Scrikfinia and Biarmia and so passing to the East by Noua Zimbla halfe the way almost to Cathaio haue entred the riuer called Duina by which they disperse themselues for marchandize both by water land into the most parts of the dominioÌ„ of the Emperour This Empire is at this day one of the greatest dominions in the world both for compasse of grounde and for multitude of men sauing that it lyeth far North and so yeeldeth not pleasure or good trafique with many other of the best nations De Prusia Polonia IN Europe on the East and North corner of Germany lyeth a countrie called Prussia in Latine most times Borussia in English Pruthen or Sprusa of whome little is famous sauing that they be gouerned by one in a kinde of order of religion whome they call the Grand-master and that they are a meanes to keepe the Moscouite the Turke from some other partes of Christendome On the East-side of Germanie betweene Russia Germanie lyeth Polonia or Poland which is a kingdome differing from other of Europe because the king there is chosen by election by some of the Princes neare adioyning as was lately Henry the third King of France These elections oftentimes doe make great factions there so that intaking partes they grow often there into ciuill warre The king of Polonia is almost continually in warre either with the Moscouite who lyeth in the East and North-east of him or with the Turke who lyeth on the South and South-east and sometimes also with the Princes of Germanie whereupon the Poles doe commonly desire to chuse warriors to their King In this countrie are none but Christians but so that libertie of all religions is permitted insomuch that there be Papists Colleges of Iesuites both of Lutherans and Caluinistes opinions Anabaptists Artians and diuers others This is that countrie which in times past was called Sarmatia the chiefe citie whereof is named Cracouia De Hungaria Austria ON the South-side of Germanie lyeth Hungarie called in the Latine Pannonia which haue bene heretofore deuided into Pannonia superior and Pannonia inferiore it is an absolute kingdome and hath heretofore bene ritch and populous The Christians that doe liue there haue among them diuers sortes of religions as in Poland The kingdome hath bene a great obstacle against the Tuckes comming into Christendome but especially in the time of Iohannes Huniades who did mightily with many great victories repulse the Turke Here standeth Buda which was heretofore a great fortresse of Christendome But the glory of this kingdome is almost vtterly decayed by reason that the Turke who partly by policle and partly by force doth now possesse the greatest parte of it So that the people are fled from thence and the Christians which remaine there are in miserable seruitude Notwithstanding some part of Pannonia superior doth yet belong to Christendome That corner of Germanie which lieth neerest to Hungarie is called Austria which is an Archdukedome FroÌ„ which house are come many of the Princes of Germany and of other parts of Europe so that the Crowne imperiall of Germanie is now tied to some one of this house In this countrie standeth Vienna that noble citie which is now the principall bulwarke of all Christendome against the Turke from whence Soliman was repelled by Ferdinandus King of Hungarie in the time of the Emperour Charles the fift It was in this country that Richard the first king of England in his returne from the holy land was taken prisoner by the Archduke of Austria and so put to a grieuous raunsome The Archduke that now is by the King of Spaine is appointed in the place of the Duke of Parma as gouernour of the low countries Through both Austria and Hungarie doth runne the mightie riuer Danubius as through Germanie doth runne the Rhene whereon groweth Vinum Rhenâ—â—um commonly called Rhenish wine De Graecia ON the South-side of Hungarie and South-east lyeth a countrie of Europe called in old time Dacia which is large and wide comprehending in it Transyluania Valachia Moldauia and Seruia Of which little is famous saue that the men are warlike and can hardly be brought to obedience They haue lately bin vnder the King of Hungarie The riuer Danubius doth diuide this Dacia from Mysia commonly called Bulgaria which lieth on the South from Danubius and is seuered from Graecia by the mountaine Hamus From Hamus towards the South lieth Graecia bounded on the West by the Adriatike sea on the East by the Thracian sâ—â— and Mare Aegeum on the South by the maine Mediteran sea This contained in old time foure speciall parts Peloponnesus Achaia Macedonia and Epirus Peloponnesus which is now called Morea is the South part of Graecia being Paeninsula or almost an Iland for that it is ioyned by a litle straight called Isthmos vnto the rest of Gracia Herein stood Sparta and the auncient state of Lacedaemon On the Isthmos or straight stood the famous citie of Corinth which was in old time called the key of Greece On the West side of Graecia next to Peloponnesus stood the kingdom of Macedonia so famous vnder Philip for conquering al Graecia and vnder Alexander for vanquishing almost al the