reporteth that their battell seemed rather to consist of Giants than of ordinary Souldiers Neither hath any Nation ever dealt more at adventure or hath used more boldnesse and blinde fury than the Portugals whose voyages beyond the Cape of Good-Hope and the Straights of Sinca-Pura their conquests of Ormus of Goa of Malacca and the Moluccos the defence of Cochin of Diu of Chaul and of Goa are more true and commendable than in reason likely to have prospered Military valour now is usually increased by some such like means as these First by using them to the wars Secondly by treating them like free men not like slaves Thirdly by inuring them to Arts manly Fourthly by appointing military rewards and honours for the souldiery When people are inured to the warres it takes away the horrour and hideous feare of it and makes it but a kinde of trade to the followers who desire it to live by it One of our lusty ploughmen of mid England would at fifty-cuffes or cudgels soundly beclowt a Hollander but yet for that he never saw men with iron faces he durst as well take a sheet of an hedge as come within the cracke of a pistoll whereas t is usuall for the Bores of Holland some with firelocks some with Loapestaves to make out parties of foot to goe a-bootehaling and even to set upon the horse of the enemie And all this is because the Englishman is not used to it and the Hollander is For the same reason there is much difference betwixt the same people in time of warre and after a long and effeminating peace That felt Hannibals souldiers after their long and lazie quarter in Capua Before Da'lvaes comming into the Low-Countries to provoke the Hollanders there was not a more simple cullion in the world than a Dutchman and now no where a braver man and what hath effeminated our English but a long difuse of armes Finally though in a hard battell there would appeare a great deale of difference betwixt an old beaten souldier who had seene men die familiarly even the sight of bloud making men fierce and fearelesse and a man of our traine bands of London yet surely would the Londoner much sooner prove fit for a battell than the unexperienced country-man even for that little use which he hath had of his Armes in the Artillery garden and Military yard of such force is use and custome to the increase of military valour Most requisite it is that what people a Prince would make valiant he should use freely and not like slaves A Nation overlaid with taxes will never prove military In France therefore where the peasant is but the day-labourer for his Land-lord the Monsieur and never suffered to eat good bit to weare good ragge or scarce to lay up a quart-deseue at the years end the Prince does not much trust to the Enfantery which is made up of this slavish people Inforced impositions mightily abate peoples love and courages and the blessing of Iudah and Issachar will never meet That the same people should prove the Lions whelpe which is used like an Asse betweene two burthens But where the yeoman or husbandman may eat what he breeds spend what he earnes and have the benefit of the Law against the best gentleman of the Country there are they fit for an helmet And all this is in England in no Nation under heaven does the common man live so freely or dares spend so frankly no where so free minds or so able bodies Three other usages have we had in England which have kept our people in spirit and valour One was the tenure of Knights service by vertue of which when the Lord of the Mannor was called to serve the King he drew his Tenants after him who would not budge a foot but live and die with their Land-lord and Captaine for if they proved cowards to their Land-lord how should they looke his sonne in the face and how disgraced should they be at their returne into their owne Country Thus proved we victorious in France The second usage was perfected by King Henry the seventh which was to reduce the Farmes and houses of husbandry to a standard assigning such a proportion of land to each as might breed a subject to live in a convenient plenty neither with so much as should effeminate him into the ease of a gentleman nor with so little as should discourage him with beggery The third usage was the frequency of Serving-men and Retainers who before that the sinne of drunkennesse had overflowed their gals and courages were no whit for valour and service inferiour to the Yeomanrie All these being kept in freedome were maintained in courage able and willing to serve both their Prince and Country A third thing necessary to breed courage in a Nation is if other reasons of State will beare it that there be more addicted to arts manly than unto sedentary and within-doores occupations Such I mean as require the strength of the backe and brawne of the arme rather than the finenestle of the braine or finger Some have thought that the multitudes of Monkes and Friers would if need were be a great strengthening to the Papacie and fight hard for their Grandfire of Rome But most assuredly those cage-birds have no military minds at all When Rome was beleagred by the Duke of Burbon in Charles the fifth his time and taken too not a Frier came to the rescue The Kings of England have sometimes made bold with the treasure of the Monasteries but never thought their persons serviceable Had they beene martiall-minded such multitudes would never have suffered themselves to be turned out of their warme nests in King Henry the eighths time without stroke striking And surely the taking in of the Dutch and Waltons into our Cities of England was more out of charity than policie for they being all given to neat and delicate manufactures may seeme rather to bring riches than strength to the kingdome Nor have our Kings hitherto tryed any of them in their souldierie Studious delicate and sedentary arts are not fit for armes t is the whip the plough-stafte the slayle the hammer and the hatchet that breeds the lusty souldier that makes able bodies and couragious spirits Another great maintainer of courage is the invention and worthy bestowing of military honours and rewards after the service is done The Romanes had their Triumphs and Ovations their Garlands and their Donatives to inhearten their souldiers Orders of Knighthood were also invented for this purpose But what 's all this to the common Souldier who hath no reward assigned untill he be lame and that a little from the Treasurer As for releefe in an hospitall a serving-man can make better meanes to get into it than a poore souldier after twenty or thirty years service This is a discouragement But nothing so bad as the Spaniards whose practice hath beene for these many ages to reward most of his great Captaines
and short that it cannot ripen the clusters of the vine It bringeth forth a race of excellent horse fit for journies in regard of their ambling paces but not commendable for indurance It breedeth the injurious Wolfe and the Fox as also all other creatures tame and gentle necessary for life but of lesser growth except the Grey-hound Almost all the woods are replenished with Deere and those so fat that they can frant runne for fatnesse with Bores Hares in great abundance Goats Fallow-Deere Hedg-Hogges and Moales are seldome seene but Mice infinite it aboundeth also with Falcons Merlins Eagles Cranes and in the Northerly parts with Swannes Storks are very rarely heard of thorow the whole Island but such as are there found are blacke Pies and Nightingales are altogether wanting By reason of the Sea their famous Rivers and spacious Lakes it is served with most excellent Fish and that peculiar to this Island onely For to let passe many other in Vlster the Ban being a most faire and cleare water and arising out of the Lake of Eaugh is the most plentifull River for Salmon that is to be found thorowout all Europe For plenty and varietie the like is to be reported of Sineus and Erno a Lake by Camdens report thirty miles long and fifteene broad Report saith that this was once a delicate plot of ground and well inhabited but for the bestiall abuse of the people it was suddenly swallowed in the waters And to prove this true men say that in faire seasons the Turrets and tops of houses are in the bottome to bee discerned The Island became subject to the Crowne of England about the yeare of our Lord 1175. Henry the second then reigning At what time Roderic King of Conaght intituling himselfe King of Ireland inforced the residue of those petty Roytelets to crave assistance of the King of England under whose protection they voluntarily yeelded their obeysance It hath fifty Bishopricks whereof Armach is a Primacy and Metropolitan of the whole Island Cassils is another Archbishopricke authorized by Pope Eugenius and hath under it nine suffragan Bishops Dublin is another and Toam another It is divided into foure Provinces viz. Leynster which Eastward respecteth EnglaÌ„d Mounster which lieth towards France Southward Conaght exposed to the West And Vlster situated in the Northerly part of the Island Some adde a fifth placed in the middest and terme it Meath Every one now is subdivided into Counties and each Countie into Baronies and hundreds and every Barony into Parishes consisting of Manors Townes and Villages after the manner of England â— That parcell of territorie which anciently was termed the Pale is about the quantity of Yorke-shire in England and is a Country at this day inhabited by Noblemen and Gentlemen descended of Engliâ—â— race being civill men and have continued their obediencâ— to the Crowne of England and retained their English language since the first conquest This people doe commonly marry within themselves and not with the meere Irish who could never in their sundry rebellions draw the said inhabitants to joyne with them by flattery or expell them by force The first Colonies planted therein were composed of worthy and noble Englishmen and especially seated in Dublin and other Cities and borough townes thorowout the Realme whose progeny having the mannagement of the affaires of the kingdome subdued by degrees the greatest part of the Irish and brought them under subjection to the Crowne of England And so long as they and their posterity were imployed as principall Officers in time of warre and peace being men throughly informed of all passages within the Kingdome and acquainted with the dispositions of the people the Realme was worthily governed and duly increased in civility and yeelded some profit to the crowne without charge Other English Colonies at sundry times have there beene since planted and especially by our late and moderne Soveraignes in the Provinces of Mounster and Vlster by the name of Vndertakers whereupon it groweth that the Realme is now inhabited with English and Irish descended of English race and with the meere and ancient Irishmen unto whose Nobilitie and Gentry the sir-names of Mac or O are commonly added Vpon the Conquest Henry the second established the lawes of England then being divided into kinds viz. the Common law as that the elder should inherit his fathers lands and Custome law that by the particular custome of Manors and Townes lands should be divided by the custome of Gavelkinde amongst all his sonnes or that the youngest sonne onely should inherit the same by the custome of Borough-English whereunto is to bee added a third viz. the Statute law He and his successors held the possession thereof with 〈◊〉 soveraigne royalty and kingly prerogatives by the nâ—me of Lords of Ireland untill the day of king Henry the eighth who by act of Parliament was acknowledged intituled and entred King of the said kingdome and so continueth it unto this day being governed as a distinct kingdome by a Lieutenant for Authority Traine Furniture Provision c. farre surpassing any Deputation thorowout Christendome wherein Courts of Parliament are have there beene held conâ—â—sting of the three Estates of the kingdome in the same forme as is used in England by commission from the King under the great seale of England authorizing the Viceroy or Deputie to summon a parliament there and to give the Royall assent unto such acts as are agreed upon in that Parliament wherein the King and his Councell of Estate of England are to bee informed by certificate under the great seale of Ireland by force of a Statute made in Ireland in the tenth yeare of Henry the seventh And after the kings allowance the bils to be enacted and propounded in the Parliament there So the Lord Deputy by force of the said Commission gives the Kings royall assent to such acts as are agreed upon in the said Parliament there So as I said before Ireland is not onely governed by the Common lawes of England by certaine ancient customes of that realme and this and by divers statutes here and there also upon occasion enacted but also the like Courts and formes of Iustice are there according to the said lawes used and administred And also the Iudiciall records are made in Latine and the Iudges and Lawyers doe plead in English as is accustomed in England For the studying of which Lawes the Irish Gentlemen doe send their sonnes to the Innes of Court in England being alwayes such as are descended of English race and not of meere Irish who are allowed to practise in England after they are called to the Barre as Englishmen are also allowed to practise in Ireland Neither the Nobility nor Commons of Ireland have any suffrage in the election of the Viceroy or blazing of Soveraigne Magistrates but all is done by the King and such as are especially authorized And the inhabitants of Cities and Borough-townes in Ireland by their charters which they have from the
Kings of England doe elect their Magistrates and Officers as the Cities and townes of England doe In England the ancientest Earles of Ireland do give precedency to the Earleâ— of England for that they have no voice in the Parliament of England neither hath the Nobility of England any voyce or prerogative in the Parliaments of Ireland so Irishmen borne are denizens by birth in England and may beare Office and inherit lands in England as experience teacheth without charters of denization as Englishmen are and doe in Ireland And so Irishmen pay onely such customes and duties in England as Englishmen doe and ought The Wards of the Nobilitie are disposed of by the King and of inferiour persons by the Viceroy and certaine of the Councell there according to their Commission Even so titles of honours lands and offices are usually granted by the Kings of England under the great seale of England or Ireland according to pleasure The incivility wherewith this so goodly a kingdome hath beene much branded hath chiefly arisen from want of education and learning And secondly for that the Country aboundeth with idle men having no trade whereupon to live which onely abuse hath incouraged rebellion the Ring-leaders not doubting to bee followed by these swarmes of dissolute persons ready to take armes upon any occasion for desire of spoile But verily sithence that now of late the King of Peace and Pietic hath wiped away all distrust of former neglects by his continuall industry to plant Religion and Arts to re-people the wasted Provinces and to extirpate the innated idlenesse of the worst bred Irish there is no question under God to be made but that this beautifull Island being so neere a neighbour so fruitfull in soile so rich in pasture more than credible beset with so many woods inriched with so many Minerals watred with so many Rivers invironed with so many Havens lying fit and commodious for Navigation into most wealthy Countries will in time prove profitable to the Church advantagâ—ous to the Prince pleasing to the Inhabitants and comparable to any the best and civillest kingdomes of the Christian Common-weale Great Brittaine THe whole Island of Brittaine once divided now re-united under the name of the kingdome of Great Brittaine is an Island situated in the maine Ocean over against France and divided into foure great Provinces The first whereof the Englishmen doe inhabit the second the Scots the third the Welshmen and the last the Cornishmen Every one of those doe differ from other either in language in manners or in customes England so termed of the Englishmen the Inhabitants thereof is by much the greater and goodlier portion and divided into nine and twenty Provinces which they terme Shires Of the which ten doe make the prime part of the Kingdome and inclining towards the South have their existence betweene the Thames and the Sea Next as farre as the Trent which runneth thorow the middest of England are sixteene other Shires proportioned whereof the first six lie towards the East and the other ten lie more to the Inland other six border upon Wales and are bounded towards the West About the heart of the Kingdome lie Darbishire Yorkeshire Lancashire and Cumberland And upon the left hand inclining towards the West Westmerland Vpon the contrary side lie Durham and Northumberland Provinces opposed to the North and sometime appertaining to the Crowne of Scotland These Shires are two wayes divided first into six circuits parted among the Iudges who twice a yeare goe over them for the holding of Assises Secondly into two Archbishopricks Canterbury who hath two and twenty Bishoprickes under his Province and Yorke who hath three in his These are by the Grecians termed Dioceses and take their denominations from the Cities wherein the Bishops have their Seas the chiefe whereof is London and was once the seat of an Archbishop now translated unto Canterbury This prime part upon the East and the South is bounded with the Ocean upon the West with Wales and Cornwall upon the North with Tweed the bounder also of England and Scotland At this River of Tweed endeth the length thereof which being accounted to beginne at the Shore which lieth most Southerly is from thence reckoned to containe about three hundred and twenty miles On this side the Humber it is accounted the fertilest for corne beyond mountainous but excellent for herbage For albeit to one that beholdeth it afarre off it seemeth all champiâ—n notwithstanding it hath many hils and those for the most part destitute of wood as also most pleasant vallies wherein especially the Gentlemen have their mansions who according to their old customes dwell not in Townes but approach the Vallies and Rivers and inhabit the Villages as I thinke the better to avoid the furie of tempestuous winds whereunto the Island is sometime subject Wherby it commeth to passe that the Yeomen conversing with the Gentry doe in every place savour of some good fashion and the Vpland Cities are the lesse famoused The land generally is exceeding fertile and plentifull in beasts whereby it commeth to passe that the English people are more addicted unto Grazing than unto Tillage so that almost the third part of the soile is reserved rather for Cattell Deere Conies and Goats a for of this sort also there is great store in Wales And in every Shire you shall see Parkes impaled and Forrests replenished with these beasts in the hunting whereof the Nobility and Gentry doe much delight there being more Parks in England than in all Europe besides For provision of the Inhabitants neither is it lesse stored with corne wilde fowle and fish so that for plenty goodnesse and sweetnesse it needeth neither the helpe of France no nor of any neighbour-bordering Country Among other things the flesh especially of their Swine Oxen and Veales have the best rellish of any part of Christendome and of Fish their Pike and Oysters It bringeth not forth Mules nor Asses but of Horse for pace the best in the world and of those infinite proportions for service running and coursing The wealth hereof consisteth in the never-decaying Mines of Tinue and Lead of Copper Iron and Coales On the Downes groweth a small and tender kinde of grasse neither dunged nor watred with spring or river but in Winter nourished with the moisture of the aire and in Summer with the dew of Heaven which is so gratefull and pleasing to the Sheepe that it causeth them to beare fleeces of singular goodnesse and exceeding finenesse The Island breedeth no Wolves nor any other ravening beast and therefore these their flockes wander night and day by Hils Dales and Fields as well inclosed as common without feare or danger Most delicate Cloths are woven of this Wooll which from thence are transported in great abundance into Germany Poland Denmarke Sweveland Italy Turkie and the Indies where they are in high request There grow all sorts of pulse great store of Saffron yea infinite quantities of
