offence but that the same hath beene turned to defense Of which kinde are Castles built of later times and the devices of moderne fortification whereby few souldiers have resisted great Armies and a small place made tenable hath wasted the forces and treasure of a mighty Emperour as well witnessed the fortunes of eight hundred Portugals at Domaine upon the coast of Cambaia who by this Art scorned and deluded the whole forces and attempts of this mighty Mogor China IN times past the Kingdome of China hath beene farre larger than now it is For it appeareth by their Histories containing the Annals of 2000. yeares and upward and by other of their manuscript Chronicles 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 Provinces of Meletai Becam Calan Boraga and other territories situated upon the North side of Pegu where their monuments with their Epitaphs devices are to be seen at this day For in all the foresaid Regions the relicks of their ancient ceremonies wherby the knowledge of the Mathematicks as the division of the yeare into moneths the Zodiacke into 12. signes true testimonies of their Empire are taught by tradition Neither is the time long sithence all those Kingdomes accounted the King of China for their Soveraigne sending their Ambassadors with presents to his Court every third yeare These Ambassadors ought to be foure at least for before they could arrive at their journeyes end some of them either by remotenesse 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 poyson and erect unto them stately tombes with the inscription of their names the place from whence they came and with the stile of Ambassadors thereby say they to commit to eternity the remembrance of the bounds of their Empire They inlarged their dominions no lesse upon the Ocean than upon the Continent For they first of all invaded the Isles of the Orient next unto them the Giavi then the Moluccans and Moores and lastly the Portugals and Castilians who hold them at this day But none of these Nations were equall of power and magnificence to the Chinois for besides the conquest of the bordering Isles which in regard of their numbers their spaciousnesse and fertilitie were of great reckoning they became Lords of the greatest part of all the inhabitable places in that vast Archipelago even to Zeilan where they left their speech and characters as also they did the like upon the opposite continent Wre reade also in the papers of certaine Jesuites that in one quarter of the Island of Saint Laurence they found white people which said that they descended of the Chinois They first discovered the Moluccas gave names unto the Spices and planted Colonies in many of them which to this present keepe their old name as batta china à Maur batta china Mauri batta signifieth a Towne batta china a Towne of the Chinois It is likewise thought that the Inhabitants of Iava descended from them and to speake the truth there is no great difference betweene their manner of living clothing building industry trafficke and manuall occupations But after the shipwrâ—cke of fourscore vessels and the losse of their people in the Sea of Zeilan comparing their profit with their losse they resolved to trie no more such hazards but to containe themselves within their owne bounds And to cause this Edict to be inviolably observed they enacted that none there after upon paine of the losse of his â—ead should offer to faile into those parts the Kâ—ngs themselves did ever abstaine from future invasions For sithence they enjoy a very earthly Paradise where Nature and Art are at strife to content the Inhabitants where no good thing iâ— 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 than profitable to keepe Polybius writeth that upon the same reason the old Carthaginians forsooke part of those things which before they had conquered The Romans after they had suffered a grievous losse of their best vessels in the second Punicke warre in meere despaire bade Navigation adue but afterwards perceiving that they who were Commanders of the Sea were likely to prove Lords of the Land they built a new Navie and at length saw the successe to answer their latest opinions Therefore can we not but ascribe this resolution of the Chinois rather to good conscience and advisednesse than to wisdome or good policâ—e When this surrender was resolved in full councell they set the people whom they had vanquished free yet some of their good wils remained feodaries shadowing their estates under the wings of their puissance as the Kings of Corea Lequi Cauchinchina and Siam But notwithstanding their retreit within their owne bounds yet possesse they a dominion little lesse than Europe for from the North towards the South it reacheth from seventeene to two and fiftie degrees from East to the West are two and twenty degrees It is divided into eight severall Kingdomes over whom one principall Monarch controlleth by whose high and illustrious titles of Mundi Dominus and Solis filius he would seeme to challenge all Natures immunities and withall that their prescriptions before the dayes of Adam were true and canonicall The principall Citie is called Paquin neighbouring Tartary out of which the Emperour never issueth but in time of warre which is as it were an exercise amongst them at that time challenging the attendance of every Nation For as you have read in the History of England That from the Twede betweene Northumberland and Scotland even to the Irish Seas there was a wall called Picts wall one hundred miles long and at certaine spaces fortified with watch-towers which thorow hollow trunkes placed within the curtaines received advertisements of Alarmes excursions and such like so that in a moment the whole Countrey was up in armes and the ordinary proceedings of military discipline executed So here from the Sea to Mount Caucasus or rather Imaus eight thousand furlongs together is raised a fortification and at every miles end a strong rampart or bulwarke wherein is continuall garrison Thomas Perez the King of Portugals Ambassadour made foure moneths journey from Cantan to Nanquij bearing alwayes Northerly Nor doth he enter the field under an army of three huÌ„dred thousand foot and two hundred thousand horse Of which I am not incredulous considering the levies of the East five hundred thousand men were consumed in the civill warres of Iuda and Ierusalem and against Iuda her enemies the Moores and Aethiopians brought ten hundred thousand paire of hands to pull downe the wals of Ierusalem Their manner of life is most obscene and shamelesse their idolatrie vile and vicious their incantations ridiculous the prostitution of
especially if they were not naturally Spaniards first with an empty title and lastly being not otherwise able to pay or recompence them with a Spanish sico. A great and a maine advancer of a cause and enlarger of Empire is Religion or the pretence of it Religion is well called the soule of the State and is ever the prime thing to be looked into most bitter dissentions and hinderances of all great actions still proceeding from discontentments in Religion Anima est actus corporis sayes the Philosopher T is the soule that gives action and motion to the body and if the affections and passions of the soule bee composed to a well ordered and contented tranquillity and serenity there followes health strength and growth in all the limbs and members of the body The conscience is an active sparke and can easily man up all the powers of soule and body either for the maintenance or enlargement of it's libertie Bonum est sui communicativum Religion contrary to counsell desires ever to be made publike the spirituall man as well as the naturall ever having a desire generare sibi simile to beget others in his owne likenesse to compasse Sea and Land to make a Proselyte As therefore Princes have still accounted it a dangerous thing to arme Religion against themselves so have they most willingly accepted of the countenance of Religion No such encouragement could come to the Israelites or disheartning to the Philistines as when the Arke of God was in the host of Israel who is able to stand against these mighty gods say they Most surely is the kingdome of the Pope founded whose ground is layed in the conscience The Turke pretending to propagate his Religion with fire and sword we see how that hath advanced his conquests and what advantage hath the Spaniard more made use of in these late warres than a specious pretence of rooting out the Protestants and the re-establishing of the Catholike Religion by which secret he hath not onely staved off the popish Princes and Erectors of Germany not onely from defending the common libertie of their country but to enter that which they call the holy league with him whereby for zeale of enlarging their Religion they in the meane time weaken themselves that he at last picking a slight quarrell with them may swallow them up one after another having long before designed them Papists as well as Protestants to a common destruction for though the Spaniard pretends Religion yet he intends Monarchie This plot beginning to be discovered we see most of the Princes of Christendome drawing to a leaguer war that is to a cōfederacy of all Protestant Princes against all Popish who sees not that if the Romish religion prevailes the King of Spaines Monarchie must needs prove as Catholike that is universall as his religion and then will he prove the Catholike King indeed Now that the pretence of Religion may take the better 't is necessary that there be an union in it among all the subjects of the grand pretender or at least that those of the adverse opinion be so few and weake that they be not able to put an Armie into the field tolerations of Religion are most dangerous and surely should the King of England much exhaust his land forces to make a potent invasion upon the Spanish dominions the Iesuites would presently stirre up our Papists to call him backe againe for the stinting of a domestike rebellion for to be feared it is that though all our Recusants be the King of Englands subjects yet too many of them be the King of Spaines servants No sooner on the otherside did the French King this present yeare lead his Army over the Alpes into Italy but the Duke de Rohan thought it a fit opportunity for the Protestants to struggle for their liberty And therefore plainly as of all good causes Religion is the chiefe so in Religion there must be unitie and that makes it irresistable Finally as naturall bodies are best nourished by things of that nature and kinde whereof they consist even so that Empire which is gained or inlarged by Religion must ever be maintained by it T was therefore the old rule amongst the Conquerours to bring in their owne language lawes and religion among their new subjects The Romanes did this every where and the Norman did it in England The Spaniard indeed hath not much stood upon lawes and language but hath ever beene diligent for his Religion and though in the Palatinate he suffered some Protestant Ministers awhile to make the conquest the sweeter yet those being either dead or wearied out he never suffered another Protestant to succeed The diligence and fury of the Emperour for rooting out those of the Augustane confession in Bohemia c. may well confirme the truth of this observation The qualities of weapons and the order of discipline are important instruments of this martiall greatnesse Advantage of weapons is like good casting and strict discipline like skilfull playing both which must needs winne the game The Macedonians by their Pikes and the Romans by their Pyles the Parthians and English by their long bowes have still beene victorious The same thing doth engine and fortification The gunne hath brought all weapons to an equality that onely domineeres now Nothing resists it but the spade T is a weapon of terrible execution serviceable both by Sea and Land yet are not the slaughters made by the gunne any way comparable for numbers to those bloudy battels wonne by the sword The charges of this disables Princes from levying Armies equall for multitudes to the Ancient which now adayes beginne to be incredible Infinite were it to speake of the new invented engines and fire-workes and of the severall provisions to prevent them and whether after-ages shall invent a more terrible weapon than the gun is to us uncertaine which if it proves the Inventor gets incredible advantage Treasure is an advantage of great importance forasmuch as there is nothing more necessary in warres or of more use in peace By meanes hereof the Florentines became Lords of a great part of Tuscany they bought many Cities they freed themselves from the incursions of divers enemies they maintained the warres many yeares against the Pisans and against the prowesse of those peoples and the power of those Princes which did aid them and at the last brought that warre to good end By meanes hereof the Venetians made themselves Lords of a good part of Lumbardy and endured the forces of the King of Hungary the Arch-duke of Austria and of divers other Princes Whereby it appeareth that money worketh two notable effects to the augmentation and continuance of the greatnesse of kingdomes and estates The one to provide and gather forces and those being gotten to uphold and maintaine with supplies of Souldiers victuals munition and armes The other that it doth offer us opportunity if not to weaken and vanquish the enemy having gotten the
Citie of Placentia and therefore wholly depends thereupon having taken a secret oath to obey him in all commands Proceeding with all possible respect not to give the least occasion of offence by reason that the investiture of Placentia was not granted absolutely to the house of Farnesi but only to the fourth descendencie after which it returnes againe to the King of Spaine as Duke of Millan And therefore his Excellencie that hee may not separate himselfe from his Majesties good liking did lately refuse to linke himselfe in alliance with the great Duke lest hee should displease the King whose minde he saw was bent against 〈◊〉 The Duke of Vrbine being a Prince of small power wholly relies upon his Majestie as receiving his greatest benefit from him to whom he hath committed the charge of all his Italian Cavalrie The Common-wealth of Genoa is like a ship beaten at Sea and tost with contrary winds tempestuous stormes placed as it were betwixt two anchors which are Prince Doria a true borne Citizen and the Ambassadour of the Catholike King who hath the protection thereof in his Masters name to his great benefit If ever he chance to become sole-Sole-Lord thereof it will adde a greater Dominion to his greatnesse for the nature and quality of the situation of that Citie whereof the Spaniards were wont to say That if the King their Master were but once Lord of Marsettes in Provence and of Genoa in Italy by the benefit of these two famous ports hee might easily arrive to the Monarchie of the whole World But howbeit the King of Spaine be not Lord thereof nor yet hath so great a part therein that he can assuredly say that it wholly rests at his command yet by favouring and upholding the greatnesse of the Prince Doria he maketh him the Instrument to serve his turne and by his meanes obtaineth what hee will or can in reason desire of that people deeply interessed in regard that his Majestie hath taken up great summes of money upon interest of them and therefore will take heed how they breake with him lest they be hindred of their gaines peradventure of their principall It hath beene thought that some Kings have beene behinde hand with them for more than a million and a halfe of gold How much Genoa depends upon him was seene in these late warres in which they were wholly protected by him Of the Religion of Malta the said King taketh a particular protection as that in like sort depends wholly upon his pleasure and doth readily execute his royall commandements serving his turne oftentimes in keeping the Coasts of Spaine and the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicily from the incursions of Pyrates and that without any one penie cost or charges to the said King whereof in proper place The Seigniory of Lucca hath placed both it selfe and all that it hath fearing the potencie of the great Duke under the protection of his Majesty In generall the Spanish Nation beareth little love to the Venetian Common-wealth as suspecting it to favour the French and for the strict friendship which it holds with the most Christian King and the most renowned State of England of late his apparant and professed Enemies Againe there is also little inclination of love towards this State because they thinke that it maketh profession to ballance the States and Forces of the Princes of Italy and though they esteeme well enough of it yet they love it not a jot Notwithstanding the Spaniards know that in those warres which may happen betwixt the Turks and this people they cannot out of their particular interests but aid and assist them and that on the contrary from them they have no hope of retribution unlesse in like occasion But withall they assuredly beleeve that the aids which they shall afford it shall be but feeble and slowly subministred in such sort that they shall not give it any great re-enforcement but only such as may be sufficient to save it from ruine yea scarce that Finally for a perfect review of this tedious discourse I wil recite unto you these weighty secret and last instructions given by Philip the second King of Spaine to his son Philip the third father of this present King teaching him how to governe himselfe and his Kingdomes after the decease of his said father brought to light by a servant of Don Christophero di Mora called Roderigo and translated out of Spanish and Dutch into English that the world may see how judiciously this manuscript of the Kings owne hand agreeth with the purport of these Relations SOnne I have often troubled my mind and entered into most deepe and serious considerations how to leave a quiet and setled estate unto you after my decease Howbâ—â—â— neither the long time of my life nor the opportunity of Princes affected to my service would afford me sufficient assistance in this behalfe I confesse that I have spent more than 594. millions of Duckets in lieu whereof I have enjoyed nothing the space of three and thirty yeares but heart-sorrow and vexation of spirit True it is that I recovered Portugal but as lightly as France is escaped from me so likewise may Portugal slide backe Would to God I had followed the counsell of Charles the Emperour my Lord Father of famous memory for then could I much more quietly brooke those my sorrowes and die with a more willing minde leaving to you the succession of this mortall life This then besides so many stately Kingdomes and Seigniories as a perpetuall testament I leave behinde unto you as a mirrour and Looking-glasse wherein you may see how to frame your actions and to carry your selfe in your government after my death Alwayes looke well to the charges and alterations of other States and Countries to the end you make use and reap good profit thereby as occasion shall serve and withall have a cautelous and circumspect eye over them that be in Counsell with you Two meanes you have whereby to maintaine your Spanish Kingdomes the one is Government the other the Trade of the Indies Touching your Government you must draw unto you and relie either upon the Nobilitie or the Spiritualtie of your Dominions If you leane unto the Spiritualtie you must seeke to briâ—ile and curbe the other as I have done but if you meane to strengthen your selfe with the Nobility cut short the Livings and Revenues of the Spiritualtie as much as is possible For holding them both in equall favour they will consume you and besides you shall set your Realmes out of quiet and never come to resolution the ballance being over-weighed sometimes by the one and sometimes by the other My Counsell is that you hold in league with the Provinces of the Netherlands especially if you meane to helpe your selfe with the Nobilitie for they be friends to France England the German Princes And neither Italy Poland Sweden nor Denmarke can stand you much in stead As for the King of Denmarke
a Cemiter They use the Launce the Bow indifferently There is scarce a better Musketteer in the whole world than the Persian generally is at this day nor a sorer fellow at the Spade or at a Mine Of both these the Portugals had sensible experience at the siege of Ormuz lately taken from them by the Persian Touching their riches the common opinion is that in the dayes of King Tamas the yearely Revenues amounted to foure or five millions of Gold who by a sudden doubling of the value of his coine raised it to eight and accordingly made payment to his Soldans and souldiers But in these dayes by the conquest of the great Turke they are much diminished and it is thought that they amount to little more than two But indeed the feodary Lands Townes and Villages Tenths Shops c. which are very many supply a great part of the pay due to the companies of those his horsemen above mentioned Towards the East bordereth the Mogor upon the North the Zagatai Towards the West the Turke possesseth a large frontier With the Mogors he is little troubled for as Spaine and France by reason of the narrow streight and difficult passages over the mountaines cannot easily convey necessaries the life of an Armie to infest one another So towards the frontiers of India and Cambaia Provinces belonging to the Mogors high Mountaines and vast Desarts keepe good peace betweene these two Princes yet infest they one another on the borders of Cahull Sablestan of which certaine Lords of the Mogors have gotten the dominion He commeth not neere the borders of the great Cham betweene whom certaine petty Princes and impassable Desarts doe oppose themselves It seemeth that toward the Zagatai he standeth content with those bounds which the River Oxus hath laid out for he never durst passe it and when Zaba King of the Zagatai had passed it hee was overthrowne with much slaughter by Ismael So was Cyrus by Tomyris who slew him and all his host The Turk is a borderer all alongst the western coast of this whole Empire even from the Caspian Sea to the gulfe Saura a tract almost of fifteene degrees He hath no enemy so dangerous nor more to be feared nor at whose hands in all conflicts for the most part he hath received greater losse Mahumet the second overthrew Vssanchan and tooke from David his Vassall and Confederate the Empire of Trapezond Selim the first did overthrow Ismael in Campania and tooke from him Caramit Orfa Merdis and all the territory which they call Alech Soliman put Tamas to flight and tooke from him Babylon and all Mesopotamia In our dayes Amurath wonne whatsoever lieth betweene Derbent and Tauris wherein is comprehended Georgia and Sirvan and by building of fortresses in Teflis Samachia and Ere 's assured the passages of Chars Tomanis and Lori He is Lord of all that lieth betweene Erzirum Orontes a River three daies journey beyond Tauris In this City he caused a Citadell to be built not minding to leave it as did Selim and Soliman but thereby as with a curbe to bridle and keepe it In this warre which lasted from the yeare 1591. to 1597. the Turks altered their forme of warfare for whereas they were wont to lay their whole hopes upon their numbers the valour of their horsemen and footmen their store of artillery and warlike furniture scorning to be cooped up in Castles and Fortresses for the most part spoyling and burning whatsoever they overcame or became Lords of and taking as little care to keepe what they had conquered supposing it no good policie to fortifie Castles or strengthen Townes by weakning of their companies in these warres to avoid the inconveniences where into Selim and Soliman were plunged they were glad to build strong places upon commodious passages and Citadels in the chiefest Townes furnishing them with good Garrisons and great store of Artillery This warre cost them very deare for by surprises by famine and extremities of weather infinite thousands perished yet alwayes to the losse of the Persian or his Confederates In the field the Persian is farre inferiour to the Turke in numbers and goodnesse of footmen in Ordnance in all sorts of warlike furniture and the chiefe stay of a State in obedience of subjects Notwithstanding if Selim Soliman or Amurath had not beene allured thither either by rebellion or intestine discords they durst not have medled with this warre Selim was called into the aid of Mara-beg the son of Ossaen a mighty Prince in Persia. Soliman came in aid of Elcaso the brother of Taemas hatefull to his Soveraigne for his ambition and aspiring humour and in the end abused the credit and good will of the people toward Elcaso to the furtherance of his owne designments Amurath never tooke weapon in hand against this people before he understood by the letters of Mustapha Bassa of Van that all Persia was in uprore about the election of a new Prince thereby certifying him that some had chosen Ismael some Ainer both sonnes of Tamas and that Periacocona slaying her owne brother Ismael and betraying Ainer had procured the Kingdome to Mahumet Codobanda After this mischiefe fell those fatall jarres betwixt Codobanda and his sonne and betwixt the Turcoman Nation a mighty family in Persia and the King A faction no lesse disasterous to the State of Persia than the warre of Turkie Against the Portugal for want of Sea-forces hee stirreth not and againe for want of Land-forces the Portugals are not able to molest his upland Countries Tamaes being counselled to make a voyage against Ormus asked what commodities the Island brought forth whether Corne Cattell Fruit or what other good thing When it was answered that the soile was utterly barren and destitute of provision but excellently well seated for traffike and navigation scoffing at the motion he replied That of this kinde of Revenue he had released unto his people above 90000. Tomana Truth is that he wanteth shipping to put the Portugals out of those Seas where these stead not he is content to reigne from India to Arabia East and West and from the Caspian to the South side of the Persian gulfe And as for these ninety thousand Tomana being in our account eighty thousand French crownes of annuall Revenue said to bee decreed in the dayes of this Tamas upon the generall customes of importation and exportation thorowout the whole Realme I can give my Reader no other satisfaction why to thinke the stomacks of great Princes can at any time be cloyed with such surfets unlesse hee be pleased to imagine that after this Prince or his Predecessor had received one or two dismall overthrowes by the Turkish forces and that not so much by their valours as by his owne deficiencie in shot ordnance and discipline he set on foot this Proclamation First to induce his owne people to manuall thrift and mutuall commerce And secondly to allure Gentlemen and forren Merchants to
