resolued into sande This masse of golde I mee selfe sawe in Castile in the famous Citie of Metbymna Campi where the Court lay al that wynter I sawe also a great peece of pure Electrum of the which belles and Apothecaries morters many suche other vesselles and instrumentes may be made as were in olde tyme of copper the citie of Corinthus This peece of Electrum was of suche weight that I was not only with both my handes vnable to lift it from the ground but also not of strength to remoue it eyther one way or other they affirmed that it weyed more then three hundred pounde weyght after eyght ounces to the pounde it was founde in the house of a certayne prynce and left hym by his predecessours and albeit that in the dayes of the inhabitauntes yet lyuyng Electrum was no where digged yet knewe they where the myne thereof was but our men with muche adoo coulde hardely cause them to shewe them the place they bore them suche priuie hatred yet at the length they brought them to the myne beyng now ruinate and stopped with stones and rubbyshe it is muche easyer to dygge then is the iron myne and might be restored agayne yf myners and other workmen skylful therein were appoynted thereto Not farre from the towre of Conception in the same mountaynes is founde great plentie of Amber and out of certaine rockes of the same distilleth a substance of the yelowe colour whiche the Paynters vse Not farre from these mountaynes are many great woods in the whiche are none other trees then Brasile which the Italians cal Verzino But here perhaps ryght noble prynce you woulde aske what should be the cause that where as the Spanyardes haue brought out of these Ilandes certayne shyppes laden with Brasile somewhat of Gossampine cotton a quantitie of Amber a lytle golde some spyces why they haue not brought suche plentie of golde and suche other ryche marchaundizes as the fruitefulnesse of these regions seeme to promyse To this I aunswere that when Colonus the Admirall was lykewyse demaunded the cause hereof he made aunswere that the Spanyardes whiche he tooke with hym into these regions were geuen rather to sleepe play and idlenesse then to labour and were more studious of sedition and newes then desirous of peace and quietnesse also that being geuen to licenciousnesse they rebelled forsooke him findyng matter of false accusation against hym because he went about to represse theyr outragiousnesse by reason whereof he was not yet able to breake the power of the inhabitauntes and freelye to possesse the full dominion of the Ilande and these hynderaunces to be the cause that hytherto the gaynes haue scarsely counteruayled the charges albeit euen this yeere whyle I wrote these thyngs at your request they geathered in two monethes the summe of a thousande and two hundred poundes weyght of gold But because we entende to speake more largely of these thynges in theyr place we wyll nowe returne from whence we haue digressed When the inhabitauntes perceiued that they coulde by no meanes shake the yoke from theyr necks they made humble supplication to the Admiral that they myght stande to theyr tribute and applye them selues to reincrease the fruites of theyr countrey beyng nowe almost wasted He graunted them theyr request and appoynted suche order that euery region shoulde pay theyr tribute with the commodities of theyr countreys accordyng to theyr portion and at suche tyme as they were agreed vpon but the violent famine did frustrate al these appoyntmentes for al the trauayles of theyr bodyes were scarcelye able to suffise to fynde them meate in the wooddes whereby to susteyne theyr lyues beyng of long tyme contented with rootes and the fruites of wylde trees yet many of the kynges with theyr people euen in this extreme necessitie brought part of theyr tribute most humblye desyryng the Admiral to haue compassion of their calamities and to beare with them yet a whyle vntyl the Ilande were restored to the olde state promysyng further that that whiche was nowe wantyng shoulde then be double recompenced But fewe of the inhabitauntes of the mountaynes of Cibaua kept theyr promise because they were sorer oppressed with famine then anye of the other They say that the inhabitantes of these mountaynes dyffer no lesse in language and manners from them whiche dwel in the playnes then among vs the rusticalles of the countrey from the gentlemen of the courte wheras notwithstanding they lyue as it were both vnder one portion of heauen and in many thinges much after one fashion as in nakednesse and rude simplicitie But nowe let vs returne to Caunaboa the king of the house of golde beyng in captiuitie When he perceiued hym selfe to be â—ast in prison frettyng and gratyng his teeth as it had been a Lion of Libia and dayly and nyghtly deuysyng with hym selfe howe he myght be delyuered beganne to perswade the Admiral that forasmuche as he had nowe taken vnto his dominion the region of Cipanga or Cibaua wherof he was king it shoulde be expedient to sende thyther a garrison of Christian men to defende the same from the incursions of his olde enimies and borderers for he sayde that it was signified vnto him that the countrey was wasted and spoyled with suche incursions By this craftie deuise he thought to haue brought to passe that his brother whiche was in that region and the other his kynsfolkes and frendes with theyr adherentes should haue taken eyther by sleight or force as many of our men as myght haue redeemed hym But the Admiral vnderstandyng his craftie meanyng sent Hoieda with suche a companye of men as myght vanquishe the Cibauians yf they shoulde moue warre agaynst them Our men had scarcelye entred into the region but the brother of Caunaboa came agaynst them with an armie of fyue thousande naked men armed after theyr manner with clubbes arrowes tipt with bones and speares made harde at the endes with fyre He stole vpon our men beyng in one of theyr houses and encamped rounde about the same on euery syde This Cibauian as a man not ignorant in the discipline of warre about the distaunce of a furlong from the house diuided his armie into fyue battayles appoyntyng to euery one of them a circuite by equall diuision and placed the froont of his owne battayle directly agaynst our men When he had thus set his battayles in good aray he gaue certayne signes that y e whole armie should marche forwarde in order with equall paces and with a larome freshly assayle theyr enimies in such sort that none might escape But our men iudging it better to encountre with one of the battayles then to abyde the brunt of the whole armie gaue onset on the mayne battayle aranged in the playne because that place was most commodious for the horsmen When the horsmen therefore had geuen the charge they ouerthrewe them with the brestes of theyr horses and slue as
noble man and a knyght of the order of Galatraua of whiche order all are called Commendatores this kings desyre was to be named after him Kyng Commendator therefore frendly receiued Ancisus gaue him great abundance of al thinges necessarie But what Ancisus learned of theyr religion during the tyme of his remaynyng there I haue thought good to aduertise your holynesse You shal therfore vnderstande that certayne of our men saylyng by the coastes o◠〈◊〉 left with kyng Commendator a certayne poore Maryner beyng diseased who in short space recoueryng his health and hauyng nowe somewhat learned theyr language began to growe into great estimation with the kyng and his subiectes insomuche that he was oftentimes the kynges Lieuetenant in his warres agaynst other princes his borderers This mans fortune was so good that al thynges prospered well that he tooke in hande and albeit that he were not learned yet was he a vertuous and well meanyng man accordyng to his knowledge and dyd religiouslye honour the blessed virgin bearyng euer about with him her pycture fayre paynted vpon paper and sowed in his apparel neere vnto his brest signifiyng vnto the kyng that this holynes was the cause of al his victories perswading him to doo the like and to cast away all his Zemes which were none other then the similitudes of euill spirites most cruell enimies and deuourers of our soules and to take vnto him the holy virgin and mother of God to be his patronesse if he desyred all his affayres aswel in warre as in peace to succeede prosperously also that the blessed virgyn woulde at no tyme fayle hym but be euer redye to helpe him and his if they woulde with deuout hartes call vppon her name The maryner had soone perswaded the naked nation and therevppon gaue the king who demaunded the same his pycture of the virgin to whom he buylded and dedicated a chapell and an alter euer after contemning and reiecting his Zemes. Of these Zemes made of gossampine cotton to the similitudes of spirites walking in the nyght which they oftentimes see and speake with them familyerly we haue spoken sufficiently in the nyenth booke of the first Decade Furthermore according to the institution of this maryner when the sonne draweth towarde the fall this king Commendator with al his famyly both men and women resort daylye to the saide chapell of the virgin Marie where kneeling on theyr knees and reuerently bowing downe theyr heades holdyng theyr hands ioyned together they salute the image of the virgin with these woordes Aue Maria Aue Maria for fewe of them can rehearse any more wordes of this prayer At Ancisus his being there they tooke hym and his felowes by the handes and ledde them to this chapell with reioysing saying that they woulde shewe them marueylous thinges When they were entred they poynted with theyr fyngers to the Image of the virgyn al to be set and hanged about with ouches and iewels and many earthen pottes fylled some with sundry meates and some with water rounde about all the tabernacle for these thinges they offer to the image in the steede of sacrifice according to theyr olde superstition towarde theyr Zemes. Being demaunded why they dyd thus they answered Lest the image should lacke meate if perhaps it should be a hungred for they most certainly beleue that images may hunger and that they doo eate drinke But what ayde and helpe they confesse that they haue had of the godly power of this image that is of the blessed virgyn it is a thing woorthy to be heard and most assuredly to bee taken for a trueth for by the report of our men there is such feruent godly loue and zeale in these simple men toward the holy virgin that to them being in the daunger of warre agaynst theyr enimies they doo in maner yf I may so terme it compel her to descende from heauen to helpe them in theyr necessities For such is the goodnes of God that he hath left vnto men in maner a pryce whereby we may purchase hym with his holy angels sayntes that is to witte burnyng loue charitie and zeale Howe therfore can the blessed virgin at any time be absent from them which call for her helpe with pure faith and feruent loue Commendator him selfe with al his noble men and gentelmen doo testifie with one voyce that in a fought battayle in the whiche this maryner was capitaine bearing with him this picture of the virgin Marie the Zemes of theyr enimies turned their backes and trembled in the presence of the virgins image and in the sight of them all for euerye of them bryng theyr Zemes to the battaile hoping by theyr helpe to obteine the victorie Yea they say further that during the time of the battaile they saw not only an Image but a liuely woman clothed in fayre and white apparel ayding them against theyr enimies which thing also the enimies them selues acknowledged confessyng that on the contrary part she appeared to them shakyng a scepter in her hande with threatenyng countenance whiche caused theyr hartes to shake and faint for feare but after that this Maryner departed from them being taken into a shyppe of certayne Christians passyng by those coastes Commendator declared that he with al his subiectes continually obserued his institutions insomuch that beyng at contention with another prince whiche of theyr Zemes were most holy and of greatest power the matter grewe to such extremitie that they tryed it with hande strokes and that in all these attemptes the blessed virgin neuer fayled hym but was euer present in the brunt of the battayle and gaue hym easie victorie with a smal power of men against a maine armie of his enimies Beyng demaunded with what woordes they cryed vpon the virgin Mary when they assayled theyr enimies they answered that they had learned no other wordes of the Maryners doctrine but Sancta Maria adiuua nos Sancta Maria adiuua nos That is holy Marie helpe vs holy Marie helpe vs and this also in the Spanishe tongue for he had left these wordes in the mouthes of all men Whyle they murthered and destroyed them selues thus on both sydes they fell to entreatie of peace and agreed to trye the matter not hande to hande by combatte of certayne chosen for both parties as the maner was among the Romanes and diuers other nations in the old tyme or by any sleight or policie but that two young men shoulde be chosen for eche partie one with theyr handes bounde faste behynde them in the playne fyelde bothe parties beyng sworne to acknowledge that Zemes to be the better which fyrst loosed the bandes of the young man which stoode bounde for the tryall of his religion Thus diuidyng them selues and placyng the sayd young men before them in the syght of them all with theyr handes fast bounde by theyr enimies the contrary parte called fyrst on theyr Zemes that
