duckats a yeere Besides here are in this church 20. masse-priests which from their number we call Vicenarios who for their nightly and daily orizons are allowed euery day amongst them all 200. duckats and aboue also there are 200. other priests who out of their priuate chapels do raise stipends sufficient for their maintenance Rich benefices in this diocesse there are to the number of 600 many whereof are valued at 1000. some at 2000. duckats by the yeere and of lesser cures which are called chapels or chanteries almost 2000. Here are likewise many cloisters of monks and nunnes wherein their religion and the study of their diuinity flourisheth most of them in yeerely reuenues being able to dispend 6000. duckats There stands a monastery of Carthusians most sumptuously built vpon the banke of Baetis within view of Siuill which hath 25000. duckats by the yeere Long it were to recken vp all their hospitals whenas within Siuill only there are aboue 120. very richly indowed many with 8000. and some with 15000. duckats of yerely income Thus much of this region or diocesse out of the relation of Don Francisco Pacheco Concerning Siuill and the territory thereto adiacent you may reade at large in the Iournall of Nauagierus The Kingdome of VALENTIA PTolemey calles the people inhabiting this part of Hispania Tarraconensis Heditanos Plinie names the region Edetania It seemes that in Strabo they are called Sidetani and in Liuy Sedetani Plinie also mentions the people Sedetanos and the region Sedetania but diuers from these as appeareth out of his third booke and third chapter In this tract stands the city of Valentia albeit Ptolemey ascribes it to the Cotestani a nation bordering not farre off From this city as from the principall all the whole region is denominated and it containes the ancient Hedetania Cotestania and part of Ilercaonia This prouince put on the title of a kingdome about the yeere of our Lord 788. as you may reade in Peter de Medina and Peter Antonie Beuthero It is situate vpon the Mediterran sea and is refreshed with the streames of Turia a riuer so called by Salust Priscian and Vibius by Pomponius Mela Durias and by Plinie Turium Now they call it Guetalabiar which is an Arabicke name imposed by the Moores and in English is as much to say as pure and cleare water It is a riuer not very deepe but in regard of the euerflourishing banks bedecked with roses and sundry kinds of flowers most exceeding pleasant It is on both sides from the very fountaine to the outlet naturally clad with beautifull and shadie woods euery where you may behold the Withy the Plane the Pine-tree and other trees neuer disrobed of their leaues so that Claudian wrote most truly of it Faire Duria with flowers and rosie banks adorn'd There is also the riuer Sucro which by a new name they call Xucar Two hilles here are among the rest one called Mariola and the other Pennagolosa that is The rocke of dainties wherunto from other places resort great store of Herbalists Physicians for vpon these hilles grow great abundance of very rare plants and herbs They haue also a siluer-mine at a place called Buriol in the way from Valentia to Tortosa In a place likewise named Aioder are found certaine stones interlaced with golden veines At Cape Finistrat there are yron-mines and so are there by Iabea About Segorbia there is yet mention of a quarrey from whence Marble was wont to be conueyed to Rome In Picacent they dig Alabaster and all the countrey ouer Allume Oker Lime and Plaister in great abundance But the greatest riches of this countrey consisteth in earthen vessels which they call Porcellan which may perhaps be the same that ancient Writers call Vasa Murrhina These are made in diuers places of this kingdome so curiously and with such arte as the best Porcellans in Italie whereof in all countreys such reckening is made can hardly be preferred before them Who desires to know more of the excellency of this region and how fertile it is of all things especially of Sugar Wine and Oile let him reade the 9. 12. and 13. books written by Bernardine Gomez concerning the life of Iames the first King of Aragon Among the cities of this kingdome Valentia is the principall and the sea of a bishop which bishop as Marinaeus Siculus and Damianus a Goes do report may dispend 13000. duckats by the yeere Amongst all the Valentias of Europe this saith Bernardin Gomez is called by the French Valentia the great for it containeth 12000. houses besides the suburbs gardens which haue as many houses almost as the city it selfe Peter de Medina writeth that in this city there are aboue 10000. welles of fountaine water An exact description thereof you may reade in Iohn Mariana his 12. booke and 19. chap. It is so beautifull as the Spaniards in a common prouerbe say Rich Barçelona Plentifull Saragoça and Faire Valentia Plinie cals it a colonie of the Romans He saith it is three miles distant from the sea That this city of ancient time was called Roma of Romus the king of Spaine Annius out of Manethon and Beutherus out of the Annales do report let themselues auow it In an ancient inscription it is named COLONIA IVLIA VALENTIA It retained the name of Rome saith the same Beutherus vntill the Romans subdued it Who hauing inlarged beautified the same called it Valentia a name signifying the quality of the place Here was a councell held in the yere of our Lord 466. It is a city of venerable antiquity where euen till these our dayes remaine many ancient marbles with inscriptions of the Romans grauen vpon them whereof some are in the custody of the said Beutherus and Ambr. Morales The territory of this city is for the greatest part inhabited by a people descended of the Moores retaining as yet the speech and conuersation of their fathers and grandfathers which I learned of that most worthie and famous man Frederick Furius Caeriolanus naturall of Valentia VALENTIAE REGNI olim CONTESTANORVM SI PTOLEMAEO EDETANORVM SI PLINIO CREDIMVS TYPVS Cum priuilegio ad decennium 1584. GADES otherwise called CADIZ CALIZ or CALIS-MALIS VNder the name of Gades Strabo Plinie and some other Writers giue notice of two islands Mela Solimus Dionysius and Ptolemey make mention but of one which together with the city they call Gadira They that will haue two Gades call the one The greater and the other The lesser This as writeth Plinie out of Philistides Timaeus and Silenus and Strabo out of Pherecides was named Erythia and Aphrodisea and they call it also Iunoes Island By the inhabitants also it was properly called Erythia and Cotinusa by the Carthaginians Gadir and the Romans named it Tartesson as the same Plinie writeth At this present there is but one only isle and that verie much diminished by the oceans violent waues which the Spaniards call Cadiz and corruptly Caliz and our countrymen I know not
city a TARGHIN are fourescore and ten miles This city Targhin riseth vp higher into the countrey about the space of ten miles From the city Targhin vnto the city b AGRIMES vpon the sea coast are fourescore miles From the city Giarnmouth aforesayd the sea bendeth all at once Northward in maner of a circle And from the citie Agrimes afore-named vnto the citie c EPHRADIK are fourescore miles This city is farre from the ocean sea hard vpon the borders of the iland of SCOTIA which is notwithstanding ioyned to the I le England From the citie Ephradik vnto the fall of the riuer of d VVyska are an hundred and forty miles e This WYSKA is a fortification vpon that riuer vp higher into the countrey from the sea twelue miles From the citie Agrimes before-mentioned vnto the city f NICOLA vpland are an hundred miles A g riuer diuideth this citie in the middest and runneth from it vnto the citie Agrimes and so vpon the South side of it falleth into the sea as we haue sayd before From Nicola an vpland citie vnto the city Ephradik are likewise fourescore and ten miles From thence vnto the citie h DVNELMA are fourescore miles Northward vpland and farre from the sea Betweene the coast of the Wild of Scotia vnto the coast of the I le i IRELAND are two dayes saile Westward From the coast of the I le England vnto the iland k DANAS but one dayes saile From the coast of Scotia Northward vnto the iland l ROSLANDA are three dayes saile From the coast of the I le Roslanda Eastward to the I le m ZANBAGA are twelue miles The length of the I le Roslanda is n foure hundred miles the bredth of it where it is broadest is but an hundred and fifty miles ANNOTATIONS by the Translatour vpon some particulars for the better helpe and direction of the Reader a THe Arabicke Geography imprinted at Rome in the yeere of our Lord 1592 set out by Baptist Raymund at the cost and charges of the most illustrious Prince Ferdinand Medices Graund Duke of Tuscane in Italie is but an Abridgement of a greater worke intitled _____ Nazahti'lmoshtak that is The pleasant garden as the authour himselfe in his Preface to that his worke doth plainly confesse which Abbreuiatour as he himselfe in the beginning of the fourth section of the first Climate testifieth was an African borne in Nubia For he there saith that in this Parallel there be two riuers called Nilus whereof the one which is vulgarly knowen by that name and is for difference sake called Nilus of Egypt runneth along by our countrey _____ Ardiana from South to North vpon whose banks almost all the cities both of Egypt and of the Iland are built and situate By many places of this his worke it is manifest that he was a Mussulman that is by profession a Mahometane He liued as I gather aboue fiue hundred yeeres since presently after the entrance of the Normans into England For at the second section of the fourth climate he writeth that when he wrote this his worke Roger was King of Sicilia but whether this Roger were Roger the father sonne of Tanchred the Norman who draue the Saracens from thence or Roger his sonne who in the yeere after Christs incarnation 1103 tooke vpon him the gouernment of that kingdome it is vncertaine and for ought I know not to be learned out of his words ANGLIAE REGNI FLORENTISSIMI NOVA DESCRIPTIO AVCTORE HVMFREDO LHVYD DENBYGIENSE Cum Priuilegio c _____ Alinkalaterra as the Spaniards Italians and French do call it that is England or The Angles land so named by Egbert king of the West-Saxons about the yere of our Lord 800 is of the three the greatest most fertile flourishing kingdome of this whole ile and therfore it is hereby this our authour in this place by a figure put for Great Britaine the part for the whole Neither is this any strange thing not vsed by any other for Raymundus Marlianus that adioyned those Alphabeticall descriptions of Cities Places Mountaines and Riuers to Caesars Commentaries doth put Angliam Insulam and Angliae Insulam The Ile England and The I le of England for Britanniam Britaine Such is the maruellous greatnesse of this Iland that when it was first descried by the Romans they thought it almost well woorthy the name of ALTERIVS ORBIS Another world And he that made the Panegyricke oration to Constantius writeth that Iulius Caesar who first discouered it to the Romans ALIVM se ORBEM TERRARVM scripserit reperisse tantae magnitudinis arbitratus vt non circumfusa Oceano sed complexa Oceanum videretur did write vnto his friends that he had found Another World supposing it to be of that wonderfull greatnesse that it could nor possibly be inuironed round on all sides of the sea but rather that it contrariwise did enclose the sea And for that it lieth so farre remote from the South like as Thule it was by poets and other ancient writers intituled Vltima Britannia Great Britaine the farthest part of the world Northward d _____ Alnaama In Auicen is a fowle called of the Latines Struthium an Ostrich as Gerardus Cremonensis his interpretour vnderstandeth the word and indeed the South part of the I le the sea falling in betweene Wales and Cornwall doth represent the necke and head of such a like fowle with the mouth gaping wide open Liuy and Fabius Rusticus did liken it Oblongae scutulae vel bipennt To aswingling stocke or sword which those vse that dresse hempe and flax to a twall or twibill a kinde of warlike weapon vsed in fight by some nations And indeed the whole iland being triangular triquetra they call it but of vnequall sides which kinde of figure the Geometers call Scalenum may also aswell as Sicilia be named TRINACRIA For from Taruisium a promontory or forland in Scotland now called Howburne all along by the shore vnto Belerium the cape of Cornwall are 812. miles from whence to Cantium The Forland of Kent are 320 miles from thence againe to Howburne in Scotland 704 miles So that by this account the circuit and compasse of Britaine is 1836 miles which commeth much short of that account of Pliny and is somewhat lesse than that of Caesar e The first inhabitants which seated themselues heere presently after the vniuersall floud in the dayes of Noe came hither from France as Necrenesse of place Likenesse of maners Gouernment Customes Name and Language doe very demonstratiuely prooue and euince And thereupon they call themselues Cumro as come from Gomer the sonne of Iapheth called of Historiographers Cimber from whom are descended the Celiae or ancient Gauls the inhabitants not only of France but generally of all the Northwest parts of Europe What thinke you then of that story of Brute Mary I thinke he wanted honesty that first inuented that fable and he wit that beleeueth it But Iohn Wheathamsted sometime Abbat of S. Albans a graue learned man and of good
