offence but that the same might be turned to defence of which kind are castles built of later times and the deuises of moderne fortification And therefore the closest castles are neuer accounted the best because they which are forced to guard such places are depriued of the facilitie of offending the enimie by sallies shot wilde-fire and such like all which and many other stratagemes were easily performed in an open hold But of all inuentions there is none more admirable then that of fortification for euen the termes thereof as Curtains counterscarps parapets trenches vamures mines and countermines casemats and such like phrases are verie ingenious and misticall for by this arte fewe soldiers haue resisted great armies and a small place made tenable hath wasted the forces and treasures of a mightie Emperour As well witnessed the fortunes of 800. Portugals at Damain vpon the coast of Cambaia who by this arte scorned and deluded the whole forces and attempts of this mightie Mogor The kingdome of China IN times past the kingdome of China hath beene farre larger then now it is For it appeereth by their histories containing the Annales of 2000. yeeres and vpwards and by other of their manuscript Cronicles written in their owne language whose fragments are yet to be seene that their kings were Lords almost of all the sea coast of Asia from the streight of Anian to the kingdome of Pegu the prouinces of Meletai Bacam Calan Boraga and other territories situated vpon the north side of Pegu where their monuments with their epitaphes deuises are to be seene at this day For in all the foresaid regions the reliques of their ancient ceremonies whereby the knowledge of the Mathematiques as the diuision of the yeere into monethes the Zodiake into twelue signes true testimonies of their emperie are obserued and taught by tradition Neither is the time long sithence all those kingdomes accoūted the king of China their soueraigne sending their ambassadors with presents to his court euery third yeere These ambassadors ought to be fower at least for before they could arriue at their iourneies end some of thē either by remotenes of place difficult accesse of audience or delay in dispatch could not but surely die those whose chance it was to scape the Chinois in some set banquet would poison erect vnto them stately tombes with the inscription of their names the place from whence they came with the title of ambassadors thereby say they to commit to eternitie the remembrance of the bounds of their empire They inlarged their dominions no lesse vpon the Ocean then vpon the continent For they first of all inuaded the Iles of the Orient next them followed the Giau◠then the Malaccans and Moores and lastly the Portugals and Castilians who hold them at this day But none of these nations were of equall power and magnificence to the Chinois for besides the conquest of the bordering Iles which in regarde of their numbers their spaciousnes and fertilitie were of great reckoning they became Lords of the greatest part of all the inhabitable places in that vast Archipelago euen to Zeilan where they left their speech caracters as also they did the like vpon the opposite continent We read also in the papers of certain Iesuits that in one quarter of the Iland of S. Laurence they found white people which said that they descended of the Chinois They first discouered the Moluccas gaue names to the spices planted colonies in many of them which to this present keepe their old names as Batta China a Muar Batta China Mauri Batta signifieth a towne Batta China a towne of the Chinois It is likewise thought that the inhabitants of Iaua descended of them to speak truth there is no great difference between their maner of liuing clothing building industrie traffik manuall occupations But after the shipwrack of 80. vessels and the losse of their people in the sea of Zeilan comparing their profit with their losse they resolued to trie no more such hazards but to containe thēselues within their owne bounds And to cause this edict to be inuiolably obserued they enact ed that none thereafter vpon paine of the losse of his head should offer to saile into those parts the kings themselues did euer after abstaine from future inuasions For sithence they enioy a very earthly paradise where nature and arte are at strife to content the inhabitants where no good thing is wanting but much superfluous and to spare what mad men would consume their bodies and treasures in getting those things which are more chargeable to get then profitable to keepe Polibius writeth that vpon the same reasons the olde Carthaginians forsooke part of those things which before they had conquered The Romanes after they had suffered a greenous losse of their best vessels in the second Punicke warre in meere dispaire bid nauigation adieu but afterwardes perceiuing that they who were commanders of the sea were likely to prooue Lords of the land built a new nauie and at length saw the successe answere their latest opinions Therefore can we not but ascribe this resolution of the Chinois rather to good conscience and aduisednes then to wisedome or good policie For seeing there can be no greater follie then to hazard our owne goods vpon hope to gaine anothers to waste the borders of our owne dominions to inuade our neighbours to shed our owne blood vpon desire to spill a strangers it is more honorable and worthie the office of a king to content himselfe with his owne right rather then by wrong to possesse anothers Content breedes stabilitie conquest brings care to see to the conquered therefore why should any prince weare out himselfe to inlarge his dominion if inlargement doe not onely doe no good but euen spoileth that which was good before making that vncertaine which before was certaine and weakening that which before was strong Let a wise prince vtterly refraine such iournies if they bring not assured securitie and more then common profit For securitie is one scale wherein a state hangeth which if the beame stand true must onely aime at that which is likely to breede greater securitie and that is the seising vpon streights sconces passages and fit places to remooue the enemie far away In the other scale should hang profit that is by conquering those prouinces which are rich or able to yeeld all kinde of prouision for liuing creatures and furniture for warre and shipping But to returne to the Chinois When this surrender was resolued in full counsell they set the people whom they had vanquished free yet some of their good wils remained feodaries shadowing their estates vnder the wings of their puissance as the kings of Corea Lequi Canchinchina and Siam And notwithstanding their retrait within their owne bounds yet possesse they a dominion little lesse then all Europe for from the North towards the South it reacheth from 17. to 52. degrees from the East to the West are 22. degrees
in these daies by the conquest of the great Turke they are much diminished and it is thought that they amount to little more then two millions but the feodarie landes townes and villages which are very many supply a great part of the pay due to the companies of the horsemen aboue mentioned Towards the East bordereth the Mogor vpon the North the Zagatai Towards the West the Turke possesseth a large frontire vpon the South lieth Ormus and therein the Portugals With the Mogors he is little troubled For as Spaine France by reason of the narrow streights difficult passages ouer the mountaines cannot easily conuey necessaries the life of an armie to infest one another so towards the frontiers of India and Cambaia prouinces belonging to the Mogors high mountaines vast deserts keepe good peace betweene these two princes Yet infest they one another on the borders of Cabul Sablestan of which certaine Lords of the Mogors haue gotten the dominion He commeth not neere the borders of the great Cham betweene whom certaine petie princes and impassible deserts doe oppose themselues It seemeth that towards the Zagatai he standeth content with those bounds which the riuer Oxus hath laid out for he neuer durst passe it when Zaba king of the Zagatai had passed it he was ouerthrowne with a great slaughter by Ismael So againe was Cyrus by Tomiris who slew him and all his host The Turke is a borderer all alongst the westerne coast of this whole empire euen from the Caspian sea to the gulfe of Saura a tract almost of 15. degrees He hath no enemie like dangerous to this prince more to be feared or of greater power at whose hands in all conflicts for the most part he hath reaped nothing but losse and dishonor Mahumet the second ouerthrew Vssanchan and tooke from Dauid his vassall and confederate the empire of Trapezond Selim the first ouerthrew Ismael in Campania and tooke from him Caramit Orfa Merdis and all the territorie which they call Alech Soliman put Tamas to flight and tooke from him Babylon and all Mesopotamia In our daies Amarath woon whatsoeuer lieth betweene Derbent and Tauris wherein is comprehended Georgia and Siruan and by building of fortresses in Testis Sumachia and Ere 's assured the passages of Chars Tomanis and Lori He is Lord of all that lieth betweene Erzirum and Orontes a riuer three daies iournie beyond Tauris In this citie he caused a citadell to be built not minding to leaue it as did Selim and Soleman but thereby as with a curbe to bridle and keepe it for euer In this warre which lasted from the yeere 1591. to 1597. the Turks altered their forme of warfare For whereas they were woont to lay their whole hopes vpon their numbers the valor of their horsmen and footemen their store of artillerie and warlike furniture scorning to be cooped vp in castles and fortresses for the most part burning whatsoeuer they became Lords of and little caring to keepe what they had conquered supposing it no good policie to strengthen townes by weakning their companies in these wars to auoide the inconueniences whereinto Selim and Soliman were plunged were glad to build strong places vpon commodious passages and citadels in the chiefest townes furnishing them with good garrisons and great store of artillerie This warre cost them very deere for by surprises by famine and extremities of weather infinite thousands perished yet alwaies to the losse of the Persian or his confederates In the field the Persian is farre inferior to the Turke in numbers and goodnes of footemen in ordinance in all sorts of warlike furniture and the chiefest stay of a state in obedience of subiects Notwithstanding if Selim Soliman or Amarath had not been allured either by rebellion or intestine discords they durst not haue medled with this warre Selim was called in to the aide of Marabeg the sonne of Ossan a most mightie prince in Persia. Soliman came in aide of Elcaso the brother of Tamas hateful to his soueraigne for his ambition and aspiring humor and in the end abused the credit and good will of the people towards Elcaso to the furtherance of his owne desseignes Amurath neuer tooke weapon in hand against this people before he vnderstood by the letters of Mustafa Bassa of Van that all Persia was in vprore about the election of a newe prince thereby certifying him that some had chosen Ismael some Ayner both sonnes of Tamas and that Periacocona slaying her owne brother Ismael and betraying Ayner had procured the kingdome to Mahumet Codobanda After this mischiefe fell those fatalliars betweene Codabanda and his sonne and betweene the Turcoman nation a mighty familie in Persia and the king a faction no lesse disastrous to the state of Persia then the warre of Turkie Against the Portugals of Ormus for want of sea forces he stirreth not and againe for want of land forces the Portugals are not able to molest his vpland countries Tamas being counselled to make a voiage against Ormus asked what commodities the Iland brought forth whether corne cattell fruit or what other good thing When it was answered that the soile was vtterly barren and destitute of all prouision but excellent well seated for traffike and nauigation scoffing at the motion replied that of this kinde of reuenue he had released vnto his people aboue ninetie thousand Tomana The kingdome of Iapan IApan may well be called a politike bodie compacted of many sundry Ilands of diuers different formes circuits which as they are diuided from the rest of the cōtinent so are they inhabited by a people much differing in manners customes from the residue of the Orient They stand round and close togither like the Maldinae in the Indian sea and the Hebrides and Orchades in the north Ocean They are in number 66. diuided into three partialities The first conteineth nine the second fower the third fiftie three Amongst these fiue are renowmed but especially one for the famous citie of Macao And it is most commonly seene that they who haue the soueraigntie of those fiue are Lords of all the rest It is distant from new Spaine 150. leagues from China 60. The soile is to be accounted rather barren then fertile The inhabitants are of a very readie wit and marueilous patient in aduersitie Their new borne children they immediately wash in the riuers and assoone as they are weaned they take them from their mothers and bring them vp in labours of hunting and such like exercises They go bare headed men and women as well in foule weather as faire They are very ambitious and desirous of honor Pouertie is no disgrace to the Gentrie of their bloud They will not suffer the least wrong to passe vnreuenged they salute one another with many curtesies they are verie staied and of a setled resolution They are very iealous to shew themselues fearefull or base minded in word or deed they will make no man priuie of their losses or
