A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD Wherein is particularly described all the Monarchies Empires and Kingdomes of the same with their ACADEMIES As also their severall Titles and Situations thereunto adjoyning Written by the Most Reverend Father in God GEORGE late Arch-bishop of Canterbury LONDON Printed by T. H. and are to sold by Wil. Sheares at the signe of the Harrow in Brittains Burse 1636. A BRIEFE DISCRIPTION of the whole WORLD Written by the Right Reverend Father in GOD. George Abbott Late Archbishop of Canterbury COSMOGRAPHIA 〈…〉 Will Marshall Sculpsit Printed for Will Sheares at the Harrow in Britaines by 1636. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE whole World THE Globe of the Earth doth either shew the Sea or Land Of the Seas The Sea generall is called by the name of Ocean which coasteth all the World and taketh his name in speciall either of the place neer which it commeth as Oceanus Britannicus The diver â—â—s names giuen to the Seas and the reason why Mare Germanicum Sinus Persicus Mare Atlanticum of the hill Atlas in the West part of Africk or of the finder out as Fretum Magellanicum or of some other accident as the Red Sea because the sand is red Mare Mediterraneum because it runneth betweene the lands of Europe and Africk Mare Jcarium because Icarus was drowned there or the like There be some few Seas which have no intercourse with the Ocean as Mare mortuum neer Palestina Mare Caspium sive Hircanum not farre from Armenia and such a one is said to be in the North part of America Of the Straits or Narrow Seas The Straits or narrow Seas are noted in the Latine by the name of Fretum as Fretum Britannicum the English narrow Seas Fretum Herculeum the Straits between Barbarie and Spain Fretum Magellanicum c. Of the Earth The Earth is either Ilands which are those which are wholly compassed by the Sea as Britanâ—ia Sicilia Corsica or the Continent which is called in the English The firme Land in the Latin Continens The old known firme Land was contained onely in Asia Europe and Africa Europe is divided from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea from Asia by the River Tanais whereby appeareth that the North parts of Asia Europe in old time were but little known and discovered Africa is divided from Europe by â—he Mediterrean Sea from Asia by â—he River Nilus and so Asia by â—anais and Nilus is severed from Europe and Africk Of Spain TO say nothing of England and Ireland the most Western Country of Europe is Spain How Spain is bounded which is bounded on the South with the Mediterranean on the West with the Atlantick on the North with Oceanus Cantabricus or the Spanish Seas on the East with France from which it is severed with certain Mountains called Montes Pyrenei or the Pyrenay hils If wee should enquire into the times that were before the comming of the Carthaginians and Romanes into Spaine wee shall finde nothing but that which is either fabulous or neere to fables The Originall names of the CouÌ„tâ—ey of Spain here it was first called Iberia ab Ibero slumine afterwards Hispania ab Hispano wee may take as a tradition but their Gargoris their Habis their Geryon exceed beliefe of any but those that will take all reports on trust It is certaine that the Syrians planted a Colony there in the Isle of Gades corruptly now called Cadiz or Cales These troubled by their Neighbours desired aid of the Carthaginians a flourishing neighbour commonwealth descended of the Syrians as well as themselves who sent first to defend the Gaditanes against their neighbours afterwards heartned on by their successe in their first Expedition these Cathaginians Carthaginians sent to defend the Gaditanes successively sent thither three Captains Hamilcar Hasdrubal and Hannibal who for the most part subdued the Province and held it till by Scipio's and the Romane Forces they were dispossessed of it Yet for many years after the fortunes of the Romanes stucke as it were in the subduing of that Province so that from the time of the second Punick War untill the time of Augustus they had businesse made them in that Countrey continually neither could they till then bring it peaceably into the forme of a Province Spain once a Province of the Roman Empire It continued a Province of the Romane Empire untill the time of Honorius the Emperour in whose dayes the Vandalls came inâ—o it conquering and making it theirs then the Gothes the Vandalls either driven out or called over into Africke entring erected there a Kingdome which flourished for many yeeres Saracens Mâ—â—â—es erâ—cted it a Kingdome till by the comming of the Saracens and Moores their Kingdome was broken who setling themselves in Spaine erected a Kingdome changed the names of many places and Rivers and gave them new names such as they retaine to this day and continued for the space of some hundred of years mighty in that Countrey till they were first subdued by Ferdinand They were