Scrikfinia and Biarmia and so passing to the East by Noua Zimbla halfe the way almost to Cathaio haue entred the riuer called Duina by which they disperse themselues for marchandize both by water land into the most parts of the dominioÌ„ of the Emperour This Empire is at this day one of the greatest dominions in the world both for compasse of grounde and for multitude of men sauing that it lyeth far North and so yeeldeth not pleasure or good trafique with many other of the best nations De Prusia Polonia IN Europe on the East and North corner of Germany lyeth a countrie called Prussia in Latine most times Borussia in English Pruthen or Sprusa of whome little is famous sauing that they be gouerned by one in a kinde of order of religion whome they call the Grand-master and that they are a meanes to keepe the Moscouite the Turke from some other partes of Christendome On the East-side of Germanie betweene Russia Germanie lyeth Polonia or Poland which is a kingdome differing from other of Europe because the king there is chosen by election by some of the Princes neare adioyning as was lately Henry the third King of France These elections oftentimes doe make great factions there so that intaking partes they grow often there into ciuill warre The king of Polonia is almost continually in warre either with the Moscouite who lyeth in the East and North-east of him or with the Turke who lyeth on the South and South-east and sometimes also with the Princes of Germanie whereupon the Poles doe commonly desire to chuse warriors to their King In this countrie are none but Christians but so that libertie of all religions is permitted insomuch that there be Papists Colleges of Iesuites both of Lutherans and Caluinistes opinions Anabaptists Artians and diuers others This is that countrie which in times past was called Sarmatia the chiefe citie whereof is named Cracouia De Hungaria Austria ON the South-side of Germanie lyeth Hungarie called in the Latine Pannonia which haue bene heretofore deuided into Pannonia superior and Pannonia inferiore it is an absolute kingdome and hath heretofore bene ritch and populous The Christians that doe liue there haue among them diuers sortes of religions as in Poland The kingdome hath bene a great obstacle against the Tuckes comming into Christendome but especially in the time of Iohannes Huniades who did mightily with many great victories repulse the Turke Here standeth Buda which was heretofore a great fortresse of Christendome But the glory of this kingdome is almost vtterly decayed by reason that the Turke who partly by policle and partly by force doth now possesse the greatest parte of it So that the people are fled from thence and the Christians which remaine there are in miserable seruitude Notwithstanding some part of Pannonia superior doth yet belong to Christendome That corner of Germanie which lieth neerest to Hungarie is called Austria which is an Archdukedome FroÌ„ which house are come many of the Princes of Germany and of other parts of Europe so that the Crowne imperiall of Germanie is now tied to some one of this house In this countrie standeth Vienna that noble citie which is now the principall bulwarke of all Christendome against the Turke from whence Soliman was repelled by Ferdinandus King of Hungarie in the time of the Emperour Charles the fift It was in this country that Richard the first king of England in his returne from the holy land was taken prisoner by the Archduke of Austria and so put to a grieuous raunsome The Archduke that now is by the King of Spaine is appointed in the place of the Duke of Parma as gouernour of the low countries Through both Austria and Hungarie doth runne the mightie riuer Danubius as through Germanie doth runne the Rhene whereon groweth Vinum Rhenâ—â—um commonly called Rhenish wine De Graecia ON the South-side of Hungarie and South-east lyeth a countrie of Europe called in old time Dacia which is large and wide comprehending in it Transyluania Valachia Moldauia and Seruia Of which little is famous saue that the men are warlike and can hardly be brought to obedience They haue lately bin vnder the King of Hungarie The riuer Danubius doth diuide this Dacia from Mysia commonly called Bulgaria which lieth on the South from Danubius and is seuered from Graecia by the mountaine Hamus From Hamus towards the South lieth Graecia bounded on the West by the Adriatike sea on the East by the Thracian sâ—â— and Mare Aegeum on the South by the maine Mediteran sea This contained in old time foure speciall parts Peloponnesus Achaia Macedonia and Epirus Peloponnesus which is now called Morea is the South part of Graecia being Paeninsula or almost an Iland for that it is ioyned by a litle straight called Isthmos vnto the rest of Gracia Herein stood Sparta and the auncient state of Lacedaemon On the Isthmos or straight stood the famous citie of