Sabellicus Volaterran and Iacobus Zieglerus passing well Stephanus Lusignanus hath in the French tongue written a peculiar booke of this Iland STALAMINE sometime called LEMNOS LEmnos an Iland of the Aegean sea lieth ouer against Thrace Romania between the Peninsula or Neck-land of Thrace and the mount Athon of Macedonie Famous long since for Vulcanes shoppe and now as much talked of for the medicinall earth which of the Physitions is called Terra Lemnia that heere is digged out At this day this ile is called of the Turks and Italians Stalamine It is 100. miles about as Bordonius affirmeth And is a plaine and champion country in respect of the Ilands round about it On the East side as Bellonius reporteth it is leane and no good corne ground between the South and West parts where it is more moist it is much more fertile Anciently it had two cities Myrina and Ephestias this latter is wholly desert and not inhabited is now called Cochino That at this day is a towne of small account situate in a Demy-ile or Peninsula ioined to the Iland by a narrow necke or Isthmos at this day it is called Lemno In this iland as Pliny testifieth there was a Labyrinth the third in estimation from that of Aegypt But Bellonius narrowly seeking for his foundation could not find any mention of it nor any of the country that could shew him any more then certaine pieces of it The same authour affirmeth that there are yet remaining in it 75. villages The earth which anciently was called Sphragida and Terra Lemnia commonly Terra sigillata is now as in old time it was wont digged out of the ground not without a certaine kind of superstitious ceremony euery yeare vpon the sixth day of August and at no time els For vpon paine of death it is decreed that no man either priuately or openly shall go thither to digge out ought The place where it is digged out they call Vulcanes mount Of the kinds of hearbs serpents and fishes which are heere very common and of the ceremonies and with what adoe the earth that is called Terra Lemnia is taken out of the ground and of diuers other peculiar things of this iland read the first booke of P. Bellonius his Obseruations Andreas Matthiolus also out of the letters of Albacarius vnto Angerius Busbechius hath a curious description and discourse of the ceremonies vsed in the digging out of Terra sigillata in those his learned commentaries vpon Dioscorides Of this also read Hodoeporicum Bizantium Hugoris Fauolij He that desireth the old ceremonies of digging out of the same let him haue recourse to Galen his nienth booke and second chapter De Medicam simplic CYPRI INSVLAE NOVA DESCRIPT 1573. Ioannes á Deutecum f. Cum Priuilegio LEMNOS INSVLAE descrÃptÃonem ex Petrà Bellonij libro de AuÃbus hoc Ãn loco tanguam parergon adÃecÃmus GREECE GReece which sometime was as it were the mother and nurce of all good learning and disciplines of a rich and wealthy country and which by his valour and magnanimity was Empresse Prince of the better halfe of the world is at this day driuen to that state such is the mutability and vnconstancy of fortune which turneth all things vpside downe that there is no part of it but either it is subiect to the Turke and enthralled to his slauish seruitude or els it is vnder the command of the Venetians or tributary to them The Turke possesseth the greater part the Venetians do only enioy certaine ilands in that sea Those which are vnder the Venetian gouernment are in better state in respect of Religion than those which are subiect to the Turke Those which are vnder the obedience of the Turke do conforme themselues to their maners as likewise those which are commanded of the Venetians doe imitate the behauiour of the Venetians Yet all of them do liue in such great darkenesse of ignorant blindnesse that in all Greece now there is not one Vniuersity or schoole of liberall sciences neither are they desirous to haue their children taught so much as to write and read And all of them generally do speake their ancient language but much corrupted although some of them do speake more purely then others Yet their moderne language doth come more neere to the old Greeke then the Italian to the Roman or Latin tongue Those which dwell in cities subiect to the Venetian iurisdiction do speake Greeke and Italian but the country people only Greeke those which dwell in cities commanded by the Turke do speake Greeke and the Turkish tongues those in the villages and vpland places only Greeke They haue also at this day as also they had in former ages diuers and different dialects for the people of one prouince do speake more pure they of another shire more barbarously and rudely whereupon that happeneth to this country which is incident to other parts of Europe that one doth mocke and scoffe anothers pronunciation which to his eares seemeth rude and clownish so that the Boies of Constantinople do mocke and laugh at the forreners for their pronunciation and diuers accenting of words different from them Much like as the Italian which speaketh the Tuscane or the French which speaketh French or the Spaniard which speaketh the Castillian languages do flout and hisse at those which are brought vp in other countries of the same kingdomes But that we may set out in the best maner the whole course of life of this nation I thinke it necessary to distinguish the Nobility and citizens from the common people and baser sort of men for they which are of greater reuenews and of better credit do vse the habit and fashion of apparell of those Princes to whom they are subiect so that those which are gouerned by the Venetians do imitate the Venetians those that are subiect to the Turke the Turkes But the common people vnder whose iurisdiction so euer aswell within the maine land as the ilanders do yet retaine something of the old customes of the Greeks for for the most part all of them do weare the haire of their head long behind and short before and do vse great double cappes The Ilanders in the forme of diuine seruice all of them both in rites and ceremonies aswell as in Ecclesiasticall gouernment do not any whit vary one from another All the Greeks generally after the Turkes maner haue not much houshold stuffe neither do they lie vpon feather-beds but in steed of them they vse certaine pillowes stuffed with flocks or wooll All of them do hate delaied wine that is wine mingled with water and to this day they keepe their old custome of carousing and liberall kind of drinking especially the Creets Yet in this they differ from the Germanes in that these prouoke one another to drinke whole cuppes those do sippe and drinke smaller draughts Whereupon Graecari was then and now still is vsed for Inebriari to be drunken But because that in drinking they
it hath the Tartars a warlike and stout people from whom it is defended and seuered partly by an artificiall wall made by the hand and labour of man partly by a naturall mountaine which runneth for many hundred miles together between the countries It is a country very fertile of all maner of things necessary for the maintenance of mans life caused not only by the goodnesse of the soile and temperature of the aire but especially by the husbandry and industry of the people For the men heere are not giuen to idlenesse but are very laborious and painefull To be idle heere it is counted a shamefull thing It hath wonderfull store of Gold Siluer and Rheubarbe The sea which beateth vpon this coast and the riuers which runne through the middest of this country do abound with all sorts of fish Vpon the mountaines vales and meddowes infinite flocks of cattell do feed and are maintained The woods forrests and groues are possessed with Bores Foxes Hares Conies Zebellines Martens and diuers other such kind of beasts whose skins are much set by for facings for gownes Of all kinds of birds it yeeldeth maruallous plenty especially of water-foule as is manifest by this that in Canton which is one of the least cities of this prouince there are spent euery day vpon their Tables tenne or twelue thousand Ducks and Geese They sow the drier ground with wheat and barly the wet plaine or moorish grounds withe rise which they cut or reap foure times in a yeare this is their chiefest diet and liuing The higher and steep places and sides of hilles are beset with Pine-trees amongst the which they sow panicke and pulse or horsecorne There is no place therefore no field no plot of ground vnfruitfull Euery where are Orchards Gardens Fruits Roses Floures of all sorts yeelding a most fragrant and pleasant smell and goodly shew to the beholders They plant flax in great abundance euery where whereof they make diuers sorts of linnen whereof they make their apparell but especially Sugar canes which heere groweth in maruellous great abundance and the Mulbery trees for the feeding of their silke wormes which are maintained with the leaues of this tree Tor Silke is the chifest merchandise and commodity whereof they raise yearely an infinite gaine and profit There are in this kingdome 240. goodly cities the names of which do all generally end in the syllable fu which in their language signifieth a city as Cantonfu Panquinfu The townes whereof there is infinite number they likewise end in Cheu Villages which are not to be numbred by reason of the continuall husbandry and tillage are very populous and wonderfully inhabited All their cities for the most part are situate vpon the banke of some great and nauigable streame fortified with broad and deep ditches and very high strong walles These wals from the foundation vpward are made of stone toward the toppe and battlement with bricke laid in steed of lime and mortar with lome or potters clay the same stuffe I meane whereof the China dishes so much esteemed of amongst vs are made The height of them and thicknesse is so great that fiue or six men may walke a breast vpon the toppe of them Vpon the wall are placed heere and there certaine high towers and bulwarkes out of which they may see all the fields ouer farre and neere round about On ech side of the wals so much vacant ground pomoerium the Latines call it is least that horsemen may passe them six and six in a rancke in battell aray These wals are so close and soundly wrought without any rifts or chinks that one would thinke them to haue been but newly made when as their histories do testifie them to haue been built two thousand yeares since The entrance into the cities is by great gates most wonderfully and stately built Their streets are as smooth and precisely plaine as if they were altogether made by line and leuell and are so large and broad that tenne yea fifteene horsemen may ride a breast through them which in many and sundry places are parted and seuered with stately triumphall arches gracing the cities beyond all measure Certaine Portugals do report that they saw in the city Fucho a turrette standing vpon forty marble pillars whose height were forty hand breadth and the thickenesse twelue after the measure which the Architects vse This they affirme in their iudgement for greatnesse for exquisite workemanship beauty and costlinesse doth farre exceed all the stately buildings of all Europe The greatnesse of their cities we do gather by this that they say the city Canton which we said was one of the least of their cities is twelue English miles in compasse beside 355. suburbes which do belong to it very great and populous The people are broad and round faced thinne haired flatte nosed and small eied although there be some amongst them reasonable well fauoured and handsome men The colour of their faces is somewhat like that of those which inhabite Europe yet those which dwell about Canton are of a browne complexion They seldome or neuer trauell further than their owne country neither will they easily suffer a stranger to dwell amongst them especially in the vpland places except they be publikely sworne to be true vnto the King and Country The wealthy and better sort of men haue all their apparell made of silke of diuers and sundry colours The base and meaner sort do weare a kind of stuffe made of white or blacke cotton and sometime linnen coloured or stained with party colours for as yet in these parts they know not how to make wollen cloth The men there as women do heere do weare their haire long which they winde vp in a knot to the crowne of their head where they bind and fasten it with a siluer bodkin The women comb their haire very trimly and do behang and set it out with gold spangles and diuers kind of pearles and pretious stones They paint and besmeare their faces with complexion such as the Spanish women do commonly vse They neuer once looke out of dores except they be carried in their littars vpon mens shoulders and attended by all the family CHINAE olim Sinarum regionis noua descriptio auctore Ludouico Georgio Cum priuilegio Imperatoris Regis Brabantiae ad decennium 1584. Concerning the faith and religion of this nation it is thus They do beleeue all earthly creatures and all things in the World and the gouernment and disposition of them to depend of Heauen and Heauenly powers For they do thinke that Heauen is the greatest of all Gods and therefore the character of it possesseth the first place of their alphabet They worship the Sunne the Moone and the Stars yea the very Diuell himselfe which they paint in the same forme as wee do heere in Europe that hee may do them no hurt as they say They haue stately and sumptuous Churches aswell in the country as in their cities They haue
benefit of Almighty God long after that the description of this Countrey was first set out the Maine-land was much enlarged and had gotten an aduantage of the Sea wee there haue altered the forme of that Mappe according as the place is found to be at this day The description of which plot of ground we obteined of Master Marke Laurine the Lord and owner thereof a braue gentleman greatly renowmed both for the noble stocke from whence hee is descended as also for his wisdome and great experience But in other Mappes which had no name of the Authour subscribed vnto them we were somewhat more bold for in these in some places at our discretion where we thought good wee haue altered some-things some-things we haue put out and otherwhere if it seemed to be necessary we haue put in Of some Countreys also that we might as much as in vs did lye make vp our iust number and fill vp our ranke we haue made some Mappes of our owne that there might as few Mappes be wanting as possibly might be In the abridgement and bringing of those Mappes which had as I said the names of the Authours added vnto them into a lesser forme we haue vsed that faithfulnesse and diligence that we hope to deserue thankes not onely of the Reader but also euen of the Authours themselues or at least we haue dealt so in them that no man need be asham'd of these of ours whatsoeuer they be yea he may aswell acknowledge and take this little one of ours for his owne as that greater one first set out by himselfe For wee haue endeuoured to the vttermost of our power in this our worke if it were possible to deserue thankes of the Authours if not yet by no meanes to displease them Not to follow or imitate that bad custome of some men in these our dayes who that they may seeme to the world to set foorth some new thing doe nothing els but alter the workes and labours of other men and oftentimes out of those which are good to select that which is not good and to sell it commonly for the best Sometimes by adding something at their pleasure and in some places againe taking out and detracting something and withall either by concealing the right Authors names or setting to their owne or feyning a name of some one or other they thinke to please the vulgar sort with nouelties that that their worke may sell the better and they may rake money together they care not how For we were not mooued to vndertake this labour by any couetous desire of getting much by it but euen of a willing and forward minde that wee had to helpe and further those that had a loue and affection to these studies not any whit respecting the gayning of any vaine glory and commendation by other mens labours For what need we to make new Mappes when as the old Mappes of other men now extant would serue our turne Some there are peraduenture which will looke to finde in this our Theater more descriptions of particular Countreys for euery man naturally for the loue that he beareth to his natiue soile would I doubt not wish that it were here seuerally described amongst the rest but let them know that those which are here missing are not left out and omitted either by our negligence or for that we were lothe to be at that cost and charges but because that either we neuer saw any such or at leastwayes for that there neuer came any such to our hands If there be any man which either hath any such or knoweth where there may be had him we would earnestly entreate that he would be the meanes to helpe vs vnto them assuredly promising him that we will at our owne cost and charges not without great thankes to him and a most honourable mention of his name cause them to be cut and imprinted apart and by themselues that hereafter they may be inserted into this our Booke either in their owne place elsewhere as any man shall like best Of the Order also by vs here obserued in the placing of these our Mappes I thinke it not amisse gentle Reader to speake a word or two and to acquaint thee with our purpose that if peraduenture there be any man which doeth thinke that they ought to haue bene placed otherwise we may either satisfie him if we may or els excuse our selues which is all I thinke that can be looked for at our hands First of all we present vnto thy view an Vniuersall Mappe of the whole world Then the foure quarters or principall parts of the same to wit Europe Asia Africa and America in this following dame Nature in which alwayes before the parts can be the whole whereof they be the parts must of necessitie first be Next after these we haue put the seuerall and particular Countreys of these parts beginning at the West part of the world in this following Ptolemey the Prince of Geographers and almost all others that haue written of this argument And so the Prouinces and particular countreys of America do first put foorth and shew themselues next to these do follow the Brittish Iles after them Spaine and then France From hence we passe to Germany whose Countreys being after our maner diligently surueyed from Heluetia or Switzerland we passed ouer the Mountaines into Italy which is the next countrey vnto it Eastward purposing also to view all the Prouinces thereof seuerally From thence we crossed the Sea and sayl'd into Greece Whereupon going into Slauonia we surueyed all the Countreys seuerally which do vulgarly speake the Slauonian tongue to wit Hungary Transsyluania Polonia Scandia and Russia Thus hauing finished Europe we come vnto the Isthmus or Straight land which is betweene the head of the Riuer Tanais and the North sea which is in deed the bound of Europe and Asia from it we step into Asia Which after we haue a while beheld we left and so passed into Africa by the Streights or narrow piece of the Mainland which runneth betweene the Bay of Arabia and the gulfe of Damiata Sirbonis lacus made by the ouerflowing of the Midland-sea From thence passing through Egypt and Barbary wee came vnto the Streights of Gibraltar which we crossed and at length came home againe to our owne natiue countrey from whence we first set foote like vnto a trauailer or a Pilgrime which hath viewed and trauailed through many and sundry seuerall Nations and Countreys passing out of one into another orderly as they lay and were situate one by another ouerskipping none at last returneth safely and ioyfully from whence he first set foorth Thus farre of the Mappes themselues Now let vs speake a word or two of the backside of the same Because we thought it would be a thing nothing pleasing to the Reader or Beholder to see the backesides of the leaues altogether bare and empty we determined there to make a certaine briefe and short declaration and Historicall discourse
