that peace was concluded among the kings In which peace first king Richardâ— Philip the French king renewed againe their oth and league before made concerning their mutual aide and societie during the time of that peregrination Secondly peace also was concluded betweene king Richard and Tancred king of Sicily aforesaide with conditions that the daughter of Tancrede in case king Richard should die without issue should be married to Arthur Duke of Britaine the kings Nephew and next heire to his crowne whereof a formall charte was drawen and letters sent thereof to Pope Clement being dated the ninth of Nouember From this time vntill Februarie the next yeere these two kings kept still at Messana either for lacke of winde and weather or for the repairing of their shippes And in the aforesayde Februarie in the yeere 1191. King Richard sent ouer his gallies to Naples there to meete his mother Elinore and Berengaria the daughter of Zanctius king of Nauarre whom he was purposed to marry who by that time were come to Brundusium vnder the conduct of Philip Earle of Flanders and so proceeding vnto Naples they found the kings shippes wherein they sayled to Messana In this meane space king Richard she wed himselfe exceeding bounteous and liberall to all men to the French king first he gaue diuers shippes vpon others likewise he bestowed riche rewardes and of his treasure and goods he destributed largely to his souldiers and seruants about him of whom it was reported that he distributed more in one moneth then any of his predecessors did in a whole yeere by reason whereof he purchased great loue and fauour which not onely redounded to the aduancement of his fame but also to his singular vse and profite as the sequele afterward prooued The first day of March following he left the citie of Messana where the French King was and went to Cathneia a citie where Tancredus king of Sicily then lay where he was honorably receiued and there remained with king Tancredus three dayes and three nights On the fourth day when he should depart the aforesaid Tancredus offred him many rich presents in gold and siluer and precious silkes whereof king Richard would receiue nothing but one little ring for a token of his good will for the which king Richard gaue againe vnto him a riche sworde At length when king Richard should take his leaue king Tancred would not let him so depart but needes would giue him 4. great shippes and 15. gallies and furthermore hee himselfe would needes accompanie him the space of two dayes iourney to a place called Tauernium Then the next morning when they should take their leaue Tancredus declared vnto him the message which the French King a little before had sent vnto him by the Duke of Burgundie the contents whereof were these That the King of England was a false Traytour would neuer keepe the peace that was betweene them and if the sayd Tancredus would warre against him or secretly by night would inuade him he with all his power would assist him to the destruction of him and all his armie To whom Richard the King protested againe that he was no traytour nor neuer had bene and as touching the peace begun betwixt them the same should neuer be broken through him neither could he beleeue that the French King being his good lord and his sworne Compartner in that voyage would vtter any such wordes by him Which when Tancredus heard he bringeth foorth the letters of the French King sent to him by the Duke of Burgundie affirming moreouer that if the Duke of Burgundie would denie the bringing of the said letters he was readie to trie it with him by any of his Dukes King Richard receiuing the letters and musing not a little vpon the same returneth againe to Messana The same day that King Richard departed the French king came to Tauernium to speake with Tancred and there abode with him that night and on the morowe returned to Messana againe From that time King Richard mooued in stomacke against King Philip neuer shewed any gentle countenance of peace amitie as he before was woont whereat the French king greatly marueiling and enquiring earnestly what should be the cause thereof word was sent him againe by Philip earle of Flanders from king Richard what words he had sent to the king of Sicily and for testimony thereof the letters were shewed which he wrote by the duke of Burgundie to the king of Sicily which when the French king vnderstood first he held his peace as guilty in his conscience not knowing well what to answere At length turning his tale to another matter he began to quarrell with king Richard pretending as though he sought causes to breake with him and to maligne him and therfore he forged sayd he these lies vpon him and all because he by that meanes would auoid to marry with Alise his sister according as he had promised Adding moreouer that if he would so do and would not marry the said Alise his sister according to his oth he would be an enemy to him and to his while he liued To this king Richard sayd againe that he could by no meanes marry that woman forsomuch as his father had carnall copulation with her and also had by her a sonne for proofe whereof he had there presently to bring forth diuers sundry witnesses to the kings face to testifie with him In conclusion through counsell and perswasion of diuers about the French king agreement at last was made so that king Philip did acquite king Richard from this bond of marrying his sister and king Richard againe should be bound to pay to him euery yeere for the space of fiue yeeres two thousand markes with certaine other conditions besides not greatly materiall for this place And thus peace being betweene them concluded the 28 day of the sayd moneth of March the French king lanching out of the hauen of Messana the 22 day after in the Easter weeke came with his armie to the siege of Achon After the departure of the French king from Messana king Richard with his armie yet remaining behinde arriued Queene Alinor the kings mother bringing with her Berengaria the king of Nauars daughter to be espoused to king Richard which being done king Richard in April following about the 20 day of the sayd moneth departed from the hauen of Messana with 150 great ships and 53 great gallies well manned and appointed and tooke his iourney toward Achon who being vpon the Seas on Good friday about the ninth houre rose a mighty South winde with a tempest which disseuered and scattered all his Nauie some to one place and some to another The king with a few ships was driuen to the I le of Creta and there before the hauen of Rhodes cast anker The ships that caried the kings sister queene of Sicily and Berengaria the king of Nauars daughter with two ships were driuen to the I le of Cyprus The king
lost of the Venetians the 15 of August last past 1571 the chiefe gouernors captaines of theÌ„ being hewen in sunder by the coÌ„mandement of that tyrant Mustafa Basha but all the whole Iland also to be conquered by those cruell Turks ancient professed enemies to all Christian religion In the which euill successe comming to vs as I take it for our offences as I lament the generall losse so I am surely pensiue to vnderstand by this too true a report of the vile death of two particular noble gentlemen of Venice Sig. M. Lorenzo Tiepolo and Sig. M. Giouanni Antonio Querint of both the which I in my trauaile was very courteously vsed the former of them being then as now also he was in this ouerthrow gouernour of Baffo in Cyprus the other captaine of one of the castels at Corcyra in Greece now called Corfu But things past are past amendment and they could neuer die more honourably then in the defence of their countrey Besides that the late blowes which the Turks haue receiued since this their fury in token of Gods wrath against them do much comfort euery Christian heart Moreouer this vniforme preparation which is certainly concluded and forthwith looked for by very many Christian Princes would God by all generally against these barbarous Mahometists whose cruelty and beastly behauiour I partly know and am able to iudge of hauing bene in Turky amongst them more then eight moneths together Whose vnfaithfulnesse also and breach of promise as the Venetians manly courage in defence of themselues and their fortresse your honour may easily reade in this short treatise and small handfull of leaues I hauing set downe also a short description of the Iland of Cyprus for the better vnderstanding of the whole matter The which I not onely most humbly beseech your honour now fauourably to accept as an earnest peny of more to come and of my present good will but with your accustomed goodnesse towards me to defend the same against such persons whose tongues too readily roule sometime against other mens painfull trauels perswading themselues to purchase the sooner some credit of learning with the ruder sort by controlling and ouerdaintie sifting of other mens laboured tasks For I know in all ages to be found as well Basilisks as Elephants Thus nothing doubting of your ready ayd heerein as I assuredly trust of your honours fauourable acceptation of this my poore present wishing long life with the increase of Gods holy spirit to your lordship and to all your most honourable familie vnto whom I haue wholly dedicated my selfe by mine owne choise and election for euer I crauing pardon for my former boldnesse most humbly thus take my leaue From Lambhith the 23 of March Ann. 1572. Your honours most humble and faithfull seruant for euer William Malim A briefe description of the Iland of Cyprus by the which not onely the Venetians title why they haue so long enioyed it but also the Turks whereby now he claimeth it may plainly appeare THe Iland of Cyprus is inuironed with diuers seas for Westward it is washed with the sea called Pamphilium Southward with the sea AEgyptium on the East part with the sea Syrium and Northward with the sea called Cilicium The which Iland in time past had diuers names called once Acamantis as Sabellicus witnesseth Philonides maketh mention that it was called sometime Cerasis Xenogoras writeth that is was named Aspelia Amathusa Macaria There were in times past fifteene cities or famous townes in it but now very few amongst the which Famagusta is the chiefest strongest situated by the sea side There is also Nicosia which was woont by the traffike of Marchants to be very wealthy besides the city of Baffo Arnica Saline Limisso Melipotamo Episcopia Timosthenes affirmeth that this Iland is in compasse 429 miles and Arthemidorus writeth the length of the same to be 162 miles measuring of it from the East to the West betwixt two promontories named Dinaretta and Acamanta This Iland is thought to be very rich abundant of Wine Oile Graine Pitch Rozin Allum Salt and of diuers precious stones pleasant profitable and necessary for mans vse and much frequented of Marchants of Syria vnto the which it lieth very nere It hath bene as Plinie writeth ioyned sometime with Syria as Sicilia hath beene also with Italy It was a long time subiect vnto the Romans after to the Persians and to the Soldan of AEgypt The selfesame Iland was sometime also English being conquered by king Richard the first in his voyage to Hierusalem in the yeere of our Lord 1192. Who as Polydore writeth in his fourteenth booke of our English historie being prohibited by the Cypriottes from arriuall there inuaded and conquered the same soone after by force and hauing left behinde him sufficient garrisons to keepe the same departed from thence to Ptolemayda who afterward exchanged the same with Guy of Lusignan that was the last christened king of Hierusalem for the same kingdome For the which cause the kings of England were long time after called kings of Hierusalem And last of all the Venetians haue enioyed it of late a long time in this order following In the yeere of our Lord 1470 Iohn king of the sayd Iland â—onne to Ianus of Lusignan had by Helen his wife which was of the Emperiall house of Paleologus one daughter only called Charlotta and a bastard called Iames the which Iames was afterward consecrated Bishop of Nicosia This Charlotta was married first to the king of Portingall of whom he had no issue so that he being dead Lewes Duke of Sauoy to whom shee was the second time married sonne to Lewes the second of that name vnto whom the said Iland by the right of this his wife Charlotta did appertaine had the possession of the same Iames the bastard assoone as his father was dead of a Bishop became a souldiour and with an army wanne the Iland making it his owne by force This Duke of Sauoy hearing these newes with a number of well appointed souldiers arriued shortly after in Cyprus and recouering againe the Iland compelled the bastard to flie foorthwith ouer to the Soldan of AEgypt Who making himselfe his subiect in time so wrought and tempered the matter that the Soldan in person at his request passed ouer into Cyprus besieged Duke Lewes in the castle of Nicosia and at length compelled him to depart leauing his kingdome So that this Bishop became againe King of this Iland who shortly after cleauing to the Venetians hauing made a league of friendship with them married by their consent one Catherina the daughter of Marco Cornaro which Catherin the Senate of Venice adopted vnto them soone after as their daughter This Bishop not long after sickened and died leauing this his wife with child who liued not long after his fathers death By the which meanes the Venetians making themselues the next heires to Catherina by the law of adoption tooke vnto them the possession of