and degrees They must be all Gentlewomen for the Nairs may not take any Countrywoman yea so great is their disdaine and pride that without illusage they will not indure any of the common people to come neere them In their journeyes they send their servants before to the Innes and Villages to declare their Masters approach then must all travellers depart and give roome If it be â—hought in Turkie that by licentious liberty in time of peace the Ianizars become more hardy and couragious in war what may we deeme of these Nairs who will not indure a man of meane calling to look them in the face They inhabit no Townes but dwell in houses made of earth invironed with hedges and woods and their waies as intricate as into a labyrinth Of what force this Kingdome is may be gathered by the armie of 60000. souldiers and 200. vessels of warre which he levied 1503. against Edward Pachecho the King of Portugals Captaine taking part that time with the King of Cochin this war lasted almost five months In the yeare 1529. with an army of 100000. he beleagred the fortresse which the Portugals built in Calecute under the keeping of Iohn Lima In this siege he spent a whole Winter wherein although the Portugals behaved themselves valiantly yet weighing the Kings forces and their owne possibilities they thought it best to destroy it with their owne hands In the yeare 1601. he besieged Caile with 90000. men and tooke it by composition He hath more than once given an instance of his power at Sea He is Lord of many havens whereunto great numbers of shipping doe resort and in that regard cannot chuse but be well furnished with a great Navie But in goodnesse of shipping and martiall discipline we must needs confesse the Sea-forces of all the Indian Princes to be farre inferiour to those of the Portugals whose dominion both at Sea and Land nothing hath so much augmented as their defensive warfare To speake truth it seldome falleth out but the naked man feareth the sword and the armed man is more encouraged thereby bearing himselfe bolder upon his skill than his strength and prevaileth more by temporizing than by rash fighting whereas the Barbarians putting more confidence in their numbers than their goodnesse have alwayes wanted that vertue which should make armies dreadfull and fortunate which is good order and Discipline Iapan Iapan may well be called a politike body compacted of many and sundry Islands of divers different formes and circuits which as they are divided from the rest of the continent so are they inhabited by a people much differing in manners and customes from the residue of the Orient They stand round and close together like the Maldivae in the Indian Sea and the Hebrides and Orcades in the North Ocean They are in number sixty six divided into three partialities The first containeth nine the second foure the third fifty three Amongst these five are renowmed but especially one for the famous Citie of Macao And it is most commonly seene that they who have the soveraigntie of those five are Lords of all the rest It is distant from New Spaine an hundred and fifty leagues from China sixty The soile is to be accounted rather barren than fertile The inhabitants are of a very ready wit and marvellous patient in adversitie Their new borne children they immediatly wash in the rivers and as soone as they are weaned they take them from their mothers and bring them up in labours of hunting and such like exercises They goe bare-headed men very ambitious and desirous of honour Povertie is no disgrace to the Gentrie of their bloud They will not suffer the least wrong to passe unrevenged they salute one another with many courtesies they are very staied and of a setled resolution They are very jealous to shew themselves fearefull or base-minded in word or deed they will make no man privie of their losses or misfortunes they have the like beasts both tame and wilde as wee have but they will scarcely eat any thing save Herbs Fish Barley or Rice and if they doe 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 use they account a daintie beverage they call it Chia Their buildings for the most part are of timber partly because the upland places are destitute of quarries but abounding with Cedars of admirable height and thicknesse fit for building and partly because the Country is subject to Earth-quakes In times past all Iapan obeyed one Prince shewing him great obedience and subjection and this government endured with no lesse state and majestie at the least sixteene hundred yeares untill about seventie yeares since by the rebellion of two of his chiefest Lieutenants the whole Kingdome was distracted each of them holding by armes whatsoever he atchieved by usurpation By their example others becomming as ambitious seized on the rest of the kingdome some on one part some on another leaving nothing but the bare name of Dairi which signifieth the Lord of all Iapan with the title of Iucata viz. King to their rightfull Soveraigne Yea those Princes which were Lords of the Territories about Meaco would hardly allow him whereof to finde him victuall and apparell so that now he resembleth the shadow rather than the King of the ancient and magnificent Monarchie of Iapan Since those times whosoever layeth fast hold on the dominion of the Coquinat these are the five Kingdomes bordering Meâ—co in stead of Dairi calleth himselfe Emperour and King of Iapan and Lord of Tenza Nahunanga was one of them in our dayes and after him Fassiba in power and majestie excelling all his predecessors Nabunanga was Lord of six and thirty Provinces Fassiba at the least of fiftie The forme of government is nothing like the policie of Europe The strength of the Prince consisteth not in ordinary revenues and love of the people but in rigour and the Princes pleasure As soone as the Prince hath conquered one or more Kingdomes he shareth them wholly amongst his friends and followers who binde themselves by oath faithfully to serve him with a limited company of men as well in peace as warre They againe to make their followers trustâ—e and ready for all services reserving some small matter for the sustentation of themselves and families divide to every man a portion of the former division so that all the wealth of Iapan private and publike is in the hands of a few men and those few depending on the pleasure of one that is the Lord of Tenza He as him listeth giveth taketh disgraceth honoureth and impoverisheth When hee casheereth any Governour of his Province all the Leaders and Souldiers of the said Province are changed and none left there but Artificers and Husbandmen This government draweth with it continuall dislike and innovations for Dairi though hee hath neither power nor government yet being in favour and estimation of
and in Armes the State being disarmed not looking for any such innovation So the Barbarians subdued the Empire of Rome The Arabians the Empire of the East of Aegypt and of Spaine Charles the eighth King of France gained Italy The Portugals India The Castilians the new world and Soliman the Kingdome of Hungary The division of the neighbouring States either into Common-wealths or into petty Seigniories and those of small power gave courage to the Romans to make themselves Lords of Italy and made an easie passage for the Venetians into Lumbardy This also made the attempt of Thusian light unto the Florentines and no lesse that of Barbary to the Castilians which they would have found very hard of either the one or the other had expected them with armed forces The variance and jarring of the adjoyning Princes did open the way to the Turks to enter so farre into Christendome and with little trouble to invest himselfe of many kingdomes therein So Amurath the third presuming upon the civill discords of the Princes of the bloud Royall of Persia made that attempt with great advantage So againe the Persian upon the difference of the Scrivano and the Bashawes of Syria hath resumed the advantage and accordingly prospered Neither doth the whole mischiefe arise out of these intestine jarres onely but in all factions one part will be sure to intreat the aid of some forren Prince against the other than which no man can have a better occasion because then he commeth armed into the owners house at his owne request So the Romans set foot in Sicil being cald in by the Mamertines In Greece by the Athenians In Numidia by the sonnes of Micipsa In Provence by the Marsilians In France by the Hedui and so from time to time by divers others So Amurath the first King of Turks got hold in Europe being requested in aid by the Emperour of the East being then in warre with the Princes of Greece So Soliman in Hungarie being intreated by Queene Isabel and afterwards by King Iohn So the Aragons in the kingdome of Naples being drawne thither by Queene Ioane the second and so Henry the second King of France made himselfe Lord of three great Cities of the Empire Often hath it beene seene that he that is now called in as a friend does after prove an enemie and if one party in a civill warre cals in a forren arbitrator both parties cannot get him out againe But another no lesse successefull opportunity hath also beene made use of and that by way of marriage By apprehending the opportunity of a marriage were the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster and the two kingdomes of England and Scotland united But no Prince hath made so great advantage of marriage as the Spaniard The match of Ferdinand and Elizabeth was the very foundation of their greatnesse By marriages were the severall Provinces of the Low Countries united all which fell to Spaines at a clap Finally for this advantage hath the house of Spaine three times purchased dispensations from Rome for incestuous marriages and more they intended too Charles the fifth Emperour was solemnly contracted to our Queene Mary and Philip the second King of Spaine sonne to the said Emperour both wedded and bedded her nay upon strong appearances suspected it then was that King Philips curtesies to Queene Elizabeth were for his owne ends that if Queene Mary should die without issue he might marrie her also which he afterwards attempted by the Count de Feria promising to obtaine a dispensation so should England have beene laid to Spaine and what should then have hindred his Monarchie Now besides those advantages of humane policie and strength before mentioned God himselfe hath reserved a power at his owne disposing in the giving away of victories and in the cutting short or inlargement of Empire And to this end hath ordained these naturall Agencies and Assistances of Seas Rivers Mountaines Marishes Wildernesses and the sandie Desarts By these helps he the weake to hedge and ditch out their incroaching neighbours and by granting the mastership over these to another Nation he can at pleasure scourge the rebellion or unthankfulnesse of those people whom before he defended by them And of these helps of nature something will we say and in their order And first for the benefit of the Sea Concerning the profits of Merchandize both for importing and exporting of commodities I will not here speake though even that tends so much to the inrichment and augmentation of the honour of the State that in all treaties of warre and peace I see that the articles concerning traffike are sometimes two thirds of the treatie for so were they I am sure in that politike and nice-driven negotiation of the peace betwixt England and Spaine in the beginning of the Reigne of King Iames the Lord Treasurer Cecil Northampton and the greatest Sages of the kingdome being Commissioners on our partie and the best pates of Spaine for theirs but here I will onely treat of the Sea as of a Soveraigne friend and bulwarke to that Nation that is neerliest situated unto it and a maine helpe towards the keeping or inlargement of dominion The Poets you know made a God of Neptune that obtained the soveraingty of the Sea as well as of him that had the government of the Land and truly to be Lord of the narrow Seas and to enjoy a royalty That the ships of all Nations shall strike faile to one of the Kings ships is none of the least honours and to bee master of the Sea is more of it selfe than a pettie Monarchie He that is so indeed may give the law as well as he that is master of the field The Sea-fight at Actium was it that made Augustus Caesar sole Emperour of the world and Pompey learned it of old Themistocles that he that had the best Navy would in the end prove the Conquerour The victory that the Christians got at Lepanto so arrested the inâ—â—â—aching of the Turkish greatnesse that they have done little upon Chirstendome never since I mention not 88. nor that the resistance that the Hollanders have beene able to make against the greatest Monarch of the world proceeds meerly from the advantage they have of him by their commodious situation upon the Sea and by having more havens and ships than he This certainly will prove true that if ever the Monarchie of Spaine be broken it must be by Sea even by the Fleets of England and Holland and that know the Counsellours of the Emperour and Spaine well enough who to make themselves masters of some good ports have supplied their defect of a Navy by a chargeable land army For what thinke you else should be the designe of Monsieur Tilly but to take the Sea by Land to make his master Lord of Stoad Hamborrough Luckstadt with other Hansee townes and the Sowndt of Denmarke and what makes the Emperour who yet had never greater vessel than a Punt or Yaugh upon the
hundred were superfluous and to his hurt And thus ratably according to the number he keepeth The ordinary rate of his expence is this ten gold Crownes a moneth his owne diet eight for his man at the most two Crownes a moneth his Fencing as much for Dancing and no lesse for his Reading and fifteene crownes monethly for his Riding but this exercise hee shall discontinue all the heat of the yeare The remainder of his hundred and fifty pound I allow him for Apparell Books Travelling Charges Tennis-play and other extraordinary expences Let him have foure bils of exchange with him for the whole yeare with Letters of advice to be paid him quarterly by equall portions so shall he not want his money at the day nor be driven to those shifts which I have seene divers put to by long expecting Letters out of England which either their friends forgetfulnesse or the Carriers negligence or the miscarrying of their letters by intercepting or other accident hath caused If he carry over money with him as by our Law he cannot carry much let it bee in double Pistolets or French crownes of weight by these he is sure to sustaine losse in no place and in Italy to gaine above twelve pence in the pound Concerning his bookes let them be few or none to carry from place to place or if any that they be not such as are prohibited by the Inquisition lest when his Male is searched as it is at every Cities gate in Italy they bring him to trouble whatsoever they be they will put him to charge for he payeth Tole for them at every such Towne I would only have him to carry the papers of his own observation especially a Iournall wherin from day to day he shall set downe the divers Provinces he passeth with their commodities the Townes with their manner of buildings the names and benefit of the Rivers the distance of places the condition of the soyle manners of the people and what else his eye meeteth by the way remarkable When hee commeth to the place of his residence let him furnish himselfe with the best bookes of that profession to which he addicted his study or other he shall finde not to be got here in England and at his departure send them home by his Merchants meanes I must advise as well for his Apparell as for his Bookes that upon his journey he be not overcharged with overmuch luggage even a light burthen farre carried is heavy beside somewhat is like wise to be paid for these at the entry of every City gate Let him also take heed that the apparell he weares be in fashion in the place where he resideth for it is no lesse ridiculous to weare clothes of our fashion among them than at our returne to use still their fashion among us A notorious affectation of many Travellers And lastly because it is not amisse to be acquainted as well with the divers natures of Nations soyles and people as with theorike of instructions first I counsell my Traveller not to make any long abode in any Region which he findeth not agreeable to his naturall constitution neither let him be ignorant of such comforts as may prove best preservatives for his health for although I hold it not best discretion to use the body to much physicke yet in causes of extremity to know the helpe of Nature I hold it no vanity For the Soile wherein Townes and Cities are seated if it be sandy or gravelly ground and neere unto some fresh brooks springs or river it may probably promise health both to the inhabitant and stranger but if the earth bee moorish and stand much upon springs and low towards the Sea it may prove healthfull to the inhabitant yet hurtfull to the stranger comming from a more healthfull Soile For the people let him chuse chiefly and longest to stay amongst those kinde of Nations who stand most affected to the nature of his native Country and let him bee never perswaded that his neerest neighbours are his greatest friends for you shall often finde no greater an enemy than within the wals of thine owne house I will first speake of the Spaniard Him you shall finde in nature proud yet cunning He will ordinarily use a kinde of courtesie and seeme wise touching the world and politike in plotting his will valiant where he may either purchase riches or reputation jealous of his mistresse envious of worthinesse malicious upon suspition and bloudy in execution The Italian is more courteous but no lesse cunning affable where he seems to affect but deadly dangerous where he growes jealous thrifty in his purse valiant in his kinde and onely bountifull to his masters Sharply conceived of fresh memory and for the most part excellently spoken Many of them are good Schollers some very good horsemen and for such Courts as their Dukedomes afford you shall finde many fine Gentlemen Their Ladies and chiefe women for the most part are painted but witty in speech modest in carriage and where they affect very bountifull The chiefe men as the Lords Governours and great Magistrates are commonly ambitious covetous and vitious And if you have the good hap to come into their houses you shall seeme to see the nature of a devill solacing in Paradise For you shall observe a stately house richly furnished a Lady fairely painted and gorgeously attired you shall see a Garden full of sweet flowers and dainty fruits a cage of singing birds and perhaps a consort of sweet musicke a banquet of excessive charge and amidst all those you shall see an old sheep-biter with a nose too tedious for his face his beard like the bristles of a hog with a slavering lip a bleare-eye of a swelling speech courting of a comely Lady and couching of a cold peece of comfort being no lesse youthfull in desire than aged in performance But take heed that in too much eying of his Lady he grow not jealous of your affection and suspitious of her favour to the assured shortning of your dayes by a poysonsome tricke of an Italian fico when he pretends most kindnesse For the younger sort rather follow their good exercises than conferre with their capacities and above all company avoid the haunting of brothell houses which are there most infinite in number common in use They will impaire your health impeach your purse abase your credit and increase the ruine of your content and fortunes For France you shall finde the people proud and phantasticall kind but variable jealous in being a friend and lost upon a light humour cunning in policie and bloudy in revenge The Noblesse commonly learned the Souldier more desperate than valiant much given to venery and irreligion and making no conscience of abuse for the purchase of a commodity The Governours wise the Merchant rich and the peasant a poore slave The Ladies witty but apish and in their fancies as humorous as amorous few of
and short that it cannot ripen the clusters of the vine It bringeth forth a race of excellent horse fit for journies in regard of their ambling paces but not commendable for indurance It breedeth the injurious Wolfe and the Fox as also all other creatures tame and gentle necessary for life but of lesser growth except the Grey-hound Almost all the woods are replenished with Deere and those so fat that they can frant runne for fatnesse with Bores Hares in great abundance Goats Fallow-Deere Hedg-Hogges and Moales are seldome seene but Mice infinite it aboundeth also with Falcons Merlins Eagles Cranes and in the Northerly parts with Swannes Storks are very rarely heard of thorow the whole Island but such as are there found are blacke Pies and Nightingales are altogether wanting By reason of the Sea their famous Rivers and spacious Lakes it is served with most excellent Fish and that peculiar to this Island onely For to let passe many other in Vlster the Ban being a most faire and cleare water and arising out of the Lake of Eaugh is the most plentifull River for Salmon that is to be found thorowout all Europe For plenty and varietie the like is to be reported of Sineus and Erno a Lake by Camdens report thirty miles long and fifteene broad Report saith that this was once a delicate plot of ground and well inhabited but for the bestiall abuse of the people it was suddenly swallowed in the waters And to prove this true men say that in faire seasons the Turrets and tops of houses are in the bottome to bee discerned The Island became subject to the Crowne of England about the yeare of our Lord 1175. Henry the second then reigning At what time Roderic King of Conaght intituling himselfe King of Ireland inforced the residue of those petty Roytelets to crave assistance of the King of England under whose protection they voluntarily yeelded their obeysance It hath fifty Bishopricks whereof Armach is a Primacy and Metropolitan of the whole Island Cassils is another Archbishopricke authorized by Pope Eugenius and hath under it nine suffragan Bishops Dublin is another and Toam another It is divided into foure Provinces viz. Leynster which Eastward respecteth EnglaÌ„d Mounster which lieth towards France Southward Conaght exposed to the West And Vlster situated in the Northerly part of the Island Some adde a fifth placed in the middest and terme it Meath Every one now is subdivided into Counties and each Countie into Baronies and hundreds and every Barony into Parishes consisting of Manors Townes and Villages after the manner of England â— That parcell of territorie which anciently was termed the Pale is about the quantity of Yorke-shire in England and is a Country at this day inhabited by Noblemen and Gentlemen descended of Engliâ—â— race being civill men and have continued their obediencâ— to the Crowne of England and retained their English language since the first conquest This people doe commonly marry within themselves and not with the meere Irish who could never in their sundry rebellions draw the said inhabitants to joyne with them by flattery or expell them by force The first Colonies planted therein were composed of worthy and noble Englishmen and especially seated in Dublin and other Cities and borough townes thorowout the Realme whose progeny having the mannagement of the affaires of the kingdome subdued by degrees the greatest part of the Irish and brought them under subjection to the Crowne of England And so long as they and their posterity were imployed as principall Officers in time of warre and peace being men throughly informed of all passages within the Kingdome and acquainted with the dispositions of the people the Realme was worthily governed and duly increased in civility and yeelded some profit to the crowne without charge Other English Colonies at sundry times have there beene since planted and especially by our late and moderne Soveraignes in the Provinces of Mounster and Vlster by the name of Vndertakers whereupon it groweth that the Realme is now inhabited with English and Irish descended of English race and with the meere and ancient Irishmen unto whose Nobilitie and Gentry the sir-names of Mac or O are commonly added Vpon the Conquest Henry the second established the lawes of England then being divided into kinds viz. the Common law as that the elder should inherit his fathers lands and Custome law that by the particular custome of Manors and Townes lands should be divided by the custome of Gavelkinde amongst all his sonnes or that the youngest sonne onely should inherit the same by the custome of Borough-English whereunto is to bee added a third viz. the Statute law He and his successors held the possession thereof with 〈◊〉 soveraigne royalty and kingly prerogatives by the nâ—me of Lords of Ireland untill the day of king Henry the eighth who by act of Parliament was acknowledged intituled and entred King of the said kingdome and so continueth it unto this day being governed as a distinct kingdome by a Lieutenant for Authority Traine Furniture Provision c. farre surpassing any Deputation thorowout Christendome wherein Courts of Parliament are have there beene held conâ—â—sting of the three Estates of the kingdome in the same forme as is used in England by commission from the King under the great seale of England authorizing the Viceroy or Deputie to summon a parliament there and to give the Royall assent unto such acts as are agreed upon in that Parliament wherein the King and his Councell of Estate of England are to bee informed by certificate under the great seale of Ireland by force of a Statute made in Ireland in the tenth yeare of Henry the seventh And after the kings allowance the bils to be enacted and propounded in the Parliament there So the Lord Deputy by force of the said Commission gives the Kings royall assent to such acts as are agreed upon in the said Parliament there So as I said before Ireland is not onely governed by the Common lawes of England by certaine ancient customes of that realme and this and by divers statutes here and there also upon occasion enacted but also the like Courts and formes of Iustice are there according to the said lawes used and administred And also the Iudiciall records are made in Latine and the Iudges and Lawyers doe plead in English as is accustomed in England For the studying of which Lawes the Irish Gentlemen doe send their sonnes to the Innes of Court in England being alwayes such as are descended of English race and not of meere Irish who are allowed to practise in England after they are called to the Barre as Englishmen are also allowed to practise in Ireland Neither the Nobility nor Commons of Ireland have any suffrage in the election of the Viceroy or blazing of Soveraigne Magistrates but all is done by the King and such as are especially authorized And the inhabitants of Cities and Borough-townes in Ireland by their charters which they have from the
honourable respect of our Nobilitie wherein though they possesse few Castles or strong places invironed with rampiers and ditches neither that the Titles of Dukes Marquesses or Earles are more than titular as bestowed upon desert at the pleasure of the Prince yet have they the government of Provinces with subordinate authoritie over the people to the great quiet of the State and the prosperitie of the kingdome where on the contrary the Nobilitie in France possessing some absolute and some mixt jurisdiction with hereditary titles c. being Lords not only of Townes but of great and goodly Cities also and receiving homage and fealtie of their tenants doe as wee have often seene but badly and at pleasure acknowledge the soveraigntie of the King and the Arrest of the Parliaments SCotland another portion of Brittaine in times past began at the Mountaine Grampius and from thence to its utmost border was extended Northward But in future times by the extinguishment of the Picts it reached also unto Tweed and sometimes also to Twine the chance of warre so moderating in these counterchanges as in all other worldly occurrences Whereupon its longitude from Tweed unto the utmost limit is thought to be foure hundred and fourescore miles But as this Province is longer than England so is it narrow for that it endeth like unto a wedge For the unshapeable and rough Mountaine Grampius whereof even Tacitus in the life of Agricolâ— made mention runneth thorow the very heart thereof even from the German shore that is from the mouth of the River Dee unto the Irish coast and unto that Lake which the Inhabitants call Lomund which lieth betweene that country and the said mountaine The Kingdome hath every where safe harbours creekes lakes marishes rivers and fountaines replenished with fish As also mountaines and in tops thereof large plaines yeelding abundance of grazing to cattell and woods wonderfully abounding with venerie By the advantages of which place the people being sustained could never be fully conquered for every Province Woods and Marishes were ready refuges to their safeties and wilde beasts and plentie of cattell remedies against famine for their bodies Those who inhabit the Southerne part as by much the best so are they the better qualified the civillest and speake the English language And sithence that Nature hath denied them plentie of fewell their firing is of a blacke stone which they digge out of the earth The people who dwell in the Northerne and Mountainous parts are a very savage and uncivill kinde of men and termed Silvestres viz. Highland-men These after the Irish fashion were accustomed to be cloathed with a mantle and a shirt coloured with Saffron and to goe bare legged as high as their knees Their weapons are Bow and Arrowes with a very broad Sword Dagger sharpe but on one edge They all speake Irish and feed upon fish milke cheese and flesh and have great store of cattell They differ from the English both in Lawes Customes for the one retaineth the Civill Law as almost doe all other Nations but the English have their peculiar or Municipall Lawes In other things they differ not much Their Language as aforesaid is one and the same the same constitution of body equall courage in battell and semblable addiction unto hunting even from their Childhoods Their houses in the Villages are very small and covered with straw or reed wherein as well their cattell as themselves in manner of stables doe reside Their townes except that of S. Iohns are invironed with no walls so that it should seeme that their couragious minds doe repose the safetie of their lives in the only vertue of their bodies They are also ingenious which their learning manifesteth so that unto what Art soever they doe addict their capacities they easily profit therein And those also who meditate nothing but sloth ease and lazinesse though by refusall to take any paines they live most basely and beggerly yet will they not let to boast of their Gentrie and that so presumptuously as if it were more commendable for a man well descended to beg than to betake himselfe to any ingenious profession for the sustentation of his carkase But withall they are accounted naturally to be very zealous in Religion About Scotland in the Irish Ocean are more than forty Islands by Pliny termed Britaniae but by others Meraniae and Herbrides The biggest of these in length exceeds not thirty miles in bredth not above twelve Amongst them is Iona famous for the ancient sepulture of the Scottish Kings All the Inhabitants speake the Irish tongue a pregnant argument that they are descended from the Irishry Beyond Scotland Northwards lie the Orcades in number saith Ptolomy thirty being partly seated in the Deucalidon Ocean and partly in the German The chiefe whereof is called Pamonia and therein is an Episcopall Sea being subject unto the King of Great Brittaine The Islanders speake the Gotish tongue a record that they are descended from the Germans Of stature they are all of a sound constitution whereby it commeth to passe that for the greater part they are long-lived although most commonly they live upon fish The soile is in a manner alwayes covered with snow in many places it will scarce beare graine but of trees almost none Beyond the Orcades heth Thule from whence but one dayes saile saith Pliny is the Frozen Sea and therein Island whereunto at this day our Merchants doe make an annuall trading to fish themselves or to buy fish of others Which for that it is neerest unto the Pole some doe judge to bee Thule And this is all that I have to say concerning the situation of Scotland now will I turne my pen to the nature and fashions of the Inhabitants WAles is accounted the third portion of the Island In regard of the heart of England it lieth upon the left hand and in manner of a Peninsula stretcheth into the Ocean on all sides incircled with the Sea save towards the East where it is bounded with the Severne the separatresse of Wales and England although many late Writers as abovesaid make the City of Hereford the bounder thereof and will have Wales to beginne at Chepstow where the River Wy being united with Lugge and passing by Hereford falleth into the Sea This River as Severne ariseth from an Inland part of Wales from one and the selfe-same Mountaine but whether from one and the selfe-same Fountaine I am not able to shew and it Cornelius Tacitus as aforesaid termeth Antona For even thither reacheth a huge arme of the Sea which cutting in betweene the Land by the West watreth Cornwall on the right hand and Wales on the left This Topography we follow as the Moderne and therefore say that Wales from Chepstow where it taketh beginning is extended Northward a little above Shrewsbury as â—arre as Chester Hither it was as Memory recordeth that the reliques of those Brittons who over-lived the generall slaughter after the
