soone as the child is past seven or eight years and can speake the tongue well the which thing is a mystery with them for the words of confession which are required before Circumcision and the child for this is not brought into the Temple but is Circumcised at home in his parents house There bee assembled at this notable feast all their friends and commonly amongst the richer sort they kill an Oxe and therein they include and put in a Sheep exenterate and ready dressed in the which sheep there is a Hen in the which Hen there is an egge which are all rosted together for the solemnity of that day then at supper time in their banquet the childe which must bee Circumcised is brought in whose yeard and privy member the Physitian openeth and apprehendeth the folded skinne with a fine paire of pinsons then to take all feare away from the childe he saith that hee will make the Circumcision the next day and whilst he useth those words he suddenly cutteth the prepuce which is the skin that covereth the head of the yeard laying a little salt on the wound They do not give names to their children in the day of circumcision but in the day of their nativity after 3 daies space he that is circumcised is led with great pompe unto the Bath when hee commeth home againe he is led throughout all the gests which offer unto him their prepared gifts some give silke garments some silver cups ohers present him mony or Horses If any Christian man of his owne accord confessing Mahomet will suffer himselfe to be Circumcised which thing chanceth very often times for the grievous exaction and burthen of tribute such one is led throughout all the Streets and Lanes of the Citty with great honour and triumph of the people for joy playing on the Drums and to him many gifts are presented and afterward hee is made free from their payment and tribute Yet the Turkes compell no man to the deniall of his religion although they bee commanded in â—he booke of Alcoran to exâ—ulse the adversaries and gaineâ—ayers whereof it commeth to passe that so many and divers â—ects of people are found amongst the Turkes all which doe reverence and honour God after their peculiar rites and customes Their Priests doe little differ from the Laity and there is no great Learning to bee required in them it is enough if they can reade the booke of Alcoran but those that can interprete the same Booke according to the text are esteemed as most cunning because Mahomet gave his precepts not in the vulgar Turkish tongue but in the Arabicall tongue and they thinke it a wicked and unlawfull thing to have them interpreted or set forth in the vulgar tongue these Ministers have their stipend and reward oâ— the Prince for their paines they have wives and apparrell eveâ— as secular men if the stipend bâ— not sufficient for the multitude and â—umber of their children then may they practise and use all manner of Arts crafts and Trades that other men doe but yet they are free from exactions and other impositions and are greatly esteemed of the common sort They have divers livings solitary like unto Monkes which under the colour of Religion inhabite the Woods and desert places utterly renouncing mens company and some of them have nothing of their owne but they goe almost naked saving that their privy parts bee covered with Sheepe-skinnes they travaile and wander throughout Countries asking almes as well of the Christians as of the Turkes Some of them goe seldome abroad but continue in Temples having in the corners of Churches little cottages their heads uncovered their feete without shoes their bodies without garments bearing about them nothing but one shirt they fast many dayes and pray that God would reveale unto them things to come and the Prince of the Turkes is wont to aske counsell of them whensoever hee goeth about any Warres What execution of Iustice the Turkes have what kind of marriages what manner of apparrel and living THe Turkes doe execute Justice most exquisitely for he that is guilty of slaughter or blood-shed is alwayes punished with like vexation and torment Hee that is taken with a woman in adultery is stoned to death without mercy or tarrying There is also a punishment appointed for those which are taken in Fornication For whosoever is apprehended for it he must suffer eight hundred lashes with a whip a theefe for the first and second time is so many times scourged also but if hee bee taken the third time hee loseth his hand at the â—ourth time his foote He that â—oth any damage to any body â—s compelled to make satisfaction according to the estimate of the losse They admit no witnesses but very meete and allowable persons and such as may be beleeved without any Oath It is not lawfull for any man that is full of age to live out of matrimony they may be married to 4 lawfull Wives and those whomsoever they will chuse except their Mother and Sisters having no respect at all to the propinquity of blood they may have as many illegitimate and unlawfull Wives as they please and be able to keepe thâ— children both