woods and the marrishes which euen in plaines make great pooles being vnto them a naturall wall trench against all incursions On the tops of mountaines are manie fruitfull plaines plentifull and fit for the feeding of â—atâ—le and thicke woods full of wilde beasts These rockie and mountainous places abounding notwithstanding with woods and pastures doe so strengthen the countrey that they neither feare to be forced by inuasion nor to be constrained with hunger for the dangerous accesse of the mountaines and the thicknes of the woods secureth them against the assaults of their enimies and in beseegings they doe sustaine themselues by cattle and wilde beasts which can neuer faile them To this helpeth the abundance of people fierce of courage excellent in the vse of their armes for necessities sake being able speedily to assemble 25. or 30. thousand men against the inrodes of their enimies and trusting to the strength of situations of places and practise of their armes they indeuour not to fortifie their ciâ—â—eâ— nor hauens which are so thicke in this countrey that by reason of the inlets of the sea there is not almost one house distant aboue twentie miles from the Ocean The king of Scotland gouerneth the Hebrides being fortie two and the Orchades thirtie two in number But since neither Scotland nor the saide Ilands are better stored with plenty of corne more then sufficeth for their owne prouision and the people are neither giuen to artes or abounding in wealth few merchants do resort thither But England whereof we now treate is diuided into three great prouinces England Cornwall and Wales England stretcheth to the Germaine sea Cornwall is right against France Wales against Ireland This most florishing kingdome conteineth two Archbishopricks Canterburie and Yoâ—ke 24. bishopricks 136. walled townes In the reigne of king Henry and his son Edward there were reckoned fortie thousand parishes but now there are onely 9725. Cornwall Wales in comparison of England are barren in the vpland places the people liue vpon white meates and oaten bread especially in Wales yet hath nature placed an Iland commonly called Anglesey so neere vnto it abounding with corne and cattle that it niay woorthily be called the mother of Wales Cornwall is exceeding rich in mines of Tinne and Lead England farre surpasseth both these prouinces in largenes riches and fertilitie and though it stand somewhat more northerly notwithstanding by the benefite of the sea or some vnknowne influence of the starres the aire there is so gentle and temperate rather thicke and moist then sharpe and colde that it token thereof the bay tree and the rosemarie are alwaies greene And it is most certaine that Flanders and Brabant are more vexed with cold and ice then England wherein for the most part the land is plaine yet now and then so garnished with fruitfull and delightfull hilles and those rising so pleasantly by little and little that they which see them a farre off can scant discerne them froâ—â— the plaine The cheefest prouision of the kingdome is corne cattle and fish so stored therewith for plenty goodnes and sweetnes that it needeth neither the helpe of France no nor of any neighbour bordring countrey Among other things the flesh especially of their swine oxen and veales haue the best relish of any part of Christendome and of fish their Pike and Oysters It bringeth not foorth Mules nor Asses but of horse infinite store The wealth thereof consisteth in neuer decaying mines of tinne and lead there are also found veines of copper and iron and in Cornewall is digged tinne of such excellent finenes that it seemeth little inferiour to siluer in qualitie Heere the wools are most fine by reason of the hils whereof the kingdome is full On these hils groweth a finall and tender kinde of grasse neither dunged nor watred with spring nor riuer but in winter nourished with the moisture of the aire and in sommer with the deaw of heauen which is so gratefull and pleasing to the sheepe that it causeth them to beare fleeces of singular goodnes and exceeding finenes The Iland breedeth no wolues nor any other rauening beasts and therefore their flockes wander night and day by hils dales and fields as well inclosed as common without feare or danger Most delicate clothes are wouch of this wooll which are transported in great abundance into Germanie Poland Denmarke Sweuqland and other prouinces where they are in high request There grow all sorts of pulse great store of Saffron and infinite quantitie of beere transported from thence into Belgia as also pelts and sea-coale The Iland is so commodiously seated for the sea that it is neuer without resort of Portugall Spanish French Flemish and Easterling merchants The trafique betweene the English and the Flemish ariseth to an inestimable value for Guiâ—ciardin writeth that before the tumults of the Low-countries they bartered for twelue millions of crownes yeerely There are other Ilands subiect to the crowne of England as Ireland Wight Man and Anglesey the ancient dwelling of the Druides Syllyes Gernsey Iersey and Alderney Ireland is not much lesse then England in bignes for it is three hundred miles long and ninetie broad mountainous woodie full of bogs apter for pasture then corne and abounding with milke and butter It sendeth foorth great store of butter skiâ—nes and saffron It is full of riuers and lakes abounding with fish It hath two Archbishoprickes Armach and Cassels the chiefe seat is Dublin and that part which lieth towards the East and the south is best peopled The prouinces of Vlster Conaught and Mounster situated to the west and north are lesse fruitfull and more sauage The other three Ilands are about one bignes of them Anglesey is the â—â—st and therefore called the mother of Wales it is well replenished with cattell and plentie of corne Man is fiue and twentie miles distant from England it hath one Bishopricke and two hauens the land is not verie fertill Wight is a hilly countrey in it is Newport a towne strongly fortified it incloseth the whole channell of South-hampton which is ouer against it and the fairest hauen in that sea In strength of situation no kingdome excelleth England for it hath these two properties which Aristotle wisheth in the building of a citie one is that it be difficult to besiege the other that it be easie to coâ—uey in and out all things necessarie these two commodities hath England by the sâ—â— which to the inhabitants is as a deepe trench against hostile inuasions and an easie passage to take in or sende out all commodities whatsoeuer On the west is the Irish Ocean a sea so shallow and so full of rockes flats that it is verie dangerous for great ships and on the south the flowing and ebbing of the Brittish Ocean is so violent and the remoouing of sandes and shelues so vncertaine that vnlesse the mariners be skilfull in taking the opportunities of winde and â—ydes they can hardly bring in their ships
printing restored musicke framed the chariot deuised the laying of colours in oile the working of colours in glasse the making of tapestrie saies searges wosteds russets frisadoes and diuers sorts of linnen cloth with innumerable other small trifles all sorts of clocks and dials and the mariners compasse It is diuided into 17. prouinces viz. the Dukedomes of Brabant Limburg Lutzemburg and Guelders the Earledomes of Flanders Artois Henault Holland Zeland Namure and Zutphen the Marquisat of the sacred Empire the Seigniories of Friesland Mechlin Vtrecht Ouerissel and Groningen all territories rich plentifull and exceeding populous In them are 208. walled townes stately and magnificent besides 3230 townes hauing priuilege of walled townes and 6300. villages with parish churches It hath manie mines of lead copresse and cole and quarries of excellent good stone The Emperor Charles had an intention to erect it into a kingdome but the difficultie consisted herein that euerie of these prouinces being gouerned by peculiar customes prerogatiues and priuileges would neuer haue yeelded vnto one royall law common to all especially those that had the largest priuileges for which cause he gaue ouer his determination It is seated commodiously for all the prouinces of Europe and containeth in circuit about 1000. Italian miles The aire of later times is become much more holsome and tempelate then in times past whether it be by reason of the increase of inhabitaÌ„ts or the industry of the people who spare no charge to amend whatsoeuer is amisse The beeues of Holland FrieslaÌ„d are very great weigh some of theÌ„ 1600 pound of 16 ounces to the pound the ewes in these prouinces and some part of Flanders bring foorth three and fower lambes at a time and the kine often two calues at once It bringeth foorth great quantitie of mather very perfect woad but no great store but of flaxe and hempe great abundance Whosoeuer shall consider what commoditie they raise by their fishing and traffike only may well say that no nation thorough the whole world may compare with them for riches For Guieciardine writeth that of their he ring fishing they make yeerely 441000 pound sterling their fishing for cod 150000. pound sterling and of their fishing for salmon more then 200000 crownes which is of sterling money 60000. pound The continuall riches that groweth to the countrie of other sorts of fish takeÌ„ all the yeere is infinite The value of the principall merchandize yeerely brought in and caried out is likewise infinite the foresaid authour esteemeth it to about 14. millions one hundred and thirtie fiue thousand crownes whereof England onely bringeth to the value of fiue millions and two hundred and fiftie thousand crownes It is a woonder to see how that the inhabitants of all these prouinces especially of Brabant and Flanders vnderstand speake two or three languages and some fower or more according to their entercourse with merchants and strangers yea in Anwerpe you shall heare the women speake Dutch French Italian Spanish and English The kingdome of Spaine SInce the first time that man began to acknowledge a superior authoritie and submit himselfe to the behests of a ruler there was neuer a more spacious seigniorie then that which the Spanish enioieth at this day especially hauing vnder a colorable and defensible title embezeled the crowne of Portugall For 〈◊〉 the large and faire prouinces in Europe the goodly regions of Asia and rich countries in Africa he enioyeth in peaceable quietnes securitie being not disturbed or contested by any riuall or competitor the newe worlde in circuite more spacious then either Europe or Africke In Europe he is the sole soueraigne of Spaine holding it whole and intire a thing woorthie obseruation because for the space of these 800. yeeres before this age it neuer obeied any one prince but was dismembred and peece-meale claimed by diuers seigniors He hath very much shaked Belgia and lordeth it ouer the kingdome of Naples containing in bignes 1400. miles and retaineth Insubria otherwise called the Duchie of Millaine comprehending three hundred in circuite Of the Ilands he holdeth Maiorique Minorique and Huisa the first of three hundred miles space the second of 150. the third of eight Sicill is reported to be of 700. Sardinia 562. In Africa he holdeth the great hauen called Masalquiuir the most secure and safe harbor in the whole Mediterranean sea He hath also Oran Melilla and the rocke commonly called the Penion of Velez and without the Streights he possesseth the Canarie Ilands twelue in number and the least of seauen containing 90. miles In the right which he pretendeth to the crowne of Portugall he keepeth the woorthie places of Septa and Tangier which may rightly be surnamed the keies of the Streights yea of the Mediterranean and Atlantique Ocean without the Streights he holdeth the citie of Mazaga and by the same title in the vast Ocean he retaineth the Terceraz Porto Santo and Madera the ladie-like Iland of the Atlantique sea containing by estimation 160â— miles in compasse then the Ilands of Cape Verd seauen in number Vnder the aequinoctiall he holdeth the Iland of Saint Thomas somewhat more spacious then Madera but most plentifull in sugar and rangeth ouer that huge tract of land which tendeth from Cape Aguer to Cape Guardafu Lastly he is lord of all the traffique merchandize negociating and nauigation of the whole Ocean and of all the Ilands which nature hath as it were inameled the Ocean withall and scattered in the seas especially betweene the Cape of good Hope and promontories of Guardafu In Asia in the aforesaid right of the crowne of Portugall he ruleth the better part of the westerne coasts viz. Ormus Diu Goa and Malaca Ornius for his commodious satuation is growne so rich that it is a common prouerbe among the Arabians Si terrarum orbis quaqua patet annulus â—sset Iâ—â—ius Armusium geâ—â—â—ia decusque foret A great portion of Arabia Foelix belongeth to the principalitie of Ormus as likewise Baharem the Iland-queene within that gulfe both for the most plentifull circuite abounding in all varietie of fruites as also for the rich fishing of pearle In this sea the Portugals possesse Damain Bazam Tauaan and Goa which citie to omit Ohial Canora Cochin and Colan is of so great esteeme that it is thought to yeeld the king as great reuenue as many prouinces in Europe do their Lords and finally the Portugals hold all that sea coast which lieth betweene the citie Damain and Malepura wherein no prince except the king of Calecure challengeth one foote of land The Iland of Zeilan wherein they possesse a strong hauen and castle commonly called Columbo may rightly be called the delight of Nature and they enioy also Malaca which in those places is the bound and limite of their empire and also the key of the traffique and nauigation of the east Ocean and of all those Ilands which are so many and so spacious that in circuite of land they may be well compared to
