Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	day_n	great_a	place_n	6,135	4	4.0445	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07873	A treatyse of the newe India with other new founde landes and islandes, aswell eastwarde as westwarde, as they are knowen and found in these oure dayes, after the description of Sebastian Munster in his boke of universall cosmographie: wherin the diligent reader may see the good successe and rewarde of noble and honeste enterpryses, by the which not only worldly ryches are obtayned, but also God is glorified, [and] the Christian faythe enlarged. Translated out of Latin into Englishe. By Rycharde Eden.; Cosmographia. English. Abridgments	Münster, Sebastian, 1489-1552.; Eden, Richard, 1521?-1576.	1553 (1553)	STC 18244; ESTC S101322	70,126	212

so much that when the nut is full growen the lyquoure fyllethe the inne warde partes of of the same And thys liquoure or wyne is most cleare not muche vnlyke vnto rosewater Of which neuertheles is made a very fatte oile They cut also the trunke or stocke of the tree in y e morning euening by whiche meanes they gather a most excellent liquour which they seeth on the fyre and make thereof so merueylous a drinke that if a mā drinke therof beyond measure he is drieuen into furie madnes This liquour is vsed there in the stede of wyne But let vs nowe returne to the beastes which are foūd in Calicut Serpentes growe there vnto such houdge greatnesse that they are in maner as bigge as swyne They haue heades much larger thē bores heades Thei are foure foted foure cubites in length engendered cōuersaunte in fennie and marrishe groundes The men of that coūtrei saye that these beastes are without poyson There are also found other kyndes of serpentes of the whiche one kynde hath so mortall venime that yf they drawe neuer so lyttle blud it causeth presēt death There are other serpentes which in quātite represent the serpent called Aspis Again othersome are much higher of whiche there are greate plentie The men of the countrey thinke y t they are spirites fallen frō heauen and therfore haue them in great reuerence Thei haue conceaued this opinion of them becau●e that in maner with touching they bringe presēt death And this is the cause whi there is so great abundaunt of serpentes that by the kinges cōmaundement it is not lawful to hurt thē and therefore they wander safelye where them listeth and are estemed of them as thinges that bring good fortune For whereas the men of y e countrey goe abroade aboute anye busines thei take it for good luck to mete any of them by the waye The popingiayes of India are for the most part of grene colour besyde y e head which is ether redde or yelowe like golde They haue a great and large toung and are therfore of a louder voyce speake more plainly They learne the fyrst second yeare such thinges as are taughte them And beare them lōger in memory They drinke wyne vse theyr fete in the stede of handes when they feede ¶ Of the sundrye kindes of Spices which are founde in Calicut and from whence they are brought thyther GInger groweth in Calicut yet is there much broughte thether from the cytie of Canonor Cinamome commeth from the Ilande of Zaylon whyche is fyftye leages beeyonde Calicut Eastwarde Pepper groweth in Calicut but muche more is broughte thether from Corimucol whiche is .xij. leages beyonde Calicut Cloues are gathered in a place called Meluza certayn leages distant from Calicut Nutmegges and Mace growe in Molucha beyng distante from Calicut hundreth and thre score leages and somewhat more Muske Castoreum is brought from the region of Pego which is frō Calicut almoste hundreth and fyftye leages Pearles of the biggest sorte are gathered neare vnto the Iland and cytie of Ormus situate in the goulfe called Sinus Persicus And are sente from thence to Calicut as to the generall market towne of all the East partes Spikenarde Mirabalanes as brought from Cambaia to Calicut Frankencense and Myrre come from Arabia Aloe and Camphyre are brought frō Kyui or China .l. l●ages from Calicut Long pepper cometh frō Samotor Cardamome y e greater is brought from Canonor Presilium or brasyll cometh frō Darnasseri otherwyse called Tarmasseri almost CC. leages from Calicut ¶ Of the Iland of Zaylon and of Cinomome found there ZAylon is a very large region● bringeth foorth chefelye Elephantes in greate plentie It hath also Mountaynes of merueylous lēgth at the rootes wherof ar foūd Rubines Hiacinthes Saphyres Topases and suche other precious stones In this Iland groweth the Cinomome tree not much vnlyke y ● bayetree specially in the leaues It bringeth forth graynes much lyke vnto baye beries but somwhat lesse and whytishe That which we commonly call Cinomome is nothinge els but the barke or rynde of a tree which is gathered after this maner Euery