utterâ—y expelled by Philip the Third afterwards and that now lately utterly expelled by Philip the Third After the comming in of these Africans in this Countrey there were many Kingdomes as the Kingdome of Portugall toward the West the Kingdom of Granado toward the South the Kingdome of Navarre and Arragon toward the East and the Kingdome of Castile in the middle of the Land but the whole Dominion is now under the King of Spain Spain in former 〈◊〉 12 sevâ—â—all Kingdomes As Damianus a Goes doth write in that Treatise intituled Hispaniâ— there were in times past twelve several Kingdomes in Spain which hee nameth thus Castellae antiquae novae Leonis Aragoniae Portugalliae Navarâ—ae Granatae Valentiae Toleti Galitiae Algarbiorum Murtiae Cordubae which is not to be wondred at since in England a farre lesse Country there were in the time of the Saxons seven severall Kingdomes and Monarchies In the best Mappes of Spaine the Armes of these severall Kingdomes do yet distinctly appeare where for the Armes of Leons is given a Lion which manifestly argueth that whereas by some it is called Regnum Legionis that name is false for it is Leonis sutable thereunto for the Armes of Castile is given a Castle which was the cause that Iohn of Gaunt sonne to Edward the Third King of England did quarter with the Armes of England the Castle and the Lion as having maried Constance daughter to Peter King of Castile and at this day the first and chiefe Coat of the King of Spain is a Castle quartered with a Lion in remembrance of the two Kingdomes of Castile and Leons In Corduba as in times past it was called standeth Andoluzia neere unto which is the Island called properly Gades but since by deprivation of the word Cadiz and commonly Cales which was lately surprized by the English The Kingdome of Granada Granada â—oo yeeres possessed by the Moores Saracens which
all things were renewed and repaired againe as if there had never beene any such desolation Revenue of the Crowne of France exceeding great The Revenue of the Crowne of France is exceeding great by reason of the Taxes and Impositions which through the whole Kingdome are layd upon the subjects for their Sizes and Toules doe exceed all Imposts and tributes of all the Princes of Christendome in as much as there are few things there used but the King hath a commodity issuing out of them and not onely from matters of Luxury as in other States but from such things as be of necessity as Flesh Wood Salt c. It is supposed at this day that there be in the Kingdome thirty thousand men who are Vnder-officers and make a good part of their living by gathering of the Kings tribute This is much increased no doubt in these latter times but yet of old it was in so great measure which caused that speech of Maximilian the Emperour as Iohannes Aventinus witnesseth de Bello Turcico who said that the Emperour of Germany was Rex Regum meaning that his Princes were so great men The King of Spaine was Rex hominum because his people would obey their Prince in any reasonable moderation The King of England was Rex Diabolorum because the subjects had there divers times deprived their Kings of their Crownes and dignitie But the King of France was Rex asinorum in as much as his people did beare very heavy burthens of taxes and impositions In France the offices of Iustice bought and sold In this Kingdome of France is one great miserie to the subjects that the places and offices of Iustice are ordinarily bought and sold the beginning whereof was this Lewis the 12. who was called a Father of the Country began to pay the debts of his predecessour Charles the 7. which were very great and intending to recover unto France the Dukedome of Millaine and minding not to burden his people further than was need thought it a good course to set at sale all the Offices of the Crowne but with the places of Iustice he did not meddle But his successors after him tooke occasion also to make great profit of them witnesse the Author contra Machiavel lib. 1. cap. 1. By the customes of that Countrey The Custome of France for mustering and pressing Souldiers the King of France hath not that absolute power to muster and presse out Souldiers as in England and some other places of Christendome the Princes have But the manner is when the King will set forward any Military Service he sendeth abroad his Edicts or causeth in Cities and good Townes the Drum to be strucken up and whosoever will voluntarily follow he is enrolled Notwithstanding he wanteth few Souldiers because the Noble and Gentlemen of France doe hold it their dutie and highest honour both to attend the King unto the warres and to beare their own charges yearely for many moneths The person of the King of France hath in former time beene reputed so sacred that Guicciardine saith of them that their people have regarded them in that respect of devotion as if they had beene de mi-gods And Machiavel in his Questions upon Livie saith