the whole world multitudes of men vnconquerable militarie discipline vncorrupted corne and prouisions store infinite Multitudes in times past haue bred confusion and commonly we haue seene great armies ouerthrowen by small numbers but the Turkish multitudes are managed with so good order that although it be farre more easie to range a small armie then a great yet euen in order haue their great armies excelled our small so that I must needs conclude that they goe far beyond vs both in discipline and numbers herein giuing place no not to the ancient Romanes much lesse to any moderne nation how warlike soeuer And this their due commendation consisteth not only in armes but in thirst patience hard diet as for wine by their law they are vtterly forbidden it In the field euerie ten soldiers haue their corporall to whom without any grudging they dutifully obey You shall neuer see woman in their armies their silence is admirable for with the becke of the hand and signe of the countenance they vnderstand without words what they are to doe rather then they will make any noise in the night they will suffer their slaues and prisoners to escape They punish theft and quarrelling extremely They dare not for their liues step out of their ranks to spoile vineyard or orchard They feare not death beleeuing their destinies to be written in their foreheads ineuitable The valiant are assured of preferment the cowards of punishment They are neuer billetted in townes nor suffred to lodge one night within them To keepe them in breath and exercise their princes are alwaies in action with some neighbour or other being verie iealous of the corruption of their discipline The Princes adioyning Toward the east from Tauris to Balsara lie the Persians toward the south and the Persian gulfe the Portugals toward the red sea Prester Iohn vpon the west the Xeriffe and the kingdome of Naples on the north border the Polonians and the Germans Without all question the Turke excelleth the Persian in militarie discipline for Mahumet the second tooke Vssuncassan Selim the first and after him his sonne Soliman defeated Ismael and Tamas Amurath the third by his Lieutenants tooke from them all Media the greater Armenia and their chiefe citie Tauris Their batallions of footemen and the vse of great ordinance which the Persians want and know not how to manage haue beene the chiefest occasions of these good fortunes And although they haue sometime ouerthrowen them in horse-fights yet alwaies with the losse of ground not to themselues onely but to their confederates Selim the first tooke from the Mamelucks Siria and Aegypt Amurath the third almost wholy extinguished the nation of the Georgians their surest allies To the Portugals he is far inferiour for in sea-fights and sea forces there is as great inequalitie betweene them as betweene the Ocean and the Persian gulfe The Portugals haue in India hauens and castels territories and dominions plentifull in timber prouision and all sorts of warlike furniture for the sea not without many great princes their allies and confederates whereas the Turke hath no one place of strength in the Persian gulfe but Balsara The tract of the sea coast of Arabia which may seeme to stand him insteed hath but fower townes and those weake and of small esteeme which are reasons sufficient to induce that in this gulfe as likewise in the red sea he hath small meanes to rig out any gallant Armada Besides the soile is vtterly barren of timber fit for the building of galleies for which scarcitie whensoeuer he had occasion to set foorth a nauie in those seas he was constrained to send downe his stuffe from the hauens of Bithinia and Cilicia by Nilus to Cair and from thence to conuay it vpon camels backes to his Arsenal at Suez What successe his fleetes haue had in those parts you may read in the discourse of Portugall for the Portugals take great care to preuent him of setting foote in those seas yea as soone as they doe but smell that he is preparing any sea forces they presently looke out and spoile whatsoeuer they light vpon For captaines soldiers armes and munition he is better prouided then Prester Iohn for this prince hath a large territorie without munition and infinite soldiers without weapons Bernangasso his lieutenant lost all the sea coast of the red sea and brought the Abissine into such extremities that to obtaine peace he promised the payment of a yeerely tribute In Africke he hath a greater iurisdiction then the Xeriffe for he is Lord of all those prouinces which he betweene the red sea and Velez de Gomera but the Xeriffe hath the richer the stronger and better vnited Neither of them for the neighbourhood of the king of Spaine dare molest one another The residue of his neighbours are the Christians and first the king of Poland what either of these princes can effect the one against the other hath beene manifested by their forepassed actions In some sort it seemeth that the Turke feareth the Polaques for vpon sundrie occasions being prouoked as in the raigne of Henrie the third in the warre which Iuonia Voyvod of Walachia made with the Turkes wherein great numbers of Polaques serued And in the raigne of Sigismund the third notwithstanding the incursions of the Kosacks and the inrodes of Iohn Zamoseus Generall of Polonia he stirred not neither with woontlike disdaine once offered to reuenge these indignities Againe since the infortunate iourney of Ladislaus they neuer enterprised iourney against the Turkes no nor at any time aided the Walachians their neighbours their friends and confederates but suffered whatsoeuer they held vpon the Euxin sea to be taken from them This vile part I rather attribute to the base minde of the king then to any want of good will in the gentlemen or nobilitie Sigismund the first being by Leo the tenth mooued to war vpon the Turke answered Few words shall serue make firme peace betweene the Christian princes then will I be nothing behinde the most forward Sigisâ—und the second bore a minde so far abhorring from warre that he not onely neuer made attempt against the Turke but being iniuried by the Moscouite let him doe what he would vnreuenged King Stephen a great politician thought the warre of Turkie full of danger notwithstanding discoursing with his familiars he would often say that if he had but thirtie thousand good footeâ—en ioyned with his Polonian horsemen he could haue found in his hart to trie his fortune with this enimie The princes of Austrich are borderers by a far larger circuit of land then any other prince and being constrained to spend the greatest part of their reuenues in the continuall maintenance of twentie thousand footemen and horsemen in garrisons they seeme rather to stand content to defend their owne then any way minded to recouer their losses or inlarge their bounds Ferdinands iourney to Buda and Possouia was rather couragious then prosperous the reason was not because his
keepe in their possession all the profits of the lands woods mines yea and the waters of pooles and riuers through their whole dominions No man may wash himselfe in Ganges which runneth by Bengala nor in Ganga which watereth the land of Orissa before he hath paid tole to the king The king himselfe is now inforced to buie this water causing it to be brought vnto him by long iourneies vpon a superstitious custome either to bathe or purge himselfe therein He is absolute Lord of the bodies and goods of his subiects which he shareth to himselfe and his captaines leauing the people nothing but their hands and labour of lands the king hath three parts and his captaines the residue Whereupon sithence all these barbarous princes maintaine not peace and iustice as arches whereupon to lay the groundworke of their estates but armes conquest and the nurserie of a continuall soldierie it must needes followe that they are able to leuie greater troupes of horse and foote then otherwise we were bound to beleeue But to induce some measure of credit let vs compare the abilities of some Christian princes with theirs If the king of France were absolute Lord of all the lands and profits of his whole dominion as these men are it is thought that his yeerely reuenues would amount to 15. millions and yet therein are neither mines of gold nor siluer The elergie receiueth sixe millions the kings demesnes amount to one and an halfe the residue is theirs who haue the inheritance and yet the peazants liue wel here in comparison of the villagois of India Polonia and Lithuania Besides this the king hath eight millions of ordinarie reuenue arising of customes and escheats How mightie a prince would he be if he were landlord of the demesnes and rents of the whole kingdome and should imploy them vpon the maintenance of soldiers as doth the king of Narsinga Surely whereas now the kings reuenues doe hardly suffice for the maintenance of fower thousand men at armes and six thousand crosbowes if this allowance were added to the former he might as easily maintaine 150. thousand To returne to Narsinga the king to see that his captaines performe their duties once a yeere proclaimeth a muster whereat they dare not but be present At the muster day those who haue presented their companies defectiue either in number or furnituâ—e are sure to be cassed but those who bring their companies complete and well armed he honoureth and aduanceth What forces may be gathered out of so ample a dominion armed after their manner as aforesaid you shall gather by that which Iohn Barros writeth of the armie which king Chrismarao led against Idalcan in the iournie of Raciel These are his words verbatim Vnder sundry captaines the armie was diuided into many battailions In the vantgard marched Camaraique with one thousand horse 17. elephants and 30. thousand footmen Tiarabicar with two thousand horse twentie elephants and fiftie thousand footemen Timaipanaique with three thousand horsemen and 56. thousand footemen After them followed Hadainaique with fiue thousand horsemen fiftie elephants and one hundred thousand footemen Condomara with six thousand horse sixtie elephants 120. thousand footemen Comora with 250. horse fortie elephants and 80. thousand footemen Gendua with one thousand horse ten elephants and thirtie thousand footemen In the rereward were two eunuches with 1000. horse 15. elephants and forty thousand footemen Betel one of the kings pages led 200. horse twentie elephants and eight thousand foote After all these followed the king with his garde of sixe thousand horsemen three hundred elephants and fortie thousand footemen Vpon the flanks of this battell went the gouernor of the citie of Bengapor with diuers captaines vnder whose colours were 4200. horse 25. elephants and sixtie thousand footemen seruing for wages Vpon the head of the battell ranged 200. thousande horsemen in small troupes like our vantcurrers in such sort and order scowring the countrie before behinde and on all sides that no noueltie could so suddenly happen but notice thereof was giuen at the Imperiall tent in a moment Twelue thousand carriers of water and twenty thousand light huswifes followed this armie The number of lackies merchants artificers scullions they call them Maniati oxen buffals and carriage beasts was infinite When the armie was to passe any riuer knee-deepe before the foremost were passed there was scant remaining sufficient for the latter whereof to drinke Before this iournie the king sacrificed in nine daies 20736. head of liuing creatures as well of birds as beasts the flesh whereof in honor of his idols was giuen to the poore The soldiers were clothed in garments of cotten wooll so close and hard quilted that they would beare out the thrust of a lance or sword Euery elephant was trimmed in a couering of cotten wooll with a frame on his backe bearing fower men To their tusks were fastened long and broad swords to cut in sunder whatsoeuer stood in their way The footemen were armed with bowes iauelins swords and bucklers These last the better to couer their whole bodies and to manage their heauie bucklers carried no offensiue weapons In the fight when the king perceiued Idalcan by the furie of his great ordinance to make hauocke of his men and dismay the residue leaping into the head of the battell is reported to vse this prince-beseeming incouragement Beleeue me my companions Idalcan shall rather boast that he hath slaine then ouercome a king of Narsinga With which words and ensample his soldiers all inflamed and ashamed of their cowardize with a furious charge broke the enemies aray and put Idalcan to flight Amongst other spoiles they tooke fower thousand Arabian horses one hundred elephants fower hundred great peeces besides smal The number of oxen buffals tents and prisoners was inestimable With Idalcan were fortie Portugals with the king of Narsinga twentie In his raigne two of his captaines rebelled Virapanai vsurped Negapatan and Veneapatir the territorie adioining to Matipura Calecute THE most noble part of India is that which lieth betweene the mountaine Gate and the Indian Ocean It stretcheth from Cape Comerin to the riuer Cangierecor three hundred miles long In this prouince raigneth the king of Calecut who though he may not be compared to the princes aboue spoken of for number and power yet for pleasant and plentifull situation he may be saide farre to surpasse them For the region is so cut as it were into many parcels sometime by creekes of the sea sometime by riuers and sometime by lakes that nature as it should seeme would haue it diuided into seuerall prouinces as Trauancor Colan Cochin Crangonor Calecute Tano Canonor Seuen yeeres agone Pereimal king of all Malabar ruled these prouinces who after he became a Mahumetan and resolued to trauell to Meca there to spend the remnant of his daies diuided the land into many principalities but with this prouiso that all soueraigne authoritie should rest in the king of Calecute with the title of