in safetie The sea coast is on euerie side cliffie and inaccessible except in some certaine places which are strongly fortified as Barwicke Douer Dertmouth Plymmouth Falmouth Bristow Milford c. so that the whole Ilande may be taken for one impregnable castell or Bulwarke To this strength of situation may be ioyned their sea and lande forces As touching their sea-forces besides the Nauie Royall the kingdome hath so many faire hauens and those so frequented with merchants that two thousand ships are reported to trafique there Be this as it may it is vndoubtedly true that vpon necessitie they are able to put to sea aboue fower hundred ships Edward the third at the siege of Caleis and Henrie the eight at the siege of Bullen waisted ouer with a thousand faile of all sorts and therefore to inuade that Iland whose hauens are hard to approch and worse to enter by reason of the fortifications and which haue so many ships at commaund I account a most difficult and dangerous enterprise And to this dangerous difficultie may be added another which is that the English people are maruellous expert in maritime actions then whom at sea there is not a valianter and bolder nation vnder heauen For in most swift ships excellent well furnished with ordinance wherewith the kingdome aboundeth they goe to sea with as good courage in winter as in sommer all is one with them They trade into Moscouie Cathay Alexandria of Egypt Constantinople Liuonia Barbarie and Guinea Anno 1585. with a fleete of fiue and twentie ships whererein were 2500. souldiers they sayled into the west Indies and tooke Saint Iago Saint Domingo in Hispaniola and Cartagena on the continent Saint Augustines a citie built of timber and by them destroyed with fire In the time of warre they continually veâ—e the Terceraz and the coast of Brasill Two of their Captaines haue sayled round about the world with no lesse courage then glorie and good fortune Their force at land is nothing inferiour to that at sea for the kingdome is diuided into two and fiftie shires in one onely whereof commonly called Yorkeshire it is thought seuentie thousand footmen may be leuied Euerie shire hath a lieutenant who seeth to the election and trayning of soldiers when necessitie requireth In choosing of soldiers they take the names of all the inhabitants of the countrey from aboue sixteene yeeres of age to sixtie and out of these they choose the likeliest and ablest for seruice The taller and stronger are chosen for footmen and these diuided into fower kinds The first are archers by whose dexteritie they conquered the greatest part of France tooke king Iohn captiue and held Paris sixteene yeeres The arrowes of the Parthians were neuer more dredfull to the Romaines then the bowes of the English to the Frenchmen The second sort vsed light staues well headed with iron with which they would strike a man from his horse The other two vse and experience of latter times hath taught them the one is the harquebuse the other the pike a fit weapon for their constitution by reason of their tall strong and manlike stature For their seruice on horsebacke they choose the men of small stature but wel set actiue and nimble These horsemen are of two sorts some heauie armed and those for the most part are gentlemen other lighter armed some riding after the manner of the Albannesses some after the fashion of Italy vsing a scull a Iacke a sword and long light speares And although they are able to bring to the field two thousand lanciers and infinite troupes of light horsemen yet their horsemen neuer carried like reputation to their footemen for Edward the third which made so many iorneies into France and obtayned so many famous victories to shew what confidence he reposed in his infanterie euer left his horse and put himselfe into the battell of his footemen whereas the French kings not daring to inure their commons to warfare least leauing their manuell occupations and trades they should grow insolent in the warres to which humour they are greatly addicted alwaies put themselves and their hopes in the fortune of their caualerie being all almost gentlemen But for as much as the French mantaine no good races of horse and to purchase them from other places is a matter of great charge and good cannot alwaies be gotten for money for these reasons and for that horsemen are nothing so seruiceable in the fielde as footemen I thinke the French haue so often beene ouerthrowen by the English To shew what force the King of England is able to bring into the field let this one example stand for many Henrie the eight passed to Bullen with an armie diuided into three Battallions in the vantgard passed twelue thousand footemen and fiue hundred light horsemen clothed in blew iackets with redde gardes The middle ward wherein the King was and passed last ouer consisted of twenty thousand footmen two thousand horse cloathed with red iackets and yellow gards In the rereward was the Duke of Norfolke and with him an armie like in number and apparell to the first sauing that therein serued one thousand Irishmen all naked saue their mantles and their thicke gathered shirts their armes were three darts a sword and a skeane They drew after them one hundred great pieces besides small They caried vpon carts an hundred mils which one horse would turne and grinde Their carriages were so many that therewith they intrenched their campe as with a wall And for the carriage of their ordinance and their baggage and for drawing of their prouision they transported into the continent aboue fiue and twentie thousand horse and besides all other kinde of prouision they brought with them fifteene thousand oxen and an infinite number of other cattell The quantities of ladders bridges shot powder and other furnitures following so royal an armie what pen can number In England the nobilitie possesse few castels or strong places inuironed with wals and ditches neither haue they iurisdiction ouer the people The dignities of Dukedomes Marquesses and Earldomes are no more but bare titles which the king bestoweth on whom he pleaseth and peraduenture they possesse neuer a penie of reuenue in the place from whence they take their titles where on the contrarie the nobilitie in France possesse some absolute some mixt gouernment with the hereditarie titles of Lords Barons Earles Marquesses Dukes and Princes They are Lords not of townes onely but of great and goodly cities receiuing homage and fealtie of their tenants but acknowledge the soueraignty of the king the parliaments Netherland OF all the three parts of Gaule Belgia which we commonly cal Netherland is the noblest by the authoritie of Casar Strabo and other approoued authors not only for the nobilitie and excellencie of the people of the countrie but likewise for the greatnes and woorthines of those things that haue been inuented there and the accidents that there haue happened They inuented the art of
legions of Britannie were transported into the continent Holland and the bordering countries reuoked and immediately after the Sarracens finding the frontires of the Empire without garrisons passed ouer Danubius The Alani woon the streights of the Caspian hils the Persians indeuoured to get them a name and reputation the Gothes wandered throughout Moesia and Macedonia the Frenchmen entred Gallia But Constantine the Emperor restored it to the former glorie made an end of ciuill warre and tamed the barbarous and cruell nations and had he not committed two faults the Romane Empire might long haue flourished The first was the translating of the Imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople which action weakened the West and ouerthrew the Empire For it is more cleere then day that as plants remooued out of their naturall soile and transported into regions contrarie in temperature and aire retaine small vigour of their naturall vertue So humane actions but especially cities and kingdomes loose their glorie and splendour by these great alterations And for this cause the Romane Senate would neuer consent that the people should leaue Rome and dwell at Veij a citie far more pleasant and commodious then Rome especially after the sacking thereof by the Frenchmen The seate of Constantinople is so pleasant so commodious and so fertile that it is hard to iudge whether humane wisedome or nature shewed most industrie in the situation thereof There is no citie vpon the face of the earth better serued by land and sea on one side lie the most beautifull meadowes on the other side the pleasant vallies here rise the fruitfull hillocks there floweth and refloweth the plentifull sea yeelding all sorts of needfull and delicate prouision to the inhabitants thereof He that did see it would say that here stroue Bacchus with Ceres Pomana with Flora magnificence with plentie who should be most bountifull to this citie After the sea hath made many gallant bayes and safe roades whereof Bospherus onely in the space of fiue and twenty miles yeeldeth thirtie it runneth by the citie and countrie with so quiet and gentle a streame that the great ships bringing corne from Siria and Egypt and the riches of Trapezond from Capha doe seldome miscarrie Here is euermore haruest which now and then faileth in Thrace and Asia Here sholes of fish frisking and playing hard vnder the wals of the citie swim in such woonderfull abundance that he which hath not seene it will hardly beleeue it but he may easily be perswaded hereof that considereth how in the winter time the fish flying the cold places ascend by Pontus Euxinus euen in the view of Constantinople towards Propontus then shunning the heate of summer returne againe by the same way which they went before At these two seasons of the yeere the inhabitants as well for their profit as delight store themselues with great quantities thereof At this day on the Northeast part of the citie on the other side of the water is the towne of Pera on the North part is the Arsenall where the gallies are built and doe remaine and on the South side is all the ordinance artillerie and houses of munition To speake in a word there is no place fitter seated for plentie of all things for weakning mens valors for corrupting vertue with vice then this great and most stately citie of Constantinople prooued by the sloth and delicacie of the greatest number of the Greeke Emperors and their armies For if the pleasures of Tarent and the soile of the Siberites were inchantments sufficient to make men effeminate and quite alter the nature of the inhabitants if the delights of Capua could soften and quench the fierce courages of Hannibal and his soldiers if Plato deemed the Cyrenians incapable of discipline by reason of their long prosperitie what may wee thinke of Constantinople for situation proud for buildings sumptuous especially of their temples for beautifull and commodious hauens pleasant and delightsome aboue any other citie through the whole world To conclude when nothing can be more dangerous to a state then innouations what could be more hurtfull I may say desperate to the Romane Empire then that great so daine and vnlooked for mutation That good wel meaning Emperor in this did neither more nor lesse then as a man endeuouring to adde a greater grace to his bodie should place his face on his knees and his hart on his heeles The second fault of Constantine was the diuision of the Empire to his children ann Dom. 341. By this diuision of one Empre he made three and withall a memorable diminution of his authoritie and force For when his sonnes fell to ciuill dissention they consumed one another so cruelly that the Empire resembled a bloodlesse yea liuelesse bodie And though sometime vnder some one prince it stood on foote againe yet it remained alwaies subiect to diuision and departed into two Empires the east and the west till the comming of Odoacer king of the Herules and Turingi into Italy with a mightie host by which inuasion Augustulus was brought to such a narrow pinch that for despaire he cast himselfe into the protection of the east Empire This happened in the yeere of our Lord 476. And about this time the Huns passed Danubius Alaricus king of the Gothes tooke Rome the Vandals first spoiled Andoluzia afterwards Africke the Alans woon Portugall the Gothes conquered the greater part of Spaine the Saxons Britaine the Burgundians Prouince Iustinian restored it somewhat to a better staie driuing the Vandals out of Africke and the Gothes out of Italy by his captaines anno 556. But this faire weather lasted not long For in the yeere 713. the armes and heresies of the Mahumetans began to vexe the east Empire and shortly after 〈◊〉 the Sarracens wasted Syria Aegypt the Archipelago Africke Sicill Spaine In the yeere 735. they vanquished Narbon Auignion Tolouse Burdeâ—â— and the bordering regions Thus by little and little went the westerne Empire to ruine As for the easterne it stood so weake and tottering that with all the force it had it was scarce able to defend Constantinople against the armes of the Sarracens much lesse to minister aide to the westerne prouinces But in the yeere of our Lord 800. Charles the great king of France obtained the title of the westerne Empire which Ado bishop of Vienna remembreth in these words Vpon the holy feast day of the natiuitle of our Lord assoone as the mightie king Charles had made an end of his praiers Leo the Pope set the Imperiall crowne vpon his head whereat all the people with one voice cried Câ—â—olâ— Augusto 〈◊〉 Deo coronatâ— magno pacifico Imperatori Romanorum vita â— victoria The westerne Empire was diuided from the easterne in this sort that Naples and Sipont eastward with Sicill should belong to the Greeke Empire Bononâ—a should remaine to the Lombards the Venetians were neuters the popedome free the rest Charles should possesse Bloudus saith that the Empresse Iren gaue the first
and Heluetia are esteemed to be ten millions of men The people is diuided into fower sorts husbandmen and they beare no office citizens noblemen and prelates The last three sorts make the assemblies and states of the Empire Of Prelats the Archbishops Electors haue the chiefest place The Archbishop of Ments is Chancelor of the Empire the Bishop of Coloin is Chancelor of Italy and the Bishop of Treuers is Chancelor of France The Archbishop of Saltzburg is of greatest iurisdiction and reuenue The Bishop of Maidburg writeth himselfe primate of Germanie Breme and Hamburg had great iurisdictions next follow aboue 40â— other Bishops the great master of the Dutch order and the Prior of the knights of Ierusalem then 7. Abbots and they likewise are states of the Empire Of secular Princes the king of Bohemia is chiefe who is chiefe taster the Duke of Saxonic Marshall the Marques of Brandeburg high Chamberlain the Earle Palatine Sewer Besides these princes there are thirtie other Dukes amongst whom the Archduke of Austria holdeth the highest place and of these Dukes the king of Denmarke by reason of his dukedome of Holsatia is reckoned to be one Then the Marquises Lantgraucs Earles and Barons innumerable The free cities which in times past haue beene 96. and are now but 60. gouerning themselues by their peculiar lawes are bound no further then to pay two fiue parts of whatsoeuer contribution is granted in the assemblies The cities Imperiall because as we said before they pay tribute to the Emperor pay 15. thousand Florens The cities haue suffiçient reuenue of their owne for the most part amounting aboue the value of the contributions It is thought that the Empire receiueth euery way aboue 7. millions which is a great matter yet besides this ordinary the people not ouerpressed as in Italie do pay other great subsidies to their princes in times of danger The Empire is bound at leastwise accustomed to furnish the Emperor when he goeth to Rome to be crowned 20. thousand footemen and fower thousand horse and to maintaine them for eight moneths and therefore it is called Romanum subsidium The reuenues of the cities and lay princes haue beene greatly augmented since the suppressing of poperie and bringing in of new impositions which taking their beginning from Italy for euill examples spread farre quickly passed ouer to France and Germanie In times of necessitie great taxes are laid vpon the whole Empire and leuied extraordinarily and that they may be gathered with the greater case Germanie is parted into ten diuisions which haue their particular assemblies for the execution of the edicts made in the generall diets of the Empire As concerning the multitude of people it is thought that the Empire is able to raise two hundred thousand horse and foote which the warres before spoken of may prooue to be true as likewise the wars of France and Belgia for since the yeere of our Lord 1566. the warre hath beene continued in those two prouinces for the most part with Germane soldiers and yet to this day great and continuall inrolements are taken aswell of horsemen and footemen through the whole Empire At one time Wolfang Duke of Bipontled into France an armie of twelue thousand footemen and eight thousand horsemen in the behalfe of the Protestants and at the same time the Count Mansfield was leader of fiue thousand horsemen of the same nation in behalfe of the Catholikes William of Nassow had in his armie eight thousand Germane horsemen and ten thousand footemen the Duke of Alua had at the same instant three thousand What should I speake of the numbers that entred Flanders with Duke Casimere Or those that entred France vnder the same leader in the yeere of our Lord 1578 Or to what end should I make mention of that armie where of part serued Henrie the fourth part the league but to prooue that this nation must be very populous seeing that warres are continually open in some one or other part of Christendome and no action vndertaken therein wherein great numbers of Germans are not waged and entertained To speake nothing of the Netherlands who in times past haue resisted