for Hony and for Flax thither resort likewise Hollanders Scots and French-men Almost in the middle of this Bay is also an Iland and Towne called Warde-huâ—s which Fredericke the second caused to be very strongly fortified and here the Merchants doe also pay their Customes In Scandia hath he some silver mines about which were his late warres with the King of Sweden Besides all this the Kings of Denmarke of this present Familie have thought it no disroyaltie to set up divers manufactures for which they take up the children of such parents as are unable to keepe them whom the King brings up till they be able to worke he in recompence taking the profits of their labours afterwards Finally t was ever held that Magnum vectâ—gal parsimonia Sparing was equall to a great tribute And truly the cold winters and durtiâ— wayes of 〈◊〉 expect no great Gallanterie nor is his Court and Retinue very chargeable to him By these and other wayes came the King of Denmarke before these warres with Iâ—llyâ— to have the reputation of the greatest monied Prince of Europe Touching his Forces for matter of Invasion by Land it hath seldome beene seene that he enterprized any journey of reputation but only that against Dietmarsen upon whom King Valdemar laid the yoke of subjection but they falling againe into rebellion after many chances of warre beginning in the yeare 1500 were againe utterly vanquished by Frederick the second in the yeare 1558. before which overthrowes they once discomfited Iohn the sonne of King Câ—risâ—terne the first Since these troubles of Europe this present King hath beene inforced to take up Armes in defence of his dominions of Holsteyn and Dietmarsen and in favour withall of the lower Creâ—â—z or circle of Saxony and those parts with which he was confederate But his Army of Danes and Germans being base and cowardly Aids also from other places failing him he was still put to the worst by the Imperialists many of his Townes much of his Land being taken from him which upon composition were all restored in the yeare 1629 the Emperour having his hands full otherwhere being glad enough of a peace with him What this King is able to performe at Sea may be gathered by the Navie which upon occasion he once rigged up at the intreatie of Henry the second King of France when Christierne the second sent a Navie of 100 Saile into Scotland against the English and 10000 Land-souldiers with them And certainly forasmuch as it is apparent that hee is Lord of so ample a Sea-coast and possessor of so many Havens in Denmarke Scandia Norwey and the many Ilands both within and without the Baltike Sea it is most likely that he is able to assemble a great Fleet. It concerne him also to have a sufficient Sea-force ever in pay and readinesse for defence of the Sowndt and his many Ports especially upon the coast of Norway where they willingly yeeld him no better obedience than hee is able to â—â—â—ct of them by strong hand As for surprize or sudden invasion hee needs not much feare seeing that Denmarke is nothing but broken Ilands and those sufficiently fortified Norwey NOrwey upon the East respecteth Denmarke on the West it is bounded with the Ocean on the South lieth Swevia upon the North it is separated from Lapland by high and steepe craggie Rocks The Westerne and Easterne Tracts are rockie and hard to travell yet is the Aire there temperate insomuch that the Sea freezeth not neither doe the Snowes long continue The Land it selfe is not very fruitfull to sufficiencie for it is poore and towards the North what by reason of the rocks and cold yeeldeth no sort of Corne. And therefore the Inhabitants except the better sort in stead of Bread eat dried Fish viz. Stock-fish which to their great profit they transport thorow Europe and exchange for Corne. The Countrey especially the Southerne parts transport rich Furres Tallow Butter Tan'd-Lether Traine-Oile Pitch Clapboord all sorts of Timber-works and Masts Fire-wood and Timber for building and that with great ease and little charge Their owne buildings are base and poore and the Inhabitants honest lovers of strangers liberall of gift and most serviceable Amongst them are neither Filchers Theeves nor Pyrats though they dwell in a most convenient situation for Pyracie Birgis was once their Metropolis a Hanse-Towne and for its safe harbour one of the foure chiefe Maâ—t-Townes in Europe viz. Birgis in Norwey London in England Nugardia in Moscovic and Burgis in Flanders But it is now decayed The cold Northerly and smally-frequented Ilands of Schetland Friesland Island and Groneland with the Navigations such as they are thereunto for Fish I imagine every man can conceive and therfore forbeare further to write of Swethland THe King of Swethland reigneth in part of Scandie being a larger Province than Denmarke for it is accounted to be a journey of five and forty dayes from the borders of Scandia to Lapland and the Coast of the Balticke Sea is little lesse than foure hundred leagues long a tract of Land esteemed larger than France and Italie Swethland is incompassed with the Balticke Ocean on the South the Mountaines on the West the Icie Seas on the North and Russia on the East In Livonia he possesseth Rivalia the Narve Danovia and other peeces of good estimation the Ilands Vlander Alandes and other places not worthy speaking of situated in the Sâ—râ—veâ—an and Finland Sea These Regions besides Livonia are divided into three severall Kingdomes viz. Gothland Sweveland and Vandalia which againe are subdivided into eleven Provinces and twelve Counties amongst which the Lappians are not accounted because this people though inhabiting a larger Countrey than Sweveland cannot be termed to live under any certaine dominion by reason of their miserie povertie and wandring from place to place thorow woods and mountaines but they who have any manner of certaine abode or setled habitation are under the Swevish dominion and pay rich skins for their tribute These are those Lapps which inhabit the Countries of Biarmia and Scrisinia the other Lapps being under the Russian Both of them are Idolaters The Swethlanders are Lutherans in opinion and Dutch in language but with a different Dialect Of the three Kingdomes whereof wee spake Gotland bordereth with Scandia and is divided into East and West as also into the Iland of Gothia lying in the Baltike Sea five of their miles which in some places of Sweden be seven or nine of our English broad and almost 18. long Sometimes the Danes but now the Sweden possesse it The Metropolis is called Wiâ—sbich The firme land of Gothland is the hither part of that which is called Scandia and next to Denmarke In this is the mighty Lake Weret in the middest whereof the King delighting in the pleasantnesse of the place keepeth his Court Twenty foure Rivers doe runne into this Lake yet it emptieth it selfe but by one mouth The Inhabitants for the excessive noise of waters
thousand houses of Spaniards and sixtie thousand of the native Indians The gold and silver of these parts is neither so much nor so good as that of Peru but Merchandize Mechanicks and Husbandrie infinitely more flourish Some one private man the Spaniards report to be master of thirtie yea fortie or fiftie thousand head of Cattell The profits arising from hence to the King of Spaine will not the Spanish Writers suffer to be intirely knowne This they bragge of that the yearely fishing of the Lake of Mexico is worth twenty thousand crownes and that Mexico Citie glories in foure faire things Women Cloaths Streets and Horses Guatimala IT is both the name of a Towne as also of the Province The Old-towne so called was destroyed by the fall of an Hill thereunto adjoyning and an hundred and twentie Spaniards miraculously overwhelmed with the ruine thereof About three miles from thence is the New-towne situated containing eightie or ninetie faire stone houses therein all covered with tile It is much subject to Earth-quakes but otherwise of a good temperate aire fruitfull of corne and plentifull of trees brought out of Spaine which doe not well prosper therein Fonduras IT is a great Countrey and was exceeding well inhabited before the arrivall of the Spaniards And howbeit they boast of the erection of five Townes therein yet all of them consist not of above an hundred and twentie or an hundred and thirtie houses and those for the most part built of reeds and straw yea and but poorely inhabited because the gold which is their sole desire beginneth to faile Nicaragua NIcaragua stretcheth towards the South-sea lying South-east from Mexico and is not very great but rich fruitfull and pleasant insomuch as the Spaniards call it Mahomets Paradise but so extreme hot that it is not to be travelled by day but by night It should seeme that their Winter beginneth in May for from thence it raineth six whole moneths the other six are very faire and drie and day and night being of equall length Honey Wax Cotton-wooll and Balsam grow there in great abundance with many other kinds of fruits which are neither found in other Provinces nor yet in Hispaniola There are some few Kine but many Hogs and those brought from Spaine Parrots are there as common as Crowes in England The Countrey is well replenished with Indian Villages their small houses consisting of reeds and straw The gold that they have is brought from other places and so is all other metall In manners they resemble the Mexicans and so in apparell and language save that the Mexican is the better with the use whereof a man may travell fifteene hundred miles and is easily to be learned One Lake it hath three hundred miles about which hath no vent into the Ocean The chiefe Cities are Nueva Granado and Leo the Seat of a Bishop Cuba CVba or Fernandina is a great Island and by reason it hath on the East-side Saint Domingo on the West Iucatan on the North Florida and on the South Iamaica it is very much frequented by Merchants It is more long than broad and containeth in length from East to West three hundred miles and from North to South threescore and ten In breadth it is not above nineteene miles in some places but fifteene The ground is high rough and full of Hils the Rivers small yet rich of Gold and Copper The aire is temperate but of the coldest The soile affordeth great store of Mather it is full of Woods and fresh-fish by reason of the faire Rivers therein It boasteth of six Townes inhabited by Spaniards whereof that of Saint Iames is a Bishops See and Havana the chiefe Staple where yearely all the ships make their Rendevouz The people resemble those of Hispaniola but differ in speech and goe all naked being now almost rooted out and supplanted by the Spaniards Here though the Gold bee course yet the Brasse is most pure It beareth plentie of Sugar Ginger Cassia Aloes Cinamon The common people may not eat Serpents it being meat for their masters Iamaica or the I le of Saint Iago IAmaica lieth seventeene degrees on this side the Equinoctiall and hath on the East S. Domingo on the West the Cape of Iucatan on the North Cuba and on the South Lacerena The breadth surpasseth the length being from East to West about fiftie miles and from North to South twentie In it the greater part of the Inhabitants by farre are Spaniards sixtie thousand Natives being by them destroyed like their neighbours of Lucaya It is very fruitfull both toward the Sea as also to the Inland and was in times past very populous and such as were more wittie and subtill both in warre and other professions than were their neighbours It yeeldeth also Gold and very fine Cotton-wooll And at this present it is full of such beastials as the Spaniards have brought thither out of Spaine The women here killed their owne children rather than suffer them to serve the Spaniards Hispaniola HIspaniola which the Natives call Haitie for greatnesse is the second Island in those parts On the East-side lieth Saint Iohns on the West Cuba and Iamaica on the North the Islands of the Canibals and on the South the firme land The Compasse thereof is foure hundred French miles being broader than it is long For in length it is from East to West an hundred and fiftie miles and from North to South fortie miles It is stored with Azure Basill-wood Cotton-wooll Amber Gold Silver and abundance of Sugar It is so fruitfull that within sixteene dayes Radishes Lettuce and Cole-wort will ripen and be readie to be eaten and within six and thirtie Melons Cucumbers and Gourds will be as forward It hath many Townes whereof that of Saint Domingo is the principall as containing above five hundred houses and those inhabited by Spaniards and built after the Spanish fashion Next their Gold their greatest trading is Sugar and Hides For all sorts of Cattell brought thither out of Spaine have so prospered therein that some are owners of six or eight thousand beasts Here are the Spaniards said to have wasted three millions of Indians The Gold is better here than in Cuba The Sugar yeelds twentie or thirtie fold and Corne an hundred fold Foure goodly Rivers it hath and five or six handsome Townes of Spaniards Boriquen BOriquen or the Iland of Saint Iohn on the East hath the Island of Saint Cruz on the West other small Islands Northward Saint Domingo and on the South the Cape of Paria From East to West it is fiftie miles long and eighteene broad In forme it is almost square and is populous well housed having many good Havens and replenished with Woods The Inhabitants are valiant and have Warre continually against the Canibals Upon the North-side it is rich in gold but towards the South fruitfull of bread grasse fruit and fish The two chiefe Townes are Saint Iohns and Puerte Rico. Should I run over all the Coast of Paria
discipline they only of all Christendome have made best use thereof As the people to whose glory industry patience and fortitude and that in a good cause too much honour and commendation can never be attributed The States of the Low-Countries ALL the seventeene Provinces of Netherland were sometimes under one Lord but privileges being broken and warres arising the King of Spaine the naturall Lord of all these Low-Countries was in the treaty of peace Anno 1606. inforced to renounce all pretence of his owne right to these confederate Provinces Since when we may well handle them by themselves as an absolute and a free State of Government as the Spaniard himselfe acknowledged them The Provinces united are these Zeland Holland Vtrich Over-Isell Zutphen Groningen three quarters of Gelderland with some peeces of Brabant and Flanders This union was made Anno 1581. The Fleets and Forces of which Confederation are from the chiefe Province altogether called Hollanders The first of these is Zeland whose name given it by the Danes of Zeland in Scandia notifies its nature A land overflowed with the Sea Broken it is into seven Ilands whereof those three to the East beyond the River Scheld and next to Holland are Schowen Duvelant and Tolen the other foure be Walcheren Zuyd-beverlant Nort-beverlant and Wolferdijck 1. T'land van Schowen is seven of their miles about parted with a narrow fret from Nort-beverlant The chiefe towne is Zierickzee the ancientest of all Zeland built 849. The Port sometimes traded unto is now choaked with sand which they labour to cleare againe 2. Duveland so named of the Doves foure miles about hath some townes but no City 3. Tolen called so of the chiefe towne as that was of the Tolle there payed by the boats comming downe the Scheld 4. The chiefe of the seven is Walcheren ten miles compasse so named of the Walsh or Galles In the middle of it is Middleburgh the prime Citie of Zeland and a goodly Towne other Cities it hath as Vere Armuyden and Flushing all fortified 5. Zuyd-beverlant Nort-beverlant so named of the Bavarians The first is now ten miles about The Cities are Romerswael much endangered by the Sea and divided from the Island and Goesse or Tergoose a pretty and a rich towne 6. Nort-beverlant quite drowned in the yeare 1532. but one towne 7. Wolferdijck that is Wolfers-banke hath now but two Villages upon it Zeland hath ten Cities in all The land is good and excellently husbanded the water brackish Their gaines comes in by that which brought their losses the Sea Their wheat is very good some store they have the Cowes but more of Sheepe great store of Salt-houses they have for the refining of Salt of which they make great merchandize The Zelanders were converted to the faith by our Country-man Willebrord before Charles the greats time HOlland so named either quasi Holt-land that is the Wood-land which woods they say were destroyed by a mighty tempest Anno 860. the roots and truncks of which being often here found or quasi Hol-land Hollow and light land as it is indeed But most likely it is that the Danes also comming from Olandt in their owne Countrie gave name to this Province as they did to Zeland also The whole compasse is not above sixtie of their miles the breadth in most places is not above six houres travelling with a Wagon and in some places scarce a mile over The whole is divided into South-Holland Kinheymar West-Freesland Waterlandt and Goytland The chiefe Towne is Dort but the goodliest and richest is Amsterdam one of the greatest Townes of merchandize in the whole world they have almost twenty other Cities strong and elegant At Leyden there being a College and Vniversity Their banks mils and other workes for keeping out the Sea be most admirable vast and expensive Three of the foure Elements are there and in Zeland starke naught then Water brackish their Aire foggie their Fire smokish made of their Turses for which they are said to burne up their owne land before the day of Iudgement The men are rather bigge than strong some accuse them to love their penny better than they doe a stranger Their women are the incomparable huswives of the world and if you looke off their faces upon their linnen and houshold stuffe are very neat and cleanly At their Innes they have a kinde of open-heartednesse and you shall be sure to finde it in your reckoning Their land is passing good for Cowes they live much upon their butter and they bragge mightily of their cheeses As for flesh-meat I thinke that a Hawke in England eats more in a moneth than a rich Boore nay than a sufficient corporall Burger does in six weekes The industry of the people is wonderfull so many ditches have they made thorow the Country that there is not the most Iâ—land Boore but he can row from his owne doore to all the Cities of Holland and Zealand The Dutchman will drinke indeed but yet he still does his businesse he lookes still to the maine chance both in the City and Country by Sea and Land they thrive like the Iewes every where and wee have few such drunkards in England too many wee have apt enough to imitate their vice but too too few that will follow them in their vertue THis Duchie lies on the East of Holland and Brabanâ— touching also upon Cleve and Iuliers It hath two and twenty Cities and good Townes whereof Nimwegen Zutphon Ruremond and Arhneim are the chiefe Some peeâ—es the Spaniard here hath â— and the whole Country having heretofore beene infeâ—ted with the warres makes â— a little to come behinde his fellowes The land and people differ not much from those of Holland saving that towards Cleveland it is more mountainous the Champian is very rich pasturage for grazing THis touches Gelderland upon the South West-Freesland upon the North Westphalia upon the East and the Zuydersee on the West The chiefe Citie is Deventer others of the better sort be Campen Zwol Steinwick Oetmarse Oldenzeel Hesselâ—â— Vollenhoven c. This Countrey was of old inhabited by the Franks or Frenchmen of which there were two tribes the Ansuarii which gave name to the Hanse-townes whereof Deventer was first and the Salii which tooke name from the River Isala upon which Deventer stands and these gave name to the Salique Law which you see did rather concerne these Countries than France it selfe and was made by a barbarous people in an age as barbarous though this onely was pretended to barre women from the crowne of France and to hinder our Kings and occasion those warres and bloudsheds THe Bishopricke of Vtrecht hath Holland on the North and Gelderland on the West The circuit is but small yet hath it five pretty Cities whereof Vtrecht it selfe is large delicate and rich inhabited by most of the Gentry of Holland Much harassed hath it beene but now well recovered since it came into the union GRoningen