Corinth which was in old time called the key of Greece On the West side of Graecia next to Peloponnesus stood the kingdom of Macedonia so famous vnder Philip for conquering al Graecia and vnder Alexander for vanquishing almost al the Easterne world and for taking of the Monarchy from the Persians and remouing it to the Macedonians On the North-side of Macedonia being the North-west from Graecia stood the little kingdome of Epirus where raigned Scanderbeg which was in his time so great a scourge to the Turke The rest of Graecia was called Achaia hauing on the North and East part thereof Thracia on the North Haemus the hill on the West Macedonia and Epirus on the South Peloponnesus on the East those seas which diuide Asia the lesse from Graecia In this part stood Thessalonica to the which S. Paule wrote his Epistle and Athens and Thebes and all the Cities of Boetia and the Cities of the Achai Argos Elis and many other Macedonia is by the best Writers and by auncient description rather sound to stand on the North-side of Achaia neere to the hill Hamus and to Thracia though some in ignorance haue taught the contrarie In this countrie of Graecia were in auncient time manie Kingdoms and States as at this day there are in Italie as the Macedonians the kingdome of Epyrus the State of Athens the gouernment of Sparta the citie of Thebes and very many other places in so much that almost euery towne had a peculiar gouernmeÌ„t But now it is all vnder one Monarchy From Graecia in olde time did almost all famous things come These were they that made the warre against Troy that resisted Xerxes the mightie king of Persia that had the famous Law-makers as Solon in Athens and Licurgus in Lacedaemon that tooke away the Monarchie from the Persians that brought forth the famous Captaines as Themistocles Miltiades Alexander and many other that were the authours of ciuilitie vnto the Westerne nations and to some in the East as Asia the lesse that gaue to
afforde great aide to the Christians that went to conquer the Holy land but it is now vnder the Turke The chiefe Citie thereof is Famagusta which is an Archbishoppes sea for Christians for their tribute doe yet liue there In this countrey in olde time was Venus much honoured and thereof it was called Cypria as also Paphia because shee had a Temple in a Citie there called Paphos Neare vnto Siria stood the Iland Tirus against the pride whereof the Prophets doe so much speake This was a rich citie for merchandise and nauigation in olde time and is the place from whence Dido and the builders of Carthage did come The destruction of it is most famous by Alexander the greate Of the rest of the small Ilandes wee doe say nothing De insulis in Mare Indico THe Ilandes are very many that doe lie in the seas adioyning to the East Indies but the most famous among them shall be touched Among the olde writers as especially appeareth by Solinis was well knowne that which was then called Taprobana which lieth vnder the Equinoctiall line It was in that time a Maonarchy where the Kings raigned not by succession but by election and if any of them did grow intollerable he was deposed and inforced to die with withdrawing from him all things necessary This is nowe called Sumatra and hath in it diuers Kings Not far frō thence lye Eastward the two Ilandes called Iaua maior and Iaua minor which were also known to the olde writers they haue also in them diuers Kings as in generall may be noted that all the East part either in the continent or in the Iland haue very many small Kinges and kingdomes From thence yet more East lieth a great number of Iles which are now called the Moluccoes which are places as rich for their quantity as anie in the world From these it is that the Spaniards haue yearely so greate quantitie of all kindes of spice neither is there any place of all the East Indies that do more richly furnish home their caractes then do these Moluccoes Some of these Ilandes the Spaniards haue gotte into their owne possession with the Kings of some other they haue league and a third sorte vtterly detest them More North-ward ouer against China lieth a greate Iland called Iapona or Iapan the people whereof are much of the same nature with the men of China This countrey was first discouered by the Iesuites who in a blinde zeale haue trauailed vnto the farthest partes of the worlde to winne men to their religion this Ilande is thought to bee very rich The rest that bee either neare vnto Asia or vnto Africa because there is little written of them we passe ouer De Insulis in Mari Atlantico THere bee many Ilands which lie West-ward from Africa and from Europe as those which are called the Gorgades that lie in the same climate with Guinea which are foure in number but not inhabited by men but they are full of Goates North-ward from thence in the same clymate with the South-parte of Marocco lie those