Iordane in his mappe of Denmarke the ilands Groenland Island Hetland Feroa and the Orkneys Yet we haue said before that the Orkney iles do belong vnto the kingdome of Scotland vnder the name and title of a Dukedome Olaus also saith but falsly as I perswade my selfe that the I le Gotland doth belong vnto the kingdome of Swedland GOTHIA or the ile Gotland is a good ground for the feeding and bringing vp of cattell horses and oxen There is plentifull fishing fowling and hunting It is very rich of a kind of faire marble as also of all maner of things necessary for the maintenance of mans life In it is the goodly towne Visbui sometime the most famous and frequent Mart of all Europe There are yet remaining certaine ruines of marble sufficient testimony of his ancient greatnesse and beauty at this day it is now renowmed for the faire Abbey of Benedictine Friers and the Library there containing about 2000. bookes of sundry authours rare and ancient manuscripts Thus farre out of Olaus Magnus and Iacobus Zieglerus CIMBRICA CHERSONES VS now called IVITLAND CImbrica Chersonesus out of the which the Cimbri about the yeare 105. before the incarnation of Christ issued forth and spread themselues in other countries of Europe to the great terrour and affrighting of all Italie stretching it selfe from the riuer Elbe into the North about 80. miles containeth many large and goodly shires It is a part of the kingdome of Denmarke which M. Adams nameth Daniam Cismarinam Denmarke on this side the sea In the entrance of it as one commeth out of Saxony there standeth HOLSTATIA Holstein which old writers for that it is disioined and seuered four the rest of Germany toward the North by the riuer Elbe Albis they called it named NORDALBINGIA and for that it was alwaies accounted the vttermost Northren bound of the Roman Empire and therefore Henry surnamed Auceps the Fowler Emperour of Rome about 650. since had heere in the city of Sleswicke somewhat beyond the limites of the Empire a Lieutenant and Lord-warden of the Marches Holstein conteineth three principall shires WAGRIA STORMAR and DITMARSH of the which Federicke the Emperour about 106. yeares agone made a Dukedome The next prouince from the riuer Eydore which is the furthest bound of Holstein euen vnto Kolding conteineth the Dukedome of Sleswick so named of Sleswick the chiefe city and ancientest mart towne of this country For in former times this country was intituled by the name of the Dukedome of Iuitland which Waldemare the great-grand-child of Abel king of Denmarke first held by homaga from Erick their king about the yeare of Christ 1280. The male line of the Kings and Dukes failing and the Dukedome of Sleswick and the kingdome of Demnarke being vnited and knit into one body Queen Margaret heire to the three crownes granted the Dukedome of Sleswick to Gerard Duke of Holstein on this condition that he should acknowledge his tenure from the king of Denmarke The rest of Cimbrica Chersonesus called North Iuitland stretching it selfe toward Norway by Scagen a towne by reason the quicksands and the shallow sea there well known to sea men groweth sharp and narrow like a wedge This prouince is broadest about Aleburgh a mart towne vpon an arme of the sea which they call Lymford for there it falleth into Iuitland and pearceth almost quite thorow the same Westward diuiding Wensussel only a very narrow space except from the rest making it a Peninsula or Neckland from thence spreading it selfe into a greater breadth enclosing and compassing many goodly ilands putting forth many elbowes and branches it distinguisheth and boundeth diuers shires and countries In this Bay is that Iland which Otho the first Emperour of Rome about the yeare after Christs incarnation 960. when as he passed with his army from the one end of Iuitland to the other called Ottonia whereof the whole tract about this I le is called Otthesunt or vulgarly Odsunt That iland is now called Tyrhalm so named as I guesse of Tyre the mother of king Harald who after the departure of the Emperour Otho out of Iuitland caused all the country from Sleswick Northward to be fenced with a wall and deepe trench In that Iland at this day there is a village called Odby where they suppose that the Iuites ouerthrew the Emperour and his forces Thus farre the authour of this chart hath written of this whole prouince DANIAE REGNI TYPVS CORNELIVS ANTONIADES DESCRIPSIT Cum Priuilegio CIMBRICAE CHERSONESI nunc IVTIAE descriptio auctore Marco Iordano Cum priuileio decenn 1595. HOLSATIA vulgarly called HOLSTEIN OF Holstein thus Crantzius in the seuen and twentieth Chapter of his fifth booke of the history of Saxony Holstatia tooke the name of a vulgar word of thar language for that the country is woody and full of forrests to distinguish between these parts and the other neere adioining which are moorish and green pasture grounds The Saxons call the inhabitants Holsaten that is people dwelling amongst the woods on the contrary those which dwell in fenny countries they call Merstude Thereof the Latines haue formed he names Holsati Holsatia Holsaten and Holstein like as the French and Italians are from their own languages wont to enrich the Latine tongue Vpon the East this country is bounded by the riuer Bilene on the West by Store on the South by Elbe or Elue on the North by Eydore which in time past was the furthest bound of Denmarke From this riuer Eastward the Wandalles or Vandalles otherwise called Wagers did inhabit of whom that prouince was named WAGRIA of an ancient and sometime a populous city of that name now a poore village little inhabited without wall trench rampart or fence the houses are couered with reeds gathered in the fennes homely and country like it runneth out Eastward as farre as the riuer Trauenna Notwithstanding that part of the country which from the riuer Bilene by Elbe declineth toward the riuer Store and of that riuer is called Stormare leaueth but a little ground to the old Holsatia from Store to Eydore For the Dietmarshers a people inhabiting in mournish and fenny places do claime a freedome and priuiledge from the iurisdiction of any other Prince This Crantzius in his time wrote of the state of Holstein then Whereupon it is apparant that Holstein was diuided into Thietmarsh Wagria and Stormare The same Crantzius and others do also call these Holsaters Transabianos and Nordalbianos as situate beyond and vpon the North-side of the riuer Elbe called of the Latines Albis Ado nameth them also Northuidos vnder whom are conteined as the same authour and Helmoldus do write the Stormaren Holsaters and Thietmarshers He that wrote of the warres between the Danes and Dietmarshers his name we know not doth describe these countries somewhat otherwise then those forenamed writers haue done For he affirmeth that Holstein as now it is called generally doth comprehend the Dukedome of Sleswicke Wagria Stormare Dietmarsh and Iuitland with
whom they are now gouerned as in times past they were by certaine Bishops of their owne by whom they were as we said before conuerted vnto Christianity in the time of Adelbert Bishop of Breme In the raigne of Harald with the faire lockes Pulchricomus Harfagro they vulgarly called him as Ionas writeth who was the first Monarch of Norway it was first begun to be inhabited as some would faine perswade namely when he had ouercome the pety kings and had banished them out of Norway they being driuen to seeke their dwelling in some other place they forsooke their owne natiue country shipped themselues together with their wiues children and whole families landed at the length in this iland and heere seated themselues This seemeth to me to haue happened about the yeare of Christs incarnation 1000. but the forenamed authour Arngrimus Ionas saith that it was in the yeare 874. who also there setteth downe a Catalogue and names of all their Bishops The first Bishop as Crantzius writeth was Isleff That it was subiect to the command of the same Norweies about 200. yeares I find in the abridgement of Zenies Eclogs where I find that Zichmi king of Friesland attempted warre against this iland but in vaine and was repelled by a garrison of souldiers placed there by the king of Norway to defend the same from the assault of enemies It is diuided into foure parts or prouinces according to the foure quarters of the World namely into Westfiordung Austlendingafiordung Nordlingafiordung and Sundlendingafiordung as to say as the West quarter East quarter North quarter and South quarter It hath but two Bishops seas Schalholdt and Hola with certaine scholes adioined vnto them In the diocesse of Hola are the Monasteries Pingora Remested Modur and Munketuere In the diocesse of Schalholdt are Videy Pyrnebar Kirkebar and Skirda Yet by the letters of Velleius the authour of this chart which he wrote vnto me I do vnderstand that there are heere nine monasteries and besides them 329. churches They haue no coine of their owne nor cities for the mountaines are to them in steed of cities and fountaines for pleasure and delights as Crantzius testifieth who affirmeth that for the most part they dwell in caues making their lodgings and roomes by cutting and digging them out in the sides of hilles The which also Olaus doth testifie especially in the winter time They build their houses of fish bones for want of wood Contrariwise Ionas he saith that heere are many churches and houses built reasonably faire and sumptuously of wood stone and turffe Wares they exchange with Merchants for other wares Forrein dainties and pleasures they are not acquainted withall They speake the Cimbrian language or the ancient Germane tongue into which we saw this other day the holy Scriptures translated and imprinted at Hola a place in the North part of this iland in a most goodly and faire letter in the yeare of our Lord 1584. I say in the old Germane tongue for I do obserue it to be the same with that in which a little booke that is imprinted vnder the name of Otfrides Gospels is written in Ionas himselfe confesseth that they haue no maner of cattell beside Horses and Kine Velleius witnesseth that they haue no trees but Berch and Iuniper The soile is fatte for pastorage and the grasse so ranke that all men that haue written of this iland do iontly and with one consent affirme that except they do sometime fetch their cattell from the pasture and moderate their feeding they wil be in danger of being stopped vp with their owne fatte Yet all in vaine oft times as the same Arngrime affirmeth The soile is not good for corne or for eareable ground and so it beareth not any maner of graine therefore for the most part they liue altogether on fish Which also being dried and beaten and as it were ground to meale they make into loaues and cakes and do vse it at their tables in stead of bread Their drinke in former time was faire water but now of corne brought vnto them from forren places they haue learned to brew a kind of beere so that after they began to trade with strangers resorting to them they began also to loue better liquours and haue left their drinking of water For as Georgius Bruno maketh me beleeue the Lubekers Hamburgers and Bremers do yearely resort to this iland which thither do cary Meale Bread Beere Wine Aqua vitae course English clothes and other such of low prices both Wollen and Linnen Iron Steele Tinne Copper Siluer Mony both Siluer and Gold Kniues Shoes Coifes and Kercheifes for women and Wood whereof they build their houses and make their boats For these they exchange the Island cloth they commonly call it Watman huge lumps of Brimstone and great store of dried fish Stockefish we call it All this out of the West and South parts of the same Out of the East and North part of the iland where there is great plenty of grasse they transport into other countries Mutton and Beefe butter and ISLANDIA ILLVSTRISS AC POTENTISS REGI FREDERICO II DANIAE NORVEGIAE SLAVORVM GOTHORVMQVE REGI ETC. PRINCIPI SVO CLEMENTISSIMO ANDREAS VELLEIVS DESCRIBEB ET DEDICABAT Priuilegio Imp. et Belgico decennali A. Ortel exud 1585. sometime the fleeces of sheep and skinnes and pelts of other beasts foxes and white falcons horses for the most part such as amble by nature without the teaching and breaking of any horse courser Their oxen and kine are all heere polled and without hornes their sheepe are not so Saxo Grammaticus and Olaus Magnus do tell of many wonders and strange works of God in this iland whereof some it will not be amisse to receit in this place But especially the mount Hekla which continually burneth like vnto Aetna in Sicilia although alwaies those flames do not appeare but at certaine times as Arngrimus Ionas writeth and affirmeth to be recorded in their histories as namely in the yeare 1104. 1157. 1222. 1300. 1340. 1362. 1389. and 1558. which was the last time that the fire brake out of this hill Of the like nature is another hill which they call Helgasâ—ll that is the Holy mount Of the which mountaine the forenamed Bruno a laborious student and for that his worthy worke which he hath set out of all the cities of the World famous and knowen farre and neere all the World ouer hath written in his priuate letters vnto me that in the yeare 1580. Ionas saith it fell out in the yeare 1581. not in Hecla but in another mount namely in Helgesel fire and stones were cast out with such crackes thundering and hideous noise that fourescore miles off one would haue thought great ordenance and double canons had been discharged heere At this hill there is an huge gulfe where spirits of men lately departed do offer themselues so plainely to be seene and discerned of those that sometime knew them in their life time that they are often taken for
Indus and Iaxartes they now call it Chesel and the Caspian sea is now in these our daies possessed by the Sophies the Kings of Persia All which tract of ground Pliny in the 27. chapter of his 6. booke of the history of Nature by the iudgement of Agrippa assigneth to the Medes Parthians and Persians But Ammianus Marcellinus who liued in the time of Iulian the Apostata Emperour of Rome doth ascribe it wholly to Persia For he in his foure and twentith booke reckoneth vp these eighteen countries in this order as parts of Persia Assyria Susiana Media Persis Parthia Carmania the Greater Hyrcania Margiana the Bactriani the Sacae Scythia beyond the mount Emodus a part of the mount Taurus the Iewes call it Iethra others Moghali others Beresith as Theuet reporteth Scrica Aria the Paropamisadae Drangiana Arachosia and Gedrosia All these countries euen at this day are subiect to the iurisdiction of the Kings of Persia for ought that I can learne either by the bookes of late writers or relation of sailours and trauellers into those parts yet the names are much altered and changed as you shall easily perceiue by comparing of the moderne mappes and chartes with the descriptions of ancient Geographers Of the originall of the SOPHIES these particulars following Caelius Secundus Curio hath translated in his Saracen history out of the Decades of Asia written by Iohn Barrius In the yeare of Christ 1369. there was a certaine pety king amongst the Persians named Sophi who held the city Ardenelim in his possession This man bragged that he was descended lineally by his ancestours from Musa Cazino nephew of Alij Muhamed He the Chalife of Babylon being dead the contrary faction maintained by the Turkes suppressed by the Tartars began more boldly and freely to broach his opinions of religion and because that Hocemus the sonne Aly from whom he draweth his pedigree had twelue sonnes minding to set some marke or badge vpon his sect and disciples whereby they might be distinguished and knowen from others he ordained that they that would follow him and be of his religion should weare a tire vnder the vaile which all the Turkes do wind about their heads they call it Tulibant should be of a purple colour and should hang out at the middest of the Tulibant twelue hand breadth After his death Guines his sonne succeeded in his steed who did purchase vnto himselfe such an opinion of learning religion and holinesse throughout all the Eastern countries of the World that Tamerlanes that worthy and famous Emperour of the Parthians who ouercame Bayazet the great Turke and defeating all his forces tooke him captiue trauelling through Persia determined to visite him as a most holy and religious Saint To Guines Tamerlanes freely gaue thirtie thousand captiues which he brought thither with him these Guines afterward trained vp in his religion whose seruice Secaidar his sonne especially vsed in his warres For he after that Guines his father was dead made warre vpon the Georgians his neighbours bordering vpon his kingdome and countries a kind of people of Scythia but Christians by profession and by the help of these Mussulmanes grieuously vexed them many kind of waies c. Let this satisfie thee in this place to be spoken of the originall of the Sophies These do make continuall warre with the Turkes about the Mahumetane religion for because the Sophies do follow one interpretour of the Alkora'n and Mahometan religion and the Turkes another which interpretours and expositours do much dissent and vary one from the other so that the Sophians by the Turkes are counted but as Heretiques and contrariwise the Turkes are esteemed for no lesse by the Sophians It is by nature a Gentleman-like and honourable Nation very ciuill and curteous louing learning and liberall sciences and withall do much esteeme of Nobility and Noble-men in that are cleane contrary and opposite to the Turkes which do not acknowledge or regard any difference of bloud or descent from famous ancestours and great houses The situation of these countries the maners customes and behauiour of the people of the same thou maist read of in Aloysius Iohannes Venetus Iosaphat Barbarus Ambrosius Contarenus Iohannes Maria Angiolellus and a certaine Merchants trauels whose name I know not together with them imprinted Looke into also the Iesuites Epistles and the Persian Commentaries of Caterino Zeni a Senatours sonne of Venice Polybius in his fifth booke doth most excellently well describe the middle Country Moreouer Petrus Bizarrus my singular good friend hath this other day set out the history of Persia Lastly and somewhat latter than Bizarrus Thomas Minadoius hath done the like but in the Italian tongue PERSICI SIVE SOPHORVM REGNI TYPVS Cum priuilegio The Empire of the Great TVRKE OF the originall and beginning of the Turkish Empire the encreasing and grow'th of the same vntill it came by little and little to that greatnesse that now it is of whereby it is fearefull to all nations round about we haue gathered these few lines out of the best Historiographers of our time In the yeare of Christ 1300. one OTTOMANNVS a Turke the sonne of Zichi a man of meane parentage began for his pregnant witte and great experience in feats of armes and discipline of warre to grow famous and renowmed amongst the Turkes Of this man the stocke of the Turkish Emperours first tooke their name and beginning and he was the first that ordeined a king ouer the Turkes He raigned seuen and twenty yeares in which space he conquered all Bithynia and Cappadocia and subdued many strong holds neere vnto Mar Maiore or the great sea so now the Italians call that sea which the old writers call Mare Ponticum and Sinus Euxinus the Greekes now Maurothalassa and the Turkes Caradenis that is the Blacke sea After him succeeded his sonne ORCHANES who wonne the great and strong city Prusia or Prusa now called as Bellonius writeth Bource and was sometime named Zellia and Theopolitana which he made the head of his kingdome and place of residence for his Court He was slaine in an vnfortunate battell which he fought against the Tartars in the 22. yeare of his raigne and left AMVRATHES his sonne to rule the kingdome after him who first the Grecian Princes falling at variance and calling him in sailed with an huge army out of Asia into Europe he in a short space subdued almost all Greece and Phocis a part of Bulgaria but himselfe at last being ouercome and taken by Tamerlane died and ended his daies most dishonourably The father being taken CALEPINVS his sonne stepped into the throne and tooke possession of the kingdome But hauing in battell vtterly ouerthrowen Sigismund and his forces and begun to wast and spoile the borders and territories of the Emperour of Constantinople died in the floure of his age when he had raigned but six yeares Heere note by the way that Adolphus Venerius doth not reckon this Calepine amongst the Turkish Emperours For