thyrde yeare they cut of the braunches of the trees and take of the barke or rynde therof which is our Cinomome They cut not the body of the tree but only the branches When it is first gathered it is grene not perfectly swete vntyll it be kept a moneth This Iland is situate vnder the Equinoctial line where is continuall springe all the yeare The inhabitauntes weare clokes with one arme oute vncouered haue clothe made of Gossampine cotton or of silke A rede is to them in the stede of sworde rapyre iauelyne And are therefore seldome slayne in the warres ¶ Of the cytie of Tarnasseri the maner of the cytezins there THe cytie of Tarnasseri is distaunte from the Kingdome of Narsinga .xiiij. dayes sayling Estward hath a king of great puyssaūce and marueylous riche The soyle of this citie bringeth forth wheate cotton of Gossampine trees plētie of silke The fieldes bringe foorthe all kindes of fruites quinces also and oranges It is replenisshed with manye and sundrye kyndes of beastes aswell wyld as tame as kyne shepe gotes swyne hartes hyndes wolues and lyons There are also seene those kyndes of cattes whiche beare the riche furres called Zibellim which we call Sables In all the fieldes and woodes of this region are founde many Peacockes Faulcons most fayre Popingiayes of white colour intermingled with seuen variable coloures There is also maruelous plentye of hares and partryches There are manye other straunge kyndes of foules and specially such as lyue by praye whiche are muche higher then Eagles whose vpper beakes are of suche bignes hardnes that handles for sweordes are made thereof Also the cockes and hennes of thys region are muche hygher and bigger then ours Whē the people of the countreye goe to theyr meate they lye downe on the grounde withoute carpet or cloth Yet vse they woodden vesselles workemanlye made Theyr drinke is water myxte with suger but the poorer sorte drinke onelye water Their beddes are made of Gossampine cotton wyth couerlettes also of cotton or sylke They goe all in generall barefooted excepte the Priestes The Kynge of this cytye doeth not commytte his wife to the Priestes to bee defloured as doth the king of Calicut but to whyte men as are the christiās Turkes For this office is not committed to the Idoloters But after that the new maried quene hath been thus defloured the fyrst night yf euer after she doe dishonour the Kyng her husbād by violating the faith made to him from thencefoorth neuer to knowe any other man carnally her punishment is death incontinently When the Kynges or the Priestes dye their bodies are

laid on a great fyre and the asshes therof reserued in erthen pottes putting thereto a porcion of salte petre and buryinge the same in theyr owne houses While the bodies are burning they cast into the fyre al kyndes of swete sauouring gummes and spices as Aloe Frankencense Myrre Storax Coralle sandalles and suche other innumerable In the meane tyme blowing trūpets shawmes after the maner of thē which amōge the gentiles were canonized into y e numbre of the goddes And within xv dayes after y e husbandes death the wyfe calleth to her all her kinsfolkes bidding them to a banket fo being decked with al her iewels she procedeth with thē to the place where her husbande was buried where a graue is redye digged for her inclosed about with silkē cloth hauinge in it a fyre made of sweete wood When the woman hath thus feasted her kynsfolkes she eateth much of the herbe called Betola wherby she is driuen into a madnes In thys meane whyle innumerable trūpetters wearing such vestures as they vse in the deuyls seruice go as it were on procession aboute the graue while the womā runneth vp and down daunsing cōtinually like a frantike bodie And thus whē the ceremonies are fynished she casteth her selfe headlong into the fyre and graue and that with no lesse cherefulnes thē yf she should be receaued into heauen And vnlesse the womā shoulde performe thys custome she should incurre most vyle infamie be a mocking stocke to all her naciō as one that loued not her husband But the cōmon people vse not thys custome but only the rulers princes And therfore the king him selfe is often tymes presente at these solemnities ¶ Of the kingdoms and cities of Pego and Bangella FRom the cytie of Iarnasseri to the cytie of Bangalla is .xi. dayes saylinge This cytie hath a kynge and the countrey is very fruyteful with great plentie of wheat fleshe suger ginger and gossampine cotton and hath therfore very rich marchātes There yearely passeth from this citie fyftie shyppes frayghted wyth gossampine cottō and silke clothes which are caried from thence to the Turkes Syrians Arabians Persians Ethiopians Indians Here are also founde certayne Christian merchaunt men which come out of Thempire of the great Cham of Cathay bringing with them Aloe Castoreū