that they doted so upon their Kings that they thought every thing did become them which they did and that nothing could be more disgracefull than to give any intimation that such or such a thing was not well done by their King But this opinion is now much decayed the Princes of the bloud are in the next ranke under the King himselfe Paris the chiefe City of France There be many and very rich goodly Cities in France but the chiefest of all is Paris called Lutetia quasi Luto sita as some have merrily spoken which place is especially honoured first by the presence of the King most commonly keeping Court and residence there secondly by the great store of goodly houses whereof part belong to Noble men and part are houses of Religion thirdly by the Vniversity which is incomparably the greatest most ancient and best filled of all France fourthly in that it is the chiefe Parliament City of that Kingdome without the ratification of which Parliament at Paris Edicts and Proclamations comming from the King are not held authenticall fiftly by the great traffique of all kinde of Merchandize which is used in that place The Parliament Cities in France are places where their Termes are kept and in severall provinces are 7. unto which the causes of inferiour Courts within their distinct Provinces may be brought by appeale but the Parliament of Paris hath that prerogative that appeales from all Courts of the Kingdome doe lie there That which we call our Parliament in England is amongst them tearmed Conventus Ordinum or the States The kingdome of France divided into three parts France in ancient time as Casar reporteth in the first of his Commentaries was divided into three parts Aquitania which was towards the West Celtica towards the North and West and Belgica which is towards the North. Belgium is sometime called Gallia inferior and sometimes Germania inferior but wee commonly call it the Low-Countries the governement whereof at this day is not at all under France but Gallia Celtica and Aquitania are under the French King Gaules the ancient inhabitants of France The ancient inhabitants of this Countrey were the Gaules who possessed not onely all that we now call France being the greatest part of that the Romans called Gallia Transalpina but also a good part of Italy which they call Gallia Cisalpina a people whose beginnings are unknowne this of them is certaine that they were a Nation of valour for they not onely sackt Rome but also carried their conquering armes into Greece where they sate down and were called by the name of Gallogrecians or Galathians Some report also that they entred into Spaine and subdued and inhabited that part which was called Lusitania now Portugallia but howsoever their former victories and greatnesse they were by Julius Caesar subdued and made a province of the people of Rome and so continued under the Roman Empire till about foure hundred yeares after Christ when in the ruine and dismembring of the Roman Empire the French invaded Gaule and erected a Monarchie which hath continued to this day in the succession of sixty foure Kings of three severall races that is to say the Merovingians Carolovingians and Capevingians about twelve hundred yeares and now flourisheth under Lewis the 13. the now raigning King of France Although the French have done many things worthily out of their owne Countrey in the East against the Saracens although they have for a while held Sicily the Kingdome of Naples and the Dutchy of Millaine yet it hath been observed of them that they could never make good their footing beyōd the Alps France one of the strongest kingdomes in all Europe or in other forraigne Regions howbeit in it selfe France is one of the
England One of the honourable commendations which are reputed to bee in this Realme is the * Fair and large Churches fairenesse of our greater and larger Churches which as it doth yet appeare in those which wee call Cathedrall Churches many of them being of very goodly and sumptuous buildings so in times past it was more to be seene when the Abbeyes and those which were called Religious Houses did flourish whereof there were a very great number in this Kingdome which did eate up much of the wealth of the Land but especially those which lived there giving themselves to much filthinesse and divers sorts of uncleannesse did so draw downe the vengeance of God upon those places that they were not only dissolved but almost utterly defaced by King Henry the eight 1. Archbishopricks and 24. other Bishopricks There are here two Archbishoprickes and twenty foure other Bishoprickes within England and Wales It was a tradition among old Writers that Britaine did breed no Wolves in it neither would they live here but the report was fabulous in as much as our Chronicles do write that there were here such store of them that the Kings were enforced to lay it as an imposition upon the Kings of Wales who were not able to pay much money for tribute