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A07266 The heroyk life and deplorable death of the most Christian King Henry the fourth Addressed to his immortall memory; by P: Mathieu, counceller and historiographer of France. Translated by Ed: Grimeston, Esquire.; Histoire de la mort déplorable de Henry IIII. English Matthieu, Pierre, 1563-1621.; Grimeston, Edward.; Sylvester, Josuah, 1563-1618. 1612 (1612) STC 17661; ESTC S112465 671,896 410

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And besides the aforesaid Lakes there is a great salt River which runneth into the Sea although it receiveth many Rivers and Fountaines of fresh water IAMAICA· IAMAICA which they call now the Iland of St. Iames lyeth 15. leagues Eastward from Hispaniola and 16. degrees from the Aequinoctiall Line On the North it is neere to Cuba On the South it looketh to St. Bernards Ilands and Carthagena on the West it hath Fordura The compasse of it is 600. miles This Country hath a pleasant temperate ayre also it hath Gold and great store of Sugar and Cotton and also divers kindes of living Creatures It had heretofore great store of Inhabitants but now the Natives are either killed or dead so that there are two Citties onely inhabited the chiefe whereof is Sevill or Hispalis in which there is a Church and an Abbey of which Peter Martyr Anglerius of Mediolanum was Primate a man very diligent in handling the affaires of India The other is called Oristan here are many Rivers and Fishfull Lakes The people doe differ in nothing neither in Lawes Rites nor Customes from those of Hispaniola and Cuba but onely it is reported that they were more cruell St. IOHNS Iland SAint Iohns Iland commonly so called from the rich Haven and heretofore called Borichena or Borica hath on the East the Iland of the holy Crosse and many small Ilands On the West and the North the Iland of S. Dominico on the South the Promontory of the maine Land from whence it is distant 136. miles The Iland lyeth length-wayes and is 12. or 17. mile broad and the greatest breadth of it is 48. Germane Miles It hath abundance of Fruit Cattell and Gold Moreover this Iland is devided into two parts namely the Northerne and Southerne part The Northerne hath great store of Gold the Southerne hath plenty of fruit and Fowle The chiefe Citty in it is St. Iohns Citty which hath a very good Haven Here are some Rivers among which Cairabonus is the greatest which runneth Northward and though they have all golden Sands yet the Northerne side thereof as we said before hath the best Mines The Southerne part hath better Havens and more fruit it produceth Maiz and other things necessary to life MARGARITA THe Iland Margarita or the Iland of Pearles is called by another name Cubagua it is 10. miles in compasse and it lyeth 10. degrees and from the Aequinoctiall Line being every where plaine and barren having neither trees nor water So that they want water so much especially when the winde standeth contrary so that nothing can be brought from Cumana that sometimes a Hogshead of Wine is exchanged for a Hogshead of Water It hath great store of Connies Salt and Fish But especially it hath great store of Pearles The Inhabitants are of a Swart colour thinne hayred and without Beards fierce and cruell They feed on Oysters out of which Pearles are gotten VIRGINIA AND FLORIDA VIRGINIA and Florida doe follow in our method Virginia as some suppose was so called from the Earle Viguinus but hee that sett forth a Journall or Commentary of Sir Francis Drakes Voyage in the West-Indies in the yeere 1584. saith that it was so called from Elizabeth Queene of England The Inhabitants doe call it Wingandocoa It is very fruitfull and beareth plentifully whatsoever is necessary for the sustation and delectation of mans life as Wine Oyle Beanes which the Inhabitants call Okindgere and Pease which they call Wickanzenr also Pompions and Melons which they call Macocquer also divers Hearbes besides Chesnuts Walnuts Straberies and other excellent Fruits also Allome Pitch and Tarre Turpentine Iron Copper Silke Flaxe Cotton Pearles and many other things But especially it hath great store of Virginy Wheate which the Inhabitants doe call Pagatowr and the West-Indians Maiz which is to bee wondred at because they use a meane kinde of Husbandry For they know neither Plough nor Harrow neither doe they make Furrow or plough the ground nor breake the clods after they have sowne the seed as we doe but they turne up the earth with a woodden Shovell or Spade and so in the little Furrowes they set the Graine with a setting sticke as we doe Beanes which being coverd with earth will sprout forth wonderfully In some parts it hath divers kindes of Beasts as Beares Lions Wolves Conies and those which the Inhabitants call Saquenuckot Maquowoc and Squirrels It hath moreover divers Birds as Indian Cocks and Hens Doves Partridges Cranes Swans Geese Parrots Falkons and Hawkes The Townes here are very small containing onely 10. or 12. Houses they build them round with Stakes and Poles set in the Earth with a narrow comming in Princes and Noblemens Houses have a Court-yard and some few Houses round about them The Citties by the Shore side are these Pyshokonnock or the Womens Citty also Chipanum Weopomiock Muscamunge and Mattaquen and Oanoke which the English call'd the blind Citty also Pemeoke Phycoake a great Citty Chowanaoke Sequotam and others The Rivers which water it are Occam Cipo Nomopano Neus and others In foure Moneths of the yeere February March Aprill and May here is good fishing for Sturgeons and Herrings Here are also good Trouts Scate Mullets and Plaise and many other kindes of Fish It hath also Woods which are full of Connies Hares and Fowle But the Woods are not such as be in Bohemia Moscovy or Hyrcania VIRGINIA VIRGINIA et FLORIDA which are barren and doe yeeld nothing but they are full of high tall Cedars Pines Cypresse Trees Mastick Trees and many other odoriferous Trees The Inhabitants are of a middle stature just in their dealing they beleeve the Immortality of the Soule but they delight in dancing and immoderate drinking as the other Americans doe but yet they abstaine from mans flesh They doe hunt wilde beasts every day And their Armes are Bowes and Arrowes They beleeve that there are many Gods whom they call Mant●a● but of divers kindes and degrees and that there is onely one chiefe God that was before all ages who they say when he purposed to create the whole world did first create the other speciall Gods that he might use them as assistants and helpers both in creating and governing the whole World And then hee made the Sunne the Moone and the Statres as the lesser Gods to be assisting to the chiefe Cods They say the waters were first created out of which the Gods did create all kindes of creatures visible and invisible Concerning mankinde they affirme that the woman was first created which by the helpe of one of the Gods did conceive and bring forth children and this they say was the first originall of all mankinde But concerning the manners and nature of the Inhabitants and the other commodities and wonders of Virginia you may see more which Iohn Wytts Description and Thomas Harriotts Relation Theodore Brius hath written of them in a particular Booke and hath cut them forth in Brasse
with the River over which there is a draw Bridge on other sides with the Ocean except it be on the North side toward the Land and there it is encompassed with strong wals which with the River doe lye in a long square-sided-figure There are also these Townes Ashelwel-thorp Dis or Disce Shelton Skulton or Burdos Attleburgh Wauburne Lynne Swaff ham North Elmeham Dereham Windham Icborow and others For this Countrie hath 27 Market Townes and 525 Villages and about 660 Parish Churches The rivers that doe water it are Ouse Thet anciently called Sit Wauency Gerne or Yere and Wents anciently Wentfare There is not in the world any towne which getteth so much by taking and catching of Herrings as the towne of Yarmouth in this Shire For it is incredible to thinke what great Faires and Markets they have here at Michael-tide and what a number of Herrings and other fish are carried from hence into other parts Besides from hence as Varro adviseth thou maist collect the goodnesse of the shire the Inhabitants being well coloured craftie witted and sharpely insighted into the Lawes of England But of these Counties wee have entreated largely enough I passe now to the sixth Table THE SIXT TABLE OF ENGLAND IN WHICH ARE THESE Shires Warwick-shire Northampton-shire Huntingdon Cambridge Suffolke Oxford-shire Buckingam Bedford Hartford Essex Bark-shire Middlesex Hampshire Surrey Kent and Sussex IN the Sixt Table of England is first Warwick shire being bounded on the East with Leicester●shire and Watling-street way on the South with Oxford shire and Glocester-shire on the West with Wiltshire and on the North with Stafford-shire This Country is divided into two parts Feldon and Woodland heretofore called Arden that is into the Field and Wood-Country The chiefe Towne hereof is Warwicke called by the Brittaines ●aer-Leon besides the Townes of Leamington called so from the River Leame by which it standeth V●hindon now called Long Ichingdon Harbury Mancester called anciently Manduessedum Coventry called heretofore Conventria Stratford upon Avon and others and there are in this County 158 Parish Churches The Rivers are Avon Leam Arrow and Allen commonly called Aln● The next that followes is Northampton-shire which from the East where it is broadest lesseneth by degrees and is extended Eastward The County is bounded on the East with Redford-shire and Huntingdon-shire on the South with Bucking●am shire and Oxford shire on the West with Warwick-shire and on the North with Leicester-shire Rutland-shire and La●colne-shire which are parted from it by the River Welland It is a field Country of a very rich soyle both in upland grounds and meddowes The shire Towne hereof is Northampton the other Townes are Frakley Torcester anciently called Tripontium Grafton Daventr● W●d●n Higham Oundale rightly Avondale Peterborow called anciently Pe●●●●urg●● Welledone c. A● to this Shire there appertaines 326 Parishes the Rivers are Ouse Avon and Welland In the third place is Huntingdon-shire being so situated that on the South it looketh toward Bedford shire on the West toward Northampton-shire on the North where it is parted with the River Avon and on the East toward Cambridge-shire It is a Country fit for tillage and feeding of cattle and toward the East where it is low ground it is very fruitfull having every where pleasant hills and shadie woods The chiefe Towne of this Country is Huntingdon called heretofore Huntesdune to which it gives the name of Huntingdon-shire Here are THE SIXTH TABLE OF ENGLAND Warwicum Northampton Huntingdon Cantabr etc. also the Townes of S. Ives which the Saxons anciently called Slepe Saint Needes or Saint Neotifanum and Cunnington here are 78. Parishes The two Rivers Ouse and Avon doe water the Country In the fourth place is Cambridge-shire which lying toward the East doth butte upon North-folke and Suffolke on the South on Essex and Harford-shire on the West on Huntingdon-shire and on the North on Lincolne-shire and the River Ouse which running through it from East to West doth divide it into two parts The Lower and Southerne part is more tilled and planted then the rest and therefore more pleasant it lyeth in the manner of a bending plaine being a Champion Country and yeelding excellent Barley except where it beareth Saffron the farther and Northerne part flourishes more with greene Meddowes The chiefe Towne in this Shire is Cambridge anciently called Camboritum and by the Saxons Grantcester this is one of the Universities of England yea the Sunne and Eye thereof and a famous Nurserie of good learning and pietie it is seated upon the River Cam. Besides here are these Townes Roiston Rech Burwell Ely and here are 163 Parishes in this Countie and the Rivers are Cam and Stour Suffolke followes in the next place having on the West Cambridge-shire and on the South the River Stour which divides it from Essex on the East the Germane Ocean and on the North the two little Rivulets Ouse the lesse and Waveney which arising as it were from one spring head and running a diverse course doe part it from North-folke The Country is large and of a fat soyle except it be toward the East for it is compounded of clay and marle so that the fields doe flourish every where here is fruitfull pasturage for fatting of cattle and great store of cheese made The Townes in this County are Sudbury that is the South-Towne Ixning Saint Edmunds-bury called anciently Villa Faustini Bretenham Hadley Ipswich called anciently Gippwic Debenham Oreford and many others The Rivers are Stour Breton Gipping Deben Ore Ouse Waveney and Gerne or Yere Oxford-shire which commeth next to be spoken of on the West is joyned to Glocester-shire and on the South it is parted from Barke-shire by the River Isis or Ouse on the East it is bounded with Buckingham-shire and on the North with Northampton-shire and Warwick-shire It is a fertile and rich Country the plaines thereof being adorned with faire fields and meddowes and the hills crowned with many woods filled with fruits and all sorts of cattle which graze thereon In this Shire the Citie of Oxford anciently called Ousford from the River Ouse lifteth up her head being the other Universitie of England the other Sunne Eye and Soule thereof and a most famous Nurserie of Learning and Wisedome from whence Religion Humanitie and Learning are plentifully diffused and dispersed into other parts of the Kingdome Here are also the Townes of Bablac Burford which the Saxons called Beorford Minster Lovell Whitney Woodstocke Banbury Burcester or Burencester Tame Dorchester called by Bede Civitas Dorcinia and by Lelandus Hydropolis Watlington and 280. Parishes in it the rivers here are Isis Cherwell Windrush and Evenlode Buckingham-shire so called because it is full of Beech-trees commeth to be viewed in the seaventh place which being but narrow doth runne length-wayes from Thamisis Northward On the South it looketh towards Berk-shire