which are called Canariae or the fortunate Ilandes which are seuen in nomber being most fruitfull and very pleasant and therefore called by that name This is famous in them that it hath pleased all Cosmographers to make their Meridiane to be the first poynte where they doe beginne to reckon the computation of their longitude and vnto them after three hundred and threescore degrees to returne againe From these Ilandes it is that those strong and pleasant sackes which are called Canari wines are brought and from thence are fetched those which they call Canarie Birdes these Ilandes are vnder the Crowne of Spaine More Northward from thence lye these Ilandes which are called Azotes insulae being sixe or seuen in number of which Tercera is one of the chiefe of whome the rest by some are called the Terceraes which are farre inferiour in fruitfulnesse vnto the Canaries these were first vnder the Crowne of Portugale and one of them was the last which was kept out from the King of Spaine by the Prior don Antonio who now calleth himselfe King of Portugale but the Spaniard at the last tooke this Tercera from him and doeth possesse all these Ilandes tagether with the rest of the dominion which did belong to the Portingale De America siue Orbe nouo ALthough some dispute out of Plato and the olde writers that there was not onely a gesse but a kinde of knowledge in auntient time that besides Europia Asia and Africa there was another large countrey lying to the West yet he that shall aduisedly vse the coniectures made therevpon may see that there is nothing of sufficiencie to enforce any such knowledge but that all antiquitie was vtterly ignorant of the newe founde countries towarde the West whereunto this one argument most forcible may giue credite that at the first ariuing of the Spaniards there they founde in those partes nothing shewing trafique or knowledge of any other Nation but the people naked vnciuill some of them deuourers of mans flesh ignorant of shipping without all kinde of learning hauing no remembrance of historie or writing among them neuer hauing heard of any such religion as in other places of the world is knowne but being vtterly ignorant of Scripture or Christ or Moyses or any God neither hauing among them any token of crosse Church Temple or deuotion agreeing with other Nations God therefore remembring the prophecie of his sonne that the Gospell of the kingdome should before the day of iudgement be preached in all coastes and quarters of the worlde and in his mercie intending to free the people or at the least some fewe of them from the bondage of Sathan who did detaine them in blockish ignoraunce and from their Idolatrous seruice vnto certaine vile spirites whome they called their Zemes and most obsequiously did adore them and raised vp the spirit of a man worthie of perpetuall memorie one Christophorus Columbus borne at Genua in Italie to set his minde to the discouery of a new worlde Who finding by that compasse of the olde knowne worlde that there must needes bee a much more mightie space which the sun by his dayly motiō did compasse aboute then that which was alreadie knowne and discouered and conceiuing that this huge quantitie might as well by land as sea could neuer satisfie himselfe till that hee might attempt to make proofe of the veritie thereof Being therefore himselfe a priuate man and of more vertue then abilitie After his reasons and demonstrations layd downe whereby hee might enduce men that it was no vaine thing which he went about Hee went vnto many of the Princes of Christendome and among other vnto Henrie the seuenth then King of England desiring to bee furnished with shipping and men fitte for such a nauigation But these men refusing him parly because they gaue no credite vnto his newe narration and partly least they should be derided by their neighbour Princes
Italie and to the Romanes the first light of learning because from them arose the first Poets as Homer Hesiodus Sophocles and diuerse other the great Philosophers namely Socrates Plato Aristotle and all the Sects of the Academicks Stoicks Peripateticks Epicureans and almost all their schollers the great Oratours Demosthenes and Eschines and in one worde the Mathematiks excepted which came rather from the Caldeans and the Egyptians the whole flower of Artes and good learning On the North east part of Graecia standeth Thracia which though heretofore it hath beene distinguished yet now it is accounted as the chiefe part of Greece Heere on the edge of the sea-coast verie neete vnto Asia standeth the citie called Bizantium but since Constantinople because Constantine the great did new build it and made it an imperiall citie This was the chiefe residence of the Emperour of Graecia sometimes called new Rome and the glorie of the East where the generell Councell was once assembled and one of the seas of the Patriarkes