that they should bring in yearely certaine hundreds of Wolves by which meanes they were at the length quite rid from Wolves * The Countrey of Wales had in times past a King of it selfe yea Of Wales and sometimes two the one of North Wales and the other of South-wales betweene which people at this day there is no great good affection But the Kings of England did by little and little so gaine upon them that they subdued the whole Countrey unto themselves and in the end King Henry the eight intending thereby to benefit this Realme and them did divide the Countrey into Shires appointed there his Iudices itinerantes or Iudges of the circuite to ride and by Act of Parliament made them capable of any preferment in England as well as other Subjects When the first news was brought to Rome that Iulius Caesar had attempted upon Britaine Tully in the elegance of his wit as appeareth in one of his Epistles did make a flowt at it saying that there was no gaine to bee gotten by it For gold here was none nor any other commodity to bee had unlesse it were by slaves whom he thought that his friend to whom he wrote would not looke to be brought up in learning or Musicke Note But if Tully were alive at this day hee would say that the case is much altered in as much as in our Nation is sweetnesse of behaviour abundance of Learning Musicke and all the liberall Artes goodly Buildings sumptuous Apparell rich Fare and whatsoever else may bee truely boasted to bee in any Countrey neere adjoyning * Of Scotland The Northerne part of Brittaine is Scotland which is a Kingdome of it selfe and hath beene so from very ancient time without any such Conquest or mayne transmutation of State as hath beene in other Countries It is compassed about with the Sea on all sides saving where it joyneth upon England and it is generally divided into two parts the one whereof is called the Hye-land and the other the Low-land The Low-land is the most ' civill part of the Realme wherin religion is more orderly established and yeeldeth reasonable subjection unto the King but the other part called the Hye-land which lyeth further to the North or else bendeth towards Ireland is more rude and savage and whether the King hath not so good accesse by reason of Rockes and Mountaynes as to bring the Noblemen which inhabite there to such due Conformity of Religion or otherwise as hee would This Countrey generally is more * Scotland very pooâ—e in former times poore than England or the most part of the Kingdomes of Europe but yet of late yeares the wealth thereof is much increased by reason of their great trafficke to all the parts of Christendome yea unto Spaine it selfe which hath of late yeares beene denied to the English and some other Nations and yet unto this day they have not any Shippes but for Merchandize neither hath the King in his whole Dominion any vessell called A man of Warre Some that have travelled into the Northerne parts of Scotland doe report that in the Solstitium aestivale they have scant any night and that which is is not above two houres being rather a dimnesse than a darknesse The language of the Countrey is in the Lowland a kind of barbarous English But towards Ireland side they speake Irish * Thereason why it is said that in Brittain are soure languages which is the true reason whereof it is reported that in Brittaine there are foure Languages spoken that is Irish in part of Scotland English for the greatest part Welsh in Wales and Cornish in Cornwall In the Confines between the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland which are commonly called the * Borderers great Robbâ—s and Stealers Borders there lie divers Outlawes and unruly people which as being subject to neither Prince by their good wils but so farre as they list do exercise great robberies and stealing of Cattell from them that dwell thereabout and yet the Princes of both Realmes for the better preservation of Peace and Iustice doe appoint certaine Warders on each side who have power euen by Martiall Law to represse all enormities The Queene of England had on her side three whereof one is called the * Lord Warden of the Marches Lord Warden of the East Marches the other of the West Marches the third the Warden of the middle Marches who with all their power cannot so order things but that by reason of the out-rages thereabouts committed the borders are much unpeopled whiles such as desire to be civill do not like to live in so dangerous a place It hath beene wondred at by many that are wise how it could bee that whereas so many Countries having in them divers Kingdomes and Regiments did all in the end come to the Dominion of one as appeareth at this day in Spaine where were wont to bee divers Kings and so in times past in England where the seven Kingdomes of the Saxons did grow all into one yet that England and Scotland Note being continuate within one Iland could never till now bee reduced to one Monarchy whereof in reason the French may bee thought to have beene the greatest hinderance For they having felt so much smart by the Armes of England alone in so much that sometime all that whole Countrey almost hath beene over-runne and possessed by the English have thought that it would bee impossible that they should resist the force of them if both their Kingdomes were united and joyned into one The Custome therefore of the Kings of France in former times was that by their Gold they did binde unto them the Kings and
