proportion which as yet remaineth As for that true estimation which is so much spoken of beyond Sea and vaunted of in Historie almost nothing remaineth at this present but bare report For of those which in some good measure seeme to hold up their heads and appeare by their Deputies in their assemblies they are seldome of one minde as being in truth unable unlesse with much adoe to bring up the charges and contributions necessary and incident for the defence and maintenance of their leagues privileges and trade in forren parts and at home Maidenburg is one of these Hanse-towns and the Countie wherein it standeth is also Maidenburg It is one of the most ancient townes of Germany and containeth in circuit about three miles The streets are very large but durtie and the houses built partly of stone and partly of timber many of them being ancient and faire The wals are strong and upon them are mounted many good peeces of brasse Ordnance It hath ten Churches the Inhabitants for the most part being Lutherans It standeth upon the river Elve over which it hath a faire and large bridge of timber The Emperour this summer laid siege to it which upon composition he afterwards raised Hamburg standeth in the land of Holst upon the River of Eâ—â—â— also It is foure miles in compasse and of great strength and much resorted unto by forren Nations for traffique of Merchandize In it are nine Churches and many large streets which are very durtie in foule weather The greatest part of the Inhabitants are Brewers for here are said to bee 777. Brewers forty Bakers two Lawyers and one Physitian for most of their quarrels and contentions as they beginne in drinke so they end in drinke And being sicke and ill at ease their physicke is to fill their guts with Hamborow Beere if that helpe not their case is desperate It is one of the Hanse-townes also and the people are Lutherans Stoad being neither faire nor great standeth within the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Brâ—me but not subject unto him by reason it is one of the Hanse-townes It standeth about two English miles from the river of Elve and hath a small creeke called the Swing which runneth through the citie into the river and beareth small barques for transportation of Merchandize In it are foure Churches and a Monastery of Lutheran Friers It was this last yeere taken by the Emperour Of other goodly Cities there are a farre greater number some by inheritance belonging to the Temporall Princes and some to the Spirituall In criminall causes they inflict most sharpe torments and unusuall kinds of death a signe of the cruelty of their Natuâ—â—â— They were the inventors of Printing of Guns and of â—lockes things of notable use for mankind The people is divided into foure sorts Husbandmen they beare â—o office Citizens Noblemen and Prelates The laâ—â— thâ—ee sort make the Assembly States of the Empire Oâ— Prelates the Archbishops Electors have the chiefest place The Archbishop of Ments is Chancellour for the Empire the Bishop of Colen is Chancellour of Italy and the Bishop of Treuers is Chancellour of France The Archbishop of Saltzburg is of greatest jurisdiction and revenue The Bishop of Maidenburg writeth himselfe Primate of Germany Breme and Hamburg had jurisdictions next follow above forty other Bishops the Great Master of the Dutch Order and the Prior of the Knights of Ierusalem then seven Abbots and they likewise are States of the Empire Of secular Princes the King of Bohemia is principall who is chiefe Tasier the Duke of Saxonie Marshall the Marquesse of Brandburg high Chamberlaine the Earle Palatine Sewer Besides thesâ— places there are thirty other Dukes amongst whom the Arch-Duke of Austria holdeth the highest place and of these Dukes the King of Deâ—marke by his tenure of the Dukedome of Holsatia is reckoned to be one The Marquesses Lantgraves Earles and Barons are innumerable It is thought that the Empire receiveth every way above seven millions which is a great matter yet besides ordinary the people not over pressed as in Italy doe pay other great subsidies to their Princes in times of danger The Empire was bound at least wise accustomed to furnish the Emperour when hee went to Rome to bee crowned with twenty thousand footmen and foure thousand Horse and to maintaine them for eight moneths and therefore it was called Romanum subsidium The revenues of the Cities and Lay-Princes have beene greatly augmented since the suppressing of Popery and bringing in of new impositions which taking their beginning from Italy evill examples spread farre quickly passed over to France and Germany In times of necessity great taxes are laid upon the whole Empire and levied extraordinarily And that they may bee gathered with the greater ease Germany is parted into ten divisions or circuits which have their particular assemblies for the execution of the Edicts made in the generall Diets of the Empire As concerning their multitudes it is thought that the Empire is able to affoord two hundred thousand Horse and Foot which the warre before spoken of may prove to be true As likewise the forepassed warres of France and Belgia which were ever continued in those two Provinces for the most part with German souldiers Their forces may the better be transported from place to place by reason of the commodiousnesse of many faire and navigable rivers At one time Wolfang Duke of Bipont led into France an Army of twelve thousand footmen and eight thousand horsemen in behalfe of the Protestants and at the same time the Count Mansfield was leader of five thousand horsemen of the same Nation in behalfe of the Catholikes William of Nassaw had in his Armie eight thousand German horsemen and ten thousand foot-men the Duke of Alva had at the same instant three thousand What should I speake of the numbers that entred Flanders with Duke Casimere Or those that entred France under the same Leader in the yeere of our Lord 1578. Or to what end should I make mention of that Armie whereof part served Henrie the fourth part the league But to prove that this Nation must be very populous seeing that warres are continually open in some one or other part of Christendome and no action undertaken therein wherein great numbers of Germans are not waged and entertained To speake nothing of the Netherlands who in times past have resisted the whole power of France with an Armie of fourescore thousand men or of the Swissers who in their owne defence are thought able to raise an Army of one hundred and twenty thousand souldiers I will only put you in minde of that expedition which they made out of their owne Territories into Lumbardie in defence of that State against Francis the French King with an Armie of fifty thousand foot-men The best foot-men of Germany are those of Tirol Swevia and Westphalia the best horse-men those of Brunswicke Cleveland and Franconia But plainly the best horsemen of Germany
them to whose heire Fredericke Barbarossa restored the Palatinate in the yeare 1183. since which time as Munster saith it ever continued in that male Line untill these unfortunate warres The Lower Palatinate hath beene twice augmented once by the Emperour Wenceslaus who bestowed Oppenheim and two other Imperiall Townes upon the Elector for his voice in the Election The second augmentation was by the ransome of the Duke of Wirtenberg and the Archbishop of Mentz both taken in one battell by Prince Frederike Anno 1452. out of both whose Countries lying next unto the Palatinate the victorious Palatine tooke some what to lay to his owne For which and other quarrels there hath still continued a grudging in the Archbishops towards the Palsgraves Mentz whose Archiepiscopall Citie is also in the Palatinate laying a claime to a Monastery and the lands upon the Bergstraes or mountaine within two English miles even of Heidleberg The Palsgrave hath many prerogatives above the Electors of â—ther sort He taketh place of the Duke of Saxony and the Marquesse of Brandenburgh because Henry the first Palatine was descended of Charles the Great for which cause in the vacancie of the Empire he is also Governour of the West parts of Germanie with power to alienate or give Offices to take fealty and homage of the Subjects and which is most to sit in the Imperiall Courts and give judgement of the Emperour himselfe The Land naturally is very rich the Mountains are full of Vines Woods and such excessive store of red Deere that Spinola's souldiers in the late warres had them brought to them like Beefe or Bacon How famous the Rhenish Wines are I need not say Of Corne they have no want Silver also is here digged up Goodly Townes and strong it had such store as if they had had nothing but Cities All which are now divided betwixt the Emperour the Bavarian and the Spaniard The Prince also was said to have two and twenty Palaces But the chiefest ornament was the incomparable Library of Heidleberg not for the beauty of the roome for it was but in the roofe of the chiefe Church and that by a long wall divided into two parts but for the numbers of excellent Manuscripts and printed bookes with which it was then better stored than Oxford yet is The Princes Revenue arose first out of his owne Lands and Customes of his Manours Secondly out of the tenths and wealth of the Monasteries and estate of the Church confiscated which perchance made up one quarter if not more of his whole estate Thirdly from the Toll of one Bridge over the Rhine he yearely had about twentie thousand crownes Fourthly some say that one silver mine yeelded him threescore thousand crownes All together the revenues of this and the Vpper Palatinate lying next to Bavaria and some thirty English miles distant from this Lower were valued to amount unto one hundred sixtie thousand pounds sterling of yearely Revenues Finally of the three Temporall Electors goes this common proverb in Germanie That the Palsgrave hath the honour Saxony the money and Brandenburgh the land for Saxony indeed is richer and Brandenburghs Dominions larger than those of the Prince Elector Palatine The State of the Elector of Saxonie THe Dominion of the Dukes of Saxonie containeth the Marquisat of Mâ—sen the Lantgravedome of Turinge Voitland part of Nether Saxonie almost within two Dutch miles of Maigdburg part of the Lands of the Earles of Mansfielt pawned to Augustus for some summes of money and a parcell of Frankhenland The whole Country is seated almost in the midst of Germanie on all sides very farre from the Sea except Voitland very plaine and Champion sprinkled here and there with some few of them navigable The chiefest of them all is the Elve â—o which all the rest pay the tribute of their waters All of it together is imagined to bee in bignesse about a third part of England or somewhat more The climate in temperature is not much differing from ours of England It confineth on the South-East with the Kingdome of Bohem and is parted with many high hils and great woods on the South with the Bishop of Bambergs Countrie and on the South-west with the Lantgrave of Hesse on the North and North-west with the Counts of Mansfielt the Princes of Anâ—â—â—â—â— and the Citie of Maidburgh of which this Duke writeth himselfe Burgrave and the Marquesse of Brandeburghs eldest son Arch-Bishop yet is it not under either Iurisdiction but freely governed within it selfe On the North-east lyeth the Marquesdome of â—randeburgh and the Lansknites who partly belong to the Marquesse and partly to the Emperour It is in peace at this time as all Germanie beside with all the Neighbour-Princes Betweene the Bohemians and them there is a great league but betwixt the Emperour and their Dukes great jealousies under hand The Duke of Saxonie the Marquesses of Brandeburgh and the Lantgraves of Hesse have many yeeres they and their ancestry beene linked together and both Lutherans howbeit the Lantgrave is thought to fâ—vour of Calvinisme The Bishop of Bamberge both himselfe and his Countrie are all Catholiques but of no power to hurt though they were Enemies The Counts of Mansfielt have a grudge to the house of Saxonie because most of their land being pawned to Augustus is as they pretend wrongfully detained the debt being long since satisfied but they are so many and so poore as they may well have the will but not the power to annoy Saxonie in Religion Catholiques The Princes of Anhault as also the Counts of Mansfield are homagers to this Duke but of small power or riches In Religion Calvinists For home defence and strength this Dukedome is so strong by nature on Boheme side and upon the frontiers and within Land so well fortified by Art with reasonable strong Cities Townes and Castles so well peopled and all places of strength so well looked unto and kept in so good order that it seemeth provided to withstand the Enemy not onely of any one but of all the Neighbour-Provinces The greatest and chiefest Citie within this Dukedome is Erdford seated in Turing not subject to the Duke but a free and Hanse-towne the next unto it is Leipsique the Metropolis of Misâ—n a Towne very well seated both for profit and pleasure yet of no great strength though it held out Iohn Fredericke a siege of two or three moneths with small disadvantage of building very faire and stately most of the houses of seven eight or nine Stories high but all of Bricke and no Stone It is greater than Dresden and hath many faire and large streets and yet inferiour in beautie and strength for the Duke will not suffer the Inhabitants neither to fortifie nor to repaire the walls left they should againe rebell as in former times within the walls are nine hundred Houses it hath three Churches five Colleges and about foure hundred Students as also a faire Castle with a small
honourable respect of our Nobilitie wherein though they possesse few Castles or strong places invironed with rampiers and ditches neither that the Titles of Dukes Marquesses or Earles are more than titular as bestowed upon desert at the pleasure of the Prince yet have they the government of Provinces with subordinate authoritie over the people to the great quiet of the State and the prosperitie of the kingdome where on the contrary the Nobilitie in France possessing some absolute and some mixt jurisdiction with hereditary titles c. being Lords not only of Townes but of great and goodly Cities also and receiving homage and fealtie of their tenants doe as wee have often seene but badly and at pleasure acknowledge the soveraigntie of the King and the Arrest of the Parliaments SCotland another portion of Brittaine in times past began at the Mountaine Grampius and from thence to its utmost border was extended Northward But in future times by the extinguishment of the Picts it reached also unto Tweed and sometimes also to Twine the chance of warre so moderating in these counterchanges as in all other worldly occurrences Whereupon its longitude from Tweed unto the utmost limit is thought to be foure hundred and fourescore miles But as this Province is longer than England so is it narrow for that it endeth like unto a wedge For the unshapeable and rough Mountaine Grampius whereof even Tacitus in the life of Agricolâ— made mention runneth thorow the very heart thereof even from the German shore that is from the mouth of the River Dee unto the Irish coast and unto that Lake which the Inhabitants call Lomund which lieth betweene that country and the said mountaine The Kingdome hath every where safe harbours creekes lakes marishes rivers and fountaines replenished with fish As also mountaines and in tops thereof large plaines yeelding abundance of grazing to cattell and woods wonderfully abounding with venerie By the advantages of which place the people being sustained could never be fully conquered for every Province Woods and Marishes were ready refuges to their safeties and wilde beasts and plentie of cattell remedies against famine for their bodies Those who inhabit the Southerne part as by much the best so are they the better qualified the civillest and speake the English language And sithence that Nature hath denied them plentie of fewell their firing is of a blacke stone which they digge out of the earth The people who dwell in the Northerne and Mountainous parts are a very savage and uncivill kinde of men and termed Silvestres viz. Highland-men These after the Irish fashion were accustomed to be cloathed with a mantle and a shirt coloured with Saffron and to goe bare legged as high as their knees Their weapons are Bow and Arrowes with a very broad Sword Dagger sharpe but on one edge They all speake Irish and feed upon fish milke cheese and flesh and have great store of cattell They differ from the English both in Lawes Customes for the one retaineth the Civill Law as almost doe all other Nations but the English have their peculiar or Municipall Lawes In other things they differ not much Their Language as aforesaid is one and the same the same constitution of body equall courage in battell and semblable addiction unto hunting even from their Childhoods Their houses in the Villages are very small and covered with straw or reed wherein as well their cattell as themselves in manner of stables doe reside Their townes except that of S. Iohns are invironed with no walls so that it should seeme that their couragious minds doe repose the safetie of their lives in the only vertue of their bodies They are also ingenious which their learning manifesteth so that unto what Art soever they doe addict their capacities they easily profit therein And those also who meditate nothing but sloth ease and lazinesse though by refusall to take any paines they live most basely and beggerly yet will they not let to boast of their Gentrie and that so presumptuously as if it were more commendable for a man well descended to beg than to betake himselfe to any ingenious profession for the sustentation of his carkase But withall they are accounted naturally to be very zealous in Religion About Scotland in the Irish Ocean are more than forty Islands by Pliny termed Britaniae but by others Meraniae and Herbrides The biggest of these in length exceeds not thirty miles in bredth not above twelve Amongst them is Iona famous for the ancient sepulture of the Scottish Kings All the Inhabitants speake the Irish tongue a pregnant argument that they are descended from the Irishry Beyond Scotland Northwards lie the Orcades in number saith Ptolomy thirty being partly seated in the Deucalidon Ocean and partly in the German The chiefe whereof is called Pamonia and therein is an Episcopall Sea being subject unto the King of Great Brittaine The Islanders speake the Gotish tongue a record that they are descended from the Germans Of stature they are all of a sound constitution whereby it commeth to passe that for the greater part they are long-lived although most commonly they live upon fish The soile is in a manner alwayes covered with snow in many places it will scarce beare graine but of trees almost none Beyond the Orcades heth Thule from whence but one dayes saile saith Pliny is the Frozen Sea and therein Island whereunto at this day our Merchants doe make an annuall trading to fish themselves or to buy fish of others Which for that it is neerest unto the Pole some doe judge to bee Thule And this is all that I have to say concerning the situation of Scotland now will I turne my pen to the nature and fashions of the Inhabitants WAles is accounted the third portion of the Island In regard of the heart of England it lieth upon the left hand and in manner of a Peninsula stretcheth into the Ocean on all sides incircled with the Sea save towards the East where it is bounded with the Severne the separatresse of Wales and England although many late Writers as abovesaid make the City of Hereford the bounder thereof and will have Wales to beginne at Chepstow where the River Wy being united with Lugge and passing by Hereford falleth into the Sea This River as Severne ariseth from an Inland part of Wales from one and the selfe-same Mountaine but whether from one and the selfe-same Fountaine I am not able to shew and it Cornelius Tacitus as aforesaid termeth Antona For even thither reacheth a huge arme of the Sea which cutting in betweene the Land by the West watreth Cornwall on the right hand and Wales on the left This Topography we follow as the Moderne and therefore say that Wales from Chepstow where it taketh beginning is extended Northward a little above Shrewsbury as â—arre as Chester Hither it was as Memory recordeth that the reliques of those Brittons who over-lived the generall slaughter after the
