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
past were called Insulae Baleares for that the people oft then did vse both for their delight and armour Slings which they continually almost carried aboute them And whereunto as Plinie writeth they did traine vp their children from their yoâ—â—â—â—st yeares Not giuing them any meate till they had from some Post or Beame cast it downe with a sling Of these were those Funditories or Sling-casters which the Carthaginians and Spaniards did vse in their warres against the Romanes The lesser of these which lieth most West was called in olde time Minorica and at this day Minorica The bigger which lieth more East was called Maiorica and now Maiorica They are both vnder the dominion of the King of Spaine More Eastward in the sea called Mare Inferum or Tyrrhenum lieth the Iland of Corsica ouer against Genua and direct Southward from thence lyeth the great Iland Sardinia Forthe quiet possessing of which two the warres were oftentimes reuiued betweene the olde Carthaginians and the Romanes For these two Ilands lie in the middle very fitly For both these are also at this day vnder the King of Spaine And were the same which latelie the Cardinall of Lourain would perswade the old king of Nauarre in France that if hee woulde leaue his religion and become a Papist the Spanish king should yeeld him either Sardinia or at the loast Corsica in recompence of Pampilona and the rest of the kingdome of Nauarre which the Spaniards by force did detaine from him Farther yet to the East at the verie poynt of the South-part of Italy lieth the great Iland of Sicilia which some haue supposed to haue beene heretofore a part of the continent but by an earth-quake and inundation of water to haue bin rent off and so made an Ileland The figure of this Country is Triquetra or triangle three-square There was also great contention for the Countrie betweene the Carthaginians and the Romanes but the Romanes obtayned it and had from thence exceeding store of corne yearelie whereupon Cicilie was called Horreum P. Romani Here stoode the goodly citie called Siracusa which was destroyed and sacked by Marcellus the Romane This was in times past a kingdom where the two tyrants the elder and the yonger Dionisius did reigne where Hiero also that great friend to the Romanes did remaine It was afterward made a prouince and gouerned by a Praetor or Deputie of the Romanes whereof Verres was one so inueighed against by Tullie It grew afterwards to be a kingdome againe insomuch that Tancredus was King of Cicilia who went to the taking of Ierusalem with Richard the second king of England Here was likewise Phalaris the tyrant so famous king of Agrigentum This Countrey is now also vnder the King of Spaine who among other titles calleth himselfe king of both the Cicilies reckoning this Iland for one and that part of Italie for another which is nowe called Calabria and was in the Romane hystories named Maegna Graecia There is nothing more renowmed in all Cicilia either with the newe or olde writers then the mountaine Aetna which beeing on the out-side ofteÌ„ couered with snow yet by a sulphurie or brimstonie water doth continuallie burne within yea so that whereas it was supposed in the ages last before vs that the matter beeing consumed the fire had ceased twise in our age it hath broke foorth againe to the intollerable losse of all the Countrie adioyning the ashes thereof destroying townes and fruites which were within the compasse of manie myles about This is that place whither Empedocles threwe himselfe that hee might bee reputed a God This is it whereof Virgill doth make his tract called Aenea which the Poets did report to be the shop of Vulcan where the Cyclops did frame the thunderbolts for Iupiter and to conclude this is it which some of our grosse Papists haue not feared to imagine to be the place of Purgatorie Not farre South from Cicilie lieth the little Iland called in old time Melite whence those dogs come which were so much desired vnder the name of Canes Melitenses This is the countrie where S. Paul was cast vp after his shipwracke in his iourney to Rome where the Viper hanged on his hand and did not hurt him This Countrie is now called Malta and is one of the places most renowmed in the worlde for the repelling of the Turkes when Soliman the Emperour of them did send agaynst it a most mightie armie It was then defended by those who are called the knights of Malta which by sea doe great spoile to the gallies of the Turke that passe that way Neare vnto Graecia and Peloponnesus on the West-side toward Italie is the I le Corcyra nowe tearmed Corfue and not far South from that is Cephalonia and from thence South is Zant called by Virgill Nemorisa Zazinthus all which Ilands haue beene heretofore vnder the Venetians but are now vnder the Turke In Zazinthus our English marchants haue an house of abode for their trafique Southeast from Morea lieth the great Iland Creta where Minos sometime did raigne so famous for his seueritie This countrie was then called Hecatompolis as hauing in it an hundred townes and cities The Turkes haue wonne this also long