by blowing and whifling doth both cause the fire never to extinguish and sometimes according unto the strength of the blast doth make flames breake out either more or lesse There are in the Hill Aetna two principall places which are like unto two Furnaces with Tunnels on the top of them where divers times but especially in the Evening and Night the flame doth appeare mounting upwards and it is so strong that oftentimes it brings up with it burnt and scorching stones and peeces of hard substances which seemes to bee rent out of some Rocke to the great terrour and danger of any that doe come neere This is that place whither Empedocles threw himselfe Note that hee might be reported a God This is it whereof Virgil doth make his Tract called Aetna which the Poets did report to bee the Shop of Vulcan where Cyclopes did frame the Thunderbolts for Iupiter And to conclude that is it which some of our grosse Papists have not feared to imagine to be the place of Purgatory As they have beene so foolish to thinke that there is also another place called the Mount Veda in Jseland where soules have another Purgatory to bee punished in but there by colde which Surius in his Commentaries is so absurdly grosse as to report and allow * The Papists Purgatory is the fiery Aetna The Papists have show for their Purgatory in Aetna out of that Book which is commonly called by the name of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great For in that Booke there are divers things to that purpose But our best Writers of late have discovered that that same Treatise is a counterfeit being made by a later Pope Gregory and not by the first of that name ordinarily called Gregorius Magnus who although hee have in his Workes divers things tending to Superstition yet hee was never so absurde as to write things so unprobable foolish and grounded upon so bare reports as these were Such another Hill as the Mountaine of Aetna is was in time past Vesuvius a Hill in Campania which is part of Italy but this never had the like continuance as that of Aetna although in the time of Pliny the fire did breake forth there and so strongly as that the elder Pliny who spent all his time in discovering the secrets of Nature pressing neere to behold it was stifeled with the flame smoke or ashes so that hee * The dâ—ath of Pliny the elder died in the place as is most excellently described in the Booke of his Epistles by his Nephew the younger Plinie Not farre from Sicily on the South lyeth the little Ile called in old time Melita whence those Dogs come which are so much desired under the names of Canes Melitenses * Note This is the place where Saint Paul was cast up after his shipwrack in his journey to Rome where the Viper hanged on his hand and did not hurt him This Countrey is now called * Malta the onely place for repelling the Turks Malta is one of the places most renowned in the world for repelling of the Turkes When Soliman the Emperour of them did send against it a most mighty Army it was then defended by them who are called the Knights of Malta which by Sea doe great spoyle to the Gallies of the Turke that passe that way There were in times past divers Orders of Knights and men that had vowed themselves to adventure their lives and whole state for the maintenance of Christs Religion and some places of the Earth against the Infidels and Saracens The most ancient of all those were called the * The society of the Knights Templers Templers who were a great corporation or societie consisting of divers Gentlemen younger brothers for the most part out of all the Realmes of Christendome Their chiefe charge was to defend the Citie of Ierusalem and the Reliques or remainder of the Temple there and Sepulcher of Christ for the preservation of which places together with the rest of the Holy Land they had given unto them and purchased for their money very rich and ample possessions in England France Spaine Jtaly and other places of Europe in so much that in the dayes of Mathew Paris hee reporteth that they had under them many thousands of Mannours They had also in every kingdom where their Order was permitted a great and ample house where some chiefe of their company did lye who received the Rents within that Kingdome and caused the money to bee transported into the Holy Land and other Ordinances to be made and executed belonging unto their Order of which houses the Temple that is now in London was a chiefe one which