threescore Degrees to returne againe From these Ilands it is that those strong and pleasant Sacks which are called * From hence the best Canary Sackâ—s Canary Wines are brought and from thence are fetched those that they call Canary Birds These Ilands are under the Crowne of Spaine The heat of the Countrey is very great and therefore fitter for concoction but besides that the soyle of it selfe is accommodated thereunto and by reason of them both these Ilands doe bring forth a Grape which is sweeter in taste then any other Grape and hath that propertie with it that the Wine which is made thereof doth not fume into the head like other Sacke but doth helpe the stomacke and exercise the force of it there The slips of their Vines have beene brought into Spaine and some other places of Europe but they have not sorted to the same purpose as they doe in their native Countrey There doe grow also in these Iles From hence great store of Sugar-canes good store of Sugar-canes which yeelde plentifully that kinde of commoditie unto Spaine either for Marmalets wherein they much delight or for other uses Peter Martyr in the beginning of his Decades which hee hath written De Orbe novo doth particularly touch the names and some other things of these Ilands On the backe-side of Africa also just under the Aequinoctiall is the * The I le of S. Thomas I le of Saint Thomas inhabited by the Portugals which Island was taken in the latter time of Queene Elizabeth by the Dutch it is reported that in the middest of this Island is an Hill and over that a continuall Cloud wherewith the whole Island is watered such a like thing as this is reported of the * The I le of Cloves Isle of Cloves The ayre of this Island is unwholsome and there is hardly seene any Portugall or stranger that comes to dwell there which lives till hee be above fortie yeares of age More Northward from Africke lie those Islands which are called * The Ilands of Azores Azores Insulae being sixe or seven in number of which Tercera is one of the chiefe of whom the rest by some are called Terceras which are farre inferiour in fruitfulnesse unto the Canaries These were first under the Crowne of Portugall and one of them was the last which was kept out from the King of Spaine by the Prior Don Antonio who afterward called himselfe King of Portugall but the Spaniard at last tooke this Tercera from him and doth possesse all these Islands together with the rest of the Dominion which did belong to the Portugals Hee who list to see the unadvised proceedings of Don Antonio both in parting with Lisbon Note the unadvisednesse of Don Antonio and the rest of Portugall as also in losing these Islands which last of all held out for him let him read Conestagio of the uniting of Portugall to the Crown of Castile But these Azores have in times past yeelded much Oade which thereupon in England was called Jsland Oade but now they are the place where the Spaniards do commonly touch and take in fresh water both going and comming to and from America finding that to passe directly without turning on either hand towards America is very hard by reason of the strong current of the water from the Gulph of Mexico and so forward to the East and therefore they are enforced either to goe lower to the South and so to water in some part of Guinea or thereabout or else to keepe up as high as these Ilands Of America or the new World ALthough some doe dispute out of Plato and the old Writers that there was not onely a guesse but a kind of knowledge in ancient time that besides Europe Asia and Africa there was another large country lying to the West yet he that shall advisedly peruse the conjectures made thereupon may see that there is nothing of sufficiencie to enforce any such knowledge but that all Antiquity was utterly ignorant of the new found Countries towards the West Whereunto this one argument most forcible may give credite * The people of America utterly void of all manner of God or goodnesse that at the first arriving of the Spaniards there they found in those places nothing shewing trafficke or knowledge of any other Nation but the people naked uncivill some of them devourers of mens flesh ignorant of shipping without all kinde of learning having no remembrance of Historie or writing among them never having heard of any such Religion as in other places of the World is knowne but being utterly ignorant of Scripture or Christ or Moses or any God neither having among them any token of Crosse Church Temple or Devotion agreeing with other Nations The reasons which are gathered by some late Writers out of Plato Seneca and some other of the Ancient are rather conjecturall The reasons conjecturall of a new found World that it was likely that there should bee some such place then any way demonstrative or concluding by experience that there was any such Countrey and the greatest inducement which they had to perswade themselves that there was any more Land towards the West then that which was formerly knowne was grounded upon this that all Asia Europe and Africk concerning the Longitude of the World did containe in them but 180 Degrees and therefore it was most probable that in the other 180 which filleth up the whole course of the Sunne to the number of 360 degrees GOD would not suffer the water onely to possesse all but would leave a place for the habitation of men beasts flying and creeping creatures I am not ignorant that some who make too much of vaine shewes out of the British Antiquities have given out to the World and written something to that purpose that Arthur sometimes King of Britaine had both knowledge of these parts and some Dominion in them for they finde as some report that King Arthur had under his government many Ilands and great Countries towards the North and West which one of some speciall note hath interpreted to signifie America and the Northerne parts thereof and thereupon have gone about to entitle the * Some have entitled the Queene of England Soveraigne of these Provinces Queene of England to bee Soveraigne of those Provinces by right of Descent from King Arthur But the wisedome of our State hath beene such as to neglect that opinion imagining it to be grounded upon fabulous foundations as many things are which are now reported of King Arthur onely this doth carrie some shew with it that now some hundred of yeares since there was a Knight of Wales who with shipping and some pretty Company did goe to discover those parts whereof as there is some record of reasonable credit amongst the Monuments of Wales so there is this one thing which giveth pregnant shew thereunto that in the late Navigation of some of our men to Norumbega and some other
Asia and Europe so neere together and the Sea running between them which serveth each place with alâ— manner of commodities it appeareth that Constantinople is marvelâ— lously richly and conveniently seated and therefore a fit place from whence the Turke may offer to archieve great attempts After this strait the Sea openeth iâ— selfe more large toward the South and it is called by the name of Propontis But then it groweth againâ— into another strait which they writâ— to be in breadth about two mileâ— This is called Hellespontus Hellâ—spontus Xerxes Bridge having on the one side Abidus in Asia on the other side Sestus oâ— the side of Europe This is thâ— place where Xerxes the great Kinâ— of Persia did make his Bridge oveâ— the Sea so much renowned iâ— ancient History which was not impossible by reason of the narrow nesse the foundation of his Bridg being rested on ships Here alâ— may appeare the reason of the stoâ—â— of Leander and Hero which Leaâ—der is reported for the love of Herâ—to have oftentimes swom over thâ—â— Sea till at last hee was drowned From this strait Southward the Sea groweth more wide and is called afterwards by the name of Mare Aegeum Mare Aegeum and so descendeth to the full Mediterranean Of Asia and first of Tartary ON the Northside of Asia joyning unto the dominion of the Emperour of Russia is Tartary Tartary bounded in ancient time called Scythia the bounds wherof did then extend themselves into a good part of Europe therefore was called Scythia Europea but the greatest part of it lyeth in Asia a mighty large Country extending it selfe on the North to the uttermost Sea on the East to the Dominion of the Great Cham or Prince of Cathaie on the South down to Mare Caspium The Tartarians which now inhabit it are men of great stature rude of behaviour no Christians Their Religion but Gentiles neither doe they acknowledge Mabumet They have few or no Citieâ— among them but after the manner of the old Scythians doe live iâ— Wildernesses lying vnder their Carts and following their drove of cattell by the milke whereoâ— they doe nourish themselves Theâ— sowe no Corne at all because theâ— abide not long in any one place buâ— taking their direction from theâ— North-pole-starre they remoovâ— from one coast of their Countreâ— unto another The Countrey is populous and the men are great warriers fighting alwayes on horse backe with their bow Their manner of war arrowes anâ— a short Sword They have amongâ— them infinite store of horses wheâ—of they sell many into the Countries neere adjoyning Their ordnary food in their warres is horse flesh which they use to eate rawâ— being chafed a little by hanging 〈◊〉 their Saddle They have great wars with thâ— Countries adjoyning but especiall with the Muscovite and sometimes with the Turke from hence came Tamberlaine Tamberlain the Great a Tartarian who brought 7000000 of the Tartarians at once into the field wherein he distressed and took prisoner Bajazet the great Turke whom he afterward forced to feed as a Dogge under his table They have now amongst them many Princes and Governours as those have one whom they call the Crim Tartars and those have another which are the Tartars of Magaiae and so divers others The English have laboured to their great expences to finde out the way by the North Seas of Tartaria to go into Cathay and China but by reason of the frozen Seas they have not yet prevailed although it hath beene reported that the Flemmings have discovered that passage which would be very likely to the great benefit of the Northern parts of Christendome yet that report doth not continue and therfore it is to be thought that the Flemmings have not proceeded so farre Of Cathaie and China NExt beyond Tartaria on the Northeast part of Asia lyeth a great Countrey called Cathaie Situation of Cathaie the bounds whereof extend themselves on the North and East to the utter most Seas and on the South to China The people are not much learned but more civil than the Tartars and have good and ordinary trafficke with the Countries adjoyning This Countrey hath in it many Kings which are tributaries and do owe obedience unto one whom they call the great Cham The Great Can of Cathaie or Can of Cathaie who is the chiefe Governour of all the Land and esteemed for multitude of people and largenesse of Dominion to be one of the greatest Princes of the World but his name is the lesse famous for that hee lyeth so farre distant from the best Nations and the passage into his Countrey is so dangerous either for the perils of the Sea or for the long space by Land His chiefe Imperiall Citie is called Cambalu On the South side of Cathaie Cambalu the chiese Citie of China and East part of Asia next to the Sea lyeth China and the people thereof Osorius describeth by the name of Sina and calleth their Countrey Sinarum Regio A very rich Countrey This is a fruitfull Countrey and yeeldeth as great store of rich Commodities as almost any Countrey in the World It containeth in it very many severall Kingdomes which are absolute Princes in their Seats The chief Citie in this Countrey is called Quinsay Quinsay the chiefe Citie and is described to be of incredible greatnesse as were wont to be the ancient Cities in the East as Babylon Ninivie and others This Countrey was first discovered by the late Navigation of the Portugalls into the East Indies The people skilfull in Arts. The people of China are learned almost in all Arts very skilfull Worke-men in curious fine works of all sorts so that no Countrey yeeldeth more precious Merchandize than the workmanship of them They are great Souldiers very politicke and crafty and in respect thereof contemning the wits of others using a Proverbe That all other Nations doe see but with one eye Their Proverbe but they themselves with two Petrus Maffaeus Historiographer to the King of Spaine for the Easterne Indies doth report of them that they have had from very ancient time among them these two things which wee hold to be the Miracles of Christendome and but lately invented The one is the use of Gunnes for the Warres Two rare wonders invented in China Guns and Printing and the other is Printing which they use not as wee doe writing from the left hand unto the right or as the Hebrewes and Syrians from the right hand unto the left but directly downeward and so their lines at the top doe beginne againe Of the East Indies ON the Southside of China toward the Molucco Ilands and the Indian Sea lyeth the great Country of India extending it selfe from the South part of the Continent Thâ— situation of the Indies by the space of many thousand miles Westward unto the River Indus which is the greatest River in all the Countrey except Ganges one of the greatest Rivers