Easterne world and for taking of the Monarchy from the Persians and remouing it to the Macedonians On the North-side of Macedonia being the North-west from Graecia stood the little kingdome of Epirus where raigned Scanderbeg which was in his time so great a scourge to the Turke The rest of Graecia was called Achaia hauing on the North and East part thereof Thracia on the North Haemus the hill on the West Macedonia and Epirus on the South Peloponnesus on the East those seas which diuide Asia the lesse from Graecia In this part stood Thessalonica to the which S. Paule wrote his Epistle and Athens and Thebes and all the Cities of Boetia and the Cities of the Achai Argos Elis and many other Macedonia is by the best Writers and by auncient description rather sound to stand on the North-side of Achaia neere to the hill Hamus and to Thracia though some in ignorance haue taught the contrarie In this countrie of Graecia were in auncient time manie Kingdoms and States as at this day there are in Italie as the Macedonians the kingdome of Epyrus the State of Athens the gouernment of Sparta the citie of Thebes and very many other places in so much that almost euery towne had a peculiar gouernmeÌ„t But now it is all vnder one Monarchy From Graecia in olde time did almost all famous things come These were they that made the warre against Troy that resisted Xerxes the mightie king of Persia that had the famous Law-makers as Solon in Athens and Licurgus in Lacedaemon that tooke away the Monarchie from the Persians that brought forth the famous Captaines as Themistocles Miltiades Alexander and many other that were the authours of ciuilitie vnto the Westerne nations and to some in the East as Asia the lesse that gaue to
afforde great aide to the Christians that went to conquer the Holy land but it is now vnder the Turke The chiefe Citie thereof is Famagusta which is an Archbishoppes sea for Christians for their tribute doe yet liue there In this countrey in olde time was Venus much honoured and thereof it was called Cypria as also Paphia because shee had a Temple in a Citie there called Paphos Neare vnto Siria stood the Iland Tirus against the pride whereof the Prophets doe so much speake This was a rich citie for merchandise and nauigation in olde time and is the place from whence Dido and the builders of Carthage did come The destruction of it is most famous by Alexander the greate Of the rest of the small Ilandes wee doe say nothing De insulis in Mare Indico THe Ilandes are very many that doe lie in the seas adioyning to the East Indies but the most famous among them shall be touched Among the olde writers as especially appeareth by Solinis was well knowne that which was then called Taprobana which lieth vnder the Equinoctiall line It was in that time a Maonarchy where the Kings raigned not by succession but by election and if any of them did grow intollerable he was deposed and inforced to die with withdrawing from him all things necessary This is nowe called Sumatra and hath in it diuers Kings Not far frō thence lye Eastward the two Ilandes called Iaua maior and Iaua minor which were also known to the olde writers they haue also in them diuers Kings as in generall may be noted that all the East part either in the continent or in the Iland haue very many small Kinges and kingdomes From thence yet more East lieth a great number of Iles which are now called the Moluccoes which are places as rich for their quantity as anie in the world From these it is that the Spaniards haue yearely so greate quantitie of all kindes of spice neither is there any place of all the East Indies that do more richly furnish home their caractes then do these Moluccoes Some of these Ilandes the Spaniards haue gotte into their owne possession with the Kings of some other they haue league and a third sorte vtterly detest them More North-ward ouer against China lieth a greate Iland called Iapona or Iapan the people whereof are much of the same nature with the men of China This countrey was first discouered by the Iesuites who in a blinde zeale haue trauailed vnto the farthest partes of the worlde to winne men to their religion this Ilande is thought to bee very rich The rest that bee either neare vnto Asia or vnto Africa because there is little written of them we passe ouer De Insulis in Mari Atlantico THere bee many Ilands which lie West-ward from Africa and from Europe as those which are called the Gorgades that lie in the same climate with Guinea which are foure in number but not inhabited by men but they are full of Goates North-ward from thence in the same clymate with the South-parte of Marocco lie those which are called Canariae or the fortunate Ilandes which are seuen in nomber being most fruitfull and very pleasant and therefore called by that name This is famous in them that it hath pleased all Cosmographers to make their Meridiane to be the first poynte where they doe beginne to reckon the computation of their longitude and vnto them after three hundred and threescore degrees to returne againe From these Ilandes it is that those strong and pleasant sackes which