not how to boyle and refine the Sugar Here are many Vines but they use no Wine except it be in the Kings or the great Patriarks Court It hath also great store of Oranges and Lemmons and also great store of Honey For Bees doe breed even in their houses So that they make such store of Waxe as serveth all the Country to make Candles without Tallow or Suet. This Country hath also Hempe and Flaxe but the Inhabitants have not the Art to make Linnen THE DVKEDOME OF THE ABISSINES· ABISSINORUM REGNUÌ„ cloth of it and therefore they make their cloth of Cotton wooll of which there is great store here They have Mettals as Gold Silver and Brasse but they have not the art to refine it Moreover this Country hath all kindes of Beasts and Birds as Elephants Lions Tigers Leopards Rhinocerites Apes and Harts which is against the opinion of the ancients who deny that Affrick hath any Harts also Oxen Sheepe Goates Asses Cammels Horses and they are oftentimes much troubled with Locusts This Country was heretofore governd onely by Queenes So that wee read in the Old Testament that the Queene of Sheba of the South came to King Salomon to heare his admirable wisedome about the yeere of the world 2954. This Queenes name was Maqueda The Aethiopian Kings doe beleeve that they are descended of the Stock of David and the Family of Salomon And therefore they are wont to stile themselves the Sonnes of David and Salomon and of the holy Patriarcks because they are come of their Seed For they doe faine that the aforesaid Queene Maqueda had a Sonne by Salomon whom they called Meilech And afterward he was called David He according to their fiction when he had attained to 20. yeeres of age was sent by his Mother to his Father Salomon that he might instruct him in all profitable and wholesome learning and wisdome Which as soone as Meilech or David had attained unto he chose many Priests and Earles out of every one of the 12. Tribes and so returning back to the Kingdome of Aethiope he tooke upon him the government thereof And hee brought in with him the old Law and Circumcision These were the first beginnings of the Jewes Religion in Aethiopia and they say that untill this day there are none admitted to any Office in Court or Canonicall place unlesse he be descended from the Jewes And by them the knowledge of God was propagated in Aethiopia and tooke roote and so was derived and spred abroad by succeeding ages For the Aethiopians had the Bookes of the Prophets and went to Hierusalem to adore and worship the true God of Israel Which may bee understood by the story of Queene Iudiths Eunuch who is properly called Iudith For hee 10. yeeres after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ came 240. miles journey to Ierusalem And when he had there worshipped God and was returning home sitting in his Chariot he read the Prophet Esaiah And so Philip one of Christs Disciples by Gods command was sent unto him And when they came both to the Citty Bethzur three Miles from Ierusalem there the Eunuch spyed a Spring or Well at the foote of the Mountaine with the water whereof he was baptized by Philip. But as soone as the Eunuch returned into Aethiopia he baptized the Queene and a great part of her houshold and people From which time the Aethiopians began to be Christians and alwaies afterward profest the Christian Faith There are few Citties in all this Empire so that they dwell in Villages The chiefe Kingdomes belonging to the higher Aethiopia which are for the most part subject to Prester Iohn are these following The Kingdome of Barnagues which is enclosed with the River Abanthus and the red Sea the chiefe Citty is Beroae or Barnae which Ptolemy calls Colone here the Viceroy liveth who payeth yeerely to the King of the Abissines an 150. Horses for a tribâ—te with silke and other commodities and 1000. Ounces of Gold to the Turkes Bashaw Tigremaon which is next unto the River Marabus and the red Sea doth pay yeerely to the King 200. Horses which are brought out of Arabia Unto this Kingdome the Kingdome of Tigrai is subject in which there is the Citty Caxumo or Cassume which was heretofore the Seate as appeareth by their Annalls of the Queene of Sheba and afterward of Queene Candaces The Kingdome of Angote hath no money and therefore they use in stead thereof pieces of Salt and Iron Amara is so called from the Mountaine in which the Emperours Sonnes are kept with a strong Garrison that after the Emperours decease the Heire may be brought out There are two memorable Rivers in this Kingdome which doe glide thorow Aethiopia Abanhi