entred into great part of the Atlantick shore wherein many townes citties and Islands were discouered and found forth in all which places by his meanes the faith of Christ was made knowne and Churches there erected especially in those Islands which before lay desart the principall whereof was the Iland of Wood commonly called Medeyra now a most famous and fruitfull Iland But in the end as there is no certaintie in mortal matters in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one thousand foure hundred and three score this Henry was surprised by death and for that he was neuer married he had lest al which he had got by his voiages traueling by sea vnto the crown of Portugal as his proper inheritance which being giuen by his own hands continued vnto the time of Iohn the second of that name without enuy or emulation of other forraine kings or Princes In which Kings daies Columbus a Genoan borne a very skilfull Sayler being repulsed vnregarded and dismissed by the same King Iohn to whome he promised to discouer the West Indies by the ayde and furtherance of Ferdinand and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile he most fortunately attempted the voyage and found out those large and ample prouinces to their great and vnspeakeable profit shewing also how they might come to them by shippes This Iohn oftentimes reuoluing in his minde the affaires of the East Indies of whose fruitfulnesse many and sundry things were deliuered by auncient writers Amongst his other great labours and costes whereof hee was no niggard hee determined to send certaine men skillfull in the Arabian tongue vnto those prouinces and especially vnto Prestor Iohn whereof two of them which hee sent were Alfonsus of Payua borne at the white Castell and another Iohn Peter of Couilham both Portingales These luckely began their iourney from Schalabiton the seauenth day of May in the yeare of our Sauiour Christ one thousand foure hundred foure-score and six and fayning them selues to be Marchants for their more quietter passage they iournyed first to Barchiona from thence to Naples and so to Rhodes then taking their iourney from Alexandria they arriued lastly at Cayre and their getting the company of some Marchants they tooke their iourny towards Thor where taking shipping they arriued neere a certayne citty called Cuaquen sytuated on the Aethiopian shore from thence they sayled towards Adenes where they agreed betwixt themselues that Alphonsus should returne againe into Aethiopia vnto Prestor Iohn and that Peter should go forward into India but Iohn hauing found out Calecut Goa and the whole shore of the Malabars sayled to Zofala and from thence againe to Adenes so went straight to Caire expecting to finde his companion there and that they might returne together into Portingale to their king for they appointed when they went from Adene to meete againe at a time limited at the same Cayre whither when he was returned he receyued letters from King Iohn out of Portugale by the hands of two Iewes whereof one was called Rabbi Abraham a Biensian and the other Ioseph a Lamacensian by which letters he was certified that his fellow Alfonsus was there dead and whereby hee was also commanded not to returne into his country before hee had vewed Ormuzia and saluted Prestor Iohn of whose state the king did greatly desire to be certified Wherefore Iohn Peter not knowing what his companion Alphonsus had done in his life time went backe againe to Adenes accompanied with the same Rabbi Abraham and sent Ioseph backe againe to the King with letters signifiing his trauels and what he had done so taking water sayled from Adenes to Oromuzia where leauing Abraham the Iew and dispatching him with more letters to the King he determined to saile towards Mecha which when hee had deseryed he ernestly desired to see mount Synai from thence hee departed to Thor and againe taking shipping and passing ouer the straights of the Erythrean sea hee came to Zeila and from thence went all the rest of the way on foote vnto the court of Prestor Iohn who was then called Alexander of whome beeing very curteously receiued hee deliuered vnto him the letters which hee had from King Iohn offerring into his hands also the Topography or Mappe wherein he might see all our voyage This Alexander determining to send him backe to his King was preuented by death that hee could not doe it who being dead his brother surnamed Nau succeeded him in his place of whome this Iohn Peter could neuer obtaine licence to depart into his country and Nau dying likewise his liberty to depart was in like manner denied him by Dauid the Sonne of Nau and next heire to his Kingdome but seeing hee could by no meaues haue leaue to depart from that prouince and to mitigate and asswage the exceeding desire he had to returne home the King bestowed vpon him most ample and large gifts and then he tooke to his wife a noble woman of whome hee begot many children This man our Embassadors found out in the court of Prestor Iohn and had conferrence with him from whence when they departed in the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred twenty and sixe they were very desirous to take him with them into their country and he himselfe was as willing to depart but they could neuer get leaue of king Dauid for hee euer answered to their desires that hee receiued that man of his father Nau when he receiued his Kingdomes and that hee would regard him with the like care and loue as he did his Kingdomes And that there was noe cause why it should bee irckesome to him to liue amongst the Aethiopians where both from his fathers liberality and his owne he had receiued great welth and riches This Iohn Peter as our Embassadors reported was skilfull almost in all languages for which cause and more especially for his wisdome which was very great was he so earnestly retayned of the Aethiopian Emperors from whome they exactly understood the estate of Portugall and their nauigations by the often recytall whereof as he was very learned and eloquent he purchased the loue and affections of the people of Aethiopia both to him-selfe and to vs all After Iohn the second King of Portugall was dead and Emanuell most happily succeeded him in his Kingdome he sent a nauy whereof Vascus a Gama was gouenor in the yeare of our redemtion one thousand foure hundred ninty and seauen for Aethiopia who disankerring at Vlysbone and recouering and escaping that dangerous poynt called caput bonaespei at last arriued in East India where by armes they reduced many prouinces and citties vnder our subiection and gouernment which newes being made knowne in Aethiopia by the borderers as also by some Portugalls which at that time came out of India to Prester Iohns Court Helena the grand-mother of David who by reason of Dauids non age had the administration and gouernment of his Kingdomes sent one Mathew Armenius a skilfull man and learned in
holy father which art ordained of God to be the consecrator and sanctifier of all nations and the possessor of Saint Peters seate to you bee giuen the keyes of the kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer you either binde or loose vpon earth shall be bound or loosed in heauen as Christ himselfe hath said and as S. Mathew hath written in his Gospell I the King whose name the Lyons doe worship by the grace of God called Athani Tingil that is to say virgins incense which name I receiued in baptisme but now when I first tooke vpon mee the gouernment of the kingdome I assumed vnto me the name of Dauid the beloued of God the piller of faith the kinsman of the stock of Iuda the son of Dauid the son of Salomon the son of the piller of faith the son of the seed of Iacob the son of the hand of Mary the son of Nav by the flesh Emperour of great high Ethiopia and of great kingdomes dominions lands King of Xoa of Caffate of Fatigar of Angote of Baru of Baaligaze of Adea of Vangue of Goiame where is the head of the riuer Nilus of Damaraa Vaguemedri Ambeaa Vague Tigri Mahon of Sabain where Saba was Queene of Bernagaes and Lord vnto Nobia in the end of Egypt All these Prouinces be within my power and many other which now I haue not reckoned nor haue I expressed these kingdomes prouinces in their proper names for pride or vaine-glory but for this cause onely that God may be praised more and more who of his singular benignity hath giuen vnto the kings my predecessors the gouernement of such great and ample kingdomes of the Christian religion and yet surely hee hath made me worthy of a more excellent fauour and grace then other Kings that I might continually deuote my selfe to religion because he hath made me Adell that is the Lord and enemie of the Moores and Gentiles which worship idols I send vnto you to kisse your holines feete after the manner of other Christian Kings my brethren to whom I am nothing inferior neither in religion nor power for I within mine owne kingdomes am the piller of faith neither am I aided with any forreine helpe for I repose my whole trust and confidence in God alone who gouerneth and sustaineth me vp from the time wherein the Angell of God spake vnto Phillip that hee should instruct in the true faith the Eunuch of the mighty Queene Candace the Queene of Ethiopia as shee was going from Ierusalem to Gaza And Phillip did then baptize the Eunuch as the Angell commaunded and the Eunuch baptized the Queene with a great part of her houshold and of her people which hath euer sithence continued Christians remaining for all times after that firme and stable in the faith of Christ And my predecessors hauing no other aid but onely Gods asistance haue planted the faith in very large kingdomes which I my selfe doe likewise daily contend to effect For I remaine in the great bounds of my kingdomes like a Lyon incompassed about with a mightie wood and hedged and inclosed against the Moores that lye in waite for me and other nations which bee enemies to the Christian faith and refuse to heare the word of God or my exhortations But I my selfe being girded with my sword doe persecute and expell them out by little little indeed by Gods diuine helpe which I neuer found wanting which happeneth otherwise to Christian kings for if the limits of their kingdoms be large it may easily be obtained for that one may assist minister helpe vnto another and receiue further helpe by your holines benediction of which I am partaker seeing in my bookes be contained certain letters which long since Pope Eugenius sent with his benediction vnto the king of the seed of Iacob which blessing giuen by his own hands being accepted and taken I do enioy and thereof greatly reioyce And I haue the holy temple which is at Ierusalem in great veneration vnto which I oftentimes send oblations due by our pilgrimes and many more and fatter I would haue sent but that the passages bee hindred by Moores and Infidels for besides the taking away from our messengers our gifts and treasures they will not suffer them to passe freely but if they would suffer vs to trauell I would come into the familiarity fellowship of the Romane Church as other Christian Kings do to whom I am nothing inferior in the christian religion for euen as they belieue I confesse one true faith and one Church and I most sincerely beleeue in the holy Trinity in one God and the virginity of our Lady the virgin Mary and I hold and obserue all the articles of the faith as they were written by the Apostles Now our good God hath by the hand of the most mighty and Christian King Emanuell made the passage open and plaine that we may meete by our Embassadors and that we being Christians ioyned in one faith might serue God with other Christians But while his Embassadors were in my Court it was reported vnto me that K. Emanuel was dead that his son my brother Iohn had the rule of his fathers kingdome wherupon as I was sorrowful for my fathers death euen so I reioyced greatly at the happy entrance of my brother into his kingdome so as I hope that we ioining our power and forces together may make open the passages both by sea and land by the regions of the wicked Moores and greatly terrifying them vtterly expell them from their seates and kingdomes that the way being made fit peaceable christians may freelie come and go to the temple of Ierusalem And then shall I bee pertaker of his diuine loue in the Church of the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul And I couet greatly to obtaine the sacred benediction of the Vicar of Christ for without doubt your holinesse is Gods Vicar and when I heare many things of your holines by trauellers pilgrimes that go and come miraculously from our countries to Ierusalem from thence to Rome they breed in me an incredible ioy pleasure but I should bee more glad if my Embassadors could make a shorter cut in their iourneies to bring newes vnto me as my hope is they will once do before I dye by the grace of almighty God who euer keepe you in health and holines Amen And I kisse your holines feet and humbly beseech you to send me your blessing These letters also your holines shall receiue at the hands of my brother Iohn King of Portugall by our said Embassador Francis Aluarez These Epistles translated by Paulus Iouius I haue ioined to this worke for the better knowledge of this historie wherein we haue changed nor altered nothing although in many places they require alteration some few excepted which being badly translated into Spanish out of the Arabian and Abesenicke language did cleane alter the whole order of the Epistles The same Iouius also in his
and receiued it againe at his hands onely to appease the Pope being then his enemy To passe ouer the seuerall peoples that haue inhabited this Island and the times of their continuance as Britans Romans Danes and Saxons and to come to times more nere vnto vs for that my purpose is not to wade in vncertaine waters but briefly to touch the present state and condition of my country too sleightly slipt ouer by mine author William surnamed the Conqueror bastard sonne to Robert the sixth Duke of Normandy and cousin germaine vnto King Edward the Confessor by the mothers side pretending a title vnto this Kingdome by the guift of Edward his kinseman and also by a couenant confirmed by oth betwixt Harrold and him entred this land slue King Harrold in battaile and obtained the crowne by conquest vpon the fourteenth day of October 1066. Hee alterred the whole state of the country dispossessed the Inhabitants and distributed their lands by portions vnto his people that came in with him he raigned twenty yeeres eight monthes and sixteene daies and left the Kingdome to William his third sonne surnamed William Rufus who was flaine in hunting after hee had raigned twelue yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and hauing no issue left the gouernment to Henry his brother and youngest sonne to William the Conqueror Henry the first surnamed Henry Beuclarke raigned fiue and thirty yeeres foure months and eleuen daies and dying without issue male left the crowne vnto Stephen Earle Morton and of Bologne sonne to the Earle of Bloys and Adela William Conquerors daughter and nephew to King Henry the first Stephen raigned eighteene yeeres eleuen months and eighteene daies and Henry sonne to Maude the Empresse whose mother was Maude Queene of England wife to King Henry the first and daughter to Margaret Queene of Scots who was daughter to Edward the sonne of Edmund surnamed Ironsyde by which meanes the Saxon line was againe restored succeeded in his Kingdome Henry the second raigned foure and thirty yeeres nine months and two daies and then departing this life left the managing of the estate vnto his third sonne Richard surnamed Richard Ceur de Lyon Richard the first raigned nine yeeres nine months and two and twenty daies and dying without issue his brother Iohn disinheriting Arthur and Eleanor the right heires to the crowne as being the issue of Ieffrey Duke of Britan his elder brother who was fourth sonne to Henry the second and died before his father tooke vpon him the gouernment Iohn raigned seuenteene yeeres seuen monthes and Henry his eldest sonne raigned in his steed Henry the third raigned sixe and fiftie yeeres and one month and left his sonne Edward surnamed Long-shankes to rule after him Edward the first raigned foure and thirty yeeres eight monthes and nine daies and exchanging his Kingdome for the Kingdome of heauen left the crowne to his sonne Edward of Carnaruon so called because hee was borne there Edward the second raigned nineteene yeeres seuen months and sixe daies and beeing then deposed the gouernment was committed to Edward his sonne Edward the third raigned fifty yeeres foure monthes and seuen daies and left the Kingdome vnto Richard his grand-child the sonne of Edward the Black Prince who died before his father Richard the second was deposed when hee had raigned two and twenty yeeres foureteene weekes and two daies and Henry Plantagenet sonne to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster fourth sonne to Edward the third got possession of the crown rather by force then by lawful succession Henry the fourth raigned thirteene yeeres six months and foure daies and his sonne Henry succeeded him in the Kingdome Henry the fifth whose valor France well knew raigned nine yeeres fiue months and foure and twenty daies and left the gouernment to his sonne Henry likewise Henry the sixth raigned eight and thirty yeeres sixe months and nineteene daies and Edward Earle of March eldest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke clayming the crowne by liniall discent from Lionel Duke of Clarence third sonne to Edward the third and elder brother to Iohn of Gante Duke of Lancaster succeeded him in the gouernment Edward the fourth raigned two and twenty yeeres fiue weekes one day left the Kingdom to his son Edward Edward the fifth was murthered by Richard Duke of Glocester youngest sonne to Richard Duke of Yorke and youngest brother to Edward the fourth when hee had raigned onely ten weekes and foure daies Richard the third hauing butchered his Nephewes and vsurped the crowne of England was slaine by Henry the Seuenth when hee had raigned two yeeres two monthes and fiue daies and left the Crowne vnto the said Henry who was next heire from the house of Lancaster and married Elizabeth Daughter vnto Edward the Fourth next heire from the house of Yorke by which marriage hee revnited the two long deuided houses of Yorke and Lancaster Henry the Seuenth raigned three and twenty yeeres eight monthes and nineteene daies and left the Kingdome to Henry his Second sonne for his eldest sonne Arthur died before his father without issue Henry the Eight raigned seuen and thirty yeeres ten monthes and one day and left the charge of the gouernment to Edward his sonne Edward the Sixth raigned sixe yeeres fiue monthes and nineteene daies and Queene Mary his eldest sister succeeded him Queene Mary raigned fiue yeeres fiue monthes and two and twenty daies and her sister Queene Elizabeth raigned after her Queene Elizabeth raigned foure and forty yeeres foure monthes and foureteene daies Shee was the mirrour of the world for Gouernment and her sex considered beyond compare admirable religious prudent magnanimous mercifull beloued euill spoken of by none but onely the wicked neuer to bee remembred of any true hearted Englishman but which reioycing for her birth and sorrowing for her death Her Virgine life was such as that for politique respects beeing mooued to marry in the first yeere of her reigne her answere was that that estate liked her best wherein she then liued with all concluding for satisfaction to her subiects with a Deus Prouidebit God shall prouide an heire for this Kingdome which blessed bee God therefore our eyes haue after foure and forty yeeres of her gratious raigne now to our comfort seene But for your better satisfaction I will here set downe her words at large as they are penned by Maister Stow in his Annals of England AS I haue had good cause so doe I giue you all my hearty thankes for the good zeale and louing care you see me to haue as well towardes mee as the whole estate of your Country your petition I perceiue consisteth of three partes and mine answere to the same shall depend of two And to the first part I may say vnto you that from my yeeres of vnderstanding sith I first had consideration of my selfe to bee borne a seruitor of almighty God I happily chose this kinde of life in the which I yet liue which I assure you for
