past were called Insulae Baleares for that the people oft then did vse both for their delight and armour Slings which they continually almost carried aboute them And whereunto as Plinie writeth they did traine vp their children from their yoâ—â—â—â—st yeares Not giuing them any meate till they had from some Post or Beame cast it downe with a sling Of these were those Funditories or Sling-casters which the Carthaginians and Spaniards did vse in their warres against the Romanes The lesser of these which lieth most West was called in olde time Minorica and at this day Minorica The bigger which lieth more East was called Maiorica and now Maiorica They are both vnder the dominion of the King of Spaine More Eastward in the sea called Mare Inferum or Tyrrhenum lieth the Iland of Corsica ouer against Genua and direct Southward from thence lyeth the great Iland Sardinia Forthe quiet possessing of which two the warres were oftentimes reuiued betweene the olde Carthaginians and the Romanes For these two Ilands lie in the middle very fitly For both these are also at this day vnder the King of Spaine And were the same which latelie the Cardinall of Lourain would perswade the old king of Nauarre in France that if hee woulde leaue his religion and become a Papist the Spanish king should yeeld him either Sardinia or at the loast Corsica in recompence of Pampilona and the rest of the kingdome of Nauarre which the Spaniards by force did detaine from him Farther yet to the East at the verie poynt of the South-part of Italy lieth the great Iland of Sicilia which some haue supposed to haue beene heretofore a part of the continent but by an earth-quake and inundation of water to haue bin rent off and so made an Ileland The figure of this Country is Triquetra or triangle three-square There was also great contention for the Countrie betweene the Carthaginians and the Romanes but the Romanes obtayned it and had from thence exceeding store of corne yearelie whereupon Cicilie was called Horreum P. Romani Here stoode the goodly citie called Siracusa which was destroyed and sacked by Marcellus the Romane This was in times past a kingdom where the two tyrants the elder and the yonger Dionisius did reigne where Hiero also that great friend to the Romanes did remaine It was afterward made a prouince and gouerned by a Praetor or Deputie of the Romanes whereof Verres was one so inueighed against by Tullie It grew afterwards to be a kingdome againe insomuch that Tancredus was King of Cicilia who went to the taking of Ierusalem with Richard the second king of England Here was likewise Phalaris the tyrant so famous king of Agrigentum This Countrey is now also vnder the King of Spaine who among other titles calleth himselfe king of both the Cicilies reckoning this Iland for one and that part of Italie for another which is nowe called Calabria and was in the Romane hystories named Maegna Graecia There is nothing more renowmed in all Cicilia either with the newe or olde writers then the mountaine Aetna which beeing on the out-side ofteÌ„ couered with snow yet by a sulphurie or brimstonie water doth continuallie burne within yea so that whereas it was supposed in the ages last before vs that the matter beeing consumed the fire had ceased twise in our age it hath broke foorth againe to the intollerable losse of all the Countrie adioyning the ashes thereof destroying townes and fruites which were within the compasse of manie myles about This is that place whither Empedocles threwe himselfe that hee might bee reputed a God This is it whereof Virgill doth make his tract called Aenea which the Poets did report to be the shop of Vulcan where the Cyclops did frame the thunderbolts for Iupiter and to conclude this is it which some of our grosse Papists haue not feared to imagine to be the place of Purgatorie Not farre South from Cicilie lieth the little Iland called in old time Melite whence those dogs come which were so much desired vnder the name of Canes Melitenses This is the countrie where S. Paul was cast vp after his shipwracke in his iourney to Rome where the Viper hanged on his hand and did not hurt him This Countrie is now called Malta and is one of the places most renowmed in the worlde for the repelling of the Turkes when Soliman the Emperour of them did send agaynst it a most mightie armie It was then defended by those who are called the knights of Malta which by sea doe great spoile to the gallies of the Turke that passe that way Neare vnto Graecia and Peloponnesus on the West-side toward Italie is the I le Corcyra nowe tearmed Corfue and not far South from that is Cephalonia and from thence South is Zant called by Virgill Nemorisa Zazinthus all which Ilands haue beene heretofore vnder the Venetians but are now vnder the Turke In Zazinthus our English marchants haue an house of abode for their trafique Southeast from