the whole powers of France with an armie of fower score thousand men or of the Swissers who in their owne defence are thought able to raise an armie of 100. and twentie thousand men I will onely put you in minde of that expedition which they made out of their owne territories into Lumbardy in defence of that state against Francis the French king with an armie of fiftie thousand footemen The best footemen of Germanie are those of Tiroll Sweuia and Westphalia the best horsemen those of Brunswick Cleueland and Franconia Of weapons they handle the sword and the pike better then the gunne In the field they are very strong as well to charge as to beare the shot for order is of great effect which is as it were naturall to them with a stately pace and firme standing They are not accounted for the defence of fortresses and for their corpulent bodies I hold them not fit for the assault of a breach And therefore they are to be accounted rather resolute and constant then fierce or couragions for they will neuer come to the seruice wherein courage and magnanimitie is to be shewed After the victorie they kill all whom they meete without difference of age sex or calling if the war be drawen out at length or if they be besieged they faint with cowardnes In campe they can endure no delaies neither know they how to ouercome by protracting If their first attempts fall not out to their mindes they are at their wits ende and lose courage if they once begin to runne they will neuer turne againe But in delaying and temporising the Spanish passe all other nations He that retaines them must be at extraordinarie charges great trouble by reason of their wiues consuming so much prouision that it is a hard thing to prouide it almost vnpossible to preserue and without this prouision they stand in no steed Their horses are rather strong then couragious and because of ten which goe to the warre eight are prest from the plough they are of small seruice and when they see their blood their hart quaileth But the Spanish genits in this case waxe more fierce In sea forces they are not much inferiour to their land forces although they vse not the sea fights yet the cities of Hamburg Lubecke Rostoch and some others are able to make a hundred ships some one hundred and fiftie equall to the forces of the king of Denmarke and Sweathland When these strong and â—nuâ—cible forces are vnited together they feare no enimy and in imminent perill they are sure of the aide of the Princes of Italy Sauoy and Lorraine for these Princes neuer forsooke the Empire in necessitie To the Zigethan-warre Emanuel Duke of Sauoy sent sixe hundred Argoliteers Cosmo Duke of Florence three thousand footemen paide by the State Alphonsus the second Duke
of Ferara was there is person with 1500. horsemen better horsemen were not in the whole campe William Duke of Mantua was there also with a gallant troupe offootmen and Henrie of Lorraine Duke of Guise had there three hundred gentlemen with the aide of these Princes Pitu the fift Maximilian the second had in the field one hundred thousand footemen and fiue and thirtie thousand horse The Emperor fortie thousand footmen and eight thousand horsemen for eight moneths and twentie thousand footemen and fower thousand horsemen for three yeeres next following The Bishop of Rome THE state of the Pope consisteth in two things the one is his temporall dominion the other his spirituall authoritie His temporall dominion is either immediate and of himselfe without relation to another or else mediate and by substitution as representing anothers person As touching his temporal dominion immediate he is Lord of a great part of Italy of all that lieth betweene the riuer Flore and Caietta betweene Preneste and the Truentian Streights except the Duchie of Vrbin In that compasse are contained the prouinces of Bonnonia and Romandiolia Marchia Vmbria the Duchie of Spolet Saint Peters patrimonie and Tuscan For situation it is seated in the verie hart of Italy stretching from the Adriatique to the Tirrhene sea And in regard of this situation it is comparable to any state of Italy as also in abundance of prouision especially of corne wine and oyle for Romandiola imparteth great store thereof to their neighbours the Venetians and Slauonians In some yeeres Marchia hath supplied the wants of the Venetians with many thousand measures of corne and great quantitie of oyle And although Spoletum is not so plentifull of graine as to spare for their neighbours yet is it able to maintaine it selfe without buying of others and in steed thereof it is abundantly stored with wines cattell and some saffron Tuscan hath often releeued Genes and at some seasons Naples This territorie bringeth foorth fierce and warlike soldiers and herein it is reported to excell all the residue of the Italian Prouinces Bonnonia Romania Marchia are able to leuie twentie thousand footmen and the other prouinces as many In the time of Pope Clement Marchia alone aided him with one thousand soldiers The chiefe seat is Rome once the Ladie of the world and at this day inhabited with one hundred thousand people The defensible places are the castle borough of Rome Ouietta Terracine c. It is a great credit and commendation to this state to haue many noble men therein so excellent in negotiation of peace and warre that the residue of the states and princes doe most commonly choose their leaders and lieutenants out of these prouinces If the prince thereof were secular for people and power it might well be compared with any state of Italy Besides these dominions the Pope hath the territorie of Auignion in France wherein are fower cities and fowerscore walled townes In Naples he hath Beneuent As touching his temporall soueraigntie 〈…〉 mediate Lord of the kingdomes of Naples and Sicill and of the Duchies of Vrbin Ferrata Parma Placentia and many others Where his authoritie is maintayned he hath supreme gouernment of all religious orders and bestoweth the ecclesiasticall benefices at his dispose Hauing thus many strings to his bow he hath so many meanes to raise money that Xistus the fourth was woont to say that the Popes should neuer want money as long as their hands were able to hold a pen. Paul the third in the league betweene him the Emperor and the Venetians against the Turke bore the sixt part of the charges of the warre Against the Protestants and in aide of Charles the fift he sent twelue thousand footemen and fiue hundred horsemen bearing their charges during the warre this was he that aduanced his house to that honor wherein it continueth to this day Pius the fift aided Charles the ninth king of France with fower thousand footemen and one thousand horse Xistus the fift in fiue yeeres and an halfe of his Pontificie raked together fiue millions of crownes and spent bountifully notwithstanding in bringing conduits and water-pipes into the citie and in building pyramides palaces and churches The Dukedome of Austrich BEcause the westerne Empire hath long continued in the most noble familie of the house of Austrich and seuen Emperors haue successiuely succeeded one another of that line for the delight of the reader we will speake somewhat thereof This house grew famous almost about the same time that the Ottoman Prince began his Empire and as it may seeme raised vp of God to stand as a wall or bulwarke against the Turks and infidels Philip the first king of Spaine Archduke of Austrich c. had two sonnes Charles the fift afterward Emperor and Ferdinand the first king of Romanes To Charles as to the eldest fell Belgia and Spaine with the dependancies Ferdinand succeeded him in his Lordships of Germanie as Austrich Boheme Tirol and other prouinces whereunto by the marriage of his wife Anne Hungarie was adioyned This Ferdinand left three sonnes behind him who although they diuided their inheritance into three parts yet their successors euen to this day did and doe gouerne them as one intier gouernment their counsels are one their mindes one their deseignâ—â—â—nts one most liuely representing the ancient Gerion where for the common safetie if any part be afflicted euerie member runneth to the succour of the other as if it were to their proper tranquillitie Their dominion stretcheth so large and is of such force that if by reason of the great tract of land lying betweene the Carpathy mountaines and Segonia they did not border vpon the great Turke who alwaies constraineth them to looke to their safetie and to be at excessiue charges no prouince throughout the Christian world could goe beyond them for numbers of people for wealth and treasure or for magnificent cities Any man may perceiue this to be true that considereth the distance from Tergiste to the borders of Lusatia from Tissa to Nabus from Canisia to Constantia vpon the lake Podame In this progresse is contained Lusatia Silesia Bohemia Morauia Austria and a great part of Hungarie territories large and ample abounding with people corne and riches Then follow Stiria Carinthia Carniola the Counties of Carinthia Tirol Cilia the Princedomes of Sweuia Alsatia Brisgouia and Constantia Amongst these prouinces Bohemia is the largest stretching in length 140. miles and reported to containe 780. castles and walled townes and 32. thousande villages Morauia Silesia Lusatia are as large as Bohemia but in strength and numbers of people far inferiour These three prouinces are fower hundred miles long and 120. broad they abound with excellent good horsemen and footemen The inhabitants of Lusatia where twenty thousand men fit for the warre may be gathered are accounted as good footemen as any other Stiria rich in mines of siluer and iron is 60. miles broad and 110. long Carinthia a hillie and wooddie
reuenues They grieue the enimie with so much the more dammage by how much the neerer they are situated vnto them Of this effect was Cale is in the possession of the English the places which the Spaniards Portugals hold in Africke But the fortresses built in our owne borders serue to no other end then to defend what is alreadie ours that to our great disaduantage for as often as they are inuaded all things are done at a sudden and it cannot be auoided but somewhat will fall to the spoile of the enimie To ende with the king of Sweueland he is so much better able then the Moscouite to defend his territories by how much sea-forces ioyned to land-forces are able to preuaile against a state furnished with land-forces onely Poland THE kingdome of Polonia was neuer so great as at this day the great Dukedomes of Lituania and Liuonia being ioyned thereto It stretcheth from the flood Notes and Obra which diuideth it from Marchia and Odera which seperateth it from Silesia to Berâ—say and Boristhenes which two parteth it from Moscouia It reacheth from the Balticke sea to the riuer Niester which parts it from Moldauia and to the mountaines Carpathie which diuide it from Hungarie By this limitation from the borders of Silesia to the frontires of Moscouia betweene the west part and the east it containeth 120. Germain miles and from the vtmost bounds of Liuonia to the borders of Hungarie not much lesse So allowing the forme thereof to be round it is far larger then a man would take it to be It containeth many and goodly large prouinces as Polonia the great and the lesse Massouia Prussia Russia Volinia Liuonia and Lituania Among these prouinces Poland was found inhabited of the Polonians but Prâ—se part of Pomeran Podalia Volinia Masouia and Liuonia haue been obtained and gained by armes Lithuania and Saâ—otgathia prouinces of Russia were the inheritance of the house of Iagello For in the yeere 1380. Iagello then Duke of Lithuania tooke to wife the Princesse Hedinge the last of the blood royall of Polonia and was installed king on three conditions the first that he should become a Christian the second that he should cause his people to do the like the third that he should vnite his principalities to Poland These couenants were accomplished in our age when the race of Iagello ended For when the people were vnwilling by depriuing the heires which had right to the empire of their iust inheritance to subiect it to election they alwaies called vpon the performance of the conditions hoping that the nobilitie and people of Lituania would not loose their honor and dignitie by this mixture yet at last on the one side when they considered the issue of their Princes to faile for Sigismund Augustus was the last heire male and on the other side fearing the force of the Moscouite they agreed to vnion and election In times past Liuonia was the seate of the Dutch Knights and they had therein their chiefe gouernor whom they termed the Great Master But in the yeere 1558. being spoiled of the greatest part of their territorie by the great Duke of Moscouie they fled to Sigismund king of Poland who tooke them into his protection and vntill the raigne of king Stephen 1582 the prouince was neuer regained For the most part Poland is a plaine countrie and but for certaine mountaines rather hils then mountaines situated in the lesser Poland and diuiding it from Prusland all the residue of the countrie stretcheth it selfe into most ample plaines wherein are very many woods especially in Lithuania The greater and the lesser Poland are better inhabited then any other prouince of the kingdome The like may almost be spoken of Russia for the neerenes of the sea concourse to the hauens and situation of the riuers Prussia and Liuonia haue fairer cities goodlier buildings and by traffike and concourse of merchants greater plentie of riches For when the Dutch Knights were Lords of the countrie they builded cities like those of Germanie and all alongst the sea coast for the space of fowerscore miles many castles and places of good esteeme They haue many faire hauens of good woorth and are Lords of all the traffike between Poland and the Balticke sea which is a thing of great value and consequence For the riuer Vistula arising in the extremest bounds of Silesia watereth all Poland the lesse and part of the greater and Mazouia and Prussia and falleth into the Baltike sea below Danske whither it transporteth the greatest quantitie of Rie corne hony and waxe of the whole kingdome a iourney of fower hundred miles From another coast the most famous riuer Duina arising out of the lake Ruthenigo parting Liuonia into euen portions falleth into the sea about Riga a citie of great concourse There are in Prussia and Liuonia many lakes amongst which one is called the new sea one hundred miles long in Liuonia is a lake called Berhas more then 400. miles long from thence spring the riuers which running by Pernouia and Narue make two notable hauens for traffike Betweene these two cities standes Riualia giuing place to neither in beautie Samogithia is more rude and barbarous then the other prouinces and Podalia more barren which is not to be attributed to the nature of the soile for it is most plentifull of those commodities which the climate vnder which it lieth can affoord but to the crueltie of the Tartars which so vexe it with continuall inrodes that the inhabitants are driuen either to flie for feare or to be ledde away captiues of the barbarous Tartars The riches of Poland are the abundance of corne and all sorts of graine which grow there in so plentifull sort that in the yeere 1590. and 1591. it releeued not onely the bordring nations oppressed with famine and scarcitie but also yeelded some portion of releefe to the wants of the Genowaies Tuscane Rome It floweth with honie waxe whereas in all these northerly nations of Poland Lithuania Russia Muscouia there are no wines growing insteed thereof nature hath bestowed vpon them incredible quantities of honie whereof these people doe brew an excellent kinde of Beuerage The Bees make honie either in the woods where they finde the trees made hollow by rottennes or mans industrie or in hiues set in the open field by the countrey people or in holes of the earth or in any place where they can finde neuer so small a liking It aboundeth with flaxe and hempe with sheepe cattle and horses Amongst the beasts of the wood are found wilde oxen and wilde horses and the bufle which cannot liue out of the wood of Nazouia The riches of the land consist in the salt-pits of Bozena and Velisca in the territorie of Cracouia The reuenues of the kingdome for the most part are equally diuided betweene the noblemen and gentlemen for no man is left so rich by inheritance that he may excel others aboue measure and the greatest reuenue