triall for landing or adventure the surprisall of some famous port for want whereof in former ages Xerxes suffered that terrible defeature at Thermipola Before this was done why ranne they away of what were they so fearefull who came like souldiers and resolute men under the title of assurance to conquer such a Nation Did the terrour of a storme onely drive them from hence in such haste were they not resolved to endure such weather as should happen in so great an enterprise Did they thinke to winne England with bigge lookes or to have tamed the people by tricks and dalliance as they had done the surly Portugues and fine Italians their neighbours Surely it seemed the Southerne winds had only inflated their minds as it is reported it doth their mares in the Asturies Where let us leave them and wish that some of those Worthies who yet live and were eye-witnesses of those great and fortunate expeditions undertaken and effected within the 44. yeares space of Her Royall government would take the paines to commit the Relation thereof to everlasting record Which done I make no doubt but that it would appeare beyond all objection That although the English Nation had long breathed under the milde aspect of so gracious a Lady yet 〈◊〉 it no lesse exercised in militarie discipline abroad than in peaceable pleasures at home Yea that the politike Regiment and heroicall actions of a maiden Queen have hardly since the conquest been exceeded by any her Majesties most famous progenitors For be it either in the wise reformation or wonderfull re-establishment of Christian Religion wherein she shewed no lesse constancie than true sincerity or otherwise in continuall comfort or liberall assistance of her distressed neighbours and allies whereof she had a royall and Christian-like regard or else in resolute repelling and fortunate invading her most mighty enemies wherein she was alwayes blest from above with happy and victorious successe her enterprises evermore were crowned with happinesse and in regard thereof throughout all nations her Counsellors were reputed grave and prudent the Realme flourishing and powerfull and herselfe magnanimous and renowned the fruits whereof I doubt not but we enjoy at this day The force at land is nothing inferiour to that at Sea for the kingdome is divided into 52 Shires in one only whereof commonly called Yorkeshire it is thought seventy thousand foot-men may be levied Every shire hath a Lieutenant who seeth to the election and training of souldiers when necessity requireth In chusing of souldiers they take the names of all the inhabitants In the Country from above sixteene yeares of age to sixtie and out of these they chuse the likeliest and ablest for service The taller and stronger are chosen for footmen and these divided into foure kinds The first are Archers by whose dexterity they conquered the greatest part of France tooke King Iohn captive and held Paris sixteene yeares in subjection The Arrowes of the Parthians were never more dreadfull to the Romans than the Bowes of the English to Frenchmen The second sort used browne Bils well headed with Iron with which they would strike and also plucke a man from his horse This was the ancient weapon of the Britons The other two use and experience of latter times hath taught them the one is the Harquebuze the other the Pike a fit weapon for their constitution by reason of their tall strong and man-like stature For their service on Horsebacke they chuse men of small stature but well set active and nimble These horsemen are of two sorts some heavie armed those for the most part are Gentlemen other lighter armed and some riding after the manner of the Albannesses some after the fashion of Italie using a Scull a Iacke a Sword and long light Speares And although they are able to bring to the field 2000. men at Armes and infinite troopes of light Horsemen yet their Horsemen never carried reputation to their Footmen For Edward the third and Henry the fifth which made so many journeyes into France and obtained so many famous victories to shew what confidence they reposed in their Infantely ever left their horse and put themselves into the battell of their footmen wheras the French Kings not daring to inure the Commons to warfare left leaving their manuall occupations and trades they should grow insolent in the warres to which humour they are greatly addicted alwayes put themselves their hopes upon the fortune of their Cavalry being all almost Gentlemen But forasmuch as the French maintaine no good races of horse and to purchase them from other places is a matter of great charge and good cannot alwayes be gotten for money for these reasons and for that Horsemen are nothing so serviceable in the field as footmen I thinke the French have often beene so defeated by the English To shew what force the Kings of England are able to bring into the field let these examples stand for many Henry the eighth passed to Bullvigne with an Army divided into three Battalions In the Vantguard passed twelve thousand footmen and five hundred light-Horsemen cloathed in blew Iackets with red guards The middle ward wherein the King was and passed last over consisted of twentie thousand footmen and two thousand horse cloathed with red Iackets and yellow guards In the rereward was the Duke of Norfolke with him an Army like in number and apparell to the first saving that therein served one thousand Irishmen all naked save their maneles and their thicke gathered skirts Their Armes were three Darts a Sword and a Skeane They drew after them one hundred great peeces besides small an Army by the censure of Guicciardini not more notable by the multitudes of souldiers and consideration of their valour than most glorious by the presence and Majesty of their King in whose person appeared at that instant being in an age disposed and active all those tokens of honour and magnanimity which rising after to their full ripenesse and perfection by degrees of time study experience made him the most renowned and mighty Prince that lived in his age in all this part or circuit of the earth which we call Christendome Their carriages were so many that therewith they intrenched their Campe like a wall And for the conveyance of their Ordnance their baggage and their provision they transported into the Continent above five and twenty thousand horse beside all other kinde of cattell In the aforesaid yeare of 88. after that Queene Elizabeth had provided fully and sufficiently to prevent her enemies at Sea then ceased she not to be as carefull at Land over her owne and her peoples safeties And therfore to be ready against any sinister accident which it might have pleased the Almighty to have given her at Sea at land she appointed five and twenty thousand souldiers to attend the enemy all along the Southerne coast At Tilbury lay the Earle of Leicester with one thousand horse and two and twenty thousand foot
and Forests Grand Master of the Artillerie and others I shall speake of them when I come to relate of the Kings Forces in generall to which place these Offices especially appertaine The first Office then of Court is that of the great Master which in elder times was called Earle of the Palace and after changed into the name of Grand Seneschall and now lastly into Grand Maistre It is his Office to judge of matters of difference betweene other Officers of Court He had also the charge to give the word to the Guard to keepe the Keyes of the Kings private Lodging and to determine in disputes among Princes that followed the Court for their Lodgings In assemblies he sitteth right before the King a staire lower as you reade in the Dern Trobl Great Butler or Taster was in former times a great Office in the Kings House they had place in the Courts of Iustice as Peeres This Office was long in the Counts of Seulis It is now vanished and only there remaines that of the Grand Panetier This Office is ancient he hath besides the Kings House super-intendence over all Bakers in the Citie and Suburbs of Paris They which were wont to be called Pantlers Tasters and Carvers are now called Gentlemen Wayters of the Court. The Office of great Chamberlaine was long in the House of Tankervile he lay at the Kings feet when the Queene was not there His Privileges are now nothing so many as in times past Those which were then called Chamberlaines are now Gentlemen of the Chamber The Office of great Esquire is not very ancient though now it be very honourable and is the same that Master of the Horse is in the Court of England for it is taken out of the Constables Ofâ—â—â—â— to whom it properly appertained It was first instituted at the time of Charles the seventh In the Kings entrance into the Citie he carries the Sword sheathed before him The Cloth of Estate carried over the King by the Maior and Sherifes belongs to his Fee No man may bee the Kings Spur-maker Mareschall and such like Officer but he must have it of him as also other inferiour Offices belonging to the Stables He had in times past the command over Stages of Post-horses but now the Controller generall of the said Posts hath it The Office of Master or Steward of the Kings House hath charge over the expence of the Kings House For a marke of his authoritie he carries a truncheon tipt at both ends with silver and gilt and marcheth before the Sewer when the Kings dinner comes to the Table No Sergeant can arrest any of the Kings House without their leave They serve quarterly they were wont to be but foure but now I have heard it credibly said they be eightie in name but all of these doe not execute the Office The Great Provost of France and of the Kings House was so called since Charles the ninth for before he was called Roy des rebauds King of the Rascals His Office is to stickle amongst the Servants Pages Lacquies and Filles de joye Punkes or pleasant sinners which follow the Court and to punish all offences in these people I should have named before these last as a place more honourable the Office of Great Faulconer and Common Hunt who have authoritie over all Officers of Chase. They of the Kings Chamber are either Gentlemen of the Chamber of whom I spake before or Groomes of the Chamber which are but base Groomes and Yeomen The hundred Gentlemen of his Guard though there be two hundred of them they hold and use a weapon called Le bec de corbin They march two and two before him they are part French and part Scots The Scot carries a white Cassocke powdered with silver plates and the Kings device upon it The French weare the Kings Colours There is also a Guard of Swisse attired in partie-coloured-Cloth drawne out with silke after their Countrey fashion these follow the Court alwayes on foot the other on horse There belong to the Court also the Marshals of Lodgings and Harbingers they have like Offices as the Harbingers in the English Court there bee also divers others which are here needlesse to be spoken of It followeth I speake of his Forces aswell horse as foot of which this Country is very well furnished and indeed vaunteth and I thinke worthily to be the best and greatest Gens d'armerie of any Realme in Christendome but on the other side their foot have no reputation Insomuch as at the Siege of Amrens we should heare the Spaniard within the Towne speake over the wals to our English Souldier in their Trenches after we had saved the Kings Cannon from which the French were shamfully beaten by them within fallying out upon them You are tall Souldiers say they and we honour you much not thinking any foot to come neere us in reputation but you and therefore when you of the English come downe to the Trenches we double our Guard and looke for blowes but as for these base and unworthy French when they come we make account we have nothing to doe that day but play at Cards or sleepe upon our Rampart Of both these Forces of horse and foot of France you are to note this which followeth It is reported of the great Turke that when he conquereth any Province or Country he divideth the Lands upon his horsemen and to each his poâ—tion â—ith an exemption of paying either Rent Tax or â—allage whatsoever only they are bound to serve the Grand Seigâ—ior with a proportion of horse at their owne charge and in their owne person in his warres except either age or sicknesse hinder which are the two only excuses admitted These are called his Timariots of like Nature were the Calasyres or Mamalucks of Aâ—gypt So did the Kings of France in former times bestow upon Gentlemen divers lands and possessions freeing them likewise from taxes and aids upon condition to have their personall service in time of need These Lands were called Feifs instituted before Charlemaigne his time but till then they were given onely for life as at this day are those of the Turks but since they bee hereditary The word Feif hath his Etymology of Foy Faith signifying Lands given by the King to his Nobility or men of desert with Hauâ—â—â— et basse â—ustice with an acknowledgment of fealty and homage and service of the King in his warres at their owne charge Some Feif was bound to finde a man at Armes some an Archer some the third and some the fourth of a man at Armes according to the quantity of Land he held He that had Land from the value of five to six hundred Livres rent that is from fifty to sixty pound sterling was bound to finde a man on Horse-backe furnished for a man at Armes and from three to foure hundred a good light Horse-man who if it please the Prince and upon occasion of service shall
Citie of Placentia and therefore wholly depends thereupon having taken a secret oath to obey him in all commands Proceeding with all possible respect not to give the least occasion of offence by reason that the investiture of Placentia was not granted absolutely to the house of Farnesi but only to the fourth descendencie after which it returnes againe to the King of Spaine as Duke of Millan And therefore his Excellencie that hee may not separate himselfe from his Majesties good liking did lately refuse to linke himselfe in alliance with the great Duke lest hee should displease the King whose minde he saw was bent against 〈◊〉 The Duke of Vrbine being a Prince of small power wholly relies upon his Majestie as receiving his greatest benefit from him to whom he hath committed the charge of all his Italian Cavalrie The Common-wealth of Genoa is like a ship beaten at Sea and tost with contrary winds tempestuous stormes placed as it were betwixt two anchors which are Prince Doria a true borne Citizen and the Ambassadour of the Catholike King who hath the protection thereof in his Masters name to his great benefit If ever he chance to become Sole-Lord thereof it will adde a greater Dominion to his greatnesse for the nature and quality of the situation of that Citie whereof the Spaniards were wont to say That if the King their Master were but once Lord of Marsettes in Provence and of Genoa in Italy by the benefit of these two famous ports hee might easily arrive to the Monarchie of the whole World But howbeit the King of Spaine be not Lord thereof nor yet hath so great a part therein that he can assuredly say that it wholly rests at his command yet by favouring and upholding the greatnesse of the Prince Doria he maketh him the Instrument to serve his turne and by his meanes obtaineth what hee will or can in reason desire of that people deeply interessed in regard that his Majestie hath taken up great summes of money upon interest of them and therefore will take heed how they breake with him lest they be hindred of their gaines peradventure of their principall It hath beene thought that some Kings have beene behinde hand with them for more than a million and a halfe of gold How much Genoa depends upon him was seene in these late warres in which they were wholly protected by him Of the Religion of Malta the said King taketh a particular protection as that in like sort depends wholly upon his pleasure and doth readily execute his royall commandements serving his turne oftentimes in keeping the Coasts of Spaine and the Kingdomes of Naples and Sicily from the incursions of Pyrates and that without any one penie cost or charges to the said King whereof in proper place The Seigniory of Lucca hath placed both it selfe and all that it hath fearing the potencie of the great Duke under the protection of his Majesty In generall the Spanish Nation beareth little love to the Venetian Common-wealth as suspecting it to favour the French and for the strict friendship which it holds with the most Christian King and the most renowned State of England of late his apparant and professed Enemies Againe there is also little inclination of love towards this State because they thinke that it maketh profession to ballance the States and Forces of the Princes of Italy and though they esteeme well enough of it yet they love it not a jot Notwithstanding the Spaniards know that in those warres which may happen betwixt the Turks and this people they cannot out of their particular interests but aid and assist them and that on the contrary from them they have no hope of retribution unlesse in like occasion But withall they assuredly beleeve that the aids which they shall afford it shall be but feeble and slowly subministred in such sort that they shall not give it any great re-enforcement but only such as may be sufficient to save it from ruine yea scarce that Finally for a perfect review of this tedious discourse I wil recite unto you these weighty secret and last instructions given by Philip the second King of Spaine to his son Philip the third father of this present King teaching him how to governe himselfe and his Kingdomes after the decease of his said father brought to light by a servant of Don Christophero di Mora called Roderigo and translated out of Spanish and Dutch into English that the world may see how judiciously this manuscript of the Kings owne hand agreeth with the purport of these Relations SOnne I have often troubled my mind and entered into most deepe and serious considerations how to leave a quiet and setled estate unto you after my decease Howbâ—â—â— neither the long time of my life nor the opportunity of Princes affected to my service would afford me sufficient assistance in this behalfe I confesse that I have spent more than 594. millions of Duckets in lieu whereof I have enjoyed nothing the space of three and thirty yeares but heart-sorrow and vexation of spirit True it is that I recovered Portugal but as lightly as France is escaped from me so likewise may Portugal slide backe Would to God I had followed the counsell of Charles the Emperour my Lord Father of famous memory for then could I much more quietly brooke those my sorrowes and die with a more willing minde leaving to you the succession of this mortall life This then besides so many stately Kingdomes and Seigniories as a perpetuall testament I leave behinde unto you as a mirrour and Looking-glasse wherein you may see how to frame your actions and to carry your selfe in your government after my death Alwayes looke well to the charges and alterations of other States and Countries to the end you make use and reap good profit thereby as occasion shall serve and withall have a cautelous and circumspect eye over them that be in Counsell with you Two meanes you have whereby to maintaine your Spanish Kingdomes the one is Government the other the Trade of the Indies Touching your Government you must draw unto you and relie either upon the Nobilitie or the Spiritualtie of your Dominions If you leane unto the Spiritualtie you must seeke to briâ—ile and curbe the other as I have done but if you meane to strengthen your selfe with the Nobility cut short the Livings and Revenues of the Spiritualtie as much as is possible For holding them both in equall favour they will consume you and besides you shall set your Realmes out of quiet and never come to resolution the ballance being over-weighed sometimes by the one and sometimes by the other My Counsell is that you hold in league with the Provinces of the Netherlands especially if you meane to helpe your selfe with the Nobilitie for they be friends to France England the German Princes And neither Italy Poland Sweden nor Denmarke can stand you much in stead As for the King of Denmarke
you please one of the seven exceeding the ancient two viz. Europe and Africke in largenesse and circuit especially in these our dayes being wholly discovered to the East and North the habitations of the Chinois and Tartars without accounting the Islands thereunto belonging which if they were adjoyned would make a Continent farre fairer than Europe Vpon three parts it is bounded with the vast Ocean sirnamed the Orient on the South with the Indian upon the North with the Scythian upon the West it is somewhere disâ—oyned from Europe and Africk with the Red-sea somewhere with the Mediterranean somewhere with the Euxine and somewhere with the River Tanais The Regions which of old it contained were Ponâ—us Bithynia Phrygia the Great Lycia Galatia Paphlagonia Pamphylia Cappadocia Armenia the Lesse Cilicia Sarmatia Asiatica Colchis Iberia Albania Armenia the Great Cyprus Syria cava Phoenicia Palestina Arabia petrea Mosopotamia Arabia deserta Babylonia Assyria Susiana Media Persis Parthia Carmania deserta Carmania altera Arabia Felix Hyrcania Margiana Bractriana Sogdiana Sacarum Regio Scythia within Imaus Scythia without Imaus Serica Aria Paramisus Drangâ—â—no Arachosia Gâ—drosia India on this side Ganges India beyond Ganges Sinatum Regio and Taproban Generally it enjoyeth a most excellent temperature of ayre and is so rich fertile and barefull for variety of fruits and feeding and so abounding therewith that in all these good gifts it excelleth all Countries whatsoever For here are to be found divers sorts of living Creatures and Plants the like whereof the whole world againe affordeth not As Balme Sugar canes Frankincense Myrrh Cassia Cinamon Nutmegs Pepper Saffron sweet Woods Muske and divers other sorts of Drugs and Odors excellent Gold all sorts of Minerals and precious stones Of beasts it affordeth the Elephant and Camell with divers strange sorts both wilde and tame The people are of excellent wits exceeding rich and happie in all good things This Region hath beene the Parent of many rare spirits and the Seat of most mightie and flourishing Empires As wherein raigned the Monarchs of the Assyrians Persians Babylonians Parthians and Medes No lesse regardfull at this day are the Empires of the Turkes Tartars Persians Mogors Indians and Chinois but indeed most celebrated in Holy Writ for our Creation Fall and Redemption as the Region wherein in a manner all the Histories and Acts mentioned in the Old Testament and a great part of those of the New were wrought and accomplished The Ancients divided it into divers parts but at this present it is best divided into five according to the chiefe and principall Empires therein the first whereof confining with Europe is governed by the Great Duke of Moscovie the second belongeth to the Great Cham the third is commanded by the Turke the fourth is the Kingdome of Persia the fifth comprehendeth that which hath alwayes beene called India and governed by divers Princes for the most part vassals feodaries or tributaries to other Potentates The principall Islands are Iapan Luconia Mindanao Burneo Sumatra Zeiland and Cyprus Russia alias Sarmatia now Moscovia THe Great Duke of Moscovia is Lord of a most large Dominion and within the limits of his jurisdiction are contained many Regions It is bouÌ„ded on the North with Lappia and the North Ocean On the South by the Chrim Tartars On the East by the Nagarans possessing all the Countrey on the East side of Volga towards the Caspian sea On the West and Southwest lye Lituania Livonia and Polonia The naturall Shires pertaining to Russia and whereof perticularly the Great Duke will not without offence but be stiled King are sixteene but farre greater and larger than the Shires of England though not so well peopled The other Provinces being nine with a great part of Siberia being not naturall Russes the Emperours of late yeares have purchased by their swords and subjected them to their Lawes Customes and Taxes Casan and Astrachan by them termed Kingdomes have devolved unto them by like providence As for all his interest in Lituania to the number of thirtie great Townes and more with Narve and Dorp in Livonia they are quite gone surprised of late times by the Kings of Poland and Sweden From North to South measuring from Cola to Astrachan it containeth in length foure thousand two hundred and sixtie Versts a verst is three quarters of a mile English Beyond Cola hee hath more Territory Northward viz. to Tromschna running foure thousand versts welnie beyond Pechinga neere Wardhuis but not clearely possessed by reason that the Kings of Sweden and Denmarke have divers Townes therein aswell as the Russe every one of them claiming the lawfull possession of these Northerne Provinces as in his owne right The breadth taken farthest Westward on the Narve side to the bounds of Siberia Eastward where the Emperour hath some garrisons is foure and forty hundred veâ—sts or thereabouts If these Dominions were all habitable and peopled the Russe Emperour were either very unlikely to hold them or holding them with good government would prove too mighty for his bordering Neighbours And although by the spaciousnesse of these Territories it should seeme that he hath ingrossed many Countries and for brevities sake hath also assumed the titles into the credit and majestie of one Monarchie yet it may well be compared to the fortune of the five Kings that tooke Lot prisoner whom Abraham with his three hundred and eighteene menial-servants released and set at libertie witnesse the proofe which a few resolute and well ordered English souldiers made of late amongst them even in the fields of Novograd where they contracted their owne conditions in despight of that whole Armie which both Poles and Moscovites rallied against them It is situated partly in Europe and partly in Asia which separation is caused by the River of Tanais bounder of Asia and running thorow the middle of the Countrey By which as the Rasse reporteth a man may passe from Mosco to Constantinople and so into all those parts of the world by water only drawing his Boat as their custome is over a little Isthmus of land This passage was proved not long since by a Russe Ambassadour sent to Constantinople who passing the Moscua entred into Ockâ— and from thence as aforesaid drawing his Boat over land fell into Tanais then into Meotis and so to his journeyes end The Pole at Moscua is 55. degrees and ten minutes At Saint Nicholas 63. and 50. minutes The people were once subject to the Tartars whose Prince Roydo in the yeare 1140. conquered Moscovie but Iohn the first incouraged by their civill dissentions denied them tribute In processe of time when Ametes the last successour of Roydo who died at Vilua had overcome the Tartars Precopenses the great Duke adjoyned to his Empire Permia Vestia and Iugria Provinces subject to Ametes From this time the forces of the great Duke increasing Basilius Casan and Iohn the second conquered the Provinces of Citrahan which at this day are called Kingdomes To
