they use a kind of shoâ—â— that may easily be put on 〈◊〉 The place were they sit eithâ—â— at home or in the Churches strewed covered either wiâ—â— tapestry clothes or broad clotâ— or rushes and sometimes for 〈◊〉 moysture and uncleannesse 〈◊〉 the place they have bodyes aâ—â— tables The garments both of mâ—â— and women are large and loâ—â— enough open in the form part They have great carâ— emptying the Belly and makâ— Vrine that they turne not thâ— faces towards the South whiâ—â— way they are alwaies wont looke praying They take so great heede lest any 〈◊〉 should see their filthinesse discharging nature They â—â—â—taine from Wine as their lawes doe command them because â—t is a provoker of all uncleanâ—esse and vice and yet may â—hey lawfully eat Grapes They â—bstaine also from swines blood â—nd flesh and from all flesh â—hat dyeth of the murraine All other meates they doe eate How the Turkes doe beleeve and how they worship God THe Turks confesse one God which hath none like or equall to him whose faithfull Prophet they account Mahomet Five times a day they pray with their faces turned into the South and before they doe this they provide that they have a most perfect cleannesse of body in every part hands armes mouth eares nostrills eyeâ—â— haires washing their feete moâ—â— decently after carnall copulaâ—â—â—on and naturall evacuation eâ—â—cept they have beene sicke 〈◊〉 travailing abroad If they waâ—â— water to doe this which is seâ—â—dome seene because in eveâ— Citty they have baths continuâ—ally flowing then they wipâ—â— and rub them otherwise Every yeare they fast a wholâ— Moneth and a Weeke moâ—â— straightly in the day time neiâ—ther eating nor drinking anyâ—thing nor yet having any conâ—junction with women but afteâ— the Sunne-set untill the Sun-riâ—sing the next day they fill them selves with meat and drinke and venerous pleasure in the end oâ— this solemne Feast they celebrate the Feast called the Pasâ—hâ— in remembrance of Abraham Ramme which appeared inâ—tead of his Sonne at the Sacriâ—ice and of a certaine night wherein they suppose the Alcoâ—an was given from Heaven Their Priests doe not much â—iffer from the Laity nor their Churches from common houâ—es It is sufficient to know the â—ooke which is called Alcoran â—nd such things as appertaine to â—rayer and observance of the â—aw They lacke not their reaâ—ings and studies of Arts and Sciences They have no care â—f Churches nor soules deparâ—ed they have no Sacraments â—or observation of reliques hoâ—y vessels nor Altars but they are attent and diligent in looking to their Children their Wives and Family to tillage of the ground to merchandize to hunting and the like exercises wherewith life is maintained They be free from servitude and exactions these Priests bee honoured of every body as men that know the Ceremonies of the Lawes have the government of Churches and can instruct others They have many Schooles and places of exercise wherein such politicke Lawes are taught as have bin made by their Princes for the administration of the Common-wealth and defence of the Countrey wherein they that profit some of them are made Rulers in Ecclesiasticall matters and some be secular Magistrates there be also in that sect many and divers religious sorts wherof some living in woods and solitude utterly refuse the company of men some keeping hospitality in Cities do relieve â—he poore strangers with hospiâ—ality if they have not to refresh â—hemselves withall for they â—hemselves also live of begging â—nd almes many of them wanâ—ring about Citties carry good â—nd alwayes fresh water in cerâ—aine bottels of the which they â—ive to every one demanding â—or the same freely and gladly â—or the which dutifull good-will â—nd worke of mercy if any thing â—e given they take it they coâ—et nothing they make so great 〈◊〉 shew and ostentation of Reliâ—ion both in their deeds and sayâ—ngs and also in their manners â—nd gesture that they rather â—eeme Angels then men such is â—â—e deceit in mens eyes The Turkes cease from all laâ—our on the Friday and keepe 〈◊〉 with as much Religion and deâ—â—otion as wee doe the Sunday But the Jewes do marvailously observe the Satturday In every City there is one principall Church wherein they meete together after noone every body and after their prayers solemnly done they have a Sermon They have large and sumptuous Temples which are called in their tongue Meâ—chit where in they have no Images at all but it is founâ— written every where There 〈◊〉 no God but one and Mahomet hiâ— Prophet One