of their bodie as blinde lame tall bold c. This king is verie puissant in people of whom he exacteth no other tribute then the tenths of the increase of their liuely hoods For exercise and insteed of occupations they giue themselues to steale to slay their neighbours and to take them prisoners and then to barter them for horses with the merchants of Barbarie He hath vnder him many kingdomes and nations some white some blacke He is an heauie enemie to the Abessines taking away their cattell rifling their mines and leading away the people in captiuitie His horsemen ride after the Spanish manner armed with lances steeled at both ends darts and arrowes but their inrodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles then wars managed by valiant soldiers The Turke likewise on the east and the king of Adel on the southeast do cruelly vexe him for they haue curtald his large dominion and brought his prouinces into great miserie In the yeere 1558. the Turke harried the whole territorie of Bernagasso but since expulsed and tooke from Prester Iohn whatsoeuer he was Lord of vpon that sea coast especially the hauen and citie of Suaquen and Erococo in which place the mountaines betweene Abex and the red sea make a gate as it were for the traffique and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians And sithence that Bernangasso was inforced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands to buy his peace and in name of a tribute to pay one thousand ounces of gold yeerely The king of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie he bordereth vpon the kingdome of Fatigar and his siegniorie stretcheth alongst the red sea as far as Assum Salir Meth Barbora Pidar and Zeila Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with merchandise which they trucke for flesh honie wax and vittail these commodities are carried to Aden gold iuorie and such wares are sent to Cambaia the greatest part of vittail honie wax corne and fruits brought from Zeila are carried into Aden and Arabia as likewise much cattell especially sheepe hauing tailes of 25. pound weight with heads and necks all blacke the rest of their bodies all white Of these cattell there are some altogether white with turning crooked tailes as long as a mans arme and dewlaps like oxen Some of their kine haue hornes with many branches like our deere othersome haue one horne in their forehead growing backward a span and halfe long The chiefe citie of this kingdome is Arar 38. leagues distant from Zeila towardes the southeast He professeth Mahumetisme and since his conuersion he hath intitled himselfe with the sirname of Holy aâ—owing continuall war against the Abessine Christians and therefore he watcheth the time of the foresaid fast of fiftie daies when he entreth their territories burneth their villages taketh prisoners and then committeth a thousand other mischiefes The Abessine slaues doe often leaue their countrie and take vpon them great iournies putting themselues in the seruice of great Lords where many times by their industrie and good carriage they become high commaunders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra For the Mahumetan princes being all tyrants Lords of those countries which they haue forced from the Gentils to secure their estates doe neuer trust their home-bred subiects but wage strangers and slaues vnto whose fidelitie they commit their persons and the managing of all the affaires of their kingdomes And amongst all sorts of slaues the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnes and towardly disposition The king of Adel ouerlaieth Egypt and Arabia with these slaues which hee changeth with the Turks and princes of Arabie for armour prouision of warre and soldiers In the yeere of our Lord 1500. Claud king of Abex perceiuing himselfe inferior to Grad-Ameda king of Adel for he had vexed his land with 14. yeeres incursions forsaking the frontires retired himselfe into the inward parts of his kingdome intreating for aide of Stephen Gama viceroy of India vnder Iohn the third king of Portugall who was then in the red sea with a warlike nauie In compassion of his miseries and religion he sent him fower hundred Portugall-shot very well furnished vnder the conduct of Christopher his brother By their aide and vse of their artillerie he ouerthrew his enemies in two battels but the king of Adel obtaining of the gouernor of the citie of Zebit one thousand harquebushers and ten pieces of ordinance in the third fight put the Portugals to flight and slew their captaine Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes king Claudius set vpon him at vnawares by the riuer Zeila and the mountaine Sana with eight thousand footemen fiue hundred Abessine horsemen and the remainder of the liuing Portugals one of whome gaue Grada-Amada his deaths wound But in March 1509. Claudius fighting with the Moores of Malaca gaining the victorie was slaine in the battel Adam his brother succeeded against whom being a demi-Mahumetan the greatest part of the Abessine nobilitie rebelled and was ouerthrowne in the yeere 1562. by Bernagasso By this casualtie did the Aethiopian affaires ebbe flow vntill in the raigne of Alexander things began in some sort to returne to their ancient estate by the aide of the Portugals who furnished them with weapons both offensiue and defensiue and by their examples incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies All that were liuing after the defeature of Christopher Gama and all that euer went thither since that day to this doe still remaine there marrying wiues and begetting children King Alexander gaue them leaue to elect a Iusticer and to end all matters of controuersie amongst themselues which maketh them so willing to stay and to teach them the vse of their weapons the manner of our warfare and how to fortifie passages and places of importance Sithence those times Francis Medices contracting friendship with the Abessine diuers Florentines some for pleasure and some for profit haue trauelled into those prouinces wherein when they are once entred the king intreateth them so faire and giueth them so largely whereupon to liue that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne countries Besides these he hath other enemies as the king of Dancali whose citie and hauen is Vela vpon the red sea and the Moores of Doba a prouince diuided into foureteene Lieutenantships These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire yet doe they often rebell hauing a law amongst themselues that no yoong man may contract matrimonie vnlesse he can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelue Christians Monomotapa IN the residue of Aethiop raigne diuers powerfull princes as the kings of Adel Monomugi Monomotapa Angola and Congo of which as yet we vnderstand very little But that the Reader by the description of one may coniecture of the rest I wil speake somwhat of the state policie of Monomotapa because it is mightier and more famous then the rest This kingdome containeth all that Iland which lieth between the riuers of Cuama and Spirito Santo a territorie of 150. leagues in compasse and from Spirito Santo it stretcheth euen to the Cape of Good Hope for the Vizeroys of that huge tract do acknowledge him for their soueraigne and supreme gouernour of townes villages they haue few those cottages which they haue consist of timber and tâ—ach One of their chiefe cities is called Zimbas and other Benema taxa the one fifteene miles the other 21. distant from Cefala towards the west The soile aboundeth with corne with cattle great and small wandring by heards through the fields and woods By the store of teeth from thence transported we may coniecture that lesse then 5000. elephants cannot but die yeerely in this countrey These beasts are here very great There is no climate like it for plentie of gold for by report there are 3000. mines whereout gold is digged gold is likewise found in the earth in rocks and riuers The mines of Manica Boro Quiticui and Toroe which some men call Butua are the richest The people are meane of stature black wel set They conuerse with the king kneeling on their knees and to sit in his presence is the vse with them as with vs to stand and that is granted but to great lords The assay of meate and drinke is not made before but after the prince hath eate and drunke Heere are no prisons because law passeth vpon the offendor in the very moment wherein the offence was committed The offences most seuerely punished are witchcraft theft and adulterie They pay no other tribute but certaine daies worke and presents without the which no man may appeere in the princes presence The king beareth in his coat of armes a certaine little spade with an Iuorie handle and two small darts He keepeth for his faithfullest guard two hundred dogs He keepeth the heires of his vassall princes to be secured of their parents loyaltie One of the kings not long sithence was conuerted and Baptized by Gonsalua Silua a Iesuite with the greater part of his courtiers but afterwards by the perswasion of certaine Moores in great credite about him he caused him to be slaine Sebastian king of Portugall offended heereat proclaimed warre against him vnder the leading of Francisco Barreâ—â—o This armie consisted of sixeteene hundred the greatest part gentlemen to whom the Monomotapa fearing their armes and valour offered honorable conditions but the captaine whom no offer or indiffeferencie could satisfie was ouercome and his armie vtterlie consumed yet not by the enimie but by sicknes and the infectious aire of the countrey FINIS Faults escaped Page 17. lin 30. for lanciers read men at armes Page 20. lin 38. for defensible r. defeasible Page 24. lin 22. for supremacie r. soueraigntie Page 28. lin penult these words without relation to the kingly authoritie are superfluous Page 65. lin 30. for it might r. he might Page 65. lin 34. for he is immediate r. mediate he is Page 127. lin 24. for can be wanting r. cannot be wanting 1597.
all Europe For trade with the Chinois and Ilands of Tidore and for their safe merchandizing with Molucca and Banda they are so secure of their welfare that they count it an vnnecessarie charge to erect any castles or fortifications of defence but onely inhabite dispersed in weake cottages Certainly it would amaze and bewoonder a man to thinke how many puissant kings and fierce nations are brideled and yoked by the armes of twelue thousand Portuguezes for in so huge atract of land and sea there are nor euer were a greater number inhabiting and not onely to haue discouered and conquered the Atlanticke Indian and east sea but also to defend it against all forrein inuasions or inrodes vpon their confines for it is 90 yeeres since they fortified those places with an ouerlasting memoriall of their valiancie Neither can any man to ecclipse or detract from their iust commeÌ„dation obiect vnto them the facilitie of subduing a naked and vnarmed people altogither raw and vnexperimented in the feates of armes if he will recall to his remembrance how by the vertue of their armes they tooke the kingdome of Ormus from the vassall and confederate of the king of Persia as also that they drowned and defeated at Diu the nauie of the Sultane of Egypt fully furnished with Mammelukes a kinde of soldier no lesse famous for their armes and discipline then the Praetorian Turkish soldiers called Ianizaries as also that they made good the saide place against the leaguer of the Turkes and Guzarits and in the red sea they haue often forced the Turkish gallies to retire with a most dishonorable foile In the yeere 1552. they defeated his whole fleete at Ormus In Trapoban they affronted and contested with the kings of Decan Cambaia Calecute and Achem princes both fauored and also aided with the forces of the Turkish Emperour yea such haue beene their expeditions in Cambaia India the whole Ocean and along the coasts of Asia that in desart of glorie and admiration they are to be censured nothing inferior to the victorious praises of Alexander the great yea so much the rather to be preferred because neither in circuit of territorie nor numbers of people they were euer comparable to the Macedonians for with nineteene ships they ouerthrew the Egyptian nauie farre greater in number and furniture with two thousand soldiers they forced Goa and recouered it being lost with 1500. with 800. they wonne Malaca and not with many more Ormus Another member of the Spanish dominions lieth in the new World wherein because be hath no corriuall able to make head against him he challengeth as his owne whatsoeuer either by discouerie or conquest he attaineth vnto This new Worlds dominions is diuided into the continent and Ilands In the north sea are so many Ilands most of them of forty miles compasse that their number can hardly be ascertained or knowne some of them so rich and spacious that they might suffice to erect a magnificent and stately soueraigntie Of these Boriqâ—en is 300 â—iles long and threescore broad Cuba is 300 miles long and twentie leagues broad Hispaniola is 1600 miles in compasse As for the continent he is absolute lord of all that sea coast which watereth Florida Noua Hispania Iucatan and that spacious south erly promontorie to the cape of California and Quiuira For euen so farre the discoueries and nauigations of the Spaniard haue proceeded The coast of Noua Hispania counting his beginning at the towne of Santa Helena and cutting by Panama to Quiuira containeth about 5000. and 200 miles in length to which if you please to adde the vpland regions coasting towards the north you shall finde no lesse then 9000. miles Peru beginning at Panama containeth by the maritimate coast 12000. and 600. miles of which three thousand lying betweene the riuer Maragon and Argenteum and including Brasile do acknowledge the supremacie of Portugall In the continent are many kingdomes and seigniories amongst which these of Mexico and Peru once most powerfull and wealthie dominions were counted chiefe and as it were the two imperiall seats The kings of Mexico did not claime by inheritance from their ancestors but were chosen by sixe electors Him whom they iudged yoong valiant and wise of an able bodie and fit for the warre they crowned and one of their kings because he prooued a coward slothfull and irresolute they poisoned There was a Senate of Sages continually resident about his person which consisted of fower degrees of Nobilitie and Magistracies without whose authoritie and consent no matters of consequence or weight could be determined or put in action They regarded nothing so seuerely as the good education of their youth their ceremonious superstitions their orders of soldiarie Amongst them there was a most woorthie chiefetaine called Tlacaellell so expert in militarie prowesse that he subdued the greatest part of the Mexican seigniorie and of so great and admired spirit that he obstinately refused and forsooke the kingdome being offered him saying that it was auaileable and commodious for the common-weale that another should weare the crown and he attend vpon him as a minister and counseller and that his shoulders were too weake to sustaine so weightie a burden adding moreouer that he would no lesse endeuour with a carefull and warie foresightfulnesse the safetie of the common-weale then if he himselfe were inuested in the soueraigntie These kings liued in great maiestie inhabited sumptuous palaces and maintained a mightie troupe of their vassals for the guard of their persons On one quarter they enlarged their bounds and planted their religion and language to the skirts of Teguante-Pecum two hundred leagues remote from Mexico and on another quarter as farre as Guatimall 300. leagues distant In these places they made the north and south seas their bounds but Mecoican Tascalan and Terpeacan they could neuer bring vnder their yoke Their differences and troubles with the citie of Tascala incouraged the Spaniards to inuade their dominions and being entred made their victories easie without any difficult resisting or hinderance from the pursuite of their coÌ„quest which happened in the yeere of our Lord 1518. The Mexicans diuided into seauen tribes came into those regions from that part of the north where of late yeeres the Spaniards discouered a most wealthie and populous prouince which at this day they call new Mexico The most respected honor which doth ennoble their men is purchased by alacritie couragious forwardnes to armes Matezuma their last king instituted certaine orders of horsemen surnaming them Lions Eagles and Leopards These he priuileged to weare gold and siluer and a silken cassock after the Arabian fashion to go shod and occupy gilded and painted vessell which things were prohibited to the vulgar and forbidden all such who had not inwoorthied himselfe by some noble seruice The Empire of Peru whose king was surnamed Inga is found to be larger and more magnificent when it was in the prime and highest it reached from Pasto to Chile 1000.