of them tooke up just Armes of late even against the Emperour Subjects these Cities and States are but yet were they no freer than the subjects of other Princes they durst not make leagues amongst themselves to the prejudice of their Emperour Thirdly even these Imperiall Cities have some other Lords besides the Emperour or the Maior or Officers of their owne Townes Thus the Marquesse of Onspach being of the House of Brandenburgh stil challengeth the ancient Office and Title of his Family which is to be Burgrave of Nurembergh which is a principall Imperiall Citie We see also what power and favour the King of Poland had in these warres with Sweden in the Imperiall Citie of Dantzik which put it selfe under his protection Wormbs also in the Palatinate under protection of the Palsgrave received an Armie of the Princes of the Vnion in favour of him even against the present Emperour Finally the House of Austria holds the Empire in that fashion that Adonias laid claime to the Kingdome wherein another sate confirmed and perished for want of supportation For besides that it is not hereditary neither can he after Coronation command like an absolute Soveraigne nor expect or inforce the reciprocall duties betweene Prince and Subject nor is hee powerfull enough to countermand the Privileges of the Empire no nor to call the Diet without the consent of the major part of the Electors For some Provinces are as it were members of the Empire yet disunited for neither doe they nor will they acknowledge that they belong at all to the Empire as the Kings of Denmarke and Sweden the Duke of Prussia the Elector of Brandenburg that now is who requires Investiture of the Polander not of the Emperour the Switzers and the Netherlands Others confesse the Emperour for their Soveraigne Prince but they come not to the Diets of the Empire nor will beare the Tax and Tallages of the Empire as the Dukes of Savoy Lorraine and the Princes of Italy Others come to the Diets and pay all impositions and these are properly the Princes ' and Cities of Germanie But the King of Bohemia by the grant of Charles the fourth is exempted from all contributions As for the other Princes they be so many and by leaguing together so mighty that they attend in Court at pleasure contest with the Emperour at pleasure raise forces at pleasure and supply his wants of Exchequer at pleasure Some of them have to doe both in the Diets and at the Election of a new Emperour those be the Electors three Bishops and three Princes But as at first Wenceslaus the Emperor was faine to bribe them with many Privileges and Lordships for their voices in his Election so still they must be courted if the Emperour desires to have his sonne or brother chosen after him or any great favour done unto him If they be displeased they are strong enough to ruffle with him The other Princes live of themselves and the Emperour is oftner beholding to them than they to him so that these be but Lordly Subjects of the Empire To speake now in a word These are truly termed the States the Princes and Cities of the Empire who have to doe in the Diets or Parliaments and as members of one bâ—die participate of good and evill of advantage or disadvantage thorowout the whole Empire These living after the manner of a Commonwealth well united make use in manner aforesaid of the Emperour for their head and common safetie And such be divers of the lesser Princes together with the Hanse-townes and Imperiall Cities Free or Imperiall Cities are they which are not directly within the Inheritance of any Prince though they stand within his Territory For example Heidleberg Wormbs and Spiers are all in the Palatinate whereof the first is the Princes owne and not Imperiall the other be Imperiall and not the Princes Such Cities have obtained their freedome either for money or for service done to the Emperour whereupon some of them are so strong so privileged and so populous that out of obstinate repining at Taxes and Impositions they have many times opposed against their naturall Lords yea and in hostile manner excluded them from the superioritie of commanding witnesse the contentions heretofore betweene the Citie of Brunswicke and their owne Duke the exclamations of the Cities and Princes when the Landigrave of Hessen was imprisoned and the generall cause of the Protestants protesting in every place against the Ecclesiasticall proceedings and Imperiall threatnings These Cities governe themselves by their owne Lawes being bound no further than to pay two fifth parts of whatsoever generall contribution is assessed in the Imperiall Diets They pay tribute to the Emperour some say fifteene thousand Florens but they have for the most part sufficient revenue of their owne to defray the charges The nature of other Cities you have before read of The Diets now be the things by which the Emperour rules all if he be able to make a partie The ordinances of these Diets cannot be frustrated but by another Diet but of putting the Decrees in execution the Emperour hath the full power and the sole authority And therfore as touching preheminence and dignity hee is to be accounted the first and chiefe of the Christian Princes as the person upon whom the Majestie of the Roman Empire resteth and who ought to defend the Nation of the Germans the Church of God the Catholike Faith and to procure the peace and wel-fare of the whole Christian world And this is something towards the understanding of the State of the Empire in Germany Go we now to relate of the other chiefe Princes there And first of those which worthily challenge the next place the Electors of which the Palsgrave is chiefe The State of the Prince Elector Palatine HIs Dominion containes the Vpper and the Lower Palatinate The Lower is the chiefe of the two as being both the richest the largest and the Seat of the Elector A goodly and a delicate Country it is almost two hundred miles in length and about halfe so much in breadth lying on both sides of the famous Rhine and watered besides with the Neccar whose bankes are inriched with the most generous Wines It touches upon Lorraine at the Southwest and hath the Duchie of Wirtenberg upon the East Of this Countrey because of the armie of the Destroyer may we speake in the Scripture phrase The Land is as Eden before them and as a desolate wildernesse behind them her goodly and strong Cities her pleasant fields and delicate vineyards are fallen into the possession of those that reaped where they did not sow To this Principalitie was the Title of the first Elector incorporate It and Bavaria were made a Kingdome Anno 456. which Charles the Great conquered in whose Line it continued from the yeare 789. till Otho's time Anno 955. whose heires continued in them but not as a Kingdom till the yeare 1043. at which time Henry the third deprived Prince Conrade of
of it East West North and South is exceedingly spoken of for Silver and Gold Mines insomuch as in a Storie written of the Mines of Saxonie called Berg-Cronicon it is affirmed that this Hill yeelded to the Dukes of Saxonie in eight yeares twenty two Millions of Florens only for the Tenths Besides these Mines the Duke hath the Mine of Mansfielt pawned to divers Merchants of Norimberg and Augusta and are thought to be worth yearely thirty thousand pounds sterling It is held that all his Mines of Saxonie besides those of Mansfielt yeeld the Duke one yeare with another seven hundred thousand Florens which is about an hundred and thirty thousand pounds sterling Other commodities of worth they have none but flax and a kinde of thicke course cloth which by reason of the exceeding falsifying and dearenesse of ours groweth every day into more and more request with them The whole Dukedome but especially Misen is very populous full of Cities walled Townes and Country Villages and all of them very well peopled It is certainly affirmed that the Duke at twenty dayes warning is able to make an Armie of fourescore thousand men very well armed and furnished The people generally are reasonable faire of complexion and flaxen haired but not well favoured either men or women in behaviour as civill as any part of Germanie whatsoever especially the women who taking themselves as they are indeed for the fairest and best spoken of all Dutchland are in their apparell and entertainment indifferently gracefull For their disposition as indeed almost all the rest of the Germans it is very honest true and not ordinarily given to any notorious vice but drinking nor willingly offering any injurie either to their owne country-men or to strangers but when they are drunke and then very quarrelsome and as it is said more valiant than when they are sober Wise in mediocritie but not of any great sharpnesse or subtiltie of wit Of body strong and big boned especially the Countrey people but of a kinde of lumpish heavie and unactive strength fitter for husbandrie and other toilesome labour than fighting In their chiefe Cities some few give themselves at their great and principall Feasts to a little use of their Peece in shooting at a marke but otherwise by reason of their long peace altogether untrained to the warres or any warlike exercises But the use of the pot serveth for all other pastimes and delights in which notwithstanding they have very small store of wine yet they are nothing inferiour to any other part of Dutchland They have great store of Artizans and Handy-crafts men of all sorts but in their severall trades nothing so neat and artificiall as the Netherlanders and English or those of Norimberg and Augusta Of Merchants they have great store especially in Liepsiege and other chiefe Cities and those for the most part very rich whereof this reason is yeelded that though they have no commodities save those before mentioned nor are neere the Sea or any great Rivers by which they may have cheape and commodious importation or exportation of wares yet Germanie is so seated in the midst and heart of all Christendome and Saxonie in the bowels of it as by continuall trafficking with England France the Low-Countries Italie Poland and all the Easterne Countries and by daily conveying all the commodities of each Countrey over-land to others that want them they grow very wealthy For such as give themselves to the warres and have no other profession of living though generally all the Germans are mercenary souldiers and so their service accordingly yet I heard of as few in this Province as in any part of Germanie whether it were that the wars of Hungarie imployed them all or that other Princes growing weary of their service their occupation began to decay Touching the Nobilitie I can say nothing in particular of their numbers names titles dispositions c. only in generall there be Earles and Barons Some are meerely subject to the Duke others are borderers which are only but homagers as the Princes of Anhalt the Counts of Mansfielt the Counts of Swarzenberge c. Of Gentils there are good store to the number as it is supposed of three or foure thousand at the least by which meanes the Duke is alwayes in his warres well furnished with Horsemen every one one with another bringing three or foure good horses with him to the field The Nobilitie and Gentilitie generally thorow all Germanie and particularly in this Dukedome have great royalties and revenues The lands goods and chiefe houses are usually equally divided amongst all the children reserving but little prerogative to the eldest brother The Honours likewise descend equally to the whole Familie all the sonnes of Dukes being Dukes and all the daughters Duchesses all the sonnes of Counts Counts and the daughters Countesses c. They are exceedingly had both Noblemen and Gentlemen in extraordinary reverence and estimation amongst the vulgar people which both in their Gate and Seats in publike places they very religiously maintaine In time of Peace they are but little used in counsell or matters of State being almost all utterly unqualified either with wisdome learning or experience only contenting themselves with shadow of honour which their ancestors have left them And if they have beene famous as by the raising of their Houses to that greatnesse it should seeme they have â—eene they imitate them in nothing but in only continuing their so long and so holily observed order of carowsing In time of warre which hath beene for many yeares till the late warres of Hungarie very small or rather noâ—â— â—ecause of their greatnesse both in Revenues and number of Tenants their service hath beene usually imployed but now by reason of their long disuse of Martiall matters which therefore seemed to make some amends or at least some excuse of their other defects they are become if I ghesse not amisse not to fit for their greatnesse as unfit for their want of knowledge every way either in experience or contemplation And truly I cannot so much as heare almost of any of them either Noble or Gentlemen that give themselves to any Noble studies exercises or delights except now and then to the hunting of the wilde Boare by which and by accustoming their heads to the wearing of their heavie thrummed Caps in stead of a head-peece they take themselves to be greatly enabled for service For the valour and warlike disposition of the people of this Dukedome I cannot commend them above the rest of their Country-men neither shall I as I thinke need to stand much upon that point sithence their actions shall plead their sufficiencie in generall The great matters which they have undertaken and the little that they have performed will produce sufficient testimonie What they did one against another in the time of Charles the fifth is not much materiall to prove their courage since without question Bulrushes against Bulrushes
a tribute which Leo the ninth did release to the Church of Bamburgh which in those daies being by divers casualties often usurped was at last restored againe to the Church by the Armes of the Normans It was the habitation of the Lucans extending from the River Sarvo to Lavo it is a territory rough and mountainous Towards the Sea-coast are Nico Sorento Massa Almasi and Salerne the aire whereof is very temperate in the upland are Cava Nocera San-Severino and more neere the Sea Peste where Roses blow twice a yeare Agropoli Possidoniat now Licosa Policaster Capace Nov◠Venosa Accella and Melsi holden second to Naples Naples NAples was first the receptacle of Philosophie secondly of the Muses and now of Souldiery the moderne inhabitants having their eares daily inured to the sound of the drum fife and their eyes to the management of Horses and glittering of Armours For the ambitious Spaniard now governeth this Kingdome by a Viceroy directed upon occasions by the Councell appointed for Italy which innovation hath principally befallen them by their dependancie upon the Popes who knowing by reason of the brevitie of their lives not otherwise to govern than by spleene passion and private respect have continually disquieted the estate untill a third man hath bereaved both parties of their imaginary greatnesse And this is the Spaniard who making right use of former defaults hath secured the peece first by taking all power and greatnesse from the Nobility more than titular and secondly in suppressing the popular throughout the whole Kingdome by forren souldiery A regiment consisting of foure thousand Spaniards besides sixteene hundred quartered in the maritime Townes and fortresses To these one thousand great horse and foure hundred and fifty light-horse are inrolled They say through the whole Kingdome two hundred thousand five hundred and threescore persons able to beare armes may bee levied and trained but are not in pay nor raised but in time of service and then but in part according to occasion To make good this proportion every Hundred fires or families are charged with five foot-men there are foure millions eleven thousand foure hundred fifty and foure fires in this Kingdome Over whom Captaines are appointed who have their entertaiments as well in times of peace as of warre Their strength at Sea consisteth of thirty seven Gallies yet more than trouble and title the King of Spaine reapeth not from this Kingdome The revenue and donatives now made revenue with impositions amount yearly to two millions and fiftie thousand ducats one million and thirty thousand thereof are ordinarily given away in pension and other largesses the remainder cannot suffice by much to discharge the Garrisons Gallies Horsemen and the residue of the Souldierie The body of their Nobilitie consisteth of fourteene Princes five and twenty Dukes thirty Marquesses fifty foure Earles and foure thousand Barons too too many to thrive one by another for as they increase in number so great Princes will be sure they shall decrease in authoritie No office is allotted them neither any command assigned them whereby they might ascend to estimation Every Officer is countenanced against them all their misdemeanours lookt into severely examined and justice rigorously inflicted Their ancient vassals their ancient honour and confidencie are now alienated from them and being backt against them in their pretensions are growne neglectfull of them They have lost their stings and being either desperate of their libertie or farre degenerated from their ancient glory dare not expresse much lesse put in hazzard any action tending to redemption Indeed they have no likelihood of forren assistance all the Princes of Italie in these dayes either fearing or flying into the protection of the Spaniard A pregnant president of the many calamities incident to all Kingdomes governed by Deputies The riches of the Kingdome are especially silks wrought and unwrought and wines The taxes now imposed upon these wares have so inhaunced the prices that the forren Merchant néglecteth to trade to the no small impoverishment of the Tradesman and Merchant whose especiall livelihoods consist in workmanship and the quicke returne thereof What rates may be imposed hereon as also upon victuals and wines let reason judge when upon herbs only spent in Naples foure thousand pounds sterling are annually levied by way of imposition As for Wines twelve thousand Buts are reported to bee transported from thence at every season Among all men that professe Christ there is not a more uncivill creature than the Calabriar Over land there is no travelling without assured pillage and hardly to be avoided murder although you have not about you that to their knowledge the worth of a dolar More silke is made from the silke-worme in this Province than in all Italy besides The State of the Duchie of Millaine NOt to doe the Spaniard wrong we will adde his Duchie of Millaine to his Kingdome of Naples The circuit of this State is three hundred miles of good fruitfull and well watered land under which are nine good Cities and in them two Vniversities Pavia and Millan This latter a goodly Citie and a rich almost seven miles in compasse and inhabited by two hundred thousand soules industrious and of the best Artizans of Italy It claimes to be the first Duchie of Europe In the weaknesse of the Empire Millane withdrew its obedience An. 1161. Fiftie six yeares after that the Visonti usurped upon the common libertie For want of heires the French claimed and conquered it But King Francis being taken prisoner by Charles the fifth was faine to release Millane to gaine his owne libertie And thus came it to the Spaniard His certaine Revenue out of it besides Escheats and gratuities are eight hundred thousand Ducats but the maintenance of it costs him much more than that summe and the French for that reason were glad they were rid of it For the Spaniard is at continuall charges of three thousand foot one thousand light-horse and six hundred men at Armes besides the expences upon the Forts whereof the Castle of Millane is held to be one of the surest peeces in the world The natives are proud and the Spaniards are proud too and it was never yet knowne that two proud persons loved one another and this makes the Spaniard to curbe them with Forts and Garrisons But since he is Master of the Valtoline he can quickly bring German forces into Millane if he perceived any inclination to insurrection The Governour is Generall of the Forces and hee alwayes a Spaniard Law-matters are decided by sixteene Doctors of Law and other chiefe men of the Clergie and Nobilitie The State of Genoa THe places of most note therein are Nizza having a Castle of great account Villa franca a Haven of great receit but dangerous Monaco a notable for t Ventimilia a good Citie The Champion of Arbenga is fertill but the aire infectious Finale is a famous Lordship Noly hath a convenient Harbour
and consequence For the River Vistula arising in the extremest bounds of Silesia watereth all Poland the lesse and part of the Greater Mazovia and Prussia and then it falleth into the Baltike Sea below Danske whither it transporteth the greatest quantity of Rye Corne Honey and Wax of the whole Kingdome a journy of foure hundred miles From another coast the most famous River Duina arising out of the Lake Ruthenigo and parting Livonia into equall portions falleth into the Sea about Riga a City of great concourse There are in Prussia and Livonia many Lakes amongst which one is called the New-Sea 100 miles long in Livonia is a Lake called Beybas more than 400. miles long from thence spring the Rivers which running by Pernovia and Narâ—e make two notable Havens for traffike Betweene these two Cities stands Rivalia giving place to neither in beauty Samogithia is more rude and barbarous than the other Provinces and Podalia more barren which is not to be attributed to the nature of the soile for it is plentifull of those Commodities which the climate under which it lieth can afford but to the cruelty of the Tartars which so vex it with continuall inrodes that the Inhabitants are driven either to flie for feare or to bee led away captives by these barbarous people The riches of Poland are the abundance of Corne and all sorts of graine which grow there in such plentifull sort that in it selfe it never suffered want but evermore as in the yeare 1590. and 1591 it releeved not onely the bordering Nations oppressed with famine and scarcity but also yeelded some portion of releese to the wants of Genoa Tuscanie and Rome It floweth with Honey and Wax And whereas in all these Northerly Nations of Poland Lituania Russia Muscovia there are no Wines growing in stead thereof Nature hath bestowed upon them incredible quantities of Honey whereof these people doe brew an excellent kinde of Beverage The Bees make Honey either in Woods where they finde the trees made hollow by rottennesse or mans industry or in Hives set in open field by the Country people or in holes of the earth or in any place where they can finde never so small a liking It aboundeth with Flax Hempe with Sheepe with Cattell tell and with Horses Amongst the beasts of the wood are sound wilde Oxen wilde Horses and the Buste which cannot live out of the Wood of Nazovia The riches of the land consist in the Salt-pits of Bozena and Velisca in the territory of Cracovia The Revenues of the Kingdome for the most part are equally divided between the Noblemen he Gentlemen for no man is left so rich by inheritance that hee may exceed others above measure and the greatest Revenue of all exceedeth not five and twenty thousand Ducats Onely the Dukes of Curland and Regimount exceed this meane For although they are feodaries of the Kingdome and acknowledge the King as their superiour yet are they not as lively members of the State they come not to the Diets of the Kingdome they have not their voices in the election of the Prince neither are they accounted as naturall Lords of the Kingdome but for strangers as in truth they are the Duke of Curland being of the house of Ketlert and the Duke of Regimount of the family of Brandenburge All Prussia did belong to the Dutch Knights who had their Great Master resident there but he not being able to withstand the force of the Polonians yeelded himselfe feodarie to King Casimere Afterwards when Albert of Brandenburge their Great Master became a Protestant hee was created Duke of Prussia and the Country was divided into two parts the one regall mediately holden of the Crowne the other Ducall allotted to Albert and his successors to hold by fealty In the Kings parâ—ition stand Marieburge Torovia Culma Varnia and Daâ—â—keâ— in the Duchie which yeelded an hundred and twenty thousand Ducats yearely the chiefe Towne is Regimount the Germans call it Conningsburgh and there the Duke keepeth his Court. The Government of Polonia is altogether elective and representeth rather an Aristocracie than a Kingdome the Nobility who have great authority in the Diets chusing the King and at their pleasure limiting him his authority and making his soveraignty but a slavish royalty These diminutions of Regality beganne first by default of King Lewis and Iagello who to gaine the succession in the Kingdome contrary to the Lawes one for his daughter and the other for his sonne departed with many of his Royalties and Prerogatives to buy the voyces of the Nobility Whereupon by degrees the King of Poland as Stanislaus Orichovius confesses is little more than the Mouth of the Kingdome which speakes not but what his Councell prompts him The great Officer whom they call the President of their liberty and Guardian of it is still joyned with the King as it were to Tutor him and to moderate his desires The power royall there is no more but what King Sigismund assumed in full Parliament at Petricovia Anno 1548. which was to conclude nothing but by advice of his Councell To give instances of the power of these great Counsellours they made void the testament of King Casimire forbade King Iagello to warre upon the Knights Hospitalers unto whom in his expedition into Lituania they adjoyned the Bishop of Cracovia limiting their King to doe nothing but with his approbation Casimire the third had foure Commissioners joyned with him Without their leaves the King cannot chuse his owne wife for which reason King Iagello was by them perpetually perplexed Appeales the supreme marke of Soveraignty are not made to the King but to the States King Alexander Anno 1504. was faine to remit the disposing of the publike treasure unto the Lord Treasurer to which Officer Iagello Anno 1422. could not but grant the royalty of coining monies also Well therefore as Cromerus reporteth might Queene Christina complaine That her Husband was but the shadow of a Soveraigne They have neither law nor statute nor forme of government written but by custome from the death of one Prince to the election of another the supreme authority resteth in the Archbishop of Gesna who is President of the Councell appointeth the Diets ruleth the Senate and proclaimeth the new elected King Before King Stephen erected new Bishops Palatines and Castellanes in Livonia few other besides the Archbishop of Leopolis and his thirteene Suffragans eight and twenty Palatines and thirty of the chiefest Castellanes were present at the election of the new King They hold an assembly of the States every yeare for two causes the one to administer Justice in Soveraigne causes unto which are brought appeales from all the Judges of the Country the other to provide for the safety of the Common-weale against their next Enemies the Tartars who make often incursions upon them In the time of their Diets these men assemble in a place neere unto the Senate-house where they chuse two Marshals by whom
