Selected quad for the lemma: son_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
son_n	daughter_n	mother_n	sister_n	25,437	5	10.5778	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16282	The manners, lauues, and customes of all nations collected out of the best vvriters by Ioannes Boemus ... ; with many other things of the same argument, gathered out of the historie of Nicholas Damascen ; the like also out of the history of America, or Brasill, written by Iohn Lerius ; the faith, religion and manners of the Aethiopians, and the deploration of the people of Lappia, compiled by Damianus a ̀Goes ; with a short discourse of the Aethiopians, taken out of Ioseph Scaliger his seuenth booke de emendatione temporum ; written in Latin, and now newly translated into English, by Ed. Aston.; Omnium gentium mores, leges, et ritus. English. 1611	Boemus, Joannes, ca. 1485-1535.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Nicolaus, of Damascus.; Léry, Jean de, 1534-1611. Histoire d'un voyage fait en la terre du Brésil.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609. De emendatione temporum.; Aston, Edward, b. 1573 or 4.	1611 (1611)	STC 3198.5; ESTC S102777	343,933	572

him at his pleasure but to the end that no one should be ouerthrowne or spoiled by anothers enuie or malice without cause there was this prouision made that the accused might challenge the single combat with one of his accusérs and if he ouercame the other he scaped free and forfeited nothing He that killed his Duke was killed himselfe and all his goods confiscate for euer without redemption and he that stirred vp sedition against him forfeited to the Duke 600. shillings When an armie was conducted into the enemies land the souldiers had no cause to fall out amongst thēselues for prouision for euery one might take what would serue his turn but he which wrangled without cause was forced either to yeeld himselfe to the law of armes in that case prouided or suffer fifty stripes with a truncheon before his Lieutenant And the Lieutenants and Gouernors were to haue a special care euery one with in his limits or county that the souldiers did not spoile prey vppon the enemie before they were commanded by the Duke for if any fault were committed through their negligence they were to make it good If a free-man damnified or wronged another he was constrained to make good as much as the party was hindred and was amerced besides at 40. shil but such offences were death in seruants and their master made restitution for them because they forbad them not the committing of such crimes If a seruant stole or purloyned any thing from the soldiers in the campe and was therof conuicted he lost his hand for that offence and his master notwithstanding restored the value of the goods stolne and a free-man for such a fault was mulcted at forty shillings ouer and aboue the due restitution of the thing stolne If any one were commanded by the king or duke to kill another and he did it the king or duke which commanded him ought for euer after to defend and protect him from danger if the king or duke which was his protector died his next successor did take vpon him the like warrantie and protection of that man If the Duke were so stubborn and rebellious as to contemne and despise the decrees of the king he was depriued of his Duke-dome and was vtterly void of all hope euer to recouer his former estate and dignity If the Duke had a son so froward foolish or arrogant as through the counsell and abetting of lewd and euil persons he went about to depose his father from his gouernment so that his father were yet well able to gouerne to conduct an armie to get vp vpon his horse and to carry armes and was neither deafe nor blind well able to performe the kings command he was dis-inherited and for euer after vncapable of the Dukedome or if his father pleased he was banished to perpetuall euile for offending his father in so high a degree against the law He that by rashnesse indiscretion or drunkennesse bred a scandall in the Dukes Court forfeited forty shillings and was for euer after lyable to make good the value of the inconuenience that arose of that ill example but a seruant for such a fault lost his hand If any thing were found in the Dukes Court and taken vp and concealed one night vnreuealed it was accounted theft and such an offendor forfeited into the Dukes Exchequer fifteene shillings because the Dukes house was accounted a publike house He that detracted or by his ill speeches depraued the Dukes gouernement was punished at fifteen shillings and forced to finish and make perfect all that he was commanded to do that all pleas or suites might be dispatched and ended euery fifteenth day in each seuerall Countie of the countrie for the doing wherof all the free-men assembled together and they which neglected the meeting forfeited fifteene shillings the Iudge to the end hee might do iustice and iudge vprightly had a booke of the law lying open before him which serued as a rule and pattern wherby to iudge of all controuersies And if the inditement were without partialitie and that he iudged vprightly without respect of persons or rewards hee then had and enioyed to himselfe the ninth part of the composition but if the iudgement were partiall or smelled of briberie he forfeited the double value of that which by his false sentence and corruption was payed and was fined moreouer at forty shillings He which killed the Duke payd either vnto his friends or vnto the king for composition 1460. shillings whereof his friends had six hundred And it was euer obserued that the composition for the death of the Duke was three times as much as for the death of any of his friends The Agilolsingi out of which family the Dukes be euer created had the fourth part of the composition and then the Huosi the Trozzi the Sagavi the Hahilingi and the Aennonni had the one halfe of that which remained Hee that killed a free-man payd either vnto the Duke or vnto his parents that was slaine 8. pounds hee that put out a free-mans eye or cut off his hand or foot payed 40. shillings