the hart A man worthy to serue any prynce and most vilely vsed And of seuenscore men came home to Plymmowth scarsely fourtie and of them many dyed And that no man shoulde suspect these wordes whiche I haue sayd in commendation of Pinteado to be spoken vppon fauour otherwyse then truth I haue thought good to ad hereunto the coppie of the letters which the kyng of Portugale and the infant his brother wrote vnto hym to reconcyle hym at suche tyme as vppon the kyng his maisters displeasure and not for any other cryme or offence as may appeare by the sayde letters he was only for pouertie inforced to come into Englande where he fyrst persuaded our merchauntes to attempt the sayde vyages to Guinea But as the kyng of Portugale to late repented hym that he had so punyshed Pinteado vppon malicious informations of suche as enuied the mans good fortune euen so may it hereby appeare that in some cases euen Lions them selues may either be hyndred by the contempt or ayded by the helpe of the poore myse accordyng vnto the fable of Esope The copie of Antoni Anes Pinteado his letters patentes wherby the king of Portugale made him knyght of his house after al his troubles and imprisonment which by wrong information made to the king he had susteined of long time being at the last deliuered his cause knowen and manifested to the kyng by a grey fryer the kynges confessour I The kyng do geue you to vnderstande lorde Frances Desseosa one of my counsaile and ouerseer of my house that in consideration of the good seruice which Antonie Anes Pinteado the sonne of Iohn Anes dwellyng in the towne called the porte hath done vnto me my wyl and pleasure is to make him knight of mi house alowing to him in pension seuē hundred reis monethly and euery day one alcayre of barly as long as he keepeth a horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinaunce of my house Prouydyng alwayes that he shal receyue but one mariage gifte And this also in such condition that the tyme which is excepted in our ordinaunce forbiddyng such men to marry for gettyng suche chyldren as myght succeede them in this alowance which is syxe yeeres after the makyng of this patent shal be fyrst expired before he do mary I therfore commaund you to cause this to be entred in the booke called the Matricola of our housholde vnder the title of knyghtes And when it is so entred let the clarke of y e Matricola for the certaintie thereof wryte on the backsyde of this Aluala or patent the number of the leafe wherin this our graunt is entered Which doone let him returne this writing vnto the said Anthonie Anes Pinteado for his warrant I Diego Henriques haue wrytten this in Almarin the twenty and two day of September in the yeere of our Lorde .1551 And this beneuolence the kyng gaue vnto Anthonie Anes Pinteado the twentie and fyue day of Iuly this present yeere Rey. The secretaries declaration written vnder the kynges graunt YOur Maiestie hath vouchsafed in respect consideration of the good seruice of Anthonie Anes Pinteado dwellyng in the port and sonne of Iohn Anes to make hym knyght of your house with ordinarie allowance of seuen hundred Reys pension by the moneth and one Alcayr of Barley by the day as long as he kepeth a Horse and to be payde accordyng to the ordinance of your house with condition that he shall haue but one mariage gyft and that not within the space of .vi. yeeres after the makyng of these letters patentes The secretaries note Entered in the booke of the Matricola Fol. 683. Francisco de Siquera The coppie of the letter of Don Lewes the infant and brother to the kyng of Portugale sent into England to Anthonie Anes Pinteado ANthonie Anes Pinteado I the infant brother to the kyng haue me hartely commended vnto you Peter Gonsalues is gone to seeke you desiring to bryng you home againe into your countrey And for that purpose hath with hym a safe conduct for you graunted by the kyng that thereby you maye freelye and without all feare come home And allthough the weather be foule and stormye yet fayle not to come For in the tyme that his Maiestie hath geuen you you maye do many thynges to your contentation and gratyfiyng the king whereof I woulde be ryght glad and to bryng the same to passe wyll do all that lyeth in me for your profite But forasmuche as Peter Gonsalues wyl make further declaration hereof vnto you I say no more at this present Wrytten in Luxburne the eyght day of December Anno. M.D.LII. The infant Don Lewes AL these forsayde wrytynges I sawe vnder seale in the house of my frende Nicholas Liese with whom Pinteado left them at his vnfortunate departyng to Guinea But notwithstandyng all these freendly letters and fayre promises Pinteado durst not attempt to goe home neyther to keepe company with the Portugales his countrey men without the presence of other forasmuch as he had secrete admonitions that they entended to sley hym yf tyme and place myght haue serued theyr wicked entent The second viage to Guinea AS in the fyrst viage I haue declared rather the order of the historie then the course of the nauigation wherof at that time I could haue no perfect information so in the discription of this seconde viage my cheefe intent hath been to 〈◊〉 the course of the same accordyng to the obseruation and ordinary custome of the maryners and as I receyued it at the handes of an expert Pilot beyng one of the cheefe in this viage who also with his owne handes wrote a briefe declaration of the same as he founde and tryed al thynges not by coniecture but by the art of saylyng and instrumentes parteynyng to the mariners facultie Not therefore assumyng to my selfe the commendations due vnto other neyther so bolde as in any part to change or otherwyse dispose the order of this viage so well obserued by arte and experyence I haue thought good to set foorth the same in suche sort and phrase of speache as is commonly vsed among them and as I receyued it of the sayd pilot as I haue said Take it therefore as foloweth In the yeere of our lorde .1554 the .11 daye of October we departed the ryuer of Temmes with three goodly shyppes the one called the Trinitie a ship of the burden of seuenscore tun the other called y e Barthelmew a shyppe of the burden of lxxxx the thyrd was the Iohn Euangelist a shyp of seuenscore tunne With the sayde shyppes and two pynnesses whereof the one was drowned in the coast of Englande we went forwarde on our vyage and stayed at Douer .xiiii. dayes We stayed also at Rye three or foure dayes Moreouer last of all we touched at Darthmouth The fyrst day of Nouember at .ix of the clocke at nyght departyng from the coaste of Englande we sette of the stert bearyng southwest al that nyght in the
THE History of Trauayle in the VVest and East Indies and other countreys lying eyther way towardes the fruitfull and ryche Moluccaes As Moscouia Persia Arabia Syria Aegypte Ethiopia Guinea China in Cathayo and Giapan VVith a discourse of the Northwest passage In the hande of our Lorde be all the corners of the earth Psal. 94. Gathered in parte and done into Englyshe by Richarde Eden Newly set in order augmented and finished by Richarde VVilles ¶ Imprinted at London by Richarde Iugge 1577. Cum Priuilegio To the ryght noble and excellent Lady the Lady Brigit Countesse of Bedforde my singuler good Lady and Mystresse AL studies haue theyr speciall tymes Ryght noble Lady all good partes and singuler qualities of the mynde are holden vp and maynteyned with honour The seely chylde learneth in his teÌ„der age how to speake to reade to write youÌ„g laddes bestowe theyr tyme in the study of other liberall sciences as yeeres come on and wyt encreaseth so finally the whole course of learnyng is runne ouer Agayne the arte of Grammer is wont erst to be learned and than Logike afterwarde naturall Philosophie goeth not before eloquence in our schooles Geometry is first read than Geography So that the studies of good letters haue their times in respecte of mans age they haue theyr tymes in the order of learning yea they haue a tyme that maketh vs all to bestowe therein our tyme and to studie eche facultie in due tyme I meane that speciall tyme they floryshe in I may not denye but that learnyng hath at all tymes ben well accompted of in most countreys the skyll of dyuers languages well thought of learned men to haue ben alwayes rewarded what is than that speciall tyme wherin all studies doe flooryshe Learnyng may bee ryght well compared vnto the floutes fruites of the earth and the speciall tyme of learnyng vnto theyr singuler seasons In May floures in Iune Cheries at Haruest corne in September Grapes so fareth it in the study of good letters There was a tyme whaÌ„ the arte of grammer was so muche esteemed that Gramariens proceeded masters thereof as woorshypfully as other professours now doe in any other facultie Than was it honourable to be a Poet honourable I say for that the Poet Laureate enioyed the honour of a Palatine that tyme is paste There was a tyme whan Logike Astrology onely so weeried the heades of young schollers yea and busied olde age also that true Philosophie in deede was almost forgotten eloquence defaced the languages exiled that tyme is past Not long since happy was he that had any skil in the greke tongue he was thought a great scholler that could make a greeke verse Nowe a dayes who