there is nothing to be seen but some scattered houses few Villages and not above from Towns of note viz. 1 Orâ—zakow at the influx of the Borysthenes or Nieper into the Euxine sea 2 Vaszow at the fall of the River Bog into that of Nieper 3 Braclaw more high upon the Bog 4 Camienecz on the borders of Russia nigra built by some divine hand as it were amongst the precipices of high and inaccessible Rocks and so well fortified withall that it is impregnable as is apparent by the many and great repulses which the Turks Tartarians and Valachians have received before it with much shame and losse 2 Lemburg remarkable for the sawces or salt-meats which they send thence into other Countries 6 RUSSIA NIGRA RVSSIA NIGRA hath on the East Volhinia Podolia and Moldavia on the West Mazoâ—ia and Poland specially so called on the North Lituania and Podlassia and on the South the Sarmatian on Carpathian Mountains It is called also Roxolania from the Roxolani a chief people of Sarmaâ—â—a Europaea and by some Ruthenia but generally Russia from the Rossi spoken of before in the Empire of Russia who spread themselves over all these parts Some hold that it was first called Rosseia which signifieth in the Sclavonian language a scattered Nation or a Nation disseminated and dispersed into many parts and that this was the name generally of all that spake the Sclavonian tongue and followed the religion and â—ites of the Church of Greece extended from the frozen Seas to the Adriatique and from the Euxine to the Baltick This and a greater tract of ground I grant to have been heretofore possessed by divers Nations under the name of Sclavonians a very considerable part of Germany and Pâ—land being conquered by them But for the name of Russia given at first to all the Russian Empire distinguished now into Russia Alba and Russia Nigra I adhere unto my former Vote conceiving that it came from the Rossi an Armenian people inhabiting about Mount Taurus who in the year 864 or there abouts attempted the taking of Constantinople and after placed themselves on the Northern banks of the Euxine getting ground of the Sclavonians to the North and East till they had made themselves masters of all Russia Alba Lituania Volhinia Podolia and this Russia Nigra Distinguished from the former by the adjunct of Nigra after the destruction of that great Empire by the coming in of the Tartars either from the colour of their garments or their black and more southernly complexion In which regard called also Russia Meridionalis or the Southern Russia The Country is generally fruitfull abounding in Horses Oxen Sheep Sables and Foxes such store of Bees that they breed not only in Hives and hollow trees but in Rocks and Caves Well watred both with Pools and Rivers affording them great plenty of fish more naturally spawning here then in other places insomuch that if a Pond be digged and spring accordingly the fish will breed therein of their own accord without being brought from other waters The greatest want hereof is wine either supplyed with Mede or from other places And it is said that in the Territorie of Cheline the branches of the Pine trees left upon the ground for three years together will be converted into stone The people are generally valiant and so strong of bodie that they use Bows of 12 foot long Being formerly governed by Dukes they doe but ill brook the name of King which much induced the Kings of Poland to send Colonies of naturall Polonians into most parts of the Countrie insomuch as most of the Knights and Gentrie of it are of that extraction and follow the religion of the Church of Rome the Paisants and originall inhabitants of it being more generally affected to the Rites and doctrines of the Church of Greece Places of most importance in it are 1 Chelme in the Territorie whereof it is affirmed that the branches of Pine trees left upon the ground for three years together are converted to stone 2 Premisten 3 Halitz 4 Belzo 5 Grodeck and 6 Leopolis by the Natives called Lemburg built by one Leo a Moscovite a Town of great traffique and an Archbishops See who is of the Religion of the Church of Rome But the Patriarch of Mosco hath here also an Archbishop of his own ordaining there being Churches both in the Citie it self and all Russia generally as before was said which are of the communion of the Church of Greece There are also in this Citie some Armenian Merchants who have a Church a Bishop and some Priests of their own religion Of the affairs of this Province and how it was a part once of the Russian Empire hath been said already Dismembred from it by the Tartars it had a while Dukes or Provinciall Governours subject and tributarie unto those Barbarians as had also Podolia its next neighbour Both conquered by the Polander were for a time kept under by strong hand and the power of Garrisons But being upon all occasions apt to revolt by reason of the hard hand which the Kings held over them by whom treated rather like slaves then subjects they were assured unto the State by giving them the same liberties and immunities both for the Nobilitie and the Commons which the naturall Polonians had and by that means made fellow-members of that Common-wealth The Act of Ladislaus the 6. the son of Jagello imitating therein the ancient Romans who much augmented their forces and assured their Estate by communicating the freedome of Rome and the priviledges of Latium to many of 〈…〉 7 MASSOVIA MASSOVIA is bounded on the East with Lituania on the West with 〈◊〉 specially so called on the North with Prussia and 〈◊〉 on the South with Russia Nigra or 〈◊〉 So called 〈…〉 one of the Dukes hereof who in the year 1045. being vanquished by Casiâ—â—â—e Duke of Poland 〈◊〉 into â—â—ussia and there unfortunately dyed The Countrie large and for the most part full of woods where they finde store of Bugâ—â—s and wild 〈◊〉 The people strong valiant and couragious in war differing little from the 〈◊〉 in speech manners or apparell save that they use a kinde of whistling which the others do not The principall Towns of it are 1 Marschow the chief of the Province and heretofore the residence of the Duke or Prince remarkable for the best Mâ—de or Metheglin 2 Egrâ—d Czirko 3 Poltouvoski 4 Gadzâ—ck 5 Lozara 6 Droâ—e the seat of a Palatine but not else observable This Province was once subject to Princes of its own not subject or subordinate unto any Superiour Of which number that Masso was one from whom named Massovia In the years 1246. and 1260. being strangely wasted and distressed by Mindâ—y Duke of Lituania they were fain to put themselves under the power of the Polander by whom made the portion of the second son of that Kingdom But John and Stamslaus the two last Dukes hereof dying without issue it returned unto the Kings of Poland by whom
the noble Vaivod that few of them escaped the slaughter But being afterwards betrayed by his old friend Czarnieviche and against faith given barbarously murdered by the Turkish Bassa Moldavia fell into the hands of the Turkes and was united to that Empire an 1574. the Vaivods from that time forwards being nominated by the Turkish Emperours and governing as substitutes and Lievtenants for and under them And though Aaron one of the succeeding Vaivods did shake off this yoke and confederated himself with Sigismund Prince of Transylvania and Michael Vaivod of Valachia for defence of themselves and their Estates against that Enemy yet being afterwards supplanted by Roswan one of his own ambitious subjects and that confederacie disjointed it became subject first unto the Polonians by the power and practise of Zamoyskie Chancellour of Poland and then unto Rodolphus Emperour of Germany and finally unto the Turke as before it was And though the Polanders have since made use of some opportunities in imposing Vaivods on this countrey in despite of the Turkes yet was it commonly to their owne losse little or no benefit to the Moldavians and in the end drew the whole power of the Turkes upon themselves in the reign of Osman never since intermedling in the affaires of this Province but leaving them entirely to the Turkes disposing who receive hence some yearly tribute but have not hitherto obtained the entire possession of it so long since aimed at by those Tyrants 3 VALACHIA VALACHIA is bounded on the East with Moldavia and a branch of the Ister or Danubius bending towards the North on the West with Rascia on the North with Transylvania and some part of Moldavia and on the South with the Danubius wholly by which parted from Servia and Bulgaria First called Flaccia from one Flaccus a Noble Roman who on the conquest hereof in the time of Trajan brought hither an Italian Colonie afterwards by corruption Vlachia and at last Valachia But the name of Flaccia or Vlachia was at first of a more large extent then it is at present comprehending all Moldavia also divided in those times by a ridge of Mountaines into Cisalpina and Tran alpinaa the name of Moldavia being afterwards appropriated to the one and that of Valachia properly and specially so called unto the other The people of both in token of their first extraction speak a corrupt Latine or Italian language but in matters of Religion follow the dictates of the Greek Church and obey the Patriarch of Constantinople under whom all Ecclesiasticall affairs are governed by one Archhishop and two Bishops In other things they partake generally of the rudenesse and barbarity of those Nations which have since subdued them being a rough hewn people hardly civilized ignorant for the most part of letters and all liberall sciences not weaned perfectly in so long time of their possession of Christianity from the superstitions of the Gentiles swearing by Jupiter and Venus marying and unmarying at their pleasures much given to magicall charms and incantations and burying with their dead both clothes and victuals for their relief in that long journey to the other world It is in length 500 in breadth 120 miles the countrey for the most part plain and very fertile affording store of Cattell a breed of excellent Horses iron-mines salt-pits and all provisions necessarie to the life of man Some vines they also have and not few mines of gold and silver more then for feare of the Turkes and other ill neighbours they dare discover begirt about with woodie mountaines which afford them fewell and very well watered with the Rivers of Pruth called antiently â—â—rasus 2 Stertius 3 Fulmina 4 Teln 5 Alluta all of them falling into 6 the Danow which in this Province at the influx of Fulmina takes the name of Ister yet is it not at the present very populous the spaciousnesse and fertilitie hereof considered by reason of the ill neighbourhood of the Tartars Turks and Polonian Cossackes their late long wars against those Nations and the Dutch having much decreased their former numbers with which they so abounded in the times foregoing that the Vaivod of this countrey in the year 1473. was able upon little warning to bring 70000 men into the field for a present service Places of most note herein are 1 Galatz on the influx of the River Pruth or Hierasus into the Danubius the waters of which River are so unwholesome that it causeth the body to swell 2 Trescortum not far from which they dig a bituminous earth so refined and pure that usually they make Candles of it instead of wax 3 Prailaba by some called Brailovia the town of most trade in all this countrey situate on the Danow and defended with a very strong Castle fortified by Art and Nature and furnished with a strong garrison of Turkes as the key of this Province opening the dore unto the rest The town most cruelly destroyed and razed to the ground with an incredible slaughter of the Inhabitants of all sexes ages for the spaces of four dayes together by John the Vaivod of Moldavia spoken of before at his first revolting from the Turkes but the Castle in regard of the great strength of it scarce attempted by him 4 Teina a Fortresse of great strength but in the hands of the Turkes also 5 Zorza corruptly for San-Georgio seated on the Danow with an arm whereof the Castle of it is encompassed garrisoned by the Turkes and by them held to be so strong and so safe a place that at the taking of it by Sigismund the Prince of Transylvania an 1596. there were found in it 39 great peeces of Ordinance with such store of Armes and Ammunition as might well have served for a whole kingdome 6 Tergovista sometimes the chief City of the Province and the ordinary residence of the Vaivod till the taking of it by the Turkes once beautified with a fair and famous Monastery by the Turkes converted into a fortresse environed with deep trenches strong Bulwarks upon every quarter and great store of Ordinance but many times lost and got againe according to the changes and chance of war 7 Bucaresta about a dayes journey from Tergovista seated on the Danow remarkable for two bridges built neer unto it the one of Boats the laying whereof took up no lesse then an whole moneths time for the transporting of the Army of Sinan Bassa against Sigismund Prince of Transylvania before mentioned and broken down by the said Bassa in his flight having bern worsted in all places by the Transylvanian The other work of the Emperour Trajan in his warre against Decebalus King of Dacia built all of stone and laid on piles and Arches of a wonderfull greatnesse 24 piles or pillars whereof are yet remaining to the great admiration of all beholders 8 Cebium of old called Lycostomos in vain besieged by the forces of Mahomet the Great coming in person to subdue this petit Province 9 Zarmizegethusa the seat Royall of Decebalus
lascivious within doors pleasing in matters of incontinency and they are accounted most beautiful which have the greatest eyes and are of the blackest hue Every Turk is permitted to have four wives and as many slaves as he is able to keep yet are they to meddle with none but their own the offending women being drowned and the man dismembred These women live in great awe and respect of their husband never sitting with him at the table but waiting till he hath done and then withdrawing into some room If their husband hath been abroad at his comming in they all rise from their stools whereon they fate kiss his hand and make an obeisance and stand as long as he is in presence The children which they have they carry not in their arms as we do but astride on their shoulders they live immured from the sight of the world and permit not any male children no not their own sonnes to come among them after they are twelve years old From their husbands they cannot be divorced but on special occasion but their husbands may put away their wives ot give them to their slaves when and as often as they list Far better is it with the sisters or the daughter of the Sultan to whom when her Father or brother bestoweth her on one of the Bassas giveth her a dagger saying I give thee this man to be thy slave or bedfellow if he be not loving obedient and dutiful unto thee I give thee here this Canzharre or dagger to cut off his head When they are maâ— ryed their husbands come not to bed unto them till they are sent for and then also they creep in at the beds feet That ever any of their Ladies made use of their daggers I could never read onely I find that Lutzis Bassa the chief man of the Empire next the Sultan himself and of him very much beloved having given his wise which was sister to Solyman the Magnificent a box on the ear was upon complaint by her made thrust from all his honours banished into Macedon and had doubtless been slain if the Emperours love and his own merits had not pleaded for him And this is all the Prerogative of the Sultans daughter her sonnes being accounted as meer and ordinary Turks onely and never being preferred above the rank of a common Captain The better sort of the Turks use the Schivonian Tonque the vulgar speak the Turkish language which being originally the Tartarian borrowed from the Persians their words of State from the Arabick their words of Religion from the Grecians their words or terms of war and from the Italians their terms of navigation They were formerly idolatrous Pagans and were first initiated in Mahometanism when they got the Soveraignty of the Persian Scepter The degrees in their Religion are 1. The Saffi or Novices 2. The Calsi or readers 3. The Hegi or writers of books for printing they use not 4. The Napi or young Doctors 5. The Caddi whereof there is at least one in every City to judge of offences 6. The Mudressi who use to oversee the Caddis 7. The Medlis or principal Church Governour under the Musti 8. The Caldelescats whereof there are onely three one of Greece the other for Anatolia the third for Egypt and Syria These sit with the Bassas in the Divano to determine of temporall suits 9. The Musti whose sentence in law and religion is uncontroulable He abaseth not himself to sit in the Divano nor affordeth more reverence to the Emperor than he doth to him His forces are either for the Sea or the land His Sea forces are great in regard of his spacious sea-coasts vast woods and number of Subjects he never suffered but one memorable defeat which was that at Lepanto yet the next year he shewed his Navy whole and entire Gallies are his onely vessels which being unable to cope with ships of any bigness were not onely the occasion of that overthrow but also have heartned the Florentine onely with six great ships of war to swager in the Seas so that for more safety the tribute of Egypt is of late sent to Constantinople by land The Captain Bassa or Admirall notwithstanding with a Navy of 60 fail makes a yearly progress about the Seas and Sea Towns to annoy the enemy suppress Pyrates collect the tributes and to redress the abuses committed in the maritime Towns belonging to the Admirallity which annuall circuit is begun in May and ended in October Their land forces are either horse or foot they which served on horseback are the Spali and Asapi these latter serving to weary the enemies and dull there swords with there multitudes of whole bodies the Janizaries use to make mounts whereon to assault the wall of a besieged Town and are by them so contemned that a Janizary once sold a of them for a sheeps head As for the Spali they till they are inrold into pay are of the same originall and education with the Janizaries and called by the same name Azamaglans Their pay is ten aspers a day The Turk is able and doth maintain 150000 Horses at little or no cost which no other Prince can do with 14. millions of Gold for wheresoever any Parcell of Land is conquered it is divided into divers parts and committed to the manuring of divers men whom they call Timariots These are to pay unto the Emperour certain rents and at their own charges to send to his wars so many horse excellently appointed for the field and which is the chief point of their service to keep the subjects and all parts of his Empire in awe For being as they are dispersed in all quarters of his Dominions the people can no sooner stir but these will be assembled and fall upon them These Timariots are in all accounted 719000 fighting men whereof 257000 have their abode in Europe and 402000 in Asia and Aprica Were it not for these Timartors as the Turks saying is no Grass would grow where the Grand Signeurs horse hath once set his hoof for if the care of manuring the ground were commited to Paisants and not to military men the greatest part of this Empire would grow wast and desolate These Timariots were instituted by Ottomon the first Turkish King of this Family and a curse by him laid on them that should annihilate the institution The name is derived from the Turkish word Timaz signifying a stipend But the nerves and Sinews of this warlike body are the Janizaries who by originall being Christians are chosen by the Turkish Officers every five years out of his European dominions and so distributed abroad to learn the language customes and religion of the Turks afterward according to there strength will or disposition placed in divers chambers They of the first chamber are preferred some to be Chiausies such as go on Embassies and execute judgements others to Sanziacks or Governours of Cities some to be Bassas or commanders of horsemen and others to be Beglerbegs