he that lamed him payd 12. shillings and for a maim 20. shillings for a wound 3. shillings for striking out a cheeke tooth or grinding tooth 12. shillings and for euery other tooth 6. shillings They were very strictly forbidden to molest or hurt strangers in so much as he which iniured any of them payd vnto the party grieued the double value of the wrong sustained and besides forseited 8. pounds into the Dukes Exchequer he that slue a stranger forfeted an hundred pounds in gold If a seruant molested or sold a free-man were complained of to the Iudg he escaped not without some great punishment as the losse of hand or eye Libertines which had bin manumitted made free had more easie compositions by the one halfe then those which were free-born All incestuous mariages were there vtterly prohibited so as it was not lawful for any man to marry his first wiues mother his sonnes wife his daughter-in-law his step mother his brothers or sisters daughter his brothers wife or wiues sister and those which offended in any of these points all his goods were confiscate by the Iudge hee that prophaned the Lords day with any manner of worke after the first warning and admonition had fiftie lashes vpon the backe with a whip and if he offended againe the second time he forfeited the third part of all his goods and for the third offence he lost his libertie for it is fitting that he which will not be free vpon that day shold be a slaue for euer after A seruant for labouring vpon the Lords day was beaten but if he held on his course without amendement his right hand was cut off And a stranger for the like fault hauing beene warned aforehand paid 12. shillings He that detained a freeman against his will in seruitude and bondage or forcibly tooke away his inheritance or goods was forced to

and receiued it againe at his hands onely to appease the Pope being then his enemy To passe ouer the seuerall peoples that haue inhabited this Island and the times of their continuance as Britans Romans Danes and Saxons and to come to times more nere vnto vs for that my purpose is not to wade in vncertaine waters but briefly to touch the present state and condition of my country too sleightly slipt ouer by mine author William surnamed the Conqueror bastard sonne to Robert the sixth Duke of Normandy and cousin germaine vnto King Edward the Confessor by the mothers side pretending a title vnto this Kingdome by the guift of Edward his kinseman and also by a couenant confirmed by oth betwixt Harrold and him entred this land slue King Harrold in battaile and obtained the crowne by conquest vpon the fourteenth day of October 1066. Hee alterred the whole state of the country dispossessed the Inhabitants and distributed their lands by portions vnto his people that came in with him he raigned twenty yeeres eight monthes and sixteene daies and left the Kingdome to William his third sonne surnamed William Rufus who was flaine in hunting after hee had raigned twelue yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and hauing no issue left the gouernment to Henry his brother and youngest sonne to William the Conqueror Henry the first surnamed Henry Beuclarke raigned fiue and thirty yeeres foure months and eleuen daies and dying without issue male left the crowne vnto Stephen Earle Morton and of Bologne sonne to the Earle of Bloys and Adela William Conquerors daughter and nephew to King Henry the first Stephen raigned eighteene yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and Henry sonne to Maude the Empresse whose mother was Maude Queene of England wife to King Henry the first and daughter to Margaret Queene of Scots who was daughter to Edward the sonne of Edmund surnamed Ironsyde by which meanes the Saxon line was againe restored succeeded in his Kingdome Henry the second raigned foure and thirty yeeres nine months and two daies and then departing this life left the managing of the estate vnto his third sonne Richard surnamed Richard Ceur de Lyon Richard the first raigned nine yeeres nine months and two and twenty daies and dying without issue his brother Iohn disinheriting Arthur and Eleanor the right heires to the crowne as being the issue of Ieffrey Duke of Britan his elder brother who was fourth sonne to Henry the second and died before his father tooke vpon him the gouernment Iohn raigned seuenteene yeeres seuen monthes and Henry his eldest sonne raigned in his steed Henry the third raigned sixe and fiftie yeeres and one month and left his sonne Edward surnamed Long-shankes to rule after him Edward the first raigned foure and thirty yeeres eight monthes and nine daies and exchanging his Kingdome for the Kingdome of heauen left the crowne to his sonne Edward of Carnaruon so called because hee was borne there Edward the second raigned nineteene yeeres seuen months and sixe daies and beeing then deposed the gouernment was committed to Edward his sonne Edward the third raigned fifty yeeres foure monthes and seuen daies and left the Kingdome vnto Richard his grand-child the sonne of Edward the Black Prince who died before his father Richard the second was deposed when hee had raigned two and twenty yeeres foureteene weekes and two daies and Henry Plantagenet sonne to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster fourth sonne to Edward the third got possession of the crown rather by force then by lawful succession Henry the fourth raigned thirteene yeeres six months and foure daies and his sonne Henry succeeded him in the Kingdome Henry the fifth whose valor France well knew raigned nine yeeres fiue months and foure and twenty daies and left the gouernment to his sonne Henry likewise Henry the sixth raigned eight and thirty yeeres sixe months and nineteene daies and Edward Earle of March eldest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke clayming the crowne by liniall discent from Lionel Duke of Clarence third sonne to Edward the third and elder brother to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster succeeded him in the gouernment Edward the fourth raigned two and twenty yeeres fiue