thee to M. Camdens Britannia where this argument is handled at large and most learnedly Only in defence of Gaulfridus lest any man should thinke that I haue all this while spoken against his person I conclude with this sayng of a learned man of our time Cardanus ait sayth he illius aetatis scriptores tantopere mendacio fabulis fuisse delectatos vt in contentionem venerint quis plura confingeret Cardane sayth That the Historians and Writers of those times betweene foure hundred and fiue hundred yeeres since were so much delighted with fables and lies that they stroue who should lie fastest and win the whetstone It was you see the fault of the time and age wherein he liued not of the man The learned Oratour Tully in the second booke of his Offices as I remember thus describeth the vertues of a true Historiographer Ne quid falsi scribere audeat Ne quid veri non audeat Ne quam in scribendo suspitionem gratiae Ne quam simultatis ostendat A good Historian may not dare to write any thing that is false He may not be afrayd to write any thing that is true He must not shew any partiality or fauour in writing He ought to be void of all affection and malice Learned Antiquaries follow this good counsell of the graue Philosopher Sell vs no more drosse for pure mettall Refine what you reade and write Euery tale is not true that is tolde Some authours want iudgement others honesty Let no man be beleeued for his antiquity For you know what Menander sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grayhaires are not alwayes a signe of wisdome and deepe vnderstanding olde men do sometime dote and will lie as well as others One sayth Nesc to quo casu illud euenit vt falsa potius quà m vera animum nostrum captant I cannot tell sayth he how it commeth to passe but surely true it is that we are more easily caried away with lies and fables than with truth And how hard a matter it is to remoue one from a setled opinion though neuer so false and absurd any man meanly experienced doth very well know f Yet Caesar saith that Britanniae Loca sunt temperatiora qùam in Gallia remissioribus frigoribus The temperature of the aire in England is better then in France the cold is nothing so bitter That is as the authour of the Panegyricke oration made to Constantius the Emperour doth interpret it In ea nec rigor est nimius hyemis nec ardor aestatis In it neither the cold of winter nor the heat of summer is very excessiue And Minutius Felix hee writeth that Britannia sole deficitur sed circumfluentis maris tepore recreatur In England the Sunne shineth not very hotte but that defect is repaied by a certaine steame or hot vapour which ascendeth vp out of the sea that inuironeth this iland on all sides round g What place this should be I dare not for truth constantly affirme Perhaps he meaneth Vitsam or as we call it Whitsan a little towne in the country of Bolloine some fiue or six miles from Calais situate vpon the sea coast built at the mouth of a small riuer which peraduenture he calleth Shant For in the Arabicke tongue Wadi-shant importeth so much h This is false and by himselfe contradicted for in another place if I be not deceiued he maketh it twenty fiue miles ouer wherefore I doubt not but for a mile the authour did put a parasange which conteineth three English miles And this is somewhat neere the mark i I take it that he meaneth Cercester in Glocestershire which vulgarly they now call Ciceter It is an ancient city called of Ptolemey Corinium of Antonine Durocornouium of the Saxons Cyrenceaster taking the denomination from the riuer Corinus or Churne vpon which it is situate The tract of the decaied wals of it which are two miles about doe testifie that it was sometime a very great citie Many antiquities and auncient monuments doe plainly shew that in the time of the Romans it was a place of good rekoning Now it is nothing so populous and well inhabited k From the Seuerne I vnderstand it which at euery floude enterteineth the salt water a great way vp into the countrey l Warham is a sea towne in Dorsetshire strongly fortified by nature vpon the South and North with two riuers Ware and Trent this now they call Piddle and with the maine sea vpon the East only vpon the Wew it lieth open to the assailaunt Yet it was in times past defended with a faire wall and a strong Castle It was very populous well inhabited and graced with the Kings mint for the refining and coining of his mony vntill the time of Henry the Second since whose daies by reason of ciuill warres casualty by fire and stopping of the hauen it is much decaied and hath lost much of that former beauty m This distance is much too great whether he meaneth the lands end in Cornwall or the farther part of Wales Westward which I rather incline to But obserue this once for all that there is no great heed to be taken to those his accounts of miles and distances n Dartmouth an hauen towne in Deuonshire situate vpon a little hill running out into the sea at the mouth of the riuer Dart or Dert as some write it The hauen is defended with two strong Castels or Block-houses It is very populous well frequented with Merchants and hath many goodly tall shippes belonging to it King Iohn granted them certaine priuiledges and euery yeere to chuse a Maior for their supreme magistrrate and gouernour in ciuill causes vnder the King o Thus our seamen cal it at this day The Arabian termeth it _____ Tarfi'lgarbi mina'lgiezira The Westerne bound of the iland Master Camden in his Scotland that I may note this by the way affirmeth that Taurus in Welch doth signifie the end or limbe of any thing Heere in Arabicke thou seest it signifieth the same And in English wee call if I be not deceiued the brimmes of an hatte The tarfe p SALISBVRY or rather SARISBVRY a sweet and pleasant city within the County of Wilt situate in a plaine at the meeting of the riuers Auone and Nadder It is not that ancient city Sorbiodunum mentioned by Antoninus in his Iournall but built of the ruines of it as seemeth very probable For this old towne being often distressed for want of water and at length spoiled and rased to the ground by Swein the Dane in the yeare of our Lord 1003. although it reuiued againe a little after about the time of William the First was forsaken and abandoned by the citizens who laid the foundation of this new citie about 400. yeares since at what time Richard the First was King of England That most stately Cathedrall Church which they report hath as many doores as there be months in the yeare as many windowes as the yeare hath daies and as many pillars as there are
sted of that they make of barley steeped and sodden a kinde of very strong drinke which will assoone make the tosse-pot drunke as the strongest wine in France Lewis Guicciardine writeth that about halfe a Dutch mile off from this towne there is a Mine or quarry of stone that is very like to mettall of Pliny in the 10. Chapter of the foure and thirtieth booke of his Naturall historie it is called Lapis aerosus Cadmia and lapis calaminaris if I be not deceiued The brasse stone or Copper ore D. Fusch testifieth that it hath also diuerse veines of Lead and Iron A kinde of blacke stone cole like vnto that which we heere call Seacoale of a sulphurous nature a good fuell and much vsed of Farriers and Smithes is in diuers places of the country digged out of the ground in great abundance Moreouer heere are found diuers sorts of stone not much vnlike to Marble or Iasper party coloured very beautiful and good for building This countrey at the first was no more but a County or Earldome vntill that Fredericke surnamed Barbarosso in the yeere of our Lord 1172. graced it with the title and dignity of a Duchie The first Duke that enioied this honor was Henry the First lineally descended from Henry the Fourth that valiant and religious Emperour At length Henry the Second Duke of Limburgh dying without heire male Iohn the First Duke of Brabant about the yeere after Christs incarnation 1293 by right of inheritance claimed the same and by dint of sworde driuing out Reynold Earle of Gelderland the Vsurper obteined it since whose daies it hath beene quietly possessed by the house of Brabant Therefore for iustice in ciuill causes not only Limburg but also Faulconburg Dalem and other liberties and free townes beyond the Mose do come to the courts of Brabant which ordinarily are held at Brussels otherwise for ecclesiasticall iurisdiction they doe belong to the diocesses of that Bishop of Leige But beside this dukedome of Limburgh there are diuers other Iursdictions and Signiories described in this Charte of the which these following are the chiefe whereof it shal not be amisse to speake a word or two Faulconburgh Valckembourg it is called of the Dutch but of the French Fauquemont is a very prety towne which hath iurisdiction and command ouer a large circuite of ground conteining many fine villages It is three great Dutch miles from Aix and but two small miles from Mastricht It was conquered and taken by Iohn the third Duke of Brabant who ouercame Ramot the Lord of Faulconburgh a troublesome man that at that time laid seege to Mastricht and had much and oft vexed the country round about him DALEM is a prety fine towne with a Castle but of no great strength It is three long miles from Aix and two from Liege It was honoured with the title of an Earldome and had iurisdiction and command ouer many villages and a great circuit of ground vp as high as the riuer of Mose Henry the Second Duke of Brabant conquered it and adioined it to his dominions ROIDVCK or as Guicciardin calleth it Rhodele-duc is an ancient little towne with an old Castle about one long Dutch mile as the forenamed authour would haue it from Faulconburg yet this our Mappe maketh it about two AIX or AIX LACHAPELLE if we may beleeue Munster was that which the Latines called Aquisgranum so much spoken of and mentioned in the stories of Charles the Great and others of those times Others would haue it to be that which Ptolemey in the 9 chapter of the second booke of his Geography calleth Veterra and where he saith the thirtieth Legion called Vlpia legio did reside Limprand nameth it Palais de Grau Rheginon Palais de eaux that is the Water palace which in my iudgement seemeth most probable because I find that that city in Prouence in France which the Romans called Aquae Sextiae the Frenchmen do at this day call Aix This city is situate betweene Brabant Limburgh the Duchie of Gulicke and the Bishopricke of Liege Some thinke that it was destroied and laid leuell with the ground by Attila king of the Humes others thinke that it was first founded by Charles the Great But to leaue all these as doubtfull this is certeine that it standeth in a most pleasant plaine and as healthfull and sweet an aire as any may be elswhere found in these parts That faire Church of our Sauiour and the blessed Virgin his mother was built by this Emperour and by him was endowed with great lands priuiledges many holy and precious reliques brought thither from sundry places of the world Beatus Rhenanus writeth that Charles the Great made it the head and chiefe city of the kingdome of France and generally of all the whole Empire the ordinary Court and place of residence for the Emperour in these Westerne parts of the same Moreouer he ordained that heere the Emperour should by the Bishop of Collen Metropolitan of this prouince be crowned with a crown of Iron at Millan with a crowne of Siluer and at Rome with a crowne of Gold Ouer one of the doores of the Towne-house are written these six Latine verses Carolus insignem reddens hanc condidit vrbem Quam libertauit post Romam constituendo Quòd sit trans Alpes hic semper regia sedes Vt caput vrbs cuncta colat hanc Gallia tota Gaudet Aquisgranum prae cunctis munere clarum Quae prius imperij leges nunc laureat almi And ouer another doore these two Hîc sedes regni trans Alpes habeatur Caput omnium ciuitatum prouinciarum Galliae This famous Emperour hauing reigned ouer the Frenchmen 47. yeares and worne the imperiall diadem 14. ended his life in the yeere of our Lord 813. and was heere enterred in a tombe of Marble in our Ladies Church with this plaine epitaph Caroli Magni Christianissimi Romanorum Imperatoris Corpus hoc conditum est sepulchro That is the body of Charles the Great Emperour of the Romans lieth heere interred in this tombe Thus farre Guicciardine to whom I wish thee to repaire if thou desire a larger discourse of these particulars LIMBVRGENSIS DVCATVS TABVLA NOVA EXCVSA SVMPTIBVS IOAN BAPTISTAE VRINTS AEMVLI STVDII GEOGRAPHIAE D. AB ORTELLI P. M. COSMOGRAPHI REGII c. ILLVSTRISSIMO DOCTISSIMOQVE DOMINO D. GASTONI SPINOLAE COMITI BRVACENSI c. ORDINIS EQVESTRIS S. IACOBI PRIMO A STABVLIS ATQVE A CVBICVLIS SERENISSIMI DVCIS BRABANTIAE EIVSDEMQVE IN BELLICIS CONSILIIS ASSESSORI ORDINARIO DVCATVS LIMBVRGENSIS TOTIVSQVE REGIONIS VLTRAMOSANAE GVBERNATORI VIGILANTISSIMO OMNISQVE ERVDITIONIS ASYLO VNICO HANC TABVLAM GEOGRAPHICAM NOVISSIMIS DIMENSIONIBVS A SE AD EXACTISSIMAM REDACTAM PERFECTIONEM AEGIDIVS MARTINI ANTVERPIENSIS IN VTROQVE IVRE LICENTLATVS ET MATHEMATICVS FECIT ET DEDICAVIT ANNO M.DCIII AN EPISTLE OF HVMFREY LHOYD VVRITTEN TO ABRAHAM ORTEL COSMOGRAPHER TO PHILIP the Second King of SPAINE wherein at large and learnedly he discourseth of the
iland MONA the ancient seat of the DRVIDES TO satisfie your request concerning the Name and situation of the I le MONA most learned Ortell and to set downe in writing what I haue obserued of that argument in the reading of ancient and moderne authours what I haue found by experience and trauell and what I haue gathered by the knowledge of the British tongue which to this day is spoken vulgarly by the inhabitants of this iland were but so much as I confesse is due to your kinde loue and manifold courtesies whereby you haue many wayes eternally bound me vnto you Notwithstanding in so doing I am sure to be seuerely censured of many condemned of some and generally to be subiect and opposed to the obloquy and scandalous speeches of the baser sort such I mean as haue no maner of learning or sound iudgement For a preiudicate opinion though neuer so false and absurd nay euen the grossest errors if they be once receiued and setled in the heart will hardly euer be remoued especially being patronaged and defended by the authority of Polydore Virgil a graue learned man and one that for those times was accounted very eloquent But by their leaue I may say That this man hath stuffed his Histories with many manifest errours mille mendis mendacijs with a thousand faults and falshoods which he fell into not only for that he wanted the knowledge of the British tongue which now the English after the maner of the Germans call Welsh that is Strange or Barbarous without which euen the very name of the iland can by no meanes be truely vnderstood But also either for that he neuer read the best of our Authours or els for that he bearing a proud splene and malice against the Britons whom the best and most honorable of all the Romane Emperours did loue and greatly esteeme little weighed their authority and haughtilie attributing too much to his owne neglected the better and followed the steps poore blinde man of one William Little little in name and little in estimation and credit as blinde a foole as himselfe But let this brasen faced diminisher of the Britons honour burst himselfe if he will and do what he can to the vttermost of his might and malice so long as Diodorus Siculus Dion Cassius twise Consul of Rome Herodian Plutarch Pausanias Ptolemey and Strabo are extant amongst the Greekes Caesars Commentaries Tacitus his Annals Eutropius Suetonius Orosius Aelius Spartianus Iulius Capitolinus Aelius Lampridius Flauius Vopiscus Aurelius Victor Ammianus Marcellinus Sextus Rufus The Panegyricks of Mamertinus and others Pliny Antonine Mela and Solinus amongst the Latines beside the Annals of the three Gildases Ninnius and diuers other very learned men written many hundred yeres since in the British tongue who before the comming of the English which our countreymen to this day call by their ancient name Saxons haue learnedly penned the histories of this their natiue countrey and beside Asserius Obbern Felix Monumetensis Henricus Huntingtonensis Malmesburiensis Annouillanus Iscanus Neccham Gyraldus Parisiensis Trenetus and infinite others which since those Saxons conquered that part of the iland which they call England but we reteining the old name Lhoëgria haue done the like Let I say this proud Italian burst himselfe and let him snarle at the worthy acts of the Britons while so many and such ancient authours do liue to sound the trumpe of their honour no impudent lying fellow shall euer be able with his calumnies to obscure the bright lusture of the Britons glory to impeach the honourable fame of their renowmed deeds spread abroad by such worthy men or to fasten the least infamy vpon them But now it is time to come to our proposed argument and to speake more particularly of MONA which Polydore Virgil taking vpon him more than he well might hath depriued of the ancient name and leauing it namelesse hath giuen both it and Menauia to the I le of Man as may thus be proued both out of the Greeke Latine and British writers as also out of the language which here to this day is spoken by the inhabitants It is apparent out of Caesar Tacitus and others that MONA was an iland very neere to the coast of Britaine betweene it and Ireland In which Sea there are but two beside the Hebrides that are of any note and bignesse Therefore it must needs follow that one of those two is that MONA which is so often mentioned in ancient histories Wherefore I thinke it not amisse to set downe before your eyes the position of them both and how they do lie from the coast of England other ilands round about them that by that meanes that which followeth may the better be vnderstood The first of these which Polydore calleth ANGLESEY is very neere to that part of Britaine which we call Cumry and the English Wales from which it is seuered by a very narrow frith or bay of the sea the countrey people call it Menai which ouer-against the middest of the iland is hardly a mile ouer Vpon the East side of this I le there is a very strong castle and a prety fine citie called Beaumarish Bellum mariscum both built by Edward the First King of England On the other side of the iland opposite to this city there is a maruellous conuenient place to take shipping for Ireland and therefore it is much for that purpose resorted vnto and frequented by the English They call it Holy-head but of the Welsh men it is called Caërgybi that is Gubchester or The citie of Kybi In this iland is Aberfraw which within these three or foure hundred yeeres was the chiefe seat where ordinarily the King of Northwales Gwynedia or as some barbarously write it Venedocia did reside and keepe his Court This iland for the bignesse of it mainteineth and breedeth much cattell and sheepe It yeerely yeeldeth such plentie of wheat that in respect of that fertility it is commonly called The mother of Wales They haue little wood here growing yet euery day the bodies of huge trees with their roots and sirre trees of a woonderfull length and bignesse are heere by the inhabitants found and digged out of the earth in diuers places in low grounds and champion fields The people speake the Welsh tongue and for the most part they do not vnderstand one word of English notwithstanding they haue for these three hūdred yeeres and more beene subiect as the rest of Wales hath beene to the Kings and Crowne of England But now let vs come to the other iland to which also Polydore Virgil hath not long since without any ground or good authoritie giuen the name of MONA That standeth in the middest of the maine sea distant from the neerest place of England at the least fiue and twentie miles It is almost as bigge as that other but it is farre more barren and waste and those men that are borne and bred there are weake and nothing so fit for