Creator and the Prophets equal And also There is none so strong as God There bee in their Churcheâ— a great number of burniâ—â— lampes with oyle All thâ— Church is white the pavemenâ— is layd with mats and otheâ— things and above many clotheâ— of tapestry and arras be hanâ—â—ed There is a great turret aâ—out the Church on the top â—hereof their Minister when â—â—rvice time is standeth and â—utting his fingers in his eares â—ith an high voyce in his owne â—ongue hee repeateth these â—ords thrice One true God When this cry is heard the â—obles and the meaner sort â—ommeth to the Temple onely â—ntent to deuotion and the Miâ—ister prayeth with them and â—hat he ought to doe foure times â—etweene day and night by his office and they which come â—o the Prayers ought to wash â—heir hands and feete and secret parts They must put off their â—hooes and leave them before â—he Church gate and thus some enter barefoot into the Church and some with very cleane and faire shooes The women sit together in a secret place froâ— the men so that the men 〈◊〉 neither see them nor heaâ— them albeit they come not 〈◊〉 often to the Church In the prayers they cruciate and afflicâ— their bodies marvellously wiâ—â— continuall agitations and voâ—â—â—erations so that often timâ— they sowne and faint in minâ— and strength They thinke it a horrible thing and most wickeâ— that a Christian man should be present at their ceremonies anâ— Sacrifices having this opinioâ— that their Temples are contaâ—minate and defiled of uncleanâ— and unwashed men their Mâ—â—nister getteth him into the Pâ—â—â—pit and there about two hourâ— he preacheth and when 〈◊〉 sermon is done two childreâ— ascend thither which sing theâ—â— prayers sweetly after this theiâ— â—â—ister beginneth with all the â—â—ple to sing in a low voyce 〈◊〉 his body on every side 〈◊〉 his words are nothing but 〈◊〉 There is but one God They 〈◊〉 thursday also as a festiâ—â—â— day albeit the Fryday is 〈◊〉 devoutly and most religiâ—â—â—ly hollowed of them beâ—â—â—se they have an opinion aâ—â—ngst them that Mahomet 〈◊〉 borne upon the Friday The Opinion of the Turkes upon the World to come â—HE Turkes attribute so 〈◊〉 much to Mahomet and his 〈◊〉 that they assuredly 〈◊〉 everlasting happinesse 〈◊〉 such as keepe their Lawes 〈◊〉 is to say a Paradise of pleaâ—â—â—â— a Garden having most pleasant sweet waters set in a puâ—â— and temperate ayre whereâ—â— they should have
a gate made all of massie Brasse and was usually to have twenty men to shut or close the Gates together and then being locked and bolted besides other Barres of Iron which went a crosse about the first houre of the Morning or just after 12 of the Clocke the said Gate flew open of its owne accord which the Magistrates hearing of went presently to see and all of them with their greatest power could hardly shut them againe the vulgar interpreted it and affirmed that God openeâ— unto them the Gate of his blessings The fifth Chariots and armed men seene in the Ayre shooting as it were one against another with arrowes and darts all of them just over the Citty The sixt was at the celebration of the full Moone at the day called Pentecost when the Priests all in their vestments adorned for their wonted Sacrifice at first felt the ground to quiver or shake under them and then a voyce which said Let us depart hence The seventh which is most wonderfull being one of their owne Countrey men but a devout man and having a great desire to celebrate the Feast which they call the Feast of Tabernacles and being present among the assembly on a sudden tryed out a voice from the East â— voice from the West a voyce from the foure windes a voyce â—gainst the Temple Ierusalem â—nd thus crying against al men women and all manner of people of what degree soever continually cryed thus night and day in the streets of Jerusalem which some of the Nobility heard disdaining any misfortune whatsoever seized upon him by their command and their servants holding him with Chaines and cords till other Magistrates that were then in office did pronounce some punishment upon him for his foretelling them of the destruction of their famous Citty and Temple they stripped him and beat him very sorely yet hee persevered in his crying O Ierusalem woe woe unto thee Albinus then being his Judge which pronounced his former punishment was in amazement at his words which continually spake for that the stripes were layd and afflicted on him still and thus they suffered him to cry for the space of 7 yeares and almost 6 months and none tooke it to