Russians doe hold that so holy a thing as that is highly prophaned if any resemblance of it be worne but above the girdle Possevinus in a treatise written of his Embassage into that Countrey where hee discourseth this whole matter Possevinus feare of the Emperour confesseth that hee was much afraid lest the Emperour would have strucken him and beaten out his braines with a shrewd staffe which then hee had in his hands did ordinarily carry with him and he had the more reason so to feare because that Prince was such a tyrant that he had not onely slaine and with cruell torture put to death very many of his subjects and Nobility before shewing himselfe more brutishly cruel to them than ever Nero and Caligula were among the Romans but he had with his owne hands and with the same staffe upon a small occasion of anger killed his eldest sonne who should have succeeded him in his whole Empire The people of this countrey are rude and unlearned Chiefe people rude and unlearned so that there is very little or no knowledge amongst them of any liberall or ingenuous Art yea their very Priests Monks wherof they have many are almost unlettered so that they can hardly do any thing more than reade their ordinary service And the rest of the people are by reason of their ignorant education dull and uncapable of any high understanding but very superstitious having many ceremonies and Idolatrous Solemnities as the consecrating of their Rivers by their Patriarch at one time of the yeare when they thinke themselves much sanctified by the receiving of those hallowed waters yea and they bathe their Horses and Cattell in them and also the burying of most of their people with a paire of Shooes on their feet as supposing that they have a long journey to goe and a letter in their hand to S. Nicholas whom they reverence as a speciall Saint and thinke that he may give them entertainement for their readier admission into heaven The Muscovites generally have received the Christian Faith but yet so that rather they doe hold of the Greeke Difference betweene the Greeke and Latin Church and the Easterne then of the Westerne Roman Church The doctrines wherin the Greek Church differs from the Latine are these First they hold that the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father alone and not from the Sonne Secondly that the Bishop of Rome is not the universall Bishop Thirdly that there is no Purgation Fourthly their Priests doe marry and fiftly they doe differ in divers of their ceremonies as in having foure Lents in the yeere whereof they doe call our Lent their great Lent At the time of the Councell of Florence There was some shew made by the Agents of the Greeke Church that they would have joyned in opinion with the Latines but when they returned home their Countrey-men would in no sort assent thereunto In the Northerne parts of the dominion of the Emperour of Russia which have lately been joyned unto his territories as specially Lapland Biarmia and thereabouts The people of Lapland very heathenish there are people so rude and heathenish that as Olaus Magnus writeth of them looke whatsoever living thing they doe see in the morning at their going out of their doors yea if it be a Bird or a worm or some such other creeping thing they doe yeeld a divine Worship Reverence thereunto for all that day as if it were some inferiour God Damianus a Goes hath written a pretty Treatise describing the manners of those Lappians The greatest part of the Country of Russia is in the winter so exceeding cold The extraordnary sharpnesse of the weather in winter that both the Rivers are frozen over the Land covered with snow and such is the sharpenesse of the Ayre that if any goe abroad bare faced it causeth their flesh in a short time to rot which befalleth to the fingers and toes of divers of them therefore for a great part of winter they live in Stoues and Hot-houses and if they be occasioned to goe abroad they use many Furs whereof there is great plenty in that Country as also wood to make fire but yet in the summer time the face of the soyle the ayre is very strangely altered insomuch that the Country seemeth hot the Birds sing very merrily the trees grasse corn in a short space do appeare so cheerfully greene and pleasant that it is scant to be beleeved but of them which have seene it Their building is most of wood even in their chiefe citie of Mosco Their buildings of wood insomuch that the Tartars who lie in the North-east of them breaking oft into their countries even unto the very Mosco doe set fire on their Cities which by reason of their woodden buildings are quickly destroyed Their government The maner of government which of late yeers hath bin used in Russia is very barbarous little lesse than tyrannous for the Emperour that last was did suffer his people to be kept in great servility permitted the Rulers chiefe Officers at their pleasures to pill ransack the common sort but to no other end but that himselfe might take occasion when he thought good to call thē in question for their misdemeanor and so fill his own coffers with fleecing of them which was the same course the old Roman Emperor did use calling the deputies of the Provinces by the name of Spunges whose property is to sucke up water but when it is full then it selfe is crushed and yeeldeth forth liquor for the behalfe of another The passage by Sea into this country The passage by Sea into this country which was wont to be through the Sound and so afterward by land was first discovered by the English who with great danger of the frozen seas did first adventure to sayle so far North as to compasse Lapland Finmark Scricfinia Biarmia and so passing to the East by Noua Zembla half the way almost to Cathaio have entred the River called Ob by which they disperse themselves for merchandize both by water and land into the most parts of the Dominion of the Emperour of Russia The first attempt The first attempt which was made by the English for the entrance of Moscovia by the North Seas was in the dayes of King Edw. the 6. at which time the Merchants of London procuring leave of the King did send forth Sir Hugh Willoby with shipping and men who went so far toward the North that he coasted the corner of Scricfinia Biarmia and so turned toward the East but the weather proved so extream the snowing so great the freezing of the water so vehement that his ship was set fast in the Ice and there he his people were frozen to death and the next yeer some other comming from England found both the Ship and their bodies in it a perfect remembrance in writing of all things which they
had done discovered where amongst the rest meÌ„tion was made of a Land which they had touched which to this day â—s known by the name of Sir Hugh Villobies Land Sir Hugh Willobies Land The Merchants of London did not desist to pursue this discovery but have so far prevailed that they have reached one halfe of the way toward the East part of Chyna and Cathaio but the whole passage is not yet opened This Empire one of the greatest to the world This Empire is at this day one of the greatest dominioÌ„s in the world both for compasse of ground for multitude of men saving that it lyeth far North and so yeeldeth not pleasure or good traffique with many other of the best situated nations Among other things which doe argue the magnificence of the Emperour of Russia this one is recorded by many who have travelled into those parts that when the great Duke is disposed to sit in his magnificence besides great store of Iewels and abundance of massie plate both of gold and silver which is openly shewed in his hall there doe sit as his Princes and great Nobles cloathed in very rich and sumptuous attyre divers men ancient for their yeares very seemly of countenance and grave with white long beards which is a goodly shew besides the rich state of the thing But Olaus Magnus man well experienced in those Northerne parts doth say how truely I cannot tell that the manner of their sitting is a notable fraud and cunning of the Russian in asmuch as they are not men of any worth but ordinary Citizens of the gravest and seemliest countenance which against such a solemnity are picked out of Mosco and other places adjoyning and have robes put on them which are not their owne but taken out of the Emperours Wardrope Of Spruce and Poland Prussia bow situated IN Europe on the East and North corner of Germany lyeth a Countrey called Prussia in Latine most times Borussia in English Pruthen or Spruce of whom little is famous saving that they were governed by one in a kinde of order of Religion whom they call the Grand-Master and that they are a meanes to keepe the Moscovite the Turke from some other parts of Christendome This countrey is now growne to be a Dukedome the Duke thereof doth admit traffique with our English who going beyond the Hants townes doe touch upon his countrey amongst other things doe bring from thence a kinde of leather which was wont to be used in Ierkins and called by the name of Spruce-Leather-Jerkins Spruce Leather On the East side of Germany betweene Russia and Germany lyeth Polonia Polands Situation or Poland which is a kingdome differing from others in Europe because the King there is chosen by Election out of some of the Princes neere adjoyning as lately Henry the third King of France These Elections oftentimes doe make great factions there so that in taking parts they grow often there into civill warre The King of Polonia is almost continually in warre either with the Moscovite 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 Germany whereupon the Poles do commonly desire to choose warriours to their King In this Countrey are none but Christians but so Their divers Religions that liberty of all Religion is permitted insomuch that there be Papists Colledges of Jesuites both of Lutherans and Calvinists in opinions Anabaptists Arrians and divers others They hate the Iesuites But of late yeares there hath bin made earnest motions in their Parliaments that their Colledges of Iesuites should bee dissolved and they banished out of that Kingdome as of late they were from France The reason of it is because that under colour of Religion they doe secretly deale in State causes and many times sow seditions and some of them have given counsell to murther Princes and wheresoever they be they are the onely intelligencers for the Pope besides that many of the Papists but especially all their Friers and orders of Religion doe hate and envy them first for that they take upon them with such pride to be called Iesuites as if none had to doe with Iesus but they and are more inward with Princes than the rest are Secondly because many of them are more learned than common Monks and Fryers And thirdly because they professe more strictly and severely than others doe the Capuchins onely excepted Their chiefe Citie Cracovia This is that Countrey which in times past was called Sarmatia the chiefe Citie whereof is named Cracovia Of Hungaria and Austria Hungaria situated ON the South-East side of Germany lyeth Hungaria called in the Latine Pannonia which hath beene heretofore divided into Pannonia superior Pannonia inferior it is an absolute Kingdome and hath beene heretofore rich and populous The Christians that doe live there have among them divers sorts of Religion as in Poland This Kingdome hath bin a great obstacle against the Turkes comming into Christendome but especially in the time of Iohan. Huniades who did mightily with many great victories repulse the Turke Here standeth Bunda which was heretofore a great Fortresse of Christendome Bunda but the glory of this kingdome is almost utterly decaied by reason that the Turke who partly by policy partly by force doth now possesse the greatest part of it So that the people are fled from thence and the Christians which remaine there are in miserable servitude Notwithstanding some part of Pannonia inferior doth yet belong to Christendome The Turks for the space of these forty or fifty yeares last past have kept continuall garrisons and many times great Armies in that part of Hungary which yet remaineth Christned yea and sometimes the great Turks themselves have come thither in person with huge hosts accounting it a matter of their Religion not onely to destroy as many Christians as they can but also to win their land by the revenues whereof they may maintaine some Religious house which they think themselves in custome bound to erect but so that the maintayning thereof is by the Sword to be wonne out of the hands of some of those whom they hold enemies to them Hungary is become the onely Cockpit of the world where the Turkes doe strive to gaine and the Christians at the charge of the Emperour of Germany who entituleth himselfe King of Hungary doe labour to repulse them and few Summers doe passe but that something is either wonne or lost by either party The corner of Germany which lyeth neerest to Hungary or Pannonia inferior Austria is called Austria or Pannonia superior which is an Archdukedome From which house being of late much sprung come many of the Princes of Germany and of other parts of Europe so that the Crown imperiall of Germany hath lately oft befallen to some one of this house In this Country standeth Vienna Vienna that