hungrye he eateth all alone and the seruauntes are sometymes enforced to fast for the space of two or three dayes And if the maister intende to fare somewhat more delycately then he addeth thereto a litle portion of Swynes fleshe I speake not this of the best of them but of such as are of the meane sort The gouernours and captaynes of the armie do sometymes bydde the poorer sorte to theyr tables where they feede them selues so well that they fast two or three dayes after When they haue fruites Garlyke and Onyons they can well forbeare all other meates Proceedyng forwarde to the battayle they put more confidence in theyr multitude and with what great armies they assayle theyr enimies then eyther in the strength and valyauntnesse of theyr souldiers or in well instructyng theyr armie and fight better a farre of then at hand and therfore study howe to circumuent or inclose theyr enimies and to assayle them on the backe halfe They haue many trumpetters the which while they blow al at once after theyr maner make a maruelous straunge noyse They haue also another kynde of instrumentes which they call Szurna these they blow without ceassyng for the space of an houre togeather so temperyng the same and holdyng in the wynde whyle they draw more that the noyse seemeth continually without intermission They vse all one maner of apparell as longe coates without pleyghtes and with narrowe sleeues after the maner of the Hungarians These the Christians vse to butten on the ryght syde and the Tartars vseyng the lyke butten them on the lefte syde They weare redde and short buskyns that reache not to theyr knees and haue the soles thereof defended with plates of Iron In maner all theyr shyrtes are wrought with diuers coloures about the necke and haue the Collars and Ruffes beset with litle round Baules like Beades of Syluer or gylted Copper and some tyme Pearles also They gyrd them selues beneath the bellie euen as low as theyr pryuie members that they may seeme more burlye which they greatly esteeme as doo at this daye the Spanyardes Italians and Almanes The prouince of Moscouia is neyther very large nor fruitful forasmuch as the fertilitie is hindred with sandye ground which either with to much drynesse or moysture killeth the corne Furthermore immoderate and sharpe vntemperatenesse of the ayre whyle the colde of the wynter ouercommeth the heate of the Sunne sometymes doth not suffer the corne to rype For the colde is there sometymes so extreame that lyke as with vs in somer by reason of heate euen so there by extreame cold the earth hath many great chinckes or breaches Water also cast into the ayre and spytle fallyng from ones mouth are frosen before they touche the grounde I my selfe when I came thither in the yeere 1526. sawe the braunches of fruitfull trees wythered by the colde of the wynter be fore whiche was so extreame that many of theyr wagoners and carriers whom they call Gonecz were found frosen to death in theyr sleades There were some that at the same tyme leadyng and dryuing theyr cattayle from the next villages to Moscouia died by the way with their beastes through the extremitie of the colde Furthermore the same yeere many players that were accustomed to wander about the countrey with daunsing Beares were found dead in the high wayes Wilde Beares also enforced therto by famine left the woods and ran here and there into diuers villages and houses at whose commyng whyle the men of the countrey forsooke theyr houses and fledde into the fieldes many of them peryshed through the vehemencie of the cold Agayne it sometymes so chaunceth that in Sommer the heate is as extreame as in the yeere .1525 in the whiche almost all kyndes of pulse and grayne were scorched and burnt and suche a dâ—arth of corne folowed that drought that that which before was bought for three Dengas was afterward solde for twentie or thyrtie Furthermore also many villages woods and stackes of corne were set on fyre by the extreame heate the smoke wherof so fylled the region that the eyes of many were sore hurt therby There arose also as it were a darke and thycke myst without smoke whiche so molested the eyes that many lost theyr syght therby They sow and nouryshe the seedes of Melons with great diligence in certayne raysed beddes myxt with doung wherby they fynde a remedie both agaynst extreame cold and heat For if the heat exceede they make certayne ryftes in the beds as it were breathyng places lest the seedes shoulde be suffocate with to much heate And if the cold be extreame it is tempered with the heate of the mucke or doung Theyr beastes are much lesse then ours yet not all without hornes as one hath wrytten For I haue there seene Oxen Kine Goates and Rammes al with hornes Not farre from the citie of Mosca are certayne monasteries whiche a farre of seeme lyke vnto a citie They say that in this citie is an incredible number of houses and that the syxt yeere before my commyng thyther the prince caused them to be numbred and found them to be more then one and fourtie thousand fyue hundred houses The citie is very large and wyde and also very slabby and myrye by reason wherof it hath many bridges and causeyes The ayre of the region is so holsome that beyond the spryngs of Tanais especially towards the North and a great part also towards the East the pestilence hath not been hearde of synce the memorye of man Yet haue they sometymes a disease in theyr bowelles and heades not much vnlyke vnto the pestilence This disease they call a heate wherwith such as are taken dye within fewe dayes Some write that Iohn the Duke of Moscouia and Sonne of Basilius vnder the pretence of religion sacked spoyled the citie of Nouogradia and caried with hym from thence to Moscouia three hundred sleades laden with gold syluer and precious stones of the gooddes of the Archbishop the merchauntes citisins and strangers Solowki is an Ilande situate in the North sea eyght leagues from the continent betweene Duina and the prouince of Corela Howe farre it is distaunt from Moscouia can not be well knowen by reason of many Fennes Marishes wooddes and desolate places lying in the way Albeit some say that it is not three hundred leagues from Moscouia and twoo hundred from Bieloiesero In this Ilande is made great plentie of salte and it hath in it a monasterie into the which it is not lawfull for any woman or virgin to enter There is also great fyshyng for herryng They say that heere the Sunne at the sommer Equinoctiall shyneth continually except two houres Demetriowe is a citie with a Castell distante from Moscouia xii leagues declinyng from the West somewhat towarde the north By this runneth the riuer Lachroma that runneth into the ryuer of Sest Sest also receyueth the ryuer Dubna which vnladeth it selfe
the prince of Ierusalem al at once In the tyme of haruest and geatheryng of fruites he is geuen wholy to praye and robbyng and with great subtiltie deceyueth the Arabians for when they thynke hym to be a myle or two of he is with them sodenly betymes in the mornyng and inuadyng theyr landes carryeth away theyr fruites Wheate and Barlye euen as he fyndeth it in the sackes and so lyueth contynually day and nyght with suche incursions When his Mares be weeried with continuall runnyng he resteth a whyle and to refreshe them geueth them Camelles mylke to drynke to coole them after theyr great labour Those Mares are of such marueylous swyftnesse that when I presently sawe them they seemed rather to flee then to runne Note also that these Arabians ryde on horses only couered with certayne clothes or mattes and weare none other vesture then only an inwarde coate or peticoate for weapon they vse a certayne long Dart of Reedes of the length of ten or twelue cubites poynted with Iron after the maner of Iauelyns and frynged with sylke When they attempt any incursyons they marche in suche order that they seeme to go in troupes they are of despicable and litle stature and of coloure betweene yealowe and blacke which some call Oliuastro They haue the voyces of women and the heare of theyr head long and blacke and layde out at large They are of greater multitude then a man woulde beleeue and are among them selues at contynuall stryfe and warre They inhabite the mountaynes and haue certayne tymes appoynted to robberye for this purpose they obserue especially the tyme when they are certayne of the passage of the Pylgryms and other that iorney that way to Mecha then lyke theeues they lye in the way and robbe them When they make these theeuysh inuasions they bryng with them theyr wyues chyldren families and all the goodes they haue Theyr houses they put vpon the Camelles for other houses haue they none but lyue onlye in tentes and pauylyons as do our Souldiers Suche tabernacles are made of blacke wooll and that rough and fylthy But to returne to our viage The eleuenth day of April departed from Mezaris a company of Camels which companie they call the Carauana to the number of .xxxv. thousand with fourtie thousand men But we were no more then threescore persons of whom the Mamalukes had taken the charge to guyde and garde vs and the Carauana of our companie whiche the Mamalukes diuided into three partes as some in the fronte other in the myddest of the army and other in a wyng after the maner of a halfe Moone inclosyng the whole armie for in this order march the peregrines which iorney in these regions as hereafter we wyll further declare But you shall fyrst vnderstand that Damasco is from Mecha fourtie dayes and fourtie nyghtes iorney Departyng therefore from Mezaris we continued our iorney that day vntyll the .xxii. houre of the day Then our Captayne and guide Agmirus after he had geuen the watch woorde and signe commaunded that euerye man shoulde rest and remayne in the place where the signe shoulde be geuen them Therefore as soone as they hearde the signe by the sound of a Trumpet they stayed and after they had vnburdened theyr Camels spent there two houres to victual them selues and theyr beastes then the Captayne geuyng a newe signe chargyng theyr Camelles agayne they departed speedyly from thence Euery Camell hath at one feedyng fyue Barly loaues rawe and not baked as bygge as a Pomegranate Takyng Horse they continued that iorney the daye and nyght folowyng vntyll xxii houres of the day and at that houre they obserue the order whiche we haue spoken of herebefore Euery eyght daye they drawe water by dyggyng the grounde or sande by the way neuerthelesse somewhere are founde Welles and Sesternes Also euery eyght daye they rest theyr Camelles two dayes to recouer theyr strength The Camelles are laden with incredible Burdens and double charge that is to meane the burden of two great Mules They drynke but once in three dayes Of the strength and valiantnesse of the Mamalukes Cap. 9. WHen they tary and rest them at the waters aforesayde they are euer enforced to conflict with a great multitude of the Arabians but the battayle is for the most parte without bloodshed For although we haue often tymes fought with them yet was there only one man slayne on our parte for these Arabians are so weake and feeble that threescore Mamalukes haue often put to the worst fyftie thousande Arabians For these feelde Arabians whiche are called Pagani are not in strength or force of armes to be compared to the Mamalukes of whose actiuitie I haue seene great experience among the whiche this is one A certayne Mamaluke layde an Apple vppon the head of his seruant at the distance of about .xii. or .xiiii. pases stroke it of from his head I sawe lykewyse an other who ryding on a sadled horse with full course for they vse saddles as we doe tooke of the saddle from the horse styll runnyng and for a space bearyng it on his head put it agayne on the horse styll continuing his full course Of the cities of Sodoma and Gomorrha Cap. 10. PAssyng the iourney of twelue dayes we came to the playne or valley of Sodoma and Gomorrha where we founde it to be true that is written in holy scripture for there yet remayne the ruynes of the destroyed citie as witnesse of Gods wrath We may affyrme that there are three cities and eche of them situate on the declining of three hylles and the ruines doe appeare about the heyght of three or foure cubites There is yet seene I wotte neare what lyke blood or rather lyke redde waxe myxte with earth It is easie to beleeue that those men were infected with most horrible vices as testifieth the baren drye filthie and vnholsome region vtterly without water Those people were once fedde with Manna but when they abused the gyft of God they were sore plagued Departyng twentie myles from these cities about thirtie of our company peryshed for lacke of water and dyuers other were ouerwhelmed with sande Goyng somewhat further forewarde we founde a little mountayne at the foote whereof we founde water and therefore made our abode there The day folowyng early in the mornyng came vnto vs xxiiii â–ª thousande Arabians askyng money for the water which we had taken We answered that we would paye nothyng bycause it was gyuen vs by the goodnesse of God Immediatly we came to hand strokes We geatheryng our selues togeather on the sayde mountayne as in the safest place vsed our Camelles in the steede of a bulwarke and placed the merchauntes in the myddest of the army that is in the myddest of the Camelles whyle we fought manfully on euery syde The battayle continued so long that water fayled both vs and our enemies in the space
