the moneths of May Iune and Iuly and reape within six weeks after Concerning this region reade the booke of Iaques Morguez le moine GVASTECAN THis also is a region of North America and part of New Spaine The inhabitants are poore Along the sea-coasts and the bancks of riuers they liue for the most part of fish but in the inland with Guinie-wheat which they call Maiz. Otherwise they are a people gentle enough The Spaniards haue planted two colonies here the one is called Panuco of the riuer that runneth by it and the other S. Iames of the vallies Not farre from Panuco neere the towne called Tamatao stands an hill with two fountaines vpon it one whereof disgorgeth blacke pitch and the other red which is scalding hot The BRITTISH Iles. THE EMPIRE OF GREAT BRITAIN included within the parallels 49. and 63. and the Meridians or longitudes 9. and 26. bounded vpon the South by France vpon the East by Germany vpon the North West by the Vast Ocean disioined from the rest of the maine land as High Admirall of the seas comprehendeth that Iland which at this day conteineth the kingdomes of England Scotland together with Ireland ouer against it Westward the circumiacent iles the Orchades Hebrides Man Anglesey Wight the Sorlings many others of lesse note and were generally of the old writers with one consent called BRITANNICAE INSVLAE The Brittish Ilands taking their denomination as seemeth from the greatest of them commander of the rest which indeed is properly called BRITANNIA Brittaine So named not of that fained Brutus the bloody parricide as the fabulous historian Geffrey of Monmouth against all reason authority truth of storie hath hitherto made the world beleeue nor of the Welch word Prydain or Prydcain as the learned Britaine Humfrey Lhoyd hath thought but of Brit a Celticke word which signifieth Painted For these people as Caesar and other old writers report vsed to paint their bodies and therefore were called of the Gaules their next neighbours BRITONES as those people of the same nation who to auoid the slauery and seruitude of the Romanes and withdrew themselues into the North parts from whom they continually molested their colonies heere were of them for the same reason in their language called PICTI The Greekes called it also ALBION not of Albion Neptunes sonne which sometime sweied the scepter heere as some haue most fabulously taught but of Alphiων the white cliffes vpon the sea coast which first offer themselues to the eie of those which to this our land saile hither from France and indeed the Welch poets call it Inis win that is as Orphaeus the most ancient poet of the Greeks doth interpret it Nesos leu caessa and Leucaios Chersos The white I le or The whiteland The first Inhabitants which seated themselues heere not long after the vniuersall Flood and Confusion of Babel came hither from France as by Neerenesse of place Likenesse of language Maners Gouernment Customes Name is by the learned Clarencieux Camden the onely light of our histories in that his thrise renowned Britannia euidently demonstrated For to this day the ancient Britans the Welchmen do call themselues CVMRI not Cambri as come from Gomer the sonne of Iapheth called of the Latines Cimber from whom are descended the Celtae or Gaules The Romanes a second nation vnder the conduct of Iulius Caesar about the yeare before the birth of CHRIST 54. entered Brittaine and planted their colonies in diuers and sundry places of this Iland The Scottes obseruing the Roman legions to grow weake and their Empire to decline thereupon tooke occasion first to seise vpon Ireland then about the yeare of CHRIST 446. great trouble arising in France the Emperours were constrained wholly to withdraw their forces from hence and to leaue the Brittaines naked and open to the furie of the Pictes their enemies From hence ensued a double mischiefe for first the vnquiet and turbulent Pictes thinking that now the onely opportunitie was offered them to accomplish their desires thought to make sure worke called in the Scottes out of Ireland combined themselues together against the poore disarmed Britans whereupon the Britans were constrained for safegard of their liues and liberties to call in about the yeare of CHRIST 440. the Angles Saxons and Iuites a warlike people inhabiting along the sea coast of Germany from the riuer of Rhein vnto Denmarke to aid them against their violent enemies The Normanes lead by William the Bastard their Duke tooke possession of Great Brittaine in the yeare 1066. The Vandalles Norweis and Danes who by their piracies and robberies a long time and oft greeuously vexed these Iles neuer seated their Colonies heere and therefore I passe them ouer with silence The forme of Brittaine is triangular like vnto that figure which the Geometers call Scalenum or as Nubiensis the Arabian saith to the head and necke of Alnaama the ostrich and therefore it may aswell as Sicilia be called TRINACRIA The three-cornered I le The ancient Geographers did hold it and that deseruedly to be the greatest Iland of the Maine Ocean wherefore Solinus saith it may well deserue the name of ANOTHER WORLD and Matthew Paris for the same cause calleth it THE QVEEN or Empresse of the Isles of the Ocean In respect of which large compasse it hath been in former ages diuided into many seuerall iurisdictions and kingdomes in the time of the Saxons England the South-east part into seuen and Wales into three Great Egbert in the yeare 800. reduced the Saxon heptarchy into a Monarchy The Irish Princes Nobles and Commons after the incarnation 1172. vnited their Pentarchy to the crowne of Egbert and swore alleageance to Henry the second King of England Edward the first to these did knit in the yeare after the birth of Christ 1282. the triple crowne of the Pety Kings of Wales In these our daies the eternall wisedome of the Great King of Heauen and Earth hath cast all these together with the crowne of Scotland into one massie Emperiall Diademe and placed it vpon the head of our dread soueraigne IAMES lineally descended from those mighty Monarches and shall we doubt not in time adde to these whatsoeuer from them vnto his Highnesse do belong BRITANNICAE INSVLAE or the Empire of Great Brittaine conteineth Ilands Greater and often mentioned in histories BRITANNIA diuided by the Romans into Superior the Higher conteining ANGLIA England CVMERIA Wales Inferior the Neather now called SCOTIA Scotland HIBERNIA Ireland vpon the West of Britaine Lesser yet famous belonging to England from it South Close to the shore of Brittaine VECTA Wight Vpon the coast of France CAESARIA Gersey SARNIA Gernsey And many other lesser West From the point of Cornwall SILLINAE Silly anno 145. In the middest betweene England Ireland and Scotland MONOEDA Man Wales MONA called of the English Anglesey of the Welch Tirmôn Scotland lying from it West HEBRIDES The West isles in number foure and fortie North ORCHADES Orkney-iles about