of them called SCOTLAND Syluester Gyraldus Cambrensis about 400. yeares since described this Iland in a seuerall treatise But because that this booke as yet is not set forth and therefore not common and euery where to be gotten we will out of it gather so much as this narrow roome may conteine not doubting but we shall worthily deserue great thankes at the readers hand for the same Listen therefore to his words Ireland next after England the greatest Iland of the knowne world hath the greater Britaine vpon his East side vpon the West only lieth the vast and wide Ocean on the North three daies saile from the coast of Ireland lieth Island of all the Northren iles by far the greatest Britaine is almost twice as great as Ireland for seeing that the length of both runneth the same way from South to North that is about 800. miles long and about 200. miles broad this from Brendam hilles to the iles Columbine otherwise called Thorach is about eight daies iourney that is 400. miles long at the least Ireland conteineth in all 176. Canweds The word Canwed is a compound word vsed aswell of the Welch as Irish and signifieth a circuite of ground conteining within it 100. villages The soile of Ireland is vneuen full of hilles and dales soft and squally full of woods bogges and fennes Vpon the toppes of the highest and steepest hilles you shall oft find great ponds and bogges yet it hath in some places most goodly plaines and champion but in respect of the woods they are very little The ground is very fatte and fertile for Corne. The mountaines abound with sheepe the woods are full of Deere and the whole I le generally is better for pasture then for eareable ground much better I meane for grasse then corne For the kernelles of wheat are heere so dwined and small that they may hardly be dressed with any manner of fanne That which the Spring-time doth bring forth and flourisheth for a while in Summer the dripping and watery Autumne will hardly suffer kindly to ripen or tidily to be inn'd For this Iland is more subiect to blustering winds outragious stormes of raine and floods then any other country vnder the cope of heauen It is very rich of honie and milke Solinus and Isidore affirme that it hath no Bees but by their leaue if they had more diligently examined the matter they might haue on the contrarie written that it wanteth vines but is not altogether void of Bees For this Iland neither now hath nor euer had any vines But of Bees it hath as any other country great plenty which notwithstanding would heere as I thinke swarme in farre greater number if it were not for the venemous and sowre ewgh-trees which in all places of the Iland do grow in great abundance The Iland is euery where crossed and watered with many goodly riuers of which the principall are these Auenliss runneth by Dublin Boand or Boine through Methe Banna through Vlster Linne by Connagh Moad by Kenelcunill Slechey and Samayr Modarn and Furne by Keneleon There are also very many other riuers whereof some issuing forth of the bowels of the earth and from their cleare fountaines other immediatly rushing forth of lakes and fennes wandring heere and there diuide and part the Iland into many goodly prouinces and shires For vnder the foot of Bladina hill now called Bliew Blemy three famous riuers do arise commonly called The three Sisters for they beare the names of three sisters Berne Birgus now Barrow which runneth by Lechlin Eoyr Neorus they call it Nore by Ossire and Swyre by Archfine and Trebagh neere Waterford they kindly salute one another and so falling into one channell they quietlie toward the sea Slane runneth by Wexford Boand by Meath Auenmore by Lismore and Simen by Limiricke And indeed amongst all the riuers of Ireland Sinnen bear'th the bell not only for his goodly greatnesse long and diuers wandrings through the country but also his great plenty of dainty fish For it ariseth out of a very large and goodly lake which diuideth Connagh from Munster and spreadeth it selfe into two branches running two contrary waies one of them tending toward the South passeth by the city Kelleloe and then enclosinge round the citie Limiricke with a direct course and large streame for an hundred miles and vpward running between the two mountaines emptieth it selfe into the Brendan sea The other not much lesse then the former diuiding Meath and the farther parts of Vlster from Connagh running with a crooked course turning this way and that way at last hideth it selfe in the Northren ocean So that this riuer doth separate the fourth and West part of the Iland from the other three like a midland streame running from sea to sea For this Iland in former ages was diuided almost into fiue equall parts namely into North Mounster South Mounster Leinster and Connagh This country hath diuers goodly Lakes The sea coast aboundeth plentifully with all maner of sea-fish on all sides the Riuers and Lakes are stored with great variety of fresh-fishes especially with these three sorts Salmons Trouts and Eeles The riuer Shynen swarmeth with Lampreyes But there are wanting many other sorts of good fresh-fish of other countries as Pikes Perches Gogeons and almost such fish as come not from the sea or salt waters On the contrary the Lakes of this Iland haue three kinds of fish which are no where els to be found For they are somewhat longer and rounder then Trouts very white fleshed passing sauery and pleasant very like vnto the Hallibut Vmbra our authour calleth it but that they are much bigger headed There is another kind very like to herrings aswell for proportion and bignesse as also for colour and tast There are a third sort in all points like trouts but that they are not spotted Yet these sorts of fish are only seen in the Summer in the Winter they neuer appeare In Meath neere Foner are three Lakes not farre distant one from another ech of which hath certaine fish proper to it selfe not found in any of the other two neither do they I meane euer come one at another although there be most conuenient passages by reason of the riuer which runneth from one to another nay if it shall chance that the fish of one lake be caried to another either it dieth within a while after or returneth vnto his own lake againe Eryn HIBERNIAE BRITANNICAE INSVLAE NOVA DESCRIPTIO Irlandt Cum Priuilegio From these naturall things let vs passe vnto those strange wonders which nature worketh in these out-countries of the world In North Mounster there is a lake wherein are two Ilands a greater and a lesse the greater hath a Church the lesser a Chappell Into the Greater neuer any woman or liuing creature of the female kind might euer come but it would die by and by This was often proued by bitches cattes and other creatures of that sex In the lesser no man did
salt made which is carried hence in carts to the neighbour countries and yeelds great reuenue to this region SCODINGA situate in a long streight valley extending in length betweene a double ridge of high mountaines which beare vines in such places as are most open to the Sunne it is exceeding strong being fortified with two castles and diuers loftie turrets ARBOIS seated in a most pleasant soile and abounding with all necessaries especially with excellent and durable wine It hath large suburbs on all sides It is enuironed with ditches but such as they make gardens vpon Round about it are mountaines of most beautifull prospect watered with cleare springs and clad with fruitfull vines and sightly woods It is called Arbois ab Arboribus because it is so planted with trees POLIGNY a faire towne fortified with stately walles and towers the castle called Grimonia lying within it and on the one side it hath mountaines of woods and on the other side hilles set with vines the wine whereof is principall good PONTARLIER situate in a low valley betweene two mountaines on the bancke of Dubis Not farre hence stands the strong castle of Iura or Ioux on the top of an exceeding high hill so that for situation it is impregnable NOZEROY founded vpon an open hill in the very nauell or midst of this region All the houses in a maner are built of stone the Prince of the countrey hath here a castle called The Leaden castle because it is couered with lead Here is a Faire kept foure times in the yere In times past this towne before it was walled was named Nucillum of the abundance of hazel-nuts that grew round about it CHASTEL CHALON built and named by the Emperour Charlemaine both pleasantly and strongly situate MONTMOROT vpon a steepe mountaine planted with vines ORGELET abounding with merchandise The inhabitants are industrious and painfull and exercise themselues in clothing Their fields are barren for they are full of hilles and craggie rocks whereupon is grounded a common prouerbe which saith That Orgelet hath fields without grasse riuers without fish and mountaines without woods and groues The cities of Dole are first DOLE it selfe the head citie of the prouince a nurse of all learning and especially of the ciuill law most pleasantly situate vpon the riuer Dubis adorn'd with bridges walles and inuincible forts The houses churches and schooles both for greatnesse and curious building are most delightfull to the beholders QVINGEY a most ancient towne situate vpon the bancke of Louë ORNANS standing also among high mountaines by the riuer Louë LA LOY a most ample village ROCHFORT a pretie litle towne VERCELLES with ruinous and deformed walles In this countie stands BESANÇON a citie Imperiall and Metropolitan of both Burgundies the description whereof because I cannot condignly expresse in this page being exactly performed by Gilbert Cognatus Paradine and George Bruno in his volume of cities I cease here to speake any farther For sith their books are so easie to be had I referre all students to them To these also you may adde Robert Caenalis It were to be wished that Cognatus had not frustrated the hope of students for he promised in a booke to restore and bring to light ancient Burgundie together with a particular Map and the olde and new names of places But we haue hitherto expected him in vaine Howbeit not long since Lewis Gollusius published concerning this Countie in French a great and peculiar volume BVRGVNDIAE COMITATVS Hugo Cusinus sive Cognatus patriam suam sic describebat 1589. Cum Privilegijs Imp. Regis et Brabantiae ad decennium The Dukedome of BVRGVNDIE THat part of France which the Aedui whilome enioyed is now called The Dukedome of Burgundie It is limited North by Champaigne and Gastinois West by Niuernois and Burbonnois South it borders vpon Lionnois and East the riuer Rhosne diuides it from Sauoy and the county of Burgundy The head citie in times past was Augustodunum but now Diuio or Diuionum as Gregory Turonensis in his third booke calles it or as the inhabitants Digion hath gotten the superiority for here the supreme court of Parliament for the whole Dukedome is holden It is seated on the bancke of Oscarus commonly Ousch a riuer abounding with fish in a fertile and plentifull soile the mountaines adiacent yeelding strong and excellent wines as the said Turonensis reporteth who most learnedly describes it Some thinke it was built by the Emperour Aurelian but others affirme it to be much ancienter It is a citie both by arte and nature most strongly fortified against all hostile attempts certaine new forts being lately added Belna commonly Beaulne is the second citie of the Dukedome famous for the wines of Beaulne which all men commend This Citie is fairely built being impregnable in regard of a Castle which Lewis the twelfth erected here It hath an hospitall comparable for building to any Kings Palace Here also is the seat of the high court of Chancery In the territorie adiacent was built by Duke Otho about the yeere of our Lord 1098. the abbey of Cistertium in a woody and clammy soile which some thinke was so called in regard of certaine Cisternes there digged Vnder the iurisdiction of this Monasterie Belleforest reporteth that there are 1800. other Monasteries of Friers and as many of Nunnes Next followes Augustodunum which some though vpon no sufficient grounds of antiquitie suppose to haue beene called Bibracte now Auttun That this citie of ancient times was most large and populous it is euident out of sundry authours and especially out of Caesar Here are yet extant mightie ruines of a Theater of Statues Pillars Water-chanels Pyramides and many other monuments of antiquitie Likewise here are dayly digged vp coines little vessels and other such ancient fragments This citie hath endured two memorable ouerthrowes one by Caesar in his French warres and the other about the time of Galienus the Emperour But it was afterward reedified by Constantine the sonne of Claudius as the Panegyrick of Eumenius calling it Flauiam Heduorum doth testifie And at this very day it is adorned with stately temples and other buildings for publicke vses Then haue you Matiscona Caesaris or Matisconense castrum Antonini where he placeth in garrison the tenth Roman legion It is now called Mascon Of olde it was graced with the title of an Earledome It ioyneth the bancks of Araris by a bridge Here the Lords day of the Christians began first to be hallowed as Paradine reporteth out of the Edict of Guntram The relation of the citie of Mascon Philip Bugnonius hath elegantly and briefly set downe Cabilonum now Chalon vpon the bancke of Araris also anciently called Orbandale as reporteth Peter Sanjulian By Antoninus the foureteenth Roman legion was here put in garrison It was of olde the royall seat of Guntram which notwithstanding afterward Lotharius sonne to Ludouicus Pius so destroyed and abolished with fire as he left no mention at all of a citie yet now it is very
that after his death by the triall of Hoate Iron she would approue to the view of the world how wrongfully he was put to death The day came when as the Emperour sate to heare the causes and complaints of widdowes and Orphanes Together with these came the late Countesse bringing in her hand the Earles head and demandeth what death that Iudge is worthy of that had put a man to death wrongfully The Emperour answered He is worthy to lose his head She saith Thou art the same man who at the false suggestion of thy wife didst vniustly cause my husband to be beheaded The which when as the widdow approued vnto him by the maner of triall by hoat iron the Emperour yeelded himselfe into the hands of the widdow willing to abide his deserued punishment Notwithstanding by the mediation of the Bishop and the Nobility he obtained of the Countesse respite for tenne daies then for eight then for seuen lastly for six After the end of which daies the Emperour hauing examined the matter and being assured of the truth gaue sentence against his wife that she should be burned at a stake and giuing foure castles vnto the widdow redeemed his life These castles are in the Bishopricke of Luna in Hetruria or Tuscane and they are called after the names of the daies of repreeue The tenth The eighth The seuenth and The sixth Thus farre Syffridus which I thought good to set down in this place for to my knowledge no man els hath left any record of these castles neither are they named in this Mappe by our Authour notwithstanding that he hath described the country most curiously FLORENTINI DOMINII FIDELISSIMA ET NOVA DESCRIPTIO Auctore D. Stephano Monacho Montisoliueti The liberties of PERVGIA IOhannes Campanus writing of this country affirmeth that although he had trauailed and viewed many countries yet he neuer saw in all his life a more pleasant country and better manured then the country of Perugia All things seeme wast and wild to those that are farre off but if you shall come more neere nothing may be found more glorious either in respect of the husbandry of the land or wholesomnesse of the aire or fertility of the soile The riuer of Tiber runneth through the middest of this country and kindly watereth the same Not farre from which is the city Perugia situate vpon the Mount Apennine built long since as Trogus Pompeius affirmeth by the Achaians and of the twelue cities of Hetruria it is the chiefe It was called Augusta by the Emperour Augustus as the Capitall letters halfe a yeard square grauen vpon the gate do declare This city in regard of the nature of the place is inuincible richly beautified both with religious and priuate buildings of great state and is very populous This city aboue all the cities of Italie hath been euermore most fortunate and happie hauing retained the same state and gouernment little or nothing altered which it enioied before the building of Rome and that which afterward it had in the time when Rome was ruled by Kings Consuls Emperours and Tyrants at this time it reteineth Yet it hath endured many and diuers greeuous and bitter storms For in the time when Fabius Maximus was Consull as Liuie reporteth 4500. of his citizens were slaine In the daies of the Triumuiri Augustus besiedged it and forced it to great distresse for want of victualls tooke it and rased it to the ground and was wholly defaced with fire except only the Temple of Vulcane as Appian recordeth Afterward it endured the seuen yeares siedge and batterie of the cruell Tyrant Totilas and at length was sacked and spoiled c. Now it is subiect to the Pope of Rome and hath a famous Vniuersitie which was erected about the yeare of CHRIST 1290. as Middendorpius hath written Heere in the time of our grandfathers flourished the most renowmed Ciuilians Bartholus and Baldus In the precincts of this city is Lago di Perugia the lake of Perugia anciently called LACVS TRASVMENVS famous long since for a great ouerthrow heere giuen by Hanniball to the Romanes Appianus calleth it Lacus Plestinus but for what reason I know not It is in compasse as the foresaid Campanus writeth about thirtie miles The water of it is very cleare and pure there are no riuers which runne into it neither hath it any issue forth yet is his water so exceeding sweet that any man would thinke it were fedde from some running fountaine It hath in it three Isles whereof two which are toward the North are close together the one called the Greater the other the Lesser Maiores and Minores This is wast and not in habited only it hath a Church situate vpon the toppe of an hill The other which is neere to the liberties of Cortona conteineth about 200. families The third which is toward the South and is bigger then the other two is very populous and well inhabited The inhabitants almost giue themselues wholly to Fishing they sow little Corne yet they do not neglect to plant vines For wood fuell and fodder they go out into the fields and woods neere adioining Amongst the records of Lewis first Emperour of Rome there is mention of these three Ilands where he nameth them MAIOR MINOR and PVLVENSIS now Polueso where I perceiue that they yet retaine their ancient names No boggs fennes or spuing meeres do impech the shore this is full of Oliue gardens which vpon the hills on euery side do adorne the Lake and are for their wonderfull fertility very beautifull In the plaine which is between the Lake and the Hilles there is such abundance of Hempe and Flax so that in all Hetruria or Tuscane there is not more No country yeldeth better Wines or sweeter Apples The kinds of Fishes in the lake are not many but the abundance is wonderfull in which it farre excelleth all other Lakes of Italie heere also the fishing continueth all the yeare long yea euen in the dead of winter which no other Lake in all Italie affoordeth These fish in the winter are caried into Tuscane Vmbria and Picenta to Rome also they driue much cattell daily to be sold The same Campanus affirmeth that heere they take a pickerell partly coloured spotted with diuers green specks of the which he reporteth strange wonders namely that it doth engender with serpents and from thence it getteth those strange colours The common people saith Iacobus Greumus in the twentieth chapter of his first booke verily beleeueth that lampreies do engender with serpents which Plinie holdeth for a fable notwithstanding that hee often seemeth to be much delighted in writing of fables Athenaeus also writeth out of the report of one Andreas that these Lampreies which are bred of the viper if they bite the wound is deadly which opinion he afterward reclaimeth as false Againe he telleth of a Pike that lying vpon the drie land which when a fox assaied to catch one of his feetstooke fast in his teeth and both were