weekes one day left the Kingdom to his son Edward Edward the fifth was murthered by Richard Duke of Glocester youngest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke and youngest brother to Edward the fourth when hee had raigned onely ten weekes and foure daies Richard the third hauing butchered his Nephewes and vsurped the crowne of England was slaine by Henry the Seuenth when hee had raigned two yeeres two monthes and fiue daies and left the Crowne vnto the said Henry who was next heire from the house of Lancaster and married Elizabeth Daughter vnto Edward the Fourth next heire from the house of Yorke by which marriage hee revnited the two long deuided houses of Yorke and Lancaster Henry the Seuenth raigned three and twenty yeeres eight monthes and nineteene daies and left the Kingdome to Henry his Second sonne for his eldest sonne Arthur died before his father without issue Henry the Eight raigned seuen and thirty yeeres ten monthes and one day and left the charge of the gouernment to Edward his sonne Edward the Sixth raigned sixe yeeres fiue monthes and nineteene daies and Queene Mary his eldest sister succeeded him Queene Mary raigned fiue yeeres fiue monthes and two and twenty daies and her sister Queene Elizabeth raigned after her Queene Elizabeth raigned foure and forty yeeres foure monthes and foureteene daies Shee was the mirrour of the world for Gouernment and her sex considered beyond compare admirable religious prudent magnanimous mercifull beloued euill spoken of by none but onely the wicked neuer to bee remembred of any true hearted Englishman but which reioycing for her birth and sorrowing for her death Her Virgine life was such as that for politique respects beeing mooued to marry in the first yeere of her reigne her answere was that that estate liked her best wherein she then liued with all concluding for satisfaction to her subiects with a Deus Prouidebit God shall prouide an heire for this Kingdome which blessed bee God therefore our eyes haue after foure and forty yeeres of her gratious raigne now to our comfort seene But for your better satisfaction I will here set downe her words at large as they are penned by Maister Stow in his Annals of England AS I haue had good cause so doe I giue you all my hearty thankes for the good zeale and louing care you see me to haue as well towardes mee as the whole estate of your Country your petition I perceiue consisteth of three partes and mine answere to the same shall depend of two And to the first part I may say vnto you that from my yeeres of vnderstanding sith I first had consideration of my selfe to bee borne a seruitor of almighty God I happily chose this kinde of life in the which I yet liue which I assure you for

hollow stone and mingling there-with the seede of holly tree bake it therein and make them a most pleasant meate for the meate beeing so mingled they fashion it into Cakes like long Tyles and drying them a little against the Sunne sitte downe and eate them with great pleasure and not a proportioned quantity thereof but euery one as much as they can eate This meate they haue alwayes in a readinesse as it were out of a store-house the sea affoording it in aboundance in steed of bread whereof the land is barren But when by the raging of the sea those places which bee neere vnto the shore bee drowned for diuerse dayes together so as they fayle in theyr faculty of fishing at which time they suffer great penury of victualls then they gather certaine great shell-fishes and bruising their shells in peeces with stones feede vppon the meate which is within beeing very like vnto Oysters And when this raging of the sea by force of the windes is of so long continuance as that they can finde none of those shel-fishes then they betake them-selues to fishe bones and sharpe finnes which are reserued for a time of neede the tenderer and newest sorte whereof they knaw with their teeth and bruise the harder with stones and so eate them like vnto brute beasts they eate commonly a great company together as I haue sayd and cheere one another with an vntuneable song and after that the men accompany with women each one with her hee first lighteth vppon and beeing voyde of all care by reason of the aboundance of meate which they haue in readinesse bestowe themselues in this manner foure dayes together and vppon the fift day they flocke together in troupes to the riuers to drinke making a disordered and confused noyce as they goe This their gooing to drinke is not much vnlike the going of neate to water when their bellyes are so full of water as they are scarse able to returne backe they eate no more that day but euery one beeing full of water and strouting out as though hee would burst lyeth downe like a drunken man to sleepe Vpon the last day they returne againe to their fishing and so passing ouer their whole liues with such simple and slender dyet they sildome fall into any disease yet they bee shorter liued then wee for their vncorrupted nature accounteth it their chiefest felicity and summum bonum to appease hunger expecting pleasure from no other thing and this is the manner of liuing of those people which dwell within the gulph But those which dwell without the gulph liue farre more strangely for they neuer drinke and are naturally voyde of all passions of the minde And beeing as it were reiected by fortune from all places fitte for habitation and cast into deserte and desolate countries indeuour themselues wholy to fishing They desire nothing that is moyst and eate their fishes halfe rawe not that they would thereby auoyde thirst but in a sauage manner contented with such foode as fortune affoordes them supposing their greatest happinesse to consist in wanting nothing they desire or is fitte for them They bee sayde also to bee indued with such extraordinary patience as if one should drawe his sworde and strike them they would not seeke to auoyde the stroke but willingly suffering themselues to bee iniured and beaten they doe nothing but onely looke backe vppon him that strooke them without shewing the least signe of anger or