they haue vndertaken diuers famous expeditions into Barbarie Ethiopia India and Brasile Within these 90. yeeres they haue taken and fortified the principall places and harbours of those prouinces chalenging vnto themselues the peculiar traffike of the Atlantike and east Ocean They seised vpon the Terceraz knowing that without touching at those Ilands no ship could safely passe into Ethiopia India Brasil or the New-world Returning from those countries towards Spaine or Lisbone they put in to releeue their wants and sicke passengers and outward they touch to take in fresh water and fetch the winde In Africke they are Lords of those places which we spake of before in the description of Spaine In Persia they haue Ormus in Cambaia Diu Damain and Bazain in the hither India Chaul Goa and the neighbour fortresses of Cochin Colan the Iland Mauar and the hauen Columbo in the Iland Zeilan Amongst these Goa is the chiefest as the place where the Viceroy keepeth his court Ormus famous for the iurisdiction of the sea and the traffike of the Persian and Cambaian gulfes Cochin and Colan for their plentie of pepper Mauar for the pearle-fishing Columbo for the abundance of Cinnamon Damain and Bazain for fertile prouision In these quarters they haue some princes their confederates others their feodaries The chiefe and wealthiest of Allies is the king of Cochin sometime tributarie to the king of Calecute but now by the intercourse and traffike with the Portugals he is growne so rich and mightie that the other princes do enuie his prosperitie The king of Colan is likewise their confederate Their chiefe force consisteth in situation and strength of their places and in the number goodnes of their shipping As concerning situation this people wisely considering that in regard of their contemptible numbers they were not of power to make any famous iourney into the inland regions neither to match the Persians the Guzarits the princes of Decan the king of Narsinga and other barbarous potentates in Campania turned all their cogitations to immure themselues in such defensiue places that with small forces they might euer haue hope to diuert great attempts and make themselues Lords and commanders of the sea and nauigation which when they had done they intertained and maintained so strong a nauie that no prince in those parts was able to wrong them yea they furnished those vessels so thoroughly that one single ship would not refuse to cope with three or fower of the Barbarians With this Armada of one and twentie ships Francis Almeida defeated the Mamelucks neere the towne of Diu. Alfonse Alburquerck with thirtie great ships woon Calecute with one and twentie he tooke Goa and regained it with fower and thirtie with three and twentie he tooke Malaca with sixe and twentie he entred the red sea and with two and twentie recouered Ormus In processe of time as their mightines increased Lopes Zuarezius made a iourney into the red sea with seuen thirtie Galleons Lopes Sequeira with twentie fower ships but with greater number of soldiers then euer before laid siege to Gnidda in the red sea Henry Menesius wasted Patane with fiftie ships Lopes Vazius Sampaius left in the Arsenal 136. ships of war for the greater part all excellent well furnished Nonius Acunia vndertooke a iourney to Diu with 300. ships wherein were three thousand Portugals and fiue thousand Indians besides a great number of his guard and seruants which ordinarily follow the Viceroyes in those countries Besides his confederates and feodaries he is confined with most mightie princes his enimies as the Persian who chalengeth Ormus as holden of him in vassalage the king of Cambaia who maketh title to Diu and other places which were once vnder his iurisdiction Nizzamaluc Idalcam for so the Portugals call the two princes of Decan the kings of Calecute Narsinga As for the kings of Persia Narsinga they neuer waged warre against the Portugals because they haue alwaies had to do with more dangerous enimies other princes though they haue enterprized to their vttermost to regaine Diu Chial Goa and other places and haue left no meanes vnattempted to bring their desseignes to effect yet their abilitie could not worke any prosperous successe to their laborious indeuors by reason of the places situate so commodiously for the transportation and receit of continuall succours from the sea And though they haue vndertaken the like actions in the deepe of winter hoping by tempests and other casualties to barre the Portugals from their sea succours yet they neuer preuailed because the ships and courages of the Portugals the one resolute to indure the siege and by patience to ouercome the other determining hap what may neuer to forsake their distressed countrey-men haue set all vpon hazard and exposed their fortunes to the mercy of the winde waues of the sea Their woorst greatest and fiercest enimie is the Turke who being backed with the like aduantage of situation which the citie of Aden affoordeth him sometime pricked by his proper enuie emulation and ambition sometime egged on by the perswasions of the king of Cambaia hath often indeuored to dispoile them of the soueraigntie of the red sea and finally to driue them out of the east India The greatest nauie that euer he sent against them was to recouer Diu consisting of sixtie fower ships and by them defeated Afterwards he sent a nauie of greater ships to the conquest of Ormus and that likewise was almost wholie beaten bruised and drowned In the further Indies they hold nothing but Malaca and the Moluccas In times past Malaca was far greater then now it is for it lay scattered three miles alongst the sea coast but the Portugals that they might the better defend it haue brought it into a round forme containing not aboue a mile in compasse Heere the king hath two puissant enimies Ior and Achem the one mightie at land the other farre mightier at sea by whom the towne not without great danger hath more then once beene besieged but by the aide sent from India alwaies releeued with great slaughter of the enimie At length Paulus Lima defeated king Ior and raced the castle built by him neere Malaca wherein besides other spoiles he found 900. brasen cast peeces This territorie is subiect to great danger by reason of the puissance of this king of Achem bending all his cogitations to the rooting and finall destruction of the Portugals out of this prouince and therefore the king of Spaine of late yeeres sent Matthias Alburquerk with a great power into India with authoritie to secure the territorie of Malaca and to fight with the king of Achem. To secure their trade of spices and nutmegs in the Moluccas and Banda they built a castle in the Iland Ternate of late yeeres for want of succours deliuered vp to the Mahumetans and the Portugals reculed into the Iland of Tidore there establishing their trade and factorie The Great Turke VNder the Empire of the Turkes is
countrie is 75. miles long and 55. broad Carniola with the bordering countries vp to Tergiste is 150. miles long and 45. broad They are plentifull of corne wine flesh and wood The countie of Tirol is full of mines of siluer and salt pits and is eighteene German miles long and broad The territories of Sweuia Alsatia and Rhetia doe pay little lesse then two myriades and an halfe of ordinarie reuenue so much extraordinarie besides the 18. cantons of Rethia are vnder the same iurisdiction They are so well peopled that vpon occasion they are able to leuie 100. thousand footemen and 30. thousand horse I know no other prouince in Europe able to say the like And therefore the Emperor is not so weake a Prince as those who are ignorant of the state of kingdomes doe suppose him reporting his territories to be small vnprouided of necessaries poore in monie and barren of people But this is certaine that as he is a Lord of a large dominion fertile rich and infinite people so let euery man thinke that by the neighborhod of the Turke bordering vpon him from the Carpathie mountaines to the Adriatique sea the forces of a mightier prince may seeme small and ouerlayed For what prince bordering vpon so puissant an enemie but either by building of fortresses or by intertaining of garrisons is not almost beggered I will not say in time of warre but euen during the securest peace Considering that the forces of the Turke are alwaies readie strong and cheerefull yea better furnished in the time of peace then any other nation in the hottest furie of warre Wherefore it standes him vpon that is a borderer vpon so powerfull an enemie either for feare or iealousie to be euer watchfull and to spare no charges as doth the Emperor retaining in wages continually twenty thousand soldiers keeping watch and warde vpon the borders of Hungarie These aske great expences and yet lesse then these are not to be defraied for the strengthening of other places besides other expences not meete here to be spoken of Wherefore seeing the Turke like an vnsatiable dragon hath ouerwhelmed so many noble prouinces and so many flourishing kingdomes yea hath brought vnder his yoke those cities which were thought impregnable and those bulwarks which the world deemed could neuer be forced let vs not shut both our eares and say lie is farre from vs when he stands at our doores yea close by our sides Denmarke ALthough it may seeme needlesse to make any mention of Sweuelād because it is as it were situated in another world and with whom there is no great entercourse of trading yet for the spatious largenes thereof it may well deserue a place amongst other kingdomes spoken of in these relations It is situate in that part of Europe which some terme Scandia others Scandania or Balthia from whence issued the Gothes and Vandales the verie treaders downe of the Romane Empire It is subiect both to the Danish and Sweuian crowne The king of Denmarke besides the Cimbrian Chersonese where Helsatia Theutomarsia the Dukedome of Slesia Flensburge Friesland and Iuthland regions fruitfull replenished with store of cattle and wilde beasts doe lye retaineth other spacious Ilands the best whereof stand in the entrance of the Balticke sea being 15. in number all comprehended vnder the name Denmarke The chiefest of them is Sclandunia containing 60. miles in length and little lesse in bredth It excelleth the rest in woorth both for the number of villages the mildenes of the aire and because it hath beene and is the seate of their kings He hath also Gothland in his iurisdiction which is placed right ouer against Gothia One of his kinsemen hath the gouernment of Osilia a pretie Iland in the greater gulfe of Liuonia and ruleth those fat and plentious countries which lie in the continent of Liuonia Scania likewise acknowledged his soueraigntie and he holdeth the kingdome of Norway which from the confines of Scania extendeth and stretcheth northward 1300. miles to the castle of Wardhouse vpon whom border the Lappians The Iles adioining therto Sania Setland and Faria lying in the maine sea are in his tenure In times past the people of Norwey haue beene of great puissance they afflicted England scourged France and therein obtained a prouince called to this day Normandie In Italie they conquered the kingdome of Sicill and Appulia And in the holy warre Boemand leader of the Normans woon the principalitie of Antioch In the north Ocean besides that of Friesland and the sea coast of Island and Gromland he holdeth the dominions of the foresaid Ilands of Shetland and Faria The Orchades acknowledge the kings of Norwey for their lords although they are subiect to the Scottish crowne Sithēce the kingdome of Norwey became electiue turmoiled with ciuill wars and intestine discords it came to the possession of the Danish kings who that he may hold it surely intreateth the inhabitants cruelly spoiling them of their substance and to leaue no hope of better fortune to this miserable people he holdeth fortified all the creekes and hauens of the sea coast The wealth of the kingdome consisteth in the abundance of cattle and sea fish whereof there is such store that of the herring fishing onely a mightie masse of money is yeerely gathered so huge is the number of all sort of fish that at sometimes of the yeere a ship can make but slowe way in this sea and the marishes meadowes adioining thereunto are verie pleasant and sauorie to the feeding cattle Scania is rich in corne and pasture and well replenished with people Norwey hath no riches of any moment except timber fit for the erecting of houses and framing of ships from thence transported into Holland and Flanders and cattle and great store of cheese and milke Some profite also ariseth of a kinde of fish dried in the winde which the Dutchmen call Stockfish It is taken in Ianuarie and laid in the winde and cold vntill it be indurate and hardened like wood and then carried into diuers regions as a kinde of sustenance The greatest matter of gaine to the king of Denmarke is that narrow sea or streight betweene Cronburg Eltzenburg commonly called the Sound which is a passage so narrow that no shipping can passe that way without the licence and fauour of the watchmen keeping garrison there to receiue the impostes and customes of the arriuing vessels it is easily gathered to what some of money that impost amounteth by the infinite number of shipping of Holland Zealand France England Scotland Norwey and the Baltike sea that saile in those seas and of necessitie must passe the iawes of that narrow streight The inhabitants are as needie of Rhenish French Spanish wines the spices of Portugall or the fruits of Andoluzia as they againe are greedie of the waxe honie skins and corne which are brought thither from Prussia Liuonia Moscouia and the bordering nations Touching his powerablenes in land seruice it was neuer seene that he