Morea lieth the great Iland Creta where Minos sometime did raigne so famous for his seueritie This countrie was then called Hecatompolis as hauing in it an hundred townes and cities The Turkes haue wonne this also long since from the Venetians it is now called Candie from whence commeth our ordinarie sugar of Candie Betweene Creta and Peloponnesus lieth Cythera where was the fine Temple of Venus who thereof by the Poets is called Cytherea The Ilandes are many which doe lie in the sea called Mare Aegeum from the bottome of Greece vnto the top of the Hellispont as all the Cyclades Euboea the great Iland Samos and Chios so Scyro where Achilles was borne and was king of that countrie There was also Lesbos Lemnos Metilene and Ithaca where Vlisses was king and Andros whether Themistocles was sent by the AtheniaÌ„s for tribute of which places something may be read in the olde historie of the Greekes Diuers of these did striue that Homer was borne in them but of certaintie many of those kinges which Homer saith came with Agamemnon to the siege of Troye were kings but of these small Ilands Eastward from thence not farre from some parte of Natolia or Asia the lesse is the Iland Rhodus the friendship of the inhabitants whereof was in auntient time very much desired by the Princes that had to doe that way So that Alexander first and the Romaines afterwardes did embrace their league Here was that huge and mightie image of the Sunne which was Cholossus Rhodius This countrie was long defended by those who were called the Knightes of the Rhodes against the power of the Turke and it was a great bulwarke to defend Christendome till that in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred twentie and two Solimon the great Turke did winne it from the Christians by force From thence Southward is the I le of Carpathus but in the farther end of the East parte of the Mediterraneum is Cyprus which about 300. yeares since was a kingdome did
incredible greatnesse Such a citie as were wont to bee in anntient time in the East as Babylon Nilus and other This countrie was first discouered by the late nauigation of the Portugals into the East Indies The people of China are learned almost in all Artes very skilfull workemen in curious fine workes of all sortes so that no countrie yeeldeth more precious marchandize then the workemanship of them They are great souldiers very politique and craftie and in respecte thereof contemning the wits of other vsing a Prouerbe that all Nations doe see but with one eye but that themselues haue two Petrus Mathaeus historiographer to the King of Spaine for the Easterne Indies doth reporte of them that they haue had from very auntient time among them these two things which we holde to be the miracles of Christendome and but lately inuented The one is the vse of guns for their warres the other is printing which they vse not as we do writing from the left hand vnto the right or as the Hebrewes and Sirians from the right hand vnto the left but downeward directly so their lines at the top to begin againe De India orientali ON the South-side of China toward the Molucco Ilands and the Indian sea lyeth the great countrie of India extending it selfe from the South-east part of the continent by the space of many thousand miles west-ward vnto the riuer Indus which is the greatest riuer in all that countrie except Ganges one of the greatest riuers in the world which lyeth in the East-part of the same Indies This is that countrie so famous in ancient time for the great riches therof for the multitude of people for the conquest of Bacchus ouer it for the passage thither of Alexander the great through all the length of Asia for his aduenturing to goe into the South Ocean with so mightie a Nauie which fewe or none had euer attempted before him This countrie had in auncient time many absolute kingdomes and princes as in the time of Alexander Porus Taxiles and diuers others In it were many Phylosophers and men of great learning whome they called Gymnesophistae of whome was Calanus who burnt himselfe afore Alexander The men of the South-parte of India are blacke and therefore are called men of Inde The cattle of all sortes that are bred there are of incredible bignes in respect of other countries as their Elephants Apes Munkies and such like The riches hereof hath bene very great with aboundance of golde insomuch that the Promontorie which is now called Malachâ— was in times past named Aurea Chersonesus The commoditie of spice is exceeding great that commeth from thence The Portingales were the first which by their long nauigations beyond the Equinoctial and the farthermost parte of Africa haue of late yeares discouered these countries of India As heretofore of the King of Portingale so now of the King of Spaine who is reputed owner of them The Portingales did finde diuers small kingdomes at their