heart his voyce neither waxing hoarse nor weary till the time of the siedge still saying woe woe to this faire City and at last presaging his own death cryed out Woe to my own selfe and as some report a stone being conveyed from an engine smote him on the fore-head but some relate that it was a dart flung from an envious hand which had often heard him cry with teares and say O Ierusalem woe woe This Albinus as it is reported was one of the first that was taken prisoner and after put to death by Titus some sixe dayes after the east end of the Temple was fired Of Ireland THE earth in Ireland is so fruitfull and so good of pasture that their cattell except they bee restrayned sometimes from pasture in Summer are like to be in danger through satiety There is no hurtfull thing nor noysome beast no Spider no toade nor such like either breedeth there or else being brought from other Countries thither continueth or liveth there The earth of this Countrey cast in powder upon any dangerous beast or venemous Serpent of any other Countrey destroyeth and kill them There bee no Bees in this Countrey the temperatenesse of the ayre is marvellous the fertility and fruitfulnesse of the Countrey is notable the people of the Countrey bee voide of hospitality they are uncivill and cruell and therefore not unapt for warlike affaires they attribute great honour to Martiall acts and knightly prowesse The Sea betwixt Ireland and England doth rage almost continually so that there is no safe passage but at certaine times Of England and Scotland IN England there be no wolvs and it any be brought thither they doe not continue and therefore their heards of Cattell keepe well together without any great attendance of men The Sheepe have hornes contrary to those of other countries In Scotland there be certaine Trees which bring forth a fruit folded and wrapped up in the leaves and that fruite when in convenient time it falleth into the water running by the tree it reviveth and taketh life and is transformed into a living fowle which some call a Goose of the tree or a Barnacle This tree also groweth in the Isle of Pomenia which is not far from Scotland towards the North. The ancient Cosmographers and especially Saxo the Grammarian maketh mention of this tree likewise and therefore it is not like to bee any feigned or devised thing of late writers Aeneas Syluius writeth of this tree in this manner We heard say there was a tree in Scotland which growing upon a banke by the waters side bringeth forth fruit much like in forme to Ducks and the fruit of that tree when it is ripe doth fall of it selfe some upon the land and some into the water and those that fal upon the earth do putrifie and rot but those thâ—t fall into the water straight waies with life to swim out of the water and to fly in the aire with feathers and wings of the which thing when we made more diligent search being in Scotland with King IAMES a wise sad and grave man wee learned to flye from wondring making such things miracles as were common and that this famous tree was not onely to bee found in Scotland but also in the Isle called the Orchades Of an Isle in Spaine named Gades THere is a little Isle in Spaine called Gades Erythraea the the pastures whereof doe feede cattell so well that they cannot draw or sever any whay from milke but they must needs powre water when they will have their milke to curd Their cattell also be like to dye at every thirty daies end except they be let blood and so lose some quantity of their blood The grasse whereon their sheep feed is somewhat dry but yet it encreaseth a marvellous fatnesse both in their flesh and also in their milke Seneca the Schoole-master of Nero the Emperour SAint Hierom saith that hee was a man of most continent â—ife and therefore hee accounâ—eth him in the number of holy men but especially for the often letters that he wrote to Saint Paul and Saint Paul to him This Seneca being the Schoole-master of Nero was of great power and authority hee wished himselfe to bee in the like degree with his Country-men that Paul had amongst â—he Christians Among divers of his excellent gifts and properties hee had so singuâ—ar and notable a memory that he could rehearse two thousand mens names in the same order that they were told him and also hee was able to rehearse 2 hundreth Verses being said of 2 hundred Schollers from the first to the last most perfectly It is written that Nero his cruell and cursed scholler in recompence of his paines and teaching put him to death two yeares