in the World which lyeth in the East part of the same Indies This is that Countrey so famous in ancient time for the great riches thereof for the multitude of people for the conquest of Bacchus over it for the passage thither of Alexander the Great throughout all the length of Asia for his adventuring to goe into the South Ocean with so mighty a Navy which few or none had ever attempted before him And certainly thither it was that Salomon did send once in three yeeres for his Gold and other rich Merchandise for the Scripture saith that hee sent his Fleet from Ezion-geber which stood upon the mouth of the Red Sea and it was the directest passage which hee had unto the Easterne Indies whereas if his purpose had been to send to Peru as some lately have imagined his course had been thorow the Mediterranean Sea and the Straits of Gibraltar This Countrey had in ancient time In Jndia are many Kingdomes many absolute Kingdomes and Provinces as in the time of Alexander Porus Taxiles and divers others In it were many Philosophers and men of great Learning whom they called Gymnosophistae of whom was Calanus who burnt himselfe before Alexander The men of the South part of India are blacke Their Cattle very big and therefore are called men of Jnde The Cattell of all sorts that are bred there are of incredible bignesse in respect of other Countries as their Elephants Apes Monkies Emêts and other Their riches The riches hereof have beene very great with abundance of Gold insomuch that the Promontory which is now called Malacha was in times past named Aurea Chersonesus The commoditie of Spice is exceeding great that comes from thence The Partugals first discovered the Indies The Portugals were the first which by their long Navigations beyond the Equinoctiall and the farthermost part of Africk have of late yeeres discovered these Countries to Christendome as heretofore to the use of the King of Portugall so now of the King of Spaine who is reputed owner of them Four Kingdoms by the Portugals discovered The Portugals did finde divers Kingdomes at their first arrivall in those parts as the Kingdome of Calecut the Kingdome of Cambaia the Kingdome of Cananor the Kingdome of Cochin and very many other with the Kings whereof they first entring League and Trafficke and having leave given to build Castles for their defence they have since by policie encroched into their hands a great part of the Countrey which lyeth neere unto the Sea-coast and are mighty now for the space of many thousand miles together The K. of Spain hath there a Vice-roy whose residence is commonly in the Imperiall Citie called God Chief City God They doe every yeare send home great store of rich commodities into Spain The Indians Religion The people of the Country when the Portugals came first thither were for the most part Gentiles beleeving in no one God yea at this day there are divers of them who doe adore the Sunne as their God and every morning at the rising thereof doe use very superstitious Ceremonies which our Merchants who doe trade to Aleppo doe oftentimes see for divers of these Jndians do come thither with Merchandize But the Saracens who reverence the Prophet Mahomet from the Bayes or Gulphes of Persia and Arabia doe trafficke much thither so that Mahomet was knowne among them but in one Town called Granganor they found certain Christians dissenting in many things from the Church of Rome and rather agreeing with the Protestants which Christians had received by succession their Religion from the time of Thomas the Apostle by whom as it is recorded in the ancient Ecclesiasticall History part of India was converted In this Countrey of Jndia are many great and potent Kings and Kingdomes which had beene altother unknown and unheard of in our part of the World but that we were beholding to the Portugals for their Discovery and before their Navigation thither by the backside of Africk to some relations that wee had from the Venetians who traded and travelled thither by Land out of Turkie The names of these Kings and Kingdomes are these The King of Biarme the great Mogol Sâ—â— Kingdomes the King of Narsing Pegu Siam the forenamed King of Calecut and others Of Persia Situation of Persia THere be divers Countries betweene India and Persia but they are not Famous Persia is a large Country which lyeth farre West from India it hath on the North Assyria and Media on the West Syria and the Holy land but next unto it Mesopotamia on the South the mayn Ocean which entreth in notwithstanding by a Bay called Sinus Persicus This is that Countrey which in ancient time was so renowned for the great riches and Empire thereof These were they who tooke from the Assyrians the Monarchie and did set up in their Country the second great Empire which began under Cyrus continued unto that Darius who was overthrowne by Alexander the Great In this countrey raigned the great Kings Cyrus The g eat and famous Kings of Persia Cambises Darius the Son of Histaspes the great Xerxes Artaxerxes and many others which in prophane writings are famous for their wars against the Scythians Aegyptians and Graecians in the Scripture for the delivery of the Iewes from Babylon by Cyrus for the building of the second Temple at Jerusalem and for many things which are mentioned 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 they had lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians Persians great Souldiers they have growne great Souldiers and therefore as they did ever strongly defend themselves against the old Romanes so in the time of Constantine and the other Emperours they were fearefull neighbours to the Romane government and of late time they have strongly opposed themselves against the Turkes ever making their party good with them And yet notwithstanding in the dayes of Amurath the third father to Mahomet the Turke now raigning the Turke had a great hand upon the Persian going so farre with his Army as that hee tooke the strong Citie Tauris standing within the Persian dominions neere unto the Caspian Sea but this losse was to bee attributed partly to the great dissentions which were among the Persians themselves and partly to the multitude of the Turke his Souldiers who by fresh supply did over-beare the Persian although hee slew downe many thousands of them They fight commonly on horseback are govern'd as in time past by a King so now by an absolute ruler Sophy of Persia and a mighty Prince whom they tear me the Shaw or Sophy of Persia Hee hath many Countries small Kings in Assyria Media and the countries adjoyning which are tributaries Among other the Sophies of Persia about a hundred years since there was one of great power called Ismael the
Persian who procured unto himselfe great fame by his many valorous attempts against the Turke Surius in his Commentaries writing upon him saith that upon some fond conceit the Iewes were strongly of opinion that hee was that Messias whom unto this day they expect and therefore hoped that he should have beene their deliverer and advancer But he addeth in his report that it fell out so cleane contrary that there was no man who more vexed and grieved them than that Ismael did Their Religion The Persians are all at this day Sarazens in Religion beleeving in Mahomet but as Papists and Protestants doe differ in opinion concerning the same Christ so doe the Turks Persians about their Mahomet the one pursuing the other as Heretikes with most deadly hatred in so much that there is in this respect almost continuall war betweene the Turke and the Persians Of Parthia and Media Situation of Parthia ON the North-East side of Persia lyeth that Country which in old time was called Parthia but now named Arach of whom those great warres of the Romanes with the Medians or Armenians in Tacitus and ancient Histories are true This Country boundeth on Media by the West and it was in ancient time veryful of people whose fight as it was very much on horsebacke Their manner of fight so the manner of them continually was for to give an onset and then to returne their wayes even to returne againe like to the Wilde Irish so that no man was sure when he had obtained any victory over them Great wars of the Parthians against the Romanes These were the people that gave the great overthrow to that rich Marcus Crassus of Rome who by reason of his covetousnesse intending more to his getting of gold than to the guiding of his army was slaine himselfe and many thousands of the Romanes The Parthians with exprobation of his thirst after money poured moulten gold into his mouth after he was dead Against these the great Lucullus fought many battels but the Romanes were never able to bring them quite to subjection Media how situated On the West-side of Parthia having the Mare Caspium on the North Armenia on the West and Persia on the South lyeth that Country which in time past was called Media but now Shirvan or Sarvan which is at this day governed by many inferiour Kings and Princes which are tributaries and doe owe subjection to the Sophy of Persia So that hee is the Soveraigne Lord of all Media as our English-men have found who passing through the dominion of the Emperour of Russia have crossed the Mare Caspium and merchandized with the inhabitants of this Media A famous Nation This Nation in former times was very famous for the Medes were they that removed the Empire from the Assyrians unto them which as in themselves it was not great yet when by Cyrus it was joyned to that of the Persians it was very mighty and was called by the name of the Empire of the Medes and Persians Here it was that Astyages raigned the Grandfather of Cyrus and Darius of the Medes The chiefe City of Media The chiefe City of this Kingdome was called Ecbatana as the chiefe City of Persia was Babylon It is to bee observed of the Kings of Media that in the Summer time they did use to retire themselves Northward unto Ecbatana for avoyding of the heate but in the winter time they came downe more South unto Susis which as it seemeth was a warmer place but by this meanes they were both taken for Imperiall Cities and chiefe residences of the Kings of Media which being knowne takes away some confusion in old Stories The like custome was afterward used also by the Kings of Persia Of Armenia and Assyria Situation of Armenia ON the West-side of the Mare Caspium of Media lieth a Countrey called by a generall name Armenia which by some is distinctly divided into three parts the North part whereof being but little Divided into three parts is called Georgia the middle part Turcomania the third part by the proper name of Armenia By which a man may see the reason of difference in divers writers Some saying that the countrey whence the Turkes first came was Armenia some saying Turcomania and some Georgia the truth being that out of one or all these Countries they did descend These Turks are supposed to bee the issue oâ— them whom Alexander the Great did shut up within certaine Mountaines neere to the Mare Caspium A memorable Note There is this one thing memorable in Armenia that after the great Floud the Arke of Noah did rest it selfe on the Mountaines oâ— Armenia where as Josephus witnesseth it is to be seene yet to this day the hills whereon it resteth are called by some Noae Montes Armenians Christians The people of this Nation have retained amongst them the Christian Faith as it is thought from the time of the Apostles but at this day it is spotted with many absurdities Bathing of their children Among other Errours which the Church of Armenia hath bin noted to hold this is one that they did bathe their children waving them up and downe in flames of fire and repute that to bee a necessary circumstance of Baptisme Which errour ariseth by mistaking that place of Iohn the Baptist where he saith That he that came after him meaning Christ should baptize them with the holy Ghost and with fire In which place the word doth not signifie materiall fire but expresseth the lively and purging operation of the Spirit like to the nature of fire On the South part of Armenia bending towards the East lyeth the Country of Assyria Assyria bounded which is bounded on the West with Mesopotamia This Country was that Land wherein the first Monarchy was setled which began under Ninus whom the Scripture calleth Nimrod living not long after Noahs Flood and it ended in Sardanapalus continuing a thousand and three hundred yeares The King of this Countrey was Senacherib Kings of Assyria of whom wee reade in the Booke of the Kings and here reigned Nebuchadnezzar who tooke Ierusalem and led the Iewes away prisoners unto Babylon In this Countrey is the swift River Tygris The swift river Tygris The City Ninivee neere unto the which was Paradice Vpon this River stood the great City Ninivee called by prophane writers Ninus which was almost of incredible bignesse and exceeding populous by the neerenesse of the River and marvellous fruitfulnesse of the soile which as Herodotus writeth did returne their Corne sometime two hundred and sometimes three hundred fold and did yeeld sufficiency for to maintaine it This Citie for a long time was the Imperiall Seat of the Monarchy but being destroyed as God foretold it should be by the Chaldeans the residence of the King was afterwards removed unto Babylon a great City in Chaldea first built by Semiramis Of Chaldea Situation of Chaldea NExt unto Assyria
City of Seleuchus wherein stands the Citie Seleucia built by Seleuchus one of the foure great successors of Alexander the Great On the West of this Pamphilia standeth Lycia Lycia more West from thence confining upon the I le of Rhodes is Caria Caria one of the sea-townes whereof is Halicarnassus which was the Countrey of Heredotus who is one of the most ancient Historians that is extant of the Gentiles and who dedicated his nine Bookes to the honour of the Muses Here also was that Dionysius borne who is called commonly Dionysius Halicarnassus one of the Writers of the Romane Story for the first three hundred yeares after Rome was built The whole countrey of Caria is sometimes signified by the name of this Halicarnassus Halicarnassus although it was but one Citie and thereupon Artemisia who in the dayes of Xerxes came to aid him against the Gracians and behaved her selfe so manfully in a great fight at sea whē Xerxes stood by as a coward is intituled by the name not of Queene of Caria but of Halicarnassus Also in the dayes of Alexander the Great there was another Queene named Ada who also is honoured by the title of Queene of Halicarnassus Wee have thus farre described those Cities of Asia the lesse which doe lie from that part that joyneth unto Syria along the Sea coast Westward but being indeed the Southerne part of Asia minor Now upwards towards the North Ionia standeth Ionia where those did dwell who had like to have joyned with Xerxes in the great battell at Sea but that Themistocles by a policie did winne them from him to take part with the Gracians Diodorus Siculus writeth that the Athenians who professed to be of kin to those Ionians were on a time marveilous importunate with them that they should leave their owne countrey come and dwell with them which when the Ionians hardly but yet at length did accept the Athenians had no place to put them in and so they returned with great disgrace to them both A little within the Land lying North and East from Jonium Lydia was Lydia which sometimes was the Kingdome of Croesus who was reputed so rich a King when hee was in his prosperity making best of his happinesse hee was told by Solon that no man could reckon upon felicity so long as he lived because there might be great mutability of Fortune which he after ward found true For he was taken prisoner by Cyrus Croesus overthrown