divided betweene the Sonnes and Daughters Thus the Kings of Denmarke have a flourishing Common-wealth which may easily bee defended from forraine enemies whom their Subjects living in unanimity and concord with them as their naturall Lords are able to resist both by sea and land THE KINGDOME OF DENMARKE BEING THE THIRD KINGDOME OF THE NORTH DENMARKE is joyned only in two places to the Continent on the West the Ocean beateth on it on the East the Balticke Sea on the North lyeth Norwey and Swethland and on the South Holsatia Megalopolis and Pomerama It hath many severall Islands lying by it The temper of the Climate together with the wholsomnesse of the Aire that I may use Ioh. Coldingensis his words doth make the Danes fresh complexioned The fruitfulnesse of the Earth doth nourish them the sweete harmony of Birds doth recreate them their Woods and Groves in which great numbers of Hogges do feed and fat themselves with Akornes and Beech-maste do refresh them and the divers sorts of Cattle and flourishing Medowes do yeeld them much delight The Sea doth afford them such plentie of provision that the Danes thereby not onely furnish themselves but also many other parts of Europe In a word they want nothing that is necessarie to life so loving hath Nature shewed her selfe to this Countrie Concerning the ancient Government thereof Munster writeth that one Danus many ages before Christ was the first King of Denmarke from whom the other Kings of Denmarke did descend in a faire and orderly succession therefore concerning the names of his successours and the other Kings of Denmarke read Munster largely discoursing All the Countrie of Denmarke having many armes of the Sea reaching farre into the Land doth consist of many parts the chiefe whereof are these Iutia Fionia Zelandia and Scania besides the Islands lying neare to severall parts thereof Iutia which some would have called Got●a being heretofore the Seat of the Cimbri is called by Historians and Geographers the Cimbrian Chersonesus and is divided into the Southerne and Northerne Iutia The Description of this Northerne Iutia you may behold in the second Table of Denmarke Southerne Iutia heretofore called Nordalbingia doth containe the famous Dukedome of Sleswick to which the Dukedome of Holsatia may now be added whereof you shall finde a more ample declaration in the third Table of Denmarke Also there followeth a more particular Description of Fionia in the fourth Table of Denmarke THE KINGDOME OF DENMARKE DANIAE REGNŪ THE SECOND TABLE OF DENMARKE WHICH CONTEINETH PART OF THE NORTHERNE IVTIA THE Westerne and speciall part of Denmarke is Iutia commonly called Iutland which Ptolemy calleth the Cimbrian Chersonesus and Pliny Cartrin This runneth forth Northward in manner of a Peninsula betweene the Brittish and Germane Seas as Italy doth toward the South The Southerne bound thereof is the River Eydera and it lyeth many miles in length from the River Albis or Elve toward the North The greatest breadth of it is not much This Country is divided into the Northerne and Southerne part as we have already spoken The Northerne Iutia called the Northerne Cimbrica which is described in this Table extending it selfe toward Norwey doth over against Saga a Towne famous in regard of the quick-sands and shallow Sea neare it end in a straite and narrow forme like a wedge This Country is broadest about the Market Towne of Aleburg where Lymford winding it selfe into it and passing almost through all Iutia Westward parteth the Country Wensussel from the rest except it be for a very little space and so maketh it as it were an Island This River being carried in a great channell maketh many famous Islands by encompassing them about and having many Bayes as it were and severall branches it doth divide and give limits to divers Provinces Northerne Iutia is fertile in producing and bearing Fruits Corne Barley and the like It hath also in some places very fruitfull pastures It aboundeth with so many heards of Oxen and bringeth up so many Cowes that it sendeth an incredible number of cattle into forreine Countries and especially into Germany whither there are yearely brought almost 150 thousand Oxen besides Cheese Butter Tallow and Hides It doth bring forth an excellent breede of Horses of which a great number are transported to other places Iutia heretofore was subject to the Saxons but not the other Northerne Countries Out of this Country the Cimbri 150 yeares before Christs birth came and fell upon Italie like an impetuous storme to the great terrour thereof For they having joyned to themselves the Tentons the Tigurines and Ambrones conspired utterly to extinguish the Roman Empire Syllanus could not resist the violence of their first approach nor Manilius their second on-set nor Caepio the third All of them were put to slight and beaten out of their Tents insomuch as Florus thinketh they had beene quite undone and overthrowne if Marius had not lived in that age This Cimbrian warre continued eight yeares after the Consulship of Syllanus even to the fift Consulship of Marius who at the R●ver Athesis called by the Germanes Ets●h and by the Italians ●adica did quite cut off their Army consisting of Cimbrians Teut●us and and Ambrones But because in this place wee have by chance made mention of the Cimbrians whose name is famous in Histories we will speake somewhat more of them and because Iunius a learned ●an doth discourse most learnedly of them I will not thinke it much to set downe his owne or other words to the same effect It appeares in Moses Bookes saith he that Iaphet had a sonne called Gomer or by changing of a letter Gomer which word signifies with the Hebrewes one perfecting a circle But the genuine sense of the word hitherto unknowne to Writers unskilfull in the Cimmerian language because none hath declared the obscuritie will bee as manifest and cleare as the Meridian Sunne if you gently breake the word in pieces For what other thing does Goom her being disjoyned signifie in that language or if you pronounce it Gomer than I goe about in a circle or I finish a perfect course Hence also is that orbicular order of Artes which the Grecian Writers call Encyclopedia and Fabius the circle of learning because it is endlesse as a ring called Gomera Rightly therefore that auspicious name hapned unto the offspring of Iaphet which spread themselves over the World and as the name doth signifie did finish that course that was given and prescribed to them by lot having travell'd over all Countries from the rising of the Sunne to the setting thereof For no man is so rude and ignorant in the knowledge of Historie that knoweth not that the Gothes and Vandales who were the ofspring of the Cimmerians or Cimbri did possesse both the Hesperiaes Wherefore since by the consent of all men the Cimmerians did descend from Gomer who at first did possesse the inward part of Asia and being
placeth it on the right hand where now stands Languedocke Ausonius affirmeth that Arelatum is divided with the River Rhodanus flowing betweene Whence hee maketh it twofold in his booke of Cities because Rhodanus divideth and cutteth it into two parts But now the forme and face thereof being changed it standeth wholly upon that banke of Rhodanus which lyeth towards Italie and is environed on all sides with Marishes in which fierce Oxen are bred Hence it is thought that it was once farre greater some beleeve that the other part of the Citie which flourished heretofore was wasted by the Gothes It appeares in Ausonius that it was a Towne of traffique And wee reade that the Kings of Burgundy did formerly keepe their residence therein and afterward the Earles of Provence D. Trophinus was the first Bishop thereof who was the Apostle Pauls Disciple and in the second yeare of Neroes raigne came into France From this man as from a Fountaine as Sosimus writeth the Christian faith was diffused and dispersed through all France It hath now a strong Castle and is famous for its two Prelates heretofore Honoratus and Hilarius So much concerning the Archiepiscopall Cities of Provence the Episcopall are eleven amongst the which the chiefe is Massiliae the Latines and also some of the Graecians doe call it Masilia Strabo Stephanus and ancient coynes do call it Massalia Ptol. Masalia but now it is commonly called Marseille It was once a Colonie of the Graecian Phocoeans and was built in the 45 Olympiad as Solinus witnesseth in the dayes of King Tarquine as Iustine noteth Lib. 43. Plutarch in the life of Solon writeth that it was built by Protus otherwise Protis Strabo sheweth that it is seated on a rockie place neare the mouth of the River Rhodanus and in a remote part of the Bay as it were in the corner of the Sea as Iustine saith out of Trogus Moreover M. Tullius doth so praise the Common-wealth of the Massilians that speaking in defence of Fontejus before the people of Rome hee durst say that their Citie did exceed not onely Greece but almost all other Nations for discipline and gravitie They reckon and begin the number of their Bishops from Lazarus whom Christ raised from death So much concerning Massilia the other Episcopall Cities are Dine which Ptolemy calls Dinia Grasse Glandeue or Glanate which learned Latine Writers doe call the Citie of Glannatica and some Authors Glamnatena They are deceived who make Mela's and Antoninus his Glanum to be the same with Glannate For Antoninus placeth Glanum betweene Cabellio and Arles from which Glanata is farre distant so that this Glanum is not now knowne Also Sanas or Sanitium a Towne in the Maritime Alpes Vintium a Town not farre from Senas called by Dion Ventiar Apta Iulia which Antoninus calleth corruptly Avia Iulia and Abte-julia for in the Itinerarie table it is called Apta Iulia and is now called Apte Ries or Reius which in the Itinerarie table is written Reis Apolinaris Feriuls which Plancus writing to Cicero calleth Forum Iulij Ptolemy Forum Iulium Augustus coyne Col. Iul. Octav. It is now a Sea or Haven Towne Cisteron which Antoninus and the Itinerarie table calleth Segustero Iosephus Scaliger in his Letters to Merula Cestro and Pliny Cessero But Merula thinketh that Plinyes Cessero is the same with Ptolemies Cessero now called Castres Lastly Tolon which the learned Latine Writers doe call Telonium and Antoninus Telo Martius being a Towne seated within a Bay of the Sea nine leagues from Massilia so much concerning the Episcopall Townes There are also other Townes no lesse famous and ancient as Antibe which Ptolemy calls Antipolis a Towne of Deciati Pliny calls it Oppidum Latinum and it is called a Colonie in the coyne of the Emperour Titus Olbia which is now thought to be that which is called Yeres or Hieres neare the Sea almost three leagues from Telon Over against the Towne lye those famous Ilands which Ptolemy calleth Staechades and Stephanus Ligustidae They are now called the Iles of Yeres or Hieres and the best sort of Corall is gathered there even as good as that in the Ligustick Sea Also S. Maximin which Antoninus in his Itinerarie thinketh to be Tecolata being sixe leagues from Massilia toward the North. Tarascon which Ptolemy calls Taruscon being seated on the left banke of Rhodanus and over against it on the right hand banke Belloquadra commonly called Beaucarie The Townes which have the dignitie of a Countie are Sault S. Gilles and others PICARDIE AND CAMPANIA ALthough the name of Picardie is not very ancient yet no certaine reason can be rendred for it some conjecturing one thing some another Cenalis professes that hee knowes not whether the Picardians borrowed this name from the Bigardian Hereticks however it is manifest saith he that they were of greater antiquitie than the Inhabitants of this Country Some suppose that they were called Picardians because they were the first that used those Lances which are commonly called Pikes On the West that I may make a plain description of the bounds thereof is the Brittish Ocean with some part of Normandie on the North lie those Countries of ancient Belgia which are now called Artesia or Artois and Hannonia or Henegou● on the East lyeth Luxenburg o● Lorraine and lastly on the South Campania and that Country which by a more speciall name is called France It is a most fruitfull Countrie and the Store-house or Granarie of Paris and most parts of France It hath but little wine which proceedeth rather from the sloathfull idlenesse of the Inhabitants than from any defect of the Soyle or Climate Picardie is divided into three parts the true Picardie the Lower and the Higher I will onely speake here of the True Picardie called in French La vraye Picardie It doth containe in it the jurisdictions of Ambiana Corbia and Pequignya the Counties of Veramandois and Retelois and the Dukedome of Tirascha Ambiana or Visdamie d' Amiens was so named from the Citie Ambianum commonly called Amiens Heretofore as the Learned doe thinke it was named Samarobrina and by Ptolemie Samarobriga Antoninus in some of his bookes calls it Samarba●iva and in others Samarabriga Briga in the ancient Spanish language and Bria in the Thracian speech doe signifie a Citie yet some doe write that it was called Somonobriga from its bridge in Dutch called Brug which standeth on the River Somona Ambianum is situated at Somona which divideth it into severall parts whence some suppose that the Emperour Gratian did name it Ambianum quòd aquis ambiatur because it is encompassed with water It is thought to be one of the strongest Townes in all France both for the naturall situation and artificiall fortification thereof it is entrenched with deepe broad ditches and is the key of that part of the Kingdome There is a faire Church in it The Inhabitants are reputed to be very honest and faithfull The Countie of Corduba
Hostility Wherefore when Captaine Newport came thither with a new supply he would needs goe visit Po●hatan at his house at Weromoco who being courteously entertain'd he found him sitting on a Straw Mart and resting his head after his Country manner on a faire Pillow and Maydes as faire as the place could afford did sitt at his head and feete and 20. Concubines did watch at each side of the Palace But hee himselfe having his head and breast painted red wore a chaire of white Corrall And when the Captaine had given him one of his Boyes hee gave him back in exchange one of his Servants call'd Wamotack with Corall and some Corne which served well for the reliefe of his men and afterward he furnished the Captaine with all things necessary Hee as also Captaine Smith had a great desire to finde out veines of Gold and Silver but both he and those that came after him were frustrated in their desire Yet he sent a Ship loaden with Cedar to England In the meane time Ponuhatan labourd to get some armes and munition from the English which the Governours did very much suspect as if the King with those armes intended to kill the English or drive them out of the Country But Captaine Smiths vigilance and watchfulnesse prevented him so that he could effect nothing and the English Colonie living here are now in a good estate increased to many thousands and Kine and Hogs and Turkies aboundance and all things plentifull and no want but of good women thick sowne but thin come up NEVV SPAINE HISPANIA NOVA Tecoanteper a Country of new Spaine There raigned in the Citty of Mexico 9. Kings in a 130. yeeres being 619. yeeres after that the Chichimeicians did possesse the Country of Mexico The last of these was Motezun●a who was slaine in a certaine sedition and in him the family of the Mexican Kings was extinct Moreover this part is inhabited by the Spaniards who have many Colonies in it namely Comp●stella Colima Purificatio Guadalajara Mechoaca Cacatula Mexico and others There are also in New Spaine divers famous Countries namely new Galitia Mechawcan Mexico and Guastecan Nova Galitia was first called by the Inhabitants Xalisce which Nunus Gusmannus first sought out and discoverd who built some Citties in it namely Compostella where there is a Bishops Seate and a Royall Counsell also Spiritus S. Conceptionis S. Michaels and Gaudalajara which is the chiefe Citty of the whole Kingdome There belongeth to Nova Galitia that Country which is called Culicana from a Citty of that name It lyeth betweene the River Piasala and the River S. Sebastian which runneth under ground before it discharge it selfe into the Sea The Metropolis is the Citty Culiacan where the Spaniards planted the Colony of Michaels House The Country Methaucan is 40. leagues in compasse and it is one of the richest and fruitfullest Kingdomes of new Spaine for it hath ripe Maiz three times a yeere and also other fruits This Country doth containe two principall Citties in which the Spaniards live call'd Pas●uar and Valadolid which is a Bishops Seate besides other Townes of lesse note The Country of Mexico doth not onely exceed the other Countries of New Spaine but of all America It was so named from the Citty Mexico which is called also Temistitan It is the Metropolis of the Province of Mexico It was seated in the middle of a great Lake before Cortes did possesse it who remov'd it to the banke of the same Lake it is now well built and it is 6. Italian miles in compasse one part whereof the Spaniards doe inhabit the other part the Indians Mexico signifies a Fountaine and it was so called by the first Founders in regard of the many Springs and Fountaines which doe encompasse this Citty This was the fairest and chiefest Citty of the Indies yea of the whole World when Ferdinand Cortesius tooke it and wonne it by assault in the yeere 1521. For this being the chiefe Citty of the whole Kingdome of Mexico contained 70000. Houses The Kings and Noblemens Houses were very large and conveniently built but the Common peoples Houses were meaner and lower There are in this Citty a Bishop a Vice-roy and the high Tribunall or Court of New Spaine There is also a Mount in it for coyning of money Moreover there are in the Mexican Lakes and about their bankes 50. Townes every one of which doth containe about 10000. Houses Next after Mexico is the Citty Tescura by the banke of the same Lake which is as bigge as Mexico There is also in this Province the Citty Angelorum which was first called V●●sita●● that is the Land Serpents which is famous for dressing of W●o●● which hath Vales and Plaines round about it in which great Flocks and Heards of Cattell doe graze and great store of Corne and 〈◊〉 are gotten and gathered here The Country of Guastecan in THE DESCRIPTION OF NEVV SPAINE HISPANIA NOVA NEW SPAINE NEW Spaine is the greatest Province of America being more inhabited more populous and more pleasant than the rest It is a great tract of Land reaching from Tavascus or the River Grialvus Westward to the Land of Saint Michael and the Culiacans Country On the North it is bounderd with new Granada and other Countries of the Kingdome of new Mexico The South shoare is washed with the Pacifque Sea It lyeth betweene the Aequinoctiall Linē and the Tropick of Cancer so that there is little difference betweene the length of the dayes and nights and it is almost alwaies Spring In the moneths of June July August and September the daily raine and the gentle breeses of winde that come from the Sea doe temper and mittigate the heate of the day which is the true reason why it is convenient living under the Summer Tropick contrary to the opinion of ancient Philosophers Therefore it hath a temperate ayre although it lye under the Torrid Zone This Country hath abundance of rich Mines of Gold Silver Iron and Brasse it hath also Cassia and a certaine kind of fruit which the Inhabitants call Cacao which is like Almonds of which they make a drinke which is very much desired It hath abundance of Cotton and all other kindes of fruits which we have in Europe as Wheate Barley and all kinde of Pulse also Sallets Lettice Colworts Cabbages Radishes Onions Leekes wilde Alexander Rape Rootes Parsnips and Carrets Turnips Beete Spinnage Pease Beanes Lentills and the like There are also great store of Oranges Lemmons Citrons Pomegranats Here are also Apples and Peares but not very bigge Prunes are rare but there are abundance of Figs. But there are great store of Cotton Apples but Cherries doe not yet thrive there There are Vines also that beare Grapes but no Wine is made of them Moreover it hath Oyle Sugar and Mulberries And it hath many other fruits which are unknowne to us especially a kinde of Graine call'd Maiz which is like Pepper of which they make Bread It yeeldeth also