Tamaius and .13 hundred men of that countrey to serue in steede of packe horses for cariage after the maner there began to set forwarde from his Castle Vera crux towardes Themistitan in Mexico distant from thence Westwarde a hundred leagues or thereabout Cempoal standeth from Vera Crux .4 leagues eche league in this countrey is .4 Italian miles Foure dayes iourney from Cempoal Cortesius was enterteined curtuously by the inhabiters of a goodly shyre named Sienchimalen as also by the citizens of Texuacan after that he had passed with his army an exceedyng hygh hyll thicke clad with yse snow euen in the moneth of August The like enterteynment was offered him his companie as hee marched forward vntill he came to the Tascaltecans lande who are so great enemies vnto the Mexicans that liuyng amyd their dominions they had rather want their greatest necessaries to wit salt and cotton to cloath them than become subiects in any wise to the Prince of Mexico With these Tascaltecans Cortesius had three conflictes passing through their countrey in the ende valiantly gaue them the ouerthrow Tascalteca is a greater citie more populous and better serued than Granata in Spayne was at what time the Moores yelded their bread is made of Maiz that is Indish corne a very good seat for hauking hunting freshe water fishing sea fish is scarse for it standeth from the sea aboue .50 leagues of pulse good store This towne wals houses in number 20000. built of stone high strong in respect of the enemy euer at hand they keepe markets and fayres The people doth weare hose and maketh good accompt of Iewels precious stones of crestes bushes of feathers to set them foorth in the warres they garnishe euery thing with gold wood is brought to be sold to the market on mens shoulders timber boordes bricke lime stone are vsuall merchandise Theyr Carpenters Masons Potters are very skilfull There is no vessell wrought amongst vs more artificially than theyrs is Medicinable hearbes are solde openly They vse baths the nation politike gouerned in maner of a common wealth The whole circuit of this prouince is .90 leagues full of townes boroughes and villages hils and dales most â—ruitfull well stored of good souldyers in respecte of their enemyes rounde about them About one league of this citie encamped Cortesius by his spials vnderstanding the citizens not to mistrust or feare any inuasion tooke the strongest part therof by night in the morning came the best citizens to offer him all obedience Cortesius than returning with the victorie victuals to his campe found it in a troublesome mutinie for the great distresses present calamies they thought them selues to be in so far of from their owne country in the midst of their enemies This mutinie appeased he with good woords comfortable reasons persuading them their enemies to be weaker the spreadyng abroade of the gospell to be now in their hands them selues to be Spaniardes who esteeme not death to wyn glory a most happy death that to be where life is spent in the conquest of infidelles and barbares to lye by the sea side idlely that were to no purpose Thus appeased he the rebellious myndes of his companyons and after .20 dayes abode made in this prouince he led them into an other shire for pastures and riuers the most commodious for habitation best in all that countrey The principall citie hath name Churultecal as great as faire as Tascalteca and so gouerned vntil the king of Mexico oppressed it Here was Cortesius receyued with songes musicall instruments and trumpets by the priestes and children of the citie after their maner wel feasted The end of all this mirth was an vprore of the inhabiters agaynst him procured by the kyng of Mexico as it was supposed whereof Cortesius hauing secrete intelligence by a woman of Cempoal that folowed his Campe summoned a parle with the beste citizens of Churultecal at his owne lodging Those citizens first laid he fast by the heles than speedely with his army warned to be in a readinesse for that purpose set vpon the deceiptful Barbares of a soden before that they were throughly prouided and gaue them the ouerthrow The prince of Mexico acquitted him selfe of this vprore protesting by his Ambassadors to Cortesius that his disloyall subiectes the Churultecals had bruted that conspiracie vnder his name to doe him iniury whom they would not willingly obeye He sent withall rich presentes praying Cortesius to come to Themistitan promising him that he should want nothyng there notwithstandyng the harde prouision thereof in so barren a place altogeather in the water To conducte Cortesius thyther he sent also certayne Gentlemen for guydes and other of his nobilitie to receyue him as he came neare To speake of euery curtesie shewed him in this iourney and to wryte of euery place he passed and particulerly to rehearse euery dayes iourney euery hyll towne ryuer house and gardeyne by the way would breede ouermuche tediousnesse In fewe the Lordes of the countrey as he went vsed him well especially in Guazucingo prouince and Chialcho shyre the one whereof was violently oppressed by the prince of Mexico the other willingly subiect vnto him In the cold mountaynes he wanted no wood in the townes hee was prouided for and his companions who were of Cempoallens Tastaltecans Churultecans Gâ—zucinges in number .4000 of Spaniards not aboue .300 In this maner Cortesius accompanyed folowed came at the length into a vale bearing name Colua â–ª wherein be two meres the one salt water of .60 leagues in circuit the other a freshet Partly on the land partly in the salt meere standeth Iztapalapa a fayre towne from whence to Themistitan the royall seat of Mexico there lyeth a way on a stone wall two speares length broad built vp in the water by hand with infinite charges the wall serueth also for a bridge by this bridge sides stand three fayre townes Mesicalcingo Coluacan VVichilabusco The first is supposed to haue .3000 houses the second .6000 the third .4000 wel built especially their Towers their Temples wherin they doe sacrifice In these townes great aboundaunce of salt is made that serueth all such as doe acknowledge the Prince of Mexico for their Lord. Other be denied it as of the Tascaltecans it was sayde This salte meere rysing doeth flowe into the Freshet as it ebbeth the Freshet falleth into the salt meere agayne The freshe water may serue neuerthelesse for drinke the salte water becommeth not freshe therewithall The wall hath many draught bridges for warfare and sluses for passage where toll is payde vnto the kyng Halfe one league before you come to Themistitan where the lyke bridge or causey from the lande ioyneth with the aforesayde wal standeth a strong Castle double walled about with two strong Towers not possible to be conquered To this place came a thousande Gentlemen Courtiers foorth of the citie
Ilande This is the summe of those thynges whiche olde Critia sayde he had vnderstoode of Solon And certaynely these wordes of Plato of the said Iland haue caused great contention among many great Philosophers which haue written commentaries vpon the sayde Dialogue of Timeus composed by Plato Insomuche that the same in those dayes being vtterly vnknowen many haue taken this narration of Solon for an allegorical fable and haue interpreted the same in diuers senses and meanynges But it may nowe well appeare the true meanyng hereof to be this that Plato intendyng to wryte of the vniuersall frame of the worlde the whiche he knewe to be made an habitation for the diuine best man and also beholdyng therin the great ornament and beautie of the heauen and starres whereby man myght knowe his God and creatour it myght seeme to hym a thyng to farre from reason that only two partes thereof shoulde be inhabited and the other part desolate and depriued of men and that the Sunne and starres might seeme to shewe theyr lyght only halfe theyr course without profite shining only vpon the sea and desolate places destitute of man and other liuing creatures And therefore Plato had in great admiration the hystorie of the sayde Egyptian priest makyng mention of an other part of the worlde besyde Asia Europa and Africa and thought it woorthy to be rehearsed in the beginning of his diuine Dialogue aforesayde We ought therefore certainely to thinke our selues most bounde vnto God that in these our tymes it hath pleased hym to reueale and discouer this secrete in the fyndyng of this newe worlde whereby we are certaynely assured that vnder our Pole starre and vnder the Equinoctial line are most goodlye and ample regions as well and commodiously inhabited as are other partes of the worlde best knowen vnto vs. The testimonie of the Poet Seneca in his Tragedie De Medea where by the spirite of Poetical furie he sayth Venient annis Secula seris quibus Oceanus Vincula rerum laxet et ingens Pateat tellus Typhisque nouos Detegat Orbes Nec sit terris vltima Thyle Whiche may be thus Englished In late yeeres newe worldes shal be founde And newe landes shal then appeare on the grounde When Typhis Nauigation newe worldes shal fynde out Then shal not Thyle for last be left out For then shal the Ocean dissolue his large bandes And shewe foorth newe worldes regions and landes ⧠To the moste noble prince and catholike kynge Charles Peter Martyr of Angleria wisheth perpetual felicitie THe diuine prouidence from the time that he fyrst created the worlde hath reserued vnto this day the knowledge of the great and large Ocean sea In the whiche tyme he hath opened the same chiefely vnto you moste mightie Prince by the good fourtune and happie successe of your grandfather by your mother syde The same prouidence I knowe not by what destenie hath brought me out of my natiue countrey of Milane and out of the citie of Rome where I continued almost .x. yeeres into Spaine that I myght particularlye collecte these marueilous and newe thinges which shoulde otherwyse perhappes haue lien drowned in the whirlepoole of obliuion forasmuche as the Spanyardes men worthy great commendation had only care to the generall inuentions of these thinges Notwithstanding I do not chalenge vnto me only the thankes of the trauaile bestowed herein whereas the chiefe rewarde therof is due to Ascanius vicount Cardinal who perceauyng that I was wylling to departe out of the citie to be present at the warres of Granatum disswaded me from my purpose But seeing that I was fully resolued to departe exhorted required me to write vnto him suche newes as were famous in Spaine worthy to be noted I toke therfore my iourney into Spayne chiefely for the desyre I had to see thexpedition whiche was prepared agaynst the enimies of the fayth forasmuche as in Italye by reason of the dissention among the Princes I coulde fynde nothyng wherewith I myght feede my wytte beyng a younge man desyrous of knowledge and experience of thynges I was therefore presente at the warres from whence I writte to Cardinal Ascanius and by sundry epistles certifyed hym of such thinges as I thought most woorthye to be put in memorie But when I perceiued that his fortune was turned from a naturall mother to a stepdame I ceassed from wrytyng Yet after I sawe that by thouerthrowe