and in Armes the State being disarmed not looking for any such innovation So the Barbarians subdued the Empire of Rome The Arabians the Empire of the East of Aegypt and of Spaine Charles the eighth King of France gained Italy The Portugals India The Castilians the new world and Soliman the Kingdome of Hungary The division of the neighbouring States either into Common-wealths or into petty Seigniories and those of small power gave courage to the Romans to make themselves Lords of Italy and made an easie passage for the Venetians into Lumbardy This also made the attempt of Thusian light unto the Florentines and no lesse that of Barbary to the Castilians which they would have found very hard of either the one or the other had expected them with armed forces The variance and jarring of the adjoyning Princes did open the way to the Turks to enter so farre into Christendome and with little trouble to invest himselfe of many kingdomes therein So Amurath the third presuming upon the civill discords of the Princes of the bloud Royall of Persia made that attempt with great advantage So againe the Persian upon the difference of the Scrivano and the Bashawes of Syria hath resumed the advantage and accordingly prospered Neither doth the whole mischiefe arise out of these intestine jarres onely but in all factions one part will be sure to intreat the aid of some forren Prince against the other than which no man can have a better occasion because then he commeth armed into the owners house at his owne request So the Romans set foot in Sicil being cald in by the Mamertines In Greece by the Athenians In Numidia by the sonnes of Micipsa In Provence by the Marsilians In France by the Hedui and so from time to time by divers others So Amurath the first King of Turks got hold in Europe being requested in aid by the Emperour of the East being then in warre with the Princes of Greece So Soliman in Hungarie being intreated by Queene Isabel and afterwards by King Iohn So the Aragons in the kingdome of Naples being drawne thither by Queene Ioane the second and so Henry the second King of France made himselfe Lord of three great Cities of the Empire Often hath it beene seene that he that is now called in as a friend does after prove an enemie and if one party in a civill warre cals in a forren arbitrator both parties cannot get him out againe But another no lesse successefull opportunity hath also beene made use of and that by way of marriage By apprehending the opportunity of a marriage were the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster and the two kingdomes of England and Scotland united But no Prince hath made so great advantage of marriage as the Spaniard The match of Ferdinand and Elizabeth was the very foundation of their greatnesse By marriages were the severall Provinces of the Low Countries united all which fell to Spaines at a clap Finally for this advantage hath the house of Spaine three times purchased dispensations from Rome for incestuous marriages and more they intended too Charles the fifth Emperour was solemnly contracted to our Queene Mary and Philip the second King of Spaine sonne to the said Emperour both wedded and bedded her nay upon strong appearances suspected it then was that King Philips curtesies to Queene Elizabeth were for his owne ends that if Queene Mary should die without issue he might marrie her also which he afterwards attempted by the Count de Feria promising to obtaine a dispensation so should England have beene laid to Spaine and what should then have hindred his Monarchie Now besides those advantages of humane policie and strength before mentioned God himselfe hath reserved a power at his owne disposing in the giving away of victories and in the cutting short or inlargement of Empire And to this end hath ordained these naturall Agencies and Assistances of Seas Rivers Mountaines Marishes Wildernesses and the sandie Desarts By these helps he the weake to hedge and ditch out their incroaching neighbours and by granting the mastership over these to another Nation he can at pleasure scourge the rebellion or unthankfulnesse of those people whom before he defended by them And of these helps of nature something will we say and in their order And first for the benefit of the Sea Concerning the profits of Merchandize both for importing and exporting of commodities I will not here speake though even that tends so much to the inrichment and augmentation of the honour of the State that in all treaties of warre and peace I see that the articles concerning traffike are sometimes two thirds of the treatie for so were they I am sure in that politike and nice-driven negotiation of the peace betwixt England and Spaine in the beginning of the Reigne of King Iames the Lord Treasurer Cecil Northampton and the greatest Sages of the kingdome being Commissioners on our partie and the best pates of Spaine for theirs but here I will onely treat of the Sea as of a Soveraigne friend and bulwarke to that Nation that is neerliest situated unto it and a maine helpe towards the keeping or inlargement of dominion The Poets you know made a God of Neptune that obtained the soveraingty of the Sea as well as of him that had the government of the Land and truly to be Lord of the narrow Seas and to enjoy a royalty That the ships of all Nations shall strike faile to one of the Kings ships is none of the least honours and to bee master of the Sea is more of it selfe than a pettie Monarchie He that is so indeed may give the law as well as he that is master of the field The Sea-fight at Actium was it that made Augustus Caesar sole Emperour of the world and Pompey learned it of old Themistocles that he that had the best Navy would in the end prove the Conquerour The victory that the Christians got at Lepanto so arrested the inâ—â—â—aching of the Turkish greatnesse that they have done little upon Chirstendome never since I mention not 88. nor that the resistance that the Hollanders have beene able to make against the greatest Monarch of the world proceeds meerly from the advantage they have of him by their commodious situation upon the Sea and by having more havens and ships than he This certainly will prove true that if ever the Monarchie of Spaine be broken it must be by Sea even by the Fleets of England and Holland and that know the Counsellours of the Emperour and Spaine well enough who to make themselves masters of some good ports have supplied their defect of a Navy by a chargeable land army For what thinke you else should be the designe of Monsieur Tilly but to take the Sea by Land to make his master Lord of Stoad Hamborrough Luckstadt with other Hansee townes and the Sowndt of Denmarke and what makes the Emperour who yet had never greater vessel than a Punt or Yaugh upon the
the house of Burbon In this space of time you must observe the three ages of France her child-hood till Pepin her man-hood till Capet her old age till now For in the first age the Kings were like children content to be taught by others in matters of Religion as then ye may note that Clovis received the Faith and was Baptized as also in matter of policie they were content that others should beare the whole sway and rule them also such were the Maieurs de Palais whereof Pepin was one that usurped In their man-hood they did like men conquer Kingdomes releeve distressed Christians overcome Saracens and Infidels defend the Church against all assailes as yeâ— may perceive by the History of Charles the great and his successors And lastly now in her old age she grew wise erected Courts for Iustice made Lawes and Ordinances to governe her Inhabitants wherein no Countrey in Europe hath excelled her for so saith my Author There is no Countrey in the world where Iustice is better established than in ours which is true but with this addition of a later Writer if the Officers thereof were not too too many and if their places were rightly executed To force this Relation with many notes of things here hapning in former ages were both impertinent and tedious only I would wish you note that in 482. the Christian Faith was here received and in the yeare 800. the Roman Empire hither translated Concerning the Countrie of France the State is a Monarchie and the government mixt for the authoritie of Maieurs Eschevins Consuls Iureurs c. is Democraticall the Paires the Councels the Parliaments the Chambers of Counts the Generalities c. are Aristocraticall The calling of Assemblies giving of Offices sending Embassages concluding of Treaties pardoning of offences ennobling of Families legitimation of Bastards coyning of moneys and divers other to the number of foure and twentie are meerely Regall called of the French Droicts Royaux And sure it is that no Prince in Europe is a more perfect Monarch than he for besides all these Privileges named as we say of the Parliament of Paris that it hath the prerogative to be appealed unto from all other Courts which they call the last appeale so is it likewise true that the King himselfe hath the meere and absolute authoritie over this For though no Edict or Proclamation no Warre or Peace which he makes be good without the consent and Arrest as they call it of this Court Yet true it is that when he sending to them for their confirmation and ratifying thereof if at first they refuse and send Deputies to his Majesty to informe him of their reasons with humble suit to revoke the same he returnes them upon paine of his displeasure and deprivation of their Offices to confirme it Sic volo sic jubeo As touching the Lawes we must know that most of them are grounded on the Civill Law of the Emperour but so as this State ever protesteth against them insomuch as in former times it was ordained that he which alleaged any Law of Iustinian should lose his head Of the Lawes in force some are fundamentall as they call them and immortall Such as nor King nor assembly can abrogate others are Temporall Of the first sort I will only remember you of two examples the Law Salique and that of Appennages As for the first they would needs make the world beleeve that it is of great antiquitie where with they very wrongfully tromped the heires of Edward the third from the enjoying of this Crowne which to them is rightly descended by the Mother and whose claime is still good were the English sword well whetted to cut the Labels of this Law Of which Haillan himselfe confesseth that before the time of Philip le Long 1321. That the Law Salique was never heard tell of before this Kings time who caused it to be ratified by all the Nobles of his Kingdome some by faire promises and others by force and threats Whereupon they have since this proverbe The Kingdome of France cannot fall from the Launce to the Distasseâ— which another would needs as soundly prove out of Scripture for that it is said The Lillies spinne not that is the Lillies or Flowerdelyces being the Armes of France cannot descend to a Spinster or woman Touching the Appennages it is also a Law of great consequent for the Crowne for by this the Domaine cannot be aliened and by the other the Crowne cannot fall into the hands of strangers You must note that this Law imports that the younger sonnes of the King cannot have Partage with the Elder which till the time of Charlemaigne when this was made they might they must onely have Appennage suas propriete By which Charter of Appennage is given all profits arising of the said Apannes as Domaine the Hundreth Rents rights of Seigneurie parties Casuelles â—ots Sales Homages rights of Vassalage Forrests Ponds â—â—â—vers Iurisdictions Patronages of Churches Provisions and Nomination of Chappels Goods of Mayn-mort Fift s of Lands sold and all other profits and commodities whatsoever to returne to the Crowne for want of heires male But the levying of Taxes and aids the minting of money and all other things of Regalitie are reserved Concerning the other sort of Lawes in this Realme they are infinite which argueth à consequente that they be ill kept for Gens humana ruit per vetitum nefas and ab antecedente that the people of this Countrey have beene ill inclined for Evill manners cause good Lawes These French Lawes are too full of Preambles Processes Interims and Provisoes as by all their Ordinances and Edicts appeareth There is nothing me thinkes colder than a Law with a Prologue Let a Law command and not perswade Of all these Lawes I will only name you this one That the minority of the King shall be assisted with a Councell chosen by the States of France wherein the Princes of the bloud ought to hold the first place and strangers to bee excluded Which was enacted at Toures by Charles the eighth Anno 1484. I tell you of this as of the true source and spring of all the late civill warres because the Cadets of Lorraine by insinuation with the young Kings Francis the second and Charles the ninth under the favour of the Queene Mother took upon them to manage all publike matters at their own pleasure and thrust out the first Princes of the bloud of the house of Burbon Whereupon Navarre and Condie the Princes of this Family assisted by many of the French Nobles embarqued themselves in the action of reforming such an abuse and displacing the Gursard out of this authorite tooke it upon themselves to whom it rightly belonged Howbeit out of that which I there saw which I have heard of others and read in Authors I will adventure to relate concerning the Officers of this Court for as for other great Offices as of Constable Admirall Marshall Grand Master of the Eaues
that of the Sunne is the best and the halfe Crowne Those of silver are the Livres or Franc which is two shillings sterling The quart d'escu which is one shilling six pence The Teston which is halfe a sous lesse The peece of ten sous which is one shilling sterling the halfe quart d'escu the halfe Teston and the peece of five sous that is six pence sterling Those of Brasse is the price of six Blanks which is three pence that of three blanks three halfe pence The sous of twelve deniers the liard of foure deniers the double of two and lastly the denier it selfe whereof ten make one penny sterling This baser and smaller kind of money hath not beene used in France but since the beginning of the civill warres The Teston is the best silver It remaineth I speake of the Administration and Execution of Iustice and of those places and persons where and by whom it is done I will therefore beginne with their assemblies as the highest and greatest Court of all which well resembleth the Parliament of England the Dyet of the Empire or the Councell of â—â—e Amphythrions in Greece There are three especiall causes of calling these Assemblies The first when the succession of the Crowne was doubtfull and in controversie or when it was to take order for the Regency during the Kings Captivity or Minority or when they had not the right use of their wits Hereof yee have examples Anno 1327. Saint Lewis an Infant and Charles the sixth An. Dom. 1380. a Lunaticke and 1484. Iohn a prisoner For all which occasions Assemblies were called to determine who should have the Regency of the Realme in the meane while The second cause is when there is question of reforming the Kingdome correcting the abuses of Officers and Magistrates or appeasing troubles and seditions The third cause is the want and necessitie of the King or Kingdome in which case the Estates are exhorted to give subsidies subventions aids and gratuities For in former times the Kings contenting themselves with their Domaine and impost of such wares as came in or went out of the land the two most ancient and most just grounds of Finances were not accustomed to levie and impose upon their Subjects any tax whatsoever without the consent of the three States thus assembled The next Soveraigne Court for so the French call it is the Court of Parliament The true Temple of French Iustice Seat of the King and his Peeres And as Haillan cals it the Buttresse of Equity This Court very much resembleth the Star-Chamber of England the Arcopage of Athens the Senate of Rome the Consiglio de' dieci of Venice There are no Lawes saith Haillan by which this Court is directed it judgeth according to equity and conscience and mitigateth the rigour of the Law Of these Courts of Parliament ye have eight in France That of Paris the