carefull likewise that in doing thereof no one see them least their shamefull and vncleane partes should bee discouered the men make water as the women doe with vs bending themselues for if any man doth pisse standing hee is of all men held either for an Idiot or an hereticke They bee compelled by a law to abstaine from wine as the nurse garder or seminary of all sinne and filthinesse yet they eate grapes and drinke Muste They abstaine likewise from all swines flesh and swines bloud and from all carraine and things that die of themselues eating all other things that bee to bee eaten and mans meate the Turkes keepe Friday holiday with as much deuotion and religion as wee do our Lords day or the Iewes their sabboth In euery Cittie is one principall Church into which vpon that day in the after-noone all people assemble themselues to praier and praier beeing solemnly ended they haue a sermon wherein they acknowledge one God and that there is none like or equall vnto him and that Mahomet is his faithfull Prophet All the Sarrasins or Turkes ought to pray euery daie fiue times with their faces towardes the Sunne rysing and before they goe to praier to haue their bodies perfectly cleere and decently to wash both fundament yarde hands armes mouth eares nostrils eyes and the haires of their heads and last of all their feete and this they ought to do more strictly precisely after their companying with women and purging their bodies vnlesse they bee either sicke or traueling but if at any time water bee wanting to wash in which happeneth but verie seldome or neuer for that in euerie Cittie be baths for that purpose then they supply the want thereof with the dust of cleane and fresh earth and hee which is defiled with any pollution permits no one as much as is possible either to speake vnto him or yet to see him before he be washed and made cleane they fast fiue weeks in euery yeare very strictly neither eating nor drinking any thing of all the day before Sunne-setting nor accompanying with women but from the Sunne going downe vntill his rising the next morning they spend the whole time at their pleasures in eating drinking and venerie vppon the sixtieth day from the beginning of their fast they celebrate their Passe-ouer in memory of the Ramme which was shewed vnto Abraham for a sacrifice in his sonnes steade and in memorie of a certaine night wherein they dreame their Alcoran was giuen them from heauen The Turkes ought once euery yeare also to go to the Temple which is in Mecha both for the profession of their religion as also to yeeld the annuall honors due vnto Mahomet whose sepulchre is there kept and worshipped The Sarrasins force no man to forsake their faith and Religion neither will they perswade any one to theirs although their Alcoran command them to afflict and by all meanes to prosecute their aduersaries in Religion and their Prophets Whereof it commeth to passe that in Turkie dwell people of all Sects and Religions and euery Sect doth sacrifice vnto his God according to their owne customes Moreouer there is no great difference betwixt the Priestes and the lay-people betwixt their Temples and their ordinarie habitations and dwelling houses for it is sufficient for the Priestes to know the Alchoran and what things appertaine to prayer and the worship of their law without spending any time in meditations or obtaining of learning neither do they take vpon them the cure of soules or care of churches Sacraments they haue none they make no obseruation of Relickes sacred Vessels or Altars but possessing wiues children and families apply their time like lay-men in husbandrie merchandize buying and selling hunting and such like labours and exercises to get their liuing there is nothing vnlawfull for them to do nor any thing prohibited they be freed from seruitude and exactions and be reuerenced and honoured of all men as those that vnderstand the ceremonies of their law gouern their churches and be able to instruct others They haue many and great scholes wherein be great multitudes instructed in the ciuil lawes ordained by their kings for the gouernement and defence of their kingdome of whome some be afterwards made rulers of Churches and some of other secular offices In that sect be diuers sorts also of religious persons of which some liuing in woods and deserts flie the fellowship and conuersation of all men some other liuing in citties practise hospitalitie towards poore trauellers allowing them house-room and lodging at the least if they haue not meate to refresh them for they themselues liue by begging There be some others likewise that wandring through the citties carrie wholesome and fresh water in certaine bottles giuing thereof to drinke to euery one that demandeth For which religious act if any one giue them any thing they will receiue it though they desire nothing at all carrying such boast and ostentation of sanctitie and religion both in their words and deeds manners and behauior as they may rather be thought Angels then men and euery one carieth a certain badge or signe wherby he may be discerned of what profession hee is of The Sarrasins or Turkes be very strict obseruers and maintainers of Iustice for he that sheddeth another mans bloud shall haue the like punishment himselfe he that is found in adulterie shall together with the adulteresse be stoned to death without mercie or delay there is an expresse punishment also for fornicators for hee that is found guiltie of fornication shall suffer eight hundred stripes with a whip A theefe for the first and second offence shall suffer the like punishment for the third fault he shall haue his hand cut off and his foote for the fourth he which iniureth another shall make him satisfaction according to the quantitie of the wrong done In case of extortion of goods and possessions it is ordained by a law that the thing required shall be prooued by witnesses and that the defendant shall purge himselfe by his oath They admit no witnesses but such as be honest and fit persons and whose testimonie may be taken without oath There bee throughout the whole nation diuers Inquisitors or searchers who finding out those that neglect the forme of prayer to which they are all inioyned afflict and punish them by hanging about their neckes a table or paper with many foxe tayles and so leading them throughout the citie dismisse them not vntill they haue payd a certaine summe of money for ther libertie And this ignominie and reproch is accounted an extreame punishment no one that is of full age may liue vnmarried and euery one may haue foure lawfull wiues and mothers and sisters onely excepted may marry whom they list without respect of kindred and besides the foure lawfull wiues they may haue as many concubines as they please or be able to maintaine and as wel the children that be borne of their concubines as of their lawfull wiues
with great honor and religion it would seeme to be done directly against the will and commandement of him who had rather that heauen and earth should perish then his word especially seeing Christ himselfe came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it wherfore we obserue that day not in imitation of the Iewes but at the bidding of our Lord Iesus Christ his holy Apostles the grace of which Iewes is translated vnto vs Christians And vpon this sabbath day Lent excepted wee euer eate flesh which vse is not obserued in the kingdome of Bernagues and Tygri Mahon the naturall people of which two kingdomes by an ancient custome eat flesh vpon the sabbath daies and Sundaies in Lent now wee celebrate the Lords day as other Christians do in memory of Christs resurrection but we know that the Sabbath day is to be obserued and kept holy by the books of the law and not by the Gospell and yet notwithstanding we be not ignorant that the Gospel is the end of the Law and of the Prophets And vpon these two daies we beleeue that the soules of the godly departed which remaine in Purgatorie bee not there tormented which rest God hath granted vnto those soules vpon these most holy daies vntill the end of their punishments due for their offences in this world being determined they be deliuered thence for the diminishing of which paines and to extenuate shorten the time of their punishments we beleeue that almes deedes done for the dead be very profitable vnto those souls which liue in purgatory To the remission of which soules the Patriarke giueth no Indulgence for that we beleeue doth belong vnto God only and to the constitution of the time of their punishment neither doth the Patriark allow any daies for Indulgēces By the reading of the Gospel we be only bound to keep 6. precepts which Christ explaned with his owne mouth I was an hungred saith he and you gaue me to eate I was thirstie and you gaue me to drink I was a stranger you tooke me in naked and you clothed me sicke and you visited me I was in prison and you came vnto me Which words Christ will onely pronounce in the day of Iudgement because the law as Paul witnesseth sheweth vnto vs our sins which law Christ Iesus excepted no one can keepe And Paul also saith that we be all borne in sinne for the transgression of our mother Eua and for her curse and malediction and the same Paul further saith that wee die through Adam and liue through Christ which Christ of his aboundant mercy hath giuē vnto vs these six precepts to the end that we might be saued when hee shall come in his Maiesty to Iudge both the quick the dead by which words and commandements in that fearefull and terrible day of Iudgment hee will pronounce and shew vnto the good euerlasting glory and to the wicked fire and eternall damnation And wee reckon but only fiue deadly sinnes as they terme them which wee gather out of the last Chapter of the Reuelation where it is sayd For without shal be dogs and inchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters and whosoeuer loueth or maketh lies It is ordained by the holy Apostles in their bookes of councels that it is lawful for the Clergy to mary after they haue attained to some knowledge in diuinity and being once maried they be receiued into the order of priests into the which order none is admitted before hee accomplish the age of 30. yeeres neithey bee any bastards by any meanes allowed to enter into that most holy order these orders be giuen by no other but by the Patriarch onely where the first wife of a Bishop or Clercke or Deacon is dead it is not lawful for them to mary an other vnlesse the Patriarch dispence therewith which sometimes for a publike good is granted to great men nor is it lawful for them to keepe a concubine vnlesse they wil refuse and put themselues frō saying seruice which if they once do they may neuer after meddle in ministring diuine matters and this is obserued so strictly that those priests which haue beene twise married dare neuer take in their hands so much as a candle that is consecrated to the Church and if any Bishop or Deacon be found to haue any bastard child hee is depriued from all his benefices and from his holy orders his gods if he decease without lawful heires come vnto Prestor Iohn and not to the Patriarch and the warrant that we haue that our priests may marry is taken out of Saint Paul who had rather that both Clergy and Laity should marry then burne And he also saith that a bishop ought to be the husband of one wife and that he should be sober and irreprehensible and in like manner would he haue Deacons and further that Ecclesiasticall persons should haue their proper wiues by lawfull marriage euen as secular people haue but Munckes mary not at all and both Lay men and Clergy haue but one wife a peece and matrimony is not contracted before the gates of the holy Church but in the priuate houses of those that beare most sway at the bridall wee haue haue also receiued from the ordinance of the Apostles that if a priest bee found in addultery or committing manslaughter or theft or bearing false witnesse he shal be depriued and put from his holy orders and punished like other malefactors againe by the institution of those Apostles if any person either Ecclesiastical or Lay doe lie with his wife or bee polluted in sleepe hee commeth not into the Church for the space of foure and twenty houres after nor is it lawfull for menstruous women to come into the Church vnlesse vpon the seuenth day after their sicknesse and then to haue all their garments throughly washed which they wore during the time of their monthly disease and they themselues purged from all filth A woman also that bringeth forth a man child must not come into the Church till after the fortith day and if she brought forth a woman child then shee must not come into the Church till after the eighteeth day This is our custome founded vpon the ancient law and also vpon the Apostolicke law which lawes ordinances and precepts wee obserue as diligently in al points as possible may bee Moreouer we bee prohibited that neither swine nor dogs nor other such beasts shall enter into our Churches Also wee may not goe to the Church but bare footed neither is it lawfull for vs to laugh walke or talke of prophane matters in the Church nor once there to spit hawke or him because the Churches of Aethiopia bee not like vnto that land where the people of Israell did eate the Paschall lambe departing from Egipt in which place God commanded them to eate it with their shooes on and girded with their girdles by reason of the pollution of the earth but they bee like vnto Mount
redeeming thence Adam his sons Al these things Christ did wherfore he was replenished with diuinity and that diuinity was with his soule also with his most holy body which diuinity gaue vertue to the crosse which diuinity he euer had yet hath commune with the Father in Trinity Vnity nor did that Christ while he walked vpō the earth euer want his diuinity for the least twinckling of an eye After this he was buried and the third day the same Iesus Christ the Prince of resurrection Iesus Christ the chiefe of the Priests Iesus Christ the King of Israel arose againe with great power and fortitude and after all things were fulfilled which the holy Prophets fore-shewed hee ascended with great glorie triumph into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of the Father and he shall come againe in glorie carrying his crosse before his face and the sword of Iustice in his hand to iudge both the quicke and the dead of whose kingdome shall be no end I beleeue one holy Catholike and Apostolike Church I beleeue one Baptisme which is the remission of sinnes I hope for and beleeue the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come Amen I beleeue in our Ladie the blessed Virgin Mary a Virgin I say both in spirit and flesh who as the mother of Christ is the charity of all people the Saint of Saints and Virgin of Virgins whome I do worshippe all manner of wayes I beleeue the sacred wood of the crosse to bee the bed of the sorow of our Lord Iesus Christ the son of God which Christ is our saluation by whome wee be saued a scandall to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentils But we preach and beleeue the strength of the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ euen as S. Paul our Doctor hath taught vs. I beleeue S. Peter to be the rocke of the lawe which law is founded vpon the holy Prophets the foundation and head of the Catholike and Apostolike Church both east and west where euer is the name of our Lord Iesus Christ the power of which Church Peter the Apostle hath and the keyes of the kingdome of heauen with which he can shut and open loose and bind and hee shall sit with the other Apostles his fellowes vpon twelue seats with honor and praise with our Lord Iesus Christ who in the day of Iudgement shall pronounce the sentence vpon vs which day to the Saints shall be cause of ioy but to the wicked griefe and gnashing of teeth when they shall bee cast out into the burning flames of hell fire with their father the Diuell I beleeue that the holy Prophets and Apostles Martyrs and Confessors were the right imitators of Christ whom with the most blessed Angels of God I worship honor in like maner also do I imbrace affect as their followers Also I beleeue that vocall and auricular confession of all my sinnes is to bee made to the priest by whose prayers through Christ our Lord I hope to obtain saluation Moreouer I acknowledge the B. of Rome to bee the chiefPastor of the sheep of Christ yeelding obedience vnto all Patriarks Cardinals Archb. Bishops of whom he is head as vnto the Ministers of Christ himselfe This is my faith and law and of al the people of Aethiopia that be vnder the power of Precious Iohn which faith the loue of Christ be so confirmed amongst vs as with the help of our Sauiour I shall neuer deny it neither by death fire nor sword which faith all we shall carry with vs in the day of