let loose the Queene of Cities as they terme Paris to looke bigge and angerly upon us our London can affront her with a matching countenance and over-match her in many severall excellencies And surely if any man should materially object against these my assertions I should deeme him either some young humorist some petulant factor discontented traveller or head-strong Papist of which profession I misdoubt not but to finde many amongst men who being either distressed at home or unsetled abroad to their private ends will not blush with the King of Assyria to laugh at the weaknesse of Iuda for being confident in the promises of God will raile on religion condemne government extoll petty Princes and with Naaman the Syrian preferre the waters of Babylon before the wholesome River of Iordan But come to particulars they sticke in the clay and like an unbroken colt flâ—â—ging up and downe and sweating with rage and neither able to goe forward in a handsome course nor remaine patient in expecting the will of the Rider Or open them but one window to let in but the light of our glory by discoursing of our Navie the generall musters of the Country the arming of every Gentlemans house a Noblemans attendance a Ladies jewels the Majestie of our Vniversities the happinesse of our Husbandman the wealth of our great Cities and order in the administration of the sameâ— Then stand they with Niobe transhaped into stone and remaine confounded by reason of their former perverse and ignorant wilfulnesse But I will not be uncivill in exprobration only let me tell them that because in beastly Galata and Constantinople the Merchant may goe into divers Bashawes and Greekish houses and there by entertainment transported with outward deceit of colours as painting gilding in-laid workes and such like hee maketh a wonder at the cost and pompous expences not remembring how their best masters in England are scarce admitted up staires into many worthy houses of our Noblemen and Gentlemen which being admitted would afford other manner of discoveries both magnificent and wealthy even to true admiration Because in Venice they have overlooked the Bucentaure S. Marks Palace and Piazza a dainty front of buildings on the grand Canale the College of Iesuits a Mercer or two that selleth Copes and rich cloaths of gold for high Altars the fundamento novo the Arsnall c. Therefore England hath but poore furniture wanteth the essentiall meanes of Princelinesse and Majestie is onely gawdie in colours a little imbroidery and gold lace which they allow to Players and Mountebanks both in Venice Florence Verona and the rest of her Cities Because in Genoa Naples Rome and some other places they may see an even street of houses with a pillar or two of jet jasper and hard marble a Cardinals Palace and six moils in a Carosse to attend him but to the conclave a stately Mosque in Turkie the Domo in Florence new Saint Peters at Rome and some other ostentous buildings they say our beauty is eclipsed and wee must submit the controversie to the apparant bravery of forren magnificence whereas in truth they hold no more comparison for Majesty though dispersedly either with our Courts late Country buildings demesnes adjacent and commodious houses about the Citie for receit capacity and entertainment than bird-cages doe to delightsome Arbours But who are they that so entertaine Tables with this returne of discourse surely none but our fashion-follow-Travellers who with many long lookes expecting in an Almanacke for a yeare of Iubile flie over Sea by flocks towards Rome Where by the way in Ausburg Noremberg and some other Cities of Germanie meeting with a flaggon of wine wherewith the Burgers according to custome with such entertainment use to welcome strangers they presently write over with what state they were feasted and how graciously admitted into Cities resembling new Ierusalem in respect of our disproportion of building and unequall fashion of our streets Because in France they may drinke wine of Orleance or Lyons and for their money satisfie incontinencie wherein yet they confesse Italy to surpasse Oh! say they England is a barren Countrey and farre from becircling her forehead with the garland of Bacchus or wreath of Abundance but sitteth desolate like a widow having the curse of baldnesse inflicted upon her Because in Padoa they are told of Antenors Tombe in the streets seene the Amphitheatres in Verona or Rome monuments truly resembling the wrinkles of an old face or beheld the wals of Constantinople the ruinous Colosses of the Citie with the Aquaduct in the Country Oh! these be Kingdomes that make aged Time young againe and surpasse our new Nation for wonders and works of Majestie Because they have beheld though peradventure with little understanding the forts of Mount-mâ—lian and Saint Katherines the citadels of Millan and Antuerp the Castles of Naples and Saint Angelo and have beene acquainted with the examination of passengers at Lyons Millan and the frontier Townes of the Princes of Italie They presently exclaime against our weaknesse and ill-advised discipline which leaveth our Country as it were naked to all inconveniences of wind and weather In the next ranke come up our male-contents and they are such as being meerely gulled with pride selfe-conceit and fantastick vaine-glory have run a prodigall hunting-journey with Esau untill being weary and hungry they have beene inforced to sell their birth-rights for a messe of pottage Then with Yorke and Stanly and thousands more they enter into violent courses curse David raile on their Countrey and accuse Authoritie of injustice and partialitie With the Dukes of Guise and Bâ—ron they set up the praises of the Spanish King and the tender-heartednesse of the Pope for the decay of Religion supposing themselves sufficiently magnified for contesting with Kings and sleighting the Princes of the bloud In the reare slily stealeth up the obstinate Papist To him urge honestie reason yea the Scriptures and hee will discharge no other shot but the Ordinance of the Church Put him from that slanker and you shall see him like an Adder lurking in the grasse to sting the heele of the passenger And that is with telling you that in France the Church at Amiens hath delicate Pictures the nostre Dame at Roan and Paris maintaine brave processions Our Lady at Sichem works only miracles yea more than miracles for they will tell you of a Virgin got with childe in a Nunnerie by one of her sisters For say they she protested before our Lady that she never knew what the company of man meant But leaving these men to themselves and the sting of their owne consciences we will proceed to shew you with what affections other Nations doe at this day Court us France is so strengthened and beautified at home by the multitude of Princes and noble Gentlemen that now at this day enjoying the Kingdome intirely to themselves they are confident to defend it not seeking ambitiously to offend others though haply envying to
whereof Plutarch speaketh It is a strange thing to consider and incredible to beleeve what infinite masses of money have beene made here in France by these sales where there is not that Collector Controller Treasurer Sergeant or subalterne Officer whatsoever but he hath bought it of the Prince and at no small rate for I have heard it credibly reported and yee shall read also in late Writers that these Offices are bought in France at a dearer rate than our Lands in England of twentie yeares purchase Yee must observe they have them for terme of life and after to returne to the King who is againe to sell them A man in his sicknesse or in danger of death or upon any need whatsoever may sell this his office or resigne it to his sonne or friend whatsoever which sale is good if the partie live forty dayes after the sale or resignation is confirmed otherwise not Now we are to consider what Entrade or Revenue the French King yearely maketh by any or all of the meanes abovesaid The Estate of the Finances Domaine and all in Charles the sixth time Anno 1449. was but 1400000. Livres Henry the second Raised upon his people by way of ordinarie Revenue fifteene hundred thousand pound sterling a yeare whereof some part hath since beene aliened for the debts of the Crowne which notwithstanding the King raiseth as much now But we may observe that this summe is of late yeares growne much greater by two thirds as is generally beleeved For whereas in those dayes some three or fourescore yeares since the ordinary summe was fifteene millions of Francs and Livres it is now so many of Crownes And Monsieur Rivault Treasurer to the Duke of Mayen shamed not some twenty yeares since to say that his Master had improved the Realme of France to a better rent than any Prince had done before times For saith he Where as it was worth but two millions of pounds it is now worth five millions sterling And another saith that only by the sales of Offices in twenty yeares space The King hath raised one hundred thirty and nine millions which is after the rate of seven millions the yeare So that it is probably to be inferred that the Revenues are at least fifteene millions of Crownes wherein all late Writers agree Neither must wee thinke that men are mistaken by counting Crownes for Livres considering that Bodin and La Nove and most elder Writers speake only of Livres not of Crownes For the manner of account in France is by especiall ordinance commanded to be made by Crownes and that of Livres to cease So that whensoever ye read in the stories of France of any summe of thousands millions or such like without naming either Francs or Crownes you are to respect the times when it was written for if it was above thirty years past they mean Livres or Francs If of later yeares than thirty it is alwayes to be understood they spake of Crownes this rule will not faile them Having sufficiently spoken of these it remaineth I keepe the same course I have done hitherto that is after the Relation of the Court to reckon up the Officers of Court and after the discourse of his forces to speake of his Officers of Warre So here likewise after mention made of his Finances and Revenues to remember his Financers and Officers used for the collection keeping and disposing of the same Of which Officers wee may say as the Philosopher saith of Wives that they be Necessarie evils And as hee saith of them The lesse of evils is the best so say we of these The fewer the better But when we reade that the old Romans had of these but one in a Province you shall observe here in some Province not so few as one thousand The chiefe of these is Treasurer of the Exchequer instituted in Francis the first his time in place of the Receiver generall There is also another Treasurer of Casualties The third sort are the Treasurers generaux des Finances whom they also call Treasurers of France For as for the Treasurers ordinary and extraordinary of the Warres we have already spoken of them in the relation of his forces and of the Treasurer of his petty pleasures when wee spake of his Court The number of these Treasurers generall as also of all other Officers of Finances yee may partly conceive by the number of generalities which are in France and the severall offices of each one of these Of these Generalities are twenty and one in all France Paris Roven Caen Nants Toures Burges Poictiers Agen Tholouse Montpellier Aix Grenoble Lion Ryon Dyon Chalons Amiens Orleans Soissons Lymoges Maulin In each of these Generalities are divers Elections that is divers places for the receit of Finances as in that of Orleans are eleven Elections in the rest some more and some lesse to the number of 170. in all In every generality are ten Treasurers three Receivers generall of the Finances three Receivers generall of the Taillon one Receiver generall of the Dismes two Receivers generall of the Woods and for every Receiver so many Controllers generall two Treasurers generall extraordinarie of the Warre for the payment of Garrisons and souldiers in time of Warre Besâ—des all these generall officers there are also in each particular Election three Receivers of the Taille three of the Aids two of the Taillon and as many Controllers besides all other inferiour Officers If then there bee thus many in one Election onely ye may judge the infinite number in all France upon which they lie as thicke as the Grashoppers in Aegypt I must here also remember the chamber of Accounts the chiefe Court of the Finances wherein are foure Presidents twelve Masters eighteene Auditors fourâ— Correctors one Procuror generall one Advocate one Gressier six Huissiers or Sergeants and other inferiour Officers to the number as Bodin saith of two hundred besides servants and it is likely the number is not lessened since his time In conclusion the Officers here and of other places are so exceeding many as a President of this Court shewed the Estates of Fâ—ance in the assembly at Blois that of the Escu six shillings which was payed by the Subject there came but a Teston one shilling six pence to the Kings coffers The Court of Aides also is as full of Officers as that other These Finances saith one haue beene so shuffled altered changed and reduced into so obscure an Art that very few either doe or can understand it except they have beene brought up in their Cabale that have obscured it No marvell therfore though there be much difference among men about the certainty thereof either for the truth of the summe or number of the Officers The Coines of France are either gold silver or brasse In those of gold I must be better instructed my selfe for I know none but the Crowne which is of three or foure sorts whereof
râ—ape the whole benefit of it For the Arch-duchesse wee know shee beares but the name of Governesse of his Provinces being her selfe otherwise wholly governed by Spanish Counsell and were the Kings younger brother but old enough to be Governour wee know that she must be thrust into a Monasterie However France seemeth now to rejoyce in a new alliance yet let the world not doubt but that out of ancient emulation which hath ever beene betweene these two Kingdomes being exasperated done against another by so many injuries so many wrongs and so many jarres and brawles new occasions of discontents will evermore arise For can the French thinke we ever forget their expulsions out of Italie their deprivation of Navarre or the intrusion of the late King upon the maine body of the Kingdome But fresh in memory and yet unrevenged as one this present yeare 1629. is the defeat of the French troopes sent into Italie in favour of the Duke of Mantoa nor does the Spaniard looke that the crosse mariages with the French the Kings marying one anothers sisters can make any attonement but lookes either that the French should invade Flanders or the Wallon Countries unto which hee hath so good and ancient pretencion or watch him some other good turne at his best opportunitie Betweene him and the Savoyard notwithstanding their neere alliance have there beene late warres the Spaniard depriving him of some Townes in Montferat and the Duke of Savoy in revenge on the other side distressing Genoa with an Armie which is under the Spaniards protection and the place from whence he borrowes his great summes of mony But these differences are so farre reconciled that contrary to all expectation the Savoyard in consideration of the restoring to him of those Townes in Montferat is now at this present turned on the Spaniards side hath levied an Armie in favour of him and blockt up the passages of his owne Countrey by which the French Armes should enter Italie to the aid of Mantoa But to be knowne it is that this Duke of Savoy is an old a subtill and an inconstant Prince jealous enough as all the States of Italie are of the Spaniards greatnesse and for his owne advantage will as readily turne to the French as he did now to the Spaniard With the King of 〈◊〉 he hath not any negotiation save good correspondencie And because betwixt these two Crownes there is not any pretencion of State or interest of Consines which are wont to be causes from whence discords arise and also for the most part evill intelligence among Princes As the Turke is Lord of a larger Sea-coast than the King so can he hardly compare with his Majesty either in furniture or mariners Along all the coast of Africke he hath not an harbour where he can build or keepe a couple of Gallies except Algier and Tripolie In the Euxine sea what place of name is there besides Capha and Trapezond What better report can we give to the coast of Asia More implements than a spacious Sea-coast are incident on either part to this businesse he must have plenty of Timber and Cordage he must be furnished with a people practised in Sea-affaires able to endure the labour and working of the waters delighting in traffike and navigation chearefull in tempests and rough weather which dare dwell as it were amongst perils and expose their lives to a thousand dangers and here in true judgement I take the King to exceed the Turke For the Turkish subjects as to the better part never saw Sea and those that have used it are not to bee compared to the Biskaines Catalonians Portugals and Genoâ—ais I adde this people for their good services and affections at all times to this Crowne To conclude in two things the King excelleth the Turke the first is that although the Turke can command more men yet the best and greater part of them being Christians he dare hardly trust the second that the Sea-coasts of the King are neerer conjoyned than those of the Turke and in that regard hath his forces sooner incorporated By this facilitie experience hath proved that the Easterne Navies have been often overthrowne by the Westerne the Southerne by the Northerne the Carthaginian by the Roman the Asian by the Grecian Octavius Caesar with the Navie of Italy defeated the Fleet of Aegypt and in our times the Armada of the Christians the Fleet of the Turke The Turkes themselves confesse that in Sea-fights the Christians excell and are unwilling to deale with those forces As often as Charles the fifth rigged forth his Navie it was so puissant that the Turke never durst leave the harbour In his journey of Algier he rigged five hundred vessels in his Tunis voyage 600. Andrew Dorie conducted 10 gallant an Armada into Greece that the Turke not daring to move out of his station the Christians tooke Patras and Coronna in Morea At this day they are at peace The Spaniard is doubtfull of the Turkish forces especially by Sea if he be not assisted by the league of Italie And againe the Turke is fearefull of him alone and of his associates For he knowes he is to deale with a Potentate of much estimation and well practised in the world and although of late there have fallen out betweene them certaine jarres and differences upon dammages done by the one and the other Prince reciprocally in each others dominions yet it is to be thought that these two so powerfull Princes will not easily bee brought to take Armes seeing they emulate each others greatnesse and contented with equall strife to bring all Christendome to their subjection pretending both one and the selfe-same end viz. Religion Besides it is sufficient for the Catholike King to have revenged his wrongs and for the Turke that he is no more molested by the Spanish Armadaes As the one hath a warlike and well armed Empire so hath the other an united and most rich Kingdome But herein the Turke hath the greater advantage that he spendeth but little in the warres in regard of that that not onely the King of Spaine disburseth but even all the Princes of the world For his souldiers receive for their pay those lands which he hath given them to hold for life with condition annexed alwayes to bee in readinesse to serve at an instant Certaine it is that the Turke being dreadfull to Christendome the Spaniard is the ablest to oppose him For which reason Andreas Hoia would needs perswade us that it were best for Christendome to chuse the Spaniard for their universall Monarch but Boccalini argues better that it had beene more convenient for Europe if the Moores had still beene Lords of Spaine Most sure it is that the Protestants yea all Christians in Hungaria live better under the Turke than under the house of Austria The Spaniards bee intolerable masters witnesse the poore Indians Hoia therefore vented this in an Oration at Doway to inflame our English fugitives