advantage yet at least it doth enable us to endure and withstand him that by drawing out the warre in length wee may make him weary of continuance and gives us benefit of time By this temporizing the Venetians being overthrowne in all places by the league of Cambray in the end became Conquerours So that as to him that hath a populous army and finds himselfe mighty and strong it is most convenient to hasten the encounter and to fight without prolonging of time for delay the overthrow of many actions can afford him no other but losse sicknesse infection scarcity famine mutinies and dissolution of forces So for him that is better furnished with money than with men it is most advantagious to prolong the warre and to stand upon the defensive for in the end his money may gaine him victory Finally although some men will not suffer money to be called the sinewes of warre because as Solon answered once to Croesus who in ostentation shewed him his gold Sir if another comes that hath better iron than you he will be master of all this gold yet notwithstanding where numbers policy valour and weapons have not either singly or altogether prevailed there hath money alone done the feat For this have Townes and Kingdomes beene bought of traitors with this purchase we either peace or victory No place is to be held impregnable whither an Asse laden with gold may get up Two great effects it workes First it levies forces suddenly and withall keeps them long together Secondly a monied enemie may fight when he will and but when he will and must needs therefore weary out his adversary and so at last endanger either to overthrow him or force him to a faire composition For want of pay Armies mutinie and will neither muster nor fight and especially the Germans But Spinola hath made great use of a secret of warre how in scarcitie of moneys to awe these mutiniers and that is by paying and contenting the horse and they shall keepe the foot in obedience But this tricke will not alwayes serve for in an Armie a man can hardly tell which is most necessary armes victuals or money this last alwayes fetches in both the other The advantage of site is of much importance for the defending or inlarging of dominion and doth chiefly consist in this that it be convenient for the making of an assault and uneasie to be againe assaulted For a Country being as it were naturally fortified hath easie meanes to make conquests and get victory to the inlargement of their owne dominions and to the overthrow of anothers Of this quality are the situations of Spaine and Araby for both these are as it were pene-Insulaes having their greatest parts incompassed with the Sea whereby they may assaile the Countries neere adjoyning and cannot without great difficulty be assaulted againe The one hath dangerous shores without harbors and is invironed with mountaines having few and secret passages the other is inclosed with sands and desarts Of like quality is Italy And among the Islands England But this advantage of situation I hold not sufficient of it selfe to effect any notable exploit for besides there is required plenty of victuals store of munition armes horses and divers other necessaries without which there is no hope to accomplish any famous expedition Moreover such a disposition and quality of the country is necessarily to be required that the aforesaid habiliments may easily be brought together and removed to places whither occasion shall command And although those which possesse the mountaines and higher places may with advantage come downe upon the plaine and low countries and by reason of the craggednesse and hard passages of their country can hardly be assaulted againe yet have not such people done any thing which may worthily commend them For the mountaines be ordinarily long and narrow or at the least much broken and divided amongst themselves which must needs hinder the speedy drawing together and uniting of their forces and necessaries againe are they unprovided of victuals and of all other things requisite of the warres and therefore altogether unable to continue in action So that they warre rather after the manner of robbers and theeves than of true souldiers It may also be added that the mountaine-men cannot live any long time without intercourse and traffike with the men of the plaine Countrey And therefore if upon any attempt they doe not prevaile at the first brunt their best course will bee to capitulate with their enemies and to returne home againe although with losse as did the Helvetii at the overthrow of Mount S. Claud. So wee may see that the Englishmen which inhabit a plaine and plentifull soile have alwayes prevailed against the Scots and Welshmen who upon presumptions of their naturall situations have divers times molested them For the plaine Country by reason of the fruitfulnesse doth minister all things requisite for warre and to defray charges conveniencie to joyne forces and being gotten together able long time to maintaine them Whereas on the contrary the Mountaines by reason of their barrennesse afford no provision for a long journey nor are any way able to beare the charge of any notable enterprise Wherupon it doth proceed that small Islands having the foresaid qualities of situation have never attained any great Soveraignty because the advantages of the Land are farre greater than those of the Sea Moreover their command cannot be great unlesse it be enlarged by meanes of the firme Land for Islands hold the same proportion with the Continent that the part doth with the whole Besides they be for the most part long and narrow as Candy Cyprus Spagniola Cuba S. Laurence and Sumatra and therefore cannot readily bring their forces together Neither will I sticke to say that Islands if not strong in shipping as England and the Netherlands although they may with advantage come forth and assaile others are not withstanding as it were Cities without wals laid open to the spoile of all Invaders As it happened to Sicil being assailed by the Athenians and the Lacedemonians and afterwards by the Carthaginians and the Romans But the Provinces of the firme Land being for the most part of a proportion more round and square have their forces continually neere together and to be speedily united and therefore more ready and apt for opposition Yet to small purpose are all these aforesaid advantages if opportunity give not aid thereunto This opportunity is a meeting and concurring of divers cadences which at one instant doe make a matter very easie and at another time being overslipped it will be impossible or at least very hard to bring to like facility Wherefore amongst many and divers I will here note the most principall The first groweth by the basenesse and negligence of the neighbour Princes arising either by reason of a naturall jealousie defect and dulnesse or of too long a peace So Caesar possest himselfe of Italy and of the Common-wealth being ready
the first patternes Vniversities indowed we onely have Our Armes and Navigations have made us Lords of the Vniverse Our Arts mechanicke are incomparable And all these hath God Almightie blessed with the seat of the Christian Religion among us Europe is much inlarged to the Northward since Ptolomees time The bounds are best seene in the map the length of it is about 3600. Italian miles the breadth 2200. miles The Religions are such as are professed in severall nations either by toleration as the Iewish by the Turke Emperour Pole Pope Venetian and Amsterdam or the Heathen in some remoter parts of Lapland Finland and Norwey where they are rather Witches than Christians Religions established by command are first Mahometisme under the Turke Secondly the Greeks religion in the same parts and in Russia Thirdly the Romish in Spaine Italy France Poland most of the dominions of the Emperour and other Princes of Germanie the Walâ—â—ns and Archduchesse Countries Fourthly the reformed Churches and they follow the doctrine either of the Scriptures Fathers and Councels according to their puâ—â—ty as in England or else have they a relation to the opinions of Doctor Luther as those of Sweden Denmarke the dominions of the Electors of Saxony Brandenburgh and divers others of Germany or of Master Calvin as in France especially the Palatinate Hessenland and Low Countries Calvinisme is also received in Hungaria and Transilvania where there be many reliques withall of Antitrinitarians Arrians Ebionites and Anabaptists Lower likewise in five of the thirteene Cantons of Helvetia and amongst the Grisons doe the Calvinists professe publikely In Bohemia Moâ—avia Silesia c. the Protestants of the Augustane confession were esteemed two third parts Of these severall Churches though some follow the Augustane confession as the Lutherans some the Helvetian as the Switzâ—â—s some the Gallicane as the Calvinists yet all of them agree in the fundamentall and saving points and all accord in their detestation of the Roman as is to bee seene in the Harmony of Confessions Of the Languages of Europe Scaliger finds eleven mother tongues the foure noblest of which be the Greeke Latine Sclavonian and Dutch each subdivided into her daughter-dialects â—â—e learned Greeke is no where vulgarly spoken at this day The moderne is nothing but a barbarous composition of Turkish Sclavonian and Italian with the old Greeke corrupted The Latine worne also out of vulgar use is degenerated into the Italian Spanish and French all which three were anciently called Romanse The Sclavonian is a large a stately tongue it hath these dialects the Bohemian Russian Polonian 〈◊〉 Windish and the Dalmatian The Characters be of two kindes the ancient called the Dalmatian and the Russian letter corrupted from the Greekish These Sclavonian dialects and tongues doe differ yet not so much as the Italian and Spanish The worst of the foure best is the German tongue and that varied into the high and Low Dutch as also into the Saxish Frisâ—an English North-Albing and the Danish which last is variously spoken by the Danes of Denmarke Sweden and Norway whence the Island speech also commeth if these two last be not the ancient Gothish The other seven of meaner elegancie are first the Albanian spoken by the Epirotes Secondly the Tartarian Thirdly the Hungarian brought out of Asia by the Hâ—nnes Fourthly the Finns and Laplanders speech in the North of Sweden Fifthly the Irish. Sixthly the Welsh whose worth being most expressively significant and having beene the language of the ancient Celtae and â—oken in the most part of Europe could not be valued because not understood by the learned Scaliger Dialects if this but much varied are our Cornish and that of Brittaigne in France Seventhly The Biscaigners inhibiting for seven dayes journey on both sides the Pyreâ—â—â— mountaines T is the reliques of the ancient Spanish before it was altered by the Latine Scaliger never heard of the Monks language spoken by ours of the I le of Man the most of which is surely derived from the Irish. The Wallons also of the Low Countries have a French dialect scarce to be understood by a peasant about Paris Ireland THis kingdome by the English Spanish and French is tearmed Irland or Ireland by the Brittish Yuerdhon by the Inhabitants Eryn According to the Celestiall Globe it is situated betweene the Artike Circle and the Tropike of Cancer but neerer the Artike containing in Latitude foure degrees and an halfe and according to the computation of our late Writers betweene the twentie and the 25. Paralels In the South parts their longest day is of sixteene houres with three fourths In the Northerne of almost eighteene According to the Terrestriall it stands between the greater Brittanie and Spaine on the East disjoyned from England wich a tempestuous sea termed Hibernicum not above one dayes sailing upon the West beateth the vast Ocean upon the North where the Deucalidon Ocean disgorgeth it hath Island disjoyned no further than a ship in one day may saile unto upon the South it beholdeth Spaine distant three dayes sailing and the Vergivian Sea From South to North it representeth an Ovall forme and by halfe is lesse than Brittanie Amongst many writers Camden whom a man may best relie upon reporteth that it containeth 400. miles in length and in breadth 200. The aire hereof is most wholsome the situation milde the weather temperate but not altogether good to ripen fruit For neither in Summer season the heat is so parching that it driveth the Inhabitant to seeke the shade neither the cold in Winter so rigorous but that he may well live from the fire side By the influence of the aire all parts of the yeare are tolerably warme It bringeth forth no venomous creature neither nourisheth any brought from other places The quality of the soile and constellation of the Heavens is moist with the most whereupon it commeth to passe that both inhabitants and strangers are troubled with the flix and Rheumes and holpen or prevented with drinking Aqua-vitae The Land is of divers Natures in some place rough and mountainous in others boggie and waterish shadowed with huge woods and exposed to the winds with intermixture of many great Lakes Yea in the ridge of their highest hils mountaines indeed I cannot terme them you shall find pooles marishes It hath goodly havens and delectable plaines but neither comparable to the woods for largenesse nor greennesse It is generally fertile except Vlster which in some parts is fertile in othersome barren And Conaght which in times past through idlenesse hath beene lesse manured than any other Country is fuller of hils and bogges and for the greatest portion woody The hils swarme with cattell and sheepe from whence they reape plenty of butter cheese and milke The wheat thereof is small and short and those vines which they cherish serve rather for shade than profit For in those countries the sunne entring into Virgo causeth cold gales to blow and in Autumne the' after-noones heat is so faint
Common-wealth In Germanie the Boore is somewhat better for he eateth flesh sometimes though vilely dressed will be drunke and merry must be alwayes imployed and alwayes an hungred or desirous of drinke And can apparell himselfe handsomely to goe to Church on Sundayes or Holy-dayes But they are dangerous in their tumults and rages and not to be trusted upon reconciliation after a wrong In Ireland he is termed a churle in England a Clowne but looke on him truly as he liveth indeed and you shall finde him a carefull maintainer of his family in continued descents and in times past he would not have altered his addition of rich Yeoman for the vain-glorious title of poore Gentleman You shall see them dwell in neat houses Manors Lordships and Parks to the annuall value of a thousand pounds sometimes their sonnes knighted their daughters well bestowed their other children so dispersed that Lawyers Citizens Merchants are raised throughout the kingdome from the sonnes and kindred of these countrimen Yea you shall see them invited to the Court by service or promotion and knowing that the breath of Kings advanceth or dejecteth can attend the good hoâ—re and such graces as a Princes favour may distribute to a well-deserving subject Thus liveth our Countriman and is able though but a Farmer to lodge you sweetly and handsomely to set a peece of plate on the Cupboord five or six dishes of good fare on the Table with fresh and fine linnen and a cheerefull welcome He is so nurtured besides that he can tell his Lawyer a formall tale and complaine to the Iustice if a farre better man wrong him And finally in a carowse of good liquor of his owne brewing can chaunt it with the Poet Anglia Liberagens cus Liberamens c. Concerning traffike and imployment at Sea what kingdome hath more commodities within it selfe wanteth lesse or is better furnished from forraine parts So that whether for gaine sake they make sale of the best things or that there is a secret in importation or that our Merchants are curious in selecting the choicest I know not but am sure that our England is the very shop of the World and Magazine of Natures dainties If it be a blessing for every man to eat under his owne roofe to sit with the pleasure of conversation in his Orchard or Garden to enjoy the fruits of the earth with plentie to live in neighbourly gratuities having in a manner our doores open all night to have many children servants and store of cattell to purchase great estates marry our daughters beyond expectation and strengthen one another in worthy families and sutable kindred Then looke upon England and tell mee where is the like If it be a blessing not to be suppressed with superiours not to have the Common-wealth rent in peeces by tyrannie not to see others enjoy the fruits of our labours not to be tormented with intrusion usurpation or malicious lookes of covetous Landlords Looke amongst us and demand Who can complaine Or at least who is so wronged but he may have satisfaction or redresse If it be a blessing to enjoy the preaching of the Gospell to be freed from corrupt and absurd ceremonies to rejoyce in the libertie of an upright conscience to continue in a true perfect and established Religion to abound with reverend learned men to have liberall exercise and dispute of our faith to be resolved of our doubts with moderate perswasion and disswasion and to have all controversies tried upon the touchstone of Gods truth Come and heare us and tell mee wherein you are not satisfied If it be a blessing to have sociable conversation and yet with convenable respect to continue the freedome of neighbourly meetings exempted from the intolerable yoke of jelousie to love one another with those comfortable conditions of charitie to feast without scandall to entertaine without repining and to be merry without incontinencie examine the conditions of us all generally and setting mens imperfections aside which follow life as the shadow doth the Sunne and tell mee where is offence If it be a blessing to make the best use of Natures blessings to be rather helpfull than stand in need of others to take and leave warre with all Kingdomes of the World to have confining Princes congratulate us by Embassage and to welcome all commers with a noble and correspondent invitation take up our example put us to the triall and see whether I speake vaine-gloriously To conclude with the best of all blessings if it be a blessing to live under a Royall Monarch to rejoyce in the kindred alliance and strong confederacie of Kings to have adjoyning Countries studie our observation and to see our Country and people flourish in all good things Looke upon us pencell out our defects if you can and let not emulation which attendeth on vertuous desires be turned into envie or so corrupted with malice that you will not yet confesse our blessed prerogatives But you will say for all this we neither fetch gold from Ophâ—r nor are our Cities of sufficiencie to march in the first ranke of magnificence To the first I answer directly wee may if we list either fetch treasure where it is or bee the cause that it shall be brought us even to our owne doores in peace For I am sure wee have not onely Ships and Men but such hands and spirits as with Davids Worthies can pull the speare out of the hands of the Philistines and sweetnesse from the strongâ— and who shâ—ll hinder us I hope neither Spaine if there were occasions not the Gallies of Messina or Malta nor the Confederate Princes of Italy nor the Navie of Turkie nor the fortifications of China nor any one worldly Prince unlesse our sinnes and profanation cause the Angell of the Lord to keepe us backe or strike us with terrour But happy be the conditions of true worthinesse true valour even for conscience and honours sake will doe no wrong As for our buildings and Cities I answer Ars non habet miâ—â—cum â—sâ—â—gnorantem and men are too prejudicate that either say or thinke so For of my owne knowledge there are not so many beautifull Churches and stately houses within the circular dimension of so much ground in the world so that if our Gentlemen admitting the custome of living in Cities as they doe in most parts of Europe could range all the edifices of eminence in a Shire within a wall or that wee were sited in a Continent like the thorow-fare of France Germany or Italy we should questionlesse have more glorious great and populous Cities than any Kingdome which with Ahasuerosh can hold up a Scepter of potency to keepe Majesty from violence though a decree of defiance were published never so terribly yea I will avow that our Townes and Villages esteeme of them as you please considering the use and necessity of travell doe farre surmount the Hosteries and entertainment of all other nations And am sure if you will