my owne part hath hitherto best contented my selfe and I trust hath beene most acceptable to God From the which if either ambition of high estate offered to mee in marriage by the pleasure and appointment of my Prince whereof I haue some records in this presence as you our Treasurer well knew or if the eschewing the danger of mine enemies or the avoyding of the perrill of death whose messinger or rather a continuall watch-man the Princes indignation was no little time daily before mine eyes by whose meanes although I know or iustly may suspect yet I will not now vtter or if the whole cause were in my sister her selfe I will not now burthen her therewith because I will not charge the dead if any of these I say could haue drawne or diswaded mee from this kinde of life I had not now remained in this estate wherein you see mee but so constant haue I alwaies continued in this determination although my youth and wordes may seeme to some hardly to agree together yet is it most certaine and true that at this day I doe stand free from any other meaning that either I haue had in times past or haue at this present with which trade of life I am so throughly acquainted that I trust in God who hath hitherto therein preserued and led mee by the hand will not of his goodnesse suffer mee to goe alone For the other part the manner of your petition I doe well like and take it in verie good part because that it is simple and contayneth no lymitation of place or person if it had beene otherwise I must needs haue misliked it verie much and thought it in you a verie great presumption beeing vnfitting and altogither vnmeete for you to require them that may commaunde or those to appoint whose partes are to desire or such to binde and limit whose duties are to obey or to take vpon you to drawe my loue to your likings or to frame my will to your fantasie For a guerdon constrained and a guift freely giuen can neuer agree together Neuerthelesse if any one of you bee in suspect that whensoeuer it may please God to incline my heart to another kinde of life you may well assure your selues my meaning or resolution is not to doe or determine any thing wherewith the Realme may or shall haue iust cause to bee discontented or complaine of imposed iniurie And therefore put that cleane out of your heads and remooue such doubtfull thoughts for I doe assure you what credit my assurance may haue with you I cannot tell but what credit it shall deserue to haue the sequell shall declare I will neuer in that matter conclude any thing that shal be preiudiciall to the Realme for the benefit weale good and safetie whereof I will neuer shunne to spend my life And whomsoeuer my chance shal be to light vpon I trust he shal be such as shal be as carefull for the Realme and you I will not say as my selfe because I cannot so certainelie determine of any other but at the leastwise by my good will and desire hee shal be such as shal be as carefull for the preseruation of the Realme and you as my selfe And albeit it might please Almightie GOD to continue mee still in this minde to liue out of the estate of marriage yet is it not to bee feared but hee will so worke in my heart and in your wisdomes as good prouision by his helpe may bee made in conuenient whereby the Realme shall not remaine and stand destitute of an heire to succeed mee that may bee a fit Gouernour and peraduenture more beneficiall to the Realme and generality then such off-spring as may come of mee For though I bee neuer so carefull of your well doings and minde euer so to bee yet may issue growe out of kinde and become perhaps vngratious And in the end this shal be for mee verie sufficient that a marble stone shall declare that a maiden Queene hauing raigned and ruled such a long time liued and died a virgine And heere I end and take your comming vnto mee in good part and giue vnto you all eft-somes my hearty thankes more yet for your zeale and good meaning then for your petition And thus farre Stowe THIS good Queene ELIZABETH was the last of the Royall issue of King Henry the eight shee died without any issue her selfe and left the Kingdome vnto Iames King of Scotland and next heire to the crowne of England King Iames the first of that name since the Conquest by the death of Queene Elizabeth vnited the two famous Kingdomes of England and Scotland which had beene long deuided the crowne of England rightfully and linially descending vnto him from Margueret eldest daughter to Henry the seuenth and Elizabeth wife of the sayd Henry eldest daughter to Edward the fourth which Margueret was maried to Iames the fourth King of Scotland who had issue Iames the fifth father vnto Mary the last Queene of Scots who was mother vnto Iames the sixth King of Scotland and of great Britan France and Ireland the first To omit Ireland an Island vnder our Kings dominion the people wherof of late yeeres haue growne to more ciuility by conuersing with other nations and to speake something more in perticular of this Island as now it is wee may deuide the whole Island of Britanny into three partes that is to say England Wales and Scotland Scotland the North of this Island hauing for a long time beene a Kingdome of it selfe seuered and distinct from England is now by this happy vnion as I said before made one againe with England and both of them gouerned by one King and Monarch This Country in respect of England is very barren and mountanous and the Inhabitants especially the vulgar sort farre more rude and barbarous their language in effect is all one with the English the Northerne Scots excepted which speake and liue after the Irish fashion nor is their any difference in their religion but all causes and controuersies bee there determined by the ciuill law as in most other Countries for with our common lawes of England they are little acquainted Wales an other part of this Island and the proper habitation of the Britans expelled thither out of England by the Englishmen was gouerned by Princes of their owne bloud vntil the raigne of Henry the third who slue Lhewellen ap Griffith the last Prince of the British race vnited that Prouince vnto the Kingdome of England and forced the Inhabitants to sweare fealty and alleagiance vnto Edward of Carnaruan his eldest sonne whom hee made Prince of Wales After the decease of Edward the first this title of Prince of Wales lay dormant during all the raigne of Edward the Second and was againe reuiued by Edward the Third who created his sonne Edward surnamed the Blacke Prince Duke of Cornwall Earle of Chester and Prince of Wales and euer since hath this title beene duely conferred vnto the
many languages into Portugale to King Emanuell and that his Embassage might carry more credit and authority she sent with him a noble yong man called Abesynus which two I haue often met in our Court and haue had familiar conference with them This Mathew came by diuers iournies to Goa vnto Alphonsus Albuquercus viceroy there of whome hee being receiued very curteously and dispached thence liberally rewarded he arriued in our nauy at Vlispone in the yeare of Christ 1513. who shewing to the King the cause of his Ambassage presented him with a crosse finely wrought made of that tree whereof our Sauiour Christ was Crucified which crosse I haue oftentimes seene and worshipped while my brother Fructus a Goes was the Kings chamberlaine and had it in his custody the Queenes letters which hee brought vnto King Emanuell purported thus much A letter of Helena the grand-mother of Dauid Precious Iohn Emperor of Aethiopia written vnto Emanuell King of Portugall in the yeare of our Lord. 1509. IN the name of God the Father the Sonne and Holy Ghost one God in three presons the health grace and benediction of our Lord and Redeemer Iesus Christ Sonne of the blessed Virgin Mary borne in Bethlem bee vpon our deere brother the most Christian King Emanuell gouernor of the sea and conqueror of the Barbarous and incredulous Moores Our Lord God prosper thee and giue thee victory ouer all thine enimies and that your Kingdomes and dominions by the deuout prayers of the Messengers of our Sauiour Christ to witte the foure Euangelists S. Iohn Luke Marke and Mathew whose sanctity and prayers be euer thy defence may extend and stretch them-selues wide and broad These are to certyfie you most deere brother that there came vnto vs from your great and famous Court two Messengers whereof one was called Iohn who affirmed him-selfe to be a Preest and the other Iohn Gomez and desired of vs souldiors and prouision for the warres wherefore wee haue sent vnto you our Embassador Mathew the Brother of our seruice with the lycence of Marke the Patriarch who giueth vs his benediction sending vs Preests from Ierusalem hee is our father and father of all our dominions the piller of the faith of Christ and of the Holy Trynitie hee at our request sent vnto your great Captaine and leader of those Souldiers which make warres in India for the faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ to signifie vnto him that wee were ready and willing to send vnto him Souldiers and prouision for the warres if neede required and because wee haue heard it reported that the Prince of Caire hath sent forth a great Nauy against your Forces to be reuenged as we be well assured of the losses and dammages which hee hath often receiued of the Captaines of your Armie which you haue in India whom God of his great goodnesse vouchsafe to assist and so to prosper their proceedings euery day more and more that all those vnbeleeuers may once become subiect to your gouernment We therefore to withstand their assaults will forthwith send an Armie which shall stay at the sea of Mecha that is to say at Babel mendell or if you thinke it more fitting at the hauen of Inda or Thor that so you may destroy and roote out all those Moores and miscreant vnbeleeuers from the face of the earth so as the gifts and obiations which be brought and offered at the holy Sepulcher be no more deuoured of dogges for now is come that time promised which as is said Christ and his mother Mary foretold to wit that in the latter daies a King should arise from out some Christian Region that should abolish and bring to nought the vniuersall stocke of the Barbarians and Moores And now certainely is that time come which Christ promised to his blessed Mother Moreouer what euer our Embassador Mathew shall say vnto you accept it and giue credit vnto it as that which proceedeth from our owne person for he is one of the chiefest of our Court and therefore haue wee sent him vnto you Wee would haue committed these things vnto your Messengers which you sent hither but that wee were afraide lest our businesses might bee taken otherwise then wee intended We haue sent vnto you by this Mathew our Embassador a Crosse made vndoubtedly of a peece of that Tree whereupon our Sauiour Christ was crucified at Ierusalem Which peece of sacred wood was brought to vs from Ierusalem and thereof wee made two Crosses whereof one remaineth with vs the other we haue deliuered to our Embassador to be presenred to you the wood is of a blacke colour and hangeth at a little siluer ring Furthermore if it shall seeme good vnto you either to giue your daughters in marriage to our sonnes or that we shall giue oue our sonnes to your daughters it shall be very acceptable vnto me and profitable to vs both and the beginning of a brotherly league betwixt vs which coniunction of matrimony we shall euer desire to enter into with you as well hereafter as for the present time And thus wee end with our praier vnto God that the saluation and grace of our redeemer Iesus Christ and of our blessed Lady the Virgin Mary may extend and remaine both vpon you your sonnes and your daughters and all your family Amen Moreouer these are to certifie you that if wee would make warres and ioyne our Armies together wee should by Gods helpe be strong inough vtterly to destroy and root out all the enemies of the faith of Christ But our kingdomes and dominions are so scituated in the middle of the land as by no meanes wee can haue passage into the sea In the sea therefore wee haue no power wherein praise be giuen to God you bee the strongest of all Princes Iesus Christ bee your guide for your affaires which you haue done and atchieued heere in India seeme rather to bee done by miracle then by man but if you would furnish a Nauy of a thousand shippes we will giue you prouision and aboundantly minister vnto you all things necessary for such a Nauy This letter with some other Articles of the Faith religion manners and state of the Ethiopians which Mathew expressed before King Emanuell and his Councell I haue by the intreaty of Iohn Magnus Gothus Archbishop of Vpsalia in the kingdome of Suetia with whom I had extraordinary familiarity and frindship in Prussia translated out of the Portingall language wherein I found it written into Lattine which letter together with the said articles were afterwards imprinted at Antwerp without my priuity These things vnderstood from the Aethiopian Embassadors King Emanuell as he was exceeding wise and most desirous to encrease the Christian religion instituted an Embassage sufficiently furnished with very graue and reuerend men the chiefest whereof were Edward Galuanus a man well stricken in yeares and of great wisedome and experience And Francis Aluarez a Priest and of very renowned authority with the King who was also old
Abraham and his seed The Israclites lawes ordained by Moses Moses lawes The manner of the Iewes oblations The opinion of Heathen writers concerning the Iewes Three sectes of the Iewes The Pharises The Saduces The Esseians Media why so called The confines of Parthia Foureteene kingdomes vnder the Parthians The Confines of Persia and why so called The Persian gods The Persians create their Kings all of one family The discription and bignesse of India Fiue thousand Cities and 〈◊〉 walled townes in India The long liues of the Jndians The Jndians haue neither written lawes nor learning Their Kings are committed to the keeping of women The people of India once deuided into seauen orders The first was the order of Philosophers The second order of husbandmen The third order is of sheepheards Artificers the fourth order The fifth of of soudiers Tribunes in the sixth order The common Councell the seuenth order No slaues amongst the Jndians The Padae kill their friends when they be sicke The Cymnosophists The people called Cathiae Monstrous and prodigious people The Cathaeians Scythia why so called The Scythians delight in humane slaughter The Scythian gods How the Scythians bury their kings The Massagetae The Seres in Scythia The Tauro-Scythians The Agathirsi The Neuri The Anthropophagi The Melanchlaeni The Budini The Lyrcae The Argyphaei The Issedones The scituation of Tartaria Tartaria why it is so called Tartaria aboundeth with cattaile Foure sorts of Tartarians Canguista first King of Tartaria How the Tartarians are apparrelled Some Tartarians are Christians but very bad ones How the Tartarlans elect their Kings The Georgians a kinde of Christians The Armenians were Christians likewise till they were vanquished by the Tartarians The limits of Turkie Turkie inhabited by people of sundry nations Mahomet his parentage Sergius the Munck a helper of Mahomet Mahomets lawes compounded of diuerse sects The manner of the Turkes warfare Three sorts of footmen Friday a solemne holy day with the Turkes VVhereof the Clergie be so called The Creed The 10. Commandements The seuen Sacraments The festiuall dayes throughout the yeare Europe why so called The limits of Europe The commendations of Evrope The discription of Greece Thermopilae The Region of Greece Athens and why so called Dracoes lawes to the Atheninians The citty of Athens diuided into societies by Solon The councellin Areopagus A strange law for women Mony dowries forbidden Against slaunderers The punishment for adultery A law for the maintenance of souldiers children A law for the benefit of Orphanes and VVards The original of the Athenians Their inuentions The three lawes made by Cecrops against women How the Athenians bury those which are slaine in the warres Marathron is a city not far from Athens Lycurgus law giuen to the Lacedemonians Eight and twenty Elders elected Democratia Olygarchia or gouernment of the Tribunes The diuision of their land by the Olygarthy The vse of money prohibited and iron money made Men called their wiues their mistresses Maides exercises Old men that had young wiues permitted young men to lye with theÌ„ The manner of electing officers Lycurgus exild himself voluntarily The discipline of Creete No venimous creatures in Creete No King admitted that hath children because their Kingdome shal not be hereditary The King that offendeth is famished to death The diuision and bounds of Russia One seed time yeeldeth three haruests Russia aboundeth with Bees VVood turned â—nto stone The Russians cannot indure to call their Gouernor a King but a Duke as a name more popular Many Russians make themselues bondmen Lithuania is full of moores and fennes Samogithia The limits of Hungaria The limits of Boemia The ancient limits of Germany Germany deuided into superior and inferior Germany why so called The punishmeÌ„t for murder Drunkennesse a commendation amongst the Germaines The Germains were great dicers The later manners of the Germanes The Germains diuided into foure sorts of people whereof the first is the Clergie The second order is of the Nobilitie The third order is of cittizens Citizens deuided into two sects The fourth order is of husbandmen The limits of Spaine Saxony why so called The Saxons deuided into noble-men free-men libertines and slaues Merccury obserued as a god by the Saxons A Temple in Alberstade de dicated to our Lady The Saxons immoderate drinkers The bounds of VVestphalia Secrete Judges ordained by Charles the Great ouer the VVestphalians Franconia why so called The bounds of Franconia The fertility of Franconia The Princes of Franconia The Bishop of Herbipolis one of the Princes of Franconia The limits of Sueuia Sueuia why so called There may no wines bee brought into Suevia Much cloth made in Sueuia Bauaria why so called The bounds of Bauaria Bauaria heretofore gouerned by Kings but now by Dukes The lawes vsed in Bauaria which they receiued when they receiued Christianity The manner how the Carinthians elect their Duke A seuere punishment against theeues The discription of Stiria Italy first called Hesperià and then Ocnotria Italy why so called The length of Jtaly Jtaly deuided into many Prouinces The hill Apenine deuideth Italy into two parts The praise of Jealy Italy the nurse of all nations The commendations of Rome The stature and complexion of the Italians and how they differ Three sorts of Cittizens Three orders of Free-men The Dictator their chiefest officer Three sorts of Citties How Romulus disposed the cittizens of Rome into sundry orders and degrees The ground deuided into thirty equall parts The office of the Patritij How the Patritians and Plebeians behaued themselues one towards another The Centumviri elected which were after called Senators of Rome The election of three hundred yong men called Celeres The office of the King The office of Senators The priuileges of the Plebeians The office of Celeres The Milites elected The lictores ordayned â—â—wes made by Romulus VViues made equall to their husbands Jt was Death for a woman to drincke wine VVhat power parents had ouer their children Numa Pompilius and his lawes The Feciales ordained The people deuided into sunday bands called Classes and centuries The first Classis The second Classis The third order or Classis The fourth Classis The fift and last degree The Kings put downe and Senators ordained The Dictator elected Tribunes of the people ordained The Decemviri created and Consuls put downe The two Censors created A Praetor ordained The manner of celebration of the games called Ludi Circenses Jnterludes how they began How the Romanes deified their Emperors The apparel of the Italians Galatia why so called The bounds of Gallia Gallia why so called The diuision of France The seuerall prouinces of Gallia Belgica The French men a factions people The office of the Druides The Equites an other sort of people Husbands had power to kil their wiues The latter customes of the French Capricorne ruleth in France The Parlament of France The 12. Peeres of France The commendations and riches of Spain and her bounds Spaine why so called The bounds of Portugall England also called great Brittaine England once called Albion The Saxons once Lords of England Anglia why so called The compasse of England England the first Christian Island London the chiefe city The auncient manners of the Britans Scotland denided from England Of Scotland Stowes Annal Anno Eliz. primo Syllura The Jsles called Eubudes The Island called Thyle now called Jsland The Gymnesiae or Baleares Of the Jsland found out by Iambolus They haue a time prefixed how long to liue An admirable herbe A rare beast Seuen other Jslands Of Taprobane The conclusion of the booke Of the Thyni Of the Aritonâ— Of the Dardani Of the Gelactophagi Of the Iberi Of the Vmbrici Of the Celtae Of the Pedalij Of the Telchines Of the Tartessij Of the Lucani Of the Samnites Of the Limyrnij Of the Sauromatae Of the Cercetae Of the Mosyni Of the Phryges Of the Lycij Of the Pisidae Of the Ethiopians Of the Buaei Of the Basuliei Of the Dapsolybies Of the Ialchleueians Of the Sardolibies Of the Alitemij Of the Nomades Of the Apharantes Of the Baeoti Of the Assirij Of the Persae Of the Indi Of the Lacedemonij Of the Cretenses Of the Autariatae Of the Triballi Of the Cusiani Of the Cij Of the Tauri Of the Sindi Of the Colchi Of the Panebi The stature and disposition of the Barbarians The age of the Barbarians The Barbarians neglect all worldâ—y things All Barbarians go naked
vessels or glasse vessels and kept them in their houses for the space of a yeare during which time they reuerenced them very religiously offering vnto them the first fruits of their increase Some say that thee that did most excell others in comlinesse of body skill in breeding cattell strength and riches him they elected for their King And that they had an ancient lawe that the Priests of Memphis might when they pleased depriue the King of his life by sending vnto him the messenger that caryed the signe of death and ordaine an other to raigne in his steed They beleeued that there was one immortall God and that hee was maker of the world and gouernor of all things any other God they esteemed mortall who was their vncertaine King as is said And hee that best deserued of their citty him next vnto their King they reuerenced as God And such was the state of Aethiopia at the beginning and for a long continuance these their customes and manners of their nation But at this day as Marcus Antonius Sabellicus out of whose history wee haue taken most matters which wee treate of both in this and the bookes following saith that hee had intelligence from some that were borne in those countries that the King of Aethiopia whome wee call Pretoian or Presbiter Ioan or Ioan and they Gyam which in their language signifieth mighty is so potent a Prince that hee is sayd to haue vnder him as his vassalls three-score and two Kings And that all their great Bishops and states of all those kingdomes are wholy guided by him at whose hands the order of Priesthood is obtained which authority was by the Pope of Rome giuen and annexed to the Maiesty of their Kings and yet hee himselfe is no Priest nor neuer entred into any holy orders There be a great number of Archbishops and euery one of them who euer hath the least hath twenty Bishops vnder his iurisdiction The Princes and other Bishops of great dignity when they goe abroad haue carried before them a crosse and a golden vessell filled with earth that the sight of the one may put them in minde of their mortality and the other of our Sauiours passion Their Priests are suffered to mary for procreations sake but if they bury one wife it is vtterly vnlawfull for them to mary an other Their Temples are very large and farre richer then ours and for the most part builded vp to the topp arch-wise They haue many religious houses and families of holy orders as Antonians Dominicks Calaguritans Augustines and Macarians who be all arrayed by permission of their Archbishops with apparell of one coulour Next vnto Almighty God and his Mother the blessed Virgin Mary Saint Thomas surnamed Didimus is chiefly honoured in that country They hold an opinion that their great King whom they call Gyam was ingendred of King Dauid and that the race of that one family hath continued euer since hee is not black as most of the Aethiopians are but rather white The citty Garama is now the Kings seate which consisteth not of Bulwarkes and houses with strong wals but of tents or tabernacles made of fine flaxe or silke imbrodered with purple and placed in decent and seemely order The King according to his custome liueth for the most part abroade not contayning himselfe within the circuite of the Citty aboue two daies together ether because they account it absurde and effeminate or that they are prohibited by some lawe They haue in redinesse vpon any little occasion tenne hundred thousand men well instructed in feates of armes fiue hundred Elephants besides an infinit number of Horses and Camels There be also throughout the whole kingdome certaine stipendary families the issue whereof haue a gentle incision made in their skinne and bee marked with a hot iron with the signe of the Crosse In warres they vse bowes speares cotes of male and helmets the order of Priesthood is in greatest dignity next vnto whome are the sages or wizards whom they call Balsamati and Tenquati They esteeme much also of innocency and honesty accounting them the first step to wisdome the Nobility are the third in honor and dignity and the stipendary the last the Iudges discerne of causes of life and death but referre the decree to the Praefect of the citty who is called Licomagia who alwaies representes the person of the King written lawes they haue none but iudge according to equity and right If any man bee convicted of adultery hee shall pay for his punishment the fortith part of his goods but the adulteresse shal receiue a domesticall reuenge by her husband for he shall punish her whome it doth most concerne The husbands assigne dowers for their wiues requiring noe portion with them There women are attired with gold wherof that country doth much abound pearles also and silke both men and women weare garments downe to the feete with sleeues and not open in any place all colours are alike vnto them except blacke which is there vsed onely for mourning garments They bewaile the dead for the space of forty dayes The second courses in their greatest banquets consist of raw flesh which beeing finely minced into small peeces and strawed ouer with sweete spices they feed vpon most hungerly wollen cloath they haue none insteed wherof they are clothed either with silke or flax they vse not all one language but diuers and distinguished by diuers names They exercise them-selues eyther in husbandry or about cattle they haue euery yeare two haruests two summers All the people of Lybia from this Aethiopia or India to the vtmost part of the west honour the impiety of Mahomet and liue in the same kinde of religion that those Barbarians practise which are now in Aegipt and bee called Moores as it is thought of their wandring or straying abroad for that country of Libia also was no lesse hatefull than the Sarasins in those accursed times wherein was the greatest alteration in humaine matters the manners of people loue of deuotion and names of all Nations being for the most part changed Of Aegipt and the ancient customes of that country CAP. 5. EGipt a region in Affricke or as some will haue it next adioyning to Affricke was so called of Aegiptus the brother of Danaus King of Argyues before which time it was called Aeria This country as Plinie in his first booke witnesseth ioyneth Eastward to the red sea and to Palaestyne vpon the West it hath Cyrene and the residue of Affricke and extendeth from the South to Aethiopia and from the North to the Aegyptian sea The most famous citties of that country were Thebes Abydos Alexandria Babilon and Memphis now called Damiata and the great citty Cayrus or Alcir which is the Soldans seate In Egypt as Plato reporteth it doth neuer raine but the riuer of Nylus ouer-flowing the whole land once euery yeare after the summer Solstice maketh the whole