of lawfull and unlawfull wives are equally heires in their Fathers goods so that they observe this order that 2 daughters shall but match and bee eâ—quall with one son They keep not two or more wives in onâ— House or in one City foâ— fear of often contention and unâ—quieting but in every City theâ— keep one the husbands have thiâ— liberty to put them away threâ— times and to take them againâ— thrice those Wives which arâ— put away may if it please them continue and abide with sucâ— men as receive them Thâ— women are very decent and honest in their apparrell they use on their heads a kinde oâ— Linnen like unto yong damsels and they have vailes over the same the folding whereof is so decent that the top of it hangeth over the left or right side wherewith if they goe from home or come into their husbands sight they may quickâ—y cover all their face saving the â—yes the women may never â—e seen in the company of men â—or to goe to market nor to buy â—r sell any thing in the Churâ—hes they have their places seâ—arate from the men so closely â—hat no man may peepe into â—hem nor by any meanes enter â—nto them and yet it is not â—awfull for every woman to enâ—er in thither but for noble â—ens wives and never else but â—n Friday at 12 of the clock â—nely they use their Prayers â—he which is a solemne time with them the talking of man â—nd woman openly is so rare â—nd against common custome â—hat if you should tarry a whole â—eare with them you should â—cantly see it once It is â—hought a monstrous thing that â— man should openly talke with a woman or ride in the compâ—ny of any They that are maâ—â—ried together doe never use anâ— wanton toies in
the which the liqour is taken wherewith silke is dyed Purple Shee hath a long tongue aâ—â— iâ— were the length of a finger 〈◊〉 which shee is alwaies mooving by her tongue shee gotteth 〈◊〉 prey that she desirethâ—â— In 〈◊〉 they discerne true Purple 〈◊〉 counterfeit by powring oyle upon silke for if it leaveth any spots it is counterfeit but if the silke garment hath no fault after the oyle is is good and allowable Purple The City of Babylon SEmyramis a Noble woman and of great prowesse erected and built the pompous City of Babylon the walls wherof were made of brick sand pitch and plaister of a marvellous length and grossenesse The Walls were in compasse three hundred and threescore furlongs with many and great towers beautified The breadth of the Wall was such that sixe Carts might goe together thereon The height was thirty and two foote the turrets in number were two hundred and fifty The breadth and length thereof was equall with the Walls Shee made a bridge also of five furlongs in length with pillars in the depth by marvellous art of stone iron and lead joyned together When Ninus her husband was dead shee tooke the administration of the Kingdome and reigned 24 yeares For although shee had a Sonne called also Ninus yet shee considering his yong yeares unmeet for to rule feigned her selfe to bee King Ninus sonne the which was easily credited for the great likenesse of nature that was in them This woman was of so noble courage that she had a singular emulation to excell her husband in glory of whom it needeth not now to speak any more because divers authors have so largely renowned and set forth her noble Acts. Of the Phoenix THe Phoenix is a noble bird and is but one in the World which is not much seene Coruelius saith that the Phoenix did flye into Egypt when as Plaucius and Paupinius were Consuls It is said that she is as big as an Eagle having a glittring brightnesse like as Gold about her neck in other parts Purple anâ— Azured taile with Rose colours her head with a plume and top of Feathers Manilius saith that no man hath seene her feeding Shee liveth sixe hundred and threescore yeares when she waxeth old she maketh her nest of Cassia and branches of a Frankinsence-tree to fill it with odours and so dyeth upon it then of her bones and marrow thereof there springeth first a little worme which afterward is a young Phenix This Bird as Pliny saith is commonly in Arabia where are found goodly Pearls and of great estimation Cleopatra gave for one Pearle that was brought out of this Countrey two hundred and fifty thousand crowns The goodnesse of Pearles is judged by the whitenesse greatnesse roundnesse plainenesse orient brightnesse and waight The Description of the forme of the Ramme that Titus brought before the Walles of Ierusalem A Ramme is a huge beame like the maine Mast of a Ship whose end is armed with a strong massie iron made in the forme of a Rammes head whereupon it taketh its name because it butteth with his head It hangeth on another beame with ropes like the beame of a paire of ballances the beame it hangeth on lying a crosse is held up with two props which being drawne back by force of many men and then joyntly with all their forces shooved forwards it striketh the wall with the head of iron and there is no Wall nor Tower so strong but though it abide the first stroke of the Engine yet cannot it abide