God LV. Remember you not what Esay saith in his 14. Cha. speaking to Lucifer It was thou saith he that saidst in thy hart I wil mount vp into heauen put my chaire vpon the starrs and seate my selfe on the hill of the testament in the sides and corners of the wind Circius or Aquilon BE. These authorities haue many interpretations but howsoeuer it be sure it is that there is in these Northerne parts an infinite number of Sorcerers Witches Enchaunters and Negromancers AN. Those of the Prouinces of Biarmia Scrifinia Finland with many other bordering Regions doe as the cōmon fame goeth for the most part all exercise Negromancie chiefly those of Filandia and Laponia which they vaunt to haue learned of Zorastes To such as sailed to their country for traffiques sake and had the wind contrary at their departure they vsed to sell for mony or merchandize such so cōmodious wind as they themselues desired They vsed to knit in a cord three knots of which vndoing the one there followed presently a moderate wind out of what Coast so euer they desired vndoing the second the wind began to bluster somwhat more furiously but vpon the losing of the third there arose such raging stormes and tempests that the shippes miscaried oftentimes and were drowned And therfore such strangers as traffiqued thither procured to entertaine friendship with them imagining their happy and vnhappy successe the raging and calmenes of the Sea to be at their pleasure and disposition for in this the deuils were to them in great subiection and obedience Besides when any man desired to know news frō forraine parts there were amongst thē diuers that would vndertake to giue them true aduertisements of such things as they required to know being wel paid for their paines They enclosed thēselues into a chamber taking with them their wiues or som other person whō they especially trusted then smiting vpon a figure of mettall which they kept made in fashion of a Toade or Serpent after whispering some words making certaine signes they fell downe groueling on the ground in a traunce most straightly charging and enioyning him or her that stoode by to take great heed that no flye vermine or beast should touch them while they so continued Returning to themselues they aunswered to such thinges as they were enquired of so truly that they were neuer found to be false in any one point And this they publiquely vsed till they receaued the faith of our Sauior Christ since which if they vse the same it is with great secrecie and most seuerely punished if it be knowne There are as yet in certaine Prouinces that confine vpon them and are somewhat neerer vnto vs many notable Negromancers famous by the writing of many Authors Amongst the rest there was euen almost in our time Henry king of Swethland who had the deuils so ready and obedient at his commaundement that he caused presently the wind to turne and change into what part so euer hee pointed with his cap in so much that of the common people he was called by no other name then Windy Bonet He had a Sonne in lawe called Reyner King of Denmarke who conquered on the Sea coast many Countries by force of Armes neuer at any time hauing contrary wind when hee went to Seaward beeing therein by his Father in law alwayes assisted to whom hee succeeded afterwards also in the Kingdome of Swethland Many write of a woman called Agaberta daughter of a Gyant in those Septentrionall Lands whose name was Vagonostus that she was so skilfull in Negromancie that she sildome suffered her selfe to be seene in her proper figure somtimes she would resemble an old withered wrinkled Crone sometimes a most beautifull and goodly Mayden somtimes she would seeme so feeble and faint and yellow of colour as though shee had beene consumed with a long and languishing Ague another time she would be so high that her head should seeme to reach vnto the clouds changing when she listed with such facility her shape as did Vrgand the vnknown of which old fables make such mention the strange force of her enchauntments was such that she could darken the Sun Moone Starres leuell high Mountaines and make plaine champaine of sauage Deserts pull trees vp by the rootes and dry vp running Riuers with many the like as though shee had had all the deuills of hell ready at a beck to fulfill her commaundements The like is written of an other called Grace of Norway Yffrotus the mighty King of Gothland and Swethland walking for recreation along the Sea-shore was runne at by a Cow and hurt with her hornes in such sort that hee died presently vpon the same afterward it came to be knowne and proued that the same Cowe was a Witch disguised in that forme which for some griefe conceaued against the King had vsed that reuenge vpon him There was one called Hollerus so incredibly surpassing the rest in this detestable Science that the common people supposed him to be more then a mortall man honoured him as a God though at length they founde theyr error for notwithstanding his fained immortalitie his heade was cut off and his body torne in peeces by his enemies for commonly the deuill though hee helpe them for a while yet euer in the end he leaueth them in the myre Othinus which was held for one of the greatest Negromancers that euer was brought Hadignus king of Denmark to his kingdom out of farre Countries into which he was banished on horsebacke or rather on the deuils backe behind him through thicke and thinne yea and ouer the Sea it selfe bringing it by his Enchauntments so to passe that the King was receaued established in his gouernment afterwardes in a battaile against Haruinus King of Norway he caused such a clowdie showre of hayle to strike on the face of his enemies that not enduring the violence thereof and beeing on the other side furiously charged by the Danes they turned theyr backs were discomfited But it were time lost to entreate any farder of this people beeing the deuils disciples dwelling and dailie dealing so familiarly with them There are amongst them often seene visions and Spirits deluding those that trauaile appearing to them in likenes of some of theyr knowne friends and suddainly vanishing away so that the deuill seemeth to haue in those Septentrionall Countries greater dominion more libertie then in other parts LV. I remember that I haue read a certaine Author which among many strange and wonderfull thinges wryteth that there is in a certaine part of these Lands a mountaine enuironed round about with the Sea vnlesse it be of one side where it hath onely a very narrow and little entry so that it seemeth in manner to be an Iland the toppe thereof is couered with trees so thicke and high that a farre of they seeme to touch the Clowdes There is within the same
present at a spectacle so fearefull horrible cruell And if this Monster were not in such a desert place farre of from those parts which are by the people enhabited hee were able to dispeople and bring to desolation the vvhole Country for yet as it is those that are neerest liue in great feare and dread of him LVD Truly I remember not that euer I heard of a more terrible and cruell Serpent and therefore I much wonder why the people of that Countrey doe not seeke some remedy to deliuer themselues of so miserable a feare and scourge as he is vnto theÌ„ AN. Neuer thinke but that they haue done their best though perchance it hath little auailed them BE. Their only remedy must come froÌ„ God which is that time shal end his life to doe which the force of man suffiseth not As for my part I wonder not at all that there should be a serpent so great fierce as this is for both Plinie Strabo alleaging Megasthenes write of Serpents in India which are so great that they deuoure a Stag or an Oxe whole in at once Pliny also by authoritie of Metrodorê° saith that there are some so huge that they reach the birdes which flie in the ayre in time of the Emperor Regulus there was one found about the shores of the Riuer Bragada 120. foote long to destroy which there was a whole Army of men sette in order as though they had gone to assault a mightie Citty AN. But nowe turning to our former discourse I say it is a thing strange and meruailous that in so great an extremity of cold as that of the North there should breede so many venemous Serpents the number of which is so great that the people is with them miserably afflicted especially the Sheepheards whose trade of life being most in the open field meet with them oftenest and therfore they neuer goe vnprouided of necessary remedies to apply presently when neede requireth But being wearied with matter so full of contagion and poyson I will passe forward and come vnto their trees whose kinds and qualities are diuers rowing in that extreamity of cold Snow and Ice to such an exceeding height and greatnes that there are no better found in the world to make ships and maine masts of then they are But seeing they are smally different from ours I will spend no time in describing theyr particularities onely I will tell you of one called Betulnye which is in growth very great and tall and all the yeere long continually greene without casting his leafe for which cause of the common people he is called the holy Tree not vnderstanding his vertue and property which is so hote that in despite of the cold hee retaineth alwayes his greenenes and verdure so that many Serpents make their nests and dens vnder his rootes through the warmenesse and heate of the which they defend themselues against the rigorous sharpnes of the colde which all the other trees not enduring as they shoote forth their leaues fruites in the Sommer so shed they them againe in the Winter returning to their naked barenes The like also doe all their hearbes and plants of which many are such as we haue commonly heere and many farre different of vs neither knowne nor vsed BER I am of opinion that in these Lands there are generally all such kinds of thinges as are in others excepting alwayes the difference of the soyles the quality of which maketh some better some worse and of greater and lesser vertue in their kinds and operations But let vs detaine our selues no longer about thinges of so small importance I pray you therefore tell vs if that be true of which we reasoned the other day that is if all these Prouinces and Lands are enhabited of Christians for if it be so I wonder we should haue heere no more particular knowledge and notice of a matter so important AN. Make no doubt at all of that which I haue tolde you for all those of the Kingdome of Norway which is very great and contayneth many mighty Prouinces and those of Dacia Bothnia Elfinguia Laponia Lituania Escamia Filandia Escandia Gronland Island Gothland Westgothland Swethland Sueue and Denmarke with many other Septentrionall Regions and Prouinces euen to the Hiperbores amongst which also are sundry of those that the great Duke of Muscouia and Emperour of the Russians possesseth all these I say are vnder the banner and fayth of our Sauiour Iesus Christ though differently For some follow the Church of Rome others obserue the ceremonies of the Greek church cleauing wholy there-vnto others of them followe the Catholique Church but ioyntly there-withall certaine errors that are there spread abroade LV. But leauing this till an other time and returning to our former purpose I pray you tell me if the Emperour of Russia be so great a Monarch as heere it is sayd he is AN. No doubt but he is so great and mighty that there are fewe or no Princes of Christendome besides equall vnto him in gouernment and signeury of manie Kingdomes Prouinces Lands and Countries as partly may be vnderstoode by his tytles in a Letter which he wrote to Pope Clement the seauenth the beginning of which was as followeth The great Lord Basilius by the grace of God Emperour and Lord of all Russia great Duke of Blodemaria of Muscouia of Nouogradia of Plescouia of Finolenia of Yfferia of Iugoria of Perminea of Verchia of Valgaria Lord and great Prince of the neather Nonogradia of Cernigonia of Razania of Volothecia of Rozeuia of Belchia of Boschouia of Iraslauia of Beloceria of Vdoria of Obdoria of Condinia c. This Letter was written in the Citty of Muscouia which is his principall seate and from which the whole Country taketh his name in the yeere of our Lorde 1537. LU. Are all these Kingdomes Lands and Prouinces which you haue named enhabited with Christians AN. It is to be supposed that they are though I cannot affirme the same for a certainty for perchaunce hee hath gotten some of them by conquest the people of which may yet remaine in their idolatry as for the law of Mahomet it is there of small force Yet for all this this Duke or Emperour or what you list to call him being so mighty a Prince as he is there is notwithstanding a Prouince and Nation of people called Finnes which liue in a manner vnder the Pole so valiant and stoute in Armes that they hold him at a bay yea and sometimes enter into his Country with fire and sword making great conquests vppon him BER So that the neerest Nation to them that liue vnder the North-pole is that of the Russians Muscouites AN. You say true it is so indeede of one side marry on the other side is Bothnia Fynland and some others which are vnder the very Pole but on that side of Russia and Muscouia the old Cosmographers for far that they went reached not
withall you said that the shapes of men being al one their countenances gestures are so diuers that it is vnpossible to finde one like another in all points Wheras I haue heard read of many that were so like in resemblance the one vnto the other that there was no difference at all to be found between them Your selfe I know must needs haue better knowledge hereof then I because you haue read Pliny other authors which treat therof and Pedro Mexia hath copied out many examples of thē in his forrest of collections besides all the which I wil alledge some notable examples The first is of two striplings which one Toranius sold to Mark Anthonio saying they were two brothers when in truth the one was born in Europe the other in Asia whose likenes was such that there was not in any one point difference between thē And when Anthonio finding himselfe deceaued began to be angry Toranius satisfied him in saying that there was greater cause of wonder in the diuersity of their Nations then if as he first had sayd they had ben both begotten horn of one father mother I am sure you haue read what many authors write of K. Antiochus who being murdered by the means of his wife Laodice she placed in his steed clothed with his rich habiliaments regall ornaments one Artemō of Siria who resembled him in such sort that he raigned two yeres without being known or discouered of any man In Rome there was a man called Caius Bibius so like to Pompey that he could be discerned from him by no other means then by the diuersity of his apparell Cassius Seucrus Mirmilus Lucius Pancus Rubus Estrius Marcus Messala Menogenes were by couples one so like another that they were with much adoe to be knowne of theyr familier friends such as were well acquainted with them and haunted daily their company But leauing the auncient Romaines we haue the like examples enough amongst our selues Don Rodrigo Girdon and his brother the Count of Vruenna were so like that vnlesse it were by their attire habiliments their very Seruants knew them not apart in so much that I haue heard it affirmed which if it be true is passing strange that being children sleeping both in one bed in touching their legs or armes together the flesh of the one did so cleaue to the other that they could not without difficulty be sundred But what should we passe heerein any farther vvhen euery day we see and heare the like BER I can be a witnesse of two which I haue seene my selfe no lesse meruailous then these which you haue rehearsed of the one there are witnesses enough in this house of Beneuenta for it is yet not much aboue twenty yeares that the Earle had a Lacky whom another man came to seeke saying that he was his brother and that he had runne away from his Parents being young they were so like that there was not betweene them any iote of difference at all vnlesse it were that he that came was somwhat more in yeeres but which is strangest though the Lacky were sent for to take possession of some goods left him by his Father yet did he constantly deny the other to be his brother affirming with oathes that he was not borne in that Village nor Country by many miles the other still remaining obstinate in challenging him for his brother where-vpon the Earle commaunded them both to goe to the same Village for to satisfie an old woman there which said she was mother to them both The Lacky comming thither could not perswade them but that he was the selfe same whom they supposed in the end the old vvoman looking fixedly vpon him for better assurance quoth she if thou art my sonne thou hast in such a place of thy legge a marke vvhich vvhen thou wert a child was burned The Lacky with wonderfull astonishment confessed that he had such a marke indeede though still perseuering with oaths to affirme that he knew them not and that hee neuer in his life before had beene in that Village as the truth indeede vvas for afterward it was proued that he was borne farre from that place and it was well knowne who were his Parents Besides this it was my hap being but a stripling to see an other the like very strange in a Village hard by the Citty of Segouia where I remained foure or fiue dayes in the house of a very honest substantiall man which had by his wife two daughters so strangely like that in turning your eyes once of them it was vnpossible to know which was the one and which was the other they were about 13. or 14. yeres olde I asking the mother which was the elder shee pointed to the one saying that she was borne halfe an houre before the other for she had at one burden both them and a sonne which she told me was with an vnkle of his in Segouia so resembling in all points to his sisters that being one day apparelled in one of theyr garments and brought before her husband and her neyther hee nor shee did the whole day till night that hee was vnclothed finde know or perceaue any difference at all betweene him and his sister LVD Truely this is very strange and the like hath sildom happened in Spaine especially in our time Macrobius writeth in the second booke of his Saturnals that there came a young man to Rome so resembling Aug. Caesar that standing before him it seemed that hee beheld as in a glasse the figure of himselfe whereupon Caesar asked him if euer his mother had beene at Rome meaning thereby that perchance his father might haue had acquaintance with her which the young man perceiuing answered him redily that his mother had neuer been there but his father oftentimes though thys history be common rehearsed of many yet I could not let it passe because it serueth so fitly to the purpose of which wee entreat AN. I deny not but that this may be true and that there are many the like things hapned in the worlde but according to the old prouerbe One Swallow maketh no Sommer neyther doth the whole field leaue to be cald greene for two or three hearbes or leaues that are withered and of a dead colour within it these are things which happen sildome and therefore refute not a generalitie so great as is the diuersity common difference of the countenaunces and gestures of all the men and women in the whole world LUD I confesse that you haue great reason but let vs not so passe ouer Signior Bernards tale of the woman with three children borne at one burden all liuing and brought vp to that age which truly seemeth to me so strange that me thinks in my life I neuer heard the like especially in this our Country AN. I wonder not a little thereat my selfe yet Aristotle writeth that the
thy walls and in this manner encreased thy goodlines and beauty BER Perchaunce those Pigmees of which Ezechiell maketh mention was some Nation of little men but not so little as those which wee speake of for Pigmee in Hebrew is as much to say as a man of little stature for if these Pigmees were such as those Authors write they must needes enioy long life seeing they voyaged so farre vsing traffique by Sea bringing vnto vs such commodities as theyr Country yeeldeth and carrying backe such of ours as are necessarie for them so that I account it a matter vnpossible that men whose space of lyues is so short should traffique with such carefull industrie in the farre Countries of Siry and Iury. LU. Your opinion is not without reason but in the ende heerein we cannot stedfastly affirme any thing for trueth so that it is best that wee leaue it euen so contenting our selues with that which hath beene vpon this matter alleadged seeing we haue not as yet ended our discourse of monsters I say therefore that Ctesias affirmeth that beeing with Alexander in India hee sawe aboue 130000. men together hauing all heads like dogges and vsing no other speech but barking BER I would rather call these dogges with two feete or else some other two footed beasts such as there is a kinde of great Apes of the which I haue seene one with a doggs face but standing vpright on his feete each part of him had the shape of a man or so little difference that at the first any man might be deceaued and so perchaunce might Ctesias and the rest of those which saw them seeing they could not affirme vvhether they had the vse of reason vvhereby they might be held for men and not brute beasts AN. Both the one and the other may be but leauing this they write that there are certaine men dwelling on the hill Milo hauing on each foote eight toes which turne all backward and that they are of incredible swiftnes Others that are borne vvith theyr haire hoary gray vvhich as they waxe olde becommeth blacke To be short if I should rehearse the infinite number of such like as are reported I should neuer make an ende for you canne scarcely come to any manne vvhich will not tell you one vvoonder or other vvhich hee hath seene One vvill tell you of an Evve that brought foorth a Lyon vvhich as Elian sayeth happened in the Countrey of the Coosians in the time of the tiranny of Nicippus Another vvill tell you of a Sovve that farowed a Pygge resembling an Elephant vvhich happened not long since in this Tovvne vvherein vvee dwell so that euery one will tell you a new thing and for my part I will not beleeue but that they are true because we see euery day new secrets of nature discouered the world is so great that we cannot knowe in the one part what is done in the other If it were not for this it were vnpossible to write the number of them neither were any booke how great so euer able to containe them But for the proofe of the rest I will tell you of one strange people found out in the world Mine author is Iohanes Bohemus a Dutch man in his booke entituled the manners and customes of all Nations who though he declareth not the time wherein it happened nor what the person was that found them out yet he writeth it so familierly that it seemeth he was some man meruailous well knowne in his Country but because you shall not thinke that I enhaunce the matter with wordes of mine owne I will repeate those selfe same which he vsed in the which haue patience if I be somwhat long Iambolo sayth he a man from his childhood wel brought vp after that his Father died vsed the trade of Merchandize who voyaging towards Arabia to buy spices and costly perfumes the ship wherein he went was taken by certaine Rouers which made him with another of the prisoners Cow-heard and keeper of their cattell with which as he went one morning to the pasture hee and his companion were taken by certaine Aethiopians and caried into Aethiopia to a Citty situate on the Sea whose custome was from long and auncient time to cleanse that place and others of the Country there abouts according to the aunswere of an Oracle of theirs in sending at certaine seasons two men beeing strangers to the Iland which they call Fortunat whose enhabitants liue in great and blessed happines If these two went thither and returned againe it prognosticated to that Country great felicity but if they returned through feare of the long way or tempest of the Sea many troubles should happen to that Country and those which so returned were slaine and torne in peeces The Aethiopians had a little boate fit for two men to rule into the which they put victuals enough for sixe moneths beseeching them with all instance to direct the Provv of their boate according to the commaundement of the Oracle towards the South to the end they might arriue in that Iland where those fortunate men liued promising them great rewardes if after theyr arriuall they returned backe threatning to pull them in peeces if they should before through feare returne to any coast of that Country because theyr feare should be the occasion of many miseries to that Land and as in so returning they should shewe themselues most wicked and cruell so should they at theyr hands expect all crueltie possible to bee imagined Iambolo and his companion beeing put into the boate with these conditions the Ethiopians remained on the shore celebrating theyr holie ceremonies and inuoking theyr Gods to guide prosperously thys little ship and to graunt it after the voyage finished safe returne Who sayling continuallie 4. months passing many dangerous tempests at last wearied with so discomfortable a voyage arriued at the Iland wherto they were directed which was round and in compasse about 5000. stadyes approching to the shore some of the inhabitants came to receiue them in a little Skiffe others stoode on the shoare wondering at the strangenes of theyr habite and attyre but in fine all receiued them most curteously communicating with thē such thinges as they had The men of this Iland are not in body and manners like vnto ours though in forme and figure they resemble vs for they are foure cubites higher and theyr boanes are like sinewes which they double writhe each way they are passing nimble and withall so strong that whatsoeuer they take in theyr handes there is no possible force able to take it from them They are hairie but the same is so polished and delicate that not so much as any one haire standeth out of order Theyr faces most beautifull theyr bodies well featured the entry of theyr eares far larger then ours The chiefest thing wherein they differ from vs is theyr tongues which haue a singuler particularitie giuen thē
they may hope of them in time to come for if they sit fast without feare they nourish them with great care and diligence as of a noble inclination and deseruing to be cherished but if theyr courage faile or that they shew any demonstration of feare they send them to be brought vp in some barren places farre from them selues AN. I doe not so affirme these things for true that I thinke it deadly sinne not to beleeue them mary they are written by a man so graue and which in the rest of his works vsed such sincerity that truly me thinkes wee should doo him great wrong in not beleeuing him LV. I know not what to say that there should be no more notice in the world of a Country so fruitfull and a people so blessed especially seeing the Portugals haue sayled and discouered all the Coast of Aethiopia and India euen to the very Sunne rising where they haue found so many and so diuers Ilands that it should be almost vnpossible for any such Country to remaine vndiscouered AN. Meruaile not at this for the Portugals as you say haue not stirred out of the Coast of Affrica and India the farthest that they went being to the Iles of Molucco whence such store of spice commeth as for Taprobana Zamorra and Zeilan they are all adioyning Ilands neere to those Coasts but they neuer nauigated into the Ocean foure continuall moneths as these others did LV. You are deceaued heerein for in only Magellans voyage they sailed farther then euer any other Nation did and if there had beene any such miraculous people in the world they should then haue had knowledge of them as well as Pigafeta had of the Pigmees for they did not onely as you know discouer the Sea of Sur passing a Sea where in fiue or sixe moneths they neuer saw any land but also on the other side sailed within few degrees of the Southpole And besides this the 4000. Ilands which they discouered in the Archpelago towards the Sunne rising the most part of which are peopled and according to somes opinion are thought to be on the other side of the earth in none of which any such blessed people haue been found as you speake of AN. Though all this be as you say yet the world is so great and there is in it so much to be discouered that perchaunce they are in those parts which we know not thinges so strange and monstrous that if we saw them would make vs wonder a great deale more and giue vs occasion to bee lesse astonished at the others in respect of which peraduenture we should account these very possible and one day hauing more time we may discourse more particulerly of this matter BER I take this worde of yours for a debt marry I would now aske you which you holde for the greatest wonder in that people eyther their tongue so strangelie deuided that they speake differently and with diuers persons seuerall matters at one time or else in steede of bones to haue onely sinewes doubling their members euery way AN. The first I neuer heard of nor of any the like and therefore of the two I hold it for the stranger but the likelihoode of the second is authorised for true by many vvriters and chiefely by Varro who writeth that in Rome there was a Fencer called Tritamio of such exceeding strength that being bound hand and foot he wrestled with very strong men whom onely with pushing his body from one side to another he gaue such a blow that if he touched them they were in danger of their lyues the like force had a Sonne of his who was a man at Armes vnder Pompey the which without Arms went to fight with his enemy Armed whom taking by one finger he made him yeeld and brought him prisoner to the Campe. It is sayde that these two had not onely their sinewes at length like vnto other men but also thwart and croswise ouer all their whole body whence proceeded this their so miraculous strength There are many incredible thinges reported of the forces and strength of Milo which though they were without doubt supernaturall and miraculous yet were they in the ende the cause of his most miserable and disastrous death for putting his hands into the cleft of a great tree thinking to rent and split it forcibly thorough the same of a suddaine turned backe and closed with such violence catching entrapping and crushing his handes so miserably that beeing not able to pull them foorth and beeing farre from helpe and in a desolate place hee was there forced pittifully to finish his life and vnfortunate strength together cutting vp his body they found that the pipes of his armes and legs were doubled LU. Though the strength of Milo were so famous and renowned as you say yet were there in his time as diuers Authors make mention that exceeded him farre Elian writeth that there was one called Tritormo helde in such admiration for his strength that Milo thinking thereby the greatnesse of his fame to bee diminished and obscured sought him out and challenged him but at such time as they were to enter into combate Tritormo taking vppe a mighty peece of a Rocke so huge that it seemed vnpossible that anie humaine force should mooue it cast it from him three or foure times with such exceeding force and then lifting it vppe on his shoulders carried it so farre that Milo amazed at the strangenesse thereof cryed out O Iupiter and is it possible that thou hast brought an other Hercules into the vvorlde But whether this mans pipe bones were double or single no man knoweth BER I haue heard of some whose bones were whole sounde and massiue vvithout any marrowe in them as diuers vvrite of Ligdamus the Syracusan and that the same is the cause of greater force ANTHONIO I neuer savve any such but Pliny vvryteth thereof in these vvordes vvee vnderstande sayeth hee that there are certayne menne vvhose bones are massiue and firme vvithin in vvhome this one thing is to bee marked that they neyther suffer thyrste nor may at any time sweate As for thirste wee see it voluntarilie suppressed of diuers for there was a Romaine Gentleman called Iulio Uiator who beeing in his youth sicke of a certayne corruption betvveene the fleshe and the skinne was forbidden to drinke by the Phisitians vsing him selfe to which abstinance a vvhile hee kept it in his age without euer drinking any thing at all LUDOUICO This is a matter not to bee lette slippe but in the meane time lette vs returne to that of strength I saye therefore that the forces of Sampsonne were such that if the holy Scripture made not mention of them no manne would beleeue them so that wee maye also giue credite to that which is written of Hercules Theseus and other strong menne that haue beene in the vvorlde whose Histories are so common that it were to no purpose to rehearse them heere AN.