spices which grow vpon trees They vse trafficke into Aethiopia with shippes couered with lether their fuell is the barke or rind of Cynamon which is of the nature of wood The Metrapolitan and chiefe citie of this kingdome is situated vpon an hill and is called Saba their Kings are of one kindred and raigne by succession to whom the multitude yeeld honours indifferently as well to the bad as to the good They neuer dare venter out of their Court or chiefe citie fearing lest they should be stoned to death by the common people by reason of an answer which they receiued long since from one of their Oracles At Saba where the King keepeth his Court be siluer iewels and pots of gold of all sorts the beds and three-footed stooles haue siluer feete and all the houshold stuffe is sumptuous and rich beyond credit The porches and galleries also bee vnderpropped with great pillars the heads whereof are siluer and gold the roofes and dores being set with golden bosses intermingled with pretious stones do manifest the sumptuous decking of the whole house for here one place shineth with gold another with siluer another with pretious stones and Elephants tooth and with many other ornaments besides of great woorth and estimation these people haue for many ages flowed in perpetuall felicitie for they bee vtterly voyde of ambition and desire to possesse other mens goods which bringeth many to ruine The people called Garraei be no lesse rich then these for almost all their houshold-stuffe is of gold and siluer and of Iuorie whereof they make the thresholds roofes and walles of their houses The people called Nabathaei of all men be most continent in getting riches they bee very industrious but much more carefull in keeping them for hee that diminisheth his priuate estate hath publicke punishment And on the other side hee is honoured and exalted that increaseth his patrimonie The Arabians vse in their warres swords bowes launces and slings and many times axes also That accursed stocke of the Sarrasins which were the greatest scourges that euer happened to mankind had their beginning in Arabia and as it is very credibly thought a great part of the Arabians became followers of the Sarrasins sect and tooke their name Yet now they haue betaken them to their old names againe The Arabians that dwell about Aegypt liue for the most part by stealing trusting in the swiftnesse of their Camels The manners and customes Of Panchaia and of the manners of the Panchaians CAP. 2. PANCHAIA is a Region of Arabia Diodorus Siculus calleth it an Iland of two hundred Stadia in bredth and that there be in it three stately Citties that is to say Dalida Hyracida and Oceanida the whole countrie is fruitfull enough liuing onely where it is sandie It aboundeth with wine and with frankinsence of which there is so great store as is sufficient to serue all the world for sacrifices it yeeldeth much myrrhe also and other odoriferous spices of diuers kinds which the Panchaians gather and sell to the Marchants of Arabia of whom others buy them transport them into Phaenicia Syria and Egypt from whence they are conveyed into all parts of the world The Panchaians vse Chariots in the warres for so they haue bin alwaies accustomed their common-wealth is diuided into three degrees of people first the Priests who possesse the prime place to whome the artificers are added the husbandmen haue the second and souldiers the third to whom the shepheards be annexed The Priests be gouernours and rulers ouer all the rest to whom the deciding of controuersies and arbittement of all publike affaires and iudiciall causes are committed punishment of death onely excepted The husbandmen imploy themselues onely in tilling and manuring the ground the increase whereof goeth in common to all Out of the husbandmen there be ten elected by the Priests which bee most expert and industrious in husbandrie to bee Iudges ouer the rest aswell for the exhortation of others in the art of husbandrie as for the distribution of their fruites The shepheards likewise bring all their increase as well of such things as appertaine to sacrifices as of all things else to the publike vse some by number and some by weight in doing whereof they be maruellous precise and no one there possesseth any thing in priuate to himselfe but only their houses and gardens for the Priests receiue all the custome and tribute-money and all other things else whatsoeuer into their custodie making diuision thereof as occasion requireth whereof two parts is euer due vnto themselues The Panchaians bee clothed in soft garments for the sheepe of that countrie differ much from others in softnesse and finenesse of wooll both men and women weare ornaments of gold adorning their neckes with chains their hands with bracelets their eares with eare-rings like the Persians and their feet with new shooes of diuers colours The souldiers are maintained onely to defend the countrie from forraine inuasions the Priests liue more sumptuously and in far greater delights then others wearing for the most part fine lightlinnen vestiments downe to the foot and somtimes garments made of the best and purest wooll Vpon their heads they haue myters wrought and imbrodered with gold and in stead of shooes sandals of diuers colours wrought very artificially They weare ornaments of gold also like women excepting eare-rings and be for the most part continually conuersant about the seruice of their gods reciting their worthy and memorable deeds in laudes and hymnes They deriue their pedegree from Iupiter Manasses alledging that when hee was conuersant with men and gouerned the whole world hee was banished into Panchaia The country abounds with gold siluer brasse tin and iron of which it is not lawfull to carry any out of the Iland neither is it tollerable for the Priests to stir out of their holy Temples for if any of them be found abroad it is lawfull to kill them Many oblations of gold and siluer which were long since offered and dedicated to their gods they preserue in their temple the doores whereof are of a very curious building beset with gold siluer and yuorie The bed for their god is all of gold being sixe cubits in length and foure in bredth and of a rare and wonderfull workmanship In like maner the table for their god which is placed neare vnto his bed is equall vnto it both for state quantity and cost They haue one great and magnificent temple which is all erected of white stone vnderset with great pillars carued columnes the length thereof is two acres and the breadth answerable to the length It is adorned with goodly Idols of their gods composed and framed with admirable art and cunning The Priests that haue charge of the sacrifices haue their houses about the temple and all the ground round about the temple for the space of two hundred Stadia is consecrated to the gods and the yearely reuenew thereof spent
soules were incorruptible that onely the soules of the good did flitte and remoue into other bodies vntill the resurrection and last iudgement and that the soules of the wicked were detained and imprisoned in euerlasting dungeons and these were called Pharises because in their habits and liuings they differed from the common disposition of other men The Saduces denied fortune and destiny saying that God saw all thinges and that it was in the will of man to do either good or euill they denied that the soules after this life suffered eyther punishment or pleasure they denied also the resurrection of the dead supposing their soules and bodies to perish together nor did they hold that there were any Angels and yet they receiued the fiue bookes of Moses they were seuere without measure and nothing sociable amongst themselues for which seuerity they named themselues Saduces that is to say iust But the Esseians liued altogether a monasticall life vtterly despising wedlocke and the company of all women not because they thought it fitte by forbidding carnall copulation to destroy the succession of mankind but that they should beware of womens intemperance suppo sing no womā to be faithfull true to her husband They had all thinges in common oyntments and bathes they accounted a reproach and esteemed a deformity in their trimming to bee an ornament vnto them so as they were alwayes arrayed in white garments they had no certaine citty but dwellings in euery place They spake no prophane words before the sunne rising but praied for his rising and after that workt vnto the fift houre then washing their bodies in water they eate together with few words They accounted an oath as periury and allowed none to be of their sect vnder a yeares probation and after the first yeares tryall when they were admitted they tryed their manners other two yeares also in which time if they were found in any sinne they would driue them away from them that eating grasse like beasts they might repent till their deaths When ten of them sat together no one would speake if nine of them were vnwilling they would not spit in the middle nor on the right side They obserued their sabboth so religiously that vpon that day they would not so much as purge their bellyes They carryed with them a wodden Pickax where-with they digged a hoale in the earth in some secret place to ease them-selues in and couered themselues diligently with their long garments least they should doe iniury to the diuine lights for which cause also they filled the hole againe presently They were long of life by reason of the simplenesse of their dyet for they liued for the most part with Dates they had no vse of money and they adiudged that death the best which happened to a man for Iustice sake They hold that all soules were created from the beginning and incorporated for a time in mens bodies and that the good soules after they departed from the bodyes liued beyond the Ocean where ioy is reserued for them and that the euill soules are assigned boystrous and stormie places towards the East Some of them could foretell things to come and some vsed the company of wiues but very moderatly for they supposed that if they should altogether abstaine from women the whole stocke of humaine kinde would perish There dwell in Syria at this day Greekes which bee called Gryphoni Iacobites Nestorians and Sarasins and two people of the Christian Religion which bee the Syriani and the Marouini the Syrians sacrifice as the Greekes doe and were some times obedient to the Church of Rome but the Marouini agree with the Iacobites and vse the same language and writing the Arabians doe These sundry sorts of holy men inhabite the hill Libanus the Sarrasins dwell about Ierusalem they be valiant in warre and expert in husbandry The Syrians bee vnprofitable people and the Marouines most valiant men though they be few in number Of Media and of the manners of the Medes CHAP. 5. MEDIA a region in Asia is so called as Solinus reporteth of Medus the sonne of Medea and Aegeus King of Athens and the people thereof be called Medi But Iosephus is of opinion that they be called Medes of Medeus the sonne of Iaphet This Region according to Ptolomeus is bounded vpon the North with the Hyrcan sea vpon the West with the great Armenia and Assyria with Persia vpon the South and on the East with Hircania and Parthia Their chiefest exercise and which is almost peculiar to that nation is shooting and riding Their Kings in ancient time were of great authority their head attires their round caps and their garments with sleeues remooued with the Empire and gouernment vnto the Persians It was proper to the Median Kings to haue many wiues which custome was shortly put in practise amongst priuate men in so much as it was not lawfull to haue lesse then seuen wiues In like manner it was thought fitting for women to haue many husbands and to haue lesse then fiue they deemed a miserie The Medes make leagues and confirme friendship after the maner of the Greekes and also by striking their armes about the shoulder blade and then to lick vp each others bloud That part of Media which is towards the North is barren and therefore they make them a kinde of paste of Apples dryed and brused in morters bread of rosted Almonds and wine of the rootes of hearbes and liue for the most part vpon the flesh of wilde beasts Of Parthia and the manner of liuing of the Parthians CAP. 6. THe Parthians which were banished out of Scythia and obtained this country by deceit called it after their names Parthia It hath vpon the South Carmania on the North Hyrcania on the West Media and Aria on the East The countrie is full of woods and hills and very barren of fruites The people during the time the Medes and Assyrians possessed the Empire were accounted base and of no credit nor estimation but when the kindome of Media was translated to the Persians this people also as a barbarous nation without name was a prey vnto the vanquishers and lastly became subiect to the Macedonians but in tract of time they grew of such vertue and valour and were so prosperous and successfull in their designements that they gouerned not onely the countries neere adioyning but making warre against the Romaines which then were conquerors of all Countries ouerthrew them with great destruction and slaughter of their men Plinie reckoneth foureteene kingdomes vnder the gouernment of the Parthians Trogus attributeth vnto them the Empire of the East as if they had made diuision of the whole world with the Romaines This people after their reuolting from the Macedonian Empire were gouerned by Kings which were all called Arsaces of Arsax their first King next vnto the Maiestie of their Kings was the order and gouernment of the people out of which were elected both Captaines for
Parrots and Vnicornes and aboundeth with precious stones as Berrils Chrysophases Adamants Carbuncles Lychnites Pearles and Vnions There be two Sommers as it is said the winds be gentle and calme and the ayre temperate they haue plenty of ground and aboundance of water therefore some of them namely the Musicans liue till they be a hundred and thirty yeers of age the people called Seres be longer liued then they Al the Indians weare long lockes and colloured either blew or yellow Their trimming is for the most part with precious stones and they be not clothed al alike but some in wollen and some in linnen garments some goe altogither naked some couer onely their priuities and many of them haue for their apparel the barkes or rines of trees made flexible and bending towards their bodies Their bodies for the most part be blacke for by the disposition of the seed generatiue they be of such how in their mothers wombes as those be which begot them their seed of generation is black like the Aethiopians they be tall of stature and very hardy valerous they be very frugal thrifty in their liuing They be curious in their apparel as I haue said abstaine greatly from theft they vse no written lawes nor know any letters but administer al things by helpe of their memories and by reason of their simple and thristy manner of liuing all things succeed very prosperously with them They drinke no wine but in their sacrifices for their vsuall drinke is made of Ryce and Barley and their meate for the most part is thinne Rycepottage That there is great simplicity in their couenants and contracts may well be gathered by this that the people bee not litigious nor giuen to quarrelling for they haue no lawes to recouer a thing committed or left in an other mans keeping neither do they need witnesses or seales but credit one an other simply without intent of fraud or guile In so much as they will leaue their houses when they goe abroad with the doores open and no body in them All which be manifest signes that they be maruelous iust and continent no man there may bee admitted to liue alone to dine and sup when he pleaseth himselfe but they ought to eate and drinke all at one houre for such things they coniecture doe best dispose them to social ciuil conuersation They excercise their bodies by rubbing thē with combes made of sweet wood for the purpose addorne themselues with Ebon-wood In making their tombes and sepultures they bee very sparing and in their apparel maruellous costly and curious for besides gold precious stones very fine linnen cloth or cambricke wherewith they be arraied they carry about with them fans or shadowes to preserue their beauties from the sun For they are so desirous to seeme faire as they do al things that appertaine to the beautifying of their faces truth vertue are with them much esteemed and they yeeld no more honor to old men then to others vnlesse they excell others in wisdome They haue many wiues some wherof they buy of their parents for a yoke of oxen some they marry for obedience sake some for cause of procreation some for pleasure and voluptuousnesse and vnlesse their husbands inforce them to liue chast it is lawful for thē to play the harlots at their pleasure No Indian doth sacrifice or burn incence with a garland vpon his head neither do they cut the throats of the sacrifices but strangle thē to death that their offrings to their gods may be whole and not maimed he that is conuicted of false witnesse bearing hath the vtmost ioynts of his fingers cut off he which depriueth an other of any member is not only punished with losse of the like member but hath his hand cut off besides and to depriue an artificer of hand or eye is death the body of their King is committed to the keeping of hyreling women who only haue the custody and charge of him none else do euer come into his presence and if any of these women kil the King when he is drunke for her reward she shall marry his successor and their sons do euer succeed them in their Kingdomes It is not lawfull for the King to sleepe in the day-time and hee is constrained to change his lodging at certaine houres in the night for feare of treason If hee be not in campe he oftentimes goeth abroad and sitteth in Iudgement and heareth causes and if it be at such a time as his body is to be rubbed with a rubbing combe he hath three to rub his body and heareth causes all the while He issueth forth also sometimes to doe sacrifice and sometimes to hunt and then he is compassed about and inclosed with a great troupe of women after the manner of Bacchus his gard remaining without the Court gate and the way into the house is couered with cords and snares and if any one offend with any of the women which stay at home he shall die for it The King when hee hunteth hath going before him drums timbrils and little bels and when he hunteth in parkes and inclosed grounds he is assisted with two or three women armed and when in forests and open fields he shooteth from an Elephant some of the women ride in chariots some on horsebacke and some on Elephants in that maner they make wars also they be excercised in al kind of weapōs but therin they much differ from our women There be some writers that affirme that the Indians worship shewry Iupiter the riuer Ganges and the spirits of men deified and that when the King washeth or shaueth his beard they celebrate that time very solemnly and sending great gifts striue one to an other who shall shew the greatest pompe ioylity and magnificence The whole people of India were heretofore deuided into seuen orders the first whereof was the order of Philosophers who though they were fewest in number yet in honor and dignity with their Kings they excelled all others These Philosophers were freed from all labours they serued no man nor were serued of others and for that they were beloued of the gods they receiued of priuate men al things necessary for them to do sacrifice and to bury the dead bodies There were great Prophesiers and negromancers and therefore had many gifts and honors bestowed vpon them for that by their knowledge the Indians receiued great commodity for they would assemble themselues togither in the beginning of the yeere and then foretell of drought raine winds and diseases and other accidents the knowledge whereof was exceeding profitable vnto the people so as both the King people hearing what occurents were likely to happen that yeer might thereby the rather auoide future euils follow such courses as by probability might proue good and no other punishment was inflicted vpon any of those Philosophers that prophisied falsly but onely