or hold out long The Generall of the Romans thought good to use this Engine to take the Citty by force and when they saw that none of the Iews durst come upon the wall they then applyed the Ramme unto them which so shooke the Walles beyond thought that the Iews cryed out as though the Citty had beene already taken they to prevent the force of the Rammâ— let downe sacks of wooll and chaffe to hinder the powerfull beating of the Ramme for it was of that force and strength in the running that is past beleefe yet this policy and invention did helpe for a while and did preserve the Wall whole and sound For where this policy was not used to prevent the force of the Engine it did overthrow and batter downe the Walls suddenly and furiously yet though it was of that force and strength in those times it is now quite out of use and almost of knowledge but onely for the name Of Mahomet the false Prophet of the Saracens of his originall and perversity MAhomet was the Prince of all impiety and superstition Wherefore it is not to bee marvelled if hee hath set the feeds of all evill and such as will not be rooted out Some say that hee was a Cyrenaic in Nation some that hee was an Arabian others that he was a Persian He was borne in the yeare of our Lord 597 A man of an obscure family and of no great wealth nor strength nor manhood some say that his father was a worshipper of devils and that Ismaelita his mother was not ignorant of the Lawes of the Hebrewes Wherefore the Childe being distract and made doubtfull because whilst that his Father teached him one kinde of religion his Mother suggested another so that hee followed none of them throughly And thus being trained up in two severall manners hee received and kept none of them at his ful age but he being brought up amongst the good Christians being of a subtile and crafty wit invented and devised of both Lawes a most pernicious and detestable sect for mankinde After the death of his parents he was taken of the Sarracens which were accounted notable amongst the Arabians in theft and robberies and was sold to a Merchant of the Ismael kinde Hee being a crafty fellow rapacious dishonest subject to all vice a notable dissembler and deceiver was at the length made the ruler of their Merchandize and Wares He did drive Camells throughout Egypt Syria Palestine and other strange places with the often travaile in which places hee using the company aswell of the Jewes as of the Christians many times studied and went about not to learn but to deprave the old and new Testament being taught divers sects of his Parents to this he added the gaines that came by theft and dayly imagined how to deceive his Master Wherefore being suspected of his Master and hated of others of an obscure Servant and slave hee became a notorious theefe and robber And being made more famous with his continuall theft and robberies hee got dayly a great number of companions of his unthrifty doings These things were also a great helpe unto him his strange and horrible countenance his terrible voice and his desperate ruffenly boldnesse greatly to bee feared Thus comming by little and little in admiration of a barbarous Nation hee got unto him no small authority so that that his Master being dead without Children hee married and tooke to wife his
Earle of Beauvais bringeth the Kings cloake the Bishop and Earle of Chaalons bringeth the Kings Ring the Bishop and Earle of Noyon bringeth the Kings Girdle The sixe temporall Peeres with their offices at the Coronation are the Duke of Burgundy Deane or chiefe of the rest whose office is to bring the Kings crownâ— the Duke of Guyen bringeth the first square Banner the Duke of Normandy bringeth the second square Banner the Earle of Tholouse bringeth the Kings spurres the Earle of Champaine bingeth the Kingly Banner or the Standert of Warre and the Earle of Flaunders bringeth the Kings sword And although the five first temporall Peeredomes be united to the Crown and the sixt bee subject to another Prince yet at the Kings coronation there are other Noble men appointed to supply their roome and offices These bee the twelve ancient Peers although since their creation others have beene made which though they have like authority to judge in the Court of Parliament yet they want offices at the Kings Coronation and beare not that majesty that the other Peeres doe for that they are not of so great antiquity The foure parts of the World EVropa so called from Europa daughter of Agenor King of Lybia and of the Phoenicians brought hither as Poets feigne by Iupiter in the shape of a Bull but as Historians write by a Cretan Captaine named Taurus is separated from Asia as is hereafter showne and from Africk by the Mediterranean sea It is in length 2800 and in bredth 1200 miles Asia so called from the daughter of Oceanus and Theâ—is Wife to Iapetus and Mother to Prometheus or as some say of Asia the sonne of Manae King of Lydia is separated from Europe by the river Tanais now called Duina by the Sea called in time past Palus Meotides