studieth not rather the Hebrue language VVhere haue you almost any greeke aucthour printed Geography laye hydden many hundred yeeres in darkenesse and obliuion without regarde and price of late who taketh not vppon him to discourse of the whole worlde and eche prouince thereof particulerly euen by hearesay although in the first principles of that arte he bee altogeather ignorant and vnskylfull This tyme is now So long as Poetry was esteemed the arte of grammer accompted of Logike muche made of Astrology well thought of Diuine Poets good Gramariens perfecte Logiciens excellent Astronomers no where wanted A Virgile can you neuer want where one Mecènas is Honour promotion bestowed vppon the maynteyners of controuersies in religion hath brought gray heares from endlesse Sophistry from Scotus formalites from Buridan and Burley from Holcot from Bricot from Vademecum from Dormi secure and taught yonger yeeres rather to passe through Aristotle and his interpreters than euer to dwell therein caused them to studie the scriptures to reade ouer the fathers to conferre the counseyles to learne the greeke and Hebrue languages to searche the Chalday Paraphraste to peruse the olde Doctours to translate the newe wryters to heape vp common places to discourse of sectes to wryte cunningly to preach eloquently and made them to be for braulyng Sophisters graue Philosophers for formal Dunses plaine doctors for rude questionaries diuine Orators for vnskilful schoolemen eloquent and graue diuines It is nowe almost one hundred fiftie yeeres agoe that Don Henrico sonne of Iohn the fyrst of that name Kyng in Portugale and Nepheu vnto our Kyng Henry the fourth made his vyage after the conquest of Sepâ—a to the Canaries and eâ—â—â—uraged the Portugales to searche the coastes of Africa and to seeke the landes thereabout not spoken of to fore His grande Nepheu Iohn the seconde so furthered this enterpryse that the Portugale shyppes halled the Cape of good hope discouered Aethiopia and sayled where antiquitie denyed passage beyond all Africa into the Indian seas He sent also expert and cunning traueylers into Aegypt and the redde sea coastes to espye what way the Portugales might looke for beyond the Cape of good hope to Calecut in India the which viage in his sonne Emanuell his tyme was prosperously taken in hand by Vasquez Gama the nienth day of Iuly in the yeere of our Lorde .1497 happely ended in Iuly againe two yeeres after to his great credit and preferment to the immortal fame honour of his Prince and countrey Here began the studie of Geographie that euer since Ptolomeus raigne laye troden vnder foote buried in dust and ashes to spring vp agayne and by the relations of skilful traueylers in Europe Affrike Asie through the discouery of the far Indies the Moluccaes new founde landes of late so to be wondred at as no other facultie more I dare be bold to say that generally all Christians Iewes Turkes Moores Infidels Barbares be this day in loue with Geographie The wylde and rogishe Tartares myght for famine perishe in the winter if they in the sommer skylfully followed not the sunne The heathen Giapans diuided the worlde into three partes Afrike was described by a Moore The Iewes report the estates of all countreyes to the Turkes The Turkishe Basshaes gouerne the sweetest prouinces in Europe Afrike and Asia no men greater traueylers than Christians VVho but Geographers doe teach vs what partes of the earth be cold warme or temperate Of whom doe we learne howe to diuyde the world into partes the partes into prouinces the prouinces into shyres of Geographers vnto whom haue wee to make recourse for Mappes Globes tables and Cardes wherein the dyuers countreys of the worlde are set downe vnto Geographers Set Geographie asyde you shal neyther be able to get intelligences of the situation and strength of any citie nor of the limites and boundes of any countrey nor of the rule and gouernement of any kingdome nor be able wel to trauayle out of your owne doores wil you see what wise and experte traueylers skilful in geometry and Astronomy for that is to bee a Geographer in deede be able to doe Looke you on the King of Portugales title the two partes of the three therein were atchiued
reade them ouer to your Honours recreation as one of the principall causes wherefore at this tyme they were set foorth If varietie of matter occurrents out of forraigne countryes newes of newe founde landes the sundry sortes of gouernement the different manners fashions of diuers nations the wonderfull workes of nature the sightes of straunge trees fruites foule and beastes the infinite treasure of Pearle Golde Siluer ioyes may recreate and delight a mynde trauelled in weighty matters weeried with great affayres credit me good Madam in listning vnto this worke shall you haue recreation you shall finde delight in reading ouer these relations wherein so newe so straunge so diuers so many recreations and delightes of the mynd are expressed Your Honours good lykyng thereof wyll be to me no small contentation for this worke paynefully doone a good occasion spedyly to finish the rest of my owne labours concerning this faculty a great encouragement and comfort to bestow my whole time hereafter only in that study wherewith all my former knowledge in Philosophy and Geography may ende The whiche conueniently now I am in good hope to perfourme with my Lorde and your Ladyshyps good leaue and continuance of my duety and effectuall desire to doe your Honours the better seruice At London the 4. day of Iuly 1577. Your Honors seruaunt humbly at commaundement Richarde VVilles R. VVilles Preface vnto the Reader wherein is set downe a generall summe as it were of the whole worke THis greate and large bolume consisteth principally of foure partes agreeable vnto those foure corners of the worlde whereunto the skilfull seamen and merchauntes aduenturers of late yeeres haue chiefely traueiled and yet specially are wont to resorte The first part conteyneth foure Decades written by P. Martyr a learned graue counseller of Charles the Emperour fifte of that name concernyng the Spanyardes voyages Southwestwarde theyr famous exploites doone in these newly discouered partes of the worlde the whiche vsually wee now call the west Indies Hereunto haue we added Gonzalus Eerdinandus Ouiedus breefe historie touching the same matter so that the first part of our volume hath fiue particular bookes In the first whereof cap 1.2.3 4 and 5. P. Martir describeth Columbus first and second nauigations and discoueries of certaine Ilandes made by hym specially and his brother In the 6. chapter or booke thereof for both names we finde is set foorth Columbus third voiage and the discouery of Peru in the maigne west Indish lande In the seuenth his troubles both in the west Indies and retourne into Spaigne with his brother being both prisoners The 8. is of P. Alfonsus voyages that same way In the 9. are declared the trauailes of Vincent and Peter Pinzoni and other Spaniards likewise thither from Palos The 10. is a conclusion of the whole Decade with particuler mention of some special nouelties Colūbus fourth voiage beganne So that in the first Decade you haue historically set downe the discouerye of the west Indies taken in hande about the yeere of our Lorde .1492 by Columbus and his companions vntill the yeere 1510. as P. Martir witnesseth fol. 8. 43 47. and 54. This worthy trauayler and skilfull seaman died at Validolid in Spaigne An. dom 1506. as Lopez reporteth cap. 25. in his generall historie de las Indias The second Decade conteyneth Peru matters entituled by P. Martir Creditus Cortinens that is a continent or maigne lande as in deede it is of it selfe with the rest of America in lyke maner as Europe Affryk Asia be one continent or maigne lande vnited togeather In the fyrst and seconde chapters of this Decade shall you reade the voyages of Fogeda and Nicuesa to Dariena In the thyrd Colmenaris trauayles Nicuesa his death and the Indishe kyng Comogrus beneuolence In the fourth Vasquez Nunnez doynges in Vraba gulfe His conquest of rebellious Barbarian kyngs in the fifte In the syxt Quicedus Colmenaris ambassage out of Dariena to Hispaniola and the religion of king Commendator in Cuba The seuenth booke conteineth Petrus Arias iorney to Paria in Peru. The .8 the dissention betwixt the Spaniardes and Portugales for theyr boundes and makyng of fyue Bishops in these newely founde partes of the worlde In the 9 are shewed the ryuers of Darien and philosophically the causes of so great waters there That countrey is described in the .10 and the extreme hunger abydden by the companions of Nicuesa set forth In the fyrst second and thyrd chapters of the thyrde Decade is conteyned an abridgement of Vascus Nunnez relations concerning his voyage to the south sea for it lyeth south from Darien vsually termed nowe a dayes Mar del zur and may also be called the wyde east Indyshe Ocean The discouery thereof made by Nunnez the kyng subdued by hym especially kyng Commogrus christenyng by the name of Charles and the wynnyng of kyng Tumanama or Tubanama and his countrey In the fourth chapter shal you fynd Columbus fourth vyage began An. do 1502 to the mayne west Indyshe lande with the description of some part therof lying betwyxt our Atlantike or westerne Ocean