Citie of Placentia and therefore wholly depends thereupon having taken a secret oath to obey him in all commands Proceeding with all possible respect not to give the least occasion of offence by reason that the investiture of Placentia was not granted absolutely to the house of Farnesi but only to the fourth descendencie after which it returnes againe to the King of Spaine as Duke of Millan And therefore his Excellencie that hee may not separate himselfe from his Majesties good liking did lately refuse to linke himselfe in alliance with the great Duke lest hee should displease the King whose minde he saw was bent against 〈◊〉 The Duke of Vrbine being a Prince of small power wholly relies upon his Majestie as receiving his greatest benefit from him to whom he hath committed the charge of all his Italian Cavalrie The Common-wealth of Genoa is like a ship beaten at Sea and tost with contrary winds tempestuous stormes placed as it were betwixt two anchors which are Prince Doria a true borne Citizen and the Ambassadour of the Catholike King who hath the protection thereof in his Masters name to his great benefit If ever he chance to become Sole-Lord thereof it will adde a greater Dominion to his greatnesse for the nature and quality of the situation of that Citie whereof the Spaniards were wont to say That if the King their Master were but once Lord of Marsettes in Provence and of Genoa in Italy by the benefit of these two famous ports hee might easily arrive to the Monarchie of the whole World But howbeit the King of Spaine be not Lord thereof nor yet hath so great a part therein that he can assuredly say that it wholly rests at his command yet by favouring and upholding the greatnesse of the Prince Doria he maketh him the Instrument to serve his turne and by his meanes obtaineth what hee will or can in reason desire of that people deeply interessed in regard that his Majestie hath taken up great summes of money upon interest of them and therefore will take heed how they breake with him lest they be hindred of their gaines peradventure of their principall It hath beene thought that some Kings have beene behinde hand with them for more than a million and a halfe of gold How much Genoa depends upon him was seene in these late warres in which they were wholly protected by him Of the Religion of Malta the said King taketh a particular protection as that in like sort depends wholly upon his pleasure and doth readily execute his royall commandements serving his turne oftentimes in keeping the Coasts of Spaine and the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicily from the incursions of Pyrates and that without any one penie cost or charges to the said King whereof in proper place The Seigniory of Lucca hath placed both it selfe and all that it hath fearing the potencie of the great Duke under the protection of his Majesty In generall the Spanish Nation beareth little love to the Venetian Common-wealth as suspecting it to favour the French and for the strict friendship which it holds with the most Christian King and the most renowned State of England of late his apparant and professed Enemies Againe there is also little inclination of love towards this State because they thinke that it maketh profession to ballance the States and Forces of the Princes of Italy and though they esteeme well enough of it yet they love it not a jot Notwithstanding the Spaniards know that in those warres which may happen betwixt the Turks and this people they cannot out of their particular interests but aid and assist them and that on the contrary from them they have no hope of retribution unlesse in like occasion But withall they assuredly beleeve that the aids which they shall afford it shall be but feeble and slowly subministred in such sort that they shall not give it any great re-enforcement but only such as may be sufficient to save it from ruine yea scarce that Finally for a perfect review of this tedious discourse I wil recite unto you these weighty secret and last instructions given by Philip the second King of Spaine to his son Philip the third father of this present King teaching him how to governe himselfe and his Kingdomes after the decease of his said father brought to light by a servant of Don Christophero di Mora called Roderigo and translated out of Spanish and Dutch into English that the world may see how judiciously this manuscript of the Kings owne hand agreeth with the purport of these Relations SOnne I have often troubled my mind and entered into most deepe and serious considerations how to leave a quiet and setled estate unto you after my decease Howbâ—â—â— neither the long time of my life nor the opportunity of Princes affected to my service would afford me sufficient assistance in this behalfe I confesse that I have spent more than 594. millions of Duckets in lieu whereof I have enjoyed nothing the space of three and thirty yeares but heart-sorrow and vexation of spirit True it is that I recovered Portugal but as lightly as France is escaped from me so likewise may Portugal slide backe Would to God I had followed the counsell of Charles the Emperour my Lord Father of famous memory for then could I much more quietly brooke those my sorrowes and die with a more willing minde leaving to you the succession of this mortall life This then besides so many stately Kingdomes and Seigniories as a perpetuall testament I leave behinde unto you as a mirrour and Looking-glasse wherein you may see how to frame your actions and to carry your selfe in your government after my death Alwayes looke well to the charges and alterations of other States and Countries to the end you make use and reap good profit thereby as occasion shall serve and withall have a cautelous and circumspect eye over them that be in Counsell with you Two meanes you have whereby to maintaine your Spanish Kingdomes the one is Government the other the Trade of the Indies Touching your Government you must draw unto you and relie either upon the Nobilitie or the Spiritualtie of your Dominions If you leane unto the Spiritualtie you must seeke to briâ—ile and curbe the other as I have done but if you meane to strengthen your selfe with the Nobility cut short the Livings and Revenues of the Spiritualtie as much as is possible For holding them both in equall favour they will consume you and besides you shall set your Realmes out of quiet and never come to resolution the ballance being over-weighed sometimes by the one and sometimes by the other My Counsell is that you hold in league with the Provinces of the Netherlands especially if you meane to helpe your selfe with the Nobilitie for they be friends to France England the German Princes And neither Italy Poland Sweden nor Denmarke can stand you much in stead As for the King of Denmarke
will play the Pultrones and the best foot the cowards They are both the meanest souldiers of Christendom Of Weapons they handle the Sword and the Pike better than the Harquebuze In the field they are very strong as well to charge as to beare the Shocke for Order is of great effect which is as it were naturall unto them with a stately pace and firme standing They are not accounted of for the defence of fortresses and for their corpulent bodies I hold them not fit for the assault of a breach And therefore they are to be accounted rather resolute and constant than fierce and couragious for they will never come to the service wherein courage and magnanimitie is to be shewed After the victorie they doe kill all whom they meet without difference of age sex or calling If the warre be drawne out at length or if they be besieged they faint with cowardize In Campe they can endure no delayes neither know they how to temporize If their first attempts fall not out to their mindes they are at their wits end and lose courage if they once begin to run they will never turne againe He that retaines them must be at extraordinary charges and great trouble by reason of their wives who consume so much provision that it is a very hard thing to provide it almost unpossible to preserve it and without this provision they stand in no stead Their horses are rather strong than couragious and because of ten which goe to the warre eight are prest from the plough they are of small service and when they see their bloud their heart quaileth The Spanish Genets in this case wax more fierce In Sea-forces they are not much inferiour to their Land-forces although they use no Sea-fights the Cities of Hamburg Lubeck Rostoch and some other places are able to make an hundred ships some say an hundred and fifty equall to the forces of the Kings of Denmarke and Swethland When these strong and invincible forces are united they feare no enemie and in imminent perill they are sure of the aid of the Princes of Italie Savoy and Lorraine for these Princes never forsooke the Empire in necessitie To the Zegethan warre Emanuel Duke of Savoy sent six hundred Argolitrees Cosmo Duke of Florence three thousand foot-men paid by that State Alphonsus the second Duke of Ferrara was there in person with fifteene hundred horse-men better horse-men there were not in the whole Campe. William Duke of Mantua was there also with a gallant troope of foot-men and Henry of Lorraine Duke of Guisâ—â— had there three hundred Gentlemen The Common-weales of Genoa and Lucca assisted them with money With the aid of these Princes and with those whom Pius the fifth sent to his succours Maximilian the second had in the field ond hundred thousand footmen and five and thirty thousand horse Anno 1566. the States of the Empire at the Diet of Ausburg granted him an assistance of forty thousand foot-men and eight thousand horse-men for eight moneths and twenty thousand foot-men and foure thousand horse-men for three yeares next following And now because the Westerne Empire hath continued in the most noble Familie of the House of Austrich and eight Emperours have successively succeeded one another of that line for the delight of the Reader wee will speake somewhat thereof This House grew famous almost about the same time that the Ottoman Prince began his Empire and as it may seeme was raised up of God to stand as a Wall or Bulwarke against these Turkes and Infidels Philip the first King of Spaine Arch-Duke of Austrich c. had two sonnes Charles the fifth afterward Emperour and Ferdinand the first King of Romans To Charles as to the eldest fell Belgia and Spaine with their dependances Ferdinand succeeded him in his Lordships of Germanie as Austrich Boheme Tirol and other Provinces whereunto by the mariage of his wife Anne Hungarie was adjoyned This Ferdinand left three sonnes behinde him who although they divided their inheritance into three parts yet their successours even to this day did and doe governe them as one intire government their counsels are one their mindes one their designements one most lively representing the ancient Gerion where for the common safetie if any part be afflicted every member runneth to the succour of the other as if it were to their peculiar tranquillitie Their dominion stretcheth so large and is of such force that if by reason of the great tract of Land lying betweene the Carpathie Mountaines and Segonia they did not border upon the great Turke who alwayes constraineth them to stand upon their guard and to be at excessive charges no Potentate thorowout the Christian World could goe beyond them for numbers of people for Wealth and Treasure or for magnificent Cities Any man may perceive this to be true that considereth the distance from Tergiste to the Borders of Lusatia from Tissa to Nobuâ— from Canisia to Constantia upon the Lake Podame Austria was sometimes a kingdome of it selfe and called Ostenrick made so Anno 1225. It held this honour but eleven yeares Duke Albert sonne to the Emperour Rodolphus by mariage united Tirole Stiria Carinthia and Carniola whose descendant Frederike 3. Emperour raised it to an Arch-dukedome This House is divided into foure illustrious Families The first is Spaine The second Gratz of Stiria of which House this present Emperour Ferdinand is The third Inspruck And the fourth Burgundie It is a goodly and a rich Countrey yea the best of all Germanie both for Corne Cattell Wine and Fish Divers good Cities it hath whereof Vienna is small but for strength the very Bulwarke of Europe at the siege of which the Turke lost 60000. Souldiers The first walls were built with the ransome of our King Richara the first The Protestants were much gotten into these parts before these late warres and the Emperour had much adoe to suppresse the Boores who in the yeare 1627. under Student Potts a Scholer stood stoutly for their conscience His revenue must needs be good as having some silver mines the transportation of Wine and Beeves yeelds much to him His Forces are still in Garrison in Hungary against the Turke The Sea comes not neere him Under the Emperour at this day are Lusatia Silesia Bohemia Moravia Austria and a great part of Hungâ—rie Territories large and ample abounding with people corne and riches Then follow Stiria Carinthia Carniola the Countries of Canisia Tirol Slesia the Princedomes of Swevia Alsaria Brisgovia and Constantia The Kingdome of Bohemia being in a manner round is incompassed with great Mountaines and the Hercynian woods it containeth in the whole circuit five hundred and fifty English miles the length is three dayes journie Those Mountaines as I have said elsewhere as also the whole soile are pleasant and fruitfull abounding with corne wood wine and grasse and afford gold silver copper tinne lead and iron in great quantities only here is no salt but such as
Lusatia is on the South bounded with Silesia t is neere upon two hundred miles long and fifty broad it lies betweene the Rivers Elve and Viadrus and is divided into the Vpper and Lower both given to Vratislaus as Silesia also was King of Bohemia by the Emperour Henry the fourth Anno 1087. It still retaines the honour of a Marquisate Gorlitz is the chiefe Citie and a faire one Bandzen Sutaw Spremberg and Tribel bee neat and well peopled Townes The people as in Northerly situation they are neerer to the Germans so are they like them more rough mannerd than the Silesians and Bohemians Their Countrey is fruitfull enough and there may upon necessity be levied twenty thousand foot as good as any in that Kingdome All these incorporate Provinces use the Sclavonian tongue Sâ—ria is rich in Mines of Silver and Iron threescore miles broad and an hundred and ten long Carinthia a hilly and woody Countrey is seventy five miles long and fifty five broad Carniola with the bordering Countries up to Tergisâ—e is an hundred fiftie miles long and forty five broad They are plentifull of Corne Wine Flesh and Wood. The Country of Tirol is full of Mines of Silver and Salt-pits and is eighteene German miles long and broad The territories Swevia Alsatia and Rhetia doe pay little lesse than two millions and a halfe of ordinary revenue and so much extraordinary besides the eighteene Cantons of Rhetia are under the same jurisdiction They are so well peopled that upon occasion they are able to levie an hundred thousand footmen and thirty thousand Horse I know no other Province in Europe able to say the like And therefore the Emperour is not so weake a Prince as those ignorant of the State of Kingdomes doe suppose him to be reporting his Territories to be small unprovided of necessaries poore in money and barren of people But this is certaine that as he is Lord of a large dominion fertill rich and infinite of people so let every man thinke that by the neighbourhood of the Turke bordering upon him from the Carpathian Mountaines to the Adriatike Sea the forces of a mightier Prince may seeme small be overlaid For what Prince is there bordering upon so puissant an enemie but either by building of fortresses or by entertaining of Garrisons is not almost beggered I will not say in time of warre but even during the securest peace especially considering that the forces of the Turke are alwayes ready strong and chearefull yea better furnished in the time of peace than any other Nation in the hottest fury of warre Wherefore it stands him upon who is a borderer upon so powerfull an enemie either for feare or jealousie to be ever watchfull to spare no charges as doth the Emperour retaining in wages continually twenty thousand souldiers keeping Watch and Ward upon the borders of Hungarie These aske great expences and yet lesse than these are not to be defraied for the strengthning of other places besides other expences not meet here to bee spoken of To conclude with the State of the Empire though it cannot be said to be hereditary nor to have which is strange any chiefe City appropriate to the residence or standing Court of the Emperour as Rome sometimes was yet for neighbourhood and conveniences sake the Emperours have in this last age beene chosen out of the house of Austria yea when there have beene severall brothers of them they have all lookt for the Empire one after another and have had it too And for the same reasons have the Bohemians made choice of the same person yea and sometimes the Hungarians also the Austrian being the ablest Prince to defend them against the Turks So that Bohemia though in possession of the Emperour yet is no more part of the Empire than Hungaria is but a Kingdome absolute of it selfe free to chuse a King where it pleases So that the Emperour in Germany is to be considered two wayes first as a German Prince secondly as the German Emperour First as a Prince he hath by inheritance the lands and honours of his family such bee Austria Alsatia Tirol Styria Carinthia Carniola with some parts of Rhetia and Swevia and these dominions are like other principalities subjects of the Empire and for them the Emperour is his owne subject Secondly as a German Prince though not by inheritance but by election may the Emperour be considered when he is King of Bohemia Which though it be an independant kingdome yet being included within Germany and the King of Bohemia by office chiefe Taster to the Emperour and one of the seven Electors of the German Empire as having the casting voice if the other six be equally divided nay and with power to name himselfe if he be one of the two in election in consideration hereof may he thus also be brought within the Empire But yet neither of these wayes can the Emperour or Empire so properly be considered Thirdly therefore to speake of him as the German Emperour is to consider of him as Lord of those portions and States of the Empire properly so called And those be either the States or Imperiall Cities of Germanie The States and Princes of Germanie are naturally subjects to the Emperour yea and officers to his person too which is a part of their honour so the Palsgrave is chiefe Shewer and Brandenburgh Sword-bearer c. They are also as subjects to be summoned to the Imperiall Diets their lands are to be charged towards the Emperours warres made in defence of the Empire But yet on the other side the German Princes bee not such subjects as the Lords of England and France but much freer Lorraine is a member of the Empire and yet will not that Duke suffer the Emperour to have any thing to doe in his dominions and if any other Prince should take up Armes against the Emperour as Saxonie did in the case of Luther yet cannot the Emperour escheat their lands as other Princes may serve their Rebels by his owne private power without the consent of the other Electors Princes in a Diet. So that the German Princes be subjects and no subjects The Emperour is as it were the Grand Land-lord who hath made away his right by lease or grant but hath little to doe till the expiration or forfeiture The second member of the Empire be the Imperiall and Hanse-townes in which because they have lesse power the Emperour hath more than in the Princes Estates Theâ—e acknowledge the Emperour for their Lord but yet with divers acceptions For first they will stand upon their owne privileges and for them will deny any request of the Emperour Secondly they depend and trust unto their owne private confederacies amongst themselves as much as to the Emperour as the Switzers and Grisons leaguers amongst themselves and the Princes of the lower Creitz or circle of Saxony amongst themselves in defence of which the King of Denmarke as Duke of Holstein being one
are very good Weapons But in the same time and under the same Duke and Captaine they performed very little against the Spaniards though with farre over-ballanced numbers as in divers places of Sleyden manifestly appeareth Touching their actions in the Low-Countries in the Prince of Orange his time in France during the civill warres and sithence for the King if I mistake it not it hath alwayes beene praise enough for them if they have helped to keepe their enemies from doing any great matters though they have performed nothing themselves Of latter time they have rather increased than diminished this opinion in the warres ten yeares since in Hungarie besides many other times of notable disorders amongst them by false Alarmes They fled most shamefully out of the Island of Komora being charged by a few Tartars who with infinite hazzard and inconvenience swam over a part of the Danubie to come at them The Summer after Count Charles of Mansfielt their Generall had them in such jelousie as when the Turkes only with some twelve or fourteene thousand men came to victuall Gran and past almost close by their Tents and they being at least fifty thousand strong he durst not set upon them till they retired having performed the project of their journey left the Germans who were by farre the greater part of his Armie being lustily charged might give backe so indanger the whole Campe. To omit many other particularities about this point too long to dwell upon in this discourse they are no more to be commended for their discipline than for their valour for though they be commonly very well armed and keepe indifferent good order in their march yet are they for the most part no more watchfull and provident in their Campe than if they were safely intrenched in an Ale-house Quarrelsome exceedingly and in a manner given to drinking continually and almost every common souldier carrying with him his she-baggage besides his bagge and other furniture Of their unreasonable spoiling and free-booting the French Stories make sufficient relation and it hath alwayes beene hard to discerne whether those Nations that have called them to their succour have received more detriment by them or by their professed enemies For instance of their spoiling humour the Marquesse of Turloch taking in the Marquesdome of Baden and being constrained to keepe some foure or five thousand men in sundry places in garrison they all offered though he gave them very extraordinary pay to serve without any wages so they might have free libertie of pillage Therefore let it not seeme strange that I produce these generall examples of this Nation for though in divers Provinces they are much differing in complexion in stature and many other circumstances yet for warre especially for their vices in warre they are in a manner all of the same aire They have greatly affected the English Nation but of late were they not a little distasted upon pretence of injuries done them about prizes Sea matters and suppressing their privileges of the Stillyard wherein though they themselves as being Inland people and trading little by Sea are nothing interessed yet their neighbours of Hamborough Lubech and divers other Hanse-townes making all these matters farre greater and worse than indeed they are have spread even into their minds the contagion of their owne grudge The Councell of Saxony are at this time few Amongst them there are some that are of the Nobility Counsellours rather in name than effect For in that they live in their Countries they are seldome present at any consultations and meddle little in the ordinary government of the State The rest after the manner of Germany are most Civilians The whole government of the affaires as also the Court is very private Other particulars I cannot specifie neither in truth if a man consider their outward portlinesse though otherwise I doubt not but wise enough doe they merit the setting downe of any For being as all Germans are plaine and homely in their behaviour and entertainment they are both in their retinue apparell and all things else very sutable so that not onely in this Court but in the Courts of divers great Princes of Germany they goe usually apparelled in blacke Leather or Linnen died blacke the chiefest having only an addition for ornament sake of the Princes picture in gold or a chaine of one or two boughts whereby they seeme such leatherne and linnen Gentlemen as if they were in England all men would take them for honest factors unto Merchants or else some under-Clerke of an Office rather than such great and chiefe Counsellours to so great Princes and Estates But as it should be great folly for a man to judge the preciousnesse of a Iewell by the case wherein it is kept and much greater to esteeme it by the cover of the case sed even so by the same reason it were an equall indiscretion to estimate a mans worth either by their body or apparell the one being but an earthen case of the heavenly minde the other but the outward cover of that worthlesse box So on the other side it is an undeniable certainty that not only the common people and strangers but even wise men are moved and stirred up with outward shewes and their mindes according to those exterior matters prepared to receive a deepe impression either of like or dislike favour or disfavour of reverence or carelesse retchlesnesse and debased dispositions The Revenues of this Dukedome are as most men affirme very great and without comparison the greatest of any German Prince whatsoever The meanes whereby it ariseth to that greatnesse are divers first the great quantity of Silver Mines and such like whose profit notwithstanding is very uncertaine according to the goodnesse or badnesse of the veines the great impositions upon all sorts of Merchandize and the assize upon Beere which only in the Citie Liepsiege being a little Towne of two Parishes amounteth yearely to above twenty thousand pounds sterling The tenths of all sorts of increase as Corne Wine c. The Salt-houses at Hall and some other places which being all to the Duke besides the Lands of the Dukedome being very great and the Taxes and Subsidies assessed at their Parliaments or Diets with divers other casualties which fall not within my knowledge But above all the greatest is an imposition which hath long time beene laid upon the people towards the maintenance of the warres against the Turke which notwithstanding they have beene suspended for a long space lately yet under colour of being sufficiently provided and furnished against future necessities they have beene continued and the treasure converted to the Princes private use arising in all this time to that quantity that if it had beene reserved to the pretended use the warres might be continually very royally maintained I speake as much as is required on the behalfe of that Dukedome and the people freed these many yeares from the imposition which notwithstanding is not