first arriuall in those partes as the king of Calicut froÌ„ whence commeth our Calicut linnen the king of Cambaia the king of Cananor the king of Cochin and vâ—ry many other with whome they first entring league for trafique and hauing leaue giuen to build Castles for their defence they haue since by policie encroched into their handes a great parte of the countrie which lyeth neare vnto the sea-coast and are mightie now for the space of many thousand miles together The king of Spaine hath there a vice-roy whose residence is commonly in the Imperiall citie called Goa They doe euery yeare send home great store of riche commodities into Spaine The people of the countrie when the Portingales came first thither were for the most part Gentiles beleeuing no one God But the Saracens who reuerence the Prophet Mahomet from the baies or gulfes of Persia and Arabia did trafique much thither so that Mahomet was known among them But in one towne called Crangarior they founde diuers Christians diffenting in many things from the Church of Rome and rather agreeing with the Protestants which Christians had reteined by successe their religion from the time of Thomas the Apostle by whom it is recorded by the auncient Ecclesiastical historie part of India was conuerted De Persia THere be diuers countries betweene India and Persia but they are not famous Persia is a large countrie which lieth farre West from India it hath on the North Assyria and Media on the West Syria and the Holyland but next vnto it Mesopotamie on the South the maine Ocean which entereth in notwithstanding by a bay called Sinus Persicus This is that countrie which in auncient time was so renowmed for the great riches and Empire thereof These were they who took from the Assyrians the Monarchies and did set vp in their countrie the second great Empire which beganne vnder Cyrus and continued vnto Darius who was ouerthrowne by Alexander the great In this Countrie raigned the great Kings Cyrus Canibises Darius the sonne of Histaspes the great Xerxes Artaxerxes and many other which in prophane writinges are famous for their warres against the Scythians Aegyptians and Graecians and in the Scripture for the deliuerie of the Iewes from Babylon by Cyrus for building of the second Temple at Ierusalem and for manie things which are mencioned of them in the Prophecie of Daniel The people of this nation although they were in former times very riotous by reason of their great wealth yet after that they lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians they haue growne great souldiers and therefore as they euer did strongly defend themselues against the Romanes so in the time of Constantine and the other Emperours they were fearfull neighbours to the Romane gouernment And of late time they haue strongly opposed then selues agaynst the Turkes euer making their partie good with them They fight commonlie on horse-back are gouerned as in times past by a King so nowe by an absolute ruler and mightie Prince whom they tearme the Shawe or Sophie of Persia He hath many countries and small Kings in Assyria and Media and the countries adioyning tributaries The Persians are all at this day Sarazens in religion beleeuing on Mahomet but as Papists and protestants do diffor in opinion concerning the same Christ so do the Turkes and Persians about their Mahomet the one pursuing the other as heretikes with most deadly hatred In so much that there be in this respect almost continuall warres betweene the Turkes and the Persians De Parthia Media ON the North-east side of Persia lieth that countrie which in old time was called Paerthia but now named Arach of whose great warres with the Medians or Armenians or Romanes in Tacitus and ancient histories are true The countrie boundeth on Media by the West which was in auncient time very full of people whose fight as it is very much on hors-backe so the maner of them continually was for to giue an onset and then to runne their wayes
prerogatiue of the Bishop of Rome It is thought that they haue retayned christianitie euen from the time of our Sauiour being supposed to bee conuerted by the Chamberlaine of Candace the Queene of Aethiopia who was instructed concerning Christ by Phillip the Euang. in the Actes of the Apostes Euseb in his Ecclesiasticall storie doth make mention of this But they doe to this day retaine Circumcision whereof the reason may be that the Eunuch their conuerter not hauing any further conference with the Apostle nor any else for him did receiue the ceremonies of the Church vnperfectly retaining Circumcision which among the Iewes was not abolished when he had conference with Phillip Within the dominion of Prester Iohn are the mountaines commonly called Lune montes where is the first well-spring and arising of the riuer Nylus which riuer running violently along this countrie and sometimes hastely