there to have entertained the enemie if hee had kept his resolution which was by the Thames mouth to have assailed London upon the sudden For the guard of Her person under the command of the Lord Hunsdon she levied out of the Inland shires fioure and thirty thousand footmen and two thousand horse besides those goodly troops which the Nobility and Gentry presented unto her Majesties view to their meere love and zeale to Prince and Country For neighbourhood in France it may be supposed that the Princes of the reformed Religion will be alwayes glad to finde good correspondency from those who are interessed in like disadvantages as themselves What may be done by the perswasions of the pestiferous Iesuites God onely knoweth But this is certaine that betweene nations ingaged in ancient quarrels and both aspiring to one and the same greatnesse Alliances may easily be made friendship never At worst the Frenchman is a tolerable friend though a doubtfull neighbour Francum amicum habe sed non vicinum The like saith He for us As for the Spaniard it is a proverbe of his owne That the Lion is not so fierce as in printed His forces in all parts of the world except those in the Low-countries are farre under fame And if the late Queene would have beleeved her men of warre as she did some others addicted to peacefull courses she might peradventure have broken that great Empire in peeces and made their Kings as in old times Kings onely of home-bred commodities Well was it for them that her Majesty alwayes inclinable to peace did all by the halfes and petty invasions which indeed was her onely errour for future to teach the Spaniard how to defend himselfe and to see his owne weaknesse which till her attempts had taught him was hardly knowne to himselfe foure thousand men would have made a shrewd adventure to have taken his Indies from him I meane all the ports by which his treasure passeth wherein he is more hated by the natives than the English are by the Irish. And then what shall his Low-countrie Armies doe if the Indies pay them not nothing but mutinie and spoile their owne territories as they have often done and that of late yeares almost to the ruine of the Archduke So againe in 88. if that Queene would have hearkned to hazard yet not without reason we had burnt all his ships and preparations in his owne ports as we did afterwards upon the same grounds and intelligence in Cadiz He that knowes him not feares him but excepting his Low-countrie army as aforesaid which hath continued in discipline since Charles the fifth his time he is no where strong they are but follies that are spoken of him elsewhere Hee knoweth that we are too strong for him at Sea and have the Hollanders to helpe who are now by their industries in way to be strongest of all They are a wise people and tooke it somewhat in ill part that we made peace without them which in truth forced them to conclude their long truce They were the last that put downe armes and though they compounded upon the greatest disadvantage France and England having first capitulated yet they made a farre more noble peace than their associates did Since that time we finde the people to be more provident and by degrees lesse respective of their neighbors All histories will tell you it is a point worth the looking unto For unto whom they fasten themselves he that enjoyeth them will be the greatest and give law to the rest If any man doubt it he knowes not much all nations have their imperfections and so have we faults have at all times troubled the eye of understanding For whereas in her Majesties time it is well knowne that one of her ships hath commanded forty of theirs to strike saile they will now undertake us one to one and but for the jealousies of time scant vouchsafe us a good word But Kings are not like private men they forsake not one another in adversity though not alwayes for their sakes who are oppressed but for their owne securities because they watch and reason good the surmounting power of confining neighbourhood These are the greatest States to bee looked after As for the Archdukes these united Provinces for their particular interests will well enough attend him Let us no more therefore be frighted with the Spaniards greatnesse the Venetians wealth and Arsenall the confederacie of Florence Malta Genoa the Pope Naples and Sicil yea worst of all with report of the Mahumetan invincible fleet Let none save fooles admire wonders without knowledge Why Ward and the rest of the Pyrats who at their first comming into the Seas might easily have beene choked from becomming a terrour to all the Levant let wise men judge for my part I can give no other ghesse but the president of that admirable fight which Captaine Iohn King when he was Master of the Merchant Royall made against three great ships and fifteene gallies layed purposely in wait in the mouth of the Straits to intercept all English passengers And surely some Sea-men have beene of opinion with twenty good men of warre in contempt of the proudest Armada or frie of Gallies as they have termed them that those Seas can afford to performe actions beyond credit Neither let fugitives flatter themselves with conceits of forren greatnesse No people were more beholding to Tyrone and Terconnel than the Spanish in their miserable shipwracke upon the Irish coast No men received larger promises The great King should remember his humanity and noble respect The Pope himselfe shall gratifie him with a Phenix plume as he did King Iohn with a crowne of Peacocks feathers yea they can complement with him that he is more worthy of a Diadem than a subjects prostitution But is Tyrone in distresse and after shipwracke of his loyalty driven to make triall of his Spanish and Romish requitall At Millan hee is like to lie without doores if his stomacke cannot brooke the entertainment of a common Inne and at Rome bee welcomed with the allowance of a subject of charity As for defamations breathed from the poyson of malice I make no question but by the generous disposition of noble Governours they will returne to the disgrace of the brocheri As it fell out to Captaine R. Yorke by the worthinesse of an honourable enemy Count Mansfield who hearing this traiterous Captaine to transgresse the bounds of patience in undecent railing upon the government of England and the life of the late Queene Sir Rowland quoth he in plaine termes I assure you that the custome of my table will allow of no such irregular behaviour Thus have I shewed you the love of some and the malice of others abroad with our owne happinesse at home if we can be thankfull for it Amongst the which as last but not least I account the continued tranquillitie of England especially to consist in the moderate yet
people Besides these publike Receptacles we have private and goodly Colleges for Lawyers fitted for their private and publike uses receit of their Clients conveniently appropriated to their Offices All workes rather of oftentation amongst our selves than of imitation in others In stead of obscure Churches we have first the goodliest heape of stones namely Pauls next the most curious viz. Westminster Abby in the world and generally all out Churches exceed for beauty and handsomnesse In stead of Gentlemen riding on durty foot-cloaths and women footing it in the mierie streets the one with an idle Lackey the other with no company at all we have fashionable attendance handsome comely passage either in Carosse Coach or on horsebacke and our Ladies and Gentlewomen are never seene abroad without an honourable retinue In stead of confused intermixtures of all sorts as Citizens Lawyers Schollers Gentlemen Tradesmen and Religious persons so that you can scarcely know the one from the other nor the master from the man in London the Citizen lives in the best order with very few houses of Gentlemen interposed But in our suburbs the Nobility and Gentry have so many and such stately buildings that one side of the River may compare with the gran Canale at Venice but if you examine their receit and capacity Venice and all the Cities of Europe must submit to truth for in London and the places adjoyning five hundred severall houses may beare the attribute of Palaces wherein five thousand persons may conveniently be lodged In stead of a poore Provost and a disorderly company of Merchants and Tradesmen we have a Podesta or Maior that keepeth a Prince-like house accompanied and attended with grave and respective Senators and comely Citizens having severall Hals where every craft and mystery is governed by ancient persons of the same society and profession At time of yeare producing such solemne and rich triumphs that strangers have admired the brave spirits of Mechanicall men To conclude if you looke on and in our London truly as it is composed of men following trades and occupations there is not such a Citie such a Government such a method of conversation such an unity of society and good neighbourhood such a glasse to see lovelinesse and beauty in such a chamber of wealth and such a store-house of terrestriall blessings under the Sunne againe Or if you please to view it without at all times and yet consider the keeping of our Country houses you may boldly say There are not so many Gentlemen to be seene in any place nor to so good purpose generally for speaking somewhat liberally like an Orator of Contentation I aske if the pleasures of Paris can bring you into walkes of such variety with so little charge and expence as London can Surely no. And with us our riding of horses musicke learning of all Arts and Sciences dancing fencing seeing of comedies or enterludes banquets maskes mummeries lotteries feasts ordinary meetings and all the singularities of mans inventions to satisfie delight are easie expences and a little judgement with experience will manage a very meane estate to wade through the current of pleasure yea although it should runne unto voluptuousnesse But shall I dare to speake of our Court the map of Majesty in respect whereof Biron compared all others to confusion If I doe for stately attendance dutifull service plentifull fare orderly tables resort of Nobles beauty of Ladies bravery of Gentry concourse of civill people princely pastimes and all things befitting the Majesty of a King or glory of a Nation I may say for England as the King of France once answered the Emperours tedious Title France France France and nothing but France So England England England and nothing but England to their proudest comparisons Affirming that if ever Countrey Kingdome or Prince came neere Salomons royalty plenty peace and beatitude England and in England London hath the preheminence Besides the Cities and Ports of France well fortified there be also infinite numbers of Castles Cittadels which the people call The nests of Tyrants and the Prince Chastivillains Of the Castles the number is therefore most great and as uncertaine by reason that every Noblemans house of any age is built in defensible manner An example of one for many hundreds you may take that of Roch-fort belonging to the Seigneur de la Tremouville which in the civill warres endured a siege and five thousand Cannon shot and yet was not taken It is judged by the wisest that in great Kingdomes such as France no places should bee fortified but the frontiers after the example of Nature who armeth the heads and heeles of beasts but never the bowels nor middle part as in England where except frontier places none but his Majestie have fortified places You must understand that here in France all Inhabitants of Cities are liable to the common charges of the fortification of their Cities reparations of Bridges Fountaines High-waies such like And because the richer sort should not levie the money and then keepe it to themselves or imploy it as they list they must give information to the Chancellor of the necessity of the Levie and procure Letters Patents for the same by authority whereof they gather the money and use it yeelding after to the Kings Procurer their account And for their Watch and Ward it goes by course as in the City of Embden and divers other in those low countries As for Castles the Seigneur or Captaine may not force Vassall faire le guet to watch and ward except in frontier places upon forfeiting of their estates After this generall Survey of the Country it selfe wee must observe something of the government wherein I will not trouble you with fetching their first Pedigree from beyond the Moone as many of theâ—r Histories labour nor by disputing the matter whether it bee true or no that they came from Troy into the marishes of Maeotis whence after some small abode they were chased by the Roman Emperour into Bavaria and after into Frankeland in Germany It shall suffice that from hence this people came into France wherein all Writers agree For after the declination of the Roman Empire when the Ostrogothes conquered Italy the Visigothes Spaine and the Vandals Affrike then did the Burgundians and Franconians divide this Country betweene them conquering it upon the old Inquilines the Gaules who from Caesars time till then had not tasted the force of a forren power The Government was under Dukes till the yeare 420. when as Pharamond caused himselfe to bee intituled King In this race it remained till 751. when Pepin suppressed his M. Chilpericke and usurped His line lasted till 988. when Hugh Capet gave the checke to the succession of Charlemaignes line who was Pepins sonne and invested himselfe with the Diadem From him it hath lineally descended by heires males to the house of Valois and for want of issue malâ— in them is now come to
quit his Horse and serve on foot provided that he have with him a vallet Harquebusier But they that had lesse than three or foure hundred had a lesse proportion of charge There be foure exceptions where a man is not bound to serve in person If he be sicke if aged if he beare some Office if he keepe some frontier place or other Castle of the Kings for in this case hee may send another They are bound upon forfeiture of their Feif to serve three moneths within the Land and forty dayes without not counting the dayes of marching You must observe that as the Seigneurs hold their Feif of the King in Haute justice so other Gentlemen hold of them in Basse justice upon charge to follow these Seigneurs at all times to the wars For the Feif is the thing by the acceptation whereof they that hold it are bound in oath and fidelity to their Lords and therefore are called their Vassals of Wessos the old Gaule word which signifieth Valiant for to such were the Feifs given As for Serfes Slaves or Villaines they 〈◊〉 domesticke and serve upon baser condition for wages and victuals There is also the subject that is the poore peâ—sant that laboureth and tilleth the Feifs and therefore yee shall heare Monsieur le Gentleman speake of ses terres ses hommes ses subjects His lands his men and his subjects and yet himselfe is Vassall to the Seigneur that holds in haute justice But you may note that no word of service whatsoever in this discourse doth prejudice the liberty naturall of the Vassall Neither the subject nor the Serf are bound to goe to the wars but only the Vassall The mustering and gathering together of these forces obliged by these Feifs is called the Ban and Arrier-Ban of the Almâ—â—â—e words Hâ—râ— exerâ—iâ—us an Army and Ban convâ—â—atio a calling together This Ban and Arrier-ban consisted anciently of twelve and sometimes fifteene thousand Gens d'armes But after the corruption thereof when the Feifs came to be in the hands of unable and unworthy men the Kings of France were forced of later times to erect the Gens d' armes des Ordonnances the men at Armes of his Ordinances in Charles the seventh his time For ye must consider that there have beene foure principall causes of the overthrow of this Ban and Arrier-ban The first were the gifts to the Clergy who as is reported have the sixth part of these Feifs in their hands and contribute nothing to the warres for as one saith they will lose nothing pay nothing contribute nothing toward their guarding and yet notwithstanding they will be guarded The next was the voyages to the Holy-land for when one had made a vow to goe thither to serve against the Saracens and Iâ—tidels he sold his Feif to furnish him to that purpose The third was the warres with the English wherein by force they lost them The last cause is the sales of them to all sorts of people without exception as the Lawyer the Yeoman or any other unable person whatsoever that will buy them which till Charles the seventh they might not doe Ye see then how necessary it was this old institution being corrupted and quite decayed to erect a new which they called Les Gens d' armes des ordonnances because at their first erection there were divers Lawes and ordinances made for them to observe which who so brake was severely punished They were at first only 1500. But after they were increased to an hundred cornets and given to divers Princes of the bloud and Nobles of France to conduct and command with an honourable pension In these troops should bee 6000. for in some there are an hundred in others but fifty Howbeit it is thought in each troope there are some dead payes for the benefit of the Ofâ—â—cers and that in truth there be not above foure thousand in all For the maintenance of this Gens d' armerie there is a tax yearely levied upon the people throughout all France called the Taille Concerning both the number of the Gens d'armes and their proportion of allowance by the Taille it is thus as La Nove judgeth The horsemen in the time of Henry the second exceeded the number of 6000. launces but they are now but 4000. and in mine opinion it were fit to entertaine in time of peace foure Regiments of Infantery of six hundred men apeece As touching the Infantery Francis the first was the first that instituted the Legionaries which were in all eight and every Legion to containe six thousand according to the rate of the ancient Romans The first Legion was of Normandy The next of Bretaigne One in Pâ—cardie One in Burgundie In Champaigne and Nivernois one In Dolphenie and Provence one In Lyonnois Auvergne one And one in â—angâ—â—docke These companies were shortly after cassed and againe within eighteene yeares erected and are now againe of late yeares dissolved and in their place the Regiments now entertained are five in number The Regiment of the Guard the Regiment of Picardie the Regiment of Champaigne the Regiment of Piemont and lastly the Regiment of Gascoâ—ne commonly called the Regiment of Navarrâ— In each of these is twelve hundred These are all now in time of peace bestowed in garrison-townes and frontier places except those of his guard Boâ—â—â— opâ—â—ion is that foure Legions of 5000. apeece would â—usfice to be maintained in this land for saith he the Roman Empire which was twenty times as great had never but eleven Legions in pay but this is to be understood of them which were in pay ordinary in Italy besides those Legions which they had in other their Countries as England Spaine Low-Countries c. For otherwise we read of â—hose Emperours that had thirtie one Legions and Bodin himselfe confesseth that Augustus had at one time entertained in pay forty Legions at eleven millions charge the yeare But this Writer though he be approved as he well deserves yet I thinke if he failed in any of his discourse it was in matter of warre the profession whereof did ill agree with his long robe yee shall therefore take the judgement of a discreeter souldier of France for your direction what force the French can make or entertaine of others which is this If our King perceived that any neighbour of his meant to invade his Frontiers I thinke he might easily compose an Army of sixty companies of men at Armes twenty Cornets of light horse and five troops of Harquebusiers on horse-backe amounting all to ten thousand horse To which he might adde three or foure thousand German Rutters and one hundred Ensignes of French foot and forty Ensignes of his good Confederates the Swissers and yet maintaine his other Frontiers sufficiently manned So that ye may conclude that foure thousand men at Armes well complete and with a proportion of light-horse and foot answerable sheweth the whole flower beauty and force of France Howsoever the Author of the Cabinet confidently avoweth