onely still continued but since the last warres increased What the generall summe of all the revenues arise unto I have nothing certaine neither indeed is it certaine in it selfe a great part thereof as aforesaid consisting upon casualties as the Mines and Tenths c. But for mine owne particular conceit being not altogether unconfirmed by other mens opinions I cannot imagine how that it can arise to lesse than foure hundred thousand pound sterling yearely at the least Thus have I briefly runne over some few particulars of the great and noble Dukedome of Saxony worthy a much more ample discourse and a farre more worthier and better informed discourser being all things considered not onely the greatest and mightiest Princedome under the Empire but even greater and mightier I meane as it stood united in the time of Christianus than the Empire it selfe For though the Emperour by his sacred Imperiall Seat bee his Liege-Lord and in greatnesse of dominion farre superiour yet is he in revenue in great love of his people in warlike provision and in German leagues and confederacies farre inferiour The State of the Marquesse Elector of Brandenburg THis Prince possesseth a larger tract of land than doth the other Electors and hath more Noblesse Gentry and people yet is a great deale of his land very wilde and barren much of his people poore and himselfe though of great revenue yet farre short of that of Saxony Brandenburg lies on the East limited with Poland on the West with Saxonie touching upon Lusatia on the South The compasse is about five hundred miles wherein are reckoned fifty Cities great and small and threescore and foure walled Townes The whole Marquisate is divided into the Old the chiefe Towne whereof is Brandenburg and the Nen the greatest Citie therein being Franckford upon Oder famous for the Mart and Vniversity The Princes Seat is at Berlin This twofold division is againe subdivided into eight Provinces from which the Nobilitie take their titles one of these Crossen by name being a Dukedome For in Germany you are to understand a Dukedome may be contained within a Marquisate yea and a Duke come behinde a Count for that in the Empire precedencie goes not as with us by title but by bloud and antiquity The name of the present Elector is Iohannes Georgius in whose line the title hath continued these two hundred and eleven yeares Besides now the bare Country of Brandenburg this Prince hath other dominions many townes and lands both in Lusatia and Silesia which with that of Onspach by Nurenberg goe commonly away to the younger of the family all which write themselves Marquesses of Brandenburg The three Dukedomes of Cleve Iuliers and Berg have also beene united to this family though now almost twentie yeares since the Duke of Cleve dying without issue these three States are yet in controversie betwixt this Marquesse and the Duke of Newenburg Besides these is hee Duke of Prussia which is a great Country into which the King of Poland is to give him investiture So that hee and the Archbishop Elector of Cullen be Lords of the greatest tracts of lands of all the Princes of Germany The revenues out of Brandenburg are thought to amount to forty thousand pounds sterling and certainly his profits out of all his other Estates cannot but double that summe A sufficient rent for such a Prince if you consider the cheapnesse of all things in his Country He is Lord of much people and therefore of many souldiers The Duke of Brunswicke hath a large dominion well peopled well furnished and himselfe of a great revenue but both in place much inferiour being no Elector being as of body the strongest so also of minde the vilest natured people of all Germanie In other things likewise he is inferiour to the Duke of Saxonie a great part of his Country being barren and his subjects poore The Duke of Bavaria hath a large rich and goodly Country lying in great length on both sides the Danubie a great revenue and his subjects in good estate but as being almost the only Catholike great Prince of the temporalty of no great party and unfurnished of warlike provision but much more of treasure being exceedingly behinde hand principally through the abuse of his Iesuites by whom being wholly governed he hath spent and daily doth infinitely in building them Churches Altars and Colleges and endowing them with large revenues What is above written of the Duke of Bavaria's estate was something to the truth at the time of the former edition of this booke for certainly the house of Bavaria is wholly Iesuited insomuch as the father of this present Duke giving over the government retired himselfe into a house of Iesuites and this present Duke besides other his large bounties and buildings hath already estated eighteene hundred pound sterling a yeare upon the English Iesuites with condition that it shall goe to the Vniversity of Oxford so soone as that shall be converted to Popery So that the case is now altered with the Duke of Bavaria hee hath gotten part both of the Vpper and Lower Palatinate into his hands yea and the Electorship it selfe is estated upon him Thus for the time are the Palatinate and Bavaria fallen both upon one person againe as they were before the yeare 1294. when as Lewis the Emperour Prince of both of them gave the Palatinate to his elder sonne and Bavaria to the younger after which the Palatine marrying the heire of Bavaria againe united them But about 125. yeares since the Emperour Maximilian againe parted them giving Bavaria to the Ancestor of this present Maximilian He is Vncle to King Frederike himselfe hath no issue his second brother is the Elector of Cullen and a third brother he hath who is not childlesse Bavaria touches both Austria Bohemia and the Vpper Palatinate too aptly situated for the late warres both to distresse his nephew and to aid the Emperour What forces he is able to make did then appeare and his revenue must bee answerable The Duke of Wirtemberg as in dignitie he is inferiour to all these so doth hee if I be not deceived approach neerest in most particulars of greatnesse to the Duke of Saxonie having a Country in circuit but small being not much bigger by ghesse than Yorkeshire but very full of neat Townes and rich Villages very well peopled and they generally very rich The land is not so fruitfull as in other places but farre excelling the best in England that ever came under my view abounding exceedingly especially about Stutgard with wine and the Countrey so pleasantly diversified as that the hils whereof it is full and River sides being only imployed to Vines the plaines are every where full of corne of all sorts of excellent meadow and pasture with sufficient store of wood The Duke himselfe is well loved of his people very rich in treasure and yearely revenue so that setting the mines aside he is thought to be equall if not
the people ceaseth not to insinuate into their heads that this Lord of Tenza and the other Tyrants are usurpers of other mens right destroyers of the Monarchie and enemies to the state and liberties of Iapan Which perswasions take so deepe root in the hearts of the people and so extenuate the reputation of these Usurpers that under colour of suppression of other they often take Armes upon hope to raise their owne greatnesse so that by this daily change of Governours the people not knowing who are their right and naturall Lords know not whom to love and obey And againe their Lords being as uncertaine of their continuance care not for the people nor for the welfare of their owne vassals no more than if they were meere strangers but always aspiring by the same facilitie whereby they gained one to conquer a better after the manner of Gamesters continually hazard one upon hope of winning another in this sort sometime one alone sometime many together vexing the Islands with perpetuall warfare Fassiba to assure his estate and disable the greatest ones from enterprising against him doth often transport them from one Province to another causing them to forgoe their ancient inheritances and to lead their lives amongst unknowne neighbours neither in those places will he suffer them to enjoy livings united but farre divided in peeces and parcels For all this they are never at peace among themselves by reason that the frontiers of their pettie jurisdictions neighbour so neere one upon another In these alterations Fassiba constrained as well the losers as the winners to doe him homage and obeysance and once a yeare to pay him a rich tribute drawing to his owne Coffers the greatest part of the wealth of Iapan by these Tyrannies He keepeth his owne people busied in building of admirable Palaces sumptuous Temples Townes and Fortresses the like whereof are no where to be seene In these works he hath more than an hundred thousand workmen labouring in their severall occupations at their owne charges Amongst the rest he is now in building a Temple for whose iron workes all the stuffe in Iapan will hardly suffice and therefore he hath given commandement to all his people and Merchants to bring all iron and Armour into one place Besides the oath of fealtie whereby the residue of the Kings and Princes are bound to aid and assist him in peace and warre he receiveth yearely two millions arising of the profits of Rice reserved upon his owne possessions He was determined after the finishing of the fabrikes to attempt a journey into China and for that enterprise caused timber sufficient for the building of two thousand vessels for transportation to be felled By these magnificent fabrikes this haughty resolution this large dominion and conquest for forren Kingdomes he hopeth to attaine the reputation of immortality among his subjects as divers of his predecessors have done before him For Anida Xaca Canis and Toâ—oque were no other than Lords of Iapan which either for their glory in warre or invention of some good arts in peace were accounted as Gods amongst the Iaponians as in the old world Hercules and Bacchus were amongst the Grecians and Saturne and Ianus amongst the Italians Of these demi-gods they report as many strange and fabulous inventions as the Grecians and Italians did of theirs But Fassibâ— understanding by the preaching of the Iesuites that there can be no God but one who created the heaven and earth of nothing and all other deities to be foolish and detestable determined to banish them all and to weed up that good Vine which began to take deepe root in those Provinces Surely this may stand for a memorable example of the pride and blindnesse of mans heart The Roman Emperours opposed their forces against the Christian Religion onely to maintaine and uphold the worship of their Idols condemned for vaine and devillish by the Law of Christianity but this man raiseth persecution against Religion to arrogate to himselfe the Name of God an imagination as I said before full of extreme ambition and madnesse But in the middest of these proud and unreasonable cogitations God raised up against him a new enemie from the Easterne parts of Iapan who as wee understand is likely to give him his hand and head full of businesse THE SIXTH BOOKE Of America commonly called West India THis spacious part of the World utterly unknowne to the Ancients and extended upon the vast and raging Atlantique Ocean lay undiscovered untill the yeare of our Lord 1492. In which yeare it was found out by Christopher Columbus a man of an excellent judgement and haughty spirit under the protection and good fortunes of Ferdinand King of Spaine Him seconded Americus Vesputius and other famous Gentlemen who to their everlasting memories with infinite labour and danger surveied that huge tract with the Iland adjoyning even unto the furthest parts of the West and South That portion they called the New world as well for the incredible spaciousnesse thereof being larger than the two old divisions of Africke and Europe as for the infinite number of Ilands diversity of manners fashions of Inhabitants variety of Languages Nations and Customes with the disproportions of living Creatures Trees and Plants not to bee found or seene in these parts which they there found It is bounded upon the East with the Atlanticke or North Sea upon the South with the Magellan Streights upon the West with Mare pacificum or Mar del Zur and on the North with Terra incognita And as some Writers affirme the whole Circum Navigation amounteth to thirty thousand miles This Continent according to its diversity of situation is diversly provided In some places it is admirable fruitfull in other places very barren and needy Some part thereof lieth upon huge plaines some places are very hilly and mountainous It is watered with many famous Rivers whose sands in many places yeeld Gold with many famous Lakes and Springs It bringeth forth graine and pulse sufficient especially Maiz the chiefest bread and provision thorow the whole Indies Wine they have none and where they want this Mâ—â—z they make their bread of a kinde of Root good and wholsome if the juice be thorowly squeezed out otherwise not It yeeldeth Sugar Cotton Wooll and Flax as with us with a thousand sorts of Trees Birds Beasts and Fishes some whereof we know and other some not Horses they have none neither conceive their use and at the first sight of horsemen the Inhabitants stood amazed In it are found the Spices Gems and precious Stones with those huge masses of Gold Silver and other Minerals which we see daily transported into Europe The Inhabitants are of a swarty complexion fairer or fouler according to their different situations Not very well favoured but of savage brutish behaviours excellent footmen and swimmers clearly in their bodies naked libidinous and men-eaters Some worship the Devill some Idols some the Sun and some the Starres Their armes are the Bow
GElderland 202 Geneva 304 Gâ—noa 337 Groningen 203 Guatimala 631 Guiana 641 H HEbrides 121 Hispaniola 634 Holland 201 Hungarie 378 I IAmaica 633 Iapan 621 Ilands of England 129 India Asiatica or East-India 574 Ireland 68 Italy 317 Iudea 551 K KAthaia 498 L LOrrayne 428 Lybia 376 M MAlta 373 Man the I le 120 Manly Arts breed martiall valour 29 Mantua 362 Marishes their description and use 44 Mexico 630 Millaine 336 The Great Mogor 578 Moldavia 539 Mona 120 Monomotapaâ— 453 Moravia 278 Moscovia 463 Mountaines their description and use 42 N NAplâ—s Kingdome 330 Narsinga 613 Natolla 540 Navarre 194 Negroes Land 429 Netherlands 195 New Spaine 630 Nicaragua 632 Norwey 212 Nova Francia 636 Numidia 427 O OF Observation 1 Over-Isel 203 P PAlatinate 285 People of the North their constitutions complexions and natures 8. Of the South 12. Of the middle Region 15 Persia. 563 Peru. 637 Polâ—nd 409 Popes Estate 320 Prester Iohn 444 R REligion a great advancer of Monarchie 30 Rewards military the benefit of them 30 Rivers their use in preserving of Empire 41 Roman Empire 262 Russia 463 SAvoy 364 Sarmatia 463 Saxonie 287 Situation the aptnesse of it for Empire 35 Of the Situation of Nations 4 Scotland 114 Sea the commodities in inlarging Empire 29 Seigniories divers pettie ones easily overcome one by one by a common enemie 37 Siam 602 Sicily 369 Spaine 222 States of the Low-Countries 200 Swethland 213 Switzerland 309 T TArtaria 494 Tartars their manners and armes 485 Temperature the division of it 2 Terra australis 643 Transylvania 394 Travell instructions for it 46 Treasure the use in Warre 33 Turkes their originall and story 554 Turkie 505 Turcomania 545 Tuscanie 324 V VAlour the commendations of it 23. Military Valour how increased 27 Venice 339 Virginia 635 Vrbine 361 Vsage to the Wars the effects 27. Free Vsage of people a meanes to make Princes potent 28 Vtrecht 203 W WAlachia 539 Wales 117 Weapons their qualities and advantages 32 West-India 625 Wildernesses their descriptions 45 Wisdome the use of it in Warres 25 World and the greatest Princes in it and the means to inlarge Dominion 19 X Great Xeriff 433 FINIS * The States of the world * Petrus Bertius Numbers Valour Wisdome Rashnesse I Vse 2 〈◊〉 3 Manly arts 4 Military rewards 3 Religion 4 Weapons Treasure Situation Pettie Seigniories 1 The commodities of the Sea for the defending or inlarging of Empire 2 Rivers 3 Mountaines 4 Marishes 5 Wildernesses 6 Desarts 〈◊〉 Of Minde Of Religion Of Persons and Places Of Language Of Reading Of Conference Of the body Of Exercises Of outward necessaâ—ies Of Money Of Bookes Of Apparell Manners of Nations Nature of Soiles Of people Of the Spaniard Of the Italian The Frenchman The German Of the Pole laque Of the Netherlander and Dane The Muscovite The Grecian The Turke The Persian The Armenian The Tartar The Moore The Savoyen The Switzer Government The Situation of England Bishopricks Wealth Qualities of the English England compared with Russia and Aethiopia With Germanie With Italie With Spaine With France M Paris fol. 68â— The King The Court. The Nobility Courts of Iustice. The Gentry The Citizens The Husbandman or Yeoman compared Compared with the Turk With the Hungarian With the Italian With the Spaniard With the Frenchmen With the German With the Irishman Concerning traffike The disposition of Male-contents abroad What other Nations conceive of us Spaine The Emperor The Pole and Moscovite The Turke Italy Millan Mantua Venice The Florentine The Pope Nâ—ples Sicil. The situation of England Forces At land Neighbourhood France The Spanish The Netherlands The Archduke Scotland Pit coale or Sea-coale Wales Ilands belonging to the Crowne of Great Brittaine Camden and Gyraldus Provinces Commodities Rivers Havens and Ports Paris Vniversitie London compared with Paris For populousnesse For neat and cleane streets For Aire For River For Bridges For a Castle For places of Retreit For seats of Iustice and concourse of Merchants For Colleges for students of the Lawes For Churches For decent riding For unconfused intermixtures For a Maior For the Court. Castles Charges Governments Lawes Officers of Court Great Master Gentlemen of 〈…〉 Mastâ—r or Stewâ—â—d of the Kings House Great Provost of France Great Faulciner and Common Hunt Gentlemen of the Kings Guard His Forces His Infantery Officers of waâ—â—e Constable The Marshall Admirall Discipline His Expence His Revenue The Domaine Conquest Pension Trafficke Sale of Offices Riches A good note Officers of his Finances The Treasurer Generalities Elections Receivers Controlleâ—s His Coine The Clergie The Temporal livings of the Church The grosse errors of the Cabinet of France 〈…〉 â—ecâ—es of â—â—ance Their Apparel Their Exercises Shooting Tennis-play Dancing Musicke Their Language 1. In deliberation 2. In matter of Warre 3. Entertaining of friendship 4. In managing 〈◊〉 〈…〉 his wife 6. In aptnesse to scoffe Townes Nature of the soile Forces Holland Gâ—ldeâ—lanâ— Over-Isel Vtrecâ—â— Groningen The Richeâ— Their forces By Land â—y Sea Belgian Riches Forces at Land At Sea Gotâ—â—â—â— Finland Riches Coâ—per Forces at land Sea-forces Fortifications Borders His dominions in Europe In Africa Within the Streights Without the Streights Vnder the Aequinoctiall In Asia In the New-World Islands Continent The riches of these places Peru. 