water they have digged Wells not farre from the Sea shoare for the Sea doth not flow above a foote high The ayre in these Ilands is cleere and temperate and not too hot so that fruits brought from other places doe grow and thrive here very well but yet for want of heate they doe seldome come to maturity or ripenes they reape two Harvests in a yeere and their Wheate is bigger than ours Two graines of Maiz will grow to a pound waight Neither are they much troubled with cold or raine by reason of the divers windes which come from the Sea which doe also mittigate the heate they have thunder often but it doth no harme There are no venamous creatures in these Ilands neither doth the earth bring forth any venemous thing except one Plant. So that the English doe live here peaceably and commodiously and have abundance of all things necessary A DESCRIPTION OF THE SVMMER ILANDS Mappa AESTIVARVM Insularum alias Bermudas dictarum ad Ostia Mexicane SOVTHERNE AMERICA· SOutherne America or Pervana followeth betweene which and new Spaine there is a Neck of Land or Isthmus which is 18. miles broad Which keepeth the Country Pervana from being an Iland and it is called the Province Dariena from the great River Dariene Moreover all Southerne America hath the forme of a Pyramis being broad beneath and sharp toward the top the Base whereof is neere the Isthmus Northward the top thereof doth lesson by degrees like a Wedge even to the Straits of Magellan toward the Southerne Pole and so endeth in a sharp point The parts of it are many but these 5. are the chiefe Castella aurea Popajana Peruvia Chile and Brasilia Castell aurea or Castiglia del oro was so called from the great store of Gold which it hath It is situated by the Isthmus which joyneth the Southerne part of America to the Northerne The breadth of the Isthmus is 73. miles But this part of Land is but little inhabited in regard of the intemperatenesse of the ayre and Marshes or standing waters And it hath no Corne but they gather their Maiz twice or thrice a yeere It hath two Citties Nombre de dios by Mare dael Nort or the North Sea and Panama by Mare del Sur or the South Sea It hath Gold-bearing Rivers and Mines of Gold whence great store of Gold is gotten The Country Popayana beginneth from the North side at the Citty Antioch and endeth on the South side at the Citty Quinto Therefore it is bounderd on the North with Castella aurea from which it is separate by the Citty Antioch On the South it bordereth on the Country Pervana and is parted from thence by the Citty Quinto on the East it is bounderd with the Kingdome of New Granada and the Country Pervana which beginneuh from thence Eastward On the West it hath the Southerne Sea This Country is full of high rugged Mountaines SOVTHERNE AMERICA AMERICA MERIDIONALIS The Kingdome of Chili is situate beyond the Tropick of Capricorne betweene Peruvia and the Country of the Patagons the latter on the North side the former on the South side on the West it hath Mare Pacificum or the peaceable Sea It was so called from the cold in these parts which is so vehement that it will freeze Horses and their Riders untill they be hard as Ice It hath raine and thunder and severall seasons according to the time of the yeere as in Europe but that it is Summer with them when it is Winter with us All the Country is partly Maritine and partly Mountainous the Maritine part which lyeth neere unto the Sea is the hotter The soyle is naturally fruitfull and hath abundance of all things necessary as Honey and Woad for Diers c. It hath also long Pepper and the Vines which were brought thither out of Spaine and planted there doe yeeld good Wine It hath also geeat store of pure Gold And the fruits which are brought out of Spaine and planted here doe easily grow here are great store of Cattell and Ostriches The Metropolis is S. Iames his Citty which is a Colony of Spaniards That part which lyeth neere the Sea is watered with many Rivers which together with the Snow which melteth with the dayes heate doe fall downe from the tops of the Mountaines and so runne into the Pacifique or Magellanick Sea but for the most part the vehemency of the cold doth freeze them by night but in the day time they runne when the Ice is thawed The Mountaines in these Countries doe exceed all the other Mountaines in the Indies The more Easterne Country Brasill remaineth which was so called from the great store of red wood growing there which is called Brasill wood It is situate betweene the two Rivers Maragnon and Della Plata Maffejus describeth it thus Brasil runneth forth from 2. degrees from the Aequator to 45. degrees Southward it lyeth in a triangular or three cornerd figure the Basis whereof is turned against the North and so runneth straite forward from the East unto the West The farthest corner or point doth reach to unknowne Countries Southward The East side hath the Ocean betweene it and Aethiopia A high ridge of Mountaines doth part the other side of it from the Province of Peruana which are so high that Birdes are tyred with flying to the top of them All the Country is pleasant and hath a delightfull wholesome ayre by reason that the gentle Breezes of winde which come from the Sea doe dispell the morning vapours and clouds and doe purifie the ayre This Country openeth partly into Plaines and riseth gently into Hills having a fat Glebe and a fruitfull soyle alwaies greene and for the seed which is sowne it returneth a great interest of increase and especially it hath great store of Sugar It hath many wilde Beasts which are partly knowne and partly unknowne and Birds of an excellent colour Here are many Colonies of Portugals who having built many Houses to boyle Sugar in namely Pernambicum Caput St. Augustini Portus Omnium Sanctorum where the Bishop and the President of the Province are resident This part of the Country is full of Fountaines Woods and Rivers as the Silver River which runneth into the Sea 40. leagues with such violence that the Marriners can take in fresh water from thence before they discover Land The Brasilians doe worship no Gods at all yet they adore the rising Sunne and they beleeve the immortality of the Soule THE STRAITES OF MAGELLANA· ANd so much concerning Southerne America Fretum Magellanicum or the Straites of Magellan are now briefely to be unfolded and described It was so called from Magellan who discoverd this narrow Sea Of whose skill and experience which hee shewed in finding out the Molucco Ilands by a Voyage made Westward wee have spoken other wheres He on the 24. of August when the winde stood faire weighed Anchor out of S. Iulians Bay where he had laine a long
but Europe scarce 35. Beside Europe is full of windings but Africke is uniforme and continued Europe as I said before in the description thereof is every where inhabited but this is full of Deserrs and inhabitable places That was formerly knowne but not this where it is inhabited Africke doth excell in fruitfulnesse But for the most part it is not inhabited but full of barren Sands and Desarts and troubled with many kindes of living Creatures It is reported that the fruitfulnesse of the fields is very wonderfull and doth give the tillers such a harvest as doth requite the labour with a hundred-fold increase for that which is sowne That is wonderfull which is spoken of the fertilitie of Mauritania viz. that there are Vines which two men cannot fadome about and bunches of Grapes a cubit long There are very high trees neare to the Mountaine Atlas plaine and smooth without knots and leaved like the Cypresse tree Africke doth bring forth Elephants and Dragons which lie in waite for beasts and kill them with winding about them besides it hath a great number of Lyons Buffs or wilde Oxen Libbards wilde Goates and Apes Herodotus reporteth that Asses with hornes bred here besides Dragons Hyenaes rough Wolves begotten of the Wolfe and Hiena Panthers and Ostriches roughtd besides many kinds of Serpents as Aspes Crocondiles to which nature hath made the Ichneumon an enemie c. But as the same Author witnesseth there is neither Stagge nor Boare in it Africke bringeth forth the Basiliske and although many things are thought to be fabulous which are reported of him Yet it is certaine that Leo being Pope there was a Basiliske which infected Rome with a great plague by his noysome breath There are also divers kindes of Monsters whose diversitie and multitude they ascribe to the want of water whereby the wild beasts are enforced to come together at a few Rivers and Springs The Romanes divided Africke into sixe Provinces The Proconsularie Province wherein was Carthage Numidia under the jurisdictin of a Consull Bizacchius Tripolitana Mauritania Caesariensis and Mauritania Sitiphensis Ptolomie in the beginning of his fourth Booke doth reckon twelve Provinces or Countries Mauritania Tingitana Mauritania Caesariensis Numidia Africa properly so called Cyrenaica or Pentapolis for so Ptolomie calls it Marmarica Lybia properly so called the Higher and Lower Egypt the Innermost Lybia Aethiopia under Egypt the Innermost Aethiopia Leo Africanus doth divide all Africke into foure parts Barbarie Numidia Lybia and the Countrie of Black-Mores But in this Leo is deceived because hee hath not made the Red Sea the bound of Africke but Nilus whereby it comes to passe that hee joynes Egypt and the Easterne part to Asia Let us therefore besides those foure parts reckoned up of Leo place in Africke Egypt the Higher Aethiopia the Lower and outermost Aethiopia and the Islands Egypt is stretched forth in a long tract of Land from the South unto the North. The bounds thereof on the West side are the Desarts of Barca Lybia and Numidia beyond Nilus together with the Kingdome of Nubia On the South it is bounded with the Country of Bugia and Nilus where it runneth a little from the West Eastward On the Eastside there are the Desarts of Arabia which lye betweene Egypt and the Red Sea and on the North side it is enclosed with the Mediterranean Sea Other things concerning Egypt wee will unfold in the particular Description thereof At this day they call all that part of Africke which reacheth from Egypt to the Straits of Gibraltar and is included with the Mediterranean Sea and the Mountaine Atlas Barbaria and it containes the Kingdomes of Morocco Fesse Tremisen Tunis and Barca of which wee will speake more largely in the Description of Barbarie At this time it shall be sufficient to shew the Reader the division and bounds thereof The Kingdome therefore of Morocco is divided into these Provinces Hea Susa Guzala the Land of Morocco Ducala Hoscora and Tedletes it is bounded with the Atlantick Ocean with the Mountaine Atlas it selfe and the Kingdome of Fesse The Kingdome of Fesse hath on the West the Atlanticke Sea on the North the Straits of Hercules on the East the River Mulvia on the South the Kingdome of Morocco The Countries therein are Temesna the Territory of Fesse Asgara Elhabata Errifa Garetum and Elchausum The Kingdome of Tremisen is bounded on the South with the Desart of Numidia on the East with the great River on the North with the Mediterranean Sea The Kingdome of Tunis doth containe the whole tract of Land from the great River to the River of the Countrie of Mestata The Countries thereof are five Bugia Constantina the Territorie of Tunis Tripolis and Ezzaba Barca or Barcha is stretched forth from the borders of Mestata to the confines of Egypt Numidia is called at this day Biledulgerid the bounds thereof are the Atlanticke Sea on the West side the Mountaine Atlas on the North the confines of Egypt on the East the Desarts of Libya on the South The Regions thereof are Tesset Tegelmessa Seb Biledulgerid Dara and Fezzen Lybia was called by the Ancients Sarra because it is a Desart It beginneth from the Kingdome of Gagoa neere Nilus and is extended toward the West even to the Kingdome of Gualata which lyeth neere to the Atlantick Sea on the North the Kingdome of Numidia doth border on it on the South the Kingdome of the Nigritans or Blackmoores The Nigritans are so called either from the blacke colour of the inhabitants or frō the black river which glideth through their Country They have on the East the Confines or the Borders of Nilus on the West the Westerne Ocean on the South partly the Aethiopian Sea and partly the Kingdome of Manicongus but on the North the desarts of Libya The Kingdomes therof are five and twentie namely Galata Gumea Melli Tombutum Gago Guber Agadez Cano Caseva Zegzeg Zanfara Gunangara Boruum Goago Nubia Biro Temiamo Dauma Medra Gora the Territorie of Anterot the Territorie of Giolosa the Coast of Guinea the Territorie of Meligens and the Kingdome of Benin The Abyssines do inhabit the higher or innermost Aethiopia whose Prince is called Prester Iohn His Country is large doth almost touch either Tropicke and it is extended betweene the Aethiopian and the Red Sea on the North it hath the people of Nubia and Bugia that borders on Egypt on the East the Red Sea on the South the Mountaines of the Moone on the VVest the Kingdome of Manicongus the River Niger the Kingdome of Nubia the River Nilus These Kingdomes are subject to him Barnagnes Tigremaum Tigraim in which is the Cittie Caxumo Angote Amara Xoa Goyami Bagamedrum Gueguere Fatiagar Damar Dancali and Dobas The lower or outermost Aethiopia is the Southerne part of Africke unknowne unto Ptolomie The beginning thereof on the East side is above the River Zaire not farre from the Aequinoctiall and it doth