as it were the Dowre which the State brings to the King her Husband for her tuition defence and maintenance And therefore one saith It belongs not to the King but to the Crowne There are two sorts of Domaines first the Rent which the King holds in his hands of the Feifs given for service Secondly that which is united and incorporate to the Crowne The rights of the Domaine are these Rents Feifs Payments at alienations Tributes Penages Toll of whatsoever enters or comes out of Cities Woods Forests and divers other That is Domaine which belongeth to the Crowne First either by Possession time out of minde Or secondly by Re-union for want of heires males as the Apennages when they returne or by Confusion for want to such as can make just claime much like our concealed Lands in England Or lastly by Confiscation of offenders inheritances Of this last sort we reade that in the time of Saint Lewis there were confisked to the Domaine the Countries of Dreux Bray Fortyonne and Monstrevil Languedocke Guyenne Anjow Maine Turraine Auvergne And after in the time of Philip the Dutchy of Alencon the Countries of Perche Perigort Poutieu La Marche Angoulesme and the Marquisat of Saluzzes But Bodin saith most of this came to the Crowne by force La siur 〈◊〉 Serre saith it came by way of Exchange or purchase But the Author of the Commentaries of the estate of the Religion and policie of France is of the first opinion Thus great was the Domaine in former times that of it selfe without oppressing the people with impositions it was sufficient to maintaine the State and greatnesse of the Kings of France but it is now utterly wasted It is well knowne that the Domaine which alone maintained heretofore the beautie and lustre of the Royall Estate is not now such as it was in the reignes of King Lewis the eleventh Charles the eighth and Lewis the twelfth The continuance of our warres hath caused it to be engaged in many hands in such sort that there is need of more than 15. or 16. thousand pounds sterling to redeeme that which is worth above five millions of pounds And Bodin saith that almost all the Countries Baronies and Seigneuries of the Domaine are aliened for the ninth or tenth part of that they be worth Yee must observe that the lands of the Domaine are not alienable but in two cases 1. For the Apennage of the Kings brother 2. For the warres And these must be confirmed by the Arrest of the Parliament For all other cases all Lawyers and Historians of France agree That it is inalienable and many Arrests have beene made of late yeares to confirme it I have read that the Charta Magna of England saith the Kings when they are crowned take an oath not to alien ti so doe they here in France And there is no prescription of time to make such sales or alienations good but that they may be recovered and repurchased whensoever the Crowne is able To this purpose Plutarch saith well Men cannot prescribe against God nor particulars against the Respublique 2 Concerning the second meanes of raising Money by conquests the present State of France can yeeld no example it hath beene long but on the saving hand 3 For the third meanes it is now out of season it was used in that good old world when men wiped their nose on their sleeve as the French man sayes for now Princes are so farre from giving as they hardly pay that they owe. 4 The fourth meanes also of Pension which Princes have upon some consideration of their Allies helpeth the French Kings coffers nothing at all for they rather give than take As for example to divers Cantons of the Swisses to whom at first they payed not above one hundred and twentie thousand Livres yearely but for these sixtie yeares they never pay lesse the yeare than two Millions For saith Commines Lewis the eleventh entered league with the Swisses and they into his Pension to whom he yearely gave forty thousand Florins whereof 20. went to the Cities and 20. to particular men upon condition to have a certaine proportion of their forces to serve in his warres upon all occasions An advantagious alliance for the Swisse in my opinion who by this meanes enrich themselves cleare their Countrey of many idle and bad members and lastly breed good souldiers to serve themselves upon need at another mans cost The Turke hath also a Pension of the Emperour of Germany for certaine Lands hee holdeth in Hungary which hee notwithstanding vaunteth to be a Tribute Many examples might bee alleaged of this kinde as of Philip of Macedon that by Pensions got all Greece partiall on his side and the Kings of Persia by Pension got ever the forces of Asia diverted 5 The fifth which is of Trafficke availeth nothing the French Kings for they hold it here a base and sordid kinde of profession for a Gentleman much more for a King to trade by Merchandize And by the Lawes of England France and Germanie he loseth the quality of a Nobleman that doth Trafficke Notwithstanding these Lawes and the disparagement that it brings to Nobility yet so sweet is the savour of gaine that many have used this as no small meanes to increase their Finances The great Duke of Tuscane present gaines infinitely this way and the more by his most unlawfull and tyrannous Monopolies for he commonly buyeth up all the Graine of his owne Countrey at his owne price yea and that which commeth from other places also and then sendeth out a Bando or Proclamation that no man shall sell any corne thorowout his State till his owne be sold forcing also all Bakers and other people to buy thereof This manner of ingrossing Alphonsus of Arragon also used by the testimony of Bodin The Kings of Portugal also and the Seignory of Venice have beene great Traders by Merchandize but it hath beene in an honester fashion at sea and not to the grinding of their poore subjects The Nobilitie also of Italy in all Cities except Naples hold it no dishonour to Trafficke in grosse 6 The sixth meanes of raising money upon all Wares and Merchandize that come in and goe out of the Countrey is the most ancient and best agreeing with reason and used by all Princes in the World The particulars comprised under this branch are these Customes inward and outward By these the Prince is to have Impost five in the hundred So much just had the Romans as Cicero witnesseth in his Praetorship of Sicilia The Turke takes Ten in the hundred of the stranger and five of the subject the French quite contrarie You must observe that which here I call the Domaine forraine is generally called the Aides first granted by the Estates to Charles Duke of Normandie when Iohn his father was prisoner in England which was the payment of twelve Deniers upon all Merchandizes and Wares which should bee sold in this Kingdome except upon
Wine Corne Salt and all manner of drinke but since it hath beene made perpetuall and augmented by the imposition upon Wine sold every where and in Normandie by retaile This is like the slavish Gabell upon all manner of food which the Princes take of their subjects through Italy or the Assize upon Bread and Beare which the States have in the Low-Countries a grievance whereof we smart not in England as also we are free from many other burthens which the people of this Country are forced to beare Touching the Gabell of Salt which is also comprised under this head Some say it was first erected by Philip le Long Others by Philip de Valois 1328. True it is that the Ordinance of Francis the first 1541. sets downe an Impost of 24. Livres upon every Muy and in the yeare 1543. an ordinance was made for Gabell to be taken upon all sea-fish salted And in 1544. it was ordained that all Salt should be sold and distributed into the Magazines or Storehouses of every severall generality The benefit of this one commodity hath beene very commodious to the crown till the yeare 81. when the king was forced for want of money to let it out to others whereby he lost as is in my Authour proved eight hundred thirty six thousand crowns yearely Here is also a kinde of tax called the Equivallent that is an imposition laid upon some persons and places but not generally to have liberty to buy and sell salt and to be exempt from the Magazines The Impost of Wine is laid upon all without exception or exemption whatsoever it is the twentieth part to the King besides all other rights as of Billots entring into Cities passages by Land River and such like Besides a later imposition of five Sols upon every Muy levied by Charles the ninth 1516. Concerning the Traicte forraine it is of like nature with the Aids save that it is leviable upon more particular sorts of merchandize Besides the Aids is an Impost upon things spent in the Land and the traicte forraine is of such commodities as are transported out as of wheat rye barley oats wine vineger verjuce cider beeves muttons veales lambes swine horses lard bacon tallow oyle cheese fish of all sorts silks and cloaths of all sorts leather of all sorts and finally all other merchandize as fruits parchment paper glasse wood ropes c. 7 The seventh ground or foundation of Finances is the Imposition upon the subject that is not upon the wares or commodities but upon the persons themselves according to their abilitie and it is much like the levying of the tax and subsidy in England where every one payeth ratably to the lands and goods he possesseth And therefore Haillan judgeth well to say they be neither personall nor reall but mixt Assessed in the place of their dwelling according to all the goods of the partie assessed in what part soever they lie or abide These Tailles were first raised by Saint Lewis but by way of extraordinary subsidie Charles the seventh made them ordinary for the maintenance of his Gens d'armerie And whereas at first they were never levied but by consent of the three States and to endure but while the warre lasted he made them perpetuall Therefore saith one that which was at first yeelded of favour is since exacted as patrimoniall and hereditary to our Kings Yet is it to bee observed that these Tailles are only liable upon the Flat Pais all Cities are exempt as also all Officers of the Kings house all Counsellors Lawyers and Officers of Courts of Parliament all the Nobility the Gens d'armes the Officers of warre the Graduates of Vniversities c. The Taillon is another imposition raised by Henry the second Anno 1549. which was to amend the Wages of Gens d'armes who by reason of the smallnesse of their pay lay upon the poore Villages and eat them up for the ease whereof this imposition was devised which also lieth upon the poore Country-man whereby at first he was somewhat eased but now all is perverted the poore is still oppressed and yet he payeth still both Taille and Taillon Lastly there is the Sold or pay of 50000. foot which were erected by Lewis the eleventh into eight Legions six thousand to a Legion which with their Officers came to about this number To maintaine these Legions there was a tax levied upon all sorts of persons privileged in the Taille but only the Nobles There are also of the Decymes Tenths levied upon the Church For the levying of the Taille Taillon and wages of 50000. foot you must note that the King sends his Letters Patents by Commissioners to the Treasurers of each generality These according to the summe rate each election this is as ye would say every hundred in a Shire or Bailywicke and then send to these elections to have the said summe gathered in their severall Townes and Hamlets according as they be rated So doe they to the Maicures Consuls Eschevins and chiefe Officers of every City that are liable to any of these payments who rating every man according to his ability give these Rolles to certaine Collectors to gather it up these are bound to bring it quarterly to the Receivers These carry it to the Receivers generall in the same species that they received it and from them to have an acquittance after the accounts have beene perused by the Controler generall And these are all the meanes by which Princes raise their Finances whereof ye see some nothing to pertaine to the French King but to others and some to him only not to others There yet remaineth one other meanes though extraordinary to a Prince to get money which the necessities of the times and the want of other meanes have forced the French Kings of late yeares to use This is the vent or sales of Offices a very dangerous and hurtfull merchandize both for the Prince and subject This Lesson saith Bodin the French Kings first learned of the Popes with whom it is still as familiar as old to sell Bishopricks livings and Ecclesiasticall promotions This the Popes first beganne at Avignon in France where their means was scant and they in many necessities which still continues both in the Courts of Rome and France when there is no such necessity Better is a bad President than none at all A course saith one of great and dangerous consequence but clothed with necessity It is indeed thrice dangerous because sales of Offices cause sales of Iustice for what these Purchasers pay in grosse they must needs get in retaile forgetting what was said to Sophocles the Governour of Athens A Governour must not onely have his hands cleane but his eyes also They cannot say as Pericles did on his death bed Hee had never made any Athenian weare mourning Robe For these by selling Iustice and robbing the poore of their right give the Fatherlesse and oppressed Widow just cause to complaine and of wearing that mourning robe
that of the Sunne is the best and the halfe Crowne Those of silver are the Livres or Franc which is two shillings sterling The quart d'escu which is one shilling six pence The Teston which is halfe a sous lesse The peece of ten sous which is one shilling sterling the halfe quart d'escu the halfe Teston and the peece of five sous that is six pence sterling Those of Brasse is the price of six Blanks which is three pence that of three blanks three halfe pence The sous of twelve deniers the liard of foure deniers the double of two and lastly the denier it selfe whereof ten make one penny sterling This baser and smaller kind of money hath not beene used in France but since the beginning of the civill warres The Teston is the best silver It remaineth I speake of the Administration and Execution of Iustice and of those places and persons where and by whom it is done I will therefore beginne with their assemblies as the highest and greatest Court of all which well resembleth the Parliament of England the Dyet of the Empire or the Councell of â—â—e Amphythrions in Greece There are three especiall causes of calling these Assemblies The first when the succession of the Crowne was doubtfull and in controversie or when it was to take order for the Regency during the Kings Captivity or Minority or when they had not the right use of their wits Hereof yee have examples Anno 1327. Saint Lewis an Infant and Charles the sixth An. Dom. 1380. a Lunaticke and 1484. Iohn a prisoner For all which occasions Assemblies were called to determine who should have the Regency of the Realme in the meane while The second cause is when there is question of reforming the Kingdome correcting the abuses of Officers and Magistrates or appeasing troubles and seditions The third cause is the want and necessitie of the King or Kingdome in which case the Estates are exhorted to give subsidies subventions aids and gratuities For in former times the Kings contenting themselves with their Domaine and impost of such wares as came in or went out of the land the two most ancient and most just grounds of Finances were not accustomed to levie and impose upon their Subjects any tax whatsoever without the consent of the three States thus assembled The next Soveraigne Court for so the French call it is the Court of Parliament The true Temple of French Iustice Seat of the King and his Peeres And as Haillan cals it the Buttresse of Equity This Court very much resembleth the Star-Chamber of England the Arcopage of Athens the Senate of Rome the Consiglio de' dieci of Venice There are no Lawes saith Haillan by which this Court is directed it judgeth according to equity and conscience and mitigateth the rigour of the Law Of these Courts of Parliament ye have eight in France That of Paris the most ancient and highest in preheminence which at first was ambulatory as they call it and ever followed the Kings Court whithersoever it went but since Philip le Bel it hath beene sedentary in this Citie That of Grenoble was erected Anno 1453. That of Tholouse Anno 1302. That of Bourdeaux Anno 1443. That of Dijon in the yeare 1476. That of Roven in the yeare 1501. That of Aix the same yeare And lastly that of Bretaigne at the yeare 1553. Anciently all Arch-Bishops and Bishops might sit and give voices in this Parliament of Paris but in Anno 1463. it was decreed that none but the Bishop of Paris and Abbot of Saint Denis might sit there except he be of the Bloud for all these are privileged The Presidents and Counsellors of the Court of Parliament of Paris may not depart the Towne without leave of the Court by the ordinance of Lewis the twelfth in the yeare 1499. The Senators ought alwayes to bee present because things are carried with more Majesty when the Court is full To this Parliament they appeale from all other subalterne Courts throughout the Realme as they doe in Venice to the Consiglio grande Neither can the King conclude any warre or peace without the advice and consent hereof or at least as Haillan saith he demandeth it for fashion sake sometime when the matters are already concluded The Parliament of Paris consisteth of seven Chambers the Grande câ—ambre and five others of Enquests and the Tournelles which is the chamber for the criminall causes as the other six bee for the civill It is called the Tournelles because the Iudges of the other Chambers sit there by turnes every three moneths the reason whereof Bodin giveth that it might not alter the naturall inclination of the Iudges and make them more cruell by being alwayes exercised in matter of condemnations and executions There be of this Court of Presidents Counsellors Chevalliers of honour Procureurs Advocates Clerks Sergeants and other Officers of all sorts not so few as two hundred Besides this Court there are also other Courts for the administration of Iustice in this Citie as the Chatellet of Paris with a Lieutenant civill and another criminall and the Hostel de Paris with a Prevost and other inferiour Officers which is as ye would say the Guild-Hall of the Citie So have ye throughout the Realme certaine places as all Cities in generall where there be Chatellets like our places of Assise and in them a Lieutenant civill and criminall to judge and determine all causes reall and personall and here many Lawyers and Procurers as our Counsellors at Law and Atturnies who plead before those Lieutenants and Prevosts and certaine Counsellors which are the Iudges in these Courts whereof the number is incredible in France Insomuch as you may well say of them as is said of Sienna There be more Readers than Auditors so here be more Pleaders than Clients This Chiquanery Petti-fogging multiplicitie of Pleaders came first from the Popes Court when his seat was at Avignon as my Author saith who in the same place cals these Advocates The Mice of the Palace The processes and suits in these Courts throughout France are innumerable wherein wee come nothing neere them and yet there is no want of these in England For I have heard of 340. Nisiprius between parties tried at one Assize in Norfolke as many I thinke as in halfe England besides But these are onely twice in the yeare that causes are tried at Assises in our Country whereas here they are tried every day in the yeare that is not festivall So that it is not much unlikely that here are as many Processes in seven yeares as have beene in England since the conquest There are besides these Courts of Chatellets in Cities the Courts also of Bailywicks and Sheriffalties who as Haillan saith keepe Courts in each Province and judge in all matters civill and criminall Here is also the Privie Councell or Councell of affaires of the Counsellors among which are his foure Secretaries he calleth certaine every morning at his rising to whom he
incredible to beleeve and odious to heare how the Frenchman will talke impudently utter what he foolishly conceiveth not onely of all forren States and Princes of the World but even of their owne State and King himselfe of whom he will not spare to speake whatsoever hee heareth and sometimes also more than the truth which insufferable vice of theirs I here put in the first place because I hold it of all others the most disloyall and unlawfull Hereof the wisest soâ— of them much complaine and wish reformation but it is a thing so naturall with them as Expellas furca licet usque recurret He hath besides this liberty of speaking a propertie incident to such like natures namely an inquisitive listning and hearkning after newes which is an old fashion of theirs and hath continued with them many hundred yeares It is usuall with all the Gauls both to constraine Travellers though unwilling to stay and to inquire of each of them what hee hath heard or understood of every matter and with the popular in Townes to flocke about Merchants and compell them to tell from what parts they come and what newes they heard there And led by these rumours and heare-sayes they determine many times of most weightie affaires of which determinations they must needs eft-soones repent them Concerning the diet it is to keepe no diet for they feed at all times there being among them very few which besides their ordinary of dinner and supper doe not Gouster as they call it and make collations three or foure times the day a thing as usuall with the women as men whom yee shall see in open streets before their doores cat and drinke together No marvell therefore though the Italian cals them the only Gourmands The French fashion is to lard all meats whose provision ordinary is not so plentifull as ours nor his Table so well furnished howbeit in Banquets they farre exceed us for he is as friand licourish as the Trencher-men of Media or Aesope the Tragedian who spent fifteene thousand crownes at one feast in the tongues of Birds only He liveth not like the Italian with Roots chiefly and Hearbs nor like the Lacedemonian that weares his haire shaven close to his skinne bathes himselfe in cold water eats browne bread and sups blacke broth Nor like the Scythian who faith hunger is my best cheere the ground my bed Beasts skins my clothing but rather like Alcibiades of whom Plutarch reporteth that hee was over-delicate in his dyet dissolute in love of wanton women excessive in banquets and over-superfluous and â—ffeminate in apparell As for the poore Paisant hee fareth very-hardly and feedeth most upon bread and fruits but yet hee may comfort himselfe with this that though his fare be nothing so good as the Plough-mans and poore Artificers in England yet is it much better than that of the Villano in Italy Of the French Buildings I have spoken before in the Relation of Paris both that it is lately growne to be more magnificent than it was in former times and that many thereby have much weakened their estate You may therefore observe that as I there said the Citie of Paris was better built than that of London so are in generall all the Cities and Villages in France fairer than ours in England comparing the one with the other As for the manner of Building here how beautifull soever it be to the eye the Offices and roomes me thinkes are not so well contrived as ours to the use One thing there is by which they are much beautified namely the blewish kinde of Tyle which here they have in great quantitie the which is very hard and therefore durable and very thinne and light and therefore not so burthensome to a house as is our Tyle in England Concerning their Apparell if yee well observe that of the Citizen both men and women it is very seemely and decent that of the Paisant very poore all whose apparell for the most part is of Linnen As for that of the Noblesse yee shall heare what La Nove saith The Noblesse in their expence in apparell are excessive and very rich And yet mee thinkes nothing so rich and costly as ours the onely excesse whereof is the greatest prejudice and hinderance to the Common-wealth This Author reproveth two things in the French Apparell First that every Gallant forsooth must have many sutes at once and change often in the yeare and therefore saith he if in the Court they spie one in a sute of the last yeares making they scoffingly say We know him well enough he will not hurt us hee 's an Apple of the last yeare The second thing he dislikes is this that every two yeare the fashion changeth And hereof it commeth that when yee see all other Nations painted in the proper habit of their Countrey the Frenchman is alwayes pictured with a paire of Sheeres in his hand to signifie that he hath no peculiar habit of his owne not contenteth himselfe long with the habit of any other but according to his capricious humour deviseth daily new fashions This varietie of fashions a man may well note in the Fripperies of Paris whereof saith La Nove if one would make a pourtraict in a Table it would be the most sportfull thing that may be I am now by order to speake of his Exercises wherein me thinkes the Frenchman is very immoderate especially in those which are somewhat violent for yee shall see them play Sets at Tennis in the heat of Summer and height of the day when others were scarce able to stirre out of dooâ—es This immoderate play in this unseasonable time together with their intemperate drinking and feeding is the only cause that here yee see them generally itchie and scabbed some of them in so foule a sort as they are unfit for any honest Table Among all the other exercises of France I preferre none before the Palle-maille both because it is a Gentleman-like Sport not violent and yeelds good occasion and opportunitie of discourse as they walke from the one marke to the other I marvell among many more apish and foolish toyes which wee have brought out of France that wee have not brought this sport also into England Concerning their shooting with the Crosse-bow it is used but not very commonly Once in a yeare there is in each City a shooting with the Peece at a Popingay of wood set upon some high Steeple as also they doe in many places of Germanie He that hitteth it downe is called the king for that yeare and is free from all Tax besides he is allowed twentie crownes towards the making of a Collation for the rest of the shooters And if it happen that three yeares together he carry the Prize he is free from all tax and imposition whatsoever all his life after This custome no question is very laudable whose end tendeth much to a publike benefit for by this practice and emulation he groweth more