which Ptolemy calls Astapus and Tacassi which Ptolemy calls Astraboras into which many other Rivers doe runne The Fountaine of Abanhi is the great Lake of Barcena lying under the Aequinoctiall in which there are many Ilands This Lake Ptolemy calls Coloe Palus or the Lake Coloe The Inhabitants doe professe the Christian Religion and the chiefe Articles of their Faith are these They beleeve in one God Creator of Heaven and Earth distinguisht into three Persons God the Sonne begotten of the Father from all Aeternity who for our sakes tooke flesh upon him was dead and rose againe and God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne This is the summe of their Religion They doe joyne the Old Testament with â—he New so that they follow some Judaicall and some Christian Rites and Ceremonies On the eight day they circumcise all their Infants both Male and Female But they thinke that Circumcision availeth nothing to salvation but onely Faith in Christ Jesus But they baptize their Male children on the 40. day and their Females on the 80. day unlesse the weakenesse of the childe doe require haste They every yeere baptize them anew both those that are come to ripenesse of yeeres and also Infants saying these words Ego te baptizo in nomine Patris Filij Spiritus Sancti That is I baptize thee in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost And they doe religiously keepe this custome from their Ancestors not to extenuate or weaken the first baptisme but that they may have absolution from their sinnes every yeere They receive the Lords Supper sub utraque specie or in both kindes both the Lay-people and the Clergie They doe not esteeme or use Confirmation and extreme Unction as a Sacrament They keepe the Sabbath and the Lords day without doing any worke according to the ancient manner of the Christians They hold that the chiefe use of the Law is to shew us our sinnes and they beleeve that wee can bee saved by no other but Jesus Christ who fulfilled and satisfied the Law for us They love and reverence Saints but make no Invocation unto them They doe much honour Mary the Mother of Christ but yet they doe not worship her nor
THE MEANING OF THE FRONTISPIECE LEARNING the ATLAS of the world does beare Earths burthen up sustaines this lower Spheare VVhich else had fall'n and her declining light Had slept in shades of IGNORANCE and NIGHT. RIOT and SLOTH and dull OBLIVIONS head Our ATLAS spurnes whose conquering feet does tread Vpon those slavish necks which else would rise Like selfe-lewd Rebels up and tirannize Grave HISTORIE and renown'd GEOGRAPHY Keepe Centry here their quickning flames doe fly And make a SUNNE whose more refulgent rayes Lightens the VVORLD and glorifies our DAYES By that faire EUROPE viewes the ASIAN shore And wilde AMERICK courts the Sunburnt MOORE By this th' extreme ANTIPODES doe meete And Earths vast bulke is lodg'd within one SHEETE M. S. HISTORIA MVNDI OR MERCATORS ATLAS Containing his Cosmographicall Descriptions of the Fabricke and Figure of the World Lately rectified in diuers places as also beautified and enlarged with new Mapps and Tables by the Studious industrie of IODOCVS HONDY ENGLISHED by W. S. Generosus Regin Oxoniae LONDON Printed for MICHAELL SPARKE and SAMVELL CARTWRIGHT 1635 HISTORIA MVNDI OR MERCATOR'S ATLAS Containing his COSMOGRAPHICALL Description of the Fabricke and Figure of the WORLD Lately rectified in divers places as also beautified and enlarged with new Mappes and Tables By the studious industry OF IVDOCVS HONDY ENGLISHED BY W. S. Generosus Coll. Regin Oxoniae Pingitur his tabulis Orbis simul Orbis urbes Gemmae sunt urbes annulus Orbis erit LONDON Printed by T. Cotes for Michael Sparke and Samuel Cartwright 1635. MVNIFICENTIA REGIA 〈◊〉 GEORGIVS D. G. MAG BR FRET HI◠REX F. D. TO THE TRVELY NOBLE and no lesse worthily honoured Sir H. Marten Knight Iudge of his Majesties high Court of the Admiralty of England and Iudge of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury SIR MERCATORS Geographicall Historie fitly Emblematiz'd by the Sunne hath with refulgent rayes illuminated the Transmarine World But now rising up in our Criticall Horizon it feares the Eclipse of Envie and therefore desires your worthy and learned Patronage that being free'd from such interposing shaddowes it may shine forth as the Meridian Sunne Your great and good Fame inviting and encouraging strangers to boldnesse is my Apologie for this Dedication For since the world is so much obliged to your Vertue Learning and upright Integrity it will appeare a iust gratitude