of the enimies of our fayth Spayne was pourged of the Moores as of an euil weede plucked vp by the rootes leste I shoulde bestowe my slippery yeares in vnprofitable idlenesse I was mynded to returne to Italie But the singuler benignitie of both the Catholyke kyng and queene nowe departed and theyr large promises towarde me vpon my returne from my legacie of Babylon deteyned me from my purpose Yet doth it not repent me that I drew backe my foote aswel for that I see in no other place of the world at this tyme the lyke woorthy thinges to be done as also that in maner throughout all Italie by reason of the discorde of Christian Princes I perceiued all thynges to runne headlong into ruine the countreys to be destroyed and made fatte with humane blood the cities sacked virgins and matrones with theyr goods and possessions caried away as captiues and miserable innocentes without offence to be slayne vnarmed within theyr owne houses Of the whiche calamities I dyd not onely heare the lamentable outcryes but dyd also feele the same For euen the blood of myne owne kinsfolkes and frendes was not free from that crueltie As I was therefore musyng with my selfe of these thynges the Cardinal of Arragone after that he had seene the two fyrst bookes of my Decades wrytten to Ascanius required me in the name of kyng Frederike his vncle to put foorth the other eyght epistle bookes In the meane tyme also whyle I was voyde of al care as touching the matters of the Ocean the Apostolicall messengers of the byshop of Rome Leo the tenth by whose holsome counsayle and aucthoritie we trust the calamities of Italy shal be fynished raysed me as it were from sleepe encoraged me to proceede as I had begun To his holynesse I wrytte two Decades comprysed in short bookes after the maner of epistles and added them to the fyrst which was printed without mine aduise as shal further appeare by the preface folowyng But nowe I returne to you most noble Prince from whom I haue somwhat digressed Therfore wheras your grandfather by your mothers side haue subdued al Spaine vnder your dominion except only one corner of the same and haue also lefte you the kingdome of Naples with the fruteful Ilands of our seas it is surely a great thing and worthy to be noted in our cronacles But not offendyng the reuerence due to our predecessours whatsoeuer from the begynnyng of the worlde hath been doone or wrytten to this day to my iudgement seemeth but lyttle yf we
Date trees and diuers other of the Ilande fruites so plentifullye that as they sayled along by the shore oftentymes the braunches thereof laden with flowres and fruites hong so ouer theyr heades that they might plucke them with theyr handes also that the fruitfulnes of this ground is eyther equall with the soyle of Isabella or better In Isabella he lefte only certayne sicke men and shippe wryghtes whom he had appoynted to make certayne carauels the residue of his men he conueighed to the south to saynt Dominickes towre After he had buylded this fortresse leauyng therin a garryson of .xx. men he with the remanent of his souldiers prepared them selues to searche the inner partes of the West syde of the Ilande hytherto knowen onely by name Therefore about .xxx. leagues that is fourescore and tenne myles from the fortresse he chaunced on the ryuer Naiba whiche we sayde to defende from the mountaynes of Cibaua ryght towarde the south by the myddest of the ilande When he had ouerpassed this ryuer with a companye of armed men diuyded into .xxv. decurions that is tenne in a company with theyr capitaynes he sent two decurions to the regions of those kynges in whose landes were the great woodds of brasile trees Inclyning towarde the lefte hande they founde the wooddes entred into them and felled the high and precious trees which were to that day vntouched Eche of the decurions filled certayne of the ilande houses with the trunkes of brasile there to be reserued vntil the shippes came which should cary them away But the Lieutenaunt directing his iourney towarde the right hande not farre from the bankes of y e riuer of Naiba founde a certaine kyng whose name was Beuchius Anacauchoa encamped against thinhabitantes of the prouince of Naiba to subdue them vnder his dominion as he had done many other kings of the iland borderers vnto him The palace of this great king is called Xaragua is situate toward the West ende of the ilande distant from the ryuer of Naiba .xxx. leagues All the prynces which dwell betwene the West ende his palace are ditionaries vnto him All that region from Naiba to the furthest marches of the west is vtterly without golde although it be full of mountaynes When the kyng had espied our men laying a part his weapons geuyng signes of peace he spake gentelly to them vncerteyne whether it were of humanitie or feare and demaunded of them what they woulde haue The Lieuetenaunt aunsweared That he should paye tribute to the Admirall his brother in the name of the Christian kyng of Spayne To whom he sayde Howe can you requyre that of me whereas neuer a region vnder my dominion bringeth forth golde For he had heard that there was a strange nation entred into the ilande whiche made great search for golde But he supposed that they desyred some other thyng The lieutenaunt answeared agayne God forbydde that we shoulde enioyne any man to paye such tribute as he myght not easely forbeare or such as were not engendered or growing in the region but we vnderstande that your regions bryng foorth great plentie of Gossampine cotton and hempe with such other wherof we desyre you to geue vs parte When he heard these woordes he promysed with cherefull countenaunce to geue hym as much of these thynges as he woulde requyre Thus dismissing his army and sending messengers before he him selfe accompanied the Lieutenaunt and brought him to his palace being distant as we haue sayde .xxx. leagues In al this tracte they passed through the iurisdiction of other princes beyng vnder his dominion Of the whiche some gaue them hempe of no lesse goodnes to make tackelinges for shyppes then our wood Other some brought bread and some gossamppne cotton And so euery of them payde trybute with suche commodities as theyr countreys brought foorth At the length they came to the kinges mansion place of Xaragua Before they entered into the palace a great multitude of the kynges seruauntes subiectes resorted to the court honorably after their maner to receyue their kyng Beuchius Anacauchoa with the strangers which he brought with him to see the magnificence of his court But now shal you heare howe they were intertained Among other triumphes and syghtes two are especially to be noted Fyrst there mette them a company of .xxx. women beyng al the kynges wyues and concubines bearyng in theyr handes branches of date trees singyng and daunsyng they were all naked sauyng that theyr pryuie partes were couered with breeches of gossampine cotton but the virgins hauyng theyr heare hangyng downe about their shoulders tyed about the forehead with a fyllet were vtterly naked They affirme that theyr faces breastes pappes handes and other partes of theyr bodyes were exceedyng smothe and well proportioned but somwhat inclynyng to a louely broune They supposed that they had seene those most beutyfull Dryades or the natyue nymphes or fayres of the fountaynes whereof the antiques spake so muche The braunches of date trees which they bore in theyr right handes when they daunced they delyuered to the Lieuetenaunt with lowe curtesy and smylyng countenaunce Thus enteryng into the kynges house they founde a delycate supper prepared for them after theyr maner When they were well refreshed with meate the nyght drawyng on they were brought by the kynges officers euery man to his lodgyng according to his degree in certayne of theyr houses about the pallaice where they rested them in hangyng beddes after the maner of the countrey wherof we haue spoken more largely in an other place The day folowyng they brought our men to their common hall into the whiche they come togeather as often as they make any notable games or triumphes as we haue sayde before Here after many daunsynges synginges maskinges runnynges wrestlyngs and other trying of mastryes sodaynly there appeared in a large plaine neere vnto the hal two great armies of men of warre whiche the kyng for his pastyme had caused to be prepared as the Spaniardes vse the playe with reedes which they call Iuga de Canias As the armies drewe neere togeather they assayled the one the other as fiersely as if mortall enimies with theyr baners spleade should fight for theyr goodes theyr landes theyr lyues theyr libertie theyr countrey theyr wyues theyr children so that within the momente of an houre foure men were slayne and many wounded The battayle also shoulde haue contynued longer yf the kyng had not at the request of our men caused them to ceasse The thyrde day the Lieuetenant counsaylyng the kyng to sowe more plentie of gossampine vppon the bankes neere vnto the waters syde that they myght the better paye theyr trybute pryuately accordyng to the multitude of theyr houses he prepayred to Isabella to vysite the sycke men whiche he had lefte there and also to see howe his woorkes went forwarde In the tyme of his absence .xxx. of his men were consumed with diuerse diseases Wherefore
stryke of the head of an innocent Soo that he whiche coulde with moste agilitie make the head of one of those poore wretches to flee quyte and cleane from the bodye to the grounde at one strocke he was the best man and counted most honorable These thyngs and many suche other the one of them laid to the others charge before the king While these thinges were dooyng the Admirall senâ— his brother the Leauetenaunt with an army of fourescore and tenne footemen and a fewe horsemen with three thousande of the Ilande men whiche were mortall enimyes to the Ciguauians to meete the people of Ciguaua with Kyng Guarionexius theyr graunde capitayne who had doone muche myscheefe to our men and suche as fauoured them Therefore when the Lieutenaunt had conducted his army to the bankes of a certeyne great ryuer runnyng by the playne whiche we sayde before to lye betwene the corners of the mountaynes of Ciguaua and the sea he founde two scoutes of his enimies lurkyng in certeyne bushes whereof the one castyng hym selfe headlong into the sea escaped and by the mouth of the ryuer swamme ouer to his companions the other being taken declared that in the woodde on the other syde the ryuer there lay in campe sixe thousande Ciguauians redy vnwares to assaile our men passing bye Wherefore the Lieutenaunt finding a shalow place where he might passe ouer he with his whole army entred into the ryuer the which thing when the Ciguauians had espyed they came runnyng out of the wooddes with a terrible crye and most horrible aspect much like vnto the people called Agathyrsi of whom the poet virgil speaketh For they were all paynted and spotted with sundry colours and especiall with blacke and red which they make of certeyne fruites nooryshed for the same purpose in theyr gardens with the iuyce wherof they paynt them selues from the forhead euen to the knees hauyng theyr heare whiche by art they make long and blacke if nature deny it them wreathed and rolled after a thousande fashions a man woulde thinke them to be deuylles incarnat newly broke out of hell they are so like vnto helhoundes As our men waded ouer the ryuer they shoâ—te at them and hurled dartes so thycke that it almost tooke the lyght of the sonne from our men insomuche that if they had not borne of the force thereof with theyr targettes the matter had gone wrong with them Yet at the length manye beyng wounded they passed ouer the ryuer which thyng when the enimies sawe they fledde whom our men pursuyng slue some in the chase but not manye by reason of theyr swyftnesse of foote Thus beyng in the wooddes they shotte at our men more safely for they beyng accustomed to the wooddes and naked without anye lette passed through the bushes and shrubbes as it had ben wylde bores or Hartes whereas our men were hyndered by reason of theyr apparell targets long iauelins ignoraunce of the place Wherfore when he had rested there al that nyght in vayne and the day folowyng he sawe no stirring in the wooddes he went by the counsel and conducte of the other Ilande men whiche were in his army immediatly froÌ„ thence to the mountaynes in the whiche kyng Maiobanexius had his cheefe mansion place in the village called Capronum by the which name also the kyngs palace was called beyng in the same village Thus marching forwarde with his armie about twelue myles of he encamped in the village of another kyng whiche the