〈◊〉 Philipinae His greatnesse in Europe Division of his dominions Spaine The Estates of Italy The dominion of India The Low-Countries Italian Provinces under the Spaniard Revenues ordinary Extraordinary Orders of Knighthood Malecontents The Iewes The Portugals The Arragonou The Nobles Revenues from Italie The Italian humouâ—â— The Indies 〈◊〉 yeare 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 made of another Oâ— Flanders Councell Government Correspondencie With the Pope With the College of Cardinals With the Emperour With the Archduchesse With France With Savoy Polonia With 〈◊〉 Tuâ—ks Forces at land Humours of the Spaniards Their Cavalrie Borderers The Venetians The French The Persian In Barbarie In Tuscanie Parma Vrbine Genoa Malta Lucca Venice From him Forces These Galleons I suppose were but poore â—â—gats Borderers Situation Plentie Climate Soyle Commodities Rivers Cities 〈…〉 Temporall Princes Revenue Forces Forces by Sea Austrich Bohemia Moravia 〈◊〉 Swevia Saxonie Situation Borderers Anhault Mansfield Force Erdford Dresden Vniversities Wittenberg 〈…〉 Fertilitie Riches Commodities People Manners of the people Artizans Merchants Nobles Valour Conceit of the English Councell Revenues The Duke of Brunswicke Bavaria Wirtemberg Michelburg Hesse Baden Ansbach Situation Circuit Strength The Territories Fertilitie Handicrafts Revenue Government Behaviour Situation The Causes of their first Revolts Levying of souldiers Government Their Soveraigne Magistrate Situation Length and Breadth Natures and manners of the people Merchants Artificers Husbandmen Sharers The King of Spaine The Pope The Venetians Genoa Florence Sienna Lucca Ferrara Mantua Vrbine Parma The Bishop of Rome Marchia Romagna Riches The State of Rome The College of Cardinals Tuscan Pisa. Florence Manners of the Florentines Arezzo Sienna His forces at land At Sea His Revenues Naples House of Piety Calabria Compasse and conteinue Calabria superior Situation Caesaria Gallipolis Apulia The extent Capitanato Mansredonia Puglia and Abruzze Malsi Benevento Forces at Land At Sea Revenue Nobilitie Riches Calabria Genoa Mâ—ineâ—s of the 〈◊〉 Venice The increase thereof The description Murano The Glasse-houses Venice The site thereof and hardnesse to approach Division of the State of Venice Of the Continent Of the Island s of the Gulfe Of the Islands out of the Gulfe Riches Of the Sea The strength of the State Forces at land At Sea Of Neighbours The Turke The Spaniard The Emperor The Pope Lombardie Milan Brescia Bologna Verona Modena Mantua Number of Inhabitants Moderne Forces Nature of the people Sicil. Garrisons 〈◊〉 Revenues Forces by land By Sea Bounded Fertility Manners Riches Forces Neighbours 〈◊〉 of Hungarie Bounded Government Forces at land forces by water Fortification Plentie Mines Reasons why the Turke standeth at a stay in Hungarie Causes of greatnesse of Empires Causes of declination Riches Revenues Neighbours Forces Government Riches Revenues Government Forces Riches Forces Infantery Pioners The description of Africke Creatures proper to Africke Numidia Gualata Tombut Gago Borneo Gaoga Kings Court. Its privileges Plentie His manner of government Revenues Forces Fertilitie State Revenue Borderers King of Borno Turke King of Adel. The Slaves Greatnesse Elephants teeth Mines Salomons Oâ—hir Government Fertility Riches Cair Anciently called Gâ—â—es Riches Bounded Shires Situation Mosco The soyle and climate Of Waters Forme of government 〈…〉 Riches and commodities Of his Entrada or Revenue Their crueltie in punishing offenders Of his strength Borderers The Circassi The Nagayans The Chrim Tartars Tartaria The Pole The large extent of all Tartaria Their features Their fashions Their Riches The ancient division Their moderne division Tartaria minor The Precopenses Tartaria deserta Astrachan The Zagataâ—e Bounded Fertilitie Forces His Coronation Government His Countries Cities Their Government The Iemoglans or tribute-children Their preferments A Beglerbeg A Sanziake A Chause The Spachi and then distinctions The Ianizars and their distinguishments Their birth-place Their training Their allowance Their licentious liberty Some say forty thousand The Azapi properly belonging to the Gallies The Tartars Forces at Sea Administration of Iustice. Revenues ordinary besides Timariots Extraordinary The Timariots Report saith that this is againe reconquered by the Persian Administration of Justice Borderers The Persian The Portugals Prester John The Xeriffe The Polander The Austrian The Venetians The Spaniard Patriarches of Constantinople Of Alexandria Of Ierusalem Of Antioch Thrace Gallipolis Macedon Epyrus Achaia Peloponnesus Dalmatia Maesia superior Servia Bulgaria Valachia The reason of the desolation of these Countries Moldavia Pontus Bithynia Bursia Asia minor Caramania Cappadocia or Amasia Cilicia Armenia minor Arabia Deserta Arabia Potrea Arabia Felix Situation Nature of the people The Curdines Gurgistâ—n or Georgia in times past Iberia Situation * Now Caesaria Pâ—ilippi * Now Gibelin Iordan Asphaltites Forces Galilie Nazareth Samaria Iudea Ierusalem Mount Calvarie Valley of Ichosaphat Bethlem Gaza Jdumea Phoenicia Sydon Acon Beritus Cities Government Desarts Forces Riches Borderers The Mogor The Zagatai The Turke One Tomana maketh twenty French Crownes Government Arts. Forces at land Force at sea Treasure Borderers Riches Forces Government Borderers Aracan Macin
of all writers not because their pastures are better or sweeter than those of the South by the censure of Plinie but for the nature and temperature of the Heavens and the Ayre And as the Northerne man by nature is hot and moist the Elements of fecunditie so there is no question but that of all people they are and have beene the most populous For from the Goths the Scythians the Germans and the Scandians not onely vast desarts and goodly Cities have beene founded and inhabited but from their loynes also have Colonies beene derived thorowout all Europe Well therefore might Methodius and P. Diaconus resemble their Armies to swarmes of Bees And most true it is that Iornandes and Olaus terme the North the Store-house of mankinde because from thence the Goths the Gepidae the Hunnes the Cimbrians the Lombards the Alani the Burgundians the Normans the Picts the Heruli the Swevians the Slavi the Swizzers and the Russians have not denied to fetch their pedigrees Which maketh me to muse upon what reasons Hippocrates could build to say That the Northerne Nations were unapt for generation causa frigiditatis whereas the conjectures of heat and moisture argued in their hot and fervent breathings proceeding from the stomacke and more apparant in Winter than in Summer are not so effectually verified in any people as in the inhabitants of the North. The true motives I say of promptnesse to generation and not of sensuall concupiscence as Aristotle also would have us to imagine A vice more proper to the Southerne man performance to the Northerne man Which indifferent limitation was without doubt allotted to either climate by the handy-worke of God that those who were of sufficiencie for generation should not greatly be addicted to pleasures the residue which wanted of that measure of heat and moisture should delight in wantonnesse to raise their appetites without the which they would neither propagate their issue nor by inter-marriages maintaine humane societie And that this inward heat also maketh the people of the North more couragious taller and stronger than the Nations of the South is apparantly discernable not in our parts onely by the operation of nature but also in the people dwelling beyond the Tropike of Capricorne where the more they decline from the Aequator the more they spread in stature and tallnesse For the land of the Pentagones of some termed Giants is situated under the same latitude that Germanie is Which assertions holding true it is no wonder that this strong and couragious people the Scythians have from the beginning cruelly invaded the South erecting therein many goodly Trophies whereas from the South hath scarce ever beene attempted a journey worth speaking of to the indammagement of the North. The Assyrians vanquished the Caldeans the Medes the Assyrians the Greeks the Persians the Parthians the Greekes the Romans the Carthaginians the Goths the Romans the Turks the Arabians the Tartars the Turkes and beyond Danubius the Romans were ever unwilling to attempt Indeed Trajan erected an admirable bridge of stone over that River for it had twentie arches the rumes whereof by report are to be seene at this day But after that the same Trajan perceived that those Nations were neither easily beaten nor being beaten would or could away with subjection he commanded the bridge to be broken Semblably the English have given the French and Spanish many famous overthrowes especially to the French in France it selfe even to the hazard of their State and yet never could either of both the Nations at any time though often attempted set sure footing in England These inrodes of the aforesaid barbarous Nations I would not reiterate but that in them to mine understanding the grievous threats of Ezechiel Ieremie Esay and the rest of the Prophets That from the North should arise warres footmen horsemen and the ruine of kingdomes have beene in and by them accomplished and most properly ought to bee referred to that fore-divided partition which stretcheth from the five and fortieth degree to the fiftieth and five where Biarmia is situated For those which dwell beyond being either none or very few are dried up to use Hippocrates his terme with as vehement cold as the people living under the Tropikes are with heat Not by reason of their inward heat as Aristotle in his Meteors dreamed but by the rigour of the cold piercing their bodies and wasting their humours unto which humours the Northerne people are generally subject A manifest signe whereof is their immoderate drinking which in the Saxons and the inhabitants of the Baltike Sea could never yet be moderated by time nor statutes And that these humours cause the body to spread let the Monsters of the Sea resolve our doubts who grow to that immensive vastnesse above all other living creatures propter humiditatis copianâ— But as I take it this overmuch moisture in the Northerne people turneth them often into many grievous inconveniences For if you observe any of those Nations to travell towards the South or to make warres in hot Countries you shall finde them to faint and perish through immoderate sweating as Plutarch in the life of Marius observed in the Rhewmatike bodies of the Cimbrians And as experience manifesteth in the Horse who being by nature hot and moist liveth barely in Aethiopia and liketh well in Scythia whereas on the contrary the Asse being cold and drie is lustie and of good service in Afrike in Europe poore and base in Scythia not to be found And what now we have spoken of the strength and courage of men is observed also to be true of horses The Turkish and Barbary horses are like their Masters rather well limbd and well spirited than for labour or long journeyes The Spanish Iennet like the men of his nation quickly proves good for a souldier both best when best caparisond The Hungarian is a fierce assailant and his horse must bee lookt too for feare of running away with the Coach The high and low Dutch are bigge boned but foggie people and the Germane horse is not to travell above thirtie miles a day that nation admires a poore English Hackney The Tartar is a stubbed squat fellow hard bred and such are their horses And so for our English Of the people of the South THe people of the South as concerning the constitutions of their bodies are said to be cold drie thicke-skin'd thinne and short hair'd weake browne small timbred blacke eyed and shrill voiced the Northerne men contrarie and the middle people indifferently participating of both The Spanish women terme the Germaneâ— Mallespisces that is spongie fishes for their continuall drinking and in Italy and Provence the inhabitants doe much wonder at the English the French and the Flemmings for their nightly complaints of the bitings of the Gnats and Cimeces a kinde of wormes breeding in their beds and bedsteads whereas they themselves doe little regard them But as the bodies of the Northerne people are endued with strength and courage
advantage yet at least it doth enable us to endure and withstand him that by drawing out the warre in length wee may make him weary of continuance and gives us benefit of time By this temporizing the Venetians being overthrowne in all places by the league of Cambray in the end became Conquerours So that as to him that hath a populous army and finds himselfe mighty and strong it is most convenient to hasten the encounter and to fight without prolonging of time for delay the overthrow of many actions can afford him no other but losse sicknesse infection scarcity famine mutinies and dissolution of forces So for him that is better furnished with money than with men it is most advantagious to prolong the warre and to stand upon the defensive for in the end his money may gaine him victory Finally although some men will not suffer money to be called the sinewes of warre because as Solon answered once to Croesus who in ostentation shewed him his gold Sir if another comes that hath better iron than you he will be master of all this gold yet notwithstanding where numbers policy valour and weapons have not either singly or altogether prevailed there hath money alone done the feat For this have Townes and Kingdomes beene bought of traitors with this purchase we either peace or victory No place is to be held impregnable whither an Asse laden with gold may get up Two great effects it workes First it levies forces suddenly and withall keeps them long together Secondly a monied enemie may fight when he will and but when he will and must needs therefore weary out his adversary and so at last endanger either to overthrow him or force him to a faire composition For want of pay Armies mutinie and will neither muster nor fight and especially the Germans But Spinola hath made great use of a secret of warre how in scarcitie of moneys to awe these mutiniers and that is by paying and contenting the horse and they shall keepe the foot in obedience But this tricke will not alwayes serve for in an Armie a man can hardly tell which is most necessary armes victuals or money this last alwayes fetches in both the other The advantage of site is of much importance for the defending or inlarging of dominion and doth chiefly consist in this that it be convenient for the making of an assault and uneasie to be againe assaulted For a Country being as it were naturally fortified hath easie meanes to make conquests and get victory to the inlargement of their owne dominions and to the overthrow of anothers Of this quality are the situations of Spaine and Araby for both these are as it were pene-Insulaes having their greatest parts incompassed with the Sea whereby they may assaile the Countries neere adjoyning and cannot without great difficulty be assaulted againe The one hath dangerous shores without harbors and is invironed with mountaines having few and secret passages the other is inclosed with sands and desarts Of like quality is Italy And among the Islands England But this advantage of situation I hold not sufficient of it selfe to effect any notable exploit for besides there is required plenty of victuals store of munition armes horses and divers other necessaries without which there is no hope to accomplish any famous expedition Moreover such a disposition and quality of the country is necessarily to be required that the aforesaid habiliments may easily be brought together and removed to places whither occasion shall command And although those which possesse the mountaines and higher places may with advantage come downe upon the plaine and low countries and by reason of the craggednesse and hard passages of their country can hardly be assaulted againe yet have not such people done any thing which may worthily commend them For the mountaines be ordinarily long and narrow or at the least much broken and divided amongst themselves which must needs hinder the speedy drawing together and uniting of their forces and necessaries againe are they unprovided of victuals and of all other things requisite of the warres and therefore altogether unable to continue in action So that they warre rather after the manner of robbers and theeves than of true souldiers It may also be added that the mountaine-men cannot live any long time without intercourse and traffike with the men of the plaine Countrey And therefore if upon any attempt they doe not prevaile at the first brunt their best course will bee to capitulate with their enemies and to returne home againe although with losse as did the Helvetii at the overthrow of Mount S. Claud. So wee may see that the Englishmen which inhabit a plaine and plentifull soile have alwayes prevailed against the Scots and Welshmen who upon presumptions of their naturall situations have divers times molested them For the plaine Country by reason of the fruitfulnesse doth minister all things requisite for warre and to defray charges conveniencie to joyne forces and being gotten together able long time to maintaine them Whereas on the contrary the Mountaines by reason of their barrennesse afford no provision for a long journey nor are any way able to beare the charge of any notable enterprise Wherupon it doth proceed that small Islands having the foresaid qualities of situation have never attained any great Soveraignty because the advantages of the Land are farre greater than those of the Sea Moreover their command cannot be great unlesse it be enlarged by meanes of the firme Land for Islands hold the same proportion with the Continent that the part doth with the whole Besides they be for the most part long and narrow as Candy Cyprus Spagniola Cuba S. Laurence and Sumatra and therefore cannot readily bring their forces together Neither will I sticke to say that Islands if not strong in shipping as England and the Netherlands although they may with advantage come forth and assaile others are not withstanding as it were Cities without wals laid open to the spoile of all Invaders As it happened to Sicil being assailed by the Athenians and the Lacedemonians and afterwards by the Carthaginians and the Romans But the Provinces of the firme Land being for the most part of a proportion more round and square have their forces continually neere together and to be speedily united and therefore more ready and apt for opposition Yet to small purpose are all these aforesaid advantages if opportunity give not aid thereunto This opportunity is a meeting and concurring of divers cadences which at one instant doe make a matter very easie and at another time being overslipped it will be impossible or at least very hard to bring to like facility Wherefore amongst many and divers I will here note the most principall The first groweth by the basenesse and negligence of the neighbour Princes arising either by reason of a naturall jealousie defect and dulnesse or of too long a peace So Caesar possest himselfe of Italy and of the Common-wealth being ready