iudgment before the face of the same Lord Iesus Christ Now hauing gone thus farre I will expresse the discipline doctrine and law which the Apostles in their holy books of Councels and Canons which we call Manda Abethylis haue taught vs and of those bookes of the ordonances of the Church there be 8. all which were compiled by the Apostles when they were assembled together at Ierusalem wherof making great inquiry of many Doctours after I came into Portugall I found none that did remember them The obseruatiōs which the Apostles prescribed vnto vs in these bookes be these following First that we ought to fast euery wednesday in remembrance of the Iewes Councell for vpon that day they consulted and decreed amongst themselues that Christ shold be killed and that we shold fast euery Friday vpon which day Christ Iesus was crucified and died for our sins and vpon these two dayes we are commanded to fast till the Sun-setting They also inioyned vs to fast with bread water the forty daies of Lent and to pray seuen times in the day and night By those edicts also we be bound to celebrate our sacrifice vppon Wednesdayes and Fridayes in the euening because at that time our Lord Iesus Christ yeelded vp the ghost vpon the holy Crosse They willed also that vpon Sundaies we should al assemble together in the holy church at the third houre of the day from the Sun rising to reade and heare the bookes of the Prophets and that after that we should preach the Gospell and celebrate Masse Moreouer they appointed nine festiuall daies to be celebrated in memorie of Christ to wit the Annunciation the Natiuity the Circumcision the Purification or Candlemas his Baptisme Palm sunday vnto the octaues of good Friday as we term it which be 12. dayes the Ascension also and the Feast of Penticost with their holy dayes And by the precepts of these bookes we eate flesh euery day without any exception from the Feast of Easter vnto Penticost neither bee we bound to fast in all this time vnto the octaues of Penticost which thing we do for the more honour reuerence of the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ They will vs also to celebrate the day of the death assumption of the Virgin Mary with all honor Moreouer besides the precepts of the Apostles one of the Precious Iohns surnamed The seed of Iacob ordained that besides these dayes euery thirtith yere 3. dayes should be celebrated in honor of the same blessed Virgin he also commanded one day in euery moneth to be celebrated for the Natiuity of our Sauior Christ which is euer the 25. day of the month in like manner he appointed one day in euery moneth to be kept holy in honor of S. Michael Furthermore by the cōmandement of the Apostles Synods wee celebrate the day of the Martyrdom of S. Stephen and of other Martyrs We he bound also by the institution of the Apostles to sollemnize two dayes to wit the Sabbath and the Lords day in which daies it is not lawfull for vs to do any manner of businesse no not the least trifle The Sabbath day we obserue for this cause for that God hauing perfected the Creation of the world rested vpon that day which day as it was his will it should be called the Holy of Holies so if that day should not be reuerenced
of Rhodes Scicilia Corsica Sardinia and of some few besides So far hath that most cruel enemy of mankinde preuailed by bringing in such diuersity of manners such hatefull and damnable superstitious abuses in ceremonies and sacred things that whilest euery nation contendeth by strongest arguments to prooue that the GOD which they worship and adore is the true and great GOD and that they onely goe the way of eternall happinesse and all others the by-path that leadeth to perdition Whilest also euery sect indeauoureth to aduance and set forth themselues it insueth that each one persecuting other with mortall enmity and deadly hatred it is not onely daungerous to trauell into forraine nations but in a manner vtterly bard and prohibited which I perswade my selfe is the cause that the names of bordering nations beeing scarce knowne to their neerrest neighbors whatsoeuer is either written or reported of them is now accounted fabulous and vntrue the knowledge whereof notwithstanding hath euer beene reputed so pleasant so profitable and so praise-worthy as it is most manifest that for the loue and desire thereof onely without other cause at all very many forsaking father and mother wife and children countrie and kin and that which is more neglecting their owne health haue aduentured through great difficulties and daungers care and troubles long and tedious iourneies into forraine nations onely to furnish themselues with experience So as it is vndoubtedly true that not in these daies onely but almost from the beginning of the world All those haue bin generally esteemed men of greatest authority wisdome and learning and by open consent haue beene elected and chosen Maisters and Gouernours Councellors and Iudges Captaines and Controllers who hauing sometimes trauelled strang countries haue knowne the manners of many people and cities for euer as those auncient Philosophers of Greece and Italy which were first founders of sundry sects wherin they instructed their Disciples Schollers as namely Socrates of the Socratick sect Plato of the Academicke Aristotle of the Peripatick Antisthines of the Cynick Aristyppus of the Cyrenaicke Zeno of the Stoicke and Pithagoras of the Pithagoricke As also those old law-giuers Minos and Rhodomanthus to the men of Creete Orpheus to those of Thrace Draco Solon to the Athenians Licurgus to the Lacedemonians Moses to the Iewes Zamolxis to the Scythians and many others which wee see haue set down to their people diuers prescript ceremonies ciuil disciplines inuented not of those seueral sects disciplines and lawes within their city walles but learned and brought them from the Caldeans themselues beeing the most wise men of the world from the Indian Philosophers the Brackmans Gymnosophists and from the Aegiptian Priests with whom sometimes they were conuersant To conclude wee plainely perceiue that those most renowned worthies Iupiter of Creete who was reported to haue measured the world fiue times ouer and his two sonnes of like disire and successe Dionysius surnamed Bacchus and valiant Hercules and Theseus his imitator Iason with the rest of the Greekes which went with him for the golden Fleece wether-beaten Vlisses and Aencas the outcast of Troy Cyrus Darius Xerxes Alexander the Great Hanibal the Carthaginiā Mithrydate king of Pontus expert in the language of fifty nations the great Antiochus and innumerable other Romane Princes and Gouernors the Scipios the Marii the Lentuli Pompey the Great Iulius Caesar Octauian Augustus the Constantines Charles Othones Conrades Henries and Frederickes haue by their warlike expeditions into forraine nations purchased vnto themselues an euerlasting fame and immortal memory Wherefore seeing there is so great pleasure and profit in the knowledge of countries and of their manners and also seeing it is not in euery mans power nor yet lawfull for many causes for euery one to trauel and behold lands far remote thou maist good gentle reader as wel by reading comprehend vnderstand the most renowned customes of al nations and the seueral sytuation of each country expressed in this booke and that as readily with as much pleasure as if taking thee by the hand I shold lead thee through euery nation one after an other faithfully relate vnto thee in what place and vnder what kind of gouernment each nation haue liued heretofore and now doe liue Nor would I haue thee distasted or carried away for that by some too seuere reformer it may bee obiected and laide in my teeth that I haue produced for new and for mine owne a matter written long agoe and heretofore handled of no lesse then a thousand Authors and that I haue vsed only their words without alteration But if thou diligently marke my purpose thou shalt find that in imitation of that liberal houshoulder to whom Christ in the Gospell compared euery learned scribe I haue presented thee my kinde guest with some things as well out of mine owne braine as wholy extracted from the hidden treasure of my bookes and not onely with borowed and vnknowne stuffe but with sundry new dainties of mine owne deuising Farewel and what euer thou findest herein accept in good part To the Reader in commendation of this worke NOt Soline Pliny Trogus nor Herodotus of worth Not Strabo best Geographer that Cretish Isle brought forth Not true historian Siculus nor yet Berosus sage Nor any other writer else within this latter age Not Siluius after Pius Pope the second of that name Nor yet Sabellicus whose workes deserue immortal fame In volums large doe touch so neere the state of th' viniverse As doth the Author of this booke in sewer words reherse For here each part of Asiae soile distinctly you may find Th' Arabians Persians and the Meades the Scythians the Inde The Sirian and Assirian and all the Parthians race The Getes and Dacians Europs Scythes the people ecke of Thrace The Sauromates and those which in Pannonia doe remaine The Germaine the Italian the French and those of Spaine The Irish and the British Isles of Islands all the best And Affricke nations al which first old Affrican possest The Aethiops and the Carthage men and those of Aegipt-land And al the people that doe dwel on the dry Libian sand And many more inhabitants of diuers Isles beside And where the sect of Mahomet most chiefly doth abide What ample large and spatious lands doe honor Christ their head And through what kingdomes of the world his faithfull flocke are spread FINIS The manners lawes and customes of all Nations LIB 1. The true opinions of Diuines concerning mans originall CAP. 1. WHen the diuine Maiestie vpon the first day of Creation had finished this great and wonderfull Architecture of heauen and earth which of his beauty and elegant forme is called the world and all things contained within the compasse thereof vpon the sixt day hee created man of purpose that hee might haue all other things in full fruition and be Lord and Gouernour ouer them and making him the noblest of all other Creatures
by certaine women asfigned to that businesse he answereth in the middle of the people and all men to whom he speaketh ought to listen vnto him kneeling vpon their knees when how long soeuer his speech be and so diligently to attend his words as they misconster not his meaning in any point for it is not lawfull for any to alter the Emperours words nor in any sort to contradict or gaine-say the sentence hee pronounceth hee neuer drinketh in any publick assembly nor yet any other Tartarian Prince vnlesse some doe sing and play vnto him vppon a harpe before hee drinke and men of great worth when they ride are shadowed with a certaine fanne or curtaine fastned to a long speare and caried before them which custome is said to be vsed also by the women And these were the customes and maner of liuing of the people of Tartary about two hundred yeares sithence The Georgiani whom the Tartarians ouercame much about that time were worshippers of Christ obseruing the custome of the Greeke Church they dwelt neere vnto the Persians and their dominion extended a length wayes from Palestine to the Caspian hilles they had eighteene Bishopricks and one Catholicke or vniuersall Bishop who was insteed of a Patriarch at the first they were subiect to the Patriarch of Antioch the men be very warlike their Priests heads bee shauen round and the lay-men foure square some of their women were trained vp in the warres and serued on horseback The Georgians hauing disposed their armies and entering into the battell were wonte to carouse a gourd as bigge as ones fist filled full of the best wine and then to set vpon their enimies with greater courage The Cleargie bee much addicted to vsury and symonie there was mutuall and perpetuall enmity betwixt the Armenians and them The Armenians were Christians also vntill the Tartarians after they had subdued the Georgians ouer-came them likewise but they disagreed in many things from the faith and approoued fashion of the true Church they knew not the day of our Lords natiuitie for they obserued no feasts nor no vigils nor yet the foure Ember weekes they feasted not vpon Easter Eue alledging that Christ rose from the dead about the euening of that day they would eate flesh vpon euery Friday betwixt the feasts of Easter and Penticost yet they fasted much beginning their fast so strictly and precisely in Lent as they would neither vse oyle wine nor fish vpon Fridayes and Wednesdayes throughout the whole Lent holding it a greater sinne to drinke wine on those dayes then to lye with a strumpet in a brothell house Vpon Mondayes they abstained wholy from all meates vpon Tuesdayes and Thursdayes they did eate once and receiued no sustenance at all vpon Wednesdayes and Fridayes but vpon Saterdayes and Sundayes they would eate flesh and refresh themselues well They would not celebrate the office of the Masse throughout all Lent but vpon Saterdaies and Sundaies nor vpon Fridayes throughout the whole yeare for thereby as they were of opinion they brake and violated their fasts Infants moreouer of the age of two months and all others whatsoeuer were indifferently admitted to their communion and they put no water into the Sacrifice In the vse of Hares Beares Choughes and such other like creatures they imitated the Iewes as well as the Greekes they celebrated their Masses in glasse and wodden Chalices and some hauing no paraments nor Priest-like vestiments at all some of them also wore Miters belonging to Deacons or Subdeacons both Clergie and Lay-men allowed of vsury and Symony as well as the Georgians the Priests exercised themselues in Diuinations and Negromancie they vsed more drinking then lay men and all of them had or might haue wiues but after the death of one wife as well lay-men as the clergy men were prohibited to marry againe the Bishops gaue liberty to any to put away their wiues that were sound in adultery and to marry an other they beleeued not that there is a purgatory and obstinately denyed that there was two natures in Christ The Georgians report that they erred in thirty articles from the right path and diameter of Christian religion Of Turcia and of all the manners lawes and ordinances of the Turkes CHAP. 11. THat country which is now called Turcia or Turkie hath vpon the East the greater Armenia and extendeth to the Cilicke sea vpon the North it is bounded with the Euxine sea Aitonus calleth it Turquia it consisteth of many Prouinces as Lycaonia wherein Iconium is the chiefe towne Cappadocia where Cesaria is chiefe citty of the Prouince Isauria where Seleucia is head Licia now called Briquia Ionia now called Quiscum wherein standeth the citty of Ephesus Paphlagonia where Germanopolis and Lenech where Trapezus be chiefe cities All this vast country which is now called Turcia is not inhabited by one onely people but by Turkes Greekes Armenians Sarrasins Iacobitans Nestorians Iewes Christians all of them for the most part liuing after the lawes and institutions which that false Prophet Mahomet a Sarrasin ordained for the people of Arabia in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ 631. This Mahomet some say was an Arabian some a Persian but whether he was it is doubtfull but his father was certainly a worshipper of euill spirits his mother an Ismaelite and therfore not ignorant in the true law now whilst his father and mother instructed him in both their lawes they distracted the boy and made him doubtfull and wauering betwixt both so as being trained vp in both religions when hee grew of mans estate he followed neither of them but being a very crasty fellow of a subtill wit and long conuersant with Christians he framed and inuented out of both those lawes a religion most dangerous and pernicious to all mankinde First he affirmed that the Iewes did very ill in denying that Christ should be borne of a Virgin seeing that the Prophets men of wonderfull sanctity and integrity of life indued with the spirit of God did long before prophesie and soreshew that it should be so and that hee was to bee expected on the other side he condemned the Christians folly in beleeuing that Iesus the deerest friend of God borne of a Virgin would suffer reproches punishments of the Iewes Martinus Segonius Nouomontanus hath written thus of the Sepulcher of Christ our King and Lord. The Sarrasins and Turkes saith he by the ancient preaching of Mahomet laugh the Christians to scorne which attribute any honor to that Sepulcher affirming that the great Prophet Christ proceeded from the spirit of God that he was voide of all earthly blot or sinne and that hee he shall come to be iudge of all people but that they may approach vnto his true Sepulcher they vtterly deny because his glorious body conceiued by the diuine spirit was altogether impassible thus much hath Segonius written more to the same purpose which the Mahometans are wont to