and the swete gūme called Laserpitium with other swete sauours In this cytie the men spinne and carde and make clothe and not the womenne From this cytie Eastwarde is another great citie called Pego beyng situate by a verye fayre ryuer The Kinge of thys cytie is an Idolater and hathe innumerable menne of worre both horsemenne and footemenne The soyle beareth wheate plentifullye and bringeth foorth in maner all kyndes of beastes hath therfore great abundaunce of fleshe Yet are there but fewe Elephants But of other beastes and foules greate plentie as is at Calicut speciallye of popingiayes whiche are of louder voice thē in any other place There is little trafficque or marchaundise in this region except iewels precious stones and speciallye Rubies called Pyropi whiche are broughte thether from the cytie of Capelan These precious stones shyne so brighte in the darke nyghte as thoughe it were the sonne beames The countrey adioyning bringeth forth Lacha Sandalum called saunders Also brasile gossampine cotton and sylke Frō Pego to the cytie of Malaccha whiche some call Melaqua is eyghe● dayes saylinge where on the other syde is sene a great Iland called Sumatra otherwise Samotra was in time paste called Taprobana This Malaccha hath a goodly cōmodious hauen by reasō wherof moe shippes arriue there then in any other place bringinge with them spyces and other marchaundise in great abundance The region is not generally fruytful yet hath it wheat and f●eshe but greate scarcenesse of wood The soules wander in the feldes as they doe in the region of Calicut But the popingiayes are here much fayrer It bringeth foorth also spices saunders tinne elephātes horses shepe wilde oxē pecockes and such other kyndes of beastes It is not lawfull there to bye and sell● except you bye spices and sylke It is also there very daungerous to walke in the citie in the nighte season beecause of the theft cruelnes of the inhabitātes which kil one another like dogges And therfore the marchaund straūgers lodge not out of their shippes How the Portugales subdued Malaccha shalbe said hereafter in the descripcion of the newe Ilandes ¶ Of the greate and ryche Ilande of Sumatra or Samotra sometyme called Tabrobana SOme thinke this Sumatra to be that Iland which of the old writers is called Tabrobana It is verye great and riche and hath in it foure Kinges crowned with Diademes They are Idolaters in religion maner of lyuinge and apparell not muche vnlyke the Kinge of Tarnasseri They exceade all other men in bignesse of bodie They haue greye or blewe eyes and are of cruell countenaunce and terrible voyce They are long lyued and lyue euen vntyl an hundreth yeares of age The sea in certaine chanels is of such heigth and depth that no anker may come to the bottome therof The inhabitantes are great fyshers on the sea and haue great pleasure to take the shelle fysshe called the Tortoyse of the sea of whiche some are of suche houdge bignes that the shelle of one of them may suffise to make a house well able to receaue a hole famelie For some of them beare shelles of xv cubites in length and are therefore apt for that purpose The most part of this Ilande is burnte with heate and hath in it many desolate places and wildernesses There are founde many and greate Pearles For theyr money they vse coyned golde syluer and tynne The goldē coyne hath on the one syde a deuils head grauen and on the othersyde a chariot which Elephantes draw This region bringeth foorth more plentie of Elephantes of greater stature a better broede then are found in any other place In the sea about this Ilande are often tymes sene the great monstrous fysshes kynde of Whales called Balene which bring many incōmodities to the inhabitantes They are of such monstrous bignes that when they approche to the Sea bankes they seeme lyke vnto hylles they haue rough backes full of sharpe prickes And except men walke very warely by the sea bankes they are in daūger to be sodeynly swalowed vp of these monsters Some of thē haue so greate and wyde mouthes that they sometymes swallowe whole shippes with the mē This coūtrey bringeth foorthe Lacha Lacca or Lacta which steyneth silke cloth in high redde or crimison coloure It is engendred in a tree not much vnlyke vnto our walnut trees Ther is also great plēty of pepper higher thē is founde in other places In ●heir mother tōge pepper is called Molaga It is solde there by measure as wheat is with