ready and perfect in the use of his Peece and so more able and fit to doe his Country service And I suppose if in times past we had had like Prizes for the long Bow the ancient glory of our English service we had not so soone quit the exercise thereof nor degenerated so far from ancient custome So doe I thinke that in these dayes wherein the Peece is only prized if we have this fashion of France and Germanie in England to reward him in every place that should best deserve therein that our Country-man would grow more perfect and expert in the use thereof at whose unaptnesse and aukwardnesse in their first training before they come to have served some time I have often marvelled He hath also his sports of Bowling Carding Dicing and other unlawfull and unusefull games whereof I will omit to speake being too common both with them and us As for the exercise of Tennis-play which I above remembred it is more here used than in all Christendome besides whereof may witnesse the infinite number of Tennis-courts thorowout the Land insomuch as yee cannot finde that little Burgade or Towne in France that hath not one or moe of them Here are as you see threescore in Orleans and I know not how many hundred there be in Paris but of this I am sure that if there were in other places the like proportion yee should have two Tennis-courts for every one Church thorow France Mee thinkes it is also strange how apt they be here to play well that yee would thinke they were borne with Rackets in their hands even the children themselves manage them so well and some of their women also as we observed at Blois There is this one great abuse in their exercise that the Magistrates doe suffer every poore Citizen and Artificer to play thereat who spendeth that on the Holy-day at Tennis which hee got the whole weeke for the keeping of his pâ—oâ—e family A thing more hurtfull than our Ale-houses in England though the one and the other be bad enough And of this I dare assure you that of this sort of poore people there be more Tennis-players in France than Ale-drinkers or Malt-wormes as they call them with us Neither would I speake of Dancing save only that I presume yee will give me leave for Methods sake having undertaken to speake of the French exercises not to omiâ— that of Dancing wherein they most delight and is most generally used of all others And I am perswaded were it not for this That they of the Reformed Religion may not dance being an exercise against which their strait-laced Ministers much inveigh that there had long since many of the Catholikes turned to their side so much are they all in generall addicted hereunto For yee shall onely see the Gentlewomen and them of the better sort but every poore draggle-taile even to the Cobblers daughter that can dance with good measure and Art all your Quarantes Levaltics Bransies and other dances whatsoever not so much but the Chamber-maid and poore Citizens wife dance usually in the City-streets in a round like our Country Lasses on their Towne-greene about the May-pole making musick of their owne voices without any Instrument And rather than saile the old women themselves both Gentle and base who have moe toes than teeth and those that are left leaping in their heads like Iacks in Virginals will beare their part This argueth I will not say a lightnesse and immodestie in behaviour but a stirring spirit and livelinesse in the French nature whereof also the musicke and songs they have is no small argument for there is not almost a Tune in all France which is not Ienicke or Lydian of five or seven tunes a note forbidden youth by Plato and Aristotle because saith Bodin it hath great force and power to soften and esseminate mens mindes The tune Doricke which is more grave musick and was commanded for the singing of Psalmes in the Primitive Church their inconstant and stirring humour cannot brooke by any meanes It remaineth I speake of their Language of whom the Italian hath a Proverbe The French neither pronounce as they write nor sing as they pricke nor thinke as they speake In which first point they differ from the Lutine Italian Spanish and Greek who fully pronounce every letter in the word whereas the French to make his speech more smooth and Ceulante as he termes it leaves out very many of his consonants whereby it now is growne almost as sweet a tongue to the care as the Italian or Greeke which two by reason of the many vowels are questionlesse the most delicate languages of the World It now remaineth I speake of the French nature and humour which by the change of his speech apparell and building by his credulity to any tale which is told and by his impatience and haste in matter of deliberation whereof I shall not omit presently to speake ye may judge to be very idle wavering and inconstant Saith one As the Frenchmens pronuntiation is very fast so are their wits very wavering And ye shall reade in Caesars Commentaries very often how he taxeth them of this leality and suddennesse Caesar being informed of these matters and fearing the unstablenesse of the Gaules as being sudden and wavering in their resolutions and generally desirous of innovations he thought fit not to trust them And in another place Caesar understanding that almost all the Gaules were naturally hungrie of change and unconstantly and suddenly stirred to war c. And againe Vt sunt Gallorum subita repentina consilia As the resolutions of the Gaules are sudden and unlooked for c. To conclude if yee will rightly know the Nature and Humor of the ancient Gauls ye must reade the sixth of these Commentaries and you shall observe how strange it is that though all other things in the world are subject to change yet the same naturall of lightnesse and inconstancie still remaines in the French This is aptly shewed by Haillan in his description of Lewis the eleventh If he had one thing he straight casts his affection to another being violent busieheaâ—ed and impatient To this accordeth another of their owne Writers Such is the condition of France that if she have no Wars abroad against powerfull Neighbours shee must have broiles at home among her owne Subjects and her working spirits can never remaine long quiet And therefore Tacitus cals them Levissima hominum geneâ—â— The most sickle kinde of Men sudden to beginne and more sudden to end apter to apprehend the action than comprehend the cause ready to lay hold not able to hold fast as by the making and revoking of so many Edicts against the Reformed Religion in so short a time and by many other their actions appeareth For ye must observe of the French that he entrech a Countrey like thunder and vanisheth out againe like smoke He resembleth the Waspe who after the
is a City of West-Freesland and the head of 145. villages about it It hath had a chargeable neighbour of the Spanish garrisons in Lingen Oldenzeel but by benefit of the Sea they obtaine both liberty and riches T is very full of Cattell and of Mechanicks their breed of Oxen and Horses are the largest of Europe And so much for the descriptions of these united Provinces The chiefe Entrata or revenue of this people is gained out of the Sea which is not onely invaluable but incredible it being reported that there be more ships belonging to Amsterdam alone than to all England almost a thousand ships going in and out every tide The Custome paid by the Merchant is very great and their Excise upon victuals doth almost maintaine their warres the Inholder paying as much for the Excise as he did at first for the thing T is beleeved that for very butter and cheese sold out of Holland alone they receive a million of Gold yearley All the people be wonderfull induâ—â—rious scarceâ— poore mans childe of five or six yeares old which cannot earne the best part of his owne living Their gaines by fishing is inestimable their Linnen Salt and other curious manufactures are good merchandize all the world over and finally none of their least commodities is the Warres for whereas all other Nations are undone by them they have the secret to thrive and to grow exceeding rich by them These are of two sort Land-forces and Sea-forces In their severall garrisons they cannot have fewer than foure and twenty thousand in continuall pay and their times of leaguer or being in the field costs them a thousand pound a day more than odinary This very yeare 1629. the Prince of Orange is said to have had off and on neere upon 60000. men at the siege of S'Hertoghenbosch his trenches being 18. or 20. miles about and yet hath hee left his Townes well garrison'd They have had an Army on foot continunally for these 60. yeares together and such a one as were it imployâ—d in an invasive as it hath beene in a defensive warre I see no reason but it might long agoe have overtunne even Spaine it selfe It hath still beene the prime schoole of warre for all Europe Their Sea-forces increase every day and yet were the three Provinces of Holland Zeland and Freestand able many yeares agoe to make three thousand lusty ships fit for warre and burthen They have for these eight or ten yeares togâ—ther had two or three severall Fleets about the West Indies as namely that whereof Monsieur L'Ermite was Admirall which sent home many a rich prize That which tooke Todos los Santos and those two which this very yeare tooke those two mighty prizes from the Plate Fleet and the Brasile Fleet within the same space having oftentimes twentie or fortie ships imployed against the Dunkirker All this while have they maintained their Trades and Factories in New Holland the East-Indies Muscovia c. where oftentimes have they beene so strong that they have beaten our English from the Trades once broke they our Muscovia Company what they did at Amboyna is too famous and how much our East-India Company hath beene indammaged by them let them tell you This I repeat not to refresh the complaint but to set forth their power and plainly they are at least Quarter-masters of the Narrow Seas Finally the Low-Countries may say as Tyrus did in the Prophet I sit like a Queene in the midst of the Sea So that were the Spaniard but Master of their Ports nothing could hinder him from his designed Monarchie This is their honour that for these many yeares they have inforced the King of Spaine to spend his Indies upon them they have still kept him at the staves end if hee hath besieged one of their Townes they have besieged another of his for Ostend they tooke Sluce Groll for Breda and at this very instant all the Spanish power was not able to beat them from the siege of S'Hertoghenbosch But at Sea they are ever terrible to him ever aforehand with him and their Coines are made of his Gold and Silver They have still fiftie saile of ships upon the Coast of the West-Indies fiftie saile more going out and fiftie more comming home with their Fleets they have this Summer beaten his Armada troubled Carthagena and mightily inricht themselves by his Prizes Finally they are the people that next to the Spaniard have the honour of it both by Land and Water the greatest Monarchs are glad of the Friendship of this Nation whom our finicall people stile no better than a company of Boores and Mechanicks and this also makes for their honour For no where such Boores to be found no where such Mechanicks others derive honour from their Ancestors but they from their owne valour and vertue Their Government is administred according to the Rules of the Civill Lawes of the Empire respect being had to the privileges of each private people and Citie who enjoy theâ—â— ancient Customes and Lawes municipall The stile of their principall Governours is The high and mightie Lords the States Generall These are chosen by the particular States of the severall Provinces of the Vnion out of the Nobilitie and primest Magistrates both of the Provinces and Citizens And these receiving power from the rest doe in their meetings at the Hage plenarily conclude upon all the great Actions of State either for Peace Warre Religion Treasure Leagues Trafficks and all publike things whatsoever Amongst these the Legier Ambassador of England hath hitherto beene admitted in all consultations and so hath the Prince of Orange as being Generall of their Armies These States doe every weeke choose a new President among themselves the proposition is made and the Votes are collected by an Advocate who is a standing Officer for the purpose From their Placaerts Proclamations or Edicts there is no appeale as carrying the same power of Law with them that Proclamations and Acts of Parliament doe with us To enter into the Governments of the Courts of Iustice and of the severall Provinces and Corporations would require a volume by it selfe Libertie of Conscience being one of the maine pretences of their falling off from the Spaniard they might seeme to deale hardlier with others than they did with themselves should they not now give what themselves tooke Libertie of Conscience Publike profession therefore of all Religions except the Popish and Arminian even of Iudaisme is there tolerated Each Faction cals it selfe a Church and every new-fâ—ngled giddie Enthusiasticall Button-maker is able enough to make a Faction The generall Religion of the States and best people is Calvinisme the profession whereof though fatall to Monarchies agrees well enough with the parity of Free States where the people and citizens have so much voice and authoritie Their Ministers are here better respected than in the French Churches But our men at home zealous ones of the Geneva discipline
are much deceived if they looke for such a face of a Church such decent Service of God such devotion or strict observation of the Lords day in any of the Calvinist Churches as in the Church of England the Faires and Kirck-masses as they call them are on Sundayes in the after-noone as much frequented there as the Churches were in the fore-noone The States I suppose cannot on the sudden reduce perfection in the profession of Religion for that the Papists are both subtill and diligent to work upon the discontents of the people and to turne them to a rebellion unto which the Historians have noted these Nations to be naturally not indisposed Denmarke ALthough it may seeme needlesse to make mention of Scandia which is that whole Pen-insula of huge circuit which is almost incompassed with the waves of the Sea and abutteth Northward and Eastward upon the German and Sarmatian Coasts because it is as it were situated in another World and with whom there is no great entercourse of trading yet for the spacious largenesse thereof containing two Kingdomes viz. Norway and Sweveland with part of Denmarke it may well deserve a place amongst other Kingdoms spoken of in these Relations It is situate in that part of Europe which some terme Scandia others Scandavia or Balthia from whence issued the Gothes and Vandales the very rooters up of the Roman Empire It is subject both to the Danish and Swevian Crowne The King of Denmarke besides the Cimbrian Chorsonesse where Holsatia Ditmarsen the Dukedome of Slesia Flensburge Friesland and Iuthland Regions fruitfull and replenished with store of cattell and wilde beasts doe lie retaineth other spacious Islands the best whereof-stand in the entrance of the Baltike sea being fifteene in number all comprehended under the name of Denmarke The chiefest of them is Seland containing threescore miles in length and little lesse in breadth It excelleth the rest both for number of Villages the mildnesse of the aire and because that Copenhagen stands in it which hath beene and is the Seat of their Kings He hath also Gothland under his jurisdiction which is placed right over against Gothia One of his Kinsmen hath the Government of Osilia or Oesel a prettie Island in the greater Gulfe of Livonia and ruleth those fat and plenteous Counties which lie on the Continent of Livonia Scania likewise acknowledgeth his Soveraigntie extending from Nihuse to Timale and hee holdeth the Kingdome of Norway which from the Confines of Scania extendeth and stretcheth Northward a thousand three hundred miles to the Castle of Wardhouse upon which border the Lappians The Isles adjoyning thereto Sania Shetland and Faria lying in the maine Sea are in his tenure In times past the people of Norway have beene of great puissance they afflicted England scounged France and therein obtained a Province called to this day Normandie In Italy they conquered the Kingdome of Sicil and Apulia And in the holy Warre Boemond Leader of the Normans wonne the Principality of Antiâ—ch In the North Ocean besides that of Friesland and the Sea-coast of Island and Groineland he holdeth the Dominions of the foresaid Islands of Shetland and Faria The Orcades acknowledged the Kings of Norway for their Lords although they are now subject to the Brittish Crowne Sithence then the Kingdome of Norway became Elective and turmoiled with civill warres and intestine discords it came to the possession of the Danish Kings who that he may hold it surely intreateth the Inhabitants cruelly spoiling them of their substance and to leave no hope of better fortune to this miserable people hee holdeth fortified all the Creekes and Havens of the Sea-coast The wealth of the Kingdome consisteth in the abundance of cattell and sea-fish whereof there is such store that of the herring-fishing only a mighty masse of money is yearely gathered so huge is the number of all sorts of fish that at some times of the yeare a ship can make but slow way in the Sea and the Marishes and Medowes adjoyning thereunto are very pleasant and savourie to the feeding of their cattell Scandia is rich in corne and pasture and well replenished with people Norwey hath no riches of any moment except Timber fit for the erecting of houses and building of ships from thence transported into Holland and Flanders and cattell affording great store of cheese and milke Some profit also ariseth of a kinde of fish dried in the wind which the Dutchmen call Stock-fish It is taken in Ianuarie and laid in the wind and cold untill it be indurate and hardned like Wood and then carried into divers Regions as a kinde of sustenance The greatest matter of gaine to the King of Denmarke is the narrow Sea or Strait betweene Cronburg and Eltzenburg commonly called the Sont or Sound which is a passage so narrow that no shipping can passe that way without the licence and favour of the Watchmen keeping Garrison on either side there to receive the imposts and customes of the arriving Vessels It is easily gathered to what summe of money that impost amounteth by the infinite number of shipping of Holland Zealand France England Scotland Norway and the Balticke Sea that saile in those Seas and of necessitie must passe the jawes of that narrow Strait The Inhabitants are as greedie of Rhenish French and Spanish Wines the Spices of Portugal and the Fruits of Andaluzia as they againe are needie of the Wax Honey Skins and Corne which are brought thither from Prussia Livonia Moscovia and the bordering Nations The Entrada or Tribute due to the King ariseth First out of the Sowndt thorow which sometimes passe two hundred sometimes three hundred vessels in a day many of which are to pay a Rose-noble of gold not only in value but in specie for their passage and some more some lesse which cannot but amount to an incredible summe His gaines likewise upon Herrings and other fish of which there is infinite store in all those Northerne Seas comes to a great matter Adde to this his Customes upon Mast and Cordage Pitch Tarre c. fetcht from him by the Hamburgers Lubeckers and others Mighty droves of Beeves and other Cattell are out of his Dominions sold into Germany out of every one of which he hath his Geldt or tribute In Dietmarsâ—n a Countrey for store of cattell like our Rumney-marsh is a place called the Gap thorow which their infinite droves must passe where the Kings toll is about twelve pence English for every hoofe of greater cattell that is foure shillings for a beast Innland also is as beneficiall unto him in the same kinde and much more It hath beene observed that 50000 Oxen have been driven out of these Provinces into Germany for which toll hath beene paid at Guithorp He reapeth some profit likewise of Ward-house whither the English now of late yeares have sailed betweene Norwey and Groenland some to Colmogro others to Stockholme not farre from Saint Nicholas where they traffique with the Russies for Wax