exceedeth not 25. thousand dukets Only the dukes of Curland and Regimount exceede this meane For although they are feodaries of the kingdome acknowledge the king as their superior yet are they not as liuing members of the state they come not to the diets of the kingdome they haue not their voices in the election of the prince neither are they accounted as naturall Lords of the kingdome but for strangers as in truth they are the duke of Curlan being of the house of Ketleri and the duke of Regimount of the family of Brandenburge All Prussia did belong to the Dutch Knights who had their Great Master resident there who when he was not able to withstand the forces of the Polonians yeelded himselfe feodarie to king Cassimere afterwards when Albert of Brandenburge their Great Master became a Protestant he was created Duke of Prussia and the countrey diuided into two parts the one regall immediately holden of the crowne the other Ducall allotted to Albert and his successors to hold by fealtie In the kings partition stand Marieburge Torouia Gulma Varnia and Danske in the Duchie which yeeldeth 120. thousand ducats yeerely the chiefe towne is Regimont the Germans call it Conningsburgh and there the Duke keepeth his court The gouernment of Polonia representeth rather an Aristocracie then a kingdome because the nobility who haue great authoritie in the diets of the kingdome choose the king and at their pleasure limite him his authoritie They haue neither law nor statute nor forme of gouernment written but by custome from the death of one prince to the election of an other the supreme authoritie resteth in the Archbishop of Gesne who is president of the counsels appointeth the diets ruleth the Senate and proclaimeth the new elected king Before king Stephen erected new Bishops Palatines and Castellanes in Liuonia few other besides the Archbishop of Leopolis and his 13. Suffragans 28. Palatines and thirtie of the chiefest Castellanes were present at the election of the newe king In the time of their diets these men assemble in a place neere vnto the Senate house where they choose two marshals by whom but with a tribunelike authoritie they signifie vnto the councell what their requests are Not long since their authoritie and reputation grew so mightie that they now carie themselues as heads gouernors rather then officers ministers of the publike decrees of the estates There was one of the councel that after the maner of Clodius refused his Senators place to become one of these officers When a new king is to be chosen these men do more and more limit his authoritie not suffring it to stretch one iot farther then accustomed But although the crowne of Poland be at the disposition of the nobilitie yet was it neuer heard that they reiected or ouerslipped the kings successor or transferred the kingdome into any other line more then once when deposing Ladislaus whom notwithstanding they afterward restored they elected Weneslaus the Bohemian Likewise they haue alwaies a regard to the kings daughters as of Hedinge maried by them to Iagello and in our times of Anne giuen in mariage to king Stephen It was no smal cause of the aduancement of Sigismund the third to the crowne of Polonia that he was the sonne of Katherine sister to Sigismund the emperor and of the foresaid Anne And although the kingly authoritie be electiue yet after he is chosen his power is absolute in manie things as to call the diets to appoint the times and place at his pleasure to choose laie councellors and nominate the bishops and whom he will haue to be of the priuie councell he is absolute disposer of the reuenue of the crowne and Lord of those which hold of him immediate but ouer the tenants of the nobilitie he hath no iurisdiction he is absolute establisher of the decrees of the diets and soueraigne Iudge of the nobles in criminall causes it is in his power to reward and aduance whom pleaseth him to speake in a word such as is his valor dexteritie and wisedome such is his power authoritie and gouernment As the Polanders say the decrees of the king indure but three daies they conuerse with him not as cosins as in France but as brethren And as the king hath absolute authoritie ouer them which immediately hold of him so the nobilitie dispose absolutely of their vassals vpon euerie of whom they exercise more then kingly authoritie in manner as vpon slaues In establishing their kingdome they haue done one thing woorthie the noting which is that as the Romanes increased their names and dominion by communicating the lawes and honors of Italy and the citie of Rome to other cities yea whole prouinces so the kings of Polonia haue enlarged vnited and strengthened their estate by participating the priuileges of the Polish nobilitie to those prouinces which either they haue conquered by armes or otherwaies purchased gracing the nobles thereof with fauours equall to any bestowed on the Polish nobilitie By this equallyzing king Ladislaus strongly vnited Russia and Podalia to Poland Sigismund Augustus Lithuania Stephen Liuonia for equalitie in offices promotions knitteth affections in peace and warre The force of this kingdome as of others consisteth in graine coine footemen horsemen armour and munition Of graine we haue spoken alreadie In coine it is not verie rich for excepting Danske they haue neuer a mart towne woorthie estimation and the wares that are brought from Prussia Liuonia do not inrich the kingdome with ready money yea they do hardly suffice to barter with the English Flemmish for cloth silks wools or with the Spanish and Portugals for sugars spices fruits Maluesâ—ies For when the countrie is not giuen to traffike nor the cities to buy sell nor the people to labour and the nobilitie is very gallant prodigall in expences spending more then their reuenues in diet and apparell and the seasoning of their meates for the Polanders vse more spices then any other nation and their wine their silke and the greatest part of their woollen cloth is brought from forren nations how can the kingdome be rich in siluer For in transporting of rich ware and returning of little consisteth the wealth of euery kingdome gathering together by venting home-bred commodities the coine of forren countries and keeping it once brought in from passing abroad againe In this practise consisteth the wealth of Naples and Millan for Naples sendeth to sea great store of corne wine oile silke woad horses fruits and such like which bring in huge masses of forren coine Millan supplieth the want of other prouinces with corne rice clothes iron works and wares of all sorts and returneth little againe If the kingdome of Naples and Sicill were as well stored with artificiall workmanship as they are prouided with corne and wealth no other kingdome could compare with them To returne to Poland notwithstanding their riches are not so small as some thinke they are for the reuenues of
they raise their greatest gaine as hauing greatest abundance of that commoditie they drie them in the frost and winde as in Norwey and other northerly nations and they lay it vp for store as well in their townes of warre as for their priuate families The kingdome is not full of merchants because by nature thâ— inhabitants are idle and that prouince cannot abound with merchandise where arts and artificers are not established They haue not the vse of the sea because it is not lawfull for a Moscouite to trauell out of his princes dominions such and such store of wares as they haue as skins rosin and waxe they barter for cloth and other commodities which the Armenians bring to Astrachan by the Caspian sea and the English to Saint Nicholas in the bay of Graduicâ—or The gouernment of the great Duke is more tyrannicall then of any other prince in the world for he is absolute lord and disposer of the bodies and goods of his subiects Therefore Mahumet the Visier was woont to say that the Moscouite and the great Turke amongst all princes of the earth were onely lords of their owne dominions and in that regard thought the iourney of king Stephen of Poland would prooue full of danger and difficultie To preserue his maiestie and reputation he vseth incredible policie and seueritie first it is not lawfull for any of his subiects to depart the realme vpon paine of death and therefore no man there dare go to sea no not speake to an ambassador or vse the counsell of a forteine phisition without licence He weareth apparell of inestimable value ioyning the ornaments of a bishop to the maiestie of a king by wearing a miter on his head shining with diamonds and most rich stones when he weareth it not on his head he placeth it before his chaire of estate and oftentimes changeth it in boast of his riches in his left hand he beareth a most rich crosier apparelled in a long garment not much vnlike to that which the pope we areth when he goeth to â—â—ssâ— his fingers are full of gold rings and the image of Christ and his blessed mother the virgin are ouer the chaire wherein he sitteth The priuie chamber and great chamber are full of men clothed in cloth of gold downe to the foote In ceremonies of religion he vseth great deuotion reuerence at the table as often as a dish is changed or he hath a desire to drinke he maketh many signes of the crosse he beareth singular regard to fasts in the church he kisseth the ground with his forehead euen as others doe That no man should prooue a better scholler then himselfe he suffereth no schoole but of writing and reading to be kept they read nothing but the Euangelists some historie the liues of saints a Homily of Iohn Chrysostome or some such like yea they would hold him for an heretike that should go about to professe himselfe better learned and assure himselfe he shall not escape punishment Which is the reason that their Notaries nay the Secretaries themselues commonly can neither write nor answere ambassadors of forreine princes no farther then they are taught of the great Duke when they negotiate they no sooner name the great Duke but all of them rise vp with great reuerence the like is done at his table when he drinketh or carueth to any man and so in a thousand like casualties they are taught euen from their cradles to beleeue and talke of their great Duke as of God vsing these phrases in their ordinarie talking God onely and our great Seignior knoweth this Our great Lord knoweth all things Allâ—â—e inioy health and riches all proceedeth from our great Duke For his subiects seeing such state and magnificence in their prince and knowing no more then they are taught at home reuerence and obey him as slaues not as subiects accounting him rather a god then a king He hath not vnder him Lords graced with titles as we haue dukes earles barons c. but he bestoweth vpon one a hamlet vpon another a farme and these not hereditary vnlesse he confirme it and when he hath confirmed it the farmers notwithstanding pay him a portion of their fruits and owe him villaine-seruice which is the cause that euery man dependeth on the will of the prince and looke by how much the richer by so much the deeper is he indebted vnto him To preuent rebellion he transferreth whole families and towneships from one prouince to another and sendeth the one and the other into garrisons as into exile so farre away are the miserable people carried from their owne homes By this a man may gesse of his wealth and riches for seeing he is absolute Lord of all he vseth the seruice of their bodies at his pleasure and what portion of their goods him listeth Of the skins of wild beasts he challengeth what portion he liketh and of euery sort of fish euen what he will The skins are sold or giuen as pleaseth him the fish dried in the winde is kept for vittailing the garrisons In the market no man may sell his wares before the king hath sold. He hath not any mines of gold or siluer The best mart townes from whence he gathereth the greatest part of his reuenues are Astrachan at the Caspian sea whither the wares of the Persians and Armenians are brought and Saint Nicholas whither the ships of the English and Hollanders doe arriue laden with cloth and other merchandize which from thence are transported to Vologda When his ambassadors returne he taketh from them the presents giuen them by forrein princes and insteed thereof bestoweth vpon them some other reward and many times nothing at all To speake in a worde he gleaneth whatsoeuer is good or ought woorth through his whole kingdome it is thought that he hath great store of treasure in his castles of Mosco Ieroslane and the marishes of Albi which may be true for the great Duke Iohn wasted in a manner all Liuonia sparing neither relique chalice crucifixe nor any ornament of siluer and of thatwhich is once brought in he suffereth no part thereof to be transported out of his dominions vnlesse it be for the ransome of soldiers taken in the warre or of other poore people carried into captiuitie This is most true that when he lost Liuonia which king Stephen of Poland reconquered in the yeere of our Lord 1582. he lost the richest prouince of his dominions for the traffike of the Baltike sea and the best for the strength of 34. castles standing therein The strength of the kingdome consisteth in the manifold numbers of riuers and marishes and in the thicknes of woods Besides they vse to lay waste the parts neerest their enimies that there the woods may grow thicker which for the moisture of the soile quickly commeth to passe are as auailable as a wal or trench to the defence of the next townes This policy brought great trauel to the Polanders for they were constrianed to