losse of their Country in their utmost extremities retired themselves and there partly by the strength of the Mountaines and partly by the fastnesse of the Woods and Bogs where with that Province was for the most part replenished they purchased unto themselves places of safety which unto this day they have made good and retaine Thence-forth the English stiled the Countrey Wales and the Inhabitants Welshmen which denomination in the German language signifieth a Stranger an Alien a Guest or a New-come person that is to say one that speaketh a different language from that of the German for in their understanding Walsh signifieth a Forrainer or Stranger whether it be Italian or Frenchman if he differ in language from the German and Man is as Homo in Latine The Angles therefore being a people of Germany becomming Lords of Brittanie after their Country manner termed those Brittons who escaped the ruine of their Country Wallons or Welshmen for that they spake a language contrary to that of their owne and also the Soile whither they fled to inhabit Wallia which Name the Nation as well as the people retaine unto this day And so the Brittons lost their name together with their Empire The soile of the Country especially of that which adjoyneth unto the Sea or consisteth of Champian is most fertile which both to Man and Beast supplieth great store of provision but contrariwise for the Major part it is barren and lesse fruitfull and peradventure for that good husbandrie is wanting which is the cause that the Husbandmen live hardly eat Oaten-bread and drinke Milke sometime mingled with water In it are many fine Townes with fortified Castles and foure Bishopricks if Hereford be accounted in England as aforesaid according to the Moderne description The people have also a different language from the English which they who boast to derive their pedegree from the Trojan Line doe affirme to participate partly of the Trojan antiquity and partly of the Grecian Verily however the case standeth their pronuntiation is not so sweet and fluent as is the pronuntiation of the English for that the Welsh in my opinion do speak more neere the throat whereas on the contrary the English truly imitating the Latines doe pronounce their words a little betweene their lips which to the Auditor yeeldeth a pleasing sound Thus much of Wales the third portion of Brittany THe fourth and last part followeth and that is Cornewall This Province taketh its beginning upon that part of the Iland which looketh towards Spaine and the setting of the Sunne To the Eastward it stretcheth ninetie miles even a little beyond Saint Germains a fine Village and seated towards the right hand upon the Sea-shore where its greatest breadth is but twenty miles over For this portion of ground upon the right side is incircled with the Ocean upon the left with that inlet of Sea which as before we told you pierceth into the Land as farre as Chepstow where taking the similitude of a horne it runneth along first narrow and afterwards broader a little beyond the Towne of Saint Germaines Eastward it bordereth upon England upon the West the South and the North the maine Ocean incompasseth it The Soile is very barren and yeeldeth profit rather by the toyle of the Husbandman than its owne good nature But for Tinne it is admirable bountifull in the Mines whereof consisteth the better part of the Inhabitants happinesse However the Language is greatly different from the English but with the Welsh it participateth with no small affinitie for either language hath the denomination of many things in common The onely difference is that a Welshman hearing a Cornishman speaking rather understandeth some words than his whole speech A thing worthy admiration that in one and the same Iland there should be so different a confusion of Languages Cornewall pertaineth unto Exeter Diocesse and in times past was thought worthy to be accounted for a fourth part of the Iland partly for the dissimilitude of the language and partly for that it received the first inhabitants as aforesaid But afterwards the Normans who constituted a new forme of a Common-wealth admitted Cornewall amongst the number of the Counties THe first are the Sorlings lie against the Cape of Cornewall They are now termed Silly and are few lesse than 145. covered with grasse and inclosed with huge and massie rocks They are fruitfull enough for Corne but are used altogether to the feeding of Conies Cranes Swannes and Sea-Fowle Some of them yeeld Tinne and the fairest thereof is called Saint Maries being fortified with a Castle and Garrison The residue of lesse fame for brevitie we will willingly omit In the Severne Sea lie Chaldey and Londay Londay is two miles long and as many broad full of good pasture and abounding with Conies and Doves and those Fowles which Alexander Necham termeth Ganimed his birds And though it be wholly incircled with the Sea yet it yeeldeth fresh water from the Mountaines and openeth but one only passage where thorow two men can hardly passe afront the residue is inclosed with high and horrible overshuts of Rocks MOna or Anglesey is a famous Iland separated from Wales by a small fret the ancient dwelling place of the Druides It is two and twenty miles long and threescore broad Although that in ancient times this Iland seemed barren and unpleasant yet in these dayes it hath beene so well husbanded and become so fertile that it is stiled the Mother of Wales It is sufficiently stored with Cattell it yeeldeth the Grind-stone and the Minerall earth whereof Allom and Vitriall are confected It once contained 363. Villages and is at this day reasonable populous The Ilanders are wealthy and valiant and altogether speake the Welsh tongue MAn lieth just betweene the Northerne parts of Ireland and Brittaine In length it containeth little lesse than thirty Italian miles in bredth where it is broadest not above fifteene and in some places hardly eight In Bedas time saith Camden it contained three hundred families but now it can shew not above seventeene parish Churches It yeeldeth plentifull store of Flax and Hempe Tillage and Pasture Wheat and Barley but especially of Oats whereof for the most part the inhabitants feed There are also droves of Rother beasts to be seene flocks of sheep without number but generally all sorts of Cattell are lesse of growth than in England In stead of Wood they use a bituminous Cole in digging whereof sometimes they light upon trees buried in the earth The Inhabitants above all things hate theft and begging being but weake by nature Those which inhabit the Southerne parts speake the Irish tongue those whâ—ch dwell towards the North speake the Scottish THe Hebrides are foure and forty in number and lie upon the South of Scotland the Orcades are thirty and extend towards the North. The Inhabitants of the former speake Irish the people of the latter Gottish Wight is seated in the Brittish Ocean the
communicates apart his principall and most importing affaires where are read all letters which come from other Princes and such like publike businesse and after a conclusion what is to be done the dispatch thereof is committed to the Secretaries The other is the Great Councell or Councell of Estate which at first was as it were a member of the Parliament and consisted of the Princes of the Bloud and Nobility having only to deale in the matters of the policy generall of France or of warres or of the enacting and publishing of Edicts But the faction of Orleans and Burgundy caused it to bee changed to a choice number of Counsellors provisioned of 1000. crownes pension apeece yearely Of this Councell the Chancellor is chiefe for neither the King himselfe nor any Prince of the Bloud comes there This is the Court of which the Frenchman saith every time it is holden it costs the King a thousand crownes a day And now saith Haillan he cannot keepe them so cheape so infinite is the number of them growne Where he also complaines that this Conseil d' Estat which was wont only to determine publike affaires as the establishment of justice the Reglement of Finances and redressing of common grievances is now so charged with private contentions as the glory thereof is much diminished The Chancellor anciently served as a Secretarie and so was called in the old Charters of France where hee is likewise called the Grand Referendaire The Secretary doth signe and the Chancellor doth seale The Secretary is next in office who at first were called Clerks They are either of the Finances which have their place among the Officers of the Finances before remembred or of Affaires which we heare speake of Of these are foure which are called principall Governours and Lieutenants generall of Cities and Provinces are as it were Vice-royes and Regents of those places committed to them and indeed the persons sustaining these charges are much more Noble than those of the Secreâ—aries as being for the most part conferred upon the Princes of the Bloud and Peeres of France The Governours of Cities were in old time called Dukes and they of Provinces Counts They were at first only in Frontier Provinces but now since the troubles of France they have had the command over Cities and Countries even in the midst and bowels of the Land So that now saith Haillan France is become a Frontier to it selfe on every side There are but few Cities whereof anciently there were Governours as Rochel Calais Paronne Bologne Mondidier Narbonne Bayonne and two or three others Others that had keeping of some small Castle or Fort was onely called the Keeper or Captaine at most But now saith Haillan lib. 4. every paltry fellow that hath the keeping of a Pigeon-house must forsooth be called My Lord the Governour and my Mistresse his Wife My Lady the Governesse The Governour of Daulphenie hath greatest privileges for hee giveth all Offices in his Province in other places they can give none except they have it by expresse words in their Patent The Governour may not be absent above six moneths in a yeare but the Lieutenant must never be absent without leave of the Prince except teh Governour be present There is yet an Office whereof I must remember you which is one of the chiefest in France either for honour or profit called grand Maistre des Eaues Forests All matters concerning the Kings Chases Forests Woods and Waters whatsoever are determined by him by the Grand M. Enquesteur and by their Reformateur at the Table of Marble under him are infinite sorts of Officers and divers others As the particular Master of each Forest their Lieutenants Overseers of the sale of woods and the other Officers here specified But I will not load this short Relation with reckoning up all the divers and infinite sorts of Officers where with France herselfe seemeth tâ— be over-loaden as partly ye have heard already and yee shall reade in Bodin how hee complaines not only of the multiplicitie of Offices in generall but also that even the Councell of Estate is surcharged with number where you may likewise observe how he approves the Privie Councell of England erected some foure hundred and odde yeares since where are never saith he above twentie by whose sage direction the Land hath long flourished in Armes and Lawes And for the execution of Lawes and administration of Iustice yee may remember what hath beene said before that the Lawes are good and just but not justly executed Where Haillan comparing the time saith Then great ones were punished but since only pettie fellowes and great ones goe Scot-free Th'ensnaring Lawes let Crowes goe free While simple Doves entâ—ngled bee HAving thus related of the Topography and Policie of France it remaineth I speake somewhat of the Oeconomie that is of the people of France comprised under the three Estates of the Clergie the Nobilitie and Comminaltie of the severall humour profession and fashion of each of them which is the third and last branch of this Relation The Church Gallicane is holden the best privilege of all those of Christendome that have not yet quit their subjection to the Pope It hath alwayes protested against the Inquisition It is more free from payments to the Pope than the Church of Spaine as also to the King For here in France they only pay the Disme but in Spaine the King hath his Tertias Subsidio Pilâ— and Escusado in all a moitie of the Church living Indeed it is reported of this Catholike King that he hath founded many Abbeyes and Religious Houses but what saith his Subject He steales the sheepe and gives the Trotters for Gods sake In this Church of France are twelve Archbishopricks one hundred and foure Bishoprickes five hundred and fortie Archpriories one thousand foure hundred and fifty Abbeys twelve thousand three hundred and twenty Priories five hundred sixtie seven Nunneries one hundred and thirtie thousand Parish Priests seven hundred Convents of Friers and two hundred fiftie nine Commendums of the Order of the Knights of Malta There are saith the Cabinet du Roy three millions of people that live upon the Church of France where he particularly setteth downe in each Diocesse the number of all sorts of Religious people as also the number of their Whores Bawds Bastards and Servants of all sorts And why not saith he as well as the Magitians undertake in their Inventory of the Diabolike Monarchie to set downe the names and surnames of 76. Princes and seven millions foure hundred and five thousand nine hundred twentie and six Devils The Church hath for all this rabble to live upon these two things First her Temporall Revenues and secondly her Spirituall which they call the Baise-mani Of her Temporall Revenues divers men judge diversly The Cabinet who in all his computations makes of a Mouse an Elephant saith that they are fourescore millions of crownes the yeare besides the Baise-mani which is as
is a City of West-Freesland and the head of 145. villages about it It hath had a chargeable neighbour of the Spanish garrisons in Lingen Oldenzeel but by benefit of the Sea they obtaine both liberty and riches T is very full of Cattell and of Mechanicks their breed of Oxen and Horses are the largest of Europe And so much for the descriptions of these united Provinces The chiefe Entrata or revenue of this people is gained out of the Sea which is not onely invaluable but incredible it being reported that there be more ships belonging to Amsterdam alone than to all England almost a thousand ships going in and out every tide The Custome paid by the Merchant is very great and their Excise upon victuals doth almost maintaine their warres the Inholder paying as much for the Excise as he did at first for the thing T is beleeved that for very butter and cheese sold out of Holland alone they receive a million of Gold yearley All the people be wonderfull induâ—â—rious scarceâ— poore mans childe of five or six yeares old which cannot earne the best part of his owne living Their gaines by fishing is inestimable their Linnen Salt and other curious manufactures are good merchandize all the world over and finally none of their least commodities is the Warres for whereas all other Nations are undone by them they have the secret to thrive and to grow exceeding rich by them These are of two sort Land-forces and Sea-forces In their severall garrisons they cannot have fewer than foure and twenty thousand in continuall pay and their times of leaguer or being in the field costs them a thousand pound a day more than odinary This very yeare 1629. the Prince of Orange is said to have had off and on neere upon 60000. men at the siege of S'Hertoghenbosch his trenches being 18. or 20. miles about and yet hath hee left his Townes well garrison'd They have had an Army on foot continunally for these 60. yeares together and such a one as were it imployâ—d in an invasive as it hath beene in a defensive warre I see no reason but it might long agoe have overtunne even Spaine it selfe It hath still beene the prime schoole of warre for all Europe Their Sea-forces increase every day and yet were the three Provinces of Holland Zeland and Freestand able many yeares agoe to make three thousand lusty ships fit for warre and burthen They have for these eight or ten yeares togâ—ther had two or three severall Fleets about the West Indies as namely that whereof Monsieur L'Ermite was Admirall which sent home many a rich prize That which tooke Todos los Santos and those two which this very yeare tooke those two mighty prizes from the Plate Fleet and the Brasile Fleet within the same space having oftentimes twentie or fortie ships imployed against the Dunkirker All this while have they maintained their Trades and Factories in New Holland the East-Indies Muscovia c. where oftentimes have they beene so strong that they have beaten our English from the Trades once broke they our Muscovia Company what they did at Amboyna is too famous and how much our East-India Company hath beene indammaged by them let them tell you This I repeat not to refresh the complaint but to set forth their power and plainly they are at least Quarter-masters of the Narrow Seas Finally the Low-Countries may say as Tyrus did in the Prophet I sit like a Queene in the midst of the Sea So that were the Spaniard but Master of their Ports nothing could hinder him from his designed Monarchie This is their honour that for these many yeares they have inforced the King of Spaine to spend his Indies upon them they have still kept him at the staves end if hee hath besieged one of their Townes they have besieged another of his for Ostend they tooke Sluce Groll for Breda and at this very instant all the Spanish power was not able to beat them from the siege of S'Hertoghenbosch But at Sea they are ever terrible to him ever aforehand with him and their Coines are made of his Gold and Silver They have still fiftie saile of ships upon the Coast of the West-Indies fiftie saile more going out and fiftie more comming home with their Fleets they have this Summer beaten his Armada troubled Carthagena and mightily inricht themselves by his Prizes Finally they are the people that next to the Spaniard have the honour of it both by Land and Water the greatest Monarchs are glad of the Friendship of this Nation whom our finicall people stile no better than a company of Boores and Mechanicks and this also makes for their honour For no where such Boores to be found no where such Mechanicks others derive honour from their Ancestors but they from their owne valour and vertue Their Government is administred according to the Rules of the Civill Lawes of the Empire respect being had to the privileges of each private people and Citie who enjoy theâ—â— ancient Customes and Lawes municipall The stile of their principall Governours is The high and mightie Lords the States Generall These are chosen by the particular States of the severall Provinces of the Vnion out of the Nobilitie and primest Magistrates both of the Provinces and Citizens And these receiving power from the rest doe in their meetings at the Hage plenarily conclude upon all the great Actions of State either for Peace Warre Religion Treasure Leagues Trafficks and all publike things whatsoever Amongst these the Legier Ambassador of England hath hitherto beene admitted in all consultations and so hath the Prince of Orange as being Generall of their Armies These States doe every weeke choose a new President among themselves the proposition is made and the Votes are collected by an Advocate who is a standing Officer for the purpose From their Placaerts Proclamations or Edicts there is no appeale as carrying the same power of Law with them that Proclamations and Acts of Parliament doe with us To enter into the Governments of the Courts of Iustice and of the severall Provinces and Corporations would require a volume by it selfe Libertie of Conscience being one of the maine pretences of their falling off from the Spaniard they might seeme to deale hardlier with others than they did with themselves should they not now give what themselves tooke Libertie of Conscience Publike profession therefore of all Religions except the Popish and Arminian even of Iudaisme is there tolerated Each Faction cals it selfe a Church and every new-fâ—ngled giddie Enthusiasticall Button-maker is able enough to make a Faction The generall Religion of the States and best people is Calvinisme the profession whereof though fatall to Monarchies agrees well enough with the parity of Free States where the people and citizens have so much voice and authoritie Their Ministers are here better respected than in the French Churches But our men at home zealous ones of the Geneva discipline
for Hony and for Flax thither resort likewise Hollanders Scots and French-men Almost in the middle of this Bay is also an Iland and Towne called Warde-huâ—s which Fredericke the second caused to be very strongly fortified and here the Merchants doe also pay their Customes In Scandia hath he some silver mines about which were his late warres with the King of Sweden Besides all this the Kings of Denmarke of this present Familie have thought it no disroyaltie to set up divers manufactures for which they take up the children of such parents as are unable to keepe them whom the King brings up till they be able to worke he in recompence taking the profits of their labours afterwards Finally t was ever held that Magnum vectâ—gal parsimonia Sparing was equall to a great tribute And truly the cold winters and durtiâ— wayes of 〈◊〉 expect no great Gallanterie nor is his Court and Retinue very chargeable to him By these and other wayes came the King of Denmarke before these warres with Iâ—llyâ— to have the reputation of the greatest monied Prince of Europe Touching his Forces for matter of Invasion by Land it hath seldome beene seene that he enterprized any journey of reputation but only that against Dietmarsen upon whom King Valdemar laid the yoke of subjection but they falling againe into rebellion after many chances of warre beginning in the yeare 1500 were againe utterly vanquished by Frederick the second in the yeare 1558. before which overthrowes they once discomfited Iohn the sonne of King Câ—risâ—terne the first Since these troubles of Europe this present King hath beene inforced to take up Armes in defence of his dominions of Holsteyn and Dietmarsen and in favour withall of the lower Creâ—â—z or circle of Saxony and those parts with which he was confederate But his Army of Danes and Germans being base and cowardly Aids also from other places failing him he was still put to the worst by the Imperialists many of his Townes much of his Land being taken from him which upon composition were all restored in the yeare 1629 the Emperour having his hands full otherwhere being glad enough of a peace with him What this King is able to performe at Sea may be gathered by the Navie which upon occasion he once rigged up at the intreatie of Henry the second King of France when Christierne the second sent a Navie of 100 Saile into Scotland against the English and 10000 Land-souldiers with them And certainly forasmuch as it is apparent that hee is Lord of so ample a Sea-coast and possessor of so many Havens in Denmarke Scandia Norwey and the many Ilands both within and without the Baltike Sea it is most likely that he is able to assemble a great Fleet. It concerne him also to have a sufficient Sea-force ever in pay and readinesse for defence of the Sowndt and his many Ports especially upon the coast of Norway where they willingly yeeld him no better obedience than hee is able to â—â—â—ct of them by strong hand As for surprize or sudden invasion hee needs not much feare seeing that Denmarke is nothing but broken Ilands and those sufficiently fortified Norwey NOrwey upon the East respecteth Denmarke on the West it is bounded with the Ocean on the South lieth Swevia upon the North it is separated from Lapland by high and steepe craggie Rocks The Westerne and Easterne Tracts are rockie and hard to travell yet is the Aire there temperate insomuch that the Sea freezeth not neither doe the Snowes long continue The Land it selfe is not very fruitfull to sufficiencie for it is poore and towards the North what by reason of the rocks and cold yeeldeth no sort of Corne. And therefore the Inhabitants except the better sort in stead of Bread eat dried Fish viz. Stock-fish which to their great profit they transport thorow Europe and exchange for Corne. The Countrey especially the Southerne parts transport rich Furres Tallow Butter Tan'd-Lether Traine-Oile Pitch Clapboord all sorts of Timber-works and Masts Fire-wood and Timber for building and that with great ease and little charge Their owne buildings are base and poore and the Inhabitants honest lovers of strangers liberall of gift and most serviceable Amongst them are neither Filchers Theeves nor Pyrats though they dwell in a most convenient situation for Pyracie Birgis was once their Metropolis a Hanse-Towne and for its safe harbour one of the foure chiefe Maâ—t-Townes in Europe viz. Birgis in Norwey London in England Nugardia in Moscovic and Burgis in Flanders But it is now decayed The cold Northerly and smally-frequented Ilands of Schetland Friesland Island and Groneland with the Navigations such as they are thereunto for Fish I imagine every man can conceive and therfore forbeare further to write of Swethland THe King of Swethland reigneth in part of Scandie being a larger Province than Denmarke for it is accounted to be a journey of five and forty dayes from the borders of Scandia to Lapland and the Coast of the Balticke Sea is little lesse than foure hundred leagues long a tract of Land esteemed larger than France and Italie Swethland is incompassed with the Balticke Ocean on the South the Mountaines on the West the Icie Seas on the North and Russia on the East In Livonia he possesseth Rivalia the Narve Danovia and other peeces of good estimation the Ilands Vlander Alandes and other places not worthy speaking of situated in the Sâ—râ—veâ—an and Finland Sea These Regions besides Livonia are divided into three severall Kingdomes viz. Gothland Sweveland and Vandalia which againe are subdivided into eleven Provinces and twelve Counties amongst which the Lappians are not accounted because this people though inhabiting a larger Countrey than Sweveland cannot be termed to live under any certaine dominion by reason of their miserie povertie and wandring from place to place thorow woods and mountaines but they who have any manner of certaine abode or setled habitation are under the Swevish dominion and pay rich skins for their tribute These are those Lapps which inhabit the Countries of Biarmia and Scrisinia the other Lapps being under the Russian Both of them are Idolaters The Swethlanders are Lutherans in opinion and Dutch in language but with a different Dialect Of the three Kingdomes whereof wee spake Gotland bordereth with Scandia and is divided into East and West as also into the Iland of Gothia lying in the Baltike Sea five of their miles which in some places of Sweden be seven or nine of our English broad and almost 18. long Sometimes the Danes but now the Sweden possesse it The Metropolis is called Wiâ—sbich The firme land of Gothland is the hither part of that which is called Scandia and next to Denmarke In this is the mighty Lake Weret in the middest whereof the King delighting in the pleasantnesse of the place keepeth his Court Twenty foure Rivers doe runne into this Lake yet it emptieth it selfe but by one mouth The Inhabitants for the excessive noise of waters