onely still continued but since the last warres increased What the generall summe of all the revenues arise unto I have nothing certaine neither indeed is it certaine in it selfe a great part thereof as aforesaid consisting upon casualties as the Mines and Tenths c. But for mine owne particular conceit being not altogether unconfirmed by other mens opinions I cannot imagine how that it can arise to lesse than foure hundred thousand pound sterling yearely at the least Thus have I briefly runne over some few particulars of the great and noble Dukedome of Saxony worthy a much more ample discourse and a farre more worthier and better informed discourser being all things considered not onely the greatest and mightiest Princedome under the Empire but even greater and mightier I meane as it stood united in the time of Christianus than the Empire it selfe For though the Emperour by his sacred Imperiall Seat bee his Liege-Lord and in greatnesse of dominion farre superiour yet is he in revenue in great love of his people in warlike provision and in German leagues and confederacies farre inferiour The State of the Marquesse Elector of Brandenburg THis Prince possesseth a larger tract of land than doth the other Electors and hath more Noblesse Gentry and people yet is a great deale of his land very wilde and barren much of his people poore and himselfe though of great revenue yet farre short of that of Saxony Brandenburg lies on the East limited with Poland on the West with Saxonie touching upon Lusatia on the South The compasse is about five hundred miles wherein are reckoned fifty Cities great and small and threescore and foure walled Townes The whole Marquisate is divided into the Old the chiefe Towne whereof is Brandenburg and the Nen the greatest Citie therein being Franckford upon Oder famous for the Mart and Vniversity The Princes Seat is at Berlin This twofold division is againe subdivided into eight Provinces from which the Nobilitie take their titles one of these Crossen by name being a Dukedome For in Germany you are to understand a Dukedome may be contained within a Marquisate yea and a Duke come behinde a Count for that in the Empire precedencie goes not as with us by title but by bloud and antiquity The name of the present Elector is Iohannes Georgius in whose line the title hath continued these two hundred and eleven yeares Besides now the bare Country of Brandenburg this Prince hath other dominions many townes and lands both in Lusatia and Silesia which with that of Onspach by Nurenberg goe commonly away to the younger of the family all which write themselves Marquesses of Brandenburg The three Dukedomes of Cleve Iuliers and Berg have also beene united to this family though now almost twentie yeares since the Duke of Cleve dying without issue these three States are yet in controversie betwixt this Marquesse and the Duke of Newenburg Besides these is hee Duke of Prussia which is a great Country into which the King of Poland is to give him investiture So that hee and the Archbishop Elector of Cullen be Lords of the greatest tracts of lands of all the Princes of Germany The revenues out of Brandenburg are thought to amount to forty thousand pounds sterling and certainly his profits out of all his other Estates cannot but double that summe A sufficient rent for such a Prince if you consider the cheapnesse of all things in his Country He is Lord of much people and therefore of many souldiers The Duke of Brunswicke hath a large dominion well peopled well furnished and himselfe of a great revenue but both in place much inferiour being no Elector being as of body the strongest so also of minde the vilest natured people of all Germanie In other things likewise he is inferiour to the Duke of Saxonie a great part of his Country being barren and his subjects poore The Duke of Bavaria hath a large rich and goodly Country lying in great length on both sides the Danubie a great revenue and his subjects in good estate but as being almost the only Catholike great Prince of the temporalty of no great party and unfurnished of warlike provision but much more of treasure being exceedingly behinde hand principally through the abuse of his Iesuites by whom being wholly governed he hath spent and daily doth infinitely in building them Churches Altars and Colleges and endowing them with large revenues What is above written of the Duke of Bavaria's estate was something to the truth at the time of the former edition of this booke for certainly the house of Bavaria is wholly Iesuited insomuch as the father of this present Duke giving over the government retired himselfe into a house of Iesuites and this present Duke besides other his large bounties and buildings hath already estated eighteene hundred pound sterling a yeare upon the English Iesuites with condition that it shall goe to the Vniversity of Oxford so soone as that shall be converted to Popery So that the case is now altered with the Duke of Bavaria hee hath gotten part both of the Vpper and Lower Palatinate into his hands yea and the Electorship it selfe is estated upon him Thus for the time are the Palatinate and Bavaria fallen both upon one person againe as they were before the yeare 1294. when as Lewis the Emperour Prince of both of them gave the Palatinate to his elder sonne and Bavaria to the younger after which the Palatine marrying the heire of Bavaria againe united them But about 125. yeares since the Emperour Maximilian againe parted them giving Bavaria to the Ancestor of this present Maximilian He is Vncle to King Frederike himselfe hath no issue his second brother is the Elector of Cullen and a third brother he hath who is not childlesse Bavaria touches both Austria Bohemia and the Vpper Palatinate too aptly situated for the late warres both to distresse his nephew and to aid the Emperour What forces he is able to make did then appeare and his revenue must bee answerable The Duke of Wirtemberg as in dignitie he is inferiour to all these so doth hee if I be not deceived approach neerest in most particulars of greatnesse to the Duke of Saxonie having a Country in circuit but small being not much bigger by ghesse than Yorkeshire but very full of neat Townes and rich Villages very well peopled and they generally very rich The land is not so fruitfull as in other places but farre excelling the best in England that ever came under my view abounding exceedingly especially about Stutgard with wine and the Countrey so pleasantly diversified as that the hils whereof it is full and River sides being only imployed to Vines the plaines are every where full of corne of all sorts of excellent meadow and pasture with sufficient store of wood The Duke himselfe is well loved of his people very rich in treasure and yearely revenue so that setting the mines aside he is thought to be equall if not
superiour to the Duke of Saxonie But for provision of warre excepting powder whereof there is some store very meanly furnished and for many respects not loved of his neighbour Princes This Prince as the Palatine is also of the Order of England The rest of the Princes of Germanie as the Duke of Michelburg the Lantgrave of Hesse the Marquesse of Baden the Marquesse of Ansbach or any other whatsoever being in all respects much inferiour to these already named need not to be brought into competition with the Dukedome of Saxonie which makes the case more lamentable that so mighty a Princedome having beene many yeares wholly united in Maurice Augustus and Christianus should now by the ill ordered custome of Germanie be distracted and divided into parts and likely in time to be more disunited by subdividing it againe to future Issues Endlesse it were to write of all the Princes of Germanie which be about forty in all besides seven Archbishops and seven and forty Bishops all men of great power and possessions The Imperiall Cities be also Seigniories by themselves each able to make Levies of men by Sea and Land Thus much therefore for Germanie Geneva GEneva is also an Imperial City in Savoy situated at the South end of the Lake Lemanus hard by the Lake It is in circuit about two English miles reasonable strong by Nature and Art as well for that it is seated on a hill which on the West is not easily accessible as also for that it is indifferently well fortified with ravelings Bulwarkes and Platformes besides a deepe ditch The East and West parts thereof standing continually full of water The South part remaining dry continually and is well defended with Casemats the better to scoure the Curtaine it is so much the stronger for that it standeth almost in an Island having the Lake aforesaid on the North the River of Rhosne upon the West and the River of Arba upon the South being from the Towne halfe a mile and by reason of the swiftnesse of the currant and great moveable stones in the bottome which are violently carried downe the River it is not passable but with great danger The River Rhosne divideth the Towne into two parts the one is called the high Towne and the other Saint Gervais Betweene the River in passing it divideth it selfe into two branches making a little Island wherein are some few houses and seven or eight mills to grinde corne The weakest part of the Towne is upon the East-side and out of the West by Saint Gervais Church and for that it might have beene surprised from the Lake Mounsier la Nove caused a new Fort to be made in the mouth of the Lake by reason whereof that part is most secure The Towne is well peopled especially with women insomuch as they commonly say that there are three women for one man yeelding this reason that the warres have consumed their men They reckon some sixteen thousand of all sorts The Territories are small being no way above two leagues and a halfe yet by reason the soile is fruitfull being well manured it bringeth graine of all sorts and great store of Wine There is likewise plenty of pasture and feeding grounds by meanes whereof the Inhabitants are very well provided of all sorts of good flesh at a reasonable rate no want of good Butter and Cheese and for most part of wild-fowle as Partridge Quaile Phesant and Mallard in great abundance There are all manner of good fruits and especially excellent Pearmaines besides the River and the Lake afford divers sorts of fresh Fish as Pike Roch Carpe Tench c. and above all the best and biggest Carpes of Europe The commodities of the Dukes Countrey and of the Bernesi with ten or twelve miles next adjoyning are brought to this Tower by reason the Peasant can get no money in any other place which maketh the market to be well served The Towne standeth very well for trade of Merchandize and if it might have peace it would grow rich in short time for the ordinary passage to transport commodities out of Germanie to France especially to Lions and so back againe into Swizerland and Germanie is by this Towne beside all Savoy in a manner and a good part of the Countrey of the Bernesi resort hither to buy their armour apparell and other necessaries the Inhabitants being for the most part mechanicall persons making excellent good Pecces as Muskets Caleevers c. They likewise worke Satten Velvet Taffata and some quantity of Cloth though not very fine nor durable There are many good Merchants especially Italians who have great dealings some others are thought to bee worth twenty thousand crownes and in generall the Towne is reasonable rich notwithstanding their warres The ordinary Revenue of the Towne is some threescore thousand crownes which ariseth of the Gables of Merchandize flesh demaine and tithes and if there might be peace it would amount to twice or thrice so much There is reasonable provision against a siege the Towne being able to make some two thousand men and one hundred horse and furnish them with all necessaries and having the Lake open they want no provision of corne or any victuals In the Arsenall there is Armour for some two thousand men with Muskets Pikes Caleevers c. Some twelve or fourteene Peeces of Ordnance whereof there are about eight or nine Canons and Culverings plenty of small shot bullets and fire-works besides some sixty Peeces in the Bulwarkes There was in former times provision of corne for six moneths but of late yeares they have not beene so provident The people generally are marvellous resolute to defend their Towne especially against the Duke of Savoy whom they hate exceedingly and he them not only in respect of the difference of Religion but in matter of State for the Duke counteth them Rebels and pretendeth a Title to their Towne alleaging that till the yeare 1535. they were under the rule of their Bishop who was Lord both in Temporall and Spirituall matters and the Bishop acknowledged him for his chiefe Lord and dâ—d him homage till the yeare thirtie at which time and before the money which was coined in Geneva was stamped with the Dukes name and figure upon it Besides till the time aforesaid the Duke of Savoy might pardon offenders that were condemned and further there was no sentence of Law executed but the Dukes Officer was made acquainted therewith in whose power it was to disanull as hee liked best Likewise in the yeare 1529. when as those of Geneva had leagued themselves with Friburge the Duke disliking thereof because it was done without his privitie caused the league to be broken alleaging that the Towne of Geneva could not conclude a matter of such importance without his allowance and approbation Besides all these reasons before remembred this also is alleaged as most materiall that Duke Charles comming to Geneva with
the Duchesse Beatrice his wife those of the Towne presented him the Keyes thereof therby acknowledging him their chiefe Lord and Master During the civill warres in France the Towne was marvellously peopled insomuch as there were to the number of twelve or fourteene thousand strangers the greatest part whereof were Gentlemen but since those troubles began to diminish the number likewise hath decayed and at this instant there are not many besides the Inhabitants by reason whereof the Towne is very much impoverished The Towne is governed by a Councell of two hundred called the great Councell out of which is chosen another Councell composed of five and twentie and of these foure especiall men called Sindiques who have the managing of the whole Common-wealth unlesse it be in some great matters wherein the whole State is deeply interessed as in making of peace or warre in leagues offensive and defensive appeales c. The people are governed by the Civil Law the Iudge whereof is called a Lieutenant Criminall before whom all causes are tried and from whom there is no appeale unlesse it be to the generall Councell of two hundred When the Towne was besieged in eightie nine the Venetians did not only send them intelligence of sundry practices against them but also sent them twenty foure thousand crownes to maintaine their warres and out of England they had thirteene thousand crownes The Great Duke of Thuscan did likewise send them many intelligences at the same time and heretofore when as the Pope the King of Spaine the French King and the Duke of Savoy have joyned their powers together with purpose to besiege them the Emperour hath not only revealed all their practices but offered to aid them with men and money yea and sometime the Dukes of Savoy have lent them money to maintaine them against the others For hee had rather the Towne should remaine as it doth than fall into any other mans hands than his owne Queene Elizabeth highly favoured it and releeved it so did all the Protestant German Princes together with the French King Who though â—ee be of a contrary Religion yet hath he had it alwayes in especiall protection The people are very civill in their behaviour speech and apparell all licentiousnesse being severely corrected and especially dancing Adultery is punished with death and the Women drowned in the Rosne simple Fornication with nine dayes fasting bread and water in prison for the second offence whipping out of the Towne and the third time with banishment The Towne lent unto Henry the third King of France a little before his death 450000. crownes and twelve Canons which are not yet restored the Bernesi seeme to be their friends but those of Geneva are very jealous of them and dare not trust them The Ministers have a consistorie unto which they may call publike offendors and such as give scandall unto others and there reprove them and if the crime be great and the partie obstinate they forbid him the Communion if notwithstanding hee persist they may excommunicate him But the Ministers cannot call any before them into the Consistory but by the authoritie of a Sindique who must assist them otherwise the Ministers have power to summon any Man They have their maintenance out of the common Treasury and meddle with no Tithes Master Beza in eighty seven had some 1500. Florens for his stipend which amounteth to some seven or eight and fiftie pounds sterling besides twenty coupes of corne and his house All which will hardly amount to fourescore pounds the rest of the Ministers had some six or seven hundred Florens twenty coupes of corne and their houses The Ministers in the countrie have three hundred forty and five Florens and twenty coupes of corne The Professor in Divinity hath per annum 1125. Florens and twenty coupes of Corne The Professor in Law 580. Florens The Professor in Greeke 510. Florens The Professor of Philosophy 600. Florens and twenty coupes The Professor in Hebrew 510. Florens All honest exercises as shooting in Peeces Crosse-Bowes Long-Bowes c. are used on the Sabbath day and that in the morning both before and after the Sermon neither doe the Ministers finde any fault therewith so that they hinder not from hearing the word at the time appointed Swizerland IN the daies of Caesar this Province contained two hundred and forty miles in length and one hundred and fourescore in breadth which circuit or territorie seeming too narrow a roome to containe so valiant and a warlike people that not long before had overthrowne L. Cassius a Roman Consull slaine the Consull himselfe and sold the souldiers for bondslaves upon these apprehensions and the conceit of their owne valours they began to entertaine a resolution by conquest to gaine a larger territory correspondent to the ambitious greatnesse of their minds and to forsake their owne country which first gave them breath and being In heat whereof they prepare for their departure they provide victuals study tillage two yeeres buy carts and cariage beasts and left any mans courage should decline with the time they make a law that every one should be in readinesse to set forward in the beginning of the third yeere Being upon their way and hearing that Caesar then Proconsull of France had caused the bridge of Geneva to be hewne downe and to debarre them of passage had raised that famous fortification betweene the Lake and Mount Iura they sent some of their greatest Commanders to Caesar to intreat a quiet passage thorow the Roman Province At their appointed day of Audience hearing Caesars deniall they resolve to open the way with the power of their forces In triall of which project after they had received divers defeatures they againe sent their Ambassadors to Caesar to intreat an acceptation of submission throwing themselves at his feet and with many supplications craving such favoâ—rable conditions of peace as might best comfort so distressed a people and beseeme the glory of so mighty a conquests which requests Caesar upon delivery of pledges mercifully granted injoyned them to returne to the Country from whence they came and to build the cities and villages which before their comming forth they had destroyed Ever since which time they retained the reputation of their ancient glory but never enterprized to forsake their limited habitations The number of Men Women and Children that were in that journey was 3680000. whereof 920000. were fighting men of them that returned and saw the fortune of both their States was 110000. Some hold opinion that this Nation is utterly extinguished and that the present Inhabitants whereof we now intreat both for their resemblance in manners and phrase of speech are descended from the Germans It is almost all situated amongst the Alpes and therefore supposed to be the highest Region in Europe and the rather for that the most famous Rivers of this part of the World viz. Rhone Rodan and Po falling from these high places doe disperse their chanels
effusion of bloud than any the mercilesse Tyrants of the former Monarchies As for the College of Cardinals It stretcheth out the Westerne Churches on the Tenter-hookes of Vain-glory and Authority suffering no man no not so much as in thought if it were possible to depresse or question the privileges of religious persons who according to their meanes live in great State keepe Curtizans travell in Carosses though but for a quarter of a mile to the Consistory solemnize feasts and banquets make shew of ceremonies and are in truth of no Religion So that if a man were an Atheist and had no conscience to beleeve that God must one day call us to account for our transgressions I had rather live a religious man in Rome than be a Nobleman in Naples who of all men living wash their hands most in carelesnesse being never disturbed with worldly cares or incumbrances The great Duke of Tuscanie IT lieth betweene the Apenine and the Sea and containeth from Magra to Tenere above two hundred threescore and ten miles It hath larger Champians than Liguria because the Apenine stretcheth not so neere the Sea and so inlargeth the plaine In it are many large valleyes populous and rich in commodities But to speake of particulars when we are past Magra Sarazana offereth it selfe to our view a Citie holden by the Genoise with great jealousie by reason of the neighbour-hood of the great Duke and a little higher lieth Pentrimoli a Castle belonging to the King of Spaine of great account and situated not farre from the Sea then Massa and Carrara places famous for their quarries of white Marble Lucca standeth on the River Serichio Pisa on Arno and beyond the Citie of Florence To the State whereof belongeth Pistoia Volterra Montepulcino Arezzo Cortona Those of Lucca doe stand upon their guard for maintenance of their liberties The Citie is three miles in compasse strong in situation and wals and well stored with Artillery and Munition On the North it confineth Carfagnana a fruitfull Valley and well inhabited with serviceable people on the other parts it is incompassed with the Territories appertaining to the Great Duke Pisa was once of such wealth that at one instant the Citizens thereof held warre against the Venetians and the Genois They grew great by the overthrow which the Sarazens gave to the Genois in the yeare 1533. the remainder of which defeature was received into the protection of their Citie and declined by the slaughter of their people and also of their Navie given them by the Genois neere to the Isle Giglio For thereby they became so weake that not able to sustaine their wonted reputation they were forced to submit themselves under the protection of Florentines against whom when Charles the eighth invaded Italy they rebelled But being againe reduced to their former obedience the Citie notwithstanding was in a manner left desolate because the Citizens impatient of the Florentines government passed into Sardinia Sicil and other places to inhabit So that the place wanting Inhabitants and the Countrey people to manure it the situation thereof being low and moorish by reason of Fens and Marishes it became infectious Cosmo the great Duke undertooke to re-people it againe and to further his intention he builded there a stately house for the receit of the Knights of Saint Stephen gracing it with many privileges which yet to this day remaine unaltered As also by founding an Vniversitie by easing the people of many taxes and by dwelling himselfe amongst them two or three moneths in the yeare Florence is the fairest Citie in Italy it is in compasse six miles It is divided into foure and fortie Parishes and into one and twentie Companies It hath in it threescore and six Monasteries and seven and thirtie Hospitals The Citizens bought their freedome of the Emperour Rodolfe for six thousand Crownes as they of Lucca theirs for 10000. In whose time and ever since it hath flourished in great prosperity For upon occasion the City is able to arme 30000 men and the Country 60000. It is strongly walled the situation thereof being low especially on the North side but on the other parts is somewhat subject to the command of certaine hills which overlooke it the inconvenience whereof they have prevented by fortifications It hath a Citadell built by Duke Alexander and after inlarged by Cosmo. The streets thereof are straight large and very cleane kept There are to be seene the most artificiall buildings of all Europe both publike and private Charles Arch-Duke of Austrich was wont to say that it was a City not to be showne but on Holidaies No soile is tilled with more art diligence and curiosity for you shall see one little peece of ground to bring forth Wine Oyle Corne Pulse and Fruits Notwithstanding it will not afford sufficient victuals for a third part of the yeere to remedy which scarcity it was not without good reason that they spent two millions of Crownes for the recovery of Pisa. The last Duke became an earnest Petitioner to the Pope that he might be created King of Tuscanie but the Pope not brooking so lordly a Title in so neere a neighbour answered that hee was content that hee should bee King in Tuscanie but not King of Tuscanie which scholler-like distinctions great Princes cannot well digest The qualities of the Tuscans appeare by the excellency of the Florentines whom Nature above all the Provinces of Italy hath adorned with sharpnesse of wit frugality providence industry and speciall insight into the Negotiations of Peace and Warre yea their continuall dissentions and hazzards wherein they have almost lived from the first foundation of their city I doe to nothing so much attribute as to the sharpnesse of their wits So the civill discords of the Pistolians did not onely ruinate their owne estate but therein likewise ingaged Florence yea and as a man may say drew all Tuscanie after it by the factions of the Neri and Bianchi for thus it happened Two young men descended of Noble Families falling out the one of them chanced to be lightly hurt the Father of the other to extinguish all sparkes of malice and that no further inconveniencie should arise upon that quarrell sent his sonne to aske forgivenesse of him that was hurt but the effect insued contrary to his expectation for the Father of the wounded Gentleman caused his servants to lay hold on him and cut off his hands and so sending him backe againe willed him to tell his Father that wounds were not cured with Words but with Weapons Hereupon grew betweene those two Families a mortall and cruell warre which drew the rest of the Cities into the quarrell and was the cause of great effusion of bloud yea the Florentines in stead of executing due punishment upon the principall authors of the faction received the banished on both sides into their City where the Donati undertaking the protection of the Neri and the Chersi of the Bianchi