who was called the Patriarke of Constantinople But by the great discord of the Christians all Graecia and this City is fallen into the hands of the Turke who nowe maketh it his place of imperiall abode It was wonne in the time of Constantine the last Emperour so that by Constantine it obtained his honour and by Constantine it lost it In this citie lieth resident with the Turke an Embassador or Agent for the Queene of England The Christians that doe liue now in Gracia are in miserable seruitude vnto the Turke They disagree in many things from the doctrine of the Church of Rome De Mari Europam Asiam interiacente IT is saide before that on the North-part betweene Asia and Europe the riuer Tanais doth runne as a bounde of them both This riuer runneth into a Lake called Maeotis palus which bordereth on the confines of Scythia or Tartaria This Maeotis doth disburden it selfe into a wide sea called Pontus Euxinus At the mouth of this sea is a verie great straight knowne by the name of Thracius Bosphorus where the breadth of the sea is not aboue one mile seuering Asia and Europe On the side of Europe standeth Constantinople on the side of Asia a Citie called Pera which for the nearenesse is by some reckoned a part of Constantinople After this straight the sea openeth it selfe more large towarde the South and is called by the name of Propontus But then it goo weth again into another straight which they write to bee in bredth about two miles This is called Hellespontus hauing on the one side Abidus in Asia and on the other side Cestus on the side of Europe This is that place where Xerxes the great King of Persia did make his bridge ouer the sea so much renowmed in auncient hystories which was not impossible by reason of the narrownesse the foundation of his bridge being rested on ships Here also may appeare the reason of that storie of Leander and Hero which Leander is reported for the loue of her to haue oftentimes swoom ouer the sea till at last he was drowned From this strait Southward the sea groweth more wide and is called afterwardes by the name of Mare aegeâ—â—â— and so discendeth vnto the full Mediterran De Asia primo de Tartaria ON the North-side of Asia ioyning vnto the dominion of the Emperour of Russia is Tartaria in auntient time called Scythia the bounds whereof did then extend themselues into a good parte of Europe and thereof was called Scythia Europhaea but the greatest parte of it lyeth in Asia A mightie large countrie extending it selfe from the North to the vttermost sea On the East to the dominion of the great Cham or Prince of Cathaio on the South downe to the Mare Caspiâ—m The Tartarians which nowe inhabite it are men of great stature rude of behauiour no Christians but Gentiles neither doe they acknowledge Mahomet They haue sewe or no Cities among them but after the manner of the olde Seythians doe liue in wildernesses lying vnder their cartes and following their droaues of cattell by the milke whereof they doe nourish themselues They sowe no come at all because they abide not long in any one place but taking their direction from the North-pole-starre they remooue from one coast of their countrie vnto an other The countrie is populous and the men are great warriors sighting alwayes on horsebacke with their bowe and arrowes and a short sworde They haue among them infinite store of horses whereof they sell many vnto the countries adioyning Their ordinarie foode in their warres is horseflesh which they vse to eate rawe being chased a little by hanging at their saddle They haue great warres with the countries adioyning but especially with the Moscouite and sometimes with the Turke From hence came Tamberlano who brought seuen hundreth thousands of the Tartarians at once into the fielde wherein he distressed and tooke prisoner Baiazet the great Turke whome he afterwardes forced to feede as a dogge vnder his table They haue now among them many princes and gouernours as those haue one whome they call the Crim Tartars and those haue another which are the Tartars of Nagaia and so diuers other The English haue laboured to their great expences to finde out the way by the North Seas of Tartaria to goe into Cathaio and China But by reason of the frozen seas they haue not yet preuailed Although it be now reported that the Flemmings haue discouered that passage which is like to be to the great benefite of the Northeme partes of Christendome De Cathaio China NExt beyond Tartaria on the North-east parte of Asia lyeth a great countrye called Kathaie or Kathaia the boundes whereof extend themselues on the North and East to the vttermost seas and on the South to China The people are not much learned but more ciuill then the Tartars and haue good and ordinarie trafique with the countries adioyning This countrie hath in it many Kings which are tributaries and doe owe obedience vnto one whome they