to name places after the same Saints vpon whose daies they finde them I haue nothing to adde saue that Theuet is mistaken in that he falsly and carelesly ascribes the same mountaine vnto S. Michaels Isle which we haue truly and fully described in Pico Of these Isles somewhat you may read in the Historie of Ierome Conestagio touching the Vnion of the Kingdome of Portugale to the crowne of Castile And also in the 97. Chapter of Iohn Huighen van Linschoten his East-Indian iournall AÇORES INSVLAE Priuilegio Imp. et Reg. Maiest necnon Ordinum Belgicor ad decennium Longitudo huius descriptionis sumta est à meridiano I Ptolemaei Occidentem versus Has insulas perlustrauit summà que diligentia accuratissimè descripsit et delineauit Ludouicus Teisera Lusitanus Regiae Maiestatis cosmographus SPAINE SPAINE is resembled by Strabo vnto an Ox-hide spred vpon the ground It is around inuironed by the sea saue only where it is diuided from France by the Pyreney-mountaines On the East it hath the said Pyreney-mountaines which from the Temple of Venus or the Promontory stretched foorth neere Illiberis now Colibre runneth along to the British Ocean and this is the very narrowest part of Spaine insomuch saith Vaseus that when I trauelled thorow Biscay I remember that from the hill of S. Adrian if my sight deceiued me not I saw both seas namely the Ocean neere at hand and as farre off as I could discerne the foame-white waues of the Mediterran sea North it is bounded by the Biscain sea West by the Western sea and South by the Streight of Gibraltar and part of the Mediterran sea Spaine is diuided into three Prouinces Baetica Lusitania and Tarraconensis Baetica on the North is inclosed with the riuer Anas now called Guadiana West with that part of the Atlantick Ocean which is betweene the mouth of Guadiana and the Streight of Gibraltar South with part of the Mediterran sea called of olde Mare Balearicum extending from the Streight last mentioned to the Promontory of Charidómus now called Cabo de Gata and Eastward it is bounded by an imaginary line drawen from the said Promontory by the towne of Castulo to the riuer Guadiana It is called Baetica of the famous riuer Baetis which cuts the whole Prouince in twaine This riuer springing out of the wood or forest anciently called Saltus Tygensis runneth into the Atlantick-ocean and is at this day called by an Arabian name Guadalquibir that is to say The great riuer This prouince of later times of the Vandal inhabitants was called Vandalicia at this present by the same word corrupted Andaluzia Lusitania conteines Algaruc and the greater part of Portugale Lusitania confineth North vpon the riuer Duero from the very mouth thereof to the bridge ouer against Simancas West it bordereth vpon that part of the Atlantick-ocean which ebs and flowes betweene the outlets of Duero and Guadiana South vpon Andaluzia and East it fronteth Hispania Tarraconensis now called Castilia c. euen from the ancient Oretania to the foresaid bridge ouer against Simancas Lusitania was thus named from Lusus the sonne of Bacchus and Lysa one of Bacchus his companions whereupon it is somtimes called of Lusus Lusitania and somtimes againe of Lysa Lysitania The residue of Spaine pertaineth to the prouince called Tarraconensis of the city Tarracona which is the head of all that prouince a city saith Strabo most notably fit for princes in their trauels to retire themselues and here the Emperors kept their chiefe iurisdiction This prouince containeth the kingdome of Murcia likewise Valencia and Arragon with Catalonia also Castilia Vieja the kingdome of Nauarre part of Portugale between the riuers Duero and Minho the kingdome of Gallicia Asturia and all Biscay Hitherto Vaseus in his chronicle of Spaine who intreateth of this argument more at large Read also Marinaeus Siculus Marius Aretius Damianus a Goës Francis Taraffa the bishop of Gerundo Annius Viterbiensis and in Spanish Florian del campo and after him Ambrosio Morales with all those other Writers of Spaine that Vaseus in the fourth chapter of his Chronicle doth recite Stephan Garibayo in his Chronicle of Spain diuided into twenty books describes the kingdome of Nauarre Iohn Mariana likewise not long since published a volume concerning Spanish matters Among the ancient Writers you must peruse Caesar Strabo and the rest which Damianus a Goës in his booke called Hispania doth nominate also the Panegyrick speech of Latinus Pacatus and Claudianus de laude Serenae Vnto these you may adde the first booke of Laonicus There is extant also a little Trauellers Breuiate written in Spanish by Alonço de Meneses containing almost all the ordinarie voyages in Spaine wherein also are noted the distances of places Three memorable things as writeth Nauagierus are prouerbially spoken of Spaine the first A bridge ouer which the water runneth whereas it runnes vnder all other bridges namely the water-conduct at Segouia the second a city compassed with fire that is to say Madrid because the town-walles are of flint and the third a bridge whereon are daily fed ten thousand head of cattel whereby is signified the riuer Guadiana which hiding it selfe vnder ground for the space of seuen miles doth then breake forth againe Albeit this last is a thing sprung rather out of the peoples vulgar opinion than out of truth as Don George of Austria Gouernour of Harlebeck an eye-witnesse most worthy of credit hath informed me being a man conuersant in all kinde of history and a a wonderfull searcher and admirer of naturall Philosophie The islands belonging vnto Spaine wherof ancient writers haue made mention at the Celtick promontory or Cape Finister are the Cassiterides which at this present are not to be found in the ocean Also Insulae Deorum otherwise called Cicae and of late times Islas de Bayona Londobris named also Erythia and now the Burlings Gades in olde time dedicated to Hercules now commonly called Cales All these are in the Ocean In the Mediterran sea you haue Ophiusa now called Formentera As likewise the two Gymnesiae or Baleares at this present called by distinct names the one Maiorca and the other Minorca The coast of Minorca is beset round about with huge mountaines but at the entrance of the hauen the roots of these mountaines are leuelled into a plaine till they meet at so narrow a distance on the other side of the shore that no ships can enter the harbor but with a gentle gale of wind The hauen is named Mahon being a most beautifull and commodious place for it stretcheth almost foure miles in length with many inlets all which serue for the harboring of ships From hence ariseth a perpetuall ridge of mountaines on which the inhabitants cut downe great plenty of wood At the vtmost part therof on the mountain-tops is built a city Contrariwise the greater Island hath a plaine shore and most high and barren mountaines in the middest A city there is of one and