by Cyrus who was once minded to have put him to death but hearing him report the advertisement of Solon formerly given to him hee was moved to thinke that it might bee his owne case and so tooke pitty on him and spared his life These Lydians being inhibited afterward by Cyrus to use any armour did give themselves to bathes and stewes and other such effeminate things Vpon the sea-coast in Ionia standeth the Citie Ephesus Ephesus which was one of the seven cities unto which Iohn in his Revelation did write his seven Epistles and Saint Paul also directed his Epistle to the Ephesians unto the Church which was in this place This was one of the most renowned Cities of Asia the lesse but the Fame thereof did most arise from the Temple of Diana which was there built The Temple of Diana and was reputed for the magnificence thereof one of the seven Wonders of the world This Temple was said to be two hundred yeares in building and was burnt seven severall times whereof the most part was by lightning and the finall destruction thereof came by a base person called Herostratus who to purchase himselfe some fame did set it on fire This was the place of which it is said in the Acts of the Apostles that all Asia and the whole world doe worship this Diana Tullie reporteth De natura Deorum that Timaeus being asked the reason why the Temple of Diana was on fire that night when Alexander the Great was born gave that jest thereof that the Mistresse of it was from home because she being the Goddesse of Midwives did that night waite upon Olympias the Mother of Alexander the Great who was brought to bed in Macedonia City of Smirna Another of the seven Cities unto which John did write is Smirna standing also in Ionia upon the Sea cost but somewhat more North than Ephesus which is the place where Polycarpus was Bishop who sometimes had beene Schollar unto Iohn the Evangelist Polycarpus schollar to S. Iohn the Evangelist and living till hee was of great age was at last put to death for Christs sake when before hee had beene moved by the Governour of the Countrey to deny his Saviour and to burne Incense to an Idoll But hee answered that fourescore and sixe yeares hee had served Christ Iesus and in all that time he had never done him harm and therefore now in his old age hee would not beginne to deny him The third Citie unto which the Epistle is directed in the Apocalyps City of Sardis which standeth within the Land in Lydia as is described by the best Writers and it was a Citie both of great pleasure and profit unto the Kings in whose Dominion it stood which may bee gathered hereby that when once the Graecians had wonne it Darius Histaspis or Xerxes who were Kings of Persia did give charge that every day at dinner one speaking aloud should remember him that the Graecians had taken Sardis which intended that hee never was in quiet till it might bee recovered againe Foure Cities of vote There stood also in the In-land Philadelphia Thyatira Laodicea and most of all to the North Pergamus which were the other foure Cities unto which Saint Iohn the Evangelist did direct his Epistle Going upward from Ionium to the North there lyeth on the Sea-coast a little countrey Aeolis called Aeolis and beyond that although not upon the Sea the two Provinces called Mysia Major and Mysia Minor which in times past Mysia major and Mysia minor were so base and contemptible that the people thereof were used in speech as a Proverbe that if a man would describe one meaner than the meanest it was said he was Mysiorum postremus On the West part of Mysia major did lye the Countrey called Troas The City of Troy wherein stood Jlium and the City of Troy against which as both Virgil and Homer have written the Graecians did continue their Siege for the space of tenne yeares by reason that Paris had stollen away Helena the wife of Menelaus who was King of Sparta Eastward both from Troas and Mysia major a good space within the land was the Countrey called Phrygia Phrygia where the Goddesse which was called Bona Dea or Pessinuntia or Cybele the Mother of the old Gods had her first abiding and from thence as Herodian writeth was brought to Rome as implying that good Fortune should follow her thither In this Countrey lived
Alexander afterward had taken Arabia and had possession thereof hee sent a Ship load of Frankincense to the Noble man and bad him serve the Gods plentifully and not offer Incense miserably Mahumet born in Arabia This is that Countrey wherein Mahumet was borne who being of meane parentage was brought up in his youth in the trade of Merchandize but afterward joyning himselfe with Theeves and Robbers his life was to rob such Merchants as passed thorow Arabia and to this purpose having gotten together many of his own Countrimen hee had afterward a whole Legion or more of the Romane Souldiers who being offended with Heraclius the Romane Emperour for want of their pay joyned themselves to him so that at length hee had a great Army where with hee spoyled the Countries adjoyning And this was about the yeare of Christ six hundred To maintaine his credit and authority with his own men hee fained that hee had conference with the Holy Ghost at such times as hee was troubled with the Falling sicknesse and accordingly he ordained a new Religion consisting partly of Iewish Ceremonies and partly of Christian Doctrine and some other things of his own invention that he might inveagle both Iewes and Christians and yet by his owne fancie distinguish his own Followers from both The Booke of his Religion is called the Alcoran The Turkes Alcaron the people which were his Sectaries whereas indeed they came of Hagar the Hand-maid of Sarah Abrahams wife and therefore should of her be called Ishmaelites or Hagarens because they would not seeme to come of a Bond-woman and from him whom they suppose a Bastard they terme themselves Saracens as comming from Sarah they are called by some Writers Arabians instead of Saracens their name being drawn from their first Countrey The Turkes Religion Mahumet did take something of his doctrine both from the Iewes and Christians as that there is but on God that there is a life eternall in another World and the ten Commandements which they doe admit and beleeve but from the Jewes alone the false Prophet did borrow divers things as that all his males should bee circumcised that they should eate no Swines-flesh that they should oftentimes bathe purge and wash themselves which divers of their people which are more religious than the ordinary sort doe five times in the day and therefore they have neere to their Churches and Houses of Devotion divers Baths whereinto when they have entred and washed themselves they doe perswade themselves that they are as cleere from sinne as they were the first day they were born The City Mecha In this Countrey of Arabia standeth a Citie called Mecha where is the place where Mahumet was buried and in remembrance of him there is builded a great Temple unto which the Turkes and Saracens yearely goe on Pilgrimage as some Christians doe to the Holy Land For they account Mahumet to be the greatest Prophet that ever came into the World saying that there were three great Prophets Moses Christ and Mahumet and a the doctrine of Moses was bettered by Christ so the Doctrine of Christ is amended by Mahumet In this respect as we reckon the computation of our yeares from the Incarnation of Christ so the Saracens account their from the time of Mahumet The Turks The Turkes biginning and their Religion whose Fame began now about 300 yeares since have imbraced the opinions and religion of the Saracens concerning Mahumet Some of our Christians doe report that Medina a Citie standing three dayes journey from Mecha is the place where Mahumet was buried and that by order from himselfe his body was put into an Iron Coffin which being carried into a Temple the roofe or vault whereof was made of Adamant or perhaps of the Loadstone is attracted unto the top of the vault there hangeth being supported by nothing But there is no certainty of this Narration This false Prophet as Lodovicus Vives de veritate fidei doth write being desirous in some sort to imitate Christ Iesus who foretold that hee should rise againe within the space of 3 dayes did give out that himselfe should rise againe but hee appointed a larger time that was after 800 yeeres The blasphemous prophecie of Mahumet and yet that time also is expired but wee heare no newes of the resurrection of Mahumet As the Devill hath ever some device to blinde the eyes of unbeleevers so hee hath suffered it to be reported and credited among the Turkes that as Moses did allude to the comming of Christ so Christ did foretell somewhat of the appearing of Mahumet Whereupon it is ordinarily received among them that when Christ in S. Johns Gospel did say That although hee departed he would send them a Comforter it was added in the Text and that shall be Mahumet But that the Christians in malice to them have raced out those words Their owne Bookes doe mention that Mahumet while hee lived was much given to lasciviousnesse Mahumet a lasciviouâ—â—s person and all uncleannesse of body even with very beasts and his followers are so senslesse that in imitation of him they thinke no such wickednesse to be unlawfull For they are utterly unlearned and most receive whatsoever is delivered unto them out of the Alcoran Mahumet having made it a matter of death to dispute sift or call in question any thing which is written in his Law On the Westside of Arabia betweene that and Aegypt lyeth the Gulph called of the Country Sinus Arabicus by some Mare Erythraeum but commonly the Red Sea The Red Sea not of one Erythrus as some suppose but because the Land and bankes thereabout are in colour red This is that Sea through the which by Moses the people of Israel were led when they fled out of Egypt from Pharaoh God causing by his power the waters to stand on both sides of them that they passed through as on dry Land This is that Sea through which the Spices of the East Indies were in times past brought to Alexandria in Egypt and from thence dispersed into Christendome by the Venetians which Spices and Apothecaries drugs are found to be farre worse than before time they were by reason of the great moysture which they take on the water by reason of the long Navigation of the Portugales by the back part of Africa This is that Sea through the which Salomon did send for his Gold and other precious Merchandize unto the East Indies and not to the West Indies as some lately have disputed Whereout the vanity of that opinion may appeare that America and the West Indies were knowne in the time of Salomon For if he had sent thither his course had beene along the Mediterranean and through the straits of Gibralter commonly called Fretum Herculeum betweene Spaine and Barbary But the Scripture telleth that the Navy which Salomon sent forth was built at Ezion-Geber which is there also said to stand on the Red Sea So his course
honourable government is established which wee now see at this day It is supposed that the Faith of * The religion ve y ancient which they nâ—w professe Christ was first brought into this Land in the dayes of the Apostles by Ioseph of Arimathaea Simon Zelotes and some other of that time but without doubt not long after it was found here which appeareth by the Testimony of Tertullian who lived within lesse then two hundred yeares after Christ And there are Records to shew that in the dayes of Eleutherius one of the ancient Bishops of Rome * K. Lucius he first that here received Baptisme and the Gospel King Lucius received here both Baptisme and the Gospel in so much that it is fabulous vanity to say that Augustine the Monk was the first that here planted the Christian Faith For hee lived six hundred yeares after Christ in the time of Gregory the Great Bishop of Rome before which time Gildas is upon great reason thought to have lived here of whom there is no doubt but that hee was a learned Christian Yea and that may bee perceived by that which Beda hath in his Ecclesiasticall Story concerning the comming in of Augustine the Monke that the Christian Religion had beene planted here before but that the puritie of it in many places was much decayed and also that many people in the Iland were yet Infidels For the conversion of whom as also for the reforming of the other Austine was sent hither where hee behaved himselfe so proudly that the best of the Christians which were here did mislike him In him was erected the Arch-bishopricke of Canterbury which amongst old Writers is still termed Dorebernia the Archbishops doe reckon their succession by number from this Augustine * Note The reason wherefore Gregory the great is reported to have such care for the conversion of the Ethnicks in Brittaine was because certaine young Boyes were brought him out of this Countrey which being very goodly of countenance as our Countrey Children are therein inferiour to no Nation in the World hee asked them what Countrey-men they were and it was replyed that they were Angli he said they were not unfitly so called for they were Angli tanquam Angeâ—i Nam vultum habent Angelorum And demanding further of what Province they were in this Iland it was returned that they were called Deires which caused him againe to repeate that word and to say that it was great pitty but that by being taught the Gospell they should be saved de ira Dei England hath since the time of the Conquest growne more and more in riches insomuch that now more then 300 yeares since No countrey like England in the time of King Henry the third it was an ordinary speech that for wealth this Countrey was Puteus inexhaustus a Well that could not be drawne dry Which conceit the King himselfe as Mathew Paris writeth did often suggest unto the Pope who thereupon tooke advantage abusing the simplicity of the King to sucke out inestimable summes of money to the intolerable grievance of both the Clergie and Temporality And among other things to bring about his purpose the Pope did perswade the King that he would invest his young Sonne in the Kingdome of Apulia which did containe