since from the Venetians it is now called Candie from whence commeth our ordinarie sugar of Candie Betweene Creta and Peloponnesus lieth Cythera where was the fine Temple of Venus who thereof by the Poets is called Cytherea The Ilandes are many which doe lie in the sea called Mare Aegeum from the bottome of Greece vnto the top of the Hellispont as all the Cyclades Euboea the great Iland Samos and Chios so Scyro where Achilles was borne and was king of that countrie There was also Lesbos Lemnos Metilene and Ithaca where Vlisses was king and Andros whether Themistocles was sent by the AtheniaÌ„s for tribute of which places something may be read in the olde historie of the Greekes Diuers of these did striue that Homer was borne in them but of certaintie many of those kinges which Homer saith came with Agamemnon to the siege of Troye were kings but of these small Ilands Eastward from thence not farre from some parte of Natolia or Asia the lesse is the Iland Rhodus the friendship of the inhabitants whereof was in auntient time very much desired by the Princes that had to doe that way So that Alexander first and the Romaines afterwardes did embrace their league Here was that huge and mightie image of the Sunne which was Cholossus Rhodius This countrie was long defended by those who were called the Knightes of the Rhodes against the power of the Turke and it was a great bulwarke to defend Christendome till that in the yeare one thousand fiue hundred twentie and two Solimon the great Turke did winne it from the Christians by force From thence Southward is the I le of Carpathus but in the farther end of the East parte of the Mediterraneum is Cyprus which about 300. yeares since was a kingdome did
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
A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE whole worlde WHEREIN ARE PARticularly described all the Monarchies Empires and kingdomes of the same with their seuerall titles and situations thereunto adioyning AT LONDON Printed by T. Iudson for Iohn Browne and are to be sould at the signe of the Bible in Fleete-streete 1599. A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD THe globe of the earth doth eyther shewe the sea or land The sea generall is called by the name of the OCEAN which coasteth all the world and taketh his name in speciall eyther of the place neere which it commeth as Oceanus Britannicus Mare Germanicus Sinus Persicus Mare Atlanticum of the hill Atlas in the West-part of Africke or of the finder out as Fretum Magelanicum or of some other accident as the Red sea because the sand is red Mare Mediterraneum because it runneth betweene the landes of Europe and Afrike Mare Icarium because Icarus was drowned there or the like There be some few seas which haue no entercourse with the OCEAN as Mare mortuum neare Palestina Mare Caspium siue Hircanum not farre from Armenia and such a one is said to be in the North part of America The Straites or narrow seas are noted in the Latine by the name of Fretum as Fretum Britanicum the English narrowe seas Fretum Herculeum the straightes betweene Barbarie and Spaine Fretum Magellanicum c. The earth is either Ilands which are those that are wholy compassed by the sea as Britannia Sicilia Corsica or the continent which is called in the English the firme lande in the Latine Continent The olde knowne firme land was conteined onely in Asia Europe and Africa Europe is deuided from Africa by the Mediterran sea and from Asia by the riuer Tanais whereby appeareth that the North-partes of Asia and of Europe in olde time were but little knowne and discouered Africa is deuided from Europe by the Mediterran sea from Asia by the riuer Nilus and so Asia by Tanais and Nilus is seuered from Europe and Afrike De Hispania TO say nothing of England and Ireland the most westerne countrie of Europe is Spaine which is boūded on the South wth the Mediterran sea on the West with the Atlantike on the North with the Oceanus Cantabricus or the Spanish seas on the East with France from which it is seuered with certaine mountaines called Montes Pyrenei or the Pyrenei hills In this countrie heretofore there were many kingdoms as the kingdome of Portingale toward the West the kingdome of Granada toward the South the kingdome of Nauarre and Aragon towarde the East and the kingdome of Castile in the middle of the land but the whole dominion is now vnder the king of Spaine De Gallia THe next countrie is France which is bounded on the West with the Pyrenei hills on the North with the English seas on the East with Germanie on the South-east with the Alpe-hilles on the South-west with the Mediterran sea This was in auncient time deuided into three partes Aquitania which is toward the West Celtica toward the North and West and Belgica which is toward the North. Belgica is some times called Gallia inferior and sometime Germania inferior but we call it commonly by the name of the Lowe countries the gouernement where of at this day is not at all vnder France but Gallia Celtica and Aquitania are vnder the French king France hath many petie gouernements that doe border vpon it as the Duke of Sauoie