had in f rmer times belonged to the Iews but was afterwards translated to that use when the Holy Land was quite taken by Saladine and could never be recovered into the hands of the Christians since the Societie of these Templers ceased * The Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruine the Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruine and their Lands were dispersed into divers mens hands In the same time when the Templers were in their strength there was another sort called the * Hospitallers Hospitallers whose condition and employment was very like unto the other both of them fighting for the preservation of Palest na Wee reade that sometimes these two companies had great jarres betweene themselves whereby grew much hinderance to the Warres against the Infidels All these were accounted as Orders of Religion and therefore it was forbidden them at any time to marry without dispensation from the Pope because not being entangled to Wife and Children they might be more resolute to adventure their lives After them grew up the order of the * The Knights of Rhodes Knights of Rhodes who since they could not live in the Holy Land yet would abide as neere unto it as possible they might and therefore partly to preserve Pilgrimes which should goe to visit the Sepulchre of Christ and partly to infest the Turkes and Saracens but especially to keepe the Enemies of Christ's Faith from encroaching further upon Christendome which most earnestly they did and doe desire they placed themselves in the Ilands of Rhodes where daily doing great scath unto the Turke Solyman the great Warriour could not endure them but with a mighty Army so over-laid them that hee wonne the Island from them The Knights of Malta After the losse of Rhodes the Island of Malta was given unto these Knights by Charles the Fift Emperour whereupon they are now called the Knights of Malta for the great Master after hee came from Rhodes went into Candy and from thence into Sicily and so into Jtaly from thence hee made a Voyage into England and then into France and lastly into Savoy from whence hee departed with the Religion into this Island and there they continue and behave themselves as in the former Iland and offering no violence unto Christians they
and so to the Molucco Ilands then homeward from the East by Africke did in a devise give the Globe of the Earth with this word or motto Primus me circumdedisti which is not simply to be understood that never any had gone round the World before him but that never any of fame for Magellane himselfe was slaine as before is noted or else he did doubt of the truth of that narration that the Ship called Victoria did returne with safety into Spaine The Maps which were made at first concerning America Peru did so describe the Westerne part of Peru as if when a man had passed Magellane Straits and did intend to come upwards towards Nova Hispania on the further side he must have borne much West by reason that the Land did shoot out with a very great Promontory and bending that way But our Englishmen which went with Sir Francis Drake did by their owne experience certainely finde that the Land from the uttermost end of the Straits on Peru side did goe up towards the South directly without bending to the West and that is the cause wherefore all the new Maps and Globes especially made by the English or by the Dutch who have taken their directions from our men are reformed according to this new observation When the Spaniards had once found an ordinary passage from the South Sea towards the Moluccoes they never ceased to travaile that way and discovered more and more and by that meanes they have found out divers Ilands not knowne in former Ages as two for example sake a good distance from the Moluccoes which because * Insulae Latronum they be inhabited by men which do steale not only each from other but doe pilfer away all things that they can from such strangers as doe land thereabouts they are called Insulae Latronum They have also descryed some other neere unto the East Indies which they now tearme * Jnsulae Solomonis Insulae Solomonis But the most renowned of all are those of whom the name is given * Philippinae Philippina in remembrance of Philip the Second King of Spaine at whose cost they were discovered * Their Richâ—s These Philippinae are very rich and from thence is brought abundance of costly Spices and some other rich Merchandize yea and Gold too There were also some other Ilands descryed by Magellanus himselfe which he called * Insulas infortunatas Insulas infortunatas as being of quality contrary to the Canaries which are tearmed the fortunate Islands for when hee passing thorow the South Sea and meaning to come to the Moluccoes where hee was slaine did land in these Ilands thinking there to have furnished himself with victuals and fresh water hee found the whole places to be barren and not inhabited Of the Countreys that lie about the two Poles