increasing by the melting of much snow from the mountaines would ouer-run and drowne a great parte of Aegipt but that it is slaked by many ponds dams sluces which are within the dominion of Prester Iohn And in respect hereof for the maintenance of these the Princes of Aegipt haue paid vnto the gouernor of Abissines a great tribute time out of minde which of late the great Turke supposing to bee a custome needelesse did denye till the people of the Abissines by commaundement of their Prince did breake downe their dammes and drowning Aegipt did inforce the Turke to continue his paye and to giue much money for the newe making of them very earnestly to his great charge desiring a peace There be other Countries in Africa as Agisimbae Libiae interior Nubia and other of whome nothing is famous But this may be said of Africa in generall that it bringeth forth store of all sortes of wilde beastes as Elephants Lyons Panthers Tigers and the like yea according to the Prouerbe Africa sempor aliquid apportet noui Oftentimes newe and strange shapes of beastes are brought forth there The reason whereof is that the countrie being hot and full of wildernesses which haue in them little water the beastes of all sortes are inforced to meete at those fewe warring places that be where oftentimes contrarie kindes haue coniunction the one with the other so that there ariseth newe kindes or species which taketh parte of both Such a one is the Leopard begotten of the Lyon and the beast called Dardus somewhat resembling either of them And thus fat of Africa De Insulis septentrionalibus THe Ilands that doe lie in the North are in number almost infinite the chiefe of them onely shall be briefely touched Very farre to the North in the same clymate almost with Sweden that is vnder the very circle arctick lyeth Ireland called in olde time Thule which was then supposed to be the farthest parte of the worlde Northward and and therefore is called by Virgill Vltima Thule the countrie is colde the people barbarous and it yeeldeth little commoditie sauing Hankes in some parte of the yeare there is no night at all Southward from thence lyeth Frizeland called in Latine Frizelandia whereas the Frizeland ioyning to Germanie is in Latine called Frizia On the coast of Germanie one of the seuenteene prouinces is called Zeland which containeth in it diuers Ilandes in whome little is famous sauing that in one of them is Vlishing or Firshing a towne of warre and at Middleburg in an other a place of good marte The States of the Lowe-countries doe holde this prouince vnited against the King of Spaine These Ilands haue bene much troubled of late with inundation of waters The Iland that lyeth most West of any fanie is Ireland which had in it heretofore many kings of their owne but the whole land is now annexed vnto the crowne of England The people naturally rude and superstitious the countrie good and fruitefull but that for want of tillage in diuers pleces they suffer it to growe into bogges and desertes That is true of this countrie which Solmus writeth of some other that serpents and adders doe not breede here and in the Irish timber of certaine experience no spiders webbe is euer founde The most renowned Iland in the worlde is Albion or Britannia which hath heretofore contained in it many seuerall kingdomes but especially in the time of the Saxons It hath now in it the two kingdoms of England and Scotland wherein are forue seuerall languages that is the English which the ciuill Scots doe barbarously speake the Welsh tongue which is the language of the olde Britaines the Cornish which is the proper speech of Cornewall and the Irish which is spoken by those Scots which liue on the West parte of Scotland neare vnto Ireland The commodities of England and pleasures are well knowne vnto vs and many of them may be expressed in this verse Anglia Mons Pons Fons Ecclesia foemina lana This countrie which in olde time was inhabited by the Britaines was entered vpon by the Romaines first vnder Iulius Caesar and was long by them kept in subiection but it was an error in them when they wrote that England would breede nor keepe no Wolfe It was afterwarde ouerrunne and possessed by the Saxons of whome 7. kings at once did raigne here After that the Danes out of Denmarke did inuade it and much molest it And lastly vnder the leading of their Duke William the Normans did conquere it and established that gouernement which to this day doth continue And from whome as from the Conquerour our ordinarie computation is deriued The Scots were in times past a most barbarous people of whome Saint Ierome reporteth that he sawe some of them in his time in France to feede on mans flesh They were neuer wholy conquered by the Romaines There be very many little Ilandes adioyning vnto the great Iland Britanie As at the very North-point of Scotland the Orchades which are in