inhabitauntes had forsaken for feare of our men Yet makyng diligent searche they found two by whom they had knowledge that there was tenne kinges with Maiobanexius in his palace of Capronum with an armie of eight thousand Ciguauians At the Lieutenants fyrst approch he durst not geue them battayle vntyll he had somewhat better searched the region yet dyd he in the meane tyme skyrmyshe with them twyse The next nyght about mydnyght he sent foorth scoutes and with them guides of the Ilande men whiche knewe the countrey Whom the Ciguauians espying froÌ„ the mountaines prepared them selues to the battayle with a terrible crye or alarum after their maner but yet durst not come out of the woods supposing that the Lieuetenant with his mayne army had ben euen at hande The day folowyng when he brought his army to the place where they encamped leaping out of the wooddes they twyse attempted the fortune of warre fiercely assayling our men with a mayne force and wounding many before they coulde coouer them with theyr targettes Yet our men put them to flyght slue manye and tooke manye the resydue fledde to the wooddes where they kept them styll as in their most safe holde Of them whiche were taken he sent one and with him another of the Ilande men which was of his part to Maiobanexius with commaundement in this effect The Lieuetenaunt brought not hyther his army O Maiobanexius to kepe warre either against you or your people for he greatly desyreth your frendship but his intent is that Guarionexius who hath perswaded you to be his ayde against him to the great destruction of your people and vndoyng of your countrey may haue due correction aswell for his disobedience towarde hym as also for raysâ—ng tumultes among the people Wherefore he requireth you and exhorteth you to deliuer Guarionexius into his handes the whiche thing yf you shal perfourme the Admirall his brother wyll not only gladly admyt you to his freendshyp but also enlarge and defende your dominion And yf herein you refuse to accomplyshe his request it wyll folowe that you shal shortlye repente you thereof For your kyngdome shal be wasted with sworde and fyre and you shall abyde the fortune of warre whereof you haue had experience with fauour as you shall further know heareafter to your payne yf with stubbernesse you prouoke him to shewe the vttermoste of his power When the messenger had thus doone his arant Maiobanexius answered that Guarionexius was a good man indued with many vertues as all men knewe and therfore he thought him worthy his ayde especially in as much as he fled to him for succoure and that he had made him suche promise whom also he had proued to be his faithfull frend againe that they were noughty men violent and cruell desiring other mens goodes and such as spared not to shed innocentes blood in fine that he would not haue to doo with suche myscheuous men nor yet enter into frendshyppe with them When these thynges came to the Lieuetenauntes eare he commaunded the village to be burnt where he hym selfe encamped with manye other villages there about and when he drewe nere to the place where Maiobanexius lay he sent messengers to him agayne to common the matter with him and to wyll hym to send some one of his moste faythfull frendes to entreate with hym of peace Whereuppon the kyng sent vnto hym one of his cheefe gentelmen and with hym two other to wayte on
auncient of the Greeke and Latine monumentes with the historyes of later tyme I perceyue it to bee a thyng whiche requireth no small iudgement of wytte and learnyng For we see in howe shorte tyme the names of thinges are chaunged as are also the maners of men I fynde therefore that those people whom at this day wee commonly call Moscouites were in tyme past as wynesseth Plinie called Roxolani whom neuerthelesse by chaungyng one letter Ptolome in his eyght table of Europe calleth Rosolanos as doeth also Strabo They were also many yeeres called Rutheni and are that people whiche sometyme fought manfully agaynst the Captaynes of Methridates as Strabo writeth They were called Moscouites of the chiefe citie of all the prouince named Moscouia or Mosca or as Volaterane sayeth of the ryuer Mosco They were sometyme gouerned by Duke Iohn whose wyfe was Helena of the lynage of Themperours of Constantinople of the noble famelie of the Palcologi Beyonde these Roxolanos Strabo sayeth there is no lande inhabited These Ruthenians therfore or Moscouites are people of the Northeast parte of the worlde from vs and are determined with the limittes of the great ryuer Boristhenes of Scithia on the one syde with the Lituanians and Polonians and on the other syde with the Tartars who ceasse not to vexe them with continuall warres and incursions Especially the great Emperour Cham of Cathay the chiefe Prince of the Tartars resydent by the sea syde in Taurico Chersoneso molesteth them with sore warres They are towarde the North syde inclosed with the frosen sea the lande of whose coastes beyng very large perteyneth in maner all to the dominion of the Duke of Moscouie The sea is it whiche the olde wryters call Lacus Cronicus so named of the Greeke woord Cronos which the Latines call Saturnus whom they fayne to be an olde man of complexion colde and slowe and thereby name all suche thinges as are colde and slowe Cronica as by lyke reason they dyd this North sea which beyng in maner euer frosen is slow and cold and in maner immoueable And for lyke consideration as sayth Plinie Heathens nameth it in the Scithian tongue Amaltheum which woord signifieth as much as congealed or frosen But that I wander not farre from my purpose Th empyre and dominion of the Duke of Moscouie reacheth so farre that it comprehendeth certayne partes of Asia and also of Europe The citie of Moscouia or Mosco is counted twyse as byg as Colonia Agrippina as they faythfully reporte which know both Unto this they haue also an other not vnequall in bygnesse called Fladimer Also Blescouia Nouogradia Smolne and Otifer all which theyr Ambassadours affyrme to be of princely and magnificall buyldynges and strongly defended with walles both of bricke and square stone Of these Blescouia is strongest and enuironed with three walles Other whiche they haue innumerable are not so famous as are these wherof this Duke of Moscouie and Emperoure of Russia taketh thinscription of his title For euen at this present when so euer eyther by his ambassadours or his letters he doth signifie hym selfe to be Emperour of Moscouie he is accustomed to vse this title Basilius by the grace of God Emperour of al Russia and great Duke of Fladamer Moscouie Nouigrade Blascouia Smolne and Otifer c. And this is the tytle whereby the sayde ambassadours saluted your maiestie in the name of great Basilius when they began theyr oration This prince of Moscouie hath vnder hym prynces of many prouinces and those of great power Of the whiche that olde whyte bearded man whom this Emperour of the Ruthians sent for his ambassadoure to Themperours maiestie into Spaine is not one of the least For euen he when necessitie of warre requireth is accustomed to make for his Emperour a bande of .xxx. thousand horsemen But this is to their singular commendation that they are so obedient to theyr prince in all thynges that beyng sommoned by hym by neuer so meane an heralde they obey incontinent as if it were to god thynkeing nothing more glorious then to die in y e quarel of theyr prince By reason of which obedience they are able in short tyme to assemble an army of two or three hundred thousande men against theyr enimies eyther the Tartares or the great Cham And haue hereby obtayned great victories and triumphes aswell agaynst the Turks as the Tartars by the exceeding multitude of theyr horsemen and continual experience in warres At such time as Themperour Maximilian made a league with them they kept warre against the kyng of Polonie They vse not onely bowes and dartes after the maner of the Parthians but haue also the vse of gunnes as we haue And to be briefe only the Moscouites may seeme that nation which hath not felte the commodities of peace Insomuch that if theyr region were not strongly defended by the nature of the place beyng impreignable it had or now been oftentymes conquered Theyr language agreeth muche with the tongue of y e Bohemians Croatians and Sclauons so that the Sclauon doth playnely vnderstande the Moscouite although the Moscouian tongue be a more rude and hard phrase of speach The historiographers wryte that the Sclauous tongue tooke the name of the confusion whiche was in Babell in the tyme of that stoute hunter Nemroth of whom mention is made in the Genesis But I can not enough marueyle at this thyng that whereas betweene Dalmatia nowe called Sclauonia and Moscouia both the Pannonies are situate yet this notwithstandyng the Hungarians tongue nothyng agreeth with the Moscouites Whereby we may coniecture that these nations were sometymes diuided by legions and that they came out of Dalmatia thyther whiche thyng also Volateranus affirmeth saying that the language of the Ruthenians whiche are the Moscouites is Semidalmatica that is halfe Sclauone Howe so euer it be this is certaine that the Bohemians Croatians Sclauons Moscouites agree in language as we perceiued by thinterpretours whiche your maiestie had then in your courte For whereas the sayd interpretours were borne among the Croatians Sclauons and none of them had euer been in Moscouia or before that tyme had any conuersation with them yet dyd they well vnderstande the ambassadours woordes There are in Mosuia wooddes of exceedyng byggenesse in the whiche blacke woolues and whyte beares are hunted The cause whereof may bee thextreme colde of the North whiche doth greatly alter the complextions of beastes and is the mother of whitenesse as the Philosophers affirme They haue also great plentie of Bees wherby they haue such abundaunce of hony and waxe that it is with them of smale price When the commoditie of theyr countrey is neglected by reason of long warres their chiefe aduauntage wherby they haue all thynges necessarie towarde theyr lyuyng is the gaynes whiche they haue by theyr ryche furres as Sables Marternes Luzernes
Paulus Centurio a citizen of Genua with letters whereby you doe exhort vs to ioyne in power counsayle with you other Princes of Christendome against the enemies of the christian fayth that a free passage redy way may bee opened for both your Ambassadours ours to come go to fro wherby by mutual dutie and indeuour on both parties we may haue knowledge of the state of thinges parteynyng to the wealth of vs both VVe certes as we haue hytherto happely by the ayde and helpe of almightie God constantly and earnestly resisted the cruell wicked enemies of the christian faith so are we determined to doe hereafter and are likewise redy to consent with other christian princes to graunt free passage into our dominions In consideration wherof we haue sent vnto you our faithful seruant Demetrius Erasmus with these our letters with him haue remitted Paulus Centurio desiring you also shortly to dismisse Demetrius with safegard and indemnitie vnto the borders of our dominions And we wil likewise do the same if you send your Ambassadour with Demetrius whereby both by communication and letters we may be better certified of thorder and administration of such things as you require so that being aduertised of the mindes and intent of all other christian princes we may also consult what is best to be done herein Thus fare ye wel Giuen in our dominioÌ„ in our citie of Moscouia in the yeere from the creation of the world .vii. thousand and .300 the third day of Aprill But Demetrius as he is experte in diuine and humane thinges and especially of holy scripture seemed to haue secrete commaundement of greater matters whiche we thinke he will shortly declare to the senate in priuate consultations For he is now deliuered of the feuer into the which he fell by change of ayre and hath so recouered his strength natiue colour that being a man of .lx. yeeres of age he was not only present at the Popes masse celebrated with great solemnitie in the honour of S. Cosmus Damian but came also into the Senate at such tyme as Cardinal Campegius commyng first from the legacie of Pannonia was receiued of the Pope all the nobilitie of the court And furthermore also viewed the Temples of the holy citie with the ruines of the Romane magnificence and with woondring eyes beheld the lamentable decay of the auncient buildinges So that we thinke that shortly after he hath declared his message he shal return to Moscouia with the byshop of Scarense the Popes legate not vnrecompensed with iust rewardes at the handes of his holinesse The name of the