enterprised any iourney of reputation but that against the Theutomarsi vpon whom king Valdemar laid the yoke of subiection but falling againe into rebellion after many chances of warre beginning in the yeere 1500. they were vtterly vanquished by Frederick the second in the yeere of our Lord 1558. Before that time they discomfited Iohn the sonne of king Christian the first What this king of Denmarke is able to performe at sea may be gathered by the names which vpon occasions he hath rigged to sea at the intreatie of Henrie the second king of France Christian the second sent a nauie of 100. ships into Scotland against the English and in them ten thousand land soldiers But for as much as it is apparent that he is lord of so ample a sea coast possesseth so many hauens in Denmarke Scaâ—â—a Norwey and so many Ilands without the Baltike sea it is most likely that he is able to assemble a mightie fleete of ships if money were not wanting which as I take it cannot but often faile him considering that in his whole kingdome there is growing no merchandise of value excepting seafish neither is there any famous Mart towne which is able to draw or long to maintaine traffike with other nations The greatest matter is his customes of the sea townes the profite of certaine mines in Scania the horses cattle of the Danish Chersonesse the timber and fish of Norwey and the Ilands It hath beene obserued that fiftie thousand oxen hath beene driuen out of these prouinces into Germanie for which tole hath beene paid at Gutthorpe He reapeth some profit likewise of Wardhouse whither the English of late yeeres haue sailed betweene Norwey and Groenlant some to Colmogro others to Stockholme not farre from S. Nicholas where they traffike with the Russies for waxe honie and flaxe thither resort likewise Hollanders Scots and Frenchmen Almost in the middle of this baie is an Iland and towne called Wardhuis which Frederick the second caused to be strongly fortified and here the merchants pay their custome Sweueland THE king of Sweueland raigneth in Scandia which is larger then Denmarke for it is accounted a iourney of fiue and fortie daies from the borders of Scandia to Lapland and the coast of the Balticke sea is little lesse then 400. miles long and his tract of land is esteemed larger then France and Italy In Liuonia this king possesseth Riualia the Narue Danouia and other peeces of good esteeme the Iland Vlander Alandes and many other places not woorthy speaking of situated in the Sweuian and Finland sea These regions besides Liuonia are diuided into three kingdomes Gotland Sweueland and Vandalia which againe are subdiuided into eleuen prouinces and twelue Counties among the which the Lappians are not accounted because this people though inhabiting a larger countrey then Sweueland cannot be termed to liue vnder any certaine dominion because of their miserie pouertie and wandring from place to place through woods and mountaines but they who haue anie manner of certaine abode or setled habitation are vnder the Sweuish dominion and pay rich skins for their tribute Of the three kingdomes whereof we spake Gotland bordereth vpon Scandia and is diuided into east and west both bounded with the lake Weret in the midst whereof the king delighting in the pleasantnes of the place keepeth his court Twenty fower riuers do run into this lake yet it emptieth it selfe but by one mouth The inhabitaÌ„ts for the excessiue noise of the waters call it in their toong the Diuels Head The word Gothia signifieth a heauenly countrie which doth wel agree thereto for the abundance of sustenance no region being comparable vnto it in fertilitie of flesh fish and corne Next followeth Sweueland larger then Norwey and Gotland both togither In Sweueland is Vpsalia their chiefe city and Stockholme the kings seate Stringa Enuecopia Orogundia Arboia Arosia Then comes Finland situate betweene the Balticke and Finland bay where stand Abo the chiefe citie Raugina and Augo both famous mart townes Vames Viburge and Castlehome in the Alandian Ilands The husbandmen inhabite without the townes and by reason of the plentie of timber the woods vallies and other places defended from the furie of the northren winde they liue here in verie good sort keepe in their houses flockes of cattell and instruments to digge to build or to make any thing necessarie for the life of man and this is the reason that townes here are neither so faire nor so frequent as in Germanie or England Ouer and aboue cities and villages there are accounted 1433. parishes in some of which a thousand people or as they terme it a thousand housholds or fires doe inhabite but there are few of these parishes in which at the least there are not an hundred families By this a man may iudge the number of this people especially if he consider the fruitfulnes of their generation for the women of Finland by a secret operation of their beere as some thinke become exceeding fruitfull The men liue here verie long chiefly in the most northerly parts neither is it miraculous amongst them to see a man liue aboue an hundred and thirtie or fortie yeeres This long liuing is the true cause of their propagation for where men liue shortest liues there the vertue of generation must needs soonest decay and therefore our Lord God in the beginning of the world did permit mankinde to liue seuen hundred yeeres and more that the world might the sooner be peopled and the act of generation which now for the shortnes of our liues is determined within fortie yeeres was then more vigorous at one hundred and vpward then in this our age at ten The riches of this kingdome consisteth in the plentie of victuals which this word Gothia signifying an heauenly region as we said before and Finland signifying a good countrey do well witnes Their prouision is flesh fresh fish salt fish fish dried in the smoke and sunne corne and beere whereof there is so great abundance that it is a hard thing to see a begger amongst them and trauellers are there freely entertained It is so rich in mines of lead copper siluer and some gold that no prouince in Europe may compare therewith And these mines are to be found in euerie place if the countrey people bound to carrie wood to the mines and to other seruile workes did not hide and hinder the discouerie thereof as much as in them lyeth Most fine siluer is found in the prouince of Vestros and more would be were it not for the enuy of the inhabitaÌ„ts who though they know not the vse of trying of mettals doe notwithstanding murmur that any strangers should imploy their labours therin And this their frowardnes toward strangers ariseth not of hatred but vpon a iealousie that they should be ouerreached or otherwise abused by theÌ„ for by nature they are simple and well meaning not giuen to ambition nor infected with auarice The kings reuenue consisteth in fower things
the tenths of Ecclesiasticall liuings in mines tributes customes The profits of the Church liuings amount to a good summe of money for in this kingdome there were seuen cathedrall Churches threescore Monasteries of men and women endowed with most rich reuenues First Gustan and after his sonne Eric seised the greatest part thereof into their possessions Some of the foresaid mines are wrought at the kings charges some at the charge of priuate persons allowing onely the tenth part Of three copper-workes I haue knowne the tenth part which is the kings to amount to the value of three thousand dolars yeerely hereby estimation may be made of the siluer and lead But his taxes do far surpasse all other things for he leuieth the tenth of rie wheat barley fish oxen skins and such like Of the tenth of oxen at some times he hath gathered 18. thousand and with them maintayneth his court his officers his nauie and his armies for in the time of warre either with the Dane or Moscouite he alloweth his soldiers victuals and by this meanes prouideth it at verie easie rates as well offending as defending The marriage of the kings daughters is at the disposition of the people they allow them besides siluer plate and other gifts one hundred thousand dolars for a dowrie Of the vplandish people and others which pay not the imposition of victuals the king is accustomed to exact of euerie poll according to his ability fiue dolars or more yeerely The customes are paide in the hauen townes the chiefe where of are Calmaâ—e Lodâ—â—is and Stockholme where aâ— some times three hundred ships of burthen are to be seene Abo Auge Reualia Parnouia Narue It is thought that the king doth lay vp in his treasuries sixe or seuen hundred thousand dolars besides the expences vpon the fortresses of Reualia and Viburgh There are maintained in Sweueland and Gothland about thirtie two troupes euerie one consisting of fiue hundred or six hundred soldiers al harquebusiers alwaies ready to march whither occasion calleth Bicause of the thicknes of the woods the horsemen serue with petronels and seldome vse pikes or lances The footemen are most excellent for euerie soldier is able to make and furnish himselfe with any furniture whatsoeuer euen to the making of his owne flaske and tuchboxe as likewise the common people in Perâ—â—ia and the neighbouring prouinces being contented with a little haue alwaies accustomed to make all implements for their houses and bodies to build to weaue to play the taylors to sow to reape and to forge tooles fit for their busines And as for those trades which are neither common nor necessarie as to paint to worke in siluer and such like there are notwithstanding found among them verie good workemen wanting rather matter then art to worke vpon The Sweuian horsemen are diuided into thirteene companies Sweueland and Gothland maintaine eleuen and Finland two and vpon necessitie they can raise a greater force for the Dukedome of Vermeland as report goeth is able to furnish better then ten thousand men with horse In Marchland there is such plentifull breede of horse that there they are sold at a verie low rate both these prouinces are in Gothland Their horse is not so bigge bodied as the Frieslander but exceeding strong hardy actiue able to endure trauell and fed with a little I will not omit to speake of two noble vsages of the king of Sweueland towards his soldiers one is that if a soldier be taken prisoner he is ransomed at the kings charges the other that if his horse be slaine the king bestoweth an other vpon him He giueth yeerely to his captaines and those which serue on horsebacke in part of payment of their wages a garment which the Romanes termed Idolis and may be taken for a cassocke As touching their sea affaires by reason of their huge sea coast and infinite hauens the kingdome swarmeth with marriners and shipping which the king may arrest in his dominions as other princes are accustomed to doe he maintaineth commonly fiftie ships of warre whereof euerie one carrieth fortie pieces of ordinance more or lesse King Gustan brought in the vse of galleies In the warre which king Iohn waged with the Danes before the peace treated on at Stetin was agreed he put to sea seuentie great ships besides others of smaller burthen in which were 22000. fighting men In the sommer time they warre at sea in the winter at land for then the riuers are frozen as likewise the sea neere the shore for a great space Seeing I haue spoken of guns I will adde this much that the king is thought to haue about eight thousand great pieces the most part of brasse and that he could cast many more if he had more store of tinne In the castle of Stockholme onely are numbred fower hundred Vpon the west side of Sweueland is Denmarke on the east Moscouie with both which he hath had long warre The Sweuians haue suffered much losse by the Denmarkes for king Christian the second besieged Stockholme and forced it committing all kinde of crueltie against the inhabitants filling the citie with blood and dead carcasses The title which the Dane pretendeth to the crowne of Sweueland is the cause of their enimities The hauens the situation of the countrey and especially Gotland which is a member of Gothia and therefore the Sweuian claimeth it as his right affoordeth the Dane this facilitie of inuading it at his pleasure After Gustan recouered the kingdome he and his sonne Henrie and Iohn raigned successiuely and although blood enough hath beene shed in the wars betweene Gustan and the Danes yet the kingdome hath retained her honor and the citie of Lubecke the mightiest state in that sea sometimes by confederating with the one sometime with the other doth in so euen a ballance pease the differences of these two nations as it suffereth not the one to practise against the other vpon the perill that may ensue to the offender In warring with the Moscouite the Sweuian hath the most aduantage because Finland which bordereth vpon Russia by reason of the great lakes marishes wherof it is full yeeldeth hard perillous passage to the enimie oftentimes swallowing vp whole armies in those congealed waters there he keepes the castles of Viburge Narue Reualia other piles and peeces vpon the borders of the great Duke of Moscouia excellent well fortified as bridles to stoppe his violent courses In which he doth very wisely for those pieces which lie in the territories of our enimies are to be regarded most carefully because they bring foorth two notable effects first they defend what is ours and offend what is the enimies The further they are distant from our borders the better they stand vs in steed for while the enimy is occupied in besieging thereof our owne state standeth in quiet and time affoordeth meanes for rescue or deliuerie thereof at leysure and that without spoile to our owne people or losse of our proper