most ancient and highest in preheminence which at first was ambulatory as they call it and ever followed the Kings Court whithersoever it went but since Philip le Bel it hath beene sedentary in this Citie That of Grenoble was erected Anno 1453. That of Tholouse Anno 1302. That of Bourdeaux Anno 1443. That of Dijon in the yeare 1476. That of Roven in the yeare 1501. That of Aix the same yeare And lastly that of Bretaigne at the yeare 1553. Anciently all Arch-Bishops and Bishops might sit and give voices in this Parliament of Paris but in Anno 1463. it was decreed that none but the Bishop of Paris and Abbot of Saint Denis might sit there except he be of the Bloud for all these are privileged The Presidents and Counsellors of the Court of Parliament of Paris may not depart the Towne without leave of the Court by the ordinance of Lewis the twelfth in the yeare 1499. The Senators ought alwayes to bee present because things are carried with more Majesty when the Court is full To this Parliament they appeale from all other subalterne Courts throughout the Realme as they doe in Venice to the Consiglio grande Neither can the King conclude any warre or peace without the advice and consent hereof or at least as Haillan saith he demandeth it for fashion sake sometime when the matters are already concluded The Parliament of Paris consisteth of seven Chambers the Grande câ—ambre and five others of Enquests and the Tournelles which is the chamber for the criminall causes as the other six bee for the civill It is called the Tournelles because the Iudges of the other Chambers sit there by turnes every three moneths the reason whereof Bodin giveth that it might not alter the naturall inclination of the Iudges and make them more cruell by being alwayes exercised in matter of condemnations and executions There be of this Court of Presidents Counsellors Chevalliers of honour Procureurs Advocates Clerks Sergeants and other Officers of all sorts not so few as two hundred Besides this Court there are also other Courts for the administration of Iustice in this Citie as the Chatellet of Paris with a Lieutenant civill and another criminall and the Hostel de Paris with a Prevost and other inferiour Officers which is as ye would say the Guild-Hall of the Citie So have ye throughout the Realme certaine places as all Cities in generall where there be Chatellets like our places of Assise and in them a Lieutenant civill and criminall to judge and determine all causes reall and personall and here many Lawyers and Procurers as our Counsellors at Law and Atturnies who plead before those Lieutenants and Prevosts and certaine Counsellors which are the Iudges in these Courts whereof the number is incredible in France Insomuch as you may well say of them as is said of Sienna There be more Readers than Auditors so here be more Pleaders than Clients This Chiquanery Petti-fogging multiplicitie of Pleaders came first from the Popes Court when his seat was at Avignon as my Author saith who in the same place cals these Advocates The Mice of the Palace The processes and suits in these Courts throughout France are innumerable wherein wee come nothing neere them and yet there is no want of these in England For I have heard of 340. Nisiprius between parties tried at one Assize in Norfolke as many I thinke as in halfe England besides But these are onely twice in the yeare that causes are tried at Assises in our Country whereas here they are tried every day in the yeare that is not festivall So that it is not much unlikely that here are as many Processes in seven yeares as have beene in England since the conquest There are besides these Courts of Chatellets in Cities the Courts also of Bailywicks and Sheriffalties who as Haillan saith keepe Courts in each Province and judge in all matters civill and criminall Here is also the Privie Councell or Councell of affaires of the Counsellors among which are his foure Secretaries he calleth certaine every morning at his rising to whom he
there be six of the Clergie 1. Arch-Bishop and Duke of Rhemes 2. Bishop and Duke of Laon. 3. Bishop and Duke of Langres 4. Bishop and Comte of Beauvais 5. Bishop and Comte of Novon 6. Bishop and Comte of Chalons Of Temporall 1. Duke of Burgundy 2. Duke of Normandie 3. Duke of Guyenne 4. Count of Tholouse 5. Count of Champaigne 6. Count of Flanders Since these were first instituted many other houses have beene admitted into the Pairrie by the Kings of France and the old worne out As to them of Burgundie and Flanders were added the Dukes of Bretaigne Burbon Anjow Berrie Orleans the Counts of Arthois Ereux Alenson Estampes all of the Bloud in Charles the fifths time Since also in the times of Charles the ninth and Henry the third have new Pairries beene erected as Nevers Vandosine Guise Monpensier Beaumont Albret Aumal Memorencie Vzes Pentheur Mercoeur Ioieuse Espernon Rets Mâ—nbâ—son Vantadoure and others Ye must observe that the five ancientest Pairries of the Temporality are returned to the Crowne the sixth which is of Flanders doth recognize it no longer as now being Spanish Some say these Pairres quasi paresâ—inter se were first erected by Charlemaigne others by Hugh Capâ—t and others which is holden for the truest by Lewis le yeune 1179. to aid and assist the King in his Councell saith Bodin And therefore the Session of the King with his Pairres was called The Parliament without addition as the Kings Brothers and Sisters are called Monsieur and Madame sans queve whereas all other Soveraigne Courts are named with an addition as Le Parlement de Paris le Parl. de Roven c. Yee may also observe that they of the Laity have the right hand of the King and the Clergie the left in all assemblies or solemne Sessions whatsoever I thinke this division of the Pairrie into these two sorts was derived from that ancient order of the Gaules of whom Caesar speaketh Of the Nobility of Gallia are two sorts the Dâ—â—â—des and Gentlemen where he likewise discourseth of their divers Offices This Honour of Pairre of France was at first given for life onely afterwards for them and their Heires Males and lastly to the women also for default of Males who likewise are called to sit in Councell and Assemblies as are the Queenes of France as at the Assembly at Blois and at the the Arrest of Counte de Clermont in the time of Saint Lewis where the Countesse of Flanders is named present among the other Peeres Ye must note that Peeres and Princes of the Bloud bee privileged from being subject to any Writ or Processe but in case of high Treason and then also no Processe can bee commenced against them before any other Iudges whatsoever but before the King sitting in his Court of Parliament sufficiently assisted by the Peeres of France All other Iudges are incompetent But to leave the discourse of this highest honour in France and speake of the Noblesse in generall ye shall read in history that at the end of the second Race of Kings they beganne to take their surnames of their principall Feifs Since when of later yeares some have contrarily put their surnames upon their Feifs which hath so confounded the Noblâ—sse saith Haillan as it is now hard to finde out the ancient and true Nobility These are they among whom the Proverbe is still currant A man of Wâ—rre should have no more learning but to be able to write his owne name And therefore their profession is onely Armes and good Horsemanship wherein if they have attained any perfection they little esteeme other vertues not caring what the Philosopher saith One only Anchor is not sufficient to hold a great ship Nor considering that the old Gallants of the World were wont to joyne the one with the other and ancient Painters were accustomed to paint the Muses all together in a troope to signifie that in a Nobleman they should not be parted Hereof it commeth that the French Noblesse glorying in their Armes call themselves The Arme of their Country the Guardians of Armes and Terrour of their Enemies but they never stile themselves the Professors of vertue This Estate of the Nobility saith one of all the three Estates is smallest in number of men and poorest in living which no question must needs be true after so long a civill warre and herewith accordeth he that wrote the late troubles The French Noblesse is fallen from their ancient wealth wherwith they were adorned in the times of Lewiâ— the twelfth and Francis the first And I durst affirme that if all they that bear this Title were divided into ten parts eight of them are impaired by sales morgages or other debts The same Author yeeldeth five reasons of the poverty of the Noblesse of France First the Civill Warres Secondly Superfluous expences in apparell Thirdly Houshold-stuffe Fourthly Building Fifthly Diet and Followers And in another place taxing the extreme prodigality superfluity of the French in their Apparell Building and Diet he saith If the Warre hath brought us foure ounces of poverty our owne follies have gotten us twelve I will not herein bee mine owne judge saith hee but let us doe as Players at Tennis be judged by all the lookers on and they will confesse that by these excessive expences a great number of the Noblesse goe a foot pace others trot and many runne post to the downfals of poverty I should in this relation of the French Nobility doe them great wrong to beleeve and report for truth what the Cabinet du Roy one of their owne Country saith of them who according to the severall Provinces giveth them severall Epithites The Noblesse of Berry saith he are Paillards Leachers they of Tourraine are Voleurs Theeves they of Guyenne Coyners they of Tholouse Traitors they of Narbonne Covetous they of Province Atheists they of Lyonnois Treacherous they of Rhoimes Superstitionâ—â— they of Normandie Insolent they of Prâ—â—â—die Proud and so forth of all the rest But I will doe them more right and conclude of them that for privilege and noblenesse of Race they may compare with any Nobility of Christendome For proofe of the first The King hath nothing of his Noblesse but Sword-service And for the second saith another The French Noblesse is composed of so famous houses that there are a dozen of them descended by right line from Kings that have peaceably possessed Kingdomes Having briefly spoken of the two first Estates of France the Clergy and Nobility It lastly remaineth I speake of the people in generall and namely of their freenesse of Speech manner of Diet kinds of Buildings sorts of Exercises fashion of Apparell diversitie of Language suddennesse of apprehending rashnesse in executing impatience in deliberation and divers other natures and humours proper to the Frenchmen wherein ye shall not looke for a methodicall and large discourse but a briefe and compendious remembrance of such things as I have read and observed in this Nation It is
are very good Weapons But in the same time and under the same Duke and Captaine they performed very little against the Spaniards though with farre over-ballanced numbers as in divers places of Sleyden manifestly appeareth Touching their actions in the Low-Countries in the Prince of Orange his time in France during the civill warres and sithence for the King if I mistake it not it hath alwayes beene praise enough for them if they have helped to keepe their enemies from doing any great matters though they have performed nothing themselves Of latter time they have rather increased than diminished this opinion in the warres ten yeares since in Hungarie besides many other times of notable disorders amongst them by false Alarmes They fled most shamefully out of the Island of Komora being charged by a few Tartars who with infinite hazzard and inconvenience swam over a part of the Danubie to come at them The Summer after Count Charles of Mansfielt their Generall had them in such jelousie as when the Turkes only with some twelve or fourteene thousand men came to victuall Gran and past almost close by their Tents and they being at least fifty thousand strong he durst not set upon them till they retired having performed the project of their journey left the Germans who were by farre the greater part of his Armie being lustily charged might give backe so indanger the whole Campe. To omit many other particularities about this point too long to dwell upon in this discourse they are no more to be commended for their discipline than for their valour for though they be commonly very well armed and keepe indifferent good order in their march yet are they for the most part no more watchfull and provident in their Campe than if they were safely intrenched in an Ale-house Quarrelsome exceedingly and in a manner given to drinking continually and almost every common souldier carrying with him his she-baggage besides his bagge and other furniture Of their unreasonable spoiling and free-booting the French Stories make sufficient relation and it hath alwayes beene hard to discerne whether those Nations that have called them to their succour have received more detriment by them or by their professed enemies For instance of their spoiling humour the Marquesse of Turloch taking in the Marquesdome of Baden and being constrained to keepe some foure or five thousand men in sundry places in garrison they all offered though he gave them very extraordinary pay to serve without any wages so they might have free libertie of pillage Therefore let it not seeme strange that I produce these generall examples of this Nation for though in divers Provinces they are much differing in complexion in stature and many other circumstances yet for warre especially for their vices in warre they are in a manner all of the same aire They have greatly affected the English Nation but of late were they not a little distasted upon pretence of injuries done them about prizes Sea matters and suppressing their privileges of the Stillyard wherein though they themselves as being Inland people and trading little by Sea are nothing interessed yet their neighbours of Hamborough Lubech and divers other Hanse-townes making all these matters farre greater and worse than indeed they are have spread even into their minds the contagion of their owne grudge The Councell of Saxony are at this time few Amongst them there are some that are of the Nobility Counsellours rather in name than effect For in that they live in their Countries they are seldome present at any consultations and meddle little in the ordinary government of the State The rest after the manner of Germany are most Civilians The whole government of the affaires as also the Court is very private Other particulars I cannot specifie neither in truth if a man consider their outward portlinesse though otherwise I doubt not but wise enough doe they merit the setting downe of any For being as all Germans are plaine and homely in their behaviour and entertainment they are both in their retinue apparell and all things else very sutable so that not onely in this Court but in the Courts of divers great Princes of Germany they goe usually apparelled in blacke Leather or Linnen died blacke the chiefest having only an addition for ornament sake of the Princes picture in gold or a chaine of one or two boughts whereby they seeme such leatherne and linnen Gentlemen as if they were in England all men would take them for honest factors unto Merchants or else some under-Clerke of an Office rather than such great and chiefe Counsellours to so great Princes and Estates But as it should be great folly for a man to judge the preciousnesse of a Iewell by the case wherein it is kept and much greater to esteeme it by the cover of the case sed even so by the same reason it were an equall indiscretion to estimate a mans worth either by their body or apparell the one being but an earthen case of the heavenly minde the other but the outward cover of that worthlesse box So on the other side it is an undeniable certainty that not only the common people and strangers but even wise men are moved and stirred up with outward shewes and their mindes according to those exterior matters prepared to receive a deepe impression either of like or dislike favour or disfavour of reverence or carelesse retchlesnesse and debased dispositions The Revenues of this Dukedome are as most men affirme very great and without comparison the greatest of any German Prince whatsoever The meanes whereby it ariseth to that greatnesse are divers first the great quantity of Silver Mines and such like whose profit notwithstanding is very uncertaine according to the goodnesse or badnesse of the veines the great impositions upon all sorts of Merchandize and the assize upon Beere which only in the Citie Liepsiege being a little Towne of two Parishes amounteth yearely to above twenty thousand pounds sterling The tenths of all sorts of increase as Corne Wine c. The Salt-houses at Hall and some other places which being all to the Duke besides the Lands of the Dukedome being very great and the Taxes and Subsidies assessed at their Parliaments or Diets with divers other casualties which fall not within my knowledge But above all the greatest is an imposition which hath long time beene laid upon the people towards the maintenance of the warres against the Turke which notwithstanding they have beene suspended for a long space lately yet under colour of being sufficiently provided and furnished against future necessities they have beene continued and the treasure converted to the Princes private use arising in all this time to that quantity that if it had beene reserved to the pretended use the warres might be continually very royally maintained I speake as much as is required on the behalfe of that Dukedome and the people freed these many yeares from the imposition which notwithstanding is not