Moscouites is nowe newe although the Poete Lucane maketh mention of the Moschos confynyng with the Sarmatians and Plinie also placeth the Moschos at the sprynges of the great ryuer of Phasis in the region of Colchos aboue the sea Euxinus towarde the East Theyr region hath very large boundes and is extended from the Aultars of great Alexander about the sprynges of Tanais to the extreme landes and North Ocean in maner vnder the North starres called charles wayne or the great Beare beyng for the most parte playne of fruitfull pasture but in sommer in many places full of marishes For whereas all that lande is replenyshed with many and great ryuers which are greatly increased by the wynter snowe and I se resolued by the heate of the sunne the playnes and fieldes are thereby ouerflowen with marishes and all iourneys incombred with continuall waters and myrie slabbynesse vntyll by the benefite of the newe wynter the ryuers and marishes be frosen agayne and giue safe passage to the sleades that are accustomed to iourney by the same The wood or forest of Hercynia and not Hyrcania as is red in some false copies occupyeth a great parte of Moscouia and is heere and there inhabited with houses builded therein and so made thinner by the long labour of men that it doeth not now shewe that horrour of thicke impenetrable woods and landes as many thinke it to haue But beyng replenished with many wylde beastes is so far extended through Moscouia with a continuall tract betweene the East and the North towarde the Scythian Ocean that by the infinite greatnesse thereof it hath deluded the hope of suche as haue curiously searched the ende of the same In that parte that reacheth towarde Prussia are founde the great and fierce beastes called Vri or Bisontes of the kynde of Buâ—les Also Alces lyke vnto Hartes which the Moscouites call Lozzi and are called of the Germaynes Helenes On the East syde of Moscouia are the Scythians which are at this day called Tartars a wandryng nation and at all ages famous in warres In the stead of houses they vse wagons couered with beastes hydes whereby they were in olde tyme called Amaxouii For cities and townes they vse great tentes and pauilions not defended with trenches or walles of tymber or stone but inclosed with an innumerable multitude of archers on horsbacke The Tartars are diuided by companyes which they call Hordas which worde in theyr tongue signifieth a consentyng company of people geathered together in forme of a citie Euery Horda is gouerned by an Emperour whom eyther his parentage or warlyke prowes hath promoted to that dignitie For they oftentimes keepe warre with theyr borderers and contende ambiciously and fiercely for dominion It doeth hereby appeare that they consist of innumerable Hordas in that the Tartars possesse the most large desartes euen vnto the famous citie of Cathay in the furdest Ocean in the East They also that are nearest to the Moscouites are knowen by theyr trade of marchaundies and often incursions In Europe neare vnto the place called Dromon Achillis in Taurica Chersoneso are the Tartars called Precopites the daughter of whose prince Selymus the Emperour of the Turkes tooke to wyfe These are most infest to the Polones and waste the regions on euery syde betweene the ryuers of Boristhenes and Tanais They that in the same Taurica possesse Caffam a colonie of the Ligurians called in olde tyme Theodosia doe both in religion and all other thinges agree with the Turkes But the Tartars that inhabite the regions of Asia betweene Tanais and Volga are subiect to Basilius the kyng of the Moscouites and choose them a gouernour at his assignement Among these the Cremii afflicted with ciuile seditions where as heeretofore they were ryche and of great power haue of late yeeres lost theyr dominion and dignitie The Tartars that are beyonde the riuer of Volga do religiously obserue the frendship of the Moscouites and professe them selues to be theyr subiectes Beyond the Cassanites towarde the North are the Sciambani rych in heardes of cattaylle and consistyng of a great multitude of men After these are Nogai whiche obteyne at this day the chiefe fame of ryches and warly affayres Theyr Horda although it
be most ample yet hath it no Emperour but is gouerned by the wysedome and vertue of the most auncient valiant men after the maner of the common wealth of Uenece Beyonde the Nogais somewhat towarde the South the Caspian sea the noblest nation of the Tartars called Zagathai inhabite townes buylded of stone and haue an exceedyng great and fayre citie called Samarcanda whiche Iaxartes the great ryuer of Sogdiana runneth through and passyng from thence about a hundred myles falleth into the Caspian sea With these people in our dayes Ismael the Sophi and kyng of Persia hath oftentymes kepte warre with doubtfull successe Insomuche that fearyng the greatnesse of theyr power whiche he resysted with all that he myght he lefte Armenia and Taurisium the chiefe citie of the kyngdome for a praye to Selimus the victourer of one wyng of the battayle From the citie of Samarcanda descended Tamburlanes the myghty Emperour of the Tartars whom some call Tanberlanis But Demetrius sayth that he shoulde be called Themircuthlu This is he that about the yeere of Christ M.CCC.xcviii subdued almost all the Easte partes of the worlde And lastly with an innumerable multitude of men inuaded the Turkes dominions with whom Baiasetes Ottomanus theyr kyng and father to the great grandfather of this Solyman that nowe lyueth meetyng at Ancira in the confines or marches of Galatia and Bythinia gaue hym a sore battayle in the whiche fell on the Turkes part .20000 men and Baiasetes hym selfe was taken prisoner whom Tamburlanes caused to be locked in an Iron cage and so caryed hym about with hym through all Asia which he also conquered with a terryble army He conquered all the landes betwene Tanais and Nilus and in fine vanquished in battayle the great Soltane of Egypte whom he chased beyonde Nilus and tooke also the citie of Damascus From the region of these Tartars called Zagathei is brought great plentie of sylken apparell to the Moscouites But the Tartares that inhabite the mydlande or inner regions bryng none other wares then trucks or droues of swift runnyng horses and clokes made of whyte feltes also hales or tentes to withstande the iniuries of colde and rayne These they make very artificially apt for the purpose Thei receiue againe of the Moscouites coates of cloth and Syluer monie conteynyng all other bodyly ornamentes and the furnyture of superfluous housholde stuffe For beyng defended agaynst the violence of wether and tempestes onely with such apparel and couerture wherof we haue spoken they trust onely to theyr arrowes which they shoote aswell backwarde flying as when they assayle theyr enimies face to face Albeit when they determined to inuade Europe theyr princes and captaynes had helmets coates of fence and hooked swoordes whiche they bought of the Persians Towarde the South the boundes of Moscouia are termined by the same Tartars whiche possesse the playne regions neere vnto the Caspian sea aboue the maryshes of Meotis in Asia and about the ryuers of Boristhenes and Tanais in part of Europe The people called Roxolani Gete and Bastarne inhabited these regions in olde tyme of whom I thynke the name of Russia tooke originall For they call part of Lituania Russia the lower wheras Moscouia it selfe is called whyte Russia Lituania therefore lyeth on the Northwest syde of Moscouia But toward the full West the mayne landes of Prussia and Liuonia are ioyned to the confines or marches of Moscouia wher the Sarmatian sea breakyng foorth of the streightes of Câ—mbrica Chersonesus nowe called Denmarke is bended with a crooked gulfe towarde the North. But in the furthest bankes of that Ocean where the large kyngdomes of Norway and Suecia are ioyned to the continent and almost enuironed with the sea are the people called Lapones a nation exceedyng rude suspitious and fearefull flying and astonyshed at the syght of all straungers and shyppes They knowe neyther fruites nor apples nor yet any benignitie eyther of heauen or earth They prouide them meate onely with shootyng and are appareled with skynnes of wylde beastes They dwell in caues fylled with drye leaues and in holow trees cnosumed within eyther by fyre or rotten for age Such as dwell neare the sea syde fyshe more luckelye then cunnyngly and in the stead of fruites reserue in store fyshes dryed with smoke They are of small stature of bodie with flat visagies pale and wannie coloure and very swyft of foote Theyr wyttes or dispositions are not knowen to the Moscouites theyr borderers who thynke it therefore a madnesse to assayle them with a smal power and iudge it neyther profitable nor glorious with great armies to inuade a poore beggerly nation They exchange the most white furres which we cal Armelines for other wares of diuers sortes Yet so that they flye the syght and companie of all merchantes For comparyng and laying theyr wares togeather and leauyng theyr furres in a mydde place they bargayne with simple fayth with absent and vnknowen men Some men of great credite and aucthoritie do testifie that in a region beyond the Lapones betwene the West and the North oppressed with perpetuall darknesse is the nation of the people called Pigmei who being growen to theyr ful grought do scarcely excede the stature of our chyldren of ten yeeres of age It is a fearefull kynde of men and expresse theyr wordes in suche chatteryng sort that they seeme to be so muche the more lyke vnto Apes in howe muche they differ in sense and stature from men of iust heyght Toward the North innumerable people are subiect to the Empire of the Moscouites Theyr regions extend to the Scythian Ocean for the space of almost three monethes iorney Next vnto Moscouia is the region of Colmogora aboundyng with fruites Through this runneth the ryuer of Diuidna beyng one of the greatest that is knowen in the North partes and gaue the name to an other lesse ryuer which breaketh foorth into the sea Baltheum This encreasyng at certayne tymes of the yeere as dooth the ryuer Nilus ouerfloweth the feeldes and playnes and with his fatte and nourishyng moysture doth marueylouslye resist the iniuries of heauen and the sharp blastes of the North wynde When it riseth by reason of molten snow and great showres of rayne it falleth into the Ocean by vnknowen nations and with so large a Trenche lyke vnto a great sea that it can not be sayled ouer in one day with a prosperous wynde But when the waters are fallen they leaue here and there large and fruitfull Ilands For corne there cast on the grounde groweth without anye helpe of the Plowe and with meruaylous celeritie of hasting nature fearyng the newe iniurie of the proude ryuer doth both spryng and rype in short space Into the riuer Diuidna runneth the ryuer Iuga and in the corner where they ioyne togeather is the famous Marte Towne called Vstiuga distant from the cheefe citie Mosca .vi. hundred myles Note