the moneths of May Iune and Iuly and reape within six weeks after Concerning this region reade the booke of Iaques Morguez le moine GVASTECAN THis also is a region of North America and part of New Spaine The inhabitants are poore Along the sea-coasts and the bancks of riuers they liue for the most part of fish but in the inland with Guinie-wheat which they call Maiz. Otherwise they are a people gentle enough The Spaniards haue planted two colonies here the one is called Panuco of the riuer that runneth by it and the other S. Iames of the vallies Not farre from Panuco neere the towne called Tamatao stands an hill with two fountaines vpon it one whereof disgorgeth blacke pitch and the other red which is scalding hot The BRITTISH Iles. THE EMPIRE OF GREAT BRITAIN included within the parallels 49. and 63. and the Meridians or longitudes 9. and 26. bounded vpon the South by France vpon the East by Germany vpon the North West by the Vast Ocean disioined from the rest of the maine land as High Admirall of the seas comprehendeth that Iland which at this day conteineth the kingdomes of England Scotland together with Ireland ouer against it Westward the circumiacent iles the Orchades Hebrides Man Anglesey Wight the Sorlings many others of lesse note and were generally of the old writers with one consent called BRITANNICAE INSVLAE The Brittish Ilands taking their denomination as seemeth from the greatest of them commander of the rest which indeed is properly called BRITANNIA Brittaine So named not of that fained Brutus the bloody parricide as the fabulous historian Geffrey of Monmouth against all reason authority truth of storie hath hitherto made the world beleeue nor of the Welch word Prydain or Prydcain as the learned Britaine Humfrey Lhoyd hath thought but of Brit a Celticke word which signifieth Painted For these people as Caesar and other old writers report vsed to paint their bodies and therefore were called of the Gaules their next neighbours BRITONES as those people of the same nation who to auoid the slauery and seruitude of the Romanes and withdrew themselues into the North parts from whom they continually molested their colonies heere were of them for the same reason in their language called PICTI The Greekes called it also ALBION not of Albion Neptunes sonne which sometime sweied the scepter heere as some haue most fabulously taught but of Alphiων the white cliffes vpon the sea coast which first offer themselues to the eie of those which to this our land saile hither from France and indeed the Welch poets call it Inis win that is as Orphaeus the most ancient poet of the Greeks doth interpret it Nesos leu caessa and Leucaios Chersos The white I le or The whiteland The first Inhabitants which seated themselues heere not long after the vniuersall Flood and Confusion of Babel came hither from France as by Neerenesse of place Likenesse of language Maners Gouernment Customes Name is by the learned Clarencieux Camden the onely light of our histories in that his thrise renowned Britannia euidently demonstrated For to this day the ancient Britans the Welchmen do call themselues CVMRI not Cambri as come from Gomer the sonne of Iapheth called of the Latines Cimber from whom are descended the Celtae or Gaules The Romanes a second nation vnder the conduct of Iulius Caesar about the yeare before the birth of CHRIST 54. entered Brittaine and planted their colonies in diuers and sundry places of this Iland The Scottes obseruing the Roman legions to grow weake and their Empire to decline thereupon tooke occasion first to seise vpon Ireland then about the yeare of CHRIST 446. great trouble arising in France the Emperours were constrained wholly to withdraw their forces from hence and to leaue the Brittaines naked and open to the furie of the Pictes their enemies From hence ensued a double mischiefe for first the vnquiet and turbulent Pictes thinking that now the onely opportunitie was offered them to accomplish their desires thought to make sure worke called in the Scottes out of Ireland combined themselues together against the poore disarmed Britans whereupon the Britans were constrained for safegard of their liues and liberties to call in about the yeare of CHRIST 440. the Angles Saxons and Iuites a warlike people inhabiting along the sea coast of Germany from the riuer of Rhein vnto Denmarke to aid them against their violent enemies The Normanes lead by William the Bastard their Duke tooke possession of Great Brittaine in the yeare 1066. The Vandalles Norweis and Danes who by their piracies and robberies a long time and oft greeuously vexed these Iles neuer seated their Colonies heere and therefore I passe them ouer with silence The forme of Brittaine is triangular like vnto that figure which the Geometers call Scalenum or as Nubiensis the Arabian saith to the head and necke of Alnaama the ostrich and therefore it may aswell as Sicilia be called TRINACRIA The three-cornered I le The ancient Geographers did hold it and that deseruedly to be the greatest Iland of the Maine Ocean wherefore Solinus saith it may well deserue the name of ANOTHER WORLD and Matthew Paris for the same cause calleth it THE QVEEN or Empresse of the Isles of the Ocean In respect of which large compasse it hath been in former ages diuided into many seuerall iurisdictions and kingdomes in the time of the Saxons England the South-east part into seuen and Wales into three Great Egbert in the yeare 800. reduced the Saxon heptarchy into a Monarchy The Irish Princes Nobles and Commons after the incarnation 1172. vnited their Pentarchy to the crowne of Egbert and swore alleageance to Henry the second King of England Edward the first to these did knit in the yeare after the birth of Christ 1282. the triple crowne of the Pety Kings of Wales In these our daies the eternall wisedome of the Great King of Heauen and Earth hath cast all these together with the crowne of Scotland into one massie Emperiall Diademe and placed it vpon the head of our dread soueraigne IAMES lineally descended from those mighty Monarches and shall we doubt not in time adde to these whatsoeuer from them vnto his Highnesse do belong BRITANNICAE INSVLAE or the Empire of Great Brittaine conteineth Ilands Greater and often mentioned in histories BRITANNIA diuided by the Romans into Superior the Higher conteining ANGLIA England CVMERIA Wales Inferior the Neather now called SCOTIA Scotland HIBERNIA Ireland vpon the West of Britaine Lesser yet famous belonging to England from it South Close to the shore of Brittaine VECTA Wight Vpon the coast of France CAESARIA Gersey SARNIA Gernsey And many other lesser West From the point of Cornwall SILLINAE Silly anno 145. In the middest betweene England Ireland and Scotland MONOEDA Man Wales MONA called of the English Anglesey of the Welch Tirmôn Scotland lying from it West HEBRIDES The West isles in number foure and fortie North ORCHADES Orkney-iles about
called S. Iohns-toun is the onely towne in Scotland that is walled about Of the wood Caledon whereof Ptolemey and other ancient writers haue recorded There is scarcely any mention to be found onely about the towne of Sterling there remaineth some shew of the name Thus farre of the kingdome of Scotland now it will not be amisse to speake somewhat of the ilands that lie round about the same and do belong vnto that crowne The HEBRIDES commonly called the West-iles both for bignesse and number do excell the rest Hector Boëthus saith that they be in number 43. But heere he reckoneth vp the I le of Man as one of them which is not subiect to the kingdome of Scotland but is vnder the allegeance of the King of England neither do I thinke that it was euer accounted of the ancients among the Hebrides The first of the Hebrides is Aran otherwise called Boëth then Hellaw and Rothes Not farre from these is Alize where are great plenty of Barnacles which they call Soland-geese The greatest of all and the most famous is Ile a fertile soile for corne and rich for veines of mettall Then Cumber and Mule Neere vnto these is Ione memorable for the tombs of Kings long since buried there Next vnto this is Lewis last of all is Hirth situate in the 43. degree of latitude Thus Boethus calleth them But Iohn Maior the Scot nameth them thus Argila Aranea Awyna Butha or Rothsaya and Leuisora In these ilands are those geese which they call Clakes Gyraldus calleth them Bernacles which Boëthus affirmeth to breed of the sea and of rotten wood and not to grow vpon trees as the common sort beleeue and haue published in their writings For if you shall cast saith he a peece of wood into that sea in continuance of time first wormes do breed within the wood which by little and little become to haue heads feet wings at the last being fledge and growen to their full growth to the bignes of a goose they attempt to flie and do somtimes swim and sometimes vse their wings as other Sea-foule do Beyond the Hebrides are the ORCHADES or the Orkeney iles of which the best is Pomona famous for the Bishops-sea a goodly Church and two strong castles One of these Iohn Maior calleth Zeland which is 50. miles in length In these grow no manner of trees nor any wheat and yet otherwise of all other sorts of graine they are very fertile It breedeth no serpent or venimous beast In Scotland they buy the barrell'd butter the inhabitants hauing abundance of Barley whereof they make a most strong kind of drinke and are very great drinkers yet as Boëthus saith you shall neuer see a drunken-man or madde man one bestraught or a naturall foole amongst them The same authour affirmeth the like of the inhabitants of the iles of Scetland but this is no wonder amongst them that drinke nought but water All the wealth and commodities of these Scetland-men consist in Stockfish and hides of beastes In the Hebrides they vse the Irish tongue in the iles of Orkeney they speake the Gottish language M. Iordanus in his mappe of Denmarke saith that the Orchades are subiect to the kingdome of Denmarke yet we know them to belong to Scotland vnder the title of a Dukedome But se what we haue written of this in the discourse to the mappe of Denmarke Of Scotland and of the ilands adioining thou maist read more at large in Hector Boëthus Iohn Maior and Iohn Lisley Scottish-men which haue written the histories of this their country SCOTIAE TABVLA Miliaria Scotica Cum Priuilegio Of ENGLAND THe South part of the Iland of Britaine is as we haue said before diuided into two parts That part which is toward the East abutting vpon the German Ocean is of the Angles a people of the Saxons which seated themselues there in their language called ANGLIA or England that is the Angles land The West part which is seuered from that other by the riuers Seuern and Dee and doth vse the ancient Brittish tongue is of the same Angles or Englishmen called WALLIA or Wales yet the Brittan or Welshman calleth himselfe Cumro and his country Cumria the English Saissons and their country Lhoëgria neither do they know or at least they will not acknowledge what England or an Englishman doth meane So great difference there is betweene the languages of the seuerall nations of this Iland All this South part England I meane and Wales hath their proper king vnto whom many Dukes Marquesses Earles Barons and great Noblemen are subiect and obedient It is a countrie at all times of the yeare most kind and temperate The Aire is thicke and so it is much subiect to windes clowdes and raine and therefore in regard of thicknesse of the aire it is neither opprest with too much heat or too much cold For it is found true by experience that although it be more Northerly than Brabant Flanders and other forrein countries yet heere the winter is neuer so bitter nor the frost so eger as in those parts It hath euerie where many hilles without wood and water which notwithstanding do bring forth very small and short grasse an excellent feed for sheepe and therefore infinite flockes of sheepe do bespread them which either by reason of the kindnesse of the aire or goodnesse of the soile do yeeld most soft wooll farre finer than those of other countries And for that this country breedeth neither woolues nor any rauenous beast you shall see in diuers places flocks of sheepe vpon the hilles and dales greene pastures commons fallowes and corne fields into which after the crop is off euery man by a certaine ancient custome doth put in his cattell in common to wander heere and there without a shepheard This indeed is that Golden fleece in which especially the riches of the inhabitants doth consist for an huge masse of gold and siluer is by Merchants which thither flocke from all quarters for such like wares yearly brought into the Iland and there doth continually rest for that it is by proclamation forbidden that no man may carry any money out of the Realme It aboundeth also with all sorts of cattell except asses mules camels and elephants There is in no place of the world greater and larger dogges nor better The soile is very fatte and fertile and naturally bringeth foorth beside all sorts of corne and pulse all maner of things onely the firre-tree and as Caesar saith the beech tree although that now it hath in diuerse places plenty of beeches The ay-green Bay tree doth in these Northren countries no where thriue better Such abundance of Rosemary heere doth grow in all places and that so high that they oft times do fence their gardens therewith Wine they haue none for the grapes seldome heere do ripen and is amongst them planted rather for shade and pleasure then for his fruit and profit There is in no country in Christendome more
the selfe name with the Island very large and fairly built They vse the lawes of the Castilians and do much resemble them both in language and maners This description of the isles Maiorca Minorca we haue borrowed out of N. Villagagnon his discourse of the expedition to Alger Who desires to know more of these isles and of the inhabitants disposition may reade Bernardin Gomez his sixt and seuenth books of the life of Iames T. King of Arragon That Philip King of Spaine possesseth the greatest Empire in the world since the worlds beginning we haue proued in our Theatre printed in high Dutch REGNI HISPANIAE POST OMNIVM EDITIONES LOCVPLESSI MA DESCRIPTIO The Kingdome of PORTVGALE PORTVGALE is vnproperly called Lusitania for neither is all Portugale comprehended in Lusitania nor all Lusitania in Portugale yet can it not be denied that the better part of Lusitania is subiect to the King of Portugale Portugale is diuided into three regions Transtagana or that which lies beyond or South of Tagus the riuer of Lisbon as far as Guadiana Cistagana situate on this side or North of Tagus as far as the riuer Douro and Interamnis Transtagana border vpon that part of Andaluzia which from the riuer Guadiana extendeth to the limits of Castilia Nuoua Interamnis I call that which lies between the riuers Douro and Minho a region no lesse pleasant than fruitfull This Interamnis or Riuer bounded prouince is wholly out of the limits of Lusitania vnlesse reiecting the former description we will rather incline to Strabo who saith that the greatest part of Lusitania is inhabited by the Callaici The length of this region is twelue leagues and the bredth where it is largest is twelue leagues also being in other places but six or foure leagues ouer And in this so small a portion of ground besides the Metropolitan church of Braga the Cathedrall of Porto and other fiue Collegiate churches there are aboue 130. monasteries the greater part whereof are endowed with most ample reuenues and also to the number of 1460. Parish churches as one writeth Certaine it is that within the peculiar Diocesse of Braga there are accounted 800. Whereby you may easily coniecture both the fruitfulnesse of the soile and the ancient deuotion of the inhabitants But of the pleasantnesse what need we speake whenas within this one prouince are found aboue fiue and twenty thousand springing fountaines bridges most sumptuously built of square stone almost two hundred and hauens for shipping to the number of six These things therefore I thought not vnfit to be remembred because the goodnesse and woorth of this Prouince is in a maner vnknowen To the East hereof adioyneth the prouince called Transmontana that is to say on the other side of the mountaines it aboundeth with excellent Wheat and strong Wine and containes within it the city Bragança which is the head of a most large Dukedome Thus much out of Vaseus Peter de Medina reckoneth and nameth in this Kingdome of Portugale sixty seuen cities or walled townes To the Kingdome of Portugale at this present belongeth the Kingdome of Algarue which is nothing els but the South part of the whole Kingdome towards the sea For the King entitles himselfe King of Portugale of Algarue of Guinie of Aethiopia Persia and India This Kingdom first began about the yeere 1100. For vntill then as also in ancient times it went altogether vnder the name of Spaine Marinaeus thus writeth of it One Henry Earle of Loraigne a man of most vndoubted valour comming out of France atchieued great exploits against the Moores In regard wherof Alonso the sixt King of Castile gaue him in marriage his base daughter called Tiresia and assigned for her dowry part of Gallicia contained in the kingdome of Portugale Of this marriage