any man that shall thinke and obiect that this storie of the Round Table is too fabulous to confirme this our assertion yet this is certaine and cannot be doubted of that in England almost in the middest of the kingdome there is a towne called Mansfield situate betweeene the riuers of Trent and Rotheram not farre from the city of Nottingham This county containeth also foure other counties namely ARNSTEDT WIPRA WETHIN and QVERNFVRT all which in former times had their proper and peculiar Earles but now at this day beside the counte Mansfield they haue not any one In this county also there is the county Palatine of Saxony Moreouer there are beside these certaine other Lordships and Principalities as thou maist see in the Mappe The chiefe and principall cities are MANSFIELD EYSLEBEN WIPRA and LEIMBACH This country is very full of Mettall-mines Heere out of the earth are digged those sleitstones which they call Scheyffersteyn such as scarcely are to be found as Sebastian Munster writeth in any other place of the world beside It hath also certaine stones laden with Copper which being burnt in the fire and then steeped and washed in water do yeeld the mettall and together with it some good store of Siluer But this is a wonderfull strange pranke that Nature heere in sporting maner vsually plaieth which the same authour there speaketh of well worth the obseruation namely of a great Lake in this country well stored with diuers and sundry sorts of fish all which kinds of fish together with the paddockes frogs newts and such other things liuing in this lake are found so curiously expressed shaped out in stones as we haue to our great admiration beheld as it is a very hard matter at the first sight vpon the sudden to discern them from the naturall liuing creatures of that kind and that so liuelily that thou shalt be able presently to distinguish one from another and to call them by their seuerall and proper names Some of these I haue giuen me by Peter Ernest the most renowmed and illustrious Earle of this country and worthy Gouernour of the prouince of Lutzenburg There is a Lake in this country which by reason of the saltnesse of the water they call Gesaltzen into which if the fishermen shall cast in their nets ouer deepe they will presently be sienged schorched euen as if they had beene burnt or drawne through the fire as Seuerinus Gobelinus in his history of Amber reporteth The same authour writeth that neere vnto Eisleben there was not long since a piece of Amber found as bigge as a mans head Syriacus Spangeberg did promise to set out the history of this countrey wherin all the cities castles villages mountaines woods riuers lakes mines c. should seuerally be described together with the Antiquities Records Petigrees and such other historicall matters of the same MANSFELDIAE COMITATVS DESCRIPTIO auctore Tilemanno Stella Sig. The Principality of HENNENBERG THe terrirory and precinct of the Princes of HENNENBERG a part of East France how large and wide it was you may see by this our Chorographicall Mappe the buts and bounds of it are thus Vpon the West and North it hath Thuringen and the great forest which of this countrie is called Durynger Waldt whose head on these parts doth diuide Thuringen from Frankenland on the South it is confined with the riuer of Meyn and the bishoprickes of Bamberg and Wuitzburg Moreouer the East part is enclosed with that great mountaine which the country people do call Die Rhon or Rosn vpon the same side also it hath the Diocesse of Fulden and the prouince of Hessen This country is wonderfully stored with deere wild fowle fish and such other things necessary for the maintenance of mans life It hath also some Mines of mettals especially of iron whereof great store is yearely from hence to the great gaine and commodity of the inhabitants transported into forren countries It is watered heere and there with many and diuers fountaines heads or springs of the riuer Visurgis which in these parts they call Die Werra but moâ—e properly it is of some in other places called Die Wesser which indeed the name of the Abbey Vesser doth seeme to approoue for truth which Francis Irenicus and Wolfgangus Lazius do verily beleeue to haue beene so denominated of Wasser which in the Germane is as much to say as water in the English Of the first beginning and originall of this house or family of Hennenberg by reason of the negligence of the writers and Historians of those times we can determine nothing for certainty beside this that in the time of Attila and Charles the Great some authours do make mention of the Princes of Hennenberg which also were Earles of Frankland and Burggraues of Wurtzeburg So againe in the time of Henry the first Emperour of Germany Gottwald and Otto of this house of Hennenberg serued valiantly in defence of the Empire against the assaults and inrodes of the Vgri Item the Boppones two learned men of this family in the yeares of Christ 941. and 961. were bishops of Wurtzeburg and gouerned that sea with the great applause and praise of all men But the true pedigree of these Princes is deriued from BOPPO who in the yeare of our Lord 1078. following Henry the fourth the Emperours side in the battell fought betweene him and Rudolph the Switzer neere to the city Melrichstadt valiantly fighting was honourablie slaine in the field After him succeeded his sonne GOTTEBALD first founder of the Abbey of Vesser for the Monkes of the order of the brotherhood of the Praemonstratenses After him followed his sonne BERTHOLD then BOPPO the Second next him BOPPO the Third all which succeeded one after another in a right line This Boppo the Third had by his second wife Iutta of Thuringen HERMAN whose sonne BOPPO the Fourth died leauing no issue behind him But by his first wife Elizabeth of the familie of the Princes of Saxony he had HENRY who had issue HENRY the Second HERMAN the Second and BERTHOLD the Second Henry had issue BOPPO the Fift whose sonne BERTHOLD the Third died without issue But after Herman these Princes HENRY the Second HERMAN the Third FREDERICK the First GEORGE the First and lastly FREDERICK the Second lineally descended one from another successiuely gouerned this prouince This Fredericke had issue HERMAN who by his wife Margaret of the family of Brandenburg had two sonnes BERTHOLD the Fourth and ALBERT both which died in the yeare of our Lord God 1549. and left no issue behind them Then of the line of Berthold the Second third sonne of Henry the First succeeded BERTHOLD the Fift who for his singular virtues wisedome experience and excellent gifts other waies was in the yeare after Christs incarnation 1310. by Henry of Lutzelburg the Emperour with the generall consent of the whole company of the Electours installed one of the Princes of the Empire And after that for the same his virtues and