number aboue 30. The chiefe whereof is named Orkney where the people are barbarous On the West-side of Scotland towardes Ireland lye the Ilandes called Hebreides where inhabite the people ordinarily tearmed the Redshankes Not farre from thence is the I le Mona commonly called The I le of Man The peculiar iurisdiction of the Earles of Darbie with homage notwithstanding reserued vnto the crowne of England On the North-part of Wales is the Iland of Anglesey which is reputed a distinct shiere towardes France side on the South part of England is the I le of Wight in Latine called Vectis which is a good holde in the narrowe seas against the French More neare Fraunce are the Iles of Garnesey and Iernesey where they speake French and are vnder the crowne of England There be also many other but of small accompt De Insulis in Mari Mediterraneum THere be many Ilandes in the Mediterran renowmed in the olde writers but the chiefe of them onely shall be touched From the pillers of Hercules going Eastwarde are two Ilands not farre from Spaine which in times
A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE whole worlde WHEREIN ARE PARticularly described all the Monarchies Empires and kingdomes of the same with their seuerall titles and situations thereunto adioyning AT LONDON Printed by T. Iudson for Iohn Browne and are to be sould at the signe of the Bible in Fleete-streete 1599. A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD THe globe of the earth doth eyther shewe the sea or land The sea generall is called by the name of the OCEAN which coasteth all the world and taketh his name in speciall eyther of the place neere which it commeth as Oceanus Britannicus Mare Germanicus Sinus Persicus Mare Atlanticum of the hill Atlas in the West-part of Africke or of the finder out as Fretum Magelanicum or of some other accident as the Red sea because the sand is red Mare Mediterraneum because it runneth betweene the landes of Europe and Afrike Mare Icarium because Icarus was drowned there or the like There be some few seas which haue no entercourse with the OCEAN as Mare mortuum neare Palestina Mare Caspium siue Hircanum not farre from Armenia and such a one is said to be in the North part of America The Straites or narrow seas are noted in the Latine by the name of Fretum as Fretum Britanicum the English narrowe seas Fretum Herculeum the straightes betweene Barbarie and Spaine Fretum Magellanicum c. The earth is either Ilands which are those that are wholy compassed by the sea as Britannia Sicilia Corsica or the continent which is called in the English the firme lande in the Latine Continent The olde knowne firme land was conteined onely in Asia Europe and Africa Europe is deuided from Africa by the Mediterran sea and from Asia by the riuer Tanais whereby appeareth that the North-partes of Asia and of Europe in olde time were but little knowne and discouered Africa is deuided from Europe by the Mediterran sea from Asia by the riuer Nilus and so Asia by Tanais and Nilus is seuered from Europe and Afrike De Hispania TO say nothing of England and Ireland the most westerne countrie of Europe is Spaine which is boūded on the South wth the Mediterran sea on the West with the Atlantike on the North with the Oceanus Cantabricus or the Spanish seas on the East with France from which it is seuered with certaine mountaines called Montes Pyrenei or the Pyrenei hills In this countrie heretofore there were many kingdoms as the kingdome of Portingale toward the West the kingdome of Granada toward the South the kingdome of Nauarre and Aragon towarde the East and the kingdome of Castile in the middle of the land but the whole dominion is now vnder the king of Spaine De Gallia THe next countrie is France which is bounded on the West with the Pyrenei hills on the North with the English seas on the East with Germanie on the South-east with the Alpe-hilles on the South-west with the Mediterran sea This was in auncient time deuided into three partes Aquitania which is toward the West Celtica toward the North and West and Belgica which is toward the North. Belgica is some times called Gallia inferior and sometime Germania inferior but we call it commonly by the name of the Lowe countries the gouernement where of at this day is not at all vnder France but Gallia Celtica and Aquitania are vnder the French king France hath many petie gouernements that doe border vpon it as the Duke of Sauoie the State of the Switzers the Dukedome of Loraine the Burgundians or Wallons against all which the King is forted to keepe his frontier townes There is nothing more famous in this kingdome then the Salike lawe whereby it is prouided that no woman nor the heire of her as in her right shall enioy the crowne of France a but it goeth alwayes to the heire male The Switzers are a people called in olde time Heluetij who haue no Noblemen or