Turke draue from hence Therefore it is now inhabited by Turks and Iewes SANTORINI of the ancients called by the name of Therasia This Iland riseth by little and little euen from the shore vnto the middest vntill it become an high mountaine vpon whose toppe is placed the castle Scaro The people for the most part liue by fishing This also as the other is vnder the command of the great Turke SCIO the old writers called it Chios is all full of trees and mountaines it is watered with many small brooks Vinum aruisium they now call it Maluasia was from hence first transported into Candia This iland only breedeth the Mastiche-tree whose gumme from hence is conueied all Christendome ouer Andronicus Palaeologus the Emperour of Constantinople gaue it to the Genowaies who possessed it vntill the yeare 1465. when as Soliman by a wile gatte it from them The women of this I le are commended aboue all other for fauour and beauty Of this you may read in Laonicus his tenth booke RHODVS still retaineth the ancient name It hath a city of the same name very strong and defensible with a very large and capacious hauen It is the more famous for the Colossus of the sunne a statue or image seuentie cubites high which being broken off at the knees by an earth-quake was ouerthrown fell to the ground Certaine Egyptians as Domi. Niger reporteth in the time of Constance the Emperour passing the sea from Alexandria to Rhodus amongst other things ouerthrew this Colossus brake it in pieces and with the brasse did lade away 900. camels It was giuen by Emanuel Emp. of Constantinople vnto the knights of Ierusalem which for a long time and often did valiantly defend it against the furious assaults of the Turks vntill in the yeare 1522. when as Solyman besieging it round by sea and land they were forced to yeeld it vp and to flie into the ile Melita Of these see more in Theodoricus Adamaeus STALAMINE this the Gretians in old time called Lemnos Of it read that which we shall write in the description of Cyprus MILO former ages long since called it Melos In it is a mine of Siluer where also is found the Sardoine a pretious stone METELLINO old writers called it Lesbot It hath a city of the same name shaken and ruined by an earth-quake They are vnder the gouernment of the Turke as the other yet they retaine their old language and religion CERIGO in old time they called it Cythera SCARPANTO the ancients named it Carpathus or as Homer writeth it Crapathus whereupon the sea about this place was called Mare Carpathium It is situate almost in the mid-way between Candia and Rhodus It is in compasse forty or as others affirme fifty miles Eustathius in his commentaries vpon Homer saith that it is craggy and euery where mountainous and full of hils and was called Porphyris in old time of the great abundance of Purples a kind of fish whereof commeth the purple colour found in this sea and Tetrapolis of the foure cities in this iland From this iland sprong that prouerbe Carpathius leporem as the same Eustathius deliuereth out of Iulius Pollux It is spoken of those which do so do a thing that afterward being done they do repent them of it Because these Ilanders first brought in hares into this country and within a little while after when they perceiued how they eat and spoiled their corne they destroied them againe It hath many Hauens but those very narrow shallow and dangerous The inhabitants do speake the Greeke tongue and professe the Religion of the Greeke Church but are subiect to the iurisdiction and gouernment of the Signiory of Venice You may read more of these ilands in Bordonius and Porcacchius which in the Italian tongue haue written peculiar treatises of Ilands CANDIA INSULA ARCHIPELAGI INSVLARVM ALIQVOT DESCRIP METELLINO CERIGO SCARPANTO NICSIA SANTORINI MILO STALIMENE NEGROPONTE RODVS SCIO CYPRVS CYprus doth iustly challenge his place amongst the greater Ilands of the Mediterran sea The forme of the Iland is much longer than it is broad The Metropolitan or chiefe city is Nicosia Famagosta also is a most goodly city the Mart-towne of the whole I le and very rich in regard of the commodious hauen and great customes and toles there paid It is inferiour to no Iland that I know for it yeeldeth plenty of wine and oile it hath also sufficient corne to find it selfe Moreouer it hath had some veines of Brasse or Copper in which veines there was also found Vitrioll and Rubigo aeris the rust of brasse simples of soueraigne vertue in the practise of Physicke In it doth grow in great plenty the sweet cane canna mellis out of which they do boile Sugar It affoordeth an excellent kind of strong wine as good as that of Candy which they call Malmesey There is a kind of stuffe made there of goates haire which now we call Chamelett the Italians Zambelloto This Iland sendeth ouer diuers commodities into other countries whereof they yearely raise great profit and gaines it doth not much stand in need of any forrein commodities or merchandise The aire is not very wholesome nor healthfull The people generally do giue themselues to pleasures sports and voluptuousnesse the women are very wanton and of light behauiour The fruitfulnesse of it is so great that in old time they called it Macaria that is The Blessed Iland and the lasciuiousnesse of the nation such that vulgarly it was supposed to haue beene dedicated to Venus the Goddesse of loue It is 427. miles about and 200. long as Bordonius hath recorded The Venetians do hold it by right of inheritance and is vnder them gouerned by a Lieutenant or Praetor Diodorus Siculus in his 16. booke saith that in this iland were nine goodly cities which had their seuerall petie Kings by whom they were gouerned all notwithstanding subiect to the King of Persia Inferiour townes also were commanded by their proper Kings But that the fertility of this I le may better appeare I thinke it good to set downe that commendation of Ammianus Marcellinus which he hath left behind him of it Cyprus saith he is so fertile and aboundeth with such variety of all things that without the help of any forrein commodities only of themselues it is able to build a ship from the keel to the toppe saile and send it to the sea ridged and furnished with all things necessary whatsoeuer Sextus Rufus also hath these words of it Cyprus famous for wealth and great riches tempted the poore and needy Romanes to inuade it so that we held the possession of that iland iniustly and rather for gaine then for any right we had vnto it But this ô Rufus is not as they say mercenary commendation of the Roman valour Amongst the ancient writers Strabo Mela and other Geographers haue described this Iland Of the latter Benedictus Bordonius in his treatise of Ilands Vadianus Pius the second Pope of Rome Domin Niger
of Wine although not so good as Hungary and Slauonia The two Walachies VValachia Transalpina Walachie beyond the mountaines and Moldauia do enclose Transsiluania that resteth vpon the riuer Donaw this vpon the Euxine sea or Mar maiore as the Italians call it both of them together with Transsiluania do now possesse that part of Europe which anciently was called DACIA Thus that whole tract beyond Donaw which doth not only conteine the higher Hungary but also Transsiluania together with both the Walachies is enclosed round on euery side with Donaw the Carpathian hills Crapacke as some thinke the Euxine sea and againe with the same Donaw Thus farre Broderith But I thinke it not amisse to set downe heere the description of it out of Antony Bonfinius his I. decade of the first booke of his history of Hungary Beyond the Carpathian mountaines saith he is the vttermost prouince of Dacia extended euen vnto the riuer Axiaces This now vulgarly is knowen by the name of TRANSSILVANIA they call it Sibenburghen the Hungarians Herdel It is a most fertile country of cattell wine and corne also of Gold and Siluer where certaine riuers do driue downe shiuers of Gold and pieces sometime of a pound and an halfe weight being euery way round beset with steep hills in maner of a crownet In the woods are kine or beeues with long manes like horses buffs and wild horses both very swift and light in running but the horses haue long manes hanging down to the very ground those which are tame and brought vp for seruice naturally haue a very fine easie kind of amble This country is inhabited partly by Scythians partly by the Saxones and Dakes these are more humane and ciuill those more rude and churlish In old time before the breaking in of the Gothes and Hunnes all Dacia was possessed by the Roman and Sarmatian colonies c. George of Reichtersdorff hath described this country in a peculiar Treatise See also George Rithaymer Peter Rantzan Pius the second in his description of Europe Iohn Auentine and Martine Cromer in his twelfth booke of the history of Poland This country vulgarly is called Sibenburgh and Zipserland as Sebastian Munster hath giuen out More of the knowledge and discouery of this prouince are to be sought for in the first chapter and second section of the twelfth booke of Wolfangus Lazius his Romane common-wealth and in Laonicus his fifth booke Lastly in the protrepticke oration of Iohn Cuspinian Synonymes or diuers names of one and the same place in Transsiluania according as they are named by the Hungarians Germanes and Latines done by Iohn Sambucus Erdel Sibenburgen Dacia ripensis Pannodacia Trans vel Vltratrasiluania Nagbanya Newsteetl Riunli domin Rudbanya Rodna Bestercze Nosn Bistritiae Bonczyda Bonisprukh Kolosuar Glausnburg Claudiopolis Offenbanya Offnburg Aprukh Ochlatn Samos falu Mikldorff Buza Busaten Vorosmarth Rosperg Demeterfalua Metersdorff Teuuisch Durnen Balasfalua Blasndorff Gulafeyruar Weyssnburg Alba Iulia Sermisdacia Zekluasarhel Newmarkh Kizekmezeu Ibisdorff Felseupold Oberspald Absopold Niderspald Zazzebes Millcnbach Zabeus Holduilagh Schatn Apafalu Apfdorff Moneta Donnersmkrhta Braniczka Bernfapff Baijon Bonisdorff Ekemezeu Prosdorff Zelindes Stoltzeburg Naghczur Grooscheyrn Rihonfalua Reicherdorff Requiescit Brasso Cronstatt Corona vel Stephanopolis Varhel Zarmis Segesuar Schesburg Zazhalom Hunderthuhl Centum colles an hundred hills Zarkan Schirkingen Keuhalom Keps Kykelwar Kiklpurg Veczel Venecia Vlpia Traiana Kerestien mezeu Aw Insula Christi Christs iland Muschna Meschen Kakasfalu Hendorff Recze Ratzisd Ioffij Val. Dobra Vizakna Saltzburg Barczasagh Wurtzland Burcia Vaskapur Eysuthor Pilae Geticae the ancients called it Veurostorn Ratertuern Zakadat Zaka Feketetho Nigra palus Blacke more Tolmacz Talmisch Aran Auratus fl Zamos Samisch Samosus fl Keureuz Die Kraysz Chrysius fl Fier Keureus schwartz weis Kreysz Feketh Keureus schwartz weis Kreysz Sebeskeureus dic schnel krapsz fl Maros Merisch Marysus fl Olt Die Alth Aluata Aluttus fl Strell Istrig Sargetia vel Strigetia fl Ompay Die Omp fl Haczagh vel Hatsaag or rather the vale Sarmisia where there was some time the city Sarmisgethusa c. TRANSILVANIA HANC VLTRA VEL TRANSILVANIAM QVAE ET PĀNODACIA ET DACIA RIPĒSIS VVLGO SIBEMBVRGĒ DICITVR didit Viennae Ao. 1566. Nobiliss atque Doctiss Ioēs Sābutus Pannonius H. Litera in hac tabula nonnullis vocabulis adiuncta significat ea esse Hungarica Cum Priuilegio The Kingdome of POLAND POlonia or Poland so named of the champion plaines of the soile which yet in their language they vulgarly call Pole is a vast and wide country on the West bordering vpon Schlesia on the other sides it resteth vpon Hungaria Lithuania and Prussia It is diuided into the Greater and the Lesser The Greater Poland is that which lieth toward the West and conteineth the goodly cities Guesna and Posnauia The Lesser Poland lieth toward the South and hath the famous city Cracow seated vpon the head of the riuer Vistula the Germanes call it De Wixel the Polanders Drwencza which runneth through the middest of the country the other cities are not very great nor beautifull Their houses for the most part are all built of stone and some are dawbed with clay The country is very moorish full of fens and woodes The common drinke the people vse is Beere wine they seldome drinke neither do they know how to dresse and manure the vine They are counted excellent Horsemen for seruice in the warres The soile is fertile they haue many heards of cattell many deere game and pastime for the Noblemen It hath great plenty of Hony Salt heere is digged out of the earth in great abundance In the mountaines which they in their language call Tatri they haue mines of Brasse and Brimstone Cromer writeth that the Polanders are of the Hungars called Lengel of Leech the captaine or father of the Nation Vnder the kingdome of Polonia are comprehended Lithuania Samogitia Masouia Volhinia Podolia and Russia which is called South-Russia and of some Ruthenia as also all Prussia except that part which hath a peculiar Duke by whom it is gouerned Lewenclay writeth that in the yeare 1570. the king of Poland tooke the Prince of Moldauia to his protection The greatest part of LITHVANIA is moorish and full of Bogges for the most part woody and therefore not easilie entered trauelled or come vnto it is better trading with the Lithuans in the winter then at other times for that the moores and lakes being couered either with thicke ice or deep snow the Marchants may passe from place to place more easily In Lithuania there are few townes and the villages are little inhabited The chiefe wealth of the country people are cattell and rich skins of diuers sorts of wild beasts wherewith the whole country is wonderfully stored They haue great plenty of wax and hony This prouince breedeth the Bugle a kind of beast which they call Suber the Germanes Vr-ochs such as was to be seene at Antwerp in the yeare 1570. From hence also commeth that kind of
aboue 4000. furlongs and where it is narrowest it is 1300. furlongs broad The Prussians Lithuanians and Russians dwell round about it the rest the Liuonian Gulfe doth bound Liuonia conteineth the CVRONES ESTHENI and LETTI nations different both in maners and language In the cities and townes they vse the Saxon or German tongue The country is full of wood plaine and champion without hils or mountaines for the most part lying lay and vnhusbanded notwithstanding that the soile is good and fertile For if you shall except wine and oile and some few other such things which nature yeeldeth to some countries that are situate in a more temperate climate for these only are brought in hither vnto them other things more necessary for the maintenance of mans life are heere found in such great plenty that they do liberally communicate them to strangers and forreiners They haue great plenty of Fish and Deere Munster affirmeth that the Hares in this country do in euery season of the yeare change their colour for in the winter they are white and in the summer they are gray From hence wax hony ashes stone-pitch pix arida liquid pitch the Dutch call it Ther we Tarre and that kind of corne which the Latines call Secale the Germanes Rogghe and we Rie is yearely brought vnto vs in great abundance It hath certaine cities very large and finely built of them the chiefest is RIGA a colonie of the Germanes of the Bishopricke of Breme commodiously seated vpon the riuer Duin It is a goodly Mart towne and the Metropolitane of the whole prouince RIVALIA they vulgarly call it Reuel the Russians Roliua built by Waldemare king of Denmarke famous for his goodly hauen vpon a bay of the Balticke or East-sea This for traffique is not lesse frequented or populous then Riga DORPATVM Derpt neere neighbour to the Russians which call it Iuriongorod The riuer Becke runneth by the walles of this city very commodious for traffique with the Russians This riuer is caried in one channell into the sea which running violently with a great fall from steep rocks worketh the same effect to the people neere adioining as Lewenclay saith that the cataracts or fals of the riuer Nilus did to the Aegyptians which in continuance of time by little and little grow to be deaffish and thicke of hearing Besides these cities there are certaine lesser townes fortified with goodly strong castles VENDA Wenden the more honourable for that heere the Grand-captaine or Master of the order keepeth his court It is situate in the middest of the country Then VELINVM Welum Parnaw vpon the sea Wolmer Veseburgum I thinke they call it Yseborg Wittestein Narua and others Willichius and Cureus do thinke that the Efflui and Limouij did sometime dwell in these quarters Of the forme of gouernment and ordering of their common-wealth which is at the prescript of the knights of the order of the Holy Crosse read Iohn Aubane Munster Lewenclay Gaguine in his Sarmatia and Herberstein out of whom we haue culled these particulars But Crantzius also in his sixth booke of Wandalia is to be read with Oderbornes second booke of the life of Basilidis and Dauid Chytraus his Chronicle of Saxony who hath written of the same with greater diligence than the rest POMERANIA or POMERLAND PEtrus Artopoeus Pomeranus in Munsters Cosmography thus describeth this country his natiue soile POMOERANIA saith he situate vpon the Balticke sea of the first inhabitants in their natiue language that is in the Wandall tongue is called PAMORZI It is still possessed of the first in-borne inhabitants gouerned by their proper Princes and was neuer subdued or made subiect to any forrein iurisdiction It is in all places very fertile well watered with riuers brookes lakes creekes and in-lets from the sea it hath many good hauens rich pastures and good corne grounds it hath great plenty of apples cattell deere fishes foule corne butter cheese hony wax and such like commodities it hath many rich mountaines populous cities townes castels and villages there is no void place or wast ground in it but those which lakes or mountaines do possesse Before Christianity was entertained here they spake the Wandall language and followed their fashions and maner of life vntill such time as they were subdued vnder the command of the Roman Emperours for then together with Religion they began to vse the Saxon tongue which to this day they retaine Thus farre Artopoeus Pomerye in the Wandalian language which is the same with the Slauonian tongue signifieth nothing els as Herberstein affirmeth but neere the sea or a marine coast The banke or sea-wall of this country is so strongly fortified by nature with such a strong rampart that heere is no feare of the sea breaking in to ouerflow them The more famous cities vpon this coast besides some other situate further within the land are Stetin Newgard Stargard c. STETIN sometime was but a small village inhabited by a few poore fishermen but after that Christianity was planted heere about Wineta vtterly destroied and the mart was remoued hither it begun presently so to flourish that now it is become the Metropolitan of the whole country It is most pleasantly seated vpon the banke of the riuer Oder from the which it ariseth by little and little higher vpon the side of an hill It is enclosed with a strong wall and deep trench GRYPSVVALD is a towne in the Dukedome of Wolgast which others do call the Dukedome of Barth this towne being long together much afflicted with ciuill warres was much hindered and impaired but in the yeare 1456. by erecting and placing of an Vniuersity there it began againe by little and little to lift vp the head IVLINVM a towne sometime not inferiour vnto the goodly cities of Europe whether you respect the wealth of the citizens or stately buildings of the same This was sometime a famous mart towne of the Wandalls Such a multitude of merchants did flocke hither from Russia Saxony Laussnitz Meisen and all parts of Wandal-land in such troopes that in all Europe except Constantinople there was scarce such a mart to be found but it was so shaken by the violent warres of the Danes that at last it was almost wholly brought to nothing such is the mutability of vnconstant fortune alwaies delighted in change Now they call it Wollin STRALSVND vpon the sea shore It hath had sometime his proper prince viz. the Duke of Barth It is a city very populous and greatly frequented by Merchants WINETA this sometime was also a city of good reckoning peraduenture it is now called Archon or Iulinum Wollin For the cities of Wandal-land according to the diuersity of languages of sundry nations had their diuers names That which the Wandalls called Stargard the Saxons named Aldenburg and the Danes Bannesia as Crantzius affirmeth But I thinke it good to set down the description of this country which the singular learned man M. Peter Edling sent me from Colberg in this