afterwards was born Alphonsus the first King of Portugale he that recouered Lisbon from the Moores Who hauing vanquished fiue of their Kings in one battell left vnto posterity as a monument of this exploit his armes consisting of fiue scutchions Oliuer à Marca in his Chronicle published in French more particularly blazeth the armes of this kingdome At first he saith it was a plaine siluer scutchion without any portrature afterwards in regard of the fiue vanquished kings there were fiue scutchions imposed and in euery of the fiue scutchions fiue siluer circles in remembrance of the fiue wounds of our Sauior CHRIST which in time of the battell miraculously appeared vnto Alphonso in the skies or as others report for that being wounded with fiue mortall wounds by the prouidence of Almighty God he escaped death Reade also Ierome Osorius Marinaeus Siculus and Sebastian Munster Of the originall of this Kingdome reade the first chapter of Iohn Barros his Decades of Asia Athenaeus in his eighth booke and first chapter writeth somewhat of the fruitfulnesse of this Region and the excellent temperature of the aire Lisbon the chiefe city of the Kingdome Damianus a Goes describeth in a peculiar Treatise Concerning the antiquities of Portugale there is a booke written by Andrew Resende The Portugales Dominions at this present are very large for they extend euen from the Streights of Gibraltar along all the Sea Prouinces and the Islands adiacent as farre as China and the Isles called Lequios PORTVGALLIAE quae olim Lusitania nouissima exactissima descriptio Auctore Vernando Aluaro Secco GVIDONI ASCANIO SFORTIAâ— S.R. E. CARD CAMER Achillas Statius Sal. Lâ—â—â—â—tanicus Vâ—râ—â—â—◠〈…〉 descripta tibi obgentes nâ—â—trâ— pâ—â—â—iâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Gâ—ido Sfortiâ— Hinc homines 〈…〉 pâ—â—â—â—â—ti 〈◊〉 Orbis terraraÌ„ poâ—â—â—â— oâ—iâ—â—◠〈…〉 in Pr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reâ—â—â—â—runt in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 quidâ—◠〈…〉 Asâ—â—◠〈…〉 reâ—â—â—â— nationes Jhesu Christ◠〈◊〉 religionemque 〈…〉 Vâ—â—â— Râ—â—â—â— XIII Caleâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Aâ—â—â—â— M. CCCCC.LX The Diocesse of SIVILL being part of ANDALVZIA THE Diocesse of the Church of Siuill is situate in that prouince of Spaine which in rich commodities and a kinde of fruitfull and peculiar brauery excelleth all the rest This beautifull prouince the ancients of the riuer Baetis called Baetica but late Writers haue named it VVandalicia or Andaluzia of the Vandals who about a thousand yeres past ouerran the same The said Diocesse or territory of all the regions and territories in Spaine is rightly esteemed the most happy both in regard of the multitude and ciuility of the inhabitants and of their riches and ouerflowing abundance of all things this being confirmed euen by the verses of the Grecians who attribute the Elizian pleasures and delights vnto this tract which bordereth vpon the West Ocean This territory containeth here there almost 200. principall townes besides a great number of villages so that there are now more townes vnder the iurisdiction of this one diocesse or conuent than there were of old in all foure together for as Plinie writeth they prescribed lawes but only to 175. townes And how small a number will these seeme to be if those hundred thousand villages be accounted which only in the territory of Siuill
but two walled cities namely Eemden and Awricke Of which EEMDEN situate at the mouth of the riuer Eems is the common Mart-towne of the whole prouince for concourse of Merchants especially famous which indeed is caused by the commodiousnesse and opportunity of the hauen which doth thrust it selfe so farre vp into the heart of the city at such a great height and depth that it doth easily receiue and entertaine great shippes full laden with sailes stricken into the very middest of the same This city is much beautified with the sumptuous palace of the Prince a gorgeous Church the Yeeld hall and the goodly houses of the priuate citizens AVRICK by reason of the woods and groues which on all sides almost do inclose it is inhabitd for the most part of Gentlemen and Noblemen where they recreate and delight themselues with Hawking and Hunting In the territorie of this city there is as Kempius reporteth a place called Iyl enclosed round with a wall beset with bushes a commodious dwelling for Hares and Deere in which as in a Parke or warrein they maintaine a great number of these kind of beasts which none dare take vnder a great penalty but they are reserued for the Earles disport and pastime when he is disposed to recreate himselfe with hunting In the confines also of this city Awricke is a little hill rising somewhat high commonly they call it Obstalsboom or Vpstalsbom where the seat of Iustice or Court leet for the whole shire is ordinarily held Heere they were wont euery yeare out of all the Zelands to meet in the open and wild fields and there by the most skilfull and approued lawiers such as best knew their customs and lawes to end and determine all controuersies arising between man and man In this precinct also are diuen castles villages and farms Of hamlets and end-waies such is the number that oft times one doth touch another The greatest part of which both for beauty of their houses and streets as also for multitude of inhabitants and strangers do so excell that they may foe honour and greatnesse contend with diuers cities of Germany The people do giue themselues either to traffique as Merchants or to get their liuings by occupations and handy-crafts or by playing the husbandmen and tilling the ground With their neighbours and forreners they speake in the Dutch tongue amongst themselues they vse a peculiar language proper to that nation and not vnderstood of strangers They are comely apparelled yea euen the very country people so that a man would take them to be citizens The women weare a kind of attire and apparell much differing from that of other nations They bind vp all the haire of their had into one locke and that set out with diuers siluer and gilt spangles and buttons they let to hang behind their backe Their head they bind vp in Summer with a caull of red coloured silke behung with siluer spangles but in the Winter they weare an hood of green cloth wherewith they do so couer their whole head that skarsely one may see their eies this kind of attire they call an Hatte Their vpper garment huick of loose gowne which they weare abroad from the head to the foot is pleited with many small pleits and is so stiffe with siluer and gilt wire or plate wouen into it that when it is put off it will stand vpright This sometime is made of red sometime of green cloth In this country of East-Friesland there are also two other counties the one called Esens the other Ieueren bearing the names of their chiefe towns Of the situation of this prouince nature and maners of the people read Vbbo Emmius FRISIA ORIENTALIS RIDERIAE PORTIONIS facies ante inundationem qui postea sinus maris factus est DENMARKE SAxo Grammaticus hath thus described Denmarke DENMARKE saith he parted in the middest by the boisterous sea conteineth a few small parts of the maine continent seuered and disioined one from another by the breaking in of the ocean winding and turning it selfe diuers waies Of these IVTIA Iuitland is in respect of the greatnesse and beginning in the enterance of the kingdome of Denmarke Which as it is in situation first so running out further it is placed in the vtmost borders of Germany From whose company it being parted by the intercourse of the riuer Eydor it runneth with a larger breadth toward the North euen to the banke of the frith of Norwey he calleth it Fretum Noricum In this is the bay of Lemwicke Sinus Lymicus abounding with such store of fish that it alone yeeldeth as much prouision of victuall to the inhabitants as all the whole country beside To this is adioined FRESIA Strand Friesen a prouince much lesser which lying more low then Iuitland in plaine and champion fields receiueth from the sea ouerflowing it great strength and heart and is very settile for come Whose inundation or violent tide whether it do bring to the country people more profit or dammage it is hard to say For in tempestuous weather the Sea breaking in through the creeks wherein the water was wont to be contained such a world of waters oft times doth follow and come into the country that diuers times it runneth ouer not only the fallow fields but drowneth also whole families with their goods and cattell After Iuitland the ile FIONIA Fuinex doth follow vpon the East which a narrow arme of the ocean sea doth seuer from the maine land This iland as vpon the West it looketh toward Iuitland so vpon the East it hath the ile SEELAND Sialandia he calleth it an iland much commended for the great abundance of all maner of necessary things that it yeeldeth which for pleasant situation is thought to excell all the prouinces of this kingdome and is supposed to be in the middest of Denmarke indifferently situate between the one end of the same and the other Vpon the East side of this an arme of the ocean runneth between it and SCONE Scania Scandinauia Basilia and Baltia called by diuers authours a part of Norwey or Swedland This sea yearely affoordeth great gaine to the Fishermen For this whole bay or gulfe of the sea is so full of all sorts of fish that the fishermen oft times do catch such store and therewith they so fraight their boats that they haue no roome to stirre their oares neither do they heere vse any nets or other meanes to take the fish but many times they are taken only with the hand Moreouer HALLAND and BLIEKER Blekingia he nameth it two prouinces issuing forth from the maine land of Scone like two armes from one and the same body of a tree are by many spaces and by-corners adioined and knitte to Gotland and Norwey Thus farre Saxo Grammaticus See also Albert Crantzius Sebastian Munster and the Ecclesiasticall history of M. Adams The kingdome of NORVVAY is subiect to the crowne of Denmarke as also the ile GOTLAND Item if you will giue credit to Marke
of Wine although not so good as Hungary and Slauonia The two Walachies VValachia Transalpina Walachie beyond the mountaines and Moldauia do enclose Transsiluania that resteth vpon the riuer Donaw this vpon the Euxine sea or Mar maiore as the Italians call it both of them together with Transsiluania do now possesse that part of Europe which anciently was called DACIA Thus that whole tract beyond Donaw which doth not only conteine the higher Hungary but also Transsiluania together with both the Walachies is enclosed round on euery side with Donaw the Carpathian hills Crapacke as some thinke the Euxine sea and againe with the same Donaw Thus farre Broderith But I thinke it not amisse to set downe heere the description of it out of Antony Bonfinius his I. decade of the first booke of his history of Hungary Beyond the Carpathian mountaines saith he is the vttermost prouince of Dacia extended euen vnto the riuer Axiaces This now vulgarly is knowen by the name of TRANSSILVANIA they call it Sibenburghen the Hungarians Herdel It is a most fertile country of cattell wine and corne also of Gold and Siluer where certaine riuers do driue downe shiuers of Gold and pieces sometime of a pound and an halfe weight being euery way round beset with steep hills in maner of a crownet In the woods are kine or beeues with long manes like horses buffs and wild horses both very swift and light in running but the horses haue long manes hanging down to the very ground those which are tame and brought vp for seruice naturally haue a very fine easie kind of amble This country is inhabited partly by Scythians partly by the Saxones and Dakes these are more humane and ciuill those more rude and churlish In old time before the breaking in of the Gothes and Hunnes all Dacia was possessed by the Roman and Sarmatian colonies c. George of Reichtersdorff hath described this country in a peculiar Treatise See also George Rithaymer Peter Rantzan Pius the second in his description of Europe Iohn Auentine and Martine Cromer in his twelfth booke of the history of Poland This country vulgarly is called Sibenburgh and Zipserland as Sebastian Munster hath giuen out More of the knowledge and discouery of this prouince are to be sought for in the first chapter and second section of the twelfth booke of Wolfangus Lazius his Romane common-wealth and in Laonicus his fifth booke Lastly in the protrepticke oration of Iohn Cuspinian Synonymes or diuers names of one and the same place in Transsiluania according as they are named by the Hungarians Germanes and Latines done by Iohn Sambucus Erdel Sibenburgen Dacia ripensis Pannodacia Trans vel Vltratrasiluania Nagbanya Newsteetl Riunli domin Rudbanya Rodna Bestercze Nosn Bistritiae Bonczyda Bonisprukh Kolosuar Glausnburg Claudiopolis Offenbanya Offnburg Aprukh Ochlatn Samos falu Mikldorff Buza Busaten Vorosmarth Rosperg Demeterfalua Metersdorff Teuuisch Durnen Balasfalua Blasndorff Gulafeyruar Weyssnburg Alba Iulia Sermisdacia Zekluasarhel Newmarkh Kizekmezeu Ibisdorff Felseupold Oberspald Absopold Niderspald Zazzebes Millcnbach Zabeus Holduilagh Schatn Apafalu Apfdorff Moneta Donnersmkrhta Braniczka Bernfapff Baijon Bonisdorff Ekemezeu Prosdorff Zelindes Stoltzeburg Naghczur Grooscheyrn Rihonfalua Reicherdorff Requiescit Brasso Cronstatt Corona vel Stephanopolis Varhel Zarmis Segesuar Schesburg Zazhalom Hunderthuhl Centum colles an hundred hills Zarkan Schirkingen Keuhalom Keps Kykelwar Kiklpurg Veczel Venecia Vlpia Traiana Kerestien mezeu Aw Insula Christi Christs iland Muschna Meschen Kakasfalu Hendorff Recze Ratzisd Ioffij Val. Dobra Vizakna Saltzburg Barczasagh Wurtzland Burcia Vaskapur Eysuthor Pilae Geticae the ancients called it Veurostorn Ratertuern Zakadat Zaka Feketetho Nigra palus Blacke more Tolmacz Talmisch Aran Auratus fl Zamos Samisch Samosus fl Keureuz Die Kraysz Chrysius fl Fier Keureus schwartz weis Kreysz Feketh Keureus schwartz weis Kreysz Sebeskeureus dic schnel krapsz fl Maros Merisch Marysus fl Olt Die Alth Aluata Aluttus fl Strell Istrig Sargetia vel Strigetia fl Ompay Die Omp fl Haczagh vel Hatsaag or rather the vale Sarmisia where there was some time the city Sarmisgethusa c. TRANSILVANIA HANC VLTRA VEL TRANSILVANIAM QVAE ET PĀNODACIA ET DACIA RIPĒSIS VVLGO SIBEMBVRGĒ DICITVR didit Viennae Ao. 1566. Nobiliss atque Doctiss Ioēs Sābutus Pannonius H. Litera in hac tabula nonnullis vocabulis adiuncta significat ea esse Hungarica Cum Priuilegio The Kingdome of POLAND POlonia or Poland so named of the champion plaines of the soile which yet in their language they vulgarly call Pole is a vast and wide country on the West bordering vpon Schlesia on the other sides it resteth vpon Hungaria Lithuania and Prussia It is diuided into the Greater and the Lesser The Greater Poland is that which lieth toward the West and conteineth the goodly cities Guesna and Posnauia The Lesser Poland lieth toward the South and hath the famous city Cracow seated vpon the head of the riuer Vistula the Germanes call it De Wixel the Polanders Drwencza which runneth through the middest of the country the other cities are not very great nor beautifull Their houses for the most part are all built of stone and some are dawbed with clay The country is very moorish full of fens and woodes The common drinke the people vse is Beere wine they seldome drinke neither do they know how to dresse and manure the vine They are counted excellent Horsemen for seruice in the warres The soile is fertile they haue many heards of cattell many deere game and pastime for the Noblemen It hath great plenty of Hony Salt heere is digged out of the earth in great abundance In the mountaines which they in their language call Tatri they haue mines of Brasse and Brimstone Cromer writeth that the Polanders are of the Hungars called Lengel of Leech the captaine or father of the Nation Vnder the kingdome of Polonia are comprehended Lithuania Samogitia Masouia Volhinia Podolia and Russia which is called South-Russia and of some Ruthenia as also all Prussia except that part which hath a peculiar Duke by whom it is gouerned Lewenclay writeth that in the yeare 1570. the king of Poland tooke the Prince of Moldauia to his protection The greatest part of LITHVANIA is moorish and full of Bogges for the most part woody and therefore not easilie entered trauelled or come vnto it is better trading with the Lithuans in the winter then at other times for that the moores and lakes being couered either with thicke ice or deep snow the Marchants may passe from place to place more easily In Lithuania there are few townes and the villages are little inhabited The chiefe wealth of the country people are cattell and rich skins of diuers sorts of wild beasts wherewith the whole country is wonderfully stored They haue great plenty of wax and hony This prouince breedeth the Bugle a kind of beast which they call Suber the Germanes Vr-ochs such as was to be seene at Antwerp in the yeare 1570. From hence also commeth that kind of