call the great Cham or Cane of Kathaia who is the chiefe gouernour of all the land and esteemed for multitude of people and largenesse of Dominion to be one of the great Princes of the world but his name is the lesse famous for that he lyeth so farre distant from the best nations and the passage vnto his countrie is so daungerous eyther for the perils of the seas or for the long space by land his chiefe imperiall Citie is called Cambalu On the South-side of Kathaie and East parte of Asia next to the sea lyeth China The people whereof Osorius describeth by the name of Sine and calleth their countrie Sinarunt regio This is a fruitfull countrie and yeeldeth great store of ritch commodities as almost any countrye in the worlde It containeth in it very many seuerall kingdomes which are absolute Princes in their States The chiefe cittie in this countrie is called Quinsay and is described to be of
incredible greatnesse Such a citie as were wont to bee in anntient time in the East as Babylon Nilus and other This countrie was first discouered by the late nauigation of the Portugals into the East Indies The people of China are learned almost in all Artes very skilfull workemen in curious fine workes of all sortes so that no countrie yeeldeth more precious marchandize then the workemanship of them They are great souldiers very politique and craftie and in respecte thereof contemning the wits of other vsing a Prouerbe that all Nations doe see but with one eye but that themselues haue two Petrus Mathaeus historiographer to the King of Spaine for the Easterne Indies doth reporte of them that they haue had from very auntient time among them these two things which we holde to be the miracles of Christendome and but lately inuented The one is the vse of guns for their warres the other is printing which they vse not as we do writing from the left hand vnto the right or as the Hebrewes and Sirians from the right hand vnto the left but downeward directly so their lines at the top to begin againe De India orientali ON the South-side of China toward the Molucco Ilands and the Indian sea lyeth the great countrie of India extending it selfe from the South-east part of the continent by the space of many thousand miles west-ward vnto the riuer Indus which is the greatest riuer in all that countrie except Ganges one of the greatest riuers in the world which lyeth in the East-part of the same Indies This is that countrie so famous in ancient time for the great riches therof for the multitude of people for the conquest of Bacchus ouer it for the passage thither of Alexander the great through all the length of Asia for his aduenturing to goe into the South Ocean with so mightie a Nauie which fewe or none had euer attempted before him This countrie had in auncient time many absolute kingdomes and princes as in the time of Alexander Porus Taxiles and diuers others In it were many Phylosophers and men of great learning whome they called Gymnesophistae of whome was Calanus who burnt himselfe afore Alexander The men of the South-parte of India are blacke and therefore are called men of Inde The cattle of all sortes that are bred there are of incredible bignes in respect of other countries as their Elephants Apes Munkies and such like The riches hereof hath bene very great with aboundance of golde insomuch that the Promontorie which is now called Malachâ— was in times past named Aurea Chersonesus The commoditie of spice is exceeding great that commeth from thence The Portingales were the first which by their long nauigations beyond the Equinoctial and the farthermost parte of Africa haue of late yeares discouered these countries of India As heretofore of the King of Portingale so now of the King of Spaine who is reputed owner of them The Portingales did finde diuers small kingdomes at their first arriuall in those partes as the king of Calicut froÌ„ whence commeth our Calicut linnen the king of Cambaia the king of Cananor the king of Cochin and vâ—ry many other with whome they first entring league for trafique and hauing leaue giuen to build Castles for their defence they haue since by policie encroched into their handes a great parte of the countrie which lyeth neare vnto the sea-coast and are mightie now for the space of many thousand miles together The king of Spaine hath there a vice-roy whose residence is commonly in the Imperiall citie called Goa They doe euery yeare send home great store of riche commodities into Spaine The people of the countrie when the Portingales came first thither were for the most part Gentiles beleeuing no one God But the Saracens who reuerence the Prophet Mahomet from the baies or gulfes of Persia and Arabia did trafique much thither so that Mahomet was known among them But in one towne called Crangarior they founde diuers Christians diffenting in many things from the Church of Rome and rather