Yle He left behinde him three sonnes Lagman Harald and Olauus Lagman being the eldest chalenged the kingdome and reigned seuen yeeres Howbeit Harald his brother rebelled against him a long time but being at length taken by Lagman hee was gelt and had his eyes put out Afterward Lagman repenting him that he had put out the eyes of his brother did of his owne accord relinquish his kingdome and taking vpon him the badge of the crosse he went on pilgrimage to Ierusalem in which iourney also he died In the yeere 1075. all the principall men of the Islands hauing intelligence of the death of Lagman sent messengers vnto Murecardus O-Brien King of Irland requesting him that hee would send some wel-disposed person of his owne kinred and blood royall vntill Olauus sonne of Godred were come to full age The king most willingly condescended vnto their request and sent vnto them one Dopnald the sonne of Tade charging and commaunding him that with all meekenesse and modestie hee should gouerne that kingdome which of right belonged not vnto him Howbeit he after he had once attained vnto the kingdome neglecting the commaundement of his lord vsurped the gouernment with great tyrannie committing many heinous crimes and so he reigned very disorderly for the space of three yeeres Then all the princes of the Islands making a generall conspiracie banded themselues against him and expelled him out of their dominions And he flying into Irland returned no more vnto them In the yeere 1077. one Ingemundus was sent from the king of Norway to take possession of the kingdome of the Islands And being come vnto the Island of Leodus hee sent messengers vnto all the princes of the Islands to come vnto him commaunding them to assemble themselues and to appoint him to be their King In the meane season he and his companions spent their time in robbing and rioting rauished women and virgines and addicted themselues to filthy pleasures and to the lustes of the flesh And when these things were reported vnto the princes of the Islands who had assembled themselues to chuse him king being mightely incensed thereat they made haste towards him and comming vpon him in the night they burnt the house wherein hee was and slue both him and the rest of his company partly with sword and partly with fire In the yeere 1098. the abbey of S. Maries at Cistertium was founded In the same yeere also Antiochia was taken by the Christians and a Comet appeared Moreouer the same yeere there was a battel fought betweene the inhabitants of Manâ— at Santwat and they of the North obtained the victory In which battell were slaine Earle Othor and Mac-Maras chieftaines of both parts The same yeere Magnus king of Norway sonne of Olauus sonne of Harald Harfagre being desirous to view the corps of S. Olauus king and Martyr gaue commaundement that his monument should be opened But the Bishop and the Clergie withstanding this his attempt the king went very boldly and by his kingly authoritie caused the cophin to be opened And when hee had seene with his eyes and handled with his hands the incorrupt body of the foresaid King and Martyr a sudden feare came vpon him and he departed with great haste The night following Olauus king and Martyr appeared vnto him in a vision saying Chuse I say vnto your selfe one of these two either within 30. dayes to lose your life with your kingdome or else to depart from Norway and neuer to see it againe The King so soone as he was awaked out of sleepe called his Princes and Senatours and expounded the foresaide vision vnto them And they also being astonished thereat gaue him this counsell that with all speed he should depart out of Norway Then he without any further delay caused a Nauie of 160. ships to be prouided and so sailed vnto the Islands of Orkney which hee presently subdued and passing along through all the Islands and conquering them at length he came vnto the Isle of Man where he was no sooner arriued but hee went vnto the Isle of S. Patric to see the place of battell where the inhabitants of Man had of late fought because many of the dead bodies were as yet vnburied And seeing that it was a most beautifull Island it pleased him exceeding well and therefore hee made choice to inhabite therein his owne selfe and built forts there which are at this day called by his owne name He had the people of Galway in such awe that he constrained them to cut downe their owne timber and to bring it vnto his shore for the building of his fortes Hee sailed on further vnto the Isle of Anglesey neere vnto Wales and finding two Earles therein either of them being called by the name of Hugo he slue the one and the other hee put to flight and so subdued the Island But the Welshmen presented many gifts vnto him and so bidding them farewell he returned vnto Man Unto Murecard king of Irland he sent his shooes commaunding him that he should cary them on his shoulders vpon the birth-day of our Lord through the midst of his Palace in the sight of his Embassadours that thereby it might appeare vnto them that he was subiect vnto king Magnus Which when the Irishmen heard they tooke it grieuously and disdeined much thereat But the King being better aduised I had rather said he not only beare his shooes but eate his shooes then that king Magnus should destroy any one prouince in Irland Wherefore he fulfilled his commaundement and honourably enterteined his Embassadours Many gifts also he sent vnto king Magnus by them and concluded a league But the messengers returning vnto their lord tolde him of the situation of Irland of the beautie thereof of the fruitfulnesse of the soile and of the holesonmesse of the aire Magnus hearing these things was fully resolued to conquer all Irland vnto himselfe And for the same purpose he commaunded that a Fleet should be made ready But he taking his voyage with sixteene ships being desirous to view the land when he had vndiscreetly departed from his Nauie he was suddenly inuironed by the Irish and was himselfe slaine together with all that were with him almost Hee was interred neere vnto the Church of S. Patric in Armagh Hee reigned sixe yeeres After his death the Princes of the Islands sent for Olauus the sonne of Godredus Crouan who liued in the Court of Henry King of England son vnto William the Conquerour In the yeere 1102. Olauus sonne of Godredus Crouan beganne his reigne and reigned fourtie yeeres he was a peaceable man being in league with all the Kings of Scotland and Irland in his time He tooke to wife Affrica the daughter of Fergusius of Galway of whom he begat Godredus Of his concubines he begat Regnaldus Lagmannus and Haraldus and many daughters whereof one married vnto Sumerledus king of Herergaidel which afterward occasioned the ouerthrow of the whole kingdome of the Islands He begat
foure sonnes by her namely Dulgallus Raignaldus Engus and Olauus In the yeere 1134. Olauus gaue vnto Yuo the Abbat of Furnes a portion of his owne ground in Man to build an Abbey in the place which is called Russâ—n Also hee inriched with reuenues and indued with priuiledges al places of religion within his Islands In the yere 1142. Godredus y e son of Olauus sailed vnto the K. of Norway called Hinge and doing his homage vnto him he remained with him was by him honorably enterteined The same yere the 3. sonnes of Harald brother vnto Olauus who were brought vp at the citie of Dublin gathering together a great multitude of people and all the fugitiues and vagabonds of the kingdome resorted vnto Man and demaunded of the said king the one halfe of al the kingdome of the Islands Which thing when the king heard being desirous to pacifie them he anâ—wered that he would consult about that matter And a day and place being appointed where the consultation should bee kept in the meane time those miscreants coÌ„spired together about the murthering of the King And when the day appointed was come both companies assembled themselues vnto the hauen towne called Ramsa and they sate in order the king with his nobilitie on the one side and they with their confederates on the other side Howbeit Regnaldus who had an intention to slay the king stoode a-side in the midst of the house talking with one of the Princes of the lande And being called to come vnto the king he turned himselfe about as if hee would haue saluted him and lifting vp his glittering axe he chopt the kings head quite off at a blow Nowe hauing committed this outragious vilanie within a short space they diuided the Island betweene themselues and gathering an armie together sailed vnto Galway intending to subdue that also howbeit the people of Galway assembled themselues and with great furie encountred with them Then they immediately turning their backs with great confusion fled vnto Man And as touching all the Galwedians which inhabited in the said Island some of them they slue and the residue they vanished In the yeere 1143. Godredus sonne of Olauus returning out of Norway was created king of Man who in reuenge of his fathers death put out the eyes of two of Haralds sonnes and slue the thirde In the yeere 1144. Godredus began his reigne and hee reigned thirtie yeeres In the thirde yeere of his reigne the citizens of Dublin sent for him and treated him king of Dublin against whom Murecaâ—dos king of Irland made warre and encamping himselfe at the citie called Coridelis he sent his brother Osibel with 3000. horsemen vnto Dublin who was slaine by Godred and the Dubliners the rest of his company being put to flight These things being thus finished Godredus returned vnto Man and began to exercise tyrannie disinheriting certaine of his nobles of whom one called Thorfinus the sonne of Oter being mightier then the rest went vnto Sumerledus and named Dubgal the sonne of Sumerledus king of the Islands and subdued many of the said Islands on his behalfe Whereof when Godred had intelligence by one Paulus prouiding a Nauie hee went to meete Sumerledus comming against him with 80. ships and in the yeere 1156. vpon the night of the feast of Epiphanie there was a Sea-battell fought and many being slaine on both parts the day folowing they were pacified and diuided the kingdome of the Islands among themselues and it continued two kingdomes from that day vnto this present time And this was the cause of the ruine of the monarchie of the Islands from which time the sonnes of Sumerled inioyed the one halfe thereof In the yeere 1158. Sumerled came vnto Man with 53. ships putting Godred to flight and wasting the Island and Godred sailed vnto Norway to seeke for aide against Sumerled In the yere 1164. Sumerled gathered a fleete of 160. ships together and arriued at Rhinfrin intending to subdue all Scotland vnto himselfe howbeit by Gods iust iudgement being ouercome by a few together with his sonne and an innumerable multitude of people he was slaine The very same yere there was a battel fought aâ— Ramsa betweene Reginald the brother of Godred and the inhabitants of Man but by the stratageme of a certaine Earle the Mannians were put to flight Then began Reginald to vsurpe the kingly authoritie Howbeit his brother Godred within foure dayes after comming out of Norway with a great power of armed men apprehended his brother Reginald gelt him and put out his eyes The same yeere deceased Malcolme the king of Scots and his brother William succeeded in the kingdome In the yeere 1166. two Comets appeared in the moneth of August before the rising of the Sunne one to the South and another to the North. In the yeere 1171. Richard earle of Penbroke sailed into Irland and subdued Dublin with a great part of Irland In the yere 1176. Iohn Curcy conquered Vlster vnto himselfe And at the same time also Viuianus legate froÌ„ the sea of Rome came into Man caused king Godred to bee lawfully wedded vnto his wife Phingola daughter of Maclotlen son of Murkartac king of IrlaÌ„d mother of Olauus who was then 3. yeeres old Siluanus the abbat married them vnto whom the very same day king Godred gaue a portion of ground in Mirescoge where he built a Monastery howbeit in processe of time the said land with the monkes was granted vnto the abbey of Russin In the yere 1172. Reginaldus the son of Eacmarcat a man descended of the blood royal comming into Man with a great multitude of people in the absence of the king at the first conflict hee put to flight certaine watchmen which kept the shoare slue about 30. persons Whereupon the very same day the Mannians arranging themselues put him almost al his folowers to the sword In the yere 1183. O. Fogolt was vicount of Man In the yere 1185. the Sunne was ecclipsed vpon the feast of S. Philip and Iacob In the yere 1187. deceased Godred king of the Islands vpoÌ„ the 4. of the Ides of Nouember and the next sommer his body was translated vnto the island of Hy. He left 3. sonnes behinde him Reginaldus Olauus and Yuarus In his life time he ordeined his sonne Olauus to be his heire apparant because he onely was borne legitimate But the Mannians when Olauus was scarce ten yeeres olde sent vnto the islands for Reginald and created him king In the yeere 1187. began Reginald the sonne of Godred to reigne ouer the islands and Murchardus a man of great power throughout all the kingdome of the islands was put to death In the yere 1192. there was a battel fought betweene Reginald and Engus the two sonnes of Sumerled but Engus obtained the victory The same yere was the abbey of Russin remooued vnto Dufglus howbeit within foure yeeres after the monkes returned vnto Russin In the yere 1203. Michael bishop of the islands deceased
sonnes and nephewes of the former Dukes as he could lay hold on and began to take vpon him the title of the great Duke of Vvlodimiria Moscouia and Nouogardia and to call himselfe the Monarch or Czar of all Russia He brought vnder his subiection two principall cities namely Plesco being the only walled citie in all Moscouie and Mouogrod both of them being in regard of traffike most riche and flourishing cities and hauing bin subiect vnto the Lithuanians for the space of 50. yeeres before The treasure of Nouogrod was so exceeding that the great Duke is reported to haue carried home from thence 300. carts laden with gold and siluer He also was the first man that waged warre against the Polonians and the Liuonians against Polonia he pretended a quarell alleaging that his daughter Helena whome hee had married vnto Alexander the great Duke of Lithuania which was afterward king of Polonia was euil intreated and was withdrawen from the Greekish religion vnto the ceremonies of the Church of Rome But against the Liuonians for none other cause but onely for an incredible desire of enlarging his dominions Howbeit what impulsiue causes of litle or no moment happened in the mean season we will in another place more plainely declare Notwithstanding he was very often and in diuers battels vanguished by Plettebergius the great master of the Dutch knights but it is not to the purpose to stand any longer vpon this discourse He was married first vnto Marie the Duke of Tyuersky his daughter and of her hee begate Iohn vnto whom in his life time he surrendred his Dukedome and married him vnto the daughter of Stephan the Palatine of Moldauia which Iohn after he had begotten his sonne Demetrius deceased before his father Afterward Iuan Vasilowich aforesaide married a wife called Sophia being daughter vnto Thomas Palaelogus which is reported to haue had her dowry out of the Popes treasury because the Moscouite had promised to conforme himselfe vnto the Romish Church This Sophia being a woman of a princely and aspiring minde and often complaining that she was married vnto the Tartars vassal at length by her instant intreatie and continual perswasions and by a notable stratageme she cast off that slauish yoke very much vnbeseeming so mighty a prince For whereas the Tartarian Duke had his procuratours and agents in the Moscouites court who dwelt iu their owne houses built within the very castle of Mosco and were eye witnesses of all affaires which were there performed Sophia said she was admonished from heauen to builde a Temple in the selfe same place where the Tartars house stoode and to consecrate it vnto Saint Nicholas Being therfore deliuered of a sonne she inuited the Tartarian Duke vnto the solemne baptizing of him and beeing come shee requested him to giue her his house and obtained it at his hands Which house being razed and those Tartarian espials beeing excluded the Tartars at length were quite bereaued and vtterly dispossessed of their authoritie which they had exercised ouer the Russians for many yeres and could neuer yet recouer it albeit they haue giuen sundry attempts Of his wife Sophia he begate sixe children namely a daughter called Helena fiue sonnes that is to say Gabriel Demetrius George Simeon and Andrew The Dukedome of right appertayned vnto Demetrius the sonne of Iohn which was the sonne of Vasilowich by his first marriage Howbeit Sophia preuailed so with her husband that neglecting his graund-childe Demetrius hee bestowed his Dukedome vpon Gabriel his sonne Andrew the younger had a sonne called Vvlodimir of whom Mary was borne which in the yeere of Christ 1573. was maried vnto Magnus the Duke of Holst Gabriel hauing obtained the great dukedome of Russia changed his name calling himselfe Basilius and applied his minde to the atchieuing of high and great enterprises For hee reduced a great part of the dukedome of Moscouie which Vitoldus the great Duke of Lithuania helde in possession vnder his owne iurisdiction and wonne vpon the riuer of Boristhenes which the Russians call Neiper many cities and especially Smolensco in the yeere of our Lord 1514. Hauing diuorced his first wife hee begate of Helena daughter vnto Duke Glinskie Iuan Vasilowich which now this present 1580. reigneth as great Duke Hee was borne in the yeere of our Lorde 1528. the 25. of August sixe houres after the rising of the sonne The great dukedome of Russia fell vnto the said Iuan Vasilowich in the fifth yeere of his age hauing his vncle George for his great protector being 25. yeeres of