a great part of all Naples and for that purpose had from thence many thousands besides infinite summes which the King was forced to pay for interest to the Popes Italian Vsurers Since that time it hath pleased God more and more to blesse this Land but never more plentifully than in the dayes of our late and now raigning Soveraigne whose raigne continuing long in peace hath peopled the Land with abundance of inhabitants * The Riches of the Countrey hath stored it with Shipping Armour and Munition hath fortified it many wayes hath increased the trafficke with the Turke and Muscovite and many parts of the earth farre distant from us hath much bettered it with building and enriched it with Gold and Silver that it is now by wise men supposed that there is more Plate within the Kingdome then there was Silver when her Majesty came to the Crown Some Writers of former times yea and those of our owne Country too have reported that in England have been Mynes of Gold or at the least some Gold taken out of other Mynes which report hath in it no credit in as much as the Countrey standeth too cold neither hath it sufficient force of the Sunne to concoct and digest that Mettall But truth it is that our Chronicles doe witnesse that some Silver hath beene taken up in the Southerne parts as in the Tinne-Mynes of Devonshire and Cornewall and such is sometimes found now but the vertue thereof is so thinne that by that time it is tryed and perfectly fined it doth hardly quit the cost notwithstanding ' Lead Iron and such baser mettals be here in good plenty The same reason which hindreth gold ore from being in these parts that is to say the cold of the climate doth also hinder that there is no wine whose Grapes grow here For although wee have Grapes which in the hotter and warme Summers doe prove good but yet many times are nipped with the frost before they be ripe yet notwithstanding they never come to that concocted maturity as to make sweet and pleasant wine yet some have laboured to bring this about therefore have planted vineyards to their great cost and trouble helping and ayding the soyle by the uttermost diligence they could but in the end it hath proved to very little purpose The most rich commodity which our Land hath naturally growing is * The rich commodity of Wooll Wooll for the which it is renowned over a great part of the Earth For our Clothes are sent into Turkie Venice Italy Barbary yea as far as China of late besides Muscovy Denmark and other Northern Nations for the which we have exchange of much other Merchandize necessary for us here besides that the use of this wooll doth in severall labours set many thousands of our people in worke at home which might otherwise be idle * Bridges Amongst the Commendations of England as appeareth in the place before named is the store of good Bridges whereof the most famous are London Bridge and that at Rochester In divers places here there bee also Rivers of good Name but the greatest glory doth rest in three * Rivers the Thames called in Latine of Tame and Isis Tamesis Severne called Sabrina and Trent which is commonly reputed to have his name of trente the French word signifying thirty which some have expounded to be so given because thirty severall Rivers doe run into the same And some other doe take it to bee so called because there bee thirty severall sorts of Fishes in that water to bee found the names whereof doe appeare in certain old Verses recited by Master Camden in his Booke of the Description of
England One of the honourable commendations which are reputed to bee in this Realme is the * Fair and large Churches fairenesse of our greater and larger Churches which as it doth yet appeare in those which wee call Cathedrall Churches many of them being of very goodly and sumptuous buildings so in times past it was more to be seene when the Abbeyes and those which were called Religious Houses did flourish whereof there were a very great number in this Kingdome which did eate up much of the wealth of the Land but especially those which lived there giving themselves to much filthinesse and divers sorts of uncleannesse did so draw downe the vengeance of God upon those places that they were not only dissolved but almost utterly defaced by King Henry the eight 1. Archbishopricks and 24. other Bishopricks There are here two Archbishoprickes and twenty foure other Bishoprickes within England and Wales It was a tradition among old Writers that Britaine did breed no Wolves in it neither would they live here but the report was fabulous in as much as our Chronicles do write that there were here such store of them that the Kings were enforced to lay it as an imposition upon the Kings of Wales who were not able to pay much money for tribute that they should bring in yearely certaine hundreds of Wolves by which meanes they were at the length quite rid from Wolves * The Countrey of Wales had in times past a King of it selfe yea Of Wales and sometimes two the one of North Wales and the other of South-wales betweene which people at this day there is no great good affection But the Kings of England did by little and little so gaine upon them that they subdued the whole Countrey unto themselves and in the end King Henry the eight intending thereby to benefit this Realme and them did divide the Countrey into Shires appointed there his Iudices itinerantes or Iudges of the circuite to ride and by Act of Parliament made them capable of any preferment in England as well as other Subjects When the first news was brought to Rome that Iulius Caesar had attempted upon Britaine Tully in the elegance of his wit as appeareth in one of his Epistles did make a flowt at it saying that there was no gaine to bee gotten by it For gold here was none nor any other commodity to bee had unlesse it were by slaves whom he thought that his friend to whom he wrote would not looke to be brought up in learning or Musicke Note But if Tully were alive at this day hee would say that the case is much altered in as much as in our Nation is sweetnesse of behaviour abundance of Learning Musicke and all the liberall Artes goodly Buildings sumptuous Apparell rich Fare and whatsoever else may bee truely boasted to bee in any Countrey neere adjoyning * Of Scotland The Northerne part of Brittaine is Scotland which is a Kingdome of it selfe and hath beene so from very ancient time without any such Conquest or mayne transmutation of State as hath beene in other Countries It is compassed about with the Sea on all sides saving where it joyneth upon England and it is generally divided into two parts the one whereof is called the Hye-land and the other the Low-land The Low-land is the most ' civill part of the Realme wherin religion is more orderly established and yeeldeth reasonable subjection unto the King but the other part called the Hye-land which lyeth further to the North or else bendeth towards Ireland is more rude and savage and whether the King hath not so good accesse by reason of Rockes and Mountaynes as to bring the Noblemen which inhabite there to such due Conformity of Religion or otherwise as hee would This Countrey generally is more * Scotland very pooâ—e in former times poore than England or the most part of the Kingdomes of Europe but yet of late yeares the wealth thereof is much increased by reason of their great trafficke to all the parts of Christendome yea unto Spaine it selfe which hath of late yeares beene denied to the English and some other Nations and yet unto this day they have not any Shippes but for Merchandize neither hath the King in his whole Dominion any vessell called A man of Warre Some that have travelled into the Northerne parts of Scotland doe report that in the Solstitium aestivale they have scant any night and that which is is not above two houres being rather a dimnesse than a darknesse The language of the Countrey is in the Lowland a kind of barbarous English But towards Ireland side they speake Irish * Thereason why it is said that in Brittain are soure languages which is the true reason whereof it is reported that in Brittaine there are foure Languages spoken that is Irish in part of Scotland English for the greatest part Welsh in Wales and Cornish in Cornwall In the Confines between the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland which are commonly called the * Borderers great Robbâ—s and Stealers Borders there lie divers Outlawes and unruly people which as being subject to neither Prince by their good wils but so farre as they list do exercise great robberies and stealing of Cattell from them that dwell thereabout and yet the Princes of both Realmes for the better preservation of Peace and Iustice doe appoint certaine Warders on each side who have power euen by Martiall Law to represse all enormities The Queene of England had on her side three whereof one is called the * Lord Warden of the Marches Lord Warden of the East Marches the other of the West Marches the third the Warden of the middle Marches who with all their power cannot so order things but that by reason of the out-rages thereabouts committed the borders are much unpeopled whiles such as desire to be civill do not like to live in so dangerous a place It hath beene wondred at by many that are wise how it could bee that whereas so many Countries having in them divers Kingdomes and Regiments did all in the end come to the Dominion of one as appeareth at this day in Spaine where were wont to bee divers Kings and so in times past in England where the seven Kingdomes of the Saxons did grow all into one yet that England and Scotland Note being continuate within one Iland could never till now bee reduced to one Monarchy whereof in reason the French may bee thought to have beene the greatest hinderance For they having felt so much smart by the Armes of England alone in so much that sometime all that whole Countrey almost hath beene over-runne and possessed by the English have thought that it would bee impossible that they should resist the force of them if both their Kingdomes were united and joyned into one The Custome therefore of the Kings of France in former times was that by their Gold they did binde unto them the Kings and
hee and not Architas which made the Dove of which it is written that it was so equally poysed that being throwne up into the ayre it would hover or flutter there and in a good space not fall downe This was in times past * Sicily once a kingdome 2 Famous Tyrants in it a Kingdome where the two Tyrants the elder and the younger Dionysius did raigne where Gelo also that great friend to the Romanes did remaine It was afterward made a Province and governed by the Praetor or Deputy of the Romanes whereof Verres was one who was so inveighed against by Tully It grew afterward to be a Kingdome againe in so much that Tancredus was King of Sicily which entertained our Richard the first when with Philip the King of France he went to the Conquest of the Holy Land Here was likewise * The tyrant Phalaris The tyrannies of Sicily were very famous Phalaris the Tyrant so famous King of Agrigentum The tyrannies which were used in Sicilie were in times past so famous that they grew into a Proverbe as Invidia Siculs non invenere Tyranni tormentum majus but they who were the causes of all did oftentimes speed very ill themselves as appeareth by the elder Dionysius who being driven out of his Dominion did flee into Italy and was glad there to teach Children that so hee might supply his necessity His sonne grew more tyrannous than the father and stood so farre in feare of his owne people that many times hee caused himselfe to bee shut up in a Tower and his Guard to keepe the doore that no body might come at him hee durst not trust his Barbour to shave or clip him * Note that cruelty is alwayes attended with feare for feare of cutting of his throat but that which was done hee caused his Daughter to doe who with the thinne inner skinne of Walnuts being set on fire is said to have taken off the haire of his face This was hee whose felicity when Damocles a Flatterer did seeme marveilously to admire Damocles the flatterer hee caused him to bee set one day at Dinner in his Royall Seate with dainty Fare before him Plate rich Hangings Musique and all other matters of delight but withall a naked Sword which was onely tyed with a single haire of a Horses Mane to be hanged directly over him the feare whereof did so feare the Flatterer lest it should fall upon him that hee continually looked upwards and about him and tooke no joy of that which was before him whereby Dionysius did evidently teach him that the State of some Princes howsoever it seeme glorious yet it doth bring little contentment unto themselves by reason of the continuall dangers which hang over them It is reported of this man that when all the people of his Countrey did for his cruelty continually curse him there was one Woman which daily did goe to the Churches and prayed the Gods to lengthen his life wherewithall when Dionysius was acquainted marvelling himselfe at the reason of it he sent for her and asked what good thing hee had done unto her that shee was so carefull evermore to pray for him Note â—ow the poore woman prayed soy this Tyrant But the woman answered that it was not for love but for feare that shee begged these things of the Gods For said shee I am an old woman I doe remember when your Grandfather lived who being very hard unto his people was much maligned by them and they prayed that they might be rid of him which falling out afterward your Father came in place and hee was worse than the former which when the Subjects could not endure they prayed also that hee might die hoping that the next would bee better Then came your selfe in place who have much exceeded the cruelty of your father And whereas others wish that you were gone also trusting for amendment in the next I that have lived so long see that things grow worse and worse doe pray that you may continue because that if we should have one that should succeed you if he walke in the steps of his Predecessors he must needs bee as bad as the Divell himselfe for none else in