twy-light Mattins in the morning and their houres at the first third sixt and ninth houre of the day and that all this if it be possible should be done in the Church humbly kneeling or standing before the Altar with their faces towards the East The Lords prayer and the Apostles Creed were then vsed to be sayd as they are now at this day Saint Hierome at the instance of Pope Damasus distributed and digested the Psalmes by the dayes assigning to euery houre his proper Psalmes and their number as nine at nocturns vpon holy dayes and 12. vpon working daies for the laudes at Mattins fiue fiue at euen-song and at all other houres three and it was chiefly he that disposed and set in order the Gospels Epistles all other things which as yet be read out of the old new Testament sauing only the hymnes Damasus diuiding the Quire of singing men into two parts appointed them to sing in course the Anthemes written by S. Ambrose Bishop of Millaine added Gloria Patri to the end of euery Antheme The Toletan Agathon Councels allowed the lessons hymnes which be read before euery houre The prayers grails tracts alleluias offertories communions in the Masse anthems versicles tropes and other things sung and read to the honor of God in the office of the Masse as well for the day as night were penned by S. Gregory Gelasius Ambros and diuers others of the holy Fathers not all at once but at diuers times The Masse for so is that sacrifice called was celebrated at the first in that simple furniture and plaine manner as it is now vsed vpon Easter Eue. Pope Celestinus added the Priests manner of entrance to the altar the Gloria in excelsis was annexed by Telesphorus the hymne which begins et in terra was composed by Hillarie Bishop of Poictiers and was afterwards by Symachus ordained to be sung The salutations taken out of the booke of Ruth which the priest pronounceth 7. times in the Masse by saying Dominus vobiscum were appointed by Clement Anacletus Gelasius disposed the rest to the offertory in the Order they be now vsed except the Sequentiae which are said after the Masse and these Nicholas added the Apostles Creed which Damasus annexed vnto them out of the Constantinopolitan councell The Sermon which is preached to the people by the priest or deacon standing in a pulpit vppon holy-daies was rather vsed by tradition after the examples of Nehemias or Esdras then instituted by any other in which Sermon the people that be present at Masse bee admonished to communicate as in duty they are bound and that they should imbrace mutual loue that they should be purged from their sins not be polluted with vices when they receiue the Sacrament of the altar and for that cause he concludeth his Sermon with the publike confession of sinners he declareth moreouer vnto them the contents of the old and new Testament and putteth them in mind of the ten Commandements the twelue Articles of our beleefe the seuen Sacraments of the Church the liues and Martyrdomes of Saints the holy-holy-dayes and fasting daies instituted and ordained by the Church the vices and vertues and all other things necessarie for a Christian to know Pope Gregory added the Offertory to the Masse and Leo the Prefaces Gelasius and Sixtus the greater and lesser Canons and Gregory the Lords prayer out of the Gospell of Saint Mathew Martial Saint Peters Disciple instituted that Bishoppes should giue the benediction and Innocentius that inferior Priests should offer the Pax Agnus Dei was adioyned by Sergius the Communion by Gregorie and the Conclusion in these wordes Ite missa est Benedicamus Domino or Deo gratias was inuented by Pope Leo. The twelue Articles of our Faith which the holy Apostles haue commanded euery one not onely to acknowledge but most constantly to beleeue be these following The first that there is one God in Trinitie the Father Almightie Maker of heauen and earth the second That Iesus Christ is his onely begotten Sonne our Lord the third that he was conceiued of the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary the fourth that he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried the fift that he descended into hell and the third day rose againe from the dead the sixt that he ascended into heauen and that there hee sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty the seuenth that he shall come againe in glorie to iudge both the quicke and the dead the eight that there is a holy Ghost the ninth that there is a holy Catholike Church the tenth that there is a Communion of Saints and remission of sinnes the eleuenth that there is a resurrection of the flesh and the twelfth that there is an eternall life after death in another world The tenne Commandements which were written with the finger of God and deliuered by the hands of his seruant Moses to the people of Israel and which he willed vs to obserue and keepe be these following The first to beleeue that there is one God the second not to take the name of God in vaine the third to keepe holy the Sabbath day the fourth to honour our fathers and betters the fift to do no murther the sixt not to commit adulterie the seuenth not to steale the eighth not to beare false witnesse the ninth not to couet other mens goods and the tenth not to desire another mans wife nor any thing that is his The seuen Sacraments of the Church which bee included in the last fiue Articles of our faith and which the holy Fathers haue commanded vs to beleeue be these following First Baptisme and this Sacrament heretofore as it was established by a canonicall sanction was not ministred vnto any vnlesse vpon very vrgent necessitie but vnto such as were afore-hand well instructed in the faith and sufficiently catechised and examined thereof seuen sundrie times to wit vpon certaine dayes in Lent and vppon the vigils of Easter and Penticost beeing the vsuall times for consecration in all Parishes But this Sacrament beeing aboue all the rest most necessarie vnto saluation and least any one should depart out of this life without the benefit thereof it was ordained that as soon as an infant was borne he should haue God-fathers procured for him to be his witnesses or sureties and that then the child beeing brought by his God-fathers before the church doore the Priest standing there for the purpose should demand of the child before he dippe him in the holy Font whether he will forsake the Diuell and all his pompes and whether he stedfastly beleeue all the Articles of the Christian faith and the God-fathers affirming on his behalfe the Priest bloweth three times in the Infants face and when he hath exorcized and catechized him he doth these seuen things in order vnto the child first he putteth hallowed salt into his mouth secondly hee annointeth his eyes eares and
receiued his griefe must be so hearty effectual as he must thereby assuredly hope to bee reconciled againe vnto God then must he humbly acknowledge and make verball recitall vnto some reuerent priest his confessor as vnto the vicar and minister of God of al thse sins offences as were causers of the losse of that innocency stirred vp the wrath of God against him then let him firmly beleeue that such power and authority is giuen by Christ vnto his priests ministers on earth that they can cleerely absolue him from al such sins as he confesseth is heartily sory for Lastly for a satisfaction amends for al his sins let him with alacrity cheerefulnes vndergo do whatsoeuer his confessor shall enioyne him beleeuing most stedfastly that he is absolued from al his sins as soone as the priest hath pronounced the words of absolution 7 The seuenth and last Sacrament is the Sacrament of extreame vnction which is ministred with oyle which for that purpose is yeerely consecrated and hallowed in euery Diocesse by the bishop himselfe vpon the thursday before Easterday as the holy Chrisine is cōsecrated by the priest This Sacrament according to the councel of the holy Apostle Saint Iames the institutiō of Pope Felix the 4. is ministred only to such as are at the point of death of ful age and not then neither vnlesse they desire it and by the prescript form repeating of the words of the Sacramēt often inuocation of the Saints those parts of the body being annointed which are the seats of the fiue sences seeing hearing tasting smelling and touching and are the chiefest instrumēts in offending as the mouth eyes eares nose hands and feet the holy fathers haue bin euer of this opinion and firme beleefe that he which is so anointed receiueth it worthily is not only thereby remitted purged frō al his light and venial sins but is either sodenly restored to his former health or else yeeldeth vp his spirit in more tranquility and peace of conscience The festiual daies which were cōmanded to be obserued in The festiuall dayes which were commanded to be obserued in the Church throughout the yeare begin with the Aduent of our Lord Iesus Christ In which by the institution of Saint Peter in the month of December the continuall exercise of fasting and prayer was commanded for full three weekes and a halfe together before the feast of the Natiuity of our Lord with vs called Christmas which with all ioy and solemnity is celebrated all the last eight dayes of December The yeare is deuided into 52. weekes the weekes into twelue months and euery month for the most part into thirty dayes vpon the first day of Ianuary the Church celebrateth the circumcision of our Lord according to the law of Moses Vpon the third day after is represented vnto vs how our Sauiour Christ by the adoration of the three Kings and his beeing Baptised of Iohn in the riuer Iordane laid the foundation of the new law vpon the second of February is shewed how his imaculate mother shewing her selfe obedient to the ceremonies of the Iewes presented her sonne Iesus in the Temple and was purified in memory whereof there is on that day a solemne procession vsed by the Church and all the tapers and wax lights bee then hallowed Vpon the 25. day of March is represented vnto vs the Annuntiation of the birth of Christ to the Virgin Mary by the Angel and how he was conceiued in her wombe by the inspiration of the holy ghost at which time is commended vnto vs also the remembrance of the forty daies which our Sauiour when he liued here on earth amongst vs vouchsafed to fast willing vs likewise to fast that time after his example then to celebrate his passion and death which willingly he offered himselfe to suffer to enfranchise and redeeme vs from the thraldome and slauery of the diuell Vpon the last day of which feast which often falleth out in Aprill is solemnised the greatest of all feasts how Christ hauing conquered death descended into hell where after hee had ouercome the Diuell he returned aliue againe to his Disciples and in a glorified body appeared vnto them In May is solemnized his Ascension into Heauen by his owne vertue in the sight of al his Disciples at which time by the ordinance of Saint Mamertine Bishoppe of Vienna it was instituted that throughout the whole Christian world Pilgrimages and processions should bee vsed vpon that day from one Church to an other In Iune and sometimes in May is the feast of the comming of the Holy Ghost who being before promised was on that day infused vpon all the Disciples of our Sauiour Christ appearing vnto them in the forme of fiery tongs by vertue whereof they spake and vnderstood the languages of all nations The eight day after is the feast of the blessed Trinity and then out of the first decretal of Pope Vrban the sixt the feast of Corpus Christi was instituted and with great solemnity generally celebrated the fifth day after Trinity Sunday as a perpetual memoriall of the most wholesome Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ by him bequeathed vnto vs in his last supper vnder the formes of bread and wine and continually of vs to be seene and eaten after his departure vpon the fifteenth day of Iuly wee are put in minde by a new festiuity of the departure of the blessed Apostles according to their seueral alotment the twelfth yeare after the assention of our Lord into heauen to preach the Gospell vnto all nations of the world The death of the Mother of Christ is celebrated the fifteenth day of August and her natiuity the eight of September How being presented in the Temple she continued in the dayly seruice of God from three yeares of age till shee was maryageable is shewed the one and twentih day of nouember vpon the eight day of December the Church reuerenceth her immaculate conception of her long barren parents And the second of Iuly how passing ouer the Mountaines shee visited her Cosin Elizabeth There are likewise holy-daies dedicated to the memory of the twelue Apostles of whom some were martirs some confessors and some Virgins as namely the twenty foure of February to Saint Mathias the twenty fiue of Aprill to Saint Marke the Euangelist on which day Saint Gregory ordained the litanies called the greater litanies to be said To Saint Philip and Iacob the elder the first of May to Saint Peter and Paul the twenty nine of Iune the twenty foure day of which moneth is dedicated to the natiuity of Saint Iohn Baptist the twenty fiue of Iuly to Saint Iames the younger to Saint Bartholemew the twenty foure of August to S. Mathew the twenty one of September the twenty eight of October to S. Simon and Iude the last of Nouember to Saint Andrew the twenty one of December to Saint Thomas and the twenty seauen
of the same month to the Euangelist Saint Iohn the next day before Saint Iohns day is dedicated to Saint Seeuen the first Martir and the next after to the blessed Innocents the tenth of August to Saint Lawrence the twenty three of Aprill to Saint George To Saint Martin and S. Nicholas onely of all the confessors are dedicated particular feasts to the one the sixt of December to the other the eleuenth of Nouember the twenty fiue of nouember to Saint Katherne the Virgin and to Saint Mary-Magdalen the second of Iuly They haue likewise appoynted one day to be kept Holy and dedicated to all the blessed Angells in the name of Saint Michells feast the Arch-Angell and the first of Nouember as a generall feast and common solemnity to all the Saints and elect of God Furthermore vpon euery seuenth day called by the name of Sunday they haue commanded all Christians as the Iewes did on their Sabboth to abstaine from all seruile labours which day they must onely spend in the seruice of God and hearing of Masse in the Church to heare the Gospell and precepts of faith explained and taught by the Priests in their Sermons and to pray and make satisfaction to God for all such offences whereby wee haue cause to feare that wee haue in the other sixe dayes any way prouooked the wrath of God towards vs. In times past euery fift day was in this manner kept holy but least wee should seeme to leane vnto the custome of Idolaters who on that day did sacrifice to Iupiter it was otherwise determined Moreouer the Priests and people did vse euery Sunday and Thursday before Masse to goe on procession about the Church and then the Priests sprinckled holy water vpon the people and this ceremony did Pope Agapite institute in remembrance of the Ascention of Christ in that glorious day of his resurrection which is celebrated with a perpetuall festiuitie Sunday after Sunday as it were by so many Octaues all the yeare about All the Cleargie and people by the institutions of the Church were wont to watch all those nights which went before the principall solemne feasts but in respect of sundry enormous scandalls and crimes committed in the darke by lewde people vnder pretext of watching that vse was taken away and prohibited and insteed thereof the day immediatly before euery such solemne feast was commanded to bee fasted which fasting dayes doe yet retaine the name of Vigils The ancient Fathers haue determined that the Church shall represent vnto vs foure things in her yearly seruice from Septuagesima sunday so called of the seauenty dayes included between that Easter the Church representeth vnto vs the fast of our Lord Iesus Christ his passion death and buriall and besides these the miserable fall of our forefathers as also those grosse errors of mankinde through which being drawne from the knowledge and worship of the true God they haue fallen to the prophane worship of Idols and malicious diuels together with the slauish and intollerable seruitude which the people of Israel were subiect vnto vnder Pharoa King of Egipt for which cause the bookes of Exodus and Genesis are read in the seruice of the Church which all that time weareth a mourning habite both in her seruice and ceremonies from the Octaues of Easter till the Octaues of Whitsuntide the Church celebrateth the Refurrection