age and being of a strong body and of a couragious mind he subdued the Tartars of Cazan and Astracan vpon the riuer of Volgha carrying their Dukes and chieftaines into captiuitie But by what wayes and meanes after the league which by the inâ—erecession of the most sacred Roman Emperour continued from the yeere 1503. for the space of fifty yeeres was expired hauing renewed warres against Liuonia hee brought that most flourishing prouince into extreame miserie vsing for the same purpose a new pretense and alleadging that it belonged vnto him by right of inheritance I tremble to recount and it requireth a large historie which perhaps in time and place conuenient some more learned then my selfe will take vpon them to addresse He is exceedingly addicted vnto piety and deuotion and doth oftentimes obserue very strict fastings and abstinence with his monks and wheras the Russes in doing reuerence adoration vnto God doe beate their foreheads against the ground this Iuan Vasilowich with performing of the same ceremonie causeth his forehead to be ful of boines and swellings and sometimes to be black and blew and very often to bleed He is much delighted with building of Churches spareth no cost for that purpose Whether therfore by nature or which hee pretendeth to be the cause by reason of his subiects malice treacherie he be so addicted vnto all rigour and cruelty I dare not determine especially sithens he hath not an illiberal or mishapen countenance as Attila is reported to haue had Of his first wife which was sister vnto Mikita Romanowich beeing nowe great steward of his houshold he begate two sonnes namely Iuan and Theodore And albeit he was fiue times married yet had he not one childe more Whereas this Iuan Vasilowich vpon certaine friuolous reasons calleth himselfe the naturall lord of Liuonia I thought it not amisse to adde an Epistle hereunto which was written by a certaine honourable man concerning the same matter S. All wee which inhabite this Prouince with all seemely reuerence and submission of mind do offer most humble thanks vnto the Emperors most sacred and peerelesse maiesty our most gracious lord in that according to his fatherly affection which he beareth towards all Christendome and for the good commodity of this our distressed and afflicted countrey which these many yeres hath bin in stead of a bulwarke against the inuasion of barbarous nations he hath
great For he is able to bring into the field two or three hundred thousand men he neuer goeth into the field himselfe with vnder two hundred thousand men And when he goeth himselfe he furnisheth his borders all with men of warre which are no small number He leaueth on the borders of Liefland fortie thousand men and vpon the borders of Letto 60 thousand men and towarde the Nagayan Tartars sixtie thousand which is wonder to heare of yet doeth hee neuer take to his warres neither husbandman nor marchant All his men are horsemen he vseth no footmen but such as goe with the ordinance and labourers which are thirtie thousand The horsemen are all archers with such bowes as the Turkes haue and they ride shore as doe the Turkes Their armour is a coate of plate with a skull on their heads Some of their coates are couered with veluet or cloth of gold their desire is to be sumptuous in the field and especially the nobles and gentlemen as I haue heard their trimming is very costly and partly I haue seene it or else I would scarcely haue beleeued it but the Duke himselfe is richly attired aboue all measure his pauilion is couered either with cloth of gold or siluer and so set with stones that it is wonderfull to see it I haue seene the Kings Maieslies of England and the French Kings pauilions which are fayre yet not like vnto his And when they bee sent into farre or strange countreys or that strangers come to them they be very gorgious Els the Duke himselfe goeth but meanly in apparell and when he goeth betwixt one place and another hee is but reasonably apparelled ouer other times In the while that I was in Mosco the Duke sent two ambassadours to the King of Poleland which had at the lest fiue hundred horses their sumptuousnes was aboue measure not onely in themselues but also in their horses as veluet cloth of golde and cloth of siluer set with pearles and not scant What shall I farther say I neuer heard of nor saâ— men so sumptuous but it is no dayly guise for when they haue not occasion as I sayd before all their doing is but meane And now to the effect of their warres They are men without al order in the field For they runne hurling on heapes and for the most part they neuer giue battell to their enemies but that which they doe they doe it all by stelth But I beleeue they be such men for hard liuing as are not vnder the sun for no cold wil hurt them Yea and though they lie in the field two moneths at such time as it shall freese more then a yard thicke the common souldier hath neither tent nor any thing else ouer his head the most defence they haue against the wether is a felte which is set against the winde and weather and when Snowe commeth hee doth cast it off and maketh him a fire and laieth him down thereby Thus doe the most of all his men except they bee gentlemen which haue other prouision of their owne Their lying in the fielde is not so strange as is their hardnes from euery man must carie make prouision for himselfe his horse for a moneth or two which is very wonderful For he himselfe shal liue vpon water otemeale mingled together cold and drinke water thereto his horse shal eat green wood such like baggage shal stand open in the cold field without couert yet wil he labour serue him right wel I pray you amongst all our boasting warriors how many should we find to endure the field with theÌ„ but one moneth I know no such region about vs that beareth that name for man beast Now what might be made of these men if they were trained broken to order and knowledge of ciuill wars If this Prince had within his countreys such men as could make theÌ„ to vnderstand y e things aforesaid I do beleeue that 2 of the best or greatest princes in Christendome were not wel able to match with him coÌ„sidering the greatnes of his power the hardnes of his people straite liuing both of people and horse and the small charges which his warres stand him in for he giueth no wages except to strangers They haue a yerely sâ—ipend not much As for his own countrey men euery one serueth of his owne proper costes and charges sauing that he giueth to his Harcubusiers certaine allowance for powder shot or else no man in all his countrey hath one pennie wages But it any man hath done very good seruice he giueth him a ferme or a piece of lande for the which hee is bound at all times to bee readie with so many men as the Duke shall appoynt who considereth in his mind what that lande or ferme is well able to finde and so many shall he bee bound to furnish at all and euery such time as warres are holden in any of the Dukes dominions For there is no man of liuing but hee is bound likewise whether the Duke call for either souldier or labourer to furnish them with all such necessaries as to them belong Also if any gentleman or man of liuing do die without issue male immediately after his death the Duke entreth his land notwithstanding he haue neuer so many daughters and peraduenture giueth it foorthwith to another man except a small portion that he spareth to marrie the daughters with all Also if there be a richman a fermour or man of liuing which is striken in age or by chance is maimed and be not able to doe the Duke seruice some other gentleman that is not able to liue and more able to doe seruice will come to the Duke and complayne saying your Grace hath such an one which is vnmeete to doe seruice to your Higâ—nes who hath great abundance of welth and likewise your Grace hath many gentlemen which are poore and lacke liuing and we that lacke are well able to doe good seruice your Grace might doe well to looke vpon him and make him to helpe those that want Immediately the Duke sendeth forth to inquire of his wealth and if it be so proued he shall be called before the Duke and it shall bee sayd vnto him friend you haue too much liuing and are vnseruiceable to your prince lesse will serue you and the rest will serue other men that are more able to serue whereupon immediately his liuing shal be taken away from him sauing a little to find himselfe and his wife on and he may not once repine thereat but for answere he will say that he hath nothing but it is Gods and the Dukes Graces and cannot say as we the common people in England say if wee haue any thing that it is Gods and our owne Men may say that these men are in wonderfull great awe and obedience that thus one must giue and grant his goods which he hath bene scraping and scratching for all his life to
who conquered them not many yeâ—res passed for their diuersity in religion and caused not onely all the nobility gentlemen of that countrey to be put to death but also ouer and besides rased the walles of the cities townes and castles of the said realme to the intent that there should be no rebellion and for their great terror caused a turret of free stone and flints to be erected in the sayd city called Shamaki and in a ranke of flints of the sayd turret did set the heads of the sayd nobility and gentlemen then executed This city is distant from the sea side with camels seuen dayes iourney but now the same being much decayed chiefly inhabited with Armenians another city called Arrash bordering vpon the Georgians is the chiefest and most opulent in the trade of merchandise thereabouts is nourished the most abundant growth of raw silke and thither the Turks Syrians and other strangers do resort and trafficke There be also diuers good and necessary commodities to be prouided had in this sayd realme viz. galles rough and smooth cotton wooll allome and raw silke of the naturall growth of that countrey besides nere all kinde of spices and drugges and some other commodities which are brought thither from out of East India but in the lesse quantity for that they be not assured to haue vent or vtterance of the same but the chiefest commodities be there raw silks of all sorts whereof there is great plenty Not farre from the sayd city of Shamaki there was an olde castle called Gullistone now beaten downe by this Sophy which was esteemed to be one of the strongest castles in the world and was besieged by Alexander the great long time before he could win it And not farre from the sayd castle was a Nunry of sumptuous building wherein was buried a kings daughter named Ameleck Channa who slew herselfe with a knife for that her father would haue forced her she professing chastity to haue married with a king of Tartarie vpon which occasion the maidens of that countrey do resort thither once euery yere to lament her death Also in the sayd countrey there is an high hill called Quiquifs vpon the toppe whereof as it is commonly reported did dwell a great Giant named Arneoste hauing vpon his head two great hornes and eares and eyes like a Horse and a taile like a Cow It is further sayd that this monster kept a passage thereby vntill there came an holy man termed Haucoir Hamshe a kinseman to one of the Sophies who mounted the sayd hill and combating with the sayd Giant did binde not onely him in chaines but also his woman called Lamisache with his sonne named After for which victory they of that countrey haue this holy man in great reputation and the hill at this day as it is bruited sauoureth so ill that no person may come nigh vnto it but whether it be true or not I referre it to further knowledge Now to returne to the discourse of the proceeding in my voyage towards the great Sophie The 6 of October in the yeere aforesayd I with my company departed from Shamachi aforesaid and hauing iourneyed threescore miles came to a towne called Yauate wherein the king hath a faire house with orchards and gardens well replenished with fruits of all sorts By this towne passeth a great riuer called Cor which springeth in the mountaines of the Georgians passing thorow the countrey of Hircania aforesayd falleth into the Caspian or Hircan sea at a place betweene two ancient townes called Shabran and Bachu situate within the realme of Hircane and from thence issueth further passing thorow a fruitfull countrey inhabited with pasturing people which dwâ—ll in the Summer season vpon mountaines and in Winter they remooue into the valleyes without resorting to townes or any other habitation and when they remooue they doe iourney in carrauans or troops of people and cattell carrying all their wiues children and baggage vpon bullocks Now passing this wilde people ten dayes iourney comming into no towne or house the sixteenth day of October we arriued at a citie called Ardouill where we were lodged in an hospitall builded with faire stone and erected by this Sophies father named Ismael onely for the succour and lodging of strangers and other trauellers wherein all men haue victuals and feeding for man and horse for three dayes and no longer This foresayd late prince Ismael lieth buried in a faire Meskit with a sumptuous sepulchre in the same which he caused to be made in his life time This towne Ardouill is in the latitude of eight and thirtie degrees an ancient citie in the prouince of Aderraugan wherein the Princes of Persia are commonly buried and there Alexander the great did keepe his Court when he inuaded the Persians Foure dayes iourney to the Westward is the citie Tebris in olde time called Tauris the greatest citie in Persia but not of such trade of merchandise as it hath bene or as others be at this time by meane of the great inuasion of the Turke who hath conquered from the Sophie almost to the sayd citie of Tauris which the sayd Turke once sacked and thereby caused the Sophie to forsake the same and to keepe his court ten dayes iourney from thence at the sayd citie of Casbin The 21 day we departed from Ordowil aforesayd trauelling for the most part ouer mountaines all in the night season and resting in the day being destitute of wood and therefore were forced to vse for fewell the dung of horses camels which we bought deare of the pasturing people Thus passing ten dayes iourney the yere aforesayd the second day of Nouember we arriued at the foresayd citie of Casbin where the sayd Sophie keepeth his court and were appointed to a lodging not farre from the kings pallace and within two dayes after the Sophie commanded a prince called Shalli Murzey sonne to Obdolowcan king of Shiruan aforesayd to send for me to his house who asked me in the name of the said Sophy how I did and whether I were in health and after did welcome me and inuited me to dinner whereat I had great enterteinment and so from thence I returned to my lodging The next day after I sent my interpreter vnto the Sophies Secretarie declaring that I had letters directed from our most gracious Souereigne ladie the Queenes most excellent Maiestie of the Realme of England vnto the sayd Sophy and that the cause of my comming was expressed in the same letters desiring that at conuenient time I might come into his Maiesties presence who aduertising the Sophy thereof shortly after answered me that there were great affaires in hand which being finished I should come before his presence willing me in the meane time to make ready my present if I had any to deliuer At this time the great Turkes Ambassadour arriued foure dayes before my comming who was sent thither to conclude a