Danuby to buy and hire ships so fast at this very present at Lubecke Rostocke and other coast townes and to appoint Mansfelt for his Admirall Such a friend is the Sea to those that border upon it and of such importance towards the defending or enlarging of Empire But as for Islands such as ours wholly situate in it certainly that wall of water and sand about us is a surer fortification than Frier Bacons wall of brasse could have beene Our Almighty Creator in an humble and a thankfull sense bee it spoken hath even married us to his owne providence protection the sand about us seemes to be our wedding Ring and the riches of the Sea our Dowrie By benefit of the Sea as long as we have kept our selves masters of it we have enjoyed peace and have heard of rather than felt the miseries of other Nations and certainly so long as we keepe our selves so wee are at liberty to take as much or little of the warre as wee please and at length verily even the wealth of the Indies will be but an accessary to the command of the Seas The Indies being but like the Bets at play he that winnes the game gets not only the maine Stake but all the Bets by follow the fortune of his hand This finally is the advantage of an Iland that it cannot be taken if it be master at Sea t is not so much matter what the Land-forces be in the resisting of the landing of an invading enemie seeing one Fleet is worth three Armies Wee had two Armies drawne together on foot in 88. and one of traine bands to be called for upon occasion yet our Fleet blessed be God did more service than they all and good reason is there for it For suppose an enemie this evening he discovered at Sea upon the coast of Kent thitherwayes presently make the Land forces but ere morning the wind chops about and the enemy is ready within foure and twenty houres to land Northward or Westward where the Army cannot possibly be to attend him but a Fleet now is ever ready to dogge him with the same wind and is ever and anon bearing up to him still beating upon his Reare and if it be able to doe no more can yet at least hold him play till the beacons be fired and the Country forces come in to hinder the landing And thus much for situation upon the Sea and the strength which that affords us either in offending or defending in keeping or inlarging of Empire Of all creatures in the world a River most resembles a monster The head like that of Rumor is oftentimes not to be found the mouth farre bigger than the head and withall farthest off from it The head hath no motion the veines feed the bodie the mouth serves not but to void the supersfluities How monstrous not withstanding soever it be yet most beneficiall it is The next advantage to that of the Sea being the commodity of great navigable impassable Rivers The Roman conquests never made stand in Germanie till they came to the banks of the Rhine and Danuby but there they did for many ages The swift River Oxus in the East of the world hath beene the fatall bounder of two Monarchies the River Don in Russia hath the honour to part Europe and Asia and the River Dee by Chester did a long time keepe our Welshmen thereabouts unconquered Nothing awes a great River so much as a bridge whose Arches he labours to overthrow with all his forces for a bridge is the saddle to ride this Sea-horse The Emperour Hadrian thought he had done such an act when he had laid a bridge over the Danuby that he expressed the memory of it as of a victory in medals and coynes That mighty Armies have beene defeated in their passing of Rivers need not be stood upon When Spinola in these late warres being guided by a country butcher had once passed the Rhine and undisturbed set footing in the Palatinate Be of good comfort fellow souldiers saith he to his Army I le warrant you that we shall never be fought withall by this enemie For in passing of a River the enemy hath so many disadvantages what by the swiftnesse of the streame the smalnesse of the boats the unsteadinesse of the footing and the disorder in the approaching that he that to save his owne will not then fight will never fight And thus see wee that though Rivers be not like the Sea so apt to inlarge Empire they bee most commodious to guard it being once acquired and that 's no small benefit seeing wise men have anciently accounted it That Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri T is an argument of no lesse valour or fortune to keepe what a man hath than to get that which a man hath not None of the weakest boundaries to Conquerours and Monarchies are the Mountaines for were all the world a levell and Campania what should hinder him that were strongest in horse to scowre it all over and as t is seene in the Low Countries to make all men pay contribution to the master of the field or the stronger party of horse even at pleasure Mountaines be naturall swellings of the earth above the usuall levell or surface of it which make the same exception to the definition of the roundnesse of the earth that a wart or pimple may to the smoothnesse of a young face They may seeme to be some heaps of rubbish and offals left of the creation of the world The difficulty of the ascent up to them the horridnesse of their cragges the savagenesse of their wilde inhabitants beasts or people the chillnesse of their frostie tops with the inhospitable barrennesse of their rugged sides may give scandall or leave an imputation of beggery and barbarousnesse to that country that hath most of them if their commodities be not thought upon as well as their discommodities For as they keepe their neighbours poore so they keepe them safe witnesse our unconquered Wales and Scotland which nor Romans nor Danes nor Saxons durst ever throughly set upon The Emperour Severus lost the greatest part of his Army in the hils of Scotland and how have our English Armies beene moyled in the Welsh mountaines and we have finally rather conquered the people than the Country Mountaines are natures bulwarkes cast up as the Spaniard sayes at God Almighties owne charges the Retreats they are of the oppressed the scornes and turne-againes of victorious Armies That knew the Barbarians in Q. Curtius well enough who having retreated from Alexander the great to the fastnesse of an inaccessible mountaine and Alexanders Orator in his parly and perswasive to them to yeeld telling them of his masters victories and of the Seas and Wildernesses that he had passed It may be so said they but can Alexander 〈◊〉 Over the Seas he might have ships and over land horses but he must have wings if he get up hither Where now
Kings of England doe elect their Magistrates and Officers as the Cities and townes of England doe In England the ancientest Earles of Ireland do give precedency to the Earleâ— of England for that they have no voice in the Parliament of England neither hath the Nobility of England any voyce or prerogative in the Parliaments of Ireland so Irishmen borne are denizens by birth in England and may beare Office and inherit lands in England as experience teacheth without charters of denization as Englishmen are and doe in Ireland And so Irishmen pay onely such customes and duties in England as Englishmen doe and ought The Wards of the Nobilitie are disposed of by the King and of inferiour persons by the Viceroy and certaine of the Councell there according to their Commission Even so titles of honours lands and offices are usually granted by the Kings of England under the great seale of England or Ireland according to pleasure The incivility wherewith this so goodly a kingdome hath beene much branded hath chiefly arisen from want of education and learning And secondly for that the Country aboundeth with idle men having no trade whereupon to live which onely abuse hath incouraged rebellion the Ring-leaders not doubting to bee followed by these swarmes of dissolute persons ready to take armes upon any occasion for desire of spoile But verily sithence that now of late the King of Peace and Pietic hath wiped away all distrust of former neglects by his continuall industry to plant Religion and Arts to re-people the wasted Provinces and to extirpate the innated idlenesse of the worst bred Irish there is no question under God to be made but that this beautifull Island being so neere a neighbour so fruitfull in soile so rich in pasture more than credible beset with so many woods inriched with so many Minerals watred with so many Rivers invironed with so many Havens lying fit and commodious for Navigation into most wealthy Countries will in time prove profitable to the Church advantagâ—ous to the Prince pleasing to the Inhabitants and comparable to any the best and civillest kingdomes of the Christian Common-weale Great Brittaine THe whole Island of Brittaine once divided now re-united under the name of the kingdome of Great Brittaine is an Island situated in the maine Ocean over against France and divided into foure great Provinces The first whereof the Englishmen doe inhabit the second the Scots the third the Welshmen and the last the Cornishmen Every one of those doe differ from other either in language in manners or in customes England so termed of the Englishmen the Inhabitants thereof is by much the greater and goodlier portion and divided into nine and twenty Provinces which they terme Shires Of the which ten doe make the prime part of the Kingdome and inclining towards the South have their existence betweene the Thames and the Sea Next as farre as the Trent which runneth thorow the middest of England are sixteene other Shires proportioned whereof the first six lie towards the East and the other ten lie more to the Inland other six border upon Wales and are bounded towards the West About the heart of the Kingdome lie Darbishire Yorkeshire Lancashire and Cumberland And upon the left hand inclining towards the West Westmerland Vpon the contrary side lie Durham and Northumberland Provinces opposed to the North and sometime appertaining to the Crowne of Scotland These Shires are two wayes divided first into six circuits parted among the Iudges who twice a yeare goe over them for the holding of Assises Secondly into two Archbishopricks Canterbury who hath two and twenty Bishoprickes under his Province and Yorke who hath three in his These are by the Grecians termed Dioceses and take their denominations from the Cities wherein the Bishops have their Seas the chiefe whereof is London and was once the seat of an Archbishop now translated unto Canterbury This prime part upon the East and the South is bounded with the Ocean upon the West with Wales and Cornwall upon the North with Tweed the bounder also of England and Scotland At this River of Tweed endeth the length thereof which being accounted to beginne at the Shore which lieth most Southerly is from thence reckoned to containe about three hundred and twenty miles On this side the Humber it is accounted the fertilest for corne beyond mountainous but excellent for herbage For albeit to one that beholdeth it afarre off it seemeth all champiâ—n notwithstanding it hath many hils and those for the most part destitute of wood as also most pleasant vallies wherein especially the Gentlemen have their mansions who according to their old customes dwell not in Townes but approach the Vallies and Rivers and inhabit the Villages as I thinke the better to avoid the furie of tempestuous winds whereunto the Island is sometime subject Wherby it commeth to passe that the Yeomen conversing with the Gentry doe in every place savour of some good fashion and the Vpland Cities are the lesse famoused The land generally is exceeding fertile and plentifull in beasts whereby it commeth to passe that the English people are more addicted unto Grazing than unto Tillage so that almost the third part of the soile is reserved rather for Cattell Deere Conies and Goats a for of this sort also there is great store in Wales And in every Shire you shall see Parkes impaled and Forrests replenished with these beasts in the hunting whereof the Nobility and Gentry doe much delight there being more Parks in England than in all Europe besides For provision of the Inhabitants neither is it lesse stored with corne wilde fowle and fish so that for plenty goodnesse and sweetnesse it needeth neither the helpe of France no nor of any neighbour-bordering Country Among other things the flesh especially of their Swine Oxen and Veales have the best rellish of any part of Christendome and of Fish their Pike and Oysters It bringeth not forth Mules nor Asses but of Horse for pace the best in the world and of those infinite proportions for service running and coursing The wealth hereof consisteth in the never-decaying Mines of Tinue and Lead of Copper Iron and Coales On the Downes groweth a small and tender kinde of grasse neither dunged nor watred with spring or river but in Winter nourished with the moisture of the aire and in Summer with the dew of Heaven which is so gratefull and pleasing to the Sheepe that it causeth them to beare fleeces of singular goodnesse and exceeding finenesse The Island breedeth no Wolves nor any other ravening beast and therefore these their flockes wander night and day by Hils Dales and Fields as well inclosed as common without feare or danger Most delicate Cloths are woven of this Wooll which from thence are transported in great abundance into Germany Poland Denmarke Sweveland Italy Turkie and the Indies where they are in high request There grow all sorts of pulse great store of Saffron yea infinite quantities of
Beere are transported from thence into Belgia as also Pelts Hides Tallow and Sea-coale The Island is so commodiously seated for the Sea that it is never without resort of Portugall Spanish French Flemmish and Easterling Merchants The traffike betweene the English and the Flemmish ariseth to an inestimable value for Guicciardin writeth that before the tumults of the Low-countries they bartered for twelve millions of crownes yearely The aire is somewhat thicke and therefore more subject to the gathering of clouds raine and winds but withall lesse distempered with heat or cold for the same reasons of crassitude The nights are lightsome and in the Northermost parts of the Land they are so short that the falling and rising of the Sunne is discernde but by a small intermission for that the Island is situated almost full North and the Sunne in the Summer time moving slowly and staying long in the Northerne Climates doth almost compasse it round above In the Winter it is as farre removed when approaching neerer the South it runneth towards the East I my selfe have observed that in the City of London being seated in the Southerly part of the Island about the Summer Solstice the night hath not beene above five houres long At all seasons of the yeare the Country is most temperate being subject to no extraordinary evill influence of the Heavens so that diseases are not there very common and therefore lesse use of Physicke than in other places yea many times some people there are who attaine unto one hundred and ten yeares of age yea some to one hundred and twenty Earth-quakes are here seldome heard of and lightnings almost to speake of as seldome The soyle is very fruitfull and plentifull and of all necessaries it yeeldeth abundance except of those things which are peculiar to hotter or colder Regions Vines are fostered rather for the pleasure of their shadowes than for the increase of their profits yet prosper they in all places and bring forth Grapes which notwithstanding hardly wax ripe unlesse an unusuall hot Summer or an artificiall reflexion doe helpe them Wheat Rye Barley and Oats are sowed in their seasons other graines they commonly use not and of Pulse onely Beanes and Pease The fruits suddenly knot but ripen slowly the cause of either is the overmuch moisture both of the soile and the aire Wine as aforesaid the Land affordeth not in stead whereof beere is in request without controversie by use a pleasant and wholsome Beverage Wines are transported from France Spaine and Canaie The Woods are full of fruit trees and most plentifull of Mast. The Rivers faire and runne through many Provinces The Downes are many yet neither cumbred with wood nor overlayed with water which by reason therof bringeth forth a tender and short grasse gratefull and sufficient for the pasturage of infinite flockes of sheepe And whether it be by the influence of the Heavens or the goodnesse of the land they yeeld the finest and softest freeces thorow the whole world And first I must put you in minde of a Miracle how this beast besides the dew of Heaven ordinarily tasteth of no other water so that the shepherds of purpose doe drive them from all watry places upon true observation That to let them drinke is to let them bane Without