commandements Another contrarietie also doth this great State incurre That the Prince thereof hath farre better meanes to get Money than Men. For howbeit upon every occasion and when need serveth he is served by the Swizzers the Wallons and Italians yet these of themselves are little or nothing worth being upon every sleight occasion of slack pay ready to make commotions and in their furie to forsake his service Of other Nations besides that his Majestie dareth lesse trust them he cannot although he would have such a sufficient number as should supply his need and occasion So howbeit that this Prince be sole Lord and Master of so many mighty States and of so great and potent an Empire yet liveth he full of continuall travels and discontents Now having taken a full view and mature consideration both of the States as also of the ends and intents of this mighty Monarch together with those contrarieties which these States doe suffer it resteth that in this last place wee should intreat of the correspondencie which hee holdeth with other Princes which as it is of all other knowledges the most necessary so is it the hardest to be discovered bringing with it for the most part greater difficultie to be able fully and judiciously to pierce into the purposes and inward thoughts of Princes but especially into the secret Councels of the State of Spaine being full of cunning dissimulation To begin therefore with this point I say that generally to instance first of all the Pope his Catholike Majestie will have him to be such a one as may wholly depend upon him and be confident of his fastnesse And therefore in their Elections his endevour is that not any ascend to that dignitie that doth any way savour of the French faction and therefore alienated from his devotion nor any that are of singular Nobilitie left their spirits might be too generous to be basely abused by him nor any of the Kingdome of Naples for feare taught by former examples of some new disturbance in that State But his principall desire is to create one of base linage and of meane respect and such a one as shall if it be possible acknowledge his Cardinalship and all other dignities to proceed from him and such a one whose parents and kinsfolkes are poore that by the bountie which he shall bestow upon them and the pensions which he shall conferre on their friends he may binde them unto him and confidently assure himselfe of their favour and partaking when occasion serveth And for this cause in all that he can he seeketh to weaken the Popes and to detract from their dignities to make them inclinable to his will and wholly to depend upon him procuring them to continue in this office of their love by furnishing their State with Corne out of Puglia and Sicilie and by upholding the authoritie of the holy See in defending their Coasts from the incursions of the Turkish Fleets and from the depredations and inrodes of Pyrats and lastly by giving them to understand that it is in his power to call a Councell and in it to take an account of their actions and to call their prerogatives into question And howbeit the absolution and re-benediction of the late King of Navarre did much move nay beyond measure trouble the minde of Philip the second who in those times did hope for great things at the Popes hands yet did he dissemble this offence As on the contrary did his Holinesse the prejudice that was and is done him in Spaine in regard of holy Church whereby not only his orders and decrees are broken and moderated by the Councell but also sometimes rejected and contemned whereof his Holinesse hath made often complaint to the Spanish Ambassadour but to small purpose In the College of Cardinals the King at this present hath not much authoritie by reason of his imperious proceeding and lesse will have hereafter the French Nation being now rise to some greatnesse which will now every day more and more be able strongly to oppose themselves against the Spanish by whose jealousies greatnesse and dissimulation one with another that See hath gained such greatnesse and reputation in the world In requitall whereof his Holinesse in favour of Philip the second wasted forsooth in warre against the Lutheráns cut off by his authoritie I know not how many millions of debt due to the Genoese He hath given him also all Pardon 's sent to the Indies worth by yeare halfe a million with the collations of Benefices and Bishopricks and the enjoyment of the two rich Orders of Saint Iames and Calatrava With the Emperour howbeit all be of his blouâ— his Catholike Majestie hath not had till of late any great intelligence because in many occurrences that have beene offered he hath given him but slender satisfaction neither would ever seeke any counsell of his Majestie which principally is by him desired to the intent that he might seeme to relie upon him But true it is that these gusts are now over-blowne and the distastes are at length somewhat lessened in consideration of entermariages But since these late warres about Bohemia and the Palatinate he hath made great use of the Emperour The Spaniard knowes well that to attaine his designed Monarchie he must first conquer Germanie and make himselfe Master of those Ports and Hanâ—e-Townes from thence to annoy England and Holland To prepare the way to this necessary it was that some quarrell should be pickt with some of the Protestant Princes for matter of State and with all of them for matter of Religion The plot hath taken and by this meanes hath the Spaniard brought forren forces into the Empire though this was objected by the Princes in their Dyâ—ts to be against the Constitutions of the Empire By these forces of his having first gotten himselfe to be made Executioner of the Imperiall Ban against the proscribed Palatine Baden Hessen Iegerensdorff and others hath he in the Emperours name gotten possession of divâ—â— Townes which he holds as his owne Knowne it is that there was a Mint set up at Vienna the Coine whereof though it bare the Emperours stampe yet the Bullion came from Spaine To make himselfe neerer unto the Emperour he hath made himselfe Master of the Valtoline that by that passage hee might unite his owne forces of Millane with those of the Emperours hereditary States next to the Alps in Germanie By the Emperours meanes hath he also made himselfe a partie in the present quarrell of the Dukedome of Mantua in Italie and it shall goe hard but he will get all or some good part of it to joyne to Millane and Naples And this is the use that the Spaniard since the yeare 1620. hath made of the Emperour The Emperour growes great by the Armes of Spaine but this is but personall and to die with Ferdinand of Gratz in the meane time all the world knows that the Spaniard hath the reputation and will at last
The English by reason of their great puissance have of late builded the fairest ships of the World for that onely trade and therein as now seated a hopefull and peaceable Factorie The Roman Empire or Germanie THis Empire in its greatest glory viz. in the dayes of Trajan stretched from the Irish Ocean and beyond from the Atlantik to the Persian Gulfe and from Catnes in Scotland to the River Albis and beyond to the Danubie It began first to decline by the civill warres of Galba Otho and Vttellius for in those times the Legions of Britanie were transported into the Continent Holland and the bordering Countries revolted and immediately after the Sarazens finding the Frontiers of the Empire without Garrisons passed over Danubius The Alani won the Streights of the Caspian Hils the Persians endevoured to get them a name and reputation the Goths wandered thorowout Moesia and Macedonia the French-men entred Gallia But Constantine the Emperour restored it to the former glory made an end of civill Warre and tamed the barbarous and cruell Nations and had hee not committed two great faults this Empire might long have flourished The first was the translating of the Imperiall Seat from Rome to Constantinople which action weakened the West and overthrew the Empire as Plants removed out of their naturall soile and transported into Regions contrary in temperature and aire retaine small vigour of their radicall vertue as also because the manly and martiall people of Europe if they should rebell could not be reduced to obedience by the power of the effeminate Asians whom or none the Emperours of Constantinople must of necessity make use of by reason of their situation In which regard the Roman Senate would never consent that the people should leave Rome and dwell at Veij a Citie farre more pleasant and more commodious than Rome especially after the sacking thereof by the French-men The second fault of Constantine was the division of the Empire to his children Anno Dom. 341. By this division of one Empire he made three and withall a memorable diminution of his authoritie and forces For when his sonnes fell to civill dissention they consumed one another so cruelly that the Empire resembled a bloudlesse yea a livelesse body And though sometime under some one Prince it stood on foot againe yet it remained alwayes subject to division and parted into two Empires the East and the West untill the comming of Odoacer King of the Herules and Turingi into Italy with a mightie Hoast by which invasion Augustulus suffered such irrecoverable losses that in extreme despaire hee was forced to cast himselfe into the protection of the East Empire This happened in the yeare of our Lord 476. And about this time the Hunnes passed Danubius Alaricus King of the Gothes tooke Rome the Vandals first spoiled Andaluzia afterwards Africke the Alans wonne Portugal the Gothes conquered the greater part of Spaine the Saxons Britanie the Burgundians Provence Anno 556. Iustinian restored it somewhat to a better State driving the Vandals out of Africke and the Gothes out of Italy by his Captaines But this faire weather lasted not long for in the yeare 713. the Armes and Heresies of the Mahumetans began to vex the East Empire and shortly after the Saâ—â—â— zons wasted Syria Aegypt the Archipelago Africke Sieâ— and Spaine In the yeare 735. they vanquished Narbon Avignon Tolouse Burdeaux and the bordering Regions Thus by little and little began the Westerne Empire to droope and as it were to draw towards his last age 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 Sarazens much lesse to minister aid to the Westerne Provinces But in the yeare of our Lord 800. Charles the Great King of France obtained the Title of the Westerne Empire and in some sort mitigated the fury of these barbarous Nations And thus the Westerne Empire stood then divided That Naples and Sipont East-ward with Sicil should belong to the Greek Empire Bononia should remaine to the Lumbards the Venetians were Neuters the Popedome free the rest Charles should possesse Blondus saith that the Empresse Irene gave the first counsell to this division which afterwards was confirmed by Nicephorus For before Charles his time there was one forme of Government and the Laws Magistracies and ordinances which were enacted for the well-fare of one Empire tended to the good and honour of both as to the members of one body and if one Emperour died without issue the whole Empire remained to the survivour But when Charles the great was chosen Emperour of the West there was no more regard taken of the East Empire neither the Emperour of the East had to doe with the West nor the West with the East The Empire of the West continued in this line above one hundred yeares and failed in Arnolph the last of that house In the yeare 1453. Mahumet Prince of the Turkes tooke Constantinople and utterly extinguished the succession of the Easterne Empire And as for the West viz. Italy the Emperour hath no more to doe therein than hath a pilgrime who is admitted to visit the wonders of our Lady of Loretto For in the yeare of Christ. 1002. all claime of inheritance rejected the Creation of the Emperour was granted to the free election of seven Princes termed Electors The reason why the Empire became elective which had so long continued hereditary in the House of Charles was because Otho the third left no issue male After whom the Westerne Empire was marvellously curtailed and diminished nothing being left but Germanie and a part of Italy The Pope held Romagnia the Venetians lived free possessing great Dominions joyned to their State the Normans taking Naples and Sicil from the Greekes held them in Fee of the Church first under Clement the Antipope then under Nicholas the second and his successours who for their private gaine ratified the former grant of Clement Antipope In Tuscane and Lumbardie partly by the quarrels betweene Henry the fourth Henry the fifth Fredericke the first and Fredericke the second with the Roman Bishops partly by reason of the valour of the Inhabitants the Emperour reaped more labour than honour more losse than profit And therefore Rodulphus terrified with the misfortunes and crosses of his predecessours had no great minde to travell into Italy but sold them their liberties for a small matter They of Luques paid ten thousand crownes the Florentines but six thousand And so every State by little and little forsaking the Emperour no part of Italy remained but the bare Title The Dukes of Millaine and so every other state usurped what they could catch without leave asking only they desired their investiture of the Empire But Francis after the conquest therof did little regard this investiture saying That hee was able to keepe it by the same meanes that hee had got it The Princes beyond the Mountaines also withdrew their
onely still continued but since the last warres increased What the generall summe of all the revenues arise unto I have nothing certaine neither indeed is it certaine in it selfe a great part thereof as aforesaid consisting upon casualties as the Mines and Tenths c. But for mine owne particular conceit being not altogether unconfirmed by other mens opinions I cannot imagine how that it can arise to lesse than foure hundred thousand pound sterling yearely at the least Thus have I briefly runne over some few particulars of the great and noble Dukedome of Saxony worthy a much more ample discourse and a farre more worthier and better informed discourser being all things considered not onely the greatest and mightiest Princedome under the Empire but even greater and mightier I meane as it stood united in the time of Christianus than the Empire it selfe For though the Emperour by his sacred Imperiall Seat bee his liege-Liege-Lord and in greatnesse of dominion farre superiour yet is he in revenue in great love of his people in warlike provision and in German leagues and confederacies farre inferiour The State of the Marquesse Elector of Brandenburg THis Prince possesseth a larger tract of land than doth the other Electors and hath more Noblesse Gentry and people yet is a great deale of his land very wilde and barren much of his people poore and himselfe though of great revenue yet farre short of that of Saxony Brandenburg lies on the East limited with Poland on the West with Saxonie touching upon Lusatia on the South The compasse is about five hundred miles wherein are reckoned fifty Cities great and small and threescore and foure walled Townes The whole Marquisate is divided into the Old the chiefe Towne whereof is Brandenburg and the Nen the greatest Citie therein being Franckford upon Oder famous for the Mart and Vniversity The Princes Seat is at Berlin This twofold division is againe subdivided into eight Provinces from which the Nobilitie take their titles one of these Crossen by name being a Dukedome For in Germany you are to understand a Dukedome may be contained within a Marquisate yea and a Duke come behinde a Count for that in the Empire precedencie goes not as with us by title but by bloud and antiquity The name of the present Elector is Iohannes Georgius in whose line the title hath continued these two hundred and eleven yeares Besides now the bare Country of Brandenburg this Prince hath other dominions many townes and lands both in Lusatia and Silesia which with that of Onspach by Nurenberg goe commonly away to the younger of the family all which write themselves Marquesses of Brandenburg The three Dukedomes of Cleve Iuliers and Berg have also beene united to this family though now almost twentie yeares since the Duke of Cleve dying without issue these three States are yet in controversie betwixt this Marquesse and the Duke of Newenburg Besides these is hee Duke of Prussia which is a great Country into which the King of Poland is to give him investiture So that hee and the Archbishop Elector of Cullen be Lords of the greatest tracts of lands of all the Princes of Germany The revenues out of Brandenburg are thought to amount to forty thousand pounds sterling and certainly his profits out of all his other Estates cannot but double that summe A sufficient rent for such a Prince if you consider the cheapnesse of all things in his Country He is Lord of much people and therefore of many souldiers The Duke of Brunswicke hath a large dominion well peopled well furnished and himselfe of a great revenue but both in place much inferiour being no Elector being as of body the strongest so also of minde the vilest natured people of all Germanie In other things likewise he is inferiour to the Duke of Saxonie a great part of his Country being barren and his subjects poore The Duke of Bavaria hath a large rich and goodly Country lying in great length on both sides the Danubie a great revenue and his subjects in good estate but as being almost the only Catholike great Prince of the temporalty of no great party and unfurnished of warlike provision but much more of treasure being exceedingly behinde hand principally through the abuse of his Iesuites by whom being wholly governed he hath spent and daily doth infinitely in building them Churches Altars and Colleges and endowing them with large revenues What is above written of the Duke of Bavaria's estate was something to the truth at the time of the former edition of this booke for certainly the house of Bavaria is wholly Iesuited insomuch as the father of this present Duke giving over the government retired himselfe into a house of Iesuites and this present Duke besides other his large bounties and buildings hath already estated eighteene hundred pound sterling a yeare upon the English Iesuites with condition that it shall goe to the Vniversity of Oxford so soone as that shall be converted to Popery So that the case is now altered with the Duke of Bavaria hee hath gotten part both of the Vpper and Lower Palatinate into his hands yea and the Electorship it selfe is estated upon him Thus for the time are the Palatinate and Bavaria fallen both upon one person againe as they were before the yeare 1294. when as Lewis the Emperour Prince of both of them gave the Palatinate to his elder sonne and Bavaria to the younger after which the Palatine marrying the heire of Bavaria againe united them But about 125. yeares since the Emperour Maximilian againe parted them giving Bavaria to the Ancestor of this present Maximilian He is Vncle to King Frederike himselfe hath no issue his second brother is the Elector of Cullen and a third brother he hath who is not childlesse Bavaria touches both Austria Bohemia and the Vpper Palatinate too aptly situated for the late warres both to distresse his nephew and to aid the Emperour What forces he is able to make did then appeare and his revenue must bee answerable The Duke of Wirtemberg as in dignitie he is inferiour to all these so doth hee if I be not deceived approach neerest in most particulars of greatnesse to the Duke of Saxonie having a Country in circuit but small being not much bigger by ghesse than Yorkeshire but very full of neat Townes and rich Villages very well peopled and they generally very rich The land is not so fruitfull as in other places but farre excelling the best in England that ever came under my view abounding exceedingly especially about Stutgard with wine and the Countrey so pleasantly diversified as that the hils whereof it is full and River sides being only imployed to Vines the plaines are every where full of corne of all sorts of excellent meadow and pasture with sufficient store of wood The Duke himselfe is well loved of his people very rich in treasure and yearely revenue so that setting the mines aside he is thought to be equall if not
the Duchesse Beatrice his wife those of the Towne presented him the Keyes thereof therby acknowledging him their chiefe Lord and Master During the civill warres in France the Towne was marvellously peopled insomuch as there were to the number of twelve or fourteene thousand strangers the greatest part whereof were Gentlemen but since those troubles began to diminish the number likewise hath decayed and at this instant there are not many besides the Inhabitants by reason whereof the Towne is very much impoverished The Towne is governed by a Councell of two hundred called the great Councell out of which is chosen another Councell composed of five and twentie and of these foure especiall men called Sindiques who have the managing of the whole Common-wealth unlesse it be in some great matters wherein the whole State is deeply interessed as in making of peace or warre in leagues offensive and defensive appeales c. The people are governed by the Civil Law the Iudge whereof is called a Lieutenant Criminall before whom all causes are tried and from whom there is no appeale unlesse it be to the generall Councell of two hundred When the Towne was besieged in eightie nine the Venetians did not only send them intelligence of sundry practices against them but also sent them twenty foure thousand crownes to maintaine their warres and out of England they had thirteene thousand crownes The Great Duke of Thuscan did likewise send them many intelligences at the same time and heretofore when as the Pope the King of Spaine the French King and the Duke of Savoy have joyned their powers together with purpose to besiege them the Emperour hath not only revealed all their practices but offered to aid them with men and money yea and sometime the Dukes of Savoy have lent them money to maintaine them against the others For hee had rather the Towne should remaine as it doth than fall into any other mans hands than his owne Queene Elizabeth highly favoured it and releeved it so did all the Protestant German Princes together with the French King Who though â—ee be of a contrary Religion yet hath he had it alwayes in especiall protection The people are very civill in their behaviour speech and apparell all licentiousnesse being severely corrected and especially dancing Adultery is punished with death and the Women drowned in the Rosne simple Fornication with nine dayes fasting bread and water in prison for the second offence whipping out of the Towne and the third time with banishment The Towne lent unto Henry the third King of France a little before his death 450000. crownes and twelve Canons which are not yet restored the Bernesi seeme to be their friends but those of Geneva are very jealous of them and dare not trust them The Ministers have a consistorie unto which they may call publike offendors and such as give scandall unto others and there reprove them and if the crime be great and the partie obstinate they forbid him the Communion if notwithstanding hee persist they may excommunicate him But the Ministers cannot call any before them into the Consistory but by the authoritie of a Sindique who must assist them otherwise the Ministers have power to summon any Man They have their maintenance out of the common Treasury and meddle with no Tithes Master Beza in eighty seven had some 1500. Florens for his stipend which amounteth to some seven or eight and fiftie pounds sterling besides twenty coupes of corne and his house All which will hardly amount to fourescore pounds the rest of the Ministers had some six or seven hundred Florens twenty coupes of corne and their houses The Ministers in the countrie have three hundred forty and five Florens and twenty coupes of corne The Professor in Divinity hath per annum 1125. Florens and twenty coupes of Corne The Professor in Law 580. Florens The Professor in Greeke 510. Florens The Professor of Philosophy 600. Florens and twenty coupes The Professor in Hebrew 510. Florens All honest exercises as shooting in Peeces Crosse-Bowes Long-Bowes c. are used on the Sabbath day and that in the morning both before and after the Sermon neither doe the Ministers finde any fault therewith so that they hinder not from hearing the word at the time appointed Swizerland IN the daies of Caesar this Province contained two hundred and forty miles in length and one hundred and fourescore in breadth which circuit or territorie seeming too narrow a roome to containe so valiant and a warlike people that not long before had overthrowne L. Cassius a Roman Consull slaine the Consull himselfe and sold the souldiers for bondslaves upon these apprehensions and the conceit of their owne valours they began to entertaine a resolution by conquest to gaine a larger territory correspondent to the ambitious greatnesse of their minds and to forsake their owne country which first gave them breath and being In heat whereof they prepare for their departure they provide victuals study tillage two yeeres buy carts and cariage beasts and left any mans courage should decline with the time they make a law that every one should be in readinesse to set forward in the beginning of the third yeere Being upon their way and hearing that Caesar then Proconsull of France had caused the bridge of Geneva to be hewne downe and to debarre them of passage had raised that famous fortification betweene the Lake and Mount Iura they sent some of their greatest Commanders to Caesar to intreat a quiet passage thorow the Roman Province At their appointed day of Audience hearing Caesars deniall they resolve to open the way with the power of their forces In triall of which project after they had received divers defeatures they againe sent their Ambassadors to Caesar to intreat an acceptation of submission throwing themselves at his feet and with many supplications craving such favoâ—rable conditions of peace as might best comfort so distressed a people and beseeme the glory of so mighty a conquests which requests Caesar upon delivery of pledges mercifully granted injoyned them to returne to the Country from whence they came and to build the cities and villages which before their comming forth they had destroyed Ever since which time they retained the reputation of their ancient glory but never enterprized to forsake their limited habitations The number of Men Women and Children that were in that journey was 3680000. whereof 920000. were fighting men of them that returned and saw the fortune of both their States was 110000. Some hold opinion that this Nation is utterly extinguished and that the present Inhabitants whereof we now intreat both for their resemblance in manners and phrase of speech are descended from the Germans It is almost all situated amongst the Alpes and therefore supposed to be the highest Region in Europe and the rather for that the most famous Rivers of this part of the World viz. Rhone Rodan and Po falling from these high places doe disperse their chanels