night Shally Murzey sonne to the king of Hircan aforesaid who fauoured me very much for that I was commended vnto him from his father willed mee not to doubt of any thing putting mee in hope that I should haue good successe with the Sophie and good intertainment Thus I continued for a time dayly resorting vnto me diuers gentlemen sent by the Sophie to conferre with me especially touching the affaires of the Emperour of Russia and to know by what way I intended to returne into my countrey either by the way that I came or by the way of Ormus and so with the Portingals ships Unto whom I answered that I durst not returne by the way of Ormus the Portingals and wee not being friendes fully perceiuing their meaning for I was aduertised that the saide Sophie meant to haue warres with the Portingals and would haue charged mee that I had bene come for a spie to passe through his dominions vnto the saide Portingaâ—s thinking them and vs to be all one people and calling all by the name of Franks but by the prouidence of God this was preuented After this the said Sophie conferred with his nobilitie and counsel concerning me who perswaded that he should not entertaâ—ne me wel neither dismisse me with letters or gifts considering that I was a Franke and of that nation that was enemie to the great Turke his brother perswading that if he did otherwise and that the newes thereof should come to the knowledge of the Turke it should be a meane to breake their new league and friendship lately concluded disswading further because he had no neede neither that it was requisite for him to haue friendship with vnbeleeuers whose Countreys lay farre from him and that it was best for him to send me with my letters vnto the said great Turke for a present which he was fully determined to haue done at some meet time meaning to send his Ambassadour vnto the said great Turke very shortly after But the king of Hircanes sonne aforesaide vnderstanding this deliberation sent a man in post vnto his father for to declare and impart the purpose vnto him who as a gracious prince considering that I had passed through his dominions and that I had iourneyed for a good intent did write to the Sophie al that which he vnderstood of his said determination that it should not stand with his Maiesties honour to doe mee any harme or displeasure but rather to giue mee good entertainment seeing I was come into his land of my free will and not by constraint and that if hee vsed mee euil there would few strangers resort into his countrey which would bee greatly vnto his hinderance with many other perswasions which after that the saide Sophie had well and throughly pondered and disgested much esteeming the same king of Hircane being one of the valiantest princes vnder him and his nigh kinseman changed his determined purpose and the twentieth of March 1562. he sent to me a rich garment of cloth of golde and so dismissed me without any harme During the time that I soiourned at the sayde City of Casbin diuers merchants out of India came thither vnto mee with whom I conferred for a trade of spices whereunto they answered that they would bring of all sorts so much as we would haue if they were sure of vent whereof I did promise to assure them so that I doubt not but that great abundance thereof may from time to time be there prouided and had The same twentieth day of March I returned from the saide Citie of Casbin where I remayned all the Winter hauing sent away all my Camels before and the thirtieth day I came to the saide Citie of Ardouil and the fifteenth of April vnto Zauat aforesayd where king Obdolowcan was at that present who immediatly sent for me and demaunding of me many questions declared that if it had not bene for him I had bene vtterly cast away and sent to the great Turke for a present by the Sophie through the euill perswasion of his wicked counsell that the Zieties and holy men were the chiefe and principal procurers and moouers thereof but the Sophie himselfe ment mee much good at the first and thought to haue giuen me good entertainement and so had done had not the peace and league fortuned to haue bene coÌ„cluded betweene them and the great Turke Neuerthelesse sayd he the Sophie hath written vnto me to entertaine you well and you are welcome into my Countrey and so he intreated mee very gently in whose Court I remained seuen dayes and obteined of him letters of safe conductes and priuiledges in your names to bee free from paying custome which I deliuered vnto your seruants Thomas Alcocke and George Wrenne at their departure towards Persia for your affaires and his highnesse did giue mee two garments of silke and so dismissed me with great fauour sending with me his Ambassadour againe vnto the Emperour of Russia and committed the chiefest secret of his affaires vnto me to declare the same vnto the Emperours Maiestie at my returne and thus departing the tenth day of April I came to the City of Shamachi and there remayning certaine dayes for prouision of Camels downe to the Sea side I sent from thence before men to repaire my Barke and to make her in a readinesse And during my abode in Shammachi there came vnto me an Armenian sent from the king of Georgia who declared the lamentable estate of the same king that being enclosed betwixt those two cruell tyrants and mightie princes the said great Turke and the Sophie hee had continuall warres with them requiring for the loue of Christ and as I was a Christian that I would send him comfort by the said Armenian and aduise how he might send his Ambassadour to the sayd Emperour of Russia and whether I thought that he would support him or ho and with many other wordes required me to declare his necessitie vnto the same Emperour at my returne adding further that the said king would haue written vnto me his minde but that hee doubted the safe passage of his messenger Unto whom I did likewise answere by word of mouth not onely perswading him to sende his Ambassadour to Russia not doubting but that hee should finde him most honourable and inclined to helpe him but also I directed him his way how the sayde king might send by the Countrey of Chircassi through the fauour of Teneruk king of the sayd Countrey whose daughter the said king had lately married And thus dismissing the saide Armenian within two dayes after I sent Edward Cleark your seruaunt vnto the Citie of Arrash where the most store of Silkes is to be had giuing him Commission to haue passed further into the saide Countrey of Georgia and there to haue repaired vnto the sayde king And after my commendations premised and my minde declared to haue pursued for safeconduct of the same Prince for our Merchants to trade
nor other beasts Their Emperors Dukes other of their nobles doe abound with silk gold siluer and precious stones Their victuals are al things that may be eaten for we saw some of them eat lice They drinke milke in great quantitie but especially mares milke if they haue it They seeth Mill also in water making it so thinne that they may drinke thereof Euery one of them drinkes off a cupfull or two in a morning and sometime they eate nought else all the day long But in the euening each man hath a little flesh giuen him to eate and they drinke the broath thereof Howbeit in summer time when they haue mares milke enough they seldome eate flesh vnles perhaps it be giuen them or they take some beast or bird in hunting Of their manners both good and bad Chap. 5. THeir manners are partly prayse-worthie and partly detestable For they are more obedient vnto their lords and masters then any other either clergie or laie-people in the whole world For they doe highly reuerence them and will deceiue them neither in wordes nor deedes They seldome or neuer fall out among themselues and as for fightings or brawlings wounds or manslaughters they neuer happen among them There are neither theeues nor robbers of great riches to be found and therefore the tabernacles and cartes of them that haue any treasures are not strengthened with lockes or barres If any beast goe astray the finder thereof either lets it goe or driueth it to them that are put in office for the same purpose at whose handes the owner of the said beast demaundeth it and without any difficultie receiueth it againe One of them honoureth another exceedingly and bestoweth banquets very familiarly and liberallly notwithstanding that good victuals are daintie and scarce among them They are also very hardie and when they haue fasted a day or two without any maner of sustenance they sing and are merry as if they had eaten their bellies full In riding they endure much cold and and extreme heat There be in a maner no contentions among them and although they vse commonly to be drunken yet doe they not quarell in their drunkennes Noe one of them despiseth another but helpeth and furthereth him as much as conueniently he can Their women are chaste neither is there so much as a word vttered concerning their dishonestie Some of them will notwithstanding speake filthy and immodest words But towards other people the said Tartars be most insolent and they scorne and set nought by all other noble and and ignoble persons whatsoeuer For we saw in the Emperours court the great duke of Russia the kings sonne of Georgia and many great Soldanes receiuing no due honour and estimation among them So that euen the very Tartars assigned to giue attendance vnto them were they neuer so base would alwaies goe before them and take the vpper hand of them yea and sometimes would constraine them to sit behinde their backes Moreouer they are angrie and of a disdainefull nature vnto other people and beyond all measure deceitfull and treacherous towards them They speake fayre in the beginning but in conclusion they sting like scorpions For craftie they are and full of falshood circumuenting all men whom they are able by their sleights Whatsoeuer mischiefe they entend to practise against a man they keepe it wonderfully secrete so that he may by no meanes prouide for himselfe nor find a remedie against their conspiracies They are vnmanerly also and vncleanly in taking their meat and their drinke and in other actions Drunkennes is honourable among them and when any of them hath taken more drinke then his stomacke can well beare hee casteth it vp and falles to drinking againe They are most intollerable exacters most couetous possessours and most nigardly giuers The slaughter of other people is accompted a matter of nothing with them Of their lawes and customes Chap 6. MOreouer they haue this law or custome that whatsoeuer man or woman be manifestly taken in adultery they are punished with death A virgine likewise that hath committed fornication they stay together with her mate Whosoeuer be taken in robberie or theft is put to death without all pitie Also if any man disclose their secrets especially in time of warre he receiueth an hundreth blowes on the backe with a bastinado layd on by a tall fellow In like sort when any inferiours offend inought they finde no fauour at their superiours handes but are punished with grieuous stripes They are ioyned in matrimony to all in generall yea euen to their neare kinsfolkes except their mother daughter and sister by the mothers side For they vse to marrie their sister by the fathers side onely and also the wife of their father after his decease The yonger brother also or some other of his kindred is bound to marry the wife of his elder brother deceased For at the time of our aboad in the countrey a certaine duke of Russia named Andreas was accused before duke Baty for conueying the Tartars horses out of the land and for selling them to others and although it could not be prooued yet was he put to death His yonger brother and the wife of the party deceased hearing this came made their supplication vnto the forenamed duke that the dukedome of Russia might not be taken from them But he commanded the youth to marrie his deceased brothers wife and the woman also to take him vnto her husband according to the custome of the Tartars She answered that she had rather die then so haynously transgresse the law Howbeit hee deliuered her vnto him although they both refused as much as they could Wherefore carying them to bed they constrained the youth lamenting and weeping to lie downe and commit incest with his brothers wife To be short after the death of their husbands the Tartars wiues vse very seldome to marrie the second time vnlesse perhaps some man takes his brothers wife or his stepmother in mariage They make no difference betweene the sonne of their wife and of their concubine but the father giues what he pleaseth vnto each one For of late the king of Georgia hauing two sonnes one lawfully begotten called Melich but the other Dauid borne in adulterie at his death left part of his lande vnto his base sonne Hereupon Melich vnto whome the kingdome fell by right of his mother because it was gouerned before time by women went vnto the Emperour of the Tartars Dauid also hauing taken his iourney vnto him Nowe both of them comming to the court and proffering large giftes the sonne of the harlot made suite that he might haue iustice according to the custome of the Tartars Well sentence passed against Melich that Dauid being his elder brother should haue superioritie ouer him and should quietly and peaceably possesse the portion of land granted vnto him by his father Whensoeuer a Tartar hath many wiues each
territories there was no man that knew any thing of him but onely a fewe Nestorians In his pastures or territories dwelleth Ken Can at whose Court Frier Andrew was And I my selfe passed by it at my returne This Iohn had a brother being a mightie man also and a shepheard like himselfe called Vut and he inhabited beyond the Alpes of Cara Catay being distant from his brother Iohn the space of three weekes iourney He was lord ouer a certain village called Cara Carum hauing people also for his subiects named Crit or Merkit who were Christians of the sect of Nestorius But their Lorde abandoning the worship of Christ followed after idoles reteining with him Priests of the saide idoles who all of them are worshippers of deuils and sorcerers Beyond his pastures some tenne or fifteene dayes iourney were the pastures of Moal who were a poore and beggerly nation without gouernour and without Lawe except their soothsayings and their diuinations vnto the which detestable studies all in those partes doe apply their mindes Neere vnto Moal were other poore people called Tartars The foresaid king Iohn died wihout issue male and thereupon his brother Vut was greatly inriched and caused himselfe to be named Can and his droues and flockes raunged euen vnto the borders of Moal About the same time there was one Cyngis a blacke smith among the people of Moal This Cyngis stole as many cattel from Vut Can as he could possibly get insomuch that the shepheards of Vut complained vnto their Lord. Then prouided he an armie and marched vp into the countrey of Moal to seeke for the saide Cyngis But Cyngis fledde among the Tartars and hidde himselfe amongest them And Vut hauing taken some spoiles both from Moal and also from the Tartars returned home Then spake Cyngis vnto the Tartars and vnto the people of Moal saying Sirs because we are destitute of a gouernour and Captaine you see howe our neighbours do oppresse vs. And the Tartars and Moals appointed him to be their Chieftaine Then hauing secretly gathered together an armie he brake in suddenly vpon Vut and ouercame him and Vut fledde into Catayaâ— At the same time was the daughter of Vut taken which Cyngis married vnto one of his sonnes by whom she conceiued brought forth the great Can which now reigneth called Mangu-Can Then Cyngis sent y e Tartars before him in al places where he came and thereupon was their name published and spread abroade for in all places the people woulde crie out Loe the Tartars come the Tartars come Howbeit through continuall warres they are nowe all of them in a maner consumed and brought to nought Whereupon the Moals indeuour what they can to extinguish the name of the Tartars