tyranny can goe beyond you * A good note for all inventers of â—ortures and cruelty and likewise for time flatterers Phalaris of Agrigentum was hee who proposed rewards unto him who invented new torments which caused Perillus to make a Bull of Brasse into the which if offenders should bee put and fire should bee set under then it would make them roare like a Bull But when upon the terrour thereof none would so offend as to deserve that torment Phalaris tooke Perillus the Author thereof and to try the experience put him into it whereby Perillus lost his life This Countrey is now also under the King of Spaine who among other titles was wont to call himselfe King of both Sicilies reckoning this Iland for one and that part of Italy for another which is now called Calabria and was in the Romane Histories named Magna Graecia There is nothing more renowned in all Cicilia either with new or old Writers than the * The Mountaine Aetna Mountaine Aetna which being on the out side oft covered with snow yet by a sulphurous or brimstony matter doth continually burne within yea so that whereas it was supposed in the ages last before us that the matter being consumed the sire had ceased twice in our age it hath broke forth againe to the incredible losse of all the Countrey adjoyning the ashes thereof destroying vines and fruits which were within the compasse of many miles about Agatheas in his History doth tel that in his owne time there was an incredible deale of ashes which did fall about Constantinople and the places neere adjoyning in so much that the ground was covered with the same which he reputeth to have been brought from the Hill in Sicily But Bodin in his Method Hist doth reprove this as a fable which can have no shew of truth by reason of the great distance of the place notwithstanding it is certaine that sometimes when it doth strongly breake out the Fields and Vineyards and all the fruits within the compasse of some miles are much hurt therewithall * The reason of the fire in the mountaine of Aetna The reason of this Fire was laid downe by Iustine in his fourth Booke and is since approved both by Historians and Philosophers which is that within the ground there is great store of Sulphure and brimstony matter which having once fire in it is apt to keepe it And whereas all the whole Countrey is full of chinks and chaps and hollownesse within the ground the matter which entreth there doth minister substance to the continuance of that flame as wee see that water cast on coales in the Smiths Forge doth make them burne more fervently and then into the Chinkes and Chaps the Winde doth also enter which
of their Governour * Their beastly basâ—â—esse Besides that they are men immoderately given to the lust of the Flesh making no conscience even at home even to get Bastards in their young dayes and reputing it no infamy unto them to frequent Harlots and Brothel-houses but when they are abroad especially in Warlike Services they are very outragious impudently and openly deflowring mens wives and daughters It may easily then be guessed what disorder they kept in the West Indies where the Countries are hot and the Women were not able to resist their insolencies and how they did tyrannize over the poore unarmed people making them to drudge for them not onely like slaves but bruit beasts which grosse oversight of theirs was at the first so apparant that all of good mindes did complaine thereof as appeareth by Peter Martyr himselfe who in his Writing to the Pope and other Princes doth much deplore the ill usage of them who in name were Christians towards those simple Infidels And certainly it caused many of them to * Note their 1 â—â—maâ—ity blaspheme the Name of GOD and of Christ and to renounce their Baptisme whereunto they were either forced or intreated when they measured the God of the Christians by the actions of his Servants whom they found to be Blasphemers and Swearers riotous and great Drunkards ravenous tyrannous and Oppressours unsatiable covetous Fornicators beyond measure given to incredible Wantonnesse and exercising even among themselves all kinde of envy contention murthers poysonings and all sort of inhumane behaviour Not long after the arrivall of the Spaniards there The Fryers complaint of their cruelty there were certaine Fryers and religious men who mooved with some zeale to draw the people there to the Christian Faith did travell into those parts that so they might spread abroad the Gospell of Christ and when they came there beholding the intemperance of their Countrymen which turned many away from the profession of Religion they were much mooved in their hearts and some of them by Writings and some other of them by travelling personally backe againe into Spaine did informe the King and his Court how dishonourable a thing it was to the Name of Christ that the poore people should be so abused and how improbable it was that those courses being continued any of them would hardly embrace the Faith The earnest Petition of these caused Charles the Fift the Emperour and the King of Spaine by his Edict and open Proclamation published in the West Indies to give liberty unto the Inhabitants and Naturals of the place that they should be in the state of Freemen and not of bond * Note but his Subjects were so inured proudly to domineere over them that this did little amend the condition of the people Since these dayes notwithstanding the blind zeale of the Spaniards hath beene such as that the Kings have beene at some cost and other men also have beene at great charge to erect divers Monasteries and Religious Houses there and many have taken the paines to go out of Europe as they think for Christs sake to reside as Monkes and Fryers in America There be established some Bishoprickes there and other Governments Ecclesiasticall and the Masse is there published and Latine Service according to the custome of the Church of Rome labouring to roote out their infidelitie but mingling the Christian Religion with much Popish Superstition By reason that the Countrey is exceeding rich and fruitfull the Spaniards with great desire did spread themselves towards the North where they found some more resistance although nothing in comparison of Wariours but the greatest of their labour was to conquer the Kingdome of Mexico * Mexico described which Mexico is a Citie very great and as populous almost as any in the World standing in the middest of a great Marsh or Fen. The Conquerour of this was Ferdinandus Cortesius so much renowned in Spaine unto this day If there were any thing at all in these West Indies which might sauour of civility or any orderly kind of government it was in the Kingdome of Mexico where it appeared unto the Spaniards that there is a certaine setled state which was kept within compasse by some decrees and customes of their owne and which was able to make some resistance as it may be termed if it be compared with the other Inhabitants of America although little if it bee conferred with the courses of Christendome But the policie of the Spaniards was that by private meanes they came to understand of a King that confined neere unto Mexico who as hee was of good strength so was hee of exceeding malice towards these his Borderers and by his Forces and intelligence Ferdinandus Cortesius and his Company came to have their will upon Mexico * A great Lake In this Countrey there standeth a very great Lake which at the one end is very large and almost round but towards the other end doth contract it selfe againe into a narrow roome and then spreadeth wide againe and round onely about the third part of the compasse of the greater end In the lesser of the two there are set some Houses in foure or five severall places which represent our Villages but in the greater part of the Lake standeth Mexico it selfe being a Citie built of Bricke to a good and elegant proportion where the water issueth into divers streets of it as it is in Venice and from some part whereof there are divers Bridges unto the mayne Land made also of Bricke but from the other sides men doe come by Boats wherof there is abundant store continually going in that Lake The Writers do record that there is to be found in this Citie abundance of all kind of Provision but especially Fruits and other delightfull things which are brought in from other parts of the Country * Mexico the chiefe City of all those quarters This was the chiefe City of all those quarters before the arrivall of the Spaniards there and in subjection thereunto were many large Provinces extending themselves every way so that the King of this place was a Prince of great estate and accordingly thereunto the Spaniards at this day have made it their chiefe and Royall Citie where the King keepeth his Viceroy of Mexico for the West Jndies as hee hath his Vice-roy at Goa for the East Indies but from thence have all the parts of America but especially that which they call Hispania nova their directions and hence they fetch their Lawes Ordinances and Determinations unlesse it be such great causes as are thought fit to bee referred to the Councell of Spain The Gulph of Mexico The Sea which confineth neerest unto this City is called the Gulph of Mexico where as in divers other Bayes or Gulphes the Streame or Current is such that Shippes cannot passe directly to and fro but especially out of the Gulph but they are forced to take their course either high to the North or
ground and therefore howsoever they brought home some store of earth which they supposed to bee Oare and of shining stones yet when it came to the tryall it prooved to be nothing worth but verified the Proverbe All is not gold that glisters In very many parts of these Northerne Countries of America there is very fit and opportune fishing some pretty way within the Sea and therefore divers Nations of Europe doe yearely send Fishers thither with shipping and great store of salt where when they have taken fish and dryed it and salted it at the land they bring it home into Christendome and utter it commonly by the name of New-found-land-fish The fish of New-found land The English about the yeare 1570 did adventure farre for to open the North parts of America and sayled as farre as the very Circle Articke hoping to have found a passage by the North to the Molluccoes and to China which hitherto neither by the North of Asia nor by the North of America could be effected by them by reason of the very great Colde and Ice in the Climate The rest of the Island being a hugh space of Earth hath not hitherto by any Christian to any purpose beene discovered but by those neere the Sea-coast it may be gathered that they all which doe there inhabite are men rude and uncivill without the knowledge of God Yet on the North-west part of America some of our Englishmen going through the Straights of Magellan and passing towards the North by Hispania Nova have touched on a Countrey where they have found good entertainment and the King thereof yeelded himselfe to the subjection of the Queen of England whereupon they termed it * Nova Albion Nova Albion Sir Francis Drake who toucht upon that Countrey and for some pretty time had his abode there doth report in his Voyage that the Countrey is very good yeelding much store of divers Fruits delightfull both to the eye and taste and that the people are apt enough by hospitality to yeeld favour and entertainment to strangers but it is added withall that they are marveilously addicted to Witch-craft and adoration of Devils from which they could not be perswaded to abstaine even in the very presence of our Countrey-men Of Peru and Brasile The Portugales discovery of Brasile WHen the Portugals had first begun the Navigation by Africke into the East Indies some of theÌ„ intending to have held their course East-ward unto Caput bonae spei were driven so farre West-ward by Tempest that they landed in a large and great Countrey which by a generall name is called Brasilia where they began to enter Traffick and with Townes and Castles to plant themselves before that the Spaniard had discovered Peru which is the South part of America So that at this day whatsoever the King of Spaine hath in Brasilia it is in the right of the Crowne of Portugall Wee may read in Guicciardine how when the Spaniards towards the West and the Portugales towards the East had descryed many New-found-lands there grew great contention betweene them what should be appropriated unto the one and what might be seized on by the other therefore for the better establishing of peace amongst them they had both recourse unto Alexander the sixt who was Pope in the yeare 1492. and somewhat before and after and hee taking on him after the proud manner of the Bishops of Rome to dispose of it which belonged not unto him did set down an order betweene them which was that all the degrees of Longitude being 360 in the Globe being divided into two parts the Spaniards should take one and the Portugals the other so that in this division they were to begin in those degrees under which some of Peru standeth from the which they counting forwards towards the East did allow Brasilia and 180 degrees to the Portugals Eastward and so from Brasilia Westward to the Spaniards as many so that hee had in his portion all America except Brasilia A large Country and much inbaâ—ited This Countrey is large having in it many people and severall Kingdomes which are not all possessed by the Portugals but so that other Christians as namely the Frenchmen being driven out of their Countrey for Religion have set foote in there though afterwards againe they have abandoned it What the Portugals doe at this day in Brasilia I know not but it is likely now that whatsoever there is held by the Christians is reputed to be under the Spaniards as many other parts of Brasile promiscuously are yet certaine it is that now almost 40. yeares since some of the French-men which professed sincere religion and could not then be suffered quietly to live in France did provide certain shipping and under the conduct of one Villagagno a Knight of Malta but their owne Country-man did goe thither and continued there by the space of one yeare having Ministers and Preachers amongst them and the exercise of the word Sacraments but after by the evil counsell of some of the chiefe Rulers of France which were addicted unto the Pope the heart of Villagagno was drawn away insomuch that he contumeliously using the Pastors and chiefe of that Company did force them to retire into France so that the habitation there was then utterly relinquished and hath not since been continued by any of the French There is a learned man one Iohannes Lyreus who was in their voyage and hath written a Tract called Navigatio in Brasiliam which is very well worth the reading not onely to see what did befall him and his Company but what the manners of that people with whom they did converse The Inhabitants here are men also utterly unlearned but men more ingenious than the common sort of the Americans goodly of body and straight of proportion going alwayes naked reasonable good Warriours after their Countrey fashion using to fat such enemies as they take in the Warres that afterwards they may devoure them which they may devoure them which they doe with great pleasure For divers of the people of those Quarters as the Caribees and the Cannibals and almost all are eaters of mans flesh * The abundance o Brasile wood In this Countrey groweth abundance of that wood which since is brought into Europe to die red colours and is of the place whence it commeth called Brasil Wood the Trees whereof are exceeding great The people of Brasil where Lyrius and his fellowes lived are called by the name of Tauvoupinambaltii by description of whose qualities many things may be learned concerning the rest of the Inhabitants neere thereabout First then they have no letters among them and yet seeme to bee very capable of any good understanding as appeared by the speech of some of them reproving the Frenchmen for their great greedinesse and covetousnesse of gaine when they would take so much paines as to come from another end of the World to get Commodities there * Their Religion Their