if they were then no greater then they now are the greatnes of his stature was not so out of proportion and wonderfull and if the bodies of Antheus Oryon had thē been measured they would not haue been so many of their cubits as they were of theirs that measured them I beleeue that they would nowe be more the cause hereof is that as the world waxeth old so al things draw to be lesser for euen as earth that hath not ben laboured yeeldeth greater fruite at the beginning and in more aboundance then after when it becōmeth weary and tired with continuall trauaile bringing forth euen so the vvorld through wearines and long course of generation ceaseth to breed men of so large and puissant statures as it wonted AN. Although in part of this your argument you seeme to haue some reason yet you are deceaued if you hold this for a generall rule without exception for this age of ours is not without Gyants and those very great truth it is that in times past there were of thē in many parts and now in very few those for the most part in Lands nere to the North South pole for it seemeth that Nature enclineth to create this greater men in cold Countries But seeing this is a matter which cannot be handled without falling into discourse of those Countries towards the Septentrion matter of no lesse admiration let vs leaue it till we meete another time to the ende wee may haue where-with to entertaine good conuersation LU. There are also people of great stature which liue in hote Countries towards the Aequinoctiall for as Crates Pergamenus writeth there is a people among the Aethiopians called Sirboti whose common stature is eight cubites and more in height and what thinke you May not these men well be called Gyants AN. This onely Author maketh relation thereof and though we haue notice of all the Nations of Aethiopians we haue neuer seene nor heard of any such great people amongst them but wee notoriously knowe that there are of them in the colde Regions and such as are commonly helde to bee vninhabitable which at farther leasure I will cause you thoroughly to vnderstand LV. If you thinke that I will forgette this your promise you are deceaued for I holde well in memory all such matters as we doo nowe leaue in suspence but nowe seeing you will haue it so let vs passe on and giue mee to vnderstand vvhether liue longest these great or little men for it agreeth with reason that the one greatnes should be conformable to the other AN. The long life of man consisteth neyther in littlenes nor greatnes but in being wel complexioned hauing good humors not apt to receaue corruption besides a mild reposed life good victuals sobriety in eating drinking many other particuler things which Phisitions prescribe doe help much there-vnto but the chiefest of all is the good quality condition of the country as wel for some particuler constellation as for the temperature purenes of the ayre breeding the victuals in perfection without rawe and flimy humors this I take to be the cause why some Nations liue so long Aelianicus sayth that in the Prouince of Aetolia the men liue 200. some 300. yeres and Pliny sayth that there is a people in India called Cimi who liue ordinarily 140 yeeres Onosecritus also writeth that in a certaine part of India where at noone dayes there is no shadow at all the men are of height 5. cubits and two hand breadths that they liue 130. yeres without waxing old but die euen as it were in their middle age There is another Nation of people of a Prouince called Pandora whose life endureth v. or 300. yeres in their youth their haire is hoary and gray in their elder age turning to be blacke Though these liues be long yet we may giue credite there-vnto for the causes which I haue said chiefely for the purenes of the aire which cōserueth health as wel in humane bodies thēselues as in the fruits victuals which grow there with lesse coruption more perfection vertue thē in other parts 〈◊〉 glueth testimony heereof speaking of the Iland Lemnos and the Citty Mirina the which hath in opposite the mountaine Atos in Macedonia which is so high that being thence in distance 6000. paces it couereth this Citty with his shadow on the top wherof moueth no aire at al but pure in so much that the ashes which there remaine moues not frō one yere to another on the height of this hil was builded a City called Acroton the enhabitants of which liued twice so long as those that dwelt beneath BE. If this Citty were so wholsom the people of so long life wherfore cam it to be dispeopled for saken by reason me thinks it should be as full of people as it were able to hold AN. One cōmodity alone suffiseth not to the life of man for what auaileth long life if men liue continually in penury and want of thinges necessary For in so great a height Spring they could haue none neither could they gather water into Cesternes because it was higher then the Region where the clouds are congealed which could by no means moue themselues wanting wind as they must needs want there for howe can there be any where the ashes lye without mouing so that this other commodities for their sustenance were to be prouided with such paine difficulty and vnease that forsaking this place they chose rather with more ease though shorter life to commodate themselues elsewhere for this selfe same cause is the mountaine of Olympus vninhabited in whose top also it is affirmed the ayre to be so pure that there bloweth no wind at all The like also I beleeue to be of the mountaine Pariardes which is in Armenia where after the flood the Arke of Noe remained But all this is to no other ende then that you should vnderstand the reason how mans life is to be conserned more in some places then in others and euen so I thinke it to be in the Prouinces which we haue rehearsed that also which the selfe Solinus sayeth of the Aethiopians whom they call Macrobians who are on the other side of the Iland Meroe and liue ordinarily 150. yeeres and many reach to 200. And Gaudencius Merula writeth that he hath found Authors which affirme that in the selfe same Iland Meroe the people neuer die of any sicknes liuing so long till very age consume them But leauing this generality of liues let vs come to entreate of some particulers without alleadging the liues of those holy Fathers out of the old Testament before and after the flood of 800. and 900. yeeres a peece which we firmely beleeue through faith and because the holy Church affirmeth it so that wee know it to be true and indubitable neither is that a small argument
furiously sallied dooing great hurt and damage in the Country killing and wounding the passengers and destroying the fruits laboured grounds Ixion seeing that the people hereby endamaged exclaimed vpoÌ„ him resoluing to take some order for the destruction of these Bulls made it be proclaimed that he would giue rich rewards great recompences to who so euer should kil any of them There were at that time in a Citty called Nephele certaine young men of great courage which were taught instructed by those of the same towne to breake tame horses to mount vpon their backs sometimes assailing and sometimes flying as neede required These vndertooke this enterpise to destroy these Bulls and through the aduantage of their horses the vertue of theyr own courage slew tooke daily so many of them that at last they cleared deliuered the Country of this anoyance Ixion accomplished his promise so that these young men remained not only rich but mighty formidable through the aduantage they had of other meÌ„ with this vse redines of their horses neuer till that time seen or known before They retained still the name of Centaures which signifieth wounders of Bulls They grew at last into such haughtines pride that they neither esteemed the King nor any man else doing what they list them selues so that beeing one day inuited to a certaine mariage in the towne of Larissa being wel tipled they determined to rauish the dames and Ladies there assembled which they barbarously accomplished rising of a sodaine and taking the Gentlewomen behind them on their horses riding away with theÌ„ for which cause the wars began betweene them the Lapiths for so were the men of that Country called The Centaures gathering theÌ„selues to the mountains by night came down to rob spoile stil sauing theÌ„selues throgh the swiftnes of their horses Those of the Countries there about which neuer til that time had seen any horsman thought that the maÌ„ the horse had ben all one because the town whence they issued to make their warres was called Nephele which is as much to say as a cloud the fable was inuented saying that the Centaures discended out of the clouds Ouid in his Meramorphosis entreateth hereof say that it was at the mariage of Perithous with Hypodameya daughter to Ixion he nameth also many of the Centaures by whoÌ„ this tumult was committed but the pure truth is that which Eginius writeth LV. It is no meruaile if the people in those dayes were so deceaued hauing neuer before seen horses broken tamed nor men sitting on their backs the strange nouelty whereof they could not otherwise vnderstand for proofe wherof we know that in the Ilands of the vvest-Indies the Indians when they first saw the Spaniards mounted vpon horses thought sure that the man and the horse had beene all one creature the feare conceaued through which amazement was cause that in many places they rendered themselues with more facillity then they would haue done if they had knowne the trueth thereof But withall you must vnderstand that the Auncients called old men also Centaures that were Tutors of noble mens Sonnes and so was Chiron called the maister of Achilles through which name diuers being deceaued painted him forth halfe like a man halfe like a horse BER I was much troubled with this matter of Centaures wherefore I am glad that you haue made me vnderstand so much therof but withall I would that Signior Anthonio would tell vs what his opinion is of Sea men for diuers affirme that there are such and that they want nothing but reason so like are they in all proportions to bee accounted perfect men as wee are AN. It is true indeede there are many graue sincere writers which affirme that there is in the Sea a kind of fish which they call Tritons bearing in each point the shape humane the female sort thereof they call Nereydes of which Pero Mexias in his Forrest writeth a particuler Chapter alleadging Pliny which sayeth that those of the Citty of Lisboa aduertised Tiberius Caesar how that they had found one of those men in a Caue neere to the Sea making musick with the shell of a fish but he forgot an other no lesse strange which the same Author telleth in these very wordes My witnesses are men renowned in the order of Knighthood that on the Ocean Sea neere to Calays they saw come into their shippe about night time a Sea man whose shape without any difference at all was humaine he was so great and wayed so heauy that the boate began to sinke on that side where hee stoode and if hee had stayed any thing longer it had been drowned Theodore Gaze also alleadged by Alexander of Alexandria writeth that in his time one of these Sea men or rather men fishes accustomed to hide him selfe in a Caue vnder a Spring by the Sea side in Epirus where young maydens vsed to fetch their water of which seeing any one comming alone rising vp hee caught her in his armes and carried her into the Sea so that hauing in this sort carried away diuers the enhabitants being aduertised thereof set such grins for him that at last they tooke him kept him some dayes They offered him meat but he refused to eate and so at length beeing in an element contrary to his nature died The same Alexander speaketh of another Sea-monster which Bonifacius Neapolitanê° a man of great authority certified him that he saw brought out of Mauritania into Spain whose face was like a man some-what aged his beard haire curled and glistring his complexion and colour in a manner blew in all his members proportioned like a man though his stature were somewhat greater the onely difference vvas that he had certaine finnes with the which as it seemed he diuided the water as he swamme LVD It seemeth by this which you haue sayd of these monsters that there should be in them a kinde of reason seeing the one entred by night into the Shyp with intention to doe it damage and the other vsed such craft in his embuscades to entrappe those women AN. They are some likelihoods though they conclude not for as we see that there are heere on earth some beastes vvith more vigorous instinct of nature then others and neerer approching to the counterfaiting gestures of men as for example Apes and such like so is there also in this point difference among the Fishes of the Sea as the Dolphins vvhich are more warie and cautelous then the others as well in doing damage as in auoyding danger for Nature hath giuen all things a naturall and generall inclination to ayde help theÌ„selues withall Olaus Magnus handleth very copiously thys matter of Tritons or Sea-men of which in the Northerne Seas he sayth there is great abundance and that it is true that they vse to come into little Shyps of which with their weight
and debating a matter so pleasant and delectable though it were to no other end then to moue vs to seeke and aspire vnto that heauenly Paradice which this terestriall representeth vnto vs. AN. Well then seeing it so pleaseth you I will recite the opinions of such as vnderstand it better than I doe and you may thereof iudge that which seemeth most agreeing to our Catholique faith and to reason I will with the greatest breuity I may make you pertaker of that which I remember Many Diuines especially those which haue written vpon Genesis haue discoursed vpon this matter of earthly Paradice amongst whose opinions though there be some diuersity yet they shoote all at one marke though in the meane time it be some confusion to those which curiously procure to sift out the truth thereof But seeing their opinions are all Christianlike and of good zeale I account it no error in following eyther of them But leauing a while the Christians and Diuines let vs first see what was the old Philosophers opinion though it were at blindfold concerning Paradise and the place on earth where they thought it to be If wee take this name of Paradice generally it signifieth a place of delight and so sayeth Saint Hierome in his Translation that Heden in the Hebrew Text signifieth delight according to the 70. Interpreters which hauing said that God planted Paradice in the place of Heden turne presently to declare the same calling it a Garden of delight of these delightful places there are many in the worlde for their exceeding beauty and pleasantnes called by this name and so Casaneus alleadging Philippus Bergamensis the one very late the other not very auncient sayeth that there is one in the Oryent towards the side of Zephyrus and this hee thinketh to be the same of which we now speake another in the Aequinoctiall betweene the winds Eurus Euronotus the third betweene the tropick of Cancer and the circle of the South pole a fourth in the Orient on the other side of the Aequinoctiall where the Sunne scorcheth with so vehement heate a fifth at the Southerne pole of which he sayth that Solinus also maketh mention and as I take it it is in his discourse of those that dwell on the other side of the Hyperbores The sixth he placeth in the Occident and withall he alleadgeth that the Senate of Rome had made a decree that none should be chosen high Pontif vnlesse he were in the Garden of delights in the prouince of Italy But me reemeth that Casaneus Philippus reckoning vp such places as these are calling them paradices and taking the word so largely might haue found a great many more For Salomon also sayeth he maketh Gardens and paradices and planteth in them fruitfull trees And Procopius writeth of a paradice in a certaine part of Affrica whose wordes are these There was saith he builded a royall pallace by a King of the Vandales in the most delightfull paradice of all those that euer I haue seene for there were many delicious Fountaines of which it was bedewed and watered and the vvoods round about were continually most fragrant greene flourishing These paradices are vnderstood as I haue said to be all the purest pleasantest places of the earth refreshed with sweet gales temperate wholesome ayres though perchance also such as haue written of them haue added somwhat to the truth and as for those of which Phillip of Bergamo speaketh they are described in places so far distant from vs that it is almost vnpossible to know the truth The Gentiles likewise according to their fals sects opinions fained the Elisian fields to be paradice whether they imagined the soules of those that liued well to be transported after their death Which some dreamed to be in the prouince of Andaluzia in this our Spain because it is a plat most pleasant delectable Others held opinion that they were not any where else then in an Iland called Phrodisia consecrated to Venus neere vnto Thule which was the most delicious and comfortable place that might be found in the whole world which sodainly sinking into the Sea vanished was seen no more But the commonest opinion was that the Elisian fields were those which we now call the fortunate Ilands the enhabitants of which are saide to liue so long that they are held to be as it were immortall Plato in his fourth book called Phedon writeth that there is a place on the earth so high aboue the clouds that they cannot raine vpō the same neither though it be neere the region of the fire feeleth it any immoderate heate but that there is alwaies a temperature of aire most pure perfect in such sort that many are of opinion that al things grow there in greater fertility abundance then in any other part of the earth and that the men are of purer complexion longer life then we whose bodies are such that many think them to be formed the greater part of fire aire as for water and earth they participate thereof very little neither feed they of such fruits victuals as we doe heere but differ far from vs in customs alwaies enioy a perfect freshnes of youth These words rehearseth Caelius Rodiginus which were saith he of a man that went serching out the certaine knowledge of our faith who was not far of frō being a Christian if there had been any man to haue instructed him wherin he was found to say so of him I know not for Plato spake wrote many other things wherein he deserued the name of Diuine out of which greater argument may be taken then out of these words to iudge as he doth of him That agreeth very well with this of Plato which Lactantius Firmianus writeth in verse in a little Treatise of the Phaenix discoursing of that Country whether after shee hath burned her selfe in Arabia and turned to reuiue againe of a vvorme engendered in her owne ashes she taketh her flight to passe her life till such time as of necessity she must returne to renue her selfe againe His very words are these There is saith he in the farthest part of the East a blessed place where the high gate of the eternall pole is open it is neyther anoyed with the heate of the Sunne nor the colde of the Winter but there whence the Sunne sendeth discouereth to vs the day there are neyther high mountaines nor low Valleyes the fields are all flat in a great and pleasant Plaine which notwithstanding the euen leuell thereof is ten fadoms higher then the highest mountaine of ours There is a flourishing vvood adorned with many beautifull trees whose braunches and leaues enioy perpetuall greenes and at such time as through the ill guiding of the chariot and horses of the Sunne by Phaeton the whole world burned this place was vntouched of the flame and when Deucalions flood ouerwholmed the whole
Generall flood it should be destroyed and ouerthrowne the selfe same consideration may serue for this of the Riuers not without proofes very euident and agreeable to reason for if it were destroyed with the Flood euen as it pleased God to permit the vndooing thereof so would hee also ordayne that all signes and markes of the same shoulde cease to the end that the peoples dwelling in the prouinces and borders thereabout shoulde haue no knowledge at all thereof that it should be no longer necessary for the Cherubin to remaine in garde thereof with a fierie Sworde as till that time hee had done But before wee come to handle the principall causes you shall vnderstande that there are some who holde opinion that all these foure Riuers rise neere the Land of Heden and come to ioyne in the same Leauing therefore a part Tygris and Euphrates because that of them seemeth in a manner verified as for Ganges the course therof is not so contrarie but that it may well meete where the other riuers doe and that any inconuenience eyther of lownes or highnes of the earth might bee sufficient to diuert or to cause the same to runne where it now doth But this is an argument that neyther concludeth nor carrieth any reason withall As for the Riuer Nilus they goe another way to worke saying that it is not the same which in the holy Scripture is called Fison for there are two Ethiopias say they the one in Affrica which is watred with Nilus the other in the West Indies in Asia beginning from the coast of Arabia folowing along the coast of the Ocean sea towards the East the which may be vnderstood by the holy Scriptures who call those of the Lande of Madian neere to Palestina Ethiopians Sephora also that was wife to Moises beeing natiue of that region was called Ethiopesse And with this agreeth a Glosse written in the margen of Caetano his discourse vppon thys matter by Anthonio de Fonseca a Frier of Portugall and a man very learned so that Fison may well be some Riuer of these which watereth this Country first discending by the Lande of Heden comming from the same to enter into the Ocean as Tygris and Euphrates and many other deepe riuers doe in the same maner may it be coniectured that Gion should bee some one of these riuers the one and the other through antiquity hauing lost theyr names and that it is not knowne because it cannot perfectly be prooued whether of these two Ethiopias is meant by the holy Scripture Aueneza saith it is a thing notorious that the Riuer Gion was not far from the Land of Israell according to that which is written in the third booke of Kings Thou shalt carry it into Gion although there be other Authors that vnderstande not Gion to be a Riuer but to be the Lake Siloe or else a Spring so called If that Gion were Ganges it is manifest that it runneth not so neere vnto Israel as it is heere said S. Isidore entreating of this matter sayeth that the Riuer called Araxes commeth out of Paradise which opinion is also maintained by Albertus Magnus Procopius writeth of another Riuer called Narsinus whose streame issueth from thence neere to the Riuer Euphrates some thinke that these are Gion and Fison though at this time their waters runne not through the same Lands These are the opinions of Ecclesiasticall Doctors labouring to discusse and sift out the truth of this secret But leauing them all I will tell you my opinion partly agreeing with Eugubinus and his followers that when it pleased God to drowne the whole worlde in time of the Patriarch Noe with a vniuersall flood mounting according to the sacred Text fifteene cubits in height aboue all the mountaines of the earth the same must of necessity make and vnmake change alter and ouerturne many things raysing valleyes abating mountaines altering the Deserts discouering many parts of the earth vnseene before and couering drowning many Citties and Regions which from thence forth remained vnder the water ouerwhelmed in the Sea or couered with Ponds and Lakes as we know that which without the flood happened to Sodome and Gomorrha with the rest which after they were burnt did sinke with them And we see oftentimes in the swelling and ouerflowing of great Riuers whole Countries drowned and made like vnto a Sea yea and sometimes mighty Riuers to lose their wonted passage and turne and change their course another way farre different from the first If I say the violent impetuosity of one onely riuer suffice to worke these effects What shall we then thinke was able to doe the incomparable fury and terrible swinging rage of the generall and vniuersall flood In the which as the same Text sayth all the Fountaines and Springs of the earth were broken vp by their bottomes and all the Conduits of heauen were opened that there might want no water eyther aboue or beneath If then the Springs so brake vp it could not be but that some of them were changed and passed into other places different from those in which they were before theyr streames scouring along through contrary wayes and veines of the earth In like manner might it happen to those which entered into terestriall Paradise issued forth to water those Lands named in the holy Text which eyther through the falling downe of huge mountaines and rocky hills or filling vp of lowe valleyes might be constrained to turne their streames farre differently to their former course or else by the permission and will of GOD which would haue vs to be ignorant of this secrete they changed their Springs and issues by hiding and shutting them selues in the bowels of the earth and running through the same many thousand miles and at last came to rush forth in other parts farre distant from those where they were before neyther passed they onely vnder a great quantity of Lands enhabited and vninhabited but the very Sea also whom they hold for mother Spring whence they proceede hideth them vnder her to the ende that they might returne to issue foorth where they were not knowne or if through some cause they were it should be vnto our greater admiration and meruaile as now it is Neyther wonder you at all if the generall flood wrought so great a mutation in the world for there haue not wanted graue men who affirme that the whole world before the time of the flood was plaine and leuell without any hill or valley at all and that by the waters thereof were made the diuersities of high and lowe places and the seperation of Ilands from firme Land And if these reasons suffice not let euery man thinke heerein what shall best agree with his owne fancy for in a mistery so doubtfull and secrete we may as well misse as hit and so S. Augustine thinking this to be a secret which God would not haue knowne but reserues it to himselfe saith that no