also two sorts of Priests the one sort go in white with their heads shauen and liue by begging as our Friars do the other goeth in blacke wearing their haire long and dwell by themselues as our Priests vse to do heere in Europe Neither of them may marrie yet they liue very wantonly and licentiously Thus farre out of Scalantus It will not be amisse to these to adde some things out of others Iohn Barry in his Asian Decades giueth out that this king hath vnder him fifteen very great and large countries which they call Gouernments And moreouer he addeth that this King alone doth farre surpasse all the rest of the Princes of Asia round about him and that his yearely renenews do exceed all the riches and wealth of all Europe For handy-craft trades and occupations they do excell all men liuing their works are so finely and cunningly made that one would iudge them to haue been framed by nature and not by art and industrie of man At the city Nimpo which others call Liampo he saith it hath been obserued that some of the Portugals in the space of three moneths haue bought and shipped away 166000. pounds of silke Odoardus Barbosa writeth that the people are very kind and humane and go apparelled much like the Dutchmen whom also they do much resemble in pronunciation and maner of speech Those cleare and transparent vessels or dishes as white as the drift snow which amongst vs are of such great estimation are heere made in this maner They mingle certaine cochle-shels eg-shels other things together which they knead make into a paste This paste they hide in the earth where they let it li for the space of fourescore or an hundred yeares before they stirre it or looke to it again leauing it as a great inheritance or pretious iewell vnto their heires That paste they vse which their grandfathers or great grandfathers haue laied vp for them And they do obserue duely by an ancient custome that he which taketh away the old paste do put new presently in his place Antony Pigafetta calleth this King the most mighty Prince of the whole world He saith that his palace or house where he keepeth his Court is enclosed with 7. wals and that he hath alwaies 10000. souldiers for his gard continually there attendant vpon him and that 70. crowned Kings do homage vnto him and are subiect to his gouernment and command The same authour affirmeth that Muske is from hence transported into diuers parts of the world Andrew Corsalis he likewise saith that the greatest store of Rheubarbe and Pearle that is brought hither to vs in Europe doth come from hence In the Iesuites Epistles lately set forth in print many things well worth the obseruation are heere and there set downe of this country That of Ptolemey these people were called SINAE the situation doth plainly proue neither doth the name yet retained much differ from that For the Spaniards and Portugals do write it Ch na yet they pronounce it Sina Of the situation and nature of this country the behauiours and maners of the people you may read in a worke of Iohn Gonsalis set forth of this argument Of the same also read the letters of the Iesuites afore mentioned and Ferdâ—nando Lopez but especially the sixth booke of Maffeius de rebus Indicis Lastly the nienth chapter of the ninth booke of the first part of the choice Library of Posseuinus The Ile IAPAN OR IAPONIA IOhn Peter Maffey in the twelfth booke of his history of India doth thus write of this iland They are especially three greater ilands with many other smaller round about them disioined one from another by very narrow straits or armes of the sea that are called by the name of IAPAN or Iaponia The first and the greatest is diuided into three and fifty signiories or kingdomes the head and chiefe city of this is Meaco whereof this whole iland taketh his name The second is named Ximen and conteineth nine kingdomes the more famous cities of the kingdome of Bungo are Vosuqui and Funay The third iland is called Xicocum it conteineth not aboue foure kingdomes or signiories it is beautified with the goodly city Tonsa Tosa he calleth it of the same name with the kingdome Thus the regiments or kingdomes of Iapan are in all generally sixty and six beside diuers other iurisdictions which cannot iustly be called kingdomes The length of the whole maine land is as they say almost two hundred leagues the breadth is nothing so much for in some places it is not aboue tenne leagues broad at the most it is not aboue thirty leagues ouer Of the compasse there is nothing certainly written that I know of It runneth out from the South toward the North from the thirty degree of latitude almost to the thirty and eight Vpon the East it is opposite to New-Spaâ—ne remote from it not aboue 150. leagues Vpon the North it hath the Scythians or Tartarians and other such people exceeding rude and barbarous On the West lieth China Sinarum regno in some place neerer in some place further off according to the diuers windings and bendings of the shore for from the city Liampo which is the vttermost bound of China toward the West vnto Gotum Ogoto I thinke which is the first Iland of all Iapan that offereth it selfe to the view of those which saile from thence hitherward is not aboue threescore leagues but from Amacan a mart town in the West where the Portugals for the most part do altogether vse to trade vnto the same Gotum the cutte is 297. leagues ouer On the South neere hand it hath naught but the vast and wide Ocean further off certaine lands and countries not yet descried or knowne out of which the report goeth that certaine sailours came once by chance vnto Iapan and neuer put off from thence any more to returne backe to their natiue soile The country for the most part is full of snow all the yeare long bleake and cold and therefore not very fertile In September they cut downe their rise in some places they reap their wheat in May for this generally is the vsuall food throughout the whole country yet they make no bread of it as we vse heere in Europe but a kind of pudding or pappe which they eat in stead of bread The temperature of the aire is very kind and wholesome their fresh waters are passing good they haue also some bathes or springs of hot waters of soueraigne vertues in Physicke as some do constantly report High and steep mountaines they haue many heere and there but two are especially famous the one of which whose name I know not doth continually burne and cast out flames of fire as Aetna in Sicilia was wont to do and as Hecla in Island now vsually doth at certaine times In the toppe of this mountaine the Diuell enclosed in a white clowd sheweth himselfe to certaine men after that for deuotions sake they haue long
Indus and Iaxartes they now call it Chesel and the Caspian sea is now in these our daies possessed by the Sophies the Kings of Persia All which tract of ground Pliny in the 27. chapter of his 6. booke of the history of Nature by the iudgement of Agrippa assigneth to the Medes Parthians and Persians But Ammianus Marcellinus who liued in the time of Iulian the Apostata Emperour of Rome doth ascribe it wholly to Persia For he in his foure and twentith booke reckoneth vp these eighteen countries in this order as parts of Persia Assyria Susiana Media Persis Parthia Carmania the Greater Hyrcania Margiana the Bactriani the Sacae Scythia beyond the mount Emodus a part of the mount Taurus the Iewes call it Iethra others Moghali others Beresith as Theuet reporteth Scrica Aria the Paropamisadae Drangiana Arachosia and Gedrosia All these countries euen at this day are subiect to the iurisdiction of the Kings of Persia for ought that I can learne either by the bookes of late writers or relation of sailours and trauellers into those parts yet the names are much altered and changed as you shall easily perceiue by comparing of the moderne mappes and chartes with the descriptions of ancient Geographers Of the originall of the SOPHIES these particulars following Caelius Secundus Curio hath translated in his Saracen history out of the Decades of Asia written by Iohn Barrius In the yeare of Christ 1369. there was a certaine pety king amongst the Persians named Sophi who held the city Ardenelim in his possession This man bragged that he was descended lineally by his ancestours from Musa Cazino nephew of Alij Muhamed He the Chalife of Babylon being dead the contrary faction maintained by the Turkes suppressed by the Tartars began more boldly and freely to broach his opinions of religion and because that Hocemus the sonne Aly from whom he draweth his pedigree had twelue sonnes minding to set some marke or badge vpon his sect and disciples whereby they might be distinguished and knowen from others he ordained that they that would follow him and be of his religion should weare a tire vnder the vaile which all the Turkes do wind about their heads they call it Tulibant should be of a purple colour and should hang out at the middest of the Tulibant twelue hand breadth After his death Guines his sonne succeeded in his steed who did purchase vnto himselfe such an opinion of learning religion and holinesse throughout all the Eastern countries of the World that Tamerlanes that worthy and famous Emperour of the Parthians who ouercame Bayazet the great Turke and defeating all his forces tooke him captiue trauelling through Persia determined to visite him as a most holy and religious Saint To Guines Tamerlanes freely gaue thirtie thousand captiues which he brought thither with him these Guines afterward trained vp in his religion whose seruice Secaidar his sonne especially vsed in his warres For he after that Guines his father was dead made warre vpon the Georgians his neighbours bordering vpon his kingdome and countries a kind of people of Scythia but Christians by profession and by the help of these Mussulmanes grieuously vexed them many kind of waies c. Let this satisfie thee in this place to be spoken of the originall of the Sophies These do make continuall warre with the Turkes about the Mahumetane religion for because the Sophies do follow one interpretour of the Alkora'n and Mahometan religion and the Turkes another which interpretours and expositours do much dissent and vary one from the other so that the Sophians by the Turkes are counted but as Heretiques and contrariwise the Turkes are esteemed for no lesse by the Sophians It is by nature a Gentleman-like and honourable Nation very ciuill and curteous louing learning and liberall sciences and withall do much esteeme of Nobility and Noble-men in that are cleane contrary and opposite to the Turkes which do not acknowledge or regard any difference of bloud or descent from famous ancestours and great houses The situation of these countries the maners customes and behauiour of the people of the same thou maist read of in Aloysius Iohannes Venetus Iosaphat Barbarus Ambrosius Contarenus Iohannes Maria Angiolellus and a certaine Merchants trauels whose name I know not together with them imprinted Looke into also the Iesuites Epistles and the Persian Commentaries of Caterino Zeni a Senatours sonne of Venice Polybius in his fifth booke doth most excellently well describe the middle Country Moreouer Petrus Bizarrus my singular good friend hath this other day set out the history of Persia Lastly and somewhat latter than Bizarrus Thomas Minadoius hath done the like but in the Italian tongue PERSICI SIVE SOPHORVM REGNI TYPVS Cum priuilegio The Empire of the Great TVRKE OF the originall and beginning of the Turkish Empire the encreasing and grow'th of the same vntill it came by little and little to that greatnesse that now it is of whereby it is fearefull to all nations round about we haue gathered these few lines out of the best Historiographers of our time In the yeare of Christ 1300. one OTTOMANNVS a Turke the sonne of Zichi a man of meane parentage began for his pregnant witte and great experience in feats of armes and discipline of warre to grow famous and renowmed amongst the Turkes Of this man the stocke of the Turkish Emperours first tooke their name and beginning and he was the first that ordeined a king ouer the Turkes He raigned seuen and twenty yeares in which space he conquered all Bithynia and Cappadocia and subdued many strong holds neere vnto Mar Maiore or the great sea so now the Italians call that sea which the old writers call Mare Ponticum and Sinus Euxinus the Greekes now Maurothalassa and the Turkes Caradenis that is the Blacke sea After him succeeded his sonne ORCHANES who wonne the great and strong city Prusia or Prusa now called as Bellonius writeth Bource and was sometime named Zellia and Theopolitana which he made the head of his kingdome and place of residence for his Court He was slaine in an vnfortunate battell which he fought against the Tartars in the 22. yeare of his raigne and left AMVRATHES his sonne to rule the kingdome after him who first the Grecian Princes falling at variance and calling him in sailed with an huge army out of Asia into Europe he in a short space subdued almost all Greece and Phocis a part of Bulgaria but himselfe at last being ouercome and taken by Tamerlane died and ended his daies most dishonourably The father being taken CALEPINVS his sonne stepped into the throne and tooke possession of the kingdome But hauing in battell vtterly ouerthrowen Sigismund and his forces and begun to wast and spoile the borders and territories of the Emperour of Constantinople died in the floure of his age when he had raigned but six yeares Heere note by the way that Adolphus Venerius doth not reckon this Calepine amongst the Turkish Emperours For