offence but that the same hath beene turned to defense Of which kinde are Castles built of later times and the devices of moderne fortification whereby few souldiers have resisted great Armies and a small place made tenable hath wasted the forces and treasure of a mighty Emperour as well witnessed the fortunes of eight hundred Portugals at Domaine upon the coast of Cambaia who by this Art scorned and deluded the whole forces and attempts of this mighty Mogor China IN times past the Kingdome of China hath beene farre larger than now it is For it appeareth by their Histories containing the Annals of 2000. yeares and upward and by other of their manuscript Chronicles written in their owne language whose fragments are yet to be seene that their Kings were Lords almost of all the Sea-coast of Asia from the streight of Anian to the Kingdome of Pegu the Provinces of Meletai Becam Calan Boraga and other territories situated upon the North side of Pegu where their monuments with their Epitaphs devices are to be seen at this day For in all the foresaid Regions the relicks of their ancient ceremonies wherby the knowledge of the Mathematicks as the division of the yeare into moneths the Zodiacke into 12. signes true testimonies of their Empire are taught by tradition Neither is the time long sithence all those Kingdomes accounted the King of China for their Soveraigne sending their Ambassadors with presents to his Court every third yeare These Ambassadors ought to be foure at least for before they could arrive at their journeyes end some of them either by remotenesse of place difficult accesse of audience or delay in dispatch could not but surely die those whose chance it was to scape the Chinois in some set banquet would poyson and erect unto them stately tombes with the inscription of their names the place from whence they came and with the stile of Ambassadors thereby say they to commit to eternity the remembrance of the bounds of their Empire They inlarged their dominions no lesse upon the Ocean than upon the Continent For they first of all invaded the Isles of the Orient next unto them the Giavi then the Moluccans and Moores and lastly the Portugals and Castilians who hold them at this day But none of these Nations were equall of power and magnificence to the Chinois for besides the conquest of the bordering Isles which in regard of their numbers their spaciousnesse and fertilitie were of great reckoning they became Lords of the greatest part of all the inhabitable places in that vast Archipelago even to Zeilan where they left their speech and characters as also they did the like upon the opposite continent Wre reade also in the papers of certaine Jesuites that in one quarter of the Island of Saint Laurence they found white people which said that they descended of the Chinois They first discovered the Moluccas gave names unto the Spices and planted Colonies in many of them which to this present keepe their old name as batta china à Maur batta china Mauri batta signifieth a Towne batta china a Towne of the Chinois It is likewise thought that the Inhabitants of Iava descended from them and to speake the truth there is no great difference betweene their manner of living clothing building industry trafficke and manuall occupations But after the shipwrâ—cke of fourscore vessels and the losse of their people in the Sea of Zeilan comparing their profit with their losse they resolved to trie no more such hazards but to containe themselves within their owne bounds And to cause this Edict to be inviolably observed they enacted that none there after upon paine of the losse of his â—ead should offer to faile into those parts the Kâ—ngs themselves did ever abstaine from future invasions For sithence they enjoy a very earthly Paradise where Nature and Art are at strife to content the Inhabitants where no good thing iâ— wanting but much superfluous and to spare what mad men would consume their bodies and treasures in getting those things which are more chargeable to get than profitable to keepe Polybius writeth that upon the same reason the old Carthaginians forsooke part of those things which before they had conquered The Romans after they had suffered a grievous losse of their best vessels in the second Punicke warre in meere despaire bade Navigation adue but afterwards perceiving that they who were Commanders of the Sea were likely to prove Lords of the Land they built a new Navie and at length saw the successe to answer their latest opinions Therefore can we not but ascribe this resolution of the Chinois rather to good conscience and advisednesse than to wisdome or good policâ—e When this surrender was resolved in full councell they set the people whom they had vanquished free yet some of their good wils remained feodaries shadowing their estates under the wings of their puissance as the Kings of Corea Lequi Cauchinchina and Siam But notwithstanding their retreit within their owne bounds yet possesse they a dominion little lesse than Europe for from the North towards the South it reacheth from seventeene to two and fiftie degrees from East to the West are two and twenty degrees It is divided into eight severall Kingdomes over whom one principall Monarch controlleth by whose high and illustrious titles of Mundi Dominus and Solis filius he would seeme to challenge all Natures immunities and withall that their prescriptions before the dayes of Adam were true and canonicall The principall Citie is called Paquin neighbouring Tartary out of which the Emperour never issueth but in time of warre which is as it were an exercise amongst them at that time challenging the attendance of every Nation For as you have read in the History of England That from the Twede betweene Northumberland and Scotland even to the Irish Seas there was a wall called Picts wall one hundred miles long and at certaine spaces fortified with watch-towers which thorow hollow trunkes placed within the curtaines received advertisements of Alarmes excursions and such like so that in a moment the whole Countrey was up in armes and the ordinary proceedings of military discipline executed So here from the Sea to Mount Caucasus or rather Imaus eight thousand furlongs together is raised a fortification and at every miles end a strong rampart or bulwarke wherein is continuall garrison Thomas Perez the King of Portugals Ambassadour made foure moneths journey from Cantan to Nanquij bearing alwayes Northerly Nor doth he enter the field under an army of three huÌ„dred thousand foot and two hundred thousand horse Of which I am not incredulous considering the levies of the East five hundred thousand men were consumed in the civill warres of Iuda and Ierusalem and against Iuda her enemies the Moores and Aethiopians brought ten hundred thousand paire of hands to pull downe the wals of Ierusalem Their manner of life is most obscene and shamelesse their idolatrie vile and vicious their incantations ridiculous the prostitution of
people Besides these publike Receptacles we have private and goodly Colleges for Lawyers fitted for their private and publike uses receit of their Clients conveniently appropriated to their Offices All workes rather of oftentation amongst our selves than of imitation in others In stead of obscure Churches we have first the goodliest heape of stones namely Pauls next the most curious viz. Westminster Abby in the world and generally all out Churches exceed for beauty and handsomnesse In stead of Gentlemen riding on durty foot-cloaths and women footing it in the mierie streets the one with an idle Lackey the other with no company at all we have fashionable attendance handsome comely passage either in Carosse Coach or on horsebacke and our Ladies and Gentlewomen are never seene abroad without an honourable retinue In stead of confused intermixtures of all sorts as Citizens Lawyers Schollers Gentlemen Tradesmen and Religious persons so that you can scarcely know the one from the other nor the master from the man in London the Citizen lives in the best order with very few houses of Gentlemen interposed But in our suburbs the Nobility and Gentry have so many and such stately buildings that one side of the River may compare with the gran Canale at Venice but if you examine their receit and capacity Venice and all the Cities of Europe must submit to truth for in London and the places adjoyning five hundred severall houses may beare the attribute of Palaces wherein five thousand persons may conveniently be lodged In stead of a poore Provost and a disorderly company of Merchants and Tradesmen we have a Podesta or Maior that keepeth a Prince-like house accompanied and attended with grave and respective Senators and comely Citizens having severall Hals where every craft and mystery is governed by ancient persons of the same society and profession At time of yeare producing such solemne and rich triumphs that strangers have admired the brave spirits of Mechanicall men To conclude if you looke on and in our London truly as it is composed of men following trades and occupations there is not such a Citie such a Government such a method of conversation such an unity of society and good neighbourhood such a glasse to see lovelinesse and beauty in such a chamber of wealth and such a store-house of terrestriall blessings under the Sunne againe Or if you please to view it without at all times and yet consider the keeping of our Country houses you may boldly say There are not so many Gentlemen to be seene in any place nor to so good purpose generally for speaking somewhat liberally like an Orator of Contentation I aske if the pleasures of Paris can bring you into walkes of such variety with so little charge and expence as London can Surely no. And with us our riding of horses musicke learning of all Arts and Sciences dancing fencing seeing of comedies or enterludes banquets maskes mummeries lotteries feasts ordinary meetings and all the singularities of mans inventions to satisfie delight are easie expences and a little judgement with experience will manage a very meane estate to wade through the current of pleasure yea although it should runne unto voluptuousnesse But shall I dare to speake of our Court the map of Majesty in respect whereof Biron compared all others to confusion If I doe for stately attendance dutifull service plentifull fare orderly tables resort of Nobles beauty of Ladies bravery of Gentry concourse of civill people princely pastimes and all things befitting the Majesty of a King or glory of a Nation I may say for England as the King of France once answered the Emperours tedious Title France France France and nothing but France So England England England and nothing but England to their proudest comparisons Affirming that if ever Countrey Kingdome or Prince came neere Salomons royalty plenty peace and beatitude England and in England London hath the preheminence Besides the Cities and Ports of France well fortified there be also infinite numbers of Castles Cittadels which the people call The nests of Tyrants and the Prince Chastivillains Of the Castles the number is therefore most great and as uncertaine by reason that every Noblemans house of any age is built in defensible manner An example of one for many hundreds you may take that of Roch-fort belonging to the Seigneur de la Tremouville which in the civill warres endured a siege and five thousand Cannon shot and yet was not taken It is judged by the wisest that in great Kingdomes such as France no places should bee fortified but the frontiers after the example of Nature who armeth the heads and heeles of beasts but never the bowels nor middle part as in England where except frontier places none but his Majestie have fortified places You must understand that here in France all Inhabitants of Cities are liable to the common charges of the fortification of their Cities reparations of Bridges Fountaines High-waies such like And because the richer sort should not levie the money and then keepe it to themselves or imploy it as they list they must give information to the Chancellor of the necessity of the Levie and procure Letters Patents for the same by authority whereof they gather the money and use it yeelding after to the Kings Procurer their account And for their Watch and Ward it goes by course as in the City of Embden and divers other in those low countries As for Castles the Seigneur or Captaine may not force Vassall faire le guet to watch and ward except in frontier places upon forfeiting of their estates After this generall Survey of the Country it selfe wee must observe something of the government wherein I will not trouble you with fetching their first Pedigree from beyond the Moone as many of theâ—r Histories labour nor by disputing the matter whether it bee true or no that they came from Troy into the marishes of Maeotis whence after some small abode they were chased by the Roman Emperour into Bavaria and after into Frankeland in Germany It shall suffice that from hence this people came into France wherein all Writers agree For after the declination of the Roman Empire when the Ostrogothes conquered Italy the Visigothes Spaine and the Vandals Affrike then did the Burgundians and Franconians divide this Country betweene them conquering it upon the old Inquilines the Gaules who from Caesars time till then had not tasted the force of a forren power The Government was under Dukes till the yeare 420. when as Pharamond caused himselfe to bee intituled King In this race it remained till 751. when Pepin suppressed his M. Chilpericke and usurped His line lasted till 988. when Hugh Capet gave the checke to the succession of Charlemaignes line who was Pepins sonne and invested himselfe with the Diadem From him it hath lineally descended by heires males to the house of Valois and for want of issue malâ— in them is now come to