in our Sauiour Christ but remaine obstinate in stubbernes and hardnes of hart and therefore God permitteth that they liue continually in slauery and subiection of Christians Moores Pagans reproached contemned and persecuted in which seruile miserable state they shall continue so long as they doe perseuer in resisting not willingly acknowledge the manifest and knowne truth But this is so cleare that it were in vaine to spend therein any time Turning therefore to that whereas you said that in respect of other sectes there were but few Christians in the worlde I would haue you otherwise perswaded for presupposed that the greater and truer Christianity be in these our parts of Europe Yet for all that there are Christians in all parts of the world or at least ouer the greater part thereof Besides those with whom we commonly heere conuerse there is on the other side of Alemaigne Hungry Polonia within our Europe a great number of Christian Regions as Russia Prusia Lituania Moscouia part of Tartaria many other mighty Prouinces which followe the Greeke Church though not wholy for some of them apart sepuester them selues from the same holding seueral different opinions Besides these there are the kingdomes of Scotland Mirguena Swethland and Westgothland with infinite others towards the North of which we will one day discourse more particulerly and at length But leauing Europe because it is so knowne and notorious let vs passe into Libia Affrica which is the second part of the world where we shall finde besides many Countries conquered by the Crowne of Portugale and reduced to the Christian faith that on the Coast towards the South in the midst thereof is a Christendome so great large and wide that it is little lesse then this of our Europe which is wholy vnder the gouernment and subiection of one King and Gouernour LU. Is not that hee whom wee call Prester Iohn AN. Yes it is he indeede which is now commonly so called but those which gaue him this name and nowe call him so know not what they say nor whether they name him right or no. LV. This cannot I vnderstand vnlesse you declare it plainlier vnto mee for it is contrary to the common opinion of all men AN. I confesse it to be so and that it is a great chaunce if you find any man affirme the contrary but if you will heare me a little you shal vnderstand wherein the error is so that you your self wil confes that I haue reasō in that which I will say First therefore it were good that you did vnderstand what Paulus Iouius entreating of this matter affirmeth who sayth that this name of Prester Iohn is corrupted that his true name is Belulgian which was cōmon to all the Kings of that Land the which interpreted signifieth a rich pearle of great incomparable excellence But turning to our purpose if you reade the life of S. Thomas the Apostle and S. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles you shall find that S. Thomas went to preach the faith in India maior where he died leauing conuerted to the Christian beliefe infinite multitudes of people who electing and choosing after his death a priest that was called Iohn to gouerne instruct rule them from that time forward each of their Gouernors being for the most part priests were called Priest Iohn bearing the name of the first elected Of their election there is written a very strange History that at the time of the solemnity thereof a hand of S. Thomas was brought forth into which putting a dry withered Vine when hee that was elected passed by the same burgened and sprouted out Vine leaues greene branches and sundry clusters of ripe Grapes out of which they pressed the wine with which they celebrated the same day seruice But though you beleeue not this there is no greater danger For they had not the body of S. Thomas neither knew they where it was and as we find in the Chronicles of Portugale this holy Apostle died in a Country called Choromandel in the kingdom of Bishaga in a citty named Melia somtimes the principal of that kingdom but now ruinated remaining only certaine auncient and noble buildings by which it appeareth the Citty to haue been somtimes great populous amongst the which there is a church held by the enhabitants in great veneration saying that there lay buried the body of S. Thomas another of a King by him conuerted to the faith of Christ. The Portugales digging in search thereof found 3. bodies the one of the king another of the Apostle a third of one of his Disciples That of the Apostle they knew by sundry markes chiefly in that they found lying by him in his graue a Launce with the which the fame went in those Countries that he was slaine vvhich opinion whole India maintayneth but the Church in his life recordeth the same in another sort saying that he was wounded to death with a knife by the hands of an Idolatrous Priest though herein be small difference S. Isidore speaking of him saith that he died with the stroke of a Launce his body as it is written in his life was transported into the Country of Syria into the Citty of Aedisa and this is that which we chiefly ought to beleeue But how so euer it be S. Mathew was he who preached in Aethipia and S. Thomas in India after whom succeeded Prester Iohn whose beginning of rule was great mighty which authority in space of time they came to loose and to be yoked vnder the subiection of the great Cham. The manner of this being so far off hath not beene well vnderstooode though some haue endeuoured to write and giue notice thereof principally though passing obscurely a certayne Armenian but certayne it is that there are as yet sundry tokens of this Christianity Iohn Mandeuile vvryteth in the description of a iourney vvhich he made that there are many of these Christian Prouinces vnder the dominion Empire of great Cham whom at his entry into their Townes they encounter with their Cleargy in Procession the holy Crosse before them to which hee boweth maketh low reuerence and that they blesse fiue Apples presenting them vnto him in a dish of which hee taketh and eateth of the one If he refuse so to doe they take it for a great disfauour Lodouicus Patritius Romanus writeth that being in Taprobana he found there sundry Merchants of the fore-said Prouinces who professed the faith of Christ making him great and large offers if hee would accompany them home into their Country instruct them more amply throughly in the faith according to the vse of the Romain Church which request of theirs he would willingly haue accomplished but that he dared not vndertake so far a voyage so that heereby wee may gather that Prester Iohn is not hee which is in Aethiopia but he who was in the Oriental Indies
Garden into which the vision entred and Ayola after him but because there was in the midst thereof a great deepe Well Ayola stayed feating least the vision shold turne vpon him doe him some outrage vvhich the vision perceauing made signes that he shold not be afraid as it were requesting him to goe with him to a certaine place of the garden towards which he pointed whether they were no sooner come but the vision vanished sodainly away Ayola beeing alone began to call and coniure him making great protestations that if there were any thing in vvhich he might stand him in sted he was there ready to performe the same and that there should be in him no fault at all but staying there awhile and seeing not hearing any thing more he aduised to pull vp foure or fiue handfuls of grasse herbes in the selfe same place where himselfe thought that the vision vanished hauing done which hee returned and awaked his companions whom he found both soundly sleeping They looking vp vpon him sawe him so altered and his colour so changed that they verily thought he would there haue ended his life whereupon they rose vp and forced him to eate of a conserue which they had and to drinke a little wine then laying him downe on his bedde they asked him what was the cause of this his deadly alteration of looke wherupon he told them all that had happened beseeching them to keepe it secret because in reuealing it to others they shoulde neuer be beleeued But as these things are hard to be kept secret so one of them told it in a place whence it was knowne throughout the whole Citty and came at last to the hearing of the chiefe Magistrate who endeuouring to sound out the truth therof commaunded Ayola by solemne oath to declare the particularitie of each thing which he had seene who did so making this former relation The Gouernour hearing him tell the same with such assurance went with others of the Towne to the same place of the Garden where according as hee had told them they founde a great heape of withered grasse in which commaunding certaine men to digge with spytters they founde and that not very deepe vnder the grounde a graue and in the same a carkas with all the markes declared by Ayola which was the cause that his whole report was credited to be true but seeking to enquire and learne what body the same so buried should be so encheyned and exceeding in greatnes the ordinary stature of other men they founde no man that could expresly satisfie them therein though there were diuers old tales told of the predicessours of the owner of that house The Gouernour caused incontinently the carkas to be taken vp and buried in a Church from which time forward there were neuer any fearefull visions or noyses seen or heard more in that house Ayola returned afterwardes into Spayne and was prouided through his learning of many offices vnder the Crowne and his sonne after him in our time was a man of great sway and authoritie in this Country LV. It seemeth that Ayolas courage was farre better then Costillas seeing the one dyed through feare and the other remayned liuing but I would faine vnderstande in what sort thys Vision might appeare which seemeth not to be a matter of so great misterie AN. At least the Phylosophers and Physitions cannot attribute it to the abundance of melancholie because it appeared by the carkas which they found buried that the same vision was truly and substancially seene by Ayola and not represented in his fancie And if there were here any Diuines I dare vndertake there would not want diuersity of opinions for some would say that it was the worke of the deuill to no other end then to mocke the people in forming to himselfe a body of ayre or earth of the same figure like the carkas that lay buried Others woulde rather maintaine the same to be a good Angell dooing so to the intent that the same body whose soule was perchaunce in heauen might enioy sacred buriall neither woulde they want reasons for maintenaunce of their opinions euery man may therfore beleeue herein as pleaseth him without offending but howsoeuer it vvere by a good or euill Angell it was by the wil and sufferaunce of God and for my part I take it to be the surest to iudge alwayes the best BE. Your reason is good trulie this matter is not without some great mistery which vvee vnderstand not and therefore let vs spend no more time in altercation about it AN. Many thinges haue hapned and happen daily in the world to search the depth and bottom of whose secrets were great presumption at which though som times by signes and tokens we may giue a gesse yet we must alwayes thinke that there is some thing hidden from vs and of this sort is that which hapned to a Gentleman in thys our Spayne whose name for the foulenes of his endeuour and many respects beside I wil conceale and the name also of the towne where it hapned This Gentleman being very rich noble delt in matters of dishonest loue with a Nun the which to th' end shee might enioy his abhominable embracements willed him to make a key like vnto that of the Church doore and shee would finde time and meanes through her turne which shee had about the seruice of the Sachristie and other such occasions to meete him there where they both might satiate theyr filthy lusts and incestuous desires The Gentleman exceedingly reioycing at this match caused two keyes to be made the one for the doore of the Church Portall and an other of the Church doore it selfe which beeing doone because it was somewhat farre from his house hee tooke one night his horse and for the more secrecie of the matter rode thither alone being come thither about midnight leaping of his horse and tying him by the reynes of the bridle to a conuenient place he went towards the Monastery of which opening the first doore of the Portall hee founde that of the Church open of it selfe and in the Church a great light and brightnes of Torches and Wax candels and withall he heard voyces as it were of men singing and doing the funerall seruice of some one that was deceased at which being amazed he drew neerer better to behold the manner therof where he might see the Church to be full of Fryers and Priests singing these obsequies hauing in the midst of them a coffin couered with blacke about which were many light tapers burning each of the Friers Priestes and many other men besides that seemed to assist at these funerals hauing also a waxcandle burning in their hands but his greatest astonishment of all vvas that he knew not one of thē after hee had remained a while beholding thē he approched neere one of the Friers asked him for whom those honorable solemnities were done vvho answered him that such a gentleman naming his
night at last the dawning of the day began to appeare the student saw before him a goodly countrey ful of gardens plesant trees not far of a very great citty asking of his companion what countrie and cittie the same was hee made him aunswere that they were within the precincts of Granada and that the same was the Cittie vvhich they saw before them instantly desiring him in recompence of his easie voyage not to vtter this matter of him his horse to anie man liuing and so tooke his leaue of him bidding him to goe where it pleased him for hee was to take another way The Student after many thankes dispatching himselfe out of his cōpany went to the towne the most amazed man of the world thinking it vnpossible to finish a voyage of so many miles in one night vnlesse there had beene some deuill within the horse as it is most likelie there was BER It is most manifest that this could not be without the work of the deuill and I will recite vnto you another the like which a most substantiall friende of mine a man of verie good reputation told mee was most certaine and true and it hapned on the selfe same way of Granada to his father which in companie of another of his friendes going homewardes hauing parted from Valladolid and past the Towne of Olmedo met by the way with a stranger who told him that hee was also to goe the same way and that if it pleased them he would be glad to beare them company with which they beeing very well contented rode on together entertayning them selues with diuers kindes of discourses and pastimes till hauing ridden eight or nine miles theyr newe companion perswaded them to light downe in a greene Medow by the high way side which was to the eye very greene and pleasant and there spreading a great cloake which he ware drew out of his Budget prouision to eate and so did the others also and sate themselues all downe vpon the cloake and two of theyr Lacquaies with them and the newe commer would needs haue theyr horses also sette theyr feete vpon the same great cloake of his and so breaking theyr fast with great leysure and deuising of sundry things such as best pleased them after they had sitten a good space without scarcely thinking of their iournie they began to make hast to get a horsebake but theyr nevve companion byd them take leysure for they shoulde come in good time to Granada shewing them with his finger the citty not aboue a quarter of a league from thence bidding them thanke his cloake requesting them withall not to vtter this to any man which they promised him not without singuler astonishment vpon which he tooke his leaue of them departing by a contrary way LU. Truly eyther of both these things heere rehearsed are passing strange but if as you say the deuils lost not their nature though they lost grace then is the power and force which they haue if they be in liberty not restrained like vnto that of the good Angels and so as the Angell carried by the haire the Prophet Abacuck out of Iury into the denne of Lyons which was in Babilon where Daniel was might the deuill likewise carry in an houre these men so great a way as is betwixt Olmedo and Granada and in this manner doe I thinke that they carry those men and women whom wee call Sorcerers and Hags whether they will themselues AN. This is a lynage and kinde of people which are expresly agreed and accorded with the deuill holding and obeying him as their soueraigne Prince and Maister and suffering thēselues to be marked of him as his slaues which mark some say they beare in one of their eyes fashioned like a Toades foote by which they know and haue notice one of another for they haue amongst themselues great companies and fraternities making often generall meetings together at which times they pollute themselues with all filthines in accomplishing most abhominable villanies brutish lusts and infernall ceremonies and alwayes when so euer they meete so together they doe lowly homage and reuerence to the deuill who most cōmonly appeareth to them in the figure of a great Ram-goate where the wicked hellish abhominations that they commit are such that they are not to be vttered I will therefore onely tell you one which was told me for a matter most assured and approued by infinite testimonies and informations that were taken thereof which was thus A certaine man well learned and very discreete suspected vehemently a neighbour of his to be a Sorcerer and through the great desire he had to be assured thereof began to vse conuersation and to enter in a great league of familiarity and friendshippe with him couering so finely his dissimulation that the other assuring him selfe of his secrecie discouered him selfe vnto him with great instance perswading him also to enter into their society in which doing he should enioy all the pleasures delights and contentments of the world who faining himselfe to be very desirous of the same it was agreed betweene them that at the next assembly of theirs hee should goe to make his couenant and confederation with the deuill putting himselfe vnder his baner and protection The day assigned being come and gone after it was darke night the Sorcerer tooke the learned man out of the Towne and carried him along certaine valleyes and thickets in which to his iudgment he had neuer beene before though hee knew the Countrey round about very well and in short space hee thought that they had gone very farre comming at last into a plaine field enclosed round about with mountaines where he saw a great number of people men and women that went vp and downe in great mirth who all receaued him with great feast gladnes giuing him many thankes for that it had pleased him to become a member of their society assuring him that there was no greater happines in the world then that which he should enioy In midst of this field was a throne built very sumptuously on which stoode a great filthy Ram-goate to whom at a certaine houre of the night they all went to do reuerence and going vp certain degrees one after another they kist him in the foulest part behind The learned man seeing an abhomination so great though hee were by his companion thoroughly instructed how he should behaue himselfe could no longer haue patience but began to call vnto God at which very instant there came such a terrible thunder and tempest as though heauen and earth should haue gone together in such sort that he became for a time through great astonishment sencelesse and without all iudgement and vnderstanding in which sort he knew not himselfe how long he continued but when hee came to himselfe it was broade day and hee found himselfe amongst certaine rough mountaines so brused and crushed as though hee had scarcely any one sound bone in
and ho through pure feare made her to confesse it but on such condition that hee should forgiue her and neuer disclose word thereof to anie man liuing therupon reuealing vnto him all the secret misteries of her wicked and damnable science which her husband hearing began to enter into a great desire to see the manner of theyr meetings whereupon beeing agreed to goe together the selfe same night after shee had craued leaue of sathan to admit her husband they both anoynted them selues and were carryed to the wicked assembly and place of their execrable and pestiferous delights The man after hauing gazed about him awhile diligently beheld all that passed sate himselfe downe at a table with the rest furnished with sundry and diuers sorts of daintie meates to the eye seeming delicate and good but in proofe of a very sowre and vnpleasant tast of which when he had prooued diuers finding them all to be of a most vnfauorie relish he began to call for salt because there was none at all vpon the table but seeing the bringing of the same delayd he began to be more importunat in crauing it at last one of the deuils to please him set a salt-seller on the table but hee beeing vnmindfull of his vviues admonishment which vvas that hee shoulde there in no wise speake any word that vvere good holie seeing the salt come at last after so long calling for God blesse vs quoth he I thought it would neuer haue come which word he had no sooner spoken but all that euer was there vanished away with a most terrible noyse tempest leauing him for a great while in a traunce out of which so soone as he came to himselfe recouering his spirits sence hee founde himselfe naked in a field amongst certaine hilles where walking vp and downe in great sadnes and anguish of spirit so soone as the day came hee met with certaine Sheepheards o whom demaunding what country the same vvas he perceiued by theyr aunswere that he was aboue a hundred miles from his owne house to which with much a doe making the best shift he could at last he returned and made relation of all this which you haue heard before the Inquisitors whereupon his wife and diuers others whō he accused were apprehended arraigned found guihie and burnt AN. I am gladde that you were put in minde to recite this history which truly is very strange though I haue often reade and heard of the like for that which concerneth this kind of people is no new matter but very auncient Many very old Authours write much of them and of Witches Negromancers and Enchaunters no lesse pestilent and pernitious to humaine kinde then these others sith leauing to be men they became to be deuils in their works of which sort there haue beene very many famous or rather infamous in the world as Zoroastes Lucius Apuleius Apolonius Tyaneus and many others of whom there is now no knowledge or memory because Historiographers haue not vouchsafed to write of thē as men not worthy to be commended to the posterity as for this our time the number of them is the more the pitty too great which though they professe the faith of Christ yet they are not ashamed to confederate themselues with the deuill and to doe their works in the name of Belzebub as the Pharisies sayd of our Sauiour and for a small contentment in this worlde make no account of the perdition of theyr soules though for the greatest part also they neuer enioy heere any great prosperity or euer come to any good successe for commonly their confederate the deuill bringeth them to a shamefull end procuring the discouery of their wickednes and so consequently punishment for the same which if one amongst twenty here escapeth yet in the other world he is assured perpetually to fry in the fire of hell But leauing these let vs now come to another sort of them who handle the matter in such sort that they wil scarcely be knowne what they are these are Charmers the which as it seemeth haue a perticuler gift of God to heale the biting of mad dogs to preserue people cattell from being endomaged by them These as they say are known in that they haue the wheele of S. Katherin in the roof of their mouth or in som other part of their body who thogh in my iudgement it cannot be denied but that they doe great help in such like things yet to heare their prayers coniurations grosse clownish phrases would moue a man to laughter though they to whō they vse them seeme to recouer therby their health AN. This is a strange people but truly this gift or vertue of theirs is much to be doubted of seeing for the most part as Frier Franciscus de Victoria saith they are base forlorne people of ill example in their life somtimes such as boast make their vaunts of more thē they can accomplish and I haue heard that some of them wil creepe into a red hot Ouen without danger of burning BE. I cannot think that any man hath particuler grace to doe this but rather that he doth it by the help in the name of the deuil LV. No doubt but many of them doe so though there are also som to whom God hath imparted particuler graces and vertues as those of whom Pliny writeth alleaging the authority of Crates Pergamenus that there is in Hellespont a kind of men called Ophrogens who with only touching heale the wounds made by serpents vpon which imposition of their hands they presently purge cast out auoid all the poyson venom with which they are infected and Varro saith that in the same Country there are men which with their spettle heale the biting of Serpents and it may be that these were all one people Isigonus and Nimphodorus affirme that there is in Affrica a certaine people whose sight causeth all those things to perrish vpon which it is intentiuely fixed so that the very trees wither and the children die there-with The selfe same Isigonus sayeth that in the Country of the Tribals and Ilyrians there is a certaine kind of people which in beholding any one with frowning eyes if they detaine their sight any while vpon them doe cause them to die and Solinus writeth the like of certayne vvomen among the Scythians Pirrhus King of Epyrotes as Plutarch testifieth in his lyfe had such vertue in the greate toe of his right foote that vvho so euer had a sore mouth if hee touched him there-with was helped presentlie and some Authors vvrite that hee healed also many other infirmities there-vvith As for the King of Fraunce it is a thing notorious to all menne that hee hath a particuler grace and vertue in healing the Lamparones or Kinges Euill and it may bee that as GOD hath imparted these graces to many and sundry kindes of people so also may hee endue some of these menne of vvhich wee
riding neere to the place where the men were after I had asked them for whom that poast was sette vp and they with theyr aunswere satisfied mee I narrowly markt and behelde the gesture and countenaunce of the young man who was of a very good complexion and of an honest face hee seemed to be about the age of twentie or twenty one yeeres his garments were not costly but cleanly and hansome asking him if hee vvere the Hangman he aunswered mee that hee was demaunding of him in Latine if euer he had beene a student hee aunswered me to that demaund and many others in the same tongue very eloquently but at last asking him of what country and place he was he aunswered me that hauing confest himselfe to be a Hangman he could with no honesty reueale vnto me any thing touching his Country or Parentage and therefore prayed me to hold him for excused I perceauing his shamefastnes vrged him farther saying How is it possible that hauing such knowledge and vnderstanding thou hast taken vppon thee so base infamous and dishonest an office Truly thou deseruest the greater blame and punishment by howe much more carelesly thou vsest the excellent giftes which God hath endued thee withall as comlines of fauour proportion good capacity and vnderstanding in vsing of which well thou mightest doe God and thy Country seruice wheras now thy talent lieth hidden and buried He hauing a while attentiuely listened to that which I said vnto him aunswered at length with many teares that such was his hard Desteny by which he was thereto forcibly compelled against the sway of which he was not able to preuaile of whose error and ignorance taking pitty I beganne to make vnto him a large discourse causing him to vnderstand that there was no Desteny able to force Free-will but that euery man had liberty to dispose of himselfe as he pleased and to take what way he list so that hee could not blame his Desteny but himselfe onely which hauing election of so many good wayes had suffered himselfe to be guided so ill Vsing these and many other such reprehensiue speeches vnto him hee fell into such weeping and shed so many teares that I tooke compassion of him vvithall he told me that he had falne into this misery for want of good counsaile hauing heeretofore neuer met with any that had told him so much whereby to lighten him out of the error wherein he was but seeing quoth he that which is past may be repented but not vndone I will by Gods grace hereafter take a new course lesse dishonourable to my kindred for you shall know sir that I am borne of Parents of a very honest condition beeing brought into this miserable estate in which you now see me through play only but God be thanked it is yet vnknowne to my friends that I execute this detestable office neither dooth any man of this Towne knowe whence I am for the place where I was borne is farre from this Country so that I am fully resolued to change my manner of life and to follow your counsaile and heere-with bitterly bewailing his vnfortunate course I brought him home with me to my lodging in which he remained that night seeming to be exceeding sorrowfull and the next morning departed vvhether hee went I knowe not but from that time forward he was no more seene in those quarters and truly by many signes I sawe in him hee gaue me good hope that hee would doe as he said AN. This fellowe had neuer seene the authority of S. Gregory in his Homily of the Epiphany where God defend saith he the harts of those that are faithfull from saying that there is any Destenie this is vnderstoode when they thinke or hold for a certainty that such thinges as happen to them proceede from the constellations or other superiour causes as not any way to be auoided or declined Therefore whensoeuer this word Destenie is mentioned we must vnderstand the same that we did of Fortune that is the will and prouidence of God But the best is not to vse it at all thereby to auoyde the error into which the common people doe fall yea and a much greater which is the deniall of free-will for if that Destenie were a thing indubitable and the sway thereof not to be resisted then should neyther reward punishment grace nor glory be due vnto deserts and so diuine Plato in his Gorgias To say saith hee that there is any constrayning or vnineuitable Destenie is a fable of vvomen which vnderstand not what they say so that all thinges are subiect to the free-will of man not to doe any thing forcibly but by contentment of the same vvill for being a Free-will there can be no Destenie But because in plunging our selues farther into this matter we should fall vpon that of Prescience Predestination engulfing my selfe in which I should not be able to finde the way out it is sufficient onely to declare though it be but superficially what belongeth to this word Destenie still vnderstanding that all proceedeth and dependeth of the Diuine will and prouidence of God and so sayth S. Austine in his fifth booke De ciuitate Dei If for this cause humaine thinges are attributed to Destenie let him which calleth the will power of GOD by the name of Destenie take heede and correct his tongue And so concluding we may inferre that there is no Desteny at all at least in such sence as the common people vnderstandeth the same but that by this word we ought to vnderstand the prouidence of GOD and the fulfilling of his will which alwayes leaueth vs in free liberty to choose that which is good and to eschewe that which is euill For this word Destenie is chiefely vnderstood and mentioned in matters of aduersity which when they happen vnto vs are eyther for that we seeke and procure them or else that God permitteth them because our sinnes and wicked life deserueth such chastisement Let not him say that is hanged that his Destenie brought him there-vnto but the small care he had to liue vertuously to feare GOD and to flie vice was the cause thereof The like of him that murdereth or drowneth himselfe for if such had liued well and refrayned those vices and enormities for punishment of vvhich they vvere condemned by the Ministers of Iustice or by theyr ovvne guilty desperate conscience to dye they should neuer haue had any such cause to complaine But there is so much herein to be sayde that in seeking particulerly to discusse euery poynt thereof it vvould be too tedious especially to those vvho desire no more then well to knowe the conclusion how it ought to bee vnderstoode vvhich by this praecedent discourse I hope you doe BER I vnderstand you very well yet mee thinkes vnder correction that there are some things which happen forcibly to men and not to be auoy ded as for example a man borne of Parentes that are bondslaues of force must