that they may exalt their owne name The countrey wherein they first inhabited and where the Court of Cyngis Can as yet remaineth is called Mancherule But because Tartaria is the region about which they haue obtained their conquests they esteeme that as their royall and chiefe citie and there for the most part doe they elect their great Can. Of the Russians Hungarians and Alanians and of the Caspian Sea Chap. 20. NOw as concerning Sartach whether he beleeues in Christ or no I knowe not This I am sure of that he will not be called a Christian. Yea rather he seemeth vnto mee to deride and skoffe at Christians He lieth in the way of the Christians as namely of the Russians the Valachians the Bulgarians of Bulgaria the lesser the Soldaianes the Kerkis and the Alanians who all of them passe by him as they are going to the Court of his father Baatu to carie giftes whereupon he is more in league with them Howbeit if the Saracens come and bring greater giftes then they they are dispatched sooner He hath about him certaine Nestorian Priestes who pray vpon their beades and sing their deuotions Also there is another vnder Baatu called Berta who feedeth his cattell toward Porta ferrea or Derbent where lieth the passage of all those Saracens which come out of Persia and out of Turkie to goe vnto Baatu and passing by they giue rewards vnto him And he professeth himselfe to be a Saracene and will not permit swines flesh to be eaten in his dominions Howbeit at the time of our returne Baatu commanded him to remoue himselfe from that place and to inhabite vpon the East side of Volga for hee was vnwilling that the Saracens messengers should passe by the saide Berta because he sawe it was not for his profite For the space of foure dayes while we remained in the court of Sartach we had not any victuals at all allowed vs but once onely a litle Cosmos And in our iourney betweene him and his father wee traueiled in great feare For certaine Russians Hungarians and Alanians being seruants vnto the Tartars of whom they haue great multitudes among them assemble themselues twentie or thirtie in a companie and so secretly in the night conueying themselues from home they take bowes and arrowes with them and whomesoeuer they finde in the night season they put him to death hiding themselues in the day time And hauing tired their horses they goe in the night vnto a company of other horses feeding in some pasture and change them for newe taking with them also one or two horses besides to eate them when they stand in neede Our guide therefore was sore afraide least we should haue met with such companions In this iourney wee had died for famine had we not caried some of our bisket with vs. At length we came vnto the mighty riuer of Etilia or Volga For it is foure times greater then the riuer of Sein and of a wonderfull depth and issuing forth of Bulgaria the greater it runneth into a certaine lake or sea which of late they cal the Hircan sea according to the name of a certain citie in Persia standing vpon the shore thereof Howbeit Isidore calleth it the Caspian sea For it hath the Caspian mountaines and the land of Persia situate on the South side thereof and the mountaines of Musihet that is to say of the people called Assassini towards the East which mountaines are conioyned vnto the Caspian mountaines but on the North side thereof lieth the same desert wherein the Tartars doe now inhabite Howbeit heretofore there dwelt certaine people called Changlae And on that side it receiueth the streams of Etilia which riuer increaseth in Sommer time like vnto the riuer Nilus in AEgypt Upon the West part thereof it hath the mountaines of Alani and Lesgi and Porta ferrea or Derbent and the mountaines of Georgia This Sea therefore is compassed in on three sides with the mountaines but on the North side with plaine grounde Frier Andrew in his iourney traueiled round about two sides therof namely the South and the East sides and I my selfe about other two that is to say the North side in
season it may please God to send our two Englishmen that are gone to the Spicerie which may also bring more plaine declaration of that which in this case might be desired Also I knowe I needed not to haue beene to prolixe in the declaration of this Carde to your Lordship if the sayd Carde had bene very well made after the rules of Cosmographie For your Lordship would soone vnderstand it better then I or any other that could haue made it and so it should appeare that I shewed DelphinuÌ„ natare But for that I haue made it after my rude maner it is necessary that I be the declarer or gloser of mine own worke or els your Lordship should haue had much labour to vnderstand it which now with it also cannot be excused it is so grossely done But I knew you looked for no curious things of mee and therefore I trust your Lordship will accept this and hold me for excused In other mens letters that they write they craue pardon that at this present they write no larger but I must finish asking pardon that at this present I write so largely Iesus preserue your Lordship with augmentation of dignities Your seruant Robert Thorne 1527 Epitaphium M. Roberti Thorni sepulti in Ecclesia Templariorum Londini RObertus iacei hic Thorne quem Bristolia quondam Praetoris meritò legit ad officium Huic etenim semper magnae Respublica cure Charior cunctis patria diuitijs Ferre inopi auxilium tristes componere lites Dulce huic consilio quósque iuuare suit Qui pius exaudis miserorum vota precésque Christe huic coeli des regione locum A briefe Treatise of the great Duke of Muscouia his genealogie being taken out of the Moscouites manuscript Chronicles written by a Polacke IT hath almost euer bene the custome of nations in searching out the infancie and first beginnings of their estate to ascribe the same vnto such authors as liued among men in great honour and endued mankinde with some one or other excellent benefite Nowe this inbred desire of all nations to blaze and set foorth their owne petigree hath so much preuayled with the greater part that leauing the vndoubted trueth they haue be taken themselues vnto meere fables and fictions Yea and the Chronicles of many nations written in diuers and sundrie ages doe testifie the same Euen so the Grecians boasted that they were either Autocthones that is earthbredde or els lineally descended from the Gods And the Romans affirme that Mars was father vnto their first founder Romulus Right well therefore and iudicially sayth Titus Liuius Neither meane I to auouch quoth he ne to disable or confute those thinges which before the building and foundation of the Citie haue beene reported being more adorned and fraught with Poeticall fables then with incorrupt and sacred monuments of trueth antiquitie is to be pardoned in this behalfe namely in ioyning together matters historicall and poeticall to make the beginnings of cities to seeme the more honourable For sith antiquity it selfe is accompted such a notable argument of true nobility euen priuate men in all ages haue contended thereabout Wherefore citizens of Rome being desirous to make demonstration of their Gentrie vse to haue their aâ—ncestours armes painted along the walles of their houses in which regarde they were to puffed vp that oftentimes they would arrogantly disdaine those men which by their owne vertue had attained vnto honour In like sorte Poets when the originall of their worthines and braue champions was either vtterly vnknowen or somewhat obscure would ofte referre it vnto their Gods themselues So in these our dayes to lette passe others the Turkish Emperour with grert presumption boasteth himselfe to bee descended of the Troian blood Likewise the great duke of Moscouie to make himselfe and his predecessours seeme the more souereigne deriueth the beginnings of his parentage from the Romane Emperours yea euen from Augustus Cesar. Albeit therefore no man is so fonde as to accept of this report for trueth yet will wee briefly set downe what the Moscouites haue written in their Chronicles as touching this matter Augustus beleeue it who lifteth had certaine brethren or kinsfolkes which were appoynted gouernours ouer diuers prouinces Amongst the rest one Prussus of whome Prussia was named had his place of gouernment assigned vnto him vpon the shore of the eastern or Baltick sea and vpon the famous riuer of Wixel This mans graund children or nephewes of the fourth generation were Rurek Sinaus and Truuor who likewise inhabited in the very same places Whereas therefore at the very same time the Russians or the Moscouites without any ciuill regiment possessed large and spacious territories towards the north the foresayd three brethren vpon the perswasion of one Gostomislius the chiefe citizen of Nouogrod in the yeare since the worldes creation according to the computation of the Greekes 6370 which was in the yeare of our Lord 572 were sent for to beare rule And so ioyning their kinsman Olechus vnto them and diuiding these huge countreys among themselues they laboured to reduce the barbarous and sauage people vnto a ciuill kinde of life Sinaus and Truuor deceasing without issue Rurek succeeded and lefte a sonne behinde him named Igor who not being of sufficient yeres to beare rule was committed vnto the protection of his kinsman Olechus The sayde Igor begate of Oâ—ha daughter vnto a citizen of Plesco who after her husbande was slaine by his enemies taking her iourney to Constantinople was there baptized by the name of Helena a sonne called Stoslaus who fought many battels with the neighbour countreys Howbeit at length Stoslaus was slayne by his foe who making a drinking cup of his skull engraued therupon in golden letters this sentence Seeking after other mens he lost his owne He left behind him three sonnes namely Teropolchus Olega and Vulodimir The which Vulodimir hauing slaine his two brethren became sole gouernour of Russia or as the Moscouites call it Rosseia his owne selfe This man beginning at length to loath and mislike the ethnik religion and the multitude of false gods applyed his minde vnto the religion of Christ and hauing taken to wife Anna sister vnto Basilius and Constantinus Emperours of Constantinople was together with his whole nation in the yeare of Christ 988. baptized and imbraced the Christian religion with the rites and ceremonies of the Greeke Church and his name being changed he was called Basilius Howbeit Zonaras reporteth that before the time of Vulodimir Basilius Emperour of Constantinople sent a bishop vnto the Russians by whose meanes they were conuerted vnto the Christian faith He reporteth moreouer that they would not be perswaded vnlesse they might see a miracle whereupon the said bishop hauing made his prayers vnto almighty God threwe the booke of the Euangelists into the fire which remained there vnconsumed And that by this miracle they were mooued to giue credite vnto the doctrine of Christ and to conforme themselues thereunto
Emperours plate which was so much that the very Cupboord it selfe was scant able to sustaine the waight of it the better part of all the vessels and goblets was made of very fine gold and amongst the rest there were foure pots of very large bignesse which did adorne the rest of the place in great measure for they were so high that they thought them at the least fiue foote long There were also vpon this Cupbord certaine siluer caskes not much differing from the quantitie of our Fyrkins wherein was reserued the Emperours drinke on each side of the Hall stood foure Tables each of them layde and couered with very cleane table clothes whereunto the company ascended by three steps or degrees all which were filled with the assemblie present the ghests were all apparelled with linnen without and with rich skinnes within and so did notably set out this royall feast The Emperour when hee takes any bread or knife in his hand doth first of all crosse himselfe vpon his forehead they that are in speciall fauour with the Emperour sit vpon the same bench with him but somewhat farre from him and before the comming in of the meate the Emperour himselfe according to an ancient custome of the kings of Moscouy doth first bestow a piece of bread vpon euery one of his ghests with a loud pronunciation of his title and honour in this manner The great Duke of Moscouie and chiefe Emperour of Russia Iohn Basiliwich then the officer nameth the ghest doth giue thee bread Whereupon al the ghests rise vp and by by sit downe againe This done the Gentleman Usher of the Hall comes in with a notable company of seruants carying the dishes and hauing done his reuerence to the Emperour puts a yong Swanne in a golden platter vpon the table and immediatly takes it thence againe deliuering it to the Caruer and seuen other of his fellowes to be cut vp which being perfourmed the meate is then distributed to the ghests with the like pompe and ceremonies In the meane time the Gentleman Usher receiues his bread and tasteth to the Emperour and afterward hauing done his reuerence he departeth Touching the rest of the dishes because they were brought in out of order our men can report no certaintie but this is true that all the furniture of dishes and drinking vessels which were then for the vse of a hundred ghests was all of pure golde and the tables were so laden with vessels of gold that there was no roome for some to stand vpon them We may not forget that there were 140. seruitors arayed in cloth of gold that in the dinner time changed thrise their habit and apparell which seruitors are in like sort serued with bread from the Emperour as the rest of the ghests Last of all dinner being ended and candles brought in for by this time night was come the Emperour calleth all his ghests and Noble men by their names in such sort that it seemes miraculous that a Prince otherwise occupied in great matters of estate should so well remember so many and sundry particular names The Russes tolde our men that the reason thereof as also of the bestowing of bread in that maner was to the ende that the Emperour might keepe the knowledge of his owne houshold and withal that such as are vnder his displeasure might by this meanes be knowen Of the discipline of warre among the Russes VVHensoeuer the iniures of their neighbours doe call the King foorth to battell hee neuer armeth a lesse number against the enemie then 300. thousand soldiers 100. thousand whereof hee carieth out into the field with him and leaueth the rest in garison in some fit places for the better safetâ—e of his Empire He presseth no husbandman nor Marchant for the Countrey is so populous that these being left at home the youth of the Realme is sufficient for all his wars As many as goe out to warfare doe prouide all things of their owne cost they fight not on foote but altogether on horsebacke their armour is a coate of maile a helmet the coate of maile wtout is gilded or els adorned with silke although it pertaine to a common soldier they haue a great pride in shewing their wealth they vse bowes and arrowes as the Turks do they carylances also into the field They ride with a short stirrop after the maner of the Turks They are a kinde of people most sparing in diet and most patient in extremitie of cold aboue all others For when the ground is couered with snowe and is growen terrible and hard with the frost this Russe hangs vp his mantle or souldiers coate against that part from whence the winde and Snowe driues and so making a little fire lieth downe with his backe towards the weather this mantle of his serues him for his bed wall house and all his drinke is colde water of the riuer mingled with oatemeale and this is all his good cheere and he thinketh himselfe well and daintily feâ—re therewith and so sitteth downe by his fire and vpon the hard ground rosteth as it were his wearie sides thus daintily stuffed the hard ground is his feather bed some blocke or stone his pillow and as for his horse he is as it were a chamberfellow with his master faring both alike How iustly may this barbarous and rude Russe condemne the daintinesse and nicenesse of our Captaines who liuing in a soile aire much more temeprate yet commonly vse furred boots and clokes But thus much of the furniture of their common souldiers But those that are of higher degrees come into the field little better prouided As for the furniture of the Emperour himselfe it is then aboue all other times most notable The couerings of his tent for the most part are all of gold adorned with stones of great price and with the curious workemanship of plumasiers As often as they are to skirmish with the enemie they goe forth without any order at all they make no wings nor militarie diuisions of their men as we doe but lying for the most part in ambush doe suddenly set vpon the enemie Their horses can well abstaine two whole daies from any meate They feede vpon the barkes of trees and the most tender branches in all the time of warre And this scant and miserable maner of liuing both the horse and his Master can well endure sometimes for the space of two moneths lustie and in good state of body If any man behaue himselfe valiantly in the fielde to the contentation of the Emperour he bestoweth vpon him in recompense of his seruice some farme or so much ground as he and his may liue vpon which not withstanding after his death returneth againe to the Emperour if he die without a male issue For although his daughters be neuer so many yet no part of that inheritance comes to them except peraduenture the Emperour of his goodnesse giue some portion of the land amongst them to bestowe