therein proceeded from that weak impression which the Latin tongue had made amongst them whilst they were under the obedience of that puissant Empire and that the Italian tongue as it is now spoken could not receive so great a change from the barbarous Nations none of which tarried long amongst them but the Goths and Lombards nor they so long the Lombards not at all in the Eastern parts as to be either the occasions or authors of the alteration So that the present language of Italy is a decompound made up especially of Latin and the old Italian some notions of the Lombard being mixt with it in the North and West some of the Gothish in the middest about Rome it self and not a little of the Greek in the East of Naples And as the Language so the Religion of the Countrie hath received some change The Christian Faith was first preached in Rome it self and in Rome first preached by Saint Peter who came thither in or about the beginning of the Empire of Claudius The two Apostles Peter and Paul are generally sayd by the antient Writers to be the first who preached the Gospel in that City A duobus Apostolis Petro Paulo Romae fundata constituta est Ecclesia saith the old Father Irenaeus Lib. 4. cap. 3. To one of these the first preaching of the Gospel there is to be referred both being Bishops of that City That is to say St. Peter of the Churches of the Circumcision St. Paul of those which consisted specially of the Gentiles Now that the Gospel was preached there before Pauls coming is evident by his Epistle written to the Rmans at Cenchrea the Port-town of Corinth six years at least before his being brought to Rome in which he testifieth that their Faith was famous over all the World and therefore could not count him who had never been there for the planter of it And as St. Peter was the first preacher of the Gospel at Rome so sent he his Disciples to promulgate it in most parts of Italy The Roman Martyrologies reckon up eight Bishops of St. Peters making for so many of the principall Cities of this Country that is to say Ephaphroditus not he whom Saint Paul speaks of in his Epistle to the Philippians for Terracina of old called Auxur Hermagoras for Aquilia Paulinus for Luca Apollinaris for Ravenna Marcus for Atina Prosdocimus for Padua Marcianus for Syracuse and Pancratius for Tauromemum in the Isle of Sicilie But whether St. Peter planted it or St. Paul watered it certain I am that GOD onely gave it the increase It could not else have prospered under such a tyranny as many if not most of the Roman Emperours did earnestly endeavour to suppress it with But sanguis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae the watering of it by the blood of so many Martyrs made it grovv the faster And this small grain of Mustard-seed waxed so great a tree as over-shaddovved all the Provinces of that mighty Empire and did not onely stand it out against all Tempests but in conclusion did suppress that Superstition and Idolatry for vvhose sake all those Princes till the time of Constantine did more or less labour to destroy it How much it hath receded since those times from its primitive puritie and how it did degenerate into Worldly pomp and Secular policy by the design and arts of those who boast themselves to be Successors to that great Apostle shall be a little touched at in the story of the Roman Papacie Suffice it in this place to say that all the people of this Country partly in reverence to the Pope partly for fear of the Inquisition and partly by being kept in ignorance of the Protestant Doctrin of which they are taught to believe many monstrous things are all of the Religion of the Church of Rome But though the Fountains of the waters of Eternall life have either been stopped or else corrupted by the Popes of Rome the Rivers which do water this most flourishing Garden still preserve their beds and run unmixed and uncorrupted in the same channels as before they did And of these Italy hath as many as any one Country but none of any long course by reason that all parts of it are so neer some Sea most of which rising from the Alpes or the Apennine Hills by melting of the snows in Winter and casualtie of Land-floods at other times of the year do often over-flow the Country and for the most part leave an ill Air behind them Those of chief note are 1 the River Po or Padus the Greeks call it the Eridanus into which Phaeton is sayd to have been drenched when he fell from Heaven It riseth in the Alpes runneth thorough Lombardy which it divideth into Cispadanam and Transpadanam and having taken in 30 lesser streams falls with seven mouthes into the Adriatick Sea not far from Venice 2 Rubicon antiently the North-bound of Italy Hic fluvius quondam Italiae finis as it is in Plinie It runneth into the Adriatick Sea at Rimini or Ariminum the Port-town to Ravenni 1. 3 Arnus on whose banks stands the Citie of Florence 4 Ticinus which gave name to the Citie of Pavie called of old Ticinum it riseth in the Alpes and emptieth it self into the Lake called Lacus Verbanus 5 Liris now called Gariglia stained with the blood of French and Spaniards in their quarrels for the Realm of Naples nor no less unfortunately memorable for the drowning of Peter de Medices 6 Cuique fuit rerum promissa potentia Tibris And Tiber unto which was given The power of all things under Heaven It riseth from the Apennine Hills passeth by Rome and falleth into the Tuscan or lower Sea at Ostia Here is also the Lake of Thrasymene neer which Annibal defeated Flaminius the Consul and his whole Army opening thereby his passage to the gates of Rome and the famous River of 7. Metaurus where the Romans overcame Asdrubal the Brother of Annibel and thereby made a way to the ruin of Carthage Others of less note shall be mentioned in their proper places As for the Mountains of this Country those of most note are the Alpes and the Apennine of which the residue in a manner are but spurs and branches Of these the Alpes being also appertaining to France and Germany or rather containing many large and entire Provinces which belong to neither deserves a Tractate by it self The Apennine being proper onely to this Country but so that it relates to many and particular Provinces of it shall be spoken of here A ledge of Hils which take beginning neer Savona a Town of Genoa situate on the Mediterranean and fetching a little compass Northwards extend to the furthest parts of Italy dividing it almost in the very middest that part thereof which lieth towards the Tyrrhenian or Tuscan Sea being called Cisapennina Transappennina that which lay towards the Adriatick Passing in one entire body as far as Ascoli in Apulia a Province of the Realm of
no following Plantations from other Couutries were ever able to alter it Some Companies of Attica led by Iolaus came and setled here where they built Olbion and Agryllis leaving a memory of Iolaus their Captain in some places which remained in the time of Pausanias called Iolaia and taking to themselves for his sake the name of Iolatonses And after the destruction of Troy some of that scattered Nation came and planted in some voyd parts of the Iland kept to themselves the name of Ilienses and by that name are mentioned both by Plinie and Livie But neither of these Nations did attempt the change of the name because not of ability to suppress or out-power the Natives Nor could the Carthaginians do it though a more puissant Nation than the former were and such as by the neerness of their habitation Sardinia being distant but 160 miles from Africk had all advantags to make as at last they did a full Conquest of it building therein the Cities of Charmis Chalaris and â—ulchi and holding it untill it was unjustly extorted from them by the Romans at the end of the first Punick War at what time Carthage was in danger to be ruined by the revolt of her own Mercenaries and so not able to resist But of the name and first Plantations of this Iland we have said enough Let us now look upon the place in which it is reported that there is neither Wolf nor Serpent neither venomous nor hurtfull Beast but the Fox onely and a little Creature like a Spider which will by no means endure the light of the Sun except held by violence Some Pooles it hath and those very plentifull of Fish but generally so destitute of River-water that they are fain to keep the rain which falls in Winter for their use in Summer By means whereof and for that there is no passage for the Northern Winds being obstructed by the high Mountains near Cape Lugudoni the Air is generally unhealthy if not pestilentiall Insomuch that Tally writing to his Brother Quintus being then in this Iland adviseth him to remember as in point of health that he was in Sardinia and speaking of Tigellius a Sardinian born saith of him that he was more pestllent than the Country which bred him The soyl is very fertile in respect of Corsica but barren if compared with Sicil which yet may rather be imputed to the want of good manuring in the Husbandman than any naturall defect in the soyl it self Well stored with all sorts of Cattel as appears plainly by that plenty of Cheefe and Hides which are sent hence yearly into Italy and other places The Horses hereof hot head-strong and hard to be broken but will last long The Bullocks naturally amble so that the Countrey-man rideth them as familiarly as they do in Spain on Mules and Asses Here is also the Bâ—ast called Mufâ—ones or Muscriones found in Corsica also but in no other part of Europe somewhat resembling a Stag but of so strong an hide that it is used by the Italians in stead of Armour Of the skins of which carried to Cordova in Spain and there dressed is made the right Cordovan Leather Finally here is an Herb of which if one eat it is sayd that he will dye with laughter Whence came the Proverb Risus Sardonicus The truth of which report I shall not dispute though it be by others more prebably conjectured that the Herb being of a poysonous nature causeth men to dy with such a Convulsion or attraction of Sinews that they seem to grin or laugh at the time of their death The people are small of stature of complexion inclining unto swarthiness and that either by reason of the heat of the Sun or more probably from their African extraction their behaviour much participating of that people also So slothfull in the times of the Romans that they were grown into a Proverb and a Law made to compell them to work but now esteemed a very painfull and laborious Nation Much given to hunting and so prone to Rebellion that the Spaniard permitteth no Cutler to live among them yet peaceable amongst themselves and in some measure courteous unto Strangers also Their language a corrupt Catalonian their diet on meats common and gross their apparell in the Towns especially that of the women gorgeous in the Villages sordid In matters of Religion they are little curious That which they make most shew of is according to the Rites and Doctrines of the Church of Rome which both their neighbourhood to the Pope and their subjection to the Spaniard have imposed upon them But in their practise of it they are loose enough going to Mass on Sundays and Saints days which done they fall to dancing in the middest of the Church singing in the mean times songs too immodest for an Ale-house Nay it is thought that their Clergy it self is the most rude ignorant and illiterate of any people in Christendom saying their Masses rather by rote than reason and utterly unable to give any accompt of their Religion It is divided commonly into two parts viz. Cape Lugudore towards Corsica and Cape Cagliari towards Africk the first the least and withall mountainous and barren the last the larger levell and by much more frutifull Chief Cities of the whole 1. Calaris first built by the Carthaginians and situate in that point of the Iland which lieth neerest to Africk which from hence took the name of Cape Cagliari by which it is at this day called A City of such fame when it was first taken by Gracchus for the use of the Romans that it is called by Florus Urbs Urbium and was destroyed by the said Gracchus the better to disable the Natives from rebelling against the Conquerors Being new built again in more setled times it was a second time destroyed by the Saracens and finally re-built and beautified by the Pisans at such time as they were Masters of this part of the Iland Very well fortified by Nature as seated on the top of an hill and hath under it a spacious and goodly Haven much frequented by Merchants The Town if self adorned with a beautifull Temple being the See of an Arch-bishop many fair Turrets and the constant residence of the Vice-Roy from whose authority it is exempt by especiall privilege as to the legall Government of it and ordered by a Common Councell of its own Citizens 2. Bossa on the West side of the Iland another Arch-episcopall See 3. S. Reparata on the North looking towards Corsica 4. Aquilastro on the Western shores 5. Sassari a Town of consequence where they have an Aqueduct twelve miles long reaching from thence unto S. Gaivius 6. Alghes-Bosa a good Town situate in a wholesome air and a fertile soyl and having a fair Haven of six miles in length in which the ships of Genoa and Catalonia do most commonly ride 7. Orestagne a large Town but very ill peopled by reason of a bad air which proceeds from the Fens
at vvhat time he defended Rhodes from the Turks An. 1409. Their Collar is of fifteen links to shew the fifteen mysteries of the Virgin at the end is the portraiture of our Lady with the history of the Annunciation Instead of a Motto these letters F. E. R. T. id est Fortitudo Ejus Rhodum Tenuit are engraven in every plate or link of the Collar each link being inter-woven one within the other in form of a True-lovers knot The number of the Knights is fourteen besides the Duke who is the Soveraign of the Order the solemnitie is held annually on our Lady-day in the Castle of Saint Peter in Turin So from this victory for every repulse of the besieger is a victory to the besieged there arose a double effect first the institution of this order secondly the assumption of the present Arms of this Dutchy which are G. a Cross A. This being the cross of Saint John of Hierusalem whose Knights at that time vvere owners of the Rhodes Whereas before the Arms vvere Or an Eagle displayed with two heads Sable armed Gules supporting in fesse an escotchion of Saxony that is Barrewise six pieces Sable and Or a Bend flowred Vert. A coat belonging to the Emperors of the house of Saxony from whom the first Earles of Savoy did derive themselves 3. THE SIGNEURIE OF GENEVA GENEVA is a City in the Dukedom of Savoy formerly subject to its own Bishops acknowledging the Dukes of Savoy for the Lord in chief now reckoned as a Free-Estate bordering close upon the Switzers and with them confederate and so more properly within the course and compass of these Alpine Provinces It is situate on the South-side of the Lake Lemane opposite to the City of Lozanne in the Canton of Bern from which it is distant six Dutch miles the River Rhosne having passed thorow the Lake with so clear a colour that it seemeth not at all to mingle with the waters of it running thorow the lower part thereof over which there is a passage by two fair bridges This lower part is seated on a flat or levell the rest on the ascent of an hill the buildings fair and of free-stone well fortified on both sides both by Art and Nature in regard of the pretensions of the Duke of Savoy whom they suffer not to arm any Gallies upon the Lake and other jealousies of State The compass of the whole City is about two miles in which there are supposed to be about sixteen or seventeen thousand soules One of their bridges is more antient and better fortified than the other belonging antiently to the Switzers or Helvetians the old inhabitants of that tract but broken down by Julius Caesar to hinder them from passing that way into France The people of the town are generally of good wits in the managery of publick business but not very courteous towards strangers of whom they exact as much as may be modest and thrifty in apparell and speak for the most part the Savoyard or worst kind of French So that the great resort of young Gentlemen thither is not so much to learn that Language which is no where worse taught as out of an opinion which their parents have that the Reformed Religion is no where so purely practised and professed as there By means whereof the frie or seminarie of our Gentry being seasoned in their youth with Genevan principles have many times proved disaffected to the forms of Government as well Monarchicall as Episcopall which they found established here at home to the great imbroilment of the state in matters of most near concernment The women are sayd to be more chast or at least more reserved than in any other place in the World which possibly may be ascribed to that severity with which they punish all offendors in that kind Dancing by no means tolerated in publick or private Adulterie expiated by no less than death Fornication for the first offence with nine dayes fasting upon bread and water in prison for the second with whipping for the third with banishment But notwithstanding this severity they make love in secret and are as amorous in their daliances as in other places The Territories of it are very small extending not above two Leagues and an half from any part of the Town but the soyl if well manured bringeth Grain of all sorts and great store of Wine There is likewise plenty of pasture and feeding grounds which furnish the City with flesh-meats butter and cheese at very reasonable rates the nearness of the Lake affording them both Fish and Wild-fowl in good measure and amongst others as some say the best Carps in Europe But the main improvement of this State is by the industry of the people and the convenient situation of the City it self the City being situated very well for the trade of Merchandise in regard it is the ordinary passage for transporting Commodities out of Germany to the Marts at Lions and from thence back again to Germany Switzerland and some parts of Italy And for the industry of the people it is discernable in that great store of Armor and Apparell and other necessaries brought from hence yearly by those of Bern and their Mannfactures in Satten Velvet Taffata and some quantities of Cloth fine but not durable transported hence yearly into other places The Soveraignty of this City was antiently in the Earls hereof at first Imperiall Officers only but at last the hereditary Princes of it Betwixt these and the Bishops Suffragans to the Metropolitan of Vienna in Daulphine grew many quarrels for the absolute command hereof In fine the Bishops did obtain of the Emperor Frederick the first that they and their successors should be the sole Princes of Geneva free from all Taxes and not accomptable to any but the Emperor Which notwithstanding the Earls continuing still to molest the Bishops they were fain to call unto their ayd the Earl of Savoy who took upon him first as Protector onely but after by degrees as the Lord in chief For when the rights of the Earls of Geneva by the Mariage of Thomas Earl of Savoy with Beatrix a daughter of these Earls fell into that house then Ame or Amadee the sixt of that name obtained of the Emperor Charles the fourth to be Vicar-generall of the Empire in his own Country and in that right superior to the Bishop in all Temporall matters and Ame or Amadee the first Duke got from Pope Martin to the great prejudice of the Bishops a grant of all the Temporal jurisdiction of it After vvhich time the Bishops were constrained to do homage to the Dukes of Savoy and acknowledge them for their Soveraign Lords the Autority of the Dukes being grown so great notwithstanding that the people were immediately subject to their Bishop onely that the Money in Geneva vvas stamped with the Dukes name and figure Capitall offenders were pardoned by him no sentence of Law executed till his Officers were first made acquainted nor
