for his soldiers in those partes In this territorie was by a gentleman of the cittie discouered in our tyme the very lyke earth both in cooler kynde which is found in the I le of Lemnos the which phisitians do call Terram Lemniam of the Turk is so greatly esteemed that it is not permitted for any man to take thereof but licence of those that haue farmed it THE TERRITORIE of BLOIS MAINE THe countrie of Mans or Maine hath on the south syde Aniovv on the west Britannie on the north Normandie on the east Vendome It is a countrie hauing therein many woodes forests therefore more apt for chase nouris hing of beastes then for corne or pasturage yet is it not vnfurnished of corne feildes faire vineyardes The cittie of Mans is the chief of all the townes of this duchie It is faire populous seated pleasantly the soile about it beeing made the more fertile through the riuers of Haygne Orne and Satre which ioyning together neere this cittie do all in one enter afterward into the riuer of Loire In the chief churche of this cittie of Mans was christened in the yeare of our lord 1133. Henry sonne vnto Geoffrey suruamed the faire earle of Anion and of Maine the which Henrie as heyre vnto Maude his mother daughter vnto Henry the first King of England came after to enioy thesaid kingdome by the name of K. Henry the second MAINE LANGVEDOC BY this Map is described the maritime parte of the countrie of Languedoc as also a parte of the maritime syde of Prouence The prouince of Languedoc is in that parte of France that of old tyme was called Galia Narbonensis It hath on the east syde thereof the riuer of Rhone on the west syde Gasconie on the south the mountaines that denyde it from Arragon a parte of the midland sea on the north the countrie of Quercie In fertillitie it aprocheth vnto that of Prouence according to the neernesse of the place lying on the west syde thereof beeing seperated from it by the riuer of Rhone Tholouse is the chief cittie of all this countrie therin is kept the parlamental court which is accompted the second of all France consequently the next after that of Paris Montpellier is also of fame for the renowmed vniuersitie espetially in the study of phisick There is also the citties of Nimes Narbone sundry others both of importance antiquitie as the ruynes or remainder of diuers moste ancient edifices do declare LANGVEDOC THE I LE of FRANCE THe french do properly call this the I le of France wherein the citrie of Paris the towne of S. Denis c. are situate It is not properly an I le but somwhat compassed about with the riuers of Marne Seâ—ne and Oyse It taketh the name of France as Andrew Thenet telleth vs because the Frankes or Franch-men that came out of Germany when France had the name of Galia the inhabitants were called Gaulos did here make their first setled abode their chiefs did heer begin to take vpon them the tytles of kinges The countrie is aboundant in graine yeildeth exceeding store of poultrie other comodities About the cittie of Paris espetialy towards Mount martyr that kynde of morter for building called plaster of Paris is found This exceeding great moste famous cittie also called Lutetia took the name of Paris after Paris a King of the Celtes though some haue fabulously affirmed it to come of Paris the Troyan It is deuyded into partes Cittie Towne Vniuersitie the cittie is in an I le of the riuer of Seine people do pas by bridge to the towne on the one syde to the vniuersitie on the other This vniuersitie was erected by Charles the great at the solicitation of Alcuinus who was scholer vnto Venerable Bede and afterward preceptor vnto this Emperor and with other learned men came out of England vnto Paris and there in the streetes demaunded yf any would buy wisdome offring to sel it them for the giuing of them a place wherein to vtter it This cittie is the chief seat residence of the kinges of France the court of Parlament About 2 leagues from hence is the towne of S. Denis where in a goodly monasterie the sepulchres and monuments of the ancient kinges of France are to bee seene THE I LE of FRANCE DAVPHINEY THis prouince long since a parte of the kingdome of the Allobroges hath on the northsyde thereof the territorie of Lions on which syde lieth the base or low parte of Dauphiney whereof the cittie of Vienna is the chief on the west syde it is bordered with the Rhosne on the east it ioyneth to Sauoy on