Gentlemen among them but onely the citizens of their townes the yearely officers whereof and their councill doe gouerne their State De Germania THe next countrie vnto France on the East-side is Germanie which is bounded on the West with France and the Lowe countries on the North with Denmarke and the Danish seas on the East with Prussia Polonia and Hungarie on the South-east with Istris and Illyricum on the South with the Alpe-hilles with Italy The gouernour generall of this countrie is balled the Emperour of Germanie who is chosen by three spirituall princes the Archbishop of Colen called Coloniensis the Archbishop of Ments called Moguntinus and the Archbishop of Triers called Treuereusis and three temporal princes the Duke of Saxonie the Marques of Brandeburg and the Countie Palantine of Rhine which if they cannot agree as to make a Maior parte in their election then the king of Boheme hath also a voyce whereof it commeth to to be saide that there bee seuen Princes electors of the Empire There is not that free libertie of choosing the Emperour out of any countrie as was heretofore But the election is tyed within one hundred yeares vnto the house of Austria and at this day of of them the king of Bohemia is Emperour who is called Rodulphus 2. Bohemia is a kingdome in the middle of Germanie which is compassed rounde with a mightie wood called Silua Hirciniae The chiefe citie thereof is called Prage In Germanie all are at a kinde of commaundement of the Emperour but most of the Princes otherwise take on them as absolute gouernours in their dominion So that they haue libertie of religion they make lawes they raise souldiers they stampe money with their owne coyne as absolute princes So doth the Duke of Saxonie the Archbishop and the rest There are also free States and cities which haue the same authoritie as Argentine Frankford and other De Italia ON the South-side of the Alpes and Germanie lyeth Italie stretching it selfe out in length towarde the South and East It hath on the South-side the Iland Sicilia on the East that part of the Med. which is called Mare Adriaticum or Mare superum which seuereth Italie from Graecia on the West side that part of the Med. which is called Mare Tyrrhenum or Mare inferum and by some Mare Ligusticum This countrie for the figure thereof is by some likened vnto a long leafe of a tree it hath in the middle of it which goeth all in length a mightie mountaine named Mons Aperminus which is likened to the Spina or ridge-bone of the backe out of this hill spring diuers Riuers which runne on both sides of it into the Adriatike and Tyrrhene or Tuscane seas The North parte of this Italie is that which in auncient time was called Gallia Comata or Gallia Cisalpina Gallia inhabited then by the French-men It is now called Longobardia or Lombardie wherein stand many rich gouernements as the Dukedome of Millaine of Mantua of Florence and others It is for the pleasantnesse thereof in respect of the soile
afforde great aide to the Christians that went to conquer the Holy land but it is now vnder the Turke The chiefe Citie thereof is Famagusta which is an Archbishoppes sea for Christians for their tribute doe yet liue there In this countrey in olde time was Venus much honoured and thereof it was called Cypria as also Paphia because shee had a Temple in a Citie there called Paphos Neare vnto Siria stood the Iland Tirus against the pride whereof the Prophets doe so much speake This was a rich citie for merchandise and nauigation in olde time and is the place from whence Dido and the builders of Carthage did come The destruction of it is most famous by Alexander the greate Of the rest of the small Ilandes wee doe say nothing De insulis in Mare Indico THe Ilandes are very many that doe lie in the seas adioyning to the East Indies but the most famous among them shall be touched Among the olde writers as especially appeareth by Solinis was well knowne that which was then called Taprobana which lieth vnder the Equinoctiall line It was in that time a Maonarchy where the Kings raigned not by succession but by election and if any of them did grow intollerable he was deposed and inforced to die with withdrawing from him all things necessary This is nowe called Sumatra and hath in it diuers Kings Not far frō thence lye Eastward the two Ilandes called Iaua maior and Iaua minor which were also known to the olde writers they haue also in them diuers Kings as in generall may be noted that all the East part either in the continent or in the Iland haue very many small Kinges and kingdomes From thence yet more East lieth a great number of Iles which are now called the Moluccoes which are places as rich for their quantity as anie in the world From these it is that the Spaniards haue yearely so greate quantitie of all kindes of spice neither is there any place of all the East Indies that do more