The Duchie of Mantua lieth wholly in Lombardie and the Duchie of Vrbin betweene Marca d' Ancona and Tuscane 15. The Duchies of Parma and Placentia are in Lombardie and holden of the Church Of these Princes and Common-wealths every one holdeth himselfe in his owne Territorie absolute Prince and Governour and maintaineth his estate upon the custome taxes and impositions of the people For lightly they have little or no Lands of their owne THe Estate of the Pope is twofold the one consisteth in Temporall Dominion the other in Spirituall Iurisdiction His Temporall Dominion is likewise divided into two kinds the one profitable and as a man may terme it an hereditarie the other immediate and holden in fee of he Church As touching his Temporall Dominion hee is Lord of a great part of Italie as of all that lieth betweene the River Fiore and Cajetta betweene Preâ—est and the Truentian streights except the Duchie of Vrbin In that compasse are incircled the Provinces of Bonnonia and Romandiola Marchia Vmbria the Duchie of Spoleto S. Peters patrimonie Tuscan and lately Ferrara It is seated in the heart of Italie stretching from the Adriatike to the Tirrhene Sea and in regard of situation as also in plenty of provision as corne wine and oyle it is comparable to any State of Italie For Romandiola imparteth great store unto their neighbours the Venetians and Sclavonians And yet have the Inhabitants sufficient for their owne provision Marchia reacheth from Tronto to Foglia betweene the Apenine and the Sea it is divided into little hils and plaines It is rich of Wine Oyle and Corne having divers great Townes and Castles therein The Citie of greatest trading is Ancona by reason of the Haven to which many Lasterne Merchants doe repaire The fairest is Ascoli the most powerfull Fermo because of many Fortresses subject unto it Macerata is a new Citie and because it lieth in the middest of the Province it is the Governours seat In some yeares it hath supplied the Venetians wants with many thousand measures of Corne and Oyle And although Vmbria 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 stead thereof it is abundantly stored with Wines Cattell and some Saffron S. Peters Patrimonie and Tuscan often releeved Genoa and at some seasons Naples This territorie bringeth forth fierce and warlike souldiers and herein it is reported to excell all the residue of the Italian Provinces Bonnonia Romania and Marchia are able to levie twenty thousand foot-men and the other Provinces as many In the time of Pope Clement Marchia alone aided him with a thousand souldiers The chiefe Seat is Rome once the Lady of the World and at this day inhabited with two hundred thousand soules but two parts thereof consisting of Church-men and Curtizans The second Bononia wherein are eighty thousand of both sexes Next to these are Perugia Ancona Ravenna and some fiftie others The defensible places are the Castle and Borough of Rome Ovietta Teracine c. It is a great credit and commendation to this State to have many Noblemen therein to excellent in Negociation of Peace and Warre that the residue of the States and Princes doe most commonly choose their Leaders and Lieutenants out of these Provinces If the Prince hereof were secular both for people and power hee might very well be compared with any State of Italy Besides these Dominions the Pope hath the Territory of Avignon in France wherein are foure Cities and fourscore walled Townes In Naples he hath Benevent Romagna extendeth from Foglia Panora and from the Apenine to the River Po. For temperature and fertilitie it is like to Marchia but hath generally more famous Cities as Rimini Cesana Faensa Ravenna Turly Imola Sarsina Cervia Bertinoto once a Bishops Seat but now translated to Forlimpoli The Noblest of all these is Ravenna where some Emperor have kept their Courts and after them their Exarches or Lieutenants When Pipin having expulsed Astolpho put the Church in possession thereof this Territorie comprehended Bolognia Regio Modena Parma Piacenza Ravenna Sarsina Claesse Forli Forlimpoli and made one estate called Pentapoli which indured an hundred eightie three yeares even to the yeare of our Lord 741. in which yeare it ended by the taking of Ravenna by Astolph King of Lombards So that first the Roman Emperours especially Honorius and after him the Kings of the Gothes and then Exarches amongst all the Cities of Italy chose this for the Seat of their Courts which from amongst other respects I suppose to proceed by reason of the plentifull Territory now covered with water and the conveniencie of the Haven which at this day is likewise choaked This Province was first called Flaminia but Charles the Great to raze out the remembrance of these Exarches and to make the people willing to obey the Roman Prelats called it Romagnia As touching his immediate Soveraigntie he is Lord Paramount of the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicil and the Duchies of Vrbin Ferrara Parma Placentia and many others Where his authoritie is maintained he hath supreme government of all religious Orders and bestoweth the Ecclesiasticall Benefices at his dispose Having many strings to his Bow he hath many meanes to raise money so that Xistus the fourth was wont to say That the Popes should never want Coine as long as their hands were able to hold a pen. Paul the third in the league betweene him the Emperour and the Venetians against the Turk bare the sixth part of the charges of that warre Against the Protestants and in aid of Charles the fifth he sent twelve thousand foot-men and five hundred horse-men bearing their charges during the warre this was he that advanced his house to that honour wherein it continueth to this day in Florence Pius the fifth aided Charles the ninth King of France with foure thousand footmen and a thousand horse Xistus the fifth in five yeares and a halfe of his Pontificacie raked together five millions of crowns and spent bountifully notwithstanding in bringing Conduits and Water-pipes into the Citie and in building Pyramides Palaces and Churches So that it should seeme that the Entrado could not but amount to much above the value of ten hundred thousand crownes per annum for Newman a late Writer would have this surplusage to be raised upon use money yearely laâ—d up in the Castle of Saint Angelo And this to arise of his ordinary Revenues within his Territories of Italy Since those times it cannot but be much more augmented by the addition of the Dukedome of Ferrara as also for that in those dayes the monethly expence of the Court being thirtie thousand crownes is in these times defalked unto five thousand A State wherein you shall see Religion metamorphosed into policie and policie meditating nothing but private greatnesse the Man-seeming-God affecting Honour Majestie and Temporall riches with no lesse ambition and
wont to say hath something of the nature of Dice which no man knoweth how they will runne I may say as much of the house of Austria Princes that doe exceedingly cherish and affect quietnesse wherewith they are become great and with the same meanes doe maintaine their greatnesse Of the Church it were alike superfluous to speake for that neither Saint Peter can make any excuse to make warre upon Saint Marke nor will Saint Marke seeke to trouble Saint Peter unprovoked In summe the Venetian hath two maine advantages above all other Princes The one is that they have a councell that is immortall the other that the heart of the State cannot be pierced unto by any enemie And so conclude that the Pope and the Venetian at this time are more potent and of greater antiquity in Italy than ever heretofore they have beene not only for that the Pope hath a more ample Territory and that but little incumbred with petty Lordships and that the Venetian hath his Dominion better fortified and his Coffers fuller than in times past but also in regard that the States of Naples and Millan are in the hands of a Prince absent and farre off and therefore circumspect to raise innovations Lombardie anciently called Cisalpina extendeth from Panaco unto Sesia lying betweene the Apeniae and the Alpes Marca Trivigiana sometime called Venetia lieth betweene the Menzo and the Po. Most commonly both Provinces passe under the name of Lombardy because there the Kings of the Longobards seated their dwellings longer than in any other place of Italy Besides the soyle the ayre and the Inhabitants hold such correspondencie that they ought not to be distinguished This is the richest and civillest Province of Italy For such another peece of ground for beautifull Cities goodly Rivers Fields and Pastures for plenty of Fowle Fish Graine Wine and Fruits is not to be found againe in all our Westerne world arising partly by the ease of Navigable Rivers as Tesino Adda Oglio Menzo Adige and Po partly by channe's cut out of those Rivers and partly by the great Lakes of Verbano Lario and Benaco No lesse commodâ—ty ariseth by the plaines passable for Carts Mules and other carriage The greatnesse likewise of the Lords of Lombardie hath bin a great furtherance thereto For while the Visconti reigned this State maintained wars of great importance against most puissant Princes And for the Empirie hereof happened those notable wars of our daies betweene the Emperor and the French King And no marvell that two such puissant Potentates contended with so great effusion of bloud for this Dukedome for though to many it should not seeme great yet in very truth for the wealth of the Country and the quantity it hath been of as great reputation as some Realmes of Europe some Dukes whereof have possessed greater Territories enjoyed wealthier Revenues and have beene more puissant in Warres and more honourable in Peace than divers Princes graced with Kingly titles Amongst the Cities of these Provinces accounting Venice amongst the Islands Millan without controversie holdeth the precedencie It is able to reckon upon two hundred thousand persons and hath a large and populous Territory A Citie saith Guicciardine most populous and rich in Citizens plentifull in Merchants and Artificers proud in pompes and sumptuous in ornaments for men and women naturally addicted to feastings and pleasure and not only full of rejoycing and solace but also most happy in all other nature of contentment for the life of man And however now the Spaniard one in the Citie and another in the Castle overlooketh both City and Country yet is the bravery of the place very little abated nor doth the Nobleman shrinke under the burthen but carrieth his load lightly however his inward grones are breathed yet lifteth he up a face of chearefulnesse as if he dranke wine and fed on oyle according to the properties of either so good and bountifull is the Country The second Citie of Lombardie is Brescia not for compasse or multitude of people for it is not able to make fiftie thousand men but by reason of the large jurisdiction thereof comprehending therein many large Towns and populous Champians therefore censured to be able in all to levie 350000 men Among the Townes subject thereto Asalo and Salo have the preheminence amongst the Vallies Valcamonia being fifty miles in length and therewith populous and full of Iron Mines Bologna if it please you to account it in Lombardie and Verona are alike populous Verona is larger and of more beautie Bologna more rich and commodious as well for that it hath a larger Territory â— also for that there is no City that doth more absolutely enjoy her owne commodities and doth more freely partake of others by the great resort of Courtiers Clergie-men and Officers dispersed through all the Ecclesiastike State To which three things are much availeable the Vniversitie where all professions are practised their wealth which is equally divided and lastly their inclination and patience to take paines and doe service Betweene Verona and Padoa there is no great difference in respect of circuit but Verona hath double the people Whereof the Venetians to supply that defect doe as much as they may grace their Vniversitie and the Schollers As in this Province the Cities are great and beautifull so are the fortresses many and impregnable And whereas other Provinces have their places of strength on their Frontiers in this the neerer you approach the centre the stronger shall you see the Country planted and fortified The Dukedome of Vrbine THis State touching the Apenine mountaines on the South and the Adriatike Sea upon the North is on the two other sides high hemb'd in with the dominions of the Pope whose Liege-man or Feudatary the Duke hereof is for severall bounties received from the Church This State is threescore miles long and five and thirty broad containing seven Cities and two hundred Castles and Villages The land very good His Revenue comes in two wayes First from his subjects which he being a gracious Lord is not above an hundred thousand ducats a yeare But secondly he much helps himselfe by the Sea and especially by his customes upon Wine and Corne exported of which last there is a great trade in his ports Of this Revenue he issues but 2200. ducats a yeare by way of tribute or acknowledgement to the Pope and the great Duke of Tuscanie which last sometimes writes himselfe Duke of Vrbine also Both these gape for the Duchie if the succession should faile A pretty case lately hapned thereupon It chanced that Guido Baldus Duke of Vrbine in his owne life time resigning his Estate to the sonne and that sonne dying without issue before his father in the yeare 1624. that both these pretenders being ready to seaze upon it and yet 〈◊〉 afraid of another the old Duke was re-estated with both their consents The great Duke of Tuscanio hath as it seemes since
Piedmont is taken up with Montferrat but that belongs to Mantua Though in all Piedmont there be reckoned one Duchie of Aosta Marquisates fifteene Earldomes fifty besides Baronies many but these alas bee but petty ones such as have but Fiefs being but Gentlemen holding Fees or Mannors of the Dukes favour of which one writes that singly they are not very rich though all together they make a great noise Three Counties are reckoned in it and in them seven good Cities besides an hundred and fifty walled Townes Whereupon a Gentleman of that Nation boasted that his Countrie was an intire Citie of three hundred miles compasse Piedmont is said no nourish seven hundred thousand soules whereof the lesser halfe may be reckoned within this Dukes Dominions so that he may have some eight or nine hundred thousand subjects in the whole number The Dukes chiefe Citie here is Turin honoured now with an Vniversitie A strong place but made lesse than it was when the French were Masters of it that it might be the more defensible Saluzzes is a Bishops See also The first Founder of this Noble Family was Beroaldus of Saxonie brother to Otho the third Emperour who flying hither for killing that brothers wife taken in the act of Adultery was first made Generall to the Duke of Burgundie for whom he conquered Maurienne on Italy side which Lands the Duke giving to him hee became Lord of Maurienne His sonne was first made Count or Earle of Maurienne who marrying the daughter and heire of the Marquesse of Susa joyned both those Titles together His grand-childe inlarged his Dominion by the conquest of some of the neighbour Valleyes and his sonne Amadeus was for service done to the Emperour Henry the fifth made Earle of Savoy His grand-childe Humbert marrying the Count of Geneva's daughter made his father in Law to submit and acknowledge obedience unto him This Prince also upon the sailing of the heires of the Princes of Piedmont â—â—ts in for himselfe conquers divers places and takes Piedmont into his title also His son gains further upon his neighbours His grand-childe Peter winnes the Citie of Turine and gets confirmations of Richard Duke of Cornwall his kirsman and then Emperour in those Valleyes conquered by himselfe and his grand-father His sonne Philip marrying the heire of Burgundie was in her right made Earle of Burgundie and Savoy His brothers sonne Amadeus the fourth gained the Countrey of Bresse by marriage also His sonne Edward was made a Prince of the Empire and his son Amadeus wanne something from the Count of Geneva To whose sonne Amadeus the sixth part of Piedmont veelded itselfe He instituted the Order of Knight-hood of the Annanciada To his sonne Amadeus the seventh did the Countrey called Nizza en Provenza freely yeeld To honour his sonne Amadeus the eighth did the Emperour Sigismund advance Savoy to the title of a Dukedome Him did the Councell of Basile choose to be Pope which he afterwards quit to compound the schisme His sonne Lewis was in his fathers life-time first called Prince of Piedmont which is ever since the title of the heire apparrant he also obtained to be called Earle of Geneva Charles the first made the Marquesse of Saluzzes to performe homage Finally this present Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel first got that Marquisate of Saluzzes intirely into his hands which Henry the fourth of France wrung from him and made him release the County of Bresse to have Saluzzes againe And thus by degrees and yeares came this Family to these possessions Besides all which hee makes title and claime to the Marquisate of Montferrat the Earldome of Geneva the Principalitie of Achaia in Greece and the kingdome of Cyprus His ordinary Revenues are thus collected His customes upon Salt fiftie thousand crownes from Susa foure and twenty thousand forren Merchandize eighteene thousand from Villa Franca c. five and twentie thousand Ancient Rents c. threescore and ten thousand The ordinary tax of Piedmont two hundred threescore and three thousand from confiscations condemned persons commutations of punishments and of the Iewes c. fifty thousand The totall is five hundred thousand French crownes What his extraordinaries may amount unto cannot be knowne but certaine it is that in a few yeares he raised eleven millions of crownes out of Piedmont alone So that we may well allow him one million of yearely commings in one with another out of which these summes are yearely issued upon certaine expences Diet wages c. of the Dukes owne Court threescore thousand crownes Allowed to the Duchesse twenty thousand The Duke of Nemeurs his kinsman pension fourteene thousand Standing wages to Iudges Counsellors c. on both sides the Alpes fourescore and ten thousand Vpon Embassadors Intelligences c. sixteene thousand Vpon his Guard Pages Messengers c. ten thousand Given away in Pensions and favours twelve thousand Expences of pleasure ten thousand Charges of his souldiery ten thousand and of his Gallies two and twenty thousand The totall is three hundred and eightie thousand French crownes The rest goes into the Treasury But in this former account the expences upon building and repairing of Forts is not reckoned which must needs amount to a masse of money seeing that no Prince of Europe in so little ground unlesse those of the Low-Countries perchance hath so many fortified places and few stronger in the world either by Nature of Arâ— eight hundred Castles being reckoned in Piedmont alone Of Land-souldiers his muster-bookes shewes him about twenty thousand often exercised by their Captaines and Collonels and three Gallies for scowring of the Coast. And now for the State and termes he stands in with other Princes his neighbours they be these To the Papacie is his Family much beholding the Pope having made his second son Victor a Cardinall and his third son Philibert Admirall of the Gallies of the Church A great dependancie hath he on the Pope besides for whereas Cardinall Aldabrandino Nephew to Clement the eighth hath purchased Raiensa in Piedmont to the Duke after whose decease that rich Territory must fall to the Church unlesse the Pope be pleased to confirme it upon the Duke With Spaine both the Duke and his eldeâ—â— son Philip Emanuel have very neere alliance Aâ— time there was that the Spaniard with-held his Pension from the Duke and he againe discharged his garrison of Spaniards in Turâ—ne c. but all being now piec't up betweene them it concernes Spaine not to displease him because hee may stop up the passages by which the Spanish forces might march out of Italy into Germanie Venice and hee are in a common league and correspondencie Divers States and persons of the Switzers take pension of him and the Citie of Geneva is in bodily feare of him so was Genoa in these late warres and may be againe With other Princes of Italy he is in good termes except with Mantua it equally concernes them all to see that one another grow not too great and
this Iland goes much upon the number of threescore Many masters hath this also had first the Phenicians and then the Greekes thirdly the Moores of Barbary from them the Spaniard tooke it after their expulsion out of Spaine Charles the fifth lastly gave it to the Knights of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem when the Turke had beaten them out of the Rhodes Anno 1522. the length of it is twenty miles and the breadth twelve The countrey people both in language and attire much resemble their old Masters and Sires of Affrica their Arabick Dialect being much corrupted with words crept in out of the severall Countries from whence their Knights doe come The women are handsome and the men jealous The Citizens be altogether Frenchified The whole number of Inhabitants is about 20000. The weather is hot and the soile barren as being onely a flat Rocke with a pan of earth a foot or two thicke Trees hath it few and Rivers none watered only with fountaines and raine water All their Corne is Barley which and Olives makes the best part of a Malteses dinner Plenty of Anice seed Comine seed and Hony they vent to Merchants Here also growes the perfectest Cotton Wooll The people are healthy dying rather of age than of diseases The Religion Popish Foure Cities be upon the I le quartered under the command of ten Captaines whereof Valetta is both the fairest and the strongest built 1565. and so named of Valetta the Grand Master famous for his valour against the Turks Founded upon a rocke it is high mounted wonderfully fortified close to the Sea and by land assaultable onely at the South end Victualled continually it is for three yeares new provision still supplying the expence of the old sent in from Sicily and by reason of the heat of the Country preserved under ground This small City is neighbour to two others La Isula and Saint Hermes each distant but a musket shot from other neere to the Haven and on the East end and North side of the Iland from which Malta the fourth City is eight small miles separated Two Forts more it hath Saint Michael and Saint Angelo So that all together this Iland is thought the most impregnable place of the world The Knights of Ierusalem since called of the Rhodes command all in all here no man daring to contradict Of these there bee five hundred continually resident in the Iland and five hundred mâ—re a thousand being their whole number dispersed in other Alberges or Hospitals in Europe Of them at this day there be seven seminaries one of France in generall one of Auvergne one of Provence one of Casrile one of Germany one of Arragon and one of Italie the eighth of England was suppressed by Henry the eighth These knights be all Friers by profession their Vow was to defend the Sepulcher of Christ now it is to defend the Romish Religion and Countries against the Infidels Of every one of these there is a Grand Prior having goodly houses and Seminaries in divers Countries living in great plenty and reputation Such an house of theirs was that of Saint Iohns commonly called Saint Ioanes without Smithfield The builder of which house was Thomas Docwra Prior then whose name lives in Esquires estate at Offley in Hartford shire c. A Knight of this order was to prove himselfe a Gentleman for six descents over the gate therefore may you see that testified by so many Eschutcheons There also is to be seene their Vow and Title expressed in the Motto Sarie ✚ Boro The word Sarie being accented with harsh aspirations to brand the Saracens with a note of wickednesse Both words with the figure of the crosse betwene signifie thus much Defender of the Crosse of Christ against the wicked Saracens This is written in the Saracen tongue the language of Malta which words expressing their Vow and Title is not much unlike to that of Raimund the first Master of their order whose Motto was The poore servant of Christ and defender of the Hospitall of Ierusalem And thus much by the way out of Docwra's pedigree for preserving of this antiquity Of these thousand Knights of the Rhodes there be sixteene more eminent than the rest called Great-Crosses for that the white crosse upon their blacke cloake which is the cognizance of their order they are privileged to weare larger than the rest Over all these there is one grand Master for whose election two are appointed out of each of the eight Nations two supplying the place of the English also these sixteene make choice of a Knight a Priest and a Frier-servant and those three nominate one of the sixteene Great Crosses to bee Grand Master for which place the foresaid Docwra was once in competition The stile of this Master is The illustrious and most reverent Prince my Lord Frier great Master of the Hospitall of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem Prince of Malta and Goza The Estate of the Grand Master arising out of the profits of the Iland of Malta â—tselfe is valued at ten thousand ducats besides what he hath out of the I le of Goza which the ancients called Glacon and Strabo Gaudon lying but one mile to the South-west of Malta and twenty miles in compasse The rest of his Entrada is made up out of fat Commendams of Ecclesiasticall dignities in severall Countries and of pensions from other Princes He hath an allowance out of the publike treasury the tenth of all prizes by Sea as also the whole or the cheife part of whatsoever estate any of the officers belonging to his owne person shall chance to leave behinde them The severall Knights are very rich besides their temporall lands in severall Countries enjoying divers Commendams and pensions also of which they are capable after five yeares of their admission and when they have made foure martiall expeditions Their common treasury is maintained by the gifts of Princes by the admissions of novices into their order each Knight paying an hundred and fifty crownes and every Frier-servant an hundred at his first entrance and lastly by the deaths of their brethren for when any of the Fraternity dies the whole order is heire excepting onely of one fifth part These consist not so much in the number of the Knights for they are but five hundred upon the Iland at once though the other five hundred are to come in upon summons as in their valour and resolution the whole Iland may perchance make six or eight thousand men able to beare armes and Goza the third part of that number The Ilanders are alwayes well trained for land-service and how much they are able to doe was seene by their repulsing the Turkish invasion By Sea the religion maintaineth but only five Gallies and one ship by report so stinted each galley carrying seventeene peeces of Ordnance and foure or five hundred men More than these wise men peradventure will imagine that a barren and small Iland living for the most part
cause why none of them rise by their owne industry to any great wealth They never combate amongst themselves but revenge injuries with words except upon objection of cowardize whereof the charged is never disburthened untill he have proved himselfe in singular combate with a Turke It hath beene an ancient custome amongst them that none should weare a feather but hee who hath killed a Turke to whom it was lawfull to shew the number of his slaine Enemies by the number of feathers in his Cap. They punish Adulterie and Fornication with death the Husband forcing his Wife the Father his Daughter and the Brother his Sister to the place of Execution The Sonnes inhabit equally after the death of their fathers occupying for the most part the possessions left them in common The Daughters have the value of the part of the Lands in money They are desirous of warres above measure they admit no unprofitable man into their Campe but such as hold servants are served with men They march in troopes both Horse and Foot lodging apart but not in that good order which is used by the Germans who distinguish both their Companies and Regiments into streets placing their baggage at their backs or flankes according to necessity They goe no round neither in their Campes nor Townes but in stead thereof one Sentinell whoopeth to another as in like case doe the Turkes The Horse-men in battell range themselves in files after the German order as doe also their foot placing all their shot on front They give a furious charge and the Enemie broken fall presently to spoile leaving to follow the execution for any small booty but being broken they fly every man home without ever turning head lying in wait by the way for their enemies whom they rob in their flight counterfeiting for the more terrour the clamour of the Tartars from whom they differ in the fashion of their Caps The Government in the times of the Kings of Hungarie which in these latter ages were still elective was administred partly by the great Officers of the Spirituality and of the Secular powers The chiefe of the Spirituality was the Archbishop of Strigonium who was ever to be the Lord Keeper or Chancellour principall Secretary of Estate and Primate of Hungaria The other Archbishop was hee of Colozza these two had fourteene Suffragan Bishops under them all now swallowed up by the Turke except Sirigonium Nitria â—averâ—ne and â—â—cia The chiefe Officer of the Secularitie is the Palatine of Hungaria chosen by the States and Lords of the Kingdome his authoritie is marvellous large both in the Court of the King the Courts of Justice in the ordinary Diets and especially in the vacancie of the Throne The Kingdome of Hungaria is now divided betweene three First the Turke who hath the greater part and is Master of Buda it selfe the chiefe Citie of the Kingdome Secondly Bethien Gabor who possesses most of the upper Hungarie lying betwixt Transilvania and the River Tibiscus and the third part is in possession of the Emperour whose sonne was lately chosen King of Hungaria For the due administration of Justice under the Secular the ancient Lords divided their Land into twenty Counties appointing to every County a Baron for Governour with one and twenty Doctors of Law to be his Assistants reserving ever to themselves an Appeale for the redresse of Injustice and preventing of extortion Now since the Princes of Austria got the Crowne their tyrannie so yoketh the Peasants that nothing may bee done without the Lords leave Insomuch that these people living in the true condition of slavery want nothing but the name thereof In the time of the ancient government when the Kings would alter any thing in the administration of the Common-weale undertake a forren warre or conclude a peace there assembled together at one place three degrees of Subjects Barons Bishops and Gentlemen with consent of the greater part whereof the Kings had authority to confirme abrogate or institute lawes to denounce warre to conclude peace and to charge their Land with impositions fit for their necessities This assembly is still in use but the freedome thereof is altered nothing being at this day propounded to the assembled by the new Governours but a contribution of money to which demand at a day given the Nobility give their resolutions which in the yeere 96. and 97. when the Turkish Emperour threatned to descend himselfe in person was That the Nobility would put themselves in Campania with their Forces and promised for their subjects for so they terme their Peasants that every Housholder should send a man and give two Dollars of money for entertainment of Souldiers but the Turkish Emperour not comming in person the Gentiles did not further bind themselves than that their subjects should pay every house one Dollar with which money were to be waged 20000. horse and foot the halfe of which never appeared in field there being not at any time in armes under the three Generals of Teufeubach in upper Hungarland of Palfeis upon the border of Danubius and of Zerius in nether Hungarland above nine thousand men And at the battell of Keresture in 96. where were assembled the greatest forces that could bee made by the three Confederates Germany Hungary and Transilvania the Combatants amounted not to above 51000. viz. out of Hungarland arrived six thousand horse and 10000. foot out of Transilvania six thousand horse and 12000. foot out of Germany nine thousand five hundred horse and seven thousand foot The Germans were so well appointed horse and foot as for quantity of Armes and goodnesse of horse nothing could be better devised Of the foot the third part were Pikes armed compleat the rest were shot whereof three parts were Muskets the Horsemen were allarmed many of whose Curases were Musket-proofe some of them carried five Pistols most foure all two That which was indeed a want amongst them was that three parts were Servants according to the German custome many of whom tooke pay for eight Horses The Hungarish and Transilvanian foot were all naked part of whom carried Fire-lockes of two foot and the residue Pikes of nine foot long either Armes of small or no use either in offence or defence whether in Forts Streights or Campania The Horse-men carried hollow Launces of twelve foot long which they brake by the helpe of a leather thong fastened to their saddles for the rest they were armed according to their meanes the rich with Curaâ—es the meane with Shirts the poore with Sleeves of Male and all with Caskes which kind of arming as it maketh them much defective in proofe so are they of lesse worth for their horses which for their manner of riding bridles and saddâ—â—s are more forceable to doe execution upon victory to make excursions and to discover than they be either to give or to sustaine a charge Their forces by Water or to speake more properly the Emperours were much impaired by the losse of