Pacquin wherein the king keepeth his court is situated in 48. degrees The Empire is diuided into fifteene prouinces sixe maritime Cantan Foquem Chiqueuan Pantora Nanquij the rest inland Quichiu Iuana Quancij Suiuam Fuquam Cansij Xianxij Nonam Sancij The prouinces of Quinci Cantan and Foquem are diuided from the vplandish with mountaines like the Alpes but not aboue two daies iourney asunder Thomas Perez the king of Portugals ambassador made fower moneths iourney from Cantan to Nanquij alwaies bearing northerly It is not so spacious but it is as fertil for it yeeldeth not only what is fitting for humane life but whatsoeuer the delicate and effeminate appetite of man may lust after Many plants yeeld fruit twice or thrice a yeere and that not onely by the temperature of the aire but by the number of riuers and plentie of waters which doe both cause traffike through euery corner of the region and so water it on all sides that it resembleth a most pleasant and delectable garden plot Of this plentie there are two causes one the prodigall expences of the king in digging of trenches through the whole land sometime cutting through rockie mountaines sometime damming vp deepe vallies to make them leuell with high mountaines to draine the waters of lakes and marishes the other for that the whole region is situated vnder the temperatre Zone and in no place either by nature or mans industrie wanteth moisture so that all creatures taking nourishment of heate and moisture must needes here wonderously prosper In no place plants may take larger scope to spread their branches nor cattell larger walkes to wander in then in this countrie The last reason is for that the idle are neither seuerely punished nor altogether tolerated euery one is forced to doe somewhat no foote of land is left vnhusbanded nor dram of stuffe cast away vnwrought Amongst all admirables one thing is woorthie consideration that in Cantan they keepe fower thousand whales to grinde corne and rice In China euery one is set about somewhat according to his yeeres and strength one laboureth with his hand one with his foote one with his eie another must be dooing with his toong those onelie who are impotēt in their limes haue no friends liuing to succour them are prouided for in hospitals That none may excuse themselues in saying he can do nothing euery one is bound to learne his fathers occupation which is the reason that the children borne as it were tradesmen learne their fathers occupations before they perceiue it becomming in time most artificiall mechaniques He that can not liue at lande seeketh his maintenance at sea for that is no lesse inhabited then the land yea infinite housholds liue vpon the riuers in boats without comming to land for a long season Some of these liue by ferrying ouer people some by transporting passengers and their merchandise others keepe shops other vessels of lodgings for merchants and trauellers Whatsoeuer is needfull for clothing for foode or nourishment delight or case of a ciuill life is to be found in the midst of great riuers Many nourish all sorts of poultrie especially ducks in their vessels To hatch the egges and nourish the yoong ones they vse not the dams as we do but an artificiall heate in a manner as they do in Egypt especially at Cair All night he keepeth them in his boat at morning sendeth them to feede in the fields sowed with rice whence all day long hauing fed vpon the weeds to the great good of the husbandman they returne towards euening to their cages at the sound of a little bell or cimball Many liue by carrying fish both salt and fresh into the high countries for in the spring when the riuers rise through thawes and land-flouds so incomparable quantities of sea fish do abound in the hauens or creekes that the fishermen depart rather wearied then wanting This fish the skippers buy for a small matter of the fishermen and keeking them aliue in certaine vessels made for the purpose they transport them into prouinces farre remote from the sea There they are sold and preserued in pooles and stewes neere cities and great townes to serue the markets and tables of the Chinois all the yeere long Because it is forbidden any inhabitant to passe out of the land without leaue and therewith neither but for a time limited it must needs be that by the daily increase of people the countrey be euen pestered with inhabitation It hath beene obserued amongst themselues that for euery fiue that haue died seauen haue beene borne The climate is so temperate and the aire so wholesome that in mans memorie any vniuersall pestilence hath not beene knowen to infest the countrey Notwithstanding least any man should thinke this people to enioy all sweetes without some mixture of sower you must note that their earthquakes are more dreadfull to them then any pestilence to vs for whole cities haue beene swallowed and prouinces made desart by this punishment They choke vp the course of ancient chanels and make new where were neuer any before they lay mountaines leuell with the ground making hauocke of the people In the yeere 1555. a deluge breaking out of the bowels of the earth deuoured 180. miles of firme land with the townes and villages standing thereupon those which scaped the floud lightning and fire from heauen destroied There are saide to be in China 150. cities 235. great townes 1154. castles and 420. boroughes without wals wherein soldiers are quartered of villages and hamlets some of them conteining a thousand housholds the number is infinite for the countrey is so couered with habitation that all China seemeth but as one towne They haue two metrapolitan cities Nanquin and Panquin In Nanquin towards the north the king keepeth his court Vnder the iurisdiction of the one are seuen prouinces vnder the other eight Both of them are so spacious that it is a daies iourney for a horseman to ride from one end to the other Of the number of inhabitants no certainty can be produced but according to manuscript relations and report of trauellers it is said that the kingdome containeth 70. millions of liuing soules This is an admirable report and not to be beleeued if it be compared with the prouinces of Christendome but surely something aboue conceite is to be credited to these spacious populous and barbarous nations Let vs set the largenes of their prouinces the circuite of their cities their plentie and aboundance of all things and in all places either prospering by nature or mans industrie with their numbers and inhabitation and we shall finde a countrey like inough to affoord such a reckoning cities and dwellings able to containe them and nourishment sufficient to maintaine them Italy exceedeth not nine millions Germany excluding the Swissers and Netherlands not ten and with the foresaid prouinces not aboue fifteene which number peraduenture France may reach vnto Spaine is farre inferior to Italy Sicilie hath but
ships which they terme Giunchi To thinke that treasure can be wanting to leuie so great a number of ships soldiers and mariners many men affirme that the kings reuenues amount to 120. 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 do but call to minde first the nature and circuite of the Empire being little lesse then all Europe next the populousnes of the inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches then tho diuersitie and plentie of mines of gold siluer iron and other sorts of mettall the vnspeakable quantitie of merchandise passing from hand to hand by so many nauigable riuers so many armes and inlets of the sea their vpland cities and maritime townes their toles customes and subsidies For he taketh the tenth of all things which the carth yeeldeth as barly rice oliues wine cotton wooll flaxe silke all kinds of mettall fruits cattle sugar hony rubarbe campher ginger woad muske and all sorts of perfumes The custome onely of salt in the citie Canto which is not of the greatest nor the best traffike yeeldeth 180. thousand crownes yeerely the tenth of rice of one small towne and the adiacent territory yeeldeth more then 100. thousand crownes By these you may coniecture of the rest He leaueth his subiects nothing saue foode and clothing He hath vnder him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor priuate persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore sithence this empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands and at his disposition how can the former assertion of so great a yeerely reuenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable There are two things moreouer which adde great credite to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paide in coine but some in haie some in rice corne prouender silke cotton wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the king of 120. millions which he receiueth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so sithence it goeth round from the king to the people it ought to seeme no woonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the princes vse at the yeeres end For as waters do cbbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily leuied suffice for the expences of the state and the people receiue againe by those expences as much as they laide out in the beginning of the yeere The king of China feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enimie the ancient kings built that admirable wall so much renowmed amongst the wonders of the Orient Towards the sea he bordereth vpon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is diuers From Goto one of the Ilands of Iapan to the citie Liampo is threescore leagues from Cantan 297. The Ilanders of Iapan doe often spoile the sea coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the countrey more like pirats then men of war For in regard that Iapan is diuided into manie Ilands and into diuers seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselues though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Vpon another frontire lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are verie iealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the inuasion of China and the fame of their riches well knowen to the Spanish But the king of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them whereof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage thereunto For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their dominions yet certain Iesuits zealous in the increasing of the Christian religion in a territorie so spatious as that is entered with great secrecie and danger and obtayning the fauour of certaine gouernors obtained a priuilege of naturalization especially frier Michaell Rogerius who in the yeere 1590. returned into Europe to aduise what course were best to take in this busines About the same time intelligence was brought from two friers remaining there that after diuers persecutions they were constrained to forsake the citie wherein they soiourned and had conuerted many and to make haste to sea-ward The Portugals are likewise eie-sores vnto them but by the report of the iustice and moderation of Ferdinand Andrada which he shewed in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Iland of Tamo by the traffike which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbourhood then that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arriued in the citie of Cantan and set a land Thomas Perez Iegier for Emanuell king of Portugall But other captaines being there afterwards disimbarked behaued themselues so leudly that they occasioned the said Embassador to be taken for a spie and cast in prison where he died most miserablie the residue were entreated as enimies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffike sake to settle a factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their colony they were coÌ„strained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisedome friendship and allians with the Castilians they became suspicious therfore they do daily more more bridle their libertie of traffike carrying so heauie a hand towards them that they would faine giue them occasion to leaue Macao of their owne wils and retire backe againe into India from whence they came The kingdome of Siam VPon the borders of China to speake nothing of Cauchinchina because we know nothing woorth relation of that territorie ioineth the countrey of Siam accounted amongst the great kingdomes of Asia It tooke his name of the citie Siam situated vpon the entrance of the riuer Menan It is also called Gorneo It stretcheth by east and west from the citie Campaa to the citie Tauai in which tract by the sea coast are conteined 500. leagues Of which the Arabians once vsurped 200. with the cities Patan Paam Ior Perca and Malaca now in the possession of the Portugals From the south towards the north it reacheth from Sinca-Pura situate in degree to the people called Gueoâ—â— in 29. degrees The lake Chiamai is distant from the sea six hundred miles the vpland circuit stretcheth from the borders of Canchinchina beyond the riuer Auan where lieth the kingdome of Chencra Besides the lake of Chiamai the riuers Menon Menam Caipumo Ana which cause greater fertilitie of graine through the whole region then a man would beleeue are all his The better part of his kingdomes are muironed with the mountaines Ana Brema and Iangoma the residue is plaine like Egypt abounding with elephants horses pepper gold and tin In the west part are huge woods tygres lions tinces and serpents It containeth these prouinces Cambaia Siam Muantai