all the City became to bee divided into Neri and Bianchi this sedition was not of long time after pacified Arezzo being by long dissention amongst themselves almost brought to wracke as the other cities of Tuscane likewise were was sold to the Florentines by Lewis of Anjou for forty thousand Florens of gold and not many yeeres after Cortona by King Ladislaus With the State of Florence doth confine that of Sienna a City builded by the Senoni and of late time become subject to the house of Medici It is five miles in compasse strong by situation and whereunto Cosmo the great Duke adjoyned a Citadell From Florence it is not above thirty three miles distant but the people thereof are much differing in Manners as also disposition they sparing slow and unsociable towards Strangers these bountifull and of kinde entertainment they loth to part with money and provident these liberall and onely caring for the present they grave melancholie and alwaies expecting their profit these plaine and of cheerefull countenance the one inclined to traffique and gaine the other content with their Revenues and the fruits of their Farmes Sienna hath a large and fruitfull Territory wherein are contained in the Cities of Pienza Montalcino Chiusi Soana and in Maremma Massa and Crosseâ—o the ports of Orbetelio Portercole with twenty six other walled Townes The coast beginneth at Capiglia and extendeth to the little River of Fiore being all good soile for Corne but the aire is so infectious that none live long therein The ports doe all belong to the King of Spaine together with the Hill Argentino a place famous by the discourse which Claudius Ptolomeus made thereof for the excellency of the situation fit for the building of a royall Citie Next this Province beginneth the patrimony of Saint Peter bequeathed to the Church by the Countesse Matilda These may be partly ghessed at by the numbers of people which not to over-reach with the Italians are valued 800000. soules or perchance a million in all his dominions So then out of every 16000. people to allow three hundred souldiers which is the proportion of the Muster-books in Prato then will 800000. people allow 15000. souldiers and though the Duke as some writers affirme hath sometimes confessed that he hath thirty or 36000. souldiers yet I suppose you shall doe him no wrong not to allow him above 20000. in ordinary seeing a Captaine of their owne at once confessed but 15000. These are trained once a moneth except in Florence where they are not suffered to weare Armes the liberty to weare which causes divers to sue to be souldiers those in ordinary pay are bestowed in his Garrisons Thirty Castles and Forts he hath and in some of them fifty in others but fifteene souldiers Sixteene Cities with Garrison also he hath in some of which he keepes not much above the said number though in others two or three hundred He hath in ordinary for his Guard one hundred horse at six and thirty shillings nine pence apeece a moneth and foure hundred light horse more at fifteene shillings nine pence one other troope of horse he hath for what service and in what pay I know not The Garrison Souldier hath one and twenty shillings a moneth the traine Souldier nothing His Force at Sea he never recovered since the defeat given by the Turkes where hee lost two of his best Gallies and one Galleon His whole Fleet is about twelve Gallies and five Galleasses for honour and increase of his power by Sea hath hee instituted the Knights of the Order of Saint Stephen who are his Commanders His chiefe Port and Arsenall is Porto Ferraro in the I le of Elba Of great Ordnance were told in the Castle of Livorno threescore and foure and in that of Florence one hundred and fifty by which may be ghessed that hee hath no want of munition The charge of his Gallies for these six moneths in which they be commonly at Sea is about 18000. gold Crownes each Crowne worth six shillings sterling There is not so much as a root nor the dunging of an Asse for which something is not paid to the great Duke Victuals Lodging Weddings Bargaines Law-suits setting up of young Tradesmen all must be paid for So that his ordinary and knowne revenue is valued at 1100000. Ducats which comes to 279000. pound sterling a yeere besides his extraordinaries A wonderfull summe for a petty Prince especially in such a thrifty place where all expences defrayed he may in times of peace put up one halfe if not two thirds of his intire Revenue Ordinaries and Extraordinaries arising to one thousand pound a day His neighbour Princes are all jealous of him hee of them and all watchfull one over another But the greatest eye-sore his greatnesse is to the State of Lucca which lies in Tuscany and all the whole length being fifty miles surrounded by this Dukes dominions This makes them at great and continuall charge of Garrisons and to put themselves under the protection of the Spaniard the feare of whose power slaves off the Duke from attempting upon that State which might hee once obtaine hee might truly then write himselfe Great Duke of Tuscany Whereas now having but part of it he may be answered as the Pope did his Predecessor So he may write himselfe the Greatest Duke of all Tuscany rather than The Great Duke of all Tuscany The State of the Kingdome of Naples THe chiefe place hereof in ancient time was Capua the pleasant situation whereof was the overthrow of Hanâ—â—bal and his army Cicero writeth that the Romans were Lords of three imperiall Cities Carthage Corinth and Capua The two first being farre off they utterly ruinated of Capua they long consulted in the end they concluded that it were extreme tyrannie to spoile so noble a city of Italy But for their better security they confiscated the Territories thereof and deprived it of all forme and Majesty of Common-wealth They let the buildings stand to serve for receit of those which should till the ground Naples is now the chiefe seat not onely of Campagnia but of the whole Kingdome and is indeed a princely City it is in compasse seven miles but narrow of late times it is much augmented and would increase continually if the King of Spaine had not forbidden a further increase by building whereunto he was moved partly by the complaints of the Barons whose Tenants to injoy the liberties granted to the Neapolitans did forsake their owne dwelling to seat themselves there partly by the danger of rebellion which in so mighty a City cannot easily be repressed It is strongly walled and hath in it three Castles the chiefe whereof is Castle Novo builded by Charles of Angcow The haven is not large nor safe but that inconvenience is somewhat eased by an artificiall key It hath likewise an Arsenall wherein all Instruments of warre are forged Amongst other religious places of which sort there are many and those
wont to say hath something of the nature of Dice which no man knoweth how they will runne I may say as much of the house of Austria Princes that doe exceedingly cherish and affect quietnesse wherewith they are become great and with the same meanes doe maintaine their greatnesse Of the Church it were alike superfluous to speake for that neither Saint Peter can make any excuse to make warre upon Saint Marke nor will Saint Marke seeke to trouble Saint Peter unprovoked In summe the Venetian hath two maine advantages above all other Princes The one is that they have a councell that is immortall the other that the heart of the State cannot be pierced unto by any enemie And so conclude that the Pope and the Venetian at this time are more potent and of greater antiquity in Italy than ever heretofore they have beene not only for that the Pope hath a more ample Territory and that but little incumbred with petty Lordships and that the Venetian hath his Dominion better fortified and his Coffers fuller than in times past but also in regard that the States of Naples and Millan are in the hands of a Prince absent and farre off and therefore circumspect to raise innovations Lombardie anciently called Cisalpina extendeth from Panaco unto Sesia lying betweene the Apeniae and the Alpes Marca Trivigiana sometime called Venetia lieth betweene the Menzo and the Po. Most commonly both Provinces passe under the name of Lombardy because there the Kings of the Longobards seated their dwellings longer than in any other place of Italy Besides the soyle the ayre and the Inhabitants hold such correspondencie that they ought not to be distinguished This is the richest and civillest Province of Italy For such another peece of ground for beautifull Cities goodly Rivers Fields and Pastures for plenty of Fowle Fish Graine Wine and Fruits is not to be found againe in all our Westerne world arising partly by the ease of Navigable Rivers as Tesino Adda Oglio Menzo Adige and Po partly by channe's cut out of those Rivers and partly by the great Lakes of Verbano Lario and Benaco No lesse commodâ—ty ariseth by the plaines passable for Carts Mules and other carriage The greatnesse likewise of the Lords of Lombardie hath bin a great furtherance thereto For while the Visconti reigned this State maintained wars of great importance against most puissant Princes And for the Empirie hereof happened those notable wars of our daies betweene the Emperor and the French King And no marvell that two such puissant Potentates contended with so great effusion of bloud for this Dukedome for though to many it should not seeme great yet in very truth for the wealth of the Country and the quantity it hath been of as great reputation as some Realmes of Europe some Dukes whereof have possessed greater Territories enjoyed wealthier Revenues and have beene more puissant in Warres and more honourable in Peace than divers Princes graced with Kingly titles Amongst the Cities of these Provinces accounting Venice amongst the Islands Millan without controversie holdeth the precedencie It is able to reckon upon two hundred thousand persons and hath a large and populous Territory A Citie saith Guicciardine most populous and rich in Citizens plentifull in Merchants and Artificers proud in pompes and sumptuous in ornaments for men and women naturally addicted to feastings and pleasure and not only full of rejoycing and solace but also most happy in all other nature of contentment for the life of man And however now the Spaniard one in the Citie and another in the Castle overlooketh both City and Country yet is the bravery of the place very little abated nor doth the Nobleman shrinke under the burthen but carrieth his load lightly however his inward grones are breathed yet lifteth he up a face of chearefulnesse as if he dranke wine and fed on oyle according to the properties of either so good and bountifull is the Country The second Citie of Lombardie is Brescia not for compasse or multitude of people for it is not able to make fiftie thousand men but by reason of the large jurisdiction thereof comprehending therein many large Towns and populous Champians therefore censured to be able in all to levie 350000 men Among the Townes subject thereto Asalo and Salo have the preheminence amongst the Vallies Valcamonia being fifty miles in length and therewith populous and full of Iron Mines Bologna if it please you to account it in Lombardie and Verona are alike populous Verona is larger and of more beautie Bologna more rich and commodious as well for that it hath a larger Territory â— also for that there is no City that doth more absolutely enjoy her owne commodities and doth more freely partake of others by the great resort of Courtiers Clergie-men and Officers dispersed through all the Ecclesiastike State To which three things are much availeable the Vniversitie where all professions are practised their wealth which is equally divided and lastly their inclination and patience to take paines and doe service Betweene Verona and Padoa there is no great difference in respect of circuit but Verona hath double the people Whereof the Venetians to supply that defect doe as much as they may grace their Vniversitie and the Schollers As in this Province the Cities are great and beautifull so are the fortresses many and impregnable And whereas other Provinces have their places of strength on their Frontiers in this the neerer you approach the centre the stronger shall you see the Country planted and fortified The Dukedome of Vrbine THis State touching the Apenine mountaines on the South and the Adriatike Sea upon the North is on the two other sides high hemb'd in with the dominions of the Pope whose Liege-man or Feudatary the Duke hereof is for severall bounties received from the Church This State is threescore miles long and five and thirty broad containing seven Cities and two hundred Castles and Villages The land very good His Revenue comes in two wayes First from his subjects which he being a gracious Lord is not above an hundred thousand ducats a yeare But secondly he much helps himselfe by the Sea and especially by his customes upon Wine and Corne exported of which last there is a great trade in his ports Of this Revenue he issues but 2200. ducats a yeare by way of tribute or acknowledgement to the Pope and the great Duke of Tuscanie which last sometimes writes himselfe Duke of Vrbine also Both these gape for the Duchie if the succession should faile A pretty case lately hapned thereupon It chanced that Guido Baldus Duke of Vrbine in his owne life time resigning his Estate to the sonne and that sonne dying without issue before his father in the yeare 1624. that both these pretenders being ready to seaze upon it and yet 〈◊〉 afraid of another the old Duke was re-estated with both their consents The great Duke of Tuscanio hath as it seemes since
released his claime to the Pope who now solely after the death of this old man lookes for it but many thinke his nose will be wiped of it for that the Archduke Leopold brother to this Emperour hath in the yeare 1626. married the daughter and heire of this old Duke Guido And this may happen to be the occasion of a breach betweene the Pope and the house of Austria especially of the Duchie fals void in the life and height of this present Emperour and that the Spaniard and he get the better of it in the wars of Mantua Modena is an hereditary Dukedome full of riches and fashionable Gentry after the best Italian manner newly allied to Mantua and reasonably well fortified against his dangerous neighbour in Millan and inviteth you to the view of a very delicate Country The Duke dome of Mantua MAntua is a late Dukedome erected of an ancient Marquifate in the name of Gonzaga He liveth in better fashion of Courtship than the other Princes with a Guard of Switzers The Citie is large boasteth of Virgils birth and the delicate streames of Po over which for all the swiftnesse and largenesse a gallerie-bridge transporteth both Coach Cart and Horse under which are preserved many Courtly Barges both for magnificent shewes and pleasure of the water in Summer time as also for the necessities of the Inhabitants thorowout the yeare This State abutting upon the East of Millane hath the Marquifate of Moutferrat annexed unto it and is now the field of warre in Italie Rich men never want heires weake titles rather than no titles are made use of Thus comes the quarrell The Towne of Mantua was as the rest of Italy sometimes belonging to the Empire from which all going away the famous Matilda laid hold on this which with the rest of her estate she bequeathed to the Church of Rome Under the Popes the name of Poledroni bearing great sway grew at last too strong and usurped from their Lord about foure hundred yeares since from whom Gonzaga at last snatcht it who so well inlarged both the territorie and honour that it grew to be a Marquifate and some hundred and five yeares since was it made a Dukedome by the Emperour Charles the fifth about which time Duke Frederike obtained the Marquifate of Montferrat also and that by mariage of Margarita It so happened that a younger sonne of this Familie plants himselfe in France whole descendant upon the late death of his cousin Ferdinand Gonzaga who having beene first a Cardinall before hee came to be Duke of Mantua was unmaried and thereupon died without issue now puts in for the Duchie as next of the bloud So that the Cardinall-Duke being dead without issue the Pope claimes his share and hath it The Emperour puts in for his title pretending the Estate escheated to him for want of issue The heire in the meane time hastens out of France gets possession of Mantua and of the good will of the people also The Emperour he cals in the King of Spaine to trie his title by the sword and if not to hinder or regaine possession yet to inforce him to demand investiture of the Emperour The Duke craves aid of France the King himselfe leads an Armie thither which this present yeare having passed the Alps by the Duke of Savoyes stopping up the passage against him miscarries in Pledmont The Savoyard is proved the Duke of Mantuaes enemie for the Marquifate of Montferrat which he pretends a triple title unto all which were adjudged weake and insufficient pleas by Charles the fifth being made Vmpire by both parties But what he could not obtaine by Law he hopes in the weaknesse of the new Duke to doe by power striking in especially with the Spaniard with whom he is now made friends upon it the Spaniard restoring some Townes in Montferrat which the Savoyard had seized upon in the last vacancie An. 161â— but had beene taken from him againe in the late warres with Spaine So that the poore Dukedome of Mantua is like to be undone by foure Pretenders The Heire the Pope the Emperour and the Savoyard The Spanish forces of Millane are too neere unto Mantua and the Savoyards to Montferrat These be his neighbours and enemies The Dukedome of Mantua is indifferent rich and able to live of its owne Seven good Cities it hath whereof Mantua is one of the strongest in Italie three sides being fortified with a wide River Montferrat is larger than the Duchie of Mantua containing about threescore good walled Townes three of which be faire Cities Both territories together containe as much land as the great Duke of Tuscanie is master of yet his yearly Revenues come not to much above 500000 Ducats for that he uses his subjects well and wants the commoditie of the Seas For his Forces Italy hath not better Horsemen nor any willinger to serve their Prince Divers strong Townes he hath and all little enough at this time The State of the Duke of Savoy THe State of this Duke lyes in two Countries in France where Savoy is seated and in Italy where he possesses part of Piedmont But what Nature and the Alpes have disjoyned Marriage and Warres have united His Dominions in France reach as farre as Geneva the County of Burgunde Bresse Provence and Daulphine on Germanie side they touch upon the Switzers and in Italy are they bounded with Millane Montferrat and the State of Genoa The length is three hundred miles the breadth an hundred and threescore the compasse nine hundred To begin with Savoy from whence the Prince hath his Title The fable I see passes currant that these mountaine-passages being infested with theeves the Countrey was thereupon named Malvoy which disorders being reformed by a Nobleman the Emperour rewarded him with the title of Duke and named the Countrey Saulvoy that is the Safe-way But hee that shall remember that the Noticia of the Empire mentions the very name of Sabaudia will know it to be ancienter than the moderne French tongue from whence this fable derives it Savoy containes the Earldome of Geneva the Marquifate of Susa the County of Morienne the Lordships of Tharentaise Brengeois Faucignie Chablais and Pays de Vaul with three Bishoprickes whereof the Duke hath the nomination It containes foure or five good Cities whereof Chamberie is a Parliamentary Towne and the Seat of the Duke on that side Situate it is in a rich and delicate Valley full of Gentlemens houses and every way inclosed with high mountaines The Valleyes be fruitfull enough but the Mountaines very inhospitable which is the occasion that there be but five hundred thousand soules in all Savoy Many and large Lakes it hath and those very well fisht Piedmont is much the pleasanter and the richer Country though the common people be poore enough as scorning to worke and caring but to have from hand to mouth The chiefe Honour or Title that the Duke here hath is the Marquifate of Saluzzes The other part of