compassion of their owne misery Speach they haue none but in liew thereof make signes with their fingers and by nodding their heads what things they want and what they would haue These people doe generally loue peace not dooing any thing to annoy others which kinde of life though it bee strange and admirable yet hath that nation for a long time retained it beeing eyther therevnto accustomed by continuance of time or else compeld by necessity Their places of abode be not like the Ichthiophagi which dwell within the gulph but in diuerse fashions for some haue theyr lodgings in hoales situate to the North pole wherein they bee defended from the heate of the Sunne both by the shade and the soft winde and coole murmuring ayre for those places which lye opposite to the South are for heate like vnto fornaces therefore vnpossible to be dwelt in Those which dwell against the North pole make them houses to auoyde the heate of Whales crooked ribbes whereof there bee many in that sea set hollow one against an other and couered ouer with rett or sea-weed necessity compelling Nature to finde out Arte for her owne defence and this is reported to bee the life of the Ichthiophagi which dwell without the gulphe It remaineth to say somewhat of the Amazons which in former time were sayd to dwell in Libia their women were hardy strong and valiant and liued not after the manner of other women for their custome was for a certaine space to exercise them-selues in feates of armes for preseruation of theyr Virginity and the time of warre-fare once ended then to couple themselues with men in mariage for cause of procreation the women onely did gouerne and exercise all publicke offices and the men tooke charge of things within doores like our women making themselues vassals and slaues vnto women as being very expert in the warres in gouernment and in all publicke businesses whereof the men themselues were ignorant When an infint is borne he is giuen to the father to bee nourished and brought vp with milke and other things answerable to his age and if it be a man child they eyther banish him or kill him forthwith or else breake his right arme so soone as he is borne thereby to make him vnfit for the warres But if it be a woman childe they singe off her brests in her infancie alledging that great brests would hinder them in the warres and therefore of the Greekes they be called Amazons because they want their brests they bee said to inhabite the Isle Hesper which is so called as being scituated towards the West this Isle is in the Moore called Triton which ioyning to the sea is also called Tritonia of a riuer that floweth into it It bordereth vpon Aethiopia and the hill Atlas the greatest mountaine of all that country It is very large and produceth diuerse sorts of trees vpon the fruit whereof the Inhabitants liue There bee many Goates also and other cattell whose Milke and flesh they feed vpon They bee altogether destitute of Corne nor doe they know the vse thereof if they had it FINIS Lib. 1. THE SECOND BOOKE Of Asia and the most famous Nations thereof CAP. 1. ASIA an other part of the tripartite world is so called of Asia the daughter of Oceanus and Tethis wife of Iapetus and mother to Prometheus or according to the opinion of others of Asius the sonne of Manaeus Lidus It is situated in the East part of the world and is bounded vpon the West with

gates of their houses be neuer shut but stand alwayes open Amongst the Pedalians a people of India not hee which is cheefe in the sacrifice but hee that is most prudent of all those which be present deuineth and they desire nothing of the gods in their prayers but Iustice onely the Praysij or Phrasij succour with sustenance their neighbours afflicted by famine The people called Telchines dwelled first in the I le of Creete and afterwards inhabited the I le of Cyprus also from whence they remooued into Rhodes and inioyde that Iland where they began to bee very malicious and enuious and exercising themselues in Mechanicall Artes and imitating the workes of their elders they were the first that erected the Idoll of Telchinian Minerua which is as much to say as enuious Minerua It is not lawfull amongst the Tartessians for the younger to giue testimony against the elder The people of Lucania excercise iudgement and inflict punishment as well for luxury and sloth as for any other offence what-so-euer and hee which is proved to lend any thing to a luxurious person is fined at the value of the thing lent Amongst the Saunites or Samnites is once euery yeare a publike Iudgement pronounced both of young men and maides and which of the youngmen is adiudged best by the censure of the Iudges shall first make his choyse which of the Virgins hee will haue to his wife and the second to him chooseth next and so of all the rest in order The Limyrnij haue their wiues in common their children be likewise brought vp at their common charge vntill they accomplish the age of fiue yeares and in the sixt yeare they be brought together into one place where all the fathers be assembled to make coniecture whom euery childe doth most resemble which done they assigne vnto euery father the child that is likest vnto him and by that meanes euery one acknowledgeth his owne child as neere as he can and bringeth him vp as his owne whether he be so or noe The Sauromatae or Sarmatae pamper and gorge themselues with meate for the space of three daies together that they may be throughly filled they obey their wiues in all things as their Ladies and Mistresses and noe maide there is admitted to marry before she hath beene the death of som enimy The Cercetae punish all offenders so seuerely as they prohibite them to sacrifice And if any marryner or gouernor of a boate split or runne his shippe or boate vpon a rocke all men that passe by him spit at him in contempt The Mosyni keepe their Kings in strong castles and if any of them be adiudged carelesse of the common-wealth hee is there famished to death The graine which the earth yeeldeth there is equally distributed amongst the people sauing some small part thereof