doubt this is the true golden Fleece wherein the maine wealth of the whole Island consisteth And for to buy this commoditie immensive treasure is yearely reconveyed into the Land by Merchants from whence it is never conveyed because it is provided by the Lawes of the Kingdome That no person transport Gold or Silver Plate Iewels c. Whereby it commeth to passe that no Countrey under the Cope of Heaven is richer than England For besides those masses of Coyne which passe this way and that way through the hands of Tradesmen Merchants and Gentlemen there is almost no person of meane condition but for the use of his daily table he hath either a Salt Cups or Spoones of Silver and according to his estate more or lesse for divers services It is no lesse stored with all kinde of Beasts except Asses Mules Camels and Elephants It bringeth forth no materiall venomous Creature or Beast of prey save the Fox worthy talking of for the race of the Wolves is quite extinguished and therefore all sorts of cattell stray as they list and are in safetie without any great care-taking for an Heards-man so that you shall see Heards of Rother Beasts and Horses and Flocks of Sheepe in all places wandring by day and by night upon Hils and in Vallies in Commons and inclosed Grounds by ancient Customes laid open after Harvest wherein every Neighbour claimeth communitie to feed his Cattell For in truth the Oxe and the Weather are Creatures especially ordained for the Table than whose flesh there is not in any place a more savourie or delicious service Of the two the Steere is the best especially if it be seasonably powdered of which there is no marvell for that this choice is altogether exempted from labour and fed up for food and withall the diet of the English Nation consisting most upon flesh The people are tall of stature faire of complexion for the greater part gray-eyed and as in pronunciation they approach the Italian so in constitution of body and fashion they doe well-neere imitate them They are civilly qualified and take counsell by leasure knowing that profitable proceedings have none a more dangerous adversary â—han rashnesse Of their owne dispositions they are courteous and in all good offices forwards especially the Gentry even towards strangers Their acquaintance they invite to their houses and there entertaine them kindly and feast them both at noone and at night merrily neatly heartily and bountifully and this they terme courtesie or neighbourhood In battell they are fearlesse excellent Archers and in service unindurable of temporizing and therefore the sword being once drawne they forth with set at all upon the hazzard of a battell knowing that all good successe attendeth the fortune of the Victor Fortresses they build none but rather suffer those which heretofore have beene built and are now by age growne ruinous utterly to perish but being once in forren parts they retaine all military discipline to the utmost For Booke-men their maintenance is bountifull their proficiencie commendable and their number numberlesse Their attire differeth not much from the French their women are amiable and beautifull and attired in most comely fashion Their Cities are honourable their Townes famous Hamlets frequent and Villages every where magnificent So that if any courteous Traveller would desire of mee to behold an Idea of happinesse in abstracto fitting for the generall necessitie of life and upright conversation viz. the use of diet clothing sociable feastings solemne festivals and banquets with approbation of magnificence Or demand to see the place where Law indifferent to all sorts permitteth the private man to thrive to purchase estates to devise chattels and inheritances
losse of their Country in their utmost extremities retired themselves and there partly by the strength of the Mountaines and partly by the fastnesse of the Woods and Bogs where with that Province was for the most part replenished they purchased unto themselves places of safety which unto this day they have made good and retaine Thence-forth the English stiled the Countrey Wales and the Inhabitants Welshmen which denomination in the German language signifieth a Stranger an Alien a Guest or a New-come person that is to say one that speaketh a different language from that of the German for in their understanding Walsh signifieth a Forrainer or Stranger whether it be Italian or Frenchman if he differ in language from the German and Man is as Homo in Latine The Angles therefore being a people of Germany becomming Lords of Brittanie after their Country manner termed those Brittons who escaped the ruine of their Country Wallons or Welshmen for that they spake a language contrary to that of their owne and also the Soile whither they fled to inhabit Wallia which Name the Nation as well as the people retaine unto this day And so the Brittons lost their name together with their Empire The soile of the Country especially of that which adjoyneth unto the Sea or consisteth of Champian is most fertile which both to Man and Beast supplieth great store of provision but contrariwise for the Major part it is barren and lesse fruitfull and peradventure for that good husbandrie is wanting which is the cause that the Husbandmen live hardly eat Oaten-bread and drinke Milke sometime mingled with water In it are many fine Townes with fortified Castles and foure Bishopricks if Hereford be accounted in England as aforesaid according to the Moderne description The people have also a different language from the English which they who boast to derive their pedegree from the Trojan Line doe affirme to participate partly of the Trojan antiquity and partly of the Grecian Verily however the case standeth their pronuntiation is not so sweet and fluent as is the pronuntiation of the English for that the Welsh in my opinion do speak more neere the throat whereas on the contrary the English truly imitating the Latines doe pronounce their words a little betweene their lips which to the Auditor yeeldeth a pleasing sound Thus much of Wales the third portion of Brittany THe fourth and last part followeth and that is Cornewall This Province taketh its beginning upon that part of the Iland which looketh towards Spaine and the setting of the Sunne To the Eastward it stretcheth ninetie miles even a little beyond Saint Germains a fine Village and seated towards the right hand upon the Sea-shore where its greatest breadth is but twenty miles over For this portion of ground upon the right side is incircled with the Ocean upon the left with that inlet of Sea which as before we told you pierceth into the Land as farre as Chepstow where taking the similitude of a horne it runneth along first narrow and afterwards broader a little beyond the Towne of Saint Germaines Eastward it bordereth upon England upon the West the South and the North the maine Ocean incompasseth it The Soile is very barren and yeeldeth profit rather by the toyle of the Husbandman than its owne good nature But for Tinne it is admirable bountifull in the Mines whereof consisteth the better part of the Inhabitants happinesse However the Language is greatly different from the English but with the Welsh it participateth with no small affinitie for either language hath the denomination of many things in common The onely difference is that a Welshman hearing a Cornishman speaking rather understandeth some words than his whole speech A thing worthy admiration that in one and the same Iland there should be so different a confusion of Languages Cornewall pertaineth unto Exeter Diocesse and in times past was thought worthy to be accounted for a fourth part of the Iland partly for the dissimilitude of the language and partly for that it received the first inhabitants as aforesaid But afterwards the Normans who constituted a new forme of a Common-wealth admitted Cornewall amongst the number of the Counties THe first are the Sorlings lie against the Cape of Cornewall They are now termed Silly and are few lesse than 145. covered with grasse and inclosed with huge and massie rocks They are fruitfull enough for Corne but are used altogether to the feeding of Conies Cranes Swannes and Sea-Fowle Some of them yeeld Tinne and the fairest thereof is called Saint Maries being fortified with a Castle and Garrison The residue of lesse fame for brevitie we will willingly omit In the Severne Sea lie Chaldey and Londay Londay is two miles long and as many broad full of good pasture and abounding with Conies and Doves and those Fowles which Alexander Necham termeth Ganimed his birds And though it be wholly incircled with the Sea yet it yeeldeth fresh water from the Mountaines and openeth but one only passage where thorow two men can hardly passe afront the residue is inclosed with high and horrible overshuts of Rocks MOna or Anglesey is a famous Iland separated from Wales by a small fret the ancient dwelling place of the Druides It is two and twenty miles long and threescore broad Although that in ancient times this Iland seemed barren and unpleasant yet in these dayes it hath beene so well husbanded and become so fertile that it is stiled the Mother of Wales It is sufficiently stored with Cattell it yeeldeth the Grind-stone and the Minerall earth whereof Allom and Vitriall are confected It once contained 363. Villages and is at this day reasonable populous The Ilanders are wealthy and valiant and altogether speake the Welsh tongue MAn lieth just betweene the Northerne parts of Ireland and Brittaine In length it containeth little lesse than thirty Italian miles in bredth where it is broadest not above fifteene and in some places hardly eight In Bedas time saith Camden it contained three hundred families but now it can shew not above seventeene parish Churches It yeeldeth plentifull store of Flax and Hempe Tillage and Pasture Wheat and Barley but especially of Oats whereof for the most part the inhabitants feed There are also droves of Rother beasts to be seene flocks of sheep without number but generally all sorts of Cattell are lesse of growth than in England In stead of Wood they use a bituminous Cole in digging whereof sometimes they light upon trees buried in the earth The Inhabitants above all things hate theft and begging being but weake by nature Those which inhabit the Southerne parts speake the Irish tongue those whâ—ch dwell towards the North speake the Scottish THe Hebrides are foure and forty in number and lie upon the South of Scotland the Orcades are thirty and extend towards the North. The Inhabitants of the former speake Irish the people of the latter Gottish Wight is seated in the Brittish Ocean the
not the one to practise against the other upon the perill that may ensue to the offender In waiting with the Moscovite the Swevian hath most advantage because Finland which bordereth upon Russia by reason of the great Marishes whereof it is full yeeldeth hard and perillous passage to the Enemie oftentimes swallowing up whole Armies in those congealed Waters there be Keepers of the Castles of Viburge Narve Ravelia and other piles and peeces upon the borders of the great Duke of Moscovia excellent well fortified as bridles to stop his violent courses In which hee doth very wisely for those peeces which lie in the Territories of our Enemies are to be regarded most carefully because they bring forth two notable effects first they defend what is ours and offend what is the Enemies The further they are distant from our borders the better they stand us instead for while the Enemie is occupied in besieging thereof our owne State standeth in quiet and time affordeth meanes for rescue or delivery thereof at leasure and that without spoile to our owne people or losse of our proper revenues They grieve the Enemie with so much the more dammage by how much the neerer they are situated unto him Of this effect was Calais in the possession of the English and the places which the Spaniards and Portugals hold in Africke But the Fortresses built in our owne borders serve to no other end than to defend what is already ours and that to our great disadvantage for as often as they are invaded all things are done at a sudden and it cannot be avoided but somewhat will fall to the spoile of the Enemie To end with the King of Swethland he is so much better able than the Moscovite to defend his Territories by how much Sea-forces joyned to Land-forces are able to prevaile against a State furnished with Land-forces only Spaine EVROPE is in the Mappe shaped something like a Queene and there is Spaine made the head of it and perchance there may prove some fatalitie in it The shape of Spaine doth indeed resemble a Dragon which is a creature of prey and for devouting Spaine indeed hath in hope and designe already devoured all Europe and would be head of the Monarchie Bâ— stay the proverbe is That Serpens nisi serpentem come devis non fit Draco Vnlesse one Serpent eat another hee never proves a Dragon there be many Countries that Spaine must first eat up before it proves the European Dragon and Monarch England France Netherland c. all must be careâ— first But soberly to consider of the matter Spaine hath already done very well towards it for â—â—hence the remembrance of later times a larger Empire hath not befallen any Christian Potentate than that which the Spanish enjoyeth at this day especially since the union of the Kingdome of Portugal with the dependencies thereof unto this Crown For besides the large and faire Provinces in Europe the goodly Regions of Asia and divers rich Territories in Africke he enjoyeth in peace and securitie without any corrivall oâ— competitor the New World in circuit more spacious than either Europe or Africke In Europe hee is sole Soveraigne of Spaine holding it whole and entire A thing worthy observation for that by the space of eight hundred yeares before our age it never obeyed any one Prince but was dismembred and peece-meale claimed by divers Seigniors Hee hath very much shaken Belgia and Lordeth it over the Kingdome of Naples containing in circuit a thousand and foure hundred miles and retaineth Insubria otherwise called the Duchie of Milâ—une comprehending three hundred miles in circuit Of the Islands he holdeth Majorique Minorique and Evisa the first of three hundred miles circuit the second of an hundred and fifty the third of eight Sicil is reported to containe seven hundred Sardinia five hundred threescore and two In Africa he holdeth the great Haven called Masalquivir the most secure and safe harbour in the whole Mediterranean Sea Hee hath also Oran Mililla and the rooke commonly called the Paevion of Velez And without the Streights he possesseth the Canary Islands twelve in number and the least of seven containing ninety miles In the right of the House of Portugal hee possesseth the famous places of Sepra and Tangier and of late he hath conquered Alarach the which may rightly bee surnamed the Keyes of the Streights yea of the Mediterran Sea and Atlantique Ocean Without the Streights he holdeth the Citie of Mazaga and by the same Title in the vast Ocean he claimeth the Terceraz Port-Santo and Madera famous for the Wines which grow therein and the Lady-like Iland of all the Atlantique containing by estimation 160. miles in compasse Then the Ilands of Cape Verd seven in number Vnder the Aequinoctiall he holdeth the Iland of S. Thomas some what more spacious than Madera but most plentifull in Sugar and from thence rangeth over that huge tract of Land which tendeth from Cape Aguer to Cape Guardafu Lastly he pretendeth to be Lord of all the Traffique Merchandize Negotiation and Navigation of the whole Ocean and of all the Ilands which Nature hath scattered in these Seas especially betweene the Cape of Good-hope and the promontory of Guardafu In Asia in the aforesaid right of the Crowne of Portugal he ruleth the better part of Westerne Coasts viz. Ormus Diu Goa and Malaca Ormus for his commodious situation is become so rich that these verses are growne to a common proverbe among the Arabians As in a Ring the well set stone appeareth to the eye Such to the worlds round circle doth rich Ormus-Ilandlie A great portion of Arabia Felix belongeth to the Principalitie of Ormus as likewise Balsara the Iland-Queene within that Gulfe for plentie circuit varietie of fruits and the rich fishing of Pearle But this goodly Iland and Castle of Ormus is since taken from him by the Persians with the aid of our East-Indian Fleet and there are continuall fights with the Portugall Frigats maintained by the English and Hollanders So that on those coasts he rather exerciseth Pyracie than Dominion In this Sea the Portugals possesse Damian Bazain Tavaan and Goa which Citie to omit Chial Canora Cochin and Colan is of so great esteeme that it is thought to yeeld the King as great a revenue as many Provinces in Europe doe their Lords and finally the Portugals hold all that Sea-coast which lieth betweene the Citie Damian and Malepura wherein no Prince except the King of Calecute challengeth one foot of Land The Iland of Zeilan wherein they possesse a strong Haven and a Castle commonly called Columbo may rightly be called the delight of Nature They enjoy also Malaca which in those places is the bound and limit of their Empire as also the staple of the Traffique and the Navigation of the East Ocean and of all those Ilands being so many and so spacious that in circuit of Land they may well be compared to all Europe To continue their