custome when any man had his father deceased all his kinsfolke presented him with beasts which when they had killed and cut in small peeces they chopped his dead father that inuited them to the banket in peeces also and mingling all the flesh together made thereof a solemne feast then would they take the dead mans head and flea it and put out all the braines within the skull and couering it with gold vse it as an Idoll doing vnto him yeerely ceremonies and sacrifices these things did the sonne to the father and the father would doe to his sonne as the Greekes celebrate the daies of their natiuitie These people also bee accounted iust and that the wiues bee of equall strength with their husbands And such heretofore were the manners of the Scythians but afterwards being subdued by the Tartarians they followed their fashions and liue now like vnto them and bee all called by one name Tartarians Of Tartaria and of the customes and power of that people CAP. 10. TARTARIA which according to Vincentius is also called Mongal is scituated in the North-east part of the world and hath vpon the East the land of the Cathaians and Solangans vpon the South the Sarrasins the Naymans vpon the West and is compassed on the North with the Ocean sea it is called Tartaria of the Riuer Tartar which runeth through it and the Country for the most part is verie mountanous and full of hilles as much of it as is Champion is so mingled with sand and grauell as it is very barren but onelie where it is watered with running waters which bee very rare and geason And for this cause it is much of it desert and vn-inhabited with people There be no Cities or great townes in the whole country but onely one called Cracuris and wood is so scarce in most places there as the inhabitants be constrained to burne and boile their meate with horsdung beasts dung The weather there is very intemperate and most strange for in the Summer-time they haue such horrible and terrible thunders and lightnings as many men die for very feare it is euen now maruellous hot and by and by there will be extreame cold and snowes and the stormes and winds oftentimes bee so boysterous as people bee not able to ride against them but that they blow men downe from their horses pull trees vp by the rootes and doe the people many and great dammages It neuer raineth there in Winter and but seldome times in Sommer and then so small a raine as it scarce moystneth the earth The Country otherwise aboundeth with all kinds of beasts as Camels Oxen and such like and laboring beasts and Horses in such aboundance as it is thought that all the residue of the world hath scarce so many besides Tartaria was first inhabited of foure sundry sorts of people one sort whereof were called Iecchamongall that is to say great Mongals the second Sumongall which is watry Mongals and those called themselues also Tartars of the riuer Tartar neere which they dwelled the third were called Merchat and the fouth Metrit they had all like forme and lineaments of body and spake all one language The ancient Tartarians were of a rude behauiour and liued without manners lawes or other ornamentes of life and beeing of an obscure name and very basely esteemed of amongst all the Scythians followed their cattaile and paide tribute vnto them for their dwellings Shortly after this people being deuided as it were into certaine tribes or kindreds were first ruled by captaines who had the sole gouernment ouer them they paying tribute notwithstanding to their next bordering neighbours the Naymans But when by a certaine Oracle they had elected and created Canguista their first King hee taking vpon him the Empire did first abolish the worship of all euill spirits and false gods and made an Edict that all the Nation should worship the true God by whose prouidence hee would haue all men thinke that hee receiued his Kingdome Hee commanded likewise that all that by their age were able to beare armes should bee ready to attend the King at a certaine daie where when they were assembled the army was distributed in this manner First that the Decurions which were captaines ouer tenne souldiours should obey the centurions which were captaines ouer an hundred foote-men the centurions should be obedient to those which were Captaines and Coronels of a thousand men and those againe should be at the command of those which were gouernors of tenne thousand and then to trie the strength of his Empire and to haue experience of his subiects hearts hee commaunded that seuen of those Princes or Gouernours sonnes which ruled the people before hee was ordained King should bee slaine by the hands of their owne fathers This command of the King the father 's fulfilled although it seemed very bitter and cruel both for feare of the multitude and also for religions sake for they verily beleeued that the God of Heauen was first author and instituor of their Kingdome and that if they should not performe his command they should not onely transgresse and violate the law of a King but the law of God also Canguista being thus fortified and putting confidence in his power first subdued by battaile the Scythians which were next vnto him and made them tributary and with them all those to whom the Tartarians themselues before that time paide tribute from thence going forward to people more remote he had such prosperous and happy successe in the warres as hee subdued with his forces all Kingdomes Countries and Nations from Scythia to the Sunne rysing and from thence to the mediterranean sea and beyond so as now he may iustly be said to bee Lord and Emperour of all the East The Tartarians of all men be most deformed in body they bee for the most part little men hauing great eyes standing farre out of their heads and so much couered with eye-lids as the sight or opening of the eye is maruellous little their faces be broad and without beards except that they haue some few stragling haires vpon their vpper lips and chinnes they be all of them commonly slender in the waste and shaue all the hinder partes of their heades from one eare to the other and vppe to the crowne they weare the rest of their haires long like vnto our women of which long haire they make two strings or cords bynding or winding them ouer both their eares and in this manner be all Tartarians shaued and all those people also which liue amongst them Moreouer they be very nimble and actiue of bodie good horse-men but bad footemen and they neuer goe afoote but the poorest of them whither euer he hath occasion to goe rydeth either on horse or oxe-backe their women ride also vpon geldings and such as will not strike or kicke their bridles bee richly decked with gold siluer and precious stones They hold it a glorious thing to
this manner First they make two fires three paces distant one from another betwixt which they fasten two forkes or iauelins vpright in the ground by each fire one then drawing a cord from the one fire to the other they carry forth through the middle of the iauelins as it were through a gate all things which are to be purified two women to whome the businesse is committed standing vpon the other side one ouer against an other casting water vpon the stuffe and muttering out certaine verses to themselues No stranger is admitted into the kings presence of what estate or dignity soeuer he be and be his businesse of neuer so much importance vnlesse he bee first purified he that spurneth with his foote at the threshould of the pauillion wherein the Emperor or any Prince dwelleth is slaine in the very place moreouer if any one bite a bit of any thing which he cannot swallow downe but is forced to vomit it vp againe all the people fall vpon him and digging a hole vnder his pauillion drag him through it and so kill him most cruelly there bee many other such friuolous things which they account as sins that cannot bee purged or appeased but to kill a man to enter vpon another mans possession to take other mens goods violently without right or equity and to neglect the commandements of God they account as little or no offences They beleeue that after this life they shall liue eternally in an other world but what that world is they cannot describe and that they shall there be rewarded according to their merits When any one is sick and draweth neere vnto death they set a speare at the tent doore wherein hee lyeth with a black cloth at the end of it to the end that those which passe by seeing it may forbeare to enter in and no one dare come in though hee be called if he see the speare but when the sick person is dead all his family meeting together carry the coarse priuily out of the tent into a place chosen before for the purpose where is made a great large pit in which pit they build a little pauillion and set in it a table furnished with diuerse dishes of meate then setting thereat the dead corps attired with rich and gorgious garments they forthwith couer them altogether with earth he hath also one labouring beast and one trapped horse buried with him The great men choose out one seruant in their life time vpon whom they set their owne marke with a marking yron to bee intombed with him when hee is dead and this they doe that they may make vse of them in an other world After all this the mans friends that is dead take an other horse and killing him and eating his flesh and then filling the hide full of haye and sowing it vp againe they set it vpon foure stakes vpon the topp of the Sepulcher to shew that there the dead man lyeth which done the women burne the horses bones for the expiation of the dead mans ghost But the richer sort cut the horse hide into slender thongs and extending them in length measure out there-with a circuite of ground round about their dead friends Sepulcher beleeuing that the dead man shall obtaine so much ground in an other world as by his friends shall bee measured out vnto him with those thongs all these ceremonies performed vpon the thirtith day they leaue of their mourning There be some Tartarians which be a kind of Christians but very bad ones and these to hasten their fathers deaths when they waxe old cram and feed them with fat meate and when they be dead burne them and gathering vp the ashes as cleane as they can esteeme them as a very precious relicke seasoning their meate daily therewith Now with what pompe and iollity the Tartarians after the death of their King elect and appoint another in his roome because it is ouer-troublesome to be writ at large and perhaps as tedious to be read I will vnfold in few words the Princes Dukes Barons and all the people of the kingdom assembling themselues together in a place in the open fields fitte and accustomed for that purpose place him to whom the kindome is due either by succession or election in a throne of gold and all of them prostrating themselues before him cry out with a lowd voice and with one consent in this maner We wish will and command thee to be our gouernor to whom hee answereth If you will haue it so I must needs be content but then be you ready to do what euer I command to come when I call you to goe whether I send you and who euer I bid to be slaine to do it without feare and to giue and commit all the whole kingdome into my hands and when they haue answered we are ready and willing he saith againe vnto them you shall hereafter stand in as much awe of my word as of my sword at which speach the people giue a great applause then the Princes taking him from his Kingly throne and causing him to sitt downe humbly vpon a cloth laid vpon the ground say thus vnto him looke vpwards towards heauen and acknowledge God and behold downwards the cloath whereon thou sittest if thou gouerne well thou shalt haue all things according to thine owne desire but on the other side if thou rule naughtily thou shalt bee so humbled and spoiled of all thou hast as thou shalt not haue left thee so much as this little cloth whereon thou sittest which said they giue vnto him that wife which he loueth best and lifting them vp both together vpon the cloth salute him as Emperour of all the Tartarians and she as Empresse then is hee forthwith presented with gifts from all people ouer whom hee is Emperour and all those things which the dead King lest behind him be brought vnto him likewise of which the new Emperor giueth vnto each Prince some and commandeth the rest to bee kept for himselfe which done hee dissolueth the company all things be in the Kings hands and power no man can or dare say this is mine or that is his nor no one may dwell in any part of his dominion but where hee is assigned the Emperor himselfe distributeth a proportion of land to the Dukes the Dukes to those which bee Captaines of thousands the Captaines of thousands to the gouernors of hundreds the gouernors of hundreds to the rulers of ten and the rulers of ten distribute to all the rest The seale which the King vseth hath this inscription Deus in coelo Chuichuth Cham in terra the strength of God and Emperor of all men He hath fiue very strong and puissant armies fiue Dukes by whom he maketh warr with all that refist him hee neuer speaketh with the Legats or embassadors of other nations nor admitteth them into his presence vnlesse both they their gifts for without gifts they dare not come be first purged
the world presently all his kinsfolke and friends flocke about him bewayling greatly his natiuity and saying that seeing he is borne he must of necessity suffer and indure all humaine and worldly calamities and againe when one is departed out of this life they commit him to the ground with great ioy and exultation shewing what and how many euills he hath escaped to liue for euer in eternal happinesse But those which dwell beyond the Crestonae haue many wiues a yeere and when a man dieth there is great controuersie amongst his wiues all their friends being accited to giue their iudgements of the matter which of those wiues was best beloued of her husband and she that is adiudged to haue beene deerest vnto him in his life time which shee esteemeth a great honour vnto her is both by the men and women adorned and gallantly decked vp and so brought vnto her husbands tombe and there killed by one of her own deerest friends and interred with her dead husband all the other wiues lamenting and accounting that a great crosse and disgrace vnto them All other Thracians in generall sell their children openly nor be virgins there restrained from accompanying with their neerest kin no not with their owne fathers but may lie with whom they please and yet husbands be very chary of their wiues chastity for they buy them of their parents with great summes of money and the signe them in the forheads with certaine markes which kind of marking is held a very generous and worthy thing but to be without those markes is an argument of ignominy and basenesse where diuers maides are to be married those which be most beautifull be first taxed and prized and beeing once prized their parents will not by any meanes giue them in marriage for lesse money then they were rated at and when all the fairest bee bought then those which be deformed be sold at more easier prices so as in conclusion all goe away In their banquets both men and women sit round about a fire whereinto they cast the seeds of certaine herbes which grow in those parts the very smell and sauour whereof doth so stop and stifle them as their senses be dulled and they as pleasant and iocund as if they were merry drunke To liue idlely and by theft they account an honest course of life but to labour and husband the ground they hold base and ignoble The gods which they chiefly worship and religiously adore be Mars Bacchus Diana and Mercury but they swere onely by Mars accounting him as the author and orignall of their race The people of Thrace exceed all other men in bignesse and stature of body their eyes be gray their lookes grim frowning and menacing their speech terrible and themselues long of life Their buildings be very low and base their diet is nothing dainty they haue no vines but great store of apples the King is elected as well by the voices of the commons as by the nobility and they elect such a one as is of approued good manners singular clemency and by reason of his age of very great grauity and one that hath no children for hee which is a father is not admitted amongst them to bee a gouernor bee his life and conuersation neuer so vprigh◠and lawdable and if at any time in all his raigne he chance to haue a child he is therfore depriued of his gouernment For by no meanes will they admit that their Kingdome should become hereditary and though the King be neuer so iust and rightfull Yet will they not allow him the whole power in his owne hands and to rule as he list himselfe but he must bee assistwith forty Rectors or Iudges to the end he should not be sole Iudge in capital causes and if the King himselfe bee found faulty of any offence he is punished with death yet not with such a death as any one shall lay violent hands vpon him but by the common consent of all he is deposed from his Kingly authority and then famished to death whom when hee is dead the great men bury on this manner First they lay forth his body vpon the ground for the space of three daies and then fall to banquetting and slaying of all sorts of beasts for sacrifices which done they weepe ouer him burne his body and bury his bones in the ground and lastly vpon his monument they proclaime and set out combats of all sorts and especially the Monomachia which is the single combat or fighting of two hand to hand The armour and weapons which as Herodotus writeth they vsed in the warres against Darius were helmets made of foxes skinnes souldiours coates and short cassockes ouer them and vpon their legges they were buskins made of fawnes skinnes their weapons wore dartes targets short poyniardes and bowes wherein they bee so skilfull and expert as they alleadge that they were the first inuentors of that weapon Their language and the Scythians is al one Pliny writeth that all Thrace was once deuided into fifty Stratageas which are counties or captainships that part of Thrace which was once called Getica where Darius the sonne of Hydaspis was wel-nigh ouerthrowne is now called Valachia of the Flacci a family of Rome For the Romaines after they had ouercome and vtterly vanquished the Getes sent thither a Colony vnder the conduct of one Flaccus wherevpon the countrie was first called Flaccia and afterwards by corruption Valachia which opinion carrieth more likely-hood of truth for that the Romaine language is yet spoken in that Countrie but they speake it so corruptly as a Romane can scarce vnderstand it the Romaine letters also bee there vsed sauing that the forme or fashion of the letters is somewhat alterred their rites and ceremonies of Religion doe ioyntly agree cohere and are all one with the Greekes The Daci afterwardes possessed this Countrie of whom for a certaine space it was called Dacia but now it is enioyed by the Almaines the Siculi and the Valachians The Almaines or Teutones were a verie valiant and hardie people sent thether out of Saxonie by Charles the Great who in their owne naturall language and dialect were called Seibemburges of the seuen Cities which they inhabited The Siculi or Sicilians were an ancient people of Hungaria and such as abandoning their owne Countrie first came thither from out of Scythia and seated themselues in that Countrie Of the Valachians were two sortes of people and of two sundrie factions the Dragulae and the Dani otherwise called Davi for there doe some Greeke writers reporte that the Getes and Daui were the names of seruantes which in times past came thither from other places The Dragulae being neither equall nor matchable to the Danes nor able to make their partie good with them not much aboue a hundred yeere since brought the Turkes into that coūtry by whose force armes the Dani were almost vtterly killed and vanquished had not that valiant man Iohn Huniades brought aide