and Ascention of Christ and the comming of the Holy Ghost and withall the redemption and reconciliation of mankind to God the Father by his sonne Christ of all which the Reduction of the children of Israell to the land of Promise was a figure wherfore the bookes of the New Testament are then read and all things expresse mirth and reioycing From the Octaues of Whitsunday till Aduent which is twenty weekes and more wee are appointed to celebrate the miracles and conuersation of our Sauiour Christ whilest hee liued amongst vs in the world as likewise that long peregrination of mankinde from generation to generation since the redemption of the world euen to the last day thereof Wherefore in respect of the multitude of vncertainties through which wee are tossed like a ship in the raging sea the Church exceedeth neither in ioy nor sadnesse but to the end that we should walke warily and be able to resist all turbulent stormes she readeth for our instruction and hartning diuerse bookes of the New and Old Testament Moreouer from the time of Aduent to the feast of the Natiuity wee are put in minde of the time betwixt Moses and the comming of the Messias in which interim mankinde beeing assured of their saluation by him out of the law and Prophets did with most ardent desire expect his comming and future raigne ouer them for which cause they haue caused the Prophets to be read and this time to be fasted that the Church being instructed in the one exercised by the other should both worthily and ioyfully as it were with one continuall solemnity celebrate the natiuity of Christ her Sauiour which alwayes falleth the weeke after Aduent till Septuagessima receiuing him into the world with all deuotion and with condigne ioy and exultation accepting the first apparance of their saluātiō The Oratories or Temples which are vsually called Churches they would not suffer to be erected without licence of the Bishop of the Diocesse whose office is after all things necessary for the buildings bee prepared and the place where it shall stand agreed vpon to blesse the first corner stone of the foundation to put on it the signe of the crosse and to lay it Eastward towards the Sunne rising which done it is lawfull for the workemen to lay on lime and to goe on with their building This Church is to bee built after the forme of mans body or of a crosse The Quire in which the high Altar is to bee placed and where the Clergie doe sing whereof it is so called must represent the head and it is to bee built towards the East and to bee made rounder and shorter then the rest of the building and because the eyes are placed in the head it is therefore to be made more lightsome and to be seperated from the body of the Church with barres as it were with a neck adioyning herevnto must stand a steeple or more properly two on eyther side one insteed of eares and in these ought bells to be hanged to call and summon the people by their sound to diuine seruice The lower part of the building must be euery way so disposed as that it may aptly expresse and represent the armes and feete and the rest of the body with a conuenient length and breadth There ought to bee also a priuate roome with partitions which is vsually built vnder one of the Turrets hauing a doore opening into the Quire in which the holy Vessels ornaments and other necessaries belonging to the Church may bee kept This priuate roome is called the Vestery There must bee two rowes of pillars
other for that the whole world is the vniuersall Temple and open Sanctuary of God And that those which build and erect Churches Monasteries and Oratories do goe about to restraine and limit Gods power and Maiesty That Preests Vestiments Ornaments for the Altar Palls surplices Chalices Patines and such other like vessells are trifles and trash of no moment and that the Priest hath power to consecrate the body of our Lord at all times and in euery place and to minister it to those which desire it and that it is sufficient onely to prouonce the words of consecration That we ought not to pray to Saints to be intercessors for vs vnto Christ and that it is lost time that is spent in singing or saying the Canonicall houres That no dayes should be kept holy from labour but the Lords day only that no feast daies should bee celebrated in honour of the Saints and that by the institutions of the Church fasting is of no merit The report also is that the Boemian Priests do minister the Sacrament of the body of our Lord vnto infants and to all others indifferently vnder both formes which is a greater sacrifice than that which is vsed in the Church of Rome and one George Poggebratius is saidt o be the Author of this Ministration One Picardus comming out of France infected this nation with this monstrous and abhominable madnesse for hee hauing intised a great number of the baser sort both of men and women to bee his followers instructed them to goe naked and as the author of all licentious liuing called them Addamites by whose instructions venery was openly practised without difference of kindred or allyance and many other most horrible offences some of which sect are said to remayne as yet for there bee some Bohemians which bee therefore called Gruebenhamer which choose out for the excercising of their religion vautes and hollow caues in the ground and when their Priest according to their custome hath pronoūced this part of Genesis crescite et multiplicamini et replete terram that is increase and multiply and replenish the earth instantly they put out all their lights and fall to their lechery in the darke euery man with the woman hee first lighteth vpon without respect of age or kindred and when they haue finished their busiesse they light their lights againe and goe euery one into his owne place and so bee their ceremonies ended This execrable custome of that damnable sect is not much different frō those feasts called Bacchanalia which are first celebrated in Hetruria and afterwards in Rome by women in the night time who hauing pampered them-selues with wine and banketting accompanied with men in secret corners without difference or respect either of kindred or age whereby grew such confusion as oftentimes the mothers were defiled by their owne children and many other enormous villanies were perpetrated and done which they tooke their beginning as from the warehouse of all wickednesse The ringleaders of this preposterous celebration were first cut of at Rome when Quintus Martius Philippus and Posthumius Albinus were consulls as Sabellicus reporteth in his first Aenead and seauenth booke but this irreligious impiety and horrible heresie of the Boemians could not bee extirpated and rooted out in the raigne of foure Kings Veneceslaus Sigismundus Albertus and Vladislaus although they opposed them-selues against it with all their force and power Of Germany and of the customes of the Germaines CAP. 12. GERMANY is the largest nation of all Europ it lieth farre North and is deuided from France with the riuer of Rheyne from Rhetia and Pannonia with the riuer Danubius from Sarmatia and Dacia with certaine hills but more with the feare which one nation hath of the other and vpon all other sides it is inclosed with the ocean But the limits of Germany at this day exceed these bounds extend further comprehending vnder that name Rhetia Vindelitia Norica the vpper Pannonia the Alpes part of Illiria euen to the gates of the Citty of Trent All the country of Belgia in like sort which was heretofore vnder the French gouernment and all about the riuer of Rheyne are vnited to the Germaines imbracing both their law and language and forgetting or not daring or else scorning to call themselues French The Heluetians likewise by little and little haue almost lost both their name and speach and become perfect Germaines Germany challengeth as her own a great part of transalpine France besides all these the souldiers of Germany haue within the space of three hundred yeares brought vnder their subiection the Prutenia barbarous and cruell nation waining them from the worshiping of Idols to their owne language and the Christian religion this country therefore as now it is compared vnto what it was before it will appeare that it hath added more to it selfe from forraine nations then was formerly comprehended in his owne limits All Germany was once deuided into two parts wherof that part which is nearest vnto the Alpes was called the higher Germany the other the lower which lieth northward and towards the Ocean this partition doth yet continue and the higher part is now called Alemania as some thinke of a certaine lake or riuer called Alemanus and each of these parts consisteth of sundry Prouinces for the higher Germany going vpwards from the riuer Moganus which runneth along by Franconia containeth Dauaria Austria Styria Athesis Rhetia Heluetia Sueuia Alsatia and the Prouince of Rheine vnto the citty Mentz in Almania The inferior or lower Germany hath in it Franconia a good part wherof towards the South is held to be in high Germany Hassia Lotharingia Brabant Gelderland Zeiland Holland Frysland Flanders Westphalia Saxonie Dacia Peninsula Pomeranià Liuonia Prussia Sletia Morauia Boemia Mysnia Marchia and Thuringia Germany although some parte thereof seemed better than other was first as Cornelius Tacitus writeth for the most part ether ouer-growne with woods or rouer-flown with waters being more base and barren to wards France and more subiect to stormes and tempests towards Noricum Styria Pannonia so that it yeelded neither fruite nor grayne onely it bred good store of cattell but such as were both little and low gold and siluer it affordeth none and therefore as a poore and base county it was dispised and very little regarded But surely Cornelius was either much deceyued or else the country is much altered from what it then was for Germany at this day is so pleasant and so plentifull of all things so beautified strengthened and addorned with famous Citties strong Castels and stately buildings as it is nothing inferior either to France Spaine or Italy for the heauens smyle vpon them the fields affords them store of fruites the Sunne solaceth him selfe amongst her hills shee hath whole mountaines of vynes woods at wil and all kinde of graine in abundance being watred on all sides with Rhene Danubius Moganus Albis Neccharus Sala Odera and with many
round about with the Hyrcanian wood which with his high hilles incloseth and defends it on all sides like a naturall wall and through it runne Sala Thuberus Neccharus and the nauigable Riuer Moganus These Riuers passe by many wide and large Valleys vppon the bankes whereof on both sides be planted great store of vineyards which yeeld wines so rare and of so great worth as they be transported into other countries far remote The land is fertile enough and not sandy and ouergrowne with Fearne as Aeneas Syluius reporteth sauing that part of the countrie which is now called Norica or in some places neere vnto riuers It yeeldeth great increase of barley wheate and all other kind of graine and pulse and no one part of Germanie affoordeth so many and so great Onions Rape rootes and Rape stalkes as this doth besides about Babenburge grow such great store of Lycoras rootes as they be caried away by cart loades It is full of gallant medowes and goodly Orchards very populous and abounding with beasts there is much fishing by reason of the multitude of Riuers and better hunting for the great store and varietie of wild beasts for the Princes preserue them of purpose in woods and forests making them stables and dennes to lye in and to defend them from winters boysterous and cold stormes allowing them meate also if need be and no priuate man may be suffered to take or hunt any of these beasts The whole countrie of Franconia is vnder the dominion of fiue princes whereof two be secular or lay Princes that is to say the Burgraue of Norinburg and the Count Palatine of Rhene and the other three bee ecclesiasticall Gouernors to wit the Bishops of Babenburg Herbipolis and Magnus The Bishop of Herbipolis holdeth his Duke-dome by hauing a naked sword and an ensigne or flag placed before him vppon the altar while he is at Masse And the first day that he entreth into the Metrapolitan or chiefe cittie and taketh vppon him the Episcopall seate he is vsually attended with a great troupe of gallant and excellent hors-men and when he is admitted and entred into the cittie he lighteth off his horse in the very gate of the cittie and there disrobeth himselfe of his vppermost garment and putteth on a poore and base coate and girdeth himselfe about the wast with a cord and in this humble manner bare headed and bare handed he goeth vp into the pallace vnto the Canonicall or Regular Priests who after they haue done their fealtie vnto him exalt and install him in his seate but before his instalment hee is conducted to the picture of some deuout Bishop that is dead where he is seriously and earnestly admonished to follow and imitate his examples who being elected of a poore student did notwithstanding gouerne the State of the Church vprightly as it ought And none of the linage of either Dukes or Earles may possesse this Cathedrall sea but onely such as be of the inferior Order of Nobilitie not for that it is not sufficient to maintaine a Prince for the possessions and reuenues bee very large and great but because none may enioy the Bishoppricke but onely such as be canonicall or regular persons which are for the most part of the meanest degree of Nobilitie To be Bishoppe of Herbipolis is a title of maruellous great dignitie and honour and when a Bishop is new created the custome is that at his first entrance into his Bishoppricke he should progresse ouer all his dominion and visit all the townes and villages which pay him tyth and in euery towne he bringeth out into the streetes whole hogsheads of wine with dishes for euery one to drinke that will The Franconians do nothing differ from the rest of the Germanes either in their apparell or shape of their bodies They be very laborious and none of them giuen to idlenesse but the women as wel as men plant in vineyards and yet by reason of their pouertie they sell their wines and drink water themselues Beere they cannot indure nor will haue any brought vnto them yet in Herbipolis vpon fasting daies those which will drinke no wine may buy it in dockes and roades without the cittie to drinke in steade of water The people be insolent arrogant and proude contemning all others in respect of themselues and so much giuen to cauilling and brawling as no stranger can indure to stay with them vnlesse he can flatter and dissemble and behaue himselfe discreetly and soberly but those which can indure their floutes and taunts and pocket vp their iniuries with patience may safely dwell with them for such they account and esteeme honest and sufficient men and permit them to marry wiues and enter into consanguinitie with them by which meanes many Suevians Bavarians and Hassians do dwell and continue in Franconia They be very deuout and religiously giuen and yet subiect to two horrible and execrable vices which are swearing and filching for they will glorie and vaunt themselues in blasphemie and horrible prophanation and account stealing a thing honest commendable and lawful because long vsed as a custom They obserue many strange ceremonies which I wil here set downe for the more credit and better approbation of such things as be written and reported of them by strangers In the nights of those fiue dayes of Aduent which go immediatly before the day of our Lords Natiuitie all the children of the towne both men-children and women-children go vppe and downe the streetes from one house to another knocking and beating at euery ones doore wishing them a happie and prosperous new yeare and shewing them in a song that the birth-day of our Sauiour Christ is nigh approching and euery houshold giueth them either apples peares nuttes or money or some other thing that they can best spare But with what ioy and exultation the birth-day of our Sauiour Iesus Christ is solemnized in their churches both by Priests and lay-people may be vnderstood by this Ceremonie following for then they place vppon the Altar the image of a young child in representation of the new birth of the babe Iesus which done the young men and maydes daunce and hoppe round about the Altar and those which be married and old folkes sing a song or hymne which kind of ceremonie is not much vnlike to the triumph and exultation which as Poets faine was vsed by the Coribants in a caue in the mountaine Ida about the image of their god Iupiter In the Kalends of Ianuarie which by their computation is the beginning of the yere is a sollemne meeting of friends and kinsfolkes together who ioyning their hands and lifting them vp to heauen with one heart and consent pray for a prosperous and happie new yeare spending all that day in pleasant congratulation meriments and drinking Which done they send new yeares gifts to their friends which bee absent which gifts the Romaines in their Feastes dedicated to Saturne which were solemnized about that time