are furnyshed for a small pryce with all suche kyndes of meates as may bee desyred of suche as are gyuen to most excessiue gluttony Hennes and Duckes are bought for litle syluer pence the peece There is incredible plentie of beastes and cattayle both great and small The fleshe of beefe that is kylled in the myddest of wynter is so coniealed and frosen that it putrifieth not for the space of two monethes Theyr best and most delicate dyshes are gotten by huntyng and haukyng as with vs For they take all sortes of wylde beastes with Houndes and dyuers kyndes of nettes And with Faulcons and Erens or Eagles of a marueylous kynde which the region of Pecerra bryngeth foorth vnto them they take not onely Fesantes and wylde Duckes but also Cranes and wylde Swannes They take also a foule of darke colour about the bygnesse of a Goose with redde ouerbrowes whose fleshe in taste passeth the pleasauntnesse of Phesauntes These in the Moscouites tongue are called Tetrao whiche I suppose to be the same that Plinie calleth Erythratao knowen to the people of the Alpes and especially to the Rhetians which inhabite the landes about the sprynges of the ryuer Abdua The ryuer of Volga ministreth vnto them great fyshes and of pleasaunt taste especially Sturgions or rather a kynde of fyshe lyke vnto Sturgions which in the wynter season beyng inclosed in Ise are long reserued freshe and vncorrupte Of other kyndes of fyshes they take in maner an incredible multitude in the whyte lakes whereof we haue spoken before And whereas they vtterly lacke natyue wynes they vse such as are brought from other places And this only in certeyne feastes and holy mysteryes especially the pleasaunt Maluasies of the Ilande of Creta now called Candy are had in most honour and vsed eyther as medicines or for a shewe of excessiue aboundaunce forasmuch as it is in maner a miracle that wines brought from Candy by the streightes of Hercules pyllers and the Ilandes of Gades and tossed with such fluddes of the inclosed Ocean should be droonke among the Scythian snowes in theyr natiue puritie and pleasauntnesse The common people drinke meade made of hony hoppes sodden togeather whiche they keepe long in pitched barrelles where the goodnesse increaseth with age They vse also beere and ale as doe the Germanes and Polones They are accustomed for delicatenesse in sommer to coole theyr beere and meade with putting Ise therein which the noble men reserue in theyr sellars in great quantitie for the same purpose Some there are that delight greatly in the iuise that is pressed out of Cherries before they be full rype which they affyrme to haue the colour of cleare and ruddy wyne with a very pleasaunt taste Theyr wyues women are not with them in such honour as they are in other nations for they vse them in maner in the place of seruants The noble women gentelwomen do diligently obserue their walkes and haue an eye to their chastitie They are sildome bydden foorth to any feastes neyther are permitted to resorte to churches farre of or to walke abrode without some great consideration But the common sorte of women are easily and for a small price allured to lechery euen of straungers by reason whereof the Gentlemen doe litle or nothyng esteeme them Iohn the father of kyng Basilius dyed more then .xx. yeeres since He maryed Sophia the daughter of Thomas Paleologus who reigned far in Peloponnesus now called Morea was brother to Themperour of Constantinople She was then at Rome when Thomas her father was driuen out of Grecia by the Turks Of her were fiue children borne as Basilius him selfe George Demetrius Symeon and Andreas Basilius tooke to wife Salomonia the daughter of George Soborouius a man of singuler fidelitie wisedome and one of his counsayle the excellent vertues of whiche woman only barennesse obscured When the Princes of Moscouia deliberate to marry their custome is to haue choyse of all the vyrgins in the realme and to cause suche as are of most fayre and beautifull vysage and personage with maners and vertues accordyng to bee brought before them Whiche afterwarde they commyt to certayne faythfull men and graue matrones to be further viewed insomuche that they leaue no parte of them vnsearched Of these shee whom the Prince most lyketh is pronounced woorthie to bee his wyfe not without great and carefull expectation of theyr parentes lyuyng for that tyme betweene hope and feare The other virgins also whiche stoode in election and contended in beautie and integritie of maners are oftentymes the same day to gratifie the Prince marryed to his noble men Gentelmen and Captaynes wherby it sometymes commeth to passe that whyle the Princes contemne the lynage of royall descent suche as are borne of humble parentage are exalted to the degree of princely estate in lyke maner as the Emperours of the Turkes were accustomed to be chosen by comelynesse of personage and warly prowesse Basilius was vnder the age of fourtie and seuen yeeres of comly personage singular vertue princely qualities by all meanes studious for the prosperitie commodities of his subiectes furthermore in beneuolence liberalitie and good successe in his doinges to be preferred before his progenitours For when he had vi yeeres kepte warre with the Lyuons that moued .lxxii. confetherate cities to the cause of that warre he obteyned the victorie departed w t few conditions of peace rather giuen then accepted Also at the beginning of his reigne he put the Polones to flight and tooke prisoner Constantine the Captayne of the Ruthens whom he brought to Moscouia tyed in chaynes But shortly after at the ryuer of Boristhenes aboue the citie of Orsa he him selfe was ouercome in a great battayle by the same Constantine whom he had dismissed Yet so that the towne of Smolenzko which the Moscouites possessed before and was newe woon by the Polones should styll parteyne to the dominions of Basilius But agaynst the Tartars and especially the Tartars of Europe called the Precopites the Moscouites haue oftentymes kepte warre with good successe in reuenge of the iniuryes done to them by theyr incursions Basilius is accustomed to bryng to the fielde more then a hundred and fiftie thousande horsemen deuided into three bandes and folowyng the banners or ensignes of theyr Captaynes in order of battayle On the banner of the kynges wyng is figured the Image of Iosue the Captayne of the Hebrues at whose prayer the Sunne prolonged the day and stayed his course as witnesse the hystories of holy scripture Armies of footemen are in maner to no vse in those great wyldernesses aswell for theyr apparel being loose and long as also for the custome of theyr enemies who in their warres trust rather to the swyftnesse of their light horses then to trye the matter in a pyght fielde Theyr horses are of lesse then meane stature but
of two dayes The Arabians compassed about the mountayne crying and threatenyng that they would breake in among the Camelles at the length to make an ende of the conflicte our Captayne assemblyng the merchauntes commaunded a thousande and two hundred peeces of golde to be giuen to the Arabians who when they had receyued the money sayde that the summe of ten thousande peeces of golde should not satisfie them for the water which we had drawen Whereby we perceyued that they began further to quarell with vs and to demaunde some other thing then money Wherevppon incontinent our Captayne gaue commaundement that whosoeuer in all our companie were able to beare armes should not mount vppon the Camelles but should with all expedition prepare them selues to fyght The day folowyng in the mornyng sendyng the Camelles before and inclosyng our army beyng about three hundred in number we met with the enemies and gaue the onset In this conflicte we lost only a man and a woman and had none other domage we slue of the Arabians a thousande and fyue hundred Whereof you neede not marueyle if you consyder that they are vnarmed and weare only a thynne loose vesture and are besyde almost naked theyr horses also beyng as euyll furnished and without saddles or other furniture Of a mountayne inhabited with Iewes and of the citie of Medinathalhabi where Mahumet was buried Cap. 11. IN the space of eyght dayes we came to a mountayne whiche conteyneth in circuite ten or twelue myles This is inhabited with Iewes to the number of fyue thousande or thereabout They are of very little stature as of the heyght of fyue or sixe spannes and some muche lesse They haue small voyces lyke women and of blacke colour yet some blacker then other They feede of none other meate then Goates fleshe They are circumcised and deny not them selues to bee Iewes If by chaunce any Mahumetan come into their handes they slay him alyue At the foote of the mountayne we founde a certayne hole out of the whiche flowed aboundaunce of water By fyndyng this oportunitie we laded sixtiene thousand Camels which thyng greatly offended the Iewes They wandred in that mountayne scattered lyke wylde Goates or Prickettes yet durst they not come downe partly for feare and partly for hatred agaynst the Mahumetans Beneath the mountayne are seene seuen or eyght thorne trees very fayre and in them we founde a payre of Turtle Doues which seemed to vs in maner a miracle hauyng before made so long iourneyes and sawe neyther beast nor foule Then proceedyng two dayes iourney we came to a certayne citie named Medinathalhabi foure myles from the sayd citie we founde a well Heere the Carauana that is the whole hearde of the Camelles rested And remayning here one day we washed our selues and chaunged our shertes the more freshely to enter into the citie it is well peopled and conteyneth about three hundred houses the walles are lyke bulwarkes of earth and the houses both of stone and bricke The soile about the citie is vtterly barren except that about two myles from the citie are seene about fyftie palme trees that beare Dates There by a certayne garden runneth a course of water fallyng into a lower playne where also passingers are accustomed to water theyr Camelles And heere oportunitie nowe serueth to confute the opinion of them whiche thynke that the Arke or Toombe of wicked Mahumet in Mecha to hang in the ayre not borne vp with any thyng As touchyng which thyng I am vtterly of an other opinion and affirme this neyther to be true nor to haue any lykenesse of trueth as I presently behelde these thynges and sawe the place where Mahumet is buried in the sayde citie of Medinathalhabi for we taryed there three dayes to come to the true knowledge of all these thynges When wee were desirous to enter into theyr Temple which they call Meschita and all other churches by the same name we coulde not be suffered to enter without a companion little or great They takyng vs by the hande brought vs to the place where they saye Mahumet is buried Of the Temple or Chapell and Sepulchre of Mahumet and of his felowes Cap. 12. HIs Temple is vaulted and is a hundred pases in length and fourescore in breadth the entry into it is by two gates from the sydes it is couered with three vaultes it is borne vp with iiii hundred columnes or pillers of white brick there are seene hanging lampes about the number of .3 thousande From the other part of the Temple in the first place of the Meschita is seene a Tower of the circuite of fyue pases vaulted on euery syde and couered with a cloth of silke and is borne vp with a grate of copper curiously wrought and distant from it two pases and of them that goe thyther is seene as it were through a lattesse Towarde the lefte hande is the way to the Tower and when you come thyther you must enter by a narower gate On euery side of those gates or doores are seene many bookes in maner of a Librarie on the one syde .xx. and on the other syde xxv These contayne the filthie traditions and lyfe of Mahumet and his fellowes within the sayde gate is seene a Sepulchre that is a digged place where they say Mahumet is buried and his felowes which are these Nabi Bubacar Othomar Aumar and Fatoma But Mahumet was theyr chiefe Captayne and an Arabian borne Hali was sonne in lawe to Mahumet for he tooke to wyfe his daughter Fatoma Bubacar is he who they say was exalted to the dignitie of a chiefe counseller and great gouernour although he came not to the hygh degree of an Apostle or prophet as dyd Mahumet Othomar and Aumar were chiefe Captaynes of the army of Mahumet Euery of these haue their proper bookes of theyr factes and traditions And hereof proceedeth the great dissention and discorde of religion and maners among this kynde of filthie men whyle some confirme one doctrine and some an other by reason of theyr diuers sectes of patrons Doctours and saintes as they call them By this meanes are they marueylously diuided among them selues and lyke beastes kyll them selues for such quarelles of dyuers opinions and all false This also is the chiefe cause of warre betweene the Sophie of Persia and the great Turke beyng neuerthelesse both Mahumetans and lyue in mortall hatred one agaynst the other for the mayntenaunce of theyr sectes Sainctes and Apostles whyle euery of them thynketh theyr owne to bee best Of the Secte of Mahumet Cap. 13. NOw will we speake of the maners and sect of Mahumet Understande therefore that in the highest part of the Tower aforesayd is an open rounde place Now shall you vnderstande what crafte they vsed to deceyue our Carauana The first euenyng that we came thyther to see the Sepulchre of Mahumet our Captaine sent for the chiefe priest of the Temple to come to him and