reason therfore but they neuer talke of that Land which runneth on in length by the sea coast on the left hand towards the West passing by the kingdome of Norway and many other Prouinces and Countries for they know not what Land it is neither whether it goeth nor where it endeth nor where it turneth to ioyne with those parts of which they haue notice LV. By this meanes then it may be that they are deceaued which say that Europe is the least part of the three olde diuided parts of the world yet some say that on the other side of the bounds of Asia also there is much vnknowne Lande AN. You haue reason for this Land of which I speak stretching out along the Occident commeth turning to the Septentrion euen till vnder the Northern Pole which is the same that we here see from which forward on the other side what Lande there is or howe it extendeth it selfe wee knowe not though perchaunce the same be very great and spacious But let vs leaue this matter till hereafter where I will declare it more particulerly let vs return to entreate of som grounds and principles which are necessary for the facility of vnderstanding that which wee will speake of for otherwise in alleaging euery particuler wee should bring in all the Astrologie and cosmography of the world and therfore ommitting to declare what thing the Sphaere is and in what sort it is vnderstood that the earth is the Center of the worlde and then how the Center of the Earth is to be vnderstood with infinit other the like I will onelie alleadge that which is necessarie for our discourse First therefore all Astronomers and Cosmographers deuide the heauen into fiue Zones which are fiue parts or fiue gyrdings about according to which also the Earth is deuided into other fiue parts The one hath in the midst thereof the Pole Artick or North-pole which is the same that wee see the other hath the South or Pole Antartick directly contrary on the other side of the Heauen These 2. Poles are as two Axeltrees vpon which the whole Heauen turneth about they still standing firme in one selfe place in the midst betweene them both is the same which we call Torrida Zona and of the other two Colaterall Zones the one is between Torrida Zona the North-pole beeing the same in which we inhabite cōtaining Asia Affrick Europe it hath not bin known or vnderstood til these our times that any other of the Zones or parts of the earth hath been enhabited and so saith Ouid in his Metamorphosis that as the heauen is deuided into fiue Zones two one the right hand and two on the left and that in the midst more fierie then any of the rest so hath the diuine Prouidence deuided the Earth into other fiue parts of which that in the midst is through the great heate vninhabitable and the two vtmost in respect of their exceeding cold The selfe same opinion holdeth Macrobius in his seconde booke of the Dreame of Scipio Virgill in his Georgiques and the most part of all the auncient Authors whose authorities it serueth to no purpose to rehearse because in these our tymes we haue seene and vnderstood by experience the contrary as touching Torrida Zona seeing it is as well to be enhabited as any of the others and euery day it is past vnder frō one part to another as wee the other day discoursed And trulie the ignoraunce of the Auncients must bee verie great seeing they know not that Arabia faelix Aethiopia the coast of Guyne Calecut Malaca Taprobana Elgatigara many other Countries then in notice were vnder Torrida zona beeing a thing so notorious manifest that I maruaile how they coulde so deceaue themselues and not onely they but diuers moderne Writers also which though one way they confesse it yet another way they seeme to stande in doubt as may be seene by the Cosmography of Petrus Appianus augmented by Gemmafrigius a man in that Science very famous whose wordes are these The fiue zones of the Heauen constitute so many parts in the Earth of which the two vtmost in respect of theyr extreame cold are vnenhabitable the middlemost through the continuall course of the Sunne and perpendiculer beames thereof is so singed that by reason it seemeth not at all or very hardly to be habitable The Greeke Commendador likewise a man of great fame estimation in Spayne deceaued himselfe in his glosse vvhich hee vvrote vpon Iohn De Meno wherein hee maintayneth thys auncient opinion by these vvordes The Mathematitians sayth hee deuide the Earth into fiue Zones of which the two vtmost next the Poles through theyr great extreamitie of colde are not enhabitable neyther that in the midst through extreame heate the other two of each side participating of the heate of the middle and the colde of the vtter Zones are temperate and inhabitable Of these two the one is enhabited by those Nations of which we haue notice and is deuided into three parts Affrica Asia and Europa the other is enhabited by those whom we call Antypodes of whom we neuer had nor neuer shall haue any knowledge at all by reason of the Torrida or burned Zone which is vninhabitable the fierie heate of which stoppeth the passage betweene them and vs so that neyther they can come at vs nor we at them c. Though heere the Comendador confesse that there are Antypodes with whom wee cannot conuerse nor traffique yet the Auncients accounting the Torrida Zona as vninhabitable doubted whether there could be of the other side therof any people seeming vnto them vnpossible for any man since the creation of Adam which was created in this second Zone of the Pole Articke to passe ouer the burning Zone and there to generate and spred mankind Of this opinion seemeth to be S. Austine when he saith Those which fabulously affirme that there are Antypodes which is to say men of the contrary part where the Sunne riseth when it setteth with vs and which goe on the ground with theyr feete right against ours are by no meanes to be beleeued and Lactantius Firmianus in his third booke of Diuine Institutions laugheth and iesteth at those which make the earth and the water to be a body sphaericall and round at which error of his being a man so wise and prudent I cannot choose but much meruaile in denying a principle so notoriously known as though the world being round those people which are opposite to vs vnderneath should fall downe backwards The grosnes of which ignorance being nowe so manifestly discouered I will spend no more time in rehearsing his wordes so that they deny that there are Antypodes and that the world is enhabitable at all the Zones the contrary whereof is manifest Pliny handleth this matter in the sixty fiue Chapter of his second booke but in the end he resolueth not whether
there are Antypodes or no neither can it out of his words be gathered what he thinketh thereof LU. What is the meaning of this word Antipodes AN. I will briefely declare it vnto you though mee thinkes you should haue vnderstood the same by that which I haue sayd before Antypodes are they which are on the other part of the world contrary in opposite vnto vs going with their feete against ours so that they which vnderstand it not thinke that they goe with their heads downward whereas they goe in the selfe same sort with their heads as wee doe for the world being round in what part thereof soeuer a man standeth eyther vnder or aboue or on the sides his head standeth vpright towards heauen and his feete directly towards the Center of the earth so that it cannot be saide that the one standeth vpward and an other downward for so the same which wee should say of them they might say of vs meruailing how wee could stay our selues without falling because it should seeme to them that they stand vpward and we downward and the right Antypodes are as I said those which are in contrary and opposite Zones as they of the North-pole to those of the South-pole and we being in this second Zone haue for our Antypodes those of the other second Zone which is on the other side of Torrida Zona but those in Torrida Zona it selfe cannot holde any for theyr right Antypodes but those which are of one side thereof directly to those that are on the other vnder them or aboue them or howe you list to vnderstand it BER I vnderstand you well but we being in this Zone which is round winding as you say about the earth how shall we terme those that are directly vnder vs who by all likelihoods must be onely vpon one side of the world for if there were a line drawne betweene them and vs through the earth the same line should not come to passe through the Center and middle of the earth AN. These the Cosmographers call in a manner Antypodes which in such sort as they haue different places one frō an other so doe they terme them by different names as Perioscaei Etheroscaei and Amphioscaei being Greeke wordes by which their manner of standing is declared and signified Perioscaei are those whose shadowes goe round about and these as you shall heereafter vnderstand cannot bee but those which are vnder the Poles Amphioscaei are those which haue their shadow of both sides towards Aquilo and Auster according as the Sunne is with them Etheroscaei are those which haue their shadow alwayes on one side but what distinction soeuer these words seeme to make yet Antypodes is common to them all for it is sufficient that they are contrary though not so directly that they writhe not of one side nor other for facility of vnderstanding this take an Orenge or any other round fruite thrust it of all sides full of needles and there you shall see howe the points of the needles are one against another by diuers waies of which those that passe through the sides are as well opposite as those which passe through the very Center and middle of the Orenge But this being a matter so notorious and all men now knowing that the whole world is enhabitable and that the same being round one part must needes be opposite to another it were to no purpose to discourse any farther therein LU. This is no small matter which you say that the whole world is enhabitable for leauing aside that you should say this generality is to be vnderstood that there is in all parts of the world habitation notwithstanding that there are manie Deserts Rocks and Mountaines which for some particuler causes are not enhabited me thinks you can by no meanes say that the two vtmost Zones in which the North South-pole is contained are enhabited seeing the common opinion of all men to the contrary AN. I confesse that all the old Astrologians Cosmographers and Geographers speaking of these two Zones doe terme them vninhabitable the same proceeding as they say through the intollerable rigour and sharpnes of the cold of which they affirme the cause to be because they are farther off from the Sunne then any other part of the earth and so sayth Pliny in the 70. Chapter of his second booke by these words Heauen is the cause of depriuing vs the vse of three parts of the earth which are the three vninhabitable Zones for as that in the midst is through extreame heate not any way habitable so of the two vtmost is the cold vntollerable being perpetually frosen with ice whose whitenes is the onely light they haue so that there is in them a continuall obscurity as for that part which is on the other side of Torrida Zona though it be temperate as ours is yet is it not habitable because there is no way to get into it c. And here-vpon he inferreth that there is no part of the world enhabited nor where people is but onely this Zone or part of the earth in which wee are an opinion truly for so graue an Author farre from reason and vnderstanding That therfore which I intend euidently to make manifest vnto you is that they were not onely deceaued in those Zones wherein eyther Pole is contayned but in Torrida Zona also for as this is found not to be so vntemperate nor the heate and Ardor so raging as they supposed so also is the cold of the Polar Zones nothing so rigorous and sharpe as they described it but sufferable and very well to be endured and enhabited as by proofe we find that all those cold Regions are peopled But the Auncients are to be excused who though they were great Cosmographers and Geographers yet they neuer knew nor discouered so much of the earth as the Modernes haue done which by painefull and industrious Nauigation haue discouered many Regions Countries and Prouinces before vnknowne not onely in the Occidentall Indies the which wee will leaue apart but in the Orientall also and in the farre partes of the Septentrion for proofe whereof reade Ptolome which is the most esteemed Geographer and to whom is giuen in those thinges which he wrote the greatest credite and you shall finde that hee confesseth himselfe to be ignorant of many Countries nowe discouered which he termeth vnknowne and vnfound Landes saying That the first part of Europe beginneth in the Iland of Hybernia whereas there are many other farther North that enter also into Europe and also a great quantity of firme Land which is on the same part towards the North-pole where he might haue taken his beginning and in his eight Table of Europe speaking of Sarmacia Europaea hee sayeth that there lyeth of the one side thereof a Country vnknowne and in his second Table of Asia entreating of Sarmacia Asiatica hee sayth the same not acknowledging for discouered
all that vvhich is forthward betweene these two Prouinces the Sea Northward Of Scithia hee sayth the same in his seauenth Table of Asia that on the North-side it hath vnknowne Lande in his third Table that all that part of the Mountaynes towardes the North is vndiscouered and in comming to India to the kingdome of Chyna hee hath no knowledge at all of that which is thence forwarde to the East where is so great a multitude and diuersitie of Countries Prouinces and Kingdoms as in a manner remaineth behind on this side yet truly there was neuer any man equall vnto Ptolomie in that which he knew and all both Auncients and Moderns doe follovve him as the truest Geographer though hee were many tymes deceaued as in saying that the Indian Sea is wholy closed and separated from the Ocean it beeing afterwards founde that from the Cape of Bona Speranza to Calycut there is more then a thousand leagues of water the which according to his opinion should be enuironed with firme land Strabo also in his seauenth booke saith that the same Region which turneth towards the Aquylon pertayneth to the Ocean sea for they are sufficiently known who take their beginning from the rising of the riuer of Rheyne forth to the riuer of Albis of which the most famous are the Sugambij the Cymbri but the stripe that reacheth out on the other side of the riuer Albis to vs is wholy vndiscouered vnknowne and a little farther Those saith he which will goe to the rysing of the Riuer Boristhenes to those parts from whence the winde Boreas commeth all those Regions are manifest by the Clymes and Paraleils but what Countries people those are which are on the other side of Almania and in what sort they are placed which are nowe called Bastarni as many doe suppose or Intermedij or Lasigae or Raxaili or others that vse the couerings of Wagons for the roofes of theyr houses I cannot easily say neither whetheir their country extendeth it selfe to the Ocean or whether through the extreame cold it be vnenhabitable or whether there be anie other linage of men between the sea those Almaines which are towards the part of the Ponyent By these authorities you may vnderstande that Strabo though hee were so great a Cosmographer had no knowledge of all those Countries which are on the other side of Almaine towards the Septentryon or North-pole But you must vnderstand that they made Almaine extende it selfe much farther then we now adayes doe bringing within the limits thereof all those Countries euen vnto Scithia in which seeing Strabo was ignorant it is not much if the other Cosmographers were ignorant of that which is vnder the vtmost Zone it selfe As for Strabo he confesseth not only his ignorance in those parts but also in speaking of the Getes There are saith he certaine mountaines which reach Northward euen to the Tyrregetes to the knowledge of whose bounds ends we cannot attaine the ignorance of which hath made vs admit many fables that are reported of the Hiperbores and Ryphaean mountaines But let vs leaue these men yea and Pytheas Marsiliensis also with his lyes which he wrote of the Ocean Sea and if Sophocles saide any thing in his tragicall verses of Oricia that she was carried of the wind Boreas ouer the whole Sea and transported to the vtmost bounds of the whole world to the fountaines of the Night to the height of the Heauen and to the old Garden of Apollo let vs leaue him also and come to the trueth of that which is in deede knowne in this our age BER Strabo hath cleerely giuen to vnderstand in these speeches the small knowledge he had of those Countries which are towards the North and of the other side of the Hiperborean and Ryphaean mountaines which being included in the vtmost Zone where as you say vnknowne to all the Auncients but I wonder at nothing more then that the vvorld hauing dured so many yeeres before them there was neuer any that could attaine to the light and cleare certainty thereof AN. There hath not wanted some which in som sort though doubtingly haue roued therat as Pliny who though he denied as I said a little before the vtmost Zones to be enhabited yet comming to speake of the mountaines of Rypheus hee discouereth the contrary of that which hee had saide before turning to vse these wordes The Arimasps being past there are straight at hand the Ryphaean mountaines and a Country through the continuall falling of snow like feathers called Pterophoros the which is a part of the world condemned of Nature beeing seated in a place of obscurity darknes we cannot place these mountains any where then in the very rigour of Nature it selfe and in the very seate and bowels of the Aquilon on the other side of the Aquilon liueth if we wil beleeue it a verie happy people whom they call Hyperboreans whose life they say lasteth many yeres and of whom are reported many fabulous miracles it is thought that there are the vtmost barres of the world and the farthest compasse of the starres it is 6. months light with them one only day of the Sun contrary not as som ignorantly say from the Winter Equinoctiall to the Autumne only once a yere doth the sunne rise vnto them in the Solstitio and only once a yere set in the Winter Their region is warme of a wholsome temprature without any noysome ayres the mountaines woods serue them for houses they worship their gods in troupes ioyntly flocking together there is neuer amongst them any discord debate sicknes or infirmity Death neuer ouertaketh them til being through olde age weary of liuing they throw themselues from the top of some high Rock down headlong into the sea this they account the happiest sepulchre that may be Some writers haue placed thē in the first part of Asia and not of Europe because there are some in situation likenes resembling them called Attacori others haue placed them in the midst betweene either Sunne which is Sun-setting of the Antypodes and the rising thereof with vs which can by no way be so beeing so great and huge a sea between Those who place them there where they haue but one day in the yere continuing sixe months say that they sow their corne in the morning and reape it at midday and that when the Sunne forsaketh them they gather the fruit of their trees and during the space of theyr night they hide thēselues in Caues This people is not to be doubted of seeing so many Authors haue written that they were wont to sende their first fruites to the Temple of Apollo in Delos vvhom they cheefely adored All this is out of Plinie who as you see discourseth confessing and denying for one while he sayth if we will beleeue it making it ambiguous and then presentlie he turneth to say that it is not to be doubted of LVD I alwayes vnderstood
he bringeth for example the aboundance of mettals minerals of siluer which grow in Swethland and Norway being Countries exceedingly colde whence hee maketh an argument that the heauens are not so vntemperate in those parts or any others how cold so euer but that they may be enhabited yea and in such sort that men liue there very long in great health and strength as by experience of those Countries we finde it to be true which could not be vnlesse the heauen were temperate and fauourable in correcting that domage which by the cold might be caused Afterwards handling this matter a little more at large he turneth to say I write not this to the end you should thinke that those who goe thither out of Aethiopia or Aegipt should agree so well with that climate as those which are naturall of the same for vndoubtedly they would hardly endure the cold and be in great danger of their liues vvhich may be considered by those of the Land of Babilon for those of them which went towards the North did not by and by penetrate into the vtmost bounds of the earth in those parts but seated them selues in the middle thereof and as they enured themselues to suffer the colds so by little little they pearced farther in cōming in time to be so accustomed to the cold that they endured the Snow and Ice as well as the hote Countries doe the continuall heat parching of the Sunne and if there be perchaunce in those parts any thing ouersharp rigorous Nature hath amended the same with other helps for on the Sea shore she hath ordained Caues that runne vnder the mountains where the fiercer that the cold is the greater is the heate warmenes that gathereth it selfe therein and Landward shee hath made Valleyes contrary to the North wherein they might harbor shroud themselues against the cold as for their Cattell and wild Beastes she hath cloathed them with such thicke skins that the nipping of the cold can no whit at al anoy them therfore those furres of those parts are more precious then those of warmer Countries BER We haue well vnderstoode all these authorities and opinions but we vnderstand not what you will inferre by them AN. It is easily vnderstood if you looke vnto that which we at the beginning discoursed as touching the opinion of all auncient Authors Geographers who thought that the two vtmost Zones of the Poles were not enhabitable through their extreame cold whereas by that which I haue said and wil heereafter say the contrary appeareth And so we will goe on verifying that our Europe is not so little or the least part of the earth as many will haue it to be seeing we know not the ends thereof of one side extending it selfe following the whole Coast of the Sea seeming to guide it towards the Occident then giuing a turne to the Septentrion by another way passing and trauersing the Riphaean mountaines following the same Land which reacheth euen to the Septentrion it selfe or vnder the North-pole LV. That Coast which you say goeth towards the Occident as I haue heard say is not nauigable because of the frozen Sea which hindereth the passage of the ships AN. There is a great Coast of the Sea which for the same reason you giue according to many of the Cosmographers is not nauigable and of this the Auncients yeeld not so good reason neither haue they so good experience thereof as the Moderns haue though Gemma Frigius a very graue Author be very short in handling this matter for comming to speake of the Prouinces of Curlandia and Liuonia hee sayth that they are the last of Sarmatia and that Liuonia stretcheth towards the Septentrion cōmeth to ioyne it selfe with the Hiperboreans whose peoples are Parigitae and Carcotae which goe following that part of the Septentrion that passeth on the other side of Circulus Articus that they are great and wide Regions most extremely cold and that the men which enhabit them are of a strong constitution of body very faire of cōplexion but somwhat grosse of vnderstanding and that there are places of ice so hard frosen that great troups of horsmen may therevpon make their fights encounters whereto they vse the winter more then the somer that like vnto these Countries are those of Escarmia Dacia and a little farther speaking of the Prouince of Swethland which he calleth Gotia Occidentalis because there is another called Meridionalis of Norway which stretcheth it self by the Coast of the Occident towardes the Iland of Thule and ioyneth it selfe with Groneland he saith that without the circle Artick are the prouinces of Pilapia Vilapiae the coldest countries of the world because they reach vnto the very North-pole in which their day cōtinueth the space of a whole month that those parts are not till this day throughly discouered because the enhabitants of them are most wicked cruell and persecute Christians within their limits and that euill Spirits doe there present themselues many times before the eyes of men in bodies formed of ayre with a fearefull and terrible aspect and afterwards he saith that in those Countries towards the Occident it is said though their place and seate be vncertaine that the Pigmees doe enhabite men of a cubite high the trueth whereof is vncertaine but only that a ship of leather through the violence of the winds being driuen on the shore was taken with many of these Pigmees in it All this you must vnderstand he saith in speaking of that Coast which as I sayde goeth out Westward for from thence all that which turneth compassing about the Land towards the East passing the vtmost Zone euen till it come to meete with ours is vnknown neither hath any ship made that voyage neither is there any Nation that can giue vs notice thereof the reason is because of the frozen Sea of which you spake through which that Coast is by no meanes nauigable whereof Gemma Frigius maketh no mention in this place neither afterwards also whē he commeth to speake of the Scithians where hee saith that in the farthest Scithia which extendeth it selfe farre beyond the Hiperboreans there are many Nations whom he nameth by their names without comming in one part or other to the Sea-coast in sort that heereby may be inferred that hee left much Land in those parts for vndiscouered and vnknowne and in his Map which cannot be denied to be one of the best and surest that hath beene hetherto made by any man comming to the Country of Swethland he setteth the same simply with an Epitaph saying That of those Septentrial Lands he will there-after more particulerly entreate and so sayeth Iohn Andraeas Valuasor in his LU. It seemeth vnto me that in this matter they cannot so agree one with another but that they must differ and discord in many points because the most of them or in a