made a Prince of the Empire and thirdly are the two Dukedomes of Oppelen and Ratibor in Silesia estated upon him This yeare his wife Susanna Katherina leaves him a widower and the rest is spent in Embasiâ—es and Treaties with the Emperour The next yeare 1623. was passed over in peace the Emperour sends him a diamond ring which some conjectured was meant for a wedding ring and that the Emperour was desirous to allie him to his house of Austria Ann. 1624. was quiet and peaceable Anno 1625. he by his Ambassadours wooes the Lady Katherine sister to the Elector of Brandenburgh whom in February 1626. he solemnly espouses in Cassovia and is so potent and happy that Iuly 16. following he procures her to be elected Princesse of Transilvania after him in case she survived him and his owne brother Stephan Bethlen to be Regent under her This yeare there hapned some more bustâ—ng against the Emperour but a peace quickly concludes it The next yeare 1627. the Turkish Sultan honours of Bethlens Princesse with a solemne Embassie to her principally directed sends her a Scepter requires her name also as an absolute Princesse which one day might be to be put into the treaty of a perpetuall league The yeare 162â— he had peace on every side which continued the next yeare also When October 21. he solemnly buries his Predecessor Gabriel Bathori aforesaid Finally this yeare 1629. for thinkfulnesse to God and the good of his Church and Countrey hee erects an University at Alba Iulia which crownes and blesses all the fame of his former actions He hath this Summer beene dangerously sicke but we have heard newes of his safe recovery And thus ends the Chronicle of Bethlen Gabor the famous a man much talkâ— of but little knowne Let this at last be answered to his Traducers that he must needs be a brave fellow who was favoured and preferred by so many Princes that from a private fortune should upon his owne deserts be advanced by his Nation to he chaire of soveraignty that was able to gaine so much upon the Emperour to succour his friends and compose a quarrell betweene two such potent enemies that is in his owne person so dexterous both at Arts and Armes that desires so much the good of his Country as to fortifie all the passages to adorne it with Palaces Churches Colleges and Universities that takes the right course to advance Religion to incourage countenance and promote learning to doe that in beating down heresie by the Word which the laws of his Nation forbid him to do by the Sword that hath quickned Justice and good manners is beloved of his loyall subjects and feared by the disloyall that being so dangerously situated hath the spirit and skill to defend his little Countrey from the power of the house of Ottoman the ambition of the house of Austria the might of the Pole and the barbarous inroads of the Russes and Tartarians that finally maintaines his subjects in abundance of safety and abundance of plenty and though perchance hated yet feared and highly honoured by his greatest enemy the Emperour The most of this description of Bethlen Gabor and his dominions wee owe unto Master Petrus Eusenius Maxai a Transilvanian borne and servant to the illustrious Prince aforesaid Poland THis Kingdome inhabited of old by the Sarmatians was never so spatious as at this day the great Dukedomes of Lituania and Livonia being joyned therto It stretcht from the flouds Notes and Orba which divide it from Marchia and Odera which separateth it from Silisia to Beresay and Boristhenes which two parteth it from Moscovia It reacheth from the Baltike Sea to the River Niester which divides it from Moldavia and to the Mountaines Carpathie which separate it from Hungarie By this limitation from the borders of Silesia to the Frontiers of Moscovia betweene the West part and the East it containeth an hundred and twenty German miles and from the uttermost bounds of Livonia to the borders of Hungarie not much lesse So allowing the forme thereof to be round it is farre larger than a man would take it to be as taking up six and twenty hundred miles in compasse It containeth many and goodly large Provinces as Polonia the great and the lesse Mazovia Podolia Podlassia Samogithia Prussia Russia Volinia Livonia and Lituania Among these Provinces Poland was the proper inhabitation of the Polonians but Pruse part of Pomeran Podolia Volonia Mazovia and Livonia have beene obtained and gained by Armes as were the Dukedomes of Oswitz and Zator in Silesia also Lituania and Samogithia Provinces of Russia were the inheritance of the House of Iagello For in the yeare 1380. Iagello then Duke of Lituania tooke unto wife the Princesse Hedwiga the last of the bloud Royall of Polonia and was then installed King on three conditions the first that he should become a Christian secondly that he should cause his people to doe the like and thirdly that he should for ever unite his principalities to Poland The two former conditions were presently performed but the latter not till within these few yeares For the Kings of Poland standing upon election Iagello was loth to trust his owne patrimonie upon the uncertaine voyces of the people who if they should chuse a stranger then should his posterity not only lose the Kingdome of Polonia but their paternall Dukedome of Lituania also And this deferred the union all the time of Iagello and his descendants but the race failing in Sigismund Augustus and the Lituanians on the other side fearing the force of the Moscovite they agreed to union and election In times past Livonia was the fear of the Dutch Knights and they had therein their chiefe Governour whom they termed the Great Master But in the yeare 1558. being spoiled of the greatest part of their territory by the great Duke of Moscovie they fled to Sigismund King of Poland who tooke them into his protection and untill the raigne of K. Stephen 1582. the Province was never regained For the most part Poland is a plaine Country and but for certaine mountaines rather hils than mountaines situated in the lesser Poland dividing it from Prusland all the residue of the Countrey stretcheth it selfe into most ample plaines wherein are very many woods especially in Lituania The greater and lesser Poland are better inhabited than any other Province of the Kingdome The like may be almost spoken of Russia for the neerenesse of the Sea concourse to the Havens and commodiousnesse of the Rivers Prussia and Livonia have fairer Cities good lier buildings and by traffike and concourse of Merchants greater plenty of riches For when the Dutch Knights were Lords of the Country they builded Cities like those of Germanie and all along the Sea-Coast for the space of fourescore miles many Castles and peeces of good esteeme They have many faire Havens of good worth and are Lords of all the traffike betweene Poland and the Baltike Sea which is a thing of great value
and consequence For the River Vistula arising in the extremest bounds of Silesia watereth all Poland the lesse and part of the Greater Mazovia and Prussia and then it falleth into the Baltike Sea below Danske whither it transporteth the greatest quantity of Rye Corne Honey and Wax of the whole Kingdome a journy of foure hundred miles From another coast the most famous River Duina arising out of the Lake Ruthenigo and parting Livonia into equall portions falleth into the Sea about Riga a City of great concourse There are in Prussia and Livonia many Lakes amongst which one is called the New-Sea 100 miles long in Livonia is a Lake called Beybas more than 400. miles long from thence spring the Rivers which running by Pernovia and Narâ—e make two notable Havens for traffike Betweene these two Cities stands Rivalia giving place to neither in beauty Samogithia is more rude and barbarous than the other Provinces and Podalia more barren which is not to be attributed to the nature of the soile for it is plentifull of those Commodities which the climate under which it lieth can afford but to the cruelty of the Tartars which so vex it with continuall inrodes that the Inhabitants are driven either to flie for feare or to bee led away captives by these barbarous people The riches of Poland are the abundance of Corne and all sorts of graine which grow there in such plentifull sort that in it selfe it never suffered want but evermore as in the yeare 1590. and 1591 it releeved not onely the bordering Nations oppressed with famine and scarcity but also yeelded some portion of releese to the wants of Genoa Tuscanie and Rome It floweth with Honey and Wax And whereas in all these Northerly Nations of Poland Lituania Russia Muscovia there are no Wines growing in stead thereof Nature hath bestowed upon them incredible quantities of Honey whereof these people doe brew an excellent kinde of Beverage The Bees make Honey either in Woods where they finde the trees made hollow by rottennesse or mans industry or in Hives set in open field by the Country people or in holes of the earth or in any place where they can finde never so small a liking It aboundeth with Flax Hempe with Sheepe with Cattell tell and with Horses Amongst the beasts of the wood are sound wilde Oxen wilde Horses and the Buste which cannot live out of the Wood of Nazovia The riches of the land consist in the Salt-pits of Bozena and Velisca in the territory of Cracovia The Revenues of the Kingdome for the most part are equally divided between the Noblemen he Gentlemen for no man is left so rich by inheritance that hee may exceed others above measure and the greatest Revenue of all exceedeth not five and twenty thousand Ducats Onely the Dukes of Curland and Regimount exceed this meane For although they are feodaries of the Kingdome and acknowledge the King as their superiour yet are they not as lively members of the State they come not to the Diets of the Kingdome they have 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 Curland being of the house of Ketlert 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 but he not being able to withstand the force of the Polonians yeelded himselfe feodarie to King Casimere Afterwards when Albert of Brandenburge their Great Master became a Protestant hee was created Duke of Prussia and the Country was divided into two parts the one regall mediately holden of the Crowne the other Ducall allotted to Albert and his successors to hold by fealty In the Kings parâ—ition stand Marieburge Torovia Culma Varnia and Daâ—â—keâ— in the Duchie which yeelded an hundred and twenty thousand Ducats yearely the chiefe Towne is Regimount the Germans call it Conningsburgh and there the Duke keepeth his Court. The Government of Polonia is altogether elective and representeth rather an Aristocracie than a Kingdome the Nobility who have great authority in the Diets chusing the King and at their pleasure limiting him his authority and making his soveraignty but a slavish royalty These diminutions of Regality beganne first by default of King Lewis and Iagello who to gaine the succession in the Kingdome contrary to the Lawes one for his daughter and the other for his sonne departed with many of his Royalties and Prerogatives to buy the voyces of the Nobility Whereupon by degrees the King of Poland as Stanislaus Orichovius confesses is little more than the Mouth of the Kingdome which speakes not but what his Councell prompts him The great Officer whom they call the President of their liberty and Guardian of it is still joyned with the King as it were to Tutor him and to moderate his desires The power royall there is no more but what King Sigismund assumed in full Parliament at Petricovia Anno 1548. which was to conclude nothing but by advice of his Councell To give instances of the power of these great Counsellours they made void the testament of King Casimire forbade King Iagello to warre upon the Knights Hospitalers unto whom in his expedition into Lituania they adjoyned the Bishop of Cracovia limiting their King to doe nothing but with his approbation Casimire the third had foure Commissioners joyned with him Without their leaves the King cannot chuse his owne wife for which reason King Iagello was by them perpetually perplexed Appeales the supreme marke of Soveraignty are not made to the King but to the States King Alexander Anno 1504. was faine to remit the disposing of the publike treasure unto the Lord Treasurer to which Officer Iagello Anno 1422. could not but grant the royalty of coining monies also Well therefore as Cromerus reporteth might Queene Christina complaine That her Husband was but the shadow of a Soveraigne They have neither law nor statute nor forme of government written but by custome from the death of one Prince to the election of another the supreme authority resteth in the Archbishop of Gesna who is President of the Councell appointeth the Diets ruleth the Senate and proclaimeth the new elected King Before King Stephen erected new Bishops Palatines and Castellanes in Livonia few other besides the Archbishop of Leopolis and his thirteene Suffragans eight and twenty Palatines and thirty of the chiefest Castellanes were present at the election of the new King They hold an assembly of the States every yeare for two causes the one to administer Justice in Soveraigne causes unto which are brought appeales from all the Judges of the Country the other to provide for the safety of the Common-weale against their next Enemies the Tartars who make often incursions upon them In the time of their Diets these men assemble in a place neere unto the Senate-house where they chuse two Marshals by whom
upon hope of meriting salvation by the slaughter of our people The same fury be it spoken to our shame inrageth the Turkes especially for the propagation of their heresies you shall see them more liker people running to the celebration of a mariage-feast than to a war-journey hardly induring to stay the limited time of the Randevou They account them Saints which die with their weapons in their hands and those most unhappie which depart this world amongst the teares of their children and the mournings of their wives By this it may sufficiently appeare what forces the Xeriffe is able to bring to the field but examples will make it more cleare Muley Abdala beleagred Magazan with two hundred thousand men He filled the ditch with a mount made of earth and with his Ordnance beat the wall levell with the ground but by the prowesse of the Portugal and fury of their Miners he was forced to raise his siege and depart It is certaine he is not able to hold any warre above three months because the souldier liveth upon his daily allowance of Diet and Apparell and when such like provisions cannot be conveyed to the place of necessitie without great labour and hazard it commeth oftentimes to passe that for want of provision the armie is constrained to breake and retire Molucco King of Fez who defeated Sebastian had under his standard forty thousand Horse-men and eight thousand hired foot-men and with the Arabians and other common souldiers it is thought that hee is able to levie seventie thousand horse and a farre greater number of foot The Higher Aethiopia or the Empire of Presbyter Iohn LInschoâ—en is of opinion that Presâ—er Iohn is but a supposed name The Moores terme him Asiclabassi his owne Subjects Acegune prime Emperour and Negus chiefest King He saith his true denomination is Bel-gian Bel as afore signifieth highest and Gian Lord which is also proper to many Commanders and Governours under him but Bel-gian to none â—ave the Emperour himselfe whereunto he addeth the Sir-name of David in the same sense as the Christian Emperours assume the Titles of Caesar or Augustus and worthily For he is the greatest and powerfullest Prince in all Africke His Dominions begin at the entrance of the Red-sea and stretch to the entrance of the Island of Siene lying under the tropicke of Cancer excepting some part of the Coast upon the same Sea which the Turke within these fourescore yeares hath taken from him So that his government towards the North-west and East lyeth most part by the Red-sea and North-east upon Aegypt and the desarts of Nubia and upon the South-side upon Monemugi So that to set downe the greatnesse of all the Countries which this Christian King hath under his command were to say that in compasse they containe foure thousand Italian miles Iosâ—phus affirmeth that in ancient times they were called Chusaet of Chus the sonne of Cham And at this day some hold that the Portugals terme them Câ—ssios But in the Aegyptian tongue they are stiled Abessini by reason of their scattering habitation The Countrey by report of late Travellers is most fertill For admit it yeeld Wheat in scarcitie yet aboundeth it in Barley Millet Pease Beanes and such like Pulse as we neither know nor can name And although the Soveraigntie of this Prince be very magnificent powerfull and spacious yet in truth doth it nothing answer the fame and report of the vulgar Horatius Malaguccius in his discourse De amplitudine dominiorum hujus temporis maintaineth it to be larger than the Empire of any other Potentate except that of the King of Spaine Truly I must needs say that in elder age by the number of his Titles it may be conjectured that his Dominions did stretch farre for he did intitle himselfe King of Goiam which is beyond Nilus Vaâ—gue and Damur places situated beyond the River Zair whereas at this day he hardly commeth neere the bankes of either River yea Iohn Baroz writeth that the Abessines by reason of the Mountaines betweene them and Nilus have little or no knowledge of that River It is divided into vast Plaines fertill Hillocks and Mountaines though wonderous high yet fit for tillage and full of habitation It is not very well stored with Wheat but it bringeth forth Barley Millet a certain other Graine wholesome and indurable Indian Wheat and all other kinde of Pulse as well knowne as unknowne to us in very plentifull manner They have Vines but make no Wines unlesse it be in the Kings Court or the Patriarchs Palace instead wherof they brew a kinde of sharpe Beverage made of the fruit of Tamerind The Orange Limon and Cedar tree grow wilde They make Oyle of a certaine fruit which they call Zava it is of a good colour but unsavoury The Bees build their Hives even in their houses whereupon ariseth a great quantitie of Wax and Honey Their garments are woven of a Cotton-wooll The richer sort are clothed in sheep-skins the Gentlemen in cases of Lions Tygers and Linces Their riches consist in heards of Oxen Goats Sheepe Mules Asses and Camels Of horses their breed is small but they have great store of goodly Coursers brought them from Arabia and Aegypt They have Hens Geese wilde-swine Harts Goats and Hares but no Conies yea and such Beasts of which we have not the like as Panthers Lions Elephants and Linces To speake in a word there is no Countrie under heaven fitter for increase of Plants and all living creatures but none lesse helpt by art or industry for the Inhabitants are idle and unthriftie They have Flax but make no cloth they have Sugar-canes and Iron-mines but know not the use of either and as for Smiths they feare them as fiends They have Rivers and streames yet will not they take paines in droughts to cut the bankes to water their Tillage or hearten their grounds Few give themselves to hunting or fishing which causeth their fields to swarme with fowle and venison and their Rivers with fish But it seemeth that the true ground of their idlenesse ariseth from their evill usage for their poore people perceiving their Land-lords to pole and pill them never sow more than they needs must They keepe no method in their speeches and to write a letter many men and that many dayes must lay their wits together At meales they neither use cloth napkin nor tables They are utterly ignorant in Physicke The Gentlemen Burgers and Plebeians dwell apart yet may any man rise to honour by vertue and prowesse The first borne is heire to all even to the uttermost farthing Thorow the whole Land there is not a Towne containing above sixteene hundred housholds and but few of that quantity For for the most part they dwel dispersed in small Villages They have no Castle or fortification in imitation of the Spartans maintaining that a Countrey ought to be defended by the Sword and not by strength of earth or stone They barter one thing for another and
most part upon Millet leading a bestiall life without Religion and accompanying with one anothers Wives They know no other names than such as are given them for some note or marke of their bodie as Blinde Lame Tall Bold c. This King is very puissant in people of whom he exacteth no other tribute than the tenths of the increase of their liveli-hoods For exercise and in stead of occupations they give themselves 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 under him many Kingdomes and Nations some white some blacke He is an heavie enemie to the Abessines taking away their Cattell rifling their Mines and leading away the people in captivity His Horsemen ride after the Spanish manner armed with Launces steeled at both ends Darts Arrowes but their inrodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles than wars managed by valiant souldiers The Turke likewise on the East and the King of Adel on the South-East doe cruelly vex him for they have curtal'd his large dominion and brought his Provinces into great misery In the yeare 1558. the Turke harried the whole Territory of Bernagasso and tooke from Prester Iohn whatsoever he was Lord of upon the Sea-coast especially the Haven and City of Suaquen and Erococo in which place the mountaines betweene Abex and the Red-Sea make a gate as it were for the traffike and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians And since that Bernagasso was forced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands to buy his peace and in name of a tribute to pay 1000 ounces of Gold yearely The King of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie he bordereth upon the Kingdome of Fatigar and his Seigniory stretcheth along the Red-Sea as farre as Assum Salir Mith Barbora Pidar and Zeila Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with Merchandize which they trucke for Flesh Honey Wax and Victuall these commodities are carried to Aden Gold Ivory and such wares are sent to Cambaia the greatest part of Victuall Hony Wax Corne and Fruits brought from Zeila are carried into Aden and Arabia also much Cattell especially Sheepe having tailes of twenty five 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 dew-laps like Oxen. Some of their Kine have hornes with many branches like our Deere othersome have one horne in their fore-head growing backward a span and a halfe long The chiefe City of this Kingdome is Arar thirty eight leagues distant from Zeila towards the South-East He professeth Mahumetisme and since his conversion hee hath intituled himselfe with the surname of Holy avowing continuall warre against the Abessine Christians and therefore he watcheth the time of the foresaid Fast of fifty dayes when he entreth their Territories burneth their Villages taketh prisoners and then committeth a thousand other mischiefes The Abessine slaves doe often leave their Country and take upon them great journies putting themselves in the service of great Lords where many times by their industry and good carriage they become high Commanders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra For the Mahumetan Princes being all Tyrants and Lords of those Countries which they have forced from the Gentiles to secure their estates doe never trust to their home-bred subjects but wage strangers and slaves unto whose fidelity they commit their persons the managing of all the affaires of their Kingdomes And amongst all sorts of slaves the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnesse and towardly disposition The King of Adel overlayeth Aegypt and Arabia with their slaves which he changeth with the Turks and Princes of Arabte for armour provision of warre and souldiers In the yeare of our Lord 1500. Claud King of Abex perceiving himselfe inferiour unto Grand Ameda King of Adel for he had vexed his Land fourteene yeares with incursions forsaking the frontiers retired himselfe into the inward parts of his Kingdome intreating for aid of Stephen Gama Vice-Roy of India under Iohn the third King of Portugal who was then in the Red-Sea with a warlike Navie In compassion of his miseries and Religion he sent him foure hundred Portugal shot very well furnished under the conduct of Christopher his Brother By the aid and use of their Artillery he overthrew his Enemies in two battels but the King of Adel obtaining of the Governour of the City of Zebit one thousand Harquibushers and ten peeces of Ordnance in the third fight put the Portugals to flight and slew their Captaine Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes King Claudius set upon him at unawares by the River Zeila at the Mountaine Sana with eight thousand footmen five hundred Abessine horsemen and the remainder of the living Portugals one of whom gave Grada-Amada his deaths wound But in March 1560. Claudius fighting with the Moores of Malaca gaining the victory was slaine in the battell Adam his brother succeeded against whom being a Demi-Mahumetan the greatest part of the Abessine Nobility rebelled and was overthrowne in the yeare 1562. by Bernagasso By this casualty did the Aethiâ—pian affaires ebbe and slow But in the reigne of Alexander things beganne in some sort to returne to their ancient State by the aid of the Portugals who furnished them with weapons both offensive and defensive and by their example incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies All that were living after the defeature of Christopher Gama and all that ever went thither since that day to this doe remaine there marrying Wives and begetting Children King Alexander gave them leave to elect a Justicer and to end all matters of controversie amongst themselves which maketh them so willing to stay and teach them the use of Weapons the manners of warfare and how to fortifie places of importance Sithence those times Francis Medicis contracting friendship with the Abessine divers Florentines some for pleasure and some for profit have travelled into those Provinces wherein when they are once entred the King intreateth them so faire and giveth them so liberally whereon to live that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne Countries Besides these he hath other enemies as the King of Daâ—caâ— whose Citie and Haven is Vela upon the Red-Sea and the Moores of Doba a Province divided into fourteene Lieutenantships These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire yet doe they often rebell having a Law amongst themselves that no young man may contract Matrimony unlesse hee can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelve Christians Monomotapa VPon this Continent are contained many other Kingdomes As Gualata small and poore Tombuto great and populous Melli rich in Corne Flesh and Cotton-wooll Guinea is next greater and richer than any other within the Moores Countrey except Aegypt and Abessine Angola