their discipline because he keepeth them in continuall pay For as discipline rather then furie is to be wished in a soldier so in armies a few trained and experienced soldiers are more woorth then many strong huge of stature and raw The one may well be compared to eagles lions and tygres which obtaine principalitie amongst other beasts not because they exceed them in hugenes of bodies for then should they be a pray to the Elephant horse and bufall but because they excell them in swiftnes and nimblenes ioyned to the strength of their bodies Beside these things which Marke Paul writeth certaine Englishmen sayling by the Moscouite sea and the bordering regions haue pierced euen to Cathaia and haue set downe many memorable matters of this Prince whom the Moscouite termeth the Caesar of Cathay and the Turke Vlucham that is the Great Prince And not without reason for in magnificence of courts amplenes of dominion abundance of treasure number of soldiers he goeth far beyond all the kings and potentates of Asia and raigneth in such maiestie that his subiects foolishly call him the shadow of spirits and the sonne of the immortall God His word only is a law wherein consisteth life death He maintayneth iustice with admirable seueritie except for the first fault for which the offender is grieuously whipped for euerie other fault he is cut in pieces by the middle herein it should seeme they immitate the opinion of the Stoikes concerning the equalitie of offences A theefe is likewise slaine if he be not able to repay ninefold as well for a farthing as a pound The first begotten sonne is heire to the crowne and installed with these ceremonies The chiefe of their seuen tribes clothed in white which is their mourning colour as likewise of the Iapans cause the prince to sit vpon a blacke woollen cloth spred vpon the ground willing him to behold the sonne and to feare the immortall God which if he doth performe he shall finde a more plentifull reward in heauen then in earth if not that piece of blacke cloth shall scarcely be left him whereupon to rest his wearied bodie in the field besides a thousand other miseries that shall continually attend him Then set they the crowne vpon his head and the great Lords kisse his feete sweare fealtie and honour him with most rich giftes Then is his name written in golden letters and laide vp in the temples of the metropolitan citie He hath two councels the one for warre wherein twelue wise men consult the other of state matters consisting likewise of as many counsellers These manage all things belonging to ciuill gouernment rewarding the good and punishing the euill taking especiall care to see those preferred who haue done any good seruice either in warre or peace to his countrie and Emperor and others seuerely punished who haue borne themselues carelesly and cowardly in the charges committed to their discretion In these two points that is in rewarding punishing consisteth so high a policie of good gouernment that it may well be said the greatest part of the barbarous princes by these two vertues only imprint so maiestical a reuerence in the harts of their barbarous subiects For what other face of good gouernment see you in the Turke Persian Mogor or Iariff whom reward they but captaines and soldiers where vse they liberalitie but in the field amongst weapons Surely they built the foundation of their state vpon no other ground-worke nor hope for peace and qutetnes but by victorie and strong hand yea they haue no meane in disgracing base mindes and cowards and in honoring high spirits and valiant soldiers Neuer was there common wealth or kingdome that more deuised to honor and inrich the soldier then these Barbarians and the Turke more then all the rest The Tartars Arabians and Persians honor nobilitie in some good measure but the Turke rooteth out the families of Noble men and esteemeth of no man vnlesse he be a soldier committing the fortunes of the whole Empire to the direction of slaues and base borne but with an especiall consideration of their fitnes and sufficiencie Let vs returne to the Tartar and his forme of gouernment Astrologians are in great request in those prouinces for M. Paul writeth that in the citie of Cambula are fiftie thousand and when Cublay C ham vnderstood by them that that citie would rebell against him he caused another to be built neere vnto it called Taindu contayning fower and twentie miles besides the suburbs There are also great store of fortune-tellers and nigromancers in the kings palace of Xandu as also in China they are in high esteeme Ismal king of Persia enterprised few matters without their councell and it is no woonder that it carrieth such reputation in those places for betweene the Caldeans and Assirians it tooke the first originall in those countries The Turkes cannot abide it The Roman Emperors did more then once banish it and the professors thereof out of their gouernments I would to God the like might be done amongst vs Christians for it is nothing else but a branch of Paganisme To ende with the nature of this people in outward shape they are vnlike to all other people for they are broader between the eies bals of their cheeks then men of other nations be they are of meane stature hauing flat small noses little eies broad faces and eie-lids standing streight vpright swartie of complexion strong of constitution patient of extremities excellent horsemen and verie good archers And as part of the Arabians inhabite cities and are called Moores part liue in the fields and mountaines and are termed Baduini so some of these Tartars dwell in cities as the Cathaians Bochars and those of Shamarcand others wander through the plaines and are diuided into hords and they are fiue in number Zauolenâ—ses Cossanenses Praecopits Nagaians and Kossacks The Great Mogor IT hath beene alwaies beleeued that the territorie lying betweene Ganges and the riuer Indus hath beene euermore subiect to great and mightie Monarchs For to be silent in matters of more ancient memorie about the yeere of our Lord 1300. there raigned in the kingdome of Delos an Arabian Prince of the sect of Mahumet named Sanosaradin as Iohn Barros reporteth of so great power and strength that he enterprised the conquest of Asia Vpon which resolution forsaking those regions in which Indus and Ganges take their beginnings with a huge and mightie armie by little and little he subdued those Princes and people which did oppose against him vntill he pierced to the bounds of Canora where it beginneth at the riuer Bate aboue Chaul and stretcheth betweene Bate and the gulfe of Bengala to Cape Comorine When he had woon so large and famous a territorie resoluing to returne into Delos he left Abdessa his lieutenant in Canora This man incouraged by the victories of his master and presuming vpon his owne good fortune bereaued the Gentiles of the greater part of Canora
and hauing gathered a most mightie and populous armie compacted of Gentiles Mahumetans and Christians after he had raigned twentie yeeres he died in the height of his prosperitie leauing his son Mamudza behind him whom the king graced with his fathers regencie vpon condition to pay him a yeerely tribute which payment the yoong man neither regarded nor shewed himselfe loyall to his soueraigne in many things besides It happened that Sanosaradin dying in the warre which he made against Persia left behind him a sonne of such pusillanimitie and so base a spirit that Mamusda hereupon tooke courage to intitle himselfe king of Canora calling the countrey Decan and the people Decaini that is illegitimate After this he erected eighteene captainships and diuided his dominion amongst them assigning to euerie one his limites only with this penaltie to finde alwaies in readines a certaine number of footemen and horsemen To preuent future rebellion he did choose these Captaines not out of the orders of his nobilitie but from the number of his slaues Nay more then this to be assured of their loyaltie he commanded that euerie one of them should build him a house in his royall citie Bider in which their children should remaine and that once euerie yeere at least they should make their appearance in his court But because all authoritie which is not as well vnderpropped with his proper vertues as grounded vpon the affections of the people is of small continuance so happened it to this Prince for his slaues and vassals hauing soueraigne authoritie put into their hands made no more account of him then of a cipher stripping him poore Prince without respect or reuerence of all his dominions sauing his chiefe citie Bider with the territorie adioyning For euerie one of a Lieutenant became an vsurper of those states which were committed to his trust the mightier alwaies oppressing the weaker so that all in the ende became a pray to a few Two of them are famous at this day the one of them stretching his dominion to the borders of Cambaia the other to the skirts of Narsinga the first called by the portugals Nissamalucco the other Idalcan Either of them is so puissant that in the yeere 1571. Idalcan belegred Goa with an armie of thirtie fiue thousand horse threescore thousand elephants two hundred and fiftie pieces of ordinance Nissamalucco besieged Chaul with lesse forces but better fortune for though he did not force it yet he brought it to an hard pinch with the slaughter of twelue thousand Moores In those countries in which Sanosaradin began his empire not aboue 70 yeeres agone a great prince whom the east people call the great Mogor in the same sense as we call the great Turke laid the foundation of a mightie empire for as the king of Biarma in our times greatly hazarded the states of Pegu and Siam and the bordering regions euen so the Mogor turned topsie turuie the kingdomes lying on this side the riuer Ganges The receiued opinion is that they tooke their originall from Tartaria and that they came from that coast where the ancient Mossagetae a people accounted inuincible in armes did once inhabite and liuing as it were lawlesse and vnder no gouernment by inuasion of their neighbours procured vnto themselues the soueraigntie of most spacious kingdomes By the riuer Oxus they border vpon the Persians and are at continuall enmitie with them sometimes for religion sometime for inlargement of the bounds of their empire Their chiefe citie is Shamarcand from whence came Tamarlan and of whose bloud these Mogor princes do boast that they are descended The predecessor of him who is now prince of the Mogors was very famous in the east for in the yeere 1536. being sollicited by king Mandao of the north from whom Badurius king of Cambaia had taken his kingdome to aide him against the Cambaian he is reported to haue brought with him an infinite number of soldiers which we may coniecture out of that which Maffeus writeth of the armie of king Badurius to witte that this king had vnder his standard one hundred and fiftie thousand horse whereof fiue and thirtie thousand were barbed the number of footemen was 500. thousand Amongst these were fifteene thousand forreine soldiers and fower-score Christians French Portugals at which by what meanes or by what way they should come thither I do mightily woonder Their Galleon which they called Dobriga suffered shipwracke in the chanell of Cambaia I know that if these preparations and prouisions for warre be compared with our forces of Christendom they will hardly be taken for true but we haue alreadie declared the causes why the princes of the east and south may gather greater armies then we can consequently that those things which are spoken of their incredible store and woonderfull prouision of furniture may be answerable to their leuies and proportions of soldiery And as they are able to leuie millions of men for arming and feeding them they take no great care so likewise do the prouinces affoord great plentie of prouision and an inestimable multitude of warlike engines for they carry nothing with them saue that which is necessarie and needfull for the warres Wines cates such like which cannot but with great expence labour and trouble be carried along with armies are by these men wholy omitted and vtterly reiected All their thoughts tend to warlike prouisions as to get brasse iron steele and tinne to forge peeces and cast great ordinance iron and lead to make bullets iron and steele to temper cymitars oxen and elephants to draw their artillerie graine to nourish their bodies mettals to arme them and treasure to conserue them They are all tyrants and to preserue their estates and induce submissiue awednes they hold hard hands ouer the comminaltie committing all gouernment into the hands of soldiers And to make these men faithfull and loyall they ordaine them lords of all things committing vnto their trust townes castles expeditions of great waight but the expectation of the prince is often deceiued by the rebellion of these vassals for sometimes they vsurpe whole prouinces and impose vpon the people all kinde of miuries But let good princes thinke it as necessarie to build their safetie vpon the loue of their subiects as vpon the force of the soldier Feare admitteth no securitie much lesse perpetuitie and therefore these tirants expecting no suretie at the hands of their subiects trust wholy vpon their men of warre flattering them with promise of libertie and bestowing vpon them the goods of their subiects as rewards of their seruice So with vs the Turke strengthneth his estate with Ianizars and as he coueteth to be beloued and fauoured of them to that end bestowing vpon them the riches and honors of the empire so they againe acknowledge no other lord and master I may very well say father and protector And so many of the Malaber princes vsing and accounting the people but as beasts lay all their hopes
ships which they terme Giunchi To thinke that treasure can be wanting to leuie so great a number of ships soldiers and mariners many men affirme that the kings reuenues amount to 120. millions of gold which value although it may seeme impossible to him that shall make an estimate of the states of Europe with the kingdome of China yet may it finde place of beleefe if he do but call to minde first the nature and circuite of the Empire being little lesse then all Europe next the populousnes of the inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches then tho diuersitie and plentie of mines of gold siluer iron and other sorts of mettall the vnspeakable quantitie of merchandise passing from hand to hand by so many nauigable riuers so many armes and inlets of the sea their vpland cities and maritime townes their toles customes and subsidies For he taketh the tenth of all things which the carth yeeldeth as barly rice oliues wine cotton wooll flaxe silke all kinds of mettall fruits cattle sugar hony rubarbe campher ginger woad muske and all sorts of perfumes The custome onely of salt in the citie Canto which is not of the greatest nor the best traffike yeeldeth 180. thousand crownes yeerely the tenth of rice of one small towne and the adiacent territory yeeldeth more then 100. thousand crownes By these you may coniecture of the rest He leaueth his subiects nothing saue foode and clothing He hath vnder him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor priuate persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore sithence this empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands and at his disposition how can the former assertion of so great a yeerely reuenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable There are two things moreouer which adde great credite to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paide in coine but some in haie some in rice corne prouender silke cotton wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the king of 120. millions which he receiueth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so sithence it goeth round from the king to the people it ought to seeme no woonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the princes vse at the yeeres end For as waters do cbbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily leuied suffice for the expences of the state and the people receiue againe by those expences as much as they laide out in the beginning of the yeere The king of China feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enimie the ancient kings built that admirable wall so much renowmed amongst the wonders of the Orient Towards the sea he bordereth vpon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is diuers From Goto one of the Ilands of Iapan to the citie Liampo is threescore leagues from Cantan 297. The Ilanders of Iapan doe often spoile the sea coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the countrey more like pirats then men of war For in regard that Iapan is diuided into manie Ilands and into diuers seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselues though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Vpon another frontire lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are verie iealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the inuasion of China and the fame of their riches well knowen to the Spanish But the king of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them whereof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage thereunto For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their