as is said before when any that held either some strong Towne or place of importance came into the King he did alwayes capitulate to have some one of these Offices besides summes of money and governments also such was the necessities of the times saith Haillan These under the Constable have the command over all Dukes Earles Barons Captaines and Gens d'armes but may neither give battell make proclamation or mustermen without his commandement They have under them Lieutenants whom they call Prâ—vostâ—-Marshals who have the punishing of mutinous souldiers such as quit their colours Rogues and such like There is the office of Admirall Looke what the Marshals are in a Land-Armie the same is the Admirall in a Sea-Armie and these two offices are severall because the subject of their imployment is differing and unlike This office is the most ancient of all France for Caesar speaketh thereof The Admirals of Provence Bretaigne and Narbon are much commended for their practice and skill in Sea-service I marvell therefore why du Haillan reporteth that they were first made in Charlemaignes dayes and that one Monsieur Ritland was the first that was made There are now foure Admiralties France Bretaigne Guyenne and Provence This last is alwayes annexed to the governourship of that Countrey So that of Guyenne likewise till the King that now is came to the Crowne who before was Governour and Admirall of Guyenne but since he hath divided the commands Yee may observe in Histories that all the while the French voyages were upon the Levant Seas either to the Holy-Land Sicilie or Naples or whithersoever the French alwayes had their Vessels and Commanders out-of Italie France borrowed their Admirals from Genoa Pisa Venice and Luca. These have the tenth of all wrack prize or prisoners that are taken at Sea Before the invention of shot there was an Officer in France called Great Master of the Crosse-bowes and Engines which office is now called the Great Master of the Artillerie who at first also immediatly after the invention of shot was called Captaine Generall of the Artillerie You have also Treasurers for the warres which are either ordinary or extraordinary Those pay the Gens d'armes and these the Regiments of the Infanterie Treasurers ordinary are so many as there be places where they muster of extraordinary there be alwayes foure The Heraults of France are six Normandie Guyenne Valois Bretaigne Burgogne so called of the Countries as with us in England and Mont-joy who is the chiefe of the rest Their ancient office was to be present at all Iusts and Tournaments to denounce warre or peace to summon places to defie enemy-Princes to give Armes to men new enobled But now they be only used at Feasts Coronations Solemnities Funerals and such like for they are no more used in the Treatie and negotiation with forren Princes I thinke the reason is because the office hath of late yeares beene bestowed upon unworthy and insufficient persons It shall here be needlesse to name all other his Officers of the Wars which are all one with those of other Countries as Colonel Captaine Sergeant Lieutenant Ensigne Corporall c. I will only remember in a word the French manner of Mustering March Charge and service in generall and then proceed to the next branch of this Relation Wee must observe that excepting the Gens d'armes and the Regiments above named when any souldiers are taken up for the warres they are not pressed as with us but the Captaine having his Commission gathereth them up by found of Drumme entertaining only such as will which may be some cause of the badnesse and basenesse of the French foot for being commonly the Rascall sort and such as have no other meanes there cannot settle in their abject minds that true and honourable resolution requisite in a souldier This Commission must first be shewed to the Governour Lieutenant generall Bailiffe or Seneschall of the Province upon paine of death Neither is it good except it be signed by the King and one of the Secretaries of Estate and sealed with the great Seale The souldiers levied are at the charge of the Province where they be taken up untill they depart the same Their March it should seeme is somewhat more sharpe than ours for I remember I have heard say that upon a time the old Marshall Biron should bid Sir Roger Williams bring up his Companies faster taxing the slow March of the English Sir saith he with this March our fore-fathers conquered your Countrey of France and I meane not to alter it A memorable answer of an honourable Souldier For the French charge ye shall heare the Spaniards opinion out of La Nove The French Infantery skirmisheth bravely a farre off and the Cavallery gives a furious on-set at the first charge but after the first heat they will take Egges for their money And indeed this is that which all Writers give them and which best agrees with their Nature for we may say of them as is said of Themistocles He was so hot at the on-set that he lost his wind in the midst of the carriers Or say of them as Fabius of Hannibal his valour is like a fire of straw and a flame kindled in matter of small continuance Concerning the French discipline Caesar himselfe saith They had it first from us It is said the discipline of the Gauls was first invented in Brittanie and from thence translated into Gallia and now such as desire to attaine the perfection thereof commonly travell thither to learne it But they have long since degenerated from their old discipline of war and they themselves confesse that since the beginning of the civill warres where souldiers in all disordered and dissolute manner have beene given to pillage and thee every that it is very much abastardized whereof La Nove complaineth in his discourses As for the Military discipline we must confesse that she keepes her bed sicke of a very deadly disease The Noblesse fight alwayes on horse-backe and thinke it a dishonour to serve on foot But Commines saith of the Nobilitie of Burgundie in the warres with Lewis the eleventh that they all quâ—t their horses for they were then most honoured that lighted on foot to the end the people might be the more encouraged and fight more valiantly and this they learned of the English And it is no question but if some of the French Nobilitie would doe so it would much confirme their foot by the example of their valour and abiding and recover that reputation which now their foot have lost in the world Neither doe I thinke this the least reason why our Ancestors have wonne so many battels upon them namely for that ever we have had men of Noble Houses to lead and serve on foot with our forces A notable cause to confirme and assure the unsteadie headinesse of a multitude And for the opinion that the world hath of our foot yee shall observe what the same Writer elsewhere saith
are much deceived if they looke for such a face of a Church such decent Service of God such devotion or strict observation of the Lords day in any of the Calvinist Churches as in the Church of England the Faires and Kirck-masses as they call them are on Sundayes in the after-noone as much frequented there as the Churches were in the fore-noone The States I suppose cannot on the sudden reduce perfection in the profession of Religion for that the Papists are both subtill and diligent to work upon the discontents of the people and to turne them to a rebellion unto which the Historians have noted these Nations to be naturally not indisposed Denmarke ALthough it may seeme needlesse to make mention of Scandia which is that whole Pen-insula of huge circuit which is almost incompassed with the waves of the Sea and abutteth Northward and Eastward upon the German and Sarmatian Coasts because it is as it were situated in another World and with whom there is no great entercourse of trading yet for the spacious largenesse thereof containing two Kingdomes viz. Norway and Sweveland with part of Denmarke it may well deserve a place amongst other Kingdoms spoken of in these Relations It is situate in that part of Europe which some terme Scandia others Scandavia or Balthia from whence issued the Gothes and Vandales the very rooters up of the Roman Empire It is subject both to the Danish and Swevian Crowne The King of Denmarke besides the Cimbrian Chorsonesse where Holsatia Ditmarsen the Dukedome of Slesia Flensburge Friesland and Iuthland Regions fruitfull and replenished with store of cattell and wilde beasts doe lie retaineth other spacious Islands the best whereof-stand in the entrance of the Baltike sea being fifteene in number all comprehended under the name of Denmarke The chiefest of them is Seland containing threescore miles in length and little lesse in breadth It excelleth the rest both for number of Villages the mildnesse of the aire and because that Copenhagen stands in it which hath beene and is the Seat of their Kings He hath also Gothland under his jurisdiction which is placed right over against Gothia One of his Kinsmen hath the Government of Osilia or Oesel a prettie Island in the greater Gulfe of Livonia and ruleth those fat and plenteous Counties which lie on the Continent of Livonia Scania likewise acknowledgeth his Soveraigntie extending from Nihuse to Timale and hee holdeth the Kingdome of Norway which from the Confines of Scania extendeth and stretcheth Northward a thousand three hundred miles to the Castle of Wardhouse upon which border the Lappians The Isles adjoyning thereto Sania Shetland and Faria lying in the maine Sea are in his tenure In times past the people of Norway have beene of great puissance they afflicted England scounged France and therein obtained a Province called to this day Normandie In Italy they conquered the Kingdome of Sicil and Apulia And in the holy Warre Boemond Leader of the Normans wonne the Principality of Antiâ—ch In the North Ocean besides that of Friesland and the Sea-coast of Island and Groineland he holdeth the Dominions of the foresaid Islands of Shetland and Faria The Orcades acknowledged the Kings of Norway for their Lords although they are now subject to the Brittish Crowne Sithence then the Kingdome of Norway became Elective and turmoiled with civill warres and intestine discords it came to the possession of the Danish Kings who that he may hold it surely intreateth the Inhabitants cruelly spoiling them of their substance and to leave no hope of better fortune to this miserable people hee holdeth fortified all the Creekes and Havens of the Sea-coast The wealth of the Kingdome consisteth in the abundance of cattell and sea-fish whereof there is such store that of the herring-fishing only a mighty masse of money is yearely gathered so huge is the number of all sorts of fish that at some times of the yeare a ship can make but slow way in the Sea and the Marishes and Medowes adjoyning thereunto are very pleasant and savourie to the feeding of their cattell Scandia is rich in corne and pasture and well replenished with people Norwey hath no riches of any moment except Timber fit for the erecting of houses and building of ships from thence transported into Holland and Flanders and cattell affording great store of cheese and milke Some profit also ariseth of a kinde of fish dried in the wind which the Dutchmen call Stock-fish It is taken in Ianuarie and laid in the wind and cold untill it be indurate and hardned like Wood and then carried into divers Regions as a kinde of sustenance The greatest matter of gaine to the King of Denmarke is the narrow Sea or Strait betweene Cronburg and Eltzenburg commonly called the Sont or Sound which is a passage so narrow that no shipping can passe that way without the licence and favour of the Watchmen keeping Garrison on either side there to receive the imposts and customes of the arriving Vessels It is easily gathered to what summe of money that impost amounteth by the infinite number of shipping of Holland Zealand France England Scotland Norway and the Balticke Sea that saile in those Seas and of necessitie must passe the jawes of that narrow Strait The Inhabitants are as greedie of Rhenish French and Spanish Wines the Spices of Portugal and the Fruits of Andaluzia as they againe are needie of the Wax Honey Skins and Corne which are brought thither from Prussia Livonia Moscovia and the bordering Nations The Entrada or Tribute due to the King ariseth First out of the Sowndt thorow which sometimes passe two hundred sometimes three hundred vessels in a day many of which are to pay a Rose-noble of gold not only in value but in specie for their passage and some more some lesse which cannot but amount to an incredible summe His gaines likewise upon Herrings and other fish of which there is infinite store in all those Northerne Seas comes to a great matter Adde to this his Customes upon Mast and Cordage Pitch Tarre c. fetcht from him by the Hamburgers Lubeckers and others Mighty droves of Beeves and other Cattell are out of his Dominions sold into Germany out of every one of which he hath his Geldt or tribute In Dietmarsâ—n a Countrey for store of cattell like our Rumney-marsh is a place called the Gap thorow which their infinite droves must passe where the Kings toll is about twelve pence English for every hoofe of greater cattell that is foure shillings for a beast Innland also is as beneficiall unto him in the same kinde and much more It hath beene observed that 50000 Oxen have been driven out of these Provinces into Germany for which toll hath beene paid at Guithorp He reapeth some profit likewise of Ward-house whither the English now of late yeares have sailed betweene Norwey and Groenland some to Colmogro others to Stockholme not farre from Saint Nicholas where they traffique with the Russies for Wax
The English by reason of their great puissance have of late builded the fairest ships of the World for that onely trade and therein as now seated a hopefull and peaceable Factorie The Roman Empire or Germanie THis Empire in its greatest glory viz. in the dayes of Trajan stretched from the Irish Ocean and beyond from the Atlantik to the Persian Gulfe and from Catnes in Scotland to the River Albis and beyond to the Danubie It began first to decline by the civill warres of Galba Otho and Vttellius for in those times the Legions of Britanie were transported into the Continent Holland and the bordering Countries revolted and immediately after the Sarazens finding the Frontiers of the Empire without Garrisons passed over Danubius The Alani won the Streights of the Caspian Hils the Persians endevoured to get them a name and reputation the Goths wandered thorowout Moesia and Macedonia the French-men entred Gallia But Constantine the Emperour restored it to the former glory made an end of civill Warre and tamed the barbarous and cruell Nations and had hee not committed two great faults this Empire might long have flourished The first was the translating of the Imperiall Seat from Rome to Constantinople which action weakened the West and overthrew the Empire as Plants removed out of their naturall soile and transported into Regions contrary in temperature and aire retaine small vigour of their radicall vertue as also because the manly and martiall people of Europe if they should rebell could not be reduced to obedience by the power of the effeminate Asians whom or none the Emperours of Constantinople must of necessity make use of by reason of their situation In which regard the Roman Senate would never consent that the people should leave Rome and dwell at Veij a Citie farre more pleasant and more commodious than Rome especially after the sacking thereof by the French-men The second fault of Constantine was the division of the Empire to his children Anno Dom. 341. By this division of one Empire he made three and withall a memorable diminution of his authoritie and forces For when his sonnes fell to civill dissention they consumed one another so cruelly that the Empire resembled a bloudlesse yea a livelesse body And though sometime under some one Prince it stood on foot againe yet it remained alwayes subject to division and parted into two Empires the East and the West untill the comming of Odoacer King of the Herules and Turingi into Italy with a mightie Hoast by which invasion Augustulus suffered such irrecoverable losses that in extreme despaire hee was forced to cast himselfe into the protection of the East Empire This happened in the yeare of our Lord 476. And about this time the Hunnes passed Danubius Alaricus King of the Gothes tooke Rome the Vandals first spoiled Andaluzia afterwards Africke the Alans wonne Portugal the Gothes conquered the greater part of Spaine the Saxons Britanie the Burgundians Provence Anno 556. Iustinian restored it somewhat to a better State driving the Vandals out of Africke and the Gothes out of Italy by his Captaines But this faire weather lasted not long for in the yeare 713. the Armes and Heresies of the Mahumetans began to vex the East Empire and shortly after the Saâ—â—â— zons wasted Syria Aegypt the Archipelago Africke Sieâ— and Spaine In the yeare 735. they vanquished Narbon Avignon Tolouse Burdeaux and the bordering Regions Thus by little and little began the Westerne Empire to droope and as it were to draw towards his last age As for the Easterne it stood so weake and tottering that with all the force it had it was scarce able to defend Constantinople against the Armes of the Sarazens much lesse to minister aid to the Westerne Provinces But in the yeare of our Lord 800. Charles the Great King of France obtained the Title of the Westerne Empire and in some sort mitigated the fury of these barbarous Nations And thus the Westerne Empire stood then divided That Naples and Sipont East-ward with Sicil should belong to the Greek Empire Bononia should remaine to the Lumbards the Venetians were Neuters the Popedome free the rest Charles should possesse Blondus saith that the Empresse Irene gave the first counsell to this division which afterwards was confirmed by Nicephorus For before Charles his time there was one forme of Government and the Laws Magistracies and ordinances which were enacted for the well-fare of one Empire tended to the good and honour of both as to the members of one body and if one Emperour died without issue the whole Empire remained to the survivour But when Charles the great was chosen Emperour of the West there was no more regard taken of the East Empire neither the Emperour of the East had to doe with the West nor the West with the East The Empire of the West continued in this line above one hundred yeares and failed in Arnolph the last of that house In the yeare 1453. Mahumet Prince of the Turkes tooke Constantinople and utterly extinguished the succession of the Easterne Empire And as for the West viz. Italy the Emperour hath no more to doe therein than hath a pilgrime who is admitted to visit the wonders of our Lady of Loretto For in the yeare of Christ. 