that no man can beholde it without horrour and thus contynue their prayer a quarter of an houre When the tyme of eatyng approcheth they may not fal to theyr vittayles before some one of the gentlemen haue dressed it and set it in order But this custome is obserued onely among the gentelmen or noble men The women haue none other charge or care then to dresse and beautifie them selues for their husbandes vse not to haue to do with them before they be curyously washed and perfumed with sundrye sweete sauours When the women go abrode it is marueilous to beholde howe they are behanged with iewels and pretious stones on theyr eares armes and legges Of theyr maner of warre Cap. 10. THey haue in the citie certayne maisters of fence that teach them how to vse the swoord the target the launce and suche other weapons When the kyng proceedeth to the warres he is furnyshed with an armie of a hundred thousande footemen for of horsemen there is no vse but onely Elephantes For the kyng hym selfe rydeth on an Elephant They that are next to the kyng weare about theyr headdes fyllettes or bandes of sylke of crymisyn or scarlet colour Theyr weapons are certayne crooked swoordes targets launces and bowes The kynges ensigne is a certaine thyng made of bowes of trees implicate round like the couering of a tub borne vp on a reede This is borne so that y e shadow therof may couer the king from the heate of the Sunne and is in their tongue called Somler When both the armies approche within three arrowe shoote the kyng sendeth his Braminos into the tentes of his enimies in maner of haroldes to chalenge a hundred of them to come foorth if they dare to combat agaynst a hundred of his Naeres which before we said to be his gentelmen and chiefe strength of his army which message done both sydes prepare them selues to the battayle and in the midway fyrst a hundred fyght with a hundred The whiche if they shoulde feyght continually for the space of three dayes woulde neuer stryke with the poynt but with the edge of the swoorde and for the most parte at the head and seldome at the legges But when fyue or syxe are slayne incontinent the Bramini on both partes make an ende of the fyght and by theyr commaundement the retreate is sounded on both partes Then agayne the Bramini whiche are the chiefe priestes as we haue sayde on both sydes speake vnto the kynges and aske them if they wyll any more And thus for the most parte make they an ende of the quarell and battayle without great slaughter of men The kyng sometymes rydeth on an Elephant and sometymes also is borne by his noble men named Naeri When he proceedeth there folowe hym a great multitude of mynstrels makyng a great noyse with Tymberels Tamberets and suche other instrumentes The stypende of the Naeri is foure Carlines â–ª euery moneth in peace and syxe in tyme of warre these haue theyr teeth very blacke by eatyng of a certayne hearbe whiche they much vse When any of these are slayne their bodies are burned with great pompe and many superstitions and also theyr ashes reserued but the common sort are buryed in diuers maners for some are buried in their houses some in their gardens and other in feeldes medowes or wooddes They coyne mony here as in y e citie of Narsinga When I was there there was in y e citie merchants of almost all partes of the East and especially a great number of Mahumetans and many also of the region of Melacha and Bangella other also of Tarnassari Pego and Ciriomandel some lykewyse of the Ilandes of Zeylan and Sumatra whiche is Taprobana other of Cholon Caicolon and Bathecala and almost innumerable other of nations whose names are better knowen to vs as Persians Arabians Syrians Turkes and Ethiopians and also many of the kyngdome of Narsinga strangers of so many nations were in the citie of Calecut whyle I remayned there Understand furthermore that the Idolators vse not to sayl on the sea but that is appoynted to the Mahumetans as meeter men for that purpose And there is in the citie of Calecut more then fyfteene thousande Mahumetans whiche were borne in the same citie Of their Shippes and maner of saylyng on the sea Cap. 11. THeyr Shippes are made no lesse then may suffise for the burden of foure or fyue hundred Tonne all open without any couerture In the ioyntes of their Shippes they put no Lowe but ioyne the plankes so artificially that they holde out water very well yet do they pytche the ioyntes and make them fast with nayles of Iron They do not forbeare Towe for lacke therof for they haue great plentie of Hempe and Flaxe They haue plankes or boordes and postes of diuers sortes for they haue as good wood and better then we Theyr sayles are of Bombasine cloth and doubled in the neather part whereby they geather more wynde and swell therewith lyke a bagge and in this they passe vs vsyng but only syngle sayles They vse ankers of marble of the length of eyght spannes and on euery syde twoo these they hang in the sea by double ropes and besyde these haue none other ankers They haue certayne appoynted tymes and seasons of saylyng for some tymes serue best for one coast and some other for other coastes and viages The changes and also contrarietie of tymes is there greatly to be consydered for when with vs al thynges for heate are almost scorched then haue they large shewres as in the monethes of May Iune and Iuly Their shippes are of diuers quantities as with vs and therfore also of diuers names They haue one sort of vessels made of one whole pece of wood like a trough veri long sharpe and narowe in these they vse both sayles and ores and are therfore swyfter then our Galleys or Foystes The Pirates vse these very much The best of their shippes are made in an Ilande named Porcai not farre from Calecut Of the Court or Palace of the kyng of Calecut Cap. 12. THe Palace of the kyng of Calecut conteyneth no lesse then a myle in circuite the wall is not hygh the buyldyng is fayre with beames or posâ—es wel ioynyng the frame and curiously wrought and carued with the figures shapes of deuyls on euery syde Why the walles be no hygher we haue declared before where we haue spoken of the lowe buyldyng of the houses of the citie the cause wherof as we haue saide is the vnstable grounde so ful of water that they can dygge no deapth to lay fundation to beare hygher buyldynges But what pearles and precious stones the kyng weareth vpon hym can not be expressed for the greatnesse of the thyng for doubtlesse it exceedeth all estimation Although at the tyme of my beyng there he was not geuen to ioyfulnesse but lyued in
at the same place where Muteezuma tooke his deaths wound Cortesius exhorted them to peace otherwise threatning the vtter decay ruine of that their so famous and noble a citie with protestation of pietie on them whom once he had taken to be his friendes promising pardon for that which was done and settyng downe what befel vnto other nations that refused his friendshyp The Mexicans making small accompte of his woordes answered that they tooke him for no friend but for their enemy that he should depart with all his trayne out of their countrey if he would haue peace otherwise they woulde so long continue theyr siege vntill by force they had dryuen him out though for euery Spanyarde slayne there dyed a thousande Mexicans for his friendshyp they cared not pardon they asked not most willingly they would all dye so that they might deliuer their posteritie from the Spanyshe tyranny Wherefore Cortesius waying with him selfe the great daunger that presently might ensue for want of victualles if he stayed the Mexicans continuing their assalte for perill to be stopped at the draught bridges if he departed so muche the more for that these Barbares were not ignorant of .70 thousand ducates heaped vp togeather by him in that prouince set vppon them the seconde tyme with the aforesayde engines but all in vayne So stoutly their enemyes defended them selues and so fiercely they resisted the assalte giuen Chiefly the Spaniardes courage appeared in winnyng of a certayne Tower that alwayes commaunded them nexte in the ruine of such houses as for the nearenes thereof bred them great incombrance and perill After many woundes receyued and great slaughter done on both sides the principal citizens counterfectyng a conclusion of peace promysed obedience vnto Cortesius so that all deedes past myght be forgotten Cortesius lykyng well thereof at their request set free a priest he had of theirs in prison to deale betwyxt them and throughly persuaded that no guyle was ment withdrew his company from skirmishing But he was no sooner set downe to dynner after his restlesse afflictions and continuall labours but the Mexicans tooke the towne bridges and voyded the trenches which Cortesius for passage had caused to be filled vp Presently therefore he rushed out amongst them agayne with his horsemen but the iourney went so hardly with the Spanyardes that Cortesius wounded in the head was scarsly able to retyre agayne many of his company were slayne such as escaped were not able to continue in the fielde any longer wearyed with blowes worne out with hunger It remayned only that now they eyther presently must peryshe or els depart out of the countrey By nyght therefore Cortesius and his souldyers priuely thought to slyp away with Muteezumaies children and certayne of the Mexican nobles captiues charging the Spanysh kyng his officers with the fifâ—h part of his treasure and takyng the residue thereof with him But the Barbares hauyng intelligence thereof oppressed them in the way tooke theyr goods slue many of the Spaniards and with them their captiues if happely any escaped they were such as marched in the most for both the vangarde and rereward were altogeather discomfited and lost to the number of .150 Spanyardes 42. horses .2000 Tascaltecans and Guazuzings that ayded them Thus paynefully with great daunger and no lesse griefe Cortesius lefte Themistitan pursued by his enemyes that folowed him nothyng holpen by the way as he repayred home refreshyng his Campe with a dead horse after fyue dayes spent with the foode of parched corne and that in small quantitie before he came to Tascalteca The Tascaltecans curtuously enterteyned him and his with whom he made his abode .20 dayes to refreshe his wearyed army that done he conquered other cities in that prouince eyther enemyes vnto the Tascaltecans as Tepeaca where he buylte for safetie of passage Segura la Frontera or suche as for feare of the Mexicans had not yeelded them selues before to wyt Guaccachiulla Izzuca and other principall townes therabout Finally he sendeth for horsemen and shot out of the Ilande Hispaniola wynneth many Barbares fauour assistance agaynst the Mexicans maketh prouision of .13 flye Boates to annoye by water the citizens of Themistitan Meteezumaes Nepheu Catamazinus the new kyng of Mexico fearyng on the other syde the Spanyardes returne and seeing many of his subiectes to fall from him wanteth not in any wyse to set all thinges in a readinesse for warres especially pykes to annoye the horsemen whom they most dreaded Eightiene leagues from Tascalteca towardes Themistitan standeth Tazuco a goodly citie of the Mexicans Cortesius fyrst of all tooke this citie caused his prouision for fly Boates wrought in Tascalteca to be brought thyther Such was the hatred of the Tascaltecans and Guazuzings agaynst the Mexicans that they carried the tymber vppon theyr shoulders from Tascalteca to Tazuco without any grudging for the prouision aforesayde From Tazuco Cortesius cut a passage into the salte Mare of Mexico to bryng his flye Boates to the siege of Themistitan this trenche three Englyshe myles long and foure fathome deepe was finyshed by .8000 pyoners of that countrey in fyftie dayes This nauy annoyed very muche the citizens in destroying theyr sculles and troughes and stopping their passage from place to place besydes the assalâ—e giuen therewith to the towne it selfe Cortesius army euer as it came destroyed all suche places by the way that either persecuted him fleeing away before or presently might domage his returne The citie he besieged in three places at once after that hee had cutte of all the freshe water conductes and taken the wayes and bridges and stopped all passage for any enemy of his into the towne the number of his souldiers amounted vnto .120000 for out of all the countrey about the Barbares came with Cortesius some for libertie some for friendshyp some for hope of gaine The siege lasted neuerthelesse ten weekes in the ende whereof with continuall battry the citie defaced and more than .100000 citizens worne out partly in fight and partly wasted with misery and hunger Cortesius tooke theyr new kyng priuely walkyng in a secret corner of the lake and subdued throughly with him the citie Themistitan .14 townes by the lake syde all the Mexican realme and prouince vnto the Spanyshe crowne in the iurisdiction whereof it doeth presently remayne The spoyle of the citie in value great Cortesius diuided amongst the Spanyshe souldyers reseruyng the fyfth parte therof and certayne fine feather woorkes the whiche he sent into Europe to be presented vnto Charles the fyfth kyng of Spayne and Emperour than in Germanie Who lysteth to see this hystorie more at large may reade Cortesius Nauigations and Frauncis Lopez woorke thereof written in the Spanyshe tongue made not long since Italian by Lucius Maurus and if I be not deceyued nowe a doyng into Englyshe An abridgement thereof I promysed or a commentary as Caesar termeth suche kynde of wrytynges to gyue other men occasion to