was proued to be most wyse and certayne of hys frendes asked hym why he durste be so boulde he aunswered that Plato was hys frende and so was Socrates but trueth hys frende more then they bothe euen so I thinke it no iniurye nor contumelye to Saynct Augustyne yf the same were sayde of hym also geuynge hym otherwyse hys dewe commendacions as he was surelye an excellent● man of dyuyne wytte and knowledge and so trauayled in settynge foorth Christes true Relygion in those turmoylous dayes in perpetual combatte agaynste learned heretykes and Prynces of the worlde that he is worthelye called a Doctour and Pyller of Christes Churche And as for Lactantius the intente of whose wrytinges was chiefelye to ●hys ende to dyminisshe thestimacion of Philosophye as at those dayes it was necessarie to doe amonge the Gentyles and to aduaunce Goddes woorde whyche they contemned for the symplicitie of the same albeit he attempted as farre as hys learninge woulde serue hym to make all thynges in Philophie vncertayne yet are hys argumentes so slender that vnlesse GOD by the secrete working of hys spyryte hadde called the Gentyles to the true Faythe I feare me leaste fewe or none of them specyallye of the greate wyttes woulde haue been conuerted by ●actantius argumentes Howe he dalyeth in denyinge the yearth to bee rounde and that it is possyble that it myghte bee longe and rounde lyke an Egge or otherwyse longe and holowe lyke a bote meanynge I suppose that the Sea myghte bee conteyned in the holownesse of the same wyth suche other opinyons grounded of no reason it were to longe to rehearse Yet forasmuche as he was a learned manne and for the better satisfyinge of suche wyttes as ar● desyreous to know some appearaunce of truth by naturall reason and demonstracions lette vs admytte that the earth were rounde after anye of those fasshions whiche he describeth yet can it not bee denyed but that it is conteyned wythin the holowenesse yf I maye so call it of the ayre hauynge the heauen in euerye place dyrectelye ouer euery parte of the same as sayeth the Poete and Philosopher Virgill Caelum undique sursum Excepte perhappes Lactantius shoulde thinke that it honge by some thynge or were otherwyse borne vppe wyth pyllers as the Poetes Fable that the Gyaunte Atlas beareth the worlde on hys shoulders whereby they meane that a manne of valiente mynde must stoutelye beare the chaunces of the worlde Of whyche hangeinge or bearynge of the earth I reade a better and more true sayinge in the holye Scripture where it is written Fert omnia uerbo or●s sui that is that God sustayneth and beareth all thinges wyth the woorde of hys mouth Holye Iob also sayeth that the LORD ●tretcheth oute the Northe ouer the emptye and hangeth the earth vpon nothynge Meaninge by nothinge the ayre because to oure senses it appeareth in maner as nothynge Or otherwyse that it is not dependynge of anye other substaunce but to bee sustayned onelye by the power of GOD who hath appoynted the Elementes theyr places and lymittes and causeth the heuye to stande faste as wyt●esseth Moyses in hys songe sayinge By the wynde of thy nostrels the waters gathered together the flouddes stoode styll as an heape and the deepe wa●er congeled togeather in the heart of the Sea Wherefore yf the heauen bee rounde whiche no manne can reasonably denye that euer sawe the Sunne and sterres moue And yf the earth bee the center of the worlde dependinge as we haue sayde beefore then m●ste it needes folowe that they whiche inhabiting the Northweste partes of the earth haue the Pole Artike eleuate thyrtye degree● muste needes bee Antipodes to them whiche inhabitinge the Southeaste partes of the earth haue the Pole Antartike eleuate in the same degree and so the lyke to bee vnderstand of all other eleuacions and degrees And yf here anye wyll obiect that eyther the earth or firme land is not so large or so farre extēded or other wyse not inhabited althoughe it were so large or that the sea i● greater then the lande to thys I aunswere that no mā knoweth further hereof then is tryed and founde by experience as we haue sayde beefore And albeit that the sea were larger then the firme land yet forasmuche as there are Ilande● founde in all places of the mayne Sea and in maner all inhabited there is no reason to the contrarye but that the people of those Ilandes maye be Antipodes to such as dwel on the fyrme lande on the contrary parte whether the earth be round and longe yea or square yf you wyll notwythstandynge But wyth what certayne demonstracion● the Astronomers and Geometricians proue the earth to bee rounde and the Sphericall or rounde forme to bee mooste perfecte it were to longe to declare● I wyll therefore make an ende of thys matter wyth the sayinge of Sayncte Paule in hys Oracion to the menne of Athens That GOD made of one bloudde all nacions of menne to dwell vpon the hole face of the earth ¶ I hadde entended here well beeloued Reader to haue spoken somewhat of suche straunge thynges and Monsters whereof mencion is made in thys Booke to thende that suche as by the narownes of theyr vnderstandinge are no● of capacitie to conceaue the causes and natures of thynges myghte partely haue been satisfyed wyth some