And least they should place the foundation of so great a building upon unfirme ground they strewed it over with coales trodden downe and on it they laid fleeces of wooll The length of the Temple was 425. feet the breadth 220. The Pillars in it were an hundred and seaven and twenty all made by severall Kings of which 36. were carved Ctesiphon was the overseer of the worke There was also a Monument which Artemesia Queene of Caria did erect in memory of her deceased husband which is to bee counted among the wonders of the World it being 25. Cubits high and compassed about with thirty Pillars it was sixe and thirty foote wide Northward and Southward Lastly there was that magnificent Temple which Salomon began to build in the fourth yeare of his raigne not unfit to be reckoned with the seaven wonders of the World First of all thirty thousand men were set to cut trees as Cedars and Cypresse in Lebanon and there were fourescore thousand stone-cutters The bredth of the Temple was twenty Cubits the length sixtie and the height an hundred and twenty The matter of the nethermost building was of white stone the largenesse of the Porch was ten Cubits there were twenty secret chambers passing one into another and others placed under these The beames were of Cedar the roofes of Cedar guilded over and the walls in like manner The Sanctuary of the Holy place was distinguished from the body of the Temple with a wall in which were carved gates with drawing Curtaines enterwoven with many flowers and winding borders besides two Cherubins of pure gold the pavement under foot was beset with studdes of gold the gates were twenty Cubits in height and twelve in compasse There was a brazen vessell of so great a bignesse that it was fitly called the Sea round about which stood twelve Calves three together and looking severally toward the foure corners of the World This vessell did hold three thousand measures containing 72. Sextaries There were also other figures which it would be too long to rehearse There was a brazen Altar of ten foot height double as much in length Also one golden Table and ten thousand golden Pots and Dishes c. But let these things suffice which have beene spoken of this part of the Word I come now to America the fourth part of the World AMERICA WHen Christophorus Columbus had found out this fourth part of the World unknowne to the Ancients some call it India others for the largenesse of it Novus Orbis or the new World for it is as great and bigge as all our World that is Europe Africke and Asia being joyned together as it may appeare by viewing our generall Table It is called also America from Americus Vesputius a Florentine who next after Columbus discovered the Easterne part of the Southerne America in which are the Countries of Paria and Brasilia but it is uncertaine when America began first to be inhabited certaine it is that for many ages it lay unknowne AMERICA AMERICAE DESCRIP for that which some suppose concerning the Romans is more easily said then proved and that fiction is accurately refuted by Gasparus Varrerius Some suppose that Seneca by Poeticall inspiration did sing some raptures concerning it in his Medea but it is madnesse to suppose that these parts in that age were knowne either to him or any other Christophorus Columbus of Genoa after it had beene many ages unknown unto us did first finde it out being employed by the King of Castile after hee had learnt it out as some beleeve that would detract from the glory of so famous an enterprise from a certain Spanish Marriner who had long endured foule weather on the Atlanticke Sea it was performed in the yeare 1492. After him Americus Vesputius did attempt the same for the King of Portugall and brought backe the reward of his enterprise because as we said the whole Continent is called from his name America The whole Country from the North to the South is stretched out in the forme of two great Peninsulaes which are joyned together by a slender Isthmus the one of them is called Northerne America the other Southerne America The Longitude thereof is extended betweene the Meridionall degree 190 and the Meridionall degree 67. The terme of its Latitude towards the South is the Straits of Magellane that is under the degree 52. and towards the North it is not knowne higher then 67. It hath therefore on the East the Atlanticke Sea which they commonly call Del Nort on the South the Southerne Land of Magellane disjoyned from it by a narrow Sea flowing betweene on the West Mare Pacificum or the Peaceable Sea called Mare Del Zur and on the North it is doubtfull whether there bee Land or Sea The whole compasse in sayling round about it is about 32000 miles as the most approved thinke For it hath beene sayled round about except that Country which lyeth Northward whose coasts are not yet discovered The whole Country is changeable and full of varietie at first it wanted both Corne and Wine but instead thereof it bringeth forth Maiz. a kinde of pulse for so they call it as they call Wine Chichia boates Canoas their Princes Cacicos They do not plough the ground to reape but having digged trenches of a small depth they put three or foure granes in one of them and so cover them with earth The severall stalkes doe beare three or foure eares and every one of the eares doe beare three or foure hundred graines and more The stalke of Mayz doth exceed the height of a man and in some Countries it is gathered twice in a yeare They have also another kinde of bread beside that which they make of Maiz which they call Cazabi This is made of Iucca which is a roote of the bignesse of a Turnep which sendeth forth no seed but certaine knottie hard stalkes cloathed with greene leaves like Hempe Those stalkes when they are ripe they cut into peeces of two hands length which they bury in heapes under the earth and as oft as they would make that kinde of bread they digge up of them as much as they thinke good because they will soone be corrupted and grow naught Moreover there are two other kindes of rootes the one they call the Battata the other the Haia almost alike in shape but that the Haiae are lesse and more savory they ea●e the fruite of them within sixe Moneths after they are planted which though they have a kinde of sweet taste yet such as will soone cloy one beside they have but little juyce and doe procure winde in the stomacke Those Countries have also a great number of trees which doe bring forth wilde Grapes Their Grapes are like Sloes which grow upon thornes and bushes and are covered with blacke leaves but because they are more woody then juycie therefore the inhabitants doe not make wine of them There are
good Arts is Fanum Andraeae or Andrews Chappell which the ancient Scots did call Fanum Reguli and the Picts Rigmud In the middle of the Countrie is Cuprum or Cuper whither those of Fife do come to have their causes tryed on that side where it toucheth Iernia there stands Abreneth the ancient Pallace of the Picts Here Ierna runneth into Taus But Taus runneth foure and twentie miles having broken out of the Lake Taus which is in Braid Albin and is the greatest River in Scotland This River bending toward the mountaine Grampius doth touch Atholia a fertile Region placed in the wooddie Countrie of Grampius Beneath Atholia Caledon is seated on the right-hand bank of the River Taus an old Towne which onely retaineth a name common-called Duncaldene that is Hasell-trees For the Hasell trees spreading themselves all over and covering the fields thereabout with their shadie boughs gave occasion of that name both to the Towne and people These Caledones or people of Caledon being once reckoned among the chief Brittaines did make up one part of the Kingdome of the Picts For Ammianus Marcellinus divideth them into the Caledones and Vecturiones but of their names there is scarce any memorie left at this day Twelve miles beneath Caledon lyes the Countrie of Perth on the same right-hand banke On the left-hand banke beneath Atholia is Gour looking toward the East renowned for corne-fields and beneath this againe is Angusia stretched out betweene Taus and Eske this the ancient Scots did call Aeneia Some suppose it to be called Horestia or according to the English speech Forrest In it is the Citie Cuprum which Boethius to gratifie his Country ambitiously calleth Dei Donum the gift of God but I suppose the ancient name was Taodunum from Dunus that is an Hill situate by Taus at the foot whereof there is a Towne Beyond Taus the next foureteene miles off on the same banke is Abreneth otherwise called Obrinca After this Countrie is the Red Promontorie very conspicuous The River Eske called the Southerne cutting through the midst thereof the other Northerne Eske divideth it from Mernia It is for the most part a THE THIRD TABLE OF SCOTLAND SCOTIAE tabula III. plaine field countrie untill Grampius meeting with it beneath Fordune and Dunotrum the Earle Marshalls castle it somewhat remitteth its height and soe bendeth downe into the Sea Beyond it towards the North is the mouth of the River Deva commonly called Dea or Dee and about a mile distant from it the River Don by the one is Aberdon famous for the Salmon-fishing by the other another Aberdon which hath a Bishops Seat and Publike Schooles flourishing by the studies of all Liberall Arts. I finde in ancient monuments that the Hithermost was called Aberdea but now these Townes are called the old and new Aberdon From this strait Foreland betweene these two Rivers beginneth Marria which by little and little enlarging it selfe runneth 60. miles in length even to Badenacke or Badgenoth This Countrie extends it selfe in one continued ●●dge and doth send forth divers great Rivers into either Sea ●●●bria doth border on Badenacke being somewhat enclined toward the Deucalidon Sea and is as plentifull as any Countrie in Scotland with all Sea and Land-commoditie For it hath good corne and pasturage and is pleasant as well in regard of the shadie woods as coole streames and fountaines It hath so great plentie of fish that it is not inferiour to any part of the whole Kingdome For beside the plentie of river fish the Sea storeth it for breaking in upon the plaine ground and there being kept in with high bankes it spreads it selfe abroad in manner of a great Lake whence it is called in their countrie speech Abria that is a standing water They give also the same name to the neighbour Countrie Northward next to Marria is Buchania or Buguhan divided from it by the river Don. This of all the Countries of Scotland doth stretch it selfe farthest into the Germane Sea It is happie in pasturage and the increase of sheepe and is sufficiently furnished with all things necessarie for mans life The rivers thereof do abound with Salmons Yet that kinde of fish is not found in the river Raira There is on the bankes of this river a Cave the nature whereof is not to be omitted which is that water distilling drop by drop out of the hollow arch thereof these drops are straightway turned into little Pyramides of stone and if it should not be clensed by the industrie of men it would quickly fill up the cave even to the top Beyond Buchania towards the North are two small Countries Boina and Ainia which lye by the river Spaea or Spey that separateth them from Moravia Spaea riseth on the back-side of Badenach aforesaid and a good way distant from its fountaine is that Lake whence Iutea breaketh forth and ●owleth it selfe into the Westerne Sea They report that at the mouth thereof there was a famous Towne named from the river Emmorluteum the truth is whether you consider the nature of the Countrie round about it or the conveniencie of Navigation and transportation it is a place very fit to be a Towne of traffique And the ancient Kings induced thereunto by the opportunitie of the seat for many ages dwelt in the Castle Evon which now many are falsly persuaded was Stephanodunum For the ruines of that Castle are yet seene in Lorna Moravia followes from beyond Spaea even to Nessus heretofore it is thought it was called Varar Betweene those two rivers the German Ocean as it were driving backe the Land into the West floweth in by a great Bay and straightneth the largenesse of it The whole Countrie round about doth abound with Corne and Hay and is one of the chiefe of the whole Kingdome both for pleasantnesse and encrease of fruits It hath two memorable Townes F●gina neare the River L●x which yet retaineth its ancient name and Nessus neare the River Ne●●us This River floweth foure and twentie miles in length from the Lake Nessus The water is almost alwaies warme it is never so cold that it ●●ee●eth And in the extremitie of winter pieces of ice carried into it are quickly dissolved by the warmth of the water Beyond the Lake Nessus toward the West the Continent is stretched forth but eight miles in length ●o that the Seas are readie to meete and to make an Island of the remainder of Scotland That part of Scotland which lyeth beyond Nessus and this strait of Land North and West is wont to be divided into foure Provinces First beyond the mouth of Nessus where it drowneth it selfe in the German Ocean is the Countrie Rossia running out with high Promontories into the Sea which the name it selfe sheweth For Ro● signifies in the Scottish speech a Promontorie It is longer then broad For it is extended from the German Sea to the Pe●●alidon where it becommeth mountanous and rugged but the fields of it
Minsko and the Castle ●●●lanaw also Radoscowice Borissow Lawisko or Liwsko Swislo●z Bobreisko and Odruck The fourth Palatinate is the Novogrodian in which is Novogrodeck a large Citie and built of wood also Slonim Wolkowi●z and many other Townes The fift Palatinate is the Briestian so called from the Citie Briesti being large and built of wood and here is the Citie of Pinsko The sixt is the Palatinate of Volhinia in which is Luezko the Seate of a Bishop also Voladamire and Kerzemenesia The seventh Palatinate is Kiovia in which there was heretofore a large and ancient Citie of the same name seated by the River Boristhenes as the ruines which lie sixe miles in length doe easily demonstrate There are also the Townes Circasia or Kerkew Kamova and Moser The eighth is the Palatinate of Miceslow neare to the Rivers Sosa and Borysthenes in the borders of Moscovie wherein are the Townes of Miceslaw Dubrowna 〈◊〉 and Sklow beside Mohilow By●how ●●czycza and Strissin with their Castles The ninth Palatinate is the Witebscian in which is the Citie Witebsk situated by the River Duna and Orsa neare Borysthenes The tenth Palatinate is the Polocensian which is so called from Poloteska a Citie lying neare to the confluence of the River Polota and Duna betweene Witsbek and Livonia There are also the Townes Disna Drissa and Dr●●●a with their Castles These things being explained let us speake something of the Rivers of Lithuania On the East side Lithuania is bounded with the Rivers Oscol Ingra and the lesser Tanais all which with many others doe runne into great Tanais There is also in Lithuania the River Borysthenes which arising out of a plaine marish ground and running through Russia doth vent it selfe at last into the Euxine Sea and the Rivers Wilia and Niemen the latter whereof runneth a great way with a very crooked winding streame and at last disburthens it selfe into the Prutenick or Finnish Sea also Duina and other Rivers beside Lakes and standing waters of which the Country is full and all these do afford great plenty of fish which are very delectable pleasant in taste Moreover the Country is covered with very great and spacious woods Sigismund that happie and auspicious King of Poland did unite the Palatines and Castellans of the Provinces of Lithuania into one body of a Common-wealth with the Polanders and did designe a certaine place and order in the Senate of the Kingdome to all the Noble men Bishops and Palatines of this Country so that out of the Kingdome of Poland and the Provinces united unto it there are in the Senate fifteene Bishops one and thirty Palatines thirty of the greater Castellans or governours of Castles and fiftie of the lesse beside those who are called the Officials of the Kingdome as the Marshalls the Chancellours the Vicechancellors and the Treasurers of which wee will speake more largely in the description of Poland Marriages amongst the Lithuanians are easily dissolved by mutuall consent and they marry againe and againe The wives have openly men-concubines by their husbands permission whom they call connubij adjutores i. helpers in marriage but on the contrary