to devote this Cosmographicall World to so favorable a Moecenas The Translator in the performance and Dedication is enforced to ayme at an inferior Object and to descend beneath his owne descent and Birth which improved in the Vniversitie of Oxford flattered him with hope of a kinder Fortune But modest ingenuitie permits not a larger Character of himselfe and the Brevitie of few words is most intelligible to the judicious The worke in the Originall was written by a famous learned Cosmographer and a great light of his time Mercator whose labours are here humbly presented his ashes sleeping in their Vrne if they could be sensible of joy would rejoyce in so worthie a Patron Let the Authors and your owne worthinesse mitigate my presumption that J whose life hath beene all Tristia have presumed to offer up the whole World at so high an Altar Pardon this double Ambition and be pleased to accept this Sacrifice from the hand of the most humble Sacrificer The Servant of your Worthy Vertues WYE SALTONSTALL Ad Mercatoris dignissimum doctissimum Moecenatem LEarned Moecenas I confesse that I Was borne to love and honour Poesie And though I doe not write a gingling Line To please the silken Tribe with a smooth Rhyme Nor strive against Minerva's sacred will To extract Non-sense from a forced Quill I shunning these two mad Extreames of Wit To sing your Praise more humbly thinke it fit Since justice the maine Pillar of a State Vertue and Learning which did transmigrate Out of the ancient Sages now doe rest In the faire Mansion of your worthy Brest Vnto Pythagoras we may credit give Their Soules inform'd but once their vertues live In you by Transmigration who have stood The great Protector of the Common good And may you live to protect Mercators story Vntill you are exalted unto Glory W. S. TO THE GENTRIE OF GREAT BRITTAINE IT is an Argument of worthinesse to love worth in others and vertue you know consisteth in action so that Gentlemen should be alwayes doing some worthy deede or patronizing that which is done If you therefore consider the worthinesse of the Author or Worke you will joyne your helping hands to support Atlas groaning under the burthen of the world Mercator drew these Descriptions of the Integrall parts of the World in Latine but now they are drawne forth in English colours which are but changeable accidents for the reall substance of Mercators World remaineth the same in that manner as he fashioned it But of late with great care cost and fidelitie these Descriptions have beene converted into English with new additions and much enlarged that the benefit thereof might have a larger extent for bonum quò communius eò melius Good becomes better when it is communicable to all And besides seeing personall travells in these tempestuous times cannot be attempted with any safety here you may in the quiet shade of your Studdies travell at home If therefore a worke that is Bonum utile jucundum good profitable and pleasant may deserve your favour Hic labor hoc opus est this is it So that as Alexander grieved that there was but one World for him to conquer so you will be sorry that there was but one World for Mercator to describe Enjoy therefore that which is both good in it selfe and was undertaken for your good and benefit Valete W. S. The Preface to the courteous Reader THat many sollid and urgent reasons did enduce them who among the liberall Disciplines which without controversie are very profitable to mans life doe give the first place to the noble Art of Geographie they shall best know and discerne who shall consider both the excellencie and pleasure as also the incredible profit of this Art For as concerning the dignitie and excellencie thereof it doth not intreate of meane matters of small moment as brute beasts the fruits of the Earth pretious stones mettalls and other workes of nature the handling whereof no reasonable man will contemne but it presenteth to our sight the whole Globe of the Earth as it were in a Mirrour or Looking-glasse and doth shew the beautie and ornaments of the whole Fabricke of the world and containeth all things in her ample and spacious bosome and like the vaste Sea it doth not onely open and lay forth the hidden and remote Islands but also all other Countries To omit the neere affinitie which this noble Science hath with Astronomie which mounting above the earth doth contemplate the Heavens Moreover if men as often as they heare some relation of this or that Country of any strange unknowne people