done or passed any matter of importance touching the state of the Realme so much is it respected both within the Realme and abroad This Court of Parliament was first ordayned by Philip the faire King of France The second Parliament is at Bordeaux for the Countries of Guyen Gascoine Zaintonge Perigort part of Poictou and others and was first ordained by Charls the seventh The third Parliament is at Roven for the Dukedome of Normandy first made exchequer by Philip the faire and afterwards continuall Parliament by Lewes the twelfth The fourth Parliament is at Tholouze first ordained for certaine times in the yeare by Philip the faire and afterwards made continually by Charles the seventh for the Countrey of Langueâ—oc The fift Parliament is at Grenoble for the Countrey of Daulphine instituted by Lewes the eleventh The sixt Parliament is at Dijon for the Dukedome of Burgundy it was likewise ordayned by the said Lewes the eleventh The seventh Parliament is at Aix for the Earledome of Provence appointed by Lewes the 12. The eight Parliament is at Renes in Britaine ordayned by Henry the second Of all these Parliaments Paris Parliament is the chiefe and certaine cases are reserved to bee judged onely at the Parliament of Paris Of the Oystridge THE Oystridge is found especially in Affrica his head is covered with small haires his his eyes be grosse and blacke his neck is long his bill is short and sharpe his feete hath as it were a by partite hoofe Pliny saith that hee exceedeth the height of a man on horseback and that his Wings helpe him little But with his Nailes which are like Hoofes hee taketh stones and throweth against those which persecute him Hee doth digest whatsoever hee devoureth be it never hard Hee is of a marvellous foolishnesse for if he hath once hidden his head under a bush hee thinketh himselfe safe and not to bee seene It is said to be a simple and forgetfull thing and that as soone as it hath brought forth egs it forgetteth them untill the yong commeth forth which is thought to bee easily done because they leave the egges in the warme sand so that the yong may soone be hatched the which the males doe feed and cherish when they are brought forth When hee seeth that hee cannot avoide taking he casteth stones against his followers and many times hurteth them His Nest is commonly found in the Sand well made with Bulwarkes and Bankes to keepe away raine from the yong Of the Empire of Cathay THE Empire of Cathay is ruled by the great Cham. With this Nation one man may have many Wives and when the Husband dyeth every wife pleadeth her owne cause before the Judges and sheweth her merits so that which of them soever is adjudged to have been the most officious and dearest wife to her husband shee in her best apparrell and all her Jewels as though shee had gotten the victory of the other goeth willingly and merrily unto the heape of Wood where her husband shall be burnt and lying downe by his carcasse and embracing it the fire is kindled and so she is burnt with her husband the other of his wives after this live in great shame and obloquy They match not together for Wealth or Nobility but for excellency of beauty and procreation sake The people of Cathay have this opinion that they thinke no other Nation to see with both eyes but themselves they are perswaded also that they excell all other in subtilty of Arts and Sciences It is a white kinde of people without beards of small eyes and lacking true piety and due obeisance to God for some of them worshippe the Sunne some the Moone others certaine Images of mettals and other some an Oxe so that they be full of monstrous superstition The Emperour keepeth his Court at his Citty called Cambalu which is the noblest Mart in that part of the World for there is almost never a day throughout the yeare but that a thousand Cart-loads of Silke almost are changed and brought there amongst Merchants The Emperour keepeth in his Court twelve thousand Horsemen to keepe his body Their order of watching is thus One Captaine with three thousand gardeth the King within the Palace for 3 dayes and so doth another other 3 dayes following and thus they keep their courses When the Emperour sitteth downe to meate he hath his principall and greatest Queen on his left hand and his children which be of royall blood on his right hand in a lower place No Man that â—itteth downe in this Hall drinketh or is served in any other vessell but of Gold the Princes and Noble-men that serve the King at his meate cover their mouths with most fine silke clothes