it must cost one of them his life Others do take vp in the theater gold or siluer or a certaine number of hogges-heads of wine and assoone as they haue bound themselues with an oath that they will endure that for which they had receiued these gifts then taking them and distributing them vnto their most inward and dearest friends they stretch themselues out straight vpon their backes and lay them downe vpon their shields one standing by that is to stabbe them in their throat and cut off their necke with a sword They lie downe to sleepe on grasse or rushes strowed vpon the ground as Polybius testifieth or vpon deares skinnes as Diodorus recordeth In the thirteenth booke of Athenaeus where you shall find these words in my iudgement spoken of Braccata Gallia They lie vpon skins betweene two Ganimedes For I am verily perswaded and I thinke all wise men with me that he meant the Grecians of Marseilles and not the true and ancient Gauls whose maner it was as before we haue noted out of Iulian the Emperour that they vsed that act only for the procreation of children Their houses and habitations saith Caesar for the most part were in woods or vpon the bankes of brookes and riuers thereby to shelter themselues from the violence of the Sunne and heat of Sommer and those Vitruuius writeth were made and couered ouer with oken shingles or else with straw Strabo affirmeth that they are built in a maner round of planks and hardles couered with a great roofe made taper-wise or sugar loafe fashion this roofe as Pliny writeth was of stubble Their gates if we may beleeue Nicolaus in Stobaeus did continually stand open Iulianus the Emperour in his Misopogonus relateth a tale whereby we gather that they had the vse of hot-houses or stoues such as still to this day are vsed in some places of this countrie Villages they haue as Polybius noteth without any wals or rampart for defence against the assault of the enemies For Trogus reporteth that they learned of them of Marseilles to enclose their townes with wals and ramparts The maner of building and fashion of which wals thou maist vnderstand out of the seuenth booke of Caesars commentaries where moreouer thou shalt find this that followeth when any great or notable matter falleth out they giue notice of it through the fields and countries by lowd cries or proclamations one vnto another and so still forwards like vnto our hue and cries vntill it stay at the outmost border of the kingdome Ammianus in his fiue and twentieth booke saith that they gaue themselues much to swimming In hunting as I gather out of Cornelius Celsus they were woont to strike the deere with a venomed arrow Item Aulus Gellius out of Pliny citeth these words of the same argument The Gauls when they went on hunting were woont to dippe their arrow heads in the iuice of hellebore verily beleeuing that the flesh of such deere as were stroken and killed with them was farre more tender than otherwise it would be but by reason of the venome of the hellebore they say they did vse to cut off round about a great deale of the flesh where the arrow went in Item Pliny also maketh mention of the hearb limeum wherewith they made a kind of ointment which they call venenum ceruarium Hart-poison with which in hunting they do besmeare their arrowes Aristotle in his Admiranda sheweth that amongst the Celtae there is a kind of poison found called by them Toxicum the Latine interpreter did read Xenicum that is strange which infecteth and killeth so speedily that the hunters of that country when they haue stricken a deere with an arrow dipped in the iuice of this herb they runne with all speed and do presently cut out all that flesh neere round about where the arrow went in lest the venome spreading it selfe further and further the whole deere should putrifie and so be marred and good for nothing c. Pliny maketh me beleeue that this confection or poison was made of the yeugh-tree taxus they call it where hee saith that those poisons which we now call toxica wherewith they did besmere their arrowes were sometimes called taxica Of the poison and venemous nature of the yeugh-tree we haue entreated before But there was a tree which grew amongst the Celtae much like vnto a figge-tree whose fruit that it bare was fashioned like vnto the chapter of the Corinthiacke pillar This fruit being cutte doth yeeld a iuice wherein if any man shall dippe his arrowes whatsoeuer hee shall strike therewith will presently die of that wound as Strabo affirmeth from the report of others That the Gauls did not feare the danger of Earth-quakes Aristotle and Plutarch do plainlie testifie But whether it be true or false I dare not affirme Another notable example except one should thinke it to be a feined and forged tale of great boldnesse or rather of desperate rashnesse I find in Aelianus his varia historia which is thus They do account it saith he so fowle and shamefull a thing to flie or runne away that oft times they will make no hast to get from vnder houses that they see are ready to fall vpon their heads nay they will hardly out of those houses that are on fire so that many times they be burnt to ashes in the flame Many of them also will stand still vntill the waues and tide of the sea do runne quite ouer them Moreouer some of them will cast themselues into the sea in their armour and with their swords drawne and shaking of their speares daren the tide as if they could either fraie or wound the same Let the credulous Iew beleeue this if he will I beleeue neuer a word of it although I know that Stobaeus and before him Nicolaus did verily beleeue it all to be true Heere I do by experience find that saying of Pliny to be very true that There is hardly any greater disparagement to the truth than when a false told is told by a graue authour But may not one thinke that I may requite one tale with another that this was that sight which Lucian in his Apologia writeth that his friend Sabinus went as farre as the West ocean to see Their funerals according to their maner and state are very gorgeous and costly all things that the dead men in their life time did especially loue and affect yea euen such liuing creatures as they best esteemed were cast into the fire and burnt and not long since within the memory of our forefathers euen their seruants and followers whom they loued extraordinarily well when all ceremonies of the funerall were done were cast into the fire and burnt together with their Masters or Mistresses thus Caesar reporteth of them To this Pomponius Mela addeth That with the dead they burne and burie in the ground all things that they commonly vsed when they were aliue their accoumpts and debts were deferred till doomes day Some there were of