Turke hauing felt the Turkish forces when hee wonne from them Azou and Casfa with some other townes about the Euxine or blacke Sea that were before tribularies to the Crim Tartar So that now the Emperor of the Crims for the most part is chosen one of the Nobility whom the Turke doeth commend whereby it is brought nowe to passe that the Crim Tartar giueth to the Turke the tenth part of the spoyle which hee getteth in his warres against the Christians Herein they differ from the Turkish religion for that they haue certaine idole puppets made of silke or like stuffe of the fashion of a man which they fasten to the doore of their walking houses to be as Ianusses or keepers of their house And these idoles are made not by all but by certaine religious women which they haue among them for that and like vses They haue besides the image of their King or great Can of an huge bignesse which they erect at euery stage when the army marcheth and this euery one must bend and bowe vnto as he passeth by it be he Tartar or stranger They are much giuen to witchcraft and ominous coniectures vpon euery accident which they heare or see In making of mariages they haue no regard of alliance or consanguinitie Onely with his mother sister and daughter a man may not marrie and though he take the woman into his house and accompany with her yet he accounteth her not for his wife till he haue a childe by her Then hee beginneth to take a dowry of her friends of horse sheepe kine c. If she be barren after a certaine time he turneth her home againe Under the Emperour they haue certaine Dukes whome they call Morseis or Diuoymorseis that rule ouer a certaine number of 10000. 20000. or 40000. a piece which they call Hoords When the Emperour hath any vse of them to serue in his warres they are bound to come and to bring with them their Souldiers to a certain number euery man with his two horse at the least the one to ride on the other to kill when it commeth to his turne to haue his horse eatē For their chiefe vicaile is horse flesh which they eate without bread or any other thing with it So that if a Tartar be taken by a Russe he shall be sure lightly to finde a horse-legge or some other part of him at his saddle bowe This last yeere when I was at the Mosco came in one Kiriach Morsey nephew to the Emperour of the Crims that nowe is whose father was Emperour before accompanied with 300. Tartars and his two wiues whereof one was his brothers widow Where being intertained in very good sort after the Russe maner hee had sent vnto his lodging for his welcome to bee made ready for his supper and his companies two very large and fat horses ready flayed in a sled They prefer it before other flesh because the meate is stronger as they say then Beefe Mutton and such like And yet which is marueile though they serue all as horsemen in the warres and eate all of horse flesh there are brought yeerely to the Mosco to bee exchanged for other commodities 30. or 40. thousand Tartar horse which they call Cones They keepe also great heards of kine flocks of blacke sheepe rather for the skins and milke which they carie with them in great bottels then for the vse of the flesh though sometimes they eate of it Some vse they haue of ryse figs and other fruits They drinke milke or warme blood and for the most part card them both together They vse sometime as they trauel by the way to let their horse blood in a vaine and to drinke it warme as it commeth from his bodie Townes they plant none nor other standing buildings but haue walking houses which the latines call Veij built vpon wheeles like a shepheards cottage These they drawe with them whithersoeuer they goe driuing their cattell with them And when they come to their stage or standing place they plant their carte houses verie orderly in a ranke and so make the forme of streetes and of a large towne And this is the manner of the Emperor himselfe who hath no other seat of Empire but an Agora or towne of wood that moueth with him whithersoeuer hee goeth As for the fixed and standing building vsed in other countreyes they say they are vnwholesome and vnpleasant They begin to mooue their houses and cattell in the Spring time from the South part of their Countrey towards the North partes And so driuing on till they haue grased all vp to the farthest part Northward they returne backe againe towards their South countrey where they continue all the Winter by 10. or 12. miles a stage in the meane while the grasse being sprung vp againe to serue for their cattell as they returne From the border of the Shalcan towards the Caspian sea to the Russe frontiers they haue a goodly Countrey specially on the South and Southeast parts but lost for lacke of tillage Of money they haue no vse at all and therefore prefer brasse and steele before other mettals specially bullate which they vse for swordes kniues and other necessaries As for golde and siluer they neglect it of very purpose as they doe all tillage of their ground to bee more free for their wandring kinde of life and to keepe their Countrey lesse subiect to inuasions Which giueth them great aduantage against all their neighbors euer inuading and neuer beeing inuaded Such as haue taken vpon them to inuade their Countrey as of olde time Cyrus and Darius Hystaspis on the East and Southeast side haue done it with very ill successe as wee finde in the stories written of those times For their manner is when any will inuade them to allure and drawe them on by flying and reculing as if they were afraide till they haue drawen them some good way within their countrey Then when they begin to want victuall and other necessaries as needes they must where nothing is to be had to stoppe vp the passages and inclose them with multitudes By which stratagem as wee reade in Laonicus Chalcacondylas in his Turkish storie they had welnigh surprised the great and huge armie of Tamerlan but that hee retired with all speede hee could towardes the riuer Tanais or Don not without great losse of his men and cariages In the storie of Pachymerius the Greeke which hee wrote of the Emperors of Constantinople from the beginning of the reigne of Michael Palaeologus to the time of Andronicus the elder I remember he telleth to the same purpose of one Nogas a Tartarian captaine vnder Cazan the Emperor of the East Tartars of whom the citie and kingdome of Cazan may seeme to haue taken the denomination who refused a present of Pearle and other iewels sent vnto him from Michael Palaeologus asking withall for what vse they serued and whether they were good to keepe away sicknesse
their wiues do come by 10.20 30. together to the water side singing there do wash themselues then vse their ceremonies marke themselues in their foreheds and faces and cary some with them and so depart singing Their daughters be maried at or before the age of 10. yeres The men may haue 7. wiues They be a kind of craftie people worse then the Iewes When they salute one another they heaue vp their hands to their heads and say Rame Rame Frō Agra I came to Prage where the riuer Iemena entreth into the mightie riuer Ganges and Iemena looseth his name Ganges commeth out of the Northwest runneth East into the gulfe of Bengala In those parts there are many Tigers and many partriges turtle-doues and much other foule Here be many beggers in these countries which goe naked and the people make great account of them they call them Schesche Here I sawe one which was a monster among the rest He would haue nothing vpon him his beard was very long and with the haire of his head he couered his priuities The nailes of some of his fingers were two inches long for he would cut nothing from him neither would he speake He was accompanied with eight or tenne and they spake for him When any man spake to him he would lay his hand vpon his brest and bowe himselfe but would not speake Hee would not speake to the king We went from Prage downe Ganges the which is here very broad Here is great store of fish of sundry sorts of wild foule as of swannes geese cranes and many other things The countrey is very fruitfull and populous The men for the most part haue their faces shauen and their heads very long except some which bee all shauen saue the crowne and some of them are as though a man should set a dish on their heads and shaue them round all but the crowne In this riuer of Ganges are many Ilands His water is very sweete and pleasant and the countrey adioyning very fruitfull From thence wee went to Bannaras which is a great towne and great store of cloth is made there of cotton and Shashes for the Moores In this place they be all Gentiles and be the greatest idolaters that euer I sawe To this towne come the Gentiles on pilgrimage out of farre countreys Here alongst the waters side bee very many faire houses and in all of them or for the most part they haue their images standing which be euill fauoured made of stone and wood some like lions leopards and monkeis some like men women and pecocks and some like the deuil with foure armes and 4. hands They sit crosse legged some with one thing in their hands some another by breake of day and before there are men women which come out of the towne and wash thēselues in Ganges And there are diuers old men which vpon places of earth made for the purpose sit praying and they giue the people three or foure strawes which they take hold them betweene their fingers when they wash themselues and some sit to marke them in the foreheads and they haue in a cloth a litle Rice Barlie or money which when they haue washed themselues they giue to the old men which sit there praying Afterwards they go to diuers of their images giue them of their sacrifices And when they giue the old men say certaine prayers and then is all holy And in diuers places there standeth a kind of image which in their language they call Ada. And they haue diuers great stones carued whereon they poure water throw thereupon some rice wheate barly and some other things This Ada hath foure hands with clawes Moreouer they haue a great place made of stone like to a well with steppes to goe downe wherein the water standeth very foule and stinketh for the great quantitie of flowers which continually they throwe into it doe make it stinke There be alwayes many people in it for they say when they wash themselues in it that their sinnes be forgiuen them because God as they say did wash himselfe in that place They gather vp the sand in the bottome of it and say it is holy They neuer pray but in the water and they wash themselues ouerhead and lade vp water with both their handes and turne themselues about and then they drinke a litle of the water three times and so goe to their gods which stand in those houses Some of them will wash a place which is their length and then will pray vpon the earth with their armes and legs at length out and will rise vp and lie downe and kisse the ground twentie or thirtie times but they will not stirre their right foote And some of them will make their ceremonies with fifteene or sixteene pots litle and great and ring a litle bel when they make their mixtures tenne or twelue times and they make a circle of water round about their pots and pray and diuers sit by them and one that reacheth them their pots and they say diuers things ouer their pots many times and when they haue done they goe to their gods and strowe their sacrifices which they thinke are very holy and marke many of them which sit by in the foreheads which they take as a great gift There come fiftie and sometime an hundred together to wash them in this well and to offer to these idols They haue in some of these houses their idoles standing and one sitteth by them in warme weather with a fanne to blowe winde vpon them And when they see any company comming they ring a litle bell which hangeth by them and many giue them their almes but especially those which come out of the countrey Many of them are blacke and haue clawes of brasse with long nayles and some ride vpon peacockes and other foules which be euill fauoured with long haukes bils and some like one thing and some another but none with a good face Among the rest there is one which they make great account of for they say hee giueth them all things both foode and apparell and one sitteth alwayes by him with a fanne to make wind towards him Here some bee burned to ashes some scorched in the fire and throwen into the water and dogges and fores doe presently eate them The wiues here doe burne with their husbands when they die if they will not their heads be shauen and neuer any account is made of them afterward The people goe all naked saue a litle cloth bound about their middle Their women haue their necks armes and eares decked with rings of siluer copper tinne and with round hoopes made of Iuorie adorned with amber stones and with many agats and they are marked with a great spot of red in their foreheads and a stroke of red vp to the crowne and so it runneth three maner of wayes In their Winter which is our May the men weare