called Saturnalitia and by the Greekes they be called Apophoreta that is to say presents or things giuen to guests to bee carried away with them This custome and ceremonie of theirs was described by the Author of this booke in these verses following O Christ the Word of Father deare c. In honor of thy blessed birth we celebrate eight dayes All which we spend in holy hymnes and chanting forth thy prayse And following thy examples true we gifts do often send Fat Capons Hares or some such thing vnto each louing friend Fine wafers stampt with Images and Pictures rarely signd Or basket full of Oranges doth argue friendly mind Ten Oranges that plumde and topt be with greene boxen crest And spices rare of sundry sorts in honor of this Feast Vpon the Feast day of the Epiphany of our Lord commonly called Twelfte-day euery family maketh a cake of flower hony ginger and pepper and therewith they elect and choose them a King in this maner following the good-wife of the house kneadeth and maketh the cake and in the moulding shee putteth a penny into it without consideration into what place of the cake she putteth it but euen at aduentures then doth she rake away the fire and bake it vppon the harth and when it is baked shee breaketh it into as many peeces as there be men in the whole houshold and so distributeth vnto euery one apart assigning one part thereof vnto Christ another to our blessed Ladie and three portions more to the three Wisemen for and in the name of an almes And in whose part soeuer the penny is found him doe the rest set in a chaire and lifting him vp on high three times with great iollity and mirth they salute him as their king and all the while hee is lifted vppe hee hath in his right hand a peece of chalke with which he maketh a great many crosses vppon the roofes of their chambers and parlours and these crosses they haue in great estimation thinking that by them they escape many dangers And there is no house throughout the whole countrey of Franconia especially if it be a dwelling house but in some one of these twelue nights which bee betwixt the Natiuitie of our Lord and the Epiphany it is perfumed either with Frankinsence or some other sweet smelling perfume against the deceits and illusions of Diuels and Sorcerers It were in vaine to mention in particular in what manner of Epicurisme the Franconians spend the three daies next before Lent if you knew what generall and wilfull madnesse possessed all the rest of Germanie at that time wherein the Franconians do equall them and in what licentious manner all of them then liue for all those three dayes the Germaines practise nothing else but eating drinking and playing plying it so lustily as though they should neuer eate or drinke more or as if with the Epicure they should say I will take my pleasure I will eat and drinke my belly full to day for to morow I shall die Euery one will inuent some new deuice or other to delight their minds and senses withall and to hold them in admiration and to the end they should not blush nor be dashed out of countenance in acting their apish toyes and interludes they maske their faces and change their habites the men wearing womens apparell and the women mens some represent Satyres and some play the diuels part beeing made blacke with woade or inke and cloathed in loathsome apparell like Diuels indeed Some others go starke naked imitating the Priests of Pan of whome I thinke the Germanes haue learned that yearely custome of doting and vnnaturall madnesse This their manner of reuelling differeth not much from the Feastes called Lupercalia which the noble young Romane gallants were wont to celebrate in the moneth of Februarie in honor of the Licaean Pan. For as those Romane youths went round about the Cittie naked and their faces besmered with bloud lashing all they met with cords and whips in rude and barbarous manner most loathsom to behold euen so the Germaines strike those they meete with bags stuft full of sand or ashes There is a strange custome vsed in many places of Germany vppon Ash-wednesday for then the young youth get all the maides together which haue practised dauncing all the yeare before and carrying them in a cart or tumbrell which they draw themselues in stead of horses and a minstrell standing a top of it playing all the way they draw them into some lake or riuer and there wash them well fauouredly What the reason of this ceremonie is I cannot perceiue but as I coniecture they imagine the doing of this to be a purgation and satisfaction to God for practising such light and wanton behauiour vppon Sundayes and Holy-dayes directly against the Canons and precepts of the Church In the middle of Lent at which time they be commanded by the Church to reioyce the youth of Germany where the Authour of this present Worke was borne make an Image of straw resembling the picture of Death and hanging it vppon aspeare carry it vp and downe the streetes with great showting and exclamations and many giue them good intertainment offering them such things as they vsually eate as peason milke and mellow peares and when they be wel refreshed they returne home again but some others on the contrarie part giue them Iohn Drums intertainment reuiling and beating them away frō their houses deeming the picture of death to bee ominous and a foretelling of their deaths indeed The like custome to this is vsed by the Franconians and at the same time for there the young men take an old cart wheele and couer it all ouer with straw and then being a great troupe of them together they cary it to the top of a high hil where after they haue sported themselues most part of the day vnlesse the cold driue them soone home in the euening they set it on fire and set it going downe the hil burning beeing a sight able to astonish the beholders that know not what it meanes for it tumbleth into the valley all of a flaming fire with such a pudder as if the Sunne or Moon should tumble downe from heauen Vppon Easter day some one of the wealthiest amongst them causeth certaine cakes to be made and giueth one or two of them to the young men and as many to the maydes and when they be all mette together a little before night in a plaine medow in the presence of an infinit number of spectators those which bee most nimble of footmanship runne for those cakes the yong men against yong men and the maides against maides Then haue they their solemne ceremonies at the dedication of their parish Churches which by the Institutions of the Church ought to be solemnized by all the parishioners once euery yeare with great ioy and banqueting to which solemnization come many yong men out of other parishes not for any deuotion they beare vnto the Churches
but onely to dance drinke and reuell for their manner of comming argueth little deuotion but rather an intention to brawle and quarrell for they come all well weaponed and Minstrils playing before them and often-times they fall out and goe together by the cares and part with crackt crownes The like kinde of meetings and assemblies we haue in many places of England which we call wakes Vpon Munday Tuesday and Wednesday in Rogation weeke or crosse weeke when as generall Letanies and Processions are vsed to bee said ouer all the Christian world there meete together at one Church in most parts of Franconia many crosses for by that name bee the whole company of parishioners called that goe the preambulation with the Procession and haue a banner with the signe of the crosse caried before them when many seuerall crosses or companies be mette together in one Church they sing not altogether but each seuerall company hath a seuerall quire and a seuerall place to sing by themselues The yong men and maides bee arrayed in their holy day apparell with wreaths or garlands of flowers about their heads and willow staues in their hands The Priests and Ministers of the Church stand by giuing diligent eare to their singing and which of the Quiers they thinke haue song sweetest and made the best melodie they adiudge that the other Quiers shall giue vnto them certaine bowles of Wine And vpon Whitsunday this is their order euery one which hath either a horse of his owne or can borrow one doe meete in one place and ride together to view the bounds and limits of their fields hauing with them a Priest with the body of our Lord Iesus Christ put in a pursse and hanging at his neck and all the way as they ride they sing and pray beseeching God of his great mercy to defend and preserue their corne and to send such temperate and seasonable wether as they may receiue the fruits of the earth to their comfort and sustentation Vpon Saint Vrbins day all the Vintners and maisters of Vineyards set a table either in the market steed or in some other open and publick place and couering it with fine napery and strawing vpon it greene leaues and sweete flowers doe place vpon the table the Image of that holy Bishop And then if the day bee cleare and faire they crowne the Image with great store of Wine but if the wether prooue rugged and rainie they cast filth mire and puddle water vpon it perswading themselues that if that day be faire and calme their grapes which then begin to florish will prooue good that yeare but if it bee stormie and tempestious they shall haue a bad vintage Vpon Saint Iohn Baptists day at night in euery village and streete in Germany be common fires or as wee call them heere in England bone-fires about which all the people gather together both men women and children dancing and singing and vsing many other superstitions as wearing vpon their heads garlands made of Mugwort and Veruin and flowers in their hands wreathed and pleated together in fashion of a spurre which wreathes they call military spurres and they dare not looke vpon the fire vnlesse they looke through those spurres firmly beleeuing that by that meanes their eyes be preserued all the yeare after from all paines and diseases and euery one as he goeth away throweth the garland hee wore about his head into the fire vsing this coniuration Goe thy way and burne and all my ill luck perish and burne with thee The like fashion is vsed by the Bishop of Herbipolis seruants and courtiers for they cause a great fire to bee made before the tower which standeth vpon a hill aboue the citty of Herbipolis and throw into the fire many wodden hoopes bored full of holes which when they bee all of them on a red fire they put crooked stickes into the holes of the hoopes and cunningly and forceably hoyse them vp into the ayre a great height so as they flying from the top of the hill ouer the riuer of Moganus which runneth vnder the hill seeme to bee firie Dragons to those which neuer saw the like before At the same time of the yeare their manner is to make earthen potts with so many holes in them as they will hardly hold together and these potts doe the maides buy and couer them round about with red Rose leaues and then put Candles into them and hang them vpon the toppes of the houses insteed of Lanthornes the yong men at that time bring into their villages each one a Pine tree with all the little shootes and vndermost branches lopped off and garnishing and triming the vpmost boughes with little hoopes garlands glasses and glittering rayes or plates of golde or copper they set their trees fast in the ground where they must stand all summer resembling many poles in England In Autumne when their Grapes wax ripe they gather not their Grapes one one day and an other an other day but all the owners of a Vineyard are appointed to pull their Grapes all at one time to continue pulling till they haue all done that Vineyarde for they haue not power to pluck them when they please them-selues but when they be allowed by those to whom the tithe is due And these tithe-maisters appoint such a hill of Grapes to bee got such a day and such a Vineyard such a day and their tithes be euer brought by the owners of the Vines into the valley at the hill foote but those which neglect to gather their Grapes at the time appointed ought and are inforced whether they will or no to carry the tithe into the Lords Wine-presse at their owne cost and charge But about the citty of Herbipolis the owners of tithes bee more precise for they distrusting that the Vine maisters will not tithe truly set a boy ouer euery one of them to marke their manner of tithing and to see that their maister haue his due and when haruest is done and all the Grapes gathered all those boyes meete together in the field and euery one beeing couered all ouer with strawe and a Torche or two in his hand they kindle their Torches a little before night and so come singing with their Torches burning into the citty And in this sort they say they burne and make cleane Autumne The Franconians celebrate the feast dayes of the two pillers of the Church Saint Martin and Saint Nicholas with great ioy and triumph but after a diuerse maner for the one is solemnized in Churches and Altars the other in victualing houses and tauernes and there is 〈…〉 throughout all the whole country be hee neuer so needy or neuer so niggard but vpon Saint Martins day hee will haue some roste meate or boild meat and it be but Hogs intrailes or Calues intrailes glut themselues with wine for then they tast of their new wines from which till that time they haue abstained and all their housholds drinke wine with
them and vpon this day in Herbipolis and in diuerse other places besides is much wine giuen to the poore for charity then haue they their publike shewes and pastimes as to haue two or three Boares put into a place together and to behold them fight and teare one another with their tuskes till their guttes traile about their heeles deuiding the flesh when the Boares bee dead some to the common people and some to the Magistrates But vpon Saint Nicholas day all the yong fry and Schollers choose out three amongst them one to represent the person of a Bishop and the other two Deacons he which is elected in the place of a Bishop is solemnly vpon that day conducted into the Church by all his Schoole-fellowes decked and trimmed with a Bishops Miter and all his other ornaments and so sitteth in place of authority as Lord and Protector ouer them all the while Masse is in saying and when the sacrifice is finished hee chooseth out a few of them from amongst the rest and hee and they goe singing vp and downe the towne from house to house collecting and gathering money and alleadging that the money they gotte by this meanes is not taken as an almes or beneuolence but giuen franckly for the maintenance of the Bishop Vpon Saint Nicholas Eeue Parents will aduise their children to fast and the more to incite them there vnto they perswade them that if they set their shooes vnder the table ouer night what so euer they shall finde in them in the morning is sent them from that bountifull Bishop Saint Nicholas which causeth the children to fast so truly and so long as their parents bee faine to compell them to eate for being sick with ouer long fasting and these bee the most vsuall customes of the Franconians these their annuall ceremonies Of Sueuia and how the people of that country liued heretofore and how they now liue CAP. 16. SVEVIA a Prouince of Germany is at this day limitted and bounded vpon the East with Baioaria vpon the West with Alsatia and the riuer of Rhene it hath the Alpes vpon the South and Franconia on the North. Sueuia as Antonius Sabellicus is of opinion was so called of a certaine people called Sueui who departing from that part of Scythia which is now called Liuonia Prussia obtained this country to dwell in which opinion of Sabellicus Lucan seemeth to confirme where he saith He brought the yellow Sueuians from the vtmost Northern coast Before it was named Sueuia it was called Alemannia of the lake Lemannus which is also called Lausanensis Sueuia is the vtmost part of all Germany and is watered with two notable riuers Rheine and Danubius whereof the one running slowly falleth into the sea Westward the other running a contrary course passeth by many regions and falleth at length into the sea called Pontus The country is some part of it plaine and euen and some part cragged and mountanous and all of it fertile and fruitfull sauing lakes mountaines and woods There be great store of woods and therefore very good hunting and especiall good fowling by reason of the multitude of riuers and lakes Of cattell there bee great abondance and plenty of all kinde of graine it is also full of gallant and flourishing valleis watered and manured with brookes riuers and running waters some running one way