Bremea Caipumo and Chencra The inhabitants of Lai which border vpon the north of the prouinces of Muantai and Caipumo and are diuided into three principalities are vnder his obeisance The first is that of Iangoma the second of Cucrai the third Lanca neere Chachinchina They inhabite a plaine and welthie countrey into which the Gueoni Marke Paul calleth their country Cangigu discending from the mountaines to hunt for men make oftentimes cruell butcheries amongst them The people of Lai for feare of these anthropophagi acknowledge the soueraingtie of Siam but they often rebell and obey as they list The wealth of the countrey may be coniectured by the firtilitie for being situated in a plaine and watered with most noble and famous riuers like an other Egypt it cannot but abound with plentie of all things It bringeth foorth rice graine of all sorts horses elephants infinite store of cattle gold and tinne siluer is brought thither by the people of Lai By reason of this plentie the people are drowned in pleasure and wantonnesse They follow husbandry but take no great delight in manuell occupations which causeth the kingdome to be poore in merchandise Amongst many other cities three are famous Cambaia seated vpon the riuer Menon which rising in China is so hugely augmented by the falling in of many riuers that his owne chanell not sufficing for receit thereof it renteth the earth to disgorge it selfe into a thousand Ilands making a second Meotis more then 60. miles long Meicon signifieth the captaine Menon the mother of waters The second citie is Siam whose statelines giueth the name to the whole countrey It is a most goodly citie and of admirable trasfike which may the better be imagined by the writing of a certaine Iesuite who reporteth that besides the naturall inhabitants there are more then thirtie thousand Arabian housholds The third citie is called Vdia greater then Siam consisting of fower hundred thousand families It is said that two hundred thousand boats belong to this citie and the riuer Caipumo whereupon it is seated This king to shew his maiestie and magnificence keepeth a guard of sixe thousand soldiers and two hundred elephants of these beasts he hath thirtie thousand whereof he traineth three thousand for the warre This is a great matter if you weigh their woorth and their charges in keeping His gouernment is rather tyrannicall then kinglike for he is absolute Lord of all the demeanes of the kingdome and either setteth them out to husbandmen or giueth them to his nobles for their maintenance during life and pleasure but neuer passeth the right of inheritance He bestoweth vpon them likewise townes and villages with their territories but vpon condition to maintaine a certaine number of horsemen footemen and elephants By this policie without any pennie pay or burden to the countrie he is able to leuie twentie thousand horsemen 250. thousand footemen Vpon occasion he can wage a greater number by reason of the largenes of his kingdomes and the populousnes of his townes For Vdia onely the chiefe seat of his kingdome mustered 50. thousand men And although he be Lord of nine kingdomes yet vseth he no other nation in the warre but the Siamits and the inhabitants of the two kingdomes of Vdia and Muantai All honors and preferments are bestowed vpon men of seruice in this kingdome In times of peace they haue their warlike exercises and in certaine pastimes which the king once a yeere exhibiteth at Vdia are shewed all militarie feats of armes vpon the riuer Menon where more then 3000. vessels which they terme Paraos diuided into two squadrons skirmish one against the other Vpon the land runne the horses and elephants and the footemen trie it out at sword and buckler with point and edge rebated the remainder of their daies they spend in riot and wantonnes Their borders towards the East reach to Canchinchina betweene whom are such huge woods lions tigers leopards serpents and elephants that they cannot infest one another by armes Towards the lake Chiamai they border vpon the Chinois Towards the sea they affront the Arabians and Portugals The one tooke from them Patan Paam Ior and Peam the other Malaca and the territorie adioyning so that betweene them they bereaued him of two hundred miles of land and contenting themselues with the sea coasts and the customes arising vpon the carriyng out and bringing in of merchandise they abstaine from further inuasion of the inland prouinces and hold it good policie to keepe firme peace with the king and his countries Toward the west lieth the kingdome of Pegu like an halfe moone betweene the mountaines of Brama and Iangoma Towards the north lye the Gudoni inhabiting the barrein and sharp mountaines betweene whom and Siam dwell the people of Lay. This people is subiect to the crowne of Siam for feare of these Canibals of whom if it had not beene for his protection they had long agon beene vtterly deuoured Not fortie yeeres since the king made a iourney against them with twentie thousand horse their horse are small but excellent good in trauell 250. thousand footemen and ten thousand elephants part imploied for seruice part for carriage No kingdome hath greater store of these beasts or doth more vse them An innumerable number of oxen buffals and beasts of carriage followed this armie whom they slew when they wanted other prouision Hitherto haue we deuised of Siam and Pegu as they stood before the comming of the Portugals into India but how in proces of time the state was altered you shall now heare In times past diuers kingdomes of Barma situated along the riuer towards the lake Chiamai obeyed the king of Pegu vnder the gouernment of certaine Lieutenants Sixtie yeeres sithence one of these captaines ruler of the kingdome of Tengu by the aide of his faction and reputation of his vertues entred into rebellion and slaying the Nobles of the land vsurped the kingdome Afterward he forced the cities and conquered the kingdome of Prom Melintai Calam Mirandu and Ana all inhabited by the Bramians for the space of one hundred and fiftie leagues towards the north He assaied likewise the conquest of Siam but comming before Vdia the chiefe citie of the kingdome he was forced to raise his siege and depart He vndertooke this iourney with 300. thousand footemen consuming more then three moneths in making way for his armie through stonie mountaines huge woods maccessible places and in lieu for the losse of 120. thousand of his soldiers he tooke two hundred thousand Siamits prisoners At his returne home he inuaded the kingdome of Pegu and woone it Afterward in the yeere 1507. he renued his iourney against Siam and ouercame the king thereof who slew himselfe with poison but he tooke his sonnes and with them the better part of the kingdome He belegerd Vdia with a million of men and vpward Our late writers call this man and his successors because their fame arose by the conquest of the kingdomes of Brama
to be walled about Candahar the chiefe seate of Paramisus famous for the traffike of India and Cathaio whither the merchants of those countries do resort Eri the chiefe citie of Aria so abounding with roses that thereof it should seeme to take the name Barbarus saith it is of thirteene miles compasse Ispaa the chiefe seat of Parthia so spatious that for the circuite thereof the Persians hiperbolically terme it the halfe world Chirmain is the chiefe seat of Caramania renowmed for the excellent cloth of gold and siluer wrought therein Eor is a noble citie and so is Custra of Susiana But all these for beautie and magnificence may bow and bend the knee to Siras seated vpon the riuer Bindimire It was once the chiefe seat of Persia and as some thinke called Persepolis Alexander the great burnt it to the ground at the intreatie of his Concubine but afterward being ashamed of so vile an action caused it to be reedefied againe It is not at this time so great as in times past yet it is thought to be one of the greatest cities of all the Orient with his suburbs contayning twentie miles in compasse It is a prouerbe amongst the Persians quando Suars erat Siras tunc Cairus erat eius Pagus yet they account it not verie ancient neither are they of their opinions who will haue it the head of Persia. Tauris and Casbin are most famous cities and besides their magnificence may glorie that in them the kings of Persia keepe their courts The forme of gouernment amongst this nation is not like the gouernment of any other Mahumetan people neither is there to be seene the like policie in any place through the whole east as amgōst the Persians Al the rest hate nobility depending vpon the faith and seruice of slaues do either murder their brethren or put out their eies But amongst these people nobilitie is honored the king entreateth his brethren kindly and magnificently and they allow in their dominions many noble rich and mightie Barons of which sort there is not one to be found through the whole Ottoman dominions They likewise grace gentilitie and highly esteeme their seruice on horsebacke they delight in musicke and learning they studie poesie and therein become excellent They giue their minds to Astrologie all which good parts the Turks do vtterly reiect and despise Merchandize and Mechanicall trades are fauoured in Persia and in all kinde of ciuilitie and curtesie excell the Turkish The security of this state consisteth rather in prowesse then numbers they maintaine three sorts of soldiers one sort the king keepeth in continuall pay and alwaies about his owne person The second is the Timarotes for this kingdome likewise as doth the Turke in lieu of wages allotteth certaine quantities of land to great numbers of horsemen The third are Auxiliaries which serue for pay and those are onely Georgians and Tartarians To speake of the two first the essentiall sinewes of this king and kingdome they are all horsemen For where princes relie onely vpon the valour of the gentrie there is little regard had of the footemans seruice the like reason may be giuen for their want of shipping For although on the one side lieth the Caspian and on another the Persian gulfs yet to this day were they neuer owners of any warlike shipping If they chance to saile vpon the Caspian a sea eight hundred miles long and sixe hundred broad they dare not venter into the maine but houering by the shore timerously saile from one place to another Of the Persian sea the Portugals are lords It aboundeth in mettall of excellent fine temper especially in the prouince of Cazan They haue not the vse of artillerie neither the Arte of defending besieging assaulting mining or intrenching of fortresses and all because they want the vse of footemen to whom these peeces of seruice do properly belong as it doth to horsemen to fight in plaine and open field Besides these wants they are infested with two other more greeuous mischiefes and those are ciuill dissentions arising of the greatnes and disloialtie of their Sultans with the length of iourneies and the scarcitie of nauigable riuers Those riuers which they haue are not frequented at all or at leastwise so little that small ease ariseth thereby They fal all into the Caspian or Persian seas The Inland regions are sandie and vtterly destitute of water How can then the forces of that land make any commodious or speedie rendeuous when halfe the land is drie and barren in so waste a tract not one riuer seruing for nauigable transportation as doth the Loir in France Poo in Italy Vistula in Poland Sheild in Flanders and such like in other kingdomes There are also many deserts and many mountaines disioyning the prouinces farre in sunder Heere in it resembleth Spaine where for want of nauigable riuers except towards the sea coast traffike is little vsed and mountaines and prouinces lie vnmanured for scarcitie of moisture But nature vnwilling that humane life should want any easement hath so prouided for mutuall commerce in these sandie and barren places that through the labour of Camels the want of nauigation is richly recompenced throughout Persia and the bordering countries These beasts carrie woonderous burdens and will longer continue then either horse or mule They will trauell laden with one thousand pound weight and will so continue fortie daies and vpward In sterill and deepe sandie countries such as are Lybia Arabia and Persia they drinke but once euery fift day and if extremitie inforce they will indure the want of water ten or twelue When their burdens are off a little grasse thornes or leaues of trees will suffice them There is no liuing thing lesse changeable and more laborious certainly ordained of nature a fit creature for those sandie and deepe places of Asia and Africke wherein euen man himselfe feeleth the want of foode and water Of these there are three sorts vpon the lesser men trauell the middle sort haue bunches on their backs fit for carrying of merchandise the greater and stronger are those which carry burdens of one thousand pound weight What numbers of horsemen this king is able to leuie was manifested in the warres betweene Selim the first and Ismael betweene Ismael and Soleman and betweene Codabanda and Amurath Not one of them brought aboue thirtie thousand horse into the field but so thoroughly furnished that they had little cause to feare greater numbers The richer and abler sort arme themselues after the manner of our men at armes the residue being better then the thirde part of their Caualrie content themselues with a skull a iacke and cemiter They vse the launce and the bow indifferently Touching their riches the common opinion is that in the daies of king Tamas the yeerely reuenues amounted to fower or fiue millions of gold who by a sudden doubling of the value of his coine raised it to eight and accordingly made paiment to his souldans and soldiers But
