the fiery Aetna The Papists have show for their Purgatory in Aetna out of that Book which is commonly called by the name of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great For in that Booke there are divers things to that purpose But our best Writers of late have discovered that that same Treatise is a counterfeit being made by a later Pope Gregory and not by the first of that name ordinarily called Gregorius Magnus who although hee have in his Workes divers things tending to Superstition yet hee was never so absurde as to write things so unprobable foolish and grounded upon so bare reports as these were Such another Hill as the Mountaine of Aetna is was in time past Vesuvius a Hill in Campania which is part of Italy but this never had the like continuance as that of Aetna although in the time of Pliny the fire did breake forth there and so strongly as that the elder Pliny who spent all his time in discovering the secrets of Nature pressing neere to behold it was stifeled with the flame smoke or ashes so that hee * The dâ—ath of Pliny the elder died in the place as is most excellently described in the Booke of his Epistles by his Nephew the younger Plinie Not farre from Sicily on the South lyeth the little Ile called in old time Melita whence those Dogs come which are so much desired under the names of Canes Melitenses * Note This is the place where Saint Paul was cast up after his shipwrack in his journey to Rome where the Viper hanged on his hand and did not hurt him This Countrey is now called * Malta the onely place for repelling the Turks Malta is one of the places most renowned in the world for repelling of the Turkes When Soliman the Emperour of them did send against it a most mighty Army it was then defended by them who are called the Knights of Malta which by Sea doe great spoyle to the Gallies of the Turke that passe that way There were in times past divers Orders of Knights and men that had vowed themselves to adventure their lives and whole state for the maintenance of Christs Religion and some places of the Earth against the Infidels and Saracens The most ancient of all those were called the * The society of the Knights Templers Templers who were a great corporation or societie consisting of divers Gentlemen younger brothers for the most part out of all the Realmes of Christendome Their chiefe charge was to defend the Citie of Ierusalem and the Reliques or remainder of the Temple there and Sepulcher of Christ for the preservation of which places together with the rest of the Holy Land they had given unto them and purchased for their money very rich and ample possessions in England France Spaine Jtaly and other places of Europe in so much that in the dayes of Mathew Paris hee reporteth that they had under them many thousands of Mannours They had also in every kingdom where their Order was permitted a great and ample house where some chiefe of their company did lye who received the Rents within that Kingdome and caused the money to bee transported into the Holy Land and other Ordinances to be made and executed belonging unto their Order of which houses the Temple that is now in London was a chiefe one which had in f rmer times belonged to the Iews but was afterwards translated to that use when the Holy Land was quite taken by Saladine and could never be recovered into the hands of the Christians since the Societie of these Templers ceased * The Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruine the Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruine and their Lands were dispersed into divers mens hands In the same time when the Templers were in their strength there was another sort called the * Hospitallers Hospitallers whose condition and employment was very like unto the other both of them fighting for the preservation of Palest na Wee reade that sometimes these two companies had great jarres betweene themselves whereby grew much hinderance to the Warres against the Infidels All these were accounted as Orders of Religion and therefore it was forbidden them at any time to marry without dispensation from the Pope because not being entangled to Wife and Children they might be more resolute to adventure their lives After them grew up the order of the * The Knights of Rhodes Knights of Rhodes who since they could not live in the Holy Land yet would abide as neere unto it as possible they might and therefore partly to preserve Pilgrimes which should goe to visit the Sepulchre of Christ and partly to infest the Turkes and Saracens but especially to keepe the Enemies of Christ's Faith from encroaching further upon Christendome which most earnestly they did and doe desire they placed themselves in the Ilands of Rhodes where daily doing great scath unto the Turke Solyman the great Warriour could not endure them but with a mighty Army so over-laid them that hee wonne the Island from them The Knights of Malta After the losse of Rhodes the Island of Malta was given unto these Knights by Charles the Fift Emperour whereupon they are now called the Knights of Malta for the great Master after hee came from Rhodes went into Candy and from thence into Sicily and so into Jtaly from thence hee made a Voyage into England and then into France and lastly into Savoy from whence hee departed with the Religion into this Island and there they continue and behave themselves as in the former Iland and offering no violence unto Christians they