or of any rare and unusuall Creature or of the continuall burning of the Mountaine Aetna also of divers Islands lying here and there in the great Ocean and also of Salvage Nations some whereof goe naked without cloathes others feede on mans flesh and the like matters or doe reade the wonderfull histories of the East and West Indies in which there are many things which doe rather seeme fabulous than true doe apprehend them with such great admiration and give such earnest attention thereunto out of the desire which they have to heare such novelties how much more may the curious Readers delight in this worke which as we said before doth containe and represent the whole Globe of the Earth with all the Countries Kingdomes Dominions Woods Mountaines Valleys Rivers Lakes People Citties and innumerable Townes thereof with the Seas flowing about it all which any one may here view on dry land without endangering his body or goods and in this travell his friends shall not be sollicitous or take care for him in his absence or earnestly desire his returne Besides in this peregrination or travell he shall want no delight that may drive away the tediousnesse of the journey for while he fixeth his eyes on severall Countries and places he shall straight way behold the speciall gifts and peculiar excellencie of every Country and observe a wonderfull variety therein which are very delightfull to the mind for as the Proverbe saith A good merry companion is as a Coach upon the way But they shall chiefely discerne the great and manifold benefits of this Art of Geography who in their eye-travell and viewing of severall Countryes shall consider the scituation and disposition of Countries the Customes observations lawes and manners of the Inhabitants and shall afterwards traffique and send commodities to severall places or resolve to study the liberall Arts seeing no Poet nor Historian can be well read with profit nor be conveniently expounded or declared by any Interpreter or Commentator without the helpe and knowledge of this most Noble Science I omit here to mention how absurd and unfit it is that he who hath no skill nor knowledge in these matters should give his opinion and judgement in the publicke assembly or councell of the Common-wealth when consultation is held about the discovery of some unknowne Country or in time of warre concerning the bounds and confines of any Province But Princes and Noble men ought chiefely to bestow great paines in studdying this most excellent Art in regard it may be very usefull unto them in undertaking journies and voyages when occasion requireth as also at home for fortifying the Frontiers of their owne Territories or the directing and conducting of any warlike expedition For that irrecoverable dangers have ensued when an army hath beene led through places unknowne both to the souldiers and Captaine both Livy and many other Historiographers have abundantly testified by cleere and manifest examples And moreover as it is very necessary profitable and pleasant to know all Countries Kingdomes Dominions and Provinces with their scituation disposition and qualities so in like manner the severall Seas Rivers Lakes and memorable waters thereof ought to be considered exactly in these times when voyages are so frequently made unto knowne and unknowne Countries so that not any one will continually reside at home and abstaine from making discoveries both by Sea and Land So that Polidore Virgils complaint is now vaine who in the fifteenth chapter of the third Booke concerning the Invention of Matters doth condemne mankind of too much rashnesse and madnesse in regard he cannot bridle his affections and desires with reason and though God hath given him the Earth being a firme and immovable element abundantly producing all things necessary and convenient for mans life yet he being not content therewith hath made a Scrutiny and search into the starres the heavens and the vaste Seas To the same purpose Horace sung formerly in his first Booke and third Ode He had a heart of Oake or Brasse Who did lanch forth a brittle ship to passe At first through the rough Seas And did not feare when he set forth The Affrick wind striving with the North wind c. And a little after in the same place No sort of death he sure did feare That saw the Monsters swimming there And could behold them with drye eyes With the swelling Sea and rockes which in it lyes And afterward he addeth In vaine did God divide the land from the unsociable Seas If impious ships can sayle unto forbidden Ports when they doe please But mankind bold still to adventure doth on forbidden mischiefe