1002. all claime of inheritance rejected the Creation of the Emperour was granted to the free election of seven Princes termed Electors The reason why the Empire became elective which had so long continued hereditary in the House of Charles was because Otho the third left no issue male After whom the Westerne Empire was marvellously curtailed and diminished nothing being left but Germanie and a part of Italy The Pope held Romagnia the Venetians lived free possessing great Dominions joyned to their State the Normans taking Naples and Sicil from the Greekes held them in Fee of the Church first under Clement the Antipope then under Nicholas the second and his successours who for their private gaine ratified the former grant of Clement Antipope In Tuscane and Lumbardie partly by the quarrels betweene Henry the fourth Henry the fifth Fredericke the first and Fredericke the second with the Roman Bishops partly by reason of the valour of the Inhabitants the Emperour reaped more labour than honour more losse than profit And therefore Rodulphus terrified with the misfortunes and crosses of his predecessours had no great minde to travell into Italy but sold them their liberties for a small matter They of Luques paid ten thousand crownes the Florentines but six thousand And so every State by little and little forsaking the Emperour no part of Italy remained but the bare Title The Dukes of Millaine and so every other state usurped what they could catch without leave asking only they desired their investiture of the Empire But Francis after the conquest therof did little regard this investiture saying That hee was able to keepe it by the same meanes that hee had got it The Princes beyond the Mountaines also withdrew their
is brought out of Germanie The Countie is so populous and so replenished with buildings in all places that here are credibly affirmed 29237. Cities Townes and Villages to be numbred Others say 780. Castles and walled Townes and 32. thousand Villages Here is also plentie of Fowle and great store of Fresh-water Fish by reason of the great Lakes which are found in many places of this Kingdome The people are for the most part Lutherans and their language is more than halfe Polish They are a free people and after the death of their King they may make choice of whom they will to be their Governour So did they lately chuse Matthias And for their more strength and better securitie against the Romanists they linked themselves with the Silesians their next neighbours in a perpetuall and firme bond of amitie offensive and defensive against all men whatsoever The people of Bohemia live in great plentie and delicacie they much resemble the English the women be very beautifull white-handed but luxurious and that with libertie of their husbands also They are divided in opinion of Religion the Protestants of the Augustane Confession being so potent that they were able to chuse a King and to put out the Emperour Their Kingdome is meerely elective although by force and faction now almost made hereditary to the House of Austria which it seemes it was not when as within these two Ages that State made choice of one M. Tyndall and English Gentleman father to M. Doctor Tyndall Master of Queenes College in Cambridge sending over their Ambassadors to him and by them their presents which story is famously knowne in Cambridge Their chiefe Citie Prague is one of the greatest of Christendome as being three townes in one each divided from other by the River Multaw and all three conjoyned by a goodly woodden bridge of foure and twenty arches by it runnes the famous Elve which receives two others into him in that Country Eger and Wattz The Kingdome hath many mighty men of estate into whose Lordships the Countrey is altogether divided and not as others into Shires and Counties The King hath three silver Mines and one of gold some pearles are there found also The tinne Mines there were first found by an English Tinner who fled thither for debt and is the best of Europe next our English All the Nobilitie and Gentrie are by their tenures obliged when their King is in the field to wait upon him on horsebacke completely armed which are enow to make an Army of twenty or thirty thousand This service the Protestants promised to King Fredericke of late but the tenth man appeared not They serve willinger on horsebacke than on foot and are rather for a Summer service than to lie in the field all Winter and yet are every way better souldiers than the Germans The Protestants were suffered to plant and increase there by the craft and plot of Cardinall Glessel who was governour to the Emperour Matthias his pretence was that they would bee a sure bulwarke against the Turke should spare the service and lives of the Catholikes this was his pretence but his plot was an expectation of some stirres to be raised by them which some lay he did in hatred of the house of Austria whom hee desired to see set besides the cushion others imagine it was but a tricke to make the great men of the Protestants to forfeit their Estates Howsoever the plot tooke and the Cardinall after the taking of Prague being invited to a banquet by the Elector of Mentz was by him sent prisoner to Rome where he remained two yeares but was afterward both inlarged and rewarded And this was one of the secrets of the Mysterie of iniquitie Moravia lying on the East of Bohemia so named of the River Mora for the bignesse thereof affordeth more corne than any Country of Europe It aboundeth also with good and pleasant wine like unto Rhenish and is wonderfully replenished in all parts with faire Cities Towns Villages all built of stone or bricke It is very mountainous and woody but the South part is more champian It containes two Earledomes one Bishopricke divers Baronies two good Cities and foure or six faire Townes The people be very martiall and fierce especially the mountainers who stood so stoutly to King Frederick at the battell of Prague that had all the rest of the Army done so the Kingdome had not beene lost It is a free State like Poland and may make choice of whom they will to be the Lord whose stile is to be called Margrave of Moravia And for that informer times the Emperour and Matthias his brother offered them some wrongs concerning religion they have sithence contracted a league offensive and defensive with the Nobility of Hungarie and Austria as well against the invasions of the Turke as the oppressions of the Romanists Amongst these Provinces Silesia and Lusatia are as large as Bohemia but in strength and numbers of people farre inferiour These two Provinces with Moravia are incorporate to the Crowne of Bohemia Silesia lies on the East of Bohemia Poland on the South of it to which it sometimes belonged Hungaria and Moravia on the East It is two hundred miles long and fourescore broad It is a most delicate and a plentifull Country finely divided in the middle by the faire River Oder on which stand foure or five handsome Cities the chiefe of which is Breslaw the Bishop whereof is for his revenue called the golden Bishop here is also an Vniversity Niesse is also another Bishopricke who now is a Cardinall The people especially of the Cities be civill and generous nor is there any where a more gallant or warlike Gentry which the Turke well tried in the warres of Hungarie for very sufficient serviters they be both on horse and foot and they are able to levie great numbers The government is Aristocraticall that is by the States yet in most things a dependant upon the will of the King of Bohemia It was sometimes divided amongst fifteene Dukes but all their families being extinct nine of those Lordships are escheated to the King of Bohemia the other six still remaine amongst three of the heires of the ancient owners The two Dukedomes of Oppelen and Ratibor in this Country were by this present Emperour given to Bethlem Gabor in consideration of his relinquishment of the Crowne of Hungaria For which two Dukedomes and for the lands of the old Marquesse of Iegerensdorff in Lusatia who being prescribed by the Emperour and beaten out by the Duke of Saxony fled to Bethlem Gabor who had newly married his neece that is the sister to the present Elector of Brandenburgh whose fathers brother this Iegerensdorff was For these lands I say came part of the discontents still depending betweene Bethlem Gabor and the Emperour T is reported that if King Frederick would have laid downe his right to Bohemia the Emperour would have beene content to have made him King of Silesia
the Duchesse Beatrice his wife those of the Towne presented him the Keyes thereof therby acknowledging him their chiefe Lord and Master During the civill warres in France the Towne was marvellously peopled insomuch as there were to the number of twelve or fourteene thousand strangers the greatest part whereof were Gentlemen but since those troubles began to diminish the number likewise hath decayed and at this instant there are not many besides the Inhabitants by reason whereof the Towne is very much impoverished The Towne is governed by a Councell of two hundred called the great Councell out of which is chosen another Councell composed of five and twentie and of these foure especiall men called Sindiques who have the managing of the whole Common-wealth unlesse it be in some great matters wherein the whole State is deeply interessed as in making of peace or warre in leagues offensive and defensive appeales c. The people are governed by the Civil Law the Iudge whereof is called a Lieutenant Criminall before whom all causes are tried and from whom there is no appeale unlesse it be to the generall Councell of two hundred When the Towne was besieged in eightie nine the Venetians did not only send them intelligence of sundry practices against them but also sent them twenty foure thousand crownes to maintaine their warres and out of England they had thirteene thousand crownes The Great Duke of Thuscan did likewise send them many intelligences at the same time and heretofore when as the Pope the King of Spaine the French King and the Duke of Savoy have joyned their powers together with purpose to besiege them the Emperour hath not only revealed all their practices but offered to aid them with men and money yea and sometime the Dukes of Savoy have lent them money to maintaine them against the others For hee had rather the Towne should remaine as it doth than fall into any other mans hands than his owne Queene Elizabeth highly favoured it and releeved it so did all the Protestant German Princes together with the French King Who though â—ee be of a contrary Religion yet hath he had it alwayes in especiall protection The people are very civill in their behaviour speech and apparell all licentiousnesse being severely corrected and especially dancing Adultery is punished with death and the Women drowned in the Rosne simple Fornication with nine dayes fasting bread and water in prison for the second offence whipping out of the Towne and the third time with banishment The Towne lent unto Henry the third King of France a little before his death 450000. crownes and twelve Canons which are not yet restored the Bernesi seeme to be their friends but those of Geneva are very jealous of them and dare not trust them The Ministers have a consistorie unto which they may call publike offendors and such as give scandall unto others and there reprove them and if the crime be great and the partie obstinate they forbid him the Communion if notwithstanding hee persist they may excommunicate him But the Ministers cannot call any before them into the Consistory but by the authoritie of a Sindique who must assist them otherwise the Ministers have power to summon any Man They have their maintenance out of the common Treasury and meddle with no Tithes Master Beza in eighty seven had some 1500. Florens for his stipend which amounteth to some seven or eight and fiftie pounds sterling besides twenty coupes of corne and his house All which will hardly amount to fourescore pounds the rest of the Ministers had some six or seven hundred Florens twenty coupes of corne and their houses The Ministers in the countrie have three hundred forty and five Florens and twenty coupes of corne The Professor in Divinity hath per annum 1125. Florens and twenty coupes of Corne The Professor in Law 580. Florens The Professor in Greeke 510. Florens The Professor of Philosophy 600. Florens and twenty coupes The Professor in Hebrew 510. Florens All honest exercises as shooting in Peeces Crosse-Bowes Long-Bowes c. are used on the Sabbath day and that in the morning both before and after the Sermon neither doe the Ministers finde any fault therewith so that they hinder not from hearing the word at the time appointed Swizerland IN the daies of Caesar this Province contained two hundred and forty miles in length and one hundred and fourescore in breadth which circuit or territorie seeming too narrow a roome to containe so valiant and a warlike people that not long before had overthrowne L. Cassius a Roman Consull slaine the Consull himselfe and sold the souldiers for bondslaves upon these apprehensions and the conceit of their owne valours they began to entertaine a resolution by conquest to gaine a larger territory correspondent to the ambitious greatnesse of their minds and to forsake their owne country which first gave them breath and being In heat whereof they prepare for their departure they provide victuals study tillage two yeeres buy carts and cariage beasts and left any mans courage should decline with the time they make a law that every one should be in readinesse to set forward in the beginning of the third yeere Being upon their way and hearing that Caesar then Proconsull of France had caused the bridge of Geneva to be hewne downe and to debarre them of passage had raised that famous fortification betweene the Lake and Mount Iura they sent some of their greatest Commanders to Caesar to intreat a quiet passage thorow the Roman Province At their appointed day of Audience hearing Caesars deniall they resolve to open the way with the power of their forces In triall of which project after they had received divers defeatures they againe sent their Ambassadors to Caesar to intreat an acceptation of submission throwing themselves at his feet and with many supplications craving such favoâ—rable conditions of peace as might best comfort so distressed a people and beseeme the glory of so mighty a conquests which requests Caesar upon delivery of pledges mercifully granted injoyned them to returne to the Country from whence they came and to build the cities and villages which before their comming forth they had destroyed Ever since which time they retained the reputation of their ancient glory but never enterprized to forsake their limited habitations The number of Men Women and Children that were in that journey was 3680000. whereof 920000. were fighting men of them that returned and saw the fortune of both their States was 110000. Some hold opinion that this Nation is utterly extinguished and that the present Inhabitants whereof we now intreat both for their resemblance in manners and phrase of speech are descended from the Germans It is almost all situated amongst the Alpes and therefore supposed to be the highest Region in Europe and the rather for that the most famous Rivers of this part of the World viz. Rhone Rodan and Po falling from these high places doe disperse their chanels