are 1 La Butte du Mont. 2 St. John de Mons 3 St. Hilarie 4 St. Martins the largest and strongest of them all from whence the whole Island hath sometimes been called St. Martins After the taking of this Town by Lewis the 13th Anno 1622. The Duke of Soubize then commanding in it for those of Rochell it was very well fortified and since made unfortunately famous for the defeat of the English Forces under the command of George Duke of Buckingham sent thither to recover the Town and Island on the instigation of Soubize who before had lost it Anno 1627. 3 IARSEY by Antonine called Caesarea is situate about ten miles from the Coast of Normandie within the view and prospect of the Church of Constance part of which Diocese it was in length conteining 11 miles 6 in bredth and in circuit about 33. It is generally very fruitfull of Corn whereof they have not onely enough for themselves but some over-plus to barter at St. Malos with the Spanish Merchants and of an Air not very much disposed to diseases unless it be an Ague in the end of Harvest which they call Les Settembers The Countrie stands much upon inclosures the hedges of the grounds well stored with Apples and those Apples making store of Sider which is their ordinary drink watered with many pleasant rivulets and good store of Fish-ponds yeelding a Carp for tast and largeness inferiour unto none in Europe except those of Gâ—rnsey which generally are somewhat bigger but not better relished The people for the most part more inclinable to husbandrie than to trades or merchandise and therein differing very much from those of Gernsey who are more for merchandize than tillage It containeth in it 12 Parishes or Villages having Churches in them besides the Mansions of the Sergneurs and chief men of the Countrie The principall is St. Hâ—laries where is the Cohu or Court of Iustice for all the Iland It is about the bigness of an ordinary market Town in England situate on the edge of a little Bay fortified on the one side with a small Block-house called Mount St. Aubin but on that side which is next the Town with a very strong Castle called Fort Elizabeth situate upon craggie Rocks and encompassed with two arms of the Sea so named from Qu. Elizabeth who built it to assure the Island against the French and furnished it with 30 peece of Ordnance and all other necessaries There is also on the East side opposite to the Citie of Constance high mounted on steep and craggie Rocks the strong Castle of Mont-Orgueil of great Antiquity repaired by King Henry the fifth now furnished with 40 peece of Cannon and made the ordinarie residence of the Governours for the Kings of England 4 On the North-west of Iarsey lieth the Iland of GERNSEY called Sarnia by Antoninus in form Triangular each side of nine miles in length The Countrie of as rich a soyl as the other of Iaâ—sey but not so well cultivated and manured the poorer people here being more given to manufactures especially to the knitting of Stockins and Wast-coats and the rich to merchandize many of which are Masters of good stout Barks with which they traffick into England and other places The whole Island conteining ten Villages with Churches the Principall of which St. Peters Port a very neat and well-built Town with a safe Peer for the benefit of Merchants and the securing of the Haven capable of handsom Barks a Market Town beautified with a very fair Church and honoured with the Plaiderie or Court of Iustâ—ce Opposite whereto in a little Islet standeth the Castle of Cornet taking up the whole circuit and dimensions of it environed on all sides with the Sea having one entrance onely and that very narrow well fortified with works of Art and furnished with no less than 80 peeces of Ordnance for defence of the Island but chiefly to command the adjoyning Harbour capable of 500 as good ships as any sail on the Ocean A peece of great importance to the Realm of England and might prove utterly destructive of the trade hereof if in the hands of any Nation that were strong in shipping For that cause made the Ordinarie Seat of the English Governours though of late times not so much honoured with the presence of those Governours as a place of that Consequence ought to be Pertaining unto Gernsey are two little Islets the one called let-how the Governours Park wherein are some few Fallow Deer and good plentie of Conies the other named Arme some three miles in compass a dwelling heretofore of Franciscan Friers now not inhabited but by Phesants of which amongst the shrubs and bushes there is very good store 5 ALDERNEY by Antonine called Arica by the French Aurigni and Aurney is situate over against the Cape of the Lexobii in the Dukedom of Normandie which the Mariners at this day call the Hagge distant from which but six miles onely Besides many dwelling houses scattered up and down there is one pretty Town or Village of the same name with the Iland consisting of about an hundred Families and having not far off an Harbour made in the fashion of a Semi-Circle which they call La Crabbie The whole about 8 miles in compass of very difficult access by reason of the high rocks and precipices which encompass it on every side and with a small force easily defensible if thought worth attempting 6 And so is also SARK the adjoyning Iland being in compass six miles not known by any speciall name unto the Antients and to say truth not peopled till the fift year of Queen Elizabeth who then granted it in Fee-farm to Helier de Carteret the â—igneur of St. Oen in the Isle of Iarsey who from thence planted it and made Estates out of it to severall Occupants so that it may contain now about 50 Housholds Before which time it served only for a Common or Beasts-pasture to those of Gernsey save that there was an Hermitage and a little Chappel for the use of such as the solitariness of the place invited to those retirements These two last Ilands are subject to the Governour of Gernsey all four to the Crown of England holden in right of the Dukedom of Normandie to which they antiently belonged and of which now the sole remainders in the power of the English Attempted often by the French the two first I mean since they seized on Normandie but alwayes with repulse and loss the people being very affectionate to the English Government under which they enjoy very ample Privileges which from the French they could not hope for Their Language is the Norman-French though the better sort of them speak the English also their Law the Grand Customaire of Normandie attempered and applied to the use of this people in their sutes and business by the Bailifs and Chief Iusticiers of the two chief Ilands Their Religion for the main is that of the Reformed Churches the Government in
6 Alaricus 21. 512. 7 Gensalaric 3. 515. 8 Amalaric 11. 526. 9 Theudes 18. 543. 10 Theodogisdus 3. 546. 11 Agila 5. 551. 12 Athanagildus 14. 565. 13 Luiba 3. 568. 14 Leonigild 18. 586. 15 Richared 15. 601. 16 Luiba II. 2. 603. 17 Victoricus 7. 610. 18 Gundemaris 20. 630. 19 Sisebulus 9. 639. 20 Richared II. 2. 641. 21 Suintilla 3. 644. 22 Siseranda 7. 651. 23 Suintilla II. 4. 655. 24 Tulgas 2. 657. 25 Vidisuindus 10. 667. 26 Recesuind 13. 680. 27 Bamba 9. 689. 28 Ering 7. 696. 29 Egypea 7. 703. 30 Vitiza 13. 716. 31 Roderick the last King of the Goths in Spain elected to the prejudice of the Sonnes of Vitiza which after proved the ruine and overthrow of the Kingdom For though the Kingdom went for the most part by Election yet had they respect to the next of blood as at this time in Poland and Bohemia very few interlopers being here admitted yet some there were who either by their merit or some opportunity got the possession of the Kingdom though not at all relating to the Royall family Of which kind were Theudis an Ostro-Goth sometimes the Governour hereof for Theodorick King of the Gothes in Italy Protectour of this Kingdom in the minority of Amalaric and Theudegisolus Nephew to Totilas one of the successors to Theodoric The rest of principall note were 1 Theodoric the first slain in the battell neer Tholouze against Attila the Hunn in defence of his own Countries and the Roman Empire 2 Theodoric the second who beat the Nation of the Suevi out of Batica and 3 Leonigild or Leutigilde who deprived them of Galicia also 4 Reccaredus the first who first embraced the Catholick doctrine of the Church and rejected Arianisme and for that cause first honoured with the title of the Catholick King afterwards resumed by Alfonsus the first King of Leon and made hereditary by Ferdinand the King of Castile Aragon c. Grandfather unto Charles the fift 5 Euricus or Henricus as some call him as remarkeable for Civill Politie as Reccaredus for piety as being the Licurgus or Legâ—slator of this people not governed till his time by a written Law but either by uncertain customes or at the pleasure of such Officers as the Kings set over them 5 Suintilla Sonne of Reccaredus the second who having in the short time of his reign expelled the Roman forces out of Tingitana Anno 642. was the first Monarch of all Spain whereof Tingitana though on the other side of the Sea had been made a Province by the Emperour Constantine as before was said And of this Province was Iulianus Governour in the time of Rhoderick who being of the faction of the Sonnes of Vitiza stomacked his advancement to the Kingdom and thereby got the greater portion of the Kings displeasure Who sending him upon an Embassie to the Moores of Asrica in the mean time defloured his Daughter Cana which the Father took in such indignation that he procured the Moores amongst whom he had gotten much credit to come over into Spain This request they performed under the conduct of Musa and Tariffe and having made a full conquest subjected it to the great Caliphs or Mahometan Emperours It is recorded in a MS. History of the Saracens that at the first coming of Tariffe into Spain a poor woman of the Country being willingly taken prisoner fell down at his feet kissed them and told him that she had heard her Father who was lettered say that Spain should be conquered by a people whose Generall should have a Mole on his right shoulder and in whom one of his hands should be longer than the other He to animate his Souldiers against the next encounter uncloathed himself and shewed the marke which so encouraged them that they now doubted not the victory Roderick had in his Army 130000 foot and 35000 horse Tariff had 30000 horse and 180000 foot The battell continued seven days together from morning to night at last the Moores were victorious What became of King Roderick was never known his Souldiers took one arrayed in their Kings apparell whom upon examination they found to be a Sheepheard with whom the King after the discomfiture had changed cloathes It is written also in Rodericus Toletanus that before the coming of those Saracens King Roderick upon hope of some treasure did open a part of the Palace of long time forbidden to be touched but found nothing but Pictures which resembled the Moores with a Prophecie that whensoever the Palace was there opened the people there resembled should overcome Spain and so it hapned Anno 724. The Moores now Lords of Spain by the treason of Iulian who having seen the miserable death of his wife and children was starved in prison by the Africans permitted the free use of Religion to the old Inhabitants lest they seeking new dwellings for the liberty of Conscience should leave their native soyl desolate The Moores finished their conquest in five years say some others in two and some again in eight Moneths To keep the new conquered Country in subjection no way was so convenient as to plant Colonies but the Morisco women would not abandon their old seates Hereupon Musa and Tariffe by gifts pardons and perswasions drew many Christian women to forsake their Religion whom they maried to the Souldiers Not long after Vlâ—dor Vlit the great Caliph sent over about 50000 Families of Moores and Iewes assigning them a convenient portion of lands to be held with great immunities upon small rents These Politick courses notwithstanding the Moores long enjoyed not the sole Soveraignty herein for the Christians having now recovered breath chose themselves Kings and the Authority of the Caliphs declining gave the Moores liberty to erect divers petit royalties so that at last Spain fell into a thirteenfold division into the Kingdoms and proprietary estates of 1 Navarre 2 Biscay and 3 Guipuscoa 4 Leon and Oviedo 5 Gallicia 6 Corduba 7 Granada 8 Murcia 9 Toledo 10 Castile 11 Portugall and the Members of it 12 Valentia 13 Catalovia 14 the Kingdom of Majorca and 15 that of Aragon not to say any thing of the petit Kingdoms of Iaen Algozire and Sevill besides others of like nature to them erected by the factious and divided Moores but of short continuance all of them and of little note All now reduced at this day under the three governments of Castile Portugal and Aragon the Kingdoms and Estates of Leon Navarre Corduba Granada Gallicia Biscay Murcia and Toledo being under Castile Portugall with Algarve and the Isles of Azores an entire government of it self Valentia Catalonia and Majorca under that of Aragon 1. NAVARRE NAVARRE the first Kingdom for antiquitie in Spain is bounded on the East with the Principality of Bearn in the Kingdom of France on the West first with the River Ebro or Iberus and after with a little River falling into it neer Calaborra by which divided from Castile on the North with
morrow after this overthrow he was condemned to lose his Head but pardoned at last on condition that he should ransomlesse set free Marquesse Albert of Brandenbourg renounce his dignity of the Electorship resigne up all his inheritance with the like harsh Articles It was also urged that he should alter his Religion but that he so constantly denyed that it was omitted For his after maintenance there were rendred back unto him the towns of Weymar and Goth from the former of which his Posterity are now called Dukes of Saxon-Weymar After this Victory the Emperour fraudulently intrapped the Lantgrave then marched he against the Cities in all which he prevailed restored the Masse and drave them to hard composition for their liberties It was thought that in this war the Emperour got 1600000 Crowns and 500 peeces of Ordinance The Imprisonment of the Lantgrave contrary to the Emperours promise was the chief thing which overthrew his good fortune For Duke Maurice having pawned his word and given unto the Lantgraves children his Bond for the safe return of their Father found himself much wronged and grieved therefore consulting with Baron Hedeck he entred league with the French King associated himself with Marquesse Albert of Brandenbourg suddenly surprised Auspurg and by the terrour which his haste brought with it forced the Emperour to flie from Inspruch and the Fathers to break up the Councell of Trent The Emperour now brought low easily hearkned to an honourable Composition which not long after was concluded the Cities recovering their Priviledges free passage being given to the Reformation and all things else reduced to the same state they were in before the wars the restoring of John-Frederick to his Dukedom and Electorship excepted only So did this Duke Maurice both overthrow the liberty of his Country and restore it so was the work of Reformation by his means depressed by the same again revived and established stronger then ever Thus we see that of the Poet verified Vel nemo vel qui mihi vulnera fecit Solus Achillaeo tollere more potest None but the man which did his Country wound Achilles-like could heal and make it sound It is observed by some that the deprivation of John Frederick and the advancement of Maurice fell out very happily for the confirming of the Reformation then contended for First in regard of John Frederick whose Christian patience and Magnanimity during the whole time of his imprisonment added great reputation to the cause for which he he suffered 2 In respect of Duke Maurice who was a man of far greater parts to advance the work and every way as zealous in pursuance of it as the other was And 3 In relation to the children of the deprived Duke men not to be relied on in a matter of such weight and moment insomuch as it was said of him after his decease Quod filios reliquerit sui dissimillimos But to return unto my story The doctrine of Luther thus setled in Germany and being so agreeable to the Word of God was quickly propagated over all Christendome the reasons of which next unto the Almighty power of the most High may be principally six 1 The diligence and assiduity of preaching in City and Village 2 The publishing of books of Piety and Christian Religian 3 The translations of the Scriptures into the vulgar languages whereby the simple might discern good from bad the muddy doctrine of Rome from the clear water of life 4 The education of youth especially in Catechismes which contained the whole body of Christian religion which once well planted in their mindes was irradicable 5 The continuall offers of disputations with the adverse party in a publick audience which being denyed gave assurance of the truth and soundnesse of the one side as of the falshood and weaknesse of the other 6 Their compiling of Martyrologies and Histories of the Church which cannot but work an admirable confirmation of Faith and constancy in the hearers and readers There is one only policy wanting namely the calling of a generall Synod to compose the differences of the reformed Church about the Sacrament and Predestination which would certainly strengthen their own cause and weaken the enemies whose chief hopes are that the present disagreements will arme party against party to their own destruction But God grant that their hopes may be frustrated and we will say with the Poet Haemanus Trojam erigent Parvas habet spes Troja si tales habet Shall these small jarres restore the ruin'd Pope Small hope he hath if this be all his hope But it is time we should proceed to the story of Saxony the ancient inhabitants of which tract were the Longobardi or Lombards of Magdeburg and part of the Cherusci about Mansteld and Wirtenberg Overcome by the prevailing Saxons they became part of their name and Country which in the full extent thereof was once far greater then now it is containing all the Countries betwixt the Rhene and the River Eydore in the Cimbrick Chersonesse and from the River Saltza to the German and Baltick Oceans These said by some to be a People of Asia and there called the Sacae who finding that small territory now a part of Persia too narrow for them forsook their Country and at last fixed themselves in the Cimbrick Chersonesse where they first took the names of Pasaeasons or Sac-sons that is to say the â—ons of the Sacae The improbality of this we have there disputed Omitting therefore that and the like Originations of them I conceive them for my part to be naturall Germans some tribe of that most populous and potent people of the Suevi but for the reason of the name let every man enjoy the pleasure of his own opinion Certain I am that in Ptolemies time they were possessed of those parts beyond the Elb thence extended to the Eydore part of which tract is now known by the name of Holstein and were accounted in that time to be no new-comers Afterwards as they grew in number they inlarged their quarters and passing over the Elb in the time of the latter Roman Emperours possessed themselves of the void places which were left by the French then busied in the conquest of more fruitfull Countries communicating their name to all the Nations which they overcame as the French had formerly done before them So that in fine they took up the now Dukedomes of Holstein Lunenbourg and Brunswick the Bishopricks of Bremen Verda Hildersheim Halberstad and Magdeburg the old Marches of Brandenbourg the Earldome of Mansfield Wesiphalen both Friselands Overyssell with as much of Guelderland and Holland as lay on that side of the Rhene By which account the present Electorall Family hath not one foot of the old Saxony in their possession the seat and Patrimony of the Electors being removed into other Countries upon the alterations and changes which have hapned in that estate the name and title of Saxony being given to the Country about Wittenberg for no