for men to follow whores is counted a reproach When any one is condemned to die he is commanded to punish himselfe and to hang himselfe with his owne hands which if he refuse to doe hee is threatned and beaten with stripes untill he kill himselfe Their flockes doe afford them great store of milke for their food The common bread which they use is very blacke being made of Rye or Barley together with the branne but the rich mens bread is very white being baked and made of pure Wheat They seldome use any wine for the common people drinke water and such as are of abilitie drinke Ale which they brew of divers sorts of corne as Wheat Rye Barley Oates and Millet but such as is unsavory They have abundance of thicke and thinne Mede boyled in divers manners and with it they make themselves merrie and oftentimes drunke Lithuania seemeth almost to be inaccessible as being almost all overflowne with waters but in Winter there is more convenient trafficking with the Inhabitants and the wayes are made passable for Merchants the Lakes and standing waters being frozen over with yee and spread over with snow Their chiefe wealth is the skins of beasts as of Weesills Foxes and those which are more precious as Martens and Scythian Weesills Of these they make a great profit as also of their Waxe Honey Ashes and Pitch The best Wainscot is cut here and brought into Germany through the Balthick and Germane Sea and out of this Country all woodden Architecture both publique and private through all Germany and the Low countries is made as also for the most part such woodden housholdstuffe as belongeth to houses but enough of Luthuania we will now adde something concerning the rest There followes in our Title Samogitia which in their language signifies the Lower land the Russians call it Samotzekasemla it is a Northerne Country and very large being next to Lithuania and environed with Woods and Rivers On the North it hath Livonia on the West it is washed with the Balthick or Germane Sea which is properly called the Balthick Bay and towards the Northwest Borussia joyneth unto it It aboundeth with the best whitest and purest Honey which is found in every hollow tree It hath no Towne nor Castle the Nobles live in Lodges the Country people in Cottages The people of this Country are of a great and large stature rude in behaviour living sparingly drinking water and seldome any drinke or Mede they knew not untill of late the use of Gold Brasse Iron or Wine It was lawfull with them for one man to have many wives and their father being dead to marrie their step-mother or the brother being dead to marrie his wife The Nation is much enclined to Fortune telling and Southsaying The God which they chiefly adored in Samogitia was the fire which they thought to be holy and everlasting and therefore on the top of some high mountaine the Priest did continually cherish and keepe it in by putting wood unto it In the third place is Russia by which name in this place wee understand the Southerne or Blacke-Russia whose chiefe Country is Leopolis or Lemburg built by Leo a Moscovite it is famous by reason of the Mart kept there and the Bishops Seat Beside the Country of Leopolis there are three other in this Russia to wit the Country of Halycz Belz and Praemislia In the fourth place is Volhinia which is situate betweene Lithuania Podolia and Russia it aboundeth with fruits in regard of the fertility of the soile The Inhabitants are strong and warlike and doe use the Ruthenian language This Country did pertaine once to the great Duke of Lithuania but now it is joyned to the Kingdome of Polonia It hath three divisions the Lucensian
that whereas Writers doe onely name other Provinces of France and doe not mention from whence the people of the Cities were so called heere the contrary happeneth for Caesar maketh mention of the Lemovicians and their Citie and writeth that they were the first that yeelded unto him for they were lovers of peace and haters of discord But after that the Lemovicians had made a league with Caesar they obeyed a Prince who was joyned in confederacie with the Romans to whom they were subject untill the Gothes did repell them and possessed all Aquitania They write that the French-men afterward having driven out the Gothes did governe the Lemovicians and did set Earles and Dukes to rule over them the one to manage their Battels the other to administer Justice The most doe divide Lemovicium into two parts the Higher and the Lower Le Haut bas Limosin The Higher which is properly called Limosin is plainer than the lower part and the Metropolis thereof is Lemovicum So many doe thinke that A. Hirtius did call it lib. 8. de Bello Gallico but now it is called Limoges Fulvius Vrsinus calleth it Limonum by the authoritie of ancient Bookes Ptolemie cals it Ratiaston in Aquitania as Ioseph Scaliger writing to Merula supposeth Villonovanus also assenting to him But Bertrandus thinketh that it is called Rahastum in stead of Raiz by the affinitie LEMOVICIVM TOTIUS Lemouici ct and likenesse of names This Citie is seated partly in a Vale and partly on the top of a litle Hill being well fortified with a Castle and strong Wals it hath abundance of water which springeth from a cleare Fountaine in the higher part of the Citie This Citie is the Nurserie of diligence and industrie and the prison-house of sloth and idlenesse The women doe honour and much esteeme of chastitie and mercifulnesse It is the Seate of a Bishop Heere are also other Townes which in the Language of the Inhabitants are called La Soubsterraine Le B●●sson Barat Dorat Consolat and others which for brevities sake I omit Amongst them Chassusio is not to be forgotten as being famous for the yearely Faires of Cattell and horses which are kept there on Saint Georges day There are also Abbies in this hither part of the Countrie amongst the which are the Abbies of Grandimont and S. Leonard The lower part of Lemosin being more mountainous than the higher is properly called La Marche de Limosin limited with Avernia and Perigort The chiefe Citie thereof is Tutela or Tulla commonly called Tulle being situated in a rugged mountainous place and being the Seate not onely of a Bailiffe but of a new Bishop built out of the ruines of an old Monasterie In Latine hee is called Tutelensis Episcopus There is also Vsarcha or Vsarche a pleasant Towne having a sweete Ayre and seated neere the River Vezer Fame boasteth that this Towne is impregnable and that it cannot be taken whence there is a Proverbe Cui Vsarchae est domus arcem eum possidere in Lemovicum ditione i. Hee that hath an house in Vsarcha hath as it were a Castle in the Countrie of Lemosin Histories doe speake much of the vertue of the Citizens and doe report that they resisted the English even when they conquered all Aquitania and that they remained constant and faithfull to their Prince the King of France There is the Towne Briva seated on the pleasant and fertile Plaine environed with woods and having many Vineyards It is the Seate of a Chancellour Heretofore it is thought it belonged to the Countrie of Perigort and that Charles the sixth King of France did joyne it to Limosin There are also other Townes as Treignac Donzenac Alassac Bellus-locus Meissac Vsset and Bello-mon There are many illustrious Families in this Countrie in the Higher there are the Families of Pierre-Bussire Chasteau-neuf and Carsic which are honoured with Vicountships also Roche-Covart which is one of the ancientest Families in Aquitania Maygnac and others In the lower part is Pampadoura Aumont Roffignac San-Iala Gemma and infinite others The Inhabitants of Lemovicium are very sparing in their meate drinke being content with a litle they hate dainty meates but are great eaters of bread so that the Proverb saith A Lemovician is a Bread-devourer In the Villages they doe not use to drinke Wine They are industrious ingenious and warie as being very provident in all things The Common-people are covetous and sluttish in their houses the Nobility are magnificent of a high spirit and liberall The most of them doe live untill they be very old for there are those which doe see their Grandchildrens Children They say that heere neere Cousins without any dispensation from the Pope doe marry amongst themselves and do not part their goods Belleforestius writeth that hee saw Families in which a hundred linkt together by the affinity of marriage did live together so that they seemed to be like Colledges I will heere adde for conclusion that which Iohannes Puncteius writeth concerning the originall of the Lemovicians Ecce Lemoviculae sedes gratissima genti c. Behold the Lemovicians pleasant Seate In fortie five degrees and halfe compleate Of Latitude which doth it selfe stretch forth To take a view of the cold frozen North. The Longitude even from the setting Sunne Stretching it selfe toward the East doth runne As farre as the Avernian Mountaines and Toucheth beside the Biturigian Land But where that Phoebus dips his horses in The Sea till they to plunge therein begin Angolmum it doth view and doth behold Part of Pictavia as towards the cold North on the Biturigians it confines And Southward to the Petragorians joynes With whom in manners they doe more agree Than with the others that their neighbours bee Faire Aquitania doth containe this Land Which for good manners comes behinde none and Vienna that doth from the Mountaines flowe Watereth the upper grounds as it doth goe With winding streames which runne out many wayes While thousands of faire kine doe by them graze This the Inhabitants in their speech doe call Vigana which from thence doth headlong fall By Lemovicium's Citie which doth lye Part in a Vale part on a Hill so high Where Saints doe glorie in its Churches state Which unto holy Stephen's consecrate Fame doth report that French-men of the line Of Gomer held this Countrey at that time Nohemus off●spring troupes of men did leade Which into divers Countries they did spread From thence the true originall then came Of Lemovicians who ne're chang'd their name Vnlesse you 'le have the Phrygians for to change Their Seates while they did with Alvernus range And Limovices for to finde new land And ease their griefe which they at home sustain'd The Soyle is barren whence no fruite doth grow And no faire swelling Rivers in it flow It flourisheth with men that in it are And is enrich't with many kindes of ware The Land is strong in Armes and heretofore The valiant English could not passe it o're But were
given to the Vice of drinking in which they take great delight so that oftentimes they never give over drinking day nor night and thereby besides other inconveniences they do much wrong their bodyes and witts and without doubt it is oftentimes the cause of their untimely death according to that of Propertius Vino forma perit vino corrumpitur aetas Wine maketh beautie fade And strength by Wine is decay'd And they themselves doe know it and confesse it and condemne themselves for it but in vaine for the evill custome doth prevaile over them Albeit they may be partly excused For seeing the ayre is alwayes moyst and melancholy they have no other meanes whereby to cure their hatefull and unwholsome Melancholy which Horace seemeth to intimate saying Vino pellite curas that is With wine drive cares away Which haunt us every day But it were to be wished that they would observe that noble saying of Terence Ne quid nimis Doe nothing too much which now the civiller sort doe begin to observe The inhabitants doe goe in good apparrell and are well complexioned Lastly they use much trading and traffique in which they are very skilfull And all the Low Countries for the most part doth subsist by Merchandising and Maechanicke Arts. THE COVNTIE OF FLANDERS FLanders although it be not of any great antiquitie yet no reason can be given for the name of it Some derive it from a Cittie of that name situated there where Ardenburg is now Others derive it from Flandbertus the sonne of Blesinda who was sister to Clodion King of France Flandbertus lived in the yeare of Christ 445. Some suppose that this Countrey was so named from Flandrina the wife of Lydericke the first Earle thereof Some derive it a flatu and fluctibus that is from the winde and waves which in regard of the neere Vicinitie of the Ocean doe beate upon this Countrie So that even to the yeare 1340. it was a caution used in selling or conveying of land that if the Sea broake into it within ten yeares afterward the contract and bargaine should be then voyde and of none effect The bounds of it now are on the South Artesia with Hannonia part of Picardie on the East Hannonia Brabant on the North the Ocean with Honta or the mouth of Scaldis which parteth Flanders from Zeland on the West the Brittish Ocean or Germaine Sea It is three dayes journey in length namely from Scaldis on the other side of Antwerp even to the new ditch which is 30 miles The breadth of it is twenty miles The ayre of the Country is temperate the soyle fertile especially that part which is neere the Ocean and France There are faire Meddowes which may appeare from hence in regard that Horse-riders doe yearely bring Colts out of other neghbour Countries into Franders which through the goodnesse of the pasture and sweetnesse of the ayre being leane before doe quickely grow fat and plumpe It breedeth also diverse sorts of tame Cattell very pleasant and delicate in taste and also an incredible sort of wilde beasts There are also divers kindes of fowles as Pheasants Partridges Peacockes Hernes and Storkes The inhabitants of this Country were heretofore so addicted to warre that they never scarsely lived quietly or peaceably so that their armies have invaded Syria and the holy Land and Hierusalem There are 30 walled Citties in Flanders Gandauum Bruges Ypra Insula Duacum Tornacum Cortracum Aldenarda Alostum Hulsta Teneramunda Birsletum Newporte Sluse Dunkerck Graveling Burburg Dammum Dixmuda Furna Ardenburgum Ninova Berga Gerardmontium Cast●llum Donza Orchianum Lanoyum Axella and Ostend Besides these there are also free Townes which are not inferiour unto Citties neither for nobilitie or Priviledges nor magnificent structures or populousnesse as Bella Poperinga Hondtscota Eccloa Gistella Middleburrough and twenty others There are in all 1556 villages so that it is a usuall Proverbe that Flanders doth exceed all the Countries in the world and when the Spaniards came into this province with King Phillip they thought that all Flanders was but one Cittie It is now divided into three parts the Dutch the French and the Imperiall part The chiefe is Gandavum which was built by C. Iulius Caesar when he stayed in Morinium it is called in Dutch Gendt the Italians call it Guanto the French Gand. It is situate foure miles from the Sea and is watered with foure pleasant Rivers For Scaldis commeth to it out of Hannonia Lisa out of Artesia Livia out of the Haven or Sluce and Moero from the Ambactae It is ten miles distant from Antwerpe and as many from Bruxells Mechlin and Middleburrough The compasse of it within the walls is 45640 Romaine feete that is seaven Italian miles It hath 26. Islands and two hundred and eight Bridges and foure water mills And an infinite number of hand-mills And an hundred wind mills It hath five and fifty Churches and five Abbies The Citizens of this Citty are famous for Nobility wealth and courage Here the Emperour Charles the fifth was borne It also brought forth these learned men Iudocus Badius Iohannes Cornarius Laevinus Brechtus and the other Lavinus Torrentius Baldvinus Ronsaeus Vtenhovious and many others There are two and fiftie kindes of trades in this Cittie And seaven and twenty sorts of Weavers which were first instituted by the Earle Baldwin the sonne of Arnold the Great in the yeere 865. Brugae or Brugges taketh its name either from the many bridges belonging to it or from the bridge Brug-stocke neere Oldenburg and Ardenburg out of the ruines of which Cittie eight hundred yeeres before the Castell of Brugges was first built it is situated three miles from the Sea in a plaine place The compasse of it within the wall 26600 Romane feete that is foure Italian Miles and an halfe It is the pleasantest Cittie not onely in all Flanders but also in all the Low Countries it hath threescore Churches the chiefe and fairest whereof is Saint Domatians Church which was heretofore consecrated to the blessed Virgin it was built by Lidericke the first Earle of Flanders in the yeere 621. There are threescore and eight kindes of trades in it Ypra is so called from the little River Ypra that floweth by it commonly called Yperen it was built in the yeere 1060. The foundation of this Citty is sayd to be of Lead and that in regard of the many leaden pipes which doe convey water through the whole Cittie And these are the chiefe Citties The Havens follow Sluce is named from the Catarracts or falling of waters which the Flandrians doe call Sluys it is a Sea Towne it hath a great Haven wherein fifty ships may conveniently ride Over against it is the Isle Cadsant where George Cassander was borne Ostend is situated neere the Ocean being famous for that grievous seige which the Arch Duke Albert layd against it which it valiantly sustained and held out three yeares and some monethes with great