were brought abroad into the City somewhat wil I say of such things as I did see therein being a gallant City and chiefe in one of the 13. shires aforesaid The City Fuquieo is very great mightily walled with square stone both within and without and as it may seeme by the breadth therof filled vp in the middle with earth layd ouer with brick couered with tyle after the maner of porches or galleries that one might dwel therein The staires they vse are so easily made that one may go them vp and downe a hors-backe as eftsoones they do the streets are paued as already it hath bin said there be a great number of Marchants euery one hath written in a great table at his doore such things as he hath to sel. In like maner euery artisane painteth out his craft the market places be large great abundance of al things there be to be sold. The city standeth vpoÌ„ water many streames run through it the banks pitched so broad that they serue for streets to the cities vse Ouer the streams are sundry bridges both of timber stone which being made leuel with the streets hinder not the passage of the barges too and fro the chanels are so deepe Where the streames come in and go out of the city be certaine arches in the wal there go in and out their Parai that is a kind of barges they haue that in the day time only at night these arches are closed vp with gates so do they shut vp al the gates of the City These streames and barges do ennoblish very much the City and make it as it were to seeme another Venice The buildings are euen wel made high not lofted except it be some wherein marchandize is laid It is a world to see how great these cities are and the cause is for that the houses are built euen as I haue said do take a great deale of roome One thing we saw in this city that made vs al to wonder and is worthy to be noted namely ouer a porch at the comming in to one of the aforesaid 4. houses which the king hath in euery shire for his gouernors as I haue erst saidâ— standeth a tower built vpon 40. pillers ech one whereof is but one stone ech one 40. handfuls or spans long in bredth or compasse 12 as many of vs did measure them Besides thisâ— their greatnesse is such in one piece that it might seeme impossible to worke them they be moreouer cornered and in colour length and breadth so like that the one nothing differeth from the other This thing made vs all to wonder very much We are wont to cal this country China and the people Chineans but as long as we were prisoners not hearing amongst them at any time that name I determined to learne how they were called and asked sometimes by them thereof for that they vnderstood vs not when we called them Chineans I answered them that al the inhabitants of India named them Chineans wherefore I praied them that they would tel me for what occasioÌ„ they are so called whether peraduenture any city of theirs bare that name Hereunto they alwayes answered me y t they haue no such name nor euer had Then did I aske them what name the whole Country beareth what they would answere being asked of other nations what countrymen they were It was told me that of ancient time in this country had bin many kings though presently it were al vnder one ech kingdom neuertheles enioyed that name it first had these kingdomes are the prouinces I spake of before In conclusion they said that the whole country is called Tamen the inhabitants Tamegines so that this name China or Chineans is not heard of in y t country I thinke that the neernesse of another prouince therabout called Cochinchina the inhabitants therof Cochinesses first discouered before China was lying not far from Malacca did giue occasion to ech of the nations of that name Chineans as also the whole country to be named China But their proper name is that aforesaid I haue heard moreouer that in the City of Nanquim reâ—aineth a table of gold and in it written a kings name as a memory of that residence the kings were wont to keepe there This table standeth in a great pallace couered alwayes except it be on some of their festiuall dayes at what time they are wont to let it be seene couered neuerthelesse as it is all the nobilitie of the City going of duetie to doe it euery day reuerence The like is done in the head Cities of all the other shires in the pallaces of the Ponchiassini wherein these aforesaid tables doe stand with the kings name written in them although no reuerence be done thereunto but in solemne feastes I haue likewise vnderstood that the City Pachin where the king maketh his abode is so great that to go from one side to the other besides the Suburbs the which are greater then the City it selfe it requireth one whole day a horseback going hackney pase In the suburbs be many wealthy marchants of all sorts They told me furthermore that it was moted about and in the motes great store of fish whereof the king maketh great gaines It was also told me that the king of China had no king to wage battel withall besides the Tartars with whom he had concluded a peace more then 80. yeres ago Neuerthelesse their friendship was not so great that the one nation might marry with the other And demanding with whom they married they said that in olde time the Chinish kings when they would marry their daughters accustomed to make a solemne feast whereunto came all sorts of men The daughter that was to be married stood in a place where she might see them all and looke whom she liked best him did she chuse to husband and if happely he were of a base condition hee became by and by a gentleman but this custome hath bene left long since Now a dayes the king marrieth his daughters at his owne pleasure with great men of the kingdome the like order he obserueth in the marriage of his sonnes They haue moreouer one thing very good and that which made vs all to marueile at them being Gentiles namely that there be hospitals in all their Cities alwayes full of people we neuer saw any poore body begge We therefore asked the cause of this answered it was that in euery City there is a great circuit wherein be many houses for poore people for blinde lame old folke not able to trauaile for age nor hauing any other meanes to liue These folke haue in the aforesaid houses euer plentie of rice during their liues but nothing else Such as be receiued into these houses come in after this maner When one is sicke blinde or lame he maketh a supplication to the Ponchiassi and prouing that to be true he writeth he remaineth in the
may not vtterly perish of whose good capacitie wherein they exceed those of Mexico and Peru as we be giuen to vnderstand by those that haue delt with them we may boldly presume that they will easily embrace the Gospel and abandon such idolatrie as now the most of them doe liue in which Almightie God graunt for his honour and glory and for the increase of the holy Catholique faith A letter of Bartholomew Cano from Mexico the 30. of May 1590. to Francis Hernandes of Siuil concerning the speedy building of two strong Forts in S. Iohns de Vllua and in Vera Cruz as also touching a notable new and rich discouery of Cibola or New Mexico 400â— leagues Northwest of Mexico IT may please you Sir to be aduertised that I haue receiued your letters whereby I understand that our ship with the treasure is safely ariued God be praised therefore The frigate arriued here in safetie which brought the letters of Aduise from the King to the Uiceroy She arriued in S. Iohn de Vllua the 29. of May deparâ—ed from S. Lucar in Spaine the 6. of April By which his Maiestie writeth vnto the Uiceroy what time the Fleete shall depart from hence and what course they shall take not as they had wont for to do by reason that there are great store of men of war abroad at the sea which meane to encounter with the Fleete I pray God sende them well to Spaine for here wee were troubled very sore with men of warre on this coast His Maiestie hath sent expresse coÌ„mandement vnto the Marques of Villa Manrique his cosen Uiecroy of Noua Hispania that immediatly vpon sight of his letters he that coÌ„mand to be builded in S. Iohn de Vllua in Vera Cruz two strong Forts for the defence of these countries of his Maiesties charges And that there shal be garisons in both the Forts for the defence of the ships which ride there and for the strength of the countrey There are departed out of Mexico and other townes hereabout by the commaundement of the Uiceroy 500. souldiers Spaniards vnder the coÌ„duct of Rodorigo del Rio the gouernour of Nueua Biscaia which are gone to win a great City called Cibola which is 400. leagues beyond Mexico to the Northwest and standeth vp in the maine land It is by report a very great citie as bigge as Mexico and a very rich countrey both of golde Mines and siluer Mines and the King of the countrey is a mighty King and he will not become subiect to his Maiestie There were certaine Spaniards sent to that king from the Uiceroy in an ambassage It is thought that they are slaine for we can here no newes of them The other newes that I can certifie you of at this instant is that there is a Iudge of the city of Guadalajara called don Nunno de villa Inscensia lately maried Also the kings Atturney of Guadalajara maried his daughter of 8. yeres old with a boy of 12 yeres old But the Uiceroy saith that he hath a warrant from his Maiestie that if any Iudge whatsoeuer dwelling in that kingdome of Guadalajara should mary any some in that iurisdiction that then the said Uiceroy is to depriue him of his office And therfore he went about to depriue the Iudge the kings Attourney of their offices Whereupon the people of that prouince would not thereunto consent nor suffer them to be dismissed of their offices nor to be arrested nor caried prisoners to Mexico When the viceroy had intelligence thereof that the Countrey did resist his commandement and would not suffer them to be apprehended he sent certaine Captaines with souldiers to goe and apprehend the Iudge the kings Attourney and as many as did take their parts So the citizens of Guadalajara withstood the viceroies forces put themselues in defence and are vp in armes against the viceroy yet they do not rebel against the king but say God saue king Philip and wil submit themselues to his Maiestie but not to the viceroy So that all the kingdome of Guadalajara is vp in armes and are all in a mutinie against vs of Mexico I beseech Almighty God to remedy it and that it may be qualified in time or else all Noua Spania wil be vtterly spoiled I write this thing because it is publiquely knowen in all places And thus I rest from Mexico the 30. of May 1590. Bartholomew Cano. THE FIRST AND SECOND DISCOuery of the gulfe of California and of the Sea-coast on the Northwest or backside of America lying to the West of New Mexico Cibola and Quiâ—ira together with Sir Francis Drakes landing and taking possession vpon Noua Albion in the behalfe of the Crowne of England and the notable voyage of Francis Gaule Wherein amongst many other memorable matters is set downe the huge bredth of the Ocean sea from China and Iapan to the Northwest parts of America in the 38. and 40. degrees A relation of the discouery which in the Name of God the Fleete of the right noble Fernando Cortez Marques of the Vally made with three ships The one called Santa Agueda of 120. tunnes the other the Trinitie of 35. tunnes and the thirde S. Thomas of the burthen of 20. tunnes Of which Fleete was Captaine the right worshipfull knight Francis de Vlloa borne in the Citie of Merida Taken out of the third volume of the voyages gathered by M. Iohn Baptista Ramusio Chap. 1. Francis Vlloa a captaine of Cortez departeth with a Fleet from the port of Acapulco and goeth to discouer vnknowen lands he passeth by the coast of Sacatula and Motin and by tempest runneth to the riuer of Guajanal froÌ„ whence he crosseth ouer to the hauen of Santa Cruz along the coast whereof he discouereth 3. smal Ilands and within two dayes and an halfe returning to the maine land he discouereth the riuer called Rio de San Pedro y San Pablo and not far distant from thence two other riuers as big or greater then that of Guadalquiuir which runneth by Siuil together with their head-springs WE imbarked our selues in the hauen of Acapulco on the 8. of Iuly in the yeere of our Lord 1539 calling vpon almighty God to guide vs with his holy hand vnto such places where he might be serued and his holy faith aduanced And we sailed from the said port by the coast of Sacatula and Motin which is sweete and pleasant through the abundance of trees that grow thereon and riuers which passe through those countreis for the which wee often thanked God the creatour of them So sailing along we came to the hauen of S. Iago in the prouince of Colima but before we arriued there the maine mast of our ship called Santa Agueda was broken by a storme of winde that tooke vs so as the ship was forced to saile without her mast vntil we arriued in the laid hauen From the port of Acapulco to this hauen of Colima wee were sayling the
better will vsed greater diligence to learne that which I said Afterward as I passed farther vp the riuer I found another people whom mine interpreter vnderstood not a whit wherefore I shewed them by signes the selfesame ceremonies of worshipping the crosse which I had taught the rest And that principal old man which I tooke with me told me that farther vp the riuer I should find people which would vnderstand mine interpreter and being now late some of those men called me to giue me victuals and did in all poynts as the others had done dauncing and playing to shew me pleasure I desired to know what people liued on the banks of this riuer and I vnderstood by this man that it was inhabited by 23 languages and these were bordering vpon the riuer besides others not farre off and that there were besides these 23. languages other people also which hee knewe not aboue the riuer I asked him whether euery people were liuing in one towne together and he answered me No but that they had many houses standing scattered in the fieldes and that euery people had their Countrey seuerall and distinguished and that in euery habitation there were great store of people He shewed me a towne which was in a mountaine and told me that there was there great store of people of â—ad conditions which made continual warre vpon them which being without a gouernour and dwelling in that desert place where small store of Maiz groweth came downe into the playne to buy it in trucke of Deeres skinnes wherewith they were apparelled with long garments which they did cutte with rasors and sewed with needles made of Deeres bones and that they had great houses of stone I asked them whether there were any there of that Countrey and I found one woman which ware a garment like a little Mantle which clad her from the waste downe to the ground of a Deeres skin well dressed Then I asked him whether the people which dwelt on the riuers side dwelt alwayes there or els sometime went to dwell in some other place he answered mee that in the summer season they aboade there and sowed there and after they had gathered in their croppe they went their way and dwelt in other houses which they had at the foote of the mountaine farre from the riuer And hee shewed me by signes that the houses were of wood compassed with earth without and I vnderstood that they made a round house wherein the men and women liued all together I asked him whether their women were common or noâ— he tolde me no and that hee which was married was to haue but one wife only I desired to know what order they kept in marying and he told me that if any man had a daughter to marry he went where the people kept and said I haue a daughter to marry is there any man here that wil haue her And if there were any that would haue her he answered that he would haue her and so the mariage was made And that the father of him which would haue her brought some thing to giue the yong woman and from that houre forward the mariage was taken to be finished and that they sang danced and that when night came the parents tooke them and left them together in a place where no body might see them And I learned that brethren and sisters and kiâ—sfolks married not together and that maydes before they were married â—onuersed not with men nor talked not with them but kept at home at their houses and in their possessions and wrought and that if by chance any one had company with men before she were maried her husband forsooke her and went away into other Countreyes and that those women which fell into this fault were accompted naughty packs And that if after they were maried any man were taken in adultery with another woman they put him to death and that no man might haue more then one wife but very secretly They tolde mee that they burned those which dyedâ— and such as remayned