upon the neighbourhood of Sicily can hardly maintaine If more there are they pertaine to private men Besides which certaine Phaluccoes they have vessels they be twice so bigge as a wherry and rowed by five men which they send out for scouts and to discover the booty The expeditions which they make are little better than for bootie either in the night time landing on the maine of Africa and surprizing some villages or scowring along the coast and taking small and weake barkes out of which they take the men and goods and turne the hulke adrift with wind and weather Lorraine THis was once a Kingdome of it selfe containing all those Countries lying betwixt the Rivers Rhine and Scheld and the mountaine Vogesus wherein are Brabant and Gelderland Lutzenburg Limburg and the Bishopricke of Leige These were at severall times taken away from it some given by the Emperours to the younger families and some to the Church That which is now left to the Duke was of his ancestor Lotharius called by the Latines Lotharij regnum or as the Germans speake Lotars-ricke is bounded upon the East with Alsatia upon the South with Burgundie towards the West with Champaigne and towards the North with the Forest of Arden The length is foure dayes journey and the breadth three In it are many goodly Rivers as the Meuse Mosel c. And fine Townes as Nancie where the Duke commonly resideth Saint Nicholas and five others of good esteeme upon the Frontier and Inland whereof Pont Musson is an Vniversity It yeeldeth Wine and Wheat sufficient for the provision of its owne Inhabitants and affordeth Cattell Horse and River-fish in some good measure to the defects of their neighbours In manners and fashion they resemble their neighbours the French and the Germans both whose languages the most can speake In courtesie and civility they strive to imitate the French in drinking the Germans Yet not here the one so punctually as the French nor the other so inordinately as the Dutch They are good souldiers free of disposition and rather subtill than politike The Duke of Lorraine is of the best and ancientest bloud of Europe as descended from Charles the Great He also claimes to bee King of Ierusalem And for such Courts as these petty Princes maintaine you shall finde therein many fine Gentlemen His counsels are mostly directed by the Iesuits and his favourite Count de Boulla Surely his Riches cannot be great for of commodities nothing of value can bee said to arise therein save certaine workes or cups of Cassidony-stone some horses linnen cloth and manufactures and those vented into France and Germanie What to thinke of the silver mines therein I cannot shew Those that have estimated with the most have not related of above seven hundred and eight thousand crownes of yearely Revenue ordinary viz. five hundred thousand of rent and royaltie two hundred thousand from the Salt-pans and from the fishing of the Rivers and Lakes two thousand pounds sterling But others more probably allow him twelve hundred thousand crownes which might be more would he put his people to it Nancie is exceedingly well fortified after the moderne fashion and inlarged of late by addition of a new Towne and that also fortified And in former ages as it resisted the whole forces of Charles the Great Duke of Burgundie so this people also but united with the Switzers gave him three fatall overthrowes in the field Of any great Expeditions which they should particularly make of themselves I never read neither that any of their Neighbours have much affrighted them With the Switzers and the House of France they have alwayes held good correspondencie and Alliance So that if the Arch-Duke should quarrell with them on one side they have the Low-Countrimen their friends on the other And as for the King of Spaines neighbour-hood by reason of the proximity of the French Countrey of Burgundie it may alwayes be supposed that in regard of the Alliances before spoken of the one will bee loth to prejudice the other to neithers boast of advantage As for other petty Princes they stand in as much need to take care for their owne preservations as to invade anothers for that in truth this Prince exceedeth most of them in meanes forces friends and circuit of Territory This Principalitie gives titles of honour first to the Duke of Barre which is now united to the Dukes owne Family to six Counts or Earles and to seven Lords or Barons Hungarie HVngarie is a Noble Kingdome I call it Noble because whole volumes might be writ and yet extenuate the worth but not relate the troubles thereof Externall with the enemie of Christendome Internall by reason of confused dissention For sometime the glory of the Kingdome elateth them sometime private revenges divide them sometime the Nobility doth tyrannize over them and sometime the generall cause exciteth compassion For the plenty wherewith it aboundeth of all things both for use and pleasure it may be numbred amongst the most fertile Kingdomes of Europe In it are found fruits of as much variety and goodnesse as in Italy Corne sufficient to sustaine the Inhabitants Wine to furnish their neighbours Poland Silesia Moravia Bohemia Fish in such plentie that strangers borrow of their abundance from them and out of Valachia before the losse of Agria in 96. were Beeves driven into Italy and all parts of Germanie which now finde a present want in their former provision thorow the Turkes stopping of that passage The Hungarian Horse by nature are not improper for warre being couragious strong hardy and swift but for want of management they fit no service but travell to which the Italian Hackney-men and Almain Coach-men finde-them excellent Hungarland is divided by the River Danubius into two parts the one mountainous and therefore called the upper Hungarland abounding in Gold Silver and Copper-Ore the other nether Hungarland plaine without hils and called for the fertility thereof the Store-house of Italy and Germanie The Metropolitan Citie of that part of Hungarland that obeyeth the Emperour is Possonium or Presbâ—rgh which the Hungarians call Posonie little and not very beautifull no more than are Sirigonium Cassovia Niâ—ria Tervanio or any other Cities of Hungarland a reason whereof may be that the Gentlemen have their Houses in the Countrey and the Citizens are more studious to build for use than for pompe In confineth toward the North with Poland and Moravia on the East lieth Transilvania and Valachia on the South Bulgaria Servia Bosnia Sclavonia and Croatia and towards the West it is joyned to Stiria and Austria two thirds of it possessed by the Turke The Inhabitants be of stature and complexion not unlike the English but in habit resembling the poore Irish in Warre strong valiant and patient covetous above measure yet having rather desire than art to enrich themselves permitting of negligence the Germans to inherit in their Cities and to Trafficke their Merchandize a
you please one of the seven exceeding the ancient two viz. Europe and Africke in largenesse and circuit especially in these our dayes being wholly discovered to the East and North the habitations of the Chinois and Tartars without accounting the Islands thereunto belonging which if they were adjoyned would make a Continent farre fairer than Europe Vpon three parts it is bounded with the vast Ocean sirnamed the Orient on the South with the Indian upon the North with the Scythian upon the West it is somewhere disâ—oyned from Europe and Africk with the Red-sea somewhere with the Mediterranean somewhere with the Euxine and somewhere with the River Tanais The Regions which of old it contained were Ponâ—us Bithynia Phrygia the Great Lycia Galatia Paphlagonia Pamphylia Cappadocia Armenia the Lesse Cilicia Sarmatia Asiatica Colchis Iberia Albania Armenia the Great Cyprus Syria cava Phoenicia Palestina Arabia petrea Mosopotamia Arabia deserta Babylonia Assyria Susiana Media Persis Parthia Carmania deserta Carmania altera Arabia Felix Hyrcania Margiana Bractriana Sogdiana Sacarum Regio Scythia within Imaus Scythia without Imaus Serica Aria Paramisus Drangâ—â—no Arachosia Gâ—drosia India on this side Ganges India beyond Ganges Sinatum Regio and Taproban Generally it enjoyeth a most excellent temperature of ayre and is so rich fertile and barefull for variety of fruits and feeding and so abounding therewith that in all these good gifts it excelleth all Countries whatsoever For here are to be found divers sorts of living Creatures and Plants the like whereof the whole world againe affordeth not As Balme Sugar canes Frankincense Myrrh Cassia Cinamon Nutmegs Pepper Saffron sweet Woods Muske and divers other sorts of Drugs and Odors excellent Gold all sorts of Minerals and precious stones Of beasts it affordeth the Elephant and Camell with divers strange sorts both wilde and tame The people are of excellent wits exceeding rich and happie in all good things This Region hath beene the Parent of many rare spirits and the Seat of most mightie and flourishing Empires As wherein raigned the Monarchs of the Assyrians Persians Babylonians Parthians and Medes No lesse regardfull at this day are the Empires of the Turkes Tartars Persians Mogors Indians and Chinois but indeed most celebrated in Holy Writ for our Creation Fall and Redemption as the Region wherein in a manner all the Histories and Acts mentioned in the Old Testament and a great part of those of the New were wrought and accomplished The Ancients divided it into divers parts but at this present it is best divided into five according to the chiefe and principall Empires therein the first whereof confining with Europe is governed by the Great Duke of Moscovie the second belongeth to the Great Cham the third is commanded by the Turke the fourth is the Kingdome of Persia the fifth comprehendeth that which hath alwayes beene called India and governed by divers Princes for the most part vassals feodaries or tributaries to other Potentates The principall Islands are Iapan Luconia Mindanao Burneo Sumatra Zeiland and Cyprus Russia alias Sarmatia now Moscovia THe Great Duke of Moscovia is Lord of a most large Dominion and within the limits of his jurisdiction are contained many Regions It is bouÌ„ded on the North with Lappia and the North Ocean On the South by the Chrim Tartars On the East by the Nagarans possessing all the Countrey on the East side of Volga towards the Caspian sea On the West and Southwest lye Lituania Livonia and Polonia The naturall Shires pertaining to Russia and whereof perticularly the Great Duke will not without offence but be stiled King are sixteene but farre greater and larger than the Shires of England though not so well peopled The other Provinces being nine with a great part of Siberia being not naturall Russes the Emperours of late yeares have purchased by their swords and subjected them to their Lawes Customes and Taxes Casan and Astrachan by them termed Kingdomes have devolved unto them by like providence As for all his interest in Lituania to the number of thirtie great Townes and more with Narve and Dorp in Livonia they are quite gone surprised of late times by the Kings of Poland and Sweden From North to South measuring from Cola to Astrachan it containeth in length foure thousand two hundred and sixtie Versts a verst is three quarters of a mile English Beyond Cola hee hath more Territory Northward viz. to Tromschna running foure thousand versts welnie beyond Pechinga neere Wardhuis but not clearely possessed by reason that the Kings of Sweden and Denmarke have divers Townes therein aswell as the Russe every one of them claiming the lawfull possession of these Northerne Provinces as in his owne right The breadth taken farthest Westward on the Narve side to the bounds of Siberia Eastward where the Emperour hath some garrisons is foure and forty hundred veâ—sts or thereabouts If these Dominions were all habitable and peopled the Russe Emperour were either very unlikely to hold them or holding them with good government would prove too mighty for his bordering Neighbours And although by the spaciousnesse of these Territories it should seeme that he hath ingrossed many Countries and for brevities sake hath also assumed the titles into the credit and majestie of one Monarchie yet it may well be compared to the fortune of the five Kings that tooke Lot prisoner whom Abraham with his three hundred and eighteene menial-servants released and set at libertie witnesse the proofe which a few resolute and well ordered English souldiers made of late amongst them even in the fields of Novograd where they contracted their owne conditions in despight of that whole Armie which both Poles and Moscovites rallied against them It is situated partly in Europe and partly in Asia which separation is caused by the River of Tanais bounder of Asia and running thorow the middle of the Countrey By which as the Rasse reporteth a man may passe from Mosco to Constantinople and so into all those parts of the world by water only drawing his Boat as their custome is over a little Isthmus of land This passage was proved not long since by a Russe Ambassadour sent to Constantinople who passing the Moscua entred into Ockâ— and from thence as aforesaid drawing his Boat over land fell into Tanais then into Meotis and so to his journeyes end The Pole at Moscua is 55. degrees and ten minutes At Saint Nicholas 63. and 50. minutes The people were once subject to the Tartars whose Prince Roydo in the yeare 1140. conquered Moscovie but Iohn the first incouraged by their civill dissentions denied them tribute In processe of time when Ametes the last successour of Roydo who died at Vilua had overcome the Tartars Precopenses the great Duke adjoyned to his Empire Permia Vestia and Iugria Provinces subject to Ametes From this time the forces of the great Duke increasing Basilius Casan and Iohn the second conquered the Provinces of Citrahan which at this day are called Kingdomes To
popular Innovations he will be sure that they shall neither bee borne within the territories of their Government neither that they possesse one foot of inheritance within their jurisdictions And being every yeare subject to change of which hee will not faile for their new avarice they stand assured first to bee extremely hated of the people and worse used of the Emperour For few of them have the favour to avoid the Pudkey or whip when their time is expired and therefore doe make full account as they cannot otherwise chuse being to bribe the Emperour the Lieutenant of the Chetfird and to provide for themselves having in allowance the best not above a hundred markes the worst but thirty per annum Fuan Vasilowie shall be an example of this severity who having before him a Diak or Secretary accused for taking a Goose ready dressed stuft full of silver by way of a bribe caused the offender to be brought into the Market place of Mosco there himselfe making an honest Oration unto the people asked his Polachies or Executioner Who could cut up a Goose And then commanded he one of them first to cut off the parties legs about the midst of the shins then his armes above his elbowes still asking the miserable offender If Goose-flesh were good meat in the end to chop off his head in similitude of a Goose ready dressed But in the foure Townes whereof three border upon the Polonian and Sweden and the other upon the Chrim Tartar viz. Smolonsko Vobsko Novograd and Cazan he is somewhat more advised and honourable For being peeces of great import in them he appointeth men of more sufficient and better ranke two in each Towne whereof one is ever of his Councell of Estate These have larger commission and without adjournment or appeale may proceed to execution in all criminall causes yet are they changed every yeare and have for their allowance some seven hundred rubbles and some foure hundred To preserve his Majesty and reputation he useth as incredible policy as hee doth unusuall severitie First it is not lawfull for any of his subjects to depart the Realme upon paine of death and therefore no man there dare goe to Sea no not speake to an Ambassadour or use the counsell of a forren Physician without licence He weareth apparell of inestimable value joyning the Ornaments of a Bishop to the Majestie of a King by wearing a Miter on his head shining with Diamonds and rich stones When he weareth it not on his head he placeth it before his Chaire of Estate and oftentimes changeth it in boast of his riches In his left hand he beareth a most rich Crosier apparelled in a long Garment not much unlike to that which the Pope weareth when he goeth to Masse his fingers are full of Gold Rings and the Image of Christ and his blessed mother the Virgin are over the Chaire wherein he sitteth The Privie Chamber and great Chamber are full of men cloathed in Cloth of Gold downe to the foot but never used unlesse upon occasion of Festivals or entertainement of Ambassadours In matter of Ceremonie for the most part they follow the Greeke Church the Priests marrie maintaine adoration of Images Fast and compel to confession which the common people suppose most necessary especially for the Nobles and Gentrle retayning a sensualitie of life and libertie of voluptuousnesse The Princes themselves are very devout at the Table as often a dish is changed or they have a desire to drinke they make many signes of the Crosse. That no man should prove a better Scholler than himselfe he suffereth no schoole but of writing reading to be kept In their Liturgies they read nothing but the Evangelists some Historie the lives of Saints a Homily of Iohn Chrysostome or some such like yea they would hold him for an Heretike that should goe about to professe himselfe better learned and assure himselfe hee shall not escape punishment Which is the reason that their Notaries nay the Secretaries themselves commonly can neither write nor answer Ambassadors of forren Princes no farther than they are taught by the great Duke When they negociate they no sooner name the great Duke but all of them rise up with great reverence the like is done at his Table when he drinketh or carveth to any man and so in a thousand like casualties they are taught even from their cradles to beleeve and talke of their great Duke as of God using these phrases in their ordinarie talking God onely and our Great Semapor knoweth this Our Great Lord knoweth all things All we enjoy health and riches all proceedeth from our Great Duke For the subjects seeing such State and Magnificence in the Prince and knowing no more than he is taught at home reverence and obey him as slaves not as subjects accounting him rather a God than a King Those Lords which he hath under him are only graced with Titles not as we have Dukes Barons c. Bestowing upon one a Hamlet upon another a Farme and these not hereditarie unlesse he confirme it and when he hath confirmed it the Farmers not withstanding pay him a portion of their fruits and owe him villaine-service which is the cause that every man dependeth on the will of the Prince and looke by how much the richer by so much the deeper is he indebted unto him â— The Native commodities are Furs Wax Honie Tallow Hides Traine-Oyle Caveare Hemp Flax Salt Tar Slud Salt-peter Brimston and Tron Besides the great quantitie of Furs spent in the Countrie the onely defence of the Country-people in the winter season there are transported some yeares by the Merchants of Turkie Persia Bougharia Georgia Armenia and the Christians to the value of foure or five hundred thousand rubbles yearely Of Wax fiftie thousand poad every poad contayning fortie pounds Their Hony is almost all spent within the Countrie in their ordinarie drinkes and other uses Of Tallow in times past they have shipped out 100000. poad yearely Of Hides 100000. Of Flax and Hemp one hundred ships and so semblably of other Merchandizes But you must understand that by reason of the idle carelesnesse of the people occasioned through the extreme tyrannie of their Emperours whereof you shall heare hereafter at this day three parts of that reckoning in every commoditie are abated For the receiving of which riches and Revenues he hath as it were three principall Treasures The Steward of his House Every Chetsird within his owne Province And the Office called the great Income The Stewards Office receiveth yearely above the expence of his house twentie three thousand rubbles The fourth Chetfirds for Soak and Pol-mony foure hundred thousand rubbles And the office of the great Income for custome and rents eight hundred thousand rubbles And all this in readie coyne For besides this revenue ordinarie he receiveth extraordinarily in furs and other commodities out of Siberia Pechora Permia and other remote places a great masse of
If you will heare of their riches then must you raise your eyes East-ward and take notice of Tangut a wealthy Province affording many things befitting Europe especially Rhubarb a simple of that prerogative as if the whole world of necessity should be beholding unto them for this distribution In Kataia amongst many others the great City of Cambalu will excite admiration if you may be induced to measure a quadrant of thirty miles compasse and over-looke at every corner a square Tower very neere forty furlongs in circuit in which the Emperours Munition Armour and provision for warre are secured In Mangia as Queene of the rest is the City of Quinzay having a circumference of an hundred miles by reason that a great Lake divideth the streets into Chanels over which are numbred twelve hundred and threescore bridges some opening the Arches so high and wide that a good Ship under saile hath a passage of ease For beleefe I will neither force the travels of Sir Iohn Mandevil nor the writings of Munster nor the constant asseveration of moderne Travellers but for mine owne part I would modesty perswade you That the world is a stage of variety and that within our owne Kingdome we are acquainted with such novelties of wonder that if they were but delivered by report wee would soone prove as incredulous of the one as we are of the other But to proceed As I told you the ancient Provinces were divided into three particulars and in those dayes knowne by the names of Sarmatia Asiatica both Scythiaes and the Regions of Serica now Kataia Most fierce and barbarous Nations did alwaies inhabit this Country as first the Amazons a warlike kinde of women which in their daies casting away the properties of their sex vexed the whole world usurped Asia and built Ephesus Upon their small extirpation arose the Scythians no lesse dreadfull than the former Then succeeded the Gothes or Getes termed by their neighbours Polouci that is ravenous or theevish These the Tartars tamed and then erected their Monarchie about the yeare of our Lord 1187. or as others say 1162. electing for their King one Cingis a man of base birth and calling This mans followers at that time lived without Manners Law or Religion in the plaines of Caracoram tended their Cattell and paied their duties to K. Vn-cham otherwise Presbyter Iohn who without doubt in those daies kept his Court in Tenduch in the Kingdome of Argon But this King Cingis first subdued the Kingdome of Vn-cham and afterwards imposed the yoke of subjection on the bordering Provinces And certainly that famous Comet seene in the moneth of May 1211. lasting eighteene daies and glimmering on the Gothes Tanais and Russia with its taile extended towards the West did foreshew the succeeding inundation of these Tartars For in the yeare following this Nation whose name as I said was not so much as dreamed of before in Europe wholly subdued Sarmatia Asiatica or Scythia invaded Russia Hungaria and Polonia And lastly erected other famous Monarchies in China Mein and Bengala So that at this day it is divided into five great Provinces Tartaria minor lying in Europe betweene Tanais and Boristhenes Tartaria deserta of old Sarmatia Asiatica containing most of the Hords but not all Zagatai Kataia And lastly that great Promontory which lieth out-stretched in the furthest part thereof towards the North and East and may be called Tartaria antiqua as the motherplace of the true Tartar Nation utterly unknowne to Ptolomie Those that live in the open field about the Euxine Sea the Lake of Meoris and the Tauricke Chersonesse which adjoyneth upon Boristhenes and Tanais in Europe are the Precopenses In this straight or Peninsula standeth Theodosia now Caffa once a Colonie of the Genois now a Sangiacie of the Turkes Their whole Territories are very fruitfull for Corne and Cattell and tho people more civill and courteous than many of the residue yet retaining a smatch of their ancient Barbarisme For they are sworne enemies to the Christians yearely invading Russia Lituania Valachia Polonia and many times Moscovie yeelding to the Turke in the name of Tribute yearely three hundred Christian soules To one of these Princes Selimus gave his daughter in marriage This in old time was called Sarmatia Asiatica and better inhabited before the comming of the Tartars It lyeth betweene Tanais the Caspian Sea and the Lake of Kitay It is a plaine Country by nature fertile if it were manured by these Tartars nothing given to husbandry but addicted to lead a roguish and wandring life after the manner of the Arabians Their chiefe delight is in hunting and warfare Mill and Panicke they cast carelesly into the ground which notwithstanding yeelds sufficient increase Their store of Horse and Cattell is so plentifull that they have to spare for their Neighbours For the most part they dwell upon Cartrages covered with skins and woollen cloth Some defensible Townes they have whereunto they flie in times of necessity Astrachan is situated upon the Caspian Sea it is rich affordeth excellent good Salt and very well frequented by Moscovish Turkish Armenian and Persian Merchants In the yeare 1494. it was taken by Iohn Basilides great Duke of Moscovie and by him with the Title thereof annexed to the Moscovian Empire The Zagatayan Tartars were so named of their Prince the Brother of the great Cham or Can which once reigned amongst them They are now called Ieselbas that is to say Greene-heads of the colour of their Turbants They inhabit the ancient Countries of Bactria Sogdiana and Margiana in times past the habitation of the Massagetes so famous in Armes These are the most honourable people of the Tartars indifferent civill given to Arts and Lords of many faire Cities built with stone as Shamercand once a Towne of great fame and renowned for the birth of the great Tamerlan or Temar-lang but now decayed Kataia AS our Ancestors were ignorant of the Regions situated upon the East side of the Caspian which they imagined to bee a branch of the Ocean even so as yet little or nothing knoweth this Age what Regions lie or what people inhabit beyond that Sea and the Mountaines commonly called Dalanguer and Vssont M. Paul Venetus was the first that brake the ice in describing of those Countries and of him we received what we know of the Tartars The great distance of Countries the difficulty of the journey and the inaccessible situation of places hath hindred the discovery of those Provinces and the great Duke of Moscovie by whose Dominions we may easiest travell thither will suffer no strangers to passe thorow his Kingdome The Caspian Sea a passage no lesse fitting for the journey is not frequented and by the way of Persia infinite Mountaines and vast Desarts dividing both Provinces oppose themselves against us And to the further hindrance of this discoverie neither the great Cham neither the King of China nor the Duke of