the Paradise of Italy The hils that are which are but very few are exceeding bleake cold and barren so that they will beare nothing but barly Maroccho which we said was the chiefe city of this kingdome is accounted one of the greatest cities of the whole world for it is of such a wonderfull bignesse that in the raigne of Haly the sonne of Ioseph their king it had more than an hundred thousand families It hath about it 24. gates The wall of a maruelous thicknesse is made of a kind of white stone and chalke vnburned There are heere such abundance of Churches Colledges stoues or hothouses and innes as iustly more may not be desired Amongst the Churches there is none more artificially and gorgeously built than that which standeth in the middest of the city built by the foresaid Haly. There is another beside this first raised by Abdu'-lmumen his successour and enlarged by Mansor his nephew and lastly more richly set out with many goodly columnes which he caused to be brought out of Spaine He made a fountaine or cestern vnderneath the Church as large and wide as the whole Church it selfe The roofe of the Church he couered all ouer with lead At euery corner he made spoutes by which the raine water falling vpon the roofe might runne into the cestern vnderneath The steeple made of a very hard kind of stone like that of the Amphitheater of Vespasian at Rome is higher than that towre of Bononia in Italy The greeses or staiers by which they go vp to the toppe of it are euery one nine handfull thicke but in the outside of the wall are tenne This tower hath seuen roomes or lofts one aboue another Vpon the toppe of it is set another turret or spire like a pyramis sharpe toward the top This hath three lofts one aboue another into which they go vp from one to another by staires or ladders made of wood On the toppe of this spire vpon a shaft of iron in steed of a weather-cocke doth stand a most goodly Moone of pure gold with three golden globes so put vpon the iron shaft that the greatest is lowest the least highest of all If any man from the toppe of the steeple shall looke downe toward the ground the tallest man that is seemeth no bigger than a child of a yeare old From the toppe also of this the cape or fore-land which they call Azaphy being an hundred and thirty miles off may easily be descried And although one should skarcely find a greater Church if one should trauell all the world ouer yet the place is almost wholly desert for none do euer vse to come hither but vpon Fridaies Vnder the cloisters of this Church they report that there were wont to be an hundred Stationers and as many ouer against them on the other side of the Churchyard which daily heere kept shoppe where as now I do not thinke that all this whole city can affoord at this time one booke-seller Hardly the one third part of the towne is inhabited Heere hence it is that within the wals there are many vineyeards large gardens of palme-trees and other fruites with goodly corne fields most fertile and well manured for without the wals they cannot till the ground by reason of the frequent inrodes of the theeuish Arabians This one thing is most certaine that this city is suddenly growne old before the time for it is not aboue fiue hundred and six yeares since it was first built There is also in this city a very strong castle which in respect of the large bignesse the great thickenesse and compasse of the wals the high and many towers or lastly the goodly and stately gates built of the richest Tiburtine marble may iustly be accounted for a faire towne Within this castle is a most beautifull Church with a very high steeple vpon whose toppe is a golden moone with three golden globes of different bignesses all of them weighing 130. crownes There haue been some kings of this country who moued with the loue and valew of the gold haue attempted to take these globes downe and to put them into their purses but alwaies some strange euent or misfortune or other did hinder their purpose and crosse their desires So that it is now commonly amongst the people held for a very ominous thing for any man but once to offer to touch these globes with his hand Let this be sufficient to haue spoken of this city in this place he that desireth a larger discourse both of the city and castle let him haue recourse vnto Leo Africanus who in his 2. booke will satisfie him to the full In this kingdome also is the city TARADANT the Moores call it Taurent a very great and goodly city built by the ancient Africanes It conteineth about 3000. houses or families The people are more ciuill and curtuous than in other places heere about Heere are many artificers of diuers and sundry occupations The townesmen do yearely raise a great profit by keeping of a gard to defend merchants that from hence do trauell vp higher into the country from the assault of theeues and robbers and to conduct and lead them the neereest and best way for it is a place of great resort of strangers aswell of Christians as others There are also other cities as the mappe doth shew amongst the which is MESSA hauing a Church not farre from the sea which they do most religiously reuerence For there are some heere that most fondly do beleeue and affirme that the Prophet Ionas when he was sent of God to preach vnto the Niniuites was at this place cast vp of the fish which before had swallowed him The sparres of this Church and the beames are made of whale bones for it is a common thing for the sea to cast vp heere dead whales of maruailous bignesse Vpon the coast also of this country is found that kind of Amber which we call Amber-greese Not farre from this city is TEINT a towne where all those rich skinnes are dressed which are commonly called Maroccho pelts More of this kingdome thou maist read of in Leo Africanus Marmolius and in the Saracen history of Caelius Augustinus Curio where he hath a seuerall treatise of this prouince Thus farre of Maroccho it remaineth now that we should speake likewise of Fesse FESSE like as Maroccho is a kingdome so called of the chiefe city and metropolitane of the same This city is situate in the hart and middest of the kingdome It was built as they affirme about the yeare of our Lord 786. Neither is it only the head city of this kingdome but it is esteemed The Metropolitane of all Barbary and is vulgarly called as Marmolius testifieth The Court of all the West part of the World Some there are which do thinke it to haue been named Fesse of a masse of gold that heere was found when first they began to lay the foundations of the same for fes in Arabicke signifieth an heap or masse
ancient name and were called Israël Againe the later part after the captiuity of Babylon was diuided into two prouinces Samaria and Galilee Samaria the Metropolitane or chiefe city of which the country tooke the name was the seat of the Kings of Israel But Galilee was possessed and inhabited by forreners and strangers 3. King 9. and 4. King 17. and therefore grew to be much enuied and despised of the rest of the Iewes so that they did vse to speake all villany and reproachfull speaches of the people of this prouince The North part of this in scorne was called Galiley of the Gentiles and in respect of the situation the Higher Galiley the other part of it toward the South was called the Lower Galiley Therefore afterward euen vnto the time of Christ and his Apostles and so foorth the land of Chanaan or Israel was diuided into three parts and called by three distinct names The Higher country toward Sidon and Tyre they called Galiley the Middle Samaria the Lower toward the South and Arabia Petraea was properly called Iudaea Iewrie as is manifest out of the second chapter of Saint Matthew and the fourth of Saint Iohn This later did containe onely two Tribes Iuda and Beniamin Although also all the land of Canaan euen as high as the mountaines of Thracon neere Antioch and the country of Ammon was called Iudaea as is euident by the ninteenth chapter of Saint Matthew and the tenth of Saint Marke and therefore also Pliny mentioneth Iudaea citerior Iewry on this side Iordan Strabo in his sixteenth booke and Lucane in his second booke do also call the same Iudaea which name as we said before had the originall from the Tribe of Iuda Ptolemey and others call it Palaestina of the Palaestini which according to the propriety of the Hebrew pronunciation in the Holy Scriptures are named Philistiim Phelistines this Nation indeed both for their great command and warres made with their neighbours for certaine yeares together were very famous Herodotus in Polymnia and Dion in his seuen and twentieth booke calleth that part of Syria which is next to Aegypt Syriam Palaestinam Palaestina of Syria Ptolemey calleth it Palaestinam Iudaeam Palaestina of Iewrie or Palaestinam Syriae Palaestina of Syria Because that Palaestina is a part of Syria as Pomponius Mela thinketh who calleth it Syriam Iudaeae Syria of Iudaea Many places of this Palaestina are expressed in that his Mappe and therefore heere they are omitted OF AEGYPT The country situate between Syene or the Catarractae Nili the fall or mouthes of Nilus through the middest of which this riuer runneth and by his yearely inundation and ouerflowing watereth all the grounds of the same in old time was called CHAM of Cham the sonne of Noe to whose lot this country fell when the world was diuided presently after the confusion at Babel Psalm 78. v. 51. 105. v. 23. and 106. v. 22. Afterward it was called Misraim of Misraim the sonne of Cham Gen. 5. and 10. Iosephus in the twelfth chapter of his first booke calleth it Mersin which name doubtlesse is made of Misraim either by contraction or short kind of speaking depraued by custome or fault of the writer Herodotus in Euterpe affirmeth that Aegypt was sometime named Thebes Of some it was called Aëria or Aëtia as some copies write it Marmolius Theuer and Pinetus affirme that the Turkes and country people in and about Aegypt do now call this country Chibth Elchibet or Elchebitz And indeed the Arabs that turned Genesis the first booke of Moses into Arabicke in the 45. and 46. chapters for Aegypt hath Elchibth from whence no doubt the Greekes and Latines fetched their Aegyptus like as of Phrat the Hebrew name is made Euphrates Aegypt had three speciall prouinces or shires the Higher which was called Thebaica the Middle and the Lower Thebaica and the Middleshire of Aegypt which the mountaines of Aethiopia and the vtter section or parting of the riuer Nilus at Sebemytus do define are called the Higher Egypt through the middest of which the riuer Nilus doth iointly runne in one maine channell and is both vpon the East and West enclosed with high and steep mountaines The other Prouince from thence euen vnto the Aegyptian sea is called the Lower Egypt This alse they call Delta for that this country or part of Egypt which is conteined between the parting of the riuer at Sebemytus Canopus and Pelusium or the two mouthes of the same riuer where it falleth into the Mediterran sea neere these townes is in fashion three cornered or triangular representing the forme of the Greeke Capitall letter Δ. These countries by the discreet aduise of Alexander the Great were diuided into ÎΟΜΟΩΣ that is Shires for by Nomòs NomÄ— and NomarchÃa the Greekes do vnderstand a shire and ward ouer the which is set Nomárches a Lieutenant or Lord-warden Thebes comprehended tenne shires and the middle prouince sixteen shires so that in all the Higher Egypt conteined six and twenty shires But in the Lower Egypt or Delta there were onely tenne Egypt is very often mentioned in the holy Scripture and the places where it is spoken of are very famous and memorable Gehon that is as some do expound Nilus Gen. 2.13 Bethshemeth the Sunnes house Heliopolis the Greekes call it Gen. 41. and 46. Esa 19. This also is called On Ezech. 30. Gessen or Gosen a country or prouince of Egypt Gen. 45.47.50 Exod. 9. Phitom Exod. 1. a city of store situate vpon Nilus This the Israelites were forced to build Ramesse or Raemses Gen. 47. Exod. 1.12 which also was built by the Israelites in their bondage when they were slaues and serued the Aegyptians Sucoth Exod. 12.13 Etham Exod. 12. Piachiroth Magdalum Beelsephon The red sea Exod. 14. Migdal or Migdalum Ierem. 44.46 Taphnis Ierem. 2.43.44.46 Exod. 30. Phatures Paturos Pathros Ierem. 44. Ezech. 19.30 Tanis Num. 13. Esa 19. Ezech. 30. Psalm 77. This Iosephus calleth Protanis Alexandria Ierem. 46. Ezech. 20. Pelusium and Bubastus Ezech. 30. Memphis called of the Hebrews Noph and sometimes Moph and Migdol Esa 19. Ierem. 2.44.46 Ezech. 30. Ose 9. This was the seat of the Kings of Egypt where they ordinarily kept their court and was the Metropolitane city of all that whole kingdome PALAESTINAE SIVE TOTIVS TERRAE PROMISSIONIS NOVA DESCRIPTIO AVCTORE TILEMANNO STELLA SIGENENSI Dominus Deus tuus introducet te in terram bonam terram rivorum aquarumque et foncium in cuius campis montibus erumpunt fluviorum abyssi Terram frumenti ordei ac vinearum in qua ficus malogranata oliveta nascuntur terram olei ac mellis Vbi absque ulla penuria comedes panem tuum rerum omnium abundantia perfrueris OF ARABIA This country the Hebrews call Arab that is a misture hotchpotch or dwelling of diuers and sundrie Nations together in one and the same country as is probably to be gathered out of the six and twentith chapter of
of the grace of God where our Sauiour Christ manifested his infinite power by a sufficient testimony raising Lazarus who had lien three daies by the wals from death to life againe This place is spoken of in Matth. 21. Marc. 11.14 Iohn 11.12 BETHABARA the house of Passing ouer or the Ferry-house For there the waters of Iordan were diuided into two channels and therefore there they yeelded a safe passage to Iosua and all the children of Israel through the middest of this riuer Iosu 3.4 Heere Iohn baptized Christ and many others Matth. 3. Moreouer Saint Iohn speaketh of this place in the first and tenne chapters of his Gospell BETHEL Gen. 12. Thither Abraham remoued his houshold after his departure from Sichem For there is no doubt but that they are two diuers places First it was called Luza that is an Almond tree or place where Almond trees did plentifully grow There Iacob saw the Lord standing vpon a ladder as it is related in the 28. chapter of Genesis Therefore vpon that accident the place was called by a new name Bethel that is the house of God In the same Ieroboam erected the Golden calfe that he might seeme in that to imitate the example of the Patriarkes and holy men before him who worshipped God in that place Heereupon the Prophets changed the goodname Bethel and called it Bethauen that is the house of wickednesse or villany BETHSAIDA the house of fruites or the house of corne prouision or hunting Heere Philip Andrew and Peter the Apostles of Christ were borne Iohn 1. The Euangelists also Matthew and Marke haue made mention of this place Matth. 2. Marc. 6. CANA the Greater the country of Syrophoenissa whose daughter Christ cured being possessed with a Diuell Matth. 15. Marc. 8. of this see more beneath in Sarepta CANA the Lesser a towne of Galiley in which Christ with his presence and miracle of turning water into wine honourably graced matrimony Cana signifieth a reed or cane CANANAEA it is the name of a country so called of Chanaan the sonne of Cham. Chanaan signifieth a Merchant and indeed the posterity of Chanaan dwelling vpon the sea coast did trade as Merchants For Sidon the sonne of Canaan built the city Sidon And in the tenth chapter of Genesis the land of Canaan is so described as it is certaine that it contained all that whole tract of ground which afterward the Israelites did possesse from Iordan euen vnto the sea and so along as farre as Aegypt There as yet was no distinction between the Philistiim and Canaan For Canaan also was ancienter than Philistiim which was not borne of Canaan but of Misraim Yet afterward when the power and iurisdiction of the Nation of the Philistines grew to some heigth and greatnesse they caused the country especially all along the sea coast beneath Tyre Southward to be called after their name PALESTINA And in the 13. chapter of the booke of Iosua there are reckoned vp 5. cities of the Philistines Azotus Accaron Ascalon Geth and Gaza When therefore the Canaanites for that they possessed the places neere Iordan were almost vtterly destroied their name by a little and little began to perish and to fade away And although also the Philistines which greatly enlarged their bounds and territories in that countrie which afterward was giuen to the tribes of Iuda Beniamin Simeon Manasses and Isaschar were driuen from thence and were for the most part consumed yet they retained as I said certaine strong cities vpon the sea coast beneath Tyre and so somewhile they greatly flourish and were lords ouer others within a while after they grew weaker and were commanded of others In the time of Abraham the seat and court of Abimelech was at Gerar who in the 26. chapter of Gen. is named King of the Philistines The city Gerara was situate in that country which afterward the tribe of Iuda did possesse not farre from Hebron and was indeed placed between Hebron and Gaza It is therefore to be conceiued that the name of Cananaea Canaan is somewhat more ancient and comprehending more Nations than the name of the Philistines which neuer possessed all that tract and compasse of ground which afterward the Israelites enioyed But notwithstanding because the Philistines had certaine great cities vpon the sea coast the name of Palaestina was by reason of their traffique more famous and better knowen to the Greeke writers than Canaan or Cananaea Herodotus in Polymnia saith that the Phoenicians and Syrians possessing Palaestina sent 300. saile of ships to Xerxes and afterward he addeth that the whole country euen from the skirtes of Aegypt vnto Phoenicia was called Palestina And therefore also afterward the Greekes as Ptolemey vnder the name of Palaestina haue comprehended Iudaea Samaria and Galiley when as notwithstanding the Philistines did not possesse all that large space and compasse of ground But often times names are giuen to countries of some principall prouince of the same that doth in power and command surpasse the rest The Grammaticall interpretation and reason of the Etymology of the word Philistim is thought to be for that this nation inhabiting along the sea coast where earthquakes are very frequent and so whole townes and cities are couered with sand besprinkled and soiled with dust and dirt For the word in the Hebrew tongue signifieth Sprinklers or besprinklings as when any thing is besprinkled and foiled with dust or it signifieth otherwise Batteries and shakings as when a building is violently shaken and mooued by an externall force whereby it is in danger and ready to fall Like as Ascalon and Azotus hauing their names giuen them of Esh fire CAPERNAVM that is a pleasant and delightfull village Heere Christ first began to publish his Gospel Matth. 4. Luc. 4. and 7. For he was a citizen of that corporation betaking himselfe to that place when as he fled for feare of Herod when he put Iohn Baptist to death Therefore of Christ and his Disciples they demanded there a didrachma for poll mony as of the rest of the citizens and dwellers in this city Of this city mention is made Matth. 8.11.17 Marc. 1.2.5.9 Luc. 4.7 Io. 2.6 DALMANVTHA that is the poore mens habitation Christ with his Disciples came also into this country Matth. 16. Marc. 8. DAMASCVS It is distant from Ierusalem 42. Germane miles Breitenbach writeth that Damascus is 6. daies iourney from Ierusalem The map sheweth the situation of it to be in the mount Antilibanas It is a very ancient city which also at this day is very populous and much frequented by merchants Diuers etymologies and reasons of the imposition of this name diuers men do curiously seeke I do hold this for the likeliest The sacke of blood because the old opinion is that in this place Abel was slaine by his brother Cain Surely it is very probable and generally agreed vpon that our first parents Adam and Eue did first dwell not farre from this place DECAPOLIS the name of a prouince