and the aforesayde Mar del zur as Vraba and Beragua In respecte of the history and course of yeeres this booke myght haue been placed before the seconde Decade but it shoulde seeme that these reportes came no sooner to P. Martyr his handes wherefore he began this fourth booke ryght well thus I was determined c. The fyfth booke conteyneth P. Arias iorney mentioned dec 2 lib. 7. to the north syde of Peru wherein Carthagena and S. Martha two famous hauens do stande with a description of the countrey and people thereof In the syxt you haue a disputation touchyng the Leuant streame or easterne surge of the sea the discouery of Baccalaos done by Cabot P. Arias arriuall in Darien the buildyng of S. Maria antiqua there with other fortresses finally the commodities and vnwholesomnesse of Darien In the .7 8. .9 bookes shal you haue a description of Hispaniola Cuba and other Ilandes thereabout done by Andreas Moralis And in the .10 shall you reade of the Ilande Diues in Mar del zur of the kyng therof subdued by Andreas Moralis of Pearles the finding therof of Petrus Arias Captaynes doinges agaynst the Caniballes of the Barbares fowlyng the manner of the geatheryng of gold in Dariena The fourth Decade for so was it named in the Spanyards edition of P. Martyr his woorkes set forth at Alcala in Spayne An. do 1530. though the Basile and Cullen printers haue entituled it De insulis nuper inuentis that is of Ilandes lately found out to wyt after Columbus voyages this booke I say was by P. Mar. culled out of the Indian registers conteynyng speciall notes that seemed vnto hym most meete to be publyshed as the discouery of certayne Ilandes and creekes namely Iucatan done by Fernandes of Corduba his companions Cozumella the Ilands of Sacrifice the Ilandes of women the prouince Coluacan
that purpose by reason of a myne of stones whiche was neare vnto the same seruyng well both to buylde with and also to make Lyme at the bottome of this hyll is there a great playne of threescore myles in length and in breadth somewhere .xii. somewhere .xx. myles where it is brodest sixe myles where it is narrowest through this playne runne diuers fayre ryuers of wholsome waters but the greatest of them whiche is nauigable falleth into the hauen of the citie for the space of halfe a furlong howe fertile and fruitful this valley is you shal vnderstande by these thynges whiche folowe On the shore of this ryuer they haue lymitted and enclosed certayne ground to make gardens and orchyardes in the whiche al kynde of bygger hearbes as radishe letuse coleworts borage suche other waxe rype within .xvi dayes after the seede is sowen lykewyse Melones Gourdes Cucumers and suche other within the space of .xxxvi. dayes these garden hearbes they haue freshe greene al the whole yeere Also the rootes of the canes or reedes of the licour whereof suger is made growe a cubite hygh within the space of .xv. dayes but the licour is not yet hardened The lyke they affirme of plantes or shroudes of young vines and that they haue the seconde yeere geathered rype and sweete grapes of the same but by reason of to muche rankenesse they beare but fewe clusters Furthermore a man of the countrey sowed a lytle Wheate about the Calendes of Februarye and brought with hym to the citie an handful of the rype eares of the same the thyrde day before the calendes of Aprill which was that yeere the vigile of the Resurrection of our Lord. Also al kyndes of pulse as beanes peason fytches tares such other are rype twyse in the yeere as al they whiche come from thence affirme with one voyce yet the grounde is not vniuersally apte to beare wheate In the meane tyme whyle these thinges were doing the Admirall sent out a companye of .xxx. men to searche the Region of Cipanga otherwyse called Cibana This Region is full of mountaynes and rockes and in the myddle backe of the whole ilande is great plentie of golde When they that went to searche the region were returned they reported maruelous thinges as touching the great ryches of this Region From these mountaynes descende foure great ryuers which by the maruelous industrye of nature diuideth the whole ilande into foure partes in maner equal ouerspreading wateryng the whole ilande with their branches Of these foure ryuers the one reacheth towarde the Easte this the inhabitantes call Iunna another towarde the weste and is called Attibunicus the thirde toward the North named Iachem the laste reacheth into the South and is called Naiba The day before the Ides of Marche the Admirall him selfe with al his horsemen and foure hundred footemen marched directly towarde the South syde of the golden Region Thus passing ouer the ryuer the playne and the mountayne which enuironed the other syde of the playne he chaunced vppon an other vale with a ryuer much bygger then the fyrste many other meane ryuers running through When he had also conueighed his armye ouer the ryuer and passed the seconde vale which was in no part inferiour to the fyrst he made away through the thirde mountaine where was no passage before and descended into another vale whiche was nowe the begynnyng of Cibana Through this also runne many fluddes and ryuers out of euery hyll and in the sandes of them all is founde great plentie of golde And when he had nowe entred threescore and twelue myles into the golden Region from the citie he entended to buylde a fortresse vppon the toppe of a hyll standyng by y e shore of a certayne great ryuer that he myght the better and more safelye searche the secretes of the inner partes of the Region this he called the fortresse of saint Thomas the whiche in the meane tyme whyle he was buyldyng the inhabitauntes beyng desyrous of haukes belles and other of our thinges resorted dayly thyther to whom the Admirall declared that yf they woulde bryng golde they shoulde haue whatsoeuer they woulde aske Foorthwith turning theyr backes and runnyng to the shore of the next riuer they returned in a shorte tyme bryngyng with them theyr handes ful of golde Amongst all other there came an olde man bryngyng with him two pibble stones of golde weyghyng an ounce desyryng them to geue hym a bell for the same who when he sawe our men marueyle at the bygnesse thereof he made signes that they were but small and of no value in respecte of some that he had seene and takyng in his hande foure stones the least wherof was as bigge as a Walnut and the biggest as bigge as an Orange he sayd that there was founde peeces of golde so bygge in his countrey beyng but halfe a dayes iourney from thence and that they had no regarde to the geatheryng thereof wherby we perceiued that they passe not muche for golde inasmuche as it is golde only but so farre esteeme it as the hande of the Artificer hath fashioned it in any comely fourme For who dooth greatly esteeme rough marble or vnwrought Iuorie but if they be wrought with the cunning hande of Phidias or Praxiteles and shaped to the similitude of y e fayre Nimphes or Faires of the sea called Nereiades or the Fayres of the wooddes called Hamadriades they shal neuer lacke byers Besyde this olde man there came also diuers other bryngyng with them pybble stones of golde weighing .x. or .xii. drammes feared not to confesse that in y e place where they geathered that gold there were found somtyme stones of golde as bygge as the head of a childe When he had taried here a few dayes he sent one Luxanus a noble yong gentleman with a few armed men to search al the partes of this region who at his returne reported that the inhabitants shewed him greater thynges then we haue spoken of here before but he dyd openly declare nothyng thereof whiche they thought was done by the Admirals commaundement They haue woods ful of certayne spyces but not such as we commonly vse these they geather euen as they do golde that is as muche as wyl serue for their purpose euery man for himselfe to exchange the same with the inhabitauntes of other countreys adioyning to them for such thynges as they lacke as dyshes pottes stooles and such other necessaries As Luxanus returned to the Admirall whiche was about the Ides of Marche he founde in the woods certaine wilde vines rype and of pleasant taste but the inhabitauntes passe not on them This region though it be full of stones and rockes and is therefore called Cibana whiche is as muche to say as a stone yet it is wel replenyshed with trees and pastures yea they constantly affirme that yf y e grasse of these
northerne lande but suche a one that ether is not to be traueyled for the causes in the first Obiection alleaged or cleane shut vp from vs in Europe by Groenland the South ende whereof Moletius maketh firme lande with America the north parte continent with Lapponlande and Norway Thyrdly the greatest fauourers of this voyage can not deny but that if any such passage be it lyeth subiect vnto Yse and snow for the most parte of the yeere whereas it standeth in the edge of the frostie zone Before the Sunne hath warmed the ayre and dissolued the Yse eche one well knoweth that there can bee no saylyng the Yse once broken through the continuall abode the Sunne maketh a certayne season in those partes how shall it be possible for so weake a vessell as a shyppe is to holde out amyd whole Ilandes as it were of Yse continually beatyng on eche syde and at the mouth of that goulphe issuyng downe furiously from the North safely to passe whan whole mountaynes of Yse and Snow shal be tombled downe vpon her Wel graunt the west Indies not to continue continent vnto the Pole graunt there be a passage betwyxt these two landes let the goulph lye neare vs than commonly in cardes we fynde it set namely betwyxt the .61 .64 degrees north as Gemma Frisius in his Mappes and Globes imagineth it and so left by our countriman Sebastian Cabote in his table the which my good Lorde your father hath at Cheynies and so tryed this last yeere by your Honours seruaunt as hee reported and his carde and compasse doe witnesse Let the way bee voyde of all difficulties yet doeth it not folowe that we haue free passage to Cathayo For examples sake You may trende all Norway Finmarke and Lapponlande and than bow Southwarde to sainct Nicolas in Moscouia you may lykewyse in the Mediterranean sea fetche Constantinople and the mouth of Tanais yet is there no passage by sea through Moscouia into Pont Euxine now called Mare Maggiore Agayne in the aforesayde Mediterranean sea we sayle to Alexandria in Egypt the Barbares bryng theyr pearle and spices from the Moluccaes vp the read sea and Arabian goulph to Sues scarsely three dayes iourney from the aforesayde hauen yet haue we no way by sea from Alexandria to the Moluccaes for that Isthmos or litle streicte of lande betwyxt the two seas In lyke maner although the northerne passage bee free at .61 degrees latitude and the West Ocean beyonde America vsually called Mar del zur knowen to be open at .40 degrees eleuation for the Ilande Giapan yea .300 leagues northerly aboue Giapan yet may there bee lande to hynder the through passage that way by sea as in the examples aforesayde it falleth out Asia and America there beyng ioyned togeather in one continent Ne can this opinion seeme altogeather friuolous vnto any one that diligently peruseth our Cosmographers doynges Iosephus Moletius is of that mynde not onely in his playne hemispheres of the worlde but also in his sea carde The French Geographers in lyke maner bee of the same opinion as by their Mappe cut out in fourme of a harte you may perceyue as though the West Indyes were parte of Asie Whiche sentence well agreeth with that olde conclusion in the scholes Quidquid praeter Africam et Europam est Asia est Whatsoeuer land doeth neyther appertayne vnto Afrike nor to Europe is parte of Asie Furthermore it were to small purpose to make so long so paynefull so doubtfull a voyage by such a new founde way if in Cathayo you should neyther be suffred to lande for silkes and siluer nor able to fetche the Molucca spices and pearle for piracye in those seas Of a lawe denying all Aliens to enter into China and forbiddyng all the inhabiters vnder a great penaltie to let in any stranger into that countreys shall you reade in the report of Galeotto Perera there imprisoned with other Portugalles as also in the Giaponyshe letters howe for that cause the woorthie traueyler Xauierus bargayned with a Barbarian Marchaunt for a great sum of Pepper to be brought into Cantan a porte in Cathayo The great and daungerous piracie vsed in that seas no man can be ignorant of that listeth to reade the Giaponishe and East Indian historie Finally all this great labour would bee lost all these charges spent in vayne if in the ende our traueylers myght not be able to returne agayne and bryng safely home into theyr owne natyue countrey that wealth and ryches they in forreyne regions with aduenture of goodes and daunger of theyr lyues haue sought for By the Northeast there is no way the Southeast passage the Portugalles doe hold as Lordes of that seas At the Southwest Magellanus experience hath partly taught vs and partly we are persuaded by reason howe the Easterne currant stryketh so furiously on that streicte and falleth with such force into that narrow goulphe that hardely any shyppe can returne that way into our West Ocean out of Mar del zur The which if it be true as truly it is than may we say that the aforesayde Easterne currant or leuant course of waters continually folowyng after the heauenly motions looseth not altogeather his force but is doubled rather by an other currant from out the Northeast in the passage betwyxt America and the North lande whyther it is of necessitie carryed hauyng none other way to maintaine it selfe in circular motion and consequently the force and fury thereof to be no lesse in the streict of Aniaâ— where it striketh South into Mar del zur beyond America if any such streicte of sea there be than in Magellane frete both streictes beyng of lyke breadth as in Belognine Zalterius table of new France and in Don Diego Hermano di Toledo his carde for nauigation in that region we doe fynde precisely set downe Neuerthelesse to approue that there lyeth a way to Cathayo at the Northwest from out of Europe we haue experyence namely of three brethren that went that iourney as Gemma Frisius recordeth and left a name vnto that streicte whereby nowe it is called Fretum trium Fratrum We do reade againe of a Portugal that passed this streicte of whom M. Furbisher speaketh that was imprisoned therefore many yeeres in Lesbona to veryfie the olde Spanyshe prouerbe I suffer for doyng wel Likewise An. Vrdaneta a fryer of Mexico came out of Mar del zur this way into Germanie his Carde for he was a great discouerer made by his owne experience and trauayle in that voyage hath been seene by gentelmen of good credite Now yf the obseruation and remembrance of thyngs breedeth experience and of experience proceedeth art and the certeine knowledge we haue in al faculties as y e best Philosophers that euer were do affyrme truly the voyage of these aforesayd trauaillers that haue gone out of Europe into Mar del zur and returned thence at the Northwest doo moste euidently conclude that way to be nauigable and that
in euery citie there be many neuerthelesse in three of them remaine onely such as be condemned to die Their death is much prolonged for that ordinarily there is no execution doone but once a yeere though many die for hunger and colde as we haue seene in this prison Execution is done in this maner The Chian to wyt the hygh commissioner or Lord cheefe Iustice at the yeeres ende goeth to the head citie where he heareth agayne the causes of suche as be condempned Many tymes he delyuereth some of them declaryng that boord to haue been wrongfully put about theyr neckes the visitation ended he choseth out seuen or .viii. not many more or lesse of the greatest malefactours the whiche to feare and keepe in awe the people are brought into a great market place where al the great Louteas meete togeather and after many cerimonies and superstitions as the vse of the countrey is are beheaded This is done once a yeere who so escapeth that day may be sure that he shal not be put to death al that yeere folowyng so remayneth at the kynges charges in the greater prison In that prison where we lay were al waies one hundred moe of these condemned persons besides them that lay in other prisons These prisons wherin the condemned caytyfes do remayne are so strong that it hath not been hard that any prisoner in al China hath escaped out of pryson for in deed it is a thyng impossible The prisons are thus builded Fyrst al the place is myghtelye walled about the walles be very strong and hygh the gate of no lesse force within it three other gates before you come where the prysoners do lye there many great lodginges are to be seene of the Louteas Notaries Parthions that is such as do there kepe watch and ward day and nyght the court large and paued on the one syde wherof standeth a pryson with two myghtie gates wherin are kept such prisoners as haue committed enormious offences This prison is so great that in it are streates and Market places wherein al thyngs necessarie are sold. Yea some prysoners liue by that kynde of trade buyeng and selling and letting out beds to hyre some are dayly sent to pryson some dayly deliuered wherfore this place is neuer voyde of seuen or eyght hundred men that go at libertie Into one other pryson of condempned persons shall you goo at three yron gates the court paued and vauted rounde about open aboue as it were a cloister In this cloister be eight roomes with yron doores and in eache of them a large Gallerie wherein euery night the prisoners do lie at length their feete in the stocks theyr bodies hampered in huge woodden grates that kepe them frō sitting so that they lie as it were in a cage sleepe if they can in the morning they are losed againe that they may go into y e court Notwithstanding the strength of this pryson it is kept with a garrison of men part whereof watche within the house part of them in the Court some keepe about the pryson with lanterns and watchebelles answeryng one an other fyue tymes euerye nyght and geuing warning so lowde that the Loutea resting in a chamber not neare thereunto may heere them In these prysons of condemned persons remayne some .15 other 20. yeeres imprisoned not executed for the loue of theyr honorable frendes that seeke to prolong theyr lyues Many of these prysoners be shomakers and haue from the king a certayne allowaunce of rise some of them worke for the keeper who suffereth them to goe at libertie without fetters and boordes the better to worke Howbeit when the Loutea calleth his checke rolle with the keper vieweth them they al weare theyr lyuereys that is boords at theyr neckes yronned hand and foote When any of these prysoners dieth he is to be seene of the Loutea and Notaries brought out at a gate so narrow that there can but one be drawen out there at once The prysoner beyng brought foorth one of the aforesayde Parthians stryketh hym thryse on the head with an yron sledge that doone he is deliuered vnto his frendes yf he haue any otherwyse the kyng hyreth men to cary hym to his buriall in the fieldes Thus adulterers and theeues are vsed Such as be imprisoned for debt once knowen lye there vntyl it be payed The Taissu or Loutea calleth them many tymes before him by the vertue of his office who vnderstanding the cause wherefore they doo not pay theyr debtes appointeth them a certayne tyme to doe it wtin the compasse wherof if they discharge not theyr debtes beyng debters in deede then they be whipped condemned to perpetual imprisonment yf the creditours be many one is to be payd before an other they do contrary to our maner pay him fyrst of whom they last borowed and so ordinarily the rest in suche sort that the fyrst lender be the last receyuer The same order is kept in paying legacies the last named receyueth his portion first They accompt it nothyng to shew fauour to such a one as can doo the lyke agayne but to doo good to them that haue litle or nothing that is worth thanks therfore pay they the last before the first for that their entent seemeth rather to be vertuous then gainful When I sayde that suche as bee committed to pryson for theft murther were iudged by the Court I ment not them that were apprehended in the deed doyng for they need no tryall but are brought immediatly before the Tutan who out of hand giueth sentence Other not taken so openly and doe neede tryall are the malefactors put to execution once a yeere in the chiefe cities to keepe in awe the people or condempned doe remayne in prison lokyng for theyr day Theeues being taken are carryed to prison from one place to an other in a chest vpon mens shoulders hyred therefore by the kyng the Chest is sixe handfulles hygh the prisoner sitteth therein vppon a benche the couer of the chest is two boordes amyd them both a pillerylyke hole for the prisoner his necke there sitteth he with his head without the chest the rest of his body within not able to moue or turne his head this way or that way nor to plucke it in the necessities of nature he voydeth at a hole in the bottome of the chest the meat hee eateth is put into his mouth by others There abydeth he day and nyght duryng his whole iourney if happely his porters stumble or the chest doe iogge or be set downe carelesly it turneth to his great paynes that sitteth therein all such motions beyng vnto him hangyng as it were Thus were our companyons carryed from Cinceo seuen dayes iourney neuer taking any rest as afterward they told vs theyr greatest griefe was to staye by the way as soone as they came beyng taken out of the chests they were not able to stande on theyr feete and two of them dyed shortly after Whan
these Barbarians of singular faith grauitie tolde vs of a marueylous in maner incredible thing that is seene among these Tartars And that his father being sent by the prince of Moscouia to the kyng of Sawolhense saw while he was in that legacie a certaine seede in that Iland somewhat lesse rounder then the seeds of Melones Of the which being hyd in the ground there groweth a fruite or plante very lyke a Lambe of the height of fiue spannes and is therefore called in theyr tongue Boranetz whiche signifieth a litle Lambe For it hath the head eyes eares and all other partes like vnto a Lambe newly eyued with also a very thyn skyn wherewith dyuers of the inhabitauntes of those regions are accustomed to lyue theyr cappes and hattes and other tyrements for theyr heades Many also confirmed in our presence that they had seene these skynnes He saide furthermore that that plant yf it may be called a plant hath blood and no fleshe but hath in the steade of fleshe a certayne substaunce lyke vnto the fleshe of Creuishes The hooffes also are not of horne as are the Lambes but couered with heare in the same fourme The roote cleaueth to the nauyl or myddest of the belly the plant or fruite lyueth vntil al the grasse hearbes growing about it being eaten the roote wythereth for lacke of nouryshment They say that it is very sweete to be eaten and is therfore greatly desyred and sought for of the Woolues and other rauenyng beastes And albeit I esteeme all that is sayde of this plant to be fabulous yet forasmuche as it hath been tolde me of credible persons I haue thought good to make mention hereof Of this strange fruite Mandeuile maketh mention where in the .lxxxiiii. Chapter of his Booke he wryteth thus Nowe shal I say of some landes countreys and Isles that are beyonde the lande of Cathay therefore whoso goeth from Cathay to India the hygh and the lowe he shall goe through a Kyngdome that men call Cadissen and is a great lande There groweth a manner of fruite as it were Gourdes and when it is rype mâ—n cut it asunder and fynde therein a beast as it were of fleshe bone and blood as it were a litle Lambe without wooll and men eate that beast and the fruite also whiche is a great marueyle neuerthelesse I sayde vnto them that I helde that for no marueyle for I sayde that in my countrey are trees that beare fruite that become byrdes fleeing which are good to be eaten and that that falleth into the water lyueth and that that falleth on the earth dyeth And they had great marueyle of this c. From the prince of Schidacke proceedyng twentye dayes iourney towarde the East are the people which the Moscouites cal Iurgenci whose prynce is Barack Soltan brother to the great Chan of Cathay In tenne dayes iourney from Barack Soltan they come to Bebeid Chan. And this is that great Chan of Cathay Names of dignities among the Tartars are these Chan signifieth a Kyng Soltan the sonne of a Kyng Bij a Duke Mursa the sonne of a Duke Olboud a noble man or counseller Olboadulu the sonne of a noble man Seid the hygh priest Ksi a priuate person The names of offices are these Vlan the seconde dignitie to the Kyng for the Kynges of the Tartars haue foure principal men whose counsell they vse in all their weyghtie affayres Of these the firste is called Schirni the seconde Barni the thyrde Gargni the fourth Tzipsan And to haue sayde thus muche of the Tartars it shal suffise Marcus Paulus wryteth that the great Chan is called Chan Cublai that is the great Kyng of Kynges as the great Turcke wryteth hym selfe in lyke maner as I sawe in a letter wrytten by hym of late in the citie of Ragusa in the whiche he vseth this subscription Soltan Soliman desclim Cham Signore de Signori en sempiterno The Nauigation by the frosen Sea AT my beyng in Moscouia when I was sent thyther by king Ferdinando my lorde and maister it so chaunced that Georgius Istoma the Duke of Moscouia his Interpreter a man of great experience who had before learned the latine tongue in the court of Iohn king of Denmarke was there present at the same tyme. He in the yeere of Christe .1496 beyng sent of his prince with maister Dauid a Scotte borne and then Ambassadour for the kyng of Denmarke whom also I knewe there at my firste legacie made me a breefe information of al the order of his iourney the which forasmuch as it may seeme difficult and laborious as wel for the distance as daungerous places I haue thought good to describe the same as I receyued it at his mouth Fyrst he sayde that beyng sent of his prince with the sayde Dauid they came fyrst to Nouogradia the great And whereas at that tyme the kyngdome of Suecia reuolted from the Kyng of Denmarke also the Duke of Moscouia was at discention with the Suetians by reason whereof they could not passe by the most accustomed way for the tumultes of warre they attempted theyr iourney by an other way longer but safer and came fyrst from Nouogradia to the mouthes of the ryuer of Dwina and Potiwlo by a very diffâ—cult and paynfull iourney For hee sayd that this iourney which can not be to muche detested for such labours and traueyles continueth for the space of three hundred leagues In fine takyng foure small shyppes or barkes at the mouthes of Dwina they sayled by the coast on the right hand of the Ocean where they sawe certayne hygh and rough mountaynes and at the length saylyng .xvi. leagues and passyng a great gulfe folowed the coast on the lefte hande and leauyng on the right hande the large sea whiche hath the name of the ryuer Petzora as haue also the mountaynes adiacent to the same they came to the people of Finlappia who although they dwell here there in low cottagies by the sea syde and leade in maner a beastly lyfe yet are they more meeke and tractable then the wylde Lappians He sayde that these also are tributaries to the prince of Moscouia Then leauing the lande of the Lappians and saylyng fourescore leagues they came to the region of Nortpoden vnder the dominion of the kyng of Suecia This the Moscouites call Kaienska Semla and the people Kaieni Departyng from hence and saylyng along by the coast of a wyndyng and bendyng shore reachyng towarde the ryght hande they came to a promontorie or cape called the Holy nose being a great stone reachyng farre into the sea to the similitude of a nose vnder the which is seene a caue with a whyrlepoole which swaloweth the sea euery syxe houres and castyng foorth the same agayne with terryble roaryng and violence causeth the sayde whyrlepoole Some call this the Nauell of the sea and other name it Charibdis He affyrmeth that the violence of this
maner rounde It is of largenesse from syde to syde .lx. Italian myles that is to say one degree The horizontall line of the Ilande passeth by the two poles Artike and Antartike and hath euer the day equall with the nyght without any sensible difference whether the Sunne be in Cancer or in Capricorne The starre of the pole Artike is there inuisible but the wardens are seene somewhat to moue about the starres called the Crosse are seene very hygh Of this Ilande with the other landes and Ilandes lying betweene Portugale and the same a certeyne pylotte of Portugale hath written a goodly vyage to Conte Rimondo FINIS The Nauigation and vyages of Lewes Vertomannus Gentelman of the citie of Rome to the regions of Arabia Egypte Persia Syria Ethiopia and East India both within and without the ryuer of Ganges c. In the yeere of our Lorde .1503 Conteynyng many notable and straunge thinges both hystoricall and naturall Translated out of Latine into Englyshe by Richarde Eden In the yeere of our Lord .1576 The Preface of the Authour THere haue ben many before me who to know the miracles of the worlde haue with diligent studie read dyuers Authours which haue written of such thinges But other giuing more credite to the lyuely voyce haue been more desirous to know the same by relation of such as haue traueyled in those countreys seene such thinges whereof they make relation for that in many bookes geathered of vncertaine aucthoritie are myxt false thinges with true Other there are so greatly desirous to know the trueth of these thinges that they can in no wyse be satisfied vntyll by theyr owne experience they haue founde the trueth by voyages and peregrinations into straunge countreys and people to know theyr maners fashions and customes with dyuers thinges there to be seene wherein the only readyng of bookes could not satisfie their thirst of suche knowledge but rather increased the same in so much that they feared not with losse of goods and daunger of lyfe to attempte great vyages to dyuers countreys with witnesse of theyr eyes to see that they so greatly desired to knowe The whiche thyng among other chaunced vnto me also For as often as in the bookes of hystories and Cosmographie I read of such marueylous thinges whereof they make mention especially of thinges in the East partes of the world there was nothyng that coulde pacifie my vnquiet mynde vntyll I had with myne eyes seene the trueth thereof I knowe that some there are indued with hygh knowledge mountyng vnto the heauens whiche will contempne these our writinges as base and humble bycause we doe not here after their maner with high and subtile inquisition intreate of the motions and dispositions of the starres and gyue reason of theyr woorkyng on the earth with their motions retrogradations directions mutations epicicles reuolutions inclinations diuinations reflexions and suche other parteynyng to the science of Astrologie which certeynely we doe not condempne but greatly prayse But measuryng vs with our owne foote we will leaue that heauie burden of heauen to the strong shoulders of Atlas and Hercules and only creepyng vppon the earth in our owne person beholde the situations of landes and regions with the maners and customes of men and variable fourmes shapes natures and propriettes of beastes fruites and trees especially suche as are among the Arabians Persians Indians and Ethiopians And whereas in the searchyng of these thinges we haue thanked be God satisfied our desire we thinke neuerthelesse that we haue done little excepte we should communicate to other such thinges as we haue seene and had experience of that they lykewyse by the readyng thereof may take pleasure for whose sakes we haue written this long and dangerous discourse of thinges which we haue seene in dyuers regions and sectes of men desiryng nothyng more then that the trueth may be knowen to them that desyre the same But what incommodities and troubles chaunced vnto me in these viages as hunger thirst colde heate warres captiuitie terrours and dyuers other suche daungers I will declare by the way in theyr due places The first Chapter of the nauigation from Venice to Alexandria in Egypte IF any man shall demaunde of me the cause of this my vyage certeynely I can shewe no better reason then is the ardent desire of knowledge which hath moued many other to see the worlde and miracles of God therin And forasmuch as other knowen partes of the world haue heretofore ben sufficiently traueyled of other I was determyned to visite and describe suche partes as here before haue not been sufficiently knowen and therefore with the grace of God and callyng vppon his holy name to prosper our enterprise departyng from Uenice with prosperous wyndes in fewe dayes we arryued at the citie of Alexandria in Egypte where the desyre we had to knowe thinges more straunge and further of would not permit vs to tarrie long And therefore departyng from thence and saylyng vp the ryuer of Nilus we came to the citie of new Babylon commonly called Cayrus or Alcayr Of the citie named Babylon or Alcayr a citie of Nilus in Egypt Cap. 2. WHen we arryued there I marueyled more then I am able to say yet when I approched so neare the citie that I myght wel see into it it seemed to me much inferior to the reporte and fame that was thereof for the greatnesse thereof seemed nothyng agreeable to the bruite and appeared no more in circuite then the citie of Rome although muche more peopled and better inhabited But the large fieldes of the suburbes haue deceyued many beyng dispersed with in maner innumerable villages whiche some haue thought to haue been part of the citie whiche is nothyng so For those villages and dispersed houses are two or three myles from the citie and round about it on euery syde Neyther is it here needefull to spende muche tyme in declaryng of theyr maners or religion forasmuch as it is well knowen that all the inhabitantes of those regions are Mahumetans and Mamalukes whiche are suche Christians as haue forsaken theyr fayth to serue the Mahumetans and Turkes Although commonly they that serued the Soltan of Babylon in tyme past before the Soltan was ouercome by the Turke were called Mamaluchi as they that serue the Turke are called Ienetzari But these Mamaluke Mahumetans are subiecte to the Soltan of Syria Of the cities of Berynto Tripoli and Antioch Cap. 3. THe riches fayrenesse and magnificence of Babylon aforesayde and the straunge souldiers Mamalukes as things knowen we will now pretermit Therfore departyng from Babylon and returnyng to Alexandria where we agayne entered into our sea we came to Berynto a citie on the sea coast of Syria Phoenicia where we spent many dayes This is inhabited of Mahumetans and plentifull of all thinges The sea beateth on the walles of the towne it is not compassed with walles but on the West syde towarde the sea Here founde we nothyng
as sayled behynd the Sunne towarde the West dyd greatly lengthen the daye And albeit that the sayde booke of Peter Martyr is peryshed yet hath not fortune permytted that the memorie of so woorthy and marueylous an enterpryse shoulde vtterly be extincte forasmuche as a certayne noble gentelman of the citie of Vincenza in Italie called master Antonie Pigafetta who beyng one of the companie of that voyage and after his returne into Spayne in the shyppe Victoria was made knyght of the Rhodes wrote a particular and large booke thereof whiche he gaue to Themperours Maiestie and sent a copie of the same into Fraunce to the lady Regent mother vnto the French king who committed it to an excellent philosopher called master Iacobus Faber hauing long studied in Italy wyllyng hym to translate it into the Frenche tongue This booke therefore was printed fyrst in the Frenche tongue and then in the Italian with also an epistle to the Cardinall of Salsepurge as touchyng the same voyage written by Maximilian Transiluane secretarie to Themperours Maiestie in the yeere 1522. And doubtlesse among all the cities of Italie the citie of Vincenza may herein muche glorie that besyde the auncient nobilitie and many excellent and rare wyttes whiche it hath brought foorth aswell in learnyng as discipline of warre it hath also had so woorthy and valiaunt a gentleman as was the sayde master Antonie Pigafetta who hauyng compassed about the ball or globe of the worlde hath lykewyse described that voyage particularly For the whiche his so noble and wonderfull an enterprise so happily atchiued if the same had ben done in the olde tyme when Th empyre of the Greekes and Romans floryshed he shoulde doubtlesse haue ben rewarded with an Image of marble or gold erected in a place of honour in perpetuall memorie and for a singular example of his vertue to the posteritie In fine this may we boldly affyrme that the antiquitie had neuer such knowledge of the worlde whiche the Sunne compasseth about in .xxiiii. houres as we haue at this present by the industrie of men of this our age But before I speake any thyng of the vyage I haue thought it good fyrst to adde hereunto the Epistle of Maximilian Transiluane which he wrote to the Cardinall of Salsepurge as a preface to his sayde booke ¶ The Epistle of Maximilian Transiluane secretarie to the Emperours Maiestie written to the ryght honorable and reuerende lorde the lord Cardinal of Salepurge of the marueylous and woonderfull nauigation made by the Spanyardes rounde about the worlde in the yeere of Christ M.D.xix. IN these dayes my most honorable and reuerend lord returned one of those fiue ships whiche the yeere before Themperours beyng at Saragosa in Spaine were at his maiesties commaundement sent to the newe worlde heretofore vnknowen vnto vs to seeke the Ilandes of spices For albeit the Portugales bryng vs great quantitie of Spyces from that part of East India whiche in olde tyme was called Aurea Chersonesus where is nowe thought to be the great rych citie of Malaccha yet in East India growe none of those Spyces except Pepper For other Spyces as Sinamome Cloues Nuttemegs and Mase whiche is the huske that couereth the shell of the Nut are brought from other farre countreys and from Ilandes scarsely knowen by theyr names from the whiche Ilandes they are brought in shyppes or barkes made without any Iron tooles and tyed togeather with cordes of Date trees with rounde sayles lykewyse made of the small twigges of the branches of Date trees weaued togeather These barkes they call Giuâ—che with the whiche barkes and sayles they make theyr viage with only one wynde in the stearne or contrarywyse Neyther yet is it a thyng greatly to be marueiled at that these Ilands where the Spices growe haue ben vnknowen so many worlde 's past vnto our tyme forasmuch as all suche thynges as vnto this daye haue ben wrytten of old autours of the places where spices growe are all fabulous and false Insomuch that the countreys where they affyrme them to growe are nowe certaynely founde to be further from the place where they growe in deede then we are from them For lettyng passe many other thynges that are wrytten I wyll speake more of this which Herodotus otherwise a famous auctoure affirmeth that Sinamome is founde in the toppes of the nestes of certayne byrdes and foules that bryng it from farre countreys and especially the Phenyx the whiche I knowe no man that euer hath seene But Plinie who might more certaynely affyrme thinges by reason that before his tyme many thynges were knowen and discouered by the nauigations of great Alexander and other sayth that Sinamome groweth in that part of Ethiope which the people inhabit called Trogloditi Neuerthelesse it is now found that Sinamome groweth very far from all Ethiope now much further from the Trogloditi which dwel in caues vnder the ground But to our men which are now returned from those partes and the Ilandes of spices hauyng also good knowledge of Ethiope it was necessarie to passe far beyond Ethiope before they come to these Ilands and to compasse about the whole worlde and many tymes vnder the greatest circumference of heauen The which nauigations made by them beyng the most marueylous thyng that euer was done by man vppon the earth sence the fyrst creation of the worlde and neuer founde before or knowen or attempted by any other I haue deliberated faythfully to wryte to your honorable lordeshyppe and to declare the whole successe thereof As touchyng which matter I haue with all diligence made inquisition to knowe the trueth aswell by relation of the Captayne of that shyppe as also by conference with euery of the maryners that returned with hym All whiche gaue the seâ—fe same information both to Themperours Maiestie and diuers other And this with such faythfulnesse and sinceritie that not onely they are iudged of all men to haue declared the trueth in all thynges but haue thereby also geuen vs certaine knowledge that al that hath hitherto ben sayd or wrytten of olde autours as touchyng these thynges are false and fabulous For who wyl beleeue that men are founde with onely one legge Or with suche feete whose shadowe couereth theyr bodyes Or men of a cubite heyght and other suche lyke beyng rather monsters then men Of the whiche neyther the Spanyardes who in our tyme saylyng by the Ocean sea haue discouered all the costes of the lande towarde the West both vnder and aboue the Equinoctiall nor the Portugales who compassyng about all Affryke hath passed by all the East and lykewyse discouered all those costes vnto the great gulfe called Sinus Magnus nor yet the Spaniardes in this theyr last nauigation in the which they compassed about the whole earth dyd neuer in any of theyr viages wryte of such monsters which doubtlesse they would not haue omytted if they myght haue had certayne
is the chiefe that the Catholyke fayth and Christian religion specially in this our tyme may in all places be exalted amplified and enlarged whereby the health of soules may be procured and the Barbarous nations subdued and brought to the fayth And therefore whereas by the fauour of Gods clemencie although not without equall desertes we are called to this holy seate of Peter and vnderstanding you to be true Catholyke princes as we haue euer knowen you and as your noble and woorthy factes haue declared in maner to the whole world in that with all your studie diligence and industry you haue spared no trauayles charges or peryls aduenturyng euen the shedyng of your owne blood with applying your whole myndes and endeuours herevnto as your noble expeditions achyued in recouering the kyngdom of Granata from the tyrrany of the Sarracens in these our dayes do plainly declare your factes with so great glory of the diuine name For the whiche as we thynk you worthy so ought we of our owne free wyl fauorably to graunt you al thynges whereby you may dayly with more feruent myndes to the honour of God and enlargyng the Christian Empire prosecute your deuout and laudable purpose most acceptable to the immortall God We are credibly infourmed that whereas of late you were determyned to seeke and fynde certayne Ilandes and fyrme landes farre remote and vnknowen and not heretofore founde by any other to the intent to bryng the inhabitantes of the same to honor our redeemer to professe the catholike fayth you haue hytherto been much occupied in the expugnation and recouerie of the kyngdome of Granata by reason wherof you coulde not bryng your sayde laudable purpose to the ende desyred Neuerthelesse as it hath pleased almyghtie God the foresayde kyngdome beyng recouered wyllyng to accomplishe your sayde desyre you haue not without great labour peryls charges appoynted our welbeloued sonne Christopher Colonus a man certesse wel commended as most worthy and apt for so great a matter well furnyshed with men and shippes and other necessaries to seeke by the sea where hytherto no man hath sayled suche firme landes and Ilandes farre remote and hytherto vnknowen who by Gods helpe makyng diligent searche in the Ocean sea haue founde certayne remote Ilandes firme landes whiche were not heretofore found by any other in the whiche as is sayde many nations inhabite lyuyng peaceably and goyng naked not accustomed to eate fleshe and as farre as your messengers can coniecture the nations inhabytyng the foresayd landes and Ilandes beleeue that there is one God creator in heauen and seeme apt to be brought to the imbrasyng of the catholyke fayth and to be imbued with good maners by reason wherof we may hope that yf they be well instructed they may easyly be induced to receyue the name of our sauiour Iesus Christe We are further aduertised that the forenamed Christopher hath now buylded and erected a fortresse with good munition in one of the foresayde principall Ilandes in the whiche he hath placed a garryson of certayne of the Christian men that went thyther with hym aswell to thintent to defende the same as also to searche other Ilandes and firme landes farre remote and yet vnknowen We also vnderstande that in these landes and Ilandes lately founde is great plentie of Golde and Spyces with diuers and manye other precious thynges of sundrye kyndes and qualities Therfore all thynges diligently consydered especially the amplyfying and enlargyng of the catholike fayth as i◠behoueth catholike princes folowyng the examples of your noble progenitours of famous memorie whereas you are determined by the fauour of almyghtie God to subdue and bryng to the catholyke fayth thinhabitantes of the aforesayde landes and Ilandes We greatly commendyng this your godly and laudable purpose in our Lorde and desyrous to haue the same brought to a due ende and the name of our sauiour to be knowen in those partes do exhort you in our Lorde and by the receiuyng of your holy baptysme wherby you are bound to Apostolical obedience earnestly require you by the bowels of mercie of our Lord Iesu Christ that when you intende for the zeale of the Catholyke fayth to prosecute the sayde expedition to reduce the people of the forsayde landes and Ilandes to the Christian relgion you shall spare no labours at any tyme or be deterred with any peryls conceiuyng fyrme hope and confidence that the omnipotent God wyll geue good successe to your godly attemptes And