sensyble reasons● But beynge at thys tyme otherwyse hindered it shal suffise al good and hone●t wittes● that whatsoeuer the Lorde ha●h pleased that hath he done in heauen and in earth and in the Sea and in all depe places● ¶ Ecclesiasticus Capit. i. ¶ The eye is not satisfyed with syght the eare is not fylled with bearinge ¶ The Table ¶ Of the Ilande of Iaua Of the Ilande of Madagascar Of the Ilande of zanzibar Of the two Ilandes in the which men and wome● dwell a sunder Of the mightie Empyre of Cathay subiect vnder the dominiō of the great Cham or Cane Emperour of Tartaria Of certayn Prouinces subiect vnder the dominiō of the great Cham. Of the Prouince of Mangi Of the Region of Tangut Of the newe Ilandes howe when and by whom they were founde Of the two Ilandes Iohanna and Hispana Of the Canibales which eate mans fleshe Of the maners of the inhabitantes of Hispana How Christophorus Colūbus after that he had founde the newe Ilandes returned to Spayne and preparing a new nauie sailed agayn to y e Canibales How Colūbus the Admiral passed many Ilādes and what chaunced to hym his in that viage Of the newe India as it is founde and knowe● in these oure dayes Of the Adamant stone otherwise called the Di●mant Of the Kingdōs cities of Narsinga Canonor Howe the Elephantes in India are prepared to the warres Of the beaste called Rhinoceros Of Calicut the moste famous markette towne of India Of the maners of the Indians in Calicut Of Pepper and other

his pompes triumphes are in maner incredible they that wayt vpon the kinge weare on the vpper partes of theyr shoes certayne shyning precious stones as Piro●i whiche are a kind of Rubies or Carbūcles with Diamādes such other But what maner of Iewelles they vse in y e stede of collers eareringes and ringes you may well consyder wheras they geue suche honour to theyr f●te In this kingdom is said to be a mountayne out of the which Diamandes are digged ¶ Of the Diamande stone called in Latine Adamas THe Diamande is engendred in the mynes of India Ethiopia Arabia Macedonia and Cyprus and in the golde mynes of the same countries That of India excelleth all other in beautie and clearenes that which is of the coloure of yron is called Siderites it is oftētymes found in colour like vnto cristal though it be sometimes lyke therto in whytnes yet doth it differ from cristall in hardnes in so much that if it be layd vpō an anuil and strongly strikē with a hammer the anuyl and hammer shal soner be wounded and leape away then the stone perished or diminished it doth not onelye refuse the forse of Iron but also resisteth the power of fyre whose heate is so farre vnable to melte it that it can not so muche as heate it if we geue credit to Plinie and is also rather made purer therby then anye wayes defyled or corrupted neuertheles the singuler and excellent hardnes of this stone is made so softe with y e hoate bloud of a Goate or a Lyon that it maye be broken and if it be put with moltē lead in hoate fornaces it waxeth so hoate that it wylbe dissolued yet are not a●l Diamādes of such hardnesse for that of Cyprus and also that of the coloure of Iron called ●iderites may be broken with hammers and perced with another Diamand his vertue is to be bewray poisons and to frustrate thopperacion therof and beeing therefore greatly estemed of Kinges and Princes it hath euer been of g●eat price The mountaine of India out of the which the Diamandes are digged is compassed with a walle on euery syde kepte with a strong defence ¶ Of the kingdoms cities of Narsinga and Canonor THe king of Narsinga in riches and dominion excelleth all other Kinges in those partes The chiefe cytie where the King is resident is in situa●ion and fynenes much lyke vnto the cytie of Milayne but that it s●andeth in a place somewhat declyning and lesse equall This king hath euer in a red●nes manye thousandes of men of armes as one that is euer at warre with other countreys borderers nere aboute him He is geuen to most vile Idolatrie and honoureth the deuyll euen as doth the king of Calicut The maners and fashions of the inhabitātes are after this sorte The gentlemen or such as are of greatest reuenewes vse to weare an inward cote or peticote not very long hauing theyr heades bounde aboute with listes rowles of sundry coloures after the maner of the Turkes The cōmon people couer onli their priuie parts and are besyde all together naked The Kynge weareth on his head a stately cap made of the riche cloth of Asia beyng two hādfulles in length Whē he goeth to y e warres he weareth a vesture of y e silke called Goss●mpine which he couereth with a cloke adorned w t plates of gold y e hemme or edge of his cloke is beset with all maner of ouches Iewelles Hys horse is iudged to be of such valure if you respect y e price as is one of our cities And this is by