dominions yet certain Iesuits zealous in the increasing of the Christian religion in a territorie so spatious as that is entered with great secrecie and danger and obtayning the fauour of certaine gouernors obtained a priuilege of naturalization especially frier Michaell Rogerius who in the yeere 1590. returned into Europe to aduise what course were best to take in this busines About the same time intelligence was brought from two friers remaining there that after diuers persecutions they were constrained to forsake the citie wherein they soiourned and had conuerted many and to make haste to sea-ward The Portugals are likewise eie-sores vnto them but by the report of the iustice and moderation of Ferdinand Andrada which he shewed in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Iland of Tamo by the traffike which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbourhood then that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arriued in the citie of Cantan and set a land Thomas Perez Iegier for Emanuell king of Portugall But other captaines being there afterwards disimbarked behaued themselues so leudly that they occasioned the said Embassador to be taken for a spie and cast in prison where he died most miserablie the residue were entreated as enimies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffike sake to settle a factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their colony they were coÌ„strained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisedome friendship and allians with the Castilians they became suspicious therfore they do daily more more bridle their libertie of traffike carrying so heauie a hand towards them that they would faine giue them occasion to leaue Macao of their owne wils and retire backe againe into India from whence they came The kingdome of Siam VPon the borders of China to speake nothing of Cauchinchina because we know nothing woorth relation of that territorie ioineth the countrey of Siam accounted amongst the great kingdomes of Asia It tooke his name of the citie Siam situated vpon the entrance of the riuer Menan It is also called Gorneo It stretcheth by east and west from the citie Campaa to the citie Tauai in which tract by the sea coast are conteined 500. leagues Of which the Arabians once vsurped 200. with the cities Patan Paam Ior Perca and Malaca now in the possession of the Portugals From the south towards the north it reacheth from Sinca-Pura situate in degree to the people called Gueoâ—â— in 29. degrees The lake Chiamai is distant from the sea six hundred miles the vpland circuit stretcheth from the borders of Canchinchina beyond the riuer Auan where lieth the kingdome of Chencra Besides the lake of Chiamai the riuers Menon Menam Caipumo Ana which cause greater fertilitie of graine through the whole region then a man would beleeue are all his The better part of his kingdomes are muironed with the mountaines Ana Brema and Iangoma the residue is plaine like Egypt abounding with elephants horses pepper gold and tin In the west part are huge woods tygres lions tinces and serpents It containeth these prouinces Cambaia Siam Muantai
kings of Brama or Barmia but the Portugals of a more sound iudgement grounded vpon neerer neighbourhood call them kings of Pegu. And for that it may not seeme that what we write as concerning their infinite numbers is either fabulous or reported altogither vpon heresay because that now heerebefore and hereafter we shall haue occasion to discourse of this point we thinke it not amisse to spend some time in shewing how by what likelihoods both in this and the other barbarous dominions such huge and numberlesse companies are leuied and nourished First therefore it is a ground infallible that populous armies at home or abroad cannot long endure without great reuenues and a continuall sea of readie money for as the members of our bodie cannot mooue without sinewes nor motion auaile vs if ioints were wanting so without money an armie can neuer be gathered nor being gathered kept togither nor resolutely lead foorth to any piece of seruice if coine be wanting which preuenteth infinite mischances and draweth after it armour prouision victuals and whatsoeuer is necessarie for life or armes And sithence the wealth of Princes euen as of priuate persons from whose purses they supply their occasion hath limits and measure Let them not thinke to begin any long warre much lesse to continue it vnlesse they throughly prouide aforehand or are Lords of mines rich and inexhaustible for great treasures are soone spent and that which hath thriftily been gathered in peace must prodigally be disbursed in warre euen one yeere of warre wasteth the reprisals of many yeeres peace Which mooued a certaine Portugall captaine to tell king Sebastian prouiding for his iournie into Barbarie that warres should be performed with three streames the first of men the second of vittaile the third of siluer For all warres are exceeding chargeable but those most excessiue and beyond opinion which are managed far from home The great Turke in his Persian iourneies felt the smart hereof who though he were so potent a prince was notwithstanding constrained to raise the value of his coine and abase the allay so farre foorth that the Ianizars finding themselues aggrieued thereat raised commotions set fire on the citie of Constantinople and rifled a great part thereof Neither could the king of Spaine sustaine the burden of so many warres and in so remote prouinces if he trusted to no other supplies then those of Spaine but Fortune hath giuen him a countrie prodigall in mines of gold and siluer assuredly paying the expence of one yeere with the income of another This clotheth and feedeth the soldier bringeth them to a head and maketh them to march cheerefully vpon all seruices Iohn laques Triuulce being demanded how many things were necessarie in warre answered three Monie monie monie But these grounds onely holde when the burden of the warre lieth vpon the purse of the prince and his people for sometime it happeneth that the soldier liueth vpon the enemies countrie as did the Huns Vandals Gothes Arabians and in our daies Tamerlane They entred the prouinces without controle or resistance being vnprouided of forces and made pray and spoile of whatsoeuer came into their reaches they ransacked the cities and fed vpon the villages The like good lucke had the Portugals in the East Indies and the Castilians in the West but the one far better then the other for neuer any nation conquered with lesse cost so much as the Spaniards haue done in New Spaine and Peru. But let not any people thinke to doe so in these daies no not in Asia or Afrike much lesse in Europe where the vse of great ordinance is in perfection and the arte of fortification so ingenious that one castell shall be able to sustaine yea well prouided to wearie the forces of the greatest potentate The Turks at Zigeth a sinall castell in Hungarie approoued this which in the yeere 1566. Soliman belegered with three hundred thousand men of warre and at last forced but with so great a slaughter of his people that scant the third part of this huge armie returned to their houses In like manner the Portugals in the beginnings of their Indian acquisitions with a few soldiers and in little time woon admirable victories but when the Barbarians began to grow acquainted with artillerie to allure Carpenters and Masons to build them castels and to arme vessels to sea their courages became calme and there set an end to their plus vltra The like did the Spanish in the new world to their Non sufficit orbis For after their first good fortunes they found in Noua Hispania the Chichimechi and in Peru the Pilcosonij the Ciriguani and the Luchij people so well prouided to stop the furious course of their former victories that sithence in twenty seuen yeeres space they haue not beene able to adde one footes bredth to their new emperie In the vale of Aranco Tecapel and the kingdome of Chile when the inhabitants saw them to be wounded and slaine with the strokes of their arrowes and swords they neuer afterward vouchsafed them their former reuerence nor carried the woonted conceit of their immortalitie and now being beaten by experience they feare not the cariere of the horse nor the terror of the harquebuse If the warre be at or within our owne doores then is it easie to leuie strong and populous forces as we reade of the Crotons Sibarites and Gauntois who made head against the power of France with fourescore thousand fighting men For when the warre was made in these populous countries and neere at hand euerie man made one in the medle gallantly armed and well prouided with furniture and victuall to hold out certaine daies but when the warre continued longer then expectation for want of money and foode euerie man retired one to the plough another to his shop the rest to those trades whereby they sustained themselues and their families The Scots for want of wealth neuer made famous iourney out of the Iland but at home they haue lead mightie armies for a short time either to reuenge wrongs or defend their frontires euen as did the Romanes for certaine ages warring with their neighbours at their priuate charges They tooke the field euerie man prouided with victuall for two or three daies and in one battell and few howers finished that warre But in the iourney against the Veij the warre continuing beyond opinion the State was inforced to procure pay for the armie That armies may far casier be gathered in the east and in Africke then in Europe the reasons are many Those regions for the most part are more plentifull and copious of all necessaries for humane life the people of the south are better contented with little then we their diet is spare and simple onely to maintaine life and not excesse but the Europeans must eate and drinke not to sustaine nature but to comfort the stomacke and expell colds Wine which with vs is deerer then bread is not to be found amongst them their
Samori which signifieth Emperor or as some write God on earth Although the reputation of this king be much ecclipsed by the Portugals partly by diuersion of traffike from his countries and partly by astisting his rebels and vassals the kings of Tauor and Cochin and though his title of Samori be little regarded yet maintaineth hee his woonted maiestie in very good sort amongst the Barbarians Calecute is 25. leagues long Malabar in the broadest place exceedeth not ten The citie of Calecute from whence the prouince taketh his name is three miles long situated vpon the sea side It containeth but few houses and those of little woorth not aboue ten fifteene or twentie nobles rent by yeere which is the common rent of all the housing of the East Indies if the Arabians or Portugals be not dealers therein The inhabitants liue vpon rice palmito cattell and fish Their riches consist in ginger and pepper which draweth yeerely a great masse of treasure into the hauens of this kingdome The Arabians were Lords of this traffike for many ages till the Portugals setting light by the incredible dangers of a long nauigation arriued there not aboue 100. yeeres since and bartred their wares for pepper and other commodities of the land And as the Portugals enriched the townes of Cochin so did the Arabians Calecute and that kingdome For this commoditie is of such consequence that it not onely enricheth the prince with presents and customes but in such sort so augmenteth the state of the merchants that some of them are comparable to many dukes in Europe and kings in Afrike In their wars in Malabar they vse not the seruice of horse not onely for that the climate breedeth none for those that they haue are brought out of Persia and Arabia but for that the nature of the countrey is not fit for horsemanship For as in Sweuia the footemen vse no pikes and the horsemen no launces for the thicknes of the woods which maketh them vnseruiceable so in Malabar because of the streights riuers of the sea and marishes they seldome vse horses so that all their forces consist in shipping and footemen It is strange to see how readie the soldier of this countrie is at his weapon they are all gentlemen and termed Naires At seuen yeeres of age they are put to schoole to learne the vse of their weapons where to make them nimble and actiue their sinewes and ioints are stretched by skilfull fellowes and annointed with the oile of Sesamus by this annointing they become so light and nimble that they will winde and turne their bodies as if they had no bones casting them forward backward heigh and low euen to the astonishment of the beholders Their continual delight is in their weapon perswading themselues that no nation goeth beyond them in skill and dexteritie Euery one inureth himselfe to that weapon whereto he findeth his bodie most agreeable Their ancient weapons were the Iauelin the bowe and the sword but after the comming of the Portugals they learned so exactly the mixing of mettals the casting of great ordinance and the practise thereof that some say their artillerie and powder surpasseth ours They go to the warre all naked saue their priuities neither vse they head peeces which is the reason that in fights and skirmishes they shew exceeding agilitie charging retiring more like falcons then soldiers When a man would take them to be farre off he shall see them houering round about him in a trice so that it is as dangerous to follow them flying as to deale with them fighting They are swift as leopards and their flight as much to be feared as their charge If they come to handstrokes which they will not do but vpon necessitie or aduantage they vse altogither to strike with the point They binde copper or siluer shingles to the hilts of their swords the sound whereof in steede of drums and trumpets encourageth them to the encountre They wil lie so close vnder their bucklers that you shall not see any part of their bodies lie open to danger There are one kind of Nairs called Amochi which accurse themselues their kinred and posteritie with most bitter execrations if they leaue iniuries done to their societie vnreuenged If their king happen to be slaine so much the more furious runne they through fire water and assured destruction to reuenge his death And therefore the kings of India suppose their estates weake or strong as they perceiue the numbers of those Amochi to be few or many By the lawe of the countrie they may not marrie but they are all allowed women in common They maintaine those women very well according to their birth and degrees They must be all gentlewomen for the Nairs may not take any countriewomen yea so great is their disdaine and pride that without ill vsage they will not indure any of the common people to come neere them In their iournies they send their seruants before to the Innes and villages to declare their masters approch then must all trauellers depart and giue roome If it be thought in Turkie that by licentious libertie in time of peace the Ianizars become more hardie and couragious in warre what may we deeme of these Nairs who will not indune a man of meane calling to looke them in the face They inhabite no townes but dwell in houses made of earth inuironed with hedges and woods and their waies as intricate as into a laborinth Of what force this kingdome is may be gathered by the armie of sixtie thousand soldiers and two hundred vessels of warre which he leuied 1503. against Edward Pacheco the king of Portugals captaine taking part at that time with the king of Cochin this warre lasted almost fiue monethes In the yeere 1529. with an armie of one hundred thousand he belegered the fortresse which the Portugals built in Calecute vnder the keeping of Iohn Lima. In this siege he spent a whole winter wherein although the Portugals behaued themselues very valiantly yet weighing the kings forces and their owne possibilities they thought it best to destroy it with their owne hands In the yeere 1561. he besieged Ciale with 90. thousand men and tooke it by composition He hath more then once giuen an instance of his power at sea He is Lord of many hauens whereunto great numbers of shipping doe resort and in that regarde cannot choose but be well furnished with a great nauie But in goodnes of shipping and martiall discipline we must needes confesse the sea-forces of all the Indian princes to be far inferior to those of the Portugals whose dominion both at sea and land nothing hath so much augmented as their defensiue warfare To speake truth it seldome falleth out but the naked man feareth the sword and the armed more incouraged thereby bearing himselfe bolder vpon his skill then his strength and preuailing more by temporizing then in ioyning foote to foote by rash fighting whereas the Barbarians putting more confidence in their numbers then