richly furnish home their caractes then do these Moluccoes Some of these Ilandes the Spaniards haue gotte into their owne possession with the Kings of some other they haue league and a third sorte vtterly detest them More North-ward ouer against China lieth a greate Iland called Iapona or Iapan the people whereof are much of the same nature with the men of China This countrey was first discouered by the Iesuites who in a blinde zeale haue trauailed vnto the farthest partes of the worlde to winne men to their religion this Ilande is thought to bee very rich The rest that bee either neare vnto Asia or vnto Africa because there is little written of them we passe ouer De Insulis in Mari Atlantico THere bee many Ilands which lie West-ward from Africa and from Europe as those which are called the Gorgades that lie in the same climate with Guinea which are foure in number but not inhabited by men but they are full of Goates North-ward from thence in the same clymate with the South-parte of Marocco lie those which are called Canariae or the fortunate Ilandes which are seuen in nomber being most fruitfull and very pleasant and therefore called by that name This is famous in them that it hath pleased all Cosmographers to make their Meridiane to be the first poynte where they doe beginne to reckon the computation of their longitude and vnto them after three hundred and threescore degrees to returne againe From these Ilandes it is that those strong and pleasant sackes which are called Canari wines are brought and from thence are fetched those which they call Canarie Birdes these Ilandes are vnder the Crowne of Spaine More Northward from thence lye these Ilandes which are called Azotes insulae being sixe or seuen in number of which Tercera is one of the chiefe of whome the rest by some are called the Terceraes which are farre inferiour in fruitfulnesse vnto the Canaries these were first vnder the Crowne of Portugale and one of them was the last which was kept out from the King of Spaine by the Prior don Antonio who now calleth himselfe King of Portugale but the Spaniard at the last tooke this Tercera from him and doeth possesse all these Ilandes tagether with the rest of the dominion which did belong to the Portingale De America siue Orbe nouo ALthough some dispute out of Plato and the olde writers that there was not onely a gesse but a kinde of knowledge in auntient time that besides Europia Asia and Africa there was another large countrey lying to the West yet he that shall aduisedly vse the coniectures made therevpon may see that there is nothing of sufficiencie to enforce any such knowledge but that all antiquitie was vtterly ignorant of the newe founde countries towarde the West whereunto this one argument most forcible may giue credite that at the first ariuing of the Spaniards there they founde in those partes nothing shewing trafique or knowledge of any other Nation but the people naked vnciuill some of them deuourers of mans flesh ignorant of shipping without all kinde of learning hauing no remembrance of historie or writing among them neuer hauing heard of any such religion as in other places of the world is knowne but being vtterly ignorant of Scripture or Christ or Moyses or any God neither hauing among them any token of crosse Church Temple or deuotion agreeing with other Nations God therefore remembring the prophecie of his sonne that the Gospell of the kingdome should before the day of iudgement be preached in all coastes and quarters of the worlde and in his mercie intending to free the people or at the least some fewe of them from the bondage of Sathan who did detaine them in blockish ignoraunce and from their Idolatrous seruice vnto certaine vile spirites whome they called their Zemes and most obsequiously did adore them and raised vp the spirit of a man worthie of perpetuall memorie one Christophorus Columbus borne at Genua in Italie to set his minde to the discouery of a new worlde Who finding by that compasse of the olde knowne worlde that there must needes bee a much more mightie space which the sun by his dayly motiō did compasse aboute then that which was alreadie knowne and discouered and conceiuing that this huge quantitie might as well by land as sea could neuer satisfie himselfe till that hee might attempt to make proofe of the veritie thereof Being therefore himselfe a priuate man and of more vertue then abilitie After his reasons and demonstrations layd downe whereby hee might enduce men that it was no vaine thing which he went about Hee went vnto many of the Princes of Christendome and among other vnto Henrie the seuenth then King of England desiring to bee furnished with shipping and men fitte for such a nauigation But these men refusing him parly because they gaue no credite vnto his newe narration and partly least they should be derided by their neighbour Princes