the meanes of y e innumerable multitude sundrie kindes of precious s●ones perles where with y e ●rappers barbes other furnitures of his horse are couered w t an incredible pōpe glori The soyle of Narsinga beareth nether wheate nor grapes and ●s in maner without al kinde of fruites except ●itrons and gourdes the inhabitantes eate no bread but ryce fishe and fleshe and also walnuttes which that countrey beareth there begin spyces to be found as ginger pepper mirabolanes Cardamome Cassia and dyuers other kyndes of spyces Cananor is a very excellente cytie fayre and beautifull in all thinges sauing that the Kinge thereof is an Idolater This citie hath a hauen whether the horses of Persia are brought but theyr tribute or custome is excedinge great the inhabitantes lyue with ryce flesshe and fyshe as do they of Narsinga in the warres they vse the sweorde the round target speares and bowes haue nowe also the vse of gonnes they are all naked sauing their prieuie partes and go beare headed except when they goe to the warres for then they couer theyr heades with a redde hatte which thei folde double and bind it fast with a lyst or bande In the warres they vse neither horse mule or asse nether that kynde of camels which we cōmonly call dromedaries but vse onely Elephātes There is also in the kingdō of Narsinga another godly citie called Bisinagar it is cōpassed aboute with a walle situate on the side of a hyll beeyng .viij. myles in circuite hauinge also in it a famous market place The soyle is very fruitful there are all delicate thinges to be foūd that may encrease the pleasures of this lyfe There maye no where be foūd more pleasaūt feldes and woddes for hauking hūtinge a man woulde thinke it were a very Paradyse of pleasure The king of this citie is of great power he keepeth dayly many thousandes of mē at armes vsinge Elephantes in the stede of horses And hath euer foure hundreth Elephantes prepared for the warres ¶ How the Elephantes in India are prepared to warre THe Elephāt is a beast very docible and apte to be taught and little inferiour from humaine sense excellinge all other beastes in fortitude and strength Therfore y e Indians when they prepare them to the warres put great packsaddels vpon thē which they bind fast with two chaines of Iron cōming vnder theyr belyes Upō the packsaddels they haue on euery side a litle house or towre or cage if you list so to cal it made of wood These towres ar made fast to the necke of the beaste with certayne sawed bordes of the thickenes of halfe a hande breadth Euery towre receyueth thre men And betwene both the towres● vpō the back of the beast sytteth an Indian a man of that countrey which speaketh vnto the beaste For this beast hath marueylous vnderstanding of the language of hys natyue countrey doth wonderfulli beare in memorie benefytes shewed vnto him It is also moste certayne that none other beast draweth so nere to the excellence of humayne sense or reason as doeth this beast as maye most playnly appeare yf we cōsidre how he is geuē to loue glory to a certeyn frendly gentlenes honest maners ioyned with a marueylous discrecion

all the yere after The women kepe the mē children with them vntyll they bee xv yeares of age then send them to theyr fathers The women haue nought els to do but to take charge of their children and to gather certayne fruites But the men labour and haue care how they may fynde theyr wyfe and chyldren They are exercysed in fyshing and sell fyshes both newe taken and olde dryed to marchaunte straungers whereby they receaue great commoditios ¶ Of the greate Empyre of Cathay being vnder the dominiō of the great Cham whiche some call the great Can Emperoure of Tartaria in olde tyme called Scythia THe superiour or high India whiche is nowe called Cathay is a region excedinge large and of greate power whose Emperour is y e great Cham of Tartaria hauinge vnder him many Prouinces people and Princes and innumerable Ilādes in the great East sea called the greate Ocean He hath vnder his dominion great famous cities as are these Cambalu Quenquinafu Mi●n Cacausu Canglu T●dinfu Tingui and dyuers other Amōg the people of this countrey one mā hath manye wyues whiche declare theyr loue to their husbandes after this sort Whē the husband is dead euery one of his wiues pleade their cause before a iudge to proue which of them was most louing to her husband beste beloued of him so y t she which by the sentence of the iudges is found to haue been most faythful and diligēte decketh herselfe moste gorgiously in all her sumptuous araye procedeth like a Virago stoutly cherefully to the fire where the corps of her husbande was burnte castinge her selfe into the same fyre embrasing and kissing the dead bodi of her husband vntyll she also be cōsumed by the fyre whiche she reputeth for an honourable