divide it from Norway on the North with the great Frozen Ocean spoken of before on the South with Denmark Liefland and the Baltick Sea So called from the Sueci Suethans or Suâ—thidi and the word Land added for a termination of which more hereafter It is in length from Stockholm unto the borders of Lapland above a 1000 Italian miles and in breadth from Stockholm lying on the Bodner Sea to the borders of Denmark about twenty good dayes journey on horse-back insomuch as they which have travelled the length and breadth of it on this side of Lapland and the Gulf account it little lesse then all Italy and France together but taking in Lapland and the Provinces on the other side of the Gulf bigger then both by the quantity of 900 miles The situation of it in regard of the heavenly bodies is the same with Norway under the same Parallels and Degrees but of so different a temper both for soil and air as if disposed of under seveverall and long distant Climes For the Aire here is very pure but not so sharp and insupportable as it is in Norway though in some places where the Moores and Waters setle for want of care to open and cleanse the water-courses they have great fogges and mists which doe somewhat putrefie it And for the soil it is more fertile then any of the other Northern Provinces so that besides those necessaries which they keep for themselves they usually transport into other Countries store of Malt and Barley together with great quantities of Brasse Lead Steel Copper Iron the hides of Goats Bucks Oxen and costly surres They have also some Mines of Silver not mixt with any other metall plenty of fish in their Lakes and Rivers abundance of Pine-trees Firre Oaks both for ships and houses yeilding besides among the woods good store of Taâ—re and Honey and some other necessaries But hereof we shall speak more punctually in the severall Provinces The principall mountains of this Country are the Dofrine hils a vast and continuall ridge of mountaines which divide it from Norway And though they want not Rivers fit for common uses yet partly by reason of their great frosts and flakes of Ice partly by reason of the falling of trees which lie crosse their Channels they have not many Navigable or of any great fame The principall of such as be are 1 Meler at the mouth whereof stands the City of Stockholm 2 Lusen 3 Dalecarlie giving name to the Province so called or as denominated from it And of the Lakes whereof here are exceeding many that of most note is the lake of Werett which receiving it into 24 Rivers disburdneth it self at one mouth into the Baltick with such noise and fury that they call it commonly the Devils head The people are naturally strong and active provident patient and industrious hospitable towards strangers whom they entertain with great humanity so healthy that if they doe not shorten their dayes by excesse and riot they live commonly to 140 years of age and so laborious that a Begger is not seen amongst them exceeding apt to learn as well Tongues and Sciences as the Arts Mechanicall every man in a manner being his own Artificer without imploying Smith Mason Carpenter or any of other manuall trades very valiant both on foot and horse back which their long wars against the Danes and their late wars in Germany have given good proof of Their women are discreet and modest free from that intemperance which these Northern parts are subject to Both sexes use a corrupt â—utch common to all three Northerne kingdoms except in Finland and the Provinces on the other side of the Bodner sea where they partake somewhat of the Muscovite or Russian language The Christian Religion was first planted amongst them by the care and diligence of Ansgarius Archbishop of Brâ—me the Apostle general of the North corrupt with Popish superstitions it was reformed according to the Augustane Confession in the time of Gustavus Ericus the first of the present Royall familie sollicited thereunto by one Petre Neâ—icius a Lutheran Divine and Lawrence the Archdeacon of Strengnes but chiefly moved as others say by a desire to appropriate to himselfe the goods of the Church And this appeares to have had some strong influence upon him in it in that he presently seised upon what he pleased and made a Law that Bishops should enjoy no more then the King thought fit yet having pretty well lessened their â—evenues he was content they should remain as formerly both in power and number reserving to himselfe and his successours the nomination of the persons but so as the approbation of the Clergy in a kinde of election doth usually goe along with the Kings appointment The Bishops are in number seven that is to say 1 of Linâ—open containing in his Diocese 226 Parishes 2 of Vexime under whom are 210. 3 of Scara ruling over the same number of Churches 4 of Strengnes under whom are an hundred onely 5 of Aboe the greatest for extent of all as comprehending under it 500 Parishes 6 of Wiburg and 7 of Habsey whose Dioceses for the most part lye out of the bounds of Sweden in Muscovie Livonia and some other of the out parts of Poland all of them under the Archbishop of Vpsal as their Metropolitan whose Diocese extending into Lapland and Finmarch containeth 171 Parish Churches By which accompt there are in all the kingdome of Swethland but 1417 Parishes but many of them of a thousand or eight hundred families the people being dispersed in Forrests and other places where they have store of timber to build them houses and store of pasturage for their Cattell which is the reason why they have not so many great townes nor so well inhabited as is usuall in far lesser Countries As for the Authority of these Bishops they still retaine their voice in Parliament and with them so many of the inferiour Clergie as are from every Socken a certain number of Parishes like our Rurall Deaneries deputed to appeare there in the name of the Church the affaires whereof the Bishops do direct and order aswell in as out of publick meetings according to the Ecclesiasticall Constitutions formerly established and if any great occasion be they may either advise with their Consistorials or call a Diocesan Synod as they thinke most fit and therein make such Lawes and Canons as they conceive to be most proper for their owne edification The whole kingdom is divided into two parts the one lying on the East the other on the West side of the Bay or Gulf or Bodner called Sinus Bodicus in Latine being a large and spacious branch of the Baltick Sea extending from the most southernly point of Gothland as farre as to Lapland on the north According to which division we have the Provinces of 1 Gothland and 2 Sweden lying on the West side of the Gulfe 3 Lapland shutting it up upon the North 4 Bodia or Bodden and 5
lâ—qui liceat when as a man might thinke as hee listed of the publick and speak what he thought But whether this be such a Rara temporum felicitas such a felicitie of these our times as Tacitus conceived the other to be of those future times will shew But to return againe to Poland notwithstanding this mixture of Religions yet that most publickly allowed and countenanced is the Religion authorised by the Church of Rome asserted here by the zeal of the Kings unto that cause and the great power of the Bishops who seeing how those of their Order have spâ—d in Germanie and other places under colour of Reformation of some things amisse have hitherto upheld the Ecclesiasticall Estate in the same forme they found it The Government of the Church as formerly by 3 Archbishops and 19 Bishops who challenge a jurisdiction over all the kingdome â—ut exercise it upon those onely who submit unto them those who embrace the Doctrines of Luther or Calvin following the formes of Government by them established as others doe some new ones of their owne devising And for those Provinces and people which lie towards Greece or were parts heretofore of the Russian Empire and still hold a Communion with those Churches they have Archbishops and Bishops of their owne Religion that is to say the Archbishops of Vilne and Lemburg the Bishops of Polozko Luzko Pinsko Volodomire Presmil and Kiovia Yet amongst all these different Churches and formes of Government there is this conformitie that whensoever the Gospell is read openly in the Congregation the Nobility and Gentrie use to draw their swords according to an antient custom which they had among them signifying their readinesse to defend it against all opposers Which reason doubtlesse gave beginning to the standing up at the Creed and Gospell in the primitive times retained still in the Church of England whereby we doe declare how prepared and resolute we are to defend the same though some of late holding it for a Relick of Popery with greater nicety then wisdome have refused to doe it Chief Rivers of this Kingdome are 1 Vistula or Wixel the antient Boundary betwixt Germany and Sarmatia Europaea which rising in the Carpathian Mountaines passeth by Cracovia the chief City of Poland and dividing Prussia from Pomerella falleth into the Baltick sea not far from Dantzick and is navigable for the space of 400 miles of old called Vandalis 2 Warta which runneth through the lesser Poland 3 Duina the lesse watering Livonia and 4 Borysthenes or Nieper passing through Podolia both spoken of before when we were in Russia 5 Niester by Ptolemie called Tyras which falleth into the Euxine Sea having first parted Podolia from Moldavia 6 Jugra by some called the lesser Tanais arising in Lituania and falling into the more noted Tanais which is now called Don. Of lesse note there are 1 Reuben or Reuhon 2 Chronuâ— now called Pregel 3 Bogh said by some to bee the 〈◊〉 of the Antients 4 Minnael 5 Niemen the Maeander of these Northern parts 9 Winde a Livonian river falling into the Baltick Mountains of note here are not many the Countreys for the most part being plain and Champain and those which be are rather boundaries betwixt this and some other Kingdome then proper unto this alone The chief of which are those called Sarmatici dividing Gâ—rmany from Sarmatia Europaea by Solinus named Sevo by Ptolemie the Carpathian Mountains the boundary at this time betwixt Poland and Hungary The common metes and Land-markes being thus laid down we will next take a view of those severall Provinces of which this kingdome doth consist being ten in number that is to say 1 Livonia 2 Samogitia 3 Lituania 4 Prussia 5 Poland specially so called 6 Mollovia 7 Podlassia 8 Russia Nigra 9 Voltinia and 10 Podâ—lia all of them except the proper Poland within Sarmatia Europaea 1 LIVONIA 1 LIVONIA or LIEFLAND is bounded on the East with the Empire of Russia on the West with the Baltick Sea on the North with the Gulf or Bay of Finland on the South with Samogitia and Lituania Extended in length along the shore of the Baltick for the space of 125 Dutch or 500 Italian miles 40 Dutch or 160 Italian miles in breadth and called thus perhaps from the Lenovi a people of Germany inhabiting not far from the River Vistula The countrey for the most part plaine without any mountaines furnished with corn and fruits in so great aboundance that they send part thereof into other countries and yet there is much ground untilled in it by reason of the bogs and marishes which are very frequent Here is also store of wax honey and pitch but they have neither oyl nor wine the want of which last is supplyed by Meth. Of tame beasts fit for mans service they are well provided as also of such whose skins are of more value with the Merchant then their flesh at the market as Ermins Sables Castors others of that kinde besides good store of game for hunting the countrey having in it many large woods parts of the Hercynian And as for Rivers there are few countries which have more watered by the Winde the Beck the Dwine the Ruho all of them falling into the Baltick many great Lakes whereof the chiefe is that of Beybas 45 miles long and full of fish The people are much given to gluttonie and drunkennesse especially in rich mens houses where it is to be had for the paisant lives in want enough meere slaves to their tyrannicall Landlords who spend in riot and excesse what these get by drudgerie And when at any time the poore wretch leaves his Landlord to mend his condition with some other the Lord if he can overtake him will cut off his foot to make sure of him for the future They are a mixture of many Nations as the Fstones which are the naturall Inhabitants derived from the Estii a Dutch people spoken of by Ptolemie of which Nation are almost all the Paisants the Moscovites Swedes Danes Dutch and Polanders intermingled with them comming in upon severall conquest and planting themselves in the best parts of it in which they still Lord it over the Native but the Dutch especially for long time Masters of the whole The Christian Faith was first here planted by Meinardus of Lubeck imployed herein in the time of Frederick the first at the perswasion of some Dutch Merchants who traded hither by the Archbishop of Breme by whom made the first Bishop of the Livonians The Church hereof at this time governed by the Archbishop of Riga the Bishops of Derpt Asâ—lia Oesel Curland and Rivallia in those parts which remaine subject to the Polander where the Religion of the Church of Rome is onely countenanced Such parts of it that are under the Swedes or Danes are for the most part of the Lutheran profession planted with colonies of that people But the Estones or originall Inhabitants as they have a language so they have a Religion
by the Tartars At what time Erdizvill then their Prince but an Homager and Tributary to the Ruâ—sians with drew himselfe from their command as did also many others of the conquered Provinces Afterwards Miâ—doch one of the Dukes or Princes of it being made a Christian was by Pope Innocent the third honoured with the title of a King but returning againe unto his vomit he lost that title In the end anno 1386. Jâ—gello Duke of Lituania marying with Heduigis Queen of Poland was upon three conditions chosen King of that Realm 1 That he should immediately receive the Christian faith 2 That he should draw all his subjects to the same beliefe and 3 that hee should unite this Dukedome to the Crown of Poland Of these the two first were performed without any delay though the second not without some difficulty the people being obstinate in their old Idolatry especially in the religious conceit they had of high trees which to cut down was held both unsafe and impious Not to be weaned from this conceit till by the authority of the King their lostiest trees were felled and their Woods grubbed up which when they saw done without any danger to the Prince or any of those whom he employed in that service Regis mandato autoritati cedere caperunt they then began to hearken unto his commands and generally received the Gospell and were Baptized In the last point there was a longer time of deliberation For the Princes of the house of Jagâ—llo loth to deprive themselves of their Patrimoniall estate which was hereditary unto their posterity and to subject it to the election of the Polanders in which it was possible the Princes of their family might be pretermitted deferred the accomplishment hereof from one day to another under colour that the Lituanians would revolt if they went about it But Sigismund Augustus in whose person the male issue of Jagello failed foreseeing what divisions might ensue after his decease and fearing that the Moscovites would renew their old pretentions united it unto the Crown ordaining that the Bishops Palatines and a certain number of the Chastellans by him established should have their place and suffrage in the great Councell of Poland power in the choosing of the King and all other priviledges which the naturall Polonians have Since that accounted a chief Member of that Body Politicke subject to those corruptions changes and innovations in matters of Religion which have been predominant in the other excepting those parts onely which relate to the Church of Greece or Mosco adhering pertenaciously to the rites thereof 4 VOLHINIA VOLHINIA by some accounted one of the Palatinates of Lituania as once it was but by others a distinct Province of it selfe is bounded on the North and East with Lituania on the South with Podolia and on the West with Russia Nigra and Podlassia So called as Maginus is of opinion from the Volgari who dwelling on the banks of the River Volga came afterwards into this countrey calling it Volgaria whence by degrees it came unto Volhonia and at last to Volhinia But this conjecture is improbable and of no good grounds The countrey yeelds good plenty both of grain and fruits Pooles which abound with very good fish Forrests which doe afford them store of game and honey and much good pasturage for their cattell The people of the same nature with the Lituanians but more strong and warlike and better weaned from their old superstitions and heathenish customes then the others are Of the same language and Religion with those of Russia to which together with the rest of Lituania it did once belong It is divided commonly into three parts or Provinces all taking name from the three principall Cities of it that is to say 1 Luzke in Latine called Luceozia a towne of above 1000 families where 127 onely in the time of my Authour were of the Romish Religion the residue being Russians Grecians and some Armenians the seat residence of two Bishops of which one being of the Communion of the Church of Rome is of the Province of the Archbishop of Lemburg in Russia Nigra but they which are of the Communion of the Church of Greece have also a Bishop of their owne who acknowledgeth the Patriarch of Mosco for his Metropolitan 2 Valodomir a Bishop See also of the same condition 3 Keromenze which as the rest hath under it many fair Towns and Castles besides large Villages The whole once part of Lituania as before was said but of late dismembred from it and united to the Crown of Poland as a State distinct But so that the greatest part of it is immediately subject to the Duke of Ostrogoye who is said to have 4000 Feudataries in this Countrey the greatest Prince of those who hold Communion with the Church of Greece in the whole Realm of Poland 5 PODOLIA PODOLIA hath on the North Volhinia part of Lituania and the great Empire of Russia on the South Moldavia from which parted by the River Tyras now called Niester on the West Russia Nigra extending Eastward through vast uninhabited countries as far as to the Euxine Sea The reason of the name I finde no where guessed at the people for the most part of the same nature with the Russians to whose Empire it formerly belonged The Country generally so fertile that the husbandman is accustomed to reap an hundred for one in regard it bears at one ploughing for three years together the countreyman being put to no further trouble then at the end of the first and second yeares to shake the corn a little as he reaps or loads it that which so falls serving as seed for the next yeare following The meadow grounds so strangely rich and luxuriant and the grass so high that a man can hardly see the heads or horns of his Cattell of so swift a growth that in three days it will cover a rod which is throwne into it and in few more so hide a plough that it is not an easie work to finde it If these things seeme beyond beliefe let Maginus who reporteth them bear the blame thereof though better take it on his word then goe so far to disprove him And yet which addes much unto the miracle the ground in most places so hard and stony that there need six yoke of Oxen to break it up to the great toyle both of the Cattell and the men It is also said that in this countrey there are great flocks of sheep many heads of Oxen abundance of wild beasts and great store of honey And yet for all this plenty and abundance of all things necessarie the Country for the most part especially towards the East is but meanly inhabited by reason of the frequent incursions of the Tartars bordering next unto it Who have so wasted it in times past and thereby so discouraged the people from building planting and all other works of peace and husbandrie that in so large and rich a Countrie