Sarmatia Vppon the West it bordereth vpon Slesia vpon Prussia and Massouia vpon the North vppon the East lyeth Ruthenia and Hungaria on the South The hill Carpathus which is there called Crapack diuideth the Countrey into two parts whereof that part which is next vnto Saxonie and Prussia is called the greater Polonia and the other the lesser lying ouer against Russia and Hungaria The whole kingdome is diuided as it were into foure seuerall and distinct Prouinces all which the king visiteth euery yeare in course one after another and each of them maintaineth the king and his whole court for three moneths together but if he stay longer then three months in any one part of the kingdome it is at their choice whether they wil yeeld him any further maintenance or no. The kings seate is the great and famous cittie Cracouia where is preserued and kept all the wealth of the kingdome and all the other citties are meane and simple in comparison of it most of their houses be made of rough stone rudely compacted and heaped together without mortar or clay and dawbed with mudde the countrey is full of woods and thickets the people bee prudent and wise courteous towards strangers and exceeding great drinkers as most of your Northerne people bee yet is there small store of Wine as hauing no Vines in all the whole country insteed whereof they drinke a kinde of counterfet Ale made of Wheat and other graine for the soyle is very fertile and affoordeth great store of wheat it is also very commodious and fitte for feeding yeelding large grounds for beasts to pasture in There is very good hunting as namely of wilde horses which haue hornes like Harts and the wilde Bull which the Romaines call Vrus mettall mines there bee none but onely of Ledde but Salt is there digged out of the ground in such aboundance as no one thing yeeldeth more custome to the King then that doth and there is so-great store of honey both in Poland and Russia that they haue not spare places sufficient wherein to keepe it for all their trees and woods bee couered blacke ouer with Bees The forme of their letters is much like vnto the Greeke Character their ceremonies of religion are indifferent betwixt the Romaine and the Greeke Church and both men and women in their apparrell doe much resemble the Greekes Of Hungaria and of the institutions and manner of liuing of the Hungarians CAP. 10. HVNGARIA is the same which was once called Pannonia although it was not so large and spacious a countrye when it was so called as now it is all betwixt the the riuer Laytha and the riuer Savus is knowne by the name of the inferiour or lower Pannonia Hungary beyond Danubius reacheth vnto Poland and comprehendeth all the country which was inhabited by the Gepidae and Daci so as the limits of the Empire is now farre larger then the name of the nation This land as auncient writers report is deuided into nine parts or diuisions which in the Germaine tongue bee called Hagas euery one whereof is compassed and inclosed with walls made of blockes or piles of oakes beech or fyr tree fixed fast in the ground twenty foote high and twenty foote broade The soyle is full either of hard stones or stiffe clay and all the vallies bee couered ouer with turfes vpon the borders or marches of the land bee many trees or shrubes planted and set which beeing cut vp and cast away will not-with-standing beare leaues and florish Euery one of these nine circles or diuisions of ground bee twenty Germaine miles distant one from another although they bee not all of one length but some one shorter than other some and in euery part of them bee Citties Castells and Villages builded in such good order and vniformity as a man may bee heard speake from one Castell Towne or village to another Their buildings be compassed and inclosed with strong walls but their gates bee ouer narrow for them to goe in and out at their pleasure to steale and filch from others Euery one of those Circles or inclosed portions of ground called hagges were wont to giue signes vnto others of euery accident by the sound of a trumpet The Pannones long since called Paeones were first that inhabited that land after whome it was possessed by the Huns a people of Scythia and after them by the Gothes which came out of the Ilands of the Germaine ocean when the Gothes were gone it was possessed by the Longabards which came from Scandinauia an iland of the Ocean also And lastly by the Hungarians who came from out the other Hungaria in Scythia which is not farre from the head of the riuer of Tanais and is now called Iuhra This Scithian Hungary is a miserable could country as being scituate wholy vnder the Frigid zone it is trybutary to the Duke of Muscouy the tribute which the inhabitants pay is neither gold nor siluer for thereof they haue none but rich Skins and furres of sundry wild beast as of Sabells and such like They neither plow nor sow nor haue any kind of bread but liue only vpon flesh of wild beasts and fish and drinke water and their lodgings bee cabbins made of twigs and bowes in groues and thicke woods wherevpon it insueth that men liuing in woods with wilde beasts weare neither linnen nor wollen garments but skins only either of harts beares or wolues Some of them addore the Sunne some the Moone and other Starrs or what euer first commeth to their vew they haue a proper and pecular language to themselues They fish for coralls that grow in the sea and fishes called Balenae of whose skins they make coaches and purses They haue exceeding fat Bacon whereof they sell much to other nations Vpon that side of this Hungary in Scythia which is neerest vnto the Ocean bee sundry little hills or cliffes vpon which certaine fishes called Mors or death fishes making offer by meanes of their teeth to clime to the toppe of the rockes when they bee almost at the highest their hold fayleth them and they fall downe and kill themselues with the fall These fishes doe the Inhabitants gather vp and eate reseruing their teeth which bee very white and broad which they exchange with strange Merchants for other commodities of these fish teeth bee made very good kniues hafts But Hungaria in Europe hath vpon the west Austria and Boemia vpon the South that part of Illyria which is next to the Adriatticke sea vpon the East lyeth Seruia once inhabited by the Triballii and Misii and now of many called Sagaria and vppon the North and Northeast Poland and Muscouie The chiefe Citty and Kings seate is Buda so called of Bada the brother of Attila the soyle of the country so much thereof as is errable is very fertile and there bee many veines of gold and siluer It is strange that is reported by the Inhabitants that there is a riuer in Pannonia whereinto if Iron
the Prouince of Celtica which is all that which is now the countrie of Lyons and from that againe vnto the Pyrenaean hils is the country of Aquitanica once called Armorica Augustus deuideth France into foure parts by adding to those three the Prouince of Lyons And Ammianus maketh many subdiuisions by distributing the country of Lions into two parts and Aquitanica into two parts Braccata Gallia which is also called Narbon was so called of a certaine fashion of mantles or breeches called Braccae which by them were much worne Gallia Belgica which adioyneth vnto Rhene speaketh for the most part the Almaine tongue and comprehendeth many prouinces as Heluetia Alsatia Lotharingia Luxenburg Burgundy Brabant Gelderland Holland Zeland all which may bee more rightly accounted part of Germany then of France but that the riuer of Rhene hath deuided it from Germany And surely I see no reason why hils riuers should limit bound Kingdoms but rather the language and gouernment and that each Country should extend as farre as his owne proper language is spoken The Romanes called the people of Gallia by one generall name Celtae after the name of their King and Gallatae of Galata his mothers name but they bee now called Franci and Gallia France of those people of Germanie so called by whom it was al subdued as Baptista Mantuanus writeth in his booke intituled Dionysius and Anthonius Sabellicus in his third booke of the tenth Aeneade The Dictator Caesar saith that the French men doe differ much amongst themselues both in language lawes and institutions and that many things be common to most of them as to bee factious which is a general aspertion not only vnto Citizens and Burgesses but in priuate families also for euery one as he excelleth others in wealth or wisdome contendeth to haue the souerainty and to aduance his owne faction coueting to haue all things done by his owne direction rather then by others though as wise wealthy as himself an other institution they haue very ancient and grounded vpon good reason that is that the common people should liue in security and not bee iniured by the nobility for but for that there is no country in the world wherein the clownes liue in greater contempt and slauery then in France for there was held little difference betwixt them and slaues being neuer called to any publike councel but oppressed with tributes or constrained to lend their money without security in so much as they were content to retaine to noble men and gentlemen yeelding themselues as slaues and bondmen vnto them only to bee freed from other mens extortions and wrongs There were two sorts of men that caried most estimation amongst them which were the Equites and the Druides some likewise did attribute as much honour to Poets and Prophets as vnto the Druides for that the Prophets bended their whole courses to finde out the causes of natural things the Poets wholy imployed themselues in praises and poems and all these were by Caesar called by the name of Druidae These Druidae had the charge and ouersight of al sacrifices both publike and priuate their function was also to expound and interpret their religion and to instruct and bring vp children and young men in learning and decipline for the assemblies and troupes of such youth were much accounted of to them was committed likewise the disciding of controuersies the bounding limitting of mens grounds power to punish offendors by death torments or otherwise and if either priuate person or Magistrate offred to withstand or gainsay any of their decrees or refused to stand to their awarde they would interdict and forbid him to come to their sacrifices which amongst that people was the greatest punishment that could bee inflicted The Druides shunned the communication and company of all men least they should bee polluted and no one could haue iustice or bee honoured and reuerenced according to his place dignity and deserts if any of these Druides were against it They had one that was the gouernor and Arch-priest ouer them who bore the chiefest sway as head of the whole order and euer as one of those prouosts or gouernors died an other was elected in his roome out of those Druides either by worthinesse of person or plurality of voices This councel or Senate of Druides assembled at one time of the yeere at Lyons which is about the middle of France and there they kept their Sessions for the hearing and determining of all controuersies that were brought before them from al parts of the Country which kinde of Iudgement and establishing of lawes and statutes was afterwards receiued amongst al the nobles commons of France the superstition beeing first brought out of Britany and by them called the Parliament of which I will speake more hereafter The Druides were exempted from the warres and had immunity from tribute and whosoeuer addicted himselfe to that kinde of profession must learne by heart thousands of verses yea so many as some of them spent twenty yeeres in conning verses without booke nor was it lawfull for them to commit any thing to writing that belonged to the knowledge of that science for that they auoided all meanes that might either bee a helpe vnto their memories or anywise concerne the authority of that discipline and also that their idle superstitious rites might not bee laide open to the common people and yet all other sorts of Gaules and themselues in all other matters both publike priuate vsed at that time the Greeke character The Druides beleeued and preached the immortality of the soule that after her departure out of one body shee remooued into an other by which means al feare of death being taken away they were more hardy and venturous to vndergo al dangers They would reason and dispute much of the stars and of their motion of the magnitude the worlde and sytuation of the earth and of the naturall causes of things and power of their prophane gods they held a position likewise that the world was eternall and that the elements of fire and water preuailed one against an other by turnes An other sort of religious persons and which were most deuoute of all others were those they called Equites and they when they fell into any dangerous disease or any other perill of their liues would offer for the recouery of their health or auoiding of imminent danger a humaine sacrifice which sacrifice must euer bee solemnized by the assistance of some one of the Druides Some others of that sect had great huge Images made hallow and couered with twigges into the concauity whereof they would put men aliue and then set fire about the Image vntill all were consumed away The punishment inflicted vpon theeues and offenders they esteemed most gratefull and acceptable to their gods and all those ancient Gaules held the god Mercury in great veneration as first founder and inuentor of all arts and misteries the
cal Ale and Beare and they haue much wines brought them out of other countries There bee many villages borrowes and cities whereof London is the chiefest of the nation the Kings seat and the most famous for trafficke and trading These are their customes and manners they vse in this age which are much differing from their customes they vsed the time of Iulius Caesar for at that time it was not lawfull for them to eate Hare Hen or Goose and yet would they norish and keepe them for their pleasures The people that inhabited the middle part of the country liued for the most part vpon milke and flesh beeing vtterly destitute of corne and cloathed themselues with skinnes Their faces they would die with woad to the end that in battaile they might breed a great terror to their enemies They wore long haire hanging downe about their shoulders and shaued all parts of their bodies but their heads one woman would haue tenne or more husbands at one time and it was lawfull for the brother to enioy his brothers wife the father the sonnes and the sonne the fathers and the children were accounted children to them all Strabo dissenting from the opinion of Caesar saith that the English are farre taller then the Frenchmen and of a shorter haire Thicke woods serued them in steed of cities wherein they builded them cabbines and cottages harboring themselues and their cattaile vnder one roofe The country is more subiect to raine then snow and when the weather is faire the earth is couered sometimes with a blacke clowde that for the space of foure houres together you shall see no Sunne at high noone Scotland the vttermost part of Britan towards the North is deuided from the other part of the Island onely with a riuer or small arme of the sea Not farre distant from Scotland lieth Ireland the people whereof vse one kinde of habite in no point differing one from an other They speake all one language and vse the selfe same customes They haue nimble wits and are very apt to reuenge vsing great cruelty in the warres though otherwise they bee sober and can indure all manner of wants with great facility They are naturally faire but nothing curious in their apparel The Scots of whom I spake before as some are of opinion were so called of the paynting of their bodies for it was an vsual and auncient custome there and especially amongst the rudest and barbarous kinde of people to paint and die their bodies armes and legs with varnish or vermillion which custome if all bee true as is written by ancient authors was practised by the Britans especially in time of warre the more to terrifie the enemy as before is said Aeneas Siluius saith that the shortest day in winter there is not aboue three houres long and it is a thing worthy the noting to see how poore folkes there stand about the Temples of their gods begging stones of passengers for them to burne for the country affoordeth but small store of fuell and the stones which they craue and get together in this manner are of a fat and sulphery condition and wil burne like coles Aeneas saith that hee heard there was a tree in Scotland that in Antumne whē the leaues were withered they fell of the tree into a riuer by vertue of the water were turned into birds This tree he saith hee sought for in Scotland but could not find it and that lastly it was told him by some that knew the Country well that this strange miracle was to be seene in one of the Isles of Orcades And thus farre mine Author concerning the estate of this Island by which appeareth the little acquaintance both hee and those writers out of which hee frameth this collection had with it for else would they not so sleightly haue slipt ouer the commendation of so worthy a Country and therefore I thought it not amisse in this place to supply their defects with this short addition of mine owne wherein happely you may perceiue a more liuely description of this our Realme of Great Britany and the condition of the inhabitants then could well bee expected from meere strangers BRITANNIA sometimes called Albion the worthiest and renownedst Island of all the world is in compasse as is said before according to the opinion of the best writers about 1836. English miles It is sytuated in a most milde temperate clymate the ayre beeing neither too hot in Sommer nor too cold in winter through which temperature it aboundeth with all sorts of graine fruits and cattaile that be either necessary or behoueful for mans life for besides that the Country is wholesome pleasant and delightsome there bee such store of ponds riuers and running waters for fish and foule such aboundance of forrests and chases for timber and fuel such large fields champion grounds for corne and graine such pastures and meadowes for sheepe and cattaile such orchards and gardens for pleasure and profit such hunting and hawking in fields fluds and forrests such strong castles such stately buildings such goodly cities and walled townes such beautifull houses of the Nobility disperced in all parts of the country such large territories such renowned vniuersities for the aduancement of learning and good letters such practise of religiō such places for pleading such trafficke and trading such maintainance of Iustice such generous dispositions in the nobles such ciuility amongst citizens such intercourse amongst the commons in a word such is the pompe riches florishing state of this Realme vnder the gouernment of our most gratious Prince King Iames that England at this day is so amply stored with natures richest guifts that she is not onely furnished with things sufficient to serue her selfe but sendeth forth sundry of her superfluous commodities into other countries also and for al things may iustly bee compared if not preferred to any country in Christendome who were the first inhabitants of this Island and why it was so called I finde it so diuersly reported that I rather leaue euery man to his opinion then by setting downe mine owne incurre the censure of ignorance and indiscretion but howsoeuer although it hath bin inhabited by sundry nations and deuided into seuerall Kingdoms yet doe I not finde that euer it admitted any other forme of gouernment but the Kingly authority only no not when it was dismembered into many Kingdomes but that then euery King had a perfect and absolute command ouer his subiects nor that any King of England either then or since it grew into a Monarchy did euer receiue his authority from any other Prince as his supreme but that euery King within the limits of his Kingdome was next vnto God sole and absolute gouernor the idle example of King Iohn onely excepted who without consent of his commons or establishment by act of parliament forced therevnto by the rebellion of his Nobles aided by the Dolphin of France resigned his crowne to the Popes Legate
Queene Margaret in the yeare of our Lord God 1506. 14 Magdalin Colledge founded by the Lord Audley in the yeare of our Lord 1509. and enlarged by Sir Christopher Wrey Lord chiefe Iustice of England 15 Trinity Colledge founded by k. Henry the 8. for the inlarging whereof he added thereunto Michael house and Kings hall and made therof one Colledge in the yeare of our Lord 1546. so as now the names of Michaell house and kings hall is almost worne out of memorie 16 Gonvel and Caius Colledge first founded by one Gonvell about the yeare of our Lord 1348. and perfected by Iohn Caius Doctor of Phisicke and by him called Gonuell and Caius Colledge in the yeare of our Lord 1557. 17 Emanuell Colledge founded by Sir Walter Mildmay in the yeare of our Lord 1588. 18 Sidney-Sussex Colledge founded by Francis Sidney Countesse of Sussex for the erecting whereof she bequeathed at her death fiue thousand pounds it was begun in the yeare of our Lord 1597. Now hauing thus farre spoken of the Country in particular it resteth to say something with like breuity of the seuerall sorts of people that inhabite the same their proceedings in courses of law as well spirituall as temporall and their seuerall Courts The whole number of English men may therefore be diuided into these foure ranckes or degrees of people that is to say Gentlemen or Noblemen Cittizens Yeomen and artificers or labourers Of Gentlemen or Nobility there be two sorts to wit the king himselfe the Prince Dukes Marquesses Earles Vicounts and Barons And this sort of Gentlemen are called Nobilitas maior and the second sort of Gentlemen or Nobility which are also called nobilitas minor consisteth of Knights Esquires and priuat Gentlemen into which ranke of gentry are added Students of the lawes and schollers in the Vniuersities next vnto the Gentry are cittizens whose fame and authority for the most part extendeth no further than their owne citties and boroughes wherin they liue and beare rule sauing that some few of them haue voices in our high Senate of Parlament The third order or degree are the Yeomanrie which are men that liue in the country vppon competent liuings of their owne haue seruants to do their businesse for them serue vpon Iuries and Inquests and haue generally more employment in the gouernement of the common-wealth then citizens haue And the last and lowest sort of our people are artificers or labourers which though they be rude and base in respect of our gentry yet are they much improoued and bettered by conuersing with Gentlemen cittizens and yeomen so as if those authors were now liuing that haue written so contemptuously of all estates of our people vnder the degree of gentry and saw the ciuilitie now generally practised amongst most of vs they would not for some few of the rascalitie censure and condemne all as base and ignoble All these seuerall sorts and degrees of people in our kingdome may more briefly bee deuided into two Orders or ranckes that is to say the Nobilitie and the Commons vnder the title of Nobilitie are comprehended all the Nobilitas maior together with the Bishops that haue place in the vpper house of Parlament and by the commons are meant the nobilitas minor cittizens yeomen and labourers who by common consent elect from amongst them Knights and Burgesses to possesse the lower house of Parlament who haue their voices there in the name of the whole multitude of commons for the making and establishing of lawes ordonances and statutes The Parlament therfore is the highest most absolute Sessions or iudiciall Senate in the whole kingdome consisting of the King himselfe and the Lords spirituall and temporall in their own persons which is the higher house and the whole body of the commons represented by the Knights and Burgesses lawfully elected and those are called the lower house In this high Court of Parlament are such new lawes made and ordained and such old statutes abrogated and annihilated in part or in all as are agreâ—â— vppon by consent of both houses and confirmed by the King so as whatsoeuer is there decreed and constituted is inuiolably to be obserued as established by the generall assembly of the whole kingdome There be three manner of wayes by one custome of England whereby definitiue iudgements are giuen by act of Parlament by battell and by great assise The manner of giuing Iudgement in the Parlament in matters depending betwixt Prince and subiect or partie and party concerning lands and inheritances is by preferring of billes into the houses of Parlament and by the allowance or disallowance thereof but such billes are seldome receiued for that the Parlament is chiefly summoned and assembled for the setling and establishing of matters for the good of the King and common-wealth not to busie themselues in priuate quarrels The triall by battell likewise though it bee not vtterly abrogated and altogether annihilated yet is it quite growne out of vse at this day So as the most vsuall manner of Iudgement is by the verdict of twelue men lawfully impaneled and sworne to giue a true verdict concerning the matter in question be it for life or land or any thing tending to the hurt or good of any subiect whatsoeuer These twelue men ought to be Legales homines as wee terme them that is men of good quality fame and abilitie and they are to giue their verdict according to their euidence before a lawfull Iudge in their Sessions at termes and times vsually appointed for those purposes And for that there be many suites of diuers natures therefore bee the trials therof in diuers courts and before diuers Iudges whereof the chiefest bench or tribunall seate of Iudgement is the Kings bench so called for that the Kings of England haue sat there theÌ„selues in person and this Court is chiefly for pleas of the Crowne the Iudges whereof bee called Iustices of the Kings bench and they be commonly foure or fiue in number whereof one is head and therfore called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Kings bench and by that place he is also Lord Chiefe Iustice of England Next vnto the Kings bench is the Court of Common pleas which is for all matters touching lands and contracts betwixt partie and partie and of this Court be likewise foure or fiue Iudges the chiefest whereof is called the Lord chiefe Iustice of the Common-pleas and this court may well be called the Common-pleas as being the chiefest place for the exercise of the Common law And there may none plead at the Common pleas barre but Sergegeants at the law onely wheras in all other Courts councellors that be called to the barre may plead their Clyents causes as well as Sergeants The third Court for practise of the common law is the Exchequer where all causes are heard that belong to the Kings Treasury The Iudges of this Court are the Lord high Treasurer of England the Chancelor of the Exchequer the Lord chiefe Baron and