enter c. And hereunto Propertius in his third Booke doth allude in that Elegie wherein he be wayleth Petus his Shipwracke where he singeth thus Goe crooked shippes of death the fatall cause Which on himselfe man with his owne hand drawes Vnto the earth wee added have the Seas That the miseries of misfortunes may increase And a little after Nature to ensnare the covetous man Doth let him sayle upon the Ocean But these reasons are not able to discourage any one but rather to quicken their industry greedily to take any occasion to know view and discover divers Countries both neerehand and remote partly by undertaking long voyages and those that cannot conveniently travell may gather the knowledge of all Countries out of Bookes and exact descriptions And truely that studdy is irreproveable so that it ought rather to be accounted laudible profitable pleasant and necessary For Strabo in the first Book of his Geography saith rightly that man ought to live on the Sea as well as on the land and that God made him equally an Inhabitant and Lord thereof Therefore they deserve great praise who have laboured in this Art as Abraham Orâ—elius Daniel Cellarius Anthony Maginus Paul Merula Peter Bertius and others but especially that most learned Mathematician Gerard Mercator although he were prevented by death so that he could not finish his Geographicall worke intituled Atlas But Iodocus Hondy did supply this defect adding not onely those Tables which were wanting to make the worke perfect but also accurate descriptions thereof by the labour and studdy of Peter Montane This worke we doe publish againe in this new Edition being accurately reuised and purged from many grosse errours and the studious Reader shall finde that the enlargement of this Booke is not to be contemn'd being set forth with divers additions and some new Tables added as he may see in the descriptions of England Ireland Spaine Friesland Groonland Vltrajectum and other Countries that shall compare this Edition with the former Therefore Curteous Reader enjoy these our new labours favour them and Farewell TO The vertuous and learned Gentlemen of Innes of Court Mercator dedicateth his Atlas or Cosmographicall Meditations TO you that are the Ornament of the Temples And by your actions give such faire Examples Vnto the Vulgar that their Iudgements can Discerne that Vertue makes a Gentleman
severall parts of his house as the Porch the Wine-cellar and Butterie the Kitchin the Parlour the Supping-roome the Bed chamber the Closet the Studie c. whereby hee may use them conveniently but also it is fit and necessary that hee should know in what part and street of the Citie his house standeth and thence hee may straightway discerne if any fire or tumult happen in the Citie how neare or how farre he is from danger So it is no lesse necessary to know in what part of the world thou dwellest what people are neare thee and which are farther off that when warre approacheth thou mayst know when to feare and when to be quiet in minde Lastly though Cosmographie be the light of all Ecclesiasticall and Politicall Historie and that the beholder may learne more from thence than the Traveller by his long tedious and chargeable labour who often changeth his Climate onely but not his condition yet you shall receive little benefit thereby if you doe not joyne the Generall Tables to the Particular Now these Generall Tables are gathered out of the great description of the Globe of the Earth whose beginning of Longitude or position of the first Meridian wee have followed in every one of them and out of my great Europa which I published at Duysburg In the meane time Reader farewell and enjoy this worke and diligently consider with the Poet Buchanan the glory of this thy habitation granted unto thee only for a time who doth so compare it with the heavens that he may thereby lift up those mindes which are drowned in these earthly and transitory things and shew them the way to more high and Eternall matters How small a part that is thou mayst perceive Which we into proud Kingdomes here doe cleave With stately wordes we part it with our sword And buy it with our bloud that forth is powr'd We make great Triumphs when that we have got Some part of this same little earthen clot For this same heape it selfe being view'd alone Is large and of a great extention But it will seeme a Point if that it be Compar'd with Heavens starrie Canopie Or like unto a seed upon which ground Ancient Gargetius many worlds did found This is mans seate and this a house affordes Vnto wilde Beastes and