Candie In which respect it standeth fitly both to hinder an enemie that would assault the Islands and Continent within the Gulfe and to releeve Candie if it were distressed It also â—eth fitly to defend all the Westerne parts and to molest the East It standeth in so excellent a Seat for the defence of Italy that it may properly be termed the Bastion thereof It standeth well also for the conquest of Greece bordering upon it as it wereâ— strong mount or Cavallier I standeth opportunely for the receit releeving and uniting of the Forces and Navies of Christendome against the Infidelt And albeit the Island be not very plentifull in graine yet thorow the vicinitie thereof to Puglia and Epyre and the facile transportation it hath to Venice and Sicill it cannot want any necessaries The experience whereof hath beene manifested both in the time of the Romans and in our dayes also The Roman fleet made head alwayes at Corsu There also in the civill warres betwixt Caesar and Pompey did ride M. Bibuluâ— Pompey's Generall And in our memorie the forces of the league concluded by Paul the third and Pius the fifth did there assemble and from thence set forward The Island was of so powerfull an estate that it armed 6â— Vessels to Sea It aboundeth with excellent Oyle Wine Wax Hony and fruits of all sorts All which commodities it hath in that goodnesse proportion that better in the same kind are not to be found through the whole earth It hath in length 60 miles 20 miles over and in circuit an hundred and twenty It hath three places of great importance to wit the old Citie neere the old Seat of Pagiopili the new Fort and thereto adjoyning the Castle Saint Angelo besides sixty eight Townes Next in order is Cephalonia containing in compasse an hundred threescore and six miles It hath two hundred Townes with Havens belonging unto them Two whereof Argostoli and Guiscardo are most famous the third is Nallo It yeeldeth store of Graine Oyle Sheepe Cheese Wooll Honey and Currans and these in such plenty that thereby it receiveth great and yearely Revenues Candia is likewise one of the most renowned Islands of the Mediterranean It containeth in length two hundred sixty miles in breadth fifty and in compasse in regard of the many promontories it maketh almost six hundred It yeeldeth great plenty of Wine with us called Malvesies Cheese and Honey It is seated so conveniently and with such advantage for marine occurrances that Aristotle censured it to be Lady of the Sea His reason because it lieth very neere the middle betweene Europe Asia and betweene Greece the Islands of the Archipelago which in a manner Court her as their Mistresse and Soveraigne It lieth from Constantinople three hundred and fifty miles from Alexandria and Soria five hundred from Caramania Epire and Cyprus three hundred from Afrike two hundred There remaine behinde two other Islands Cerigo and Tine Of which Cerigo containeth in compasse sixty miles In situatian it is mountainous having one good City seated on the top of a Hill It hath two Havens the one called Delphino the other Tine That looketh North this South It hath besides divers creeks but narrow and unsafe with the ancients it was of good esteeme for Leon of Sparta considering well the seat and quality of the place wished that either it had never beene or being it had beene drowned as soone as it had beene made Which wish as things afterwards fell out wrought him a great opinion of wisdome and foresight For Romaratus who banished from Sparta and sojourned with Zerxes counselled him to bring up all his Navie unto this Island if hee meant to impatronize himselfe of Greece as hee might easily have done if hee had followed that counsell as in few yeares after did Nicius Generall of the Athenians in the warre of Peloponnesus In our time it is called the Lanthorne of the Archipelago Tine is in the middest of Archipelago six miles from Delos round about which Delos lie the Cyclades in number fifty three It hath in circuit forty miles with one great and populous Citie and by reason of the Site which is on a Hill very strong very many Townes it hath besides And herewith endeth the Sea-Dominion of the Venetian In all which there are little lesse than three hundred and fiftie thousand soules Which number perhaps is greater than a man at first would beleeve especially if he consider withall how some of these parts as Sclavonia are not very fruitfull and many of the Islands are barren besides the terrour of the Turkish incursions Insomuch that if their Countries were under any other Lord than the Venetian they would surely be defarted But the Seigniory with entertaining peace with all their Neighbours with building of Forts maintaining of Garrisons in places of necessitie and with exceeding expence of money keepe and maintaine their people in this sort as at this day we see them inhabited Fame reporteth the Venetians to be exceeding rich But besides opinion there is great reason why they should be so indeed First they are Lords of a large Territory both by Land and Sea but chiefly on Land where they have Cities of the best ranke of Italy with large and opulent Territories adjoyning unto them and full of people industrious and thriftie They have also rich Bishoprickes wealthy Abbeyes with the fattest and most commodious benefices of Italy Families both for Nobilitie and Revenue worshipfull and Buildings for State and Magnificence singular Besides which they have also very wealthy commonalties Amongst which to omit many Brescia alone hath eighteene thousand crownes of yearely Revenue and Asola which is but a Towne subject to Brescia ten thousand Another reason is the great advantage which the Venetian hath for Trafficke both in drawing unto himselfe other mens commodities and in venting his owne I call his owne commodities whatsoever is growing or made within the State or whatsoever Trade besides he hath ingrossed or by prescription of time appropriated to himselfe This advantage is marvellous great throughout the whole State of Venice for that the firme Land on every side is full of navigable Rivers and Lakes Besides it is for the greater part a plaine Countrey so that the conveyance of all sorts of Merchandize by Cart or by Horse is very easie They are also in possession of the Valleyes and passages of the Rhetian Giulian and Carmian Alpes by which lieth all the Traffick betweene Italy and Germanie The State of the Sea is full of excellent large and safe Harbours especially Dalmatia and Sclavonia The Islands have the like especially the greater ones as Corsu and Candia But the flower of gaine and emolument to this State is the Trafficke of the great Sea of Soria and Aegypt which the Venetian had altogether in his hand especially so much of the ancient Trafficke for spice which hath beene and yet is of reasonable good consequence unto them In summe all the
boughs and leaves having great flocks of Cattell which they preserve with much care These are the chiefe the residue are not worth the reading for nothing can be spoken unto but their barrennesse or fertility their poverty or riches blessings and curses peculiar more or lesse to every of these Nations The Xeriffe AMongst all the Potentates of Africkâ— I doe not thinke that there can any one be found to excell this Prince either in wealth or power His Dominion containeth all that tract of Mauritania which the Romans called Tingitana and stretcheth from the promontorie Bayadir or Tanger and from the Atlantike Ocean to the River Mulvia In which progresse is contained the best portion of all Africke the best inhabited the pleasantest the fruitfullest and most civill Herein amongst others are the famous Kingdomes of Fez and Marocho the one divided into seven Provinces the other into eight The Countrey is divided into Plaines and Mountaines the Mountaines are inhabited with a fierce people rich in pastures and Cattell and possessing a great part of the lesse and bigger Atlas Betweene the greater Atlas and the Ocean lieth the Plaine Countrey and therein the Royall Citie of Marocho distant foureteene miles from Atlas watered with many Springs Brookes and Rivers In times past this City contained one hundred thousand housholds and was the chiefest of Africke but by little and little it is decayed and now lieth more waste than inhabited In the Kingdome of Marocho besides others is Tedsi a Towne of five thousand hoâ—sholds and Tagoast of eight thousand Taradent giveth place to none for Noblenesse and traffike though for largenesse and circuit It is situated betweene Atlas and the Ocean in a plaine sixteene miles long and little lesse broad abounding with Sugar and all kinde of provision The good regard and continuall abode which Mahumet Xeriffe made in this place did greatly augment ennoblish this Towne Being past Atlas you enter into most batle plaines wherein how fruitfull the soile is of Sugar Olives Cattell and all good things can hardly be spoken Fez. THe Kingdome of Fez likewise containeth divers Provinces excellent well peopled Amongst them is Alga a territory of eightie miles long and sixty broad Elabut is an hundred miles long and sixty broad Eriffe is a Province wholly mountainous therein are said to bee three and twenty branches of the Mount Atlas inhabited for the most part with savage and barbarous people Caret is drie and rockie more like Lybia than Barbarie Now because the glory and Majesty of this Kingdome consisteth especially in the City of Fez I thinke it not amisse to describe the situation thereof It is divided in two parts a little distant one from another the one is called the old Town the other the new A little River likewise divideth the old Towne into two parts the East part is called Beleyda containing foure thousand housholds the West part is commonly called old Fez and hath fourescore thousand and upward standing not farre from the new Fez which likewise hath eight thousand Old Fez standeth partly upon hils partly on plaines and hath in it fifty Mahumetan Temples of admirable largenesse All of them have their fountaines and pillars of Alablaster and Jasper Besides these there are six hundred of a lesse sort amongst which that which is commonly called Carucen is most beautifull built in the heart of the City and containing halfe a mile in compasse In breadth it containeth seventeene Arches in length an hundred and twenty borne up by two thousand five hundred white marble pillars under the chiefest Arch where the Tribunall is kept hangeth a most huge Lampe incompassed with an hundred and ten lesser Under the other Arches hang very great Lamps in each of which burne an hundred and fifty lights They say in Fez that all these Lamps were made of the Bels which the Arabians brought out of Spaine who not onely made prey of Bels but of Columnes Pillars Brasse Marble and whatsoever was rich first erected by the Romans and afterwards by the Gothes There are in Fez above two hundred Schooles two hundred Innes and foure hundred Water-mils every one driven with foure or five wheeles There are also divers Colleges among which that which is called Madarac is accounted for one of the most finest peeces of workmanship throughout all Barbarie There is likewise 600. Conduits from whence almost every house is served with water It were a long labour to describe their Burse they call it Alcacer it is a place walled about having twelve gates and divided into fifteene walkes where Merchants meet to dispatch their businesse under Tents Their delightsome Gardens and pleasant Parkes with the Rillets and waters running thorow them I can hardly describe For the most part the King keepeth his Court at Fez wherein he hath a Castle Palaces and Houses adorned with rare workmanship rich and beautifull even to his hearts desire He hath a way under ground from the old Towne to the new For greatnesse and statelinesse thereof by the grant of former Kings it injoyeth this strange privilege not to indure any siege unlesse the Citizens shall thinke their Prince for strength and force able and equall to cope with his Enemy if not without reproach of treason they may yeeld their City before the enemie approach within halfe a mile of it This have they done that so goodly and so flourishing a City should not suffer spoile under pretext of unprofitable temporizing It is of no lesse moment for situation store of Corne Oyle Flax and Cattell than for pleasantnesse of territory and plenty of Water The Wals are very strong and defended with many Bulwarkes The Inhabitants are very thriftie given to traffike and especially to the making of Cloths of Wooll Silke and Cotten The Kings eldest sonne is called the Prince of Mequivez Though the Kingdome have no good Havens upon the Mediterranean Sea yet great store of Englishmen and Frenchmen resort to Alarach Aguer and other Ports in the Ocean whereof some belong to the Kingdome of Fez and other to the Kingdome of Marocho They carrie thither armor and other wares of Europe which they barter for Sugar and other commodities But how the Kingdomes of Fez and Marocho two severall principalities with their dependances became subject to one Crowne I thinke it worthy relation because a more strange and memorable accident hath not happened in our age About the yeare 1508. a certaine Alfaique borne in Tigumedet in the Province of Dura beganne to grow in reputation a man of a reaching wit and no lesse ambitious than learned in the Mathematickes his name was Maâ—umet Ben-Amet otherwise called Xeriffe by his owne commandement This man deriving his pedigree from Mahumet and emboldned by the civill warre of Africke and the differences of the States and Common-weales thereof wherein in those daies the Portugals were of no small puissance began to dreame on the conquest of Mauritania Tingitana Which the better to