which is reserued in common to releeue strangers The Phryges or Pryges abstaine from al swearing so as they will neither sweare themselues nor constraine others to sweare And if any man amongst them kill a labouring or draught oxe or priuily taketh or stealeth any instrumēt of husbandry he is punished with death They bury not their Priests when they bee dead in the ground but place or set them vpright vpon pillers of stone of tenne cubits high The Lycij attribute more honor to their women then to men and all of them take their names after their mothers In like manner they make their daughters their heires and not their sonnes And if any freeman be conuicted of theft hee is punished with perpetuall seruitude They giue not their testimony in deciding controuersies at an instant but alwaies at the Months end that they may haue time inough to delibrate what testimony to giue The Pisidae at their bankets sacrifice the first of their feasts to their parents as vnto the Gods the protectors of alliance and friendshippe Their sentence for the misusing of things laid to gage is most seuere for hee which is there conuicted deceytfully to put them to other vse then taken in adultery he together with the addulteresse woman are for a punishment led through the citty sitting vpon an asse and that for the space of certaine dayes appoynted The Aethiopians attribute the chiefest honour vnto their sisters and the Kings leaue their sisters children to succeed them in their Kingdomes and not their owne but if there bee no such children to whome the right of succession belongeth then they choose for their King hee that is most indued with valour and comlinesse of personage piety and iustice are much practised amongst them dwelling houses they haue none but liue altogether without doors and when as many times it happeneth much of their goods lieth abroad in the common waies yet they be so true as no one stealeth any thing from them Amongst the Buaei a people of Libia or affricke a man hath dominion ouer the men and a woman ouer the women The Basuliei a people of Lybia when they make wars ioyne their battells in the night and keepe peace all the day The Dapsolybies assemble them-selues together into one place and marry at the same time they be so assembled after the setting of the seauen starres their manner of marrying is thus after they haue banqueted a while their lights or torches for their meetings for this purpose are in the night are put forth and extinguished and then they go vnto the women sitting by themselues in the darke and which of the women any man shal take at aduentures her hee hath to his wife Amongst the Ialchleueians a people of Libya when many corriuals goe about to obtaine the loue of one woman they suppe all together with the father of the woman they desire in mariage where they spend the supper time in taunting and scoffing one another with pleasant quippes and Iests and hee whome the woman doth most arride and best conceiue of hath her to his wife The Sardolybies make no prouision of houshold stuffe but onely of a cuppe and a sword The Alytemij a people of Libia choose the most pernicious Kings they can get but for the rest of the people hee which is most iust is of greatest dignity The Nomades a people of Libia also in their computation of times account by the nights and not by the dayes The Apharantes a people of Libia are not distinguished and knowne by proper names as other people bee they reuyle the Sunne at his rysing because hee produceth and bringeth all euills to light and they account those daughters the best which keepe their virginity longest When any of the Baeotians are become banckrupts and not able to pay their debts they are brought into the common market place and there constrayned to sit together and be couered all ouer with a basket and those which haue this punishment inflicted vpon them are accounted for euer

of Isthmus and extending north and south lyeth opposite to that part of the Mediterranean sea which is called Aegeum on the East and on the West to the sea Ionium as the hill Apennyne deuideth Italy in the middle so is Greece seperated and deuided with Mountaines called Thermopilae the toppes of the hills stretching in length from Leucas and the Weasterne sea towards the other sea which is Eastward The vtmost hills towards the west bee called Oeta the highest whereof is named Callidromus in whose valley there is a way or passage into the Maliacan gulfe not aboue threescore paces broad through which way if no resistance bee made a whole hoste of men may bee safely conducted but the other parts of those hills bee so steepe craggy and intrycate as it is not possible for the nimblest foote-man that is to passe ouer them there hills bee called Thermopilae of the piles or bankes that stand like gates at the entrance of the hills and of the hot waters that spring out of them by the sea side of Greece ly these regions Acarnania Aetolia Locris Phocis Baeotia and Eubaea which are almost annexed to the land Attica and Peloponesus runne further into the sea than these other countries do varying from the other in proportion of hills and vpon that part which is towards the North it is included with Epirus Phirrhaebia Magnesia Thessalia Phithiotae and the Malican gulfe The most famous and renowned citty of Athens the nurse of all liberall sciences and Philosophers than the which there is no one thing in all Greece of more excellency and estimation is scituated betwixt Achaia and Macedonia in a country there called Attica of Atthis the Kings daughter of Athens who succeeded Cecrops in the kingdome and builded Athens Of this Cecrops it was called Secropia and after Mopsopia of Mopsus And of Ian the sonne of Xutus or as Iosephus writeth of Ianus the sonne of Iaphet it was called Ionia and lastly Athens of Minerua for the Greekes call Minerua Athenae Draco was the first that made lawes for the Athenians many of which lawes were afterwards abrogated by Solon of Salamin for the too seuere punishment inflicted vpon offenders for by all the laws which Draco ordained death was due