lest they should breath upon the Kings meate or drinke and when the Emperour taketh the pot to drinke all the Musitians begin to make great melody and the other ministers bend their knees The thirteene Cantons of Swisserland THe inhabitants of Helvetia or Swisserland after they had emancipated themselves from the yoake of the Empire and expelled the Nobility of the imperiall faction beganne to make Leagues and Confederacies one towne with another to fortifie themselves by that meanes against forraigne invasions if any happened And in processe of time within little more then an hundred yeares are increased to the number of 13 which they call Cantons by which the whole Countrey of Swisse is governed and defended And here according to their antiquity I place them the first that confederated together and gave example to the rest were Vri Swits Vndervard Villages and these three by little and little have drawne to their Faction all the rest that follow Lucerne Zurich Citties Glaris Zug Villages Berne Fribourg Soulleurre Baste Schaffouse Citties Appensel Village whereof 7 professe the Romish Religion viz. Vri Swits Vndervard Zug Lucerne Fribourg and Soulleurre the rest are Zuinglians which diversity of Religion hath caused dissention and mortall Warres of late yeares among them although they be all sworne together to defend their Liberty against Strangers The twelve Peeres or Paires of France IN the Realme of France to be a Peere is the greatest dignity under the King for that in many things they have almost equall Authority with Kings for Peere in the French tongue signifieth equall But because it may bee too prolixe a matter to speake of their Prerogatives it shall suffice to number them and each of their offices at the sacring or coronation of a new King These ancient Peeres are twelve in number whereof six are of the Clergy and sixe are Lay-men the six of the Clergy with their Offices at the Coronation are the Archbishop and Duke of Reins which hath his accustomed charge to oynt and consecrate the King the Bishop and Duke of Lacon whose office is to bring the holy Ampoule or divine water wherwith the King is annointed the Bishop and Duke of Langres whose office is to bring the Scepter and the hand of Justice the Bishop and
divination of the Augurers made Kings and instructed in their Kingdomes so the Kings of Persia were by their Magi instructed in their sacrifice and taught in their Religion without whom neither was it lawfull for the Romans to doe sacrifice without their Augurer stood by or for the Persians without their Magi being in place The manner and order of the Indians in celebrating the nativity of their Kings THe Indians so honoured the birth-day of their King at what time the dayes beganne to lengthen that the King with all his Nobles went to the River Ganges to wash and bathe themselves where they offered in sacrifice to the Sunne a number of blacke Bulls for that colour among the Indians is most esteemed After sacrifice done to the Sunne the King held a Feast which the Romans called Hilaria which was wont to be celebrated upon the â— Calend of April at what time the Roman Matrones and the yong women of Rome crowned with Myrtle bathed themselves before they sacrificed unto Venus This very time the yong men of Athens kept festivall dayes with mirth and pastime to honour the Moone for the like cause as the Indians had for the Sun This feast Hilaria had all publicke and solomne Playes with all kinde of triumphes for joy that the Sun began to turne his face and to lentghen their dayes tanquam patriae solatium initium laetitiae Of the Nativity of King Cyrus and of the Persian feasts or ioy thereof THE great King Cyrus for so the Persians named their Kings after Cyrus time upon the very day that he was borne hee had victory over the Scythians and Saracens he so honoured and magnified that day that Cyrus commanded that they should bee called the great Kings and appointed that it should be solemnized yearely with a regall noble feast called Sacaea after the name of that Nation conquered in the which feast was celebrated divers strange kinds of ceremonies as the Masters to attend upon the Servants the Mistresses upon their maids imitating the orders and manners in the feast Saturnalia wherein also were Bacchanalia used in the which feast were men women and children which disguised themselves like Faunes with Javelins wreathed about with Ivie in their hands and with Ivie crownes on their heads dancing and skipping after Psalters and Howboyes singing sacred