some an other ouer-flowing and fatting the soyle all which disburthen themselues either into Rhine or Danubius The land is very wholsome and healthfull and well replenished with stately cities townes and castels aspiring towers likewise walled and fortified both by arte and nature and for the aduancement of Christian religion it is sufficiently furnished with beautifull and rich temples parish Churches and Chappels Bishops Pallaces Colledges and monasteries containing sundry orders of religious persons both men and women vpon the hills bee mines of Siluer Yron and diuerse other mettals it is very populus and the people very hardy strong valerous they be tall of stature yellow haird faire and welfauoured and marueilous ingenious so as Plutarch concludeth them in a word for the most famous people of all Germany The glory and fame of this people grew once to that height as they obtained the Empire and gouernment of the world and in that honour and renowne continued for one age but afterwards beeing destitute and depriued of their Princes I know not how it came to passe whether by the ficklenesse and variety of fortune or by their owne folly and sloth but their gouernment ceased and their power and strength in short time became so weake and feeble as they could hardly hold their owne and defend themselues much lesse extend their fame to her former greatnesse in such sort as noe one considering their present estate would thinke that euer they had beene Lords and Gouernors of the world Iulius Caesar in the fourth booke of his commentaries writeth of this people thus The Sueuians sayth hee the worthiest and warlikst people of all Germany are sayd to haue a hundred Citties great Burrowes or townes out of euery of which hundred citties townes yearely is furnished and set forth to the warres a hundred thousand armed men well appoynted These hundred thousand men wage warrs abroad and be maintayned by those which remaine at home and at the yeares end returne home againe to husbandry and send forth as many more of those which were at home so as going to the warres and remayning at home in course they bee all well excercised is husbandry and skilfull in feats of armes and hauing noe grounds nor possessions priuat to them-selues they yeeld reciprocall Maintaynance one to another for it is not lawfull for them to remayne and abyde in one place longer than one yeare Their vsuall foode is bread milke and flesh they bee much giuen to hunting as well for their dayly excercise and liberty of life which they much regard for they bee neuer from their infancy vnder the rule and correction of any or constrayned to doe any thing against their wills the practise of hunting also maketh them more feerce and couragious and their bodies more strong able to indure all extremities as although they dwell in a very cold clymate they will wash and bath them-selues in cold riuers and weare no other garments but skins and those so little as the most part of there bodies bee starke naked if any marchants trafficke thether it is more to buy such things of them as they haue got by the warres than for any great desire the Sueuians haue of their commodities besides they haue great store of laboring beasts more than they haue vse for which the French men much desire and pay deere for them and those beasts which with them bee naturally froward ilfauored and almost good for nothing by much vse and handling bee made fit and able both to draw and carry or to be imployed in the warres for their horses be so well mand and taught
him at his pleasure but to the end that no one should be ouerthrowne or spoiled by anothers enuie or malice without cause there was this prouision made that the accused might challenge the single combat with one of his accusérs and if he ouercame the other he scaped free and forfeited nothing He that killed his Duke was killed himselfe and all his goods confiscate for euer without redemption and he that stirred vp sedition against him forfeited to the Duke 600. shillings When an armie was conducted into the enemies land the souldiers had no cause to fall out amongst thēselues for prouision for euery one might take what would serue his turn but he which wrangled without cause was forced either to yeeld himselfe to the law of armes in that case prouided or suffer fifty stripes with a truncheon before his Lieutenant And the Lieutenants and Gouernors were to haue a special care euery one with in his limits or county that the souldiers did not spoile prey vppon the enemie before they were commanded by the Duke for if any fault were committed through their negligence they were to make it good If a free-man damnified or wronged another he was constrained to make good as much as the party was hindred and was amerced besides at 40. shil but such offences were death in seruants and their master made restitution for them because they forbad them not the committing of such crimes If a seruant stole or purloyned any thing from the soldiers in the campe and was therof conuicted he lost his hand for that offence and his master notwithstanding restored the value of the goods stolne and a free-man for such a fault was mulcted at forty shillings ouer and aboue the due restitution of the thing stolne If any one were commanded by the king or duke to kill another and he did it the king or duke which commanded him ought for euer after to defend and protect him from danger if the king or duke which was his protector died his next successor did take vpon him the like warrantie and protection of that man If the Duke were so stubborn and rebellious as to contemne and despise the decrees of the king he was depriued of his Duke-dome and was vtterly void of all hope euer to recouer his former estate and dignity If the Duke had a son so froward foolish or arrogant as through the counsell and abetting of lewd and euil persons he went about to depose his father from his gouernment so that his father were yet well able to gouerne to conduct an armie to get vp vpon his horse and to carry armes and was neither deafe nor blind well able to performe the kings command he was dis-inherited and for euer after vncapable of the Dukedome or if his father pleased he was banished to perpetuall euile for offending his father in so high a degree against the law He that by rashnesse indiscretion or drunkennesse bred a scandall in the Dukes Court forfeited forty shillings and was for euer after lyable to make good the value of the inconuenience that arose of that ill example but a seruant for such a fault lost his hand If any thing were found in the Dukes Court and taken vp and concealed one night vnreuealed it was accounted theft and such an offendor forfeited into the Dukes Exchequer fifteene shillings because the Dukes house was accounted a publike house He that detracted or by his ill speeches depraued the Dukes gouernement was punished at fifteen shillings and forced to finish and make perfect all that he was commanded to do that all pleas or suites might be dispatched and ended euery fifteenth day in each seuerall Countie of the countrie for the doing wherof all the free-men assembled together and they which neglected the meeting forfeited fifteene shillings the Iudge to the end hee might do iustice and iudge vprightly had a booke of the law lying open before him which serued as a rule and pattern wherby to iudge of all controuersies And if the inditement were without partialitie and that he iudged vprightly without respect of persons or rewards hee then had and enioyed to himselfe the ninth part of the composition but if the iudgement were partiall or smelled of briberie he forfeited the double value of that which by his false sentence and corruption was payed and was fined moreouer at forty shillings He which killed the Duke payd either vnto his friends or vnto the king for composition 1460. shillings whereof his friends had six hundred And it was euer obserued that the composition for the death of the Duke was three times as much as for the death of any of his friends The Agilolsingi out of which family the Dukes be euer created had the fourth part of the composition and then the Huosi the Trozzi the Sagavi the Hahilingi and the Aennonni had the one halfe of that which remained Hee that killed a free-man payd either vnto the Duke or vnto his parents that was slaine 8. pounds hee that put out a free-mans eye or cut off his hand or foot payed 40. shillings he that lamed him payd 12. shillings and for a maim 20. shillings for a wound 3. shillings for striking out a cheeke tooth or grinding tooth 12. shillings and for euery other tooth 6. shillings They were very strictly forbidden to molest or hurt strangers in so much as he which iniured any of them payd vnto the party grieued the double value of the wrong sustained and besides forseited 8. pounds into the Dukes Exchequer he that slue a stranger forfeted an hundred pounds in gold If a seruant molested or sold a free-man were complained of to the Iudg he escaped not without some great punishment as the losse of hand or eye Libertines which had bin manumitted made free had more easie compositions by the one halfe then those which were free-born All incestuous mariages were there vtterly prohibited so as it was not lawful for any man to marry his first wiues mother his sonnes wife his daughter-in-law his step mother his brothers or sisters daughter his brothers wife or wiues sister and those which offended in any of these points all his goods were confiscate by the Iudge hee that prophaned the Lords day with any manner of worke after the first warning and admonition had fiftie lashes vpon the backe with a whip and if he offended againe the second time he forfeited the third part of all his goods and for the third offence he lost his libertie for it is fitting that he which will not be free vpon that day shold be a slaue for euer after A seruant for labouring vpon the Lords day was beaten but if he held on his course without amendement his right hand was cut off And a stranger for the like fault hauing beene warned aforehand paid 12. shillings He that detained a freeman against his will in seruitude and bondage or forcibly tooke away his inheritance or goods was forced to
Synai where the Lord spake vnto Moyses saying Moyses Moyses put off thy shooes from thy feet because the ground wherevpon thou standest is holy ground and this Mount Synai is the mother of our Churches from whom they tooke their beginning as the Apostles did from the prophets and the New Testament from the Old Furthermore it is not lawfull for Lay-men or Clergy or for any other person of what condition soeuer hee bee after hee hath receiued the blessed Sacrament of the Altar to spit or cast from the morning till the sunne setting and if any doe spit hee is seuerely punished Also in memory of Christs Baptisme wee be all euery yeere baptised vpon the feast day of the Epiphanie of our Lord and this we doe not that we beleeue that it pertaineth to our saluation but for the laude praise and glory of our Sauiour neither doe wee celebrate any other feast more solemly or bountifully with shewes plaies and ceremonies then wee doe this because vpon this day the holy Trinity did first manifestly appeare when our Lord Iesus Christ was baptised in the riuer of Iordan when the holy Ghost descended vpon his head in forme of a Doue and a voice proclayming from Heauen This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased which holy Ghost appearing in forme of a white Doue appeared in shew and figure of the Father and Sonne in one Diuinity In like manner Christ was seene of the holy Prophets in many similitudes formes and likenesses first in forme of a white Ram for the preseruation of Isaack the Sonne of Abraham And in like manner hee named Iacob Israel and Iacob Iudas the Lions whelpe to whom hee gaue power ouer his other brethren saying thou didest rise vp my sonne to the prey and when thou didest rest thou didest lie still like a Lion and Lionesse who shall raise him vp Hee also manifested himselfe to Moyses in Mount Synai in forme of a flame of fire hee shewed himselfe to the holy Prophet Daniel in similitude of a Rocke hee appeared also to Ezechiell the Sonne of Man and to Isaias in likenesse of an infant he declared himselfe to King Dauid and to Gedeon like a frost vpon a fleese of wool and besides these similitudes recited hee was seene of his holy Prophets in many other formes and notwithstanding hee was seene in so many sundrie formes yet hee alwaies represented the similitude of the Father and of the holy Ghost And when GOD created the world hee said Let vs make man according to our similitude and likenesse and hee made Adam after his owne similitude and likenesse wherfore wee say that the Father Sonne and holy Ghost are three countenances in one similitude and diuinity Wee haue receiued circumcision euer from the time of Queene Saba which wee obserue vntill this day The proper name of this Queene Saba was Maqueda who was a worshipper of Idoles after the manner of her auncestors into whose eares when the fame of the wisdome of Solomon was entred shee sent a certaine wise man vnto Ierusalem to finde out the truth and to certifie her of the wisdome of that King who beeing returned and shewing the truth vnto her shee sodainely prouided her selfe to take her iourney towardes Ierusalem and when shee was thither come besides many other things which King Solomon taught her shee learned the law and the prophets and returning into her country hauing obtained libertie to depart in her iourney shee brought forth a sonne which was gotten by a King whom she called Meilech and him the Queene brought vp with her selfe in Aethiopia vntill hee was 20. yeers of age and then sent him back vnto Solomon his father that of him he might learne vnderstanding and wisdom desiting by her letters that he would consecrate and make his Sonne Meilech King of Aethiopi a before the Arke of the couenant of the will or testament of the Lord and that from thence-forth women should gouerne no more in Aethiopia as then the custome was but that the male children should lineally succeed in the Kingdome When Meilech came to Ierusalem he easily obtained of his father his mothers requests for Meilech was called Dauid whom when he was sufficiently instructed in the law in other disciplines his father Solomon determined to send him back to his mother decked in gallāt attire and furniture fit for a King and the more to shew his bounty he gaue vnto him noble followers companions and the sonnes of great men who should serue him as their King Moreouer he decreed to send with him Azarias the high priest the sonne of Zadoch the high priest likewise which when Azarias vnderstood he exhorted Dauid that he would intreat liberty of his father for him to sacrifice for good successe in their iourney before the Arke of the couenant of the Lord which beeing obtained of Solomon Azarias as sodainely and as secretly as he could caused tables to be hewen and squared like vnto the tables of the Testament of the Lord and when they were perfected he went to sacrifice and in the time of sacrifice hee priuily and very cunningly stole the true tables of the couenant of the Lord from the Arke and set in there places the counterfeit tables which hee brought with him without the priuity of any man butonly God and himself This declaration wee Aethiopians receiue as most holy and most approued as by the History of the same King Dauid which is most pleasant to read doth appeare the volume of which History is full as thicke as all Saint Paules Epistles When Dauid was come into the borders of Aethiopia Azarias entred into his tent disclosed and reuealed vnto him that which thetherto hee had kept secret to himself that is to say that he had the Tables of the couenāt of the Lord which whē Dauid vnderstood he ran hastily to the tent where Azarias had the tables of the couenāt of the Lord and there in imitation of King Dauid his grand-father he began to daunce for exceeding ioy before the Arke wherein the tables were which when the people saw and vnderstanding the matter they all of them in like manner exulted with mirth and great ioy And then Dauid passing through much part of Aethiopia came lastly to his mother who forth-with yeelded vp into his hands the gouernment of all the prouinces laying vpon his shoulders the whole care of the Kingdome And from that time euen vntill this day being almost the space of two thousand and sixe hundred yeeres the Kingdome of Aethiopia hath lineally descended from male heire to male heire and since that time wee obserue the law of the Lord and circumcision as before is said and likewise since that time hitherto the offices which Solomon ordained for his sonne Dauid for the guiding of his Court are kept and obserued in the same order and families as they were at that time neither hath the Emperor himselfe power to assigne others of other kinreds to