when he riseth to take his course through the heauen ouer vs and so at last to set himselfe in the contrary place so with those which are vnder the Poles in his rising afterwards his setting in a far different sort For the first day that he riseth there appeareth but a point of him which can scarcely be discouered and goeth so round about their Orizon in which going about hee sheweth himselfe alwaies in one sort without encreasing vnlesse it be a very little casting all alike brightnes forth At the second turne he goeth discouering himselfe a little more and so at the third and fourth and all the rest encreasing from degree in degree and giuing turnes round about the heauen vpwards in which he continueth three moneths and the shadow of all that vppon which his beames doe strike goeth round about and is when he beginneth to rise very great and the higher he mounteth the shorter it waxeth and afterward when he turneth to come downward in which he dureth other three moneths it is contrary euen till hee come to hide himselfe vnder the earth at which time as hee goeth hiding himselfe to those of the one pole so goeth hee shewing and discouering himselfe to those of the other LV. The vnderstanding of this mistery is not without some difficulty especially to vs which till this time haue not had thereof any notice yet I now begin by little and little to comprehend the same onely one doubt remaineth which somwhat troubleth mee which is if the whole Land from that place where the dayes are of 24. houres length which according as I vnderstand is from the I le of Thule and the other Prouinces that are on firme Land till you come to that which you say is vnder the Pole be enhabited of men or Desert without habitation AN. I make no doubt but that all this Land is enhabited in parts though not so populously in all places as this of ours in this the Authors doe not so plainly declare themselues that we may thereby receaue cleare and particuler vnderstanding thereof though some of them goe on setting vs in the right way to knowe the same For Encisus following the discouery of the Coast which goeth towards the Sunne-setting giuing a turne to the North he goeth discouering by the same many Prouinces amongst which I remember hee speaketh of two the one called Pyla Pylanter and the other which is somwhat farther Euge Velanter in which he saith the dayes encrease to two moneths and a halfe and the night as much which though it be a Land enhabited yet through the extreame and terrible cold thereof the Riuers and Waters are in such sort frozen that the enhabitants haue much adoe to get any vvater for their Ices are so thicke strong and hard that they cannot be broken without infinite paine trauaile They waite many times til the Ice be opened by certaine wild Beasts which they haue amongst them white of colour and proportioned much like vnto Beares whose nature is as well to liue by water as by land whose feete are armed with such terrible sharpe great and strong nailes that they breake therewith the Ice how thicke so euer it be vnder the which plunging themselues they swim along the water and pray vpon such fishes as they finde leauing the holes whereat they entred open at which the enhabitants come incontinently to draw water endeuouring with all dilligence to keepe them open least otherwise they freeze and close together againe as fast as they were before They hang in at them their baits and Angling hookes with the which also they take fish for their sustenance As for me I assuredly thinke that these Prouinces are those which Gemma Frigius calleth Pilapia and Vilapia though he say that the dayes in them encrease no farther then to a moneth the nights as much But let vs not wonder if in such things as these so farre distant seperated from vs we finde no witnesses of such conformity but that they differ in somwhat Olaus Magnus giueth vs though in briefe words some neerer notice of this matter for before he come to discourse more particulerly of the Prouinces vnder the same Pole he vseth these words Those of Laponia saith he of Bothnya Byarmya and the Ifladians haue their dayes and nights halfe a yeere long a peece Those of Elsingia Angermania and part of Swethland haue them fiue moneths long and those of Gothland Muscouia Russia and Liuonia haue them three moneths long Which Author being naturall of Gothland and Bishop of Vpsala it is to be thought that hee knew the truth thereof But these Countries being so neere vnto ours I meruaile that there is no greater notice of them and that there are not many more Authors that doe write of them Truth it is as I vnderstand that this encreasing of daies and nights should not bee generall throughout the vvhole Country but onely in part thereof which may be gathered out of that which he sayth of the Kingdome of Norway that in the entry and first parts of the same the dayes are as they are heere with vs But going on forth to the blacke Castell and from thence forwarde there is so great a change as you haue heard before the like may also be in other Countries By these before rehearsed authorities we may vnderstand the resolution of the doubt by you proposed that all the Lande betweene vs and the North is enhabited at least in parts therof heere and there so that it may be trauailed through ouer all BER My head is greatly troubled about this encreasing decreasing of the dayes and nights so much because the farther we goe from the Aequinoctial the longer we find them yet the common opinion of all Cosmographers is that in one degree are reckoned sixteene leagues and a halfe or somwhat more which being so it seemeth meruailous that in two degrees which are but 23. leagues or very little more the day and successiuely the night should encrease so much time as is a moneth according to your former computation and that when it were day in the one part it should be night in the other they being so neere together AN. You haue some reason to doubt but as these Lands goe alwaies downehill or slopewise in respect of the course of the Sun so in little space the same both hideth discouereth it selfe vnto them in great quantity this you may partly vnderstand by that which happeneth to trauailers who hauing the Sunne in their eye a little before the setting thereof in passing ouer a Plaine and champaine place lose presently the sight thereof in comming to the foote of a hill as though he were sodainly set yet if they make hast when they get vp to the top of the hill they finde him not fully downe recouering againe day though but a little yet somwhat longer But for all this I blame you not in wondring at a thing
so strange which for the true proofe and vnderstanding whereof were necessary to be seene with our eyes for confirmation whereof though there be many most sufficient reasons and proofes yet I haue not reade heerein any Author which auoucheth his own knowledge and sight whereas me thinkes if these Regions were so short as by this computation of degrees the Authors seeme to make them there should not haue wanted curious men to discouer the particularities of them howe great so euer the difficulty or danger had beene in doing the same which if they had done they should perchaunce haue found many things farre otherwise then they deemed at least touching some particularities of which some later Writers vaunt to haue in part experience of which seeing we our selues are able to giue no assured testimony of sight I thinke it best that we leaue them to those whose curious industry wil omit no paine to attaine vnto the perfect searching out of things so worthy to be known and seeing the Auncients which went sifting out these matters confesse that from the same Land came Virgins to bring their first fruits to the temple of Apollo in Delos belike there was then some known way the passage betweene nothing so difficill as it nowe seemeth vnto vs which beeing to vs vnknowne and the manner howe to trauaile and passe through those cold Regions beset with deepe Snow thicke Ice wide Riuers painefull high Hils fearefull low Valleyes vnaccessible Desarts and all kinds of cruell wild Beasts we leaue them vnuoyaged not seeking any way whereby we may penetrate into them and attaine the cognition of their particulers in a manner concealed and hidden from vs of which though some fewe of the hether parts thereof were knowne by relation of some painefull and industrious men who affirmed that they had seene them yet the greatest part was by coniectures considerations and probable argumentes though the curiosity of our times hath passed a little farther because as I haue sayde they are eye-witnesses of part of that which wee haue discouered of as I will tell you straight but all shall be little to giue vs such perfect and particuler knowledge of this part of the worlde that we may discourse thereof as of the others which we know Some Authors will haue this Land to be in Asia others in Europe but in whether it be the matter is not great alwayes if it be in Europe then is Europe not so little a part of the earth as they make it of vvhich if they will set the limits there as the Auncients say it finished then must these Regions before time vndiscouered be another nevve part of the world and so they should make foure parts therof or fiue with that which is newly discouered thereof in the West Indies BER I vvonder not much if men haue not so good notice of those partes of which wee haue discoursed neere the one and neere the other Pole and of that vvhich runneth out by the Coast of the North towardes the West because besides the great sharpnes and rigour of the cold we haue no cōuersation at all with the enhabitants of those parts nor they with vs neither is there any cause to mooue eyther them or vs thereunto vnlesse it be the curiositie of some that thirst after the vniuersal knowledge of all things in the world as did Marcus Paulus Venetus who for this cause only trauailed so great a part of the worlde as any man that euer I heard of till this day Truth it is that some Kings and Princes through couetous desire of enlarging their dominions as you shall hereafter vnderstand haue entered so far as they could conquering into these parts which they found neyther ouer all enhabited neyther yet so desert but that it was in manie places and the greater part therof peopled and not so far one from another but that they had knowledge conuersation traffique together And as in these Countries and Prouinces of ours we finde one soyle plaine temperate and pleasant and another quite contrary sharpe barren and vnfruitfull subiect to boystrous winds harsh ayres and continuall snow wherewith some mountaines are all the yeere long couered so that no man will frame in them his habitation So likewise in these extreame Regions of the North no doubt but there are some parts of them vninhabited as those which Pliny Soline and the before remembred Authors terme condemned of Nature yet there want not wayes and compasses in cyrcling about them to discouer that which is enhabited on the other side and though with difficultie yet in fine Nature would not leaue to prouide an open way to the end that this Land should not remaine perpetually hidden and vnknown LV. I remember I haue seene in Paulus Iouius in a chapter which hee made of Cosmography abbreuiated in the beginning of his History these words speaking of the Kingdomes of Denmarke and Norway and the Landes beyond them Of the Nature saith he of these Lands of the peoples that liue beyond them called Pigmaei Ictiophagi which are those that liue by fishes now newly discouered in whose Country by a certaine order of the Heauen of that constellation the dayes and nights are equall which I will make mention in their place AN. Mee thinkes there are many that touch this matter promising to write largely thereof without doing it and if they doe it it is euen as they list themselues because there is no man to controle them and as for Paulus Iouius himselfe all that he wrote of this Country was by the relation of a Muscouian Embassadour in Rome In one place hee saith that the Muscouites border vpon the Tartaryans and that towards the North they are accounted the vtmost dwellers of the worlde and that towardes the West they confine with the Danske Sea And in another place the Muscouites sayth he who are seated betweene Polonia and Tartaria confine with the Ryphaean mountaines enhabite towards the Septentryon in the vtmost bounds of Europe and Asia extending themselues ouer the Lakes of the Riuer Tanays euē to the Hyperborean mountaines and that part of the Ocean which they call the Frozen Sea These are his wordes in which truly he hath little reason for the vtmost Land that the Muscouites possesse is where the day and night continue 3. months long a peece so that they cannot be called the last enhabitants of the earth for those whose day and night is of sixe months are farder North and neerer the Pole then they so that in fine as I sayd before touching these matters which cannot be seene without such difficultie those that entreat of them goe by gesse coniecturing thereat by the probabilitie of reasons considerations LU. As I imagine this countrey must be very great where the daies are so long in encreasing and decreasing and more if there be on the other side of the North before you come at the Sea so much other land of force it
must haue the same encrease and decrease for the selfe same cause and reason as is of the other side and if the same goe lengthning on inwards it must be greater then it hath seemed vnto vs. AN. Whether this land extend it selfe on the other side of the North forward or whether the Sea be straight at hande I cannot resolue you for there is not any Author that writeth it neither do I thinke is there any that knoweth it the cause wherof as I said is that in passing by the coast of the West beyond the Iles of Thule the coldes are so bitterly sharpe that no ship dareth to aduenture farder by reason of the huge floting Rockes and flakes of Ise vvhich encomber that Sea threatning eminent danger and vnauoydable destruction to those that attempt to saile thereinto Of the other side of the East giuing a turne about to the very same North is discouered so far as the Prouince of Aganagora which is the last of all the knowne Countries on that side the Gulfe being past which is called Mare magnum for by land they say it is not to be trauailed by reason of the great Deserts the earth in many places full of Quagmyres with many other inconueniences which Nature seemeth to haue there ordained Some say that earthly Paradise standeth there and that therefore no earthly man in the world hath knowledge thereof but of this we haue before sufficiently entreated with the opinions of those that haue written thereupon Some there are also who write that in this Lande are certaine great mountains amongst the which are enclosed many peoples of India from which they haue no issue nor meanes at all to come out but I rather beleeue this to be a fiction because I find the same confirmed by no graue allowed Authour But howsoeuer it be beyond this Countrey called Aganagora is much vnknowne and vndiscouered Land neyther by sea thence Northward hath there been any nauigation or discouery of which also the extreame cold and the sea cōtinually frozen and choked vp with heapes of Ise may be the cause the feare of which hath hindred men from attempting the discouery therof onely that which we may hereby vnderstand is that there is a most great quantity of Land from the coast which goeth by the west turneth towards the North and that which compasseth about the East and turneth likewise to the North of which till this time there is not anie man that can giue direct notice in midst of all which is that which we intreated of which is vnder the North whose daie and night is reparted into a yeere BER I knowe not in vvhat sort the moderne Geographers doe measure or compasse the world but I know that they say that the whole Rotundity of all the Land and water in the worlde containeth not aboue sixe thousand leagues of which are discouered 4350. reckoning from the Hauen of Hygueras in the Occident or West Indies to Gatigara where the Prouince of Aganagora is cōtayned which is in the Orient so that there are yet to discouer 1650. leagues in discouering of which the ende and vtmost boundes of the Indies shoulde be knowne as well as that of this part of the earth which we inhabite AN. To those that will measure the world in this maner may be answered as a Boy in Seuilla to those that would deuide the conquest thereof between the King of Castile and the King of Portugale who in mockage of theyr folly puld downe his breeches and shewing them his buttocks badde them draw the line there along if they would needes deuide the world in the midst by measure as for those which mesure in such sort the worlde they take but the length of the earth fetching their way by the midst of the Equinoctiall and so the Astronomers and Cosmographers may goe neere the mark reckoning by degrees and giuing to euery degree 16. leagues a halfe a minute of way as they do but though they discouer this yet they can hardly come to discouer the many parts nookes that are of one side and another of the world being so wide that in one corner thereof may lye hydden many thousands of miles and Countries which beeing seene known wold perchance seem to be some new world so lieth this part of which I speake on the coast of the Sea quite without notice or knowledge BER Some will say that the shippe called Victoria which is yet as a thing of admiration in the Bay of Seuilia went round about the world in the voyage which she made of fourteen thousand leagues AN. Though she did compasse the world round about in one part yet it is not said that she compast the same about in all parts which are so many that to thinke onely of them is sufficient to amaze a mans vnderstanding Amongst the rest we neuer heard that the Coast from the West to the East by the way of the North or at least the greater part thereof hath beene compassed about as yet by any ship neither haue we knowledge of any thing at all neither by Sea nor Land nauigating from thence forward LV. If you reade Pomponius Mela in his Chapter of Scithia where he discourseth of this matter you shall finde that he bringeth the authority of Cornelius Nepos alleadging for witnesse Quintus Metellus whom he had heard say that when he was Proconsull of the Gaules the King of Swethland gaue him certaine Indians of whom demanding which way they came into those Countries they aunswered that through the terrible force of a great tempest they were so furiously driuen from the streame of the Indian Sea that after long attending nothing else thē to be swallowed vp of the waues they came at last violently to bee striken into a Riuer on the Coast of Germany which being true then they made that nauigation by those partes which you say are vndiscouered from the West to the East by the way of the North whereby it is to be thought that the Sea is not so frozen as they say but that it is nauigable AN. Truth it is that Mela saith so though it be doubted whether the Indians came this way or no and Mela himselfe in the ende of the Chapter turneth to say that all the same Septentrionall side is hardened with Ice and therefore vninhabitable and desert but as I haue said all this is not directly proued and confirmed by sound experience exact knowledge seeing we know not howe farre the Land extendeth it selfe on the other side of the North without comming to the Sea and if we would seeke to sift this secrete out and aspire to the knowledge of that which might be found in nauigating that Sea fetching a compasse about the world from North to North God knoweth what Lands would be found and discouered BER The likeliest to beleeue in this matter in my iudgement is that the same
Sea of the North though being frozen the greatest part of the yeare yet that the same at such time as the Sunne mounteth high and their day of such length should through the heate of the Sunne thaw and become nauigable and so in that season the Indians might be driuen through the same with a tempest all which though it be so yet the people assuredly knowing that the same Sea freezeth in such sort euery yeere will not dare or aduenture to saile therein or to make any voyage on that side so that we come not to the knowledge of such thinges as are in that Sea and Land vnlesse wee will beleeue the fictions that Sylenus told to King Mydas LV. Of all friendship tell vs them I pray you for in so diffuse a matter any man may lye by authority without controlement BER That which I will tell you is out of Theopompus alleaged by Aelianus in his book De varia Historia This Sylenus saith he was the Sonne of a Nimph and accounted as inferiour to the Gods but as superiour vnto men who in one communication among many others that hee had with King Mydas discoursed vnto him that out of this Land or world in which wee liue called commonly Asia Affrique and Europe whom he termeth Ilands enuironed rounde about with the Ocean there is another Land so great that it is infinite and without measure in the same are bred Beastes and Fowles of admirable hugenes and the men which dwell therein are twise so great as we are and their life twice as long They haue many and goodly Citties in which they liue by reason hauing lawes quite contrary vnto ours among their Citties there are two that exceede the rest in greatnes in customes no whit at all resembling for the one is called Machino which signifieth warlike and the other Euaesus which signifieth pittifull the enhabitants of which are alwayes in continuall peace and plentifully abounding in great quantity of riches in whose Prouince the fruites of the earth are gathered without being sowed or planted They are alwayes free from infirmities spending their whole time in mirth pleasure and solace they maintaine iustice so inuiolably that many times the immortall Gods disdaine not to vse their friendship and company but on the contrary the enhabitants of Machino are altogether warlike continually in Armes and Warre seeking to subdue the bordering Nations This people doth dominate and commaund ouer many other proud Citties and mighty Prouinces The Cittizens of this Towne are at least 200000. in number they sildome die of infirmity but in the Warres wounded with stones and great staues Iron nor steele hurtes them not for they haue none Siluer gold they possesse in such quantity that they esteeme lesse therof then we doe of Copper Once as he said they determined to come conquer these Ilands of ours and hauing past the Ocean with many thousandes of men and comming to the Hiperborean mountaines hearing there vnderstanding that our people were so ill obseruers of Religion and of so wicked manners they disdained to passe any farther accounting it an vnwoorthy thing to meddle with so corrupt a people and so they returned backe againe He added heere-vnto many other meruailous things as that there were in other Prouinces thereof certaine people called Meropes who enhabited many and great Citties within the bounds of whose Country there was a place called Anostum which worde signifieth a place whence there is no returne this Country saith he is not cleare and light neither yet altogether darke but betweene both through the same runne two Riuers the one of delight the other of greefe vppon the shore both of the one and the other are planted trees about the bignes of Poplar-trees those that are on the banks of the Riuer of griefe bring forth a fruite of the same nature quality causing him that eateth thereof to spend the whole time of his life in sad and melancholly dumps bitter teares perpetuall weeping The fruite of those that grow on the banks of the other Riuer haue a contrary effect and vertue yeelding to the eater thereof a blessed course of life abounding in all ioy recreation and pleasure without any one moment of sadnes When they are in yeeres by little and little they waxe young againe recouering their former vigour and force and thence they turne still backward euen to their first infancie becomming little babes againe then they die LV. These things were very strange if they were true but be howe they will they carry some smell of that of which we entreated concerning the Land which is on the other side of the Riphaean and Hiperborean mountaines seeing he saith that determining to conquer this our world which he calleth Ilands they returned backe after they came to those mountaines and so it is to be vnderstoode that they came from the other part of the North-pole as for that Land which he saith to be so tenebrous obscure it may be the same which as we sayd hath continuall obscurity and is a condemned part of the world I doe not wonder at all if amongst the other works of Nature she made this part of the earth with so strange properties I meane not that which Silenus spake but the other by vs entreated of before the ayre of which by reason of som constellation or other thing we comprehend not is so troubled that it is not onely vninhabitable but also not to be passed through wherby the secreets therein contained remaine concealed though perchance on the other side therof the time temperature may be such and so contrary that it may excell these very Countries wherein we now liue AN. You haue reason for without doubt the Land which is in those parts vndiscouered must be very great and containe in it many things of admiration vtterly vnknowne to vs But comming now to particularize somewhat more of that which is now in these our times known discouered I wil tell you what some very new moderne Authors doe say thereof and principallie Iohn Zygler whom I alleadged before who in person visited viewed some part of these Septentrionall Countries though hee passed neither the Hiperborean neyther the Riphaean mountains who meruaileth greatly at that which sundry Authors haue left written of these parts for he found many things so different and contrary that theirs conformed in no one poynt with the truth as well touching the situation of mountaynes and heads of Riuers as the sundry properties and qualities of the Regions and Prouinces for hee sayeth that he was in that part where they all affirme the mountaines Ryphaeus to be and hee found there no mountaynes at all neyther in a great space of Lande round about it but all a plaine and leuell Country the selfe same is affirmed by Sigismund Herberstain in his voyage so that if they erre in the seate of a thing so common and
aches and infirmities then ours LV. You haue sufficiently answered me therfore goe on I pray you with that you were about to say of those Prouinces when I interrupted you AN. There remaineth little to be said but that betvveene Byarmia and Fynland in declyning towards the South there is another prouince which they call Escrifinia of which the Authors giue no ample and perticuler notice onely they say that the people of this Land is more nimble and expert in going ouer the Snow and Ise then anie other Nation in which they vse certaine artificiall staues with which they swing to fro without any danger so that there is no valley howe deepe so euer fild with Snowe nor mountaine so high and difficill but they runne ouer the same euen at such time as the snow is deepest and highest and this they doe in the pursute of wilde beasts whom they chase ouer the mountaines and sometimes for victories sake in striuing among themselues and laying wagers who can doe best and runne with greatest nymblenes and celeritie It is of no great moment to know the manner of these staues which they vse both because it is difficile to vnderstand and the knowledge thereof would stand vs in small steed hauing heere no vse of them BER If any man be able to discouer those peoples of the superior Byarmia me thinks these should be they seeing they are so nimble expert in passing the snowes wherby they might ouercome the difficultie of the mountaines so enter into that Countrey which is generally esteemed so happy and where the people liue so long without any necessitie to trauaile for theyr liuing hauing all things so abundantlie prouided them by Nature In truth I should receaue great pleasure to vnderstande assuredly the particularities of thys Lande and also howe farre it is distant from the Sea and if it be on all sides enuironed with those high mountaines cold Countries it being in the midst of them contayning so many prouinces Regions of excellent temprature vnder a climat constellation making so great a difference betweene them and the others as touching this world to make thē so blessed and happy as the ancients affirme and the moderns denie not AN. This land hath many more prouinces then these whose names I nowe remember not of which there are some though seated in the region of the cold yet enioying through some particuler influences an especiall puritie of ayre temperature of wether But seeing till this day wee haue not attayned to the knowledge of any more content your selues with that which is alreadie sayde LU. I stande considering with my selfe the great and lothsome tediousnesse that mee thinks those Countrymen should sustaine through the wearisom length of their nights which in my opinion were alone sufficient to make them wearie of their liues AN. Did you neuer heare the olde Prouerbe that Custome is another nature euen so the length of the nights is a thing so vsuall vnto those of this Country that they passe them ouer without any griefe or tediousnes at all While theyr day endureth they sowe and gather in their fruites of which the most part the earth plentifullie affordeth them without labour A great part of that season they spende in chasing of wilde Beastes whose fleshe they powder with salt and preserue as wee doe and their fish in like sort or else they dry the same in the ayre as I said before neither are their nights such or so darke but that they may hunt and fish in them Against cold they haue as I said deepe Caues great store of wood and warme furres in great plentie when light fayleth them they haue Oyle of Fishes and fatte of Beastes of which they make Lampes and Candles and withall they haue a kinde of wood contayning in it a sort of Rozen which beeing cleft in splinters they doe vse in steed of Candles and besides this as I haue sayd before the nights are during the time of theyr continuance so light that they may see to doe their busines affayres in them for the Moone and perticuler starres shine in those Regions and the Sunne leaueth alwayes behind him a glimmering or kind of light in so much that Encisus speaking of these Landes in his Cosmographie sayeth that there is in them a Mountaine or Clyffe so high that hovve lowe soeuer the Sunne discende vvhen hee goeth from them to the Pole Antartick the toppe thereof alwayes retayneth a light and brightnesse with vvhich through the exceeding height thereof it participateth LVD This hill must be higher then either that of Atlas Athos or Olympus so they say also that in the I le of Zeylan there is another called Adams hill whose height communicateth with heauen the opinion of the inhabitants is that Adam liued there after he was cast out of Paradise AN. All may be possible but let vs returne thether whence we came I say therfore that seeing Nature hath endued this people with the vse of reason assure your selfe that they want not manner and meanes to seeke out such things as are necessarie for the sustentation and maintenaunce of their liues yea perchance with greater subtiltie and industry then we thinke for neither want they discretion to deuide their times to eate drinke and sleepe at an howre to minister iustice and to maintaine their Lawes and to make their alliances confederations for seeing they haue warres and dissentions one with another it is to be thought that either partie will seeke to founde theyr cause vpon reason procure to haue Chiefes and Leaders to whō they obey and if that which the Auncients say be false that they shoulde be Gentiles and that theyr cheefest God whom they adore should be Apollo then it is likely that they lyue by the Law of Nature for in this time of ours there is not any knowne part in the world out of which this adoration of auncient Gods is not banished at least that manner of adoring them which the old Gentiles obserued I am sorrie that Olaus Magnus declared not this matter more particulerlie seeing he could not chuse but haue knowledge thereof confessing in one Chapter which he made of the colde of those Regions that he himselfe had entred so farre within thē that he founde him-selfe within 86. degrees of the very North-pole LVD I know not howe this may be seeing you say that he speaketh not of the Prouinces of Byarmia of his own knowledge of sight which according to the reckoning you sayde the Cosmographers make of the degrees in reaching within 80. degrees of the Pole are there where the vvhole yeere containeth but one onely day and one onelie night AN. You haue reason to doubt for I cannot throughlie conceaue it my selfe but that which seemeth vnto me is that either he reckoneth the degrees after another sort or else that there is error in the Letter But howsoeuer it be it coulde not