simple and they couet for nothing but to suffice nature they eate flesh some-times boylde and sometimes broyld and dresse their meate them-selues reiecting the Arte of Cookery and all seasoning of their meates with salte or spices as friuolous and vnnecessary They worship the Firmament the Sunne and the rest of the celestiall bodyes they catch diuerse sorts of fishes and birds and they haue great store of Olyue trees and Vines which naturally hold their increase so as they haue Oliues and Grapes in aboundance without trauell or cost These Ilands also produce serpents that bee great ones but nothing hurtfull the flesh whereof is maruelous sweete and delicious Their garments are of a sine white Cotton or Downe which groweth in the middle of Reedes which being dyed with the Iuyse of these sea fishes that coloureth purple they make themselues purple garments thereof There be also diuerse sorts of liuing creatures of strange and almost incredible natures They obserue a certaine order and strict course in their dyet eating but onely one kinde of meate vppon one day for some day they eate fishes an other day fowles an other flesh of beasts and some-times Oyle and the table where they eate theyr meate is very meane and simple They bee addicted to diuerse exercises for some serue and are serued in course some are imployed in fishing some in fowling some in sundry Artes and manuall occupations and all of them in generall are busied in some one thing or other that redoundeth to their common good In their sacred ceremonies and vpon holy dayes they sing lawdes and himnes in honor of their gods and especially of the Sunne to whome they dedicate themselues and their Islands They bury their dead bodyes vpon the sea coast couering the carcasse with sand that by the flowing and inundation of the waters there may bee a great heape of sand in the place where the corpes are buryed The canes whereof they eate the fruite as they say doe increase and decrease according to the disposition of the Moone The water of their fountaines is both sweet and holsome alwayes hotte vnlesse it bee mingled either with wine or cold water When Iambolus and his companion had liued in that Iland seauen yeares they were forced to depart for the Ilanders held them to bee euill liuers and of bad behauiour and conuersation and therefore prouiding their shippe ready and victualling her they set forward on their iourney though fore against their wills and at the foure months end they came to the King of India by whome they were afterwards safely conducted through Persia and brought into Greece Of the Iland called Taprobane and of the manners of the Inhabitants CAP. 26. TAPROBANE before mans venterousnesse by exquisit searching into euery creeke and corner of the sea had truely and throughly discouered it was held to be as it were an other world that wherein the Antipodes were supposed to dwell But Alexander the great by his prowesse and valour remooued the ignorance of this common error which did much augment and increase the glory of his name for Onesicritus the praefect of his nauie being by him sent to search out what manner of land it was what commodities it yeelded and how and by whom it was inhabited made it most apparent and manifest vnto vs. The length of the Iland is seauen thousand stadia and fiue thousand in breadth and it hath a riuer running through the middle of it that deuideth it into two parts Some part of this Iland is wholy replenished with beasts and Elephants which be farre bigger then India breedeth any and some part of it is well peopled There bee great store of Pearles and precious stones of diuerse kindes It is situated East and West and beginneth at the sea called fretum Indioe from Prasla a countrie in India into Taprobane at the first discouery thereof was the space of 25. dayes sayling but it was with such boates as the riuer of Nilus carried that were made of reedes for at this day with our shippes it is not aboue seuen dayes sayle The sea that deuideth the Iland in twaine in many places is very shallow being not aboue seuen foote deepe but in some other places againe the channell is so exceeding deepe that no anchor can reache the bottome In sayling they obserue not the course of the starres for the North pole and the seauen starres doe neuer appeare to their view and the Moone is no longer seene in their Horizon but from the sixt day after his change to the sixteenth but the cleere and radiant starre called Canopus shineth there very bright and the Sunne riseth vppon their right hands and setteth vppon their left With coyne they were altogether vnacquainted vntill the raigne of the Emperour Claudius and it is reported that they were greatly amazed at the sight of money because it was stamped with sundry figures and similitudes and yet in weight and substance was all one In stature and bignesse of body they exceed all other men of what nation so euer They dye and coulour their hayre browne their heires bee gray or blew their visage grimme and sterne and their voyce harshe and terrible Those which dye an vntimely death liue commonly till they bee a hundred yeare old but those which spend out the full course of nature liue till they bee maruelous old farte exceeding mans ordinary frayltie They neuer sleepe in the day time and but part of the night neyther for they risâ— exceeding early Their buildings bee meane and lowe and their victualls alwayes alike they haue great store of Apples but no Vines They honor Hercules as their God Their Kings are elected as well by the voyces of the commons as by the nobility for the peoples care is to choose one of great clemencie and vnprooueable manners and such a one as is well striken in yeares and withall that hath no children for he which is a father is not there admitted to be a King be he neuer so good and vertuous and if the King at any time during his raigne hap to haue a child he is therefore instantly deposed and depriued of all Princely iurisdiction and this they doe for because they will not haue their kingdome become hereditary Moreouer bee their King neuer so iust and vpright yet will they not commit the absolute gouernment wholy into his hands for to the end he should not be sole Iudge in capitall causes there be forty Rectors or Guides annexed vnto him as his assistants and if the iudgement of the King and his forty assistants seeme partiall or distastfull to any one he may from them appeale to the people who haue likewise seuenty Iudges allowed them for the determining of such causes as come to them by way of appeale and the sentence that is pronounced by these seuenty Iudges must of necessity stand inuiolable The King in his apparell differeth much from the people and if he be found guilty of any offence
gates of their houses be neuer shut but stand alwayes open Amongst the Pedalians a people of India not hee which is cheefe in the sacrifice but hee that is most prudent of all those which be present deuineth and they desire nothing of the gods in their prayers but Iustice onely the Praysij or Phrasij succour with sustenance their neighbours afflicted by famine The people called Telchines dwelled first in the I le of Creete and afterwards inhabited the I le of Cyprus also from whence they remooued into Rhodes and inioyde that Iland where they began to bee very malicious and enuious and exercising themselues in Mechanicall Artes and imitating the workes of their elders they were the first that erected the Idoll of Telchinian Minerua which is as much to say as enuious Minerua It is not lawfull amongst the Tartessians for the younger to giue testimony against the elder The people of Lucania excercise iudgement and inflict punishment as well for luxury and sloth as for any other offence what-so-euer and hee which is proved to lend any thing to a luxurious person is fined at the value of the thing lent Amongst the Saunites or Samnites is once euery yeare a publike Iudgement pronounced both of young men and maides and which of the youngmen is adiudged best by the censure of the Iudges shall first make his choyse which of the Virgins hee will haue to his wife and the second to him chooseth next and so of all the rest in order The Limyrnij haue their wiues in common their children be likewise brought vp at their common charge vntill they accomplish the age of fiue yeares and in the sixt yeare they be brought together into one place where all the fathers be assembled to make coniecture whom euery childe doth most resemble which done they assigne vnto euery father the child that is likest vnto him and by that meanes euery one acknowledgeth his owne child as neere as he can and bringeth him vp as his owne whether he be so or noe The Sauromatae or Sarmatae pamper and gorge themselues with meate for the space of three daies together that they may be throughly filled they obey their wiues in all things as their Ladies and Mistresses and noe maide there is admitted to marry before she hath beene the death of som enimy The Cercetae punish all offenders so seuerely as they prohibite them to sacrifice And if any marryner or gouernor of a boate split or runne his shippe or boate vpon a rocke all men that passe by him spit at him in contempt The Mosyni keepe their Kings in strong castles and if any of them be adiudged carelesse of the common-wealth hee is there famished to death The graine which the earth yeeldeth there is equally distributed amongst the people sauing some small part thereof which is reserued in common to releeue strangers The Phryges or Pryges abstaine from al swearing so as they will neither sweare themselues nor constraine others to sweare And if any man amongst them kill a labouring or draught oxe or priuily taketh or stealeth any instrumēt of husbandry he is punished with death They bury not their Priests when they bee dead in the ground but place or set them vpright vpon pillers of stone of tenne cubits high The Lycij attribute more honor to their women then to men and all of them take their names after their mothers In like manner they make their daughters their heires and not their sonnes And if any freeman be conuicted of theft hee is punished with perpetuall seruitude They giue not their testimony in deciding controuersies at an instant but alwaies at the Months end that they may haue time inough to delibrate what testimony to giue The Pisidae at their bankets sacrifice the first of their feasts to their parents as vnto the Gods the protectors of alliance and friendshippe Their sentence for the misusing of things laid to gage is most seuere for hee which is there conuicted deceytfully to put them to other vse then taken in adultery he together with the addulteresse woman are for a punishment led through the citty sitting vpon an asse and that for the space of certaine dayes appoynted The Aethiopians attribute the chiefest honour vnto their sisters and the Kings leaue their sisters children to succeed them in their Kingdomes and not their owne but if there bee no such children to whome the right of succession belongeth then they choose for their King hee that is most indued with valour and comlinesse of personage piety and iustice are much practised amongst them dwelling houses they haue none but liue altogether without doors and when as many times it happeneth much of their goods lieth abroad in the common waies yet they be so true as no one stealeth any thing from them Amongst the Buaei a people of Libia or affricke a man hath dominion ouer the men and a woman ouer the women The Basuliei a people of Lybia when they make wars ioyne their battells in the night and keepe peace all the day The Dapsolybies assemble them-selues together into one place and marry at the same time they be so assembled after the setting of the seauen starres their manner of marrying is thus after they haue banqueted a while their lights or torches for their meetings for this purpose are in the night are put forth and extinguished and then they go vnto the women sitting by themselues in the darke and which of the women any man shal take at aduentures her hee hath to his wife Amongst the Ialchleueians a people of Libya when many corriuals goe about to obtaine the loue of one woman they suppe all together with the father of the woman they desire in mariage where they spend the supper time in taunting and scoffing one another with pleasant quippes and Iests and hee whome the woman doth most arride and best conceiue of hath her to his wife The Sardolybies make no prouision of houshold stuffe but onely of a cuppe and a sword The Alytemij a people of Libia choose the most pernicious Kings they can get but for the rest of the people hee which is most iust is of greatest dignity The Nomades a people of Libia also in their computation of times account by the nights and not by the dayes The Apharantes a people of Libia are not distinguished and knowne by proper names as other people bee they reuyle the Sunne at his rysing because hee produceth and bringeth all euills to light and they account those daughters the best which keepe their virginity longest When any of the Baeotians are become banckrupts and not able to pay their debts they are brought into the common market place and there constrayned to sit together and be couered all ouer with a basket and those which haue this punishment inflicted vpon them are accounted for euer
after for infamous persons which punishment as some thinke was imposed vpon the father of Euripydes who had his beginning from the people of Baeotia The Assiryans sell their virgins in the open market to any that desire to marry them and those which be most beautyfull bee first sould and then the rest but when they come to the most deformed they make proclamation by a common cryer how much mony any one will take to marry them and so by this meanes that which is gotten for the saile of the faire virgins is bestowed in placing the foule in like-manner they ioyne together those that in their manners bee most like for grauity and humanity With the Persians that which is esteemed dishonest to bee done is held vnfitting to bee spoken if any one kill his father they esteeme him a changeling and not a naturall childe if the King command any one to bee beaten or whipped hee is as thankefull as if he had receued a great benefit because the King remembred him they which haue many children are for that cause regarded of the King and they teach their children as well to speake the truth as to learne any art whatsoeue◠Amongst the Indians when any one is deceiued or cozoned of that which hee lent or left in trust with an other he bringeth not his action against him that deceiued him but imputeth the fault to him selfe because he trusted him if any one cut of the hand or pull out the eye of an artificer hee is punished with death for it hee which is guilty of any haynous offence is by the Kings command shauen which is the greatest ignominy amongst them that may bee when an Indian man dyeth one of his wiues which hee most loued in his life time is layde on the pyle and burned with him And there is great controuersie and stryfe amongst them euery one hauing their friends to speake and plead for them who shall bee shee that shall bee burned with her deceased husband for each one desireth it The Lacedemonians thinke it not fitting nor honest to bestow themselues in learning any other arts then such as belong to the warres the men dyet all together in one place they reuerence all old men as their parents and as the men haue exercises proper to them-selues so haue the maides likewise to themselues It is not lawfull for strangers to dwell at Spatta nor for a Spartane to trauell into other countries they giue power and licence to their wiues to take the fairest men they can finde to beget children of them whether they be Cittizens or strangers It is vnseemly for a Spartane to make any gaine of any thing their money is made of Lether and if any man haue either gold or siluer found in his house hee dyeth for it They account it the greatest glory that may bee to shew themselues humble and obedient vnto Magistrates and farre more happy are they accounted amongst them that dye an honourable death then those which liue in great prosperity Their children by a certaine custome they vse are whipped round about a pillar till most of them bee runne away and those which tarry still vnder the whipps haue Garlands giuen them for a reward for they hold it vnhonest to take any dastard for their companions schoole-fellowes or friends Old men when they draw neere their deaths bee censured who of them haue liued well and who otherwise when an armie is conducted without the limitts of their country a certaine Priest which they call Pirphorus that is to say a fire-bearer maketh and kindleth a fire at the Altar of Iupiter their guide which fire he carieth before the King keeping it euer from going out The King when he goeth to the warres is attended with Prophets and Soothsayers Phisitions and Minstrils and they vse Pipes or Flutes in the warres in steed of trumpets and those which fight be adorned with garlands All men arise to the King to doe him reuerence but the officers called Ephori and the King is sworn before he enter into his Kingdome to gouerne according to the lawes of the common-wealth The Cretenses were the first of all the Grecians that obeyed the lawes ordained by King Minos who was first that obtained dominion of the sea This Minos when hee inuented and framed those lawes fained that hee learned them of Iupiter and therefore for the space of nine yeeres together he would vsually goe vnto a certaine hil wherein was a denne consecrated to Iupiter and euer when hee returned backe hee brought some new lawes to the Cretenses as though hee had beene their instructed by Iupiter Of this Minos and his fained conference with Iupiter Homer speaketh thus Amongst them saith hee is the City called Gnossus where Minos who had often conference with the great god Iupiter raigned nine yeeres The Cretensian children be broght vp altogether in one publike place and that very hardly and painefully for they be much accustomed to hunting when they bee yong and to run barefooted as also to goe armed to the Pirrichan vawting or leaping whereof Pyrrichicus Cydoniates a Cretensian born is said to be the inuentor which is a very laborious difficult exercise for youth The men in like maner eate together in one publike place by reason of their sustenance and prouision all things be indifferently ministred vnto them the gifts or presents which amongst them be in most request be weapons The Autariatae if any of there souldiors faint or sick by the way wil rather kil them then leaue them liuing in a strang place The Triballi set their army in foure squadrons or orders the first ranke consisteth of those which bee feeble and weake the next vnto it of such as bee stronge and lustie the third of horse-men and the last of women which when all the rest be put to flight sticke to their enemies still pestring and afflicting them with their reuilings and skoldings The Cusiani bewaile those which bee borne into the world and account them happy and blessed that depart out of this life The Cij whē they haue burned their dead bodies gather vp all their bones and beate them to poulder in a morter and then taking ship they lanch into the deepe where putting the poulder into a siue they scatter and disperce it in the winde till all be blowne away and consumed The Tauri a people of Scythia when their King is dead bury with his body such of his friends as hee loued best in his life time and on the other side the King when any of his friends die cutteth off part of the lap of his eare either more or lesse as his deceased friend was of deserts The Sindi when they bury any one looke how many enemies hee slew in his life time iust so many fishes doe they cast into his sepulcher with him The Colchi bury not their dead bodies in the ground but hang them