interlaced so riotously her golden and silver Veines in the bosome and wombe of Peru it hath bestowed no suâ—h blessing upon her neerest daughter Brasile but instead thereof hath inriched it with a most temperate and wholsome aire with many pleasant Springs and large Rivers not without sufficiencie of wood she hath divided the land into fruitfull and delightsome hils cloathed it with the beautie of continuall greennesse abounding above beleefe with Sugar-canes which the Portugals have there planted and now transport in infinite quantitie into forren Regions The Philipinae may well be termed the appendances to this New-World for although in respect of their site and proximitie they may be thought a part of Asia yet the discoverers thereof travelled thorow New-Spaine before they could discover them of which Islands more than forty are subject to this Soveraigntie and by them have beene reduced unto civill kinde of life and policie Having thus generally run over the spacious or rather boundlesse members of this Empire I will now relate unto you the true qualitie and State of this great Prince of Christendome the matter being so much the more hard by how much the more copious in it selfe And not to wearie your patience with long discourse I will restraine my selfe to things of most importance with all possible varietie In performance whereof forbearing to tell how out of this House of Austria in the space of three hundred yeares ten Emperors have already successively succeeded one another from Father to Sonne As also by what casualties so many Kingdomes and Provinces have beene united unto this Crowne And in particular how the Houses of Austria and Burgundie have in such sort beene conjoyned that had his enterprises against England and France fallen out conformable to expectation without question he had beene much inabled to have marcht on with large paces to the Monarchie of the whole world This his Empire is divided into foure parts the Kingdome of Spaine the Estates of Italie the Dominions of the Indies and the Countries of Flanders Spaine is by the Spaniards for the greater grace divided into ten Kingdomes and hath beene alway acknowledged for so wealthie puissant and so spacious a Kingdome that the Romans and Carthaginians continued so long and so cruell warres for the possession and royaltie thereof The Goths and Vandals when with the streame of their over-flowing multitudes they swarmed over the greatest part of the Roman Empire here sate them downe and made it the place of their habitation Trebellius Pollio termed it and France The joynts and finewes of the Roman Empire Constantine when he divided the Empire preferred it before Italie and in the division when England France Spaine and Italie fell to his lot hee little esteeming the last and voluntarily leaving it to his competitor contented himselfe with the three formost The Estates of Italie the finewes and nurseries of his warres comprehend the Kingdomes of Naples Sicilie Sardinia the Dukedome of Millaine and the three Forts situate upon the Sea-coast of Tuscain Orbatello Vrcole and Telemon The dominion of India is divided into the East and West In the East he hath but some Islands farre distant from the firme Land but in the West he hath divers Provinces adjoyning upon the Sea-coast yet not penetrating farre within the Land And although he doth daily conquer some of the neighbouring places yet they be of no great value nor consequence From the Low-Countries he reapeth small profit for hee hath there lost his ancient Revenues with his reputation being faine to acknowledge the States of Holland Zeland c. for free before they would yeeld to capitulate with him To intreat first of Spaine because it is the centre of this spacious Empire it is conserved by two meanes that is to say by Iustice and Religion keeping this people in obedience more with severity and chastisement than with clemency and mercy The Province it selfe is barren if we consider each part thereof by it selfe but being reduced into one grosse it aboundeth with all things necessary especially towards the Sea coast being also stored with divers Minerals True it is that it hath few men and is not populous both by reason that a great number are drawne from thence to serve in the warres to re-enforce the garrisons and to defend the forts abroad as well amongst the Indies as in many other places of his dominions as also for that many of them doe exercise Merchandize and Navigation Which although it bring some dammage to the State because so many leave the Country yet proveth it very beneficiall and commodious by their enricht returne unto their owne houses and ridding by that meanes the Country of the more slothfull sort of home-livers Two parts are incompast with the Ocean and Mediterran Seas the third is secured from the power of the French Armes not onely by reason of the craggy situation of the Pirenean of Scialon Pargnan and Pampelone where it is mountainous and hard to passe and by the forts but also through the difficulty that they should there finde in journeying and the incommodity and want of victuals entring into a Country so sterill and unfruitfull The other part confining as aforesaid upon the Mediterran Sea remaineth onely exposed unto the Turkish Navie from which it is well secured by having few Ports and those diligently kept and guarded with powerfull forces But amongst all the offensive Potentates the Kingdome of England is able to infest it more than any other for in the late warres it did beyond measure trouble the Kingdome of Portugal in pitying the quarrell of Don Antonio a man much favoured of that Crowne in such sort that the City of Lisbon once famous and well inhabited became poore and well-nigh dispeopled For whereas in 〈◊〉 past one might number a thousand vessels within her Ports 500 of them were consumed taken by the enemie which did not much displease his Majestie for some said he was well content to see the Portugals so impoverished and abased because they live male-contentedly under his obedience and government Whereupon at all times his Majesty is constrained to maintaine a strong Armada in these Seas to safeguard the Navigation to the Indies and to secure the Merchants comming from thence into these Countries over and besides twenty foure Gallies which he keepeth to guard the coast and to defend it from the Turkish fleet and the incursions of Pyrats the charges whereof with the maintenance of the fortifications and defences amount yearely to halfe a million of Gold The number of souldiers in all the presidiarie places of Spaine amount to eight thousand not reckoning any man of sort nor Mariners for instead of these the Moores and Turkish slaves doe serve in the Gallies This Kingdome doth never send forth any Horsemen because there be but few and yet not sufficient for their owne affaires In the next ranke follow the Italian Provinces Naples Millaine and Sicilie
superiour to the Duke of Saxonie But for provision of warre excepting powder whereof there is some store very meanly furnished and for many respects not loved of his neighbour Princes This Prince as the Palatine is also of the Order of England The rest of the Princes of Germanie as the Duke of Michelburg the Lantgrave of Hesse the Marquesse of Baden the Marquesse of Ansbach or any other whatsoever being in all respects much inferiour to these already named need not to be brought into competition with the Dukedome of Saxonie which makes the case more lamentable that so mighty a Princedome having beene many yeares wholly united in Maurice Augustus and Christianus should now by the ill ordered custome of Germanie be distracted and divided into parts and likely in time to be more disunited by subdividing it againe to future Issues Endlesse it were to write of all the Princes of Germanie which be about forty in all besides seven Archbishops and seven and forty Bishops all men of great power and possessions The Imperiall Cities be also Seigniories by themselves each able to make Levies of men by Sea and Land Thus much therefore for Germanie Geneva GEneva is also an Imperial City in Savoy situated at the South end of the Lake Lemanus hard by the Lake It is in circuit about two English miles reasonable strong by Nature and Art as well for that it is seated on a hill which on the West is not easily accessible as also for that it is indifferently well fortified with ravelings Bulwarkes and Platformes besides a deepe ditch The East and West parts thereof standing continually full of water The South part remaining dry continually and is well defended with Casemats the better to scoure the Curtaine it is so much the stronger for that it standeth almost in an Island having the Lake aforesaid on the North the River of Rhosne upon the West and the River of Arba upon the South being from the Towne halfe a mile and by reason of the swiftnesse of the currant and great moveable stones in the bottome which are violently carried downe the River it is not passable but with great danger The River Rhosne divideth the Towne into two parts the one is called the high Towne and the other Saint Gervais Betweene the River in passing it divideth it selfe into two branches making a little Island wherein are some few houses and seven or eight mills to grinde corne The weakest part of the Towne is upon the East-side and out of the West by Saint Gervais Church and for that it might have beene surprised from the Lake Mounsier la Nove caused a new Fort to be made in the mouth of the Lake by reason whereof that part is most secure The Towne is well peopled especially with women insomuch as they commonly say that there are three women for one man yeelding this reason that the warres have consumed their men They reckon some sixteen thousand of all sorts The Territories are small being no way above two leagues and a halfe yet by reason the soile is fruitfull being well manured it bringeth graine of all sorts and great store of Wine There is likewise plenty of pasture and feeding grounds by meanes whereof the Inhabitants are very well provided of all sorts of good flesh at a reasonable rate no want of good Butter and Cheese and for most part of wild-fowle as Partridge Quaile Phesant and Mallard in great abundance There are all manner of good fruits and especially excellent Pearmaines besides the River and the Lake afford divers sorts of fresh Fish as Pike Roch Carpe Tench c. and above all the best and biggest Carpes of Europe The commodities of the Dukes Countrey and of the Bernesi with ten or twelve miles next adjoyning are brought to this Tower by reason the Peasant can get no money in any other place which maketh the market to be well served The Towne standeth very well for trade of Merchandize and if it might have peace it would grow rich in short time for the ordinary passage to transport commodities out of Germanie to France especially to Lions and so back againe into Swizerland and Germanie is by this Towne beside all Savoy in a manner and a good part of the Countrey of the Bernesi resort hither to buy their armour apparell and other necessaries the Inhabitants being for the most part mechanicall persons making excellent good Pecces as Muskets Caleevers c. They likewise worke Satten Velvet Taffata and some quantity of Cloth though not very fine nor durable There are many good Merchants especially Italians who have great dealings some others are thought to bee worth twenty thousand crownes and in generall the Towne is reasonable rich notwithstanding their warres The ordinary Revenue of the Towne is some threescore thousand crownes which ariseth of the Gables of Merchandize flesh demaine and tithes and if there might be peace it would amount to twice or thrice so much There is reasonable provision against a siege the Towne being able to make some two thousand men and one hundred horse and furnish them with all necessaries and having the Lake open they want no provision of corne or any victuals In the Arsenall there is Armour for some two thousand men with Muskets Pikes Caleevers c. Some twelve or fourteene Peeces of Ordnance whereof there are about eight or nine Canons and Culverings plenty of small shot bullets and fire-works besides some sixty Peeces in the Bulwarkes There was in former times provision of corne for six moneths but of late yeares they have not beene so provident The people generally are marvellous resolute to defend their Towne especially against the Duke of Savoy whom they hate exceedingly and he them not only in respect of the difference of Religion but in matter of State for the Duke counteth them Rebels and pretendeth a Title to their Towne alleaging that till the yeare 1535. they were under the rule of their Bishop who was Lord both in Temporall and Spirituall matters and the Bishop acknowledged him for his chiefe Lord and dâ—d him homage till the yeare thirtie at which time and before the money which was coined in Geneva was stamped with the Dukes name and figure upon it Besides till the time aforesaid the Duke of Savoy might pardon offenders that were condemned and further there was no sentence of Law executed but the Dukes Officer was made acquainted therewith in whose power it was to disanull as hee liked best Likewise in the yeare 1529. when as those of Geneva had leagued themselves with Friburge the Duke disliking thereof because it was done without his privitie caused the league to be broken alleaging that the Towne of Geneva could not conclude a matter of such importance without his allowance and approbation Besides all these reasons before remembred this also is alleaged as most materiall that Duke Charles comming to Geneva with
few which escaped the generall massacre yet are they contented without laying any claime to their ancient gentility to range themselves with the residue of the basest commonalties and can but seldome be admitted to the chiefest magistracies being commonly bestowed upon Butchers and such like Mechanicall Artizans Italy ITaly according to Plinie the most beautifull and goodliest Region under the Sun the Darling of Nature and the Mother of hardy Men brave Captaines and valiant Souldiers flourishing in all Arts and abounding with Noble wits and men of singular spirits is situate under a Climate most wholesome and temperate commodious for Traffike and most fertile for Corne and Herbage containeth in length from Augusta Pretoria unto Otranto one thousand and twenty miles and in breadth from the River Vara in Provence to the River Arsia in Friuli where it is broadest foure hundred and ten miles and in the narrow places as from the mouth of Pescara to the mouth of Tiber an hundred twenty six miles So that to compasse it by Sea from Vara to Arsia are three thousand thirty eight miles which with the foure hundred and ten by land maketh the whole circuit three thousand foure hundred forty eight miles Thus it appeares to bee almost an Iland in shape of a legge bounded on the East with the Adriatike Sea on the South and West with the Tirrhene Seas and on the North with the Alpes the which for that it is described by others we will but point to and so much the rather because there is no Country in the world better knowne and more frequented by strangers Inheritance there descend to the children as Lands holden by Gaâ—â—â—â—nd with us in some parts of England so that one brother hath as good a share as another and if the older be borne to the title of a Coâ—â—e so is the younger and so called yea if there be twenty brethren except it be in the Estates of Princedomes as Mantua Ferrara Vrbin and such like which evermore descend to the eldest entirely By this meanes it commeth to passe that often times you shall see Earles and Marquesses without Lands or goods yet most strictly standing upon descents and the glory of their names for themselves and their issues for ever But the Gentlemen which have whereof to live are reported to surpasse the Gentry of any other Nation in good carriage and behaviour and for the most part professe Armes and follow service And to bee discerned from the vulgar they all in generall speake the Courtisan which is an excellent commendation considering the diversitie of Dialects amongst them For leaving the difference betweene the Florentine and the Venetian the Milanois and the Roman the Neapolitan and the Genois which may well be likened to the difference betweene a Londoner a Northerne man yet by the tongue you shall not lightly discerne of what part of the Countrey any Gentleman is No more different are they in manners and behaviour honourable courteous prudent and grave withall that it should seeme each one to have had a Prince-like education to their superiours obedient to equals respective to inferiours courteous to strangers affable and desirous by kinde offices to winne their love Of expence and lone of his mony very wary and will be assured to be at no more cost than he is sure either to save by or to have thanke for In apparell modest in furniture of houshold sumptuous at their table neat sober of speech enemies of ill report and so jealous of their reputations that whosoever speaketh ill of one of them if the party slandered may know it and finde opportunitie to performe it the party offending shall surely die for it The Merchants likewise for the most part are Gentlemen For when of one house there bee three or foure brethren lightly one or two of them give themselves to traffike And sometimes if they chance not to divide their Fathers substance and patrimonie as many times they doe not then doe they which professe themselves Merchants travell for the welfare of their brethren joyntly participating of losse and profit But in outward shew these carry not like reputation to the Gentlemen afore spoken of for they professe not Armes but desire to live in peace and how to vent their wares and have new traffike into strange Countries yet have no lesse reputation of Nobility for their trade of Merchandize but by reason they stay at home and use the richest Farmes and follow Husbandrie by their Bailises and Factors they become the best and wealthiest Merchants in all Christendome Their Artificers are thought the best workmen of the world and are so well paid that many live by their labours as well as many doe by Revenues yea and grow very rich and within two or three descents to the reputation of Gentry The poorer sort are the husbandmen for they are oppressed on all hands in the Country liveth no man of wealth The Gentry and wealthier sort dwell in Townes and walled Cities leaving the Villages fields and pastures to their Tenants not at a rent certaine as we doe in England but to halfes or to the thirds of all graine fruit and profit arising of the ground according as it shall be either barren or fertile And this the poore Tenant must till and manure at his owne charge so that the Lords part commeth cleare without disbursing one penny yet shall you see many faire houses in the villages but they are onely for the owners pastime in Summer For then they leave the Cities for a moneth or two where under the fragrant hedges and bowers they solace themselves in as much pleasure as may be imagined And for the most part every man hath his Mistresse with instruments of musicke and such like pleasures as may serve for recreation and delight Thus much of the manners and nature of the inhabitants now will wee speake of the estates of the Country The King of Spaine hath the greatest part for his share as Naples and the Duchie of Millaine The Pope hath the Citie of Rome Campagnia part of Maremma part of Tuscan the Duchie of Spoâ—et Marca d' Ancona Romagnia and the Citie of Bononia The Venetians have for their part the Citie of Venice with the townes in and about that Marish called La contrada di Venetia La marka Trivigrina a great part of Lombardie and part of Istria They likewise are and have beene Lords of certaine Islands some whereof the Turke hath wonne from them The Common-weale of Genoa hath the territorie about them called at this day Il Genovosaio and anciently Liguria Tuscan once Heâ—ruria is divided into divers Seigniories whereof the Bishop of Rome holdeth a small part but the greatest is under the jurisdiction of Florence Then are Common-wealths of Sienna and Lucca whose Territories are not great 13. The Duke of Ferrara hath part of Romagnia and part of Lombardie 14.