of the Greeks with it than gravity the better sort of people both in apparrel and manners coming neer the Genoese once the Lords of this Island the common fort continuing their old Greek humour of mirth and jollity not sensible of the Turkish thraldome under which they suffer with as much licenciousness as ever And though this intermixture hath so corrupted their language that neither the Greek nor the Italian be here rightly spoken but a compound tongue made up of both yet keep they their Religions still distinct and separate as if they had never known another Here are reckoned in it six and thirty Towns and villages the principall whereof are I. S. Elias in the North. 2. Pigrine in the midest hereof and 3. Chios it self now called Sio as is all the Island one of the seven Cities contending for the birth of Homer whose Sepulchre they pretend to shew in an old Castle neer the Mount and Town of S. Elias which were it his would be a better argument for his buriall here than it is for his birth The Town situate in the most pleasant and fruitfull part of the Countrey to which both industry and Art have given great advantage here being few houses without Orchards of excellent fruits as Oringes Limons Pomegranats Citrons and a kind of Fig much praised for their quickness of tast by the antient Romans It standeth on the East-side opposite to the Shores of Asia stretched along the bottom of the Haven and on the West-side backed with a rocky Mountain upon which it formerly did stand The Buildings ordinary the Streets narrow and the Haven every day decaying though otherwise secure once entred and for directing of the entrance a Lantern advanced by the Genoese when Lords hereof to give light by night and serve for a land-mark in the day Fortified on the North-side by a large and strong Castle environed with deep ditches well furnished with munition and a Turkish Garrison And because the Island is on all parts accessible not naturally fortified with rocks and dangerous precipices as many others besides this Castle they have all along the Coast small Watch-toâ—rs which with smoke by day and fire by night give notice unto one another of such Vessels as they see approaching the Guards about the Castle being so intent also about their charge that every minute of the night there goeth a word about the walls to declare their vigilancie The Chians were at first a free people governing themselves as a Commonwealth and by reason of their many harbours able to furnish out a Navy of 80 Sayl which gave them the Lordship of those Seas till ecclipsed by the Rhodians Besieged by Philip the Father of Perseus with his utmost power who when he could not get it by force proclamed freedome to the Slaves of which here were many and liberty to maâ—y with their Masters wives if they would rebell against their Masters And when this policy would not do it the Town being held out with greater heat of indignation he gave over the siege At last they became subject to the Romans with the rest of Greece and followed punctually the same change of fortunes as did those of Lesâ—os which we have spoken of before till given by Andronicus Paloeologus one of the last Greek Emperours to the Justinians a noble Genoesian Family assistant to him in his wars Under them it continued as tribut tries to the Turks after the Turks had made themselves masters of Constantinople to whom they annually paid eighteen thousand Ducats till the year 1566. When Solyman the Magnificent picking a quarrell with them for some suspected correspondency with the Knights of Malta commanded Pial one of his greatest Bassas to seize the Island And he accordingly presenting himself before the City with a strong Fleet of eighty Gallies did so astonish and amaze the Inhabitants of it that without any other summons than the fight of his Navy they surrendred themselves unto his disposing upon Easter-day being the same day he came before it since that it hath continued Turkish all save their Religion enjoyed by them with like liberty as in former times 4. SAMOS is on the South-east of Chios distant about five miles from the shores of Ionia 〈◊〉 eighty or eighty seven in compass environed for the most part especially on the North-west with inâ—â—able but beautified with a fair and capacious Haven of little use by reason of the Pirates 〈…〉 s. The soyl sufficiently enriched with most kind of fruits abundantly plentifull 〈◊〉 Oly and Olives but of Vines altogether unfurnished which is the more to be admired in regard all the Islands and shores about it produce them in so great a plenty It stretcheth from the East to the West and on the South part of it stood the City Samia neer unto the Haven before spoken of In former times populous and well inhabited as was the rest of the Iland now wholly desolate in a manner because of the Pirates and in most places very much over-grown with woods becoming thereby very usefull to those publick enemies who find here Timber enough for Shipping and can upon the sudden put a ship to Sea for pursuit of their Robberies The chief commodity it affordeth besides those above is a medicinall Earth usefull for Chirurgery and Physick of which in former times were those Vessels made called Vasa Samia in great request amongst the Romans Antiently it had the names of Dryusa Anathemusa Melamphylas and Ciparissa out-worn by that of Samos which it still retaineth Memorable in old times for the birth of Juno of one of the Sibyls hence called Samia and finally of the wise-man Pythagoras a wiser than any of the seven wise Masters so renowned amongst them who first brought Philosophy into Greece and from thence into Italy Once a free Common-wealth of no small esteem the Institutes whereof are mentioned by Heraclides in his Books of the severall Commonwealths then being afterwards made subject to the Tyrant Polycrates a man so fortunate that for a long time he never fell into any mischance Fearing lest such a long calm would bring on a tempest he let fall into the Sea a most precious Ring by him deservedly esteemed that so it might be said he had some mis-fortunes Which after he had found again in the belly of a fish brought accidentally to his table he was overcome by Orontes a Persian and brought to a miserable death Leaving a notable example that fortune is certain in nothing but uncertainties and like a Bee with a sharp sting hath alwaies some misery following in the train of a long concatenation of felicity From this time forwards it ran the same fortune with the rest of these Ilands subject successively to the great Monarchies in former times as of late times to the Venetians Greeks and Turks who do now enjoy it 5. ICARIA now called Niceria lyeth not far from Samos to the West-ward of it narrow but extended out in length the whole compass
my way I return again both to the place and to the Authoe In whose evidence besides what doth concern the imposition of the name of Christian upon the body of the faithful we have a testimony for Saint Peters being Bishop of An lock the first Bishop thereof of the Church of the Jews therein as lest as is said positively by Eusebius in his Chronologie Saint Hierome in his Catalogue of Ecclesiasticall writers Saint Chrysostonze in his Homilie de Translatione Ignatii Theodoret Dialog 1. Saint Gregory Epistol lib. 6. cap. 37. and before any of them by Origen in his sixt Homily on Saint Luke With reference whereunto and in respect that Antioch was accompted alwaies the principal City of the East parts of the Roman Empire the Prefect of the East for the most part residing in it the Bishop hereof in the first Ages of Christianity had jurisdiction over all the Churches in the East as far as the bounds of that Empire did extend that way To which by Constantine the Great the Provinces of Cilicia and Isauria with those of Mesopotamus and Osroent were after added Containing fifteen Roman Provinces or the whole Diocese of the Orient And though by the substracting of the Churches of Palestine and the decay of Christianity in these parts by the conquests of the Turks and Saracens the jurisdiction of this Patriarch hath bin very much lessened yet William of Tyre who flourished in the year 1130. reciteth the names of 13 Archiepiscopal 21 Metropolitical and 127. Episcopal Sees yielding obedience in his time to the See of Antoch Since which that number is much diminished Mahometanism more and more increasing and Christianity divided into Sects and factions insomuch as of three forts of Christians living in these Countreys viz. the Maronites Jacobites and Melchites onely the Melchites are subordinate to the Church of Antioch the others having Patriarels of their own Religion And first for the Melchites who are indeed the true and proper Members of the Church of Antioch and the greatest body of Christians in all the East they are so named in way of scorn by the Jacobite and Maronite Schismatick separating without just cause from their communion The name derived from Malchi signifying in the Syriack language a King or Emperour because adhering to their Primate they followed the Canons and decisions of preceding Councils ratisied by authority of the Emperour Leo by whom subscription was required to the Acts thereof and were in that respect as we use to say of the Kings Religion Conform in points of doctrine to the Church of Greece but that they celebrate divine service as solemnly on the Saturday as upon the Sunday subject to their true and original Patriarch who since the destruction of Antioch doth reside in Damaseus and on no terms acknowledging the authority of the Popes of Rome Next for the Maronites they derive that name either from Marona one of the principall Villages where they first inhabited or from the Monasterie of S. Maron mentioned in the first Act of the Council of Consumople holden under Mennas the Monks of which called Maronites were the head of their Sect. Some points they hold in which they differ from all Orthodox Christians others in which they differ onely from the Church of Rome Of the first sort 1. That the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father onely without relation to the Sonne 2. That the Souls of men were created all together at the first beginning 3. That male Children are not be Baptized together but at severall times by one and one 4. That Herenques returning to the Church are to be re-baptized 5. That the Child is made unclean by the touch of his Mother till her purification and therefore not Baptizing Children till that time be past which after the birth of a Male Child must be forty daies of a Female eighty 6. That the Euchirist is to be given to Children presently after Baptism 7. That the fourth Mariage is utterly unlawfull 8. That the Father may dissolve the mariage of his Sonne or Daughter 9. That young men are not to be Ordeived Priests or Deacons except they be maried 10. That nothing Strangled or of blood may be eaten by Christians 11. That Women in their monethly courses are not to be admitted to the Eucharist of to comeinto the Church 12. And finally which was indeed their first discrimination from the Orthodox Christians that there was but one will and action in Christ the Fautors of which opinion had the name of Monothelies Of the last kind 1. That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was to be administred in both kinds 2. and in Leavened bread 3. that bread to be broken to the Communicants and not each man to have his waser to himself according to the first Institution 4. Not reserving that Sacrament 5. not carrying any part of the confecrated Elements to sick persons in danger of death 6. That Aleriage is nothing inferiour to the single life 7. That no man entreth the Kingdome of Heaven till the General Judgement 8. That the Saturday or old Sabbath is not to be fasted 9. nor the Sacrament upon dates of fasting to be administred till the Evening They withdrew themselves from the See of Antioch and set up a Patriark of their own many ages since but the certain time thereof I find not conferring on him for the greater credit of their Schism the honourable title of the Patriarch of Antioch His name perpetually to be Peter as the undoubted Successour of that Apostle in the See thereof Dispersed about the spurres and branches of Mount Libanus where they have many Townships and seattered Villages of which four are reported to retain in their common speech the true antient Syriack that is to say 1. Eden a small village but a Bishops See by the Turks called Aechera 2. Hatchteth 3. Sherrie 4. Bolesa or Blousa little superiour to the rest in bigness or beauty but made the seat of their Patriarch when he comes amongst them At such time as the Western Christians were possessed of these parts they submitted to the Church of Rome but upon their expulsion by the Turks and Saracens they returned again to the obedience of their own Patriarch on whom they have ever since depended His residence for the most part at Tripolis a chief Town of Syria but when he came to visit his Churches and take an accompt of his Suffragan Bishops who are nine in number then at Blousa as is said before Won to the Papacy again by John Baptist a Jesuite in the time of Pope Gregory the thirteenth who sent them a Catechism from Rome printed in the Arabian language which is generally spoken by them for their instruction in the Rudiments of that Religion yet so that their Patriarch still retains his former power and the Priests still officiate by the old liturgies of those Churches in the Syriack tongue So that this reconciliation upon the matter is but a matter of complement on
our Law-students in London called the Temple was the chief house of the Knights of this order in England and was by the Knights of Saint John whose principal mansion was in Smithfield sold unto the students of the Laws for the yearly rent of 10 l. about the middle of the reign of Edward the third These three orders M. Salden and deservedly putteth not in his Titles of honour in that they were prohibited to kiss a woman honourary Knight-hood and the love of Ladies going together like vertue and reward Thus much for Palestine OF ARABIA ARABIA hath on the East Chaldaea and the Bay or Gulf of Persia on the West Palestine some part of Aegypt and the whole course of the Red-Sea on the North the River Euphraes with some parts of Syria and Palestine and on the South the main Southern Ocean But at some times the name extended somewhat further Pliny enlargeth it as far as to Comagena the North part of Syria in regard that many Arabian Colonies had been their planted by Tigranes and Xenophon comprehending in it the greatest part also of Mesopotamia because situate on the West of the River Tigris and consequently the Western part of the Assyrian Empire as the word Ereb doth import from whence some derive the Erymon and name hereof Which notwithstanding in the generall esteem of Authors it is bounded only as before As for the name there be some that derive it from Arabus a supposed Sonne of Apollo and Babylonia others from three supposititious Sons of Janus Pater one of the pretended Grand-Sonnes of Cham. Who is fabled to have sent his Sonne Arabus into Arabia Deserta Petreius into Arabia Petraea and Sabus into Arabia Felix the dwelling place of the Sabaeans And for this trim conceit we are beholding to the Berosus of Frier Annius More probable is their conjecture who derive the name from the Hebrew Arab signifying black by reason of the swarth or tawny complexion of the inhabitants who are inter niâ— rum fulvum as Vertomannus an eye-witness hath informed us of them on the same reason as one of the Provinces of Africa is commonly entituled the Land of Negroes But the most likely origination of it as I conceive is from Harabi which signifieth in the Hebrew a Theef or Robber such as the Arabians in all ages have been known to be According unto that of the Prophet Jeremy In the waies thou hast sate for them as an Arabian in the Wilderness as our English reads it tanquam Latro insidians in solitudine saith the Vulgar Latine Jerem. 32. St. Hierome though he render it quasi Latro as the Vulgar doth yet in his Commentary he informs us that the word doth also signifie an Arabian quae gens latrociniis deditausque hodie incursat Palestinae fines c. which people being addicted to thest and robberie do to this day faith he infest the coasts of Palestine which border neer them and lay in wait for those which had any occasion to travel thither Agreeable hereunto is the observation of Martin del Rio Adeo latrociniis infames sunt ut Hebraeis Arabs latronem denotat sicut Chananaeus Mercatorem Chaldaeus Mathematicum i.e. So infamous were they for their theft and frequent Robberies that it was as familiar with the Jews to call a thief by the name of Arabian as by Chanaanite to signifie a Merchant or to use the word Chaldaean for a Mathematician In the same sense they came in the succeeding times to be called Saracens from Sarak or Saraka an Arabian word which signifieth to steal whereof more anon no otherwise than one of the American Islands had the name of Ladrones or Insula latronum given by Magellanus from the theevishness of the Inhabitants who had stoln his cock-boat I have staid the longer on the name because it doth express so much of the Charactar of the people also living for the most part upon spoil and robberie as all that travell that way know by sad experience Of mean statures raw-boned tawny or swart-complexioned having feminine voices of swift but noiseless gate and upon you ere you are aware Of no set dwellings except only in Arabia Felix living in tents which they remove like walking Cities for the benefit of pasturage and hope of booty for this last cause hanging about the skirts of more habitable Countreys and having robbed retire with a marvellous speed Mounted on Dromedaries for that purpose a beast of most incredible swiftness satisfied with little food though without water to it and will easie carry a man a hundred miles a day without any refreshing Nor are such horses as they have though but poor and lean of less speed or less patient of travel whom they feed twice a day with the milk of Camels and think them not worth keeping if not able to outgoe an Ostrich As now formerly all horsemen and but ill appointed fitter to rob and spoil than to deal with Souldiers as riding stark naked and trusting rather to the swiftness of their horses than any other way of resistance where they were opposed There language is the Arabick so called from this Countrey but not proper to this Countrey onely Spoken in all places where Mahometanism hath got any footing The Alcoran being written in it the publick offices of their Religion performed in it and the tongue taught in Schools as generally as with us the Latine but made the natural language in Mesopotamia Syria Palestine the three Arabia's Egypt and all Barbary except the Kingdome of Morocco A great extent but short of that which some give to it who will have it spoken in two parts of the whole habitable world The Christian faith was first here planted by Saint Paul of whose being in Arabia after his conversion he telleth us Gal. 1. 17. to which the coming in of the Saracens gave a great increase in the time of Mavâ—â— their Queen during the Empire of Valentinian the first Moses a man of exemplary piety and famed for many miracles being created their first Bishop after more generally propagated over all the Countrey by their King Alamandarus Anastasius then reigning in the East But long it had not been received when supplanted by Mahometanism which had its first beginning here and hath so universally overspred the whole face hereof that now there are no Christians left in all the Countrey except only in Elior a Port Town in the Bay of Arabia Felix in Petra the chief City of Arabia Petraea and two small Monasteries about Mount Sinai It is in circuit about 4000 miles but of so unequall and heterogeneous composition that no generall Character can be given of it and therefore we must look upon it as it stands divided into Arabia Deserta 2. Arabia Petraea 3. Arabia Felix and 4. the Arabick Ilands 1. ARABIA DESERTA ARABIA DESERTA called Beriara by the Turks is bounded on the East with Babylonia on the West with parts of Palestine and Arabia Petraea on the North with