for euery little offence in such sort as if one were conuicted but of sloth or Idlenesse hee should die for it and he which gathered rootes or fruits out of an others mans grounds was as deepely punished as those which had murdered their parents Solon deuided the citty into societies trybes or wards according to the estimation and valuation of euery ones substance and reueneus In the first rancke were those whose substance was supposed to consist of five hundred medimni those which were worth three hundred medimni and were able to breed and keepe horses were counted in the second order and those of the third degree were equall in substance to the second the charge of keeping horses onely excepted And of these orders were all magistrates and high officers for the most part ordained and those which were vnder these degrees were in the fourth rancke and were called mercenary and were excluded from all offices sauing that they might haue the charge of pleading and decyding causes This institution of ciuill gouernment Seruius Tullius is supposed to haue followed and imitated at Rome Moreouer Solon appointed a Senate or Councell consisting of yearely Magistrates in Areopagus though some haue reported that Draco was the founder of that assembly And to the end that hee might take away all occasion of ciuill dissention that might happen at any time afterwards and that the inconsiderate multitude should not trouble the iudiciall sentences by their doubtfull acclamations as vsually they did out of those foure trybes that were then in Athens hee made choyse of foure hundred men an hundred out of euery trybe giuing them power to approue the acts and decrees of the Arreopagites if they were agreeable to equity if other-wise to councell them and annihilate their doings by which meanes the state of the citty stayde as it were by two sure anchors seemed secure vnmoueable and of likelyhood to continue if any were condemned for parricide or for affection and vsurping the cheefe gouernment they were excluded by Solons lawe from bearing rule and not there onely but all those also were barred and prohibited to beare offices that if any sedition were set a foote in the citty stood neuter and tooke nether part for hee thought it an argument of a bad Cittyzen not to bee carefull of the common good and peace of others when hee him-selfe hath setled his owne estate and designes in safety Amongst the rest of Solons acts this is most admirable whereby he graunted liberty that if any woman had married a man vnable to beeget children shee might lawfully and without controulement depart from him and take vnto her any one of her husbands kindred whome shee liked best Hee tooke away all vse of mony-dowries from amongst them so as a woman might take nothing with her from her fathers but a few clothes and other trinkets of small worth signifying thereby that marriages should not bee made for mony but for loue and procreation of children least their euill life might bee a blotte and skandall vnto them after their deaths If any man slaundered his neighbour ether at the solemnization of their diuine ceremonies or at their sessions and publike assemblies hee was fined at foure drachmas Hee graunted power and authority vnto Testators to dispose and bequeath legacies of mony and goods amongst whome they pleased whereas before by the custome of the country they were not to bequeath any thing from their owne families and by this meanes friendshippe was preferred before kindred and fauour before allyances Neuerthelesse this was done with such caution and prouision that noe one could graunt such legacies beeing mooued there-vnto either through their owne franticke madnesse or by the subtill and vndermyning perswasions of other but meerely of his owne accord and good discretion Hee forbad all mournings and lamentations at other mens funeralls and enacted that the sonne should not bee bound to releeue his father if his father had not brought him vp in some arte or profitable occupation nor that bastards should nourish or releeue their parents and his reason was this that hee which forbeareth not to couple with a strumpet giueth euident demonstration that he hath more care of his owne sensuall pleasures then of the procreation of children and thereby hee becommeth vnworthy of reward or releefe of such children if the fall into pouerty Besides these Solon iudged it meete that the adulterer apprehended in the deed doing might lawfully be slaine and that he that forced and rauished a free-borne Virgin should be fined at ten Drachmas He abrogated and tooke away their ancient custome of selling their daughters and sisters vnlesse they were conuinced of whoredome and amongst

many languages into Portugale to King Emanuell and that his Embassage might carry more credit and authority she sent with him a noble yong man called Abesynus which two I haue often met in our Court and haue had familiar conference with them This Mathew came by diuers iournies to Goa vnto Alphonsus Albuquercus viceroy there of whome hee being receiued very curteously and dispached thence liberally rewarded he arriued in our nauy at Vlispone in the yeare of Christ 1513. who shewing to the King the cause of his Ambassage presented him with a crosse finely wrought made of that tree whereof our Sauiour Christ was Crucified which crosse I haue oftentimes seene and worshipped while my brother Fructus a Goes was the Kings chamberlaine and had it in his custody the Queenes letters which hee brought vnto King Emanuell purported thus much A letter of Helena the grand-mother of Dauid Precious Iohn Emperor of Aethiopia written vnto Emanuell King of Portugall in the yeare of our Lord. 1509. IN the name of God the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost one God in three presons the health grace and benediction of our Lord and Redeemer Iesus Christ Sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary borne in Bethlem bee vpon our deere brother the most Christian King Emanuell gouernor of the sea and conqueror of the Barbarous and incredulous Moores Our Lord God