ditch wall or rampart Yet it is apparant out of the description of this prouince done by Iohn Leo Africanus that there be diuers other cities beside these although they be not very strong For in his eighth booke of the description of Africke he reckoneth vp thirty and two beside certaine other villages which he describeth according to their name and situation Of Egypt thou maist read in the description of the Holy Land set forth by Brocard toward the latter end of the same as also in Bellonius Obseruations Guillandine and Niger Of Nilus read Goropius and Nugarola beside that which ancient writers haue written of it which thou shalt see in our Mappe of old Egypt The Hauen of CARTHAGE IT is not our purpose to describe CARTHAGE that famous city and next after Rome the only glory of the world which so long bearded the Romanes and stood out against all forren subiection but because we saw this his Bay to be set out in Italy in this forme I thought it would be a thing wel-pleasing the learned student of Geography to ioine the same also to this our worke together with this discourse of Paulus Iouius written of the same Such is the forme of the Bay of Carthage that the entrance into it is not to be descried by such as saile thitherward from the maine sea for that the cape Clupea called of old writers Mercuries Foreland or Fairenesse stretcheth out it selfe farre into the West and againe winding it selfe and bending inward maketh another cape sometimes called Apolloes Foreland now the sailours call it Zafranio From thence vnto the straits of Goletto it is redoubled in maner of an halfe moone and at the left hand of the city Rada Raba the chart hath famous for hot bathes of soueraigne vertue it leaueth the country Ouer against which are to be seene the ruines of old Carthage and the place where it stood Thus farre Iouius But the places neere adioining are described more particularly in Iohn Leo Africanus NATOLIAE QVAE OLIM ASIA MINOR NOVA DESCRIPTIO AEGYPTI RE CENTIOR DE SCRIPTIO CARTHAGINIS CELEBERRIMY SINVS TYPVS ETHIOPIA or ALHABAS The country of ABYSSINES or The Empire of PRESTER IOHN THe same whom we in Europe call Presbyter Iohn or Priest Iohn the Moores call ATICI ABASSI themselus that is the Abyssines or Ethiopians ACEGVE and NEGVZ that is Emperour and King for his proper name is arbitrarily giuen him as heere we vse in Europe at the discretion of the parents It seemeth also that at his coronation he changeth his name like as the Popes of Rome vse at this day to do and together with his crowne to take vnto him another proper appellation for he which in our remembrance possessed the throne and made a league of amity with the King of Portugall was called before his coronation Atani Tingal but after he had taken vpon him the Emperiall diademe he was named Dauid This Prester Iohn out of doubt in this our age is one of the greatest Monarches of the World whose kingdome lying between the two Tropickes reacheth from the Red-sea almost vnto the Ethiopian ocean and that we may somewhat more precisely set downe the bounds of this Empire for as much as we can gather out of the surueihgs of the same made and set forth by some learned men of our time it hath vpon the North Egypt which now is vnder the command of the Turke on the east it abutteth vpon the Red sea and Barbaricum sinum Pliny calleth it Troglodyticum sinum others Asperum mare the rough sea the seamen at this day vulgarly Golfo de Melinde on the South it is strongly by nature fensed and enclosed by Montes Lunae the mountaines of the Moone on the West it is confined by the kingdome of Nubia and the riuer Nilus These bounds do seeme to containe that prouince which old writers called Ethiopia beneath Egypt together with Troglodytis Cinnamomifera regio the country where in those daies Cinnamon grew most plentifull with part of the inner Libya These countries now are diuided into many smaller prouinces and are called by diuers and sundrie names as thou maist see in the Mappe These countrie people are at this day generally of all our moderne Historiographers called ABYSSINI or as themselues with the Arabians round about them pronounce the word Hhabas and with Al the Arabicke article or pronoune prefixed Alhabas as Beniamin reporteth and Abexim as Garcias ab Horto affirmeth all which wordes indeed originally are the same and do only differ either in sound or maner of writing for the Eastern Hheth a letter I meane proper to those nations and barbarous to vs borne in Europe the West part of the World is diuerslly expressed by diuers as they do well know which know ought in the Hebrew Arabicke Syrian and Ethiopicke languages sometimes by our single h sometime by the double hh otherwise by ch others do wholly omit it as not finding any letter in that language in which they write that is of that nature and power whereby they may truly expresse the same Again the last letter of the same word which the Hebrewes and Arabians call Schin is sometime expressed by sh sometime by ss or by the Spanish x which they sound almost like our sh and sometimes by s or z. For thus I find the word written often in the holy Scriptures translated into Arabicke and Habashi and Alhabassi Psalm 68.32 and 74.14 Item in Gen. 2.13 where Ardzi ' lhabas the land of Ethiopia is the same that Auicenna in the 283. chapter of the second tract of his second booke calleth B'ledi'lhhabashah the country of the Abyssines or as our fathers named it India Occidentalis the West Indies the interpetour Gerardus Cremonensis hath Terras alhabes Bellunensis hath Terras Indiae minoris the countries of the Abyssines or of the lesser India Heere also it is worth the obseruing that this word out of all doubt had his originall from the Hebrew שוכ Cush whereby they did long since call this nation and people as it is apparant out of Gen. 10.5 and 2.13 by the iudgement of all Interpreters Grammarians and Iewish Rabbines For the Hebrew ו or vaw which indeed and in his owne nature is the same with our w is pronounced of some nations in some cases like the Germane v or v consonant as they call it somewhat like the sound of b altogether the same with that pronunciation of the Hebrew Beth when it followeth a vowell as the modern Grammarians and Iewish Rabbines do now teach According to which custome it is not vnlikely but that this word שוכ which the Iewes sounded Cush some other nations might pronounce and vowell thus שוח chauash chabaas habas or Abyssi And indeed the Asians generally and they themselues as Ortelius citeth out of Iosephus do call themselues Chusaeos and as he reporteth from the relation of the reuerend B. Arias Montanus Hispalensis they are euen to this day of
and sundry other rare works and deuices the best that the most excellent Architects of the world might inuent that next after the Capitoll of which reuerend Rome doth so much glory the whole world it selfe hath neuer seene ought more rich and sumptuous at Ammianus Marcellinus writeth of it Strabo in the seuenteenth booke of his Geography doth most brauely describe the whole citie The like doth Statius Alexandrinus in his fifth booke of Loue and Diodorus Siculus in the 17 booke of his history Item Hirtius in his booke De bello Alexandrino THEBAE was the next citie of great note famous for the multitude of gates that sometimes it had and thereupon it was otherwise called Hecatompylos Hundred-gate and Diospolis Gods-towne item Busyris and Thebestis as S. Hierome affirmeth MEMPHIS an ancient towne renowmed by reason that their kings ordinarily kept their Court here was accounted one of the greatest cities of this kingdome COPTOS a great Mart-towne well frequented with Arabian and Indian merchants Of this city the whole prouince tooke the name as we haue elswhere shewed before ABYDVS the Court and Emperiall seat of Memnon their king famous for the temple of Osiris I omit SYENE with diuers others for it were more than needeth here to recken them vp all because they offer themselues at an instant to him that shall but cast his eye on the Map Besides that Herodotus Diodorus Pliny Iosephus Marcellinus Philostratus Eusebius and diuers other good authours yet extant and in many mens hands haue most eloquently and diligently described them and set them out in their true and liuely colours The situation of this countrey the riuers mountaines cities and strange things there to be seene we haue already described according as the capacity of the place assigned would permit Now it remaineth that with like breuity also we do out of Diodorus Herodotus Strabo Athenaeus Aelianus Plutarch Philo Eusebius Pliny Heliodorus Lucian Ammian Clemens Athanasius Prudentius and others speake something of their religion Eusebius in his first booke De Praepar Euang. teacheth me that the Egyptians were the first men that euer honoured the Sunne Moone and the rest of the Starres for immortall Gods But not only the Holy scripture but euen profane authours also doe plentifully testifie that they were euer from the beginning the vainest men of the world and in this their diuine seruice and choice of gods of all other most fond and foolish for beside the gods of the Gentiles as Iupiter Iuno Vulcane Venus Bacchus and such others which they had and worshipped common with all the world yet by their seuerall and different names as Isis Osiris c. they moreouer as Artemidorus and Cicero in the third booke of the Nature of gods do testifie consecrated all kinde of beasts and liuing creatures Herodotus affirmeth that they accounted all maner of beasts which they had in Egypt as sacred and holy so that as Dion reporteth they farre surpassed all nations of the world in multitude and variety of gods Neither did they only reuerence these as gods but also Anubis Orus Typhon Pan whom they called Mendon and painted him with a goats head and the Satyrs Item another which as Plutarch in Osiris writeth they called Cneph Moreouer Minutius Felix sayth that they worshipped a man and in the city Anabis did all maner of diuine seruice vnto him as vnto an immortall God as Eusebius auoucheth who furthermore addeth that they had another peculiar god which they called Canopus and expressed in the forme of a pot This Bembus hath described in his Hieroglyphicall table Athanasius and Heliodorus doe testifie that they accounted the water but especially Nilus for a god Of foure footed beasts the Crocodile the Oxe the Mneuis the Lion the Beare the Cat the Hee-goat the Monkey the Ape the Bull the Ramme the Shee-goat the Hogge the Dogge the Ichneumon or Indian rat the Woolfe the Sheepe the Weazell and the Shrewmous they put into the inuentory of their gods Of fishes the Oxyrinchus the Lepidotus the Latus the Phagrus the Maeotis fishes proper to the riuer Nilus and the Eccle beside the Cantharus as Porphyrius in his booke De sacrificijs testifieth Of birds the Eagle the Ibis and the Hawke beside the Owsell or Blacke-bird if we may beleeue Hyginus and the Vulture and Rauen as Aelianus affirmeth with the Sparrow as Porphyrius in his Treatise De Abstinentia maketh vs beleeue Iosephus in his second booke against Appion sayth that they worship the Ferrit They had beside these the Dragon or serpent the Aspis which they named Thermathis and the Beetle The counterfets of these for the most part they adored and worshipped as gods yet some delighted rather to honour the very beast themselues aliue so that it was felony for a man to kill any of them although it were by chance And if so be that one of them should fortune to die of any disease they vsed to bury it with mourning and great solemnity Item certaine vegetable things without life as Onions Leekes and Garleeke they did adore with diuine honour as S. Hierome against Iouinian testifieth of the Pelusiotae Nay they did not content themselues with these naturall things but euen certeine monsters such as were neuer seene in the world they did in like maner consecrate for gods as the Cynocephalus with a dogges head worshipped of the Hermopolitani and Cepus honoured of the Babylonians To these you may adde out of Athanasius the Serpenticipites idols with serpents heads and Asinicipites with asses heads Moreouer in the villages and vpland townes Lucian reporteth I know not whether in iest or earnest that some held the right shoulder for a god but those that dwelt ouer against them the left Some did sacrifice to the one halfe of the head others to a Samian cup or dish Diodorus Siculus reporteth I blush to speake it that they accounted the priuy parts for a god Eusebius in the second booke De praeparat Euangel seemeth to restraine it only to Osiris Clemens in the fifth booke of his Recognitionum addeth blush foolish idolaters for I will tell it and let another say surreuerence that the Egyptians worshipped the Iakes and a Part for their gods which also is auerred and iustified by Minutius Felix This is that which Lactantius reporteth of them that they reuerenced certaine beastly and shamefull things Philo Iudaeus sayth that all things vnder the cope of heauen are consecrated and enrowled amongst the number of their gods And Sextus the Philosopher sayth of them that there was not any thing which they did not hold for sacred Thus much of their gods more thou mayest see of this matter in Clemens but especially in Iuuenall the Poet. These do hold themselues to be the first and most ancient Nation in the world and to haue first had the knowledge of God to haue built temples groues and conuents in honour of them as Lucian testifieth Afterward when the light of the Gospell began to shine forth