soile is very fertile when they plow their ground do dig vp any sort of earth so that it be at least 3 foot deep and spreading ouer it a sandy kind of earth a foot thick do battle and harten their lands as others do with dongue or marle Marcus Varro in the 9 c. of his 1. book of Husbandrie In Gallia beyond the Alpes vp higher into the country about the Rhein I came to certain countries where neither vines nor oliues nor apples did grow where they compassed their grounds with a kind of white chalke digged out of the earth Virgil in the 1. booke of his Georgickes Belgica vel molli meliùs feret esse da collo Lucan in his 1. booke Et docilis rector rostrati Belga couini Martial in his Xenia Cantarena mihi siâ—t vel massa licebit De Menapis lauti de petasone vorent BELGII VETERIS TYPVS Ex Conatibus Geographicis Abrahami Ortelij HAC LITTERARVM FORMA VETVSTIORA PINXIMVS Quae paulò erant recentiora his notauimus Nulla autem antiquitate illustria hoc charactere Accentissima verò Sis vernarulis ab alys distinximus Prisca vetustatis Belgoe monumenta recludit Ortelius priscas dum legit historias Collige prima soli natalis semina Belga Et de quo veteri sis novus ipse vide Fauolius caneb S.P.Q.A. PATRIAM ANTIQVITATI A SE RESTITVTAM DEDICABAT LVB MER. ABRAHAMVS ORTELIVS CIVIS 1594. Cum privilegio Imperiali et Belgico ad decennium GERMANIE I Thinke there is no man studious of ancient historie that is ignorant that this countrey was called of the most ancient writers especially the Graecians CELTICA and the people therof CELTI or CELTICA From whence the word Kelt doth remaine amongst them whereby they yet do vsually call one another in their familiar speech and communication Some there are which thinke them to be called by Iosephus ASCHANARI whenas notwithstanding he sayth that these are interpreted of the Graecians to be the Rhegini better perhaps and more truly Rheini as it were the borderers vpon the Rhene who also of Stephanus are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tacitus reporteth that the word GERMANIA had not beene long vsed and to be but lately heard of The same authour addeth that this name was inuented by themselues Wherefore I do more easily assent to them which deriue the originall of this word from the etymon of the countrey it selfe than from the Latines For it is much more likely that a nation should impose a name vpon it selfe deriued from that language which it vnderstood than from a forren and strange tongue whereof it was altogether ignorant I thinke therefore they erre which thinke this name to be made à germine that is of buds or yong sprouts by reason of the great fertilitie and plenty of all things here growing Of this opinion are Festus and Isidorus Those also which deriue the name from the Latine word germanus signifying a brother as Strabo doth as who would say brethren to the Gauls or French men from whom as he sayth they little differ in my conceit are as farre wide from the trueth Our countrey man as Rhenanus and others doe thinke it to be compounded of gar and man to wit garman that is all man or manlike Our Goropius of ger and man comming neerer to the writing or letter of geâ—en which signifieth to gather as scraping together a booty or pray And the same man in another place deriueth it of ger which saith he amongst our ancesters signifieth warre which I see also pleaseth Iustus Lipsius best I know that gerre or rather guerre in the latter French tongue signifieth warre but whether it signifieth so in our ancient Germane tongue I know not I doe easily beleeue that this nation first wrote and named it selfe werman of wer with e long a mere Germane word which signifieth any weapon whereby we smite or offend our enemie From hence weren signifieth to defend himselfe against the enemie and we call euery man fit to beare armes weerman or weerbaerman that is a warlikeman Insomuch that they all called themselues wermanos or wermannos that is warlike men And Cesar and Tacitus besides others are most sufficient witnesses that this name doth altogether agree with the nature and disposition of this nation As also Dionysius Afer who surnameth these Martialists or warlike men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the cause is plaine why these do call and write themselues Germanes because they wanting the digamma or W in stead of it haue substituted the G. which also we see elswhere done of them in the like case as for Wilhelmus they write Gulielmus for Waltherus Galtherus for Walfridus Galfridus c. So also it is likely that for Walli they wrote and pronounced Galli For euen we Germanes on this side Rhene retaining the ancient language doe yet name these Galli by no other name than Walen The Galli also themselues romanizing the libertie and ancient tongue being lost doe vnto this very day imitate this change of letters These few words out of many are for an example for they vsually both write and pronounce vin for wijn Guesp for Wesp Gand for Wandt Guedde for Weedt by which they meane Wine a Wasp a Gloue and Woad So also I finde in a manuscript Guandali for Wandali If any man shall obiect that Strabo Dionysius Afer Ptolemaeus and some other Graecians who knew the digamma Aeolicum that is the W haue notwithstanding written it with a single V I answer that this nation was knowen to these men in times past only vnder the name of Celtae and that this word Germane was first vsed of Cesar or the other Latines in their writings from whom the Grecians imitating this writing haue translated this word into their language But if any man desireth to reade more of the etymology and reason of the word Germanie let him peruse H. Iunius his Batauia in the one and twentieth chapter There are some historians that doe verily beleeue that all the Germanes were in latter times called Alemanes Vopiscus so persuading them in the life of Proculus Yet it is manifest out of Aelius Spartianus who reporteth that Antoninus Caracalla the Romane Emperour both nations by him being subdued tooke him the surname of them both and was intituled both by the name of GERMANICVS and ALEMANNICVS that these were two diuers nations Moreouer this same thing is to be seene in the marble inscriptions of the Emperours Valens Valentinian and Gratian as also in the titles of Iustinian the Emperour Againe Ammianus in his 26 booke writeth that the Almanes brake thorow the borders of Germanie whereby it is as clere as the noone day that they were diuers But that was the name of one family or people this of the whole stocke or nation Notwithstanding although this Alemannie of Stephanus Ammianus and other writers of that age was accounted only a part of Germanie namely of that which lieth about the