the south vnto Prouence this parte is called high Dauphiney the metropolitane cittie thereof is Embrun howbeit Grenoble is the parlamental capitall cittie of the whole countrie It is said that neere vnto this cittie is a fountaine out of the which their issueth both fyre water the which is a moste wonderful woork of nature incomprehensible to all philosophers In the Mountaines not far from this aforesaid cittie is the great chief how 's of the Carthusians who take their name of those cold snowie mountaines of Carthusia The people of Dauphiney beeing annexed vnto the crowne of France not by war or conquest but by amitie haue obtayned to accept no gouernour but of the blood royal of that realme The country in some places is very fertil yeilding store of corne wyne the moste infertil places do yeild great aboundance of chest-nuts with the which both cattel people are nourished so aboundant they are in cattel that they are able to furnish therewith other aioyning prouinces DAVPHINEY THE SIGNIORIE of FLORENCE THis Signiorie of Florence the chief parte of Tuscane is in the hart of Italy in the middest thereof is the ritche beautiful cittie of Florence In this cittie in the yeare 1464 died Cosmo de Medicis a woorshipful citizen thereof from whome the Duke that now possesseth both the cittie countrie and his predecessors are descended This Cosmo for his great wisdome welth credit was such that it may be thought there was neuer any priuate man to wit without some tytle of honor to be vnto him compared The cittie of Florence by the goodly edifices which therin he erected hath bin greatly beautified The moste faire sumptuous Church of S. Laurence he there builded as also the Church of S. Mark the monasterie of S. Verdiana He built for himself so faire a dwelling how 's that the best masters in Architecture do admyre it In the Fesulian hilles hee built the monasterie of S. Hierome and another called the Abbadia In Mugelo he built a monasterie of S. Francis In Fresoli Carregi Cafayolo Tribio places in the country there abouts he built 4 magnifical palaces and in Ierusalem he built an hospital for pilgrims
a temple of death In these temples alters were erected to the Gods of the yeare to monethly Gods to Arte pouertie The inhabitants of this prouince did in tymes past excel in nauigation they do not now degenerate from their anceters Their chief comodities rise of salt fish This was the last I le knowne in the world as antiquitie belieued And there they said the Sunne beeing weeried with running his dayly race descended into the Ocean sea tooke rest therefore this I le is of Statius called the Sunnes bed GADES FRANCE THe realme of France as now it is limitted hath on the north syde the narrow seas that deuyde it from England westward it hath the west Ocean in the southwest it ioyneth to Spaine directly south it bordereth vpon the Mediterraneum sea On the Eastsyde to begin from the south downward vnto the north it bordereth first vpon Sauoy then on the Countie of Burgundie otherwise called La Franche Countè so along by Lorraine vpon Luxembourg Heualt Ã…rtois This goodly kingdome is aboundant in corne and wyne al sortes of frutes hauing plenty of cattel and foule wanteth not all other necessarie thinges mynes it is not renowmed to haue yet is it moste ritch opulent beeing situate in the middest of the chief countries of Europe hauing trafike on all sydes It shal not be needful to shew the three parts wherein Ceasar recounteth it to haue bene deuyded of oldtyme seeing both the limitts and inhabitants are since altered At this present it is deuyded into eight prouinces which are vnder eight continual courtes of Parlament The first is the prouince of France otherwise called the I le of France wherein the citie of Paris is situate In which citie the first courte of parlament resideth The second prouince is Languedoc the parlament whereof is in Tholouse The third Guienne whose parlament is in Bourdeaux The fowrth is Normandie whose parlament is in Roan The fist is Burgundie whose parlament is Dijeon The sixt is Dauphinè whose parlament is in Grenoble The seauenth is Prouence whose parlament is in Aix The eight is Britannie whose parlament is in Renes and vnder these eight prouinces all France is conteyned limitted for recours of iustice vnto these parlaments FRANCE GASCONIE THis prouince of Gasconie is situate on the southwest syde