out of whose long commerce with them both nations lost their proper languanes and fell upon a third made out of both which was called the Syriack Of this we spake before when we were in Syria and Palestine And this is now the naturall language of this Countrey and its neighbour Assyria but with a little mixture of the Greek and Arabick not vulgarly spoken elsewhere for ought I can find but used by many others in their sacred offices by whom not commonly understood For in this language all the Sects of the Eastern Christians do officiate their publick Liturgies that is to say the Nstorians Jacobites Marâ—nites for I reckon not the Melchites who use the Greek Liturgie amongst the Sectaries The like do also the Indians or Christians of Saint Thomas the Cophties or Christians of Aegypt and the poor remainder of Christians in the Isle of Zocatara an Island on the coast of Asrick Used to those Liturges when that language was more understood amongst them though now worn out of Vulgar knowledge by the overspreading of the Arabick Tartarian and Turkish Conquests In which the Prelates of these Churches have fallen into the great errour of the Church of Rome and without taking notice of the alterations hapning in the Vulgar tongues of those severall nations which are united under them into one opinion keep up a language in their Liturgies which they understand not as if the capacities of the people could be sooner raised to the understanding of an unknown language than the publick Liturgies be fitted unto their capacities The antient piety of the Church and the modern languages of Gods people are not inconsistent though out of private ends some have taught us otherwise But I fear this errour as some others will not be so easily remedied as reprehended From the tongâ—e in which they celebrate the Divine Offices of their Religion pass we to the Religion it self whose Sacred Offices are so celebrated The Christian faith was first preached in this Countrey by Saint Peter of whose being in Babylon the chief City hereof himself assureth us in the last words almost of his First Epistle and other busines he had none here but to preach the Gospel Much persecuted by the Persians who were then possessed of all these parts it prevailed at last Christianity growing up the faster for the cutting down The Patriarchall See originally planted in Salencia successour unto Babylon in repute and greatness if not also in name the Bishop whereof by order of the Nicene Councill had the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction of these parts with the name of Catholique and the next place in Sâ—ssiom at all publick assemblies of the Church next after the Patriarch of Hierusalem And besides this the Indians or Christians of Saint Thomas acknowledge him for their Primate or Metropolitan as they did afterwards in his right the Patriarch of Muzal At this present here are some remainders of Christianity part of them Jacobites but the most Nestorians of whom more anon Of the chief Rivers hereof we have spoke already and Mountains there are none to hinder us in our passage forwards So that without more delay we may take a view of their principall places And in the first place we meet with Babel in the Hebrew signifying confusion famous for the confusion of languages which here hapned For immediately after the Universal deluge Nimrod the sonne of Chus the sonne of Cham perswaded the people to secure themselves from the like after-claps by building some stupendious Edifice which might resist the fury of a second deluge This Counsel was generally imbracod Heber onely and his Family as tradition goeth contradicting such an unlawful attempt The major part prevailing the Tower began to rear a head of Majesty 5146 paces from the ground having its basis and circumference equal to the height The passage to go up went winding about the outside and was of an exceeding great breadth there being not only room for horses carts and the like means of carriage to meet and turn but lodging also for man and beast and as Verstegan reporteth grass and corn-fields for their nourishment But God beholding from an high this fond attempt sent amongst them who before were of one Language a confusion of tongues which hindred the proceeding of this building one being not able to understand what his fellow called for 2. Babylon on the Bank of Euphrates the antientest City in the World on this side of the flood first built by Nimrod in the place destinated to the raising of the Tower of Babel and by him made the Seat of his Kingdome afterwards beautified and enlarged by Semiramis the wife of Ninus one of his Successors and finally much increased both in bulk and beauty by Nabuchadnezzar who therefore arrogated to himself the whole glory of it saying in his pride is not this the great Babel that I have builded Dan. 4. 30. A City of great fame and state accompted one of the worlds nine wonders and deservedly too The compass of the walls 365 furlongs or 46. miles according to the number of the dayes in the year in height 50. Cubits and of so great breadth that carts and carriages might meet on the top of them finished in one year by the hands of 200000 workmen employed dayly in it Situate on both sides of Euphrates over which there was a sumptuous bridge and at each end of that bridge a magnificent Palace and beautified also with the Temple of the Idol Bel and famous for the Pensile Gardens made with great charge and born up with most stately Arches In a word so great and vast it was that Aristotle saith that it ought rather to be called a Countrey than a City adding withall that when the Town was taken it was three dayes before the furthest parts of the Town could take notice of it Which taking of the Town must be understood of the surprize thereof by the Medes and Persians and not of the taking of it by the Macedanians as Pet. Ramus as great a Clerk as he was in his marginal notes upon the Politicks of that Author hath most vainly told us Which whether it were that there were Gates at the end of every street which made it be so long in taking or that the Babylonians were not wakened from their drunken feast in the time whereof it was surprized I determine not Revolting in the time of Semiramis the news came to her as she was ordering her hair whereupon leaving her head half-drest she went and besieged it never ordering the rest of her hair till she had recovered it How it fell into the hands of Cyrus we learn out of Xenophons Cyri-paideia which was in this manner The River Euphrates ran quite thorow the Town round about whose banks the politick Prince cut many and deep channels into which when the Babylonians were securely merry at a general feast he suddenly drained and emptied the River conveying his own forces into the Town all along the dry
in the most Northern parts of the Countrey neer the borders of Delly from the King whereof Mamudza had then newly revolted and therefore would make sure of this place as most in danger 2 Visapore bordering on Cambaia the Princely Seat of Idalean one of the Kings of Decan after it was dismembered into severall Kingdomes 3. Danager confiningon Canara a beautifull and flourishing City once the chief Seat of Nisalamoccus or 〈◊〉 another of the Kings hereof after that division 4. Decan so called by the name of the Province of which the chief City next to Bider the Imperiall Seat Six miles from which there is an hill encompassed with an high wall and kept by a strong Garrison because of the great store of Diamonds which are digged out of it The town so wealthy that the people generally are attired in silks or the purest tiffany 5. Sintacora on the mouth of the River Aliga where it falleth into the Sea 6. Goa a Sea-Town also situate in a little but most pleasant Iland called Ticuarinum fifteen miles in compass opposite to the mouth or out-let of the River Mandova A noted Empory and one of the chief keys which unlock the Indies for number of Inhabitants magnificent buildings and pleasantness of situation one of most note in all this Country Possessed by the Portugals who have here their Arsenall and harbour for their Indian Fleet by which they do command these Seas So strongly fortified withall that though beleagured by Idalcan of whom before with 35000 horse 6000 Elephants and 250 peece of Ordance Anno 1573. yet he could not force it Made in regard of the convenient situation and strength thereof the ordinary Residence of the Portugal Vice-Roy who hath here his Counsell Chancellor and other Officers for the government of such parts of India as belong to that Crown as also of the Arch-Bishop or Primate of the Indian Churches planted by that nation who is hence called the Arch-Bishop of Goa 7. Chaul a Sea-Town in the hands of the Portugals also and by them well fortified Insomuch as Nisamalocco assaulting it at the same time with a very great Army was sain to leave it as he found it 8. Balaguate in the uplands or Hill-Country whence it had the name Balâ— in the Persian language signifying a top or summit of a mountain and Guate an Hill 9. Brampore once the chief seat of another Kingdome now the chief City of those parts of Decan which are subject to the Great Mongul Situate on a great River in the middest of a spacious Plain beautifull and of very great trading in bigness equall unto Paris yet yielded to Echebar the Mogul without any resistance Anno 1600. Miram then King thereof forsaking it and betaking himself to 10. Syra a strong hold both by art and nature Situate on the top of an hill in compass five leagues and environed with a triple wall furnished with victuals and all other necessary provisions sufficient to maintain 60000 men many years 3000 great peeces of Ordnance planted on the walls Besieged herein by Echebar with an Army of 2000â—0 fighting men he held our against him till over come by promises of fair correspondence drawn out of his hold some of his Counsellers being bribed to perswade him to it he was detained by the Mogull and the Commanders won by rewards and hopes yielded up the Fort and therein all the Princes of the Royall family accustomably kept therein when the Throne was full which vacant the next Heir was taken hence to succeed unto it Of the same nature as it seemeth with the hill Amara in Ethropia The Countrey formerly inhabited by a people called Venaz 〈◊〉 by Religion Gentiles and held by them till the year 1300 when overcome by 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 and King of Delly who driving the Inhabitants into the Hill-Countries possessed himself of a great part of it compelling them to submit unto his Religion The residue hereof subdued by Abdâ—â—a whom Sa Nosaradine left here to pursue the warre was by him governed with great justice for 20 years when dying he left his government to his sonne Mamudza confirmed by the Successor of Sa Nosaradine in his Fathers Regency on the payment of an annuall tribute Mamudza soon finding that the young King was of no great Spirit not only refused to pay the tribute imposed upon him but took unto himself the title of King of Decan giving this nameunto the Countrey before called Canara in regard that he had filled it with a Mungril body of Christians Mahometâ—ins and Gentiles acknowledging no common Parent nor agreeing in language customes or Religion the word 〈◊〉 signifying in that tongue as much as an illegitimate brood or a body of Bastards Out of these he made choice of twelve others say eighteen whom he appointed Governors of so many Province not daring to trust any of the old Nobility or of the Natives of the Countrey and hoping that these Slaves thus promoted by him would be more subject to command But here his silly hopes deceived him For these Slaves either governed by their masters example who had done the like unto the sonne and Heir of Sa Nosaradine or presuming on their own strength and some forein aids left to their master nothing but an empty title each one becoming absolute in his severall Province Nor did his Successors for any long time enjoy that title Daquem the last of them being taken at Bider his chief City and thereupon the name of King usurped by every one of those petit Tyrants Reduced at last into fewer hands such of them as were left became considerable Princes as appeareth by the great Army raised by Id tlean for the siege of Goa But in the end distressed on the one side by the Portugals who embarred their trade and invaded on the other side by the Great Mogul with most puissant Armies Melie entituled King of Decan and Miram King of Brâ—mpore were in fine subdued by Echebar about the year 1600. Against whom and his Successors though the Venazarari still hold out as the Resbutes or 〈◊〉 do in the Realm of Cambaia and that the King of Amdanager and perhaps some other petit Princes are not yet brought under yet we may look on the Mongul as the Lord of this Country the residue of these Royteleâ—â— and petit Princes if any of them be remaining being Homagers or Vassals to him Against whose further Progress to the Cape of Comari which Echebar so greedily aimed at the puissant Kings of 〈◊〉 and those of Malabar have opposed their power whose Kingdomes and estates we must next survey before we take a view of those other provinces which are now under the command of that mighty Monarch 9. CANARA CANARA is bounded on the North with Decan where of antiently it was a part on the South with Malabar on the East with Narsinga from which separated by the Mountain Gates on the West with the Ocean The reason of the name I find not
surnamed Jangheere the sonne of Echebar who added nothing that I hear of to his fathers conquests 1627. 8. Blockie the grandchild of Selim by his eldest sonne wickedly murdered by the practice of Curroon at Agra proclamed King on the death of his Grand-father but shortly after made away by Asaph Chawn so to make room for 1627. 9. Curroon the third sonne of Selim or Jangheere and sonne-in-law unto Assaph Chawn having by his own Ministers and the hands of his Father-in-law murdered the proclamed King his Nephew and all the other Princes of the Royall blood succeeded into the Estates and was crowned at Agra A wicked and bloody Prince still living for ought I hear to the contrary To look a little on these Princes their estate and power in matters of Religion they have generally been Mahometans that Religion being long since embraced by the Tartars from whom they originally descended But not so scrupulous or precise in that profession as to endeavour the suppressing of any other opinions both Echebar and his sonne Jangheere being so inclined unto Christianity that they permitted the Jesuites to build Colleges and Churches in Agra it self the Imperiall City and many other chief Cities in his dominions Of Echebar it is reported that being doubtfull what Religian to adhere unto he caused 30 Infants to be so brought up that neither their Nurses nor any body else should speak unto them resolving to addict himself to the Religion of that Country whose language should be spoken by them as most agreeable to nature and he did accordingly For as those Children spoke no language so was he positive and resolved in no Religion Able to see the vaâ—ues of Mahomet and the horrible impieties of the Gentiles but not willing to conform unto the strictâ—â—â—â—â—t Christianity And though Selim who succeeded to content his Mahometan Subjects declared himself for that Religion yet his affairs being once settled and his Throne confirmed he became as Neutral as his Father Sultan Currâ—on now Reigning of the same Neutrality and 't is well he is so there being no Religion so impure and bloody which he would not dishonor by his known ungraciousness The Language spoken by these Princes and their natural Subjects the Mogores or Mongul-Tartars is said by some to be the Turkuh But I think rather that it is some Language near it than the very same And that the Language which they speak is the ancient Scythian or Tartarian from which the Turks a Scythian people differ but in Dialect a sprinkling of the Persian intermixt amongst it A mixture not to be denied in regard of their long dwelling in that Countrey the entercouse which their Subjects of those parts have with these of India and that the greatest part of their Souldiers Officers and Commanders are supplied from thence Their Government is absolute if not Tyrannical the Great Mongul being Lord of all and heir to every mans estate which is worth the having the persons and purses of his Subjects at his sole disposing so that he may amass what treasures and raise what forces for the Wars his need requireth or the Avarice or Ambition of his Ministers shall suggest unto him First for his Treasures it is conceived that his Revenue doth amount yearly to Fifty Millions of Crowns and there are reasons to perswade that it may be more The Countrey very rich and notably well traded from all parts of the world the Impost upon which is of infinite value besides the vast sums of money brought into his Dominions from all Countreys whatsoever which hold traffick here their commodities not being to be parted with but for ready coyn The whole Land being also his he estates it out for no term certain retaining a third part of the profits to himself and leaving two thirds to the Occupants to be held by them during pleasure Who if they thrive upon their bargains they thrive not for themselves but him it being in his power if he want patience to expect the Incumbents death to enter on the whole estate of the Teâ—ant by the way of Escheat but if he tarry till the death of the Occupant it falls to him of course the wife and children of the deceased being fairly dealt with if he content himself with the personal estate and leave the Land to them to begin anew For instance of those huge sums which in so rich a Countrey may be had this way it is said that when the Vice Roy of Lahor dyed he left to Echebar three millons of Gold besides Silver Jewels Horses Elephants Furniture and Goods almost invaluable And of one Raga Gagnar another of his great Officers that at his death the Great Mongul seized of his into his hands 3300 pound weight of Gold besides Plate and Jewels Besides these means of heaping treasure all the Mines of the Countrey are wholly his and the Presents given by all sorts of Suters hardly to be numbered none being admitted to his presence which comes empty handed Finally if Badurius which was King of Cambaia onely could bring into the field at once 500 Tun of gold and silver to pay his Army and after the loss of all that treasuee advanced upon the sudden the sum of 600000 Crowns which he sent to Solyman the Magnificent to come to succor him both which it is well known he did What infinite Treasures must we think this Prince to be master of who hath more than four times the estate of the King of Cambaia and far more trading now than in former times By the like Parallel we may conjecture somewhat at his Forces also Badurius the Cambaian brought into the field against Merhamed and the King of Mand ae as was partly touched upon before 150000 Horse 500000 Foot 2000 Elephants armed 2000 pieces of brass Ordnance of which were four Basilisks each of them drawn with 100 yoke of Oxen and 500 Carts loaded with powder and shot What then may we conceive of this Prince who is Lord of so much a greater estate than he but that his Levies may be raised proportionably to so great Dominions But because possibly Badurius did extend himself to the utmost of his power and having lost two Battels was never able to recruit again which no wise Prince would do but in great extremities It is conceived that the Mongul without running any such hazards on the loss of a Battel can in an instant raise 50000 Elephants 300000 Horse and Foot proportionable and yeâ— have stock enough for an After-game if that he should chance to lose the first But it is seldom that he hath advanced to so high a Muster For in his action upon the Kingdoms of Decan he had but an Hundred thousand men and a thousand Elephants for fight though possibly of all sorts of people there might be more than double that number For in his ordinary removes in time of Progress it is said that his followers of all sorts amount unto two hundred thousand and that his Tents