execute those offices of the court the women likewise by the commandement and decree of the same Maqueda be circumcised shee being induced therevnto by this reason that euen as men haue a fore-skinne that couereth their yards in like manner haue women a certaine kernelly flesh which is called Nympha arysing vp in the middle of their priuy partes which is very fit to take the character of circumcision and this is done both to males and females vpon the eight day and after circumcision the men children be baptised vpon the fortieth day and the women children vpon the eighteeth day vnlesse any sicknesse or infirmity hapneth which may cause it to bee done sooner but if any children be baptised before the time appointed it is not lawfull to giue them sucke of their mothers milke but onely of their nurses vntill their mothers bee purified and the water wherein they bee baptised is consecrated and blessed with exorcismes and that very same day wherein children bee baptised they receiue the blessed bodie of our Lord in a little forme of bread wee receiued baptisme almost before all other Christians from the Eunuch of Candace Queene of Aethiopia whose name was Indich as it is said in the Acts of the Apostles which together with circumcision which wee had at that time as before is sayd wee obserue most holily and Christian like and by Gods assistance euer shall obserue nor doe we obserue or admit of any thing but of those onely which are expressed in the law and the prophets and in the Gospell and in the bookes of the councels of the Apostles and if wee receiue any things besides those they bee onely obserued for the time for that they seeme to appertaine to the gouernment and peace of the Church and that without any bond of sinne Wherefore our circumcision is not vncleane but the law and grace is giuen to our father Abraham which hee receiued of God as a signe not that either he or his children should be saued through circumcision but that the children of Abraham should be known from other nations And that which is inwardly vnderstood by the signe or mistery of circumcision wee doe highly obserue that is that wee may bee circumcised in our hearts neither doe wee boast of circumcision nor therefore thinke our selues more noble then other Christians nor more acceptable vnto God with whom is no acception of persons as Paul saith who also sheweth vs that wee bee not saued through circumcision but by faith because in Christ Iesus neither circumcision nor the cutting off the foreskinne preualeth but the new creature but Paul preached not to destroy the law but to establish it who was also baptised and beeing of the seed of Beniamin hee also circumcised Tymothy who was become a Christian his mother beeing an Hebrew and his father a Gentile knowing that God doth iustifie circumcision by faith and the fore-skinne by faith and as he himselfe was made all to all that hee might saue all To the Iewes hee was as a Iew that thereby hee might winne the Iewes and to those which were vnder the law hee was as one vnder the law although hee was not vnder the law to the end hee might gaine those which were vnder the lawe and to those which were without the law hee was as one without the law although hee was not without the law of GOD but vnder the law of Christ that hee might get those which were without the law and hee became weake that hee might gaine those which were weake which he did to shew that we bee saued not by circumcision but by faith And therefore when he preached to the Hebrewes hee spake vnto them in diuers speeches like an Hebrew saying God heretofore spake many waies and in many manners to our fathers in the prophets shewing vnto them out of the same prophets that Christ was of the seed of Dauid after the flesh Moreouer he preached vnto them that Christ was with our fathers in the tents in the Desert and that he led them into the Land of promise by the hand of Iosua And Paul also testifieth in the same place that Christ was the chiefe of priests and that hee entred into a new tent which is the Sanctum sanctorum The holy of holies and that with the sacrifice of his bodie and bloud hee abolished the bloud of goates and bulles whereby none that killeth them shall bee iustified and so hee spake sundry waies to the Iewes and also suffering himselfe to bee worshipped of his people by many ceremonies in a holy and vncorrupted faith Moreouer those children with vs bee accounted halfe Christians which here I vnderstand in the Romane Church bee called Paganes who because they die without baptisme ought to bee called halfe Christians because they be children of the sanctified bloud of parents baptised and of the holy Ghost and of the bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ by which three Testimonies all Christians bee so reputed because there bee three things which giue testimony in earth the spirite water and bloud as Saint Iohn witnesseth in his first canonicall Epistle the Gospell also saith a good tree bringeth forth good fruite and an euill tree bringeth forth euill fruite and therefore the children of Christians are not like vnto the children of the Gentiles and of the Iewes and of the Moores which bee withered trees without any fruit but the Christians bee elected in their mothers wombes as holy Ieremias the prophet and Saint Iohn Baptist were Furthermore the children of Christian women are elected and consecrated by the communication and imparting of the body bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ for when women great with child do take the most blessed body of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ the infant in the wombe receiuing nutriment is thereby sanctified for euen as the child in the mothers wombe conceiueth either sorrow or ioy according as the mother is affected so also is it nourished by the mothers norishment and as our Lord saith in his holy Ghospell if any one eate my body and drinke my bloud hee shall not tast of eternall death and againe if any one eate of my body and drinke my bloud hee shall remaine with mee and Paul the teacher of the Gentiles saith the vnbeleeuing husband is iustified by the beleeuing wife the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the beleeuing husband otherwise your children should be vncleane but now they bee sanctified which if it bee so that the children of an vnbeleeuing mother bee sanctified by the saithfulnesse of the father then be they much more holy that bee borne of faithfull fathers and mothers for which cause it is farre more holy to call children before they bee christned halfe Christians then Pagans and the Apostles also haue said in their bookes of councels that al which beleeue and be not baptised may iustly bee termed halfe Christians who also say in the said bookes if Iew Moore or Gentile will receiue the faith hee is
not forthwith to be admitted but they will that hee first come vnto the gate of the Church and there to heare Sermons and the words of our Sauiour Christ that before he be incited and brought as it were by stelth vnto the faith hee may know the yoke of the law which when hee hath done hee may be called halfe a Christian although he be not baptised as the Ghospel teacheth he that beleeueth and is baptised shal bee saued and hee which beleeueth not shall bee damned And our custome is that women with child before they be deliuered should be confessed and that then they should receiue the Lords body and those which doe not this as also the fathers of those children which compel not their wiues to doe it bee accounted wicked and euill Christians Moreouer you must vnderstand that confirmation and chrisme or extreame vnction of oyle bee not accounted Sacraments nor bee in any vse with vs as I see they bee heare by the custome of the Romane Church Also by Moyses lawes and the ordinance of the Apostles it is not lawfull for vs to eate vncleane meates and this wee doe for the full obseruation of the law and the Scriptures which consist of one and foure score bookes in both Old and New Testament that is to say forty and sixe bookes of the Old Testament and thirty fiue of the New which expresse number of bookes of the Scriptures wee haue by computation from the Apostles themselues from which bookes of the Old and New Testament it is not lawful for vs to ad or diminish any thing no though an Angell from heauen should indeauour to perswade vs therevnto And hee which dare to attempt any such thing ought to be reputed as accursed Wherefore neither the Patriarcke nor our Bishops by themselues nor in their councels doe thinke or suppose that they can make any lawes thereby any one may bee bound to a mortall or deadly sinne for in those bookes of councels it is ordained by the holy Apostles that wee should confesse our sins and what penance wee ought to take according to the heinousnesse of each sinne is there set downe They instruct vs also how we should pray fast and doe deedes of charity and this is very familiar in vse amongst vs that as soone as wee haue committed any sinne we forthwith runne to the feete of the confessor and this is vsed both of men and women of what estate or condition soeuer they bee of And as oft as wee bee confessed we receiue the bodie of our blessed LORD in both kindes in sweete or vnleauened wheaten bread and if wee should bee confessed euery day wee should likewise euery day receiue the most blessed and reuerent Sacrament and this custome is common as well to the Clergie as to Lay people And the Sacrament of the Altar is not kept with vs in Churches as it is heere amongst the people of Europe Neither doe those which be sick receiue the Lords body vntill they begin to waxe strong and recouer there helth and this is done because all men both Lay and Clergy doe vsually receiue it euery weeke twice and all which bee willing so to doe come vnto the Church for it is ministred to none but in the Church not so much as to the Patriarch or to Prestor Iohn himselfe We alwaies vse one consessor and doe neuer take any other vnlesse he bee absent and at his returne wee goe to him againe and the confessors by there power they haue from the Church giue vs absolution of all our sinnes reseruing no case to the Bishops or Patriarcke though it bee neuer so heinous Moreouer the Priests may not heere their confessions to whom they bee confessed themselues Both priests also and Munkes and all Ecclesiasticall Ministers with vs liue by their owne labour for the Church neither hath nor receiueth any tithes Yet it hath reuenewes and lands which both Clerkes and Monkes digge and till either by there owne or other mens labour and other almes haue the none but such as bee freely offered in the Churches for the buriall of the dead and other Godly matters neither is it lawfull for them to begge in the streetes nor to extorte or wrest any almes from the people In our Churches also is euery day onely one Masse celebrated which we account as a sacrifice nor is it lawful by our old ordinances to solemnize more then one in a day for this Masse we take no hire nor reward and in the ministery thereof the Sacrament of the Altar is not shewed as heere I perceiue it is And with vs all Priests Deacons and Sub-deacons and those which come vnto the Church receiue the bodie of our Lord and wee say no Masse for the remission and forgiuenesse of soules departed but the dead bee buried with crosses and Orizons in a certaine place and ouer the dead bodies wee chiefly amongst other praiers recite the beginning of Saint Iohns Ghospel and the day following the buriall of the corpes wee offer almes for him which wee doe vpon certaine daies after vpon al which daies we keepe funerall bankets and thus far I haue spoken of our faith and religion But now for that after our comming into Portingal we had many and often disputations and contentions with diuers Doctors especially with our Maisters Didacus Ortysius Bishop of Saint Thomas Isle and Deane of the Kings Chappel and with Peter Margalhus concerning the choise and difference of meates it shal not be vnfitting to say something of that matter First you must vnderstand that wee obserue a difference of meates out of the Old Testament which difference is appointed by the word of GOD it selfe which word was afterwards borne of the Virgine Mary and walked and was conuersant with his Disciples and that word of God I haue alwaies accounted an euer liuing whole and inuiolated word neither did that mouth which heeretofore forbad to eate of vncleanesse say afterwards in any part of his Gospell that wee should eate And whereas it is said in the Gospell that which entereth in by the mouth defileth not the man but such things as proceed forth of the mouth hee pronounced not this speech for because hee would breake that which before hee had appointed but that hee might refute the superstition of the Iewes which taxed and blamed the Apostles because they did eate meate with vnwashed hands for neither the Apostles at that time that they liued with our Lord Iesus Christ did euer vse any vncleane things or tasted of those things which bee forbidden in the law nor yet did any of the Apostles transgresse the law nor can it bee prooued by any of our writings that the Apostles at those times which followed our Lords passion when they beganne to preach the Gospell did either eate or kill any vncleane things and yet it is true that Paul sayd eate of euery thing that commeth into the shambles making no question for conscience sake and
elect another Patriarch by the most voyces but it is not lawfull to elect any other than one of Alexandria and one of incorrupt manners and vntainted conuersation who being created they signe their suffrages and giue them into the Legates hands that came for that purpose he foorthwith goeth to Cayre whither when he is come he offereth that creation vnto the Patriarch of Alexandria whose seate is alwaies there to be read And when he perceiueth which of the people of Alexandria they haue elected he foorth-with sendeth the man ordained to such honors with the Legate into Aethiopia who by an old ordonance ought alwaies to be an Eremit of the Order of S. Anthony with whom the Ambassadour goeth straight into Aethiopia where he is receiued of all men with great ioy and honor in which busines somtimes is spent a yere or two in al which time precious Iohn doth dispose of the reuenues of the Patriarke according to his pleasure Now the chiefest office of the Patriarch is to giue orders which none but he can either giue or take away but he can bestow vpon none either Bishopricke or other Church-benefice this onely belongeth to precious Iohn who dispenceth of all things according to his will And the Patriarch beeing dead he whose power and yerely reuenues is the largest is made heire of the whole substance of all his goods Moreouer the office of the Patriarch is to proceed to excommunication against the stubborne the obseruation whereof is so strict as the punishment of perpetuall steruing to death is inflicted vpon the offenders Indulgences he giueth nor granteth none neither bee any interdicted the Sacraments of the church for any offence whatsoeuer be it neuer so hainous but onely for homicide the name of the Patriarchship in our speech is called Abunna but he which now executeth the office is called Marcus which was the proper name giuen him in Baptisme he is a man of an hundred yeares of age or aboue And you must note that we begin our yeare in the Kalends of September which day alwaies falleth vpon the vigill of Saint Iohn Baptist the other festiuall dayes as the Feast of the Natiuity of our Lord Easter and the rest bee celebrated with vs at the same times they be in the Roman Church And this I may not obscurely passe ouer as though it were not so that Saint Philip the Apostle did preach the Gospell and faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ our Lord in our countrie Now if you desire to know of the name of our Emperour he is fully perswaded that hee was euer called precious Iohn and not Presbiter Iohn as is falsly bruted abrode for in one speech it is written with characters that signifie Ioannes Belull that is as much to say as precious or high Iohn and in the chaldaean tongue it is Ioannes Encoe which beeing interpreted doth signifie precious or high Iohn Neither is hee to be named Emperour of the Abyssini as Matheus hath vntruly declared but Emperour of the Aethiopians and Mathew beeing an Armenian could not throughly vnderstand our matters especially those which appertained vnto faith and Christian Religion and therefore he related many things in the presence of the most prudent and most potent king Emanuel of happy memory which with vs are nothing soe and this hee did not with a desire to speake vntruths for hee was a good man but for that hee was not throughly instructed in