and of vnreproueable manners both which I haue knowne by sight These two and Mathew the Ethiopian Embassador sayled towards India vnder the conduct of Lupo Soarez the Viceroy and after his death vnder Viceroy Didaco Lupeza a Sequeira who was Lupos successor with a Nauy well furnished which hee had prepared against the Turkes by whom they were brought to a hauen called Arquicum situated vpon the Erythraean shore vnder the dominiō of Prester Iohn into which hauen the ship ariued vpon the second day of Aprill in the yeare of Christ 1520. In which iourney Edward Galuanus dyed in Camara an Island in the Erythraean sea Rhodericus Limius was placed in his stead who with his fellowes in Embassage set forwards on their iourney from the said hauen of Arquicum towards the Court of Prester Iohn hauing Mathew with them as their guide and companion for that young man Abesynus whom I formerly mentioned was dead before this time And in this iourney Mathew dyed likewise and was buried in a famous Monastery called Bisayn after whose funerals performed they set forwards on their intended iourney and after great trauels infinite labours and many dangers they arriued at the Court of Prester Iohn of whom Rhodoricke with his associates were very honorably receiued and he hauing perfected his businesse and receiued new message was sent backe againe vnto King Emanuell which done hee went to the hauen of Arquicum but found not the Nauy there of whom Ludouicus Menesius was gouernour and which came purposely thither to carry them backe againe for they stayed so long that the ship could no longer expect their comming by reason of the outragious and vehement tempests within those coasts by an admirable secret of nature blow sixe monethes together from one climate and the other sixe monethes from the other At Arquicum hee found letters with the Gouernor of the towne left there by Pretor Ludouicus perporting the death of king Emanuell wherefore he determined to returne againe to Prestor Iohns Court at whose returne Prester Iohn writ letters vnto the Pope of Rome committing them to Francis Aluarez to bee carried to him at Rome All these hauing remained in those prouinces for the space of sixe yeares in the the end together with the Ethiopian Embassador whom Prester Iohn sent anew vnto our King entred into one of the Kings ships at Arquicum which was there laid for the purpose in the moneth of Aprill in the yeare of Christ 1526. and disankering thence sailed towards India and at length by tedious trauels at sea they returned to King Iohn at Lisbon in the moneth of Iuly in the yeare 1527. who retained the Ethiopian Embassador with him touching certaine poynts of his Embassage vnto the yeare 1539. and sent Francis Aluarez vnto Pope Clement the seuenth with letters from Prester Iohn from whom he came as Embassador Which letters the Pope receiued at the hands of the said Francis Aluarez at Bononia in the moneth of Ianuary 1533. In the presence of the Emperour Charles the fift of which letters and of others written to Emanuell and Iohn King of Portugall Paulus Iouius a very learned man was interpretor who hath translated them out of the Portingall language wherein they were written into Latine as here you may see A letter from Dauid the most renowned Emperour of Aethithiopia written to Emanuell King of Portugall in the yeare of our Lord 1521. Paulus Iouius being interpretor IN the name of God the Father as hee alwaies hath beene voyd of all beginning in the name of God his onely sonne who is like vnto him and was before the starres gaue light and before hee laid the foundation of the Ocean who at another time was conceiued in the wombe of the blessed Virgin without the seede of man without mariage for in this maner was the knowledge of his dutie in the name of the holy Ghost the Spirit of sanctity who knoweth all secrets that be where he was before that is of al the altitudes of heauen which is sustained without any pillers or props hee who amplified the earth which before was not created nor knowne through all parts from the east to the west from the north to the south Neither is this the first or second but the vndiuided Trinity in the only eternall Creator of all things of one only councell and one word for euer and euer Amen These letters are sent by Atani Thingil that is to say the incense of a virgin which name was giuen him in baptisme but now at his first entrance into his kingdome he tooke the name of Dauid the beloued of God the piller of faith a kinsman of the tribe of Iuda the son of Dauid the son of Salomon the son of the piller of Sion the son of the seed of Iacob a son of the hand of Mary and the carnal son of Nav Emperour of great and high Ethiopia and of great kingdoms lands and dominions king of Xoa Caffate Fatigar Angote Boru Baaligaze Adea Vangue Goiame where is the head of the riuer Nilus of Damaraa of Vaguemedri Ambeaa Vagne Tigri Mahon of Sabain where Saba was Queene and of Bermagaes and Lord vnto Nobia the end of Egypt These letters I say bee sent from him and directed to the high mightie and inuincible Lord Emanuell who dwelleth in the loue of God and remaineth firme in the Catholicke faith the sonne of the Apostles Peter and Paul King of Portingall and of the Algarbians friend of Christians enemy iudge Emperour and vanquisher of the Moores and of the people of Affricke and of Guiennea from the Promontory and Island of the Moone of the redde sea of Arabia Persis and Armutia of great India and of all places and of those Islands and adiacent Countries spoyler and ouerthrower of the Moores and strange Paganes Lord of Castles high Towers and Walles and increaser of the faith of Christ Peace be vnto you King Emanuell who by Gods assistance destroyest the Moores and with your Nauy your Armie and your Captaines driuest them vp and downe like vnbeleeuing dogges Peace be vnto your wife the Queene the friend of Iesus Christ hand-maide of the virgine Mary the mother of the Sauiour of the world Peace bee vnto your Sonnes who bee as a Table well furnished with dainties in a greene Garden amongst the flourishing Lillies Peace bee vnto your Daughters who are attired with garments and costly ornaments as Princes Palaces bee garnished with Tapestry Peace bee vnto your kinsfolkes which bee procreated of the seede of the Saints as the Scripture saith the sonnes of the Saints be blessed both within doores and without Peace be vnto your Councellors officers your Magistrates Lawyers Peace be vnto the captains of your castles borders and of all matters of munition Peace bee vnto all your Nation and to all your inhabitants Moores and Iewes excepted Peace be vnto all your parishes and to all that be faithfull to Christ and to you Amen I vnderstand
man of that embassage and with him was Francis Aluarez whom for his honesty of life singular religion and iustice I haue held most deere and especially for that being demanded of his faith he answered thereunto very fitly and truely And therefore you ought to exalt him and to call him maister and to imploy him in conuerting the people of Macua and of Dalaca of Zeila and of all the Islands of the red sea because they bee in the bounds of my kingdomes And I haue granted vnto him a Crosse and a staffe in token of his authority and doe you commaunde that these things may be giuen vnto him and that hee may bee made Bishiop of those Countries and Islands because hee well deserueth it and is very fitting to administer that office and God shall doe good unto thee that thou maiest bee alwaies strong against thy enemies and constraine them to prostrate themselues at thy feet I pray God prolong thy life and make thee partake of the kingdome of heauen in the best place euen as I wish for my selfe for with my eares haue I heard much good of you and I see with mine eies that which I thought I should neuer haue seene and God will make all things to goe well with you and your seate shall bee vpon the tree of life which is the seate of the Saints Amen As a young child I haue done what euer you commanded mee and will doe if your Embassadors come hither that we may aid one another by our mutuall forces I shall giue and cause to bee giuen vnto all your Embassadors which shal come hither what euer you will signifie to be done and as you did at Macna at Dalaca and at the ports in the streights of the redde sea that wee may bee prosperously ioyned together both in Councell and action as I doe chiefly desire for when your Forces shall come to those Coastes I will speedily bee with them with my Armie also and because there bee no Christians in the Marches of my Countrie nor any Churches for Christians I will giue vnto your people those lands to dwell in which be neerest vnto the dominion of the Moores for it behoueth that you bring your beginnings to a good end In the meane space send to me learned men and caruers of Images of gold and siluer workers of copper likewise and of Iron of tinne and of lead and Artificers to imprint bookes for the Church in our language and some that can make gold foyle or thin plates or raies of gold and with the same can guild other mettals these shall bee courteously entertained in my house and if they shall desire to depart I will giue vnto them large ample rewards for their labours And I sweare by God Iesus Christ the sonne of God that I will freely suffer them to depart when they please This I most boldly and confidently desire because your vertue is apparant vnto me and your goodnesse well knowne And for that I know you loue me well whereof I am most assured because for my sake you receiued Mathew very honourably and liberally and so sent him backe againe and therfore I couet to desire those things neither be thou ashamed of it for I will truly accomplish and performe all things That which the Father desireth of the Sonne cannot bee denyed and you are my Father and I your Sonne and wee bee coupled and ioyned together and as one bricke is ioyned to another in a wall so we being so to agree together in one heart and in the loue of Iesus Christ who is the head of the world and those which be with him be likened to brickes ioyned together in a wall Letters from the said DAVID Emperour of Aethiopia vnto Iohn the third of that name King of Portugall written in the yeare of our redemption 1524. and interpreted by Paulus Iouius IN the name of God the Father almighty maker of heauen and earth and of all things that be made either visible or inuisible in the name of God the sonne Christ who is the sonne and Councell and prophet of the Father in the name of God the holy Ghost the Aduocate of the liuing God equall to the Father and the Sonne who spake by the mouth of the Prophets breathing vpon the Apostles that they might giue thanks and praise vnto the holy Trinity which is euer perfect in heauen and in earth in the sea and in the deepe Amen I surnamed Virgins Frankincense which name was giuen me at my baptisme and now taking vpon me the gouernment of my kingdome I haue also assumed the name of Dauid the deerely beloued of God the pillar of the faith the issue or stocke of Iuda the sonne of Dauid the sonne of Salomon Kings of Israell the sonne of the columne or piller of Sion the sonne of the seed of Iacob the sonne of the hand of Mary and the son of Nav by the flesh send these letters and message vnto Iohn the most high mighty and potent King of Portugall and of the Algarbians the sonne of King Emanuell Peace bee vnto you and the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ remaine alwaies with you Amen At that time that the power of the King your father was reported vnto me who made war against the Moores the sons of the abhominable accursed Mahomet I gaue great thankes vnto God for your increase greatnes and for the crown of your conuersation in the house of Christianitie In like manner I tooke pleasure by the comming of your Embassadors which reported vnto me that kings speeches whereby a singular loue knowledge friendship was established betwixt vs vtterly to extirpe driue away those wicked accursed Moores and vnbeleeuing Gentiles which dwell betweene your kingdomes mine But while I was thus ioyfull I heard that your father and mine was departed out of this life before I could dispatch my Embassadors from hence vnto him and therefore my ioy was suddenly turned into sadnes so that in the great sorrow of my heart all the States and Noble men of my Court and Ecclesiasticall Prelates and all which liue in Monasteries and all our subiects wholly made great lamentaion with me so as the pleasure we conceiued of the first message was equalled and extinguished with the sorrow of the last Sir from my first entrance into my kingdomes vnto this present time no message nor messenger hath come vnto me either from the King or kingdome of Portugall but in the life time of the King your Father who sent his Captaines and Gouernours vnto mee with Clearkes and Deacons which brought with them all solemne prouision and apparell for the Masse for which I reioyced greatly and receiued them honourably and shortly after dismissed them that they might returne with honour and peace And after they came to a Hauen of the sea which is within my limits in the redde sea they found not the great Gouernour of the Nauie there whom your father had sent
for he expected not their comming but certified mee that hee could not stay their comming for that your custome is to create a new chiefe Gouernour of the Fleete once euery three yeares in which meane time hee that was newly created came thither and this was the cause that the Embassadors staied longer then was needfull But now I send my Messages by Christopher the brother of Licontius whose name at his baptisme is Zoga Zabo which is as much to say as the grace of the Father and hee shall manifest my desires before you In like manner I send Francis Aluarez vnto the Pope of Rome who in my name shall yeeld my obedience vnto him as is fitting O Sir King my brother giue eare and attend indeuor to embrace that friendship which your Father opened betwixt vs and send your Messengers and Letters often vnto vs for I greatly desire to see them as from my brother for so it should be seeing wee are both Christians And seeing the Moores which be wicked and naught accord and agree together in their sect And now I pretest I will neuer hereafter admit any Embassadors from the Kings of Egypt nor from other Kings which send Embassadors vnto me but from your highnesse which I much desire should often come for the Kings of the Moores account me not their friend by reason of our disagreement and disparitie in religion yet they faine friendship that by that meanes they may more freely and safely exercise merchandise in our kingdomes which is very profitable vnto them for they carry great store of gold wherof they be very greedy out of my kingdoms though they be but hollow friends vnto me and their commodities bring me but little pleasure but this hath beene tollerated because it hath been an ancient custome of our former Kings and though I make no warres vpon them nor vtterly ouerthrow them and bring them to destruction yet in this I am to be borne withall lest if I did so they should violate and pull downe the holy Temple which is at Ierusalem wherein is the sepulcher of our Sauiour Christ which God hath suffered to be in the power of the wicked Moores and also least they should make leuell with the ground other Churches which be in Egypt and Syria And this is the cause why I doe not inwade and subdue them which thing greatly irketh me and I am the rather perswaded so to doe seeing I haue no bordering Christian king to assist me and to cheere and incourage my heart in that or the like enterprise And therefore my selfe O King haue no great cause to reioyce of the Christian Kings of Europe vnderstanding that they agree not together in one heart but that warres bee very rife amongst them Bee you all of one Christian-like minde for you ought all of you to bee content of a firme peace amongst you And certainly if any of my neighbouring Christian Kings were ioyned with me in an amiable league as they ought I would neuer depart from him one houre And of this I know not well what I should say or what I should do seeing they seeme to be so ordained by God Sir send your Messengers more often vnto mee I beseech you for when I looke vpon your letters then mee thinkes I behold your countenance And surely greater friendship ariseth betwixt those wich bee farre distant then those which dwell neere together by reason of the great desire wherewith they bee delighted for he which hath hidden treasures though he cannot see them with his eyes yet in his heart hee euer loueth them most ardently as our Sauiour Iesus Christ saith in the Gospell where thy treasure is there is thy heart also And in like manner ought you to make mee your treasure and to cowple your heart sincerely with mine O my Lord and brother keepe this word for you bee most prudent and as I heare much like vnto your Father in wise-dome which when I vnderstood I forthwith gaue praise vnto God and laying aside all griefe conceiued ioy and said Blessed is the wise sonne and of great estimation the sonne of King Emanuell which sitteth in the throne of his fathers kingdomes My Lord beware then faint not seeing thou art as strong as thy father was nor shew thy forces to be weake against the Moores and Gentiles for by the assistance of God and thine owne vertue thou shalt easily vanquish and destroy them neither shalt thou say that thou hadst small power left thee by thy father for truely it was great inough and God shall euer bring thee helpe I haue men money and munition in aboundance like the sands of the sea and the starres of heauen and we ioyning our forces together may easily destroy the rudenes and barbarousnes of the Moores And I desire nothing else of you but skilfull men which bee able to instruct my souldiers to keepe their orders and rankes in battell And thou O King art a man of perfect age King Salomon tooke vpon him the gouernment of his kingdome when he was but twelue yeares of age yet of great power and more wise then his father And my selfe likewise was but a childe of eleuen yeares of age when my father Nav departed this life and being entred into my Fathers seate by Gods ordinance I obtained greater wealth and forces then euer my Father had for in my power bee all the borderers and Nations of the Kingdome Wherefore both of vs ought to giue incessant thankes vnto God for so great benefites receiued Giue care vnto mee my brother and Lord for this at one word I desire of you that you will send vnto mee learned men that can carue images imprint bookes and make Swordes and and all kinde of weapons for the warres head Masons likewise and Carpenters and physitions that haue skill to make medicines and cure wounds I would also haue such as can drawe gold into thin plates and bee able curiously to carue and ingraue gold and siluer and such likewise as haue knowledge to get gold and siluer from out the veines of the earth and to worke in all manner of mettall mines Besides these I shall much esteeme of such as can make couerings for houses of leade and will teach others how to make tiles of chalke or clay To conclude I shall haue vse of all manner of Artificers and especially of such as can make Gunnes Helpe mee therefore I pray you in these things as one brother should helpe another and so God will helpe you and deliuer you from all euill God will heare thy prayers and petitions as hee hath receiued holy sacrifices at all times as first of all the sacrifices of Abell and of Noe when hee was in the Arke and that of Abraham when hee was in the land of Madian and that of Isaac when hee departed from the Ditch or Trench of the Oath and that of Iocob in the house of Bethlem and of Moses in Aegypt and Aaron in the Mount and
of Ieson the sonne of Nav in Galgale and of Gedeon in the Coast and of Sampson when hee was a thirst in the land of drought and of Samuell in Rhama of the Prophet and of Dauid in Nacira and of Salomon in the Cittie of Gabeon and of Helias in mount Carmell when hee raised from death the Widdow womans sonne from Rhicha aboue the pit and of Iosaphat in battell and of Manasses when hee sinned and conuerted againe vnto God and of Daniell in the Lyons Denne and of the three brethren Sydrach Mysaach and Abednago on the firy furnace and of Anna before the Altar and of Nehemias which made walles with Zorababell and of Mathathia with his sonnes ouer the fourth part of the world and of Esau vppon his blessing euen so our Lord wil receiue your sacrifices and supplications and will helpe you and stand with you against all persuersnes and ouerth wartnes at all seasons and euery day Peace bee with you and I embrace you with the armes of sanctitie and in like manner I embrace all those which be of your Councell of the kingdome of Portugall Archbishops likewise and Bishops Priests and Deacons and all men and women whatsoeuer The grace of God and blessing of the Virgine Mary the mother of God be with you and with you all Amen Letters from the same most renowned Dauid Emperour of Ethiopia vnto the Pope of Rome written in the yeare of our Lord 1524. and translated into Latine by Paulus Iouius IN the name of God the Father Almighty maker of heauen and earth and of all things visible and inuisible in the name of God the Sonne Iesus Christ which is the same with the Father from the beginning of the world and is light of light and true God of true God in the name of the holy spirit of the liuing God who proceeded from God Father These letters I the King doe send whose name the Lyons doe worship and by the grace of God I am called Athani Tinghil that is to say the incense of a virgin the Sonne of King Dauid the sonne of Solomon the sonne of a king by the hand of Mary the son of Nav by the flesh the son of of the holy Apostles S. Peter and S Paul by grace Peace bee vnto you most iust Lord holy mighty pure and sacred Father vnto you which are the head of all Princes and fearest no man seeing no one can speake euill of thee vnto you which are the most vigilant Curate and obseruer of soules and friend of strangers and and peregrines O holy maister and preacher of the faith enemy of all those things which offend the conscience louer of good manners sanctified man whom all men laud and praise O happy and holy Father I yeeld obedience vnto you with great reuerence for you are the peace of all things and deserue all good and therefore it is fitting that all men should shew their obedience vnto you as the holy Apostles command to yeeld obedience to God This truly belongeth vnto you for so also they command vs to worship Bishops Archbishops and Prelats In like manner that we should loue and reuerence you as our father feare you as our King and haue confidence in you as in God Wherefore I humbly confesse and with my bending knees say vnto you O holy father that you are my father and I your son O holy most mighty father why did you neuer send any vnto vs that you might better vnderstand of my life and health seeing you be the sheepheard and I your sheepe For a good sheepeheard will neuer forget his flocke neither ought you to thinke that I dwel so farre remote from your regions that messengers cannot come vnto mee seeing your sonne Emanuell the King of Portugall hath sent Embassadors vnto me very conueniently from his kingdome which is the furthest from vs in the world and if God had spared him life and not incited him so suddenly to heauen without doubt those things which we then had in hand had beene brought to a happy conclusion But now I much desire to bee certified by some trusty messengers of your holinesse health and happinesse for I neuer yet heard any message from your holinesse but something I heard of our owne people who to performe their vows went a pilgrimage into those parts but seeing they went not in my name nor brought with them my letters from you their reports are but an vncertaine beleefe for I questioning with them they said they came from Ierusalem where hauing performed their vowes they went to Rome to visite the Churches of the Apostles vnderstanding that they might easily come to those places which bee inhabited by Christians And surely I take great pleasure in their speeches because in my sweete cogitation I doe behold the similitude of thy holy countenance which seemeth vnto mee like the countenance of an Angell And I confesse that I doe loue and reuerence that image as an Angellicall likenesse but yet were it more acceptable and pleasant vnto mee deuoutely and diligently to consider and view your words and Letters And therefore I most humbly beseech you to send Messengers vnto me with your benediction thereby to cheere and exhilerate my heart for seeing wee agree in faith and religion before all things I desire and intreate that you will set my loue and friendship in the principallest part of your heart as the ring which you weare vpon your finger and the chaine of gold which you put about your neck that so the remembrance of me may neuer be blotted out of your memory for with thankefull words letters frendship is increased it is embraced with sacred peace from whence all humane ioy springeth ariseth for euen as hee that is thirsty greatly desireth cold water as the scripture saith so doth my heart conceiue an incredible ioy from the messengers letters which come to me from the furthest parts of the world neither shall I only reioice to heare from your holines but also I shall be glad to heare certaine newes from all the Kings of Christendome And full as ioyfull as those that in battell doe get the best spoyles And this may bee done with great facility seeing the King of Portugall hath made the whole iourney plaine vnto them who long sithence hath sent his Embassadors vnto vs with strong Armies but neither when my father was liuing nor sithence haue wee receiued any Message or Letters from any other Christian King or from the Pope himselfe although in our treasuries of Monuments and Charters of my great Grand father is preserued the memory of those Letters which Pope Eugenius sent into this Countrie when the King of Kings of all Ethiopia being the seede of Iacob and a King to bee feared had the gouernment of this kingdome The forme of which letters were thus Eugenius the Bishop of Rome to our beloued sonne the King of the seede of Iacob the King of all the kings of Ethiopia and