is very ancient and was out of doubt knowen to the Romans at such time they bore the sway in these parts yet there be some which doe thinke it to haue beene built by the Vandals long since the decay of that estate MONDONNEDO is a faire city seated vpon a little riuer toward the Northren sea coast not farre from Riuadeo It was aunciently called Glandomiro ORENSE situate vpon the riuer Min̄o is a very great and large citie The wines that are heere made are counted to be of the best and equall to those of Riuadauia Some thinke that it was in old time called Auria yet the Romans as it is probable called it Aquas Calidas of the hotte bathes which heere are founde and are now of the Spaniards called Burgas TVY or as some write it Tuyd built also vpon the riuer Min̄o not farre from the maine Sea was first founded as they fable by certaine Greeks who came hither from Troy with Diomedes Lucius Marineus Siculus maketh BVRGOS to be a city of Galizia His words are these Burgos saith he is a very famous and ancient city of Galizia in Spaine It was sometime as some authours reporte called Masburgi Liconitiurgis Brauum and Auca or as Pliny writeth it Ceuca It is a very rich and populous citie much resorted vnto by Gentlemen and Marchants of the one sorte for pleasure of the other for profit and therefore it is euery day greatly enlarged with goodly and sumptuous newe buildings If thou desire more of this city I wish thee to repaire to George Braun his Theater of the chiefe cities of the world If more of this kingdome read Peter de Medina his Las Grandezas ycosas notabiles de Espan̄a of the strange and memorable things of Spaine and I make no doubt if not with truthes and good historicall discourses yet with tedious tales and fables thou shalt haue thy belliefull DESCRIPCION DEL REYNO DE GALIZIA AVTH F. FER. OIEA ORD PRED A DON PEDRO FERNANDEZ DE CASTRO Y ANDRADE CONDE DE LEMOS DE VILLALVA Y ANDRADE MARQVES DE SARRIA c. Galizia es vno de los muchos Reynos de Espan̄a que possée nuestro Rey Filipo Era antiguamente mucho mayor que ahora comprendia todas las tierras y prouinçias que ay dentro de los limites siguientes de la mar del Norte y montan̄a de Iunto à Vizcaya husta las fuentes del gran Rio Duero y de ay todo lo que el corre hasta dar consigo en la mar y caminando por las orillas della hasta-botuer al mismo punto de dunde salimos Marij Aretij dialog de descript Hisp apud Berosum et Viterb in inquirid et Florian. de Campo lib. 3. c. 40 et 42. et lib. 4. c. 3. Oy en dia con la mudança del gouierno y de los tiempos ha quedado con este-nombre solo lo que parece en esta tabla de lo qual tiene V. Ex a. vna gran parte y assi por ella como por la mucha afficion que todos los Principes de su casa han tenido siempre a las cosas deste Reyno me parecio se le deuia de Iusticia la ymagen y descripcion del Supplico á V. Ex a. la reciua con la gracia y amor que suele c. Abunda de carnes este Reyno y de todo genero de caça de mucho y muy-buen pescado assi de mar como de rios de que se prouée la mayor parte de Espan̄a Tiene grande abundancia de aguas frias y calientes que llaman ban̄os mucho vino y del mejor que se halla en toda la Europa particularmente el de Orense y Riua dauia del qual se prouen muchas prouincias del Reyno y de fuera del Tiene muchas y muy buenas frutas limas y naranjas de todo genero Seda y mucho lino muchos minerales de Oro y plata hierro c. y algunas canteras de marmol Su temperamento ni frio ni caliente JOANNES BAPTISTA VRINTS AEMVLVS STVDII GEOGRAPHIAE D. ABRAHAMI ORTELII P.M. COSMOG REGII EXCVDIT HOC MYSTERIVM FIRMITER PROFITEMVR FRANCE FRANCE or GALLIA as the Latines called it at this day one of the goodliest and greatest Kingdomes of Europe hath notwithstanding in forepassed ages beene much larger then now it is For in Iulius Caesars time it conteined all that Westerne part of the Maineland inhabited and possessed by the Belgae Aquitani Celtae and Heluetij bounded vpon the North by the Rhein vpon the West by the maine Ocean sea vpon the South with the Pyreney mountaines and vpon the East with the stately Alpes For thus he writeth in the First booke of his Commentaries of the warres of France GALLIA est omnis diuisa in partes tres Quarum vnam incolunt BELGAE aliam AQVITANI tertiam qui ipsorum lingua CELTAE nostra GALLI appellantur Gallos ab Aquitanis Garumna flumen à Belgis Matrona et Sequana diuidit All FRANCE is diuided into three parts whereof the one is possessed of the Belgae the other of the Aquitani the third of those people which they in their language call Celtae wee in ours Galli The Galli or Gaules are diuided from the Aquitanes by the riuer Garonne and from the Belgae by the Marne and Seine Item a little beneath hee saith that GALLIA beginneth at the riuer Rhosne and it is bounded with the Garonne the Ocean sea and Belgium moreouer toward the Sequani and Heluetij it abbutteth vpon the Rhein It bendeth somewhat Northward BELGIVM beginneth at the outmost borders of Gallia and from thence it costeth along by the inner side of the riuer Rhein It lieth North and by East from the rest of Gallia AQVITANIA ariseth at the riuer Garonne and so from thence it falleth downe to the Pyreney mountaines and the Spanish seas It lieth West and by North from the rest of France Nay beside this diuision there was yet another much more large extending the bounds of France beyond the Alpes which did include a good part of Italy and therefore it was of the Romans named GALLIA CISALPINA Fraunce on this side the Alpes or Italia Gallica France in Italy But of these and the like diuisions we haue in the former spoken plentifully and therefore we now surcease to repeat them againe in this place And we are not ignorant how much of this large compasse heere described is at this day seuered from the crowne of France and hath these many yeeres beene gouerned by seuerall Lords and Princes A great part of Gallia Belgica as namely Flaunders Brabant Artois Limburgh and other belongeth vnto the King of Spaine Holland Zeland with the rest of the Low-countries are gouerned by the States Zuittzerland Cleue Lorrain Alsas Sauoy Piemont and some other prouinces are held of the Emperour and are subiect to their proper Princes and no one
which is from the head or fountaine of this riuer directly vnto the North Ocean it is diuided from Asia according to the opinion of Glarean And thus it beares the shape of a Peninsula which signifies a place of the earth almost disioyned and cut from the Continent and so well neere on euery side enuironed with waters as in the Table it selfe is manifest The head hereof Rome was whilome conqueresse of the earth The regions thereof as they are now called are Spaine France Germanie Italie Slauonia Greece Hungarie Poland with Lithuania Moscouia or more significantly Russia and that Peninsula which conteineth Norway Sweden and Gotland Among the Isles thereof the first place is due to Britany conteining England and Scotland then followes Ireland Groenland Frisland and Island all situate in the maine Ocean In the Mediterran sea it hath Sicilia Sardinia Corsica Candia Maiorica Minorica Corfu Negropont and others of lesse note the particular names and situations whereof are to be seene in the Table This our Europe besides the Roman Empire reuerenced of all the world hath in all if you adde those foureteene which Damianus à Goes reckens vp only in Spaine eight and twentie Christian Kingdomes whereby you may estimate the worthinesse of this region It is a place out of measure fruitfull and the naturall disposition of his aire is very temperate For all kindes of Graine for Wine and abundance of Woods it is inferior to none but comparable to the best of the others It is so pleasant and so beautified with stately Cities Townes and Villages that for the courage and valour of the people and seuerall nations although it be lesse in quantitie and circuit yet might it well be accounted and indeed of all ancient Writers hath it euer beene accounted superiour vnto the other parts of the World most renowmed also hath it beene both in regard of the Macedonian Empire and the great command and power of the Romans The praises thereof you may reade in Strabo who in his third booke and seuen bookes following hath most learnedly and excellently described it Peruse also other ancient Geographers Of late Writers amongst other things by the way Volateranus Sebastian Munster Dominicus Niger Georgius Rithaimerus in their Geographies haue endeuoured to paint it out in his colours But Pius the second Christopher Cella and Anselmus his brother haue described it a part and by it selfe Diuers Iournals ouer all Europe in a maner together with the distances of places haue beene committed to writing by Cherubin Stella John Herbacius and George Mayerus The like hath beene done by William Gratarolus in the end of his booke which is entitled De regimine iter agentium or A direction for trauellers AFRICA THis the Ancients haue diuersly distinguished but at this present it is diuided by Iohn Leo of Africa into foure chiefe parts Barbarie Numidia Libya and the Land of Negros BARBARIE which is accounted the best they circumscribe with the Atlantick Mediterranean seas with mount Atlas with the region of Barcha bordering vpon Aegypt NVMIDIA called by the inhabitants Biledulgerid and abounding with Dates for which cause the Arabians call it by no other name but the Date-bearing region is bounded Westward by the Atlantick Ocean Northward by mount Atlas it stretcheth East as farre as the citie Eloacat which is an hundred miles distant from Aegypt and the sandie Deserts of Libya embrace it on the South LIBYA the third part is named in the Arabian tongue Sarra which word signifies a Desert It beginnes East from Nilus and thence runneth West as farre as the Atlantick sea Numidia lies to the North of it and the Land of Negros to the South Now followeth the fourth part which they call NIGRITARVM terra either from the inhabitants which are of a blacke colour or from the riuer Niger that runneth thorow the countrey It is confined North by Libya South by the Aethiopick Ocean West by Gualata and East by the Kingdome of Gaoga And here we are to note that according to this their diuision all Africa is included within the Mediterran Atlantick and Aethiopick seas and the riuer Nilus wherefore Aegypt and Aethiopia are accounted parts of Asia which we notwithstanding thinke more properly to belong to Africa For the true Aethiopia containes at this day Presbyter Iohns Empire which by all late Writers is ascribed to Africa We therefore with Ptolemey iudge that it ought to be bounded by the Mediterran and Ocean seas rather than by any riuer whatsoeuer and so it hath the forme of a Peninsula being ioyned to Asia by an Isthmos or small neck-land which lies betweene the Mediterran sea and the gulfe of Arabia The South part hereof was vnknowen to our ancestours till the yeere 1497 whereas Vasco de Gama first doubling the Cape de buona speranza or of good hope and sailing about Africa came to Calicut in East India This Southern part by the Persians and Arabians is called Zanzibar At the foresayd Cape of good hope the inhabitants are exceeding blacke which we thought in no wise to omit because all men suppose the cause of blacknesse to be heat and the nearenesse of the Sunne wheras here the Sunne scorcheth no more than about the Streight of Magellan if we measure the heat of the place according to the position of the heauens and distance from the Equinoctiall line where notwithstanding the people are reported to be maruellous white But if we will needs ascribe this blacknesse to the scorching heat of the Sun let vs consider what makes the Spaniards and Italians looke so white whenas they are equally distant from the Equinoctiall with the inhabitants of the foresayd Cape namely the one towards the South and the other towards the North. Presbyter Iohns people are of a browne colour in Zeilan and Malabar the inhabitants are coale blacke yet all in one the same distance from the aequator and vnder the very same parallele of the heauens * And on the contrary why did Herodotus and Pindarus describe such as inhabited the same climate with themselues namely Colchis to be of a blacke colour and curled haire Herodotus in his Thalia makes the Indians blacke like the Aethiopians which the experience of our times confirmeth I know Herodotus will haue the cause hereof to be the seed of the parents which he sayth is not white as that of other people but blacke To whom Postellus also subscribeth and imputeth the originall of this blacknesse vnto Chams curse Against which opinion I haue nothing to allege Let the trueth of the matter rest vpon the authours credit But this a man may thinke more strange that in all America there were no blacke people found besides a few only in one place called by them Quareca What then is the efficient cause of this colour Is it the drinesse of the heauen or of the earth Is it perhaps some hidden propertie of the soile Or a kind of qualitie inherent to the nature of men
and according to the testimony of Peter Quirini Christopher Fiorouanti and Nicolas Michele who in this our Ocean suffered that horrible shipwracke which we reade of in the Italian volumes witnesse also Lewis Cadamosta who in his Epistles written about the yeere 1454 affirmes this city of Bruges to be a Mart inferiour to none else in all the North parts of the world Wherefore that the citizens of Bruges receiued the vs◠of the sea-compasse from the Italians and out of Italian translated the names of the winds into their owne language and that from them the other nations before mentioned borrowed this knowledge I see not well how it may be denied Of the nature and admirable vertue of the loadstone you may reade many notable things in Liuius Sanutus his description of Africa printed in Italian at Venice The isles or Salomon which in this table you see described about Noua Guinea were not long since discouered by Oliuer Mendanio after he had conducted his fleet out of the part of Lima in Perú had sailed ouer this huge Ocean as I find recorded in Iosephus Acosta his 1. book 17. chapter De natura nouiorbis MARIS PACIFICI quod vulgò Mar del Zur cum regionibus circumiacentibus insusisue in eodem passim sparsis novissima descriptio SPE ET METV GENIO ET INGENIO NOBILI DN NICOLAO ROCCOXIO PATRICIO ANTVERPIENSI EIVSDEMQVE VRBIS SENATORI Abrahamus Ortelius Regiae M t s geographus lub merito dedicabat 1589. NEVV SPAINE THis Prouince was about the yeere 1518 forcibly subdued to the Spanish gouernment vnder the command and conduct of Fernando Corlez who with the great slaughter of his owne people but farre greater of the inhabitants fighting for their liberty conquered the same It is a region rich of siluer and golde for it hath very many riuers yeelding sands or graines of perfect gold Vpon the coast of this countrey are many commodious fishings for pearle Salt lakes here are diuers the water whereof through the heat of the Sunne is conuerted into excellent salt Here is great abundance of Cassia fistula and a kind of fruit in the Mexican language called Cacao somewhat resembling an Almond which is with them very highly esteemed for hereof they make a kinde of drinke to their owne taste most delicate The seas and riuers belonging to this countrey abound mightily with fish Their riuers also breed Crocodiles whose flesh is food to the inhabitants In these places this creature is for the most part aboue twenty foot long It is a countrey very mountainous and beset here and there with most lofty and cragged rocks So great is the diuersity of languages in these regions that one cannot vnderstand another without an Interpreter The principall Colonies to be seene in this Table which in New Spaine haue been planted by the Spaniards are first Compostella the seat of a Bishop and of one of the Kings counsels Colima by another name called the city of the Purification Guadalajara a towne most famous and head of the Kingdome of New Gallicia Mechoacan a Bishops sea also Sacatula the city of Angels a mother-towne and a Bishoprick Mexico a Kingly city or rather Queene of all the cities in the New world situate vpon the banke of a lake or rather of a fenne yea the very ground-plot of this city is so fenny that you cannot come thither nor depart thence but ouer bridges and cawseys The lake adioyning is salt being six leagues long and fiue broad Fishes it hath none but very small ones which more aptly may be called wormes than fishes of whose putrefaction which is there caused by the heat of Summer the aire is sometimes so infected that it is most vnholesome dwelling there yet is it as much frequented with inhabitants and merchants as any mart-towne in Europe It is a large city for in compasse it containeth about three leagues The other lake adioining to this is fresh water and very plentifull of fish wherein also stand many townes There are likewise a great number vpon the banks of either lake In this city as Ierome Giraua reporteth there was by Pope Paul the third established the seat of an Archbishop in the yeere 1547. This citie was taken by the Spaniards 140 yeeres after the first foundation thereof Montezuma at the same time being King the ninth in number A wonder how in so few yeeres it should grow to such largenesse and magnificence The nature situation and customes of this citie and of the territory adiacent who desires more perfectly to know may reade the relations of Fernando Cortez Extant they are in the volume intituled Nouus orbis and in the volume of Nauigations printed at Venice in Italian but especially John Gonsaluo who in his little booke of China hath a most large description of this region You haue also many notable discourses hereof in the third Volume of M. Hakluyts English voyages HISPANIAE NOVAE SIVAE MAGNAE RECENS ET VERA DESCRIPTIO 1579. Lectori Partium longitudinis huius tabulae inituum non fumitur Ptolemaico more ab infulis Canarijs versus Oriente sed à Toletano Hispaniensis meridiano Occidentem versus Notularum circa Mexico explanatio a. Escalpucoleo b. Tucuba c. Istapalapa d. Ximaloaca e. Teutitlan f. Gucytitlan g. Mexicalcingo h. Culiacan i. Catlavaca k. Nicsquique l. Cinarantepec m. Xiquicpico n. Ocellotepec o. Vcicilapa p. Mimiapa q. Tecaÿuca r. Chalcontengo s. Tapalcapan t. Tisquiquiac u. Xilocingo x. Chiconantla y. Techcistlan z. Caltoca The Prouince of CVLIACAN THis Prouince of CVLIACAN is part of the kingdome of New Galicia It was discouered vnder the gouernment of Charles the fifth in the yeere 1530. In this region is one only colonie of Spaniards called The towne of S. Michael Villages here are very many built by the inhabitants all which before the Spaniards arriuall were at their owne libertie yeelding obedience to no King or Gouernour The region is indifferently furnished with things necessary Out of the mountaines is digged great abundance of siluer The inhabitants are addicted to war and robbery They that dwell vpon the coast employ most of their time in fishing but the vplandish people liue by hunting They goe naked couering only their priuities with a piece of Cotton They haue many languages They lodge for the most part in the open aire They are a most beggerly nation CVBA and HISPANIOLA THis Island of Cuba is so called by the naturall inhabitants but by the Spaniards Fernandina and Joanna and as Peter Martyr reports Alpha and Omega In length it extendeth East and West 300 Spanish leagues containing in bredth fifteene and in some places twenty of the said leagues The land is very mountainous but rich of gold and excellent copper Madder which the Apothecaries because it is very apt to die wooll and leather call Diers-madder is heere found in great abundance It is in all places beautified with thicke woods with riuers and pooles of fresh water albeit there are lakes naturally