are called Canari wines are brought and from thence are fetched those which they call Canarie Birdes these Ilandes are vnder the Crowne of Spaine More Northward from thence lye these Ilandes which are called Azotes insulae being sixe or seuen in number of which Tercera is one of the chiefe of whome the rest by some are called the Terceraes which are farre inferiour in fruitfulnesse vnto the Canaries these were first vnder the Crowne of Portugale and one of them was the last which was kept out from the King of Spaine by the Prior don Antonio who now calleth himselfe King of Portugale but the Spaniard at the last tooke this Tercera from him and doeth possesse all these Ilandes tagether with the rest of the dominion which did belong to the Portingale De America siue Orbe nouo ALthough some dispute out of Plato and the olde writers that there was not onely a gesse but a kinde of knowledge in auntient time that besides Europia Asia and Africa there was another large countrey lying to the West yet he that shall aduisedly vse the coniectures made therevpon may see that there is nothing of sufficiencie to enforce any such knowledge but that all antiquitie was vtterly ignorant of the newe founde countries towarde the West whereunto this one argument most forcible may giue credite that at the first ariuing of the Spaniards there they founde in those partes nothing shewing trafique or knowledge of any other Nation but the people naked vnciuill some of them deuourers of mans flesh ignorant of shipping without all kinde of learning hauing no remembrance of historie or writing among them neuer hauing heard of any such religion as in other places of the world is knowne but being vtterly ignorant of Scripture or Christ or Moyses or any God neither hauing among them any token of crosse Church Temple or deuotion agreeing with other Nations God therefore remembring the prophecie of his sonne that the Gospell of the kingdome should before the day of iudgement be preached in all coastes and quarters of the worlde and in his mercie intending to free the people or at the least some fewe of them from the bondage of Sathan who did detaine them in blockish ignoraunce and from their Idolatrous seruice vnto certaine vile spirites whome they called their Zemes and most obsequiously did adore them and raised vp the spirit of a man worthie of perpetuall memorie one Christophorus Columbus borne at Genua in Italie to set his minde to the discouery of a new worlde Who finding by that compasse of the olde knowne worlde that there must needes bee a much more mightie space which the sun by his dayly motiō did compasse aboute then that which was alreadie knowne and discouered and conceiuing that this huge quantitie might as well by land as sea could neuer satisfie himselfe till that hee might attempt to make proofe of the veritie thereof Being therefore himselfe a priuate man and of more vertue then abilitie After his reasons and demonstrations layd downe whereby hee might enduce men that it was no vaine thing which he went about Hee went vnto many of the Princes of Christendome and among other vnto Henrie the seuenth then King of England desiring to bee furnished with shipping and men fitte for such a nauigation But these men refusing him parly because they gaue no credite vnto his newe narration and partly least they should be derided by their neighbour Princes
if by this Genoway stranger they should be cousoned but especiallie for that they were vnwilling to sustaine the charges of shipping At last hee betaketh himselfe vnto the court of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile where also at the first hee sound but colde entertainment yet persisting in his purpose without wearinesse and with great importunitie it pleased God to moue the minde of Elizabeth the Queene to deale with her husbande to furnish him foorth two shippes for the discouerie onely and not for conquest Whereupon Columbus in the yeare 1492. accompanied with his brother Bartholomeus Columbus and manie Spaniards sayled farre to the West for the space of three score dayes and more with the great indignation and often mutinies of his companie fearing that by reason of their long distance from home they should neuer returne againe In so much that the generall after many perswasions of them to goe forwarde was at length enforced to craue but three dayes wherein if they sawe not land he promised to returne and God did so blesse him to the end that this voyage might not prooue in vaine that in that space one of his companie did espie fire which was a certaine arguments that they were neare to the land as it sell out in deede The first land whereunto they came was an Iland called by the enhabitants Haity But in remembrance of Spaine from whence he came he tearmed it Hispaniola and finding it to bee a countrie full of pleasure and hauing in it aboundaunce of gold and pearle he proceeded farther and discouered another bigge I le which is called Cuba of the which beeing verie glad with great treasure hee returned into Spaine bringing ioyfull newes of his happie successe The Spaniards who