HAving laid downe in some measure the description of the olde known World Asia Africa and Europe with the Islands adjoyning unto them and also of America which by some hath the title of New-found-world it shall not be amisse briefly to say something of a fift and sixt part of the Earth the one lying neer the South Pole and the other neer the North which are places that in former times were not known nor thought of When Magellanus was come downe to the Southerne end of Peru he found on the further side of the Straits a maine and huge land lying towards the South-Pole which some of his name called since * Regio Magellanica Regio Magellanica and that so much the rather because he touched upon it againe before he came to the Moluccoes Since his time the Portugales travelling towards Calecut and the East Indies there have some of them bin driven by tempest so far as to that which many now call the South Continent and so divers of sundry Nations have there by occasion touched upon it It is found therefore by experience for to goe along all the degrees of longitude and as in some places it is certainely discovered to come up so high towards the North as to the Tropicke of Capricorne so it is conjectured that towards the South it goeth as farre as to the Pole The ground whereof is that never any man did perceive the Sea did passe thorow any part thereof nay there is not any great River which hath yet beene described to come out of it into the Ocean whereupon it is concluded that since somewhat must fill up the Globe of the Earth from the first appearing of this land unto the very Pole and that cannot be any Sea unlesse it should be such a one as hath no entercourse with the Ocean which to imagine is uncertaine therefore it is supposed that it commeth whole out into the Land to the Antarticke Pole which if it should be granted it must needs be acknowledged withall that this space of Earth is so huge as that it equalleth in greatnesse not only Asia Europe and Africa but almost America being joyned unto them Things memorable in this Countrey are yet reported to be very few only in the East part of it over against the Moluccoes some have written that there bee very waste countries and wildernesses but we find not so much as mention whether any do inhabit there or no. And over against the promontory of Africke which is called Caput bonae spei there is a Countrey which the Portugals called * Psittacorum Regio Psittacorum regio because of the abundant store of Parrots which they found there Neere to the Magellane straits in this South part of the world is that land the Spaniards call Terra del fuego * Terra del fuego those also which have touch'd at it in other places have given to some parts of it these names Boach Eucach Maletur but we have no perfect description of it nor any knowledge how or by whom it is inhabited * A description of the people About this place the said Portugals did at one time saile along for the space of 2000. Miles and yet found no end of the land And in this place they reported that they saw inhabitants which were very faire and fat people and did goe naked which is the more to be observed because we scant read in any writer that there hath bin seen any people at all upon the South-coast More towards the East not far from the Moluccoes there is one part of this countrey as some suppose although some doubt whether that be an Iland or no which commeth up so high towards the north as the very Aequinoctial line and this is commonly called * Nova Guinea Nova Guinea because it lieth in the same climate and is of no other temperature then Guinea in Africke is I have heard a great Mathematician in England finde fault both with Ortelius and Mercatâ—r and all our late Makers of Maps because in describing this Continent they make no mention of any Cities
Kingdomes or Common-wealths which are seated and placed there whereof he seemed in confidence of words to avouch that there be a great many and that it is as good a Countrey as almost any in the world Note But the arguments why he gathered it to be so he did not deliver and yet notwithstanding it may be most probably conjectured that the Creator of the world would not have framed so huge a masse of Earth but that hee would in his wisdome appoint some reasonable creatures to have their habitation there Concerning those places which may be supposed to lie neere unto the Northerne Pole there hath in times past something been written which for the particularity thereof might carry some shew of truth if it be not throughly looked into It is therefore by an olde tradition delivered and by some written also that there was a Fryer of Oxenford who took on him to travaile into those parts which are under the very Pole which he did partly by Negromancie wherein hee was much skilled and partly againe by taking advantage of the frozen times by meanes whereof he might travell upon the Ice even so as himselfe pleased It is