salt The woods breed vp Hogges and Kine in great plentie the riuers sometimes yeeld graines of gold It containes six colonies or townes of Spaniards the principall whereof called Sant Jago is the seat of a Bishop But Hauana is the chiefe mart and hauen towne of all the Isle Two wonderfull things Gonsaluo de Ouiedo describes in this Isle one a valley extended betweene two mountaines some three Spanish miles in length the Ancients would haue named it as in Gallia Narbonensi now called Prouence The stony field which bringeth forth round stones in so great abundance that a man may lade whole shippes with them being by nature framed so exactly round that no Turner can amend them The other is a mountaine not farre from the sea whereout issueth a kind of Bitumen or Pitch in so great a quantity that it runnes into the sea and there floats farre and wide according as it is carried by the waues or windes This Pitch they say is very commodious for the calcking and braying of ships HISPANIOLA lies to the East of Cuba This Isle by the first inhabitants was called Quisquaeia afterwards Haiti and Cipanga likewise But the Spaniards name it Hispaniola and of the principall city San Domingo The compasse hereof is 350 leagues It is an Isle rich in Sugar and it hath many Gold-mines It is very strange that is reported concerning a little flie very common in this Island called by the inhabitants Cucujo and as big almost as one of the ioynts of a mans finger hauing foure wings two very thin and the other two greater and harder wherewith the thin ones are couered This shineth in the night as glowe-wormes doe with vs. The force of this light is not only in his eyes sparckling like fire but also in his sides so that by lifting vp his wings he shines more flying than when he lies still By the naturall curtesie of this little creature all their chambers they say are so lightsome euen in the darkest nights that a man may reade and write very plainly without the helpe of any other light This light of theirs is augmented by their number so that many will giue a greater light than a few Whoso des res a larger description of these Islands let him reade the history of the New world written by Jerome Benzo Peter Martyr his Decads of Islands lately discouered and other writers of America CVLIACANAE AMERICAE REGIONIS DESCRIPTIO Sciat lector Auctorem Anonÿmum qui hanc Culiacanam regionem et has insulas perlustrauit et descripsit regionum longitudines non ut Ptolemaeus alijque solent à Fortunatis insulis versus Orientem sumsisse sed a Tole to Hispanie vmbilico Occidentem ex eclÿpsibus ab ipsomet obseruaris deprae hendisse HISPANIOLAE CVBAE ALIARVMQVE INSVLARVM CIRCVMIACIENTIVM DELINEATIO PERV THe Spaniards diuide the South part of America into fiue regions namely The golden Castilia Popaian Perú Chili and Brasil Perú in times past before the Spaniards comming thither was much larger vnder the gouernment of the Ingas than at this present as Giraua and others write Now they confine it with Quito on the North and with Puerto de Plata on the South It was thus named from a riuer hauen named Perú At this present they diuide it according to the situation thereof into three parts into Sierras Andes and Plaines The plaine countrey they call that which lieth next the sea Sierras are the mountaines and Andes a region beyond the mountaines toward the East The head-city of this countrey of Perú is Lima otherwise called La ciadad de les Reges where the Kings seat and the Chancerie of the whole Kingdome remaines Also it is the sea of an Archbishop who vnder his iurisdiction hath these Bishopricks following Quito Cusco Guamanga Arequipa Paz Plata Trugillo Guanuco Chacapoia Puerto viejo Guajaquil Popajan Charchi S. Michael and S. Francis That this is the richest of golde of all the countreys in the world besides many other these few arguments do euidently demonstrate Francis Xeres writeth that in Cusco there were houses whose pauement walles roofes were couered quite ouer with plates of golde Giraua reports that the inhabitants of the prouince Ancerna go to warres all armed in gold from head to foot their habergions their brest-plates their leg thigh harnesse consist wholly of gold The same authour affirmes that out of certeine gold-mines neere Quito is digged more gold than earth Those that haue written the storie of King Atabalipa do agree in this that he offered so much golde to the Spaniards for his ransome as the roome wherein he was prisoner would containe It was two and twenty foot long and seuenteene foot broad this he offered to fill so high as he could reach vpon the wall with his longest finger or if they thought better marke also the infinite quantitie of siluer in this region he offered to fill it twise with siluer euen to the very roofe It is also recorded that the Spaniards at their first entrance vpon this countrey shod their horses with gold and siluer shoes PERVVIAE AVRIFERAE REGIONIS TYPVS Didaro Mendezio auctore LA FLORIDA Auctore Hieron Chiaues Cum Priuilegio GVASTECAN Reg. FLORIDA THis is part of North America It is called by the name of Florida in regard of the feast of Easter which the Spaniards call Pascha Florida because vpon that very day in the yeere of our Lord 1512 it was as I reade in Giraua vnder the conduct of Iohn Ponce of Leon first of all coasted and discouered Theuet like himselfe writes that it was so called because it was all greene and flourishing By the inhabitants it was named Iaquasa The French haue more than once attempted to plant a colony here but hitherto they were neuer able in regard of the Spaniards ill will who oft expelled them from thence It is inhabited by a sauage forlorne and beastly people They liue vpon spiders ants lizards serpents and other venimous and creeping things The region is very fruitfull and rich of gold Concerning this country Iames Cole my nephew from the mouth of an eie-witnesse as he saith writes vnto me as followeth The inhabitants are of a brownish colour but the Kings wiues are blacke by a kind of arte The King hath power to giue or rather to sell wiues to such as are desirous to marrie A married woman being taken in adultery she is for her incontinency from morning till night bound with her backe to a tree her armes and legs stretched abroad and sometimes she is beaten with rods Their women within three houres after they are deliuered of childe carry forth their infants and wash them in the riuer They haue no hatchets nor spades but of stone In stead of ploughes they haue certaine woodden pickaxes wherewith they open the ground and sowe a kinde of graine commonly called Turkish or Ginny-wheat whereof they haue yeerely two or three crops They haue also Pheasants c. They sowe in
to name places after the same Saints vpon whose daies they finde them I haue nothing to adde saue that Theuet is mistaken in that he falsly and carelesly ascribes the same mountaine vnto S. Michaels Isle which we haue truly and fully described in Pico Of these Isles somewhat you may read in the Historie of Ierome Conestagio touching the Vnion of the Kingdome of Portugale to the crowne of Castile And also in the 97. Chapter of Iohn Huighen van Linschoten his East-Indian iournall AÇORES INSVLAE Priuilegio Imp. et Reg. Maiest necnon Ordinum Belgicor ad decennium Longitudo huius descriptionis sumta est à meridiano I Ptolemaei Occidentem versus Has insulas perlustrauit summà que diligentia accuratissimè descripsit et delineauit Ludouicus Teisera Lusitanus Regiae Maiestatis cosmographus SPAINE SPAINE is resembled by Strabo vnto an Ox-hide spred vpon the ground It is around inuironed by the sea saue only where it is diuided from France by the Pyreney-mountaines On the East it hath the said Pyreney-mountaines which from the Temple of Venus or the Promontory stretched foorth neere Illiberis now Colibre runneth along to the British Ocean and this is the very narrowest part of Spaine insomuch saith Vaseus that when I trauelled thorow Biscay I remember that from the hill of S. Adrian if my sight deceiued me not I saw both seas namely the Ocean neere at hand and as farre off as I could discerne the foame-white waues of the Mediterran sea North it is bounded by the Biscain sea West by the Western sea and South by the Streight of Gibraltar and part of the Mediterran sea Spaine is diuided into three Prouinces Baetica Lusitania and Tarraconensis Baetica on the North is inclosed with the riuer Anas now called Guadiana West with that part of the Atlantick Ocean which is betweene the mouth of Guadiana and the Streight of Gibraltar South with part of the Mediterran sea called of olde Mare Balearicum extending from the Streight last mentioned to the Promontory of Charidómus now called Cabo de Gata and Eastward it is bounded by an imaginary line drawen from the said Promontory by the towne of Castulo to the riuer Guadiana It is called Baetica of the famous riuer Baetis which cuts the whole Prouince in twaine This riuer springing out of the wood or forest anciently called Saltus Tygensis runneth into the Atlantick-ocean and is at this day called by an Arabian name Guadalquibir that is to say The great riuer This prouince of later times of the Vandal inhabitants was called Vandalicia at this present by the same word corrupted Andaluzia Lusitania conteines Algaruc and the greater part of Portugale Lusitania confineth North vpon the riuer Duero from the very mouth thereof to the bridge ouer against Simancas West it bordereth vpon that part of the Atlantick-ocean which ebs and flowes betweene the outlets of Duero and Guadiana South vpon Andaluzia and East it fronteth Hispania Tarraconensis now called Castilia c. euen from the ancient Oretania to the foresaid bridge ouer against Simancas Lusitania was thus named from Lusus the sonne of Bacchus and Lysa one of Bacchus his companions whereupon it is somtimes called of Lusus Lusitania and somtimes againe of Lysa Lysitania The residue of Spaine pertaineth to the prouince called Tarraconensis of the city Tarracona which is the head of all that prouince a city saith Strabo most notably fit for princes in their trauels to retire themselues and here the Emperors kept their chiefe iurisdiction This prouince containeth the kingdome of Murcia likewise Valencia and Arragon with Catalonia also Castilia Vieja the kingdome of Nauarre part of Portugale between the riuers Duero and Minho the kingdome of Gallicia Asturia and all Biscay Hitherto Vaseus in his chronicle of Spaine who intreateth of this argument more at large Read also Marinaeus Siculus Marius Aretius Damianus a Goës Francis Taraffa the bishop of Gerundo Annius Viterbiensis and in Spanish Florian del campo and after him Ambrosio Morales with all those other Writers of Spaine that Vaseus in the fourth chapter of his Chronicle doth recite Stephan Garibayo in his Chronicle of Spain diuided into twenty books describes the kingdome of Nauarre Iohn Mariana likewise not long since published a volume concerning Spanish matters Among the ancient Writers you must peruse Caesar Strabo and the rest which Damianus a Goës in his booke called Hispania doth nominate also the Panegyrick speech of Latinus Pacatus and Claudianus de laude Serenae Vnto these you may adde the first booke of Laonicus There is extant also a little Trauellers Breuiate written in Spanish by Alonço de Meneses containing almost all the ordinarie voyages in Spaine wherein also are noted the distances of places Three memorable things as writeth Nauagierus are prouerbially spoken of Spaine the first A bridge ouer which the water runneth whereas it runnes vnder all other bridges namely the water-conduct at Segouia the second a city compassed with fire that is to say Madrid because the town-walles are of flint and the third a bridge whereon are daily fed ten thousand head of cattel whereby is signified the riuer Guadiana which hiding it selfe vnder ground for the space of seuen miles doth then breake forth againe Albeit this last is a thing sprung rather out of the peoples vulgar opinion than out of truth as Don George of Austria Gouernour of Harlebeck an eye-witnesse most worthy of credit hath informed me being a man conuersant in all kinde of history and a a wonderfull searcher and admirer of naturall Philosophie The islands belonging vnto Spaine wherof ancient writers haue made mention at the Celtick promontory or Cape Finister are the Cassiterides which at this present are not to be found in the ocean Also Insulae Deorum otherwise called Cicae and of late times Islas de Bayona Londobris named also Erythia and now the Burlings Gades in olde time dedicated to Hercules now commonly called Cales All these are in the Ocean In the Mediterran sea you haue Ophiusa now called Formentera As likewise the two Gymnesiae or Baleares at this present called by distinct names the one Maiorca and the other Minorca The coast of Minorca is beset round about with huge mountaines but at the entrance of the hauen the roots of these mountaines are leuelled into a plaine till they meet at so narrow a distance on the other side of the shore that no ships can enter the harbor but with a gentle gale of wind The hauen is named Mahon being a most beautifull and commodious place for it stretcheth almost foure miles in length with many inlets all which serue for the harboring of ships From hence ariseth a perpetuall ridge of mountaines on which the inhabitants cut downe great plenty of wood At the vtmost part therof on the mountain-tops is built a city Contrariwise the greater Island hath a plaine shore and most high and barren mountaines in the middest A city there is of one and