prosper thee and giue thee victory ouer all thine enimies and that your Kingdomes and dominions by the deuout prayers of the Messengers of our Sauiour Christ to witte the foure Euangelists S. Iohn Luke Marke and Mathew whose sanctity and prayers be euer thy defence may extend and stretch them-selues wide and broad These are to certyfie you most deere brother that there came vnto vs from your great and famous Court two Messengers whereof one was called Iohn who affirmed him-selfe to be a Preest and the other Iohn Gomez and desired of vs souldiors and prouision for the warres wherefore wee haue sent vnto you our Embassador Mathew the Brother of our seruice with the lycence of Marke the Patriarch who giueth vs his benediction sending vs Preests from Ierusalem hee is our father and father of all our dominions the piller of the faith of Christ and of the Holy Trynitie hee at our request sent vnto your great Captaine and leader of those Souldiers which make warres in India for the faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ to signifie vnto him that wee were ready and willing to send vnto him Souldiers and prouision for the warres if neede required and because wee haue heard it reported that the Prince of Caire hath sent forth a great Nauy against your Forces to be reuenged as we be well assured of the losses and dammages which hee hath often receiued of the Captaines of your Armie which you haue in India whom God of his great goodnesse vouchsafe to assist and so to prosper their proceedings euery day more and more that all those vnbeleeuers may once become subiect to your gouernment We therefore to withstand their assaults will forthwith send an Armie which shall stay at the sea of Mecha that is to say at Babel mendell or if you thinke it more fitting at the hauen of Inda or Thor that so you may destroy and roote out all those Moores and miscreant vnbeleeuers from the face of the earth so as the gifts and obiations which be brought and offered at the holy Sepulcher be no more deuoured of dogges for now is come that time promised which as is said Christ and his mother Mary foretold to wit that in the latter daies a King should arise from out some Christian Region that should abolish and bring to nought the vniuersall stocke of the Barbarians and Moores And now certainely is that time come which Christ promised to his blessed Mother Moreouer what euer our Embassador Mathew shall say vnto you accept it and giue credit vnto it as that which proceedeth from our owne person for he is one of the chiefest of our Court and therefore haue wee sent him vnto you Wee would haue committed these things vnto your Messengers which you sent hither but that wee were afraide lest our businesses might bee taken otherwise then wee intended We haue sent vnto you by this Mathew our Embassador a Crosse made vndoubtedly of a peece of that Tree whereupon our Sauiour Christ was crucified at Ierusalem Which peece of sacred wood was brought to vs from Ierusalem and thereof wee made two Crosses whereof one remaineth with vs the other we haue deliuered to our Embassador to be presenred to you the wood is of a blacke colour and hangeth at a little siluer ring Furthermore if it shall seeme good vnto you either to giue your daughters in marriage to our sonnes or that we shall giue oue our sonnes to your daughters it shall be very acceptable vnto me and profitable to vs both and the beginning of a brotherly league betwixt vs which coniunction of matrimony we shall euer desire to enter into with you as well hereafter as for the present time And thus wee end with our praier vnto God that the saluation and grace of our redeemer Iesus Christ and of our blessed Lady the Virgin Mary may extend and remaine both vpon you your sonnes and your daughters and all your family Amen Moreouer these are to certifie you that if wee would make warres and ioyne our Armies together wee should by Gods helpe be strong inough vtterly to destroy and root out all the enemies of the faith of Christ But our kingdomes and dominions are so scituated in the middle of the land as by no meanes wee can haue passage into the sea In the sea therefore wee haue no power wherein praise be giuen to God you bee the strongest of all Princes Iesus Christ bee your guide for your affaires which you haue done and atchieued heere in India seeme rather to bee done by miracle then by man but if you would furnish a Nauy of a thousand shippes we will giue you prouision and aboundantly minister vnto you all things necessary for such a Nauy This letter with some other Articles of the Faith religion manners and state of the Ethiopians which Mathew expressed before King Emanuell and his Councell I haue by the intreaty of Iohn Magnus Gothus Archbishop of Vpsalia in the kingdome of Suetia with whom I had extraordinary familiarity and frindship in Prussia translated out of the Portingall language wherein I found it written into Lattine which letter together with the said articles were afterwards imprinted at Antwerp without my priuity These things vnderstood from the Aethiopian Embassadors King Emanuell as he was exceeding wise and most desirous to encrease the Christian religion instituted an Embassage sufficiently furnished with very graue and reuerend men the chiefest whereof were Edward Galuanus a man well stricken in yeares and of great wisedome and experience And Francis Aluarez a Priest and of very renowned authority with the King who was also old