agreeing with the Protestants which Christians had reteined by successe their religion from the time of Thomas the Apostle by whom it is recorded by the auncient Ecclesiastical historie part of India was conuerted De Persia THere be diuers countries betweene India and Persia but they are not famous Persia is a large countrie which lieth farre West from India it hath on the North Assyria and Media on the West Syria and the Holyland but next vnto it Mesopotamie on the South the maine Ocean which entereth in notwithstanding by a bay called Sinus Persicus This is that countrie which in auncient time was so renowmed for the great riches and Empire thereof These were they who took from the Assyrians the Monarchies and did set vp in their countrie the second great Empire which beganne vnder Cyrus and continued vnto Darius who was ouerthrowne by Alexander the great In this Countrie raigned the great Kings Cyrus Canibises Darius the sonne of Histaspes the great Xerxes Artaxerxes and many other which in prophane writinges are famous for their warres against the Scythians Aegyptians and Graecians and in the Scripture for the deliuerie of the Iewes from Babylon by Cyrus for building of the second Temple at Ierusalem and for manie things which are mencioned of them in the Prophecie of Daniel The people of this nation although they were in former times very riotous by reason of their great wealth yet after that they lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians they haue growne great souldiers and therefore as they euer did strongly defend themselues against the Romanes so in the time of Constantine and the other Emperours they were fearfull neighbours to the Romane gouernment And of late time they haue strongly opposed then selues agaynst the Turkes euer making their partie good with them They fight commonlie on horse-back are gouerned as in times past by a King so nowe by an absolute ruler and mightie Prince whom they tearme the Shawe or Sophie of Persia He hath many countries and small Kings in Assyria and Media and the countries adioyning tributaries The Persians are all at this day Sarazens in religion beleeuing on Mahomet but as Papists and protestants do diffor in opinion concerning the same Christ so do the Turkes and Persians about their Mahomet the one pursuing the other as heretikes with most deadly hatred In so much that there be in this respect almost continuall warres betweene the Turkes and the Persians De Parthia Media ON the North-east side of Persia lieth that countrie which in old time was called Paerthia but now named Arach of whose great warres with the Medians or Armenians or Romanes in Tacitus and ancient histories are true The countrie boundeth on Media by the West which was in auncient time very full of people whose fight as it is very much on hors-backe so the maner of them continually was for to giue an onset and then to runne their wayes
if by this Genoway stranger they should be cousoned but especiallie for that they were vnwilling to sustaine the charges of shipping At last hee betaketh himselfe vnto the court of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile where also at the first hee sound but colde entertainment yet persisting in his purpose without wearinesse and with great importunitie it pleased God to moue the minde of Elizabeth the Queene to deale with her husbande to furnish him foorth two shippes for the discouerie onely and not for conquest Whereupon Columbus in the yeare 1492. accompanied with his brother Bartholomeus Columbus and manie Spaniards sayled farre to the West for the space of three score dayes and more with the great indignation and often mutinies of his companie fearing that by reason of their long distance from home they should neuer returne againe In so much that the generall after many perswasions of them to goe forwarde was at length enforced to craue but three dayes wherein if they sawe not land he promised to returne and God did so blesse him to the end that this voyage might not prooue in vaine that in that space one of his companie did espie fire which was a certaine arguments that they were neare to the land as it sell out in deede The first land whereunto they came was an Iland called by the enhabitants Haity But in remembrance of Spaine from whence he came he tearmed it Hispaniola and finding it to bee a countrie full of pleasure and hauing in it aboundaunce of gold and pearle he proceeded farther and discouered another bigge I le which is called Cuba of the which beeing verie glad with great treasure hee returned into Spaine bringing ioyfull newes of his happie successe The Spaniards who by nature are a people proude haue since the death of Columbus laboured to obscure his fame enuying that an Italian or stranger should be reported to be the first discouerer of those parts and therefore haue in their writings since giuen