Monastery There are 8. Bishops assigned to governe these Churches the first and chiefest is the Pope the rest are under him as the Bishop Ostiensis who is Patriarke of Campania and doth consecrate the Pope unto whom is joyned Velletrensis or Valeriensis Portuensis Sabinensis Tusculanensis Praenestiensis and Albanensis There are also assigned for the government of the same Churches 28. Cardinals namely by the title of the holy Crosse of Ierusalem by the title of S. Iohn and Paul by the title of S. Stephen in Celio-Monte by the title of S. Susanna by the title of S. Peter by the title of S. Prisca by the title of S. Siriack by the title of S. Marcellus by the title of S. Balbina by the title of S. Grisogoni S. Marcellinus and Peter S. Anastasia S. Clem●nt S. Potentiana S. Martin on the Mountaines S. Praxedis S. Marcus S. Laurence S. Mary S. 4 or Coronatorum S. Sabina S. Nereus and Archileus S. Sixitus S. Eusebius S. Vitalis the 12. Apostles Church S. Laurentius and S. Cecilia unto which are adjoyned 18. Cardinals as Deacons Without the Citty there are in Campania the Bishops Agnaninus Alatrinensis Fundanus Tiburtinus Sagninus Terracinensis Verulanus Feretinus Soranus Aquinus Moreover the Pope hath under him in other parts of the world foure Patriarchall Churches unto which all other Churches in the same parts are subject as the Church of Constantinopole of Alexandria of Antioch of Hierusalem ABRVZZO AND TERRA DI LAVORO A PART of the Kingdome of NAPLES IN this Table two Countries of the Kingdome of Naples are to be described Aprutium and Terra Laboratoris The former or Aprutium the Italians doe now call Abruzzo The bounds thereof on the West are the Sabinians and Picentians with the River Truentum on the North the Hadriatick Sea on the South the Picentinians Campanians Martians Aequicolians dwelling on every side of the Apennine Mountaine The Country hath a very wholesome ayre and is very populous pleasant and commodious toward the Sea but the inward parts are Mountainous Besides other commodities it hath abundance of Saffron and it breedeth great store of Cattell The chiefe Citty of this Country is Aquila They report that the Langbards did build it and afterward Charles Martell or as some thinke the Emperour Frederick the second did wall it and fortifie it and did call it Aquila or Eagle because the Emperours Standard had an Eagle in it And this Citty in short time was so much enlarged that it is now the principall Citty in all this Country Moreover there are the Townes Guastum or Amontum in Italian Guasto di Amone which Pliny and Mela call Histon●um and Ptolemy Istodium without an aspiration Laucianum is a famous Mart-towne whether every yeere in the Moneths of May or August Italians Inluricians Sicilians Graecians Asians and Merchants from other parts of the world doe come to traffick Soulmoon which Ptolemy calleth Sulmo and Strabo Soulmon is now called Sulmona as Leander witnesseth and some doe call it Sermona It is a faire Citty both for beauty populousnesse and abundance of waters and famous because Ovid was borne here Chieti commonly called Civita Cheto is an Archiepiscopall Citty Asculum is an ancient Citty which Antoninus calleth Asculum and Pliny calleth it the noble Colonie of Picenum It standeth in a plaine open soyle being well fortified with strong walls On one side there is a high Mountaine with a Castle seated on it on the other side it is fortified with the River Truentus It is called now by a more fortunate and auspicious name Beneventum though at first it were called Maleventum from the rushes which it suffered a malo Vento or from evill fierce windes It is commonly called Beneventi This Citty hath a very convenient and pleasant situation and an excellent fruitfull soyle round about it Sora is neere unto the River Lirus being populous and adorned with the title of a Dukedome There is also the Towne which Ptolemy calls Aquinus where the great Philosopher Thomas Aquinas was borne It retaineth still that name but it is almost fallen downe yet the ruines doe shew the ancient largenesse thereof and it hath the title of a Country I omit the description of the other Townes for brevity sake The Rivers here are Phinternus ABRVZZO· ABRUZZO et Terra di LOVORO which devideth Samnium from Apulia commonly called Fortore The Fountaine whereof issueth out of the Mountaine Tifernus not farre from Bovianum And it dischargeth it selfe into the Hadriatick Sea neere the Lesinensian Lake There are also Trintus which Pliny noteth is full of Havens also Asinella Sentus Sangrus There are also the Rivers Morus Feltrinus Pescara Aternus Rafentus Orta Liberata Salmus Plumba Vomanus Turdin●s and others Moreover there are also among the Samnites Mountaines so high that they doe exceed the Apennine Mountaines Among which is the Virgins Mountaine famous for S. Maries Church which is built thereon Majella is a very great Mountaine having a very difficult ascent and full of rugged cliffes and Rockes The top of it is continually coverd with Snow yet it hath many greene Meddowes and it sendeth forth many Rivers and hath very spacious woods which are full of wilde beasts especially Beares and it hath many rugged cliffes There are also the tops of the Apennine which they call Montes Tremuli or the trembling Mountaines Terra di Lavoro THis Contry is now called Terra Laboris or Terra di Lavoro that is the Land of labour It was heretofore called Campania The bounds thereof as we may see in Strabo Ptolemy and others are on the west the River Lirus and Latium on the North the Samnitian Mountaines on the East the River Silarus which parteth it from Lucania and a part of the Samnitians Country on the South the Tyrrhene Sea Truely Campania is Campus or a Field into which nature hath powred forth of her owne bosome all the delights pleasures and delicacies which any place can affoord So that it may bee rightly called the Paradise of Italy for fertility and fruitfulnesse Divers people did heretofore governe this Country which Strabo mentioneth Lib. 5. and Pliny Lib. 3. Cap. 5. as namely the Opicians Ausonians Oscians Cumanians Tuscians and Samnites whom the Romanes last of all subdued So much briefely in generall concerning Campania now I come to a more particular description thereof and first of the Citties The Metropolis or mother Citty of Campania and the Kingdome of Naples is called in Coynes Neapolis or Naples Which name it still retaineth and is commonly called Neapolis It taketh up a great space of ground being magnificently built betweene the Sea and the foote of the pleasant Hills being fortified with Bulwarks Townes and Castles by Charles the fifth so that it is now impregnable It hath Ditches which are 80. feete deepe 8. Gates and spacious Market-places There are great store of common Condiutes out of which the water is conveied thorow an hundred Pipes The figure of it is long and it
stretch it forth from Istria even to the confines of Macedon by the Sea shore and doth make it extend to Pannonia and Maesia Pomponius Mela and Dionysius Alexandrinus doe describe it to be larger for hee maketh Illyria to containe all the coast of the Hadriatick Sea from Tergestus even to the Ceraunian Mountaines and placeth it beyond Danubius For Mela reckoneth Danubius among the Rivers of this Country But Pliny maketh the Rivers Arsia and Visius to be the bounds thereof And the most doe follow Ptolomies description who saith that Illyris where it looketh toward Macedon doth containe Dalmatia and Liburnia which Lazius doth call Crabates and others Croatia Pinctus calleth it Contado di Zara. The length of it from Arsa to Dranus is 380 Italian Miles In some parts it hath a pure wholesome ayre but in other places not so wholesome by reason of Moorish exhalations and vapours This Country as Strabo witnesseth is very pleasant it hath strong Havens a fertile Soyle and full of Vines unlesse it bee upon the stony rockie cliffes or on that side which lyeth toward Paennonia where it is cold and coverd with snow Florus in his booke of the first P●nicke warre writeth that the Illyrians grew so licentious that they slew the Romane Embassadors like sacrifices and burnt the Captaines of the Shipps and to disgrace them the more at the command of a woman who as he writeth was called Teuta Againe the Illyrians being hired by King Perses began to set upon the Romanes behind their back but Scorda which was the head Citty of the Nation being rased they straightway yeelded themselves Pliny writeth that the coast of Illyria was more frequented than the Ilands when on the contrary the coast of Italy over against it is very impetuous and stormy The chiefe Citties and Townes of Illyri● are Senia commonly calld Segna being seated on a Plaine by the Sea which is often troubled with the North wind Iadera is now the chiefe and strongest Metropolis of the Liburnians Also Zara commonly call'd Sebenicum Ptolomy calls it Sicum It is situate in the Bay Scardonicor neere the Sea at the foote of a Mountaine where there is a Castell It hath fruitefull fields but it is thinly inhabited by reason that the Turkes doe continually vexe it Spalatum and Salena is celebrated by Ptolomy and Strabo There is also Salona which is a Haven of the Dalmatians which hath few inhabitants because it is so neere unto the Turke Tragurtum now called ●ran is divided from the Continent by SCLAVONIA SLAVONIA croatia Bosnia Dalmat a small arme of the Sea Epidaurus is an ancient Citty by the ruines whereof there is Ragusium commonly call'd Ragusi the Turks call it Pobrovicha it is a small Citty with a strong Castell heere is a famous Mart for all Turkish commodities the Commonwealth is governed by good lawes the Cittizens are rich This Country is watered with two chiefe Rivers Savus and Dravus which doe runne into Danubius Beyond the Mountaines many lesser Rivers doe breake out into the Hadriatick Bay as Edanius Ticicus Naron Rhizon and Drinus The Illyrians or Sclavonians doe dwell in woodden houses thatched unlesse it be some Townes upon the Coast where they live civiller And so much concerning Illyricum or Sclavonia in generall But Sclavonia which our table doth exhibit is onely a part of that Illyricum unlesse we make it to be Plinyes Sclavonia It containeth the Marquiship of Windorum and the County of Zagabria CROATIA CRoatia is a part of Illyricum towards Hungarie which wee described in the beginng Rufus and Volaterranus call it Valeria others Liburnia It joyneth to Istria on the East by the Fanatick Bay and is situate betweene the Rivers Cuspa and Savus and the higher Maesia The Metropolis of this Country is now called Bigihon and sometime Fumlum It hath many other Citties at Zeng Wackat Turnaw Modrish But the Turk by his invasions made this Country knowne having broken the league with the Christians had a great desire to joyne this Country to his Kingdomes and Provinces that so he might more conveniently invade Italy and Germanie whereupon at the beginning of Summer in the yeare 1592. the great Turke sent an Army into Croatia under the conduct of his Bashawes and Captaines The Souldiers being terrified at the approaching of this army the Bashaw of Bosnia tooke the stronge Fort Hrastovitza by treachery And afterward the fury of his Souldiers being not appeas'd therewith hee laid siege to Wyhitz a strong walled Citty the Souldiers having neither munition nor victualls yeelded up the Towne by surrender and the Turke afterward contrary to his promise put them all to the Sword and many inconveniences follow'd after this surrender which I omit Moreover in the yeare following which was 1593. The Turke glorying in his many victories and Townes which hee had taken had a great desire to get the strong Citty Sissegkum and so raysing an army hee besieged it But the Germanes considering what great detriment and losse not onely Germanie but all Europe should sustaine if the Turkes should take it they levied an army and so passing over the River Savus they intended to relieve the Citty The Turkish horse-men who were 8000. or some say 10000. made haste to possesse themselves of the other Banck of the River Savus by the Bridge which was built before that so they might hinder the Christians approach where joyning battell with the Christians the Turkes were put to flight and fled to the Bridge which the Carolostadien Souldiers had first possessed The Turkes were at last all cut off and a great many drown'd in the Rivers Savus and Kulpa The other part of the Turkish Army fled the Bridge being cut downe so that they could not retire to the rest of their army And so on the 22. of Iune in the yeare 1593. this Citty was freed from this straite siege BOSNIA THe Easterne part of Liburnia they now call Liburnia from the Bessi a people of lower Moesia who afterward being expulsed by the Bulgarians did remove into higher Maesia and by changing the letter e for o they were called instead of Bossis Bossi or Bosni and afterward Bosna and Besnia There have beene the like changes in other names as Melita now called Malta Langones and Lingones Scandia and Schondia c. Iaitza is a Citty of Bosnia seated on a high hill and encompassed with two Rivers These Rivers doe flowe at the foote of the Mountaine and so having encircled the Citty doe joyne together and runne both into Savus It was the Metropolis of Bosnia and it hath a strong impregnable Castle This Country also hath other chiefe Citties especially Schwonica and Warbosayne which is now the Metropolis but not walled about The River Milliatzka doth devide it into two parts c. DALMATIA IT remaineth that wee should speake somewhat of Dalmatia a part whereof is described in this Table It was so caled from Deliminium the Metropolis of this Country Heretofore Dalmatia was a