in the vttermost skirtes of Phoenicia and Galiley which comprehended tenne cities these although those authours which write of them do not wholly agree which they should be it is certaine by the iudgement of all men were neighbour cities And it is that country which is conteined between Damascus and Sidon and between the Lake Genesareth and Caesarea Philippi EMMAVS afterward it was called Nicopolis And in my iudgement the Greek name is but an interpretation sense of the Hebrew name which signifieth the mother of strength fortitude or victory Others haue giuen out that the interpretation of it is the Mother of counsell EPHRATA which also is otherwise called Betháchem or Bethléhem as our bookes vulgarly haue Ephrata signifieth abundance fertility a fertile soile plentifully bringing foorth all maner of fruites For in the whole earth there was no place more fruitfull than Ephrata that is than Bethláchem where Iesus Christ the Lord of Heauen and Earth and Redeemer of all mankind was borne whom the Proph t Micheas in his fift chapter did foretell should be borne in this place And therefore was it called Bethlachem that is The house of Bread In the same place was also seated Bethhacaris Beth-haccarem I thinke he meaneth that is the house of vineyeards Bethlachem was the natiue soile of Dauid where he was annointed king of Israel 1. King 16.17 GALGAL this word signifieth a wheele or a wheeling and turning about the trundling of any thing that is round It may be that this name was giuen to that place and rose vpon this occasion for that Iosua the captaine and generall of the Israelites out of the camp heere and standing garrisons did vse to draw new supplies and armies wherewith he conquered and ouercame the enemies and by chacing vp and down and continually vexing the nations round about at length vtterly consumed them Heere the royall army and campe was continually resident vntill such time as the whole land was diuided into 12. tribes and so was quietly and freely possessed and inhabited of the Israelites These were the first campes that the children of Israel had in Iudaea the land of promise and heere the Manna ceassed For now they began to eat and liue vpon the fruites of the land Heere also the Passeouer was celebrated and all those almost were heere circumcised which had passed ouer Iordan For they which had been circumcised in Aegypt they were dead long since in the wildernes Ios 4.5 The same Galgala is meÌ„tioned in the 1. king 11.15 2. king 19 4 king 4. GALILEA that is a limit or bound it was a country situat in the borders of Iudea GAZA AZOTVS ASCAION GETH ACCARON The exposition of which names it thus Gaza or Aza signifieth strength or might Azotus or Asdod a robbing or spoiling or else the fire of the beloued or rather in my iudgement a fortification bulwarke blockhouse or muniment for so the Arabicke a neere dialect of the Hebrew tongue doth most properly signifie For the theme or Arabicke roote Schadada signifieth to strengthen fortifie bind together or enclose with a defence Psalm 147.12 Gen. 12.10 Auscen lib. 2. tractatu 2. cap. 596. Luc. 12 35. from hence is deriued Teshdid a note or marke vsed by the Grammarians answering vnto Dagesh forte of the Hebrew so named of his power and force for it doth double the letter ouer which it is put therefore the forme of it is like vnto the Greek omega or our double 00. Againe Shadid signifieth strong hard stubborne Matt. 25.24 Psalm 60.5 as also in Mahomets Alkoran in the 32. Azoara Shaddah strength might 2. Pet. 2.11 Firmamentum the Firmament any thing that is solid and firme Psalm 73.4 Ascalon the keeper of fire or fire of ignominy Geth that is a wine presse Accaron a barrennesse weakenesse feeblenesse a plucking vp by the rootes a body or stumpe of a tree These were the chiefe cities of the Nation of the Pâ—â—listines which was so mighty a people that all the whole country of Iudaea or Israël euen from Aegypt vnto Phoenicia was after their name called PALAESTINA This their power and greatnesse continued from the first entrance of the Israelites into the Holy land euen vnto the daies of king Hezechia 4. Reg. 18. For all the while between these times they maintained almost continuall and cruell warres with the Israelites GEHENNA the vale of Hinnon compounded of Ge which signifieth a vally and Hinnon the proper name of a man to whom that piece of ground did belong It was a dale in the tribe of Beniamin where those deuilish sacrifices were made in which they burnt and sacrificed children to their idols For this cruell fact it came to passe that the name afterward figuratiuely was vsed for Hell and place of the damned and indeed the etymologie also doth somewhat fauour this sense for Hinnon is a spoiler destroier conspiratour or traitour Ios 15.18 Mat. 18. TYPVS CHOROGRAPHICVS CELEBRIVM LOCORVM IN REGNO IVDAE ET ISRAHEL arte factus à Tilemanno Stella Sigenensi Priuilegio Imperiali et Belgico ad decennium Abrahammus Orcelius in hanc formam minorem redigebat Anno M.D.LXXXVI GENEZARETH a lake in Galiley of most pure water well stored with diuers sorts of fish It was so called of the pleasantnesse of the country round about it For Genesar signifiâ—th the Princes orchycard Moreouer both the cities neere adioining and the lake are called Cinnereth of the forme and figure For Cinnéreth is the same in Hebrew that Cinnor that is an Harpe a kind of musicall instrument which the Latines call Cithara and which doubtlesse was made of the foresaid Hebrew Cinnor This place diuersly written you haue mentioned in diuers places of Holy Scripture 1. Machab. 11. Matt. 14. Marc. 6. In the 6. chapter of the Gospell of S. Iohn at the first verse it is called the Sea of Galiley for that it was situate in the Lower Galiley or the Sea of Tiberias of the city Tiberias so named by flattering Herod the tetrarch in honour of Tiberius Caesar Emperour of Rome as Iosephus in the 18. chapter of his 4. booke of the warres of the Iews and Egesippus in the 3. chapter of his 2. book do witnesse when as formerly it was named as before is signified Cinnereth which together with the lake vpon which it standeth is notâ—ably described by the same Egesippus in the 26. chapter of his 3. booke of the destruction of Ierusalem GERAR signifieth a Peregrination Because that Abraham going from Hebron soiourned in Gerar where Sara his wife was violently taken from him by Abimelech the king of that place whose striuing lust God did so punâ—sh that he was forced to restore Abraham his wife againe before euer he had come neere vnto her as is shewed in the 20 chapter of Genesis Heere Isaac was borne Gen. 21. to whom in this place Christ was promised after that Agar forced by hunger had fled from the well vnto Abimelech king of Gerar. Gen. 26. HAI in
of colour but also to marke them with diuers kinds of pictures and counterfeits of sundrie sorts of liuing creatures and to go naked least they should hide this their painting I read in Herodian Listen thou shalt heare Solinus speake the same wordes The countrie is partly possessed by a barbarous and wild people which euen from their childhood haue by certaine cutters men skilfull that way diuers images and pictures of liuing creatures drawen and raised vpon their skinne and so imprinted in their flesh that as they grow vnto mans estate these pictures together with the painters staines do wax bigger and bigger neither doth the wild people endure any thing more patiently and willingly than that their limbes by meanes of those deep cuts and slashes may so deepely drinke in these coloures that they may sticke long by them Amongst the Goddesses as I learne by Dion they worshipped Andates for so they call Victoriam victory who had a temple and sacred wood where they vsed to do sacrifice and performe their religious seruice and worship to her Beside her they had another which was called Adraste whether this were the same with Adrastia which some did take to be Nemesis the Goddesse of reuenge which the ancient Grecians Romans did worship I leaue to others to determin Caesar saith that in former times the Druides a kind of superstitious priests dwelt also amongst this people who affirmeth that their discipline and religion was first heere inuented and from hence caried beyond sea into France That they continued vntill the time of Vespasian the Emperour of Rome in Mona or Anglesey it is apparent out of the 14 booke of Cornelius Tacitus his Annals Frō them doubtlesse this nation had their knowledge of the state immortality of the soule after this life for this was the opinion of those Druides as Caesar and others haue written of them But of the Druides we will God willing speake more in our Old France or Gallia as it stood in Caesars time That the Britans did so greatly esteeme and wonderfully extoll the art Magicke and performe it with such strange ceremonies that it is to be thought that the Persians had it from hence I haue Pliny for my patron who mightily perswadeth me The forenamed Bunduica also doth seeme to iustifie the same who as soone as she had ended her oration vnto her army cast an hare out of her lappe by that meanes to gesse what the issue of that iourney would be which after that she was obserued to goe on forward all the company iointly gaue a ioifull shout and acclamation To sacrifice and offer the blood of their captiues vpon their altars and to seeke to know the will and pleasure of their Gods by the entrails of men as the Romans did by the bowels of beasts these people held it for a very lawfull thing Thus farre Tacitus and thus much of Albion now it remaineth that we in like manner say somewhat of Ireland HIBERNIA Or IRELAND VPon the West of Britaine in the vast ocean the Latines call it Oceanus Virginius that is as the Welch call it Norweridh or Farigi as the Irish pronounce the word lieth that goodly iland which all ancient writers generally haue called by one and the same name although euery one hath not written it alike an ordinary and vsuall thing in proper names translated into strange countries For Ptolemy and vulgarly all Geographers which follow him calleth it HIBERNIA Orpheus the most ancient Poet of the Greekes Aristotle the Prince of Philosophers and Claudian IERNA Iuuenall and Mela IVVERNA Diodorus Siculus IRIS Eustathius in his Commentaries vpon Dionysius Afer WERNIA 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and BERNIA the Welch-men or ancient Britans YVERDON the Irish themselues from whence all the rest were fetched ERIN whereof also the Saxons by adding the word Land signifying a countrey or prouince as their manner is haue framed IRELAND by which name it is not only knowen to the English but generally at this day it is so called of all Nations whatsoeuer Thus farre the learned Clarencieux who also thinketh it so to haue beene named by them of their Irish word Hiere which signifieth the West or Western coast or country Like as the Celtae whose language he proueth to be the same with this for the same reason and of the same word named Spaine Iberia which afterward the Greekes in their language interpreted Hesperia In Festus Auienus who wrote a booke intituled Orae maritimae the sea coast it is named INSVLA SACRA The Holy Iland who moreouer addeth that it is inhabited of the Hierni that is of the Irish-men Isacius in his Commentaries vpon Lycophron calleth it WEST BRITAINE Plutarch in his booke which he wrote Of the face in the sphere of the Moone calleth it OGVGIA but why we know not yet read him if you thinke it worth the while you shall heare many an old wiues tale The latter writers as S. Isidore and the reuerend Beda our countriman call it SCOTIA of the Scottes which seated themselues in the West part of this I le about the yeare of our Lord 310. from whence within a very few yeares after being called in by the Picts they came into Brittane and indeed Paulus Orosius Beda and Egeinhardus authors of good credit wrote that it was inhabited of the Scots It is in length from South to North 400. miles in breadth scarse 200. The soile and temperature of the aire as Tacitus affirmeth is not much vnlike that of England It breedeth no snake or serpent nor any venemous creature fowle and birds heere are not very plentifull and as for bees no man euer saw one in the whole country yea if so be that any man shall strew dust grauell or small stones brought from hence amongst the hiues the swarmes will presently forsake their combes as Solinus writeth Yet we know by experience that this is all false for such is the infinit number of bees in this country that they are not only to be found heere in hiues and bee-gardens but also abroad in the fields in hollow trees and holes of the ground The temperature of the aire saith Pomponius Mela is very vnkind and vnfit for the ripening of corne and graine but the soile is so good for grasse not only great and ranke but also sweet and wholesome that their heards and cattell do fill themselues in so short a time that if they be not driuen out of the pasture they will feed while they burst Solinus affirmeth the same but in fewer words Furthermore he calleth it an inhumane and vnciuill country by reason of the rude and harsh manners of the inhabitants And Pomponius Mela termeth the people a disordered and vnmannerly nation lesse acquainted with any sort of vertue then any other people whatsoeuer yet they may in some respect be said to be louers of vertue in regard that they are very religious and deuout Strabo saith that they are more rusticall and vnciuill then the
Tib. 9. In the German war he sent ouer 40000. voluntaries into Gallia Again in the 8. booke of Caes Com. The Belgae whose valour was great Strabo in the 4. booke of his Geography saith The Belgae weare cassockes or cloakes their haire long and side breeches about their loines In steed of coates or ierkins they vse a kind of sleeued garmert slit hanging down to their twist or as low as their buttockes Their wooll is very course and rough yet is it cut off close to the skinne of that they weaue their course thick cassocks which they call laenas rugges or mantles Their weapons accordingly are long swords hanging down along by their right side a long target lances answerable and a iauelin meris or materis as some read a kind of short pike with a barbed head some vse bowes and slinges others haue a staffe like a dart which they do not cast with a loop or thong as our Irish do but with the hand only yea and that further than one can well shoot an arrow this they especially vse in hunting and fowling They do all for the most part euen to this day vse to lie vpon the ground they dine and suppe sitting in their beds Their meat generally is made of milke and all kind of flesh especially porke both fresh and powdered Their hogs do lie abroad in the fields night and day these for bignesse strength and swiftnesse of foot do surpasse those of other countries and if a man be not vsed to them they are as dangerous to meet withall as with a rauening woolfe They build their houses with boords planks and hardles couered ouer with a very great roofe They haue so many and great herds of cattle and hogs that they do not only serue Rome with those fornamed cassocks or rugs powdered beefe and bacon but also many other places of Italy The most of their cities and commonwealths are gouerned by the Nobility and gentry informer times the common people vsed yearely to choose one Prince and one Generall captaine for the wars They are for the most part subiect to the behests of the Romans They haue a kind of custome in their councels proper and peculiar to themselues for if any man do interrupt or trouble another by loud speaking or by making any tumult the sergeant commeth to him with a naked knife in his hand and threatneth him if he hold not his peace this he doth the second and third time if then he will not be quiet he cutteth off so much of his cassocke that the rest may be good for nothing This is a common thing to them with many other barbarous nations that the seruices or offices of men and women are ordered clean contrary to the customes maners which heere we vse Item in another place The Gauls the neerer they are to the North and to the Sea so much the more hardy and valiant they are They do especially commend the Belgae who are diuided into 15. nations in Caesar find 31. mentioned so that the Belgae alone susteined the assault of the Germans Cimbers and Teutones What an infinite number of men they were able to make may hâ—ere hence be gathered that long since there were mustered of the Belgae only of able men fit for the war 300000. this number Caesar in the beginning of the 2. booke of the wars of France encreaseth by 27000. more Item some there are which diuide the Gauls into 3 nations namely the Aquitani Belgae and Celtae Item The Belgae do possesse the places neere the Sea euen as low as the mouth of the Rhein Dio. Sic. in his 6. booke A nation for the most part situat in those places toward the North it is a cold country so that in winter time in steed of water it is all couered ouer with deep snow The ice also in this country is so great and thicke that their riuers are frozen so hard that they may go ouer them and that not only some few in a company together but euen whole armies with horses carts and cariage Plutarch in the life of Caesar But after that news came that the Belgae the most mighty and warlike nation of the Gauls which possessed the third part of all Gallia had gathered together many thousands of armed men purposing to make head he goeth against them with all possible speed c. Appianus in his history of France Caesar speeding himselfe against the Belgae at the foord and passage ouer a certain riuer slew so many of them that the heaps of dead bodies serued for a bridge Ammian in the 15 booke of his history Of all the Gauls the ancients did account the Belgae to be most valiant stout for that they were remote from those that liued more courtlike and tenderly neither were they corrupted and made effeminate with forren delicates and foolish toies but had long been exercised in wars quarels against those Germans which dwelt beyond the Rhein Dion in his 55 booke The Bataui are excellent horsemen Again in his 39 booke The Morini and Menapij dwell not in towns and cities but in cottages and mountaines enclosed about with very thicke woods He meaneth Arduenna Arden that huge forest which then was more vast than now it is Florus in his 3. booke The next was a far more cruell battell for then they fought for their libertie Pliny in the 22. c. of his 26. booke In the prouince of Belgica they cut a kind of white stone with a saw as they do wood yea and more easily to make slaits and tiles for couerings for their houses not only flat and plain but also hollow and crooked to serue both for roofe-tiles gutter-tiles yea and when they list for those kind of couerings which they call pauonacea like the peacocks taile these also are such as may be cut or sawed Again in the 36. c. of his 16 book The Belgae do stamp the tuft or beard of this kind of reed and laying it between the meeting of the ioints and plankes of their ships do calke them as sure as with pitch and rozen Item in the 22 c. of his 10. booke he writeth that from the country of the Morini geese did come on thâ—â—â— feet as far as Rome In 1. c. of his 12. booke he saith that The plane tree was come now as far as the Morini into a tributary soile that these nations might pay custome euen for the shade In the 25 c. of the 15. book In Belgia and vpon the banks of the Rhein the Portugal cherries are most esteemed In the 14. c. of the same booke where he speaketh of diuers kind of apples which for that they haue no kernels are called of the Belgae spadonia poma spayd apples In the 5 c. of his 19 booke Gelduba is the castle called that is built vpon the Rhein where grow the best skirwyrts or white parsneps In the 8 c. of his 17 booke Of all forren nations that I know the Vbij whose
seas toward the maine land it abutteth vpon those mountaines which do part Macedonia from Thracia Romania Mysia the vpper Seruia Bosna and Bulgaria and Dalmatia now it is called Sclauonia This is that Greece which as Manilius saith is Maxima terra viris foecundissima doctis Vrbibus c. Renowmed Greece for warlike men and schollers deeply learned doth farre excell c. which as Cicero writeth in his oration pro Flacco for honour renowme learning diuers arts and sciences ciuill policy in time of peace and feates of armes and martiall chiualrie abroad hath euer been famous or as Trogus Pompeius in his 8. booke saith was for valour and estimation Princesse of the World From hence as Pliny saith the bright lusture of all maner of literature and humane learning first call forth his beames and enlightned the rest of the world on all sides round about In this country humanity and letters together with the maner to write and read how to till the ground and sow corne was first inuented and practised as Plinius Caecilius hath left recorded in his epistle written to his friend Maximus And this is that country saith he from whom we had our statutes that I meane which receiued not lawes as those do which are at the command of the conquerour but willingly and curteously did communicate them to such as did demand them MACEDONIA possesseth the greatest part of Greece This long since hauing conquered the greatest part of the World passing through Asia the Lesse Armenia Iberia Albania Cappadocia Syria Aegypt the mountaines Taurus and Caucasus subdued Bactria Media Persia and the rest of those Eastern countries euen as farre as India in this following the steps of Bacchus and Hercules of which also it became the Empresse yea thou maist say if thou wilt of the whole world answeareable to that of Manilius Macedum tellus quae vicerat Orbem and Macedonia stout which all the world subdued This is that Macedonia 72. of whose cities Paulus Aemilius a Romane Consull sacked and sold in one day Then next after this followeth PELOPONNESVS a peninsula or demy-ile not much inferiour for goodnesse of soile fertility and riches to no country vnder heauen is very like in forme to the leafe of the plane tree In this standeth binaris Corinthus the city Corinth the fortresse bulwarke and gate of all Greece situate between two seas in the isthmos neckeland or narrow place between this prouince and Achaia Heere also is Lacedaemon Misithra or Zaconia as some thinke but it was in old time called Sparta reuerend and honoured of all men for the politique gouernment commonwealth instituted by Lycurgus for many memorable acts done both at home and abroad But that the name of Greece did extend it selfe further than before specified on ech side of the sea it plainly appeareth out of the records of the best writers for how great a portion of Italy was in old time called Magna Graecia Great Greece A great part also of the maine continent in Asia beyond the sea ouer against Macedonia of certaine colonies transported thither and seated there by the Greekes was named also by this name whose inhabitants Plutarch in his Laconica apothegmata for distinction sake nameth Graecos Asianos Asian Greekes For Lucian in his treatise of Loue de Amoribus writeth that the insulae Chelidoniae certaine small ilands or rocks as some call them in the midland sea they are now called Isole corrente as Castaldus iudgeth or Caprose as Pinetus thinketh were the ancient bounds of Greece Isocrates in his oration intituled Panegyricos writeth that the Grecians did inhabit from Cnidus a town in the prouince of Doris in Asia the Lesser euen vnto