hand or any other metall except in some chamber where their warme Stoves be your fingers will freeze fast to it and draw off the skin at parting when you passe out of a warme roome into a cold you shall sensibly feele your breath to wax thick and stifling with the cold as you draw it in and out Divers not onely that travell abroad but in the very markets and streets of their Townes are monstrously pinched yea killed withall so that you shall see many drop downe in the streets many travellers brought into the Townes sitting dead and stiffe in their sleds And yet in Summer-time you shall see such a new hue and face of a Countrey the Woods so fresh and so sweet the Pastures and Meddowes so greene and well growne and that upon the sudden with such variety of flowers and such melody of Birds especially of Nightingales that a man shall not lightly travell in a more pleasanter Countrey Which fresh and speedy growth of the Spring seemeth to proceed from the benefit of the Snow which all the Winter time being spread over the whole Countrey as a white robe keepeth it warme from the rigour of the frost and in the Spring-time when the weather waxeth warme and the Sunne dissolveth it into water it doth so throughly drench and soke the ground being of a sleight and sandy mould and then shineth so hotly upon it againe that it even forceth the Herbs and Plants to shoot forth in great plenty and variety and that in short time As the Winter season in these Regions exceedeth in cold so likewise I may say that the Summer inclineth to overmuch heat especially in the moneths of Iune Iuly and August being accounted the three chiefest moneths of burning heat in those places much warmer than the Summer in England To returne to our relation of the soyle and climate for the most part it is covered with Woods and Lakes these Woods are the branches of Hircinia spreading it selfe through all the North and perhaps more in this Province than in any other Here grow the goodliest and tallest trees of the world thorow which for their thicknesse the brightnesse of the Sun-beames can hardly pierce An unspeakable quantity of Rozin and Pitch distilleth out of these trees and here is the never-wasting Fountaine of Wax and Hony For without any industry of man the Bees themselves build their Hives in the Barks and hollownesse of trees Here is all plenty of Cattell and wilde Beasts Beares Martins Beasts called Zibellini Wolves and blacke Foxes whose skins doe beare highprices Of the timber of these trees āre squared all necessaries aswell for buildings as all other uses the Wals of the Cities are framed of beames cut foure-square fastned together filling all the chinks vacant places with earth And of these beames likewise they build platformes of such height and thicknesse that they beare the weight of great Ordnance how massie soever They are subject to fire but not easily shaken with the fury of battery For Waters Moscovie may well be called the mother of Rivers and Lakes witnesse Duyna Boristhenes Volga Duyna Onega Moscua Volisca and the famous Tanais the Lakes of Ina upon which standeth the great Novograde Voluppo and many others The abundance of these Waters doe make the ayre colder than is requisite for the increase of Cattell or growth of Plants and although cold is thought more wholsome than heat yet are their Cattell of small growth thereby and many times their fruits come not to ripening and the earth being drowned with the waters for the most part becommeth light and sandie and then either with too great drought or too much moisture it destroyeth the fruit Winter in some sort lasteth nine moneths little more or lesse in seasonable times the soyle bringeth forth plenty of graine and feeding for Cattell It also bringeth forth Apples Nuts and Filberds other kinds of fruits they scarcely know Of Fish they raise their greatest gaine as having greatest abundance of that commodity they dry them in the frost and wind as in Norway and other Northerly Nations and they lay it up for store as well in their Townes of Warre as for their private Families The Kingdome is not full of Merchants because by nature the Inhabitants are idle And that Province cannot abound with Merchants where Arts and Artificers are not favoured And againe the government is absolute mixed with a kind of tyranny enforcing slavish prostitution So that in the chiefest and best ordered Townes of Novograde and Mosco many strange and fearefull concussions have beene practised Concerning which you have whole Commentaries from whence you may take notice how he once nailed an Ambassadours Hat to his head because he abated him of that reverence appropriate to so great a Majesty How Sir Tho. Smith was entertained with a contrary satisfaction and welcome How Mosco is compared to the grand Caire for spaciousnesse of ground multitude of houses and uncomlinesse of streets so that as the one is patible of stinke corruption and infectious aire so this other is not free from beastlinesse smoke and unwholesome smels They have not the use of the Sea because it is not lawfull for a Moscovite to travell out of his Princes Dominions such and such store of wares as they have as Skinnes Rosin and Wax they barter for Cloth and divers other commodities which the Armenians bring to Astrachan by the Caspian Sea and the English to Saint Nicholas by the Bay of Graduicum This Government is more tyrannicall than of any other Prince in the World for he is absolute Lord and disposer of the bodies and goods of his subjects Therefore Mahumet the Visier was wont to say That the Moscovite and the great Turke amongst all the Princes of the earth were only Lords of their owne Dominions and in that regard thought the journey of King Stephen of Poland would prove full of danger and difficulty The Kingdome is divided into foure parts by them termed Chetferds those governed by foure Lieutenants not resident upon their charges but attending on the Emperours person wheresoever he goeth and there holding their Courts but especially at Mosco the prime seat of the Empire where from their under-Deputies they receive the complaints of the Provinces and informe the Kings Councell of the businesse and from them againe receive instructions for amendment or reformation For you must note that the great Duke doth not trust any particular Nobleman with any eminent place of honour or dignitie but placeth therein a certaine Duke of meanest ranke and no great capacitie adjoyning with him in commission a Secretary to assist him or to speake more properly to direct him for in execution the Secretary doth all And being thus united they have authority over all persons in criminall and civill causes in levying of Taxes and Subsidies in mustring of Souldiers and commanding them to all services imposed by the Emperour or his Councell And to prevent all
popular Innovations he will be sure that they shall neither bee borne within the territories of their Government neither that they possesse one foot of inheritance within their jurisdictions And being every yeare subject to change of which hee will not faile for their new avarice they stand assured first to bee extremely hated of the people and worse used of the Emperour For few of them have the favour to avoid the Pudkey or whip when their time is expired and therefore doe make full account as they cannot otherwise chuse being to bribe the Emperour the Lieutenant of the Chetfird and to provide for themselves having in allowance the best not above a hundred markes the worst but thirty per annum Fuan Vasilowie shall be an example of this severity who having before him a Diak or Secretary accused for taking a Goose ready dressed stuft full of silver by way of a bribe caused the offender to be brought into the Market place of Mosco there himselfe making an honest Oration unto the people asked his Polachies or Executioner Who could cut up a Goose And then commanded he one of them first to cut off the parties legs about the midst of the shins then his armes above his elbowes still asking the miserable offender If Goose-flesh were good meat in the end to chop off his head in similitude of a Goose ready dressed But in the foure Townes whereof three border upon the Polonian and Sweden and the other upon the Chrim Tartar viz. Smolonsko Vobsko Novograd and Cazan he is somewhat more advised and honourable For being peeces of great import in them he appointeth men of more sufficient and better ranke two in each Towne whereof one is ever of his Councell of Estate These have larger commission and without adjournment or appeale may proceed to execution in all criminall causes yet are they changed every yeare and have for their allowance some seven hundred rubbles and some foure hundred To preserve his Majesty and reputation he useth as incredible policy as hee doth unusuall severitie First it is not lawfull for any of his subjects to depart the Realme upon paine of death and therefore no man there dare goe to Sea no not speake to an Ambassadour or use the counsell of a forren Physician without licence He weareth apparell of inestimable value joyning the Ornaments of a Bishop to the Majestie of a King by wearing a Miter on his head shining with Diamonds and 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 unlike to that which the Pope weareth when he goeth to Masse his fingers are full of Gold Rings and the Image of Christ and his blessed mother the Virgin are over the Chaire wherein he sitteth The Privie Chamber and great Chamber are full of men cloathed in Cloth of Gold downe to the foot but never used unlesse upon occasion of Festivals or entertainement of Ambassadours In matter of Ceremonie for the most part they follow the Greeke Church the Priests marrie maintaine adoration of Images Fast and compel to confession which the common people suppose most necessary especially for the Nobles and Gentrle retayning a sensualitie of life and libertie of voluptuousnesse The Princes themselves are very devout at the Table as often a dish is changed or they have a desire to drinke they make many signes of the Crosse. That no man should prove a better Scholler than himselfe he suffereth no schoole but of writing reading to be kept In their Liturgies they read nothing but the Evangelists some Historie the lives of Saints a Homily of Iohn Chrysostome or some such like yea they would hold him for an Heretike that should goe about to professe himselfe better learned and assure himselfe hee shall not escape punishment Which is the reason that their Notaries nay the Secretaries themselves commonly can neither write nor answer Ambassadors of forren Princes no farther than they are taught by the great Duke When they negociate they no sooner name the great Duke but all of them rise up with great reverence the like is done at his Table when he drinketh or carveth to any man and so in a thousand like casualties they are taught even from their cradles to beleeve and talke of their great Duke as of God using these phrases in their ordinarie talking God onely and our Great Semapor knoweth this Our Great Lord knoweth all things All we enjoy health and riches all proceedeth from our Great Duke For the subjects seeing such State and Magnificence in the Prince and knowing no more than he is taught at home reverence and obey him as slaves not as subjects accounting him rather a God than a King Those Lords which he hath under him are only graced with Titles not as we have Dukes Barons c. Bestowing upon one a Hamlet upon another a Farme and these not hereditarie unlesse he confirme it and when he hath confirmed it the Farmers not withstanding pay him a portion of their fruits and owe him villaine-service which is the cause that every man dependeth on the will of the Prince and looke by how much the richer by so much the deeper is he indebted unto him â— The Native commodities are Furs Wax Honie Tallow Hides Traine-Oyle Caveare Hemp Flax Salt Tar Slud Salt-peter Brimston and Tron Besides the great quantitie of Furs spent in the Countrie the onely defence of the Country-people in the winter season there are transported some yeares by the Merchants of Turkie Persia Bougharia Georgia Armenia and the Christians to the value of foure or five hundred thousand rubbles yearely Of Wax fiftie thousand poad every poad contayning fortie pounds Their Hony is almost all spent within the Countrie in their ordinarie drinkes and other uses Of Tallow in times past they have shipped out 100000. poad yearely Of Hides 100000. Of Flax and Hemp one hundred ships and so semblably of other Merchandizes But you must understand that by reason of the idle carelesnesse of the people occasioned through the extreme tyrannie of their Emperours whereof you shall heare hereafter at this day three parts of that reckoning in every commoditie are abated For the receiving of which riches and Revenues he hath as it were three principall Treasures The Steward of his House Every Chetsird within his owne Province And the Office called the great Income The Stewards Office receiveth yearely above the expence of his house twentie three thousand rubbles The fourth Chetfirds for Soak and Pol-mony foure hundred thousand rubbles And the office of the great Income for custome and rents eight hundred thousand rubbles And all this in readie coyne For besides this revenue ordinarie he receiveth extraordinarily in furs and other commodities out of Siberia Pechora Permia and other remote places a great masse of
If you will heare of their riches then must you raise your eyes East-ward and take notice of Tangut a wealthy Province affording many things befitting Europe especially Rhubarb a simple of that prerogative as if the whole world of necessity should be beholding unto them for this distribution In Kataia amongst many others the great City of Cambalu will excite admiration if you may be induced to measure a quadrant of thirty miles compasse and over-looke at every corner a square Tower very neere forty furlongs in circuit in which the Emperours Munition Armour and provision for warre are secured In Mangia as Queene of the rest is the City of Quinzay having a circumference of an hundred miles by reason that a great Lake divideth the streets into Chanels over which are numbred twelve hundred and threescore bridges some opening the Arches so high and wide that a good Ship under saile hath a passage of ease For beleefe I will neither force the travels of Sir Iohn Mandevil nor the writings of Munster nor the constant asseveration of moderne Travellers but for mine owne part I would modesty perswade you That the world is a stage of variety and that within our owne Kingdome we are acquainted with such novelties of wonder that if they were but delivered by report wee would soone prove as incredulous of the one as we are of the other But to proceed As I told you the ancient Provinces were divided into three particulars and in those dayes knowne by the names of Sarmatia Asiatica both Scythiaes and the Regions of Serica now Kataia Most fierce and barbarous Nations did alwaies inhabit this Country as first the Amazons a warlike kinde of women which in their daies casting away the properties of their sex vexed the whole world usurped Asia and built Ephesus Upon their small extirpation arose the Scythians no lesse dreadfull than the former Then succeeded the Gothes or Getes termed by their neighbours Polouci that is ravenous or theevish These the Tartars tamed and then erected their Monarchie about the yeare of our Lord 1187. or as others say 1162. electing for their King one Cingis a man of base birth and calling This mans followers at that time lived without Manners Law or Religion in the plaines of Caracoram tended their Cattell and paied their duties to K. Vn-cham otherwise Presbyter Iohn who without doubt in those daies kept his Court in Tenduch in the Kingdome of Argon But this King Cingis first subdued the Kingdome of Vn-cham and afterwards imposed the yoke of subjection on the bordering Provinces And certainly that famous Comet seene in the moneth of May 1211. lasting eighteene daies and glimmering on the Gothes Tanais and Russia with its taile extended towards the West did foreshew the succeeding inundation of these Tartars For in the yeare following this Nation whose name as I said was not so much as dreamed of before in Europe wholly subdued Sarmatia Asiatica or Scythia invaded Russia Hungaria and Polonia And lastly erected other famous Monarchies in China Mein and Bengala So that at this day it is divided into five great Provinces Tartaria minor lying in Europe betweene Tanais and Boristhenes Tartaria deserta of old Sarmatia Asiatica containing most of the Hords but not all Zagatai Kataia And lastly that great Promontory which lieth out-stretched in the furthest part thereof towards the North and East and may be called Tartaria antiqua as the motherplace of the true Tartar Nation utterly unknowne to Ptolomie Those that live in the open field about the Euxine Sea the Lake of Meoris and the Tauricke Chersonesse which adjoyneth upon Boristhenes and Tanais in Europe are the Precopenses In this straight or Peninsula standeth Theodosia now Caffa once a Colonie of the Genois now a Sangiacie of the Turkes Their whole Territories are very fruitfull for Corne and Cattell and tho people more civill and courteous than many of the residue yet retaining a smatch of their ancient Barbarisme For they are sworne enemies to the Christians yearely invading Russia Lituania Valachia Polonia and many times Moscovie yeelding to the Turke in the name of Tribute yearely three hundred Christian soules To one of these Princes Selimus gave his daughter in marriage This in old time was called Sarmatia Asiatica and better inhabited before the comming of the Tartars It lyeth betweene Tanais the Caspian Sea and the Lake of Kitay It is a plaine Country by nature fertile if it were manured by these Tartars nothing given to husbandry but addicted to lead a roguish and wandring life after the manner of the Arabians Their chiefe delight is in hunting and warfare Mill and Panicke they cast carelesly into the ground which notwithstanding yeelds sufficient increase Their store of Horse and Cattell is so plentifull that they have to spare for their Neighbours For the most part they dwell upon Cartrages covered with skins and woollen cloth Some defensible Townes they have whereunto they flie in times of necessity Astrachan is situated upon the Caspian Sea it is rich affordeth excellent good Salt and very well frequented by Moscovish Turkish Armenian and Persian Merchants In the yeare 1494. it was taken by Iohn Basilides great Duke of Moscovie and by him with the Title thereof annexed to the Moscovian Empire The Zagatayan Tartars were so named of their Prince the Brother of the great Cham or Can which once reigned amongst them They are now called Ieselbas that is to say Greene-heads of the colour of their Turbants They inhabit the ancient Countries of Bactria Sogdiana and Margiana in times past the habitation of the Massagetes so famous in Armes These are the most honourable people of the Tartars indifferent civill given to Arts and Lords of many faire Cities built with stone as Shamercand once a Towne of great fame and renowned for the birth of the great Tamerlan or Temar-lang but now decayed Kataia AS our Ancestors were ignorant of the Regions situated upon the East side of the Caspian which they imagined to bee a branch of the Ocean even so as yet little or nothing knoweth this Age what Regions lie or what people inhabit beyond that Sea and the Mountaines commonly called Dalanguer and Vssont M. Paul Venetus was the first that brake the ice in describing of those Countries and of him we received what we know of the Tartars The great distance of Countries the difficulty of the journey and the inaccessible situation of places hath hindred the discovery of those Provinces and the great Duke of Moscovie by whose Dominions we may easiest travell thither will suffer no strangers to passe thorow his Kingdome The Caspian Sea a passage no lesse fitting for the journey is not frequented and by the way of Persia infinite Mountaines and vast Desarts dividing both Provinces oppose themselves against us And to the further hindrance of this discoverie neither the great Cham neither the King of China nor the Duke of
fit for all sorts of buildings that a man would take the Trunkes falling sometimes by violence of storme from the bankes of their Woods into the Luxine Sea to be Triremes already built and framed They can want no workmen to fit and square this Timber for vile Covetousnesse hath drawne whole flocks of Christian Shipwrights into their Arsenals The yeare after his defeature at Lepanto he shewed his Navie whole and entire yea itching to cope with the Christian Armada Neither can hee want a competent number of Marriners for out of the Gallies which he maintaineth in Lesbo Rhodes Cyprus and Alexandria and from the Havens of Tunis Bugia and Algier he is able to draw a sufficient proportion of Sea-men and Gally-slaves as often as occasion requireth to furnish his Royall Army The experience hereof we have seene at Malâ—â—â— at Lepanto and Goletta Of warlike furniture his store is infinite his Ordnance innumerable out of Hungary he carried five thousand in Cyprus he won five hundred at Goletta few lesse The siege of Malta wherein they discharged threescore thousand Bullets may well declare their abundance of powder and shot at Famagusta they discharged an hundred and eighteene thousand at Goletta in nine and thirty daies they rased with their uncessant vollies a Fortification which was forty yeares in building in the last Persian warre Osman Bassa drew after him five hundred field peeces Where ever they come they never cease playing with their Ordnance till they have laid all levell with the ground if that prevaile not they goe to worke with Spade and Pickaxe if that faile too they will never give over till they have filled the Ditches with the bodies of their slaughtered souldiers They are Lords of three things wherewith they terrifie the whole world multitudes of men unconquerable militarie Discipline if so at this day uncorrupted of Corne and provisions store infinite Multitudes in times past have bred confusion and commonly we have seene great armies overthrowne by small numbers but the Turkish multitudes are managed with so good order that although it be farre more easie to range a small Armie than a great yet even in order have their great Armies so excelled our small ones that I must needs conclude that they goe farre beyond us both in discipline and numbers herein giving place no not to the ancient Romans much lesse to any moderne Nation how warlike soever And this their due commendation consisteth not onely in Armes but in thirst patience and hard diet as for Wine by their Law they are utterly forbidden it In the field every ten souldiers have their Corporall to whom without grudging they dutifully obey You shall never see Women in their Armies their silence is admirable for with the becke of the hand and signe of the countenance they understand without words what they are to doe rather than they will make any noise in the night they will suffer their slaves and prisoners to escape They punish theft and quarrelling extremely They dare not for their lives step out of their rankes to spoile Vineyard or Orchard They feare not death beleeving their destinies to be written in their foreheads inevitable The valiant are assured of preferment the cowards of punishment They are never bilited in Townes nor suffered to lodge one night within them To keepe them in breath and exercise their Princes are alwaies in action with some neighbour or other being very jealous of the corruption of their Discipline The which notwithstanding either time pride or the covetousnesse of the great ones hath much impaired For in comparison of what they have beene they are now nothing equivalent to those of other Christian Princes The Florentine in despight of him with six ships only hath so kept the bottome of the Streits for these six yeares past that they have not dared to hazard the Revenue of Aegypt by Sea but have sent it over land with a guard of Souldiers And because the Gallies dare not looke upon such Instruments and yet the Admirall supposing it no policy to let them lie unaffronted hath done what he may to imploy and encourage the Pyrats of Algier and Tunis to undertake the service And in truth they have many tall Ships the spoile of Christian Merchants warlike appointed yea growne expert in Navigation and all kinde of Sea-fights by the wicked instruction of our fugitive Sea-men and other Renegadoes But false men will alwaies deale falsly having no mindes to attempt any enterprise where the victory is like to prove bloudy and the booty worthlesse The Royall Navie is set forth in the beginning of Mar to annoy the enemy to suppresse Pyrats to collect tribute and to reforme disorders in the maritime Townes It consists not of above threescore Gallies which are all that can be spared from imployment in other places In October the Admirall returneth from his circuit and during Winter the Armada is dispersed and the Gallies drawne into their dry Stations Meane time the Pyrats both Christian and Mahumetan flie out and rob on the Aegean and Mediterran Seas uncontrolled more than by the defensive strength of the assailed Thus is he served and thus enabled to maintaine his Servitors For the civill and politicke government of these Estates he causeth a Councell to be holden foure daies in the weeke by the Bassâ—es wheresoever the Prince sojourneth if it bee in the time of peace then at Constantinople or in some other Towne according to occasions within his Dominions if in warre then it is kept within his Pavilion In this Councell called Dyvan where audience is open to every suter first they consult of Embassies and of answers to be made unto them of matters of State and of Soveraignty of the meanes to provide for decayed or ruinated Provinces of Murders and Condemnations And secondly adde the Suppliants Complainants or Suters speak without Advocate or Atturney and is forced to answer presently to the information of their Adversarie if they be present or otherwise to prove their accusation by witnesses Upon hearing of both parties judgement definitive is given and may not bee repealed Now as touching his Treasure It is generally received that he enjoyeth little lesse than fifteene millions of ordinary Revenue And where some men thinke that out of so large a Dominion a greater Revenue may be raised therein they deceive themselves in not calling to remembrance that the Nation give their minds to nothing but warre nor take care of any thing but provision of Armour and Weapons courses sitter to destroy and to waste than to preserve and inrich Provinces Whereupon to give courage to their Armies and to continue them in the love of warfare they suffer them to spoile the people hardly leaving them wherewith to hold life and soule together And therefore the poore men not â—ire of so much as their houshold provisions much lesse of their wealth which by time and industry they may gather take no more paines about their
in such peace as he could not have done being a stranger amongst civiller bred people The King gave him good words without any kind of barbarous wondring or other distastfull fashion But at his returne to the river he found the Master of his House Master of his Boat accompanied with a great sort of Arabs who in conclusion â—o'ens nolens forces him to send his Master three verst of cloth of gold as a present for beholding his person Towards Syria this is somewhat fertile yet smally commended for that propertie by the Ancients for indeed it is exceeding barren and wanteth necessarie sustenance wood and fresh water The memorable things herein are the Mountaines of Sinai and Oreb upon the former whereof is at this day builded a Monasterie of Christians following the Greeke Church and the onely receptacle or Inne for way-faring Christians other place of releese is there none Arabia Felix is a very large Province better manured and watered than the other It is adorned with Noble Cities and full of villages especially towards the sea side where are many excellent places of trade The residue except the sand is made manurable either for feeding of Cattell or Camels in which places live infinite swarmes of divers Nations by grazing and husbandrie It bringeth forth whatsoeever will grow in India and that twice a yeare in abundant manner besides Cassia Cinamon Myrrh c. and soly as much Frankincense as will serve all the world It yeeldeth also metall and excellent pearle all along the coast by fishing It sendeth abundance of horse and sheepe into India whose tailes weigh forty pounds In it are many famous Cities as Medinat Al-naby Mecca Zidem Zibit and Aden This City of Aden together with the whole Country was in the yeare of our Lord 1538. fraudulently surprised by the Turke and their King hanged It is now strongly fortified and erected into a Stately Turkish Beglerbeg-ship Turcomania in times past a part of the greater Armenia TVrcomania comprehendeth no small portion of Armenia major what remaineth is accounted in Georgia Upon the North lieth Colchis now Mongrelia Upon the West Euphrates and the lesse Armenia upon the East that remainder of the greater Armenia which is counted in Georgia Upon the South Mesopotarâ—â—a now Dierbechia with the people Curdi It is invironed with Mountaines and beautified with plains amongst the which Periander now Chalderan Antitaurus now Mons-nigor are most renowmed It is generally exceeding fertile and stored with Cattell but marvellously subject to deepe snowes The people by nature are much given to theft and spoile as descending from the Tartars and so at this day lead their lives living in Tents and Hovels attending and pasturing their cattell Yet some of them inure themselves to tillage and mechanike Trades in weaving of Chamblets and Hangings watered and unwatered of the like qualities are the Curdi and some suppose that these Curdi inhabit the ancient seats of the Chaldeans whereupon it is called at this day Curdistan by the Turkes and Persians but by the Arabians Kelaan that is to say Chaldea Georgia by the Barbarians termed Gurgistan comprehendeth the ancient Iberia with part of the greater Armenia and peradventure Atropatia Upon the West lieth Mengrelia upon the North Zuiria once Albania upon the East the middle Atropatia now Siruan upon the South that part of the greater Armenia which now is called Turcomanta For the greater part it is covered with Mountains Woods and thickets and in that regard inconquerable for the difficulties of the mountainous passages It is notwithstanding fertile and adorned with many large plaines and vallies from whence arise many famoused Rivers as Cirus and Araxis springing from the Mountaine Taurus and running thorow the whole Province untill at last it disgorge it selfe into the Caspian The Inhabitants are termed Georgiani of S. George whom they advow their Patron and Advocate But this is but a vulgar errour seeing both Plinie and Mela make mention of the Georgiani one hundred yeares before the birth of Saint George the famous souldier and martyr They are Christians according to the Greeke Church with some small difference They are very populous and warlike strong of body and valorous in fight even untill our times mantaining their libertie in the midst of the Mahumetans sometimes following the fortunes of the Turkes sometimes of the Persians But at this day they have not onely lost their wonted libertie but also many Fortresses and Cities as Testis Lori Clisca Gâ—ri and Tomanis and withall some of of them have imbraced the Turkish infidelitie Palestine or the Holy Land PAlestine is one of the most excellent Provinces of Syria as well in regard of habitation as of many famous acts done therein and celebrated in holy Scripture Under the generall name whereof are comprehended Idumea Iudaea Samaria and Galile Anciently it was called Canaan of Chanaan the sonne of Cham whose posteritie divided the Land amongst them and under that name it continued untill the invasion of the Israelites who called it after their owne denomination Israel It was also called Philistim of the Philistians once a powerfull and mighty people after that the Land of promise and now lastly The holy Land It is situated betweene the Arabies and the mid-land Sea Northerly upon part of Phoenicia East-ward upon Libanus South-ward and South-East upon Arabia and Westward upon that part of the Mediterran which is termed the Syrian and Phinicean Seas From the very beginning as witnesseth the holy Scripture it hath beene a most famous Province and afterward more renowned for the Birth Miracles and Passion of our Saviour Christ. Distant from the line 31. degrees and extending unto thirty three and somewhat upward So that in length from Dan unto Beersheba it containeth no more than one hundred and fortie miles where broadest not fiftie A Land that flowed with Milke and Hony Adorned with beautifull mountaines and luxurious vallies the rocks producing excellent waters and no part emptie of delight and profit The ayre very temperate and the bodies of men healthfull and patient of labour The ancients will have it to be situated in the midst of the world where it is neither pinched with extremitie of cold nor vexed with over-much heat And therfore the Israelites say This to be the land which God promised unto Abraham For site it is very pleasant for plaines and hils no lesse delightsome rich in divers sorts of Manufactures and well watered Where although it raine but seldome yet was the soile batefull and that by testimonie of Scripture averring it to be a Land excelling all other in goodnesse and fertilitie So that their graine was most delicate their increase abundant and their Roses most sweet Rue fennell and sage and such like pot-hearbs it brought forth of its owne accord Olives Figges Pomegranets and Palme trees are very frequent with some store of Vines For although the Saracens are forbidden the drinking of Wine