captived in the fight Weakned wherewith they became an easie prey to the Vice-Roy of Tangu when he first made himself sole Master of this part of India Who giving to his brother the kingdome of Ava and leaving to his eldest sonne the kingdome of Pegu with the Soveraignty over all the rest conferred this Countrey with the title of king of Jangoma on a younger Sonne But he begotten on a daughter of the king of Pegu and born after his Father had attained this whole Indian Empire was easily perswaded by the â—alapoies so they call their Priests that his Title was better than that of his Elder Brother who was born before it Prevented in his claim by the kings of Arrachan and Tangu by whom that king was slain and his kingdome wasted How he sped afterwards I find not But probable it is that he submitted with the rest to the king of Barma 5. SIAM SIAM is bounded on the North with Jangoma and part of Pegu on all other parts with the wide Ocean save that it toucheth on the East with a part of Camboia and on the West with a poinâ— of Pegu. So called from Siam the chief of all those kingdomes which pass under this name as that from Siam the chief City of it The Countrey of greater length than breadth stretcheth it self South-wards into the Sea many hundred miles in form of a Peninsula or Denty-Iland called antiently Aurea Chersonesus or the Golden Chersonese one of the five famous Chersoneses or Peninsulaes of the elder writers the other four being Peloponnesus in Greece the Thracian Chersonese neer Propontis the Taurican Chersonese in the Euxine and the Cimbrian Chersonese in the North of Germany now part of Denmark It had the name of Aurea or the Golden super-added to it from its plenty of Gold for which much celebrated by the Antients both Greeks and Romans and therefore not improbably thought by some to be Solomons Ophir stil famous with the rest of the Countries of the kingdome of Siam for abundance of Gold Silver Tinn and other metals great quantity of Pepper sent yearly thence with store of Elephants and horses the whole Countrey very fat and fertile well stored with Rice Corn Grass and all other necessaries The people generally much addicted to pleasures if not to Luxury delighted much with Musick and rich apparel and such as stand much upon their honour For their instruction in good letters they have publick Schools where their own Lawes and the mysteries of their own religion are taught them in their natural Language all other Sciences in strange tongues understood by none but by the learned To tillage they can frame themselves and are painful in it but by no means will follow any Mechanicall Arts which they put over to their Slaves In Religion for the most part Gentiles worshiping the four Elements amongst other Gods to each of which as they are severally affected so are their bodies to be disposed of either burnt buried hanged or drowned after their decease as in their lives they were most devoted to the fire Earth Air or Water Some Christians here also in and about the parts possessed by the Portugals but more Mahometans who possessing two hundred Leagues of the Sea-Coasts of this Countrey have planted that religion in most part of the Countrey now by them possessed It containeth in it many kingdomes some of little note those of most observation 1. Malaca 2. Patane 3. Jor 4. Muanâ—ay and 5. Siam properly and specially so called Of which Malaca is now in the hands of the Portugals Jor and Patane are possessed by the Arabians or Saracens the other two have followed the fortunes of the kings of Siam 1. The kingdome of MALACA taketh up the South part of the Golden Chersonese extended towards the North from the Cape or Promontory which Ptolomy calleth Malancoâ—in in the extreme South-point hereof neer unto Sabana then a noted Emporie for the space of 270 miles So called from Malaca the chief City of it of old times called Musicana or built very neer it from whence this Tract is called by Strabo Musicani terra The City seated on the banks of the River Gaza which is here said to be 15 miles in breadth by the frequent overflowings whereof and the neerness of it to the Line being but two degrees to the North the Air hereof and all the territory belonging to it is very unwholsome and for that cause the Countrey but meanly populous In compass it is said to be 20 miles of great wealth because of almost infinite trading for Spices Vnguents Gold Silver Pearls and previous Stones the most noted Emporie of the East Insomuch that is said by Ludovico Barthema who was there before the Portugals knew it that it was traded by more ships than any one City in the world more by far since the comming of the Portugals to it than it was before The People as in all this tract of an Ash-colour with long hair hanging over their faces bloody and murderous specially when they meet one another in the Night Few other Towns of any note in a place so unhealthy except 2. Sincapura situate East of Malaca neer the Promontory of old called Magnum supposed by some to be the Zaba of Ptolomy and that more probably than that it should be his Palura as Maginus would have it Palura being a City of the Hither India and different at the least 20 degrees of Langitude from any part of this Chersonese But whatsoever it was called in the former times it was in these latter ages the mother of Malaca the greatest part of the Trade and people being removed from thence to this newer foundation before which time it was the best frequented Emporie in these parts of the East 3. Palo Zambilan 120 miles on the West of Malaca from whence to Sincapura coasting about the Southern Cape now called Cape Liampo we have a Sea-shore of 270 miles as before was said No other habitation of any reckoning but a few sheds upon the shore for the use of Fisher-men and some scattered Villages in the land the People dwelling most on Trees for fear of Tigers This Tract in former times possessed by the Kings of Siam about the year 1258 bâ— came a kingdome of it self founded by Paramisera and some other of the Javan Nobility who flying the tyranny of their own king came into this Country where they were lovingly received by Sangesinga then reigning under the Sâ—amite in Sincapura Him they perfidiously slew and invested Paramisera in his Dominion Outed of which by the King of Siam he was forced to seek a new dwelling and after two or three Removes fell upon the place where Malaca now standeth which City pleased with the commodiousness of the situation he is said to have built The trade of Sincapura in short time removed hither also which so increased the wealth and power of the Kings hereof that joyning with the Moores who began to plant themselves on
in site and the true type or Figure of the old English Puritan opposite to the Papist in things fit and decent though made ridiculous many times by that opposition In other things they do much resemble those of China if not the more ceremonious of the two washing their infant-children in the neerest River as soon as born and putting off their shooes when they go to meat The people have but one Language but that so intermingled with the words of others nations that it seems rather to be many languages than one They have long used the Art of printing which probably enough they might have from China the Characters whereof are a kind of Brachygraphy and signifie not only letters but some whole words also In matter of Religion Gentiles adoring antiently the Sun Moon and the Stars of Heaven and giving divine honour to wild beasts and the Stags of the Forrests but specially worshiping some of their deceased Priests and Princes by the names of Fotoques and 〈◊〉 the first of which they use to pray for goods of the other world and to the last for Temporall blessings Theâ—â— Priests they call by the name of Bonzes setled in goodly Convenâ—s and endowed with very large Revenues who though divided into eleven different if not contrary Sects do well enough agree in denying the providence of God and the immortality of the soul Of late times by the care and diligence of the 〈◊〉 Christianity hath begun to take footing here whether with such a large increase as their letters called Epistolae Japanicae have been pleased to tell us I am somewhat doubtfull They tell us there of some Kings of these Ilands whom they have converted and baptized that within 50 miles of 〈◊〉 they had 50 Churches 200 at the least in all that in the year 1587 the number of their Converts was two hundred thousand Of this if the one half be but true we have great cause to praise God for it and to give them the commendation of their pains and industry not letting pass the memory of the first 〈◊〉 who was Father Xavier one of the first foundation of this Society employed in this 〈◊〉 by Ignâ—tâ—â—s the first founder of it who landed here about the year 1556. Rivers of note I find not any though the Iland be generally well-watered more memorable for two mountains in it than for all the Rivers One of which called Figâ—noiama is said to transcend the clouds in height the other but without a name useth to cast forth dreadfull flames like Stcilian Aetna on the top whereof the Devill environed with a white and shining cloud doth sometimes shew himself unto such of his 〈◊〉 as live about this hill an abstemious life like the antient Hermits Chief Cities of the whole Ilands 1. Meaco seated in Japan and the chief of that Iland formerly 21 miles in compass but now by reason of their warrs scarce a third part of it The ordinary residence of the 〈◊〉 or three principall Magistrates which sway the affairs of all these Ilands oâ— whom the first entituled 〈◊〉 hath the chief care in sacred matters the 2d named Voo doth preside in Civill and the third called 〈◊〉 manageth the concernments of Peace and Warre At this time it is used for the common Eâ—pâ—â—y of the trade of 〈◊〉 that people not permitting Merchants to come amongst them but bringing to this place their merchandise as the common Staple where they are sure to meet with Chapmen to buy it of them 2. Ossacay a great and renowned City conceived to be the richest in all the East of so great trade that every ordinary merchant is said to be worth 30000 Crowns 3. 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 at the foot of the chill so called and about nine miles from Meaco An University of the Bâ—nzeâ— for whose convenience and study one of the Kings of Japan is said to have founded in this Town and about that mountain 3800 Convents and to endow it with the third part of the Revenues of the Kingdom of Vorn These Colleges or Convents now reduced to 800 onely but still the Vniversity of such same and credit that they give not the command or government of it unto any but the Kings sonne or his neerest kinsman 4. Banoâ—m another of their Vniversities where they give degrees affirmed to be as big as Paris 5. Bongo the chief of all that Province in which the Jesuites have a College the Japonues learn the Portugal language and the Europaeans that of Japan 6. Coia the sepulture of their Princes or of some part of them it being antiently ordained that if their whole bodies be not here interred they must at least send one of their teeth 7. Fiongo about 18. leagues from Meaco the subject of many great misfortunes Destroyed in part by Nabunanga one of the Kings of this Iland who lived Anno 1550 that which he left terribly shattered by an Earth-quake Anno 1596. most of the ruins of it since consumed by fire 8. Amangasaqui five leagues from the Sea 9. Surungo as big as London with the Suburbs 10 Edâ—o a much fairer than that and the chief Seat of one of their Kings 11. Firando a seat-Royall also of some other King where in the year 1613. there was a Faâ—tory established for the English Merchants 12. Ochinofamanus one of their most noted Havens 13. Tosa or 〈◊〉 giving name to one of the Ilands These Ilands utterly unknown to the Antients were first discovered by Antonio Mota a Portugal in the year 1542. I know Mercator taketh it for the Aureâ— Chersonesus spoken of by Ptolomy and I cannot choose but wonder at it The situation of it so far distant from that of the Chersonese that either Mercator must be grossely out in his conjecture or Ptolomy as much mistaken in his informations which no man hitherto can justly accuse him of But passing by the improbability of Mercators fancy we are to know that in former times these Ilands were subject to one Prince whom they obeyed and reverenced with great affection which government continued as themselves report 1600 years in great State and Majesty But in the end the Dairi so they call their King addicting himself wholly unto pleasures and laying the burden of Government upon other mens shoulders his Deputies or inferiour Officers usurped Regaâ— power plumed themselves with Eagles feathers used in their stiles the name of Jucatas or Kings and in a word left nothing but the name of Dairi to their Lord and Soveraign His issue to this day do enjoy that title and but little else the Princes bordering on Meacâ— once his Royall seat hardly allowing him sufficient means to find himself victuall and Apparell but otherwise befooling him with as glorious titles as if he were possessed still of his antient power Onely they let him execute the place of an Harald in giving Arms and selling dignities and honours which brings him in the greatest profit he hath to trust to Of all these Kings he
Glauconis with a City of the same name in it now called Goza and subject to the Knights of Malta 11 Aethusa by some called Aegusa and consequently mistaken for Aegates which lieth neer Sicily Of more note are the five that follow viz. 1. COSYRA now called Pantalaria equally distant from Africk and the Isle of Sicil 60 miles from each In length about thirty miles and in breadth not above ten Mountainous for the most part and full of a black kind of Stone the soyl not very proper for Corn and void of Rivers but plentiful of Figs Melons and Cotton-wool well stored with Kine and Oxen but without Horses The People poor by Religion Christians and subject to the King of Spain very good Swimmers of both sexes and in their speech and habit coming neer the Moors It hath a Town in it of the same name with the Island situate on the Sea-side in the Northern part of it defended with a very strong Castle 2. CERCINA now with little difference called Carchana situate neer the coast of Africk at the entrance as it were of the lesser Syrtis In length 25 miles in breadth half as much but in some places not above five Exceeding fruitfull in old times able to furnish as they did the wants of Caesar and his Army when he warred in Africk Magno frumenti numero Cercinae invento naves onerarias quarum ibi satis magna copia complet atque in castra ad Caesarem mittit are the words of the History It hath a Town of the same name Of no great note in way of story but for an handsom piece of wit here shewed by Annibal Who flying from Carthage met here some Merchants of that City who had there some shipping in the Haven and standing in some doubt leâ—t by their discovery of his flight he might be pursued pretended a Sacrifice to Hercules the Tyrian Deity to which he invited all the Sailers and borrowed all their Sails to set up a tent for their entertainment which having got into his hands and leaving them asleep he made on for Asia secure enough not to be pursued untill out of danger 3. LOTOPHAGITIS now called Zerby and by some Gerbe is situate in the bottom of the Bay of Tripolis divided from the main Land by a narrow Ford. The Iland full of Bogs and Marishes without other water and in the midst of it somewhat hilly indifferently fruitfull yielding Dates Olives Barley Mill and the like commodities inhabited by 30000 men dwelling in low Cottages and but simply apparelled It had in it anciently two Cities 1 Meninx which sometimes gave name unto the Iland called Meninx by some elder Writers 2 Gerrapolis both now destroyed instead whereof there is now one of more note then the rest called by the same name with the Iland and fortified with a very strong Castle Subject unto the Turks but governed by a poor King of its own Both Fort and Iland taken by the Christian Fleet in the year 1559. for the King of Spain to whom Caravanus the King thereof did submit himself conditioning to pay the yeerly Tribute of 6000. Crowns one Camel four Ostriches four Sparrow Hawks and four Falcons But the Christians were scarce warm in their new possession when besieged in the Castle by Pial Bassa to whom after some extremities they were fain to yield there perishing in this unfortunate Action by sword famine and sickness 15000 Christians 4. GAVLOS or GAVDVS by the Inhabitants called Gaudica is distant about five miles from the Isle of Malta to the Knights whereof it doth belong given to them by the bounty of Charles the fift The Iland 30 miles in compass well watered and very fruitfull So great an Enemy to Serpents and all venemous Creatures that they neither breed here nor will live here brought from other places The People Christians but they speak the same Language with the neighbouring Saracens The chief Town is of the same name with the Iland beautified with a Capacious Haven lying betwixt the West and South and strongly fortified Cruelly pillaged by the Turks in the year 1551. who carried hence 3000 Souls into endless thraldom 5. MALTA the chief of the African Ilands lieth betwixt Tripolis in Barbary and the Isle of Sicil distant from this last about 60 miles and from the other 180. In circuit about sixty miles in length 20 and in breadth 12. situate in the beginning of the fourth Clime and eighth Parallell so that the longest day in Summer is but 14 hours Anciently it was called Melite and by that name occurreth not only in Ptolomy and other Writers but also in the Book of the Acts in the story of St. Pauls Ship-wrack this being the place where he and all his company were cast on land in memory whereof was built a little Chappell in the place of his Landing So called most probably 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the abundance of honey which it yielded in former times Cicero charging it on Verres that he came home loaded with 400 measures of honey and store of Melitensian Rayments I am non quaero unde 400 amphoras mellis habueris unde tantum Melitensium Vestium saith that famous Orator The joyning of which two together declare that he had robbed the same place for both this Island being a neer neighbour of Sicil which Verres governed then as Praetor Nor is it strange that an Island of the coast of Africk and using for the most part the Phocinian or Punick Language should borrow its Appellation from the Greek many of that Nation coming hither from the Isle of Sicil and inhabiting here and the whole Island sometimes subject to the power of the Sicilian Greeks though for the most part under the command of the State of Carthage It is situate wholly on a Rock being not above three foot deep in earth by consequence of no great fertility the want of which is supplied with the plenties of Sicil. Yet have they here no small store of Pomegranats Citrons Oranges Melons and other excellent fruits both for taste and colour They have also great abundance of Cotten Wool Gossypium the Latinists call it which they sowe as we do our Corn the growth and ordering of this Wool hath been shewn already when we were in Syria For the commoditie of this Wool and the cloth made of it the Romans had this Iland in great esteem thinking themselves happy when they gained it from the Carthaginians The natural Inhabitants of it are said to be churlish and uncivil of the African Language and complexion but followers of the Church of Rome the Religion whereof these Knights are sworn to defend The Women fair but hating company and going covered The whole number of both Sexes supposed to be 20000. possessed of 90 Villages and four Cities Places of note 1 Malta so called by the name of the Iland in the middle of which it is situate built on an hill but counted of no great importance the strength