goodnes haue alwaies wanted that vertue which should make armies dreadfull and fortunate and that is good order and warlike discipline The kingdome of Persia. PErsia and the Persian glorie hath beene often obscured first by the Arabians who to bury in obliuion the memorie of their former reputation enacted by law that they should no more be called Persians but Saracens then by the Tartarians lead by Chingis and lastly by Tamerlan and his followers But not long before our times by the vertue of Ismaell Sophy of whose originall and fortunes for the better vnderstanding of the state and historie of Persia it shall not be amisse to deuile the kingdome regained his ancient splendor When Mahumet after the decease of his first wife who adopted him her heire by her riches and his new superstition had gotten him a name amongst the vulgar he married for his second wife Aissa the daughter of one Abubacer a great rich man and of high authoritie in those quarters By this mans countenance and the friendship of Omar and Ottomar his kinsemen he gathered together a great rable of Arabians and partly by faire meanes partly by colour of religion he became master of many of the bordering townes and about the same time gaue Fatime his daughter by his first wife to Haly his cosin and to him after his death all his earthly substance making him the head of his superstition with the title of Caliph Abubacer by whose countenance Mahumet became gracious taking in ill part the preferment of the yoong man by the aide of Omar and Ottomar whose desires were in hope of succession by reason of the old mans yeeres and for kinreds sake rather to see Abubacer then Haly Caliph began openly to resist Haly and to spoile him and his wife Fatime of all the substance which was left him by his vncle Abubacer died Omar and Ottomar succeeded Omar was slaine by a slaue Ottomar in a priuate quarrell after whose decease Haly succeeded Against him rose Mauie who accusing him as accessarie to the death of Ottomar his Lord caused him to be slaine neere Cafe a citie within two daies iourney of Babylon where likewise he lieth buried The place is called to this day Massadall that is the house of Haly. After his decease the inhabitants of Cafe proclaimed Ossan the sonne of Fatima Caliph but him likewise Mauie resisted and slew by poyson Then was he absolute Caliph and after him his sonne Iazit Ossan left behinde him twelue sonnes one whereof was called Mahumet Mahadin The Moores say he neuer died but that he shall returne againe to conuert the world and therefore they keepe alwaies readie in the mosque of Massadella a horse gallantly furnished where in their fopperie they affirme that this worlds conuersion shall there first begin Vpon these differences of Haly Abubacer Omar Ottomaâ— Mauie haue mightie factions of armes and opinions arisen amongst the sectaries of this new superstition The Persians labour to prooue Haly true Caliph by the last will of Mahumet the Arabians stand as stifly to the three first When from the yeere of our Lord God 1258. to the yeere 1363. the Moores had no Caliph Mustapha Mumbala the last Caliph being slaine by Allacu king of the Tartarians a certaine noble man in Persia named Sophi Lord of Ardeuell deriuing his pedegree from Haly by Musa Ceresin his nephew and one of the twelue sonnes of Ossan in memorie of whom he altered the forme of the Turbant by his vertue and valour woon great credit and estimation to his new faction To him succeded Adar the sonne of Guine to whom Assembeg a powerfull Prince in Siria and Persia gaue his daughter in marriage But his sonne Iacobbeg fearing the power and estimation of Adar caused him to be slaine and deliuered his two sonnes Ismael and Soliman to his captaine Amanzar willing him to cast them in prison in Zaliga a castle in the mountaines but Amanzar detesting the tyrannie of his Lord conueyed the children to his owne house and brought them vp like gentlemen amongst his owne sonnes and falling sicke of a deadly disease forecasting what might happen after his disease gaue them horses and money willing them to flie and to betake themselues to their mothers house and tuition Ismael the eldest was no sooner returned to his mothers place but he vowed reuenge for his fathers death and after some fortunate expeditions tooke vpon him the cause and protection of the followers of Haly from whom he deriued his pedegree He made the turbant higher and sent Ambassadors to all the orientall Mahumetans to exhort them to vnitie in religion and cognisances By these meanes and fortune of his armes he became a terror to the east and slew Ossan then vsurper of the Persian estate with his ten brethren except Marabeg who saued himselfe and fled to Soliman the first Emperor of Turkes imploring his aide This Ismael at the lake Vay ouerthrew with a great slaughter the Prince of the Tartars Zagatai and in heat of this victorie had passed the riuer Abbian if his Astrologian in whom he greatly trusted had not foretold him that his passage should be prosperous but his returne infortunate He left to his sonnes a most spatious Empire bounded with the Caspian sea the Persian gulfe the lake Sioc the riuers Tygris and Oxus and the kingdome of Cambaia which prouinces containe more then twentie degrees from east to west 18. from north to south And although these kingdomes lying within these bounds held not immediatly of the crowne of Persia yet all acknowledged the Persian for their soueraigne Prince that is the kings of Macran Patam Guadel and Ormus The Georgians did follow their fortunes so did Media now called Siruan Dierbechia once Mesopotamia Cusistan the habitation of the Susiani Farsistan the countrey of the Persians Straua once Hircania â—athia at this day called Arac Caramania now Chermain Sigestan Carassa Sablestan and Istigiu whose ancient names were Drangia Bactria Parapamisus Margiana Of these regions those which lie neerest to the Persian sea are most plentifull by reason of the riuers euerie where dispersed through the whole land Amongst these riuers the most famous is Bindimir to whose waters the inhabitants are much beholding conuaying it by trenches and other inuentions into their grounds to their great ease and commoditie The prouinces lying vpon the Caspian sea for their riuers and temperature doe likewise participate of the said fertilitie especially all those quarters which are watered with the riuer Puly-Malon falling into the lake Burgian the residue of the prouince is drie by reason whereof townes villages are seldome seene in those places vnlesse it be by some spring or waters side The most ample and magnificent cities of Persia are Istigias the chiefe se at of Bactria thought to be one of the pleasantest cities of the east Indion the chiefe seat of Margiana situated in so fat and fertill a territorie that therefore Antiochus Soter caused it
misfortunes they haue the like beasts both tame and wilde as we haue but they will scarcely eate any thing saue herbes fish barly or rice and if they do it is the flesh of wilde beasts taken by hunting Of these graines they make their wines and water mixt with a certaine precious powder which they vse they account a daintie beuerage they call it Chia Their buildings for the most part are of timber partly because the vpland places are destitute of quarries but abounding with cedars of admirable height and thicknes fit for building and partly because the countrey is very subiect to earthquakes In times past all Iapan obeied one prince shewing him great obedience and subiection and this gouernment indured with no lesse state and maiestie at the least 1600. yeeres vntill about 50. yeeres sithence by the rebellion of two of his chiefest lieutenants the whole kingdome was distracted each of them holding by armes whatsoeuer he atchiued by vsurpation By their example others becomming as ambitious seised vpon the rest of the kingdome some on one part some on an other leauing nothing but the bare name of Dairi which signifieth the Lord of all Iapan with the title of Iucata viz. king to their rightfull soueraigne Yea those princes which were Lords of the territories about Meaco would hardly allow him whereof to find him victuall apparel so that now he resembleth the shadow rather then the king of the ancient magnificent Monarchie of Iapan Sithence those times whosoeuer laieth holdfast on the dominion of the Coquinai those are the fiue kingdomes bordering vpon Meaco in steed of Dairi calleth himselfe Emperour and king of Iapan and Lord of Tenza Nabunanga was one of them in our daies and after him Fassia in power and maiestie excelling all his predecessors Nabunanga was Lord of 36. prouinces Fassih at the least of fiftie Their forme of gouernment is nothing like the policie of Europe The strength of the Prince consisteth not in ordinarie reuenues and loue of the people but in rigor and the princes pleasure Assoone as the prince hath conquered one or more kingdomes he shareth them wholy amongst his friends and followers who binde themselues by oath faithfully to serue him with a limited company of men as well in peace as warre They againe to make their followers trustie and readie for all seruices reseruing some small matter for the sustentation of themselues and their families diuide to euerie man a portion of the former diuision so that all the wealth of Iapan priuate and publike is in the hand of a few men and those few depending vpon the pleasure of one that is the Lord of Tenza He as him listeth giueth taketh disgraceth honoreth inricheth and impouerisheth When he casleth any gouernor of his prouince all the leaders and soldiers of the said prouince are changed and none left there but artificers and husbandmen This gouernment draweth with it continuall dislike and innouations For Dairy though he hath neither power nor gouernment yet being in fauour estimation of the people ceaseth not to insinuate into their heads that this Lord of Tenza and the other tyrants are vsurpers of other mens right destroyers of the monarchie and enimies to the state and libertie of Iapan Which perswasions take so deepe roote in the harts of the people and so extenuate the reputation of these vsurpers that vnder colour of suppression of others they often take armes vpon hope to raise their owne greatnes so that by this daily chaunge of gouernors the people not knowing who are their right and natural Lords know not whom to loue and obey and againe their Lords being as vncertaine of their continuance care not for the people nor for the welfare of their own vassals no more then if they were meer straÌ„gers but alwaies aspiring by the same facility wherby they gained one to conquer a better after the manner of gaâ—â—esters continually hazard one vpon hope of winning another in this sort sometime one alone sometime many together vexing the Ilands with perpetuall warfar Fassiha to assure his estate and disable the great ones from enterprising against him doth often transport them from one prouince to another causing them to forgoe their ancient inheritances and to lead their liues amongst vnknowen neighbours neither in those places will he suffer them to inioy liuings vnited but far diuided in pieces and parcels For all this they are neuer at peace amongst themselues by reason that the frontires of their pettie iurisdictions neighbour so neere one vpon another In these alterations Fassiha constrayned as well the loosers as the winners to doe him homage and obeysance and once a yeere to pay him a rich tribute drawing to his owne coffers the greatest part of the wealth of Iapan by these tyrannies He keepeth his owne people busied in building of admirable palaces sumptuous temples townes fortresses the like whereof are no where to be seene In these workes he hath more then an hundred thousand workmen labouring in their seuerall occupations at their owne charges Amongst the rest he is now in building a temple for whose iron workes all the stuffe in Iapan will hardly suffice and therefore he hath giuen commandement to all his people and merchants to bring all their iron and armor into one place Besides the oath of fealtie whereby the residue of the kings and princes are bound to aide and assist him in peace and warre he receiueth yeerely two millions arising of the profits of rice reserued vpon his owne possessions He was determined after the finishing of these fabriks to attempt a iourney into China and for that enterprise caused timber sufficient for the building of two thousand vessels for transportation to be felled By these magnificent fabriks this haughtie resolution this large dominion and conquest of forreine kingdomes he hopeth to attaine the reputation of immortalitie amongst his subiects as diuers of his predecessors haue done before him For Amida Xaca Canis and Fotoque were no other then Lords of Iapan which either for their glorie in warre or inuention of some good arts in peace were accounted as gods amongst the Iaponians as in the old world Hercules and Bâ—cchus were amongst the Graecians and Saturne and Ianuâ— amongst the Italians Of these demi-gods they report as many strange and fabulous inuentions as the Graecians and Italians did of theirs But Fassiha vnderstanding by the preaching of the Iesuits that there can be no God but one who created the heauen and earth of nothing and all other deities to be foolish and detestable determined to banish them all and to weed vp that good vine which began to take deepe roote in those prouinces Surely this may stand for a memorable example of the pride and blindenesse of mans hart The Romane Emperors opposed their forces against Christian religion onely to maintaine and vphold the worship of their idols condemned for vaine and diuelish by the law of Christianitie but this man raiseth persecution