in these daies by the conquest of the great Turke they are much diminished and it is thought that they amount to little more then two millions but the feodarie landes townes and villages which are very many supply a great part of the pay due to the companies of the horsemen aboue mentioned Towards the East bordereth the Mogor vpon the North the Zagatai Towards the West the Turke possesseth a large frontire vpon the South lieth Ormus and therein the Portugals With the Mogors he is little troubled For as Spaine France by reason of the narrow streights difficult passages ouer the mountaines cannot easily conuey necessaries the life of an armie to infest one another so towards the frontiers of India and Cambaia prouinces belonging to the Mogors high mountaines vast deserts keepe good peace betweene these two princes Yet infest they one another on the borders of Cabul Sablestan of which certaine Lords of the Mogors haue gotten the dominion He commeth not neere the borders of the great Cham betweene whom certaine petie princes and impassible deserts doe oppose themselues It seemeth that towards the Zagatai he standeth content with those bounds which the riuer Oxus hath laid out for he neuer durst passe it when Zaba king of the Zagatai had passed it he was ouerthrowne with a great slaughter by Ismael So againe was Cyrus by Tomiris who slew him and all his host The Turke is a borderer all alongst the westerne coast of this whole empire euen from the Caspian sea to the gulfe of Saura a tract almost of 15. degrees He hath no enemie like dangerous to this prince more to be feared or of greater power at whose hands in all conflicts for the most part he hath reaped nothing but losse and dishonor Mahumet the second ouerthrew Vssanchan and tooke from Dauid his vassall and confederate the empire of Trapezond Selim the first ouerthrew Ismael in Campania and tooke from him Caramit Orfa Merdis and all the territorie which they call Alech Soliman put Tamas to flight and tooke from him Babylon and all Mesopotamia In our daies Amarath woon whatsoeuer lieth betweene Derbent and Tauris wherein is comprehended Georgia and Siruan and by building of fortresses in Testis Sumachia and Ere 's assured the passages of Chars Tomanis and Lori He is Lord of all that lieth betweene Erzirum and Orontes a riuer three daies iournie beyond Tauris In this citie he caused a citadell to be built not minding to leaue it as did Selim and Soleman but thereby as with a curbe to bridle and keepe it for euer In this warre which lasted from the yeere 1591. to 1597. the Turks altered their forme of warfare For whereas they were woont to lay their whole hopes vpon their numbers the valor of their horsmen and footemen their store of artillerie and warlike furniture scorning to be cooped vp in castles and fortresses for the most part burning whatsoeuer they became Lords of and little caring to keepe what they had conquered supposing it no good policie to strengthen townes by weakning their companies in these wars to auoide the inconueniences whereinto Selim and Soliman were plunged were glad to build strong places vpon commodious passages and citadels in the chiefest townes furnishing them with good garrisons and great store of artillerie This warre cost them very deere for by surprises by famine and extremities of weather infinite thousands perished yet alwaies to the losse of the Persian or his confederates In the field the Persian is farre inferior to the Turke in numbers and goodnes of footemen in ordinance in all sorts of warlike furniture and the chiefest stay of a state in obedience of subiects Notwithstanding if Selim Soliman or Amarath had not been allured either by rebellion or intestine discords they durst not haue medled with this warre Selim was called in to the aide of Marabeg the sonne of Ossan a most mightie prince in Persia. Soliman came in aide of Elcaso the brother of Tamas hateful to his soueraigne for his ambition and aspiring humor and in the end abused the credit and good will of the people towards Elcaso to the furtherance of his owne desseignes Amurath neuer tooke weapon in hand against this people before he vnderstood by the letters of Mustafa Bassa of Van that all Persia was in vprore about the election of a newe prince thereby certifying him that some had chosen Ismael some Ayner both sonnes of Tamas and that Periacocona slaying her owne brother Ismael and betraying Ayner had procured the kingdome to Mahumet Codobanda After this mischiefe fell those fatalliars betweene Codabanda and his sonne and betweene the Turcoman nation a mighty familie in Persia and the king a faction no lesse disastrous to the state of Persia then the warre of Turkie Against the Portugals of Ormus for want of sea forces he stirreth not and againe for want of land forces the Portugals are not able to molest his vpland countries Tamas being counselled to make a voiage against Ormus asked what commodities the Iland brought forth whether corne cattell fruit or what other good thing When it was answered that the soile was vtterly barren and destitute of all prouision but excellent well seated for traffike and nauigation scoffing at the motion replied that of this kinde of reuenue he had released vnto his people aboue ninetie thousand Tomana The kingdome of Iapan IApan may well be called a politike bodie compacted of many sundry Ilands of diuers different formes circuits which as they are diuided from the rest of the cōtinent so are they inhabited by a people much differing in manners customes from the residue of the Orient They stand round and close togither like the Maldinae in the Indian sea and the Hebrides and Orchades in the north Ocean They are in number 66. diuided into three partialities The first conteineth nine the second fower the third fiftie three Amongst these fiue are renowmed but especially one for the famous citie of Macao And it is most commonly seene that they who haue the soueraigntie of those fiue are Lords of all the rest It is distant from new Spaine 150. leagues from China 60. The soile is to be accounted rather barren then fertile The inhabitants are of a very readie wit and marueilous patient in aduersitie Their new borne children they immediately wash in the riuers and assoone as they are weaned they take them from their mothers and bring them vp in labours of hunting and such like exercises They go bare headed men and women as well in foule weather as faire They are very ambitious and desirous of honor Pouertie is no disgrace to the Gentrie of their bloud They will not suffer the least wrong to passe vnreuenged they salute one another with many curtesies they are verie staied and of a setled resolution They are very iealous to shew themselues fearefull or base minded in word or deed they will make no man priuie of their losses or
but is euer in progresse sometime in one place sometime in another and euer in the open fields vnder tents and pauilions It is said to containe ten miles in circuit His gouernment is tyrannicall for he intreateth his vassals rich and poore more liker slaues then subiects which to do with the greater safety he carrieth himselfe amongst them with a certaine holy and Saintlike adoration for at his bare name they bow their bodies and touch the earth with their hands They reuerence his pauilion yea though he be absent In old time they were accustomed to shew themselues vnto the people but once in three yeeres but sithence they are growen lesse maiesticall shewing themselues thrice in one yeere to wit on Christmas day on Easter day Holy Rood day yea and in these times Panufius which now raigneth is become more gracious When any matter of weight is committed in the princes name to any man be he neuer so great he is to attend his commission starke naked to the middle neither may be put on his garment without licence Being called to witnesse a matter in controuersie they hardly speake truth vniesse they sweare by the life of the king He giueth and taketh to whom and from whom he pleaseth neither dare he from whom he taketh for his life shew a discontented countenance He presenteth to holy orders and disposeth at his good pleasure of the goods of the spiritualtie as well as of the laitie In trauelling he rideth shadowed with red curtains high and deep incopassing him round about He weareth on his head a crowne the one halfe wrought of gold the other of siluer in his hand he beareth a siluer crucifix He couereth his face with a piece of watchet taffata which more or lesse he lifteth vp putteth downe according as he is minded to grace him with whom he talketh Sometime he sheweth his whole leg lifting it without the hangings then may no man approch but by degrees and after many curtesies and diuers messages passing to and fro No man hath vassals but the king to whom once a yeere they do homage and protest obedience as subiects to their liege soueraignes He deriueth his pedegree from Mileich the sonne of Salomon and Saba In the raigne of Candaces they receiued the Christian faith and about that time one Gasparis became famous in Aethiopia from whom after thirteene generations discended that Iohn who first tooke vpon him the â—â—rname of Sanctus and left it an hereditarie title to his house and successors This man hauing no issue of his body about the time of Constantine gaue the kingdome to the eldest sonne of his brother Caius and inuested the yoonger Balihasar and Melchior the one with the kingdome of Fatigar the other with the kingdome of Goiam and so diuided the blood-royall into three families the Gaspars Balthasars and Melchiâ—rs To auoide sedition and innouation he made a law that the sonnes brethren neerest kinred of the Emperor should be kept and shut vp in the castle of mount Amara and that they should neither succeed in the Empire nor enioy any honorable estate for which cause the Emperors euer since haue seldome married He manureth his owne fields with his owne slaues and cattell who by reason they are suffered to marrie and their issues remaine in the same estate of villenage as doe their fathers they daily increase to infinite multitudes Euerie man that hath any inheritance doth likewise pay tribute some horses some oxen others gold cotton wooll or such like commodities It is thought that he is Lord of infinite treasures and to haue storehouses full of cloth iewels and gold In his letters to the king of Portugall vpon condition that he would wage warre against the Infidels he offered him a million of gold and a million of men with prouision according He his reported to lay vp yeerely in the castle of Amara three millions of gold And true it is that before the daies of king Alexander he did hoord vp great store of gold in rude and vnwrought masses but no such quantitie because they knew not how to refine it His reuenues are of three sorts the first ariseth of his crowne land the second of the taxes of his people who pay euerie man by house somewhat besides the tenth of all that is digged out of their mines the third he leuieth of the great Lords and they giue him the reuenue of any one of their townes which he will choose so he choose not that wherein themselues inhabite And albeit the Prince be verie rich yet the people are idle and beggerly partly because they are intreated as slaues which vsage taketh from any people that courage and alacririe of spirit which should be in men professing armes and vndergoing dangers and partly because in respect of that base bond of seruile fidelitie wherewith they are ouerawed to his Maiestie they perceiue their hands are fast bound through feare whereof they haue no other weapon fit for seruice then a rustie headpeece a skull or curasse which the Portugals haue brought thither so that hauing neither fortresse to flie vnto nor weapons to repulse wrongs their villages and substance lie alwaies open to the pray and spoile of whosoeuer will inuade them Their offensiue weapons are certaine darts and arrowes without feathers They obserue a Lent of fiftie daies which by reason of their true or rather superstitious abstinence doth bring their bodies so weake and low that for many daies after they are not able to gather strength to mooue themselues from one place to another At which time the Moores watching the opportunitie inuade their dominions and carrie away men women and wealth Francis Aluarez writeth that he is able to bring into the field an hundred thousand men but experience hath manifested that euen in his extremities his numbers were far inferior to that reckoning He hath knights of the Order dedicated to the protection of Saint Anthonie Euerie gentleman father of three sonnes excepting the eldest is bound to giue one to the seruice of the king out of these are chosen twelue thousand horsemen for the guard of his person Their vow and oath is to defend the bounds of the Empire and to fight against the enemies of the Christian faith He is affronted with three puissant neighbours the king of Borno the great Turke and the king of Adel. The king of Borno is Lord of that countrey which from Guangula eastward stretcheth about fiue hundred miles betweene the deserts of Seth and Barca In situation it is verie vneuen sometime mountanous and sometime plaine the people indifferent ciuill the countrey reasonably well inhabited and in regard of plentie of victuall somewhat resorted vnto by merchants Vpon the mountaines dwell neat-herds and shepherds liuing for the most part vpon millet leading a beastiall life without religion and accompaning with one an others wife in common They know no other names then such as are giuen them for some note or marke