part which is named Adiectum Latium the same Pliny calleth Latium beyond the Liris which is indeed a part of Campania Which peraduenture was the reason that moued Seruius to extend this Latium as farre that way as the riuer Vulturnus So that the bounds of this Latium are the Tyrrhen sea the mount Apenninus the riuers Tiber Anio and Liris The neighbour Nations inhabiting round about it are the Tusci Sabini Marsi Samnites Praegutiani and the Campani It was so named of the Verbe Lateo signifying To lurke or Lie hid for that Saturnus here did hide himselfe as Seruius writeth and in trueth before him Herodianus Eutropius Cyprianus and Minutius Felix do plainly affirme the same yea and that Poet which in all mens opinions is counted the best in these his verses Primus ab aetherio venit Saturnus Olympo Arma Iouis fugiens regnis exul ademptis Is genus inâ—ocâ—â— ac dâ—spersum montibus altis Composuit legèsque dedit Latiumque vocari Maluit his quoniam latuisset tutus in oris Thus Englished by M. T. Phaër First from Olympus mount right neere the skies good Saturne old When he from Ioue did flie from his kingdome outlaw'd stood He first that wayward skittish kinde disperst in hilles and wood Did bring to thrift and gaue them lawes and all the land this way Did Latium call for safely here long time he lurking lay The same another Poet as famous as he both for his eloquence and long exile relating the words of god Ianus thus reporteth Multa quidem didici sed cur naualis in aere Actera signata est altera forma biceps Noscere me duplici me possis in imagine dixit Nivetus ipsa dies extenuasset opus Caussa ratis superest Tuscum venit rate in amuem Ante pererrato falcifer orbe deus Hac ego Saturnum memini tellure receptum Caelitibus regnis à Ioue pulsus erat Inde diu genti mansit Saturnia nomen Dicta quoque est Latium terra latente Deo At bona posteritas puppim formauit in aere Hespitis aduentum testificata Dei Prudentius also the Christian Poet in his booke which he wrote against Symmachus thus writeth of Saturnus Num melius Saturnus auos rexisse Latinos Creditur edictis qui talibus informauit Agrestes animos barbara corda virorum Sum Dâ—us aduenio fugiens praebete latebras Occultate senem nati feritate tyranni Deiectum solio placet hic fugitiuus exul Vt lateam genti atque loco Latium dabo nomen Is' t thought that Saturne did the Latines better rule Who taught them first when as they were as wilde as horse or mule A god I am indeed shew where I may me hide For I haue lost my regall crowne by Ioues vntimely pride And still I feare his power I dare him not abide If that you 'll grant me leaue with you to hide my head Latium this countrey shal be call'd long after I am dead So that Solinus Polyhistor did not without iust cause make this demand Who is he that knoweth not that of Saturnus this countrey was named both Latium and Saturnia But if any man shall suppose these reports to be fabulous and mere Poëticall fictions let him heare the learned Varro speake an authour farre more ancient than all those aforenamed who affirmeth it to haue been so named quòd lateat inter Alpium Apennini praecipitia for that it is hid enclosed or conteined betweene the steepe and craggie cliffes of the Alpes and Apenninus But what shire I pray you in all Olde Italy is there quae non aequè latet that is not thus inuironed If I poore goose might dare to keake amongst these well tun'd swannes I should rather thinke it to haue gotten this name not à latendo of lurking but à latitudine of the bredth of it For there is no other countrey of the right and ancient Italie that betweene the sea and those mountaines doth spread it selfe more broad and wide euery way than this doth and that the Geographicall charts and mappes of this prouince doe sufficiently approoue But let antiquity be still beleeued I poore foole will not impeach their credit lest at last it turne to mine owne discredit There are some as Hieronymus Columna writing vpon the fragments of the famous Poet Ennius reporteth which thinke that this name Saturnus is a meere Syrian word and in that language to signifie the same that latens that is one that playeth least in sight doth in Latine And hereupon those ancients as it were interpreting the word haue called that shire and countrey where the Latines dwelt LATIVM Trueth it is and all learned in these orientall tongues can beare me witnesse that the Hebrew thema 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sathar signifieth to lurke or hide ones selfe from the presence or sight of others which signification it constantly reteineth both in the Syrian or Chaldey and Arabicke dialects From hence also may analogically be formed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sithron from which by adding us the Latine termination is made Saturnus like as of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pathar to interpret is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pithron an interpretation and of _____ Rahama to be mercifull or pitifull is made _____ Rahman in the Arabian or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rahmana in the Syrian tongue a pitifull hearted man and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirgem to interpret out of one language into another is framed also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thurgmana an interpretour vsed likewise by the Chaldey Paraphrast at the seuenth Psalme as also by the Arabian interpretour of the New Testament at the 28. verse of the 14. chapter of the first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians and vulgarly amongst the Mores Turks and other Orientall nations they call an interpretour or him who vsually attendeth strangers or trauellers vnexpert of that language a _____ Turgman or as they commonly pronounce it a Trugman Obserue moreouer that euen the word Latium it selfe supposed to be a pure Latine deriuatiue together with his theme Lateo doth sauour of the Hebrew root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lat of the same signification from whence is deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lot the proper name of Harans sonne who with Terah his grandfather and Abram his fathers brother came from Vr of the Chaldees and dwelt in the land of Canaan Gen. 11.27.31 From the same root also as some learned men thinke was deriued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lotan the proper name of one of the sonnes of Seir the Horite Gen. 36.20 which commeth more neere to the Italian Latinus But of this peraduenture we haue stood too long That the inhabitants or people of this countrey were called Latini Strabo with all the ancient writers of the Romane histories doth plainly teach vs denominated of Latinus a king of this prouince according to that of Virgil genus vnde Latinum From whom the Latines tooke their name Pliny also maketh