sepulture whereas his other wyues are estemed to lyue in shame and infamie They ioyne in mariage neyther in respect of riches or nobilite but onlye for loue beautie rather for y e encrease of posteritie then for plea●ure There is also another straūge custome amōg these Indians y t is that wheras the poorer sort are not able to geue any dowry with theyr doughters to mariage they bringe thē forth euē in y e floure of their age to y e market place with trūpettes such other instrumētes as they vse in the warres Where the multitude beynge called together the maydes fyrste of all discouere theyr backe partes euen vp to the shoulders afterward theyr forepartes in lyke maners And vpon this declaring their pouertie nakednes are maried to such as lyke thē best This people of Cathay are of the nacion of thē which in tyme past were called Scythians a kind of men as saith Haitho of subtill wyt affyrming that onely they see with two eies that all other men besyde them are blind of the one eye Theyr quickenes of witte is great but their boasting is more The hole naciō is perswaded that they greatly excel all other mē in subteltie of wit and knowledge The inhabitantes are whyte men with small eyes withoute beardes vtterly voyde of all godly knowledge For some of them pray to the sunne some to the mone some to Images some to an oxe and some to other monsters of theyr phantasticall supersticion They haue no law written and are of no faith And albeit that in workemāship and artes they are marueylous wyttie yet haue they no knowledge of dyuine or godly thinges It is a timorous kynde of men and greatly fearinge death And are therefore in theyr warres more politike then valient In the warres they vse arrowes certayne other kyndes of weapons vnknowē to men of other coūtreis The monie which they vse is made of a certayne paper beeinge foure square with y e Kinges ymage printed theron Theyr housholde stuffe is of golde syluer other metals they haue greate scarcenes of oyle The great Emperour of Cathay keepeth his courte in the riche mightie cytie called Cambalu being the chefest citie of all the Empyre of such greatnesse that it conteyneth in circuite sixe l●ages This citie is foure square so that euery quadrature or syde of the wall hath in it thre principal portes or gates Also in all the corners of the walles are veri faire palaces in which the artillery or armure of the cytie is reserued The stretes are made very streyght and right forth so that frō any one gate to the other beinge directly ouer against the same a man may se plainly through the cytie hauing y e houses on euery syde lyke palaces placed in goodly ordre most beautifull to behold Without the cytie there are twelue great suburbes adherēt to the .xii. gates of y e cytie whether the marchaūtes straungers haue their cōtinual recourse as to y e burse or strete It can not be spoken what great abundaunce of marchaundise and riches is brought to his citie a man wold thinke that it were sufficient to serue all the worlde Precious stones pearles silke and spices of dyuers kindes are brought thether from India and Mangi other regions There passeth not a daye in the yeare in which there are not about a thousand waynes ladē with silke which are brought to this citie by straunge marchauntes What greate pompe glory forniture of all thinges is obserued in the Emperours courte it can not be spokē He hath in his courte twelue thousand horsemen whiche haue the custodie of his body distribute their waytinge dayes after this order y t whereas one of y e captaynes of this garisō with his thre thousand souldiers hath wayted vpō the kinges personne three dayes another captayne in lyke order wyth as manye menne succedeth in hys rowme for other three dayes and lykewyse an other after hym executethe the same offyce When the Emperoure maketh anye bankette it cannot be said what great pompe is obserued He hath sytting at his lefte hand his chefest quene whō he most estemeth and at his right hād hys sonnes a●d suche as are of the kinges bloud but thei syt somwhat lower further of The other noble men which wayte not sytte in a place yet somewhat lower All such as in the court syt at meat vse none other drinking cuppes then of gold The Princes whiche wayte on the Emperoure at hys meate haue all theyr mouthes couered with fyne silken clothes least in any case they should blow or breath on the kinges meate or drinke And whē the Emperour lifteth vp his cup to drinke al the musicions and minstrels that stand about him playe on theyr instrumētes while in the meane time all suche as wayte on hym stoupe downe make lowe curtesie How great honoure is exhibited to this Emperour ' howe many precious and riche presentes are offred vnto him by his Princes Dukes Leaue tenauntes and presydentes of prouinces and rulers of cities no man is