the State of the Switzers the Dukedome of Loraine the Burgundians or Wallons against all which the King is forted to keepe his frontier townes There is nothing more famous in this kingdome then the Salike lawe whereby it is prouided that no woman nor the heire of her as in her right shall enioy the crowne of France a but it goeth alwayes to the heire male The Switzers are a people called in olde time Heluetij who haue no Noblemen or Gentlemen among them but onely the citizens of their townes the yearely officers whereof and their councill doe gouerne their State De Germania THe next countrie vnto France on the East-side is Germanie which is bounded on the West with France and the Lowe countries on the North with Denmarke and the Danish seas on the East with Prussia Polonia and Hungarie on the South-east with Istris and Illyricum on the South with the Alpe-hilles with Italy The gouernour generall of this countrie is balled the Emperour of Germanie who is chosen by three spirituall princes the Archbishop of Colen called Coloniensis the Archbishop of Ments called Moguntinus and the Archbishop of Triers called Treuereusis and three temporal princes the Duke of Saxonie the Marques of Brandeburg and the Countie Palantine of Rhine which if they cannot agree as to make a Maior parte in their election then the king of Boheme hath also a voyce whereof it commeth to to be saide that there bee seuen Princes electors of the Empire There is not that free libertie of choosing the Emperour out of any countrie as was heretofore But the election is tyed within one hundred yeares vnto the house of Austria and at this day of of them the king of Bohemia is Emperour who is called Rodulphus 2. Bohemia is a kingdome in the middle of Germanie which is compassed rounde with a mightie wood called Silua Hirciniae The chiefe citie thereof is called Prage In Germanie all are at a kinde of commaundement of the Emperour but most of the Princes otherwise take on them as absolute gouernours in their dominion So that they haue libertie of religion they make lawes they raise souldiers they stampe money with their owne coyne as absolute princes So doth the Duke of Saxonie the Archbishop and the rest There are also free States and cities which haue the same authoritie as Argentine Frankford and other De Italia ON the South-side of the Alpes and Germanie lyeth Italie stretching it selfe out in length towarde the South and East It hath on the South-side the Iland Sicilia on the East that part of the Med. which is called Mare Adriaticum or Mare superum which seuereth Italie from Graecia on the West side that part of the Med. which is called Mare Tyrrhenum or Mare inferum and by some Mare Ligusticum This countrie for the figure thereof is by some likened vnto a long leafe of a tree it hath in the middle of it which goeth all in length a mightie mountaine named Mons Aperminus which is likened to the Spina or ridge-bone of the backe out of this hill spring diuers Riuers which runne on both sides of it into the Adriatike and Tyrrhene or Tuscane seas The North parte of this Italie is that which in auncient time was called Gallia Comata or Gallia Cisalpina Gallia inhabited then by the French-men It is now called Longobardia or Lombardie wherein stand many rich gouernements as the Dukedome of Millaine of Mantua of Florence and others It is for the pleasantnesse thereof in respect of the soile
prerogatiue of the Bishop of Rome It is thought that they haue retayned christianitie euen from the time of our Sauiour being supposed to bee conuerted by the Chamberlaine of Candace the Queene of Aethiopia who was instructed concerning Christ by Phillip the Euang. in the Actes of the Apostes Euseb in his Ecclesiasticall storie doth make mention of this But they doe to this day retaine Circumcision whereof the reason may be that the Eunuch their conuerter not hauing any further conference with the Apostle nor any else for him did receiue the ceremonies of the Church vnperfectly retaining Circumcision which among the Iewes was not abolished when he had conference with Phillip Within the dominion of Prester Iohn are the mountaines commonly called Lune montes where is the first well-spring and arising of the riuer Nylus which riuer running violently along this countrie and sometimes hastely increasing by the melting of much snow from the mountaines would ouer-run and drowne a great parte of Aegipt but that it is slaked by many ponds dams sluces which are within the dominion of Prester Iohn And in respect hereof for the maintenance of these the Princes of Aegipt haue paid vnto the gouernor of Abissines a great tribute time out of minde which of late the great Turke supposing to bee a custome needelesse did denye till the people of the Abissines by commaundement of their Prince did breake downe their dammes and drowning Aegipt did inforce the Turke to continue his paye and to giue much money for the newe making of them very earnestly to his great charge desiring a peace There be other Countries in Africa as Agisimbae Libiae interior Nubia and other of whome nothing is famous But this may be said of Africa in generall