neither doe they sitt downe at Banquets But the Heathenish Greekes have an ancient custome in bewailing the dead The Greeke Christians doe differ in Religion from the Romanes and doe call themselves the Easterne Church They have foure Patriarks the Patriarches of Constantinople of Alexandria of Hierusalem and Annoch These are created by the Metropolitan Bishops as the Popes are by the Cardinals and they are famous for their sanctimonious holy modest and religious life Their yeerely revenue is 400. crownes which is begged in the Churches which are under their government For the Clergie men have no Inheritance They may marry one wife but no more they acknowledge onely two Sacraments Baptisme and the Lords Supper They communicate in both kindes both in Bread and Wine They hate Purgatory and detest graven Images and doe not shave their haire But the richer Graecians and men of Authority doe weare Princely apparell Those that are under the Venetians doe goe in habit like to Venetians Those that are under the Turkes doe goe like Turkes The Governour of Greece is called V●omeli Beglerbey that is King of the Romane Princes for hee governeth all those Countries which the Turke hath in Europe which are subject to Constantinople Hee hath 40. Sangiacks under him who are Captaines of the Horse troopes chosen out of the Spachoglans and they are Governours in the chiefe Citties of the Provinces to keepe them in peace and obedience and they have 150. Sobasci Cimmeriotae or more who are Vice-governours under them of lesser Townes Under these Sangiacks there are 30000. Spachi every one of which maintaineth 3. or 4. Horses for service And these Spachi are distributed thorow the Flamboler that is the bands which doe containe 200.300 400. or 500. Horsemen The chiefe of the Sangiacks is the Governour of Modena who is President also of all Morea who upon the Beglerbeys command is to bring forth a thousand Horse who are bound to serve him for wages Also the Governour of Bosna bringeth 900. Horse and the Governour of Thessalonia bringeth forth 500. Horse an hundred whereof he hath alwaies in a readinesse the rest hee sends when the Turke demands it There are also under this Beglerbey 20000. Horsemen who are subject to the Sangiacks who are called the Tymariots because they have stipends out of the Tymar which is the Emperours Exchequer And also 40000. Akengi or Acconti that is Scouts or light Horsemen who being free from any taxes or contributions doe serve without wages and are supplyd with victuals by the chiefe Citties thorow which they passe There are also many Feudataries who are called Mosselin out of which there are sometime raised 60000 Horsemen and a great number of Footemen It would be tedious to rehearse all matters neither doe we intend it wherefore we returne to the more speciall parts of Greece MACEDON EPIRE AND ACHAJA VVITH which ALBANIA is described SOME have divided Greece in another manner But wee will follow Mercator who doth accurately describe the parts thereof in three Tables But in this Table he setteth forth 3. Provinces of Greece Macedon Epire and Achaja afterward Morea and in the third and last place Candia The first is Macedon being a large Country and so called from King Macedon the sonne of Orsiis some say that it was so denominated from Iupiter and Thia or as Salinus thinketh from Ducalions Nephew It was heretofore called Emathia as Pliny and Trogus doe witnesse Livy writeth that it was first called Paeonia afterward Aemonia Solinus calls it Edonia and Pieria Trogus writeth that it was heretofore called Baeotia Stephanus and Hesychius doe write that a part of it was called Macetia and from thence Eustathius reporteth that the whole Country was so called It is also called in the Booke of Machabees Cethim where we reade that Alexander went out of the Land of Cethim It is situate in the middle of two great Seas the Jonian Sea on the West and the Aegaean on the East on the North it hath a part of Dalmatia and the higher Maesia on the South it toucheth Epirus and Achaja The Country is every where fruitfull and encompassed with great Mountaines and the borders thereof toward the Jonian Sea are plaine and woody for that part which is called Albania is well knowne to bee large fruitfull and pleasant Moreover it is very rich in Gold and Silver and as Aristotle witnesseth a kinde of strange Gold was heretofore found here there is also Brimstone digged out of the Earth Moreover Macedon doth produce a Precious stone called Paeantides which doth helpe women to conceive and bring forth children as Solinus writeth This is that Macedon saith Pliny which heretofore had the Empire of the whole World that is that Country which passed over Asia Armenia Iberia Albania Cappadocia Syria Aegypt Taurus and Causasus this Country had Dominion over the Bactrians Medes and Persians and possessed all the East this conquerd India following the steps of Bacchus and Hercules this is that Macedon in which ou● Emperour Paulus Aemilius in one day tooke 72. Citties and sold them Such was the change of Fortune Macedon containeth many Countries among the which Thessaly is the chiefe which Castaldus calleth Comenolitari There are also many faire Citties in Macedon The chiefe now are Thessalonia which was and is now frequented by divers Christian Nations and Jewes who have there 80. Synagogues The Sangiack of Macedon resideth here He at the command of the Beglerbeg as often as the Turke setteth forth any Army hath 500. Horsemen well appointed an hundred whereof he keepeth neere him to defend his owne borders Neere unto this Citty is Siderocapsa famous for Gold Mettall And Pella where the Kings Treasure is kept and 3000. of the Kings Mares are kept to breed as Pliny and Strabo doe witnesse Stagira was the Towne where Aristotle was borne Also Apollonia where Augustus Caesar learned the Greeke tongue Dyrrachium which was heretofore called Epidaurus is in the Country of Brundusium also Aulon Croja and Cavalla The Rivers of Macedon next to Strimon in the borders of Thrace are Axius Erigonus Aliacmon and Peleus It hath these Mountaines Pelion Ossa Pindus Nimphaeus and Athon Athos is a great steepe rugged Mountaine which casteth a shaddow even to the Iland Lemnos it is planted with Vines Olives Bay-trees Mirtle-trees and Apple-trees Now it is inhabited by the Colojerians who are so religious that even the Turkes doe abstaine from this part alone and doe often give the Monkes gifts and benevolences EPIRVS· EPIRUS is a Country of Greece as Ptolemy and others doe call it Martianus Capella writeth that it was heretofore called Chaonia Grabillius affirmeth out of Dionysius and Thrasibulus that it was called Oricia and Dodona Leander and Erythraus doe write that it is now called Albania Richerius and Aeneas Silvius Larta Castaldus saith that it was called Ianna This Country is bounded on the East with the River Celydnus or Pepylychnus on the North it hath Macedon This
Throne and yet touched the top of the Church with his head it must needs come to passe that if this Ivory god being weary of sitting would rise up at any time that hee must throw downe the top of the Church There is also Pisa Achaja which Ptolemy calleth Propria reacheth from the Promontory Araxus even to the Sicyonian from whom it is devided by the River Sus on the South it hath the Mountaine Stymphalus on the North the Corinthian Bay There are also the Citties Dyme which they now call Charenza whence they call the Araxean Promontory Capo di Chiarenza there is also the famous Citty Patrae which is now called Patras The Citty Aegium in former time was called Vostiza or Bostizan and it was raced by the Turkes Aegira was heretofore a chiefe Citty being seated on a rugged steepe Hill which is now ruinate and called Xilocastro And in the Crissaean Bay there are Helice Bura and Pellene Si●●nia is situate betweene Achaja and Asopus the chiefe Citty thereof is Sicion the ancientest of all the Greeke Citties and built in Abrahams time being full of Churches Altars Statues and Images There was also Phlius which happily is that which they now call Vasilicon There remaineth Arcadia which is a Mediterranian Country in Peloponnesus being every where encompas'd with the Sea In this Country there is the Citty Megalopolis where Polibius a grave and wise Writer was borne It is now called Leontari There is also Stimphalus whence the Stymphalian Lake and the Stymphalian Birds There are also Lilaea Mantinea and Psophis But the chiefe Citties of all Peloponnesus Ovid Lib. 6. Metamorph. hath thus briefly described and Epitomized Finitimi Proceres coeunt urbesque propinquae Oravere suos ire ad solatia reges Argosque Sparte Pelopejadesque Mycenae Et nondum torvae Calidon invisa Dianae Orchomenosque ferax nobilis aere Corinthus Messeneque ferox Patraeque humilesque Cleovae Et Melea Pilos nec adhuc Pitheia Tr●ezen Quaeque urbes aliae bimari clauduntur ab Isthmo The neighbouring Princes met the Citties neere Intreate their Kings the desolate to cheere Renown'd Mycenae Sparta the Argive State And Calydon not yet in Dian's hate Fertile Orchomenos Corinthus fam'd For high-priz'd Brasse Messene never tam'd Cleovae Patrae Pylos Nelius crowne And Throezen not as then Pitheus Towne With all that two-sea'd Isthmus Straites include And all without by two-sea'd Isthmus view'd The most famous Rivers are Asopus which Theverus calleth now Arbon also Penejus which Thevetus and Niger call Igliaco there is also Alpheus which the Inhabitants call Rophea and as Niger saith Orphoa the Italian Marriners call it Carbon and 140. streames and Rivulets doe runne into this River There is also Panisus which Niger calleth Stromio but Castaldus and Mercators tables call it Pirnaza which is the greatest River of all Peloponesus The water whereof doth heale as it is reported all diseases belonging to Children and Infants Eurotas is now called by Stephanus and others Basilopotamo but Niger calleth it Iris whose bankes are full of Bay-trees and Inachus which S●phianus and others doe now call Planizza but Niger calleth it Iris whose bankes have also great store of Bay-trees I omit the other Rivers The Mountaines are Stimphalus the highest Mountaine of Arcadia which Dominicus Niger calleth Poglici Xitias Niger calleth it Pholos Mela Cillenius Strabo Cyllene it is the highest Mountaine in all Arcadia There is also the Mountaine which Mela calls Menalius Ptolemy Cronium Also Grevenos which Niger calleth Zarex and Gemistus Zaraca That which Ptolemy and Strabo call Minthe Niger calleth Olonus Pausanias calleth it Evan from Evoe a noise which Bacchus his Priests did use because it is reported that Bacchus and those women that followed him did use this acclamation or cry That which Pliny Pausanias Vibius and Stephanus do call Taigotus is a Mountaine of Peloponesus in Laconia neere unto the River Eurota From the top whereof there is so faire a prospect that you may behold all the Peninsula and every famous Citty in it This Mountaine doth breed many wilde beasts being consecrate to Bacchus Apollo Diana and Ceres In Morea there are these Bishopricks the Archbishop of Corinth under whom is Argivensis The Archbishop Patracensis under whom are the Bishops Coloniensis Mothonensis Coronensis Amiclensis and Androvillensis CANDIA VVHICH POPE BONIFACE of MONTIS-FERRAT sold unto the VENETIANS WEE are come at length to the last Table of Europe in which Mercator doth delineate and paint foorth Candia with some small Ilands neere Greece Ptolemy calls it Crete which is an Iland in the Mediterranean Sea It is now commonly called Candy On the North the Aegean Sea doth beare upon it on the South the Lybian and Aegyptian Seas on the West the Hadriatick Sea on the East the Carpathian Sea The forme of it is long on the East the Promontory Samonium shooteth forth on the West there is the Promontory Criu Metopum on the North there is a third Promontory which Stra. lib. 10. calleth ●imarus now it is called Capo Chesis The length is 270. miles the breadth 5● The compasse of it 588. The Country is every where rugged and Mountainous but it yeeldeth good store of Corne and Grasse The soyle is very fruitfull and there are abundance of trees Pliny also witnesseth that whatsoever groweth in Creete is better than any of the same kinde that groweth otherwheres It beareth Vines Olives Oranges Figges Lemmons Cittrons Malmesie is made onely in this Country and so is transported from thence to Venice and other parts of the world This Wine as Bellonius witnesseth the ancients did call Pramium But Volaterranus thinketh that those wines which they called Arvisia are now called Malvisia or Malmesie by the addition of one letter and he addeth that those kindes of Vines were brought out of Arvisium a Promontory of the Iland Chios into Creete whence they were heretofore called Arvisian Wines It beareth also and produceth Honey Waxe Cheese Saffron store of Gum and Bitony peculiar onely to Creete In the whole Iland there is neither Wolfe Foxe Serpent or any harmefull creature except Spiders In regard whereof the Flockes and Heards of Cattell doe feede securely and safely in the Meddowes especially Sheepe which they call Striphoceri But it produceth divers living creatures And Authors doe report of Creete That it hath no Owles and that they dye if they bee brought into this Iland Iupiter did first governe this Iland then Radamarth afterward Minos and the Graecians The Romanes power over it began from Metellus who was therefore calld Creticus Afterward the Constantinopolitans did possesse it Baldwin Earle of Flanders and Emperour of Constanti●ople gave it to the Marquesse of Montis-ferrat who sold it to the Venetians in the yeere 1194. for a great summe of gold and so it is still under their Empire Ancient Writers doe report that it had heretofore an hundred famous Citties and Pliny mentioneth a-about 40. The most noted City is Gnossos where Minos
call Academies There is a Schoole in the Towne Banoum where they solemnly take Degrees from the Rector or Governour thereof And amongst the rest there is a Seminary of Jesuits in which the Japonians doe learne the Portugall language and the Europeans the Japonian language Moreover the Japonians doe use Printing And generally they are a witty crafty people and have good naturall gifts both for judgement dociblenesse and memory Poverty is no reproach nor disgrace to any one They hate cursing stealing and rash swearing They are of a tall lusty stature and comely of body They are strong and lusty and able to beare armes untill they bee threescore yeeres old They have but little beards but they weare their haire after divers fashions the youths doe pull off all the haire on the forepart of their head and the common people doe pull off halfe the haire on their heads And Noblemen doe pull off all except it bee some few haires which are left at the hinder part of their head and it is held an affront for any one to presume to touch them They lay faire Carpets or Quilts upon the ground and upon them they sleepe and dine upon them kneeling on their knees and sitting on their thighs They have as great a care of cleanlinesse as the Chinoans who by the helpe of two stalkes which they use at meales doe neither let any thing fall by nor have no need to wipe their fingers They come to supper without shooes that so they may not foule the Carpet with treading on it The poorer sort especially by the Sea side doe live by Hearbs Rice and Fish the rich have great sett Banquets at every Dish the Guests Trenchers are changed which have no Napkins belonging to them but are made of Cedar or Pine wood and are a hand-breadth thick Their meate is served in in the forme of a Pyramis besprinkled with Gold with Cypresse boughes sticking in it And sometimes Fowle with gilded Bills and Feete are brought in whole in great Dishes Here the Portugals doe trade for here are found great store of Pearles and Rubies and other Pretious Stones and also Gold which doe make the Iland very rich THE ILAND ZEILAN THE Iland Zeilan or Ceilon the Arabians doe call Tenarizim and Ternasseri that is the Land of Delight and the Indians Hibernarum This Iland Ptolemy calleth Taprobana as Barrius and Corsalus doe witnesse which Varrerius doth also affirme And Ortelius in his Treasury of Geography doth consent unto him But our Mercator thinketh it to be Nanigeris Ptolemies Greeke Bookes doe call it Pamigenesis unto whom other doe agree But I leave the matter undetermined and indifferent betweene both This most excellent Iland Zeilan lyeth 10. degrees from the Aequinoctiall not farre from the Promontory Comorinus The compasse of it is 240. leagues or as some say 700. mile the length of it is 78. leagues 240. or 50. miles The breadth of it is 44. leagues or 140. miles This Iland although it lye in the Torrid Zone yet it hath so temperate a Climate and so wholesome an ayre that for that respect it excelleth all the Provinces of the Indies and some have thought that Paradise was here The ayre is very milde and gentle and the Summer nor Winter is never too violent The Soyle is fruitfull and alwayes greene and full of Flowers So that wee may say with the Poet concerning this Iland Hic Ver purpureum Varios hic flumina circum Fundit humus Flores Here both the Spring and Earth sweet flowers yeeld Which by the Rivers grow in every Field THE ILAND ZEILAN· CEILAN insula And let so much suffice concerning the Iland Zeilan and of Asia the third part of the World wee proceed to America which is the fourth the last and greatest part of the world being joyned together by a famous Istmus and so