of them Nor will I make any long discourse to intreat of Bajacet who conquered Bulgaria and destroyed Bosnia neither of Amurath the second who in person fought six and thirty battels and in all departed Conquerour And yet his sonne Mahumet the second exceeded him and all before him Equall to him was Selim the first who in eight yeares razed and extirpated the whole Empire of the Mamelukes defeated two Sultans and adjoyned to the purchases of his predecessors Aegypt Cerenaica and Syria a good part of Arabia and all that which lieth betweene the Syrtes of Aegypt and Euphrates And more than this did in a pitched field overthrow the Sophy of Persia. The memory of Soliman is yet fresh who for Armes was no whit inferiour to his ancestors but for gravity constancie civill carriage and fidelity of his word went beyond them all He wan the Island of the Rhodes from the Knights of S. Iohn of Ierusalem tooke Belgrade from the Hungarians with a great part of that Kingdome and from the Persians Babylon and Dyerbecha the two maine fortresses of the Turkish Empire in those quarters All which notwithstanding this honourable State having both before them and on both their skirts this so-powerfull an enemy covering both Sea and Land with his forces have to this day by their provident wisdome so governed their affaires that in despight of him they have hitherto maintained themselves not onely in liberty but also in prosperity and reputation of greatnesse His last neighbour is the King of Spaine betweene whom there is no great difference you shall heare the Spaniard say that the Kings revenues they meane those of Europe only exceed the Turkish for he receiveth more than foure millions out of his Provinces of Italy and Sicilie two and upward out of Portugal and three from the Indies one yeare with another In these onely he equallizeth the Turke yea and in the ordinary revenues of Castile Arragon and Belgia he farre exceeds him But what can you finde say some men to compare to his Timars First I answer that as the Kings revenues are farre greater than the Turks so also his Subsidies which he levieth extraordinarily of late times for the most part turned into ordinary as his Croisados doe amount to as much as the entire profits of some whole Kingdome His tenths of the spirituall livings are able to maintaine one hundred strong Gallies his eicheats in Spaine and Naples bring more into his Coffers than a man would thinke His benevolences and presents sent him from Naples Sicily Sardinia Millan and the New-world are infinite and magnificent Not long since Castile granted a contribution of eight millions of gold to be paid in foure yeares which summe amounteth to the Turks whole Revenue of one yeare What should I speake of his Commendams of the orders of Montegia Calatravia Alcantara and S. Iames which were enough if he had nought else to suffice him he is great Master of the said orders and thereby hath meanes to advance and enrich his servants whomsoever he pleaseth as freely as if he were King of France and Poland Also in Spaine he keepeth three thousand good horsemen and as many in Flanders in Millan foure hundred men at Armes and a thousand light-horse in Naples fifteene hundred men at Armes and a great company of light-armed Italians The number of his souldierie in Sicily is one thousand five hundred Neither are his feodaries lightly to bee esteemed who upon necessity are bound by their tenures at their owne charges to serve personally in the field especially if you consider their numbers wherein are reckoned three and twenty Dukes two and thirty Marquesses nine and forty Viscounts seven Archbishops for they likewise in this case are bound to contribute as the great Lay-Lords three and thirty Bishops And in Naples fourteene Princes five and twenty Dukes seven and thirty Marquesses foure and fifty Earles foure hundred forty eight Barons to speake nothing of Portugal Sicily Sardinia and Millan Lastly you must note that these troopes to whom the Turke granteth these Timars are not so renowned for their valour as for their number For the Timars and profits of their Villages and possessions together with the greedy desire of enriching themselves with the demaines of their Farmes hath bred such love of ease and peace in their mindes that they are growne cowardly and base minded by their good wills hating the travels of warre and journeyes and marching with a greater desire of returning home to enjoy the pleasures of their Gardens and the plenty of their Granges than with stomacks to cope with their adversaries or to enrich themselves by hazard For if by a little pillage fierce and valiant Souldiers have become cowards and men of small service what will faire possessions a pleasant seat a rich dairy and wife and children left behind bring to passe I may well say and say truly that these Timariots are fitter to bridle and keepe under the subdued Provinces than to fight in field against armed Nations and to this use it is good policy to maintaine them For who knoweth not that the Turkish subjects doe hate his Government his Religion and Tyranny For Religion onely the Moores and Arabians who differ in opinion and for Religion and Tyranny the Christians who make more than two third parts of his Subjects For jealousie hereof hee is forced to keepe the greater part of these troops at home unlesse hee should lay naked his estates to infinite casualties To speake in a word his Cavalrie is so farre and wide dispersed thorowout the Provinces that they cannot easily be drawne to any famous journey in great numbers without losse of long time neither are they able to stay long from their houses but they will fall into diseases and extremities so that if the Grand Seignior had no other aids neerer hand but these Timariots hee might happen to make very many unfortunate journeyes The experience offore-passed exploits doth well shew the difference of their severall forces The losse of the Spanish Fleet at Zerby may bee put in the balance against the Turkish flight from Malta The losse of Goletta against the taking of the Rocke of Velez Tunis is alwaies to be taken at his pleasure who hath a liking thereto The Spanish King never enterprized any sole journey against the Turke but he hath valiantly defended his owne at Malta and Oran I will speake nothing of the defeature at Lepanto for other Princes had their shares therein A treaty of truce was mentioned betweene both Princes not many yeares since and equally accepted of both parties For the one was invested in the Warre of Persia the other in the commotions of the Low Countries These Warres by reason of their remote distances were extreme chargeable to both Princes but worser to the King than to the Turke for although Persia be farre from Constantinople from whence the principall smewes of the warre were to bee drawne yet it bordereth upon
and their valour the battell fought at Lepanto to the utter rowting of the Turkish Navie is a sufficient Testimony Besides these they maintaine six thousand men at Armes well mannaged and appointed the like whereof is not to be found in all Italy besides Touching their sea-forces they have on the firme Land ten thousand men inrolled to serve at the Ore And of these kind of Men all Dalmatia and Sclavonia doth yeeld them what numbers they will besides and that at a reasonable hand The City of Venice alone armeth upon occasion fifty Gallies and Candy forty What their whole power and forces every way may amount unto they shewed in the Warre of Ferrara wherein they had on foot two severall Armies one about Ferrara the other on the Confines of Millan They had at the same time besides two severall Navies the one upon the Po the other upon the sea to observe the proceedings of Naples and all this without associats In the warre against Lewis the twelfth King of France their Armie was composed of two thousand men at armes three thousand light-horse and thirty thousand foot In the yeare 1570. they armed forth one hundred and fiftie lesser Gallies eleven great Gallies one Gallion and twenty five tall ships alâ—eit that number by occasion of Pestilence happening in the Navie was reduced to one hundred and twenty and seven lesser Gallies and fourteene ships the other Vessels remaining untoucht like as had befalne them before in the yeere 36. when as they had the name onely to make one part of three but indeed they made a full halfe of all the Christian forces besides But because there is nothing that can give more certaine conjecture of the power of any State than to have sustained and gone through with great and perillous warres it will not be unpleasant to set downe some of their most important actions which in that kind they have supported Anciently they had warre with the Kings of France and in that warre they discomfited Pepin sonne to Charlemagne They warred afterward with the King of Hungarie and tooke from them the Townes which they now hold in Dalmatia and Sclavonie They fell at debate with the Emperours of Constantinople and gat from them the Cities of Salonich and of Moria One the most dangerous warre that they ever had was that which they managed with the Genois and yet at length such was the issue thereof that howsoever having lost to the Enemy Chiozza and were neere driven to their utter desolation yet was the Enemy so far off from gaining an intire victory upon them that in the pursuit thereof he most of all destroied himselfe insomuch that having for maintenance of that warre engaged the Revenues of the State of Saint Georgo so by little and little through feeblenesse growing upon them they were compelled to throw the City within the armes and protection sometimes of France and sometimes of Millan so that to this day they could never recover their pristinat fortunes Then had they to doe with the Visconti Princes of Millan who were at that time dreadfull thorow Italie yet by that warre the Venetian not only gained profit but honour also They opposed themselves against all the Princes of Italie in the prosecution of Ferrara and that with such successe that in fine they annexed to their owne Dominion all the Polesine of Raviso And after they had irritated the Princes of Italie these letted not to draw upon themselves a warre undertaken by all the Potentates of Christendome combined against them in the confederation concluded at Cambray which warre as it was the most haplesse and despairefull that ever they managed through the miscarriages of their Armies at Carravaggio at Brescia and at Vicenza yet in the end they remained Lords still of their owne and of being conquered at last remained with Conquest They have for many ages together waged warre with the Turke especially with Amurath the second Mahomet the second with Bajazeth and with Selim the second They maintained a sixteene yeares warres with Mahomet the second even him which had the fortune to have subdued two Empires Constantinople and Trapisond to have destroyed twelve Kingdomes and to have sacked two hundred Cities Which warre they finished although not altogether to their profit They held warres for seven yeares without intermission with all the Princes of Christendome and went away winners neither in all these occasions were they destitute either of men or money In our memorie they warred with Selim the second and in that warre they disbursed above twelve millions of money The like excessive summes they spent in their warres with Michael Emperour of Constantinople in the enterprize of Ferrara and in the warre undertaken of the confederacie at Cambray All which so inestimable summes notwithstanding at this day whether they were parcels of their owne treasure or lones of money from others they have re-imbursed or extinguished The Princes that border and confine upon the Venetian are these the Turke the King of Spaine the Pope and the house of Austria As touching the Turke whose State and power hath been so regarded in the worlds opinion hee seemeth at this time rather to be impaired than otherwise Whereof one great signe is his protraction of the warre in Hungarie these many yeeres with Armies of much better qualitie than any his Predecessors were wont to lead or send thither Whereupon it hath happened that not onely his forces have oftentimes beene broken and discomfited but also the Prince himselfe hath hardly escaped from being taken or slaughtered if on our parts there had beene either better Chiefes to temporize with him or more agreement in those Heads to assaile him Notwithstanding hee hath there lost the Townes of â—ilâ—ch Lippa Rab and Strigonium places of great consideration He hath also the second time lost Invarine These losses doe more than countervaile the winning of Agria from us being a fortresse of many knowne imperfections for site and building besides the withdrawing of â—ranâ—lvania and Valachia from his subjection with the alienation of many rich Provinces in Asia The State of these presents considered the Venetian for that part of dominion that confineth upon the Turke had never more cause to thinke himselfe better secured from violence especially having all Maritime Townes both by Sea and Land gallantly fortified which strength is also the greater by the facility the Sea affordeth to succour his owne and to distresse his enemie Touching the King of Spaine upon whom they doe border as well in the Adriatique as in Lombardie it is now more than threescore yeares that there hath beene any variance at all befallen them Neither in truth can it turne the Venetian to any great gaine to have warre with so powerfull a King nor the King of Spaine to make warre in Italy where by putting things in uprore and tumult hee might perhaps hazzard some part of his owne For that Warre as Emanuel Duke of Savoy was
Moscovie will suffer any of their subjects to travell out of their Dominions nor any stranger to enter in unlesse he come as an Ambassadour neither in this case is it lawfull for him to converse freely or to range at pleasure They live under divers Princes the principall whereof are those that weare greene on their Turbants These as aforesaid inhabit Shamercand and are at continuall enmity with the Persians Next are those of Bochan Mahumetans then those of Mogor of whom you shall heare hereafter and lastly those of Kataia whereof wee now intreat Never was there any Nation upon the face of the earth that enjoyed a larger Empery than they doe or have undertaken haughtier exploits and I would that they had had some who might have recommended by writing their doings to the World M. Paul Venetus writeth that this people once inhabited Ciurga and Barge Provinces situated upon the Scythicke Ocean without Citie Castle or House wandering like the Arabians from place to place according to the season of the yeare They as before acknowledged Un-cham whom some interpret Prester Iohn for their Soveraigne Lord to whom they gave the tenth of their cartell In processe of time they multiplied to such numbers and Un-cham being jealous of their neighbour-hood began to lessen their numbers and forces by sending them now hither now thither upon most long and desperate voyages as occasion offered Which when they perceived they assembled themselves resolving to leave their naturall soile and to remove so farre from the borders of Vn-cham that never after hee should have cause to suspect them this they performed After certaine yeares they elected amongst them a King called Changis to whom for the greatnesse of his glory and victories they added the Sir-name and Great This Changis departing from his owne Territories in the yeare of our Lord 1162. with a most fearefull Armie subdued partly by force and partly by the terrour of his name nine Provinces At last being denied the daughter of Un-cham in mariage he made warre upon him and overcomming him in battell cast him out of his Kingdome After the death of Changis his successours afflicted Europe In the yeare 1212. they drove the Polesochi from the bankes of the Euxine Sea In the yeare 1228. they spoiled Russia In the yeare 1241. they razed Kiovia the chiefe Citie of the Rutheni and Batu their Captaine wasted Polonia Silesia Moravia and Hungarie Innocent the fourth amazed with the tempest of these invasions in the yeare 1242. sent certaine Friers of the orders of Dominicke and Francis to the Court of this Great Cham to intreat a peace for Christendome The circuit of this Empire in the times above spoken of stretched from the uttermost bounds of Asia to Armenia and from Bengala to Volga yea their incursions pierced to Nilus and Danubius The Macedonian and Roman Empires were never so large But because they were rather Runnagates than men of warre wanting politicke government and military discipline sometime ruling one Province sometime another they rather wrought spoile and terrour to the conquered Nations than feare of bondage or subjection and at last seated themselves beyond the Mountaine Caucasus After it became divided into many Principalities yet so that the Title and Majestie of the Empire remained alwayes to the Cham who as wee said before tooke the originall of this name from the Great Changis The Region for the most part is very populous full of Townes rich and civill which you may the rather beleeve first for that the Tartars choosing this for their Countrey beautified it with the spoiles of Asia China and that part of Europe which they harried and were never wonne or taken from thence againe to this day next for that the Provinces are most commodiously situated for Trafficke and Negotiation partly by reason of their admirable Plaines and huge Lakes Amongst which are Cazaia whose waters are salt Guian Dangu Xandu and Catacora and partly by reason of their large Rivers which with a long course doe run by the Provinces of Curato Polisango Zaiton and Mecon Paulus Venetus calleth it Quion A great helpe hereunto likewise is the variety of fruits and the abundance of Graine Rice Wooll Silke Hempe Rhubarbe Muske and excellent fine Chamlets Paul writeth that it affordeth Ginger Cinamon and Cloves which I can hardly beleeve In many Rivers are found graines of gold Their coine is not all of one value In Kataia a coine is currant made of the blacke rinde of a certaine tree growing betweene the body and the barke this rinde being smoothed rounded and tempered with a gummie substance is stamped with the Image of the Great Cham. In the Kingdoms of Caâ—acan and Carazan certaine sea-fish shels are currant which some men terme Porcelline This kinde of money is frequent in many places of India and Aethiope By this meanes the Princes get to themselves all the Gold and Silver of the Provinces which they cause to be molten and laid up in most safe places without ever taking any thing from thence againe In like sort Prestâ—r Iohn is thought to be Lord of inestimable Treasure while he maketh graines of Salt and Pepper to passe for currant Coine amongst his subjects They brew an excellent beverage of Rice and Spice which sooner procureth drunkennesse than Wine As the Arabians so they delight in sowre milke or Cosmus a kinde of churned sowre Mares-milke very forcible to turne the braine His force consisteth first as we told you in situation in spacious Territorie in goodly Cities in plenty of provision and in rich Revenues for amongst other things hee taketh the tenths of Wooll Silke Hempe Graine Cattell and is absolute Lord of all but the chiefe sinews of his State consisteth in his armed troopes These live alway in the field 4. or 5. miles remote from the Cities Over and above their Salarie they are allowed to make profit of their Cattell Milke and Wooll When he goeth to warre according to the custome of the Romans hee mustreth part of the Souldiery which lyeth dispersed thorow the Provinces For the most part all the Nations of the Tartars except the Varcheni who are not subject to the Great Cham fight on horseback Their Weapons are the Bow and Arrow with which they fight very desperately They are very swift their Tents are made of woven Wooll under which they keepe in foule weather Their chiefest meat is milke dried in the Sunne after the Butter is squeezed out yea the bloud of their horses if famine enforce them They fight not pell-mell with their enemies but sometime on the front sometime on the flanke after the Parthian manner overwhelming them as it were with a showre of arrowes Whosoever carrieth himselfe valiantly standeth assured of reward and is graced with honour immunities and gifts Twelve thousand horsemen are appointed for the guard of this Prince and it is said that of this kinde of force he is able to levie a greater power than any other