that it bringeth forth store of all sortes of wilde beastes as Elephants Lyons Panthers Tigers and the like yea according to the Prouerbe Africa sempor aliquid apportet noui Oftentimes newe and strange shapes of beastes are brought forth there The reason whereof is that the countrie being hot and full of wildernesses which haue in them little water the beastes of all sortes are inforced to meete at those fewe warring places that be where oftentimes contrarie kindes haue coniunction the one with the other so that there ariseth newe kindes or species which taketh parte of both Such a one is the Leopard begotten of the Lyon and the beast called Dardus somewhat resembling either of them And thus fat of Africa De Insulis septentrionalibus THe Ilands that doe lie in the North are in number almost infinite the chiefe of them onely shall be briefely touched Very farre to the North in the same clymate almost with Sweden that is vnder the very circle arctick lyeth Ireland called in olde time Thule which was then supposed to be the farthest parte of the worlde Northward and and therefore is called by Virgill Vltima Thule the countrie is colde the people barbarous and it yeeldeth little commoditie sauing Hankes in some parte of the yeare there is no night at all Southward from thence lyeth Frizeland called in Latine Frizelandia whereas the Frizeland ioyning to Germanie is in Latine called Frizia On the coast of Germanie one of the seuenteene prouinces is called Zeland which containeth in it diuers Ilandes in whome little is famous sauing that in one of them is Vlishing or Firshing a towne of warre and at Middleburg in an other a place of good marte The States of the Lowe-countries doe holde this prouince vnited against the King of Spaine These Ilands haue bene much troubled of late with inundation of waters The Iland that lyeth most West of any fanie is Ireland which had in it heretofore many kings of their owne but the whole land is now annexed vnto the crowne of England The people naturally rude and superstitious the countrie good and fruitefull but that for want of tillage in diuers pleces they suffer it to growe into bogges and desertes That is true of this countrie which Solmus writeth of some other that serpents and adders doe not breede here and in the Irish timber of certaine experience no spiders webbe is euer founde The most renowned Iland in the worlde is Albion or Britannia which hath heretofore contained in it many seuerall kingdomes but especially in the time of the Saxons It hath now in it the two kingdoms of England and Scotland wherein are forue seuerall languages that is the English which the ciuill Scots doe barbarously speake the Welsh tongue which is the language of the olde Britaines the Cornish which is the proper speech of Cornewall and the Irish which is spoken by those Scots which liue on the West parte of Scotland neare vnto Ireland The commodities of England and pleasures are well knowne vnto vs and many of them may be expressed in this verse Anglia Mons Pons Fons Ecclesia foemina lana This countrie which in olde time was inhabited by the Britaines was entered vpon by the Romaines first vnder Iulius Caesar and was long by them kept in subiection but it was an error in them when they wrote that England would breede nor keepe no Wolfe It was afterwarde ouerrunne and possessed by the Saxons of whome 7. kings at once did raigne here After that the Danes out of Denmarke did inuade it and much molest it And lastly vnder the leading of their Duke William the Normans did conquere it and established that gouernement which to this day doth continue And from whome as from the Conquerour our ordinarie computation is deriued The Scots were in times past a most barbarous people of whome Saint Ierome reporteth that he sawe some of them in his time in France to feede on mans flesh They were neuer wholy conquered by the Romaines There be very many little Ilandes adioyning vnto the great Iland Britanie As at the very North-point of Scotland the Orchades which are in number aboue 30. The chiefe whereof is named Orkney where the people are barbarous On the West-side of Scotland towardes Ireland lye the Ilandes called Hebreides where inhabite the people ordinarily tearmed the Redshankes Not farre from thence is the I le Mona commonly called The I le of Man The peculiar iurisdiction of the Earles of Darbie with homage notwithstanding reserued vnto the crowne of England On the North-part of Wales is the Iland of Anglesey which is reputed a distinct shiere towardes France side on the South part of England is the I le of Wight in Latine called Vectis which is a good holde in the narrowe seas against the French More neare Fraunce are the Iles of Garnesey and Iernesey where they speake French and are vnder the crowne of England There be also many other but of small accompt De Insulis in Mari Mediterraneum THere be many Ilandes in the Mediterran renowmed in the olde writers but the chiefe of them onely shall be touched From the pillers of Hercules going Eastwarde are two Ilands not farre from Spaine which in times
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