of France reatching on thesaid syde vnto the Pireney mountaines by the which France Spaine are deuyded On the east syde it hath Languedoc and on the north Guienne and Arminac The people are valiant warlyk The country is very plentiful of all thinges but it chiefly aboundeth in wyne where with it not only serueth it self but sundry other countryes in Europe besydes In the tyme of Carolus Magnus it was called the kingdome of Gascony In this country thesaid Charles the great marching against the Saracins of Spaine did lose in a battaile forty thowsand men in which battaile his noble nephew the Earle Roland was slaine This country was first subdued vnto France by Dagobert the first of that name In the yeare of our lord 1155 both it and all Aquitaine came to bee subiect vnto the crowne of England through the mariage of King Henry the second of that name with Elinor daughter and heyr vnto VVilliam Duke of Aquitaine And it was lost in the yeare of our lord 1453. in the 31 yeare of the raigne of King Henry the sixt so as it remayned vnder the obeisanâ—e of England about 300 yeares GASCONIE POICTOV THis prouince of Poitou called in Latin Pictauia is detryded into two partes to wit the Superior Inferior The vpper Poitou is that which stretcheth east-ward towards the countries of Towrs Berry the nether Poitou is that parte which westward extendeth it self to the Ocean sea It is a country frutefull in Corne Cattel rich in wynes furnished with great store of fish And the great aboundance of wyld beastes fowle doth cause the delightfull sportes of hunting hauking to bee here much vsed The chief citie of this prouince is called Poitiers having a notable vniuersitie chiefly for study of the Ciuil law this citie is of great antiquitie as appeereth by the Theatre Aquaduct monuments which are there yet remaining POICTOV BRITANNIE BRitannie called in tyme past Armorica bordereth eastward vpon the country of Maine and a parte of Aniou towards the north it hath the narrow sea a parte of the country of Constantin towards the west the maine Ocean towards the south the country of Poitou It is reconed in two partes to wit the higher the lower Britany There are in it nyne Bishoprykes which are deuided into three distinckt quarters Three of these which are Cornuaille S. Paul Treguiers do speake the British tongue the inhabitants are called Cornubians Other three to wit those of Dol Renes S. Malo do speake the French tongue The third beeing those of Nantes Vannes and S. Brieu do speak both French and British The principall townes in Britannie are Nantes and Renes but in Renes resydeth the courte of Parlament for the whole prouince The chief hauen of all Britany is that of Brest It is not to bee omitted that the hauen of S. Malo is garded with mastiues which beeing thereto trayned do there kepe diligent night watch It is generally a pleasant fertile country the earable land beeing as good as can be desyred hauing also plenty of wood pasture exceeding great store of medow ground There are in it mynes of Iron lead in some places siluer fyne salt is there boyled through the heat of the Sun And the country through the many comodities thereof the sea trafike is very welthy BRITANNIE NORMANDIE NOrmandie hath on the north syde thereof the narrow seas that seperate England France on all sydes els ir is enuyrond with seuerall countries prouinces of France From whence this Duchie taketh name the name it self of Normandie doth declare to wit North-mandie that is the dwelling or region of the men of the North for from Norvvay othewise North-vvay came Rolo afterward called Robert with his Northmen and of Charles the simple King of France hee and his people obtayned heere there habitation about the yeare of our Lord. 9 12. This prouince of Normandie is a moste pleasant fertil soile so wel furnished of all necessaries as sildome any place better It hath great store of flesh and fish of corne and vvood much wyne it hath not there growing but is furnished with great store by the riuer of Scine which coming through Paris passeth by Roan the chief citie of this prouince All the corne feilds as also the high wayes passages are set planted about with frute-trees espitially aples peares which yeildeth great aboundance of tider perry The riuer of Seine as a foresaid passing by Roan falleth into the sea at Haure de grace or nevvhauen where ships arryuing do