said therefore of him that he was directly under the Pole and that there he found a very huge and blacke Rocke which is commonly called * Nigra Rupes Nigra Rupes and that the said Rock being divers miles in circuit is compassed round about with the Sea which Sea being the bredth of some miles over doth runne out into the more large Ocean by foure severall currents which is as much to say as that a good pretty way distant from the Nigra Rupes there are foure severall Lands of reasonable quantitie and being situated round about the Rocke although with some good distance are severed each from other by the Sea-running betweene them and making them all foure to be Ilands almost of equall bignesse But there is no certaintie of this report and therefore our best Mathematicians in this latter age have omitted it Our travellers of later years have adventured so farre to their great danger in those cold and frozen Countries that they have descryed * Groin-Land Groin Land which lieth as far or beyond the circle Artick but whether it goe so farre out as unto the Pole they cannot say which is also to bee affirmed of the Northerne parts of America called by some Estote-land for the opening wherof our English-men have taken great paines as may easily appeare by the new Globes and Maps in which all the Capes Sounds and Furlongs are called by English names Their purpose was in attempting this voyage to have found out a passage to China Cathaio by the north parts of America but by the snowes which fell in August and September as also by the incredible Ice there after many hazards of their lives they were forced to returne not knowing whether there bee any current of the Sea that might leade to the East Indies or how farre the Land doth reach Northward In like sort some of our English Merchants to their great charges set forth Fleets to descry the Seas towards the East yet going by the North and there have found many unknowne Countries as * Nova Zembla Nova Zembla * Sir Hugh Willoughbies Land Sir Hugh Willoughbies Land and other more but of certaine what is very neere unto the Pole they could never finde They have also so far prevailed as to reach one halfe of the way towards Cathaio by the North going East-wards insomuch that by the river Ob and by the Bay of Saint Nicholas they bring the Merchandize downeward into Russia But whether the Sea doe goe thorow out even to the farthest Easterne parts or whether some great Promontory doe stretch out of the maine Continent unto the very Pole they cannot yet attaine to know These things therefore must be left uncertaine to further discoveries in future ages UNIVERSITIES In England 1 Oxford 2 Cambridge Vniversities in Spain 1 Toledo lat 40.10 long 16.40 2 Sivill lat 37.30 long 14.20 3 Valencia lat 39.55 long 21.10 4 Granada lat 37.30 long 17.15 5 Saint Iago lat 40.5 long 15.40 6 Valladolib lat 42.5 long 15.45 7 Alcalade Henaros lat 40.55 long 17.30 8 Salamanca lat 14.20 long 14.4 9 Carageca lat 42.22 long 22.20 10 Siguenca lat 14.35.20 lo. 18.20 11 Lerida lat 42.20 long 18.20 12 Huesca lat 42.50 long 21.20 13 Lisbon lat 38.50 long 10.50 14 Coimbra lat 40. long 11.25 15 Ebora lat 37.38 long 20. In the I le Majorica 1 Majorica In Polonia 1 Cracovia 2 Posue In Prussia 1 Koningsberg In Lituana 1 Wild. In France 1 Paris lat 48.10 long 23. 2 Poicters lat 46.10 long 19 10. 3 Lions lat 44.30 long 25.40 4 Anger 's lat 47.25 long 18.10 5 Avignon lat 42.30 long 25.50 6 Orleans lat 47.10 long 22. 7 Burges lat 46.20 long 22.10 8 Cane lat 49.45 long 19.20 9 Rhemes lat 48.30 lon 25.25 10 Burdeaux lat 44.30 lon 17 50. 11 Tolouse lat 43.5 long 20.30 12 Nismo lat 42.30 long 25. 13 Montpellier lat 42. long 24.30 14 Bisanton lat 46.30 long 27.48 15 Lole lat 46.10 long 27. In Jtalie 1 Rome lat 41.20 long 38. 2 Venice lat 44.50 long 37. 3 Padua lat 44.45 long 31.10 4 Bononia lat 43.33 long 35.50 5 Ferrare lat 44. long 36. 6 Millan lat 44.40 long 33. 7 Pavia lat 44. long 33.5 8 Turin lat 43 45 long 31.30 9 Florence lat 42.35 long 35.50 10 Pisa lat 42.40 long 35. 11 Sienna lat 42.20 long 36.15 12 Modena lat 13.50 lon 35.40 In Bohemia 1 Prage Of Germany 1 Collen lat 51. long 30. 2 Basil lat 47.40 long 31. 3 Mentz lat 50. long 31. 4 Wisburge lat 50. 5 Triers lat 49.50 6 Heidleberge lat 49.25 long 33. 7 Tubinge lat 49.50 8 Ingolstad lat 49.40 9 Erfurt lat 50. 10 Leistgige lat 51.10 11 Wittenberg lat 51.20 12 Frankford in Order 52.10 13 Rostoch lat 53.40 14 Grisswald lat 53.50 15 Friburg lat 48. 16 Marburg lat 50.40 17 Vienna lat 48.40 18 Diling in Switzerland neere Dovaw In Germania inferiori 1 Lovaine lat 51. long 23. 2 Doway lat 50.30 long 29. 3 Liege lat 50.30 long 29. 4 Leiden lat 52.10 long 27 20. In Denmarke 1 Cobenbagen lat 56.50 long 34.30 In Moravia 1 Olmnes In Scotland 1 S. Andrewes 2 Aberdon Of England In England are contained Shires 52 Bishoprickes 26 Castles 186 Rivers 555 Chases 13 Forrests 18 Parkes 781 Cities 25 Parish-Churches 9725 Bridges 956 FINIS