computation is onely by the Sunne and Moone who they hold to be of a Divine nature and although they know nothing truly concerning God yet they have a darke opinion that the soule doth live after the separation from the body * Their apparell The men and women thorowout the whole Countrey doe goe starke naked even very few of them having any thing on to cover their Privities only some of them doe pull some kinde of ornaments thorow their eares and the most of them have their lower-lip bored thorow with a great hole therein putting some device or other * The proportion of the Inhabitants They looke very disguisedly but they are all wonderfull straight of limbe and proportion insomuch that the Author writeth that in all the time wherein hee lived among them hee saw not one crooked backt or mishapen in any part whereof seeking to give a reason hee ascribeth it to this that their Children are never swathed nor bound about with any thing when they are first borne but are put naked into the bed with their Parents to lie which beds are devised of Cotton wooll and hung up between two trees not farre from the ground in the which slagging downe in the middle men and their wives and their children doe lie together But whether this bee the true reason of the straightnesse of their bodies it may bee doubted from the authority of Saint Hierome who in one of his Treatises mentioning that the Children of the noblest and greatest Romanes in his time were very crooked when other which were bred of meaner parents were not so imputeth it to this cause that the Gentlewomen of Rome in a kinde of wantonnesse did not suffer their Infants to bee so long swathed as poorer people did and that thereby their joynts and members not being tied and restrained within compasse did flye out of proportion Certainely howsoever there may be some reasons naturally given of these things it is much to be ascribed to the immediate will of God who giveth and taketh away beauty at his pleasure * Note The men of these parts are very strong and able of body and therefore either give sound strokes with their Clubs wherewith they fight or else shoot strong shoots with their Bowes whereof they have plenty and if any of them bee taken in the Warres after they have beene crammed of purpose to bee eaten of their enemies they are brought forth to execution wherein marvellous willingly they doe yeeld themselves to death as supposing that nothing can be more honourable unto them than to bee taken and to dye for their Countrey He therefore who is to kill the other doth with very much insolencie pride insult over him which is to be slaine saying thou art he which wouldst have spoyled and destroyed us and ours but now I am to recompence thee for thy paines and the other without all feare replies Yea I am hee that would have done it would have made no spare if I had prospered in mine intent and other such sutable words shewing their resolution to conquer or willingly to dye in the common cause of themselves and their people * The Canibals or man-eaters which is the Countrey custome It is strange to see the inhumane and unnaturall custome which many of the people of the West Indies have for there are whole Ilands full of such Canibals as doe eate mans flesh and among the rest these Tovonpinambaltij are famous that way who when they are disposed to have any great meeting or to have any solemne feast they kill some of their adversaries whom they keepe in store for that purpose and cutting him out into collops which they call Boucan they will lay them upon the coles and for divers dayes together make great mirth in devouring them wherein they have this fashion very strange that so long as they are in their eating banquet although it continue divers dayes they doe never drinke at all but afterwards when they are disposed to fall to drinking of a certaine liquor which they have amongst them they will continue bousing at it for two or three whole dayes and in the meane time never eate In many parts both of Hispania nova and Peru as also in the Ilands neere adjoyning they have an herbe wherof they make great use of which some is brought into divers parts of Europe under the name of * Their great use of Tobacco Tobacco Paetum or Nicosiana although we have also much counterfeit of the same the people of those parts doe use it as Phisicke to purge themselves of humours and they apply it also to the filling of themselves the smoake of it being received through a leafe or some such hollow thing into the nostrils head and stomacke and causing the party which receiveth it to lie as if he were drunke or dead for a space needing no food or nourishment in the meane while Whereof it cannot be denied but that it is possible that by prescript of Physicke it may be serviceable for some purposes among us although that also it be very disputable in as much as they who speak most highly of it must and doe confesse that the force of it is obstupefactive and no other whereby it produceth his owne effects and wisemen should be wary and sparing in receiving of such a thing But when we doe consider the vaine and wanton use which many of our Countrymen have of late taken up in receiving of this Tabbaco not onely many times in a day but even at meat Note and by the waâ— to the great waste both of their purse and of their bodies wee may well deplore the vanitie of the Nation who thereby propose themselves as ridiculous to the French and other our Neighbours And certainly if it were possible that our worthy warlike and valiant Progenitors might behold hold their manners who doe most delight therein they would wonder what a generation had succeeded in their roomes who addict themselves to so fond and worse then effeminate passion Benzo who lived among them of the West Indies doth call the smell of it a Tartarus and hellish savour And whosoever looketh into those Bookes which our Christians travelling thither have written concerning those West Indies shall finde that the Inhabitants there doe use it most as a remedy against that which is called Lues Venerea whereunto many of them are subject being uncleane in their conversation and that not onely in Fornication and Adultery with Women * Note this yee Tobacoonists but also their detestable and execrable sinne of Sodomie After that the Spaniards had for a time possessed Hispania Nova for the desire of Gold and Pearle some of them travailed toward the South and as by water they found the Sea West-ward from Peru which is alwaies very calme and is by them called the South-Sea as the other wherein Cuba standeth is tearmed the North-Sea so by land they found that huge mighty
Country which is called * A description of the people of Peru. Peru wherein the people are for the most part very barbarous and without God men of great stature yea some of them farre higher than the ordinary sort of men in Europe using to shoot strongly with Bows made of Fish-bones and most cruell people to their enemies Our English people who have travailed that way do in their writings confesse that they saw upon the South of Peru very huge tall men who attempting upon them when they put to land for fresh water were much frighted with their Gunnes or else doubtlesse had offered violence unto them which our men fearing got them away as speedily as they could There was one Petrus de Cieca a Spaniard who when he had travailed two and twenty yeeres returned backe againe into Europe and wrote an excellent Booke of the Discovery of that whole Country And he amongst other things doth record that there are found in some parts of Peru very huge and mighty bones of men that had bin Gyants who dwelt and were buried there * The Riches of the Countrey of Peru. Amongst these the Spaniards partly by force but especially by perfidious treason did get infinite sums of Gold and Pearles wherewith being allured they hoped for more by reason that a great part therof lyeth under the Zona Torrida and that caused them to spread themselves here and there as farre as they durst in the Country where in some places they digged Gold out of the Earth and in some other they found it ready digged and tryed unto their hands by the people of the Country which had used that trade before their comming thither Among other creatures which are very famous in this Peru there is a little * A strange story of the Beast Cincia beast called Cincia which is no bigger then a Fox the tayle whereof is long the feet short and the head very like a Fox which hath a bagge hanging under her belly whereinto shee doth use to put her young when shee seeth them in danger of any hunter or passenger That Petrus de Cieca of whom mention was made before telleth that himselfe saw one of them which had no lesse then seven yong ones lying about her but as soone as she perceived that a man was comming neere unto her shee presently got them into her bagge and ranne away with such incredible swiftnesse as one would not have imagined After the Spaniards had conquered Mexico they discovered Peru travelling towards the South and as they prevailed against the Mexicans taking part with an enemy Neighbour so finding two brothers striving in Peru Guascar and Atabaliba they so demeaned themselves in their difference that they ruin'd both and got there incredible store of Gold The first attempters against the Peruvians The first that attempted against the Peruvians and destroyed their Kings were Iames of Almagra and the two brothers of Pizarroes but dealing trecherously cruelly with the Peruvians the long enjoyed not their victory but all of them died a violent death The people of Peru are in many places much wiser than those of Cuba Hispaniola and some other parts of the Continent where the Spaniards first landed and therfore they have some orders and solemne customes among them as among the rest they doe bury their dead with observable Ceremonies laying up their bodies with great solemnity into a large house prepared for that purpose They have also in one Province there a custome of carrying of news and messages very speedily to the end the King and Governour of the Country may presently take advertisement of any thing which falleth out and this is not on Horse-backe or by the Dromedary or Elke as they use in other places but onely men who passe over Rockes and thorow Bushes the next way and in certain set places there be always fresh Postes to carry that farther which is brought to them by the other The Spaniards have here and there scatteringly upon the Sea-coasts set up some Towns and Castles but are not able to possesse almost any thing of the Land neither have they as yet discovered the inward parts thereof though daily they spread themselves more and more in so much that it is supposed that within these seven yeares last past they have gotten into Guiana where in former time no strength of that Nation hath bin * Guiana Guiana is a Countrey which lyeth to the North-sea in the same height as Peru to the South as it is described about five degrees from the Aequinoctiall and that as I take it towards the South * The richnesse and pleasantnes of the Countrey The Countrey is supposed to be exceeding rich and to haue in it many Mynes of Gold which have not yet been touched or at least but very lately and to be exceeding fertile and delightfull otherwise although it lie in the heate of Zona Torrida but there is such store of Rivers and fresh waters in every part thereof and the soyle it selfe hath such correspondency thereunto that it is reported to be as green and pleasant to the eye as any place in the World Some of our Englishmen did with great labour and danger passe by water into the heart of the Country and earnestly desired that some forces of the English might be sent thither and a Colony erected there by reason of the distance of the place and the great hazard that if it should not succeed well it might proove dishonourable to our Nation and withall because the Spaniards have great companies and strength although not in it yet many waies about it that intendment was discontinued In divers parts of this Peru and neere unto Guiana there are very many great rivers which as they are fit for any navigation that should be attempted to goe up within the Land so otherwise they must needs yeeld health and fruitfulnesse to those that inhabite there The greatest of these Rivers is that which some call Oregliana or the * The River of the Amazones river of the Amazones And next is the river Maragnone down towards Magellane straits Rio de la Plata and our Englishmen doe speake of the river Orinoque In the greatest of which this is famous that for a good space after they have run into the maine sea yea some write 20. or 30. miles they keepe themselves unmixt with the salt water so that a very great way within the Sea men may take up as fresh water as if they were neere the Land The first of our Nation that sailed to Guiana and made report thereof unto us Sir Walter Raleigh did first discover it to the English was Sir Walter Raleigh who travelled far up into the Country upon the River Orinoque after him one or two voyages thither did Captaine Kemmish make and now lately Captain Harcourt with others have visited that Country where our men continued the space of three or foure yeares