Africa are generally or indefinitly named these seuerall prouinces of those greater parts are only to be vnderstood The bounds of this prouince of Africa on the West are the riuer Ampsaga and the Mauritania's the countries of the Moores their next neighbours on the North lieth the Midland sea Arae Philenorum a village betweene it and Cyrenaica is the vttermost bound of it Eastward the Inner Libya and the deserts of the same do confine it vpon the South This countrey was otherwise sometime called ZEVGIS and ZEVGITANA It comprehendeth within this compasse these three shires NVMIDIA named of some MASSYLIA BYZACIVM and TRIPOLITANA Diodorus Siculus diuideth this prouince into foure nations the Poeni Libophoenices Libyi and the Numidae At such time as the Romans bore a sway here and Scipio Aemilianus commanded their legions in these parts this Africa was diuided into two prouinces that neere Carthage they called OLDE AFRICA that which conteined Numidia NEW AFRICA as Pliny Appian and Dion do ioyntly testifie Numidia and Byzacium were vnder the command of the Consuls that wherein Carthage stood belonged to the iurisdiction of the Proconsuls as Sextus Rufus reporteth And this diuision they made as Pliny writeth by a certaine ditch drawen betweene them In the first booke of Iustinians Code and in the seuen and twentieh title of the same thou shalt finde another maner of diuision of this countrey and a farre other maner of gouernment of it by Presidents and Lieutenants Numidia beside the great store of Marble there found called by the name of Numidian marble and the maruellous plenty of Deere and wilde beasts which it yeeldeth hath nothing worth the remembrance as Pliny affirmeth Liuy Pliny and Solinus do giue it the praise for the best horsmen for seruice in the warres of any countrey whatsoeuer They doe as highly commend the fat soile of Byzacium which is such that it yeeldeth an hundred for one yea it hath beene knowen that one bushell of wheat being sowen hath yeelded at haruest the increase of an hundred and fifty bushels againe The Lieutenant of this place sent from thence vnto Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome forty eares of corne sprung and growen vp from one root and one graine as was probable Item there were sent likewise to Nero from thence three hundred and forty stalks with eares of corne come vp of one and the some graine To this also may be adioyned the goodnesse of the soile which is such as Columella reporteth of it that the husbandman after he hath layd his seed in the ground from seed-time to haruest neuer looketh to his fields nor once medleth with it more for that searse any weed or other such thing which vsually hindereth the growth of corne doth here come vp of it owne accord except it be either set or sowen by hand Halicarnasseus also maketh mention of this great fertility of Africa But Titus the Emperor of Rome in one word doth sufficiently declare the woonderfully fruitfulnesse and plenty of all things here in an Oration of his written vnto the seditious and mutinous Iewes where he nameth it Altricem orbis terrarum The nourse of all nations of the world Yea and Saluianus in his seuenth booke termeth it Animam Reipublicae Romanae The soule of the Romane Common-wealth or politicke body there where thou mayst reade many other things worth the obseruation of the riches command and power of this countrey Herodian maketh it a country very fertile of men Polybius on the other side doth as much commend it for the great abundance of cattell and all sorts of liuing creatures that it breedeth So that for multitude of Horses Oxen Sheepe and Goats it doth farre surpasse almost all the rest of the world beside And that which is most woonderfull of all other it is no strange thing here as Columella out of Dionysius Mago and Marcus Varro telleth vs to see Mules to breed and bring forth yoong so that the inhabitants do as oft see the foales of Mules there as we do of Mares here The same authour in the first chapter of his fourth booke sayth that the people are very ingenious and witty Hirtius calleth it Gentem insidiosam A treacherous nation Maternus nameth it Gentem subdolam A wily and crafty people so that Vlgetius doubted not to say That for wiles and wealth the Romans were alwayes inferiour to the Africans Iuuenal the Poet termeth it Causidicorum nutâ—iculam The nurse of prating petifoggers Athenaeus recounteth the Carthaginians amongst those nations which delight much in quassing and carowsing and vse to be often drunke Saluianus in his seuenth booke De Prouidentia sayth that they are generally so inhumane such drunkards so deceitfull fraudulent couetous treacherous disloyall leud lecherous and vnchaste that he that is not such an one he surely is no Africane Lastly there is as he there addeth no maner of wickednesse or villany that they are not giuen vnto All histories do make mention of the vnfaithfulnesse and false-heartednesse of this nation which indeed is such and they for the same so greatly noted and famous that they grew for it into a common by-word among all such nations as had any conuersation or ought to do with them And thus much of this Africa a land as the Poets terme it most rich for triumphs the fortresse or castle as Cicero calleth it of all Prouinces belonging to the Romane Empire The Ilands neere adioyning and belonging to this country more famous and of better note are Melita Menyx Cosura and Cercina beside some other lesser ones and of lesse account of which as also the people riuers mountaines townes and cities see this our Table That Sardinia that goodly iland which lieth ouer against Genua did sometime belong to this Africa Iustinian doth testifie in the seuen and twentieth Title of the first booke of his Code But of CARTHAGE the chiefe and metropolitane citie of this prouince although Salust sayth it is better farre to say nothing at all of it than to speake little yet notwithstanding I thinke it not amisse to adde somewhat of that also in this place This city of the Latines was called CARTHAGO of the Greeks CHARCHEDON Solinus Polyhistor reporteth that it was first called CARTHADA which word sayth he in the Phoenician tongue of neere affinity to the Hebrew and Arabicke signifieth Ciuitatem nouam The new city And indeed truth it is that _____ in the Arabicke dialect and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kariat hadátha in the Syrian doth signifie A new city or castle Hereupon it is that Stephanus nameth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 NOVAM VRBEM The new city He moreouer calleth it OENVSSA CACABE and CADMEIA but vpon what ground and authority I know not Cadmeia peraduenture it was named of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in that language as also in the rest of the orientall tongues deriued from hence signifieth the East or first and chiefest both which may well agree to this city for the first