chiefly to be feared c. And in the conclusion of the same letters is mentioned that his sonne Iohn Paleologus which dyed about two yeares before the King of the Romaean Kings was called to the celebration of the sacred Synode And that Ioseph the Patriarch of Constantinople came with him with a great number of Archbishops and Bishops and Prelates of all sorts among whom were the Proctors or Factors of the Patriarckes of Antioch Alexandria and Ierusalem who when they had ioyned themselues together in loue of holy faith and religion the vnity of the Church being ordained and established all the difficulties and troubles of ancient time which seemed erronious contrary to religion were by Gods diuine assistance vtterly taken away abolished which things being rightly established and set in order the Pope himselfe brought great ioy vnto them all This booke of Pope Eugenius wee haue sent vnto you which wee haue kept vncorrupted and wee would haue sent vnto you the whole order and power of the Popes blessing but that the volume of these things would seeme too great for it would exceed in bignes the whole booke of Paul to all the nations he writ vnto The Legates which brought these things vnto vs from the Pope were Theodorus Peter Didymus and George the seruants of Iesus Christ and you shall do well most holy Father to command your bookes to be looked ouer where I suppose some memory of these things which we write of may be found out Wherefore holy father if you will write any thing vnto vs beleeue it confidently that we will most diligently commit it to our bookes that the eternall memory of those things may remaine to our posterity and surely I account him blessed whose memory is preserued in writing in the sacred citty of Rome and in the seate of the Saints S. Peter and S. Paul for these bee Lords of the kingdome of heauen iudges of the whole world And because that this is my beliefe I therfore send these letters that I may obtaine grace of your holines and your most sacred Senate that from thence may come vnto me a holy benediction increase of all good things And I most earnestly beseech your holines to send vnto me some images pictures of the Saints especially of the virgin Mary that your name may be often in my memory that I may take continuall pleasure in your gifts Furthermore I heartily intreate you to send vnto me men learned in the Scriptures workmen likewise that can make images swords and all maner of weapons for the warre grauers also of gold and siluer and Carpenters Masons especially which can build houses of stone and make couering for them of lead and copper wherby the roofes of the houses may be defended And besides these such as can make glasse instruments of musicke and such as be skilfull in musicke those also that can play vpon Flutes Trumpets and pshalmes shall be most welcome deere vnto vs and these workmen I much desire should bee sent me from your Court but if there be not sufficicient store in your court your holines may command them of other Kings who will obey your command most readily When these shal come to me they shall bee honorably esteemed of according to their deserts from my liberality shall be amply rewarded and if any shall desire to returne home he shall depart with liberall gifts whither hee please for I will not detaine any one against his will though I should haue great fruit and benefite by his industry But I must now speake of other matters demand of you most holy father why you exhort not the Christian kings your children to lay aside thir armes and as becommeth brethren to accord and agree amongst themselues seeing they be thy sheepe and thou their sheepheard for your holines knoweth right well what the Gospell commandeth where it is said That euery kingdome diuided in it selfe shall be desolated and brought to ruine And if the Kings would agree in their hearts conclude an assured league and peace together they might easily vanquish all the Mahometans and by their fortunate entrance and sudden irruption vtterly burst and throw downe the sepulcher of that false Prophet Mahomet For this cause holy father indeuour your selfe that a firme peace and assured league of friendship may bee concluded and established amongst them admonish them to be assistant aiding vnto me seeing in the confines of my kingdomes I am on all sides inclosed and incompassed about with those most wicked men the Mahometane Moores for those Mahometane Moores yeeld mutual aid one to another the kings with kings petty kings with petty kings do sincerely and constantly assemble themselues against vs. There is a Moore very neere neighbour vnto me to whom the other bordering Moores minister weapons horses and munition for the warres These be the kings of India Persis Arabia and Egypt which things grieue and molest mee exceedingly euery day when I behold the enemies of the Christian religion ioyned together in brotherly loue and to enioy peace to see the Christian kings my brothers to be nothing at all moued by these iniuries nor to yeeld mee any helpe as assuredly behoueth Christians to doe seeing the impious brood of Mahomet do aid and assist one another neither am I he that for that purpose should require Souldiers prouision for warres of you seeing I haue Souldiers left of mine owne but onely I desire your praiers and orisons wishing also fauour grace with your holines with all Christian Kings my brethren for I must seeke to obtaine friendship of you that I may bee fully instructed and furnished of those things which I formerly desired to the terror of the Moores that my neigbours the enemies of the Christian faith may vnderstand that the kings do fauor aid me with a singular care affection which surely will redound to the praise of vs in common seeing we agree together in one verity of religion and faith and in this councell wee will conforme which shall be firme and absolute with that which shal fall out to be more profitable God therfore fulfill all your desires about the praises of Iesus Christ and of God our Father to whom all men giue praises for euer and euer And you most holy Lord and father imbrace me I beseech you with all the Saints of Iesus Christ which be at Rome into which embracings let all the boderers of my kingdomes and those which dwell in Ethiopia be receiued giue thanks to our Lord Iesus Christ with your spirit These letters your holinesse shall receiue at the hands of my brother Iohn King of Portugall the sonne of the most mighty King Emanuell by our Embassador Francis Aluarez Other letters from the same Dauid Emperour of Ethiopia written to the Pope of Rome in the yeare of our Lord God 1524. and interpreted by Paulus Iouius HAppy and
much as in me lyeth I may defend and protect my country-folkes against the bitter taunts and reprehensions of many who setting aside all reuerence will not stick to defame reuile that most potent Prince precious Iohn and vs his subiects with slanders and reproches calling vs Iewes and Mahometans because we obserue Circumcision and keepe holy the Sabbath day like vnto the Iewes and also for that like the Mahometans wee fast vntill the Sunne going downe which they alledge is vnfit for a Christian man to do and this they obiect against vs most bitterly that we allow and hold it as lawfull for Priests to marry as for lay people this also they omit not to speake against vs and that most nippingly for that we as it were distrusting in our first Baptisme be re-baptized once euery yeare that women be circumcised as well as men which custome was neuer vsed amongst the Iewes Furthermore because we hold that a difference of meats is most religiously to be obserued and last of all because we call those children halfe Christians which before Baptisme be wont to be called Pagans to which slanders and misreports I am inforced to say thus much that I may purge our people from such reproches and calumnies that I may make the Doctors of the holy Romane church more affable vnto vs by whom how holily I know not I haue bin forbidden to receiue the body of our Lord euer since I came into Portugall which is the space of 7. yeares and that which I speake with griefe and teares I am reputed amongst the Christian brethren as an Ethnicke and one accursed which he that quickeneth and refresheth all things may see and discerne to whose Iudgement I commit all these matters And I am not sent from my most mightie Lord the Emperour of Aethiopia vnto the Bishop of Rome and vnto Iohn the most renowned king of Portugall to mooue disputations and contentions But to begin friendship and felowship and not either to increase or diminish humane traditions but that I should inquire and diligently vnderstand touching the Heresies of Arrius Prince of Heretickes whether the Christians of Europe would meete with vs to ouerthrow the opinions of this man for the destroying of whose errors there was a Councell assembled together at Nicea vnder Pope Iulius consisting of three hundred and eighteene Bishops and withall that I might know whether that be obserued among the Christians of Europe which the Apostles teach in their bookes of Synods that is That a Councell should be celebrated in the church of Christ twise euery yeare to dispute of matters of faith the first of which Councels by the Apostles desire should be assembled at the feast of Penticost the other the tenth of October as also to vnderstand how we did agree together touching the errors of Macedonius for which cause there was a Councel of an hundred and fifty bishops assembled together at Constantinople vnder Pope Damasus and likewise of the errors of Nestorius for whome there was a Councell of two hundred Bishops assembled together in Ephesus vnder Pope Celestine Lastly that I might also know of the fourth Chalcedonian councel wherein for the errors of Eutiches were assembled 632. bishops at which time S. Leo was bishop of Rome from which Councell after many disputations and nothing concluded for the peace of the church the matter beeing left as it was they all departed home euery one remaining in his owne opinion The bookes of which Councels and of others which were celebrated afterwards our most mightie Lord the Emperour of Aethiopia hath in his keeping and of this cockle which the enemy of truth the diuel hath sowne amongst Christians my Lord is much grieued and all his subiects which beleeue in Christ Our countri-men euen from the beginning of the primitiue Church haue acknowledged the bishop of Rome to be the chiefe Bishop whome at this day wee obey as the Vicar of Christ In whose court we would often bee but that the iourney is ouer long and many kingdomes of the Mahometanes betwixt vs that may hinder our passage so as though you should enter into all those great dangers yet you can effect nothing although that most wise and inuincible King Emanuel of happie memorie who was the first that by his nauigations not without Gods celestiall assistance made passage into East India gaue great hope that it might afterwards be done more commodiously for he hauing ouercome the Ocean with his nauie brought the red sea into his subiection being no whit deterred with the greatnesse of the coast so as hee might increase the faith of Christ and as it were make a way open to make vse of our friendship And seeing that is now done and that each nation may receiue ayde from the other wee hope that in short time by the Portugals forces and our owne all the Mahometans and other vnbeleeuing Ethnickes shall be driuen and expelled from the whole Erithraean sea and from all Arabia Persis and India In like manner we trust by the power of Iesus Christ that it will come to passe that peace beeing established amongst all the Christians of Europe the enemies of the crosse shall bee expelled also from the mediterranean places Pontus and other Prouinces that according to the words of Christ There may be vpon earth one lawe one fold and one shepheard Of which thing we haue two Oracles or predictions one out of the Prophecy of S. Ficator the other of S. Synoda the Eremit who was borne in the vttermost rock of Egypt neither of which two differeth from other And since the time that my most mighty Lord receiued the ambassadors of the most famous king Emanuel the truth of these oracles doth seeme to hasten to an end for truly our Prince thinks of nothing more than of that meditating also both by his councell forces how he may root out all Mahometans from the face of the earth For these causes and for others which I haue layd open before the most famous King Iohn the sonne of Emanuel was I sent hither by my most mightie Lord as an Ambassadour and not for friuolous and vaine disputations And I pray with an vnfained heart that the great and mighty God may bring the decrees and indeauours of our Prince for which I was sent to a happie end and to his glorie Amen Hauing gone thus far I will now briefly expound somthing by the way of the state of our Patriarke and Emperour And first you must vnderstand that by a sollemne custome our Patriarke is created by the voyces of our Monkes of Hierusalem which remaine there about the sepulcher of our Lord his election creation is in this maner The Patriarke being dead our Emperour Prester Iohn â—endeth foorthwith a speedie messenger vnto Hierusalem vnto the Monkes there as is sayd who receiuing the message and the gifts which our Lord the Emperour sendeth vnto the holy Sepulcher they presenrly and with all possible expedition
elect another Patriarch by the most voyces but it is not lawfull to elect any other than one of Alexandria and one of incorrupt manners and vntainted conuersation who being created they signe their suffrages and giue them into the Legates hands that came for that purpose he foorthwith goeth to Cayre whither when he is come he offereth that creation vnto the Patriarch of Alexandria whose seate is alwaies there to be read And when he perceiueth which of the people of Alexandria they haue elected he foorth-with sendeth the man ordained to such honors with the Legate into Aethiopia who by an old ordonance ought alwaies to be an Eremit of the Order of S. Anthony with whom the Ambassadour goeth straight into Aethiopia where he is receiued of all men with great ioy and honor in which busines somtimes is spent a yere or two in al which time precious Iohn doth dispose of the reuenues of the Patriarke according to his pleasure Now the chiefest office of the Patriarch is to giue orders which none but he can either giue or take away but he can bestow vpon none either Bishopricke or other Church-benefice this onely belongeth to precious Iohn who dispenceth of all things according to his will And the Patriarch beeing dead he whose power and yerely reuenues is the largest is made heire of the whole substance of all his goods Moreouer the office of the Patriarch is to proceed to excommunication against the stubborne the obseruation whereof is so strict as the punishment of perpetuall steruing to death is inflicted vpon the offenders Indulgences he giueth nor granteth none neither bee any interdicted the Sacraments of the church for any offence whatsoeuer be it neuer so hainous but onely for homicide the name of the Patriarchship in our speech is called Abunna but he which now executeth the office is called Marcus which was the proper name giuen him in Baptisme he is a man of an hundred yeares of age or aboue And you must note that we begin our yeare in the Kalends of September which day alwaies falleth vpon the vigill of Saint Iohn Baptist the other festiuall dayes as the Feast of the Natiuity of our Lord Easter and the rest bee celebrated with vs at the same times they be in the Roman Church And this I may not obscurely passe ouer as though it were not so that Saint Philip the Apostle did preach the Gospell and faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ our Lord in our countrie Now if you desire to know of the name of our Emperour he is fully perswaded that hee was euer called precious Iohn and not Presbiter Iohn as is falsly bruted abrode for in one speech it is written with characters that signifie Ioannes Belull that is as much to say as precious or high Iohn and in the chaldaean tongue it is Ioannes Encoe which beeing interpreted doth signifie precious or high Iohn Neither is hee to be named Emperour of the Abyssini as Matheus hath vntruly declared but Emperour of the Aethiopians and Mathew beeing an Armenian could not throughly vnderstand our matters especially those which appertained vnto faith and Christian Religion and therefore he related many things in the presence of the most prudent and most potent king Emanuel of happy memory which with vs are nothing soe and this hee did not with a desire to speake vntruths for hee was a good man but for that hee was not throughly instructed in matters concerning our religion The succession of his Kingdomes and Empire doth not alwaies descend vpon the eldest sonne but vnto him vpon whome the father pleaseth to bestow it And hee which now gouerneth the Empire was his fathers third sonne which hee merited and obtayned by an awfull and holy reuerence to his father for when his father lay a dying he commanded all his sonnes to sit downe vpon his throne which all the rest of his children did sauing he and he refused saying God for bid that so much should be attributed vnto me that I should sit in my Lords chaire whose deuotion when his father saw hee indued him with all his Kingdomes Empire he is called Dauid the power of whose Empire as well ouer Christians as Ethnickes is large and ample wherin be many Kings and petty Kings Earles Barons and Peeres and much Nobility all which be most obedient to his command In all whose dominions there is no mony vsed but such as is brought from other places for they giue and receiue siluer and gold by weight wee haue many citties and great townes but not such as we see here in Portugall the reason whereof for the most part is that precious Ioan liueth alwaies in campes and tents which custome is vsed for this purpose that the nobility may continually excercise themselues in military affaires And this I may not omit to tell you that wee bee compasled about on all sides with the enimies of our faith with whom we haue many and euer prosperous conflicts which victories we attribute to gods diuine assistance written lawes we haue none in vse amongst vs neither be the complaints of those which sue others expressed in libells or writings but by words which is done least by the couetuousnesse of Iudges and counsellors controuersies should be protracted And this more I thinke sit to shew you that this Mathew was not sent by Dauid our Emperor vnto the most inuincible and potent King Emanuell of happy memory but by Queene Helena the Emperors wife surnamed the hand of Mary who at that time by reason of Dauids nonage tooke vpon her the gouernment of the Kingdomes being a woman without doubt most prudent and holy And the same Helen as shee was excceeding well learned writ two bookes in the Chaldean tongue one of the which is called Enzera Chebaa that is to say praise God vpon the Organes and instruments of Musicke in which booke shee disputeth very learnedly of the Trinitie and of the virginity of Mary the mother of Christ The other booke is called Chedale Chaay that is to say the sonne beame contayning very acute disputations of the law of God All these things concerning our faith religion and state of our country I Zaga Zabo by interpretation the grace of the father both Bishop and Preest and Bugana Raz that is Captaine Knight and Veceroy of the Prouince haue declared which I could not deny at your request my most deere Sonne in Christ Damianus nor yet any other man desiring to be instructed there in neither is it lawfull to deny it for two causes the first whereof is for that I am commanded by my most mighty Lord Precious Iohn Emperor of the Aethiopians to satisfie euery one that demandeth of me concerning our faith religion and prouinces that I should conceale nothing but faithfully declare vnto them the truth of al things both by words and writing the other reason is for that I deeme it very fitting and labour well spent that our names customes and ordinances and