songs unto Bacchus called Orgya and Dithyrambos this feast Cyrus commanded to be yearly solemnized in Babylon upon the sixteenth day of the moneth Loys on the which day Cyrus as some suppose was borne which day among the old Persians was highly honoured for of all the feasts and sacrifices of all solemne great daies the daies of their Kings nativities were most in honour esteemed This was the onely and greatest feast of the Persians for the rich men would celebrate the feast of their Kings birth with sacrificing of whole Camels Horses Oxen and Asses sparing no cost in this feast the poorer sort strained themselves with all charges to set forth the feast of their Kings nativities at what time the Magistrates used to sing the song Magophonia at their feast and the song Theogonia at their sacrifice For this feast Sacaea was called among the Thessalians Piloria in Creete called Hermea in some place called Penagria in another place called Saturnalia but in all places used and celebrated with great solemnities at the nativity of Kings and Princes Of the funerall pompe of the Egyptians THE Kings of Egypt were most sumptuously reserved in this order their bodies were opened and were in such sort used as the Egyptians use with Myrhe Aloes Honey Salt Waxe and many other sweete odours being seared up and anointed with all precious oyles and so they reserved the bodies of their Kings in high buildings made for the purpose far from the ground as in their Pyramides and Labyrinth before spoken The Funerall was so lamented that all Egypt mourned in this sort the men would clap dung and dirt upon theiâ— heads beate their bodies striâ—â— their breasts knocking their heads to every poste howling and crying for their King their women bare-breasted besmeard with all kind of filth running up and downe in furious manner fasting and mourning 72 dayes from wine or any other meat saving bread the water of Nilus Of the funerall pompe of the Thracians THe Thracians Funerall is ful of mirth and melody for when they bring their Friends to the Grave they use to sing Thracian Songs with all sweet musicke onely this ceremony they reserved when any man that was of great calling dyed his Wife must be brought the same day to the grave of her husband in her richest ornament and best apparell accompanied with her Parents and next in blood with great solemnity which after sacrifice done upon the Grave of her husband she must make sacrifice of her selfe The Priest must bring her to the Altar where shee is sacrificed with a vaile over her face and after oblations prayers done shee is slaine upon her husbands Grave for sacrifice Of the sacred anointing of the Kings of Israel THe anointing of the first King of Israel was by Samuel the Prophet who was commanded to anoint Saul the first King of the world that was anointed hee powred oyle upon his head he kissed him and said the Lord hath anointed thee King over his inheritance and the people shouted and said God save the King at this time began first the use of oyle in anointing of Kings after this manner were Saul and David anointed Kings of Israel and after David his son Solomon The order and ceremonies were to ride upon the Kings beast and to sit upon the Kings throne where the Prophet being called the Seer poured the oyle upon his head to signifie the gift of the Holy Ghost Then the Prophet kissed the King upon the cheek and turned his face to the people and said God save the King then they sounded the trumpets and brought him to his Dinner with all mirth and musicke Thus were Saul and David anointed by Samuel and after them Solomon anointed King Of the solemnity on the birth-day of Prince Aratus by the Achaians with feasts and sacrifice IN like manner the Achaianâ— solemnized the nativity of Aratus with a royall feast and sacrifice yearely upon the Grave of Aratus which was called Aratium The Priests were girded about with a purple cloth the Senate in white robes with Garlands of flowers on their heads the magistrates and chiefe officers of all Achaia with great pompe crowned with Lawrell and Myrtle with hymnes and songs made a solemne procession round about Aratium upon the birth-day of Aratus such was his love among the Grecians that hee was chosen seventeene times Generall of the Achaians The Trophies and triumphs that were invented to honour the nativities of Kings and Princes were such that some builded Citties as Alexandria to honour Alexander Caesarea to honour Caesar and Antiochiae to magnifie the name of Antiochus the great Yea such were the