matters concerning our religion The succession of his Kingdomes and Empire doth not alwaies descend vpon the eldest sonne but vnto him vpon whome the father pleaseth to bestow it And hee which now gouerneth the Empire was his fathers third sonne which hee merited and obtayned by an awfull and holy reuerence to his father for when his father lay a dying he commanded all his sonnes to sit downe vpon his throne which all the rest of his children did sauing he and he refused saying God for bid that so much should be attributed vnto me that I should sit in my Lords chaire whose deuotion when his father saw hee indued him with all his Kingdomes Empire he is called Dauid the power of whose Empire as well ouer Christians as Ethnickes is large and ample wherin be many Kings and petty Kings Earles Barons and Peeres and much Nobility all which be most obedient to his command In all whose dominions there is no mony vsed but such as is brought from other places for they giue and receiue siluer and gold by weight wee haue many citties and great townes but not such as we see here in Portugall the reason whereof for the most part is that precious Ioan liueth alwaies in campes and tents which custome is vsed for this purpose that the nobility may continually excercise themselues in military affaires And this I may not omit to tell you that wee bee compasled about on all sides with the enimies of our faith with whom we haue many and euer prosperous conflicts which victories we attribute to gods diuine assistance written lawes we haue none in vse amongst vs neither be the complaints of those which sue others expressed in libells or writings but by words which is done least by the couetuousnesse of Iudges and counsellors controuersies should be protracted And this more I thinke sit to shew you that this Mathew was not sent by Dauid our Emperor vnto the most inuincible and potent King Emanuell of happy memory but by Queene Helena the Emperors wife surnamed the hand of Mary who at that time by reason of Dauids nonage tooke vpon her the gouernment of the Kingdomes being a woman without doubt most prudent and holy And the same Helen as shee was excceeding well learned writ two bookes in the Chaldean tongue one of the which is called Enzera Chebaa that is to say praise God vpon the Organes and instruments of Musicke in which booke shee disputeth very learnedly of the Trinitie and of the virginity of Mary the mother of Christ The other booke is called Chedale Chaay that is to say the sonne beame contayning very acute disputations of the law of God All these things concerning our faith religion and state of our country I Zaga Zabo by interpretation the grace of the father both Bishop and Preest and Bugana Raz that is Captaine Knight and Veceroy of the Prouince haue declared which I could not deny at your request my most deere Sonne in Christ Damianus nor yet any other man desiring to be instructed there in neither is it lawfull to deny it for two causes the first whereof is for that I am commanded by my most mighty Lord Precious Iohn Emperor of the Aethiopians to satisfie euery one that demandeth of me concerning our faith religion and prouinces that I should conceale nothing but faithfully declare vnto them the truth of al things both by words and writing the other reason is for that I deeme it very fitting and labour well spent that our names customes and ordinances and
the sytuation of our countries should bee publikely knowen which matters I neuer writ vnto any one till this time nor yet declared in words not that I was sparing of my labour but because no Christian after my comming into portugall desired to know such things of me whereof I could not nor cannot but greatly maruell And seeing by many arguments I perceiue that you much desire the knowledge of our affaires I beeseech you by the wounds of our Sauiour Christ and by his crosse to put this my confession of our faith and religion into the latine tongue that by your meanes all the Godly Christians of Europe may vnderstand our customes the integrity of our maners Moreouer if in your trauells you hap to goe to Rome then let mee intreat you to salute in my name the Pope the most reuerent Cardinalls Patriarches Archbishops and Bishops and all other the true worshippers of Christ by Christ Iesus in a kisse of peace and that you will desire of the Pope that hee will send vnto me Francis Aluarez furnished such letters whereby he may answere my Lord the Emperor of Aethiopia that after my long stay I may returne into mine owne country and visit my owne mansion house for I haue bin long here detained that before my death which by reason of my great age is at the dore I may effect that which I am commāded And that hauing furnished this Embassage I might dedicat the residue of my life vnto God only spēd my time in deuotion moreouer I intreate you if you finde any thing in my writings not well penned that you will frame it to the latine phrase but in such manner as in no point you alter the sēce lastly I desire you that in your translatiō you wil search the old new testament that you may know from what place I haue alleaged my authorities that you may be more certain in your translation but if I haue not handled euery thing so happily as may satisfie those which bee curious I am to be pardoned by reasō of my want of Chaldean bookes whereof I haue none for those I had I lost by misfortune in my iourny wherefore being destitute of the vse of all bookes I could speake of nothing but what was fresh in my memory yet haue I deliuered all things most faithfuly Farwel my deare beloued sonne in Christ Vlispone the twenty foure day of Aprill in the yeare of our Lord God 1534. When I had finished this busines I remembred my selfe of that place whereas I say that Christ descended into hel for the soule of Adam and for the soule of Christ which the same Christ receiued of his mother S. Mary the virgin Of which thing wee haue an assured testimony in those bookes which wee call the bookes of gouernance which Christ Iesus deliuered vnto his Apostles in which bookes be expressed these words which be called the misteries of doctrines by whose authority and testimony we all of vs continue in this opinion without doubting but after I came into Portugall I found diuines teaching a contrary doctrine against all our opinions which is so certaine as wee doe not onely beleeue this but also affirme that the soules of all men had their beginning from Adam and that as our flesh is of the seed of Adames flesh so like-wise our soule being as a candle kindled by the soule of Adam had her originall and nature from Adam whereby it appeareth that we bee all the seede of Adam both of the flesh and of the soule All the relation aboue sayd was written and subscribed with the Embassadors owne proper hand with the Chaldean caracters The deploration of the people of Lappia by the same Damianus a Goes I Thinke it not vnfitting most worthy Bishop to make some mention in the end of this treatise because this also appertaineth to faith and to the vnion of the Church of Iohn Magnus Gothus Archbishoppe of Vpsalia in the Kingdome of Suetia that by him we may be moued to take compassion of the people of Lappia for this Iohn Magnus Gothus was borne of very good parents and rich maruelous well seene in the Scriptures and of an honest conuersation and so addicted to the Roman Church that for the zeale therevnto he lost the great Archbishoppricke of Vpsalia with all the reuenewes thereunto belonging amounting to forty thousand crownes a yeare and al his patrimony besides and hauing lost both dignity and goods and tossed in the variable streames of fortune he lay close in Prussia liuing poorely a long time at the Citty Daniz in Germany where while I was dispatching my Kings affaires in those parts of Germany I grew into great familiarity and indissoluble friendship with him and with Olaus Magnus Gothus his brother which two I afterwards found vnlooked for at Vecenza in poorer estate then befor they wer vnto which place they went purposly by reason of a councel divulged wherby they conceiued much hope for themselues and redresse of their calamities And when the councell was discontinued adorned those good mē being vtterly depriued of al their goods wherwith while they inioyed them they often in those Northerne parts contended much in defence of the Roman Church and yet would haue contended if matters had prospered remoued to Venice there to get their liuing either vpon others liberality or by their owne industry and labour which was cheefly in teaching and instructing others for other succor could they get none but that they reposed their whole cōfidence in Gods assistance whither when they were come they were very curteously intertained only of Hieronymus Quirinus the Patriarke of Venice in his Patriarchship and ther they remaine to this day expecting the divulging of that councel vnder the Archbishoppricke of Vpsalia is contained a great part of that large and vast prouince of Lappia the people wherof be ignorant of the laws of our Sauiour Christ which as I vnderstand by many good and credible men proceeded from the abhominable extortion and couetuousnesse of the prelates and nobles for if they were Christians they should bee free from those taxations and tributes wherwith they as Ethnickes be punished on the other side the nobility and Bishops wax rich and welthy and therefore they forbid them to be Christians least bearing the sweet and delectable yoke of Christ they might withdraw from there tirany and extortion some part of their gaines and diminish some parte of their taxations wherby that miserable nation is most beastly and insatiably vexed and oppressed by those Monarches bearing the burthen most impatiently for if they were Christians they should pay no more tribute vnto them than other Christians pay vnto their princes And therefore nothing regarding the saluation of so many soules they preferre their horrible sacrilegious gaine before the true Faith and Christian religion so as they may rightly bee said to carry the keies and neither enter them-selues nor suffer others to enter Q insatiable
coueteousnes and intollerable impiety and from Godly brests to be expelled both by weapons writings and all our forces and without doubt it had beene quenched and buried by this time if this good man were restored to his former dignity for he desireth nothing more nor meditateth of any thing more earnestly than that this people may be reduced to the faith of Christ nor doth he lament for any thing more than that by his means as he euer desired in his hart these miserable beasts as yet by reason of their impious religion be not made the flocke of Christ by imbracing the Christian faith nether doth he complaine so much for the losse of his Archbishoppricke nor that he was thrust from his goods left him by his ancestors as for that hee wanteth strength aid and substance where-with to cure this plague of Lappia to bring them vnder the yoke of Christ and to vnite them to the Roman Church And this hee often-times confirmed by his letters sent me wherewith my selfe not fully contented made earnest mention of this businesse in the end of that first Embassage of precious Ioan which I dedicated to the same Iohn Magnus Gothus neither did I then satisfie my selfe in this businesse but by my letters dealt with Erasmus Rothrodamus that hee would commit the cause of this matter to writing Afterwards liuing in his company for I was with him at Friburg Brisgoia the space of 5 months I had speaches with him of that busines by which meanes he was induced and appoynted to frame a iust volume of this matter but being preuented by death the substance of the busines he had vndertakē was vtterly dissolued notwithstanding vpon his death he concealed not the wicked Ecclesiastical impiety which truely he did that he might accuse al Christians to whome God hath graunted power and learning and cry for reuengement against them in the last iudgment before Christ the iust Iudge of all men the Christian Princes Monarches may now see what account and reckoning of so many lost soules they can make at the last day before the Tribunall seate of Christ where is no place for pardon or grace and where no excuse nor faire speaches will be receiued And you most reuerent Bishop are only he that can cure this infirmity you only are hee that can shew vnto this people the waies of the Lord and direct them that they may walke rightly in the same you onely are able to redeeme them from the lowest hell by you little children may come vnto Christ and by the power of thy right hand bee deliuered from the bondage and deceits of the Diuell and inioy the plentifull redemption of Christ both in this world and in an other Behold what reward thou shalt obtaine if by your labour that great haruest may be carried into Christs barne and no doubt you will carry it in if once you begin There be at this day with Gostavus King of Suetia and Gothia some great peeres states that be fallen from the Romaine Church there be some in those Kingdomes also that do altogether dissent and disagree from the right Diameter and true course of religion vnto these by your dignity pastoral function may you direct your letters requiring them by the woundes of our Sauiour Christ whome all men though neuer so farre differring from the Roman Church doe acknowledge to bee Gods sonne and our Sauiour that they will permit and suffer this East and West Lappia with those large prouinces of Finmarchia Scrifinia and Biarmia the greatest part where of knoweth not Christ to come and imbrace the sweet yoke of Christ and that they wil extort no more from them then other Christian Princes are accustomed to take from their subiects either by course of law or by voluntary extorsions And it were good not onely to send letters but learned men also and men of approoued sanctity and holynesse of life that these Prouinces may be annexed to the Romaine Church by the faith of Christ whom together with the people of Aethiopia being reduced to the right law of Christ although the people be offended yet the Lord shall raigne sitting vpon the Cherubins and although the earth be mooued it shall reioyce and all Ilands shall bee ioyfull Farewell right reuerend and high Bishop in Christ Iesus Amen From Louaine in the Calends of September in the yeere of our Lord God 1540. Of the situation of Lappia and of the inhabitants of that country by the same DAMIANVS A GOES THE country of Lappia through which runneth the Botnian sea is deuided into East and West Lappia the vtmost part of which sea is Tornia vpon the East part it ioyneth vnto the white lake towards the North it compasseth diuers Prouinces and so extendeth it selfe to a place vnknowne and inclining Westwards towards Island it ioyneth vnto part of Noruegia vpon the South it is compassed about with the other part of Noruegia with Suetia Finland and both the Botnias East Lappia hath in it a church dedicated to Saint Andrew in the eighty fourth degree of the eleuation of the pole which is adorned and beautified with a magnificent and sumptuous Sepulcher and with men skilfull and learned in the holy Scriptures ' This Church is vnder the Archbishop of Vpsall within whose Diocesse it is and yet notwithstanding the neighbors round about that church whether it be by the carelesnesse negligence or through the couetousnesse of the Prelates and great men do not acknowledge Christ as is reported Lappia in the Latine toung is interpreted a foolish and sottish or hartlesse nation which name as I thinke is imposed vpon them for that the soile by the continuall and binding cold being as it were dull is lesse apt eyther to receiue or bring forth fruites the naturall borne people of Lappia be very strong set and of a middle stature they be mauelous nimble and dexterious in vsing their bowes and darts which practise of throwing the dart they exercise euen from their infancy in such sort that if a boy shoote at a marke and misse it he hath no meate giuen him vntill he haue hit the marke insteed of other garments they weare skins finely sowed together where-with they defend them-selues from the cold which they be so accustomed to indure that if need bee they will ouer-come it without any defence at all of those skinnes their dwellings are in tents for of houses they haue no vse because they often remooue out of one place into another other course of life haue they none then hunting fishing and fowling wherein they bee maruellous expert and skilfull for in that Prouince is great aboundance of those things They vse no tillage and they haue ships made without any Iron nailes or pins which being charged and burdened with fishes dried in the ayre and with pelts or skinnes they transport them to their neighbours and bordering people and get for them in exchange victuals and money in dooing whereof they vse