speech is very sudden and loud speaking as it were out of a deepe hollow throat Their chiefest exercise is shooting wherein they traine their children from their infancie and to conclude are the very same people whom the Greekes and Latines called Scytha-Nomades or the Scythian Shepherds There are divers other Tartars as I have afore said bordering upon Russia as the Nagaij the Cheremissens the Mordwits the Chircasses and the Shalcans all differing in name more than in custome or condition from the Chrim Tartar except the Chircasses that border South-East toward Lituania who are farre more civill than the rest of the Tartars of a comely personage and stately behaviour as imitating the fashion of the Polonian whereof some of them have subjected themselves to this Crowne and professe Christianity The Nagaij lieth Eastward and is reckoned the best man of warre among the Tartars but very savage above all the rest The Cheremissen Tartar lieth betweene the Russie and the Nagaij and are of two sorts the Luganoy that is of the valley and the Nagornay viz. of the hilly Countrey These have so troubled the Russe Emperour that under colour of a yearely pension of Russie commodities he is content to buy his peace yet with condition to serve him in his warres The most rude and barbarous is the Mordwit Tartar a people having many selfe-fashions and strange kinds of behaviour differing from the rest Next to the Kingdome of Astraehan the farthest part South-East of the Russie dominion lieth the Shalcan and the Country of Media whither the Russie Merchants travell for raw Silks Syndon Saftron Skins and other commodities The next bordering neighbour by Finland side is the King of Sweveland Of late times this King holding a long warre against him tooke from him by force the Castles of Sorenesco and Pernavia the great and the lesse in Livonia on the one side while King Stephen vexed him with a cruell warre on the other In the utmost bound of the Finland Bay the Swevian to his great charge possesseth the fortresse of Viburge maintaining therein a great Garrison to resist the attempts of the Russe Likewise in that Sea and on the coast adjoyning he keepeth the ships of warre as well to be ready at all assayes against the approaches of this great Duke as also to forbid the Easterlings the bringing in of munition and warlike furniture into any part of the Russies Dominions neither doth he suffer other Ships to saile in those Seas without a speciall Placard signed with his owne hand By the benefit of this Navy the King wheresoever he finds meanes to use it becommeth master of the Sea and by vertue thereof seizeth upon many places on the coast of Livonia and the bordering territories But where the Dukes horse or his great numbers of footmen may stand him in stead as in the open field removed from the Sea there he maketh his part good enough and most commonly puts the Swevian to the worst The best is Nature hath placed betweene them such rough Mountaines such cold such Ice and such snowes that they cannot greatly endamage one another The last neighbour is the King of Poland betweene whom and the great Duke this is the difference The Moscovite hath more territories the Polonians better inhabited and more civill the Moscovite more subjects and more subject the Polonian better souldiers and more couragious the Moscovites are apter to beare the shocke than to give a charge the Polonians to charge the Moscovite is fitter to keepe a fortresse the Polonian to fight in the field the Moscovite forces are better united the Polonian more considerate and better armed the Moscovite lesse careth for want and extremities the Polonian death and the sword yea either Nation is of greater worth when either of their Princes is of greater magnanimity As it hapned when Basilius conquered the great Duchie of Smoloncke and Poloncke and the large circuit of Livonia And againe when Stephen King of Poland in his last warres against Iohn Basilius his sonne reconquered Poloncke with divers other places of good reckoning besieged the City of Plesko and forced the Moscovite to leave all Livonia whereby I conclude such as is the valour and wisdome of either Prince such is the force and courage of their people Tartaria THe Empire of Tartaria laid prostrate under the Throne of the Great Cham. called Dominus dominantium and Rex regum spreadeth if selfe with to large imbracement that it extendeth from the Northerne Olba or if you will Tamais even to the Easterne Sea sometime surnamed the Atlanticke whose vast Lap is almost filled with a fry of Ilands and begirteth all the Countries called Scythia Ievomongal Sumongal Mercat Metrit the vast Desart of Lop Tangut Kataia and Mungia so that shouldering all the Northerne shore of the Caspian it runneth along without controll by the high looking walls of China and is over-shadowed by those formidable Mountaines Riphei Hyperborei Iman and Caucasus And although the Chrim Tartar would faine challenge affinity with the Turke expecting that if the Ottoman line should faile the greatest share of the worlds magnificence would devolve to him yet dare he not but acknowledge the Emperour Cham for his Lord paramount and is affrighted when hee heareth of any complaints to his prejudice From Scythia to the Province of Tangus they live in troops or hoords and remove from place to place according to the temperature of the season and plenty of feeding Nor before the yeare of Redemption 1â—12 did we in Europe heare of the name of a Tartar but of Scythians Sarmatians Albanians and such who were all Idolaters They are men of square Stature broad Faces hollow Eies thin Beards and ugly Countenances swartish of Complexion not for that the Sunne kisseth them with extraordinary kindnesse but for that the aire and their sluttish customes corrupteth their bloud and bodies To which inconveniences Nature notwithstanding hath prevailed in the distribution of valour swift foot-manship vigilancy and patience to endure the many incumbrances of travell hunger and want of sleepe They love horses and from that love accustome themselves to a savage drinking of their bloud practicing a cunning theft therem which being inpunishable occasioneth many pretty changes both in keeping their owne and purloyning from others as if some civill Artist had instructed them in the Lacedemonian Lawes which tolerated theft for the better animating one another in the spoyling of their enemies In their travels and removement they are governed by their Stars and observing the North pole they settle according to its motion They live free from covetousnesse and are thus farre happy that the strange corruption of wealth breedeth no disorders amongst them yet have they a kinde of trafficke and by way of exchange continue mutuall commerces loving presents and can be contented to bee flattered even in their Barbarisme as all the Easterne people of the world I thinke are affected either by nature or tradition
Potentate Howsoever it be two things in his Kingdome are worthy consideration the one is Numbers which may be imagined by the spaciousnesse of his Dominions the other their Discipline because he keepeth them in continuall pay For as discipline rather than rash valour is to be wished in a souldier so in armies a few trained and experienced souldiers are more worth than many strong and raw bodies the one may well be compared to Eagles Lions and Tygers which obtaine principalitie amongst other beasts not because they exceed them in hugenesse of bodies for then should they be a prey to the Elephant Horse and Bufall but because they excell them as well in agility of bodie as incourage This Potentate the Moscovite termeth the Caesar of Kataia and the Turke Vlu-chan that is the Great Prince And not without reason for in magnificence of Court amplenesse of Dominion abundance of Treasure and number of Souldiers he goeth farre beyond all the Kings and Potentates of Asia and raigneth in such Majestie that his subjects foolishly call him The shadow of Spirits and the Sonne of the immortall God His word only is a Law wherein consisteth life and death He maintaineth Justice with admirable severitie except for the first fault for which the offender is grievously whipped for every other fault he is cut in peeces by the middle herein it should seeme they imitate the opinion of the Stoicks concerning the equalitie of offences A theefe is likewise slaine if he be not able to repay nine fold as well for a farthing as a pound The first Sonne is heire to the Crowne and installed with these ceremonies The chiefe of their seven Tribes clothed in white which is their mourning colour cause the Prince to sit upon a blacke woollen cloth spread upon the ground willing him to behold the Sunne and to feare the immortall God which if hee doe performe he shall finde a more plentifull reward in heaven than in earth if not that peece of black cloth shall scarcely be left him whereupon to rest his wearied body in the field besides a thousand other miseries that shall continually attend him Then they set the Crowne upon his head and the Great Lords kisse his feet sweare fealty and honour him with most rich presents Then is his name written in golden letters and laid up in the Temples of the Metropolitan Citie He hath two Councels the one for War wherein are twelve wise-men the other for Civill affaires consisting likewise of as many Counsellours These manage all things belonging to the government rewarding the good and punishing the evill taking speciall care to see those preferred who have done best service either in War or Peace to his Countrey or Emperour and others severely punished who beare themselves carelesly and cowardly in the charges unto them committed In these two points that is in rewarding and punishing consisteth so high a policie of good government that it may well be said That the greatest part of these barbarous Princes by these two vertues only have imprinted so majesticall a reverence in the hearts of their barbarous subjects For what other face of good Government see you in the Turke Persian Mogor or Xeriffe Whom reward they but Captaines and Souldiers Where use they liberalitie but in the field amongst weapons Surely they built the foundation of their States upon no other ground-works neither expect they for peace and quietnesse but by victory and strong hand yea they keepe no meane in disgracing base minds and cowards and in honouring high spirits and valiant souldiers Never was there any Common-weale or Kingdome that more devised to honour and inrich the souldier than these Barbarians and the Turke more than all the rest The Tartars Arabians and Persians honour Nobilitie in some good measure but the Turke rooteth out all the Families of Noblemen and esteemes of no man unlesse he be a souldier committing the fortunes of the whole Empire to the direction of slaves and men base borne but with a speciall care of their good parts and sufficiencie Let us returne to the Tartar and his forme of government Astrologians are in great request in those Provinces for M. Paul writeth that in the Citie of Cambula are fiftie thousand When Cublay-Cham understood by them that that Citie would rebell against him he caused another to be built neere unto it called Taindu containing foure and twentie miles besides the Suburbs There are also great store of Fortune-tellers and Necromancers in the Kings Palace of Xandu As also in China they are in high esteeme Ismael King of Persia enterprised few matters without their counsell and it is no wonder that it is of such repute in those places for betweene the Chaldeans and the Assyrians it tooke the first originall in those Countries The Turkes cannot abide it The Roman Emperors did more than once banish it and the professours thereof out of their governments I would to God the like might be done amongst us Christians for it is nothing else but a branch of Paganisme As part of these Tartarians inhabit Cities and are called Moores part live in the Fields and Mountaines and are termed Baduin so some of these people dwell in Cities as the Kataians Bochars and those of Shamercand others wander thorow the plaines and are divided into Hords being five in number as aforesaid Those Tartars who are farre situated from the residue and inhabit that remote Scythian promontory which Pliny calleth Tabin lying upon the fret of Anian are also dispersed into divers Hords wandering up and downe the Countrey and are in a manner all subject to the Great Cham of Kataia Certaine Writers affirme that these Hords issued from those ten Tribes of Israel which were sent into captivitie of Salmanasser King of Assyria beyond the Caspian mountains In remembrance whereof untill this day they retaine the names of their Tribes the title of Hebrewes and Circumcision In all other rites they follow the fashions of the Tartarians Some men likewise say that King Tabor came out of these parts to turne unto Judaisme Francis King of France Charles the fifth and other Christian Princes and for his pains in the yeare 1540. by the commandement of the said Charles was burnt to ashes at Mantua Turkie SVch shares of the Worlds vastnesse hath it pleased the Almightie to cast into the lap of this great Potentate commonly called the Gran Seignior that for wealth Territories and command of souldiery hee would have you to understand that all other Princes come short of him are terrified when his Armies are united to particular destructions Compound the ambiguitie by your owne discretions For Countries he possesseth Asia minor now Natolia with all the Regions within the Propontis and the Hellespont Which places in times past made the Crownes of Kings to shine with Gold and Pearle As Phrygia Galatia â—ithynia Pontus Lidia Caria Paphlagoâ—ia Lycia Magnesiâ— Cappadocia and Comogena Neerer the Caspian Georgia Mengrelia Armenia All
fit for all sorts of buildings that a man would take the Trunkes falling sometimes by violence of storme from the bankes of their Woods into the Luxine Sea to be Triremes already built and framed They can want no workmen to fit and square this Timber for vile Covetousnesse hath drawne whole flocks of Christian Shipwrights into their Arsenals The yeare after his defeature at Lepanto he shewed his Navie whole and entire yea itching to cope with the Christian Armada Neither can hee want a competent number of Marriners for out of the Gallies which he maintaineth in Lesbo Rhodes Cyprus and Alexandria and from the Havens of Tunis Bugia and Algier he is able to draw a sufficient proportion of Sea-men and Gally-slaves as often as occasion requireth to furnish his Royall Army The experience hereof we have seene at Malâ—â—â— at Lepanto and Goletta Of warlike furniture his store is infinite his Ordnance innumerable out of Hungary he carried five thousand in Cyprus he won five hundred at Goletta few lesse The siege of Malta wherein they discharged threescore thousand Bullets may well declare their abundance of powder and shot at Famagusta they discharged an hundred and eighteene thousand at Goletta in nine and thirty daies they rased with their uncessant vollies a Fortification which was forty yeares in building in the last Persian warre Osman Bassa drew after him five hundred field peeces Where ever they come they never cease playing with their Ordnance till they have laid all levell with the ground if that prevaile not they goe to worke with Spade and Pickaxe if that faile too they will never give over till they have filled the Ditches with the bodies of their slaughtered souldiers They are Lords of three things wherewith they terrifie the whole world multitudes of men unconquerable militarie Discipline if so at this day uncorrupted of Corne and provisions store infinite Multitudes in times past have bred confusion and commonly we have seene great armies overthrowne by small numbers but the Turkish multitudes are managed with so good order that although it be farre more easie to range a small Armie than a great yet even in order have their great Armies so excelled our small ones that I must needs conclude that they goe farre beyond us both in discipline and numbers herein giving place no not to the ancient Romans much lesse to any moderne Nation how warlike soever And this their due commendation consisteth not onely in Armes but in thirst patience and hard diet as for Wine by their Law they are utterly forbidden it In the field every ten souldiers have their Corporall to whom without grudging they dutifully obey You shall never see Women in their Armies their silence is admirable for with the becke of the hand and signe of the countenance they understand without words what they are to doe rather than they will make any noise in the night they will suffer their slaves and prisoners to escape They punish theft and quarrelling extremely They dare not for their lives step out of their rankes to spoile Vineyard or Orchard They feare not death beleeving their destinies to be written in their foreheads inevitable The valiant are assured of preferment the cowards of punishment They are never bilited in Townes nor suffered to lodge one night within them To keepe them in breath and exercise their Princes are alwaies in action with some neighbour or other being very jealous of the corruption of their Discipline The which notwithstanding either time pride or the covetousnesse of the great ones hath much impaired For in comparison of what they have beene they are now nothing equivalent to those of other Christian Princes The Florentine in despight of him with six ships only hath so kept the bottome of the Streits for these six yeares past that they have not dared to hazard the Revenue of Aegypt by Sea but have sent it over land with a guard of Souldiers And because the Gallies dare not looke upon such Instruments and yet the Admirall supposing it no policy to let them lie unaffronted hath done what he may to imploy and encourage the Pyrats of Algier and Tunis to undertake the service And in truth they have many tall Ships the spoile of Christian Merchants warlike appointed