be chosen but that he beeing naturall of Gothland had seene a great part of these Septentrionall Countries seeing hee is able to giue so good and perfect notice of them Onely this one thing now remaineth to tell you which is that you must vnderstand that the very same which we haue heere discoursed of of Lands and Prouinces vnder the North-pole is and in the very selfe same manner in those which are vnder the South-pole and that in as much as pertaineth to the Heauen they differ nothing at all and verie little in that of the earth neyther can they chuse but haue there some other winde like vnto * Circius seeing the Snowe Ise and cold is there in such extreamity as by experience they found which went the voyage with Magellane who according to those that write of him his voyage was within 75. degrees of the Pole before he came to finde and discouer the straight to passe into the Sea of Sur but he entreateth nothing of the encrease and decrease of the dayes and nights the cause why I vnderstande not it beeing a thing of so great admiration that I vvonder why the Chronaclers make no mention thereof seeing they could not chuse but haue notice thereof both by the relation of those that then accompanied him in his voyage and of others that haue since attempted to discouer those parts beeing prohibited to passe any farther through the extreamitie of the cold who foūd in those parts men of monstrous greatnes such as I saide were found neere to the Pole Artick But this by the way I will not omit to tell you that the snowe which was founde on the toppes of Mountaines there vvas not white as it is in the Septentrionall Lands but blewish and of a colour like the skie of which secrete there is no other reason to be giuen then onely that it pleaseth Nature to haue it so There are also many other strange things as birds beasts herbes plants so farre different from these which we haue that they mooue great admiration to the beholders of them And if those parts were well discouered perchance also after the passing ouer of these cold Regions so difficile to be enhabited through the rigor of the Snow and Ise there might be found other Countries as temperate as that of the superiour Byarmia of which we spake before But let this happen when it shall please God in the meane time let vs content our selues with the knowledge of that which in our age is discouered knowne BER We should be greatly beholding to you if it should please you to prosecute your begunne discourse for no doubt where the course of the Sunne Moone and Starres is so diuers there cannot chuse but bee many other things also rare strange and worthy to be knowne AN. It pleaseth me well to giue you this contentment so that you will referre it till to morrow for it is now late and draweth neere supper time LVD Let it be as you please for to say the truth it is now time to retire our selues The end of the fifth Discourse The sixth Discourse entreating of sundry thinges that are in the Septentrionall Landes worthy of admiration Interlocutores ANTHONIO LUDOVICO BERNARDO AN. YOV may see that there wanteth in me no desire to doe you seruice seeing I came first hether to renewe our yesterdayes conuersation and to accomplish my worde and promise LVD Your courtesies towardes vs are many and this not the least of all seeing we hope at thys present to vnderstand the particularities of that delightful discourse which yesterday you began with promise to end the same to day BER It vvere good that wee sate downe vnder the shadovve of these sweete Eglantines and Iassemynes wherby we shall not onely receaue the pleasant sauour which they yeelde but shall haue our eares also filled with delight in hearing the Nightingales recorde their sweete and delectable notes to which in my iudgement the curious forced melody of many Musitians is nothing to be compared LU. No doubt but of all Birdes their singing is most delightfull if it continued the whole yeere but as theyr amorous desire ceaseth so ceaseth also theyr harmonie whereas the songe of other Birdes endureth the whole yere thorough BER They perchaunce account it needelesse to rechaunt theyr melodious tunes and sweete harmonie but at such time as the the pryde and gaietie of the season entertaineth them in loue and iealousie cheerefully with mutuall sweetnesse reioycing one another and each mate vnderstanding others call LUD According to thys you will haue the Birdes to vnderstand one another BER There is no doubt but they doe for euen as the Beastes knowe the voyce one of another assembling themselues together by theyr bellowing and braying euen so doe they vnderstande the chyrping and peeping one of another calling themselues thereby together into showles and flocks ANT. Nay vvhich is more strange they doe not onely vnderstand one another among themselues but sometimes also they are vnderstoode as it is written of men of which number Apolonius Tyaneus was one LUD That certainlie seemeth vnto mee a thing vnpossible ANT. Well yet I will not sticke to let you vnderstande what I haue read concerning this matter and you shall find the same written in his life Apollonius disporting himselfe one day in the fieldes vnder the shadow of certaine trees as wee doe at this present there setled ouer his head a Sparrow chirping and chyttering to other Sparrowes that were vpon the same trees the which altogether beganne to make a great chyrping a noyse and to take theyr flight speedilie towards the Cittie whereupon Apollonius bursting into a great laughter and beeing by his companions earnestly intreated to declare the cause thereof vnto them he saide that the same Sparrow that came alone had brought newes to the rest that a Myller comming on the high way towardes the Towne with a burden of Corne charged vppon his Asses backe had by chaunce let one of his sackes fall the stringes whereof breaking the Corne fell out which the Myller coulde not so cleane scrape vp and gather together againe but that a great deale thereof remayned tumbled in the dust which was the cause of the great myrth that the other byrdes demeaned who in thanking him for his good newes flewe away with hym to eate theyr part of the same Corne. His companions hearing this smyled thereat thinking it to be but a iest till in returning to the Towne they found the place where the sack had been broken the Sparrowes scraping verie busilie about the same LV. Apolonius was a man of great wisdom knowledge but I rather think that he deuined this matter by some other meanes for it seemeth hard to beleeue that birds should haue any language wherwith they should so particulerly expresse their meaning vnlesse it be certain generall notes by which each kind knoweth and calleth theyr semblable for in thinking
otherwise we should attribute vnto them some vse of reason which can be neither in them nor in Beasts what shewe so euer they make thereof BER Let vs leaue this least otherwise wee interrupt Signior Anthonio in the prosecution of his promised discourse touching the Septentrionall Countries which is a matter not to be let slip AN. I would that I were therein so instructed that I could entreate so particulerly and plainly thereof as it were requisite I should but though the fault be mine in that I vnderstande little yet I want not an excuse where-with to wipe away some part of the blame For the great confusion of the Authors both Auncient Moderne that write thereof as yesterday you vnderstoode is such that it maketh me also confuse and wauering in whether of theyr opinions I should follow Trust me it is a world to see theyr disagreements and he had neede of a very Diuine iudgment that should conforme himselfe to the vnderstanding of Ptolomaeus Solinus Stephanus Dyonisius Rufus Festus Auienius Herodotus Plinius Anselmus Strabo Mela and diuers other of the Auncients some of the which in reckoning vp of Nations and Prouinces name onely one saying forth others aboue this and others aboue that beyond of the one side and of the other some declare the names particulerly of each one but in such sort that comparing them with these by which we now know thē they are not to be discerned which are which for with great difficulty can we know who are the right Getes Massagetes Numades Scythians and Sarmates but onely that we goe gessing according to the names which they now haue for there are Authors that giue to the Land of the Scithians onely 75. leagues of widenes and others will needs haue the most part of all those great Countries Northward to be contained vnder them so that Pliny not without cause speaking of these Septentrionall parts termeth them to be so vast and of so farre a reach that they may be accounted an other new part of the world yet he then knew nothing of the interiour part thereof towards the Pole which is now discouered But leauing this there is no lesse difficulty and difference in the description of those parts which we now know and vnderstand yea euen those which are neere vs and with whom we haue traffique as Norway Denmarke Gothland Sweueland and the Prouinces which we call Russia Prussia of which they write so intricatly especially in some points that they hardly giue resolution to those that reade them notwithstanding which difficulties seeing there is no part of the world in which there are not some thinges though to them common yet rare and strange to those that haue not seene them but newly heare them spoken of I will tell you some particularities recorded by the Authors that make mention of these Regions with which we may passe in good conuersation this euening as we haue done the rest And first to begin with their men they say that they are of great stature their lims members wel proportioned and their faces beautiful Amongst which there are many Gyants of incredible greatnes which as you enter farther into the Lande so shall you finde them greater Of these make mention Saxo Grammaticus and Olaus Magnus chiefely of one called Hartenus another Starchater and two others Angrame and Aruedor who were endued with so extraordinary a force puissance that to carry an Oxe or a Horse vpon their shoulders though the way were very long they accounted nothing There are also women nothing inferiour to them in strength some of which haue beene seene with one hand take a Horse with a man Armed vpon his back and to lift him vp and throw him downe to the ground and of these and others sundry Authors write many notable thinges worthy of memory which seruing nothing to our purpose it were in vaine heere to rehearse Leauing them therefore I say that the continuance of the Snow in all these Septentrionall Lands is such that the high eminent places and toppes of mountaines are couered there-with all the yeere long and many times the valleyes and low places also notwithstanding all which extreamity of cold they haue very good pastures both for Beasts wild and tame for theyr fodder and grasse is of such quality that the very cold nourisheth and augmenteth the force verdure therof The greatest discōmodity they haue is through the wind Circius which the greater part of the yere blustreth in those Prouinces and that with such raging fury violence that it renteth vp the trees by the rootes and whirleth whole heapes of stones from vp the earth into the ayre wherby those that trauaile are often in great danger of their liues the remedy they haue is to hide shroud themselues in caues hollow vauts vnder the mountains for somtimes the tempests are so incredibly raging terrible that there haue ben ships in the Bothnyk Sea which though it be neere the frozen Sea yet notwithstanding is nauigable hoised vp into the ayre thrown down violently against the maine Land a matter scarsly credible but that it is verified by so many so graue Authors at other times you shall see waues of the Sea resembling mighty mountains raised in height then with their fal drowne and ouerwhelme such ships as are neere somtimes the tiles yea the whole roofs of the house taken away blown far off which is more the roofs of their churches couered with Lead other mettals haue ben torn vp caried away as smoothly as though they had been but feathers neither haue men Armed and a Horseback more force to resist the violence of this wind then hath a light reed for either it ouerthroweth them or else perforce driueth thē against some hillock or Rock so that in diuers places of Norway which lie subiest to this wind there grow encrease no trees at all for they are straight turned vp by the roots For want of wood they make fire of the bones of certaine fishes which they take in great quantity the bleetenes of this wind for sildome in those parts bloweth any other is cause that the most part of the yere the Riuers ponds Lakes are all frozen yea the very waters of the Springs doe no sooner com out of them but they are presently congeled into Ice when the heat of the Sun thaweth or melteth any Snow the same presently turneth into so hard an Ice ouer that which is vnderneath that they can scarcely pearce it with Pickaxes so that euery yeere their yong men in plaine fields make thick wals of snow like vnto those of a Fortresse in som such place that they may receaue the heat of the Sun melting through which they conuert into a hard Christaline Rock of Ice and sometimes of purpose after they haue framed this edifice of snow they cast water vppon the same to make
it freeze and become more hard and cleare vsing the same in certaine warlike pastimes they haue in steede of a Castell of lyme or stone one troupe entereth there-into to defende the same and another bideth without to besiege assault or surprize it and this in most solemne sort with all engines stratagems and manners of vvarfare great prices being ordained for those that shall obtayne the conquest besides the tryumph wherein the conquerours doe glory ouer the vanquished Who so amongst them is found to be fearefull or not forward in executing that which he is commaunded is by his companions stuft full of Snow vnder his garments and somtimes tumbled starke naked in great heapes of the same enuring them therby better to abide hardnes another time These Septentrionall Lands haue many Lakes and standing waters of great largenes som of the which are a hundred miles long These are at somtimes so frozen that they trauaile ouer them both a foote and horsebacke In the Countries of East and Westgothland there are Lakes vpon which great troupes of horsmen meete and runne for wagers their horses are in such sort shod that they sildome slide or fall in time of warre they skirmish often vpon these frozen Lakes yea and sometimes fight maine battailes vpon them At sundry seasons they hold vpoÌ„ them also certaine Faires to which there resorteth a great concourse of strange Nations the beginning of which custome was ordained as saith Iohn Archbishoppe of Vpsala Predicessour to Olaus by a Queene of Swethland called Disa who being a woman of great wisedome commaunded her Subiects on a certaine yeere in which her dominions were afflicted with extreame dearth scarsity of graines to goe vnto the bordering Regions carrying with them such merchandize as their Country yeelded and to bring with them in exchange thereof Corne and graine withall to publish franchize to all such as should bring thither any victual to be sold where-vpon many strangers repairing thither at such time and season as the Lake was frozen she appointed them that place for holding of their Faire from which time till this day that custome hath continued Northward of these Regions there are many great and meruailous Lakes such as scarcely the like are to be found in any other part of the world that is peopled of which leauing apart one that is neere the Pole is called the white Lake which is in maner an other Caspian Sea yeelding great commodities of fowle and fish to the adioyning Prouinces part of the same reaching out euen to the Muscouites There are in the Regions of Bothnia Lakes of 300. 400. miles long where there is such quantity of fish taken that if they could conueniently be carried about they would serue for prouision to halfe the world Thereby also are many other notable Lakes of which the three most famous are as the Authors write Vener Meler and Veher Vener containeth in length 130. miles which are about 44. leagues as much in breadth within it it hath sundry Ilands well peopled with Citties Townes and Fortresses Churches and Monasteries for all those three Lakes are in Country of Christians though we haue heere little notice of them Into this Lake enter 24. deepe Riuers all which haue but one only issue which maketh so terrible a noyse amongst certayne Rocks falling from one to another that it is heard by night six or seauen leagues of making deafe those that dwell neere there abouts so that it is sayd there are certaine little Villages and Cottages thereby the enhabitants of which are all deafe They call the issue of these Riuers in their Country language Frolletta which is as much to say as the deuils head The second Lake called Meler is betweene Gothland and Swethland hath in the shore thereof many mynerals of mettals both of siluer and others the treasures gathered out of which enricheth greatly the Kinges of those Countries The third also called Veher aboundeth in mines on the North side thereof The waters thereof are so pure cleare that casting there-into an egge or a white stone you may see it lye in the bottome though it be very deep as well as though there were no water betweene Within this Lake are many peopled Ilands in one of which wherin are two great Parish Churches Olaus writeth that there happened a thing very meruailous and strange There liued in this Iland saith hee a man called Catyllus so famous in the Art of Negromancie that in the whole worlde his like was scarcely to be found Hee had a Scholler called Gilbertus whom hee had in that wicked Science so deepely instructed that hee dared so farre presume as to contend with him being his Maister yea and in som things seeme to surpasse him at which shamelesse ingratitude of his Catyllus taking great indignation as alwayes Maisters vse to reserue vnto themselues certaine secrete points with onely wordes and charmes without other band fetter or prison he bound him in an instant both body hands and feete in such sort that he could not wag himselfe in which plight he conuayed him into a deepe Caue vnder one of the Churches of the same Iland where he remaineth till this day according to the common opinion is alwayes liuing Thither vsed darly to resort many not only of that Country people but strangers also to see him and to demaund questions of him They entred with many Torches and Lanternes and with a clew of threed of which they fasten one end to the dore whereat they enter vnwiding the same still as they goe for the better assurance of finding their way out the Caue being full of many deepe pits crooked turnings and corners But at length because the moisture dampish cold thereof with a lothsome stench besides anoyed so much those that entred that some of them came out halfe dead they made a law that on greeuous paine none of the Countrimen should froÌ„ that time forward resort nor enter into that Caue neither giue counsaile aide or assistance to strangers which for curiosities sake shold atempt the same LV. This is without doubt the worke of the deuil who the same Gilbertê° dying perchance presently entered into his putrified stinking carkasse abusing the people aunswered to their demands For though the force of enchauntments be great yet can they not preserue life any longer then the time fixed appointed by God AN. You haue reason and in truth it seemeth that the deuill is there more lose and at greater liberty then in other parts so that som wil say the principall habitation of deuils to be in the North according to the authority of holy Scripture All euill shal come discouer it selfe from the Aquilon Zachary Chap. 2. crieth ho ho flie from the land of the Aquilon howbeit that these authorties are vnderstoode coÌ„monly in that Antichrist shal come from those parts whose like was neuer in persecuting the people of
endureth very long They apply theyr skinnes to such vses as wee doe heere the hides of Oxen. They make also of them Couerlettes for theyr beds retayning alwayes in them as it were a kinde of naturall warmth Of their hornes and bones they make very strong Bowes neyther is that of their hoofes without great vertue hauing as it is wrttten in them a notable remedie against the falling sicknes BER I neuer hearde of a more profitable Beast and therefore I much meruaile why other Countries procure not to nourish them ANT. All possible dilligence hath beene vsed not onely to conuay them into other Prouinces and Regions but also to sende vvith them Keepers acquainted vvith theyr custome and nature But all sufficed not For it seemeth that Nature vvill haue them to bee onely in those Countries towardes the North the farther from which you carry them the greater difficultie is in keeping them for in comming vvhere they feele not the sharpnesse of the colde they die euen like fishes taken out of theyr naturall Element vvhich is water There is another Beast also in those partes called Onager in manner like vnto the Rangyferes but that hee hath onely two hornes like a Stagge vvhose lightnesse they say is such that hee runneth also ouer the Snovve vvithout scarcelie leauing any signe or trace of his feete They were woont to vse this Beast in dravving theyr Coaches and artificiall Tables vvith vvhich they trauayled ouer the Ice and frozen Snowe But they vvere forbidden by the publique edict of theyr Kinges and Princes not to nourish them any more tame and domesticall I omit the causes wherefore because the Authors write insufficiently thereof This Beast endureth so well hunger thirst that he will trauaile 50. or 60. leagues without eating or drinking The woods and mountaynes containe infinite numbers of thē they are at continuall warre with the Wolfes of which also there is great plenty whensoeuer any one of them happeneth to light vpon a Wolfe with his nailes howe little so euer the wound be hee dyeth thereof presently If the Wolfe pursue him his refuge is straight to the Ice where in respect of his sharpe pawes he hath a great aduantage standing stiffe and firme vpon them which the Wolfe cannot doe vpon his LU. Solinus writeth also that there are of these in Affrica whose words are thus There are saith hee in this Prouince Beastes called Onagri of which each male gouerneth a Heard of females of the same kinde they are exceeding iealous and cannot endure to haue companions in their lasciuiousnes whence it proceedeth that they looke very watchfully vnto the females going great to the end that if they bring forth males by giuing them a bite vppon the genitories they may thereby take from them all possibility euer after of engendring which the females fearing endeuour alwayes as secretly as they can to hide their young ones BER Perchaunce these and those of the Septentrionall Lands are not all of one sort seeing the one liueth not but in places extreamely colde and to the other nothing is more naturall then heate AN. This is no argument to proue that they are not all one sort of Beastes for as there are men in the Regions of extreamest cold likewise in those of most scorching heat euen so may these Beasts though of one sort yet liue vnder contrary Climates each of them conforming them to the nature of the soile Yet I will not say but that it may well be that they are two sundry kindes encountring both in one name For in truth we doe not finde that any of these properties of which Solinus speaketh are in the Northerne Onagres But seeing the matter is not great whether they be one or diuers let vs turne to our Wolfes againe of which there is so great a number in those Northerne Regions that the people haue much adoe to defend themselues and theyr Cattell from them insomuch that they dare not aduenture to trauaile in diuers places vnlesse they goe manie together and well armed There are of them three sorts the one like these which wee haue here others all white nothing so fierce and harmeful as the rest the thirde sort they call Troys hauing great bodies but short legges which though they be more cruell withall more swift then eyther of the other sorts yet are they not of the enhabitants so much feared because they liue and pray vpon wilde Beasts seldome dooing any violence to men But if at any time they vndertake to pursue a man they neuer leaue till they haue woried him As touching the auncient opinion that there should be in these parts a prouince of men called Neuri which at one time of the yeere are transformed into Wolues if there be therin at all any foundation of truth it is as all late Writers affirme that as there are in those partes many Witches and Enchaunters so haue they theyr limitted and determined times of meetings and making theyr assemblies which they doe in the shape of Wolues the cause wherof though they declare not yet is it to be thought that they are by their maister the deuill so enioyned at appointed times to doe him obedience in thys forme and figure as the Sorcerers and Hags doe at which time he instructeth them in such thinges as appertaine to theyr arte and science During the time of theyr transformation they commit such infinite outrages and cruelties that the very Wolues in deed are tame gentle in respect of them For proofe that they can and do so transfigurat themselues besides many other examples which I could alleadge I will content my selfe in telling you onelie one which is most true and certaine It is not long since that the Duke of Muscouia caused one to bee taken that was notoriously knowne to transforme himselfe in such sort as wee haue said of whom being brought bound with a chaine into his presence he demaunded if it were true that hee could so transforme and change himselfe into a Wolfe as it was bruted which he confessing the Duke commaunded him to do it presently whereupon crauing to be left alone awhile in a chamber hee came of a suddaine out in the shape of a verie Wolfe indeede being still fast bound in his chayne as he was before In the meane time the Duke had of purpose made come two fierce mastiues which taking him to be as he seemed flew presently vppon him and tare him in peeces the poore wretch hauing no force or abilitie to defende himselfe at all BER Hee was iustly punished according to his desert But it is not onely of late dayes that the deuill exerciseth thys Arte among those Nations for Solinus Plinie Pomponius Mela and many other learned Authours in theyr wrytings make mention thereof But leauing thys seeing it commeth so well to our purpose of VVoules I will tell you what a man of verie good credite tolde mee not long since affirming the