twenty stations and the fourth last at Balsara in the Persian gulfe consisting of fifteene Gallies and these two last under the charges of the Beglerbegs of Balsara and Cairo In the time of Selâ—mus we reckoned one million and three hundred thirty three thousand Christian soules to live within his Dominions not accounting those that enjoyed freedome of conscience by privilege nor those that then were subject to the Aegyptian Sultan whom the said Selimus vanquished The Iewes likewise live dispersed over his whole Dominions in such infinite numbers that scarce no Towne nor Village but is very populously replenished with their families speaking divers languages and using the trade of Merchandize in royall and rich fashion A people scattered over the face of the earth hated by all men amongst whom they live yet of incredible patience as subjecting themselves to times and to whatsoever may advance their profit worldly wise and thriving wheresoever they set footing Men of indifferent statures and best complexions Those that live in Christendome are the relikes only of the tribes of Iuda and Benjamin the other ten some say are lost Others that they be in India or driven by Salmanasser into the extreme parts of the North. Their owne Country after the expulsion of the Aegyptian Sultans by Selimus at this day is adjoyned unto the Crowne of the Ottoman Empire being governed by divers Sanziacks all under the Bassa of Damasco It is now inhabited by Moores and Arabians Those possessing the vallies these the mountaines Of Turkes there be some few of Greekes many with other Christians of all sects and Nations especially of such as impute an adherent holinesse to the place Those Iewes that live here are not proprietors of any land therein but live as strangers and aliens and pay their duties to their Lords The Arabians are said to be descended from Ismael dwelling in tents and removing their aboads according to opportunity of prey or benefit of pasturage not worth the conquering nor can they be conquered retiring to places inaccessible for Armies A Nation from the beginning unmixed with others boasting of their Nobility and this day hating all mechanicall Sciences They hang about the skirts of the inhabited Countries and having robbed retire with wonderfull celerity They are of meane stature raw-boned tawny having feminine voices of a swift and noislesse pace being behinde you and upon you before you bee aware Their Religion if any Mahumetisme their Language extending as farre as their Religion Yet if any one of them undertake that conduct he will performe it faithfully not any of the Nation offering to molest you Then will they lead you by unknowne waies farther in foure dayes than a man can travell by Caravan in fourteene Persia. PErsia and the Persian glory hath beene often obscured First by the Arabians who to bury in oblivion the memory of former reputation enacted by Law according to the custome of Conquerours that the people should no more be called Persians but Saracens Secondly by the Tartarians led by Chingâ—s And lastly by Tamerlan and his followers But not long before the daies of our Ancestors by the vertue of Ismael Sophy of whose originall and fortunes for the better understanding of this History it will not bee amisse to discourse the King some might truly have beene said to have recovered its ancient splendour if the Turkish depredations upon the Natives had not through bloud and devastation inforced this Ismael to re-people the Country with Tartars Turcomans Courdines and the scumme of all Nations who though they live in a better Country yet doe they nothing resemble the ancient and noble descended Persians but at this day retaine the inheritance of their bad trecherous and vilde dispositions 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 Ahubacer a great rich man and of high authority in those quarters By this mans continuance and the friendship of Oman and Ottomar his kinsmen hee gathered together a great rabble of Arabians and partly by faire meanes and partly by colour of Religion he became Master of many bordering Territories and also about the same time gave Fatime his Daughter by his first Wife to Halie his Cousin 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 young man by the aide of Omar and Ottomar whose desires wholly built upon hope of succession by reason of the old mans yeares and for kindred sake were inclined rather to see Abubacer than Halie to bee their Caliph beganne openly to resist Halie and to spoile him and his wife Fatime of all the substance which was left them by the Uncle Abubacer died Omar and Ottomar succeeded Omar was slaine by a slave Ottomar in a private quarrell after whose death Halie succeeded Against him rose Mavie who accusing him as accessary to the death of Ottomar his Lord caused him to be slain neere Caffa a City within two daies journey of Babylon where likewise he lieth buried The place is called to this day Massadel that is the house of Halie After his decease the Inhabitants of Caffa proclaimed Ossan the son of Fatime Caliph but him likewise Mavie opposed and flew by poison Then was he absolute Caliph and after him his sonne Iazit Ossan left behinde him twelve sonnes one whereof was called Mahumet Mahadin The Moores say he never died but that hee shall returne againe to convert the world and therefore they keepe alwaies ready in the Mosque of Massadella a horse gallantly furnished where in their foppery they affirme that this worlds conversion shall first begin Upon these differents of Halie Abubacer Omar Ottomar and Mavie have mighty factions of armes and opinions arisen amongst the sectaries of this new superstition The Persians labour to prove Halie true Caliph by the last Will of Mahumet the Arabians stand as stifly to the three first When from the yeare of our Lord God 1258. to the yeare 1363. the Moores had no Caliph Mustapha Mumbala the last Caliph being slaine by Alcu King of the Tartarians a certaine Nobleman in Persia named Sophi Lord of Ardevel deriving his pedegree from Halie by Musa Ceresin his Nephew and one of the twelve sonnes of Ossan in memory of whom he altered the forme of the Turbant by his vertue and valour won great credit and estimation to his new faction To him succeeded Adar the sonne of Guine to whom Assembeg a powerfull Prince in Syria and Persia gave his daughter in marriage But his sonne Iacob-beg fearing the power and estimation of Adar caused him to be slaine and delivered his two sons Ismael and Soliman to his Captaine Amanzar willing him to cast them in prison in Zaliga a Castle in
frequent his Dominions Without the which inticements peradventure they might be unwilling to hazard their estates from farre Nations amongst such barbarous and unsure customers For sure hee was that his Neighbours could not and the Portugals would not supply those necessities which concerned the life and essence of an intire Estate THE FIFTH BOOKE Of India commonly called Asiatica or East-India INdia is a spacious portion of Asia the most Noble part of the World and far exceeding any other apportionment comprehended under one name Tartarie only excepted As that which without other addition lifteth up her Title alone to challenge all the Territories betweene China and Persia A conteinue almost twelve hundred leagues yet divided into many Kingdomes Amongst whom he is principall that most obtaineth by force and popularitie The Region is most wholesome to inhabit by the favour of the Westerne winds but in regard of its spaciousnesse subject to diverse Temperatures As in some places to heat viz. towards the Equator In some to temperatures or rather to cold as towards the North. But generally for goodnesse of situation health and fertilitie it is farre better than any other Countrey And therefore seldome or never feeleth famine or scarcitie the misery whereof is prevented by the benefit of Rivers as in Aegypt For the two great Rivers of Indus and Ganges water it thorowly which being divided into a thousand brookes insulteth of two Summers temperature of Aire with duplicitie of increase And that wee are but Adventurers for those delicacies which shee vtlipendeth and yet not admitted to the understanding of one halfe of her worth yet hath it its Desarts scorching Sands places infested with wilde Beasts and unpeopled by reason of impenetrable woods And although the Region wanteth Wheat yet aboundeth it with divers sorts of fruits of Pulses of Barley and Rice Vines they haue none but rare and therefore brew their Beverage of Barley and Rice Fruit-trees and trees fit to make linnen cloth of they have in abundance and out of the Palme they produce Wine Vinegar and fruit to eat The particular of their Silkes Bombasies Elephant Serpents Spices Stones and divers famous Rivers being well knowne I will not stand to recite The natures and fashions of the Inhabitants briefly I will who being diversly dispersed into divers Regions and Principalities doe diversly differ in language visage habit manners and religion Both men and women imitate a noble pompe as not incountred abroad nisi mâ—gna comitante caterva using many odours in their baths and washings nor are they without oiles and perfumes jewels pearls and other ornaments befitting the businesse they intend Of whom the foure principall Nations that inhabit this tract are the Indians viz. the Natives and they for the most part are Gentiles The second are the Iewes and they are dispersed here as else-where over the whole face of the earth The third are the Mahumetans whereof some are Persians and some Scythians now called Mogors living in the upland Countries The fourth are the Moores or Arabians who within these two hundred yeares usurping upon the maritime coasts of the Country have built them places and Cities very fit for Trafficke and expulsed the Natives into the more Inland Countries And now of late besides those ancient Christians which Saint Thomas converted there reside many Portugals natives and Mâ—sticos who are daily converted by the industry of the Iesuits to the Christian beleefe who have taught them to baptize Children and to fast Wherein they are now tedious observants as all barbarous people are the best maintainers of customes and ceremonies especially where the Roman Church instructeth The Portugals intruded by armes prayers and policie Their purchases I account to be so farre from the name of a Conquest as was the possession of the English from the Crowne of France when they held nothing but â—alais in Picardie Howbeit for state and ostentation every third yeare a Vice-Roy is sent to Goa from whom and from whence all inferiour deputations have their directions and governments Here he hath his Councell his Nobles his Chancery and Iustices as is used in Portugal from whence in Civill cases the parties may appeale to Portugal but in Criminall no one person except he be a Gentleman He is very magnificent in State and never goeth abroad unlesse to Church and then attended with musike and accompanied with all the principall Gentlemen and Burgers of Goa on horsebacke with a guard of souldiers before behinde and on each side It is a place of great honour and profit For besides the presents which the bordering Princes round about Goa send them at their first entrances for contraction of peace and friendship by their Embassies they have also the management of the Kings revenues and treasure with absolute allowance from his Majestie to give spend and reward as best pleaseth him When a new Vice-Roy arriveth the time of the former being expired hee presently dispatcheth his Lieutenants with sufficient authoritie in their Masters name to receive the possession of the Government of India and to prepare the Palace Whereupon the old Vice-Roy maketh quicke and cleane riddance of all Vtensils neither leaving one stoole in the Palace nor one peny in the Treasury So that these great Officers by reason of their short time of imployment have enough to doe The first yeare to furnish their house with necessaries The second to gather treasure and to respect the causes that moved them to come into India The third and last yeare to prepare themselves and to settle their businesses in order left they be overtaken and surprised by the approach of a new successour The like is to be understood of all the Captaines in the Forts and of all other Officers thorowout these Indies The Great Mogor IT shall alwayes beene beleeved that the territory lying betweene Ganges and the 〈◊〉 Indus hath evermore beene subject to great and mighty Monarchs For to be silent in matter of more ancient memory about the yeare of our Lord 1300 there reigned in the Kingdome of Delos and Arabian Prince of the fâ—â—t of Mahumet named Sanofaradin as Iohn Barros reporteth of so great power strength that he enterprised the conquest of Asia Upon which resolution forsaking these Regions in which Indus and Ganges take heir beginnings with a mighty Army by little and little he subdued those Princes and people which did oppose against him untill he pierced to the bounds of Canora where it beginneth at the River Bate about Chaul and stretcheth betweene Bate the Gulfe of Bengala to Cape Comerine When he had wonne so large and famous a territory resolving to returne to Delos he left Abdessa his Lieutenant in Canora This man encouraged by the victories of his Master and presuming upon his owne good fortune bereaved the Gentiles of the greater part of Canora and hauing gathered a most mighty and populous Army compacted of Gentiles Mahumetaâ— and Christians after he had reigned twenty
yeares he died in the height of his prosperity leaving his sonne Mamudza behinde him whom the King graced with his fathers regencie upon condition to pay him a yearely tribute which payment the young man neither regarded nor she wed himselfe loyall to his Soveraigne in many things It happened that Sanosaradin dying in the warre which he made against Persia left behinde him a sonne of so abject and base a spirit that Mamudza hereupon tooke courage to entitle himselfe King of Canora calling the Countrey Decan and the people Decainai that is illegitimate After this hee erected eighteene Captaineships and divided his dominion among them assigning to everyone his limits onely with this penalty to finde alwayes in a readinesse a certaine number of footmen and horsemen To prevent future rebellion hee chose these Captaines not out of the orders of his Nobility but from the number of his slaves Nay more than this to be assured of their loyalty he coÌ„manded that every one of them should build him a house in his royall City Bider in which their children should remaine and that once every yeare at the least they should make their appearance in his Court. But because all authority which is not as well underpropped with its proper vertues as grounded upon the affections of the people is of small continuance so happened it to this Prince for his slaves and vassals having soveraigne authority put into their hands made no more account of him than of a Cipher stripping him poore Prince without respect of reverence of all his dominions saving his chiefs Citie Bidor with the territory adjoyning For every one of a Lieutenant became an Usurper of those States which were committed to his trust the mightier alwayes oppressing the weaker so that all in the end became a prey to a feâ— Two of them are famous at this day the one stretching his dominion to the borders of Cambaia the other to the skirâ—s of Narsynga the first called by the Portugals Nissamalucco the other Idalcan either of them being so puissant that in the yeare 1571. Idalcan beleagâ—ed God with an Army of five and thirty thousand Horse threescore thousand Elephants and two hundred and fifty peeces of Ordnance Nissamalucco besieged Chaul with lesse forces but better fortune For though he did not force it yet he brought into a hard-pinch with the slaughter of twelve thousand Mooreâ—s In those Countries in which Sâ—â—adorasin began hos Empire not above threescore and ten yeares 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 mighty Empire for as the King of Bierma in our timeâ— greatly hazarded the States of Pegu and Siam and the bordering Nations even so the Mogor turned topsie turvy the Kingdomes lying on the River Ganges The received opinion is that they tooke their originall from Tartaria and that they came from the coast where the ancient Massagecae a people accounted invincible at armes did once inhabit and liuing as it were lawlesse and under no manner of government by invading of their neighbours procured unto themselves the soveraignty of spacious Kingdomes By the River Oxus they border upon the Persians and are at continuall enmity with them sometime for Religion and sometimes for enlargement of the bounds of their Empire The chiefe City is Shamarchand from whence came Tamerlan and of whose bloud these Mogor Princes doe 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 yeare 1436. being solicited by King Mandao of the North from whom Badurius King of Cambaia had taken his Kingdome to aid him against the Cambaian he is reported to have brought with him an infinite number of souldiers which wee may conjecture out of that which Masseus writeth of the army of the said King Badurius to wit that this King had under his Standard one hundred and fifty thousand horse whereof five and thirty thousand were barbed The number of footmen was five hundred thousand Amongst these were fifteene thousand forren souldiers and fourescore Christians French and Portugals At which by what meanes or by what way they should come thither I doe not a little wonder Their Galleon which they called Dobriga suffered Ship-wracke in the Chanell of Cambaia I know that if these preparations and provisions for war be compared with our forces of Christendome they will hardly be taken for true but we have already declared the causes why the Princes of the East and South may gather greater Armies than wee can and consequently that those things which are spoken of their incredible store and wonderfull provision of furniture may be answerable to their levies and proportions And as they are able to levie millions of men for arming and for feeding them they take no great care so likewise doe the Provinces afford great plenty of provision and an inestimable multitude of their usuall warlike Engines for they carry nothing with them save that which is necessary and needfull for service Wines Cates and such like which cannot but with great expence labour and trouble be carried along with Armies are by these men wholly omitted and utterly rejected All their thoughts tend to warlike provision as to get Brasse Iron Steele and Tinne to forge Pieces and cast great Ordnance Iron and Lead to make Bullets Iron and Steele to temper Cemiters Oxen and Elephants to draw their Artillery Graine to nourish their bodies Metals to arme them and Treasure to conserve them They are all tyrants and to preserve their estate and induce submissive awednesse they hold hard hands over the commonalty committing all government into the hands of slaves and souldiers And to make these men faithfull and loyall they ordaine them Lords of all things committing unto their trust Townes Castles and expeditions of great weight but the expectation of the Prince is often deceived by the rebellion of these vassals for sometimes they usurpe whole Provinces and impose upon the people all kinde of injuries But let good Princes thinke it as necessary to build their safety on the love of their subjects as upon the force of their souldiers Feare admitteth no securitie much lesse perpetuity and therefore these tyrants expecting no surety at the hands of their subjects trust wholly upon their men of warre flattering them with promise of liberty and bestowing upon them the goods of their subjects as rewards of their service So with vs the Turke strengtheneth his State with Ianizars and as he coveteth to be beloved and favoured of them to that end bestowing upon them the riches and honours of the Empire so they acknowledge no other Lord and master I may very well say father and protector And so many of the Malabor Princes using accounting the Commons but as beasts lay all their hopes and fortunes on the Naiors the Kings of Ormus Cambaia Decan and Achan lay all upon the
is not onely fast locked but sealed and may not be opened before the seale at morning bee throughly viewed To speake truth their souldiers horsemen and footmen by land or sea are more famous for their numbers their gallant furniture and plenty of provision than for strength and courage For the Inhabitants partly by their effeminate and wanton kinde of life partly by their forme of government whereby they are made vile and base have little valour or manhood left them They use no forren souldiers except those whom they take in war these they send into the in-land Countries where being marked to distinguish them from other they serve more like slaves than souldiers yet have they pay with rewards for their good service and punishment for their cowardize true motives to make men valorous The rest which are not inrolled are not suffered to keepe weapons in their houses Their Sea-forces are nothing inferiour to their Land-forces for besides their ordinary Fleets lying upon the Coasts for the safety of the Sea-townes by reason of the abundance of navigable Rivers and so huge a Sea-tract full of Havens Creeks and Islands it is thought that with case they are able to assemble from five hundred to a thousand such great Ships which they call Giunchi we Iunks To thinke that treasure cannot bee wanting to levie so great a number of Ships Souldiers and Marriners many men affirme that the Kings revenues amount to an hundred and twenty millions of gold which value although it may seeme impossible to him that shall make an estimate of the States of Europe with the Kingdome of China yet may it finde place of beleefe if he doe but call to minde First the nature and circuit of the Empire being little lesse than all Europe Next the populousnesse of the Inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches Then the diversity of Mines of Gold Silver Iron and other sorts of Metall the unspeakable quantity of Merchandize passing from hand to hand by so many navigable Rivers so many armes and in-lets of the Sea their upland Cities and maritime Townes their Tolls Customes Subsidies and lastly their rich wares brought into Europe Hee taketh the tenth of all things which the earth yeeldeth as Barley Rice Olives Wine Cotton Wooll Flax Silke all kinds of Metall Fruits Cattel Sugar Hony Rubarbe Camphire Ginger Wood Muske and all sorts of Perfumes The custome only of Salt in the City Canto which is not of the greatest nor of the best trafficke yeeldeth 180000. Crownes yearely the tenth of Rice of one small Towne and the adjacent Territory yeeldeth more than 100000. Crownes By these you may conjecture of the rest He leaveth his subjects nothing save food clothing He hath under him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor private persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore since this Empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands how can the former assertion of so great and yearely a revenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable at all There are two things moreover which adde great credit to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paid in Coine but some in hay some in Rice Corne Provender Silke Cotton Wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the King of 120. millions which he receiveth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so since it goeth round from the King to the people it ought to seeme no wonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the Princes use at the yeares end For as waters doe ebbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily levied suffice for the expences of the State and the people receive againe by those expences as much as they layed out in the beginning of the yeare This King feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enemy the ancient Kings built that admirable wall so much renowned amongst the wonders of the Ortem Towards the Sea hee bordereth upon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is divers From Goto one of the Islands of Iapan to the City Liampo is threescore leagues from Canian 297. The Islanders of Iapan doe often spoile the Sea-coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the Countrey more like Pyrates than men of Warre For in regard that Iapan is divided into many Islands and into divers Seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselves though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Upon another Frontier lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are very jealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the invasion of China and the fame of the riches well knowne to the Spanish But the King of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them wherof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their Dominions yet certaine Jesuites zealous in the increasing of Christian Religion in a Territory so spacious as that is entred with great secrecie and danger and procuring the favour of certaine Governours obtained a privilege of naturalization specially Frier Michael Rogerius who in the yeare 1590. returned into Europe to advise what course were best to take in this businesse After whose departure intelligence was brought from two Friers which remained behinde that after divers persecutions they were then constrained to forsake the Citie wherein they sojourned and to make haste to sea-ward Nor plainly would the Chinois suffer the said Frier Rogerius to come into their Countrey as himselfe confessed to an English Gentleman of very good worth and curious understanding Mr. W.F. who purposely asked that question of him If any man of Europe hath beene in China it is Matthew Riccius the Jesuite The Portugals are likewise eye-sores unto them but by the report of their justice and the moderation which Ferdinand Andrada shewed in the government of the Island of Tamo and by the Traffick which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbour-hood than that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arrived in the Citie of Cantan and set on land Thomas Perez Legier for Emanuel King of Portugal But other Captaines being there afterwards dis-embarked behaved themselves so lewdly that they occasioned the said Ambassadour to be taken for a Spie and cast into prison where hee died most miserably the residue were intreated as enemies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffick sake to set a Factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their Colonie they were constrained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisdome friendship and alliance with the Castilians they became suspitious and therefore they doe daily more and more bridle