now Mare de Zabache and by Pontus Euxinus now Mare maiorica and by part of the Mediterranean Sea aâ—d from Africke by the River of Nile the Red Sea and the Aegyptian Istmus It stretcheth in length 5200 miles and in breadth 4560 miles Affrica which some say is so called of one Affer of the line of Abraham is separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea and from Asia by the Red Sea and the River of Nile Affrica is in length 4155 and in breadth 1920 miles America or West India so called of Americus Vespusius but first found out by Christopher Columbus of Genua the yeare of our Lord 1492 It is like an Iland round about environed with the great Ocean but the length and bredth no man knoweth Affrica is greater then Europa Asia then Affrica and America bigger then all The eight times that Rome hath beene taken ROme was first taken by the Gaules under the conduct of their Captaine Brennus the yeare of the Foundation of the Citty about 365 and the yeare of the world 4835 and the yeare before Christ 364. This Brennus is by the Britaine and English Chronicles reported to bee a Britain and brother to Belinus King of Britain but neither the Chronicles of Rome nor of Gaul doe speake of any such matter Rome was secondly taken by Alaricke King of Gothes after hee had held his siege to it the space of two yeares which befell the yeare of the Foundation of the Citty 1164 the yeare of our Lord 412 and the 25 yeare of the Empire of Honorius It is written in the Chronicles of Constantinople and in other places that as Alaricke being a Christian marched with his Host towards Rome a certaine Monke of holy life and great authority came unto him who having audience admonished and counsailed him to breake off that evill purpose and to remember that he was a Christian and that for Gods sake hee would moderate his wrath and that he should not take pleasure in the shedding of Christian blood sith that Rome had not in any respect offended him Unto whom Alaricke answered Thou must understand man of God that it proceedeth not of mine owne will that I go against Rome but contrarily I assure thee that every day there commeth unto me a man which constraineth and importuneth me thereunto saying unto mee Hasten thee goe against Rome destroy it utterly and make it desolate At which words the religious man being astonished durst not reply and so the King followed his enterprise Rome was thirdly taken by Gensericke King of Vandales the yeare of the Foundation of the Citty 1208 the yeare of Christ 456 who sacked and burned in it many places which befell in the Empire of Marcian Rome was fourthly taken by Totila King of Gothes who because hee could not obtaine peace of the Emperour 〈◊〉 commanded the Cittizens to avoyde the Citty and afterwards burned sacked and destroyed almost all the Citty Walls and the Capitoll and made it altogether desolate in so much that never since it could be repayred according to the first forme although a while after Bellisarius peopled and repaired a great part thereof and calling againe the old inhabitants fortified and strengthned much the Walls This desolation happened the yeare after the foundation the Citty 1300â— after Christ 548 and the 21 yeare of the Empire of Iustinian Rome was fiftly taken by the same Totila King of Gothes after that Bellisarius had repeopled and repaired it 〈◊〉 Rome was â—ixtly taken by 〈…〉 and Saracens followers of Mahomet his Law which in great multitude came into Italy and in the yeare of our Lord 333 fitting in Rome Gregory the fourth and governing the Empire Lewes the first besieged tooke and sacked Rome prophaning the temple of Saint Peter which done they returned to their ships charged with prey and prisoners Rome was seventhly taken by Henry the fourth of that name Emperour of Germany sitting in Rome Gregory the seventh this time Rome was most cruelly destroyed by reason that both the armies of the Pope and the Emperour skirmished and fought long within the Citty and the Capitoll which had beene before destroyed was now again repaired which befell the yeare of our Lord 1082 Authors write that Rome was never so much endamaged at any time as at this by reason of the lamentable destruction that was done by the Normans on the Popes side and Germans for the Emperour Rome was last taken by Charâ—s the last Duke of Bourbon who being slaine as hee scaled the walls at the first assault and by that chance the Souldiers being in liberty and without a Head pittifully destroyed the Citty and committed all kinde of enormities and barbarous cruelties saving that they burned not the Churches although they spoyled and robbed them to the uttermost For a great part of the army were Germans and most of the Germans Lutheran This adversity happened â—o Rome the yeare of our Saviour 1527 sitting at Rome Clement the Seventh and governing the Empire Charles the Fift Sixe Orders of Chivalry which continue at this day among Princes THe first and ancientest of these Orders of Chivalry or Knighthood is the Order of the Garter instituted