widowes stayed halfe a yeere or a whole yeere before they married I desired to know what they thought of such as were dead Hee told me that they went to another world but that they had neither punishment nor glory The greatest sicknesse that this people dye of is vomiting of blood by the mouth and they haue Physicions which cure them with tharmes and blowing which they make The apparell of these people were like the former they carried their pipes with them to perfume themselues like as the people of New Spaine vse Tabacco I inquired whether they had any gouernour and found that they had none but that euery family had their seuerall gouernour These people haue besides their Maiz certaine gourds and another corne like vnto Mill they haue grindstones earthen pots wherein they boyle those gourds and fish of the riuer which are very good My interpreter could goe no farther then this place for he said that those which we should find â—arther on our way were their enemies and therefore I sent him backe very well contented Not long after I espied many Indians to come crying with a loude voice and running after me I stayed to know what they would haue and they told me that they had set vp the crosse which I had giuen them in the midst of their dwellings as I had appointed but that I was to wit that when the riuer did ouerflow it was wont to reach to that place therefore they prayed mee to giue them leaue to remoue it and to set it in another place where the riuer could not come at it nor carry it away which I granted them Chap. 5. Of an Indian of that countrey they haue relation of the state of Ceuola and of the conditions and customes of these people and of their gouernour and likewise of the countreys not farre distant from thence whereof one was called Quicoma and the other Coama of the people of Quicoma and of the other Indians not farre distant they reteiâ—e courtesie THus sayling I came where were many Indians and another interpreter which I caused to come with me in my boat And because it was cold my people were wet I leapt on shore and commanded a fire to be made and as we stood thus warming our selues an Indian came and strooke men on the arme pointing with his finger to a wood out of which I saw two companies of men come w t their weapons he told me that they came to set vpon vs because I meant not to fall out with any of them I retired my company into our boats the Indians which were with me swam into the water and saued themselues on the other side of the riuer In the meane season I inquired of that Indian which I had with me what people they were that came out of y e wood and he
continued with mee the space of sixe moneths At the ende of which time it pleased Almightie God to restore me my health againe although weake and greatly disabled And being some thing strong I procured to seeke meanes to liue and to seeke a way how to profite my selfe in the Countrey seeing it had pleased God to sende vs thither in safetie Then by friendship of one Thomas Blake a Scottishman borne who had dwelt and had bene married in the said Citie aboue twentie yeeres before I came to the saide Citie I was preferred to the seruice of a gentleman a Spaniard dwelling there a man of great wealth and one of the first conquerours of the said Citie whose name was Gonçalo Cerezo with whom I dwelt twelue moneths and a halfe At the ende of which I was maliciously accused by the Holy house for matters of Religion and so apprehended and caried to prison where I lay close prisoner seuen moneths without speaking to any creature but to the Iailer that kept the said prison when he brought me my meat and drinke In the meane time was brought into the saide prison one Augustin Boacio an Italian of Genoua also for matters of Religion who was taken at Sacatecas 80. leagues to the Northwest of the Citie of Mexico At the ende of the said seuen moneths we were both caried to the high Church of Mexico to doe open penance vpon an high scaffold made before the high Altar vpon a Sunday in the presence of a very great number of people who were at the least fiue or sixe thousand For there were that come one hundreth mile off to see the saide Auto as they call it for that there were neuer none before that had done the like in the said Countrey nor could not tell what Lutheranes were nor what it meant for they neuer heard of any such thing before We were brought into the Church euery one with a S. Benito vpon his backe which is halfe a yard of yellow cloth with a hole to put in a mans head in the middest and cast ouâ—r a mans head both fâ—aps hang one before and another behinde and in the middest of euery flap a S. Andrewes crosse made of red cloth sowed on vpon the same and that is called S. Benito The common people before they sawe the penitents come into the Church were giuen to vnderstand that wee were heretiques infidels and people that did despise God and his workes and that wee had bene more like deuils then men and thought wee had had the fauour of some monsters or heathen people And when they saw vs come into the Church in our players coates the women and children beganne to cry out and made such a noise that it was strange to see and heare saying that they neuer sawe goodlier men in all their liues and that it was not possible that there could be in vs so much euill as was reported of vs and that we were more like Angels among men then such persons of such euill Religion as by the Priestes and friers wee were reported to be and that it was great pitie that wee should bee so vsed for so small an offence So that being brought into the saide high Church and set vpon the scaffold which was made before the high Altar in the presence of all the people vntill high Masse was done and the sermon made by a frier concerning our matter they did put vs in all the disgrace they could to cause the people not to take so much compassion vpon vs for that wee were heretiques people that were seduced of the deuill had forsaken the faith of the Catholique Church of Rome with diuers other reprochfull wordes which were too long to recite in this place High Masse and Sermon being done our offences as they called them were recited euery man what he had said and done and presently was the sentence pronounced against vs. That was that the said Augustine Boacio was condemned to weare his S. Benito all the dayes of his life and put into perpetuall prison where hee should fulfill the same and all his goods confiscated and lost And I the saide Tomson to weare the S. Benito for three yeeres and then to be set at libertie And for the accomplishing of this sentence or condemnation we must be presently sent downe from Mexico to Vera Cruz and from thence to S. Iohn de Vllua and there to be shipped for Spaine which was 65. leagues by land with strait commandement that vpon paine of 1000. duckets the Masters euery one should looke straitly vnto vs and carry vs to Spaine and deliuer vs vnto the Inquisitors of the Holy house of Siuill that they should put vs in the places where we should fulfill our penances that the Archbishop of Mexico had enioyned vnto vs by his sentence there giuen For performance of the which we were sent downe from Mexico to the Sea side which was 65. leagues with fetters vpon our feete and there deliuered to the Masters of the ships to be caried for Spaine as before is said And it was so that the Italian fearing that if he had presented himselfe in Spaine before the Inquisitors that they would haue burned him to preuent that danger when wee were comming homeward and were arriued at the yland of Terçera one of the ysles of the Açores the first night that we came into the said port to an ancker about midnight he found the meanes to get him naked out of the ship into the sea swam naked a shoare and so presently got him to the further side of the yland where hee found a little Caruel ready to depart for Portugal in the which he came to Lisbone and passed into France and so into England where hee ended his life in the Citie of London And I for my part kept still aboord the ship and came into Spaine and was deliuered to the Inquisitors of the Holy house of Siuill where they kept me in close prison till I had fulfilled the three yeeres of my penance Which time being expired I was freely put out of prison and set at libertie and being in the Citie of Siuil a casher of one Hugh Typton an English marchant of great doing by the space of one yeere it fortuned that there came out of the Citie of Mexico a Spaniard called Iohn de la Barrera that had bene long time in the Indies and had got great summes of golde and siluer and with one onely daughter shipped himselfe for to come for Spaine and by the way chanced to die and gaue all that hee had vnto his onely daughter whose name was Marie de la Barrera and being arriued at the Citie of Siuil it was my chance to marry with her The marriage was worth to mee 2500. pounds in barres of golde and siluer besides iewels of great price This I thought good to speake of to shew the goodnes of God to all them that put their trust in him that I being brought
haue 200 stripes on horsebacke and after to be committed to the gallies for the space of 8 yeeres Then was called Iohn Keyes and was adiudged to haue 100 stripes on horsebacke and condemned to serue in the gallies for the space of 6 yeeres Then were seuerally called the number of 53 one after another and euery man had his seuerall iudgement some to haue 200 stripes on horsebacke and some 100 and condemned for slaues to the gallies some for 6 yeeres some for 8 and some for 10. And then was I Miles Philips called and was adiudged to serue in a monasterie for 5 yeeres without any stripes and to weare a fooles coat or S. Benito during all that time Then were called Iohn Storie Richard Williams Dauid Alexander Robert Cooke Paul Horsewell and Thomas Hull these sixe were condemned to serue in monasteries without stripes some for 3 yeeres and some for foure and to weare the S. Benito during all the said time Which being done and it now drawing toward night George Riuely Peter Momfrie and Cornelius the Iriâ—hman were called and had their iudgement to be burnt to ashes and so were presently sent away to the place of execution in the market place but a little from the scaffold where they were quickly burnt and consumed And as for vs that had receiued our iudgement being 68 in number we were caried backe that night to prison againe And the next day in the morning being good Friday the yeere of our Lord 1575 we were all brought into a court of the Inquisitors pallace where we found a horse in a readinesse for euery one of our men which were condemned to haue stripes and to be committed to the gallies which were in number 60 and so they being inforced to mount vpon horsebacke naked from the middle vpward were carried to be shewed as a spectacle for all the people to behold throughout the chiefe and principall streetes of the citie and had the number of stripes to euery one of them appointed most cruelly laid vpon their naked bodies with long whips by sundry men appointed to be the executioners thereof and before our men there went a couple of criers which cried as they went Behold these English dogs Lutherans enemies to God and all the way as they went there were some of the Inquisitors themselues and of the familiars of that rakehel order that cried to the executioners Strike lay on those English heretiks Lutherans Gods enemies and so this horrible spectacle being shewed round about the citie they returned to the Inquisitor a house with their backes all gore blood and swollen with great bumps and were then taken from their horses carried againe to prison where they remained vntill they were sent into Spaine to the gallies there to receiue the rest of their martirdome and I and the 6 other with me which had iudgement and were condemned amongst the rest to serue an apprentiship in the monastery were taken presently and sent to certaine religious houses appointed for the purpose Chap. 6. Wherein is shewed how we were vsed in the religious houses and that when the time was expired that we were adiudged to serue in them there came newes to Mexico of M. Francis Drakes being in the South Sea and what preparation was made to take him and how I seeking to escape was againe taken and put in prison at Vera Cruz and how againe I made mine escape from thence I Miles Philips and William Lowe were appointed to the blacke Friers where I was appointed to be an ouerseer of Indian workmen who wrought there in building of a new church amongst which Indians I learned their language or Mexican tongue very perfectly and had great familiaritie with many of them whom I found to be a courteous and louing kind of people ingenious and of great vnderstanding and they hate and abhorre the Spaniardes with all their hearts they haue vsed such horrible cruelties against them and doe still keepe them in such subiection and seruitude that they and the Negros also doe daily lie in waite to practise their deliuerance out of that thraldome and bondage that the Spaniardes doe keepe them in William Lowe he was appointed to serue the Cooke in the kitchin Richard Williams and Dauid Alexander were appointed to the gray Friers Iohn Story and Robert Cooke to the white Friers Paul Horsewel the Secretary tooke to be his seruant Thomas Hull was sent to a Monastery of priests where afterward he died Thus we serued out the yeeres that we were condemned for with the vse of our fooles coates and we must needs confesse that the Friers did vse vs very courteously for euery one of vs had his chamber with bedding diet and all things cleane and neat yea many of the Spaniards and Friers themselues do vtterly abhorre and mislike of that cruell Inquisition and would as they durst bewaile our miseries and comfort vs the best they could although they stood in such feare of that diuelish Inquisition that they durst not let the left hande know what the right doth Now after that the time was expired for which we were condemned to serue in those religious houses we were then brought againe before the chiefe Inquisitor and had all our fooles coates pulled off and hanged vp in the head church called Ecclesia Maior and euery mans name and iudgement written thereupon with this addition An heretike Lutheran reconciled And there are also all their coates hanged vp which were condemned to the gallies with their names and iudgements and vnderneath his coat Heretike Lutheran reconciled And also the coats and names of the three that were burned whereupon were written An obstinate heretike Lutheran burnt Then were we suffered to goe vp and downe the countrey and to place our selues as we could and yet not so free but that we very well knew that there was good espiall alwayes attending vs and all our actions so that we durst not once speake or looke awry Dauid Alexander Robert Cooke returned to serue the Inquisitor who shortly after maried them both to two of his Negro women Richard Williams maried a rich widow of Biskay with 4000 Pezos Paul Horsewell is maried to a Mestisa as they name those whose fathers were Spaniards and their mothers Indians and this woman which Paul Horsewell hath maried is sayd to be the daughter of one that came in with Hernando Cortes the Conquerour who had with her in marriage foure thousand Pezos and a faire house Iohn Storie is maried to a Negro women William Lowe had leaue and licence to goe into Spaine where he is now married for mine owne part I could neuer throughly settle my selfe to marry in that countrey although many faire offers were made vnto me of such as were of great abilitie and wealth but I could haue no liking to liue in that place where I must euery where see and know such horrible idolatrie committed and durst not once for my life speake against it and