forth that there was a Spaniard which had first beene there and that Columbus meeting with his cards and descriptions did but pursue his enterprise and assume the glorie to himselfe But this fable of theirs doth sauour of the same spirite wherewithall many of them in his life time did reproach him that it was no matter of importance to find out these countries but that if he had not done it many other might and would which being spoken to Columbus at a solemne dinner he called for an egge and willed all the guests one after another to set it vp on end which when they could not do he gently bruising the one ende of it did make it flat and so set it vp by imitation whereof each of the other did the same whereby he mildlie did reproach their enuie toward him and shewed how easie it was to do that which a man had seene done before him To go forward therefore Columbus being returned to Castile after his welcome to the Princes was made great Admirall of Spaine and with a new fleete of more shippes was sent to search farther which he accordingly did and quickly found the maine land not farre off from the Tropicke of Cancer which part of the countrie in honour of Spaine hee called Hispania noua and in respect whereof at this day the King of Spaine doth entitle himselfe Hispaniaram Rex They found the people both of the maine land and Ilandes verie exceeding in number naked without cloathes or armour sowing no corne but making their breade of a kinde of roote which they call Maies Men most ignorant of all kinde of learning admiring the Christians as if they had beene sent downe from heauen and thinking them to be immortall wondering at their Shippes and the tackeling thereof for they had no shippes of their owne but bigge troughes which they call their Canoaes beeing made hollowe of the bodie of one Tree with the sharpe bones of fishes for iron or such like instruments they haue none The Spaniardes did here finde the people to bee most simple without fraude giuing them kinde entertainement according to their best manner exchanging for kniues glasses and such like toyes great aboundance of golde and pearle The desire whereof caused the Spaniards to seeke farther into the countries but the tyrannie and couetousnesse of the Spariards was such in taking from them their goods in deflouring their wiues and daughters but especially in forcing them to labour in their golde mines without measure as if they had beene beasts that the people detesting them and the name of Christians for their sakes did some of them kill themselues and the mothers destroyed their children in their bellies that they might not be borne to serue so hatefull a Nation and some of them did in warre conspire against them so that by slaughter and otherwise the people of the countrie are almost all wasted nowe within an hundred yeeres beeing before many millions those which remaine are as slaues and the Spaniards almost onely doe inhabit those parts By reason that the countrie is exceeding rich and fruitfull the Spaniards with great desire did spreade themselues toward the North where they founde more resistance although nothing in comparison of warriours but the greattest of their labour was for to conquere the kingdome of Mexico which Mexico is a Citie verie great and populous as almost any in the worlde standing in the midst of a great marish or fenne The conquerour of this was Ferdinandus Cortesius so much renowmed in Spaine vnto this day In the sea coastes of all this Noua Hispania the Kings of Spaine haue built many townes and Castles and therein haue erected diuerse fornaces and forges for the trying and sining of their golde De partibus Americae versus Septentrionem THe rumour of the discouerie of these partes beeing blowne ouer Christendome and the great quantitie of the land together with the fruitfulnesse thereof being reported abroad some other Nation did enterprise to set foot therein as namely the Frenchmen who sent certaine ships vnto a part of this counttie lying North from Hispania noua some fewe degrees without the Tropicke of Cancer into which when they had ariued because of the cōtinuall greennesse of the ground and trees as if it had beene a perpetuall spring they called it Florida where after some fewe of them had for a time setled themselues the Spaniards tooke notice of it and being vnwilling to endure any such neighbours they came suddainlie on them and most cruelly slue them all without taking any ransome yet the Spaniards for want of men are not able to inhabit that countries but leaue it to the olde people The Englishmen also desirous by nauigation to adde something vnto their owne countrie as before time they had trauailed toward the farthest North part of America so lately finding that part which lieth betweene Florida and Noua Francia was not inhabited by any Christians and was a land verie fruitfull and fit to