other advantages required in the situation of a City hath those two which are required in a well seated City whereof having already discoursed in the site of England wee will here surcease further to dilate of The safety then of this City groweth from the Waters and the situation thereof in the Water where neither it can be well approached or assaulted by Land for the interposition of the Water betweene it and the Land nor yet by Sea for that the streames are not navigable but by Vessels of the lesser size onely for greater ships riding out of the Channels where the Water is somewhat deepe would drive and riding within the Channels with every turning water should bee on ground So that a Navie of lesser shipping would doe no good and greater shipping cannot well there be mannaged In conclusion these Waters are rather made for the places and entertainment of peace than for motions of warre We may adde to these difficulties which nature and the situation doe present another as great which ariseth from the power and provisions of the City which are ever such as will better inable the Inhabitants to offend another in those Waters than any man can invent to offend them All which young Pepin tasted to his losse Who with his ships and men fild all the Coast From the Fornaci to the greater shore And Laid a bridge to passe his ventrous boast From Mâ—lamocco all the Channellore Even to Rialto yet for all this boast Hee 's faine to flie with shame the Seas doe drowne His men His bridge the waves have beaten downe And lastly wee may adde the continuall Art and care which the Seigniorie doth use ever to augment something to the fortification of this their Citie and State The whole Dominion of the Venetian Seigniorie is divided into firme land and Sea By the firme land we understand all that which they possesse in Lombardie in Marca Trâ—visâ—â— and in Friuli for that all those parcels doe make one continued country passable from one to the other without helpe of Sea Wee will terme that Sea which confineth with the Lake Sea-ward or that which cannot be approached without passing by Water This State is againe divided into Continent and Island On the Continent they have Istria Dalmatia Sclavonia Albania or at least some parts thereof The Islands stand partly within the Gulfe not farre distant from the Continent and part of them are without the Gulfe which are Corfu Cephalonia Zante Candia Cenigo Tine and other in the Adriatique The State of the firme Land containeth one of the Marquisats of Italie to wit Trevisa which besides the head Citie whereof it taketh its name hath also in it the Cities of Feitre Belluno and Câ—nâ—da It hath moreover two of those Cities which are of the first ranke of the Cities in Italie namely Venice and â—resâ—la Nor let it seeme strange to any man that Treckon â—râ—scia amongst the said Cities considering that for largenesse of Territorie it giveth place to no Citie thorow Italâ—â— containing in length one hundred miles and in bredth fiftie considering also the number of Inhabitants and the entrade it yeeldeth to the Seigniorie besides the private revenue of the Citie it selfe In all which few other Cities come neere it There is also in the firme Land the Citie of Verona called so for its superemment conditions as Verâ— una and is the first of the second ranke of Cities of Italie The Citie of Padoa which for goodnesse of soile exceedeth Bolognia it selfe There are also the Cities of Bergamo Vicenza and Crema There is againe the State of Friuli with two honourable Cities Vdine where the Lieutenant of the State resideth and Cividal besides a number other populous Townes little inferiour to Cities Lastly there is the fruitfull Polesine with the noble Citie of Rovigo therein with other places of good respect If wee consider the water there are few States of Italy that have more abundance in that kinde either for standing Waters or Rivers In the Territorie of Bergamo is the Lake of Iseo in the Country of Brescia the Lake of Idro In the Veronesse and Brescian is the Lake of Guardo It is also watered with many great Rivers that not only serve to make the fields fruitfull but also to fortifie the place And those Rivers are Oglio Chiese Navilio Mincio Seri Mela and Garza which indeed is rather a Mountaine Bourne than a River c. The Countrey of Polesine and Padoa are so stored with Lakes and Rivers that therein is no Burg or place which standeth not within five miles of some fresh Water And all this Countrey of the firme Land whereof I have spoken is also for aire exceeding wholesome and temperate as the complexions and cheerefull countenances of the Inhabitants can well witnesse together with the quicknesse of their apprehension and wit as well for matter of Armes as Learning Touching the Land this State hath in it many parts that are very diverse in qualitie some-where exceeding happy and fruitfull but lesse industrie in the people other-where the people are exceeding industrious but the ground defective Againe some parts there are where both the people are exceeding carefull industrious and the soile also good Of the first sort is the Territorie of Crema of Padoa of Vicenza of Trevisa and the Polesine Of the second sort is the Countrey of the Bergomasche the Veronise and Friuli Of the third sort is the Country of Brescia And touching the first it is almost incredible what the riches and increase is of those grounds what fresh Meadowes what fruitfull arable what abundance of Cattell of Flesh of all things that come of Milke what plenty of Corne of Pulse of Fruit Wood Flax Linnen and Fish Amongst all which particularities the Padoan doth notwithstanding excell which for goodnesse of soile doth carrie the praise from all the rest of Lombardie The wealth of this Territory may hence be conjectured that it hath the richest Bishopricke and Prebendaries of Italy It hath one of the richest Abbeies of Saint Benet in Italy which is Saint Iustina It hath one of the most beautifull Convents of the same order viz. that of Praxa It hath the richest Monastery belonging to the Austen-Friers which is that of Caudiana It hath two of the greatest Churches that may bee found in Italy which are Saint Iustina and Saint Anthony with one of the greatest Customes of salt in Europe In the time of the Roman Common-wealth no City of the Empire had more Knights of Rome than had Padoa For that as Strabo testifieth there were sometimes counted five hundred of them at once Which must needs proceed from the extraordinary goodnesse of the soile and the greatnesse of private livelihoods But at this day the greatnesse of the Venetian Nobilitie hath in great part diminished the Nobilitie of other Cities Amongst which Aquileia in old time tooke in compasse twelve miles and made an hundred and twenty thousand Citizens
this Iland goes much upon the number of threescore Many masters hath this also had first the Phenicians and then the Greekes thirdly the Moores of Barbary from them the Spaniard tooke it after their expulsion out of Spaine Charles the fifth lastly gave it to the Knights of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem when the Turke had beaten them out of the Rhodes Anno 1522. the length of it is twenty miles and the breadth twelve The countrey people both in language and attire much resemble their old Masters and Sires of Affrica their Arabick Dialect being much corrupted with words crept in out of the severall Countries from whence their Knights doe come The women are handsome and the men jealous The Citizens be altogether Frenchified The whole number of Inhabitants is about 20000. The weather is hot and the soile barren as being onely a flat Rocke with a pan of earth a foot or two thicke Trees hath it few and Rivers none watered only with fountaines and raine water All their Corne is Barley which and Olives makes the best part of a Malteses dinner Plenty of Anice seed Comine seed and Hony they vent to Merchants Here also growes the perfectest Cotton Wooll The people are healthy dying rather of age than of diseases The Religion Popish Foure Cities be upon the I le quartered under the command of ten Captaines whereof Valetta is both the fairest and the strongest built 1565. and so named of Valetta the Grand Master famous for his valour against the Turks Founded upon a rocke it is high mounted wonderfully fortified close to the Sea and by land assaultable onely at the South end Victualled continually it is for three yeares new provision still supplying the expence of the old sent in from Sicily and by reason of the heat of the Country preserved under ground This small City is neighbour to two others La Isula and Saint Hermes each distant but a musket shot from other neere to the Haven and on the East end and North side of the Iland from which Malta the fourth City is eight small miles separated Two Forts more it hath Saint Michael and Saint Angelo So that all together this Iland is thought the most impregnable place of the world The Knights of Ierusalem since called of the Rhodes command all in all here no man daring to contradict Of these there bee five hundred continually resident in the Iland and five hundred mâ—re a thousand being their whole number dispersed in other Alberges or Hospitals in Europe Of them at this day there be seven seminaries one of France in generall one of Auvergne one of Provence one of Casrile one of Germany one of Arragon and one of Italie the eighth of England was suppressed by Henry the eighth These knights be all Friers by profession their Vow was to defend the Sepulcher of Christ now it is to defend the Romish Religion and Countries against the Infidels Of every one of these there is a Grand Prior having goodly houses and Seminaries in divers Countries living in great plenty and reputation Such an house of theirs was that of Saint Iohns commonly called Saint Ioanes without Smithfield The builder of which house was Thomas Docwra Prior then whose name lives in Esquires estate at Offley in Hartford shire c. A Knight of this order was to prove himselfe a Gentleman for six descents over the gate therefore may you see that testified by so many Eschutcheons There also is to be seene their Vow and Title expressed in the Motto Sarie ✚ Boro The word Sarie being accented with harsh aspirations to brand the Saracens with a note of wickednesse Both words with the figure of the crosse betwene signifie thus much Defender of the Crosse of Christ against the wicked Saracens This is written in the Saracen tongue the language of Malta which words expressing their Vow and Title is not much unlike to that of Raimund the first Master of their order whose Motto was The poore servant of Christ and defender of the Hospitall of Ierusalem And thus much by the way out of Docwra's pedigree for preserving of this antiquity Of these thousand Knights of the Rhodes there be sixteene more eminent than the rest called Great-Crosses for that the white crosse upon their blacke cloake which is the cognizance of their order they are privileged to weare larger than the rest Over all these there is one grand Master for whose election two are appointed out of each of the eight Nations two supplying the place of the English also these sixteene make choice of a Knight a Priest and a Frier-servant and those three nominate one of the sixteene Great Crosses to bee Grand Master for which place the foresaid Docwra was once in competition The stile of this Master is The illustrious and most reverent Prince my Lord Frier great Master of the Hospitall of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem Prince of Malta and Goza The Estate of the Grand Master arising out of the profits of the Iland of Malta â—tselfe is valued at ten thousand ducats besides what he hath out of the I le of Goza which the ancients called Glacon and Strabo Gaudon lying but one mile to the South-west of Malta and twenty miles in compasse The rest of his Entrada is made up out of fat Commendams of Ecclesiasticall dignities in severall Countries and of pensions from other Princes He hath an allowance out of the publike treasury the tenth of all prizes by Sea as also the whole or the cheife part of whatsoever estate any of the officers belonging to his owne person shall chance to leave behinde them The severall Knights are very rich besides their temporall lands in severall Countries enjoying divers Commendams and pensions also of which they are capable after five yeares of their admission and when they have made foure martiall expeditions Their common treasury is maintained by the gifts of Princes by the admissions of novices into their order each Knight paying an hundred and fifty crownes and every Frier-servant an hundred at his first entrance and lastly by the deaths of their brethren for when any of the Fraternity dies the whole order is heire excepting onely of one fifth part These consist not so much in the number of the Knights for they are but five hundred upon the Iland at once though the other five hundred are to come in upon summons as in their valour and resolution the whole Iland may perchance make six or eight thousand men able to beare armes and Goza the third part of that number The Ilanders are alwayes well trained for land-service and how much they are able to doe was seene by their repulsing the Turkish invasion By Sea the religion maintaineth but only five Gallies and one ship by report so stinted each galley carrying seventeene peeces of Ordnance and foure or five hundred men More than these wise men peradventure will imagine that a barren and small Iland living for the most part
to live with a little Though they want Coine they are not discouraged neither wax sicke with fruits if flesh be wanting and happen what may they longer and better can indure hardnesse and scarcitie Their riding light armed is of more execution than armed at all pieces and their Argolitires more serviceable than Lanciers for which cause the French also in their late broiles have quitted their Lances wherein of old did consist the glory of their Armes and now taken themselves to the Pistoll But to what purpose they have thus done let another dispute for I say not that a light armed man is absolutely to be preferred before a man at armes in chances of warre but only affirme that he is more active and more ready yea the goodnesse of the Horse is of great consequence For the Flanders Horse â—arâ—e excelleth the Frislander and German The Hungariâ— Horse the Polonian the Turkie Horse the Genet the Barâ—â—ry Horse is more speedy than the rest betweene both is the Courser of Naples who though he be not so swift as the Spanish Genet yet is he better able to indure travell and to â—eare the weight of Armor not becomming over-flow therwith To speake truth experience manifesteth the German Horse by reason of their slow pace to worke small effect either to pursue the flying Enemie or swiftly to flie from their executing adversary for if the Wallachian Hungarian Polish Turkish Moorish or Barbarie Horsemen should breake the Germans they cannot speedily fall and if it happen the Germans to overthrow them they are as unable to pursue them for they charge slowly and retire heavily So in fights at Sea ships of burthen are of small service because iâ— wind want they cannot be moved the Galleasses are some what better yet performe little more but the best of all is the Galley for his â—wife stâ—rage And for proofe hereof wee have seene the Navie of the Christians consisting of great Ships to have spent the better part of Summer and warlike season in preparations onely And on the contrary the Turkish Fleet soone furnished and speedily put to Sea Of such advantage is spare diet and needfull provision of the Turkish affaires and so discommodious is gluttony to the proceedings of the Christians For the provision of Wine and other delicates is as troublesome to the Christians as the whole provision for a Campe to the Turkish Armies Therefore let no man marvell if they march in all their journies excellent well furnished with Ordnance Shot Gun-powder and all necessaries for at land they have their Carriages laden onely with provision at Sea their Ships without Wine Pullets and such needlesse vanities At a word they goe to the warre to fight and not to fill their bellies THE THIRD BOOKE Of Africke THat tract of the habitable World tending towards the South which at this day wee call Africa and the Grecians Lyâ—ia containeth one of those three divisions which were knowne to the Ancients and yet not fully discovered partly in regard of vast Desarts impossible to bee travelled by Land and wholly covered with wind-driving sands in manner of a tempestuous Sea and partly in regard of the long tedious and uncertaine Navigation undertaken by few discovered but little and fully knowne to none The undertakers whereof were Hanno the Carthaginian and Eudoxius a banished man under Ptolomie King of Alexandria But in this latter age it hath beene wholly navigated by the Portugals and sufficiently by them discovered especially from the Pillars of Hercules almost to the very bottome of the Arabian Gulfe The first of them that passed the Cape of Good Hope was Vaseo de Gama in the yeare of our Lord 1497. from whence continuing his course to Calecut and so to the residue of the East Indies to the unspeakable honour and achievement of that Nation I will not spend time in discourse upon the Originall of the name Quia paucae civitates norint originem but it is situated in manner of a Peninsula conjoyned with a small necke of Land lying betweene the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Gulfe In quantity it exceedeth Europe at least by twice but it is not halfe so well inhabited for that is not so temperate for inhabitation Many places lying waste somewhere for want of water somewhere for want of manurance somewhere for abundance of light sand and sterile Dust and all subject to the immoderate heat of the scorching Sun And the nature of these Sands are such that sometimes they lie as Mountains in one part of the Desarts and presently upon the rising of any gale of wind they are carried most furiously to another in manner of a violent and terrible tempest And last of all the increase of venomous Serpents and devouring Creatureâ— is so generall that in some places no man will in some places no man dare to manure or inhabit the adjoyning Countrie although most fruitfull By reason whereof as aforesaid the Region seemeth rather waste than inhabited but where it is manured it is exceeding fruitfull and full of inhabitation especially toward the North side which looketh toward Europe and alongst the Sea Coasts betweene the promontory of Good Hope and Cape Niger where the â—aines Mountaines and Vallies are singular fruitfull and pleasant as places injoying the benefit of a perpetuall Spring-tide Our moderne Cosmographers upon the North side bound it with the Mediterranean and Herculian Sea upon the East with the Arabian Gulfe and that Istmus of Asia that lieth betweene the said Mediterranean and the Arabian Seas Vpon the South beat the waves of the great Ocean especially towards the Cape of Good Hope which deriving its denomination from the Country adjoyning viz. Aethiopia is termed the Aethiopian Sea Vpon the West on this side the Equinoctiall heth the Atiantike Ocean and beyond that it is termed the Aethiopian The Celestiall situation with the description of the renouned Mountaines famous Rivers and remarkable Capes all worthy to be registred if brevity requisite for so small a volume did not perswade the contrary I would not omit for the delight of those who desire to make deepest progressions to this kinde of study The living Creatures both tame and wilde which this and no other climate affordeth by the testimony of Leo Afer are many As first the Elephant a docible and wilde beast found in many parts of the Continent The Giraffa most admirable fierce and seldome seene The Camel is a gentle beast and tame wherein the wealth of the Arabians doth chiefly consist The Barbarie Horse and the wilde Horse whereof many of the Arabians inhabiting the desarts doe feed The Dant or Iant resembleth the Oxe and of his bide are wrought â—mpenetrable Bâ—cklers Here likewise live the wilde Oxen and the wilde Asse The Adimain is like the Ramme but in stature resembling the Asse with cares long and slagging The tame Oxen that live on the mountaines are small bodied but laboursome and strong Their Rammes differ onely in their