same to haue happened in a Towne on the vtmost boundes of Germanie vvhich we may also terme to be a land Septentrionall Thys Towne sayde he was so neere a great wilde Mountaine ouer-growen vvith Trees and bushes that of one side the Trees shadowed the Houses Thys Mountaine vvas so pestred with VVolues that raging through hunger they vsed to come in mightie troupes euen to the very Towne it selfe though it vvere great and well peopled Theyr crueltie and fiercenesse was such that no man dared stirre out of the Towne alone no nor three or foure together if they vvent not verie well prouided both of courage and weapons vnlesse they woulde bee torne in peeces and deuoured of the VVolues Neyther did the Women and Maydens dare goe vnto the Riuer that ran thereby for vvater without a strong Conuoy of Armed men Finallie the domage they dailie receaued was so great that for theyr last and onelie remedie they determined to abandon the Towne and to seeke some other habitation vvhich theyr deliberation beeing knowne three young-men amongst the rest of great force and courage determined to put theyr liues in ieopardie rather then to leaue the place of theyr natiuitie defert to become the habitation of vvilde Beastes VVhereuppon making each of them a light Armour complete at all peeces full of short sharpe gaddes or Bodkins they Armed themselues therewithall pulling ouer the same a blacke garment least otherwise the Wolues might discouer theyr Armour and so sette forwarde to the Forrest hauing in each hande a strong sharp poynted ponyard and least they shoulde breake or leese them foure others in a readines vnder theyr gyrdles They vvent not farre a sunder that they might succour one another when neede required They had not so soone endred into the VVood but they were presently espyed by the VVolues who very raueningly with open mouth assayling them they made no semblance of defence but suffred them freelie to come on Who vvith open mouth thinking presently to deuoure them what vvith the sharpe Bodkins on the Armour vpon which they smote theyr iawes and the stabbes bestowed vppon them with the ponyards had quicklic theyr bellies full In this order they they dispatched very many that day helping still one another when they were in danger And continuing the same many dayes together penetrating daily farder into the mountaine they made such a slaughter and hauocke of VVolues that in short space they cleered the vvhole Coast of them and deliuered theyr towne from desolation AN. Truelie these youngmen were woorthy of great commendation for theyr courage and discretion in clensing theyr Countrey of so great an inconuenience and mischeefe but by the way I will tell you a strange thing that hapned of late in Galicia There was a man taken that accustomed to hide himselfe in the Mountaines and Caues clothed in a VVolues skinne lurking alwayes in some secrete place neer vnto the High-way where if he sawe any childe come alone hee ranne out vppon him and strangling him satisfied therwith his hunger The hurt he did was so great that those of the Countrey with a generall consent laying dailie wayte to catch him surprized him one day so by chaunce at vnawares that they tooke him aliue and finding him to be a man they imprisoned him and afterwards layd him on the torture but they could wring no matter at all out of him for all that hee spake was fantastically like vnto a madde man Hee vvould eate nothing but rawe flesh and in the end dyed before hys time of execution But leauing this of theyr Wolues they haue besides manie other beastes both wilde and tame amongst the which theyr Hares haue a propertie farre different from these of ours for as the Winter commeth on and the snowe beginneth to fall they shead all theyr old haire in place of which cōmeth newe as white as anie Lilly which as the Sommer approcheth they change againe returning to theyr old colour being the same which ours haue here wherby it may be inferred that in those Countries which are farder North and where the snow is in a maner continuall the Hares should be alwaies white though it is doubtfull whether the Snow or the naturall propertie of the Land causeth this alteration in the colour of theyr hayre Whensoeuer they are taken in the Winter theyr skinnes are excellent and accounted to be one of the best Furres that may be There is another mistery also very strange written by the Historiographers concerning these Hares which is that what woman soeuer eateth theyr flesh during the time of her going great the vpper lippe of the childe of which she cōmeth to be deliuered is in the midst clouen in two with a slitte euen vp to the verie nostrels for which they vse this remedie The Midwife or Phisition taketh the brawne of the breast of a Chicken newlie kilde and layeth it vpon the slitte and ouer that the warme bloode of the same Chicken with which it closeth ioyneth together though neuer so well but that the marke and token thereof remaineth There are also in those Countries certaine other Beastes called Gulones about the greatnes of a Mastiue Curre proportioned like a Cat with long and sharpe clawes hauing a bushie tayle like a Foxe vvhose nature is hauing kilde any Beast to eate so much as his belly can holde which beeing swolne so great as though it would euen presentlie burst hee goeth to the Woode and seeking out two Trees that growe verie neere together hee strayneth himselfe betweene them in such sort that he commeth to vomite and cast vp all that which hee had eaten before thence hee returneth to eate anewe and thence to vomite againe and so still till hee haue deuoured the vvhole Beast The skinne of this Beast is accounted very precious In taking him the Hunters vse this pollicy They lay neere the place where he vseth the carkasse of some dead Beast hiding thēselues in the meane time til his belly be as full as a tun within the thickest of some bush and then they shoote at him with their Crosbowe otherwise their fiercenes and cruelty withall their swiftnes is such that they would put the Hunters to great ieopardy if they should chaunce to descry them while their bellies are empty They haue also great aboundance of Tygers whose skins they apply to many vses chiefely in respect of their exceeding warmth to garments and couerlets of beds Their most esteemed furre is that of Martres which we heere call Zibellinas to which also there is an other Beast very like and little differing the flesh wherof they eate not because it is very dry and vnpleasant their skinnes onely is that which they seeke and hold in estimation There are also Lynces whose sight is so sharpe and piercing that it penetrateth through a wall seeing that which is on the other side In Gothland commonly the Rams haue 4. hornes and some 8 and withall they
are of such courage in defending themselues against the Wolfes that they are sildome by them assailed for their hornes are so sharpe and strong and withall doe grow in such order as though Nature had of purpose planted them there for their defence LU. I haue seene often some with 4. hornes but neuer any with 8. BER Nay more then this they say there are also Weathers of 5. quarters for the taile waieth more then any of the other 4. therfore may wel be taken for one Of these I my selfe sawe certaine in Rome which whether they were brought thence or no I know not but surely they seemed vnto me wonderfully strange AN. But let vs now come to say somwhat of the fishes that are fouud in those parts seeing of their Beastes we haue sufficiently discoursed Notwithstanding that we all knowe that the Sea is the Mother of Monsters and that therein are contained so many kinds and sorts of fishes as there are Beasts on the earth or Fowles in the ayre Yet seeing there are some very strange and of which the Authors Historiographers make particuler relation I cannot but say somewhat of them Amongst the rest there is one to whom for the horrible and hideous forme thereof they giue no other name then Monster His length is commonly fifty cubites which is but little in comparison of the greatnes and deformity of his proportion and members his head is as great as halfe his body and round about full of hornes as great and long or rather more then those of an Oxe The greatnes and manner of his eyes is meruailous for the onely apple is a cubite in length and as much in breadth which by night glistereth in such sort that a farre off it resembleth a flame of fire His teeth are great sharpe his tayle forked containing from one point to the other fifteene cubites his body full of haires resembling the wing-feathers of a Goose beeing stript and his colour is as blacke as any Iet in the world may be The violence force of this Monster is such that with great facility in a trice hee will ouer-turne the greatest shippe that vsually crosseth those Seas neither can the resistance of the Marriners though they be many in number auaile The Archbishop of Nydrosia and Primate of the Kingdome of Norway called Henry Falchendor writing a Letter to Pope Leo the tenth sent him withall the head of one of these Monsters which was a long time kept for a wonder in Rome There are other Sea-Monsters called Fisiters no lesse dangerous to those that saile then the other their length is commonly 200. cubits the head and mouth proportionable to the same The tayle is also forked in the midst and containeth from one point to another a hundreth feete their belly is exceeding great and wide nosthrils they haue none but in steede thereof two deepe open holes aboue the forehead out of which they spout out such a quantity of water that shipps haue beene many times through the violent fall thereof in danger of drowning vvhich if that suffice not they throw halfe their body vpon the sides of the shippe ouerwhelming it with the waight thereof neyther is their tayle lesse dangerous with which they giue so mighty a blow that it is able to smite any ship in peeces The domage were infinite that these deformed Monsters would doe but that it hath pleased God that a remedy should be found out to preuent their mischiefe for they flie the sound of Trumpets and the thundering of Artillerie as death it selfe and this is the onely meane which the Marriners doe vse in driuing them away There was one of these Fisiters found on the way towards India with which happened a notable chaunce in this sort A Galley in which Ruynas Pereyra went for Captaine sayling neere the Cape of Bona Speransa with a reasonable good winde and all her sayles out stoode of a sodaine still so that the Marriners thought she had stroken a ground and were in great feare of their liues But dooing their diligence to redresse the danger in which they were they perceaued the Galley to haue water enough onely that she was deteyned by one of these Fisiters which had clasped himselfe about her keele thrusting vp of a sodaine certaine finnes that reached aboue water euen to the mizzen sayle vpon which many of them layd their hands and some would haue striken him with their Iauelins others would haue shot at him with Muskets or discharged a peece of Artillery to neyther of which counsailes the Captaine would by any meanes consent least through the strugling and tossing of the Monster being wounded the Galley should be in hazard of drowning The onely remedy therfore that he had refuge vnto was to desire the Chaplain of the company to reuest himselfe in his Priestly habite and with humble Prayers to beseech the Maiestie Diuine to deliuer them from that imminent danger In the midst of whose deuotions it pleased God that the fish by little and little vnwound himselfe and diued downeward into the water the last that was seene of him was his head being of an incredible greatnes out of the holes of which he launced out so much water and so high that the same in falling resembled a mighty cloude dissolued into rayne and there-with he went his wayes those of the ship infinitely praysing God for this their miraculous deliuery There is also in the West part of this Northerne Sea a great number of VVhales which though they be hurtful of great terror yet are they nothing so much feared as the others before named There are of thē two kinds of which the skin of the one is couered with great thick haires these are far greater then the other in so much that there haue been of them taken 900. or 1000. foote long the other whose skinnes are smooth and plaine are nothing so great But seeing there are many of them in this Sea of ours and their shape and proportion is so well knowne vnto vs it were time lost to describe particulerly the manner of them Onely I will tell you what Olaus Magnus writeth of one taken in those Countries which seemeth a thing if not incredible yet passing admirable the which is that his eyes were so great that twenty men sitting within the circle of one of them did scarcely fill it vp according to which the other parts of his body carried full prorortion and conformity The greatest enemy they haue and of greatest courage in daring to assaile them and by whom they are many times conquered and slaine is a fish called Orca though not great and huge yet passing fierce and cruel and extreamely swift and nimble his teeth are long and sharpe as Sizers with which comming vnder the Whale being heauy and sluggish he rippeth vp his belly Of all others this fish the Whale dareth not abide and oftentimes in flying him
little was by them brought and put into a pond or standing water in the Iland of S. Domingo a little after the conquest thereof by the Spaniards Being in which fresh water in short space hee encreased to such greatnes that hee became bigger then any horse and withall so familiar that calling him by a name which they had giuen him he would come ashore and receaue at theyr handes such thinges as they brought him to eate as though he had beene some tame domesticall beast The boyes among other sportes and pastimes they vsed with him woulde sometimes gette vp vppon his bace and hee swimme all ouer the Lake with them without euer dooing harme or once dyuing vnder the water with any one of thē One day certaine Spanyards comming to see him one of them smote him with a pyke staffe which he had in his hand from which time forward hee knewe the Spanyards so vvell by theyr garments that if any one had beene therby when the other people called him hee woulde not come ashore otherwise still continuing with those of the Country his vvonted familiaritie Hauing thus remained in this Lake a long space the water vpon a tyme through an extreamitie of raine rose so high that the one side of the Lake ouerflowed and brake into the Sea from which time forward he was seen no more Thys is written by the Gouernour of the fortresse of that Iland in a Chronicle which he made Leauing them therefore now I will briefely speake of certaine notable Fish coasts from the West of Ireland forwards winding about towardes the North For it is a thing notorious that many Kingdoms Regions Prouinces haue their prouisions of Fish frō thence of which our Spaine can giue good testimonie the great commodity considered that it receaueth yeerely thereby To beginne therefore the farther forth this way that you goe the greater plenty you shall finde of fishe many of those Prouinces vsing no other trade forraine Merchants bringing into them other necessary thinges in exchange thereof The chiefest store whereof is founde on the Coast of Bothnia which deuideth it selfe into three Prouinces East West and North-Bothnia The last whereof is different farre from the other two for it is a plaine Champaine Land seated as it were in a Valley betweene great and high Mountaines The ayre thereof is so wholesome the Climat so fauourable that it may be well termed one of the most pleasant and delightfull places of the world for it is neither hote nor cold but of so iust a temperature that it seemeth a thing incredible the Countries lying about it beeing so rigorously cold couered with Snow congealed with a continuall Ise. The fields of themselues produce all pleasant varietie of hearbes and fruites The woods and trees are replenished with Birdes whose sweet charmes melodious tunes breedeth incredible delectation to the hearers but wherein the greatest excellencie and blessing of this Land consisteth is that amongst so great a quantitie of Beasts and Fowles of which the Hilles Woods Fieldes and Valleyes are full it breedeth not nourisheth or maintaineth not any one that is harmefull or venemous neyther doe such kindes of Fishes as are in the Sea hurtfull approach theyr shoares which otherwise abound with Fishes of all sorts so that it is in the fishers handes to take as many and as few as they list The cause of which plentie is as they say that diuers forts of Fishes flying the colde come flocking in multitudes into these temperate waters Neyther bapneth this onely on theyr Sea-shoare but in theyr Lakes Riuers within the Land also which swarme as thicke with fishes great and little of diuers kindes as they can hold The enhabitants liue very long neuer or sildome feeling any infirmity which surely may serue for an argument seeing it is so approouedly knowne to be true to confirme that which is written concerning the vpper Byarmya which though it be seated in the midst of vntemperate cold countries couered and frozen with continuall Snow and Ice yet is it selfe so temperate and vnder so fauourable a Climate and constellation that truly the Authors may well call it as they doe a happy and blessed soile whose people hauing within thēselues all things necessary for the sustentation of humaine life are so hidden sequestred from other parts of the world hauing of themselues euery thing so aboundantly that they haue no need to traffique or conuerse with forraine Regions And this I take to be the cause that we haue no better knowledge of some people that liue vppon the Hyperbores who though they liue not with such pollicy as we doe it is because the plenty of all thinges giueth them no occasion to sharpe their wits or to be carefull for any thing so that they leade a simple and rustique life without curiosity deuoyd of all kind of trouble care or trauaile whereas those who liue in Countries where for their substentation maintenance it behooueth them to seeke needefull prouisions in forraine Landes what with care of auoiding dangers well dispatching their affaires and daily practising with diuers dispositions of men they cannot but becom industrious pollitique and cautelous And hence came it that in the Kingdome of China there was a Law and statute prohibiting and defending those that went to seeke other Countries euermore to returne into the same accounting them vnworthy to liue in so pleasant and fertile a soile that willingly forsooke the same in searching an other But returning to our purpose in this North Bothnya which is beyond Norway is taken incredible store of fish which they carry some fresh some salted to a Citty called Torna situated in manner of an Iland betweene two great Riuers that discende out of the Septentrionall mountaines where they hold their Fayre and Staple many and diuers Nations resorting thither who in exchange of theyr fish accommodate them with such other prouisions as their Country wanteth so that they care not to labour or till their grounds which if at any time they doe the fertillity thereof is such that there is no Country in the worlde able to exceede the same The people is so iust that they know not howe to offende or offer iniurie to any man they obserue with such integrity the Christian fayth that they haue him in horrour and destentation that committeth a mortall sinne They are enemies of vice and louers and embracers of vertue and truth They correct and chasten with all seuerity and rigour those that are offendours insomuch that though a thing bee lost in the streete or field no man dareth take it vp till the owner come himselfe There are also other Prouinces maintayned in a manner wholely by fishing as that of Laponia in the vvhich are manie Lakes both great and little infinitelie replenished with all sorts of excellent fishes and that of Fylandia which is very neere or to say better vnder the Pole The
greatest part of this Prouince obeyeth the King of Swethen vvho hath in the frontyers thereof one of the best and strongest Castels in the worlde called Newcastle which is situated vppon a high Rocke accessible onely of one side and that with great difficulty At the foote of this Rocke runneth a great and deepe Riuer in such sort that in some places it is hard to sound any bottome the waters of which and all the fishes therein are so blacke that it is therefore called the blacke Riuer it discendeth from the Aquilonar mountaynes commeth along through such desert and craggie Landes that no manne knoweth where the head thereof riseth onely it is thought that it commeth out of Lacus Albus waxing black by reason of the soile through which it commeth There is in this Riuer great aboundance of Salmons and of other fishes of such excellent relish and pleasing tast that there can in no part of the world be found any better They serue not onely for prouision to the Country it selfe but are carried thence into many farre places Amongst the rest there is found a fish called Treuius which in the Winter is blacke and in the Sommer white whose meruailous property is such that binding him fast with a corde and letting him downe into the bottome of a Riuer if there be any gold in the sands thereof the same cleaueth fast to his skin which how great soeuer the peeces be fall not off from him till they be taken off so that some vse no other occupation to winne theyr lyuing with then this It is sayde for an assured certainty that sometimes there is openly seene a man goe in the middle of the streame playing most sweetely vppon an Instrument like a trebble Viall which at such time as men beholde him with greatest delight of a sodaine sinketh downe into the water There are also often heard vppon the shore Trumpets Drummes and other loud Instruments without seeing those that sound them vvhich when it happeneth they holde the same for a signe or presage of some harme or disastre that is to ensue to some principall person of the gard of this Fortresse which they haue often found true by experience But leauing to speake of the great plenty of fish which is in these Countries Now I will come to say somewhat of the Birdes and Fovvles which are in these parts of which there are many kinds farre differing from those which we haue heere among the rest some as great or rather greater then Patridges whose feathers are diuersified with beautifull colours chiefely white blacke and yellow called Raynbirds because towardes rayne they cry otherwise holding continually their peace It is held for a certainty that they liue by the ayre for being very fatte they are neuer seene eate at any time neyther when they kill them doe they finde any sustenance at all in theyr belly or mawe Theyr flesh is of a very sauourie taste and much esteemed There are other Birdes found on the high and rough mountaynes such as are for the most part continually couered with Snowe somewhat bigger then Thrushes which are in the Sommer white and all the Winter long blacke Their feete neuer change culour which is a most perfect yellovv They sleepe and shroude themselues for the most part alwayes in trees But when they see any Hawke or Fowle that lyueth by pray they choppe dovvne into the Snovve fluttering the same ouer them with theyr vvinges in such sort that they leaue no part of them vndiscouered preseruing thereby theyr lyfe Of all other Fovvles they are hardlyest taken they hide themselues so artificially in the Snow and therefore they call them Snow-birds Of Falcons there is passing great store ouer all these Northerne Countries and of many sorts At such time as the day lasteth the whole Sommer long in those Regions neere the Pole fewe or none remaine in the bordering Lands but flie all thither returning thence againe when the night commeth about Amongst these there are certaine white which pray both on fowles and fishes which Riuers for their pleasure doe reclaime taking with them both fish and fowle Their two feete are of sundry and seuerall fashions the one with long sharpe talents with which they seaze their pray the other like vnto a Goose the talents whereof are nothing so long The Rauens in these Lands are so great and harmfull that they kill not onely Hares and Fawnes but also Lambs and Pigs of which they make so great spoile and destruction that there are Lawes made by the which there is a reward appointed to such as shall kill them so much for the head of euery one About the Sea shore and Lakes there are many which they call Sea-Crowes and of diuers kindes some are great and haue sawes in their beakes in manner of teeth with which they sheare the fishes asunder Their principal foode is Eeles which if they be not very great they swallow in whole and many times slice them out againe behind afore they be fully dead There is an other sort of them somvvhat lesse otherwise of small difference which in seauen dayes make their nests and lay their egges and in other seauen dayes hatch their young-ones There are other Birdes called Plateae which are alwaies houering also ouer Lakes Ponds they haue mortall warres with the Crowes and with all other fowles that liue by fish of which if they see any haue in his beake or talent any pray they make him let it goe or otherwise they kill him for they haue of them a great aduantage through the sharpnes of their beake and talents Of Ducks wilde tame there is such infinite abundance in these prouinces that they couer the Lakes and waters no other foule being any thing neere in so great quantity especially where there are any veynes of warme water which keepe the Lakes longer without freezing where when they doe freeze yet the Ise is so thin that it may easily be broken They are of diuers colours and sizes otherwise all of one making Certaine Authors which write of these Countries affirme that one kinde of these Duckes is of those which are bred of the leaues of certaine trees in Scotland which falling into the water take life as in manner aboue saide becomming first a worme then getting winges and feathers at last flying vp into the ayre Olaus saith that he hath seene Scottish authors which affirme that these trees are principally in the Ilandes called Orcades They affirme also that there are Geese bredde and engendred in the same manner betweene whom and the other there is great difference both in colour many other particularities And seeing this wonder is by the testimonie of so many Authors confirmed I see no reason but that vvee may well beleeue it without offending and that also vvhich they write of a towne in the vtmost parts Northward of that Kingdome
beyond the same and in all their Maps Cards if you mark them wel they set them vtmost next the North or if they doe set any other it is without name But the Modernes as I haue said goe farther describing Countries both of one side the other yet for all that as I vnderstand there is a great part of the world there-abouts as yet vndiscouered as well in the higher Biarmia which is on the other side of the Pole as in the Land which extendeth it self towards the west wheeling fetching a compasse about to the Septentrion from thence againe pointing vp towards the East which way these Muscouites trauaile with their merchandize passing out of their owne bounds among the Tartarians The principall wares they carry are Furres of sundry sorts of which some are very precious These Muscouits are a crafty people cautelous deceitful of smal honor in maintaining their word promise but aboue all other most cruel Albertus Krantzius writeth that an Embassador being sent out of Italy to the duke of Muscouia was by him cōmanded to be put to death because at the time of doing his Embassage he kept his head couered but the pore Embassador aleaging the custom of his country the preheminence of Embassadors § were sent frō mighty Princes the tirant answered him that as for him he meant not to abollish so goodly an vsage to cōfirme the which he caused presently his hatte to be nailed fast to his head with mighty long yron nailes so that he fell downe dead in the place LU. Seeing you giue so good notice of these Northerne Lands I pray you tell me what Countries or Prouinces those are which are of late discouered and with which our Merchants doe traffique and conuerse as that which they call Tierra del Labrador the Land of Bacallaos and another Country thereby latelier found out whence commeth such aboundance of fish AN. To tell you truth I know not my selfe but that which I imagine and holde for certaine is that they are some parts or corners in the Sea of those Septentrionall Prouinces of which wee haue spoken which those that goe hence through ignorance doe terme by new names As for Tierra del Labrador it is not yet throughly discouered whither it be firme Land marry the most part and to which I giue greatest credite affirme that is an Iland The same beeing so farre Westward that by all likelihood the Septentrional people had little knowledge thereof Those which haue beene there say that the enhabitants doe liue after a barbarous and sauage manner But in fine you must vnderstand that it is in a manner vnpossible throughly and exactly to know the distinct particularity of the Regions that are in those parts not so much for the impossibility of discouering them as for the diuersity of the names of the Prouinces Countries Kingdomes Ilands Hils and Riuers which are euery day changed and diuersly in different names termed by such seuerall Nations as finde them whose languages differing each of them speaketh and writeth of them by such names as they themselues haue imposed vnto them insomuch that sometimes when we speake all of one Country yet through the diuersity of names we imagine the one to be distant from the other many miles And hence commeth so great a confusion that though we know these Countries to be amongst those North and West Regions of which we haue spoken yet we vnderstand not which of them they are and in like maner of those of the East For as some Cosmographers giue them one name and some another those that come after them interpret thereof euery one as he pleaseth yea and many times differ in the very principall poynts and of this is the varietie of the worlde cause for euen as euery yeere the trees plants and hearbes sprout forth in one season their leaues and fruites in another do fade wither and decay and then the next yeere renewe againe and euen as of men one dies and another is borne and the like of all other worldly creatures beastes fowles and fishes so doth it happen and fall out in the verie names of things which with time also doe change alter and loose their selues leauing one and taking another Take for example the olde Cosmographers which doe most particularly entreate of Spayne the Prouinces Citties and particularities thereof as Ptolome and Plinie and you shall not find sixe names conforming and agreeing to those which we now vse and perchance within a thousand yeeres if the world last so long they will haue lost these which they nowe haue and taken others For without doubt as the worlde hath such an vnstable varying so it will not leese the same vntill it come to be ended and dissolued Neither onely in this but in the Languages also I warrant you there will be in tract of time such alteration and change For though at this present it seemeth that we speake in Castile the most pure and polished speech that may be yet those that shall come some space of yeeres after vs will speake the same so differently that such things as are written in this our time will seeme vnto them as barbarous as doth vnto vs the olde prose which we finde in stories of auncient time For there is no thirtie or forty yeres but there are diuers and sundry words worne out of vse and forsaken and others new inuented and had in price vvhich though they be not good yet vse maketh them to seeme so as in all other things it vsually happeneth that onelie custome is sufficient to make that which is euill seeme good and that which is good seeme euill BER There is nothing more true and manifest then this which you say But returning to our former discourse I pray you make mee vnderstande if those which doe border next vpon the frontires of these Septentrionall Lands that doe professe the faith of Christ are Idolaters or no for if they be so in my iudgement it were an easie matter the grossenes of their beleefe cōsidered to perswade and conuert them to the Christian fayth AN. You haue great reason for in truth they are with farre greater facilitie conuerted then the other Countries that are infected poysoned with the false and damnable sect of Mahomet and so Henry King of Swetheland and Henry Bishop of Vpsala being moued with a godly charitable and vertuous zeale to extend and amplifie the Christian religion in those parts vsed such diligence that they conuerted thereunto the Prouince of Finland which is the fardest that is knowen Northward and where the dayes and nights doe each of them endure full sixe months apeece the enhabitants of which are prooued so good Christians and people of so great charitie and hospitalitie that the chiefest exercise wherein they busie and employ themselues is in dooing good workes the like also as I sayd doe those of Bothnia who haue in euery parrish a Priest as