Sinope a city of Paphlagonia in Asia situate vpon the Euxine sea Chalcondylas calleth it Pordapas the Turkes as Leunclaw reporteth Sinabe In like maner the Aegean sea Archipelago which beateth vpon the coast of Macedonia and also vpon this forenamed Asia is called of Thucydides Plutarch Arrian and Polyenus Hellenice thalassa of Pliny Graeciense mare the Greeke sea Strabo and Pausanias amongst the rest haue described Greece as then it stood most diligently and curiously Of Graecia Asiatica this part of Greece in Asia the Lesser which thou seest opposite to Macedonia read Pausanias in his Achaïa and Vitruuius in the fourth chapter of his first booke of Architecture Ελλας GRAECIA SOPHIANI Abrahamo Ortelio descriptore Cum Priuilegio CYPRVS THat this iland was sometimes a part of Syria and ioyned to the maine land Pliny in his Naturall history doth affirme and that it shall againe be reunited to the same Apollo hath prophesied as Strabo in his Geographie hath left recorded Amongst those ilands of the Midland sea more noted for their greatnesse this doth possesse the sixth place In respect of the forme it is as Eustathius writeth compared to a sheeps skin or as Hyginus noteth to a French target It is longer one way than another by the iudgement of Strabo who moreouer addeth that for excellency and goodnesse of soile it is inferiour vnto no iland whatsoeuer Pliny and Mela do testifie hat in former times nine kings did reigne in it at once Herodotus sayth that king Amasis was of all mortall men the first that tooke it and made it tributary vnto his crowne It was all ouer somtime so woody and ouergrowen with bushes and trees that the ground by no meanes might be ploughed and manured a great part of which although it was dayly spent in the melting and refining of copper and siluer for the iland is very full of mettals as also for the building of ships yet notwithstanding for all this they neuer were able vtterly to destroy their huge woods and infinite luxuriousnesse of the same vntill by proclamation free liberty and licence was giuen and granted to euery man that list to fell and cary away what wood and timber they pleased Item that what ground so euer any man had cleared by stocking vp the bushes and trees that he should for euer after hold for his owne by a free tenure The woonderfull fertilitie of this soile Elianus doth bewray when as he writeth that stagges and hindes do oft times swim hither out of Syria to fill their bellies so good is the feed of this I le The manifold variety and plenty of all sorts of commodities here those words of Ammian in his 14 booke do sufficiently demonstrate vnto vs when he giueth out That it needeth no maner of forren helpe of other countries only of it selfe it is able to build a shippe euen from the very keele to the top saile to rigge it and send it foorth to sea furnished with all maner of necessaries whatsoeuer The great riches of this iland these words of Sextus Rufus do manifestly declare CYPRVS famous for great wealth moued the beggerly Romans to attempt the same so that indeed the interest that we haue in that iland we gat rather by violence than any right we had vnto
other kinds of trees and herbs which do naturally grow in this sea Pomponius sheweth that this sea hath more and greater monsters that do liue and breed in it then any other sea in the world beside Quintus Curtius affirmeth that it is full of whales balaenae of such an huge bignesse that they are in bulke equall to the greatest shippes or vessels that are Solinus saith that one of them will couer two akers of ground The same authour doth there describe vnto vs certaine blew wormes which haue their forelegges not lesse then six foot long These are of that wonderfull strength that oft times they do with their clawes lay hold vpon Elephants comming thitherto drinke and by maine force pull them into the sea Item he telleth of certaine whirle-pooles Physeteras he calleth them of that huge bignesse that they are to see to like vnto great and massie columnes these doe many times raise themselues vp as high as the crosse-mast from whence they spout out such abundance of water out of their gullets that oft times by the violence of the storme the vessels of those which saile and passe by that way are sunke and cast away Strabo hath left in writing that Amazenas the admirall of the Indian fleet did there see a whale of fifty foot in length Arrianus in his Indica describeth certaine balaenas whales or whirlepooles of an huge and wonderfull bignesse with three sorts of great and terrible kind of Serpents which as Solinus writeth will couer more then two akers of lands It is recorded by Pliny that the Hydri certaine sea-monsters of twenty cubites in length did much affright the nauy of Alexander the Great Item he telleth of torteises of such a maruellous bignesse that the shell of one of them will make a couer for a prettie house and againe That they vsually do saile in these shels vpon this sea like as they vse in other countries in shippes and boates Yea as Agatarchides affirmeth these fishes do serue those which dwell vpon this sea coast instead of houses boats dishes and meat About the iland Taprobana now called as generally all learned do thinke Samotra there are certaine fishes which do liue partly vpon sea and partly vpon land whereof some are like oxen others like horses and other some are like other foure footed beasts as Strabo in his fifteenth and sixteenth bookes hath left recorded And thus much of the name situation and nature of this Redde-sea which Liuy in his 45. booke tearmeth Finem terrarum The outmost bound of the world He that desireth to know more of this sea let him haue recourse to Agatarchides and Arrianus in his Indica Item let him consult with Baptista Ramusio who translated this Periplus or discouery into the Italian tongue and hath enlarged the same with a discourse as hee calleth it of his owne of the same argument And I would wish him not to omit Stuckius who also translated the same into the Italian tongue and hath illustrated it with his most learned and laborious Commentaries Lastly Athenaeus in the fourteenth booke of his Deipnosophiston maketh me beleeue that Pythagoras that great and famous Philosopher did write a booke of the Redde sea HANNO'S PERIPLVS OR Discouery of the Atlanticke Seas and Coasts of Africa THis Periplus of Hanno king of Carthage was first translated out of Greeke into Latine by Conradus Gesnerus a man that hath very well deserued of all sorts of scholars succedent ages hath illustrated the same with his most learned and painfull Commentaries But before him Baptista Ramusio turned it into the Tuscane tongue and hath to it adioined a discourse as he termeth it Of the ancient writers Pomponius Mela in the second chapter of his third booke Pliny in the first chapter of the fift book of his history of Nature who there calleth him a captaine of Carthage not king of Cathage haue made mention of this Periplus or Discouery But he calleth this discourse by the name of Commentaries not of a Periplus The same Pliny in the one and thirtieth chapter of his sixth booke calleth him an Emperour Yet Solinus in the last chapter of his worke out of Xenophon Lampsacenus maketh as if hee had beene a king of the Poeni Arrianus also toward the latter end of his Indian stories mentioneth this Periplus Moreouer Pliny in the sixteenth chapter of the eighteenth booke of his Naturall historie and Aelianus in the fiftieth chapter of his fifth booke De Animalibus do make mention of one Hanno who was the first man that euer was heard of in the world that durst handle and take vpon him to tame a Lion But whether he be the same with this our Hanno I am not able to determine For there haue beene many of that name of which if any man be desirous to know more let him repaire to the Commentaries of the forenamed Gesner which he wrot vpon this Periplus These words in Pliny and Martianus in very deed are meant of another Hanno diuers from this of whom wee haue hitherto spoken Hanno say they at such time as the Punicke Empire stood in flourishing estate sailed round about by the coast of Barbary and so from thence South-ward all along by the shore vntill at length after a long and tedious iourney he came to the coasts of Arabia Moreouer that student that is desirous to know more of this Periplus or Discouery may adde to these collections of ours such things as Iohn Mariana hath written of it in the latter end of his first booke of his history of Spaine ORBIS ARCTOVS OR The Northren frozen Zone THe draught of this we haue in this place heere adioined both for an auctuary and for the better beautifying or proportioning of this Mappe To wit that there might be something that might answer to the modell of Hannoes Periplus This wee intreat the diligent student of ancient Geography to take in good part Peraduenture succedent ages shall heereafter manifest to the world another different from this of ours and perhaps more true by the diligent and painfull trauels I hope of our English nation or their consorts the Hollanders For these both haue spared no cost nor refused any danger to find out a passage through the Northren seas from hence to China and India For hitherto there is no other way discouered to saile thither but by the South by Cabo de buona speranza which is a long and most tedious iourney But of this read hose worthy labours of M. Richard Hackluyt who to the great benefit and singular delight of all men hath set out the English voyages to the immortall praise and commendation of this our Nation and those braue Captaines and Seamen which haue vndertaken and performed the same ARGONAVTICA That is IASONS voyage for the GOLDEN FLEECE ARGONAVTICA ILLVSTRISSIMO PRINCIPI CAROLO COMITI ARENBERGIO BARONI SEPTIMONTII DOMINO MIRVARTII EQVITI AVREI VELLERIS ETC. ABRAH ORTELIVS DEDICAB L. M. Ex
houres in the yeare was at the same time begunne by Richard Bishop of Sarum in a most goodly plot of ground which vulgarly was called MERIFEILD and in fourty yeares with infinite cost and charges it was by him and others finished and brought to that perfection which it is at now at this day q SOVTH-HANTON we now call it built vpon an arme of the sea betweene two riuers is enclosed with a double ditch and a faire stone wall For the better defence of the Hauen Richard the Second caused a very goodly castle to be built all of free stone It is a passing fine city very populous rich and well frequented of Merchants Clausentum that ancient city mentioned by Antoninus and stood sometimes in that field which at this day is called Saint Maries was often spoiled and sacked by the Danes and at length in the time of Edward the Third was vtterly consumed and burnt downe to the ground by the French-men Of whose ruines this New city was built in a place much more better and commodious r This riuer peraduenture was anciently called WENT and thereof the citie Wentchester happily tooke the name like as the cite Colnchester in Essex was so called of the riuer Colne vpon Which it standeth s WINCHESTER A very auncient citie well knowen to the Romanes and is oft mentioned in old historians Afterward in time so the Saxon Heptarchie the West Saxon Kings ordinarily kept their court heere Straite after the entrance of the Normans and peraduenture somewhat before the Records for the whole land were here bestowed and laied vp It was once or twise much defaced by casualty of fire and oft spoiled and sacked by vnruly souldiers in time of ciuill warres but Edward the Third to salue these damages and hinderances of the citizens and townesmen placed heere THE STAPLE or marte for wooll and cloth At this time it is very populous and well inhabited The wals of this citie are about a mile and an halfe in compasse It hath six faire gates and very large Suburbes adioyning to euery one of them t SHORHAM an ancient Borough and hauen towne in Sussex first called as Master Camden writeth CIMENSHORE of Cimen the brother of Cissa who together with Aella their father landed a greater multitude of their Saxons But in continuance of time a greate part of that towne being eaten vp with the sea and the mouth of the hauen with beech and sand det vp of a goodly towne it is become a small village at this day knowen by the name of OLD SHOREHAM the decay of which gaue occasion of the building and name of another not farre off from it commonly called NEVV SHOREHAM u Heere Athelstane King of the West-Saxons who made a lawe that no man should be so hardy as to dare to coine money out of great townes priuiledged by the King for that purpuse erected a Minte for the coyning of his Siluer and other mettals by which means it became so famous that in the time of the Saxons it deserued the name of a city and was then called by them HASTINGACEASTER In a plaine before this towne that bloody battaill betweene William the bastard Duke of Normandy that cruell tyrant and Harold the vsurper sonne of Earle Goodwin was fought vpon the fourteenth day of October in the yeare of our Lord 1066. It is one of the cinque ports w DOVER before the entrance of the Saxons was called Dubris as Antoninus in his Iournal testifieth who nameth it Portus Dubris The haven Dubris Vpon that side next the sea that was sometime defended with a strong wall whereof some part is to be seene at this daie Victred King of Kent did heere erect a goodly Church which hee dedicated vnto Saint Martines The castle which standeth vpon the toppe of an exceding high cliffe and is thought to be the strongest holde of all England and therefore called by Matthew Paris Clauis repagulum Angliae The key and barre of England was begunne as is probable by the Romans yet not by Iulius Caesar as they would faine make men beleeue Vpon another rocke or cliffe ouer against this on the other side of the towne there was as seemeth a lanterne or watch-tower Pharus they call it opposite and answerable to that which the Romans had built at Bollein beyond the straights in Fraunce which afterward being decaied was repaired by Charles the Great and at this day is called by the French Tour d'order by the English THE OLD MAN OF BVLLEN x This is that famous passage traiectus from the Continent vnto this Iland by which Caesar and the Romans alwaies entred and had accesse hither For vntill the time of Constans and Constantine Emperours of Rome it was thought almost impossible to come hither from Rome with a nauy thorough the maine Ocean And since that long it was in time of Christianity by proclamation forbidden that whatsoeuer hee were borne within the alleageance of England that had a minde to goe beyond the seas for religion or pilgrimage it should not be lawfull for him to take shipping any where else but heere The Frenchmen vulgarly call it Le pas de Calais but the English call it The streights of Douer y London we now call it but of the French and Strangers it is commonly called Londres or Londra Yet Tacitus Ptolemey Antonine and Ammianus Marcellinus doe with one consent write it LONDINVM or LONGIDINVM so named of the Britons as is probable of Llong Ships and Dinas a Citie answerable to those places of Graecia Naupactus Naupactus Naustathino c. denominated of Ships It is doubtlesse a very ancient citie as Ammianus Marcellinus testifieth who twelue hundred yeares since called it Vetustum oppidum An ancient towne Yet Iulius Caesar neuer mentioneth it in all his writings Cornelius Tacitus who liued in the daies of Nero that bloody Emperour was the first if I be not deceiued that euer wrot of it calling it by the name of Oppidum copia negotiatorum commeatu maxime celebre A Towne very famous both for trafficke and great concourse of Marchants as also for victualls and all manner ot prouision whatsoeuer Nay he that made the Panegyricke oration to Constantius the Emperour and Marcellinus who liued after him giue it no better title Yet at this day it is An abridgement or breefe view of the whol iland The Imperiall seate of the Brittish iles Regumque Angliae camera and The chamber of the English Kings and therefore it may now iustly assume that title of AVGVSTA The roiall city which Ammianus so many hundred yeeres since gaue vnto it And being situate vpon the rising of a little hill in a most wholsome and healthfull aire in the middest of the richest countries of the land all a long vpon the North side of the Thames one of the goodliest riuers of Europe it is at this day as famous a Marte for all manner of trade and trafficke as any in the whole world beside The
by reason of the champion plaines and commodiousnesse of the marine coasts are farre the more pleasant and better so North-Wales Borealis Venedotia is knowen to haue many countries and places farre more strong and better fortified by nature and situation many more goodly braue men euerie where to haue much better and more fertile ground For like as Snowdon hilles are thought to be able to finde pasture for all the cattell in Wales if they were all driuen thither so it is reported that the I le Mona Anglisea may for a time finde all Wales bread-corne such is the woonderfull store of wheat that it doth yeerely yeeld What man is he that is so blockish and void of vnderstanding that shall read and consider these arguments and allegations that will make any doubt whether Polydore's Anglisea be the true Mona that ancient seat of the Druides so renowmed by the Romane warres and oft mentioned in their histories Moreouer who can doubt whether that other Iland which the Welshmen call Manaw and the English Man which he and some other learned men chusing rather to drinke puddle water from a neere channell than to seeke farther for a cleere streame or pure fountaine haue falsly named Mona or whether we ought not rather with Ptolemey to call it Monaria or Monaida Eubonia with Gildas Menauia with Beda and Henrie Huntington or Mania with Gyraldus Many more arguments and testimonies of learned men I could in this place haue alleaged but lest I should be too tedious and troublesome to the Reader I will at this time with these content my selfe nothing doubting but these to any learned man or any one well acquainted with the Welsh histories shal be thought sufficient to stop the mouth of the scandalous aduersary and to answer all the cauils of the malitious enuiours of the Britons glory Therefore I must entreat thee most learned Ortell for that thy kindnesse and humanity which thou art wont to shew to others to take this in good part and in that thy goodly Theater to set out this our Mona in the ancient colours to the publicke view of the world And I hope before it be long to send you a more absolute description not only of this our Mona but also of all Wales illustrated both with the ancient names vsed by the Romans and Britons and also with the moderne English whereby they are knowen at this day of that nation Moreouer I haue a Geographicall Chart or Map of England described according to the moderne situation and view with the ancient names of riuers townes people and places mentioned by Ptolemey Pliny Antonine and others that those grosse and shamelesse lies of Hector Boothe may by that means the easilier be descried against which Hector Boothe our Leland that famous and learned Antiquary wrote this most worthy Epigramme Hectoris historici tot quot mendacia scripsit Si vis vt numerem Lector amice tibi Me iubeas etiam fluctus numerare marinos Et liquidi stellas connumerare poli Would'st haue me gentle Reader tell I he lies that Hector Boothe did write I may aswell count sand of sea Or starres of heauen in cleerest night I haue also a very exact description of the marine tract or sea coast of Scotland all which when I shall come vp to London which God willing shall be before the end of April next I will send vnto you Whereby the manifest and palpable errours of certeine learned men shall be discouered who in their Geographicall Chart trusting too confidently to certeine vnlearned mens relations and writings haue most falsly and erroneously set downe the names of diuers places cities and riuers to the great preiudice and danger of such as shall giue heed vnto them In the meane time I bid you heartily farewell beseeching you of all loues if there be any thing wherein I may pleasure you not to entreat it but to command it by the law of friendship and league of learned scholars Richard Clough a verie honest man and one that was the cause and procurer of this our loue and acquaintance aswell your friend as mine shall both bring your letters from you to me and mine to you that interest I know we both haue in him Againe farewell most kinde ORTELL from Denbigh in Guynedh or North-Wales this fifth of April in the yeere of our Lord God M.D.LXVIII Thine to his vttermost power HVMFREY LHOYD of Denbigh in Wales LONDON Printed for IOHN NORTON and IOHN BILL 1606.