bin a tayler hauing endured the moste extremitie of a hard siege were at the last by the Bishop true lord of that citie subdued punished and according to their demerits VVESTPHALIA DITMERS DItmers called in latin Thietmarsia or rather Teutomarss lying at the mouth of the riuer of Elbe where Cimbrica Chersonesus taketh begining hath on the northsyde the riuer Eyder on the east the dukdome of Holsteyn on the south the riuer Elbe and Stâ—rmarsia on the west the Germaine sea All the country is ful of brooks marish groundes for which cause the frutefulnes of the soile is the lesse praise woorthy the name of Ditmers betokeneth the nature of the place for mers or meyrish with them is the same that marish is in English These people were of old accompted amongst the Saxons but they are now subiect vnto the king of Denmarck and were subdued by force in the yeare of our lord 1559. by Aduphus the sonne of Frederik king of Denmarck since which tyme it alwayes remayneth vnto the king of Denmarckes eldest sonne DITMERS DENMARCK THis kingdome is by the sea denyded into sundry portions the first is eastward called Scandia which hath on the west the kingdome of Svveeden the ayre thereof is good and the country fruteful hauing great store of corne flesh fish it hath also mynes of Gold siluer copper lead 7. The west portion of Denmarck is Iutia called of Ptolomey Cimbrica Chersonesus which stretcheth it self out betwene 2 seas not much vnlyke though much lesse then Italy hauing on the east syde the Germaine Ocean on the west the Baltishsea There are also belonging to Denmarck diuers Iles whereof the chiefest is Seland Iutland was in oldyme in habited by the Saxens who afterward by the Danes were chased thence Munsterus saith that Denmarck was a kingdome long before the birth of Christe that of the first king thereof called Dan the country took the name which it yet retayneth but yf Iunius bee to bee belieued then hath Denmarck taken appellation of the firrtres other wise called den trees which do grow in the country in all aboundance The inhabitants of this kingdome haue in former ages borne their armes through out Europe established their power in the moste noble regions thereof for from hence came both the Gothes the Gothes the Longobardes DENMARCK SAXONIE THe name of Saxonie heretofore comon to diuers protinces now remaineth vnto two to wit the higher the lower Saxonie high Saxonie hath the dignitie of the prince elector the principall cities thereof are VVittenberg Torga Nether Saxonie hath the cities of Flamburg Breme and in the middest lieth the citie of Brunsvvik It ioyneth eastward vnto the marquesdome of Brandenbourg westward vpon VVestphalia southward on Thuringia northward it extendeth to the Germanie sea Besydes sundry necessary thinges for the vse of man where-with Saxonie is wel furnished it hath diuers mynes as of Siluer Copper and Lead There is taken out of pits a certaine kynde of stone called in their tongue Schyffer for it lightly shelfereth or shiuereth it is black of colour it is mixed with copper brimstone the copper by fyre is gotten out of it VVhen this stone is shelfered in peces there are seene in it diuers veynes of a golden colour which is a most wonderful woork of Nature there apeereth the pictures of diuers sortes of beastes fishes foules serpens as perfectly as yf they were drawne thereon by the arte of a painter The inhabitants of Saxonie are strong hardy people which is held to proceede of there diet which is nothing dainty or curious they feed yong children with chewed flesh rather then with pap or milk VVyne groweth not in Saxonie but their ordinary drinck is beere SAXONIE BRANDENBOVRG IN tyme fore-past all the countrey beyond the riuer Albis vulgarly Elbe whereof this Marquisdome of Brandenbourg was a parcel was inhabited by the Vandales This prouince confyneth eastward with Polonia westward with Saxonie Northward with Meckelburg Pomerania and southward with Mifnia and Silesia The chief citie is called Brandenbourg therof the whole Marquisdome taketh name the citie it self took name of Brandus a prince of the Franckes Henry the Emperor surnamed the faukner besieged this citie in winter when the waters about it were frosen his soldiers passing ouer the yse took it by assault he placed here a Marckgraue thus began the greatnes of this Prince who aftward be came so remaineth one of the Princes electors The