vpon what ground Calis-Malis In the lesser of the two foresaid isles stood the towne of Gades and in the greater Iulia Gaditana Augusta which before as appeareth out of Strabo was called Neapolis Now they call both towne and island Cadiz It is the seat of a Bishop who also is intitled Bishop of Alger This Isle was first discouered and inhabited by certaine Phoenicians of Tyrus as is euident out of most ancient records Vpon this isle some are of opinion that the Geryones afterward planted themselues whose droues the Aegyptian or Tyrian Hercules forcibly draue away At one corner of the isle stood the temple of this Hercules famous both for builders superstition riches and antiquity Why it should be holy saith Mela his bones there buried are a sufficient cause Vpon the other corner Strabo affirmes the temple of Saturne to haue been erected In the said temple of Hercules Caesar found the image of Alexander the great as Suetonius in his life reporteth A fountaine there was very holsome to drinke which with a strange kind of contrariety diminished at the floud and increased at the ebbe of the sea In this temple as the same author affirmeth were certaine brazen pillars of eight cubits wheron were ingrauen the costs bestowed in building of the same Here also the same author out of Artemidorus acknowledgeth a temple dedicated to Iuno Dionysius describes therein the temple of Age and of Death and tels of certaine altars consecrated to the Yere to the Moneth to Arte and to Pouerty Hercules pillars are here extant saith Isidore and here growes a kind of tree like a palme with the gum whereof the glasse of Epyrus being mingled is turned into a precious stone The inhabitants of old were famous for their skill in nauigation and from this their ancient trauersing of the seas they do not as yet degenerate But their principall gaine consisteth in making of Salt and in catching of Tunies for which they haue euery yeere an ordinary fishing These fishes being cut in pieces pouldred and barrelled are dispersed all Europe ouer This isle was esteemed by antiquitie the worlds extreame Westerne limit whereupon saith Silius Italicus in his first booke And Gades the vtmost bounds of men c. Also in his 17. booke Gades lands farthest end And Calpe bounding Hercules And Baetis crystall streames That bathe Apolloes steeds For here the Poets faine that the Sun being weary of his dayes labour drencheth himselfe in the Ocean and takes his rest wherefore Statius also calles it Gades the Sunnes soft bed Yea at this very time our Netherlandish Mariners call the Westermost Cape of this isle which by the inhabitants is named El cabo de San Sebastian Het einde der Werelt that is to say The Worlds end This ancient inscription found vpon this isle is by Appianus in his booke of Inscriptions alleged out of Cyriacus of Ancona as followeth HELIODORVS INSANVS CARTHAGINIENSIS AD EXTREMVM ORBIS SARCOPHAGO TESTAMENTO ME HOC IVSSI CONDIER VT VIDEREM SI QVISQVAM INSANIOR AD ME VISENDVM VS QVE AD HAEC LOCA PENETRARET In English thus I Heliodorus a mad Carthaginian commanded in my last will that they should in this tombe bury me at the worlds end to see if any more franticke than my selfe would come thus farre to visit me But that all this inscription is counterfeit and new I learne out of Anthony Augustinus his eleuenth chapter of ancient coines Concerning this isle you may reade more at large in Strabo and Philostratus And of the city reade Brunus in his volume of cities GVIPVSCO GVIPVSCO is a part of that Northerne tract of Spaine called of olde Cantabria it borders vpon the kingdome of Nauarre and the Pyreney mountaines which diuide it from France and it is bounded Westard by the prouince of Biscay The inhabitants in Ptolemey are called Varduli At this present some call it Lipuscoa others Lepuscoa but corruptly as Stephan Garibaio borne in the country writeth Some ancient records of this country do not vndeseruedly name it The wall and fortresse of Castile and Leon. It is a mountainous place euery where so abounding with yron and steele that for quantity and goodnesse of this mettall it is excelled by no other region in the world Wherefore from hence to their great commodity all the neighbour-countries are abundantly supplied with all kind of iron-tooles and instruments Here likewise they make warlike armour and artillery as namely Great ordonance Harquebuzes Caliuers Harnesse Swords c. so good and in such plenty as people of all nations are desirous to haue them They themselues also are a people very warlike So that this region a man may rightly call Mars his armory and the inhabitants his workemen Such as dwell vpon the coasts spending the greatest part of their time at sea reape vnto themselues great profit by taking Newfoundland fish called Baccalaos and Whales of whose fat they make great quantitie of Traine-oile Heere also they boile Salt mixing it I know not for what purpose with Oats and with Hempe-seed The head citie is Tholosa situate at the confluence of the riuers Araxis and Oria others there are also of note as Placencia swarming with Smiths Motrico or rather Monte de Trico so called of the rocke Trico that hangs ouer it The port of Sant Sebastian which is the largest most commodious vpon all the coast Hither people of sundry nations do trafficke At first it was called Hicuru afterward Don Bastia and corruptly Donastia which in signification is all one with Sant Sebastian For Don in the Biscain tongue signifieth Saint as Santo in Spanish But by the inhabitants it is commonly called Vrumea For this region differing altogether in language from the residue of Spaine hath many townes called by diuers names according to the difference of languages some whereof I thought good here to note for the benefit of those that reade histories The sundry names therefore of diuers townes in Guipusco are these that follow Salinas alias Gaza both signifying salt Mondragon alias Arrasale Monreal alias Dena Aspeitia alias Vrasueitia Saluatierra de Traurgui Olite alias Ariuierri Renteria alias Villanueua de Oiarcum Penna Oradada alias Puerto de Sant Adrian Elicaur alias Licaur Marquina alias Elgoiuar Azcoytia alias Vrazgoitia Miranda de Traurgui Araxa Arayça Also the hill Aralar is called Arara and the riuer Vidoso Vidorso and Alduida and Beyouia This riuer runnes betweene Spaine and France In describing this region Stephan Garibayo is very copious in the 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. and 14. chapters of his 15. booke And Florian del Campo writes somewhat of it in his first and second chapter And Nauagierus in his Iournall affirmeth that there is so much yron and steele dig'd out of the mines of Guipusco as yeeldeth 80000. duckats of yerely gaine The words of Plinie in his 34. booke and 14. chapter are not I thinke to this place impertinent Vpon the coast of Cantabria saith he which the
Ocean affronteth there is a craggie high mountaine a thing very admirable wholly consisting of the same matter he meaneth yron CARPETANIA THis region lies in the very heart of Spaine which Plinie Liuie call Carpetania The people called Carpetani were knowen vnto Strabo and the Carpitani with .i. by Ptolemey Polybius calles them Carpesios and so doth Liuie in some places Their chiefe citie is Toledo The description whereof you may reade in Nauagierus Pedro de Medina and George Brunus All Carpetania is not set downe in this Table but that part only from Toledo Eastward Concerning Toledo because I haue not read it in any other authour I will adde that which Roger Houeden in the second booke of his Chronicle of England reporteth He calles it Tulette and these be his words In this city there is an hill out of which are daily taken aboue a thousand camels loads of earth and yet it neuer decreaseth for though you dig neuer so deepe an hole yet by the morow if any raine fall it will be filled vp againe The earth taken out of this hill is transported to the neighbour prouinces and sold to wash mens heads and their apparell aswell Christians as Pagans The said Roger liued about the yeere 1200. CARPETANIAE PARTIS DESCR 1584. Cum priuilegio Imp. et Belgico ad decennium GVIPVS COAE REGIONIS TYPVS Vardulorum siue HANC INSVLAM PERLVSTRABAT ET SVA MANV DEPINGEBAT GEORGIVS HOEFNAGLIVS ANTVERPIAN BELGA Dum extendar FRANCE ALl that tract of land from the riuer of Rhene included by the Ocean the Pyreney mountaines the sea Mediterran and mount Appennine as farre as Ancona the ancient Writers by one generall name called Gallia For Westward by the Pyreney hilles it is disioyned from Spaine North it borders vpon the French and British Ocean East the riuer Rhene and the Alpes from sea to sea include it in like maner as the Pyreney mountaines doe West South it is accoasted by part of the Mediterran sea ouer against Prouence It was called Gallia in regard of the peoples whitenesse for the high mountaines and the heauens rigour exclude the heat of the Sunne from this part hereof it comes that their white bodies change not colour Wherefore the Graecians name the Gaules or ancient inhabitants of France Galatas in regard of their milke-white colour for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke signifieth Milke from which name the Latines haue called them Gallos This deriuation the greatest parts of Writers doe approue yet some there are that deride it supposing them rather to be so called of raine which in Hebrew is Galah and in the olde British language Glau as who should say A most ancient nation rain'd vpon and drenched in the very floud of Noah This region of theirs was of olde diuided into Gallia Cisalpina which in regard of vs lieth beyond the Alpes being that part of Italie which at this present is called Lombardie and Transalpina which is included within these fiue bounds namely the riuer Rhene the Ocean the Pyreney mountaines the Mediterran sea and the Alpes This Gallia Transalpina by Caesar in his Commentaries is diuided into three parts Belgica Celtica and Aquitanica Belgica which is enuironed by the Ocean sea and the riuers of Rhene Marne and Senie vsing most part the Dutch tongue and at this present called the Low-countries Celtica or Lugdunensis which is comprehended within the riuers Garomne Marne Senie and Rhosne It is now called France For the Celtae were subdued by the Francks of Germany so that at length they were named Westerne Francks from whom the prouince it selfe is denominated Aquitanica before named Aremorica which extendeth from the riuer Garomne to the Ocean and to the Pyreney mountaines West and by North it is confined with that part of the Ocean which is called the Bay of Aquitane Westward it hath Spaine North Celtica or France properly so called and South the country of Prouence It is now called Gascoine and the inhabitants differ both in stature and language from the residue of France These are the ancient limits of the Gaules Howbeit the countrey of the French which at this day beares the title of a Kingdome and is commonly called the Kingdome of France hath not so large extension but towards the North only is so much the narower as it is cut off by an imaginary line from Strasbourg vpon Rhene to the port of Calais and it comprehends all that tract of land which is conteined within this line the Ocean sea the Pyreney mountaines the sea Mediterran and the Alpes Postellus in his booke of the whole world reckons vp the peculiar Shires or Prouinces of this Kingdome in maner following In the East it hath Prouence Sauoie Swisserland Bressia Borgogne Lorraigne Champanie Henault Cleue and Flanders on the North Picardy Normandy and Bretaigne on the West Bretaigne Aniou Poictou Xantoigne and Gascoigne and on the South Gascoigne Bearne Roussillon Dauphnie Vellay Forest Auuergne Limosni Perigort and Angolesme East of Poictou lie the prouinces of Bourges Bourbon Beaioulois Lionnois the Countie of Burgundy Auxerrois Niuernois Berry Tours Vendosme beyond Aniou le Beaulse Gastinois Valois beyond Sens and not farre off le Perche Druise and le Mans neere Bretaigne And thus at this present are these Prouinces named But albeit Postellus accounteth Sauoy Swizzerland Loraigne Henault Cleue and Flanders among the Prouinces of France yet are they not now vnder the gouernment of this Kingdome for all of them haue peculiar princes not subiect to the crowne of France Concerning the French King Villa Nueua reports two memorable things First That in the Church of Rhemes there is a vessell full of neuer-decaying oile sent from heauen to anoint the Kings of France at their coronation Secondly That the same Kings doe heale the disease called in English The Queenes euill only with touching the place affected All France is described in a large volume by Robert Caenalis reade also concerning the same argument Gilbert Cognatus Nazorenus Iohannes Marius Chassanaeus in his twelfth booke De gloria mundi Postellus in his booke Of the whole world Aimon in the beginning of his storie of the Franks Sebastian Munster Belleforest Theuet and other Describers of the world Touching this region also and the disposition of the inhabitants you may learne somewhat out of the second booke of Laonicus Chalcocondylas of Athens Of ancient Writers Caesar surpasseth all Diodorus Siculus in his fifth booke and Ann. Marcelinus in his fifteenth booke haue many notable things concerning this region Likewise Claudius Champier of Lions wrote in French a Treatise of the first originals of the principall townes in all France Symphorianus father to this man discourseth of the riuers and the miracles of waters and fountaines in France The city of Paris is described in verse by Eustathius à Knobelsdorf and the city of Lions by Champier GALLIAE REGNI POTENTISS NOVA DESCRIPTIO IOANNE IOLIVETO AVCTORE Candido lectori S.D. Gallia tota iam
lake His words be these speaking of Sarte a riuer in this Prouince Sarte being come to the bridge commonly called Noien as farre as the towne of Malicorne how plentifully and miraculously it aboundeth with fish may appeare by this one example that not many yeeres past contrary to mens vsuall expectation here was taken a carpe of an ell and handfull long his tongue if we may beleeue the common report weighed six pounds which is confirmed also by a monument written vpon the Bishops palace They say that not farre from this place in the tract of Sagona there is an exceeding deepe lake it is named The causey-foord for it ends at the place commonly called Gay Chaucey out of which lake are taken carpes of so huge bignesse that one of them will suffice a meane family for an whole weeke together the experience whereof following the Court I learned in the towne of Blois Hitherto Robert Caenalis in his story of France CENOMANORVM Galliae regionis typus Auctore Matthaeo Ogerio La Mans. Neustria BRITANNIAE et NORMANDIAE TYPVS 1594. Cum privilegio decennali POICTOV AMongst the people of Aquitaigne some there are called by Ptolemey and Plinie Pictones by Caesar and Strabo Pictones with i in the first syllable and by Ammