of colour but also to marke them with diuers kinds of pictures and counterfeits of sundrie sorts of liuing creatures and to go naked least they should hide this their painting I read in Herodian Listen thou shalt heare Solinus speake the same wordes The countrie is partly possessed by a barbarous and wild people which euen from their childhood haue by certaine cutters men skilfull that way diuers images and pictures of liuing creatures drawen and raised vpon their skinne and so imprinted in their flesh that as they grow vnto mans estate these pictures together with the painters staines do wax bigger and bigger neither doth the wild people endure any thing more patiently and willingly than that their limbes by meanes of those deep cuts and slashes may so deepely drinke in these coloures that they may sticke long by them Amongst the Goddesses as I learne by Dion they worshipped Andates for so they call Victoriam victory who had a temple and sacred wood where they vsed to do sacrifice and performe their religious seruice and worship to her Beside her they had another which was called Adraste whether this were the same with Adrastia which some did take to be Nemesis the Goddesse of reuenge which the ancient Grecians Romans did worship I leaue to others to determin Caesar saith that in former times the Druides a kind of superstitious priests dwelt also amongst this people who affirmeth that their discipline and religion was first heere inuented and from hence caried beyond sea into France That they continued vntill the time of Vespasian the Emperour of Rome in Mona or Anglesey it is apparent out of the 14 booke of Cornelius Tacitus his Annals Frō them doubtlesse this nation had their knowledge of the state immortality of the soule after this life for this was the opinion of those Druides as Caesar and others haue written of them But of the Druides we will God willing speake more in our Old France or Gallia as it stood in Caesars time That the Britans did so greatly esteeme and wonderfully extoll the art Magicke and performe it with such strange ceremonies that it is to be thought that the Persians had it from hence I haue Pliny for my patron who mightily perswadeth me The forenamed Bunduica also doth seeme to iustifie the same who as soone as she had ended her oration vnto her army cast an hare out of her lappe by that meanes to gesse what the issue of that iourney would be which after that she was obserued to goe on forward all the company iointly gaue a ioifull shout and acclamation To sacrifice and offer the blood of their captiues vpon their altars and to seeke to know the will and pleasure of their Gods by the entrails of men as the Romans did by the bowels of beasts these people held it for a very lawfull thing Thus farre Tacitus and thus much of Albion now it remaineth that we in like manner say somewhat of Ireland HIBERNIA Or IRELAND VPon the West of Britaine in the vast ocean the Latines call it Oceanus Virginius that is as the Welch call it Norweridh or Farigi as the Irish pronounce the word lieth that goodly iland which all ancient writers generally haue called by one and the same name although euery one hath not written it alike an ordinary and vsuall thing in proper names translated into strange countries For Ptolemy and vulgarly all Geographers which follow him calleth it HIBERNIA Orpheus the most ancient Poet of the Greekes Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers and Claudian IERNA Iuuenall and Mela IVVERNA Diodorus Siculus IRIS Eustathius in his Commentaries vpon Dionysius Afer WERNIA 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and BERNIA the Welch-men or ancient Britans YVERDON the Irish themselues from whence all the rest were fetched ERIN whereof also the Saxons by adding the word Land signifying a countrey or prouince as their manner is haue framed IRELAND by which name it is not only knowen to the English but generally at this day it is so called of all Nations whatsoeuer Thus farre the learned Clarencieux who also thinketh it so to haue beene named by them of their Irish word Hiere which signifieth the West or Western coast or country Like as the Celtae whose language he proueth to be the same with this for the same reason and of the same word named Spaine Iberia which afterward the Greekes in their language interpreted Hesperia In Festus Auienus who wrote a booke intituled Orae maritimae the sea coast it is named INSVLA SACRA The Holy Iland who moreouer addeth that it is inhabited of the Hierni that is of the Irish-men Isacius in his Commentaries vpon Lycophron calleth it WEST BRITAINE Plutarch in his booke which he wrote Of the face in the sphere of the Moone calleth it OGVGIA but why we know not yet read him if you thinke it worth the while you shall heare many an old wiues tale The latter writers as S. Isidore and the reuerend Beda our countriman call it SCOTIA of the Scottes which seated themselues in the West part of this I le about the yeare of our Lord 310. from whence within a very few yeares after being called in by the Picts they came into Brittane and indeed Paulus Orosius Beda and Egeinhardus authors of good credit wrote that it was inhabited of the Scots It is in length from South to North 400. miles in breadth scarse 200. The soile and temperature of the aire as Tacitus affirmeth is not much vnlike that of England It breedeth no snake or serpent nor any venemous creature fowle and birds heere are not very plentifull and as for bees no man euer saw one in the whole country yea if so be that any man shall strew dust grauell or small stones brought from hence amongst the hiues the swarmes will presently forsake their combes as Solinus writeth Yet we know by experience that this is all false for such is the infinit number of bees in this country that they are not only to be found heere in hiues and bee-gardens but also abroad in the fields in hollow trees and holes of the ground The temperature of the aire saith Pomponius Mela is very vnkind and vnfit for the ripening of corne and graine but the soile is so good for grasse not only great and ranke but also sweet and wholesome that their heards and cattell do fill themselues in so short a time that if they be not driuen out of the pasture they will feed while they burst Solinus affirmeth the same but in fewer words Furthermore he calleth it an inhumane and vnciuill country by reason of the rude and harsh manners of the inhabitants And Pomponius Mela termeth the people a disordered and vnmannerly nation lesse acquainted with any sort of vertue then any other people whatsoeuer yet they may in some respect be said to be louers of vertue in regard that they are very religious and deuout Strabo saith that they are more rusticall and vnciuill then the
whereby they were sometime called before the entrance of the Saxons But let vs come againe to Mona Our countreymen and the inhabitants of this ile speaking now at this day the ancient British tongue doe know no other name of it than MON for so they all generally call it Polydore Virgil calleth it ANGLESEA that is The English ile I grant that this iland being subdued by the English men was beautified and graced with their name and that the English men do so call it I do not denie But I pray thee did the English men first descrie this iland was it neuer seene before or had it no name at all before their comming Hearest thou Polydore bethinke thy selfe thou mayest aswell say that England is not that land which was sometime called Britannia nor that was not Gallia which now we call France Nay which is a greater matter than this and more strange the inhabitants of this ile notwithstanding they be subiect to the crowne of England do neither know what England or an English man doth meane For an English man they call Sais but in the plurall number speaking of more than one Saisson and this their natiue countrey they name Mon. Moreouer that faire citie built vpon that arme of the sea or frith aboue mentioned on the other side ouer against the West part of this iland is called Caeraruon that is The citie vpon Mon For Caer in our language signifieth a walled towne Kir in Hebrew is a wall and Kartha in those Easterne tongues is a walled citie Ar is as much to say as Vpon and as for the v in the last syllable for m that is the proprietie of the language in some cases for in all words beginning with m in consequence of speech that letter after some certeine consonants is changed into v for which our nation doth alwayes vse f because that v with them is euermore a vowell So we call Wednesday Diem Mercurij Die Mercher but Wednesday night Nos Fercher Mary we call Mair but for our Ladies church we write and pronounce Lhanuair Neither is this citie only thus named but euen that whole tract of the continent of Britaine that runneth along by it is called Aruon that is Opposite or ouer against Mon. But let it be that this iland was not that Mona so oft mentioned by the ancients then ought Polydore for his credits sake haue found another name for it and not to haue left it wholly namelesse Now let vs come vnto the other which our countreymen do call MENAW and which all the inhabitants generall as also the English and Scots reteining the Welsh name but cutting it somewhat shorter MAN Therefore there is no man for ought I know beside this proud Italian and one Hector Boëthius a loud liar that euer called this iland by the name of Mona But leauing these demonstrable arguments which indeed do make this matter more cleere than the noone day let vs come vnto authorities and testimonies of learned men which in some cases are rather beleeued than any other arguments whatsoeuer by these I doubt not but the true and proper name shall be giuen to ech of these ilands and the controuersie decided without any maner of contradiction There is a piece of Gildas Britannus that ancient writer a man euery kinde of way learned at this day remaining in the Librarie of the illustrious Earle of Arundell the only learned Noble man of his time in which he hath these wordes England hath three ilands belonging to it Wight ouer against the Armoricanes or Bretaigne in France The second lieth in the middest of the sea betweene Ireland and England The Latine Historians doe call it Eubonia but vulgarly in our mother tongue we call it MANAW Thou hearest gentle Reader a naturall Welsh man speaking in the Welsh tongue For thus we call Polydore Virgils Mona in our natiue language euen at this day Moreouer the reuerend Beda that worthy Englishman famous thorow all Christendome in his dayes for all maner of literature and good learning in the ninth chapter of the second booke of his Historie writeth thus At which time also the people of Northumberland Nordan Humbri that is all that nation of the Angles which did inhabit vpon the North side of the riuer Humber with Edwin their king by the preaching of Paulinus of whom we haue spoken a little before was conuerted vnto the faith of Christ This king in taking of good successe for his enterteinment of the Gospel did grow so mightie in Christianitie and the kingdome of heauen and also had that command vpon the earth that he ruled which neuer any king of the English did before him from one end of Britaine to the other and was king not only of the English but also of all the shires and prouinces of the Britons Yea and he brought vnder his subiection as I haue shewed before the iles of Man insulae Menaniae Here I do thinke that for Menauiae it ought to be written Menauiae seeing that there is such small difference betweene an n and a u that they may easily be mistaken and one put for another Moreouer Henry Archdeacon of Huntingdon a worthy Historiographer who wrote about the yeere of our Lord 1140 one that followed Beda in many things almost foot for foot doth seeme also to correct this fault and cleere the doubt For he setting forth the great command and conquests of this Edwine King of the Northumbers brusteth out into these words Eduwyn the king of the Northumbers ruled ouer all Britaine not only ouer that part which was inhabited of the English but ouer that also which was possessed of the Britons Kent only excepted Moreouer he brought the I le Menauia which lieth between Ireland and Britaine and is commonly called MAN vnder the obedience of the Kings of England Here obserue that this English man did giue also to this iland which Polydore Virgil falsly calleth Mona the English name for it is commonly sayth he called Man by which name it is knowen called at this day of all the English Besides this also Ranulph of Chester in the foure and fortieth chapter of the first booke of his Polychronicon doth thus speake of those ilands which are neere neighbours vnto Britaine Britaine sayth he hath three ilands lying not farre off from it beside the Orkney iles which doe seeme to answer vnto the three principall parts of the same For WIGHT lieth hard vpon the coast of Loëgria which now is called England Anglia MONA which the English call Anglisea perteineth vnto Cambria that is to Wales But the I le EVBONIA which hath two other names Menauia and Mania lieth oueragainst Scotland These three Wight Man and Anglisea Vecta Mania Mona are almost all of one bignesse and conteining the like quantitie of ground Thus farre Ranulph of Chester The reason why Gildas and others haue called this iland Eubonia I take to be this because it was first inhabited of the same nation
THEATRVM ORBIS TERRARVM GEOGRAPHI REGII THE THEATRE OF THE WHOLE WORLD SET FORTH BY THAT Excellent Geographer Abraham Ortelius LONDON Printed by IOHN NORTON Printer to the Kings most excellent Maiestie in Hebrew Greeke and Latine 1606. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE The sway by Sea Land great IAMES doth beare His Birth His Bloud These Kingdomes figure here But were his seuerall vertues to be crown'd A World past thine Ortelius must be fownd TO THE MOST HIGH MOST MIGHTY AND MOST HAPPY PRINCE IAMES BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF GREAT BRITAINE FRANCE AND IRELAND DEFENDER OF THE FAITH c. IOHN NORTON HIS MAIESTIES MOST HVMBLE AND FAITHFVLL SERVANT CONSECRATETH THESE IMMORTALL LABOVRS OF ABRAHAM OR TELIVS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH ABRAHAMI ORTELII QVEM VRBS VRBIVM ANTVERPIA EDIDIT REX REGVM PHILIPPVS GEOGRAPHVM HABVIT MONVMENTVM HIC VIDES BREVIS TERRA EVM CAPIT QVI IPSE ORBEM TERRARVM CEPIT STILO ET TABVLIS ILLVSTRAVIT SED MENTE CONTEMPSIT QVA CAELVM ET ALTA SVSPEXIT CONSTANS ADVERSVM SPES AVT METVS AMICITIAE CVITOR CANDORE FIDE OFFICIIS QVIETIS CVLTOR SINE LITE VXORE PROLE VITAM HABVIT QVALE ALIVS VOTVM VT NVNC QVOQVE AETERNA EI QVIES SIT VOTIS FAVE LECTOR OBIIT IIII. KAL IVLII ANNO MD. XCIIX VIXIT ANN. LXXI MENSS II. DIES IIXX COLII EX SORORE NEPOTES B.M. POSS CONTEMNO ET ORNOMENTE MANV Α Χ Ρ Ω THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM ORTELL COSMOGRAPHER TO PHILIP THE SECOND LATE KING OF SPAINE written first in Latine by Francis Sweert of Antwerpe his familiar and louing friend and now translated into English by W. B as great a louer of his learning and vertues THe stocke of the ORTELS flourished not long since and liued in good state and credit at Auspurg in Bayern Augustam vindelicorum the Latines called it From that family came WILLIAM ORTELL who about the yere of our Lord 1460 left his natiue country and seated himselfe in Antwerpe at that time one of the famousest Mart-townes of the world where he did many notable things worthily deseruing great commendation among which that is most memorable that of his owne proper cost and charges he caused a goodly crosse of free stone to be set vp without the Emperours gate in that place where the malefactours are vsually woont to be executed and put to death Beneath this crosse at the base or foot of the same stood Mary and Iohn and beside them a little farther off hung the two theeues the one vpon the right hand and the other vpon the left vpon their seuerall gibbets This William died vpon the seuenth day of Ianuary in the yeere of our Lord God 1511 and was buried in the cloisters of the Franciscane Friers in Antwerpe leauing his sonne LEONARD ORTELL sole Executor and heire not only of his goods and substance but also of his vertues and good qualities For they report that he was a man so deuout and religious that it was an hard matter to finde him from his booke serious meditation on heauenly matters This Leonard maried ANNA HERVVAYERS and by her had issue two daughters and one some named ABRAHAM whose life we heere purpose to describe borne vpon the second day of Aprill in the yeere of our Lord God 1527. Hee was euen in his child-hood of singular towardnesse great capacity and passing quicke conceit and that which is very strange in youth hee was neuer giuen to the reading of any trifles or idle vanities Wherefore his father purposing to make him a scholar began first himselfe to instruct him priuatly at home in his owne house in the Latine and Greeke tongues For the old man was very learned in both these languages But see how these good purposes were soon crossed by the vntimely death of his most louing and kinde father who departing this life in the yeere of Christ 1535 left this his sonne to be further informed and taught abroade by strange schoolemasters whose care and diligence to profit him whatsoeuer their learning were was nothing so great and painfull notwithstanding euen vnder these he made such profit in the Artes and liberall Sciences that he was not much inferiour to the best of his degree and time For as I said before no vaine pleasure or trifles pastimes which commonly are the ouerthrow of many yongue men could euer with-draw him from his setled purpose or alienate his minde from his booke Yet his greatest delight and commendation consisted in the knowledge of the Mathematicall sciences which for the most part he studied and practised without an instructor or teacher atteining only by his owne paines and industrie to the great admiration of others euen to the vnderstanding of the greatest and deepest mysteries of the same In the thirtieth yeare of his age hauing many great matters in his head and loathing to liue idly at home in his owne natiue country he began to entertaine a conceipt of trauelling into diuers and sundry forreine parts and countries of the world To Frankford vpon the Main by reason of the great Marts or Faires there held at two seuerall times euery yere he went very often In the yeere of our Lord 1575 he went with Iohn Viuian of Valence a Marchant but a great louer of learning and Hierome Scoliers of Antwerp to Leige Trier Tungren and Mentz of which iourney and peregrination of theirs there is at this day a booke of his exstant in print wherein he hath learnedly described the particulars obserued by them In the yeere of Christ 1577 with Immanuël Demetrius of Antwerpe hee trauelled beyond the Seas into England and Ireland Italy that nource of great wits that worker of strange woonders that mother of reuerend antiquities and ancient monuments hee visited thrise The third time that he went thither which was in the yeere 1578 he went in company of George Houfnayle of Antwerp who was so excellent a painter that he was greatly esteemed and beloued of the illustrious princes Albert and VVilliam Dukes of Bayern of Ferdinand Duke of Austrich yea and of Rudolphus himselfe at that time Emperour of the Germanes But this his consort to the great greefe of his friends and such as loued his singular qualities left his life at Prage in Bohemia vpon the thirteenth of Ianuary in the yeere of our Lord 1600. This man was woorthy of longer life if the Fates would respect men for their great parts and excellent vertues But so it is that Death like as the sythe in Haruest cutteth downe without distinction aswell the yongue as old There was nothing either in Germanie or in France that was woorth the seeing that this our authour had not seene and viewed with a censorious and iudicious eie At length hauing ouercome so many tedious and toilsome trauels he returned againe to Antwerpe his natiue soile There and then he began to apply himselfe to benefit succedent ages to write of those countries by him viewed and seene to set out in Charts
for that he was in managing all maner of businesses a most prudent faithfull and fortunate man by Lewis the Fourth the next successour in the Empire much set by and greatly esteemed In his time this whole prouince as it is heere set out in this our Chorographicall Chart was subiect to him and to other Princes and Earles of Hennenberg then liuing But HENRY his sonne dying without issue male the greatest part of this countrey by the marriage of his three daughters KATHARINE SOPHIA and ELIZABETH fell vnto the Marquesses of Misnia Burggraues of Noriberg and Princes of Wurtenburg which two last selling their portions the bishop of Wurtenburg did much enlarge his diocesse IOHN the second sonne of Berthold the first by his wife Adelheida of the house of Hessen had by Elizabeth of the family of Luchtenburg a sonne named HENRY the Fourth who by Mechtilda or Mawd daughter to the Marquesse of Bath WILLIAM the First who by his wife Anna of Brunswicke had WILLIAM the Second which by Katharine Countesse of Hanaw had issue WILLIAM the Fourth begotten of his wife Margaret daughter to the Duke of Brunswicke This William had by his wife Anastasia daughter of Albert Prince Electour of Brandenburg seuen sonnes and six daughters namely WILLIAM and CASPAR which died in their infancy IOHN Abbot of Fulden WOLFGANG and CHRISTOPHER which two died bachelours GEORGE ERNEST and BOPPO the Sixt This Boppo after the death of his first wife Elizabeth daughter to the Marquesse of Brandenburg maried Sophia daughter to the Prince of Luneburg he died vpon the fourth of March in the yeere of our Lord 1574. leauing no issue behind him He was a very godly prudent magnanimous and curtuous Prince That other George Ernest after the death of his wife Elizabeth daughter to the Duke of Brunswicke maried Elizabeth daughter to the Prince of Wurtenburg and at length vpon the seuen and twentieth day of December in the yeare of our Lord God 1583. yeelded to Nature and died in the seuentie and third yeare of his age being the last Prince of that stocke or family The description of this prouince of Hennenberg as heere it is set downe at this day is subiect vnto diuers Princes the greatest part of it belongeth to the Duke of Saxony the rest to the bishop of Wurtenburg and the Landtgraues of Hessen A more large and exact description of this Stocke and Family if any man be desirous to haue may be learned out of the Genealogy or Pedigree of M. Sebastian Glaser sometime Chancellour of this Principality of Hennenberg HASSIA or The LANDTGRAVY of HESSEN THe countrie of HESSEN which sometime was an EARLDOME and now graced with the title of a LANDTGRAVY ' was in old time possessed by the CATTI as almost all writers generally of our time do verily beleeue only Albertus Crantzius to my knowledge is of another mind for he laboureth to make the world beleeue that these Catti were those people which now are called Saxones This prouince hath vpon the East Turingen vpon the South Frankenland vpon the West Westphalen vpon the North the Duke of Brunswicke the bishop of Minden with other princes are neere neighbours It is a countrey very fertile of all maner of things necessary for the maintenance of mans life It beareth no vines but vpon that side only that lieth vpon the Rhein MARPVRG and CASSELL are the chiefe and principall cities of this country Whereof this latter is adorned with the Princes court and concourse of Nobles Gentlemen and other braue gallants following and attendant vpon the same the other is graced with a goodly Vniuersity well frequented with students from all places neere adioining round about In this Landtgrauy there are also diuers other Counties or Earledomes as CATZENELEBOG ZEIGENHEIM NIDA and WALDECK of all which now this Landtgraue writeth himselfe Lord. But listen what Eobanus Hessus that worthy poet in a certaine congratulatory poeme of his written and dedicated vnto Philip the Landgraue of this country vpon occasion of the victory atchieued by him at Wirtemburg wherin he doth by the way thus speake of the nature and situation of this prouince and withall something also of the maners of the people Qualis Hyperboreum prospectans Thraca Booten Gradiui domus ad Rodopen Hemumque niualem Circumfusa iacet gelidis assueta pruinis Gignit in arma viros duratos frigore quique Aut Hebrum Nessumque bibunt aut Strimonis vndas Talis ipsa situ talis regione locorum Et fluuijs siluisque frequens montibus altis Hassia naturae similes creat alma locorum Ceu natos in bella viros quibus omnis in armis Vita placet non vlla iuuat sine Marte nec vllam Esse putant vitam quae non assueuerit armis Quod si tranquillae vertantur ad otia pacis Otia nulla terunt sine magno vana labore Aut duro patrios exercent vomere colles Aequatosque solo campos rimantur aratris Namque planicies segetum foecunda patentes Explicat innumeras plenamesse colonos Ditat ipsa sibi satis est aut ardua syluae Lustra petunt canibusque feras sectantur odoris Venatu genus assuetum genus acre virorum Aut leges iura ferunt aut oppida condunt Fortia non solum bello munimina verùm Quae deceant in pace etiam oblectentque quietos Quid sacros memorem fontes quid amoena vireta Quid valles ipsis certantes frugiferacis Vallibus Aemoniae dulces quid vbique recessus Musarum loca confessu loca digna Dearum O patriae gelidi fontes ô flumina nota O valles ô antra meis notissima Musis c. Thus much in English prose briefly Hessen in situation nature of the soile and temperature of the aire is a country of all the world most like vnto Thrace Which by reason that it is much ouerhanged with many tall and stately woods beset and enclosed betweene the snow-top'd mountaines Hemus Rhodope Pangaeus and Cercina watered and serued with the chill and frozen-streamed riuers Hebrus Nessus and Strimon doth breed an hard kind of people fit for all maner of seruice and toilesome trauell So heere as if they were descended from mighty Mars their chiefe delight is in the wars no other kind of life doth please them halfe so well nay they hold it otherwise no life at all or at least that that man is not worthy to liue that doth not especially delight himselfe in martiall feats and deeds of armes Yet if all be still and warlike Mars do sleep they cannot abide to liue idlely and to spend their time at home For then they either do giue themselues to husbandrie and to follow the plow For heere the large and open champion ground do with great aduantage repay the husbandmans hire and paines or else in hawking and hunting they do through thiâ—ke and thin darkest woods and most bushy forests ouer hedge and ditch highest hils and lowly vales follow
his deare Mother which brought him vp by them to be spoiled Therefore Florence partly taking by force and partly by other meanes drawing to their part the Fesulanes about the yeare of Christ 1024. was much enlarged in wealth and authoritie at which time also Henry the first Emperour of Rome built the goodly Church of S. Miniate neere the walles of Florence This city was twise within a little while in the yeare 1176. miserably defaced by casualty of fire From which time it first began to be gouerned as now it is by the Priori the masters of the twelue companies and a Standard-bearer Gonfalonerio they call him One of the first Gonfalonerios was Stroza a nobleman borne of a great house The goodly Minster which in our time by the ingenious direction of Philippo Brunalitio a Florentine was most stately arched and dedicated to our Lady was begun in the yeare of our Lord 1294. Foure yeares after that was that gorgeous Palace where now the Priori or Aldermen do keepe first founded And fiue yeares after that was the Pomoerium the prospect or wast ground round about the city leuelled and the walles of the city enlarged Pistorio was the first city that the Florentines subdued vnder their command as Leander in his description of Italie affirmeth vpon the testimony of Aretino where also he hath these words of the diuers forms and different maner of gouernment of the same After that it was repaired saith he by Charles the Great they yearely chose two Consuls or Sheriffes who with the assistance of 100. Senatours or Aldermen should gouerne the city This forme of commonwealth being altered they created the Decemuiri the tenne called of them Antiani about the yeare of Grace 1220. as Volaterran affirmeth or as Blondus saith in the yeare 1254. After that in the yeare 1287. hauing redeemed their freedome of the Emperour Rudolfe for 60000. crownes as Platina writeth the Decemuiri the tenne were reduced to Octouiri eight and were called the Priori the maisters of the companies ouer whom was set the Standerd-bearer called by them Gonfalonerio di Giustitia the Lord chiefe Iustice which office they were to hold but two monethes and then others were to be elected This forme of policy for as much as I can gather out of historiographers was since that time thrise altered First in the yeare 1343. when the Florentines bought Luca of Mastino Scaligero for 5000. crownes their forces being ouerthrowne by the enemie they were constrained to demand aid of Robert King of Naples and obtained Gualterio Gallo a captaine of Athens for their generall who by great subtilty and cunning getting the rule of the city went to the Court and there deposed the Priori and other Magistrates from their office Yet he enioied not his vsurped authority long for the people at the persuasion of Angelo Accieuolo Bishop of the sea a Frier predicant rose vp in armes and deposing the Tyrant restored the Priori and Confalonerio to their places againe The second alteration of this Common-wealth happened in the time of Alexander the sixth Bishop of Rome when as his sonne Caesar Borgia Duke of Valence neuer labouring to bring home againe Peter Iohn and Iulian the sonnes of Laurence Medices who but lately had beene banished at length brought the matter so about that the office of the Gonfalonerio should be giuen to Peter Soderine for a perpetuall and standing office who together with the Priori chosen euery two moneths after the ancient custome most wisely behaued himselfe and orderly gouerned that Common-wealth vntill at length being expelled by Raimundo Cordona Embassadour of Ferdinand the King of Arragon and Naples who was to restore Iohn Cardinall Medices and his brother Iulian in the yeare of Grace 1412. and erecting the ancient maner of gouernment which continued vntill the yeare 1530. In the meane time although the city were commanded at the discretion and direction of the Popes Leo the tenth which was Iohn Medices and Clement the seuenth which was Iulius Medices the bastard sonne of Iulian the first Cardinall Cortonesse hauing the wardship and being Gardian to Hippolytus the sonne of Iulian the second of Alexander the bastard sonne of Laurenznio the nephew of Peter the second Yet notwithstanding the ancient Magistrates were chosen after the custome formerly vsed In that same yeare therefore when as three yeares before the Emperours souldiers besieging Clement the seuenth in Hadrians castle the city shaking off the yoke of bondage obteined freedome and endeuoured by all meanes to retaine the same Philip the Prince of Aurange leading the armie of the Emperour Charles the fifth Clement entreating that Alexander his nephew whom before he had intituled Duke of Penna to be brought againe into the city forced it being much distressed for want of victuall to yeeld to the obedience of the Emperour Charles the Emperour at the request of Clement the Pope presently created Alexander perpetuall Priour and thus the offices of the Priori and Gonfalonerio were vtterly taken away Then when the Emperour Charles had created Alexander Duke of Florence and giuen vnto him in mariage Margaret his bastard daughter in the yeare of our Sauiour 1535. and two yeares after that before the seuenth day of Ianuarie Laurence Medices the sonne of Peter Francis that he might set his natiue country at liberty as he pretended had miserably slaine him Cosmus Medices the sonne of Iohn Medices was created Duke in his roome Thus farre Leander vnto which I may adioine these words of my kind friend M. Iohn Pinadello When it was known saith he to Pius the fifth Pope of Rome that Cosmus Medices Duke of Florence had at that time taken great paines for the maintainance of the Church and Religion and spared no cost in the warres against the hereticks in the yeare 1570. in the moneth of Februarie comming to the city crowned him in Aula Regia the Kings hall a place in Vaticana so named and gaue him and his successours the title of The great Duke In whose Crowne the Pope caused these words to be engrauen PIVS QVINTVS Pont. Max. ob eximiam dilectionem Catholicae religionis zelum praecipuumque iustitiae studium donauit that is Pius the fifth Bishop of Rome in token of great loue earnest zeale of Catholique religion and constant maintainance of true Iustice gaue this Thus farre in few words of the Offices Policy and Iurisdiction of this city I thinke it not amisse here to adioine another short discourse because it is rare and not altogether from the purpose It is thus as Syffridus Presbyter reporteth in George Fabricius his historie of Misnia Otho the third Emperour of Rome lying at Mutina with his wife the Empresse fell in loue with a certaine Earle but when as he by no meanes would consent vnto her she so diffamed him vnto her husband the Emperour that he commanded him to be beheaded before euer he had examined the matter Who before he was beheaded entreated his wife
immediately after Baiazeth he placeth Mahomet And that I may giue euery man his right the singular learned man my good friend Georgius Bruno Agrippinensis hath taught me that the very Turkes themselues do not account him for an Emperour After him MAHOMETES tooke vnto him the crown of the Empire who made fierce warres vpon the Walachians subdued a great part of Slauonia first passed with an armie ouer the Donaw conquered Macedonia and pearced through the country euen as low as the Ionian sea He translated his Court from Prusias in Bithynia vnto Adernopoli in Greece where he died in the fourteenth yeare of his raigne After him AMVRATH the second succeeded in the kingdome This man conquered Epirus Aetolia Achaia Boeotia Attica and Thessalonica now Salonichi a city belonging to the state of Venice After him MAHOMET the second tooke vpon him the Diademe he ouerthrew Athens the most renowmed Vniuersity of the World He wonne by battery the great city of Constantinople vpon the nine and twentith day of May in the yeare after the birth of Christ 1452. He subdued the kingdome of Trapezonda vnder his command He tooke Corinth He forced the ilands Lemnos Stalamine they now call it Euboea Nigroponte and Mitylene to yeeld to his obedience He got Capha a city belonging to the Signiory of Genua and at Geiuisen a city of Bithynia died in the 32. yeare of his raigne BAIAZETH the second after his death possessed the crowne He made warre vpon the Venetians and wanne from them Naupactus Lepanto or as the Turkes call it Einebachti Methona Modon or Mutune a city in Peloponesus Dyrrachium Durazzo and spoiled all Dalmatia He was poisoned by a Iew his Physition After whom SELYMVS his sonne succeeded in the Emperiall throne He wanne Alcairo the strongest city of Aegypt and killing the Souldan subdued Alexandria and all Aegypt vnder his obedience He tooke also Damascus in Syria SOLYMANNVS the only sonne of Zelimus possessing his fathers roome wanne Belgrad tooke Buda the Princes seat and spoiled Strigonium and almost all Hungary He gatte the Rhodes by composition and vtterly rased Quinqueecclesias in Hungary the Turkes call it Petscheu the Dutch Funfkirchen Hauing surprized the city he besieged Zygeth where he ended his life ZELIMVS the second his sonne continued the battery wanne it and sacked it in the yeare of Christ 1566. And thus vnder 11. Emperours in 260. yeares a great part of Africa a greater of Europe and the most of Asia was by Turkish tyranny brought vnder their yoke But he that desireth a more absolute knowledge of the histories of the Turks let him read Paulus Iouius Christofer Richer Cuspinian Baptista Egnatius Gilbertus Nozorenus Andreas Lacuna Pius the second in the fourth chapter of his Europa and others that haue written of the Turkish affaires but no man hath set out these histories either with greater diligence or more amply than M. Richard Knolles our learned countryman my singular good friend Laonicus Chalcondylas hath curiously described the pedigree of the Ottomans together with the originall of the Turks Iohn Leonclaw hath very lately imprinted the Annalles of the Souldan Otthomans written by the Turks in their owne language and interpreted by him into the Latine tongue Of their ancient maner of life behauiour and customes thou maist read in the eighteen chapter of Leo the Emperour of Warlike preparation as also in Bartholomew Georgieuiz who hath written a seuerall treatise of that argument but especially the Annalles of the Turkish Souldans and the history of the Musulmans both written by the singular learned Iohn Leonclaw shall satisfie thee to the full TVRCICI IMPERII DESCRIPTIO Concordia parue res crescunt Discordia maximae dilabuntur Cum priuilegio The HOLY LAND THat which the ancients called Palestina and Phoenicia all the Europeans generally now call The HOLY LAND vnder which name they comprehend that whole country which God gaue vnto the Israelites by the name of the Land of Promise to them and their seed to possesse and inhabite for euer and which after the death of Solomon we read was diuided into two kingdomes IVDAH conteining two tribes Iudah and Beniamin whose cheife or Metropolitan city was Ierusalem and SAMARIA or ISRAEL which comprehended the other tenne tribes together with the city Sebaste or Samaria A latter description of the modern situation of this country very curious exact done by F. Brocard in a seuerall treatise vnto whom we send the Reader for further satisfaction we offer in this Mappe for the former tables did present vnto thy eie the ancient face and more beautifull countenance of this land To him they may adioine that please the treatise of William Tyrius entituled The Holy warres and other authours that haue written their Peregrinations to Hierusalem of which sort there is a great number written and imprinted in diuers languages For many Christians not only out of sundrie parts of Europe but from all quarters of the world haue in former times and now do daily trauell vnto Hierusalem for deuotion to visite the holy sepulchre of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and are there sometimes by the Franciscane Friars dubbed Knights who thereof are named Knights of the Sepulchre the order ceremonies of making these Knights we haue thought not altogether impertinent from our purpose to describe in this place as it is set out by Iod. a Meggē an ei-witnes of that in the 12 chap. of his treatise intituled Peregrinatio Hierusolymetana And thus he hath down the maner of it First of all therefore the Knight that is to be made prepareth himselfe vnto his deuotions that he may receiue the fauour of the degree of the holy order and making his confession hauing heard Masse receiued the Sacrament he is admitted into the roome where the holy sepulchre is and then they begin on this manner First all being gathered together within the holy sepulchre they sing this Psalme Come holy spirit c. Then this Send forth thy spirit c. The Answear And renew c. Lord heare c. Let vs pray Thou Lord which know'st the harts of the faithful c. Then the Gardian demandeth of him what wouldest thou haue He answeareth vpon his knees I do desire to be made a knight of the order of the Holy sepulchre of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Question Of what state and condition of life art thou of Answear A noble man borne of honourable parents Question Hast thou sufficient liuing whereby thou maist liue and maintaine the estate and dignity of knighthood without the help of merchandise or vse of any mechanicall or handie-craft occupation Answear I haue thankes be to God sufficient liuing and maintenance by lands and reuenews Question Art thou prepared to sweare with hart and mouth to keep and obserue to the vttermost of thy power those militarie sacraments and orders which shal be heereafter inioined thee namely these which follow First a knight of the holy order of the sepulchre
length being released for a long time preacheth the Gospell in Rome and other places of Italy v. 31.32 Some there are that thinke that after his enlargement he went also into Spaine and France and planted the Gospell amongst those Nations Lastly he was againe apprehended by Nero and at Rome put to death by him in the last yeare of his raigne which was the 70. yeare after the birth of Christ The PEREGRINATION of ABRAHAM the Patriarke ABraham the first Patriarke whom Iesus the sonne of Syrach chapter 44. v. 19. calleth a Great man and Admirable for glory and honour the sonne of Thare was borne as Iosephus writeth in the 292. yeare after the vniuersall floud in V R a city of the Chaldees otherwise called Camarine as Eusebius witnesseth it may be it is the same that Ptolemey calleth Vrchoa He goeth forth of his country and natiue soile at the commandement of God when he was as Suidas teacheth but foureteen yeares old into CHARRAN which S. Stephen in that oration which he made to the Iewes Act. 7.2 3.4 as also Achior in the story of Iudith chapter 5. v. 7. in his speech to Holofernes and likewise the 72. interpretours do expound to be Mesopotamia Iosephus taketh it for a city That this place was Carrae famous for the great ouerthrow heere giuen to the Romane forces led by Crassus against the Parthians although there be some which are of that opinion yet I dare not wholly yeeld vnto them only I leaue it to the learned to determine Hauing staid a while in this country of Mesopotamia his father being dead there as the same Suidas reporteth from thence he goeth with Sarai his wife Lot his brothers sonne and all his family and the soules or liuing creatures that he had gotten in Charran toward the land of Chanaan Gen. 12.5 And if you will beleeue Nicolaus Damascenus in Iosephus he dwelt sometime neere Damasco where in his daies he saith there was to be seen a street which they vulgarly called Abrahams house When he came from thence into SICHEM at the plaine of MOREH a place which diuers interpreters diuersly interpret some the Oke Moreh others the Oke-groue of Moreh Zozomene writeth that in his time it was called Terebinthus the Terebinth or Turpentine tree Gen. 12.6 God appeared vnto him and promised to giue to him and to his seed that land for an inheritance for euer therefore in this place he built an altar to the Lord which heere appeared vnto him v. 7. From thence remouing vnto a mountaine Eastward from Bethel he pitched his tent hauing Bethel on the Westside and Haai on the East and there also he built an altar vnto the Lord and calleth vpon the name of the Lord v. 8. thence he remooueth and goeth on toward the South v. 9. But a great famine arising in that land and euerie day growing still more grieuous than other he goeth downe into EGYPT to soiourne there v. 10. And comming thither with his wife a very faire and beautifull woman v. 11. whom he called by the name of his sister v. 13. Pharao the king of Aegypt fell in loue with her and tooke her into his house v. 15. and for her sake intreated Abram extraordinarily well and bestowed great gifts vpon him v. 16. who also was there as Iosephus affirmeth for his eloquence wisedome and great experience in all things had in great estimation amongst the Aegyptians But when the Lord punished Pharao and all his family with many great and greeuous plagues for Sara Abrams wiues sake v. 17. he debated the matter with him and examined him what his reason was to giue out speech that she was his sister and that he had not told him that she was his wife v. 18. and so he restored her to her husband againe v. 19. and gaue commandement that he his wife and all that he had should be conueighed out of the land v. 20. Therefore Abram goeth vp backe againe to Bethel chapter 13.3 into that place where formerly he had built an altar and there he called vpon the name of the Lord v. 4. After this returne Abram and Loth who had alwaies accompanied him grew exceeding wealthy and rich in sheep cattell tents and familie v. 5. that the land could not conteine them both neither might they dwell together v. 6. Besides that their heard-men sheep-heards and seruants could not agree v. 7. Therefore they consent to diuide the land between them v. 9. Loth he chose the plaine of Iordane a champion country well watered euery where with that goodly riuer diuers smaller brookes lakes wels and poolles a tract of ground for pleasantnesse and fertility like vnto Paradise and Aegypt In this place then stood Sodome Gomorrha and those other cities which as yet the Lord had not destroied v. 10. In these cities Loth dwelt euen vp as high as Sodome but Abram he abode still in the land of Chanaan v. 12. Thus they being parted the Lord appeared vnto Abram and shewed him all the country round about Northward and Southward Eastward and Westward as farre as he could see v. 14. all which he promised to giue to him and to his seed for euer v. 15. From thence he remoued and came to dwell in the plaine of Mambre The Septuagint interpretours haue translated it The oke of Mambre quercum Mambre Iosephus hath the Oke Ogyn Euagrius writeth that in his time the place was called Terebinthus the Turpentine tree of the Turpentine tree as I suppose that stood six furlongs off as we read in Iosephus and which Eusebius Pamphilus saith stood still in that place euen in his time This place was not farre from HEBRON or as some write it Chebron v. 18. Heere Abram hearing of the newes of Lots captiuity with his whole familie and goods and substance whatsoeuer taken by the kings of the Nations when they sacked and spoiled Sodom for Lot dwelled at Sodome chapter 14.11.12 he armed 308. slaues or bond-seruants bred and borne in his owne house and with all possible speed maketh out after the enemy v. 14. following them euen as high as DAN and CHOBA Saint Hierome calleth it Hoba and Iosephus Soba v. 15. rescueth his nephew recouereth all his goods and booty that they had taken and bringeth them backe againe with the women and all the people v. 16. Being come home from the slaughter of Chodorlaomer and the rest of the kings which were with him at the VALLEY OF SAVE the Kings dale as Saint Hierome doth call it or the Kings field as Iosephus nameth it the King of Sodome meeteth him v. 17. together with Melchisedech King and Priest of Salem or Ierusalem who bringing forth bread and wine entertained him most kindly v. 18. blessing him and wishing all good fortunes vnto him v. 19. to whom Abram gaue tith of all that he had v. 20. These things being thus performed God appeareth vnto him againe chapter 15.1 and promiseth him an heire of his owne seed v. 4.