devided into the Northerne and Southerne America A DESCRIPTION OF THE ILANDS OF THE WEAST-INDIES IN the West-Indies as they call it there are many Ilands some greater and some lesser The greater are called S. Iohns Iland Hispaniola Cuba Iamayca The lesser are of two sorts some of which are commonly call'd Stotavento situated Southward the other called Barlovento doe lie Northward and were first discoverd by Columbus The chiefe of the Majorick Ilands is S. Iohns Iland or the Rich-mans Haven the length of it is 45. leagues and the breadth of it 20. or 26. leagues and hath abundance of all things which are in Hispaniola It hath a wholesome ayre and not too hot for it rayneth there all our Summer time namely from the Moneth of May to September in August there are cruell tempests commonly called Huracanes when the North winde spoyles that which hath beene sowed There is a Towne in this Iland at the North side situated Eastward in 18. degrees of Latitude And it hath a Castle on a Hill in which the Governour and other publike officers doe dwell The Inhabitants did call Hispaniola before the Spaniards came thither Haitij it resembleth the leafe of a Chesnut Tree being situate in 18. and 20. degrees Northward toward the Aequinoctiall Line The compasse of it is 400. leagues and it lyeth length-wayes from the East Westward Heretofore it was full of native Inhabitants very fruitfull and devided into many Provinces but now it is exhausted by the Spaniards tyranny The Metropolis and head Towne thereof is S. Dominico which Columbus called Nova Isabella or new Isabell There are also other lesse Townes as Zeibo Cotuy The Silver Haven Christs Mountaine and also the Towne of S. Iames and others which the Spaniards doe inhabit The Iland Cuba followeth which hath on the North Terra Florida on the West New Spaine on the South the Iland Iamayca it is 200. leagues long and 45. broad The Metropolis is S. Iames his Towne in which there is a Bishop the next unto it is Havena which hath a good Haven and is the chiefe Towne for trading in the whole Iland there are also other Townes as Baracoa Bayamo or S. Saviours Towne There is also Iamayca which Columbus called S. Iames his Iland the compasse of it is 120. leagues and it is 50. long and 25. broad It is as fruitfull and pleasant as any other Iland and the Inhabitants are sharpe witted It hath two chiefe Townes Orestan and Sevilla in the latter there is a Church and Abbey The lesser Ilands are devided into Leucayae and Cambales The Leucajan Iles are those which looke Northward toward the rich Port and the other greater Ilands The Canibals lie THE ILANDS OF THE VVEST INDIES The YLANDES of the WEST INDIES South-West toward America and the most of them are inhabited by Canibals or Men-eaters the names of these Ilands are these Anegada Anguilla Antigua Barbadoes St. Bartholmews St. Christophers d'Esienda S. Dominico S. Estasia Granada Guadalupe S. Lutia the White Ilands Maregalante St. Martine Mantinina
Montferrat Redonda Saba S. Crucis Sombrera All-Saints S. Vincent the Virgins Iland and also the Ilands called the Bermudas from their first Discoverer which lye in 33. degrees of Northerne Latitude and are 3300. English miles in length they have abundance of Cedar and the English of late have begun to plant Tobacco in them THE ILANDS CVBA HISPANIOLA JAMAICA S. Johns Iland and Margarita THE Ilands Cuba Hispaniola Iam●ica S. Iohns and Saint Margarites are next to be unfolded and described according to the order of our method The Iland Cuba was so called by the Inhabitants and the Spaniards doe call it Fernandina and Ioanna also Alpha and Omega if we beleeve Peter Martyr On the West it is parted with the Sea from Iucatana on the East with the Sea from Hispaniola on the South is Iamaica The length of it from the East to the West is 300. miles or rather Spanish leagues and it is 15. and in some places 20. in breadth The Tropick of Cancer cutteth thorow the midst of it Those that have seene Cuba doe liken it and resemble it to a Willow leafe because it is longer than broad The Country is very temperate but in some places coulder and it hath a kinde of course Gold and it is very rich in Brasse It bringeth forth great store of Madder for Dyers Also great store of Sugar Wheate Corne and other fruits and Hearbes Moreover it beareth Cassia Ginger Mastick Aloes and Cinamon Serpents of which there are a great number are counted great dainties And the woods doe breed and feed great store of Hogs and Oxen. It hath 6. Citties the chiefe whereof are S Iames Towne and Havana the former was built by Iames Valasius and is a Bishops seate It is the Mart Towne and Haven for the whole Iland here the Kings Ships doe usually ride untill the time of the yeere and the winde standing faire doe promise them a good voyage for Spaine There are now some Galleyes in it which defend all the Coast from Enemies This Iland hath many Gold-bearing Rivers the water whereof is sweet and pleasant to drinke It hath also many sweet and salt Lakes so that there is plenty of Salt here The Country is rugged high and Mountainous And the Mountaines have veines of Gold in them There is also in the same Iland a Mountaine not farre from the Sea out of which there runneth good Pitch for Ships Gonzalus Ovetanus doth describe another strange thing in this Iland That there is a Valley between the Mountaines that is two or three Spanish miles long the ancients did call it the Stone field as that in Gallia Narbonensis which hath such a number of round stones that many Ships might be loaden with them being naturally made in such a Sphaericall round forme that nothing can be made rounder with a paire of Compasses The people of this Country are content with the bounty of nature neither doe they know what belongs to mine or thine or money but have all things in common even as nature bestoweth the light of the Sunne and water on all men equally therefore their Gardens are open and unfenced and nature teacheth them that which is right without lawes They went commonly naked And in their marriages they observed a strange kinde of custome for the Bridegroome did not lye with his Bride the first night but if he were a Gentleman a Gentleman did supply his place but if the Bridegoome were a Merchant or Country-man than a Mercbant or Country-man did supply their places The men did repudiate and put away their Wives for any light cause But the Women could not put away their Husbands for any cause the men were very lustfull and obscene The Spaniards found it well inhabited with people but now it is inhabited onely by Spaniards because the native Inhabitants are all dead partly by famine and labour and the veneriall disease and besides after that Cortes had subdued and planted himselfe in this Iland they carried the most part of the Inhabitants into new Spaine so that there is scarcely one Indian now upon the whole Iland HISPANIOLA THe Inhabitants did heretofore call this Iland Haity and Quisqueja and afterward also it was called Cipangi The Spaniards called it after their owne name Spaniola or Hispaniola and from Dominick St. Domingo or St. Dominicks Ile and built a Citty in honour of him which is the chiefest Citty of the Iland The compasse of this Iland is 1300. miles or 350. leagues The length is 500. miles the breadth of it in respect of the many Bayes and Promontories is various and different Peter Martyr calleth it the Mother of all other Ilands The middle of the Iland is distant from the Aequinoctiall Line almost 19. degrees It is long Northward and the breadth of it is from East to West It hath a temperate ayre so that the trees are continually greene and it is more pleasant and fruitfull than the rest They say that here are Sugar Canes that are higher and thicker than any where else Besides this is an Argument of the fertility thereof for wheate being sowed yeeldeth an hundred fold increase At Valentia in Spaine one Cane will scarcely fill 7. Pots but in Hispaniola one Cane will fill 20. or 30. Moreover this Country doth yeeld Cassia Ginger Mastick Aloes and Cinamon It hath also great store of Salt There are rich Mines of Gold and Silver and other Mineralls especially of a blue kinde of colour Before the Spaniards comming there were onely three kindes of beasts but now it is so stored with beasts that have beene brought thither so that great store of Hides and Skins are yeerely transported from thence into Spaine There are many Citties in this Iland the chiefe is St. Dominico at the mouth of the River Ozama where the Bishop and the Vice-Roy are resident There are other lesse Citties as St. Iohns Meguma Portus Platae the Kings Porte Canana Xaragua and others For there are in this Iland many Rivers Lakes and Springs very full of Fish But there are 7. great Rivers which affoord most pleasure and commodity to the Inhabitants CVBA HISPANIOLA c. HAVANA PORTUS IAMAICA I. S. IOANNIS I. MARGARETA CUBA INSUL HISPANIOLA which running out of the high Rocks which are in the middle of the Iland doe spread abroad divers wayes Iuna runneth to the East Attibunicus to the West Iacchus to the North Natabus to the South and that the Iland is devided into foure parts Moreover there is in Bainoa a great Lake the Indians doe call it Hagveigabon and we the Caspian Sea which is enlarged every where with infinite Rivers yet it never emptieth it selfe but is devoured in its hollow Channell it is conjectured that the spongie Rocks doe receive and let in the Sea-water by Subterranean passages because many Sea Fishes are found there and the water tasteth salt Moreover there are other lesser salt Lakes in this Iland
time being not vexed so much with windes and high Seas as the civell dissentions of the Castellanians and Portugals After hee sayled some dayes Southward hee came to the Promontory of the holy Crosse Here one of his Ships runne a shore but the Men Ordnance and fraight was saved Afterward when he observed that the shore did bend a little from the South Eastward hee began to bee in hope of reaching the Straites And on the 26. of November this narrow passage was discover'd into which Magellan with foure other Ships entred Here they thought good to stay in a certaine Bay and to send 3. Ships before to ●ound the passage and to make discovery One of the Ships in which was Alvarus Meschita having past thorow stood out to Sea againe and so directing their course Northward it was brought first to Aethiopia and afterward to Spaine and 8. moneths after they had left their company Alvarus was brought before Charles King of Castile as a Captive The third Ship made report that it was a straite narrow Sea by observing the flowing and ebbing of the Sea It was the Moneth of November and the night was five houres long the shore on the right hand and the left or the Starbord and Larbord shore was very solitary and no creature to be seene but that on the left side they saw a great fire And this was the cause why they called that Country Terra del Fuego and they supposed that the Inhabitants had discoverd them Magellan having left 2. Ships in this manner he furnished the other according as was fitt for the present occasion and discovering all as he went two and twenty dayes after he entred the Bay or Straite he was brought into another Sea which for the quiet peaceablenesse thereof he called Mar del Zur or Mare P●cificum that is the peaceable Sea But this Straite being environd on every side with high Rocks is 120. miles long or according to others 76. miles the breadth of it is not equall and very different for sometimes it is 2. or 3. miles broad and sometimes 10. or 5. and where it is narrowest it is a mile broad The Northerne Sea on the East side is carried betweene the Straites of either land 70. miles and more where it mingleth with the Southerne Sea on the West side winding thorow those Promontories it meeteth with the Northerne Sea where their Waves meete very violently and with a great noise so that all the Sea is coverd with froth The Southerne Sea doth flow and ebbe more gently for the Westerne part of the Bay being very deepe and broader● affordeth a quieter passage to the Sea when it floweth But the Easterne part of the Straites is full of Flats and Sands and many Ilands which causeth the raging and troublesomenesse of the Seas on either Shore there are high trees Moreover when Magellan had layne halfe a yeere in these Southerne parts hee viewed and discoverd nothing but the shoares but the innermost parts of the Country remained unknowne but yet it is manifest that that part which lyeth Southward is most of it a Mountainous Woodly Country and hath Snow continuall upon it Some say blue Snow hath beene found here which I leave to others judgement Magellan called this Southerne Land del Fugo from the fire or fires for when he discoverd these Straites he saw no mortall creature but he often beheld in the night time many great fires as we said before on the left hand But the Southerne Land on the West side doth looke toward both the Iavas Summatra and the Molucco's on the East it hath Affrick and the Aethiopian Ocean on the North it hath the Straites of the Magellan Bay and the Land of the Patagons The Country on either shore is barren and unfruitful but yet it hath great strange unknowne Trees Here are at all times great store of Pinguines Cormorants and Sea-calfes For the Pinguines come hither in the moneth of September and doe hatch their young ones in October In the Moneth of Aprill they flie to the Sea and after they are gone there commeth great store of Cormorants They are called Pinguines apirguedine from their fatnesse the old one doe weigh 13.14 or 16. pounds the younger 8. or 12. pound They are black on the backe and white on the belly and they have a Milke white circle round about their neck Their backs are like the Sea Calves and as thicke as a Hogge which you cannot pierce with a Speare Their Bill is bigger than a Crowes bill but not crooked Their necke is thicke and short Their bodies are as bigge as a fat Goose but not so broad They have no wings in stead whereof they have two pinnions coverd with feathers which hang downe like wings which doe make them swim wonderfull fast They live by Fish for they are Water-Fowle They goe straite upright with those pinnions hanging downe They have black feete like Geese but not so broad If any pursue them they will cry with a voyce like a man Mergus or the Cormorant is so called by Varro Lib. 4. concerning the Latine tongue because mergendo se in aquam captat escam he getteth his food by diving into the water unto whom Ovid in his Metamor Lib. 11. concerning Aesacus the sonne of Priam doth assent where he singeth thus THE STRAITES OF MAGELLAN· FRETUM Magellani Aequor ama● nomenque manet quia mergitur illi Hee loves the Sea and keepes that name Because he dives into the same And though divers kindes of Water-fowle doe the same yet the ancient Latines did call this kinde of Bird onely Mergus or a Cormorant which the Greekes doe call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Italians Corvo Marino the Germanes Tu●her and the English doe call a Cormorant Turner an Englishman saith that this Bird is as bigge as a Goose of a browne colour having a long Bill and crooked in the end flat footed heavie bodyed the shape of her body when she standeth upright is like a Bird sitting Pliny writeth that she buildeth her Nest in Trees but Aristotle saith upon the Sea Rocks Ovid calleth that Bird which hath long legges and a great throat a Cormorant for he saith Longa internodia crurum Longa manet cervix caput est a corpore longe His Thighs and Neck both long are His Head is from his body farre The Cormorants contrary to all other Birds have their feete under their tayle so that when they stand on the ground they beare their breasts strait upright as men doe as the Author of the Booke of naturall matters writeth Pliny calleth Phoca Phooke and the Sea-calfe Albertus also calleth it the Sea Wolfe and otherwhiles the Sea Dog the Germanes call Ein meer Kalb and the English call it a Seale It doth Bay like a Calfe his tongue is cloven into two parts his teeth are like Sawes and his hinder feete like the tayles of Fishes it hath a small tayle which is coverd