yea growne expert in Navigation and all kinde of Sea-fights by the wicked instruction of our fugitive Sea-men and other Renegadoes But false men will alwaies deale falsly having no mindes to attempt any enterprise where the victory is like to prove bloudy and the booty worthlesse The Royall Navie is set forth in the beginning of Mar to annoy the enemy to suppresse Pyrats to collect tribute and to reforme disorders in the maritime Townes It consists not of above threescore Gallies which are all that can be spared from imployment in other places In October the Admirall returneth from his circuit and during Winter the Armada is dispersed and the Gallies drawne into their dry Stations Meane time the Pyrats both Christian and Mahumetan flie out and rob on the Aegean and Mediterran Seas uncontrolled more than by the defensive strength of the assailed Thus is he served and thus enabled to maintaine his Servitors For the civill and politicke government of these Estates he causeth a Councell to be holden foure daies in the weeke by the Bassâ—es wheresoever the Prince sojourneth if it bee in the time of peace then at Constantinople or in some other Towne according to occasions within his Dominions if in warre then it is kept within his Pavilion In this Councell called Dyvan where audience is open to every suter first they consult of Embassies and of answers to be made unto them of matters of State and of Soveraignty of the meanes to provide for decayed or ruinated Provinces of Murders and Condemnations And secondly adde the Suppliants Complainants or Suters speak without Advocate or Atturney and is forced to answer presently to the information of their Adversarie if they be present or otherwise to prove their accusation by witnesses Upon hearing of both parties judgement definitive is given and may not bee repealed Now as touching his Treasure It is generally received that he enjoyeth little lesse than fifteene millions of ordinary Revenue And where some men thinke that out of so large a Dominion a greater Revenue may be raised therein they deceive themselves in not calling to remembrance that the Nation give their minds to nothing but warre nor take care of any thing but provision of Armour and Weapons courses sitter to destroy and to waste than to preserve and inrich Provinces Whereupon to give courage to their Armies and to continue them in the love of warfare they suffer them to spoile the people hardly leaving them wherewith to hold life and soule together And therefore the poore men not â—ire of so much as their houshold provisions much lesse of their wealth which by time and industry they may gather take no more paines about their
in Russia is a Gentleman and none Gentlemen but Souldiers so that the son of a Gentleman is ever a Gentleman and a Souldier withall bound unto no other profession but meere Souldierie It is thought that no Prince in Christendome hath better store of munition which may partly appeare by the Artillery-house at Mosco where are divers sorts of great Ordnance all of Brasse very faire and to an exceeding great number Upon his frontiers lie the Tartars Precopenses those of the Taurica Chersonesus the Circassi and the Nagayans These people inhabit a Countrey seven daies journey distant and are governed by Dukes after the manner of the Helvetians He hath received great injury of the Precopenses without hope of amends because they are confederate with the great Turke and by him furnisht with Harquebusiers and Ordnance and have in their Kingdome many strong places fortified with Turkish Garrisons and therefore he thinketh it hard and dangerous to invade them being backed by the Turke whose power he should likewise stirre up against him It is the custome of the Precopi often used to make inrodes into the Provinces of the Great Duke as likewise of the Polonian to carry away whatsoever commeth to hand If the Great Duke have vanquished the Tartars of Câ—ssan and Astrachan let him attribute that Conquest to his great Ordnance which they wanted But the Precopi have the use of Guns and worth all the rest the favour and protection of the Turkish Emperor who thirsting to open a way into Moscouy or the Caspian sea assayed not many yeares 〈◊〉 to dig a trench from Tanais to Volga but his forces were put to flight by the Moscovites in feare of their utter destruction if the Turke had brought that designment to effect This was a device of greater courage than wisdome for the Moscovites not onely defeated his Navy taking part thereof but also put all his Land-forces to the Sword consisting of fourescore thousand Tartars five and twenty thousand Turkes and three thousand Ianizars As we have said before the Circassi live much after the manner of the Swissers they endevour not to inlarge their owne bounds but serve for wages sometime under the Turk sometime under the Persian sometimes under the Moscovite from whose Dominions they are so farre disjoyned that they stand in no feare of their severall greatnesses The Nagayans are more to be dreaded for their sudden inrodes and furious incursions than for jealousie of their forces or that they are able to raise or undertake any royall voyage Of late times they threatned the Moscovite but their fury was soon appeased by sending them presents It is the best course to hazard our money rather than our forces against the thefts spoyls of these barbarous Nations for when they have neither City nor strong place to subdue thereby to keepe them in subjection what can you terme the Warre made against them but labour with losse and charge without profit But to prevent all mischiefes the Duke is forced to keepe great troopes of Horse in Curachan Casan and Viatca against these Nagaij as also a great Garrison in Culagan upon Tanais against the Precopi But the mightiest of them all is the Chrim Tartar whom some call the Great Cham who lieth South and Southeastward from Russia and doth most annoy the Countrey by often invasions commonly once every yeare sometimes entering very far within the Inland parts In the yeare 1571. hee pierced as farre as the City Mosco with an Army of 200000. men without battell or resistance for that the Russe Emperour then Iuâ—n Vasiliwich leading forth his Army to encounter him mistooke the way The City he tooke not but fired the suburbs which by reason of the buildings consisting for the most part of wood kindled so quickly and went on with such fury as that it consumed the greatest part thereof almost within the space of foure houres where by fire and prease 800000. people or more were reported to have perished at that season Their principall quarrell ariseth about certaine Territories claimed by the Tartar but possessed by the Russe The Tartar alleageth that besides Astrachan and Cazan the ancient possession of the East Tartar the whole bounds North and West-ward so farre as the Citie of Mosco and Mosco it selfe pertaineth to his right which seemeth to be true by the report of the Russes themselves that tell of a certaine homage done by the Russe Emperour every yeare to the great Chrim the Russe Emperor standing on foot and feeding the Chrims horse sitting on horse-backe with Oats out of his owne Cap in stead of a Boule or Manger and that within the Castle of Mosco And this homage they say was done till the time of Basilius who surprizing the Chrim Tartar by a Stratagem undertooke by one of his Nobility was content to change this homage into a tribute of Furs which afterwards also was denyed whereupon they continue their quarrels the Russe defending his Countrey and Conquests and the Chrim invading him once or twice a yeare sometime about Whitsontide but oftner in Harvest What time if the great Chrim come in person he bringeth with him an Army of one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand men otherwise they make short and sudden rodes with lesser numbers running about the list of the borders like wilde-Geese invading and retyring as they see advantage And now being entred thus farre not without occasion into the manners of these Tartars I thinke it not amisse somewhat to discourse of their rights their Arming their Religion and Customes Their common practice being very populous is to make divers armies and so drawing the Russe into one or two places of the frontiers to invade at some place unsuspected and without defence Their order of fight is much after the Russe manner that is to thrust on all together without discipline in a hurry as they are directed by their Generall save that they are all Horse-men and carry nothing else but a Bow a sheafe of Arrowes and a Cemiter after the Turkish fashion They are very expert Horsemen and use to shoot as readily backward as forward Some will have a Horse-mans staffe like a Boare-speare besides their other weapons The common Souldier hath no other armour than his ordinary apparell viz. a black Sheepe-skin with the wooll-side outward in the day time and inwards in the night time with a Cap of the same But their Morseis or Noblemen imitate the Turke both in Apparell and Armour When they are to passe over a River with their Army they tie three or foure Horses together and taking peeces of wood they binde them to the tailes of their Horses and so sitting on the poles they drive their Horses over At handy strokes they are counted farre better men than the Russes fierce by nature but more hardy and bloody by continuall practice of war as men never inured to the delights of peace nor any civile practice Yet their subtiltie is
more than may seeme to agree with their barbarous conditions By their continuall invasions and robberies they are very pregnant and witty to devise stratagems on the sudden for their advantage As in their Warres against Beala the fourth Kings of Hungarie whom they invaded with 500000. men and obtained against him a great victory Wherein having slaine his Chancellor they found about him the Kings privie Seale and there with presently counterfeited Letters in the Kings name to the next Cities with charge That in no case they should convey themselves or their goods out of their dwelling places encouraging the people to abide therein without feare of danger and withall recounting how base a resolution it were to abandon their countrey and possessions to so barbarous a Nation as the Tartar dispraising themselves in all despightfull manner letting them to understand that though he had lost his carriages with some few straglers who had marched disorderly yet hee doubted not but to recover that losse with the fortune of a noble victory if the savage Tartar durst abide him in the field To this purpose having written their Letters in the Polish Character by the helpe of certaine young men taken prisoners in the field signed with the Kings seale they dispatched them forth to all the adjacent quarters of the Countrey whereupon the Hungarians that were now posting away with their goods wives and children on the rumour of the Kings overthrow by the comfort of these counterfeit letters stopped their journey and so being surprized were hem'd in and made a prey to the huge numbers of these barbarous Tartarians When they besiege a Towne or Fort they offer much parle and pretend many flattering courtesies to perswade a surrender and being once possessed of the place they leave no cruelty unpractised affirming that faith justice is to be kept toward no people but their owne In their encounters where they alway practise by ambushments they retire as repulsed for feare so to draw their enemies within danger but the Russe being well acquainted with this subtiltie is very wary of them When they warre in small numbers like Rovers to make their Army seeme greater they set counterfeit shapes of men on horsebacke When they give the onset they make a great and barbarous shout crying all together Olla Billa Olla Billa God helpe us God helpe us They contemne death in that desperate manner that they chuse rather to die than yeeld and when they are wounded to death past recovery they have beene seene to bite their weapons in rage wherein appeareth the great difference of courage between the Tartar the Russe and the Turke For if the Russe souldier be once put to retire all his safety is set on speedy and resolved flight and being once taken he neither defendeth himselfe nor intreateth for mercy as reckoning straight to die and the Turke commonly when he is past hope of escaping falleth to intreat and casting away his weapon offereth both his hands as it were to bee manacled chusing rather to live a slave than to die constantly The chiefest bootie they desire is to get store of captives especially young Boyes and Girles whom they sell to the Turkes or other their neighbours And the Russe borderers being used to their invasions lightly every Summer keepe few other Cattell on the borders save Swine which the Tartars will not touch nor drive away because they are of the Turkish Religion and will eat no Swines flesh Of Christ they confesse as much as the Turke doth in his Alcoran viz. That he came of the Angell Gabriel and Mary that he was a great Prophet and shall bee Judge of the world at the last day In other matters likewise they are much ordered after the manner and direction of the Turke as having felt his force at the winnings of Azon and Caffa with some other territories about the Euxine Sea which before were Tributaries to this Chrim Tartar So that at this day most usually the Emperour of the Chrim is chosen out of the Tartar Nobility by the Turks appointment and to him they give the tenths of their spoiles gotten by warre from the Christians Under the Emperour they have certaine Dukes whom they call Morses or Divoy morses that rule over a certaine number of 1000. 20000. or 40000. apeece which they terme Hords When the Emperour hath use of them in his warres they are bound to come and to bring with them their proportion of Souldiers every man with two horse at least the one to ride on the other to kill when it commeth to his turne to have him eaten For their chiefe victuall is horse-flesh which they eat without bread or any thing else with it And yet with marvell though they serve all on horsebacke and eat all of horse-flesh there are brought yearely to the Mosco to bee sold 30 or 40000 Horse So they have great droves of Kine and flocks of blacke Sheepe which they keepe rather for their skinnes than for their flesh though sometime they eat of it Townes they plant none nor other standing buildings but have moving houses built on wheeles like a Shepherds cottage these they draw with them wheresoever they goe driving their Cattell with them and when they come to their journies end they plant these Cart-houses in a ranke in forme of a Towne with large streets neither hath the Emperour himselfe other place ormanner of dwelling saying That the fixed and standing buildings of other Countries are unwholesome and unsavoury In the Spring they beginne to move their houses from the South parts towards the North and so driving on till they have grazed up all to the farthest part of the North they returne backe againe towards the South where they continue all the Winter by ten miles a stage Of Money they have no use at all preferring Brasse and Steele before other Metals which they use for swords knives and other necessaries gold and silver they neglect of purpose as also tillage to be more free for their wandring kinde of life and to keepe their Countrey lesse subject to invasions Which course indeed cannot but prove disadvantagious to the Invaders as it hapned in old time to Cyrus and Darius Histaspis For their manner is when they are invaded by flying reculing and fained feare to draw their enemies some good way into the bowels of their Countrey and then when victuals beginne to grow scarce and other extremities to oppresse their enemies as needs they must where nothing is to be had they stop up the passages and inclose them with multitudes By which policy as some write they had well-nigh surprized the Army of Tamerlane had hee not with all expedition retired towards the River Tanais For Person and Complexion they have broad and flat visages of a tawny colour firce and cruell in lookes thinne-haired on the upper lip and a pit of the chinne light and nimble bodied and short leg'd as if they were naturally created for horsemen Their