interlaced so riotously her golden and silver Veines in the bosome and wombe of Peru it hath bestowed no suâ—h blessing upon her neerest daughter Brasile but instead thereof hath inriched it with a most temperate and wholsome aire with many pleasant Springs and large Rivers not without sufficiencie of wood she hath divided the land into fruitfull and delightsome hils cloathed it with the beautie of continuall greennesse abounding above beleefe with Sugar-canes which the Portugals have there planted and now transport in infinite quantitie into forren Regions The Philipinae may well be termed the appendances to this New-World for although in respect of their site and proximitie they may be thought a part of Asia yet the discoverers thereof travelled thorow New-Spaine before they could discover them of which Islands more than forty are subject to this Soveraigntie and by them have beene reduced unto civill kinde of life and policie Having thus generally run over the spacious or rather boundlesse members of this Empire I will now relate unto you the true qualitie and State of this great Prince of Christendome the matter being so much the more hard by how much the more copious in it selfe And not to wearie your patience with long discourse I will restraine my selfe to things of most importance with all possible varietie In performance whereof forbearing to tell how out of this House of Austria in the space of three hundred yeares ten Emperors have already successively succeeded one another from Father to Sonne As also by what casualties so many Kingdomes and Provinces have beene united unto this Crowne And in particular how the Houses of Austria and Burgundie have in such sort beene conjoyned that had his enterprises against England and France fallen out conformable to expectation without question he had beene much inabled to have marcht on with large paces to the Monarchie of the whole world This his Empire is divided into foure parts the Kingdome of Spaine the Estates of Italie the Dominions of the Indies and the Countries of Flanders Spaine is by the Spaniards for the greater grace divided into ten Kingdomes and hath beene alway acknowledged for so wealthie puissant and so spacious a Kingdome that the Romans and Carthaginians continued so long and so cruell warres for the possession and royaltie thereof The Goths and Vandals when with the streame of their over-flowing multitudes they swarmed over the greatest part of the Roman Empire here sate them downe and made it the place of their habitation Trebellius Pollio termed it and France The joynts and finewes of the Roman Empire Constantine when he divided the Empire preferred it before Italie and in the division when England France Spaine and Italie fell to his lot hee little esteeming the last and voluntarily leaving it to his competitor contented himselfe with the three formost The Estates of Italie the finewes and nurseries of his warres comprehend the Kingdomes of Naples Sicilie Sardinia the Dukedome of Millaine and the three Forts situate upon the Sea-coast of Tuscain Orbatello Vrcole and Telemon The dominion of India is divided into the East and West In the East he hath but some Islands farre distant from the firme Land but in the West he hath divers Provinces adjoyning upon the Sea-coast yet not penetrating farre within the Land And although he doth daily conquer some of the neighbouring places yet they be of no great value nor consequence From the Low-Countries he reapeth small profit for hee hath there lost his ancient Revenues with his reputation being faine to acknowledge the States of Holland Zeland c. for free before they would yeeld to capitulate with him To intreat first of Spaine because it is the centre of this spacious Empire it is conserved by two meanes that is to say by Iustice and Religion keeping this people in obedience more with severity and chastisement than with clemency and mercy The Province it selfe is barren if we consider each part thereof by it selfe but being reduced into one grosse it aboundeth with all things necessary especially towards the Sea coast being also stored with divers Minerals True it is that it hath few men and is not populous both by reason that a great number are drawne from thence to serve in the warres to re-enforce the garrisons and to defend the forts abroad as well amongst the Indies as in many other places of his dominions as also for that many of them doe exercise Merchandize and Navigation Which although it bring some dammage to the State because so many leave the Country yet proveth it very beneficiall and commodious by their enricht returne unto their owne houses and ridding by that meanes the Country of the more slothfull sort of home-livers Two parts are incompast with the Ocean and Mediterran Seas the third is secured from the power of the French Armes not onely by reason of the craggy situation of the Pirenean of Scialon Pargnan and Pampelone where it is mountainous and hard to passe and by the forts but also through the difficulty that they should there finde in journeying and the incommodity and want of victuals entring into a Country so sterill and unfruitfull The other part confining as aforesaid upon the Mediterran Sea remaineth onely exposed unto the Turkish Navie from which it is well secured by having few Ports and those diligently kept and guarded with powerfull forces But amongst all the offensive Potentates the Kingdome of England is able to infest it more than any other for in the late warres it did beyond measure trouble the Kingdome of Portugal in pitying the quarrell of Don Antonio a man much favoured of that Crowne in such sort that the City of Lisbon once famous and well inhabited became poore and well-nigh dispeopled For whereas in 〈◊〉 past one might number a thousand vessels within her Ports 500 of them were consumed taken by the enemie which did not much displease his Majestie for some said he was well content to see the Portugals so impoverished and abased because they live male-contentedly under his obedience and government Whereupon at all times his Majesty is constrained to maintaine a strong Armada in these Seas to safeguard the Navigation to the Indies and to secure the Merchants comming from thence into these Countries over and besides twenty foure Gallies which he keepeth to guard the coast and to defend it from the Turkish fleet and the incursions of Pyrats the charges whereof with the maintenance of the fortifications and defences amount yearely to halfe a million of Gold The number of souldiers in all the presidiarie places of Spaine amount to eight thousand not reckoning any man of sort nor Mariners for instead of these the Moores and Turkish slaves doe serve in the Gallies This Kingdome doth never send forth any Horsemen because there be but few and yet not sufficient for their owne affaires In the next ranke follow the Italian Provinces Naples Millaine and Sicilie
distresses and labours of warre but by night they never goe upon any service By it selfe alone this Nation hath done nothing of reckoning but accompanied with others it hath made good assaies of its owne valour alwayes boasting of the taking of the French King of the victories of Germany of the enterprise of the Tercers and of the happy fight at the Curzolary without once remembring their contrary successes of Goletta Algiers and England Of ordinary revenues from Italy it receiveth foure millions of gold Much of that of Naples is pawned the which the Kingdome of Sicilie doth yearly supply by sending thither ordinarily foure thousand crownes and the Councell of Spaine taking order for the rest These States in Italy are defended from the forces of bordering Princes partly by nature of site and partly by the aid of strong Forts ordinarily maintaining in the presidiarie places ten thousand Spanish foot-men 1200. men at Armes three hundred light-horse and thirty six Gallies for guard of the Sea-coasts Of sixteene are of Genoa twentie five of Naples twelve of Sicilie and three of Savoy This is the appointed number but you shall seldome see it so strong For notwithstanding this Armada the coasts are badly secured as it appeared by the late yeares example in the dammages done by the Turkish Navie upon Puglia and Calabria amounting as it is reported to the summe of more than a million and a halfe of gold He serveth himselfe also when occasion requireth with the Gallies of Malta with the Popes which are eighteene and sometimes also with those of the great Duke of Tuscan And all these charges are nothing neere defrayed by the foure millions of revenue so that Italy stands the Spaniard in much more than hee gets by it The witty Boccalini brings in Lorenzo Medices weighing the Estates of Europe and when the Spaniards saw the revenue of Spaine alone to weigh within a few millions as much as France with great chearefulnesse they gate on their spectacles and would needs cast their dominions of Italie into the scale but perceiving the beame to turne contrary to their expectation all ashamed they tooke them out againe and durst not put in their dominions in Africa and the Low-Countries The mindes of these his Italian subjects are exceedingly exasperated through the insolencie of their government their intolerable charges and the burthen of infinite taxations which are continually imposed upon them finding out daily one meanes or other to raise new summes of money The Neapolitans are most doubted for revolt by reason of the instability of that people alwayes desirous of change and novelties Millaine is also suspected by reason of the dammage which they undergoe by lodging of souldiers at discretion being growne to a custome with the small desolation of divers families The Indies are divided into Orientall and Occidentall the King pretending to be sole Lord both of the one and the other The Orientall not only are indangered by the English Navies which in time of warre doe continually trouble them but in hazard also if not to be lost yet to be forced to share quiet and peaceable Trafficke both to the English and Netherland Merchants The King maintaineth there for custodie of those Countries many ships of Warre having also distributed eight thousand foot-men for the ordinary safegard of the Forts The West-Indies exceeding rich and abounding with gold and silver are divided into two parts Peru and New Spaine These Countries are full of Mines in which is found great store of gold keeping therein the Indians continually at worke living very barely and undergoing the punishment of their ignorance and pusilanimity in suffering themselves to be easily overcome and so basely subjected The King hath the fifth part of all extracted from the Mines These Indies in the time of Charles the fifth yeâ—â—ded no more than five hundred thousand crownes of gold by yeare but they now yeeld an exceeding commodity to this King for in some yeares past comprehending the Buls of the Crosse and other confiscations in those parts he hath received from thence ten millions of gold yea fifteene and seventeene millions many yeares since that His Highnesse Ministers doe still procure some new gaine in those parts and the people still continue their Navigation thither with more gaine upon their returne than one hundred for another The Merchants carry thither Wines Woollen-cloth and other merchandize of these parts and bring from thence in lieu thereof over and besides divers sorts of Spices a great quantitie of Goldiâ— by extraction of which the fruitfulnesse of the Mines is no whit diminished but it seemeth that they doe rather daily more and more increase and multiply in such sort that the Countrey-men in tilling the ground doe finde great-store thereof together with the clods of earth when they dig it up and in my time there was discovered a Mine of Quicksilver which will yeeld exceeding profit and incredible gaine True it is that all these profits have their interest but they arise not to above twenty in the hundred laid out by reason of Convoyes for security of the Fleet. For there is alwayes maintained strong guards in the Isle of Iava apt by reason of the situation to give the Empire of all these parts to him that can make himselfe once Master thereof The souldiers which hee sent into these parts have for their pay two crownes a moneth in such sort that the Land-souldiers the guarders of the Forts and the Gallies which he maintaineth for this purpose is a speciall cause that his Majestie expendeth in interests and charges amongst the Indies more by a great deale than a million and a halfe of gold Which maketh me nothing to wonder that although this King by reason of his abundance of Treasure and many other infinite riches brought yearely from the Indies should seeme to be richer than other Princes and his state much more wealthy and aboundant yet in truth the great Turke not having any mines of gold is more mightier and farre wealthier And so in true interpretation is France England and Netherland as late experience the touch-stone of ambiguities hath fully discovered Whereupon it must needs follow that this Crowne is either much hindred by ingagement in war want of home-bred necessities or by uncertaine returnes of its Fleets subject every yeare to the casualties of Seas currents and surprisals If these be not the causes of so many crosses as our eyes have lately discovered then surely his neighbouring Princes must be thought to be Lords of a valianter people than are his Spanish For say they it appeareth by record from time to time kept in the Citie of Sivil that in threescore and fourteene yeares space there have come into Spaine two hundred and threescore millions of gold Of all which summe there remaineth now in Spaine by conjecture in ready money and plate wherewith this Nation is much delighted about six and fifty millions Five and twenty the
commandements Another contrarietie also doth this great State incurre That the Prince thereof hath farre better meanes to get Money than Men. For howbeit upon every occasion and when need serveth he is served by the Swizzers the Wallons and Italians yet these of themselves are little or nothing worth being upon every sleight occasion of slack pay ready to make commotions and in their furie to forsake his service Of other Nations besides that his Majestie dareth lesse trust them he cannot although he would have such a sufficient number as should supply his need and occasion So howbeit that this Prince be sole Lord and Master of so many mighty States and of so great and potent an Empire yet liveth he full of continuall travels and discontents Now having taken a full view and mature consideration both of the States as also of the ends and intents of this mighty Monarch together with those contrarieties which these States doe suffer it resteth that in this last place wee should intreat of the correspondencie which hee holdeth with other Princes which as it is of all other knowledges the most necessary so is it the hardest to be discovered bringing with it for the most part greater difficultie to be able fully and judiciously to pierce into the purposes and inward thoughts of Princes but especially into the secret Councels of the State of Spaine being full of cunning dissimulation To begin therefore with this point I say that generally to instance first of all the Pope his Catholike Majestie will have him to be such a one as may wholly depend upon him and be confident of his fastnesse And therefore in their Elections his endevour is that not any ascend to that dignitie that doth any way savour of the French faction and therefore alienated from his devotion nor any that are of singular Nobilitie left their spirits might be too generous to be basely abused by him nor any of the Kingdome of Naples for feare taught by former examples of some new disturbance in that State But his principall desire is to create one of base linage and of meane respect and such a one as shall if it be possible acknowledge his Cardinalship and all other dignities to proceed from him and such a one whose parents and kinsfolkes are poore that by the bountie which he shall bestow upon them and the pensions which he shall conferre on their friends he may binde them unto him and confidently assure himselfe of their favour and partaking when occasion serveth And for this cause in all that he can he seeketh to weaken the Popes and to detract from their dignities to make them inclinable to his will and wholly to depend upon him procuring them to continue in this office of their love by furnishing their State with Corne out of Puglia and Sicilie and by upholding the authoritie of the holy See in defending their Coasts from the incursions of the Turkish Fleets and from the depredations and inrodes of Pyrats and lastly by giving them to understand that it is in his power to call a Councell and in it to take an account of their actions and to call their prerogatives into question And howbeit the absolution and re-benediction of the late King of Navarre did much move nay beyond measure trouble the minde of Philip the second who in those times did hope for great things at the Popes hands yet did he dissemble this offence As on the contrary did his Holinesse the prejudice that was and is done him in Spaine in regard of holy Church whereby not only his orders and decrees are broken and moderated by the Councell but also sometimes rejected and contemned whereof his Holinesse hath made often complaint to the Spanish Ambassadour but to small purpose In the College of Cardinals the King at this present hath not much authoritie by reason of his imperious proceeding and lesse will have hereafter the French Nation being now rise to some greatnesse which will now every day more and more be able strongly to oppose themselves against the Spanish by whose jealousies greatnesse and dissimulation one with another that See hath gained such greatnesse and reputation in the world In requitall whereof his Holinesse in favour of Philip the second wasted forsooth in warre against the Lutheráns cut off by his authoritie I know not how many millions of debt due to the Genoese He hath given him also all Pardon 's sent to the Indies worth by yeare halfe a million with the collations of Benefices and Bishopricks and the enjoyment of the two rich Orders of Saint Iames and Calatrava With the Emperour howbeit all be of his blouâ— his Catholike Majestie hath not had till of late any great intelligence because in many occurrences that have beene offered he hath given him but slender satisfaction neither would ever seeke any counsell of his Majestie which principally is by him desired to the intent that he might seeme to relie upon him But true it is that these gusts are now over-blowne and the distastes are at length somewhat lessened in consideration of entermariages But since these late warres about Bohemia and the Palatinate he hath made great use of the Emperour The Spaniard knowes well that to attaine his designed Monarchie he must first conquer Germanie and make himselfe Master of those Ports and Hanâ—e-Townes from thence to annoy England and Holland To prepare the way to this necessary it was that some quarrell should be pickt with some of the Protestant Princes for matter of State and with all of them for matter of Religion The plot hath taken and by this meanes hath the Spaniard brought forren forces into the Empire though this was objected by the Princes in their Dyâ—ts to be against the Constitutions of the Empire By these forces of his having first gotten himselfe to be made Executioner of the Imperiall Ban against the proscribed Palatine Baden Hessen Iegerensdorff and others hath he in the Emperours name gotten possession of divâ—â— Townes which he holds as his owne Knowne it is that there was a Mint set up at Vienna the Coine whereof though it bare the Emperours stampe yet the Bullion came from Spaine To make himselfe neerer unto the Emperour he hath made himselfe Master of the Valtoline that by that passage hee might unite his owne forces of Millane with those of the Emperours hereditary States next to the Alps in Germanie By the Emperours meanes hath he also made himselfe a partie in the present quarrell of the Dukedome of Mantua in Italie and it shall goe hard but he will get all or some good part of it to joyne to Millane and Naples And this is the use that the Spaniard since the yeare 1620. hath made of the Emperour The Emperour growes great by the Armes of Spaine but this is but personall and to die with Ferdinand of Gratz in the meane time all the world knows that the Spaniard hath the reputation and will at last
of it East West North and South is exceedingly spoken of for Silver and Gold Mines insomuch as in a Storie written of the Mines of Saxonie called Berg-Cronicon it is affirmed that this Hill yeelded to the Dukes of Saxonie in eight yeares twenty two Millions of Florens only for the Tenths Besides these Mines the Duke hath the Mine of Mansfielt pawned to divers Merchants of Norimberg and Augusta and are thought to be worth yearely thirty thousand pounds sterling It is held that all his Mines of Saxonie besides those of Mansfielt yeeld the Duke one yeare with another seven hundred thousand Florens which is about an hundred and thirty thousand pounds sterling Other commodities of worth they have none but flax and a kinde of thicke course cloth which by reason of the exceeding falsifying and dearenesse of ours groweth every day into more and more request with them The whole Dukedome but especially Misen is very populous full of Cities walled Townes and Country Villages and all of them very well peopled It is certainly affirmed that the Duke at twenty dayes warning is able to make an Armie of fourescore thousand men very well armed and furnished The people generally are reasonable faire of complexion and flaxen haired but not well favoured either men or women in behaviour as civill as any part of Germanie whatsoever especially the women who taking themselves as they are indeed for the fairest and best spoken of all Dutchland are in their apparell and entertainment indifferently gracefull For their disposition as indeed almost all the rest of the Germans it is very honest true and not ordinarily given to any notorious vice but drinking nor willingly offering any injurie either to their owne country-men or to strangers but when they are drunke and then very quarrelsome and as it is said more valiant than when they are sober Wise in mediocritie but not of any great sharpnesse or subtiltie of wit Of body strong and big boned especially the Countrey people but of a kinde of lumpish heavie and unactive strength fitter for husbandrie and other toilesome labour than fighting In their chiefe Cities some few give themselves at their great and principall Feasts to a little use of their Peece in shooting at a marke but otherwise by reason of their long peace altogether untrained to the warres or any warlike exercises But the use of the pot serveth for all other pastimes and delights in which notwithstanding they have very small store of wine yet they are nothing inferiour to any other part of Dutchland They have great store of Artizans and Handy-crafts men of all sorts but in their severall trades nothing so neat and artificiall as the Netherlanders and English or those of Norimberg and Augusta Of Merchants they have great store especially in Liepsiege and other chiefe Cities and those for the most part very rich whereof this reason is yeelded that though they have no commodities save those before mentioned nor are neere the Sea or any great Rivers by which they may have cheape and commodious importation or exportation of wares yet Germanie is so seated in the midst and heart of all Christendome and Saxonie in the bowels of it as by continuall trafficking with England France the Low-Countries Italie Poland and all the Easterne Countries and by daily conveying all the commodities of each Countrey over-land to others that want them they grow very wealthy For such as give themselves to the warres and have no other profession of living though generally all the Germans are mercenary souldiers and so their service accordingly yet I heard of as few in this Province as in any part of Germanie whether it were that the wars of Hungarie imployed them all or that other Princes growing weary of their service their occupation began to decay Touching the Nobilitie I can say nothing in particular of their numbers names titles dispositions c. only in generall there be Earles and Barons Some are meerely subject to the Duke others are borderers which are only but homagers as the Princes of Anhalt the Counts of Mansfielt the Counts of Swarzenberge c. Of Gentils there are good store to the number as it is supposed of three or foure thousand at the least by which meanes the Duke is alwayes in his warres well furnished with Horsemen every one one with another bringing three or foure good horses with him to the field The Nobilitie and Gentilitie generally thorow all Germanie and particularly in this Dukedome have great royalties and revenues The lands goods and chiefe houses are usually equally divided amongst all the children reserving but little prerogative to the eldest brother The Honours likewise descend equally to the whole Familie all the sonnes of Dukes being Dukes and all the daughters Duchesses all the sonnes of Counts Counts and the daughters Countesses c. They are exceedingly had both Noblemen and Gentlemen in extraordinary reverence and estimation amongst the vulgar people which both in their Gate and Seats in publike places they very religiously maintaine In time of Peace they are but little used in counsell or matters of State being almost all utterly unqualified either with wisdome learning or experience only contenting themselves with shadow of honour which their ancestors have left them And if they have beene famous as by the raising of their Houses to that greatnesse it should seeme they have â—eene they imitate them in nothing but in only continuing their so long and so holily observed order of carowsing In time of warre which hath beene for many yeares till the late warres of Hungarie very small or rather noâ—â— â—ecause of their greatnesse both in Revenues and number of Tenants their service hath beene usually imployed but now by reason of their long disuse of Martiall matters which therefore seemed to make some amends or at least some excuse of their other defects they are become if I ghesse not amisse not to fit for their greatnesse as unfit for their want of knowledge every way either in experience or contemplation And truly I cannot so much as heare almost of any of them either Noble or Gentlemen that give themselves to any Noble studies exercises or delights except now and then to the hunting of the wilde Boare by which and by accustoming their heads to the wearing of their heavie thrummed Caps in stead of a head-peece they take themselves to be greatly enabled for service For the valour and warlike disposition of the people of this Dukedome I cannot commend them above the rest of their Country-men neither shall I as I thinke need to stand much upon that point sithence their actions shall plead their sufficiencie in generall The great matters which they have undertaken and the little that they have performed will produce sufficient testimonie What they did one against another in the time of Charles the fifth is not much materiall to prove their courage since without question Bulrushes against Bulrushes