and so to the Molucco Ilands then homeward from the East by Africke did in a devise give the Globe of the Earth with this word or motto Primus me circumdedisti which is not simply to be understood that never any had gone round the World before him but that never any of fame for Magellane himselfe was slaine as before is noted or else he did doubt of the truth of that narration that the Ship called Victoria did returne with safety into Spaine The Maps which were made at first concerning America Peru did so describe the Westerne part of Peru as if when a man had passed Magellane Straits and did intend to come upwards towards Nova Hispania on the further side he must have borne much West by reason that the Land did shoot out with a very great Promontory and bending that way But our Englishmen which went with Sir Francis Drake did by their owne experience certainely finde that the Land from the uttermost end of the Straits on Peru side did goe up towards the South directly without bending to the West and that is the cause wherefore all the new Maps and Globes especially made by the English or by the Dutch who have taken their directions from our men are reformed according to this new observation When the Spaniards had once found an ordinary passage from the South Sea towards the Moluccoes they never ceased to travaile that way and discovered more and more and by that meanes they have found out divers Ilands not knowne in former Ages as two for example sake a good distance from the Moluccoes which because * Insulae Latronum they be inhabited by men which do steale not only each from other but doe pilfer away all things that they can from such strangers as doe land thereabouts they are called Insulae Latronum They have also descryed some other neere unto the East Indies which they now tearme * Jnsulae Solomonis Insulae Solomonis But the most renowned of all are those of whom the name is given * Philippinae Philippina in remembrance of Philip the Second King of Spaine at whose cost they were discovered * Their Richâ—s These Philippinae are very rich and from thence is brought abundance of costly Spices and some other rich Merchandize yea and Gold too There were also some other Ilands descryed by Magellanus himselfe which he called * Insulas infortunatas Insulas infortunatas as being of quality contrary to the Canaries which are tearmed the fortunate Islands for when hee passing thorow the South Sea and meaning to come to the Moluccoes where hee was slaine did land in these Ilands thinking there to have furnished himself with victuals and fresh water hee found the whole places to be barren and not inhabited Of the Countreys that lie about the two Poles HAving laid downe in some measure the description of the olde known World Asia Africa and Europe with the Islands adjoyning unto them and also of America which by some hath the title of New-found-world it shall not be amisse briefly to say something of a fift and sixt part of the Earth the one lying neer the South Pole and the other neer the North which are places that in former times were not known nor thought of When Magellanus was come downe to the Southerne end of Peru he found on the further side of the Straits a maine and huge land lying towards the South-Pole which some of his name called since * Regio Magellanica Regio Magellanica and that so much the rather because he touched upon it againe before he came to the Moluccoes Since his time the Portugales travelling towards Calecut and the East Indies there have some of them bin driven by tempest so far as to that which many now call the South Continent and so divers of sundry Nations have there by occasion touched upon it It is found therefore by experience for to goe along all the degrees of longitude and as in some places it is certainely discovered to come up so high towards the North as to the Tropicke of Capricorne so it is conjectured that towards the South it goeth as farre as to the Pole The ground whereof is that never any man did perceive the Sea did passe thorow any part thereof nay there is not any great River which hath yet beene described to come out of it into the Ocean whereupon it is concluded that since somewhat must fill up the Globe of the Earth from the first appearing of this land unto the very Pole and that cannot be any Sea unlesse it should be such a one as hath no entercourse with the Ocean which to imagine is uncertaine therefore it is supposed that it commeth whole out into the Land to the Antarticke Pole which if it should be granted it must needs be acknowledged withall that this space of Earth is so huge as that it equalleth in greatnesse not only Asia Europe and Africa but almost America being joyned unto them Things memorable in this Countrey are yet reported to be very few only in the East part of it over against the Moluccoes some have written that there bee very waste countries and wildernesses but we find not so much as mention whether any do inhabit there or no. And over against the promontory of Africke which is called Caput bonae spei there is a Countrey which the Portugals called * Psittacorum Regio Psittacorum regio because of the abundant store of Parrots which they found there Neere to the Magellane straits in this South part of the world is that land the Spaniards call Terra del fuego * Terra del fuego those also which have touch'd at it in other places have given to some parts of it these names Boach Eucach Maletur but we have no perfect description of it nor any knowledge how or by whom it is inhabited * A description of the people About this place the said Portugals did at one time saile along for the space of 2000. Miles and yet found no end of the land And in this place they reported that they saw inhabitants which were very faire and fat people and did goe naked which is the more to be observed because we scant read in any writer that there hath bin seen any people at all upon the South-coast More towards the East not far from the Moluccoes there is one part of this countrey as some suppose although some doubt whether that be an Iland or no which commeth up so high towards the north as the very Aequinoctial line and this is commonly called * Nova Guinea Nova Guinea because it lieth in the same climate and is of no other temperature then Guinea in Africke is I have heard a great Mathematician in England finde fault both with Ortelius and Mercatâ—r and all our late Makers of Maps because in describing this Continent they make no mention of any Cities
unto the Turk whose life is so excellently written by Martinus Partesius From the East part of Epirus Northward lyeth a Country which was never noted by any famous name but as it should seeme was sometime under Epirus from which it lyeth Northward sometimes under Macedonia from which it lyeth Westward and sometimes under Illyris or Dalmatia from which it lyeth Southward and it may be that there was in old time divers free Cities there Illyricum Illyricum which confineth upon Graecia toward the North and West neere unto the top of the Adriatick Sea and not farre from Venice is for a good part of it at this day under the Venetians The fourth and greatest part of old Graecia was Macedonia Macedonia which is falsly by the Maps of the Romane Empire placed on the Westside of Graecia for in truth it lyeth on the Eastside looking toward Asia the lesser being bounded on the Eastside by the Sea called Mare Aegeum on the Southside by Achaia and the Hill Othris and part of Epirus and on the Westside by certaine great Mountains but on the North by the Hill Haemus This was the Kingdome so famous in times past for Philip and Alexander his sonne who conquered the whole World and caused the name of the third Empire to be attributed unto this place Here stood the Hill Athos whereof part was digged downe by the army of Xerxes the great King of Persia who warred against the Grecians Here was the Hill Olympus the City of Philippi where the Philippians dwelt to whom Saint Paul wrote Here was Ampollonia Amphipolis Edessa Pella Thessalonica and Berea yea and the whole Countrey of Thessalia lay on the Southside of this part of Greece In this Countrey of Graecia were in ancient time many Kingdomes and States as at this day there are in Italy as the Macedonians the Kingdome of Epirus the State of Athens the government of Sparta the City of Thebes and very many other places insomuch that almost every Town had a peculiar government But now it is all under one Monarchy Many famous things from Grecia From Graecia in old time did almost all famous things come These were they that made the war against Troy that resisted Xerxes the mighty King of Persia that had the Famous Law-makers as Solon in Athens Famous Lawes and Lycurgus in Lacedemon that took away the Monarchy from the Persians that brought forth the Famous Captaines Famous Captains as Themistocles Miltiades Alexander and many other that were the Authours of civilitie unto the Western Nations and to some in the East as Asia the lesse that gave to Italy and to the Romanes the first light of learning because from them arose the first Poets as Homer The first Poets Hesiodus Sophocles and divers other The great Philosophers Socrates Plato Aristotle and all the Sects of the Academicks Stoicks Peripateticks Epicureans and almost all their Scholars The great Orators The great Oratours Demosthenes and Eschines and in one word the Mathematicks excepted which came rather from the Chaldeans and the Egyptians the whole flower of Arts and good Learning On the Northeast part of Graecia standeth Thracia 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 very neer unto Asia Constantinople standeth the City called Bizantium but since Constantinople because Constantine the Great did new build it and made it an Imperiall City This was the chiefe residence of the Emperour of Graecia sometimes called New Rome and the glory of the East where the Generall Councel was once assembled and one of the Seas of the Patriarks who was called the Patriark of CoÌ„stantinople But by the great discord of the Christians all Graecia and this Citie are fallen into the hands of the Turke who now maketh it his place of Imperiall aboad 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 City lyeth resident with the Turke an Ambassadour or Agent for the King of England The Christians that do live now in Graecia are in miserable servitude unto the Turke They disagree in many things from the doctrine of the Church of Rome Of the Sea running between Europe and Asia Northerne parts were not discovered in times past IF there were no other argument that the Northern parts of the World were not discovered in times past by any that travelled that way yet this would sufficiently avouch it that there was never thought upon any Land betweene Asia and Europe higher than the river Tanais which doth not extend it selfe very farre into the North but is short of the uttermost bounds that was by the space of foure thousand miles but this River which by the Tartarians is now called Don where it doth run it leaveth Asia on the Eastside and Europe on the West but going forward toward the South it disburdeneth it selfe into a dead Lake or Fen for so it seemeth which is called Maeotis-Palus Maeotis Palus Iustin Ovid. spoken of in the second book of Iustine and not forgotten by Ovid de ponto and at this day in the dead of Winter it is usually so frozen that the Scythians and Tartarians neer adjoyning do both themselves their cattâ—ll yea sometimes with Sleads after them passe over as if it were dry Land On the Southern part of this Maeotis is a narrow strait of the Sea which is commonly called by the name of Bosphorus Cimmerius Bosphorus Cimmerius because as it is thought sometime Oxen have ventured to swim crosse there from Asia to Europe or backward When the water hath runne for a pretty space in so narrow a passage there beginneth a great and wide Sea named Pontus Euxinus Pontus Euxinua Whither as Iosephus reporteth the Whale did carry the Prophet Ionas and there did disburden himselfe of his carriage by casting him upon the Land At the mouth of this Sea is a very great strait knowne by the name of Thracius Bosphorus Thracius Bosphorus where the bredth of this Sea is not above one mile severing Asia and Europe On the side of Europe standeth Constantinople On the side of Asia the City called Pera or Galata which for the neernesse is by some reckoned a part of Constantinople When any of the Turkes Ianizaries have committed ought worthy of death A strange custome among the Turks the custome is to send the same party in the night time over by boat from Constantinople to Peru where by the way he is throwne into the water with a great stone about his necke and then there is a piece of Ordnance shot off which is a token of some such execution The Turke is forced to take this course lest the rest of his Ianizaries should mutiny when any of their fellowes is put to death By reason of the standing of