by nature are a people proude haue since the death of Columbus laboured to obscure his fame enuying that an Italian or stranger should be reported to be the first discouerer of those parts and therefore haue in their writings since giuen forth that there was a Spaniard which had first beene there and that Columbus meeting with his cards and descriptions did but pursue his enterprise and assume the glorie to himselfe But this fable of theirs doth sauour of the same spirite wherewithall many of them in his life time did reproach him that it was no matter of importance to find out these countries but that if he had not done it many other might and would which being spoken to Columbus at a solemne dinner he called for an egge and willed all the guests one after another to set it vp on end which when they could not do he gently bruising the one ende of it did make it flat and so set it vp by imitation whereof each of the other did the same whereby he mildlie did reproach their enuie toward him and shewed how easie it was to do that which a man had seene done before him To go forward therefore Columbus being returned to Castile after his welcome to the Princes was made great Admirall of Spaine and with a new fleete of more shippes was sent to search farther which he accordingly did and quickly found the maine land not farre off from the Tropicke of Cancer which part of the countrie in honour of Spaine hee called Hispania noua and in respect whereof at this day the King of Spaine doth entitle himselfe Hispaniaram Rex They found the people both of the maine land and Ilandes verie exceeding in number naked without cloathes or armour sowing no corne but making their breade of a kinde of roote which they call Maies Men most ignorant of all kinde of learning admiring the Christians as if they had beene sent downe from heauen and thinking them to be immortall wondering at their Shippes and the tackeling thereof for they had no shippes of their owne but bigge troughes which they call their Canoaes beeing made hollowe of the bodie of one Tree with the sharpe bones of fishes for iron or such like instruments they haue none The Spaniardes did here finde the people to bee most simple without fraude giuing them kinde entertainement according to their best manner exchanging for kniues glasses and such like toyes great aboundance of golde and pearle The desire whereof caused the Spaniards to seeke farther into the countries but the tyrannie and couetousnesse of the Spariards was such in taking from them their goods in deflouring their wiues and daughters but especially in forcing them to labour in their golde mines without measure as if they had beene beasts that the people detesting them and the name of Christians for their sakes did some of them kill themselues and the mothers destroyed their children in their bellies that they might not be borne to serue so hatefull a Nation and some of them did in warre conspire against them so that by slaughter and otherwise the people of the countrie are almost all wasted nowe within an hundred yeeres beeing before many millions those which remaine are as slaues and the Spaniards almost onely doe inhabit those parts By reason that the countrie is exceeding rich and fruitfull the Spaniards with great desire did spreade themselues toward the North where they founde more resistance although nothing in comparison of warriours but the greattest of their labour was for to conquere the kingdome of Mexico which Mexico is a Citie verie great and populous as almost any in the worlde standing in the midst of a great marish or fenne The conquerour of this was Ferdinandus Cortesius so much renowmed in Spaine vnto this day In the sea coastes of all this Noua Hispania the Kings of Spaine haue built many townes and Castles and therein haue erected diuerse fornaces and forges for the trying and sining of their golde De partibus Americae versus Septentrionem THe rumour of the discouerie of these partes beeing blowne ouer Christendome and the great quantitie of the land together with the fruitfulnesse thereof being reported abroad some other Nation did enterprise to set foot therein as namely the Frenchmen who sent certaine ships vnto a part of this counttie lying North from Hispania noua some fewe degrees without the Tropicke of Cancer into which when they had ariued because of the cōtinuall greennesse of the ground and trees as if it had beene a perpetuall spring they called it Florida where after some fewe of them had for a time setled themselues the Spaniards tooke notice of it and being vnwilling to endure any such neighbours they came suddainlie on them and most cruelly slue them all without taking any ransome yet the Spaniards for want of men are not able to inhabit that countries but leaue it to the olde people The Englishmen also desirous by nauigation to adde something vnto their owne countrie as before time they had trauailed toward the farthest North part of America so lately finding that part which lieth betweene Florida and Noua Francia was not inhabited by any Christians and was a land verie fruitfull and fit to