are very good Weapons But in the same time and under the same Duke and Captaine they performed very little against the Spaniards though with farre over-ballanced numbers as in divers places of Sleyden manifestly appeareth Touching their actions in the Low-Countries in the Prince of Orange his time in France during the civill warres and sithence for the King if I mistake it not it hath alwayes beene praise enough for them if they have helped to keepe their enemies from doing any great matters though they have performed nothing themselves Of latter time they have rather increased than diminished this opinion in the warres ten yeares since in Hungarie besides many other times of notable disorders amongst them by false Alarmes They fled most shamefully out of the Island of Komora being charged by a few Tartars who with infinite hazzard and inconvenience swam over a part of the Danubie to come at them The Summer after Count Charles of Mansfielt their Generall had them in such jelousie as when the Turkes only with some twelve or fourteene thousand men came to victuall Gran and past almost close by their Tents and they being at least fifty thousand strong he durst not set upon them till they retired having performed the project of their journey left the Germans who were by farre the greater part of his Armie being lustily charged might give backe so indanger the whole Campe. To omit many other particularities about this point too long to dwell upon in this discourse they are no more to be commended for their discipline than for their valour for though they be commonly very well armed and keepe indifferent good order in their march yet are they for the most part no more watchfull and provident in their Campe than if they were safely intrenched in an Ale-house Quarrelsome exceedingly and in a manner given to drinking continually and almost every common souldier carrying with him his she-baggage besides his bagge and other furniture Of their unreasonable spoiling and free-booting the French Stories make sufficient relation and it hath alwayes beene hard to discerne whether those Nations that have called them to their succour have received more detriment by them or by their professed enemies For instance of their spoiling humour the Marquesse of Turloch taking in the Marquesdome of Baden and being constrained to keepe some foure or five thousand men in sundry places in garrison they all offered though he gave them very extraordinary pay to serve without any wages so they might have free libertie of pillage Therefore let it not seeme strange that I produce these generall examples of this Nation for though in divers Provinces they are much differing in complexion in stature and many other circumstances yet for warre especially for their vices in warre they are in a manner all of the same aire They have greatly affected the English Nation but of late were they not a little distasted upon pretence of injuries done them about prizes Sea matters and suppressing their privileges of the Stillyard wherein though they themselves as being Inland people and trading little by Sea are nothing interessed yet their neighbours of Hamborough Lubech and divers other Hanse-townes making all these matters farre greater and worse than indeed they are have spread even into their minds the contagion of their owne grudge The Councell of Saxony are at this time few Amongst them there are some that are of the Nobility Counsellours rather in name than effect For in that they live in their Countries they are seldome present at any consultations and meddle little in the ordinary government of the State The rest after the manner of Germany are most Civilians The whole government of the affaires as also the Court is very private Other particulars I cannot specifie neither in truth if a man consider their outward portlinesse though otherwise I doubt not but wise enough doe they merit the setting downe of any For being as all Germans are plaine and homely in their behaviour and entertainment they are both in their retinue apparell and all things else very sutable so that not onely in this Court but in the Courts of divers great Princes of Germany they goe usually apparelled in blacke Leather or Linnen died blacke the chiefest having only an addition for ornament sake of the Princes picture in gold or a chaine of one or two boughts whereby they seeme such leatherne and linnen Gentlemen as if they were in England all men would take them for honest factors unto Merchants or else some under-Clerke of an Office rather than such great and chiefe Counsellours to so great Princes and Estates But as it should be great folly for a man to judge the preciousnesse of a Iewell by the case wherein it is kept and much greater to esteeme it by the cover of the case sed even so by the same reason it were an equall indiscretion to estimate a mans worth either by their body or apparell the one being but an earthen case of the heavenly minde the other but the outward cover of that worthlesse box So on the other side it is an undeniable certainty that not only the common people and strangers but even wise men are moved and stirred up with outward shewes and their mindes according to those exterior matters prepared to receive a deepe impression either of like or dislike favour or disfavour of reverence or carelesse retchlesnesse and debased dispositions The Revenues of this Dukedome are as most men affirme very great and without comparison the greatest of any German Prince whatsoever The meanes whereby it ariseth to that greatnesse are divers first the great quantity of Silver Mines and such like whose profit notwithstanding is very uncertaine according to the goodnesse or badnesse of the veines the great impositions upon all sorts of Merchandize and the assize upon Beere which only in the Citie Liepsiege being a little Towne of two Parishes amounteth yearely to above twenty thousand pounds sterling The tenths of all sorts of increase as Corne Wine c. The Salt-houses at Hall and some other places which being all to the Duke besides the Lands of the Dukedome being very great and the Taxes and Subsidies assessed at their Parliaments or Diets with divers other casualties which fall not within my knowledge But above all the greatest is an imposition which hath long time beene laid upon the people towards the maintenance of the warres against the Turke which notwithstanding they have beene suspended for a long space lately yet under colour of being sufficiently provided and furnished against future necessities they have beene continued and the treasure converted to the Princes private use arising in all this time to that quantity that if it had beene reserved to the pretended use the warres might be continually very royally maintained I speake as much as is required on the behalfe of that Dukedome and the people freed these many yeares from the imposition which notwithstanding is not
the middest of a Lake and is in the Maps falsly called Echyed And those be the Countries of Hungaria which lying neere to the Turke and further from the Emperor did for their owne safeguard voluntarily at first put themselves under the protection of Bethlen Gabor whom with the Transilvanians they also elected for their Prince And now follow those seven Counties which the same Prince hath by the sword and conquest taken from the German Emperour which lie next in situation unto those before mentioned The first of these is that of Szâ—atmar lying neerer to Transilvania and touching both upon Maramaros and Szolnok aforesaid The chiefe Towne gives name to the Shire being a very strong one and served by a most plentifull Country about it The next Country so conquered is Zabolczi whose Burrough Towne is Debrecen situate in a large and most fertile levell of an hundred English miles long and broad and adorned with a goodly College of Students This County from the Southerne parts of Hungaria subject to the Turkes reaches over the goodly River Tibiscus fifty English miles right out ascending from the East to the South and West in which parts be the townes and villages of the warlike Hayduks so famous in the Turkish History a free people they held themselves all Gentlemen in service of no Lord but of their Leaders in time of warres and those are still of their owne Nation yet all bound to serve in the Armies of the Prince of Transilvania They live by their owne private Lawes and are most stiffe for the Calvinist Religion Next come those Counties which lie in the midst of these aforenamed The first of which is Bereghez whose Metropolis is Berekszas and this is the driest and barrennest Country of Hungaria Here is the Fort of Echyed so built in the midst of Lakes and Bogs that there is no approach to be made within foure miles of it either by horse or foot but by one bridge onely This makes it have the name of the strongest peece of all Bethlen Gabors Dominions perhaps of the whole world and therefore chosen by him to keepe the Crowne of Hungaria in when he had it in his custody Anno 1622. All these three Countries aforesaid conquered from the Emperour together with these former which belong unto him by Election lie situated in the forme of a ragged Triangle betwixt Transilvania and the River Tibiscus the first line whereof is made up by the County Maramaros out of which Tibiscus flowes originally The second line is either made by the River of Maros Marusius which falls â—nto the Tibiscus neere IÃ ppa a towne of the Turkes dominions although the better and evener line be made by the County Belenges The third line of this Triangle towards the West ends at the Castle of Tokai under whose walls the River Brodogh falls into the Tibiscus From this Castle we beginne to account the other foure conquered Counties which lie on Hungaria side and in respect of Transilvania are beyond the Tibiscus The first of which lying beyond Tibiscus and Brodogh is called Vgocz or Vngh of a River of that name whose chiefe towne is Vnghar the second is Hommona where the Iesuites have a College This Country touches upon Poland The second of these conquered Counties a member also of this latter is called Zemlen as its chiefe City also is Its second City is Saros Patak where the Palatine or Earle-marcher of that part of Hungaria subject to Bethlen Gabor usually keepes his residence Ennoblished it is besides with the greatest College belonging to the reformed Religion in all those parts wherein namely are fourescore Fellowes three hundred Schollars a Master and foure Readers all maintained by their owne setled Revenues like ours in England and all planted in a dainty aire a rich and most delicate Country The third conquered County is Porsod whose Metropolis is Tokay aforesaid which with its Fort and Castle was in consideration of 60000. pounds rendred by the Emperour unto Bethlen Gabor in the yeare 1628. August the 10. which its new Lord hath since re-edified This towne is overlookt by that which they call The golden Mountaine three English miles in height and seven in compasse which beares a wine of a more delicate and rich race than the Canaries and inestimable plenty too here and all abouts the Country This Country confronts upon the Turkish Territories and beyond Rudabaneya in the west parts begins the dominion of the Emperour The fourth of these Counties of his beyond Tibiscus and the utmost bounds of his conquests is called Abavyvar whose Metropolis is Cassovia the fairest and richest of all those parts and newly walled and fortified by the Conquerour Inhabited it is by the Hungarian and German Nations both of which here have their severall Churches Here likewise is a College as there also bee at Geonez and Sepsi two neighbour Cities Here also is the Bishopricke of Lelesz which being popish was upon request delivered up unto the Emperours disposing in that late treaty of Pacification And these be the goodly dominions of Bethlen Gabor in Hungaria which on the East are bounded with Transilvania on the West with the Turkish parts of Hungaria on the North with Poland and on the South with the Counties of Heves Torn and Genevar c. all subject to the Emperour As for his two Dukedomes of Oppelen and Ratibor in Silesia they being farre distant and chargeable to hold hee made a faire surrender of them into the Emperours hands in that treaty of Peace concluded betwixt them Anno 1624. What Revenues and Certainties may bee raised from hence is not to bee ghessed at in these troublesome times in which seasons quiet possession is to bee accounted the chiefe part of the Revenues seeing the subject is then rather to bee releeved than oppressed The Forces which hee is able to raise from hence with his owne pay and money must needs be very great seeing that with them hee hath not onely defended himselfe and gained upon the Emperour but so farre pressed upon him as to set so many townes on fire in Austria it selfe that by the light of those Bonefires the Emperour might reade a Letter in his owne Bed-chamber in Vienna Bethlen Gabor finally both for his valour and fortune is more dreaded by the Emperour than any other Christian King or Potentate of Europe And now for that this Prince hath so arrested the incroching greatnesse of the Emperour Ferdinand in those parts that he may well be called The scourge of the house of Austria he is therefore most mortally hated by all the Papists of Christendome who are sottishly addicted unto that Family Hence those scornes and slanders of him that he was basely borne that he was a Turke in Religion yea Circumcised and an hundred other Iesuiticall knaveries And for that hee hath not still beene ready to doe as we would have him in England since these infortunate warres of Bohemia even we good Protestants have thought that hee
thousand houses of Spaniards and sixtie thousand of the native Indians The gold and silver of these parts is neither so much nor so good as that of Peru but Merchandize Mechanicks and Husbandrie infinitely more flourish Some one private man the Spaniards report to be master of thirtie yea fortie or fiftie thousand head of Cattell The profits arising from hence to the King of Spaine will not the Spanish Writers suffer to be intirely knowne This they bragge of that the yearely fishing of the Lake of Mexico is worth twenty thousand crownes and that Mexico Citie glories in foure faire things Women Cloaths Streets and Horses Guatimala IT is both the name of a Towne as also of the Province The Old-towne so called was destroyed by the fall of an Hill thereunto adjoyning and an hundred and twentie Spaniards miraculously overwhelmed with the ruine thereof About three miles from thence is the New-towne situated containing eightie or ninetie faire stone houses therein all covered with tile It is much subject to Earth-quakes but otherwise of a good temperate aire fruitfull of corne and plentifull of trees brought out of Spaine which doe not well prosper therein Fonduras IT is a great Countrey and was exceeding well inhabited before the arrivall of the Spaniards And howbeit they boast of the erection of five Townes therein yet all of them consist not of above an hundred and twentie or an hundred and thirtie houses and those for the most part built of reeds and straw yea and but poorely inhabited because the gold which is their sole desire beginneth to faile Nicaragua NIcaragua stretcheth towards the South-sea lying South-east from Mexico and is not very great but rich fruitfull and pleasant insomuch as the Spaniards call it Mahomets Paradise but so extreme hot that it is not to be travelled by day but by night It should seeme that their Winter beginneth in May for from thence it raineth six whole moneths the other six are very faire and drie and day and night being of equall length Honey Wax Cotton-wooll and Balsam grow there in great abundance with many other kinds of fruits which are neither found in other Provinces nor yet in Hispaniola There are some few Kine but many Hogs and those brought from Spaine Parrots are there as common as Crowes in England The Countrey is well replenished with Indian Villages their small houses consisting of reeds and straw The gold that they have is brought from other places and so is all other metall In manners they resemble the Mexicans and so in apparell and language save that the Mexican is the better with the use whereof a man may travell fifteene hundred miles and is easily to be learned One Lake it hath three hundred miles about which hath no vent into the Ocean The chiefe Cities are Nueva Granado and Leo the Seat of a Bishop Cuba CVba or Fernandina is a great Island and by reason it hath on the East-side Saint Domingo on the West Iucatan on the North Florida and on the South Iamaica it is very much frequented by Merchants It is more long than broad and containeth in length from East to West three hundred miles and from North to South threescore and ten In breadth it is not above nineteene miles in some places but fifteene The ground is high rough and full of Hils the Rivers small yet rich of Gold and Copper The aire is temperate but of the coldest The soile affordeth great store of Mather it is full of Woods and fresh-fish by reason of the faire Rivers therein It boasteth of six Townes inhabited by Spaniards whereof that of Saint Iames is a Bishops See and Havana the chiefe Staple where yearely all the ships make their Rendevouz The people resemble those of Hispaniola but differ in speech and goe all naked being now almost rooted out and supplanted by the Spaniards Here though the Gold bee course yet the Brasse is most pure It beareth plentie of Sugar Ginger Cassia Aloes Cinamon The common people may not eat Serpents it being meat for their masters Iamaica or the I le of Saint Iago IAmaica lieth seventeene degrees on this side the Equinoctiall and hath on the East S. Domingo on the West the Cape of Iucatan on the North Cuba and on the South Lacerena The breadth surpasseth the length being from East to West about fiftie miles and from North to South twentie In it the greater part of the Inhabitants by farre are Spaniards sixtie thousand Natives being by them destroyed like their neighbours of Lucaya It is very fruitfull both toward the Sea as also to the Inland and was in times past very populous and such as were more wittie and subtill both in warre and other professions than were their neighbours It yeeldeth also Gold and very fine Cotton-wooll And at this present it is full of such beastials as the Spaniards have brought thither out of Spaine The women here killed their owne children rather than suffer them to serve the Spaniards Hispaniola HIspaniola which the Natives call Haitie for greatnesse is the second Island in those parts On the East-side lieth Saint Iohns on the West Cuba and Iamaica on the North the Islands of the Canibals and on the South the firme land The Compasse thereof is foure hundred French miles being broader than it is long For in length it is from East to West an hundred and fiftie miles and from North to South fortie miles It is stored with Azure Basill-wood Cotton-wooll Amber Gold Silver and abundance of Sugar It is so fruitfull that within sixteene dayes Radishes Lettuce and Cole-wort will ripen and be readie to be eaten and within six and thirtie Melons Cucumbers and Gourds will be as forward It hath many Townes whereof that of Saint Domingo is the principall as containing above five hundred houses and those inhabited by Spaniards and built after the Spanish fashion Next their Gold their greatest trading is Sugar and Hides For all sorts of Cattell brought thither out of Spaine have so prospered therein that some are owners of six or eight thousand beasts Here are the Spaniards said to have wasted three millions of Indians The Gold is better here than in Cuba The Sugar yeelds twentie or thirtie fold and Corne an hundred fold Foure goodly Rivers it hath and five or six handsome Townes of Spaniards Boriquen BOriquen or the Iland of Saint Iohn on the East hath the Island of Saint Cruz on the West other small Islands Northward Saint Domingo and on the South the Cape of Paria From East to West it is fiftie miles long and eighteene broad In forme it is almost square and is populous well housed having many good Havens and replenished with Woods The Inhabitants are valiant and have Warre continually against the Canibals Upon the North-side it is rich in gold but towards the South fruitfull of bread grasse fruit and fish The two chiefe Townes are Saint Iohns and Puerte Rico. Should I run over all the Coast of Paria