against true religion to arrogate to himselfe the name of God an imagination as I said before full of extreme ambition and madnes But in the midst of these proud and vnreasonable cogitations God raised vp against him a new enimie from the easterne parts of Iapan who as we vnderstand by aduisoes of the last yeere is likely to giue him his hands and head full of busines The Xeriffe AMongst all the potentates of Afrike I do not thinke that there can any one be found to excell this prince either in wealth or power His dominion conteineth all that tract of Mauritania which the Romans called Tingitana and stretcheth from the promontory Bayador to Tanger and from the Atlantike Ocean to the riuer Muluia In which progresse is conteined the best portion of all Afrike the best inhabited the pleasantest the fruitefullest and most ciuill Herein amongst others are the famous kingdomes of Fez and Marocho the one diuided into seuen prouinces the other into eight The countrey is diuided into plains and mountaines The mountaines are inhabited with a strong and fierce people rich in pastures cattle possessing a great part of the lesse and bigger Atlas Betweene the greater Atlas and the Ocean lieth the plaine countrey and therein the roiall citie of Marocho distant fowreteene miles from Atlas watered with many springs brookes and riuers In times past this citie conteined one hundred thousand housholds and was the chiefest of Afrike but by little and little is decaied and nowe lieth more waste then inhabited In the kingdome of Marocho besides others is Tedsi a towne of fiue thousand housholds and Tagaost of eight thousand Taradant giueth place to none for noblenes and traffike though for largenes and circuit It is situated betweene Atlas and the Ocean in a plaine sixteene miles long and little lesse broad abounding with sugar and all kinde of prouision The good regard and continuall abode which Mahumet Xeriffe made in this place did greatly augment and innoblish this towne Being past Atlas you enter into most batle plaines wherein how fruitefull the soile is of sugar oliues cattle and all good things can hardly be spoken The kingdome of Fez likewise conteineth diuers prouinces excellent well peopled Amongst them is Alga a territorie of fowrescore miles long and sixtie broad Elabut is 100. miles long and 60. broad Eriff is a prouince wholy mountanous therein are said to be 23. branches of the mount Atlas inhabited for the most part with sauage and barbarous people Caret is drie and rockie more like Lybia then Barbarie Now because the glory and maiestie of this kingdome consisteth especially in the citie of Fez I thinke it not amisse to describe the situation thereof It is diuided into two parts a little distant one from the other the one called the old towne the other the new A little riuer likewise diuideth the old into two parts The east part is called Beleyda containing fowre thousand housholds the west part is commonly called old Fez and hath fowerscore thousand and vpward standing not farre from the new Fez which likewise hath eight thousand Old Fez standeth partly vpon hils partly on plaines and hath in it 50. Mahumetan temples of admirable largenes All of them haue their fountaines and pillers of Allablaster and Iasper besides these there are sixe hundred of a lesse sort amongst the which that which is commonly called Carucen is most beautifull builte in the hart of the citie and containing halfe a mile in compasse in bredth it containeth seuenteene arches in length 120. borne vp by 2500. white marble pillars vnder the chiefest arch where the tribunall is kept hangeth a most huge lamp incompassed with 110. lesse Vnder the other arches hang very great lampes in each whereof burne 1500. lights They say in Fes that all these lampes were made of the bels which the Arabians brought out of Spaine who not onely made praie of bels but of columns pillars brasse marble and whatsoeuer was rich and curious first erected by the Romans and afterwards by the Gothes There are in Fez aboue 200. schooles of learning 200. Innes and 400. water milles euery one driuen with fower or fiue wheeles There are also diuers Colleges amongst the which that which is called Madarac is accounted for one of the most finest peeces of workemanship throughout all Barbarie There are likewise 600. conduits from whence almost euery house is serued with water It were a long labour to describe their Burse they call it Alcacer it is a place walled about hauing twelue gates and diuided into fifteene walkes where the merchants meete and dispatch their busines vnder tents Their delightsome gardens and pleasant parks with the rillets and waters running through them I can hardly describe For the most part the king keepeth his court at Fes wherein he hath a castle palaces houses adorned with rare workmanship rich and beautifull euen to his harts desire He hath a way vnder ground from the old towne to the new For the greatnes and statelines thereof by the grant of former kings it enioieth this strange priuiledge not indure any siege vnlesse the citizens shall thinke their prince for strength and forces able and equall to cope with his enimie if not without reproch of treason or ignominie they may yeeld their citie before their enimie approch within halfe a mile of the wals This haue they done that so goodly and so flourishing a citie should not suffer spoile vnder pretext of vnprofitable temporizing It is of no lesse moment for situation store of corne oile flaxe and cattle then for pleasantnes of territorie and plentie of water The wals are very strong and defended with manie bulwarkes The inhabitants are very thriftie giuen to traffike and especially to the making of clothes of wooll silke and cotton The kings eldest sonne is called the prince of Mequiuez Though the kingdome haue no good hauens vpon the Mediterranean sea yet great store of Englishmen and Frenchmen resort to Alarach Aguer and other ports in the Ocean whereof some belong to the kingdome of Fes and other to the kingdome of Marocho They carrie thither armor and otherwares of Europe which they bartre for sugar and other commodities Now how the kingdomes of Fes and Marocho two seuerall principalities with their dependances became subiect to one crowne I think it worthy relation bicause a more strange and memorable accident hath not happened in our age About the yeere of our Lord 1508. a certaine Alfaique borne in Tigumedet in the prouince of Dara began to grow in reputation a man of a reaching wit and no lesse ambitious then learned in the Mathematicks His name was Mahumet Beâ—-Amet otherwise called Xerif by his owne commandement This man deriuing his peregree from Mahumet and imboldened by the ciuill wars of Africke and the differents of the states and common weales thereof wherein in those daies the Portugals were of no small puissance began to dreame vpon the conquest
of their bodie as blinde lame tall bold c. This king is verie puissant in people of whom he exacteth no other tribute then the tenths of the increase of their liuely hoods For exercise and insteed of occupations they giue themselues to steale to slay their neighbours and to take them prisoners and then to barter them for horses with the merchants of Barbarie He hath vnder him many kingdomes and nations some white some blacke He is an heauie enemie to the Abessines taking away their cattell rifling their mines and leading away the people in captiuitie His horsemen ride after the Spanish manner armed with lances steeled at both ends darts and arrowes but their inrodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles then wars managed by valiant soldiers The Turke likewise on the east and the king of Adel on the southeast do cruelly vexe him for they haue curtald his large dominion and brought his prouinces into great miserie In the yeere 1558. the Turke harried the whole territorie of Bernagasso but since expulsed and tooke from Prester Iohn whatsoeuer he was Lord of vpon that sea coast especially the hauen and citie of Suaquen and Erococo in which place the mountaines betweene Abex and the red sea make a gate as it were for the traffique and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians And sithence that Bernangasso was inforced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands to buy his peace and in name of a tribute to pay one thousand ounces of gold yeerely The king of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie he bordereth vpon the kingdome of Fatigar and his siegniorie stretcheth alongst the red sea as far as Assum Salir Meth Barbora Pidar and Zeila Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with merchandise which they trucke for flesh honie wax and vittail these commodities are carried to Aden gold iuorie and such wares are sent to Cambaia the greatest part of vittail honie wax corne and fruits brought from Zeila are carried into Aden and Arabia as likewise much cattell especially sheepe hauing tailes of 25. pound weight with heads and necks all blacke the rest of their bodies all white Of these cattell there are some altogether white with turning crooked tailes as long as a mans arme and dewlaps like oxen Some of their kine haue hornes with many branches like our deere othersome haue one horne in their forehead growing backward a span and halfe long The chiefe citie of this kingdome is Arar 38. leagues distant from Zeila towardes the southeast He professeth Mahumetisme and since his conuersion he hath intitled himselfe with the sirname of Holy aâ—owing continuall war against the Abessine Christians and therefore he watcheth the time of the foresaid fast of fiftie daies when he entreth their territories burneth their villages taketh prisoners and then committeth a thousand other mischiefes The Abessine slaues doe often leaue their countrie and take vpon them great iournies putting themselues in the seruice of great Lords where many times by their industrie and good carriage they become high commaunders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra For the Mahumetan princes being all tyrants Lords of those countries which they haue forced from the Gentils to secure their estates doe neuer trust their home-bred subiects but wage strangers and slaues vnto whose fidelitie they commit their persons and the managing of all the affaires of their kingdomes And amongst all sorts of slaues the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnes and towardly disposition The king of Adel ouerlaieth Egypt and Arabia with these slaues which hee changeth with the Turks and princes of Arabie for armour prouision of warre and soldiers In the yeere of our Lord 1500. Claud king of Abex perceiuing himselfe inferior to Grad-Ameda king of Adel for he had vexed his land with 14. yeeres incursions forsaking the frontires retired himselfe into the inward parts of his kingdome intreating for aide of Stephen Gama viceroy of India vnder Iohn the third king of Portugall who was then in the red sea with a warlike nauie In compassion of his miseries and religion he sent him fower hundred Portugall-shot very well furnished vnder the conduct of Christopher his brother By their aide and vse of their artillerie he ouerthrew his enemies in two battels but the king of Adel obtaining of the gouernor of the citie of Zebit one thousand harquebushers and ten pieces of ordinance in the third fight put the Portugals to flight and slew their captaine Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes king Claudius set vpon him at vnawares by the riuer Zeila and the mountaine Sana with eight thousand footemen fiue hundred Abessine horsemen and the remainder of the liuing Portugals one of whome gaue Grada-Amada his deaths wound But in March 1509. Claudius fighting with the Moores of Malaca gaining the victorie was slaine in the battel Adam his brother succeeded against whom being a demi-Mahumetan the greatest part of the Abessine nobilitie rebelled and was ouerthrowne in the yeere 1562. by Bernagasso By this casualtie did the Aethiopian affaires ebbe flow vntill in the raigne of Alexander things began in some sort to returne to their ancient estate by the aide of the Portugals who furnished them with weapons both offensiue and defensiue and by their examples incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies All that were liuing after the defeature of Christopher Gama and all that euer went thither since that day to this doe still remaine there marrying wiues and begetting children King Alexander gaue them leaue to elect a Iusticer and to end all matters of controuersie amongst themselues which maketh them so willing to stay and to teach them the vse of their weapons the manner of our warfare and how to fortifie passages and places of importance Sithence those times Francis Medices contracting friendship with the Abessine diuers Florentines some for pleasure and some for profit haue trauelled into those prouinces wherein when they are once entred the king intreateth them so faire and giueth them so largely whereupon to liue that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne countries Besides these he hath other enemies as the king of Dancali whose citie and hauen is Vela vpon the red sea and the Moores of Doba a prouince diuided into foureteene Lieutenantships These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire yet doe they often rebell hauing a law amongst themselues that no yoong man may contract matrimonie vnlesse he can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelue Christians Monomotapa IN the residue of Aethiop raigne diuers powerfull princes as the kings of Adel Monomugi Monomotapa Angola and Congo of which as yet we vnderstand very little But that the Reader by the description of one may coniecture of the rest I wil speake somwhat of the state policie of Monomotapa because it is mightier and more famous then the rest This kingdome containeth all that Iland which lieth between the riuers of Cuama and Spirito Santo a territorie of 150. leagues in compasse and from Spirito Santo it stretcheth euen to the Cape of Good Hope for the Vizeroys of that huge tract do acknowledge him for their soueraigne and supreme gouernour of townes villages they haue few those cottages which they haue consist of timber and tâ—ach One of their chiefe cities is called Zimbas and other Benema taxa the one fifteene miles the other 21. distant from Cefala towards the west The soile aboundeth with corne with cattle great and small wandring by heards through the fields and woods By the store of teeth from thence transported we may coniecture that lesse then 5000. elephants cannot but die yeerely in this countrey These beasts are here very great There is no climate like it for plentie of gold for by report there are 3000. mines whereout gold is digged gold is likewise found in the earth in rocks and riuers The mines of Manica Boro Quiticui and Toroe which some men call Butua are the richest The people are meane of stature black wel set They conuerse with the king kneeling on their knees and to sit in his presence is the vse with them as with vs to stand and that is granted but to great lords The assay of meate and drinke is not made before but after the prince hath eate and drunke Heere are no prisons because law passeth vpon the offendor in the very moment wherein the offence was committed The offences most seuerely punished are witchcraft theft and adulterie They pay no other tribute but certaine daies worke and presents without the which no man may appeere in the princes presence The king beareth in his coat of armes a certaine little spade with an Iuorie handle and two small darts He keepeth for his faithfullest guard two hundred dogs He keepeth the heires of his vassall princes to be secured of their parents loyaltie One of the kings not long sithence was conuerted and Baptized by Gonsalua Silua a Iesuite with the greater part of his courtiers but afterwards by the perswasion of certaine Moores in great credite about him he caused him to be slaine Sebastian king of Portugall offended heereat proclaimed warre against him vnder the leading of Francisco Barreâ—â—o This armie consisted of sixeteene hundred the greatest part gentlemen to whom the Monomotapa fearing their armes and valour offered honorable conditions but the captaine whom no offer or indiffeferencie could satisfie was ouercome and his armie vtterlie consumed yet not by the enimie but by sicknes and the infectious aire of the countrey FINIS Faults escaped Page 17. lin 30. for lanciers read men at armes Page 20. lin 38. for defensible r. defeasible Page 24. lin 22. for supremacie r. soueraigntie Page 28. lin penult these words without relation to the kingly authoritie are superfluous Page 65. lin 30. for it might r. he might Page 65. lin 34. for he is immediate r. mediate he is Page 127. lin 24. for can be wanting r. cannot be wanting 1597.