conjectured out of Tacitus who reporteth that in the beginning of the siege it contained two hundred thousand soules At this day it numbreth not above five thousand inhabitants although many Pilgrims daily resort thither for devotion sake It was once strongly and fairely walled but now weakely and therin it sheweth nothing now so famous as the Sepulchie of our Lord Christ whose Temple encircleth the whole mount of Calvarie situated upon a plaine plot of ground high round and open at the top from whence it receiveth light but the Sepulchre itselfe is covered with an Archt-Chappell cut out of the maine Marble and left unto the custodie of the Latine Christians Whosoever is desirous to see this Sepulchre must pay nine crownes to the Turke so that this tribute is yearely worth unto him eight millions of Ducats One hundred and eight foot distant from this Tombe is the Mount called Calvarie whereon our Saviour Christ was crucified by the treacherous Iewes In this place are many other religious Reliques And the pilgrims which come thither are alwaies lodged according to their owne professions that is to say the Latines with the Franciscans without the Citie by Mount Sion the Grecians are lodged with the Caloieran Greekes dwelling within the Citie by the Sepulchre And so every other Nation Abassines Georgians Armenians Nestorians and Maronits who all have their proper and peculiar Chappels Those Franciscans which follow the Latine Church and are for the most part Italians were wont to create the Knights of the Sepulchre and to give testimoniall unto pilgrims of their arrivall there Without this Citie is the Valley of Iehosaphat and therein the tombes of the blessed Ladie and S. Anne The territorie adjoyning is exceeding fruitfull in Vines Apples Almonds Figs and Oyle the Mountaines are no lesse stored with all sorts of Trees wilde Beasts and Spiceries Besides Ierusalem standeth Bethlem now destroyed and shewing nothing worth looking on save a great and stately Monasterie of the Franciscans within which is the place where Christ was borne Rama is now likewise ruinated the Arches and Cesternes yet remaining by the witnesse of Bellonius his owne eye are greater than those of Alexandria but not so thicke Gaza is now a Turkish Sangiak-ship the soile about fertile and the inhabitants Grecians Turks and Arabians In holy Writ this Region is called Edom and by other Authors Nabathea Toward the sea and Iudea the soile is fertile but towards Arabia desart and barren Some say it is inexpugnable for its Desarts and want of water yet is it stored therewith but hidden and knowne to none but the natives Of old they were a turbulent unquiet and seditious people and so at this day they are like to the villainous and roguish Neighbours the Arabians Next bordereth Phoenicia as part of Syria exposed to the sea and bordering upon Galile Of old it had many famous Cities as Tripolis Beritus Sydon Tyrus Ptolemais Capernaum Emissa and others Amongst the which Tyre and Sydon were most famous Tyre was a goodly Citie a Colonie of the Sydonians and round about encircled with the Sea untill Alexander in his siege joyned it to the continent At this day it hath two harbours that on the North side the fairest and best thorowout the Levant which the Cursores enter at their pleasure the other choked with the ruines of the Citie So is it and Sydon now the strong receptacles of the stiffe-necked Drusians A generation they say descended from the reliques of those Noble Christians who under the conduct of Godfrey of Bullen descended into those parts and being by time driven unto harder fortunes betooke themselves to the Mountaines from whence they could never be expulsed neither by the Saracens nor yet by the Turkes Allowed they are libertie of Religion and no other tribute imposed upon them than is upon the naturall Subject the one being no good Christians and the other worse Mahumetans Sydon was once no lesse famous now contracted into a narrow compasse shewing only in her ruines the foundations of her greatnesse The Inhabitants are of sundry Nations and Religions as the Tyrians yet governed by a succession of Princes whom they call Emirs And whose Seigniorie augmented by armes and tyrannie stretcheth from the River of Canis to the foot of Mount Carmel containing a large extent of ground and therein many Cities whereof Saffet is the principall The Grand Seignior doth much envie him for suffering the Florentines to harbour and water within his Port of Tyrus which he is glad to excuse by the waste of the place and inabilitie of resistance But the truth is that hee is a strong rich and potent Lord in these parts partly presuming upon the strength of his invincible Forts and partly upon the advantage of the Mountaines yet having besides in continuall pay fortie thousand souldiers â—ome Moores some Christians and if the worst should 〈◊〉 â—hee hath the Sea at hand and the Florentine to friend with whom he knoweth that a massie Treasure will worke â—o small effects towards the purchase of some rich Seigniorie To conclude he is too strong for his neighbours and able to make a long defensive Warre against the Turke if his tyrannie could assure him of fidelitie in this people Acon or Ptolomais is strongly fortified triangular-wise two parts whereof lye upon the Sea the third toward the land The soile about is very fruitfull and delicious The Citie adorned with a beautifull Hospitall strong and well bulwarked once belonging to the Teutonicke Knights It hath also a very faire Haven capacious of any ships comming from the South now under the Sanzâ—ack of Saffet and usurped with the rest of that Province by the foresaid Emir of Sydon In this wofull Towne dwell not above two or three hundred Inhabitants and those in patcht up ruinous houses Beritus is an ancient Citie once an Episcopall See now famous for Trafficke and Merchandize as the Mart-towne whereunto all the ships comming from Europe doe arrive It is situated most safely and almost inexpugnable NOw following mine Author and having finished this tedious discourse of this great Empire by the patience of my Reader I will once turne backe againe and relate the Originall the manners the discent and the Religion of this warlike and infidelious people composed partly of Natives lineally descended from the Scythians and Tartars and partly of Apostata and Renegado Christians Generally the Natives have broad visages correspondent to the proportion of their members faire and tall and somewhat inclined to grossenesse Their haire they regard not save onely that of their beards They are of a grosse and dull capacitie wayward slow and lazie hating husbandrie and yet above all people in the world covetous and desirous of riches yea selling all places of Justice and Government to their best Chapmen Amongst one another exceeding courteous and as servile toward their superiours in whose presence they keepe admirable silence and
is not onely fast locked but sealed and may not be opened before the seale at morning bee throughly viewed To speake truth their souldiers horsemen and footmen by land or sea are more famous for their numbers their gallant furniture and plenty of provision than for strength and courage For the Inhabitants partly by their effeminate and wanton kinde of life partly by their forme of government whereby they are made vile and base have little valour or manhood left them They use no forren souldiers except those whom they take in war these they send into the in-land Countries where being marked to distinguish them from other they serve more like slaves than souldiers yet have they pay with rewards for their good service and punishment for their cowardize true motives to make men valorous The rest which are not inrolled are not suffered to keepe weapons in their houses Their Sea-forces are nothing inferiour to their Land-forces for besides their ordinary Fleets lying upon the Coasts for the safety of the Sea-townes by reason of the abundance of navigable Rivers and so huge a Sea-tract full of Havens Creeks and Islands it is thought that with case they are able to assemble from five hundred to a thousand such great Ships which they call Giunchi we Iunks To thinke that treasure cannot bee wanting to levie so great a number of Ships Souldiers and Marriners many men affirme that the Kings revenues amount to an hundred and twenty millions of gold which value although it may seeme impossible to him that shall make an estimate of the States of Europe with the Kingdome of China yet may it finde place of beleefe if he doe but call to minde First the nature and circuit of the Empire being little lesse than all Europe Next the populousnesse of the Inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches Then the diversity of Mines of Gold Silver Iron and other sorts of Metall the unspeakable quantity of Merchandize passing from hand to hand by so many navigable Rivers so many armes and in-lets of the Sea their upland Cities and maritime Townes their Tolls Customes Subsidies and lastly their rich wares brought into Europe Hee taketh the tenth of all things which the earth yeeldeth as Barley Rice Olives Wine Cotton Wooll Flax Silke all kinds of Metall Fruits Cattel Sugar Hony Rubarbe Camphire Ginger Wood Muske and all sorts of Perfumes The custome only of Salt in the City Canto which is not of the greatest nor of the best trafficke yeeldeth 180000. Crownes yearely the tenth of Rice of one small Towne and the adjacent Territory yeeldeth more than 100000. Crownes By these you may conjecture of the rest He leaveth his subjects nothing save food clothing He hath under him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor private persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore since this Empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands how can the former assertion of so great and yearely a revenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable at all There are two things moreover which adde great credit to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paid in Coine but some in hay some in Rice Corne Provender Silke Cotton Wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the King of 120. millions which he receiveth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so since it goeth round from the King to the people it ought to seeme no wonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the Princes use at the yeares end For as waters doe ebbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily levied suffice for the expences of the State and the people receive againe by those expences as much as they layed out in the beginning of the yeare This King feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enemy the ancient Kings built that admirable wall so much renowned amongst the wonders of the Ortem Towards the Sea hee bordereth upon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is divers From Goto one of the Islands of Iapan to the City Liampo is threescore leagues from Canian 297. The Islanders of Iapan doe often spoile the Sea-coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the Countrey more like Pyrates than men of Warre For in regard that Iapan is divided into many Islands and into divers Seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselves though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Upon another Frontier lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are very jealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the invasion of China and the fame of the riches well knowne to the Spanish But the King of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them wherof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their Dominions yet certaine Jesuites zealous in the increasing of Christian Religion in a Territory so spacious as that is entred with great secrecie and danger and procuring the favour of certaine Governours obtained a privilege of naturalization specially Frier Michael Rogerius who in the yeare 1590. returned into Europe to advise what course were best to take in this businesse After whose departure intelligence was brought from two Friers which remained behinde that after divers persecutions they were then constrained to forsake the Citie wherein they sojourned and to make haste to sea-ward Nor plainly would the Chinois suffer the said Frier Rogerius to come into their Countrey as himselfe confessed to an English Gentleman of very good worth and curious understanding Mr. W.F. who purposely asked that question of him If any man of Europe hath beene in China it is Matthew Riccius the Jesuite The Portugals are likewise eye-sores unto them but by the report of their justice and the moderation which Ferdinand Andrada shewed in the government of the Island of Tamo and by the Traffick which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbour-hood than that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arrived in the Citie of Cantan and set on land Thomas Perez Legier for Emanuel King of Portugal But other Captaines being there afterwards dis-embarked behaved themselves so lewdly that they occasioned the said Ambassadour to be taken for a Spie and cast into prison where hee died most miserably the residue were intreated as enemies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffick sake to set a Factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their Colonie they were constrained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisdome friendship and alliance with the Castilians they became suspitious and therefore they doe daily more and more bridle
is brought out of Germanie The Countie is so populous and so replenished with buildings in all places that here are credibly affirmed 29237. Cities Townes and Villages to be numbred Others say 780. Castles and walled Townes and 32. thousand Villages Here is also plentie of Fowle and great store of Fresh-water Fish by reason of the great Lakes which are found in many places of this Kingdome The people are for the most part Lutherans and their language is more than halfe Polish They are a free people and after the death of their King they may make choice of whom they will to be their Governour So did they lately chuse Matthias And for their more strength and better securitie against the Romanists they linked themselves with the Silesians their next neighbours in a perpetuall and firme bond of amitie offensive and defensive against all men whatsoever The people of Bohemia live in great plentie and delicacie they much resemble the English the women be very beautifull white-handed but luxurious and that with libertie of their husbands also They are divided in opinion of Religion the Protestants of the Augustane Confession being so potent that they were able to chuse a King and to put out the Emperour Their Kingdome is meerely elective although by force and faction now almost made hereditary to the House of Austria which it seemes it was not when as within these two Ages that State made choice of one M. Tyndall and English Gentleman father to M. Doctor Tyndall Master of Queenes College in Cambridge sending over their Ambassadors to him and by them their presents which story is famously knowne in Cambridge Their chiefe Citie Prague is one of the greatest of Christendome as being three townes in one each divided from other by the River Multaw and all three conjoyned by a goodly woodden bridge of foure and twenty arches by it runnes the famous Elve which receives two others into him in that Country Eger and Wattz The Kingdome hath many mighty men of estate into whose Lordships the Countrey is altogether divided and not as others into Shires and Counties The King hath three silver Mines and one of gold some pearles are there found also The tinne Mines there were first found by an English Tinner who fled thither for debt and is the best of Europe next our English All the Nobilitie and Gentrie are by their tenures obliged when their King is in the field to wait upon him on horsebacke completely armed which are enow to make an Army of twenty or thirty thousand This service the Protestants promised to King Fredericke of late but the tenth man appeared not They serve willinger on horsebacke than on foot and are rather for a Summer service than to lie in the field all Winter and yet are every way better souldiers than the Germans The Protestants were suffered to plant and increase there by the craft and plot of Cardinall Glessel who was governour to the Emperour Matthias his pretence was that they would bee a sure bulwarke against the Turke should spare the service and lives of the Catholikes this was his pretence but his plot was an expectation of some stirres to be raised by them which some lay he did in hatred of the house of Austria whom hee desired to see set besides the cushion others imagine it was but a tricke to make the great men of the Protestants to forfeit their Estates Howsoever the plot tooke and the Cardinall after the taking of Prague being invited to a banquet by the Elector of Mentz was by him sent prisoner to Rome where he remained two yeares but was afterward both inlarged and rewarded And this was one of the secrets of the Mysterie of iniquitie Moravia lying on the East of Bohemia so named of the River Mora for the bignesse thereof affordeth more corne than any Country of Europe It aboundeth also with good and pleasant wine like unto Rhenish and is wonderfully replenished in all parts with faire Cities Towns Villages all built of stone or bricke It is very mountainous and woody but the South part is more champian It containes two Earledomes one Bishopricke divers Baronies two good Cities and foure or six faire Townes The people be very martiall and fierce especially the mountainers who stood so stoutly to King Frederick at the battell of Prague that had all the rest of the Army done so the Kingdome had not beene lost It is a free State like Poland and may make choice of whom they will to be the Lord whose stile is to be called Margrave of Moravia And for that informer times the Emperour and Matthias his brother offered them some wrongs concerning religion they have sithence contracted a league offensive and defensive with the Nobility of Hungarie and Austria as well against the invasions of the Turke as the oppressions of the Romanists Amongst these Provinces Silesia and Lusatia are as large as Bohemia but in strength and numbers of people farre inferiour These two Provinces with Moravia are incorporate to the Crowne of Bohemia Silesia lies on the East of Bohemia Poland on the South of it to which it sometimes belonged Hungaria and Moravia on the East It is two hundred miles long and fourescore broad It is a most delicate and a plentifull Country finely divided in the middle by the faire River Oder on which stand foure or five handsome Cities the chiefe of which is Breslaw the Bishop whereof is for his revenue called the golden Bishop here is also an Vniversity Niesse is also another Bishopricke who now is a Cardinall The people especially of the Cities be civill and generous nor is there any where a more gallant or warlike Gentry which the Turke well tried in the warres of Hungarie for very sufficient serviters they be both on horse and foot and they are able to levie great numbers The government is Aristocraticall that is by the States yet in most things a dependant upon the will of the King of Bohemia It was sometimes divided amongst fifteene Dukes but all their families being extinct nine of those Lordships are escheated to the King of Bohemia the other six still remaine amongst three of the heires of the ancient owners The two Dukedomes of Oppelen and Ratibor in this Country were by this present Emperour given to Bethlem Gabor in consideration of his relinquishment of the Crowne of Hungaria For which two Dukedomes and for the lands of the old Marquesse of Iegerensdorff in Lusatia who being prescribed by the Emperour and beaten out by the Duke of Saxony fled to Bethlem Gabor who had newly married his neece that is the sister to the present Elector of Brandenburgh whose fathers brother this Iegerensdorff was For these lands I say came part of the discontents still depending betweene Bethlem Gabor and the Emperour T is reported that if King Frederick would have laid downe his right to Bohemia the Emperour would have beene content to have made him King of Silesia
Lusatia is on the South bounded with Silesia t is neere upon two hundred miles long and fifty broad it lies betweene the Rivers Elve and Viadrus and is divided into the Vpper and Lower both given to Vratislaus as Silesia also was King of Bohemia by the Emperour Henry the fourth Anno 1087. It still retaines the honour of a Marquisate Gorlitz is the chiefe Citie and a faire one Bandzen Sutaw Spremberg and Tribel bee neat and well peopled Townes The people as in Northerly situation they are neerer to the Germans so are they like them more rough mannerd than the Silesians and Bohemians Their Countrey is fruitfull enough and there may upon necessity be levied twenty thousand foot as good as any in that Kingdome All these incorporate Provinces use the Sclavonian tongue Sâ—ria is rich in Mines of Silver and Iron threescore miles broad and an hundred and ten long Carinthia a hilly and woody Countrey is seventy five miles long and fifty five broad Carniola with the bordering Countries up to Tergisâ—e is an hundred fiftie miles long and forty five broad They are plentifull of Corne Wine Flesh and Wood. The Country of Tirol is full of Mines of Silver and Salt-pits and is eighteene German miles long and broad The territories Swevia Alsatia and Rhetia doe pay little lesse than two millions and a halfe of ordinary revenue and so much extraordinary besides the eighteene Cantons of Rhetia are under the same jurisdiction They are so well peopled that upon occasion they are able to levie an hundred thousand footmen and thirty thousand Horse I know no other Province in Europe able to say the like And therefore the Emperour is not so weake a Prince as those ignorant of the State of Kingdomes doe suppose him to be reporting his Territories to be small unprovided of necessaries poore in money and barren of people But this is certaine that as he is Lord of a large dominion fertill rich and infinite of people so let every man thinke that by the neighbourhood of the Turke bordering upon him from the Carpathian Mountaines to the Adriatike Sea the forces of a mightier Prince may seeme small be overlaid For what Prince is there bordering upon so puissant an enemie but either by building of fortresses or by entertaining of Garrisons is not almost beggered I will not say in time of warre but even during the securest peace especially considering that the forces of the Turke are alwayes ready strong and chearefull yea better furnished in the time of peace than any other Nation in the hottest fury of warre Wherefore it stands him upon who is a borderer upon so powerfull an enemie either for feare or jealousie to be ever watchfull to spare no charges as doth the Emperour retaining in wages continually twenty thousand souldiers keeping Watch and Ward upon the borders of Hungarie These aske great expences and yet lesse than these are not to be defraied for the strengthning of other places besides other expences not meet here to bee spoken of To conclude with the State of the Empire though it cannot be said to be hereditary nor to have which is strange any chiefe City appropriate to the residence or standing Court of the Emperour as Rome sometimes was yet for neighbourhood and conveniences sake the Emperours have in this last age beene chosen out of the house of Austria yea when there have beene severall brothers of them they have all lookt for the Empire one after another and have had it too And for the same reasons have the Bohemians made choice of the same person yea and sometimes the Hungarians also the Austrian being the ablest Prince to defend them against the Turks So that Bohemia though in possession of the Emperour yet is no more part of the Empire than Hungaria is but a Kingdome absolute of it selfe free to chuse a King where it pleases So that the Emperour in Germany is to be considered two wayes first as a German Prince secondly as the German Emperour First as a Prince he hath by inheritance the lands and honours of his family such bee Austria Alsatia Tirol Styria Carinthia Carniola with some parts of Rhetia and Swevia and these dominions are like other principalities subjects of the Empire and for them the Emperour is his owne subject Secondly as a German Prince though not by inheritance but by election may the Emperour be considered when he is King of Bohemia Which though it be an independant kingdome yet being included within Germany and the King of Bohemia by office chiefe Taster to the Emperour and one of the seven Electors of the German Empire as having the casting voice if the other six be equally divided nay and with power to name himselfe if he be one of the two in election in consideration hereof may he thus also be brought within the Empire But yet neither of these wayes can the Emperour or Empire so properly be considered Thirdly therefore to speake of him as the German Emperour is to consider of him as Lord of those portions and States of the Empire properly so called And those be either the States or Imperiall Cities of Germanie The States and Princes of Germanie are naturally subjects to the Emperour yea and officers to his person too which is a part of their honour so the Palsgrave is chiefe Shewer and Brandenburgh Sword-bearer c. They are also as subjects to be summoned to the Imperiall Diets their lands are to be charged towards the Emperours warres made in defence of the Empire But yet on the other side the German Princes bee not such subjects as the Lords of England and France but much freer Lorraine is a member of the Empire and yet will not that Duke suffer the Emperour to have any thing to doe in his dominions and if any other Prince should take up Armes against the Emperour as Saxonie did in the case of Luther yet cannot the Emperour escheat their lands as other Princes may serve their Rebels by his owne private power without the consent of the other Electors Princes in a Diet. So that the German Princes be subjects and no subjects The Emperour is as it were the Grand Land-lord who hath made away his right by lease or grant but hath little to doe till the expiration or forfeiture The second member of the Empire be the Imperiall and Hanse-townes in which because they have lesse power the Emperour hath more than in the Princes Estates Theâ—e acknowledge the Emperour for their Lord but yet with divers acceptions For first they will stand upon their owne privileges and for them will deny any request of the Emperour Secondly they depend and trust unto their owne private confederacies amongst themselves as much as to the Emperour as the Switzers and Grisons leaguers amongst themselves and the Princes of the lower Creitz or circle of Saxony amongst themselves in defence of which the King of Denmarke as Duke of Holstein being one