and of vnreproueable manners both which I haue knowne by sight These two and Mathew the Ethiopian Embassador sayled towards India vnder the conduct of Lupo Soarez the Viceroy and after his death vnder Viceroy Didaco Lupeza a Sequeira who was Lupos successor with a Nauy well furnished which hee had prepared against the Turkes by whom they were brought to a hauen called Arquicum situated vpon the Erythraean shore vnder the dominiō of Prester Iohn into which hauen the ship ariued vpon the second day of Aprill in the yeare of Christ 1520. In which iourney Edward Galuanus dyed in Camara an Island in the Erythraean sea Rhodericus Limius was placed in his stead who with his fellowes in Embassage set forwards on their iourney from the said hauen of Arquicum towards the Court of Prester Iohn hauing Mathew with them as their guide and companion for that young man Abesynus whom I formerly mentioned was dead before this time And in this iourney Mathew dyed likewise and was buried in a famous Monastery called Bisayn after whose funerals performed they set forwards on their intended iourney and after great trauels infinite labours and many dangers they arriued at the Court of Prester Iohn of whom Rhodoricke with his associates were very honorably receiued and he hauing perfected his businesse and receiued new message was sent backe againe vnto King Emanuell which done hee went to the hauen of Arquicum but found not the Nauy there of whom Ludouicus Menesius was gouernour and which came purposely thither to carry them backe againe for they stayed so long that the ship could no longer expect their comming by reason of the outragious and vehement tempests within those coasts by an admirable secret of nature blow sixe monethes together from one climate and the other sixe monethes from the other At Arquicum hee found letters with the Gouernor of the towne left there by Pretor Ludouicus perporting the death of king Emanuell wherefore he determined to returne againe to Prestor Iohns Court at whose returne Prester Iohn writ letters vnto the Pope of Rome committing them to Francis Aluarez to bee carried to him at Rome All these hauing remained in those prouinces for the space of sixe yeares in the the end together with the Ethiopian Embassador whom Prester Iohn sent anew vnto our King entred into one of the Kings ships at Arquicum which was there laid for the purpose in the moneth of Aprill in the yeare of Christ 1526. and disankering thence sailed towards India and at length by tedious trauels at sea they returned to King Iohn at Lisbon in the moneth of Iuly in the yeare 1527. who retained the Ethiopian Embassador with him touching certaine poynts of his Embassage vnto the yeare 1539. and sent Francis Aluarez vnto Pope Clement the seuenth with letters from Prester Iohn from whom he came as Embassador Which letters the Pope receiued at the hands of the said Francis Aluarez at Bononia in the moneth of Ianuary 1533. In the presence of the Emperour Charles the fift of which letters and of others written to Emanuell and Iohn King of Portugall Paulus Iouius a very learned man was interpretor who hath translated them out of the Portingall language wherein they were written into Latine as here you may see A letter from Dauid the most renowned Emperour of Aethithiopia written to Emanuell King of Portugall in the yeare of our Lord 1521. Paulus Iouius being interpretor IN the name of God the Father as hee alwaies hath beene voyd of all beginning in the name of God his onely sonne who is like vnto him and was before the starres gaue light and before hee laid the foundation of the Ocean who at another time was conceiued in the wombe of the blessed Virgin without the seede of man without mariage for in this maner was the knowledge of his dutie in the name of the holy Ghost the Spirit of sanctity who knoweth all secrets that be where he was before that is of al the altitudes of heauen which is sustained without any pillers or props hee who amplified the earth which before was not created nor knowne through all parts from the east to the west from the north to the south Neither is this the first or second but the vndiuided Trinity in the only eternall Creator of all things of one only councell and one word for euer and euer Amen These letters are sent by Atani Thingil that is to say the incense of a virgin which name was giuen him in baptisme but now at his first entrance into his kingdome he tooke the name of Dauid the beloued of God the piller of faith a kinsman of the tribe of Iuda the son of Dauid the son of Salomon the son of the piller of Sion the son of the seed of Iacob a son of the hand of Mary and the carnal son of Nav Emperour of great and high Ethiopia and of great kingdoms lands and dominions king of Xoa Caffate Fatigar Angote Boru Baaligaze Adea Vangue Goiame where is the head of the riuer Nilus of Damaraa of Vaguemedri Ambeaa Vagne Tigri Mahon of Sabain where Saba was Queene and of Bermagaes and Lord vnto Nobia the end of Egypt These letters I say bee sent from him and directed to the high mightie and inuincible Lord Emanuell who dwelleth in the loue of God and remaineth firme in the Catholicke faith the sonne of the Apostles Peter and Paul King of Portingall and of the Algarbians friend of Christians enemy iudge Emperour and vanquisher of the Moores and of the people of Affricke and of Guiennea from the Promontory and Island of the Moone of the redde sea of Arabia Persis and Armutia of great India and of all places and of those Islands and adiacent Countries spoyler and ouerthrower of the Moores and strange Paganes Lord of Castles high Towers and Walles and increaser of the faith of Christ Peace be vnto you King Emanuell who by Gods assistance destroyest the Moores and with your Nauy your Armie and your Captaines driuest them vp and downe like vnbeleeuing dogges Peace be vnto your wife the Queene the friend of Iesus Christ hand-maide of the virgine Mary the mother of the Sauiour of the world Peace bee vnto your Sonnes who bee as a Table well furnished with dainties in a greene Garden amongst the flourishing Lillies Peace bee vnto your Daughters who are attired with garments and costly ornaments as Princes Palaces bee garnished with Tapestry Peace bee vnto your kinsfolkes which bee procreated of the seede of the Saints as the Scripture saith the sonnes of the Saints be blessed both within doores and without Peace be vnto your Councellors officers your Magistrates Lawyers Peace be vnto the captains of your castles borders and of all matters of munition Peace bee vnto all your Nation and to all your inhabitants Moores and Iewes excepted Peace be vnto all your parishes and to all that be faithfull to Christ and to you Amen I vnderstand