to all sortes of Birdes And how much from this prison house of clay Doth the Seas flowing water take away And that which breakes through the Herculean boundes And parteth Europe from the Lybian groundes With Seas which limits to Arabia yeelds And those which straighten the Hyrcanian fields Then adde to these the Lakes that are beside With Moores and Marshes being large and wide And Rivers which the Mountaines downe doe throw From their high tops or those which stand below In Lakes unmov'd and while with hastie course These take part of the earth away by force And these with deepe gulfes drowne the world again The greatest part of land that doth remaine In cover'd o're with water and doth seeme Like a small Island in the Sea to swimme In this againe what barren sands there be And great vaste Mountaines without fruite or tree How much of it is scorch't with too much flame Or how much is benum'd with cold againe Or how much lies unfit for to be till'd Or how much is with mortall poysons fill'd O shame O madnesse of a fond desire How little cause hath glory to aspire Anger doth rage feare troubles griefe doth fret And want even by the sword doth riches get By treacherie fire nor poyson doth it spare Thus humane matters full of troubles are OF THE WORLD THis Universe which rather presents it selfe to the contemplation of the minde of man then to the sight of the Eyes for the perfect elegancie and absolute puritie thereof is called in Latine Mundus This Pliny in the 11. Lib. Cap. 1. of his Naturall Historie calleth That which covereth all things with his Circumference And Apuleius painting forth an admirable picture of it calleth it That which consists in the societie of heaven and earth and of those things which belong unto their natures The same Apuleius more elaborately describes the world thus or to this purpose The world saith hee is a garnished ordinance of things the just charge and custodie of the Gods whose pole for so I call the Center beeing strong and immoveable passeth through the earth the Mother and nourisher of all living creatures All the higher parts as may be seene being enclosed and hidden with the moistnesse of the aire in manner of a covering Beyond is the house of the Gods called Heaven which wee see is full of divine bodies as the faire and shining lights of the Sunne Moone and the other Starres with which it is carried about by the diurnall and nocturnall motion in such a perpetuall course as shall never have an end Now that the forme thereof is gathered round together like a Globe the name thereof doth declare and the consent of men calling and painting it in manner of a Globe besides diverse arguments that prove the same As because such a figure is most capable most simple and doth bend in all parts towards it selfe sustaines it selfe includes and containes it selfe wanting no joyning together nor having any end or beginning in any of its parts as also because wheresoever you behold it it hath a circular forme in all its parts which cannot happen in another figure Therefore it was a ridiculous imagination of them who supposed that it had not a Sphericall round figure but either an angular or ovall or some other forme There be two parts of the World the Aetheriall or heavenly and the Elementary or sublunary The Aetheriall is that cleare part which containeth all the celestiall Spheeres and is free from alteration The Elementary is that which is placed beneath those Orbes and it admitteth generation and corruption and containeth not onely simple Bodies as Fire Aire Water Earth but also those which are compounded of them whereof wise men have delivered five kindes For some are imperfectly mixt which we call Meteors as Hayle Raine Snow Thunder Lightning Winde others perfectly mixt but without life as Stones Mettalls c. There are others which have a vegetable soule as Plants and those which have a sensible soule as Brute Creatures Lastly there are some in the highest and last degree of compound things which beside all these have a reasonable soule as Men. We leaving those things which belong to Astronomers and Philosophers will chiefly consider the Globe of the Earth The whole Earth being diversly divided by Seas Rivers and Marshes doth make altogether an absolute Globe Homer for no other cause calleth it Orbicular And Numa Pompilius for the same consideration did consecrate a round Temple to Vesta the mother of Saturne whom Poets take for the earth And that the figure thereof can be no other both Aristotle hath demonstrated by the reason of heavy things making towards