little beneath Memphis in the South is of all ancient Geographers Historians and Poets in respect of the forme and proportion of it called DELTA for it is as you see of forme triangular like vnto Δ the fourth capitall letter of the Greeke alphabet And this also of Ptolemey who was borne here and therefore knew the state of it best diuided into Great Delta Little Delta and Middle Delta or the Third Delta This Delta as Pliny testifieth of all the chiefe parts of the world was somtime accounted the Fourth and reckened vp amongst the ilands and was not esteemed as any portion of the continent Vnder Egypt also the three OSITAE beyond the Libyan mountaines are vulgarly comprehended yea and LIBYA it selfe to if a man may giue credit to Ammianus This countrey is watered with no other riuer than NILVS of all the riuers in the world the most famous and renowmed and therefore called knowen by the greatest variety of names for the ancients haue giuen this riuer many titles Some haue called it AEGYPTVS from whence the whole country tooke the name others OCEANVS the sea in respect of the greatnesse of it AETOS an eagle for the swiftnesse of the streame NIGIR MELAS or Melo SIRIS TRITON CHRYSORRHOAS Gilden-flood of the goodnesse and beauty of his waters and others DYRIS Orus Apollo writeth that the Egyptians in their language called it NOYVM that is as I thinke _____ sweet pleasant delightfull for so the impostor Mahomet vseth this word in the xxxij Azoara of his wicked Alcoran as also the Arabian paraphrast 2. Pet. 2.13 And R. Saadias Hagaon Gen 2.15 calleth Paradise Phardusi'nnaym which the forenamed beast at the 66. Azoara nameth Ginnati'nnaym The pleasant garden Iosephus calleth it GEON or Ginon for that as R. Salomon Yarhi the great Rabbine thinketh it runneth from his fountaine or rather rusheth on with great violence and hideous noise Arias Montanus affirmeth that in the Holy Scripture it is named PHISON because as the forenamed Iew sayth his waters do spread themselues swell and wax so high that they flow ouer the banks and water the whole land And SIHOR that is blacke or troubled for that the waters of the same issuing from a durty fenne with great violence oft breaking ouer into the medowes and marsh grounds by which it coasteth along for many hundred miles together are thicke and muddy The Georgians call it MAHARA that is swift or violent item BAHARI'NNIL the sea of Nilus The Africanes as Marmolius writeth commonly call it NIL that is in my iudgement _____ Nehil or Neil of the theame Nahal which in the Arabian dialect signifieth to be liquid thinne dissolued and apt to runne from whence in the Hebrew tongue is deriued Náhal a streame or swift water course And this opinion of mine Pomponius Mela the worthy Geographer doth seeme to patronage where he writeth that In horum finibus fons est quem Nili esse aliquibus credibile est Nuchul ab incolis dicitur videri potest non alio nomine appellari sed à barbaro ore corruptius c. In the confines of Ethiopia there is a spring which some do verily thinke to be the head of Nilus Nuchyl the inhabitants and countrey people do call it and it may seeme probable that they name it by no other name only the barbarous word is corrupted and otherwise pronounced of forreners c. The Abassines Ethiopians and other nations inhabiting neere vnto it do call it by diuers and sundry other names as thou mayest see more at large in our Geographicall treasury It vnladeth it selfe as most men thinke and all antiquity hath constantly affirmed into the Midland sea by seuen mouthes or very great floudgates Ptolemey in his time made mention of nine but of them two were false gates pseudostomata he termeth them then almost quite stopped vp Pliny speaketh of eleuen of which foure were false gates the other seuen were great and more renowmed Herodotus also mentioneth two false gates but in all he speaketh not of more than seuen with him Eustathius word for word agreeth And that which of these mouthes or falles are of this man held for a trueth in others are held for false and contrariwise The like difference there is about the names and proper appellations of these mouthes euen in the best approoued authours Pliny maketh Heracleoticum to be a diuers and distinct mouth from Canopicum in which notwithstanding it seemeth he is much deceiued yea and Diodorus Siculus doth flatly deny it affirming that Canopicum is otherwise named Herculeum or Heracleoticum All this difference about the names number and nature of these mouthes if I mistake not the matter arose in continuance of time from the change and alteration of places For euery man describeth them according to the situation of the sea coast as it then was in that time wherein he liued which by violence of tide and inundatious drifts of sand and shifting of the same backe againe in processe of time haue sometime one forme somtime another as is very likely and they do very well know which dwell neere to the sea who do neuer wonder to see riuers change their channels and leaue their ancient course to see their mouthes sometime to be quite dette vp with sand and to seeke new issues and channels where neuer none were before or to see them which in former times were not nauigable but full of flats and shelfs afterward to become deepe and able to entertaine ships of good burden Galen sayth that this riuer for goodnesse of water hath but few peeres Arethaeus the Cappadotian sayth that the water is thicke Plutarch in the eighth booke of his Conuiual calleth it turbidam troubled and muddy Statius in his fourth booke Amor. sayth that it is sweet and coole without any vnpleasantnesse in taste and therefore he addeth in the same place that the Egyptians do neuer feare any want or dearth of wine Diodorus Siculus sayth that for sweetnesse it doth surpasse all other riuers in the whole world beside which opinion of his Pescennius Niger an Emperor did long since auouch to be true when he thus answered his garrison souldiers demanding wine of him Haue ye Nilus and yet do ye demand wine A description of this riuer thou maist see in Claudian Of his inundation and ouerflowing euery yere beside others reade Strabo and the Panegyricke oration pronounced before Traian Emperour of Rome Item Achilles Statius and Heliodorus He that listeth and hath more vacant time to these may adde Plutarch in his treatise of mountaines Mountaines of Egypt beside those which Ptolemey mentioneth namely Montes Libyci Troicus Alabastrinus Porphyritis Smaragdus Aiaces Acabes Niger Basanites and Pentadactylus are diuers as Nitria Pherme Sinopius Climax Eos Lacmon Crophi and Mophi They haue many Fennes yet these two only Moeris and Maria are of name AEGYPTVS ANTIQVA Terra suis contenta bonis non indiga mercis Aut Iouis in solo tanta est fiducia Nilo