countrey is very fruteful espetially in come it hath many fish-pondes meddowes It hath moreouer vineyardes which were first planted by the Marck-graue Albertus At Francford vpon the riuer Oder which is in this marquisdome is an vniuersitie founded by the Marck-graue Ioachim in the yeare 1506. neere to this citie from the vyne-hilles runneth a small brook which is length of tyme conuerteth wood other thinges throwne into it into stone BRANDENBOVRG POMERANIA POmery whereof the Latin name Pomerania cometh signifieth in the vandalish language a country lying neere the sea euen as this country so named doth which al along the northsyde lyeth on the Baltish sea on the east it ioyneth to Prusia southward it hath the Marquisdome of Brandenbourg westward the Dukedome of Mekelbourg In this country of Pomerania and the confyning places the Vandales inhabited the people yet dwelling there beeing of that race who after they were brought from paganisme to the Christian faith began to frame both their language customes neerer vnto their neighbours the Saxons The country hath many riuers meynes or litle lakes The meddowes are very good on the higher groundes there are woods Beastes both wyld tame it hath great store of great plentie of corne fish butter hony wax and wanteth no necessary comoditie Amber is here gotten out of the sea albeit not in such aboundance as in Prusia The chief citie of this prouince although there be other cities of more antiquitie is called Stetin beeing very pleasantly situated vpon the syde of the riuer of Oder POMERANIA SILESIA SIlesia lieth eastward confyning on Polonia southward vpon Morauia VVesterly vpon Bohemia northwest vpon Lusatia This country hath heretofore bene many yeares vnder the dominion of the King of Polonia afterward it came to belong vnto the crowne of Bohemia The chief citie is Preslavv which is built with a very great vniformitie The inhabitants of the greater parte of Silesia to speake the Germaine tongue the rest the polonian language The country is hilly yet hath it many woods from the mountaines of Bohemia many riuers brooks descending do take diuers passages through this prouince and increase the fertillitie thereof The gentlemen of this country are giuen to husbandry which is not vsuall with the gentlemen of other parts of Germany and yet are they not-with-standing wel trayned exercysed in feates of armes SILESIA AVSTRIA
cittie thereof is Stokholme builded vpon pyles of wood on the sea shore Norwey extending in length north south hath the Deucalidon Ocean on the west syde Sweden on the east beeing from thesame seperated by high mountaines This country is full of rocks howbeit the goodliest oakes of the world do grow there thereof the wainscots clabords are made The chief citie is called Berghe The I le called Frisland is not wel knowne yet seemeth is about the bignes of Ireland Island is famous through the great store of dried fish which is fetched thence the burning hil Hecla Groeneland is a very great I le the people by reason of the coldnes of the country are faine to make their dwellinges in the earth The further partes are yet vndiscouered so is the Ile which Mercator calleth Grecland sundry other lesser Iles of these farthest northerne regions THE NORTHERNE REGIONS RVSSIA or rather MVSCOVIA ON the north syde this country hath the Icysea on the east syde it hath Tartarie on the south a parte of Polonia a parte of Turkie on the west Liuonia the kingdome of Svveden The country is very great it is for the moste parte euen hath many meddowes in the Somer many standing waters caused through the melting of the snow The black forest of Germany extendeth it self into this country passeth through it from the south to the north in it are great store of wyld beastes as Elends beares black wolues c. VVyne or oyle groweth not heer but wheat rie other graine Great store of wax hony it yeildeth the which is not made in hines but in hollow trees Mynes they haue not nor pretious stones that there are found but costly faire furres good store also flax The chief cittie where the great Duke or Emperor keepeth his court is very great and called Musko lying on the riuer Muskâ—a the howses are built all of wood not high but large euety how 's hauing a yeard or garden plot belonging vnto it They are Christians but of the Greek Church their date they vse not from the tyme of Christe but from the