we haue here that hath care and charge of theyr soules And in all the other bordering Prouinces rounde about these they are most ready and willing to conuert themselues but the greatest pitty of all is that they are lost for lack of Preachers and learned Pastours to preach vnto them and to perswade and instruct them in the right way manie good men haue not wanted will to doe the same but theyr bodyes haue not beene able to suffer and endure the extreame colde of that Climat but I trust in God that of his mercie he will one day put this in some good mens harts to goe through withall and endue and strengthen them with forces sufficient to the accomplishing thereof especially seeing hee hath already so enclined the peoples harts to embrace his vvorde for it is a thing most assuredly knowne that on the Frontires of Norway Bothnia and Fynland at such time as the vveather breaketh and that the snowe and Ise giueth thē passage there come men and women thirty forty leagues frō within the Land bringing theyr young children those that haue meanes vpon horses and beasts backs those which haue not in little Baskets made for the nonce vppon theyr owne shoulders to be baptized some of which are foure months some sixe and some a yeere old and there cōming to the Priestes and Pastours they desire to be instructed with rules and precepts howe to leade a Christian life and as opportunitie serueth they bring dulie vnto them theyr Tythes When they are ignorant of any poynt howe they shoulde deale therein like Christians then conforming themselues with the Lawe of Nature they doe that which seemeth good and vertuous and leaue that vndoone which seemeth wicked and vicious and it is to be supposed that those of the Prouinces adioyning to the dominion of the great Muscouite doe the like LU. No doubt but they doe so and truely the Christianitie of these Countries is greater then I thought it had beene and according to your speeches there is apparance of encreasing it daily more and more seeing that there are so many mightie Septentrionall Princes that are Christians God of his great goodnesse giue them will and power throughly to conuert those poore people and to bring them vnder the obedience of the holy Catholique Church that they may saue theyr soules AN. It seemeth vnto me now high time to retyre our selues seeing the night hath surprised vs otherwise wee might haue lengthned this our discourse with manie prettie poynts not yet talked of which wee must nowe deferre till it shall please God to giue vs time and opportunitie to meete together againe In the meane time let vs not be vnthankful to those learned Authors which by theyr painefull writings haue giuen vs notice and knowledge of such thinges as vvee haue to day discoursed of chiefely Olaus Magnus Archbishop of Vpsala Primate of Swethland and Gothland for the most of the things heere to day alleadged are his as beeing a man very learned and industrious and such a one as desired that we should vnderstand as well the qualities and perticuler properties of his owne naturall Country as also of the other Septentrionall Regions which haue beene till this present so vnknown that they were in a maner accounted vnenhabitable and seeing these are enhabited at the leastwise the greater part of them wee may well suppose that so also are the others that remaine yet vndiscouered as well about the circute of this pole as of the other which to be so they haue founde by manifest tokens that haue gone discouering about the West Indies BER You haue briefely gone about the whole world searching and displaying the wonders meruailes thereof but as for mee I account this which wee haue saide to bee but a Cypher in respect of that which might be said yet let vs content our selues and giue God thankes that we haue beene able to goe so farre AN. Well let vs now be going and withall if it shall please you to fauour me with your company at my Lodging you shal be most hartilie welcome to such a poore pittance as is prouided for my Supper LU. Neither of vs needeth much bidding and threfore goe on Sir whenit pleaseth you and we will follow The end of the sixth and last Discourse Benedicta sit Sancta Trinitas A Table of the principall matters contayned in this Booke A. ABstinence 20. Abel 75. Admiration 3. Aduerse Fortune 93. Adams hill 132. Agrippae why so called 8. Alcippa 9. Amazons 13 14. Aethiopians Macrobians 24. Alcoran 54. Amphioscaei 115. Andaluzia 44. Androgyni 7. Angels 65 105. Angels good and bad 62 105. Anostum 127. Antiodius 4. Ants 97. Antheus 21. Antipodes 114 115. Articke Pole 113. Antartick pole ibidem Astronomers 109 105. Arimaspes 11. Augustus Caesar 5. B. Baharas 38. Barnacles 41. Belus 53. Beturgia the true name of Prester Iohn fol. 55. Beasts 135. Biarmia 129 151. Birds 134. Blasphemy 64. Bothnia 150. C. Caucasus 49. Caligula 95. Centaurs 27 28. Childbirth in Naples 6. Christianity 57. Chiromancers 107. Caelestiall bodies 105 108. Claudius 95. Cold 1. Corrio Fortuna 93. Commendador what 114. Curses 6. Custome 131 132 142. D. Destenie 101. Demones 61. Degrees of Spirits 61. Their offices ibid. Deuill 53 57 107 62 87 80 his puissance 62 his malice 73 90. Diego Osorco 8. Difference betweene Chaunce Fortune 94. Disa 136. E. Egipanes 12. Elizian fields 44. Elias 48. Enchaunters 81 137. Ethoroscaei 115. Euphrates 48. Europe 116. F. Faunes 12 73 S s. 3. Fooles 36. Fortune 92 98 99. Fountaines 37 39. Finmarchia or Finland 130. G. Ganges 49. Georgia Georgists 57. Gihon 48. God 2 3 51 53 63 90 his prouidence 101. Good and bad Angels 62. Gouernment of the Bees 97. Golyas 23. H. Heauen 45 109 108. Hanno of Carthage 46. Hagge 81. Hemlock 110. Heden 43. 45 47. Heate 1. Hercules 8. Hermophrodites 5 7. Holy Fountaine 59. Hobgoblins 78 80. Horizon 122. Hyperboreans 26. 27. 119. Hypocrates 34. I. Iacobs Well 37. Iambolo 16. Icarus 46 Idolatry 53. Ictiophagi 125. Iland of Satires 12 Iland Meroe 24. Imagination 9 10 65. Incubi Succubi 73. Instinct of Beares 96 98 Influence of the Starres 104. Iohn Mandeuile 56. Ireland 116 Iseland 44 120 124. Iulio Viator 20. K. Knowledge 36. L. Lamiae 60. Lares ibid. Lactantius Firmianus 73 84. Lamparones or the Kings euill 88. Lemures 60. Life of man 24. Lucifers fall 61. M. Magitians 76. Mahomet 54. Mandragora 110. Mare magnum 50. Margaret of Holland 6. Melancholly 59 60 Mermaides 33. Miracles 3. Milo 19 20. Monosceli 11. Monstrous childbirths 9. Monstrous formes 11. Mountaine of the Moone 49 50. N. Nature 2 9 29 119 132 131. Natura naturans 2. Natura naturata 2 201. Nero 8. Naturall Magique 75. Nereides 28. Nestor 25. Negromancie 75 107. Nilus 49. Ninus 53. Noahs Arke 47 51. O. Olympus 24 45. Opinions of Paradice 47 44 45. Opinions of deuils 60. Opinions of Spirits 65. Opinions of
340. yeeres old had foure times renued his age A Moore in the Citty of Vengala 300. yeeres olde The lawes both of Gētiles and Moores permitteth to take manie wiues A man that had liued 340. yeres The long life of those that liue on the other side of the Mountaines Hyperbores Cornelius Tacitus writeth that in Illiria a man called Dondomio liued 500. yeeres Long life not to be desired Centauri vel Sagitarij The History of the Centaures Those of Nephele first learned to ride horses The cause of the warrs betweene the Lapiths the Centaures The Indians thoght that the man and the horse had been all one creature Chiron the Tutor of Achilles Tritons or Sea men Nereides A strange History of a Sea man A Sea man brought out of Mauritania into Spaine The Dolphins more cautelous then other Fishes A race of men in Galicia discended of a Triton Reasons refuting the former storie of men called Marini An answere to those refutations A most strange and admirable History of a Virgine deflowred by a Beare The most wonderfull History of a woman begotten with child by an Ape A strange history of the first inhabitation of the Kingdoms of Pegu Sian Mermaids A mermayd driuen a shore on the Sea-coast Tyresias the Theban Prophet The daughter of Casin changed into a man The like of a woman in Argos The like of a woman in the Citty of Caeta A gentlemans daugh ter of Portugall changed her sex The like of a woman called Phaetula The like of a Husbandmans wife in Spaine Strange things not to be told but before such as are learned and wise The cause of the diuersitie of the taste properties of waters The Fountaine of Epirus The Fountaine Eleusidis Iacobs Wel in Sichar The Lake Silias Sundry Springs of different natures in a valley of Iury neer Macherunte The most strange nature propertie of the herbe Baharas The vertue thereof A Spring in Sycilia most admirable A Fountaine in the Country of the Elyans The Fountaines Alteno Alfeno A Lake 〈◊〉 in Scithia A Fountaine in Licia Water of the Fountaine Tenaeus that will by no meanes be mingled with wine A Fountaine in the Iland of Cuba Stones in a Valley of the same Iland all round A strange Fountaine in the Iland of Cerdonia A Lake on the top of a mountaine in the I le of S. Domingo Two Fountaines in Spaine of strange effect A Fountaine in Sauoy breeding stones of great vertue A strange stone in the Earle of Beneuenta his Garden These Fouls are in English called Barnakles The Author is heerin deceaued for these are 2. seuerall stories both very true The strange fruite of a tree in the citty of Ambrosia A strange tree mentioned in Pigafetas relation to the Pope Certaine riuers of incredible greatnesse found out in the West Indyes Aristotles opiniō of the source of Riuers The opinion of Anaximander his followers The surest opinion cōfirmed by Scripture What the word of Paradice generally taken signifieth The Philosophers opinions concerning Paradice Where the Gentiles supposed the Elisian fields to be Thule is thought to be the same which is now called Iseland Plato The Phaenix renueth of her owne ashes Lactantius Firmianus discourse of Paradice S. Iohn Damascenes opinion of Paradise Venerable Bedes opinion Strabo the Theologians opinion Origens opinion These opinions refuted by S. Thomas Scotus Heauen taken for the regiō of the ayre in many places of Scripture Suidas a greek Author Arrianus a Greeke Historiographer The strange aduenture happening to Hanno a Carthagenian Captaine Nicolaus de lyra Ioha de Pechan Opinions of Caetanus Eugubinus touching terestriall Paradice S. Chrisost. The Seraphin with the fiery sword placed before Paradise Fables touching Paradice The foure Riuers that issue out of Paradice The rysing of the riuers Tygris and Euphrates The sources of Ganges and Nylus The mountaine Emodos The mountaine of the Moone The Riuers that come frō Paradise hide themselues in the hollowes of the earth The Riuer Alpheus Sundry Riuers that hiding themselues vnder the earth come to rise out in newe springs The Gulfe called Mare magnum Encisus touching Paradise Some hold opinion that Nilus is not the same w t is in the holy Scripture called Fison The Authors conclusion concerning the foure Riuers The opinion of som who thought the world to be plaine and leuel before the time of the vniuersall flood Three principall sects of Erronius Religions in the world The originall of Idols The olde philosophers in theyr secret conceit detested the adoration of the feyned Gods The cause why the gētiles adore the deuill The Mahometists will neither hear nor answer any man in disputation against theyr religion Many learned Authors that vnrip lay open the beastly absurdities of Mahomets Secte The wise learned men amongst thē what shewe soeuer they make in publique do in secret detest his abusions Mahomets confession touching our Sauiour Iesus Christ our blessed Lady the Gospell and our Christian Beleefe The slauery and seruitude which the Iewes haue endured since the deniall of our Sauiour the true Messias is an euident argument to confute their obstinate blindnes The name of Prester Iohn is rightly Belulgian An egregious fiction of the Papists The place where Saint Thomas the Apostle died The Church holdeth that S. Thomas was slayne with a knife by an idolatrous Priest The beginning of the name and authority of Prester Iohn Prester Iohn is not hee which is in Aethiopia but he who was in the East Indies conquered by the great Chā though the other be now throgh error so called A Prouince of Christians called Georgia Sundry Prouinces kingdoms and Ilands of Christians Christianity goeth compassing roūd about the whole world The deuill speaketh nor appeareth no more to those Gentiles that begin to embrace the Christian fayth The newe conuerted Countries cleer without heresie A man that could by no meanes endure the sight of a Rat. A Noble man that if you shut by night any doore of the house wold be ready to throw him selfe out at the window A strange melancholly humor of a Gentlewoman which by reason discretion she violently suppressed Illusions and apparitions of Spirits do chiefly proceede of the deuill Democrites would by no meanes beleeue that there were any deuils The olde philosophers opinon touching those that were possessed with Spirits Lemures et Lamiae The fabulus fictiō of the old Phylosophers Daemonia Whether Lucifer and those other Angels that offended w t him fell altogether into Hell or no. Sixe degees of Spirits The deuils haue seuerall and sundry offices A strange story written in the book called The Hammer of Witches The office function of the thirde degree of Spirits The deuils malice against vs proceedeth onely of enuie The deuils though of different kindes yet in malice desire to doe euill are all alike Euery man hath a good Angell and a bad attendant vpon him Genium Hominis
earth A great ignorance of the ancient Commendador is a Knight of some crosse as that of Malta or S. Iames. Antypodes S. Austins opinion touching Antypodes Lactantius Firmianus opinion Pliny touching the same Who are the right Antypodes Perioscaei Amphioscaei Ethoroscaei The whole world is enhabitable The Polar Zones enhabited * Ireland Ptolome ignorant in many countries nowe knowne Plin lib. 4 Cap. 12. The happy soyle of the Hyperborians Solinus touching the Hyperboreans Pom. Mela touching the Hyperboreans The signification of Pterophoras and Hyperbore * 〈…〉 Iacobus Ziglerus of the Northerne parts Nature hath prouided a remedy to euery mischiefe Thule is the same which we now call Iseland The prouinces of Pilapia and Vilapia Pigmees The Bachiler Encisus concerning the length of the dayes and nights towards the Poles The diuersity of the rysing and setting of the sun between vs and those that lyue neere or vnder the Poles An example whereby it is proued that it can neuer be very dark vnder the Poles What thys Word Orizon signifieth Whether all those parts be enhabited or no. Pyla Pylanter Euge Velanter Wild Beasts like vnto white Beares which digge vp the Ice with their nailes A league is three miles Pigmaei Ictiophagi * Island The Prouince of Agonagora Lande yet vnknowne 1650. leagues of the world yet vndiscouered The answer of a boy of Seuilla The shippe called Victoria compassed the world round about Indians driuen by storme into the Norths Sea Fictions of Sylenus to King Mydas out of Aelianus The Citty of Machino The Citty of Euaesus Meropes Anostum The Riuer of delight The Riuer of griefe Iohan Zyglerus Sigismund Herberstain The names of the most part of Prouinces and Regions are changed The Prouince of Byarmya deuided into two parts Wild Beasts like vnto Stags called Rangeferi Hatherus King of Swethland Wild Asses The lower Byarmya In steede of Armes they vse Enchantments Rogumer King of Denmark Finmarchia or Finlande Nature hath ordained a remedy against all inconueniences Things to which men are accustomed becom naturall vnto theÌ„ in time Custome is another nature Adams hill There is nowe no known part of the world out of which the worshipping of auncien feyned Gods is not banished A North North Westerne wind The Snowe on the mouÌ„taines neere the South-pole is blewish of colour like vnto the Skie The song of the Nightingale exceedeth that of all other birdes in sweetnes Birds vnderstand the cal one of another It is written of Apollonius Tyaneê° that he vnderstood the singing of Birdes A pretty iest Birdes or Beasts haue no vse of reason at all The disagreement of writers touching the description situation of Countries Diuersity of writers touching the Scithians Sundry Gyants of wonderfull force puissance North North-westerne wind The strange violence of the tempests in the Northern countries Certaine warlike pastimes that their young men vse Troupes of horsemen skirmishing and fighting vpon frozen Lakes Disa queene of Swethland The white Lake The Lake Vener The Lake Meler Zhe Lake Veher A strange History of a Negromancer The force of enchantments cannot any longer prolong life then the time by God fixed appointed The deuils haue greater liberty in the Northerne Lands theÌ„ in other parts Henry King of Swethland a famous Negromancer Reyner King of Denmark Agaberta a notable Sorceresse Grace of Norway Ifrotus K. of Gothland slaine by a Witch Hollerus a Negromancer Othinus by his Enchantments restored the K of Denmark to the Crowne A mountain that seemeth to be inhabited of deuills A strange noyse heard in certaine mountaines of Angernamia Vincentius in his Speculo historiali Charibdis The strange propertie of a Caue in the Cittie of Viurgo The ayre somtime inclosed within the frozen lakes in seeking vent maketh a terrible thuÌ„dring and noyse The strange propertie of the lake Vether in thawing A notable chance that hapned to a Gentleman vpon thys Lake by which he saued his lyfe Custome is another nature Tauerns and victualing houses built vpon the sea A strange inuention to slide vpon the Ise. I haue seene in Brabant and 〈◊〉 the Noble meÌ„ vse these kinde of slids very cunously made and gilded they call them Trinâ—aus These are in manner like those aboue said which they call 〈◊〉 The maner of their trauailing vpoÌ„ the Snow Rangifer is a Beast in maner like vnto a Stagge The great coÌ„modities that those Country people receaue of the Rangifers Beasts called Onagri The strange iealousie of the Onagres in Affrica 3. Sorts of Wolues in the Northeren Regions The Neurians doe at somtimes of the yeere transforme themselues into vvolues How the Duke of Muscouia dealt with an Enchanter Howe three young men destroyed a number of vvolues that greatly annoyed the towne wher they lyued Of a man that disfigused himselfe like vnto a Wolfe and did many cruelties in the kingdoÌ„â— of Galicia in Spaine A strange property of their Hares Beastes called Gulones The maner of taking the Gulones Tygers Furre of Martres Lynces The Rams of Gothland Weathers whose taile weyed weyed more theÌ„ one of their quarters A kinde of fish called Monster Henry Falchendor Archbishop of Nydrosia Another kinde of fishes called Fisiters A strange miracle Two sorts of Whales A Whale of admirable greatnes The fish called Orca is enemy to the Whale A strange thing written of the Whale A moÌ„strous fish taken in a Riuer of Germany A fish called Monoceros A fish called Serra which is as much to say as saw in English Another called Xifia Rayas Rosmarus The maner of taking him Sundry fishes like to Horses Oxen c. Dolphins A strangt tale of a Dolphin in S. Domingo Bothnia deuided into 3. prouinces The excellencie of the Climat of North Bothnia It nourisheth no venemous or hurtful beast Byarmya superiour A strange Law in the Kingdome of Chinay Filandia Newcastle belonging to the King of Swethen A strange property of the fish Treuius Rainebirds Snowbirds Faulcons of diuers sorts I take this to be that which wee call heere an Ospray of which I haue seene diuers Sea-Crowes Plateae Duckes Ducks bred of the leaues of a tree in Scotland Geese A Towne in Scotlande that receaueth great commoditie through Duckes Serpents Aspes Hyssers Amphisbosna Serpents that haue a King A huge and terrible Serpent in the prouince of Borgia Sundry cruell Serpents in India A kinde of Trees that in the extremity of the colde Regions retaine all the yeere long their greenenesse Many Christian Regions The magnificent tytles of the Emperour of Russia A Nation called Finns that are in warre with the Muscouites A great part of the world vndiscouered A most tyrannous act of the Duke of Muscouia Tierra del Labrador The Land of Bacallaos Fynland coÌ„uerted to the Christian Fayth The deuotion of the North people
that was also 300. yeeres old both by his lowne saying and the affirmation of those that knew him well besides other many great proofes and arguments thereof This Moore for the austeritie of his life and abstinence vvhich hee vsed was held amongst the rest for a very holie and religious man and the Portugals had great familiarity friendshippe vvith him For all thys though the Chronicles of Portugall are so sincere that there is nothing registred in them but with great fidelitie and approoued truth yet I should stagger in the beliefe of this were it not that there are so many both in Portugall and Spayne which are eye witnesses hereof and know it fully to be true BER And so trulie should I but that your proofe and information is not refutable for these ages are so long in respect of the shortnesse of ours that they bring with them incredible admiration and mee thinkes it is impossible that the first of these two shoulde haue had so many wiues AN. It being verified that hee liued so long this is not to be wondred at for the law both of Gentiles and Moores permitteth men to forsake their wiues and to take new as often as they please and so perchance this man was so fantasticall and peeuish that not contenting himselfe long with any he tooke it for a custome to put away his wiues as we doe seruants that please vs not And as they hold together as many wiues as they will though they bee not all called lawfull what letted him if he chopt changed some turning away taking new especially if he were so rich that he had meanes to maintaine many at once so that there is no such cause to wonder at any of these thinges for in the yeare 1147. in the time of the Emperor Conrad died a man which had serued Charles the great in his warres who as it was by inuinsible arguments proued had liued 340. yeeres and it agreeth with that which you haue sayd of this Indian whence Pero Mexia which writeth also the same tooke it Fascicuhis Temporum likewise maketh mention thereof All thys can he doe in whose hands Nature is shoutning lengthning lyues and ages as it pleased him but for my part I will neuer beleeue but that there are in these things some secrete mysteries which we neither conceiue nor vnderstand LU. Let vs take it as we find it without searching the profound iudgments of God who onely knoweth wherefore hee dooth it and in truth I dared not vtter as holding in for a thing fabulous that which I haue read in the xv booke of Strabo where he saith that those which dwel on the other side of the moūtaines Hyperbores towards the North many of them liued a 1000. yeares AN. I haue also read it but hee writeth the same as a thing not to be beleeued though he denieth not but that it may be possible that many of them liued very long but the likeliest is that in those Countries they deuide theyr yeeres according to the reckoning of which Pliny speaketh one into foure by which computation a thousand yeeres of theirs maketh 250. of ours and this differeth not much from the ages of other people and Nations which we haue rehearsed Yet Acatheus the Philosopher speaking of the mountaines Hyperbores sayeth that those which dwell on the farther side liue more yeeres then all the other Nations of the world Pomponius Mela also speaking of them in the third booke vseth these words vvhen they are weary of liuing ioyfull to redeeme themselues from the trauailes and miseries of life they throw themselues headlong into the Sea which they account the happiest death and fortunatest Sepulcher that may be how so euer many Authors of credite verifie theyr liues to be long BER It is said also that those of the Iland Thile according to the opinion of many now called Iseland liue so long that wearied with age they cause themselues to be conuaied into other parts to the ende that they may dye AN. I haue not seene any Author that writeth this it is like to be some inuention of the common people because those of that Iland liue very long euery one addeth what pleaseth him for as the desire to liue is a thing naturall to all men so how old so euer a man be he will in my opinion rather procure to defend and conserue his life then seeke occasion to finish or shorten the same This people being in the occident and according to the auncient vvriters the last Nation that is knowne that way participate with the Hiperboreans in fame of long life or perchaunce those which haue heard speake of Biarmio Superior the which as we will one day discourse is the last which is knowne of the other side of the Septentrion and of which are written many wonderfull matter chiefely of their long life without infirmity ending onely through extreamity of age the which many of them not attending voluntarily kill themselues thought that these men were vnder the selfe climate and hereof was the inuention of the Elysian fields which the Gentiles held to be in these parts But this being a matter that requireth long time we will now leaue it returne to our former discourse Truly if conforming our selues to reason we would well weigh the trauailes miseries vexations which in this wretched life we endure we should esteeme a short life far hapier then a long which we see beset with infinite troubles calamities endeuor so in this transitory life to serue God that we may come in glory to enioy that other which shal endure for euer BER Seeing we haue hetherto discoursed of so many particularities belonging vnto men let vs not forget one which is of no lesse mistery nor lesse worthy to be knowne then the rest which is of the Centaures or Archers to the ende wee liue not deceaued in that which is reported of thē for many Histories make mention of them though to say truth I neuer read any graue Author that affirmeth to haue seene them or stedfastly that they now are or at any other time haue been in the world which if they either be indeed or haue been they are not to be held for small wonders but for as great as euer haue been any in the world AN. Certainely this of the Centaures is but a Poetical fiction for if it were true it is not possible as you said but that som graue Author or other would haue written therof LV. Let vs yet know whence these fables had their beginning AN. Aske this of Eginius Augustus Libertus which in a booke of his entituled Palephatus de non credendis fabulis sayth that Ixion King of Thessalia brought a mighty Heard of Bulls and Cows to the mountain Pelius which being affrighted throgh some accident that happened scattered themselues flying into the Woods Valleys other vninhabited places out of which they