that beyng auctorysed by the priuilege of the Apostolycall grace you may the more freely and boldly take vppon you thenterpryse of so great a matter we of our owne motion and not eyther at your request or at the instant petition of any other person but of our owne mere liberalitie and certayne science and by the fulnesse of Apostolycall power do geue graunt and assigne to you your heyres and successours all the fyrme landes and Ilandes found or to be foūd discouered or to be discouered toward y e west south drawing a lyne from the pole Artik to y e pole Antartike that is from the North to the South Contaynyng in this donation whatsoeuer fyrme landes or Ilandes are founde or to be founde towarde India or towarde any other part what so euer it be beyng distant from or without the foresayde line drawen a hundred leagues towarde the West and South from any of the Ilandes whiche are commonly called De los Azores and Capo verde All the Ilandes therefore and fyrme landes founde and to be founde discouered and to be discouered from the sayde line towarde the West and South such as haue not actually ben heretofore possessed by any other Christian kyng or prynce vntyll the daye of the natiuitie of our Lorde Iesu Christ laste paste from the whiche begynneth this present yeere beyng the yeere of our Lorde M. CCCC.lxxxxiii when so euer any such shal be founde by your messengers and captaynes we by the aucthoritie of almyghty GOD graunted vnto vs in saint Peter and by the office whiche we beare on the earth in the steede of Iesu Christ do for euer by the tenor of these presentes geue graunt assigne vnto you your heyres and successours the kynges of Castyle and Legion all those landes and Ilandes with theyr dominions Territories cities castels towres places and villages with all the ryght and iurisdictions thereunto parteynyng constitutyng assignyng and deputyng you your heyres and successours the lordes thereof with full and free power aucthoritie and iurisdiction Decreeyng neuerthelesse by this our donation graunt and assignation that from no Christian Prince which actually hath possessed the foresayde Ilandes and fyrme landes vnto the daye of the natiuitie of our Lord beforesayd theyr ryght obteyned to be vnderstoode hereby to be taken away or that it ought to be taken away Furthermore we commaunde you in the vertue of holy obedience as you haue promysed and as we doubte not you wyll do vppon mere deuotion and princely
magnanimitte to sende to the sayde fyrme landes and Ilandes honest vertuous and learned men suche as feare GOD and are able to instruct thinhabitantes in the Catholyke fayth and good maners applying all theyr possible deligence in the premisses We furthermore streightly inhibite all maner of persons of what state degree order or condition soeuer they be although of Imperiall and regall dignitie vnder the payne of the sentence of excommunicatiō which they shal incurre if they do to the contrary that they in no case presume without speciall lycence of you your heyres and successours to trauayle for merchaundies or for any other cause to the sayde landes or Ilandes founde or to be founde discouered or to be discouered towarde the West and South drawyng a lyne from the pole Artyke to the pole Antartike whether the firme landes and Ilandes founde and to be founde be situate toward India or toward any other part beyng distant from the line drawen a hundred leagues toward the west from any of the Ilands commonly called De los Azores and Capo Verde Notwithstandyng constitutions decrees and Apostolycall ordinaunces whatsoeuer they are to the contrary In hym from whom Empyres dominions and all good thynges do proceede Trustyng that almyghtie GOD directyng your enterprices if you folowe your Godly and laudable attemptes your labours and trauayles herein shall in shorte tyme obtayne a happie ende with felicitie and glory of all Christian people But forasmuche as it shoulde be a thyng of great difficultie these letlers to be caryed to all suche places as shoulde be expedient we wyll and of lyke motion and knowledge do decree that whyther so euer the same shal be sent or wheresoeuer they shal be receiued with the subscription of a common notarie thereunto requyred with the seale of any person constitute in ecclesiasticall dignitie or suche as are aucthorised by the Eclesiasticall court the same fayth and credite to be geuen thereunto in iudgement ▪ or els where as shoulde be exhibyted to these presentes It shal therefore be lawefull for no man to infrynge or rashly to contrary this letter of our commendation exhortation request donation graunt assignation constitution deputation decreee commaundement inhibition and determination And if any shall presume to attempte the same he ought to know that he shal therby incurre the indignation of almyghty God and his holy Apostles Peter and Paule Geuen at Rome at saint Peters In the yeere of thincarnation of our lorde M. CCCC.lxxxxiii The fourth day of the nones of Maye the fyrst yeere of our seate An Abridgement of P. Martyr his .5.6.7 and .8 Decades and particulerly of Ferd. Cortesius conquest of Mexico by R. VV. THe fyrst foure Decades of P. Martyr you haue already seene done into Englyshe by R. Eden as also certayne parcelles of the foure last P. Martir made eight decades of the west Indish newes in lesse labour these may be run ouer speciall regarde being had vnto that Decade wherein the more principall matter is expressed I meane the fyrst and that chiefly for the famous conquest of the citie Themistitan in Mexico prouince yea of all that great region we doe nowe vsually call newe Spaine As for the sixte Decade it conteyneth very little matter woorth the rehearsal except it be certeine reportes of the Spaniards how they found where they traueyled in the West Indies plough stuffe of gold that the prince of Nicoragua with his family became christian that certaine beardles Indians greatly feare suche men as haue beardes that they vse to sacrifice lyue men vnto their Idolles eyther taken in the warres or fatted vp at home bountefully for that purpose that Nicoragua Mere for the greatnesse and vnknowen length thereof for the ebbes and fluddes and many Ilandes therin myght woorthely be called a freshe water sea This freshet hath ben thought to run into the Northwesterne streicte rather of ignorance the course therof being not throughly knowen than that it so falleth out in deede as P. Martyr wryteth Finally in the .9 .10 bookes of the sixt Decade newes is sent to Rome of the controuersie betwixt the Spaniardes Portugales concernyng the Moluccaes handled more effectually in more ample maner by R. Eden Fol. 448. than P. Martyr in this place penned it Wherfore it were a needlesse woorke and actum agere in deede to trouble the reader therewith any further especially whereas in this volume mention hath ben made therof euen by P. Martyr him selfe as you haue already seene The lyke opinion am I also of touching the .vii. .viii. decades some parcels wherof the Aucthour doth repeate out of his former writinges as Dec. 7. c. 2. the ruine of the Ilandes Iucaies out of his fourth Dec. c. 3. Item out of the second Decade c. 10. the nature of that spring in the Ilande Boiuca otherwyse called Agnaneo the water whereof who so drinketh by reporte of an old man becommeth young agayne is in many woordes repeated by P. Martyr Dec. 7. c. 7. the whole summe of whose seconde discourse thereof is expressed in the former place by R. Edens addition of this clause Perhappes with some diet the which woordes are not in P. Martyr his texte to be shorte the two kindes of breade the Indians doe make of the rootes Iucca and a kynd of graine called Maiz suffitiently declared Dec. 1. lib. 1. Dec. 3. lib. 5. lib. 9. Dec. 3. be repeated againe Dec. 8. c. 3. Other parcelles of these aforesayd Decades wherein the subtelties of theyr Magicians and Coniurers Peaces or Pages are discribed their Tigres crueltie their sundry kindes of wylde beastes foule Serpents their diuers sortes of trees and fruites partly may you reade of in the breuiarie of Gonzal Ferd. Ouiedus historie as of the fountayne of pytch the stone pellets naturally made for Gunnes Fol. 224. out of the .7 Decade c. 7. and the Glowoormes out of the same c. 9. partly in R. Eden his notes of newe Spayne Peru Rio de la Plata Baccaleos and Florida set downe in this volume Fol. 225. as particulerly of the Nutshelles vsed in steede of money taken out of P. Mart. Dec. 8. c. 4. Partly in Theuetus woorkes of the newe founde worlde Englished long since and finally in those bookes which sundry learned Simplicistes haue lately written principally to ayde the Phisitians of our tyme. Some other curiosities there be conteyned in P. Martyr his two last Decades namely the Iucaien women to be so fayre that for theyr loue other countrey Barbares seeke to inhabite those Ilandes Dec. 7. c. 1. The Spanyardes well vsed of the Iucaiens contrary to all curtesie to haue carried away many of those Ilanders into slauery and misery Agayne certayne traueylers to haue ben seene there that had tayles lyke fyshe Dec. 7. c. 2. Fonde fantasies of mens soules departed Dec. 7. c. 3. wandring first North and than South about the worlde afterwarde to growe young agayne in iolitie Agayne other to imagine that the departed