of Goats Stags Deer Hares and Conies Elephants of that bigness that their teeth weigh 200 pounds and Serpents of so vast a bulk that they will eat a whole Deer at once not to say any thing of their fowl both wilde and tame which they have here in great abundance The People of mean stature black of complexion thick lips and having the apple of the eye of divers colours which makes them ghastly to behold strong and long-lived with very little hair on their heads but that all naturally curled In Religion for the most part Heathens some worshipping the Sun and Moon others the Earth as the Mother and Nurse of all things and some again wilde Beasts and Serpents So populous that without any sensible diminution of their infinite numbers it is supposed that they fell 28000 Slaves to the Portugals yeerly by whom they are sent into Brasil there to work in the Mines and Sugar houses The Christian faith admitted in some few of their Provinces but specially in that of Congo where first preached in the reign of John the 2. king of Portugal An. 1490. by Gonzalvo ae Susa who having converted and baptized the Kings Uncle and one of his Sons prevailed so far upon the King that in the end he and his Queen and many of his principal Subjects did imbrace the Gospel Received there by the people with such infinite joy that when their first Bishop came to live amongst them they caused the wayes from the Sea-side to the City of Banza being 150 miles to be covered with Mats and offered to him all the way as he went Lambs Chicken Kids Partriges Fish Venison and other necessaries to testifie their rejoycings in that happy change And though many of the Subjects in the other Provinces were baptized accordingly and for a time imbraced the Faith yet after some small trial of it they relapsed to their former Heathenism either unable or not willing to conform to so strict a Rule Principal Rivers of this Country 1 Bengo 2 Coanza 3 Dande 4 Barbela 5 Ambrizi 6 Loza 7 Zaire This last the greatest of them all if not of all Africk also of which though we have spoke already we shall adde this here That it falleth into the Aethiopick Sea with so great a violence that for ten miles commonly for fifteen sometimes the waters of it do retain their natural sweetness not intermingled nor corrupted with the salt Sea-waters Nor can the people fail above five miles against the stream by reason of the Cataracts or huge fals which it hath from the Mountains more terrible and turbulent then those of Nile And for the Mountains of most note they are 1 Sierra Complida or the Long mountain 2 Mons Christalli or the Christalline mountain so called from the abundance of Christal which is found therein 3 Sierra de Sol the Mountain of the Sun of excessiue height 4 Montes Sal nitri so called from their abounding in that kind of Mineral and 5 the Mountains of Cabambe rich in Mines of Silver It conteineth in it many large and ample Provinces of which we have this general muster in the stile Imperial wherein their King calleth himself King of Congo Bamba Sango Sandi Bangu Batti Pemba Abundi Matana Quisoma Angola and Cacango Lord of the Congemes Amolaze Langelungi Anzuichi Cucchi and Zoanghi Many of these not so well discovered as to afford us any matter fit for our discourse the principal of those that be are 1. ANGOLA bounded on the South with Cafraria on the North with the Provinces of Bamba and Pemba on the East with some part of Zanzibar on the West with the main Ocean The Country rich in Mines of Silver and most excellent Copper some store of Kine and Horses brought out of Europe which they kill rather for their tails the wearing whereof is held for a special ornament then keep for any other use their chiefest diet being Dogs which they fat for the Shambles and to that dainty so affected that at the first coming of the Portugals thither they would give twenty slaves and upwards for a good large Dog By this we may conjecture somewhat at the nature of the people who besides this are said to be much given to sorcerie and divinations by the flight of Birds skilful in medicinal herbs and poisons and by familiarity with the Devil able to tell things to come Permitted as most Pagans are to have as many wives as they will who with the rest of the women whether maids or widows use at the first sight of every New Moon to turn up their bare bums in defiance of her as the cause of their troublesom purgations In this Country are the Mountains called Cantaberes rich in Mines of Silver but those Mines not suffered to be digged for fear of drawing some unnecessary war upon them so that they use Glass-beads for money and therewith also do adorn the persons of greatest eminence Their principal City called Cabazza is about 150 miles from the Sea and the Royal residence of their Kings but not else observable This Country was first discovered by the Portugals under the conduct of Diego Can An. 1486. the King hereof at that time Vassal unto him of Congo and so continued till that King did imbrace the Gospel whereupon they revolted from him and have since subsisted of themselves without such dependance At first they held good correspondencie with the Portugals and allowed them free traffick in their dominions But after their revolt from the King of Congo with whom the Portugals were in league they put to death as many of them as they found in Cabazza An. 1578. under colour of some pretended treason To be revenged of this soul murder Paul Diaz Governour of these parts for the King of Portugal arming such people as he had with two Gallies and some other Vessels passed up the River of Coanza wasting the Country on both sides Against whom the King of Angola raised an Army of a Million of men but amongst those multitudes of men there were so few Souldiers that an handful of the Portugals aided with some of the forces of the King of Congo gave him a notable defeat A. 158â— Since that the trade with Portugal is revived again and the King hereof hath expressed some good affections unto Christianity sending unto the King of Congo for some Priests to instruct him in it but obtained them not the state of Religion in that kingdom being then declining To this king belong also the two Provinces of Matana and Quisoma though both used in the titles of the King of Congo of which the first lying towards the Sea is said to be of a wholsom air and a fertile soil outwardly furnished with fruits and inwardly with Mines of Christal and other metals but not very rich for want of some convenient Haven to bring on commerce The other lying towards a great Lake called Aque Lunda was once governed after the manner of a Commonwealth but
for the fire and timber for building the body of the Tree being strait and high and towards the top diversified into many branches A Country far too good for so bad a people For they as Travellers report and most Writers testifie are treacherous inhospitable ignorant both of â— rayers and Festivals destitute of the distinction of time into years and moneths not knowing any proper names for the dayes of the week nor able to reckon above ten naked except their privities which they cover with Cotton Idolaters in the midland parts Mahometans upon the shores Commendable only for their hate to Polygamie and restraining themselves to one wife the defiling of the marriage bed severely punished but otherwise so eager upon copulation that their Boyes at the age of twelve years and the Girls at ten think they stay too long if they keep their Virginities any longer some of them like Quartilla in Pâ—tronius Arbiter begin so early ut nunquam meminerint se Virgines fuisse that they remember not the time when they lost their Maidenheads Of colour they are black and of strong composition their breasts and faces cut and pinkt to appear more beautiful Much given unto the wars well armed according to their Country manner and exceeding good Archers Amongst them there are some white people said to come from China It hath in it many fair Rivers but their names I find not and at the mouths of those Rivers some convenient Havens into which they admit the sorrein Merchants but suffer none to come on land which the Merchant hath no cause to be sorry for finding himself not safe on shipboard from their treacherous practises So that we can give but small Account of their Towns and Cities except it be the bare recital of their names as viz. 1. S. Augustines on a fair Bay in the South-west point as 2 Gangomar in the North-east of it 3 Antabosta 4 Point-Antogil 5 Santo-Jacobo 6 Matatana 7 Angoda 8 Herendo 9 Andro-arco and 10 Roma or New-Rome so entituled by some zealous Romanist in hope to have it thought that the Popes of Rome have got some footing in this Iland This Iland known but very imperfectly in the time of Marcus Paulus Venetus who telleth us many strange things of it but none more strange then that of the Bird called Ruck of such incredible strength bigness that it could snatch up an Elephant as easily as a Kite doth a Chicken Discovered by the Portugals in the year 1506. as before was said and since frequented by the English and Holland Merchants by whom we are informed no further touching the Estate and Affairs thereof but that it is divided into four parts under so many Kings each of them in continual wars against one another but well enough agreed to defend themselves against the coming in of Strangers yet as some say they would be well enough content with an English Plantation either in love to our Nation whom they acknowledge to be more courteous then the Portugals and not so covetous as the Dutch or else by the strength of our Shipping and the reputation of our interesse in it to keep off all others 4. MOHELIA 5. MAVRITIVS Iland ADjoyning to Madagascar and as it were attending on it I find divers Ilands some on the North-west some directly East On the North-west we have 1 Meottey 2 Chamroe 3 Mohelia and 4 Joanna Iland on the East 5 the Iland of Mauritius and 6 Englands Forest Of these Mauritius is the greatest but Mohelia the best inhabited 4. MOHELIA situate on the North-west of Madagascar is about 20 miles in length and 16 in breadth abounding in Goats Hens Coconuts Limons Orenges Pom-Citrons Pulse Sugar-Canes store of Fish taken on the shores and other necessaries The People of complexion black of composition large and strong couragious affable lesse treacherous then their neighbours of Madagascar Of the same Language and Religion with those of Arabia from whence they seem to have descended but by reason of their commerce and intercourse with the Portugals they speak that tongue also The Women of the like complexion to amend which and seem more lovely they pink their arms and faces in several shapes Both sexes no otherwise apparalled then their natural garments with some Plantane Leaves about their middle to hide their shame Their Religion that of Mahomet as before is said their Priests in great esteem amongst them so their Temples also which they keep clean and neatly matted not suffering any man to enter with his shooes on his feet Their chief Town Merianguea at the West end of the Isle strong and well-garrison'd Heretofore under the command of one King alone of late divided into two Principalities one of the last Kings leaving two daughters the one married to a Native the other to an Arabian Lord. 5. Larger then this on the East of Madagascar is the Isle of MAVRITIVS so called by the Hollanders in honour of Maurice Prince of Orange in whose time they first set footing in it but by the Portugals called De Cerne and by some Cygnaea In compass about 100 miles well stored with Beeves Hogs Goats most sorts of Fish and liberally endowed with all the blessings of Nature sweet Waters most delicious Fruits Woods fit for any use both of food and building plenty of Ebonie of all colours but the best coal-black Yet altogether destitute of humane Inhabitants insomuch as we may say of this as the Poet of the World before Man was made Sanctius his Animal mentisque capacius altae Deerat adhuc quod dominari in caetera posset Which may be Englished in these words But yet the Chief with Supreme power possest Was wanting he that should command the rest 6. S. HELENS 7. The Isles of ASCENTION 6. AS destitute of Inhabitants as the Isle of Mauritius is that of S. HELEN on the West side of the Cape of Good Hope in the 16 Degree of Southernly Latitude no other Iland interposing betwixt Madagascar and it except those of Don Alvarez and of Tristram de Acugna neer the Cape it self but of so little note as not worth the naming The Iland very high and hilly and mounting from the Sea with so steep an ascent that the Mariners have amongst them a merry saying that A man may choose whether he will break his heart going up or his neck coming down It was thus called because discovered by the Portugals on S. Helens day not then inhabited nor since the King of Spain suffering none to dwell there because it had been made an unlawful receptacle for uncustomed Goods whereby he lost exceedingly both in power and profit Stored by the Portugals at the first Discovery with Goats Hogs Hens and other Creatures as also with Figs Limons Orenges and the like Fruits which there thrive exceedingly and grow all the year long Intended by them for a Stage in their going and coming to and from the Indies in which they might refresh themselves and
this Terra Incognita the habitation of the Faeries a pretty kind of little fiends or Pigmey devils but more inclined to sport them mischief of which old Women who remember the times of Popery tell us many fine stories A cleanlyer and more innocent cheat was never put upon poor ignorant people by the Monks and Friers Their habitation here or no where though sent occasionally by Oberon and their other Kings to our parts of the World For not being reckoned amongst the good Angels nor having malice enough to make them Devils but such a kind of midâ—ng Sprites as the Latines call Lemures Larvae we must find out some place for them neither Heaven or Hell and most likely this Their Country never more enobled then by being made the Scene of that excellent Poem called the Facrie Queen Intended to the honour of Queen Elizabeth and the greatest persons in her Court but shadowed in such lively colours framed so exactly by the Rules of Poesie and representing such Idaeas of all moral goodness that as there never was a Poem more Artiâ—cial so can no Ethical discourse more fashion and inflame the mind to the love of vertue Invisurum facilius aliquem quam imitaturum shall be Spencers Motto and so I leave him to his rest 5. The PAINTERS WIVES ILAND is an Iland of this Tract mentioned by Sir Walter Raleigh in his History of the World Of which he was informed by Don Pedro de Sarmiento a Spanish Gentleman imployed by his King in planting some Colonies on the Streits of Magellan which we have touched upon before Who being taken Prisoner by Sir Walter in his going home was asked of him about some Iland which the Maps presented in those Streits and might have been of great use to him in his undertaking To which he merrily replied that it was to be called the Painters Wives Iland saying that whilest the Painter drew that Map his wife sitting by desired him to put in one Countrey for her that she in her imaginations might have an Iland of her own His meaning was that there was no such Iland as the Maps presented And I fear the Painters wife hath many Ilands and some Countries too upon the Continent in our common Maps which are not really to be found on the strictest search 6. THE LANDS OF CHIVALRIE are such Ilands Provinces and Kingdoms in the Books of Errantry which have no being in any known part of the World and therefore must be sought in this A gross absurdity but frequent in those kind of Writers who in describing the Adventures of their Knights in despight of Geographie with which indeed they had no acquaintance have not only disjoyned Countries which are neer together and laid together Countries which are far remote but given us the description of many Ilands Provinces and mighty Kingdoms which as the ingenious Author of the History of Don Quixot merrily observeth are not to be found in all the Map Of this sort is the Isle of Adamants in Sir Huon of Burdeaux the Fayery-Iland in the History of Amadis de Gaul the hidden Iland and that of the Sage Aliart in S. Palmerin of England the Ilands of Lindaraza and the Divelish Fauno with the Kingdom of Lyra of which the Amazonian Lady Archisipoza was the rightfull Queen and many others of that kinde in the Mirrour of Knighthood and divers of like nature in Palmerin de Oliva Primaleon and Belianis of Greece Parismus the Romance of Romances and indeed who not of all that Rabble Handsomly humoured by Michael de Cervantes in his Iland of Barutaria of which the famous Sancho Panca was sometimes Governour and the Kingdom of Micomicona And yet I cannot but confess for I have been a great Student in these Books of Chivalrie that they may be of very good use to Children or young Boys in their Adolescency For besides that they divert the minde from worse cogitations they perfect him that takes pleasure in them in the way of reading beget in him an habit of speaking and animate him many times to such high conceptions as really may make him fit for great undertakings 7. THE NEW WORLD IN THE MOON was first of Lucians discovering a man of eminent parts but as ill a Conscience Apostatizing from the faith in which he was bâ—ed Aristophanes had before told us in one of his Comedies of a Nephelococcygia or a City of Cuckoes in the Clouds But Lucian was the first who found out this New World in the Moon of which and of the Inhabitants of it he affordeth us in one of his Dialogues a conceited Character But of late times that World which he there fancied and proposed but as a fancie onely is become a matter of a more serious debate and some have laboured with great pains to make it probable that there is another World in the Moon inhabited as this is by persons of divers Languages Customs Pâ—lities and Religions and more then so some means and wayes proposed to consideration for maintaining an intercourse and commerce betwixt that and this But being there are like endeavours to prove that the Earth may be a Planet why may not this Southern Continent be that Planet and more particularly that Moon in which this other World is supposed to be Certainly there are stronger hopes of finding a New World in this Terra Australis then in the Body of that Planet and such perhaps as might exceed both in profit and pleasure the later discoveries of America But I am no discourager of industrie and ingenuitie which I love and honour wheresoever I find it I know great Truths have many times been startled upon less presumptions Nor would I be mistook as if in my pursuit of this Terra Incognita I put scorn on any of sublimer thoughts or that I would have any man so much in love with the present World as not to look for another World in the Heaven above It is reported that in some controversie betwixt the Polander and the Duke of Moscovie the King of Poland sent the Moscovite a curious Globe representing the whole Heavenly Bodies with the particular motion of each several Sphere To which the Muscovite returned this unworthy Answer Tu mihi Coelum mittis Redde mihi Terras de quibus contendimus You send me Heaven faith he but that will not satisfie unless you give me back those Lands which are now in question And much I fear there are too many of this mind who would not lose their part on Earth for all Heaven it self Whom I desire if any such peruse these Papers to consider That as much as the most flourishing Country which is here described doth fall short of that Paradise wherein God placed our father Adam so much and infinitely more did that Earthly Paradise fall short of the unspeakable glories of the â—ingdom of Heaven To the diligent and careful search of which Heavenly Kingdom I heartily commit the Reader not doubting but the Works of GOD which