beginning of the world Their lawes are very plaine according to an ancient simplicitie no aduocates are admitted but euery man to tel his owne tale for himself RVSSIA or rather MVSCOVIA TARTARIE AS there is a Sarmathia in Europe so is this parte of Asia where the Tartarians inhabite also so called It hath on the northsyde the Scythian sea on the east the Eoish or east sea on the south it hath India on the west the Caspium sea Muscouie The country is wonderful great spatious hauing in it maruelous great deserts the people liue not in townes or vilages but in tents and remoue their dwellinges according to the seasons of the yeare they eat sheep kyen horses their drink is water milk beer brewed with barley Sigismond Baron of Herbestein in Germany recouneth to haue vnderstood of Demetrius Daniel a man of much reputation among all the muscouites that in the countrie betwene the riuers of VVolga Laick a certaine feed much lyke vnto the seed of a melon beeing cast into the ground groweth foorth about 2 foot high beareth a moste strange frute lyke vnto the shape of a lamb which of the people there abouts is called Bonarets the stalk goeth from the nauel into the earth there hath his root it hath head eares mouth eyes legges semeth to haue blood within it but not flesh for the substance is lyke vnto the meat of a creuis it is couered with a thin skin it consumeth the gras or herbes growing about it endureth so long as they last the woules other raneuous beastes belight much to feed on this beast plant yf this be true as it is for a truth reported it is one of the moste wonderful miracles of nature The royal pallace of the great Cham who is Emperor of Tartarie is in the cittie of Cambalu in Cathay which cittie is buylt fouresquare in compas said to conteyne 24 Germaine myles The country is in sundry places so very euen plaine that wagons hauing sailes lyke vnto ships are driuen forward by the wynde TARTARIE CHINA THis great country of China lieth in the furthest easterne syde of East India ouer against the Iland of Iaponia on the northsyde of it lieth Tartarie on the southsyde Canchinchina on the west the Brackmani on the east the Oriental sea The country except on the sea syde is with a wal mountaine compassed about is exceeding good fruteful the people wonderful industrious It hath plentiful mynes of Gold store of Rheubarb The fieldes hilles are ful of beastes both wild tame the sea inland riuers very fish-ritch numbers of familes dwel on the riuers in botes do nowrish exceeding store of ducks The drie groundes they sow with wheat barley the moist low grounds with rice that 4 tymes in the yeare no parte of the country lieth vnused to some profit the very hedges are of roses some of flax They haue great store of mulbery trees to the maintenance of their silk wormes The inhabitants do sildom trauel into other countryes other nations come not into theirs but by espetial licence They eat not setting on the ground as other people of Asia are wont but at tables They are heathens in religion beleeue that al thinges haue bene created They pray to the Sun Moon Starres also to the Diuel to do them no hurt their priestes marry not but other men haue as many wyues as they wil yet must keep how 's only with one They call their King the lord of the world the sonne of the Sun who when he goeth to the field against the great Cham of Tartarie his army conteyneth 300000 foote 200000 horse Some say they haue long since had artillery printing but that they had artillery before it was knowne in Europe is doubtful printing they haue had but not such as may bee compared with the excelencie of ours theirs beeing no other then carractered stamps or formes of wood those thrust downe on their sorte of paper as wee vse to seal our letters or set a marck or stamp CHINA INDIA ALl authors do hold East-India for the noblest greatest country couteyned vnder one name Tartarie only excepted It taketh name of the riuer Indus of Strabo Plinie India is limitted by the riuer Indus in the west with the mounts Tauri in the north with the Eoish sea in the east with the Indian sea in the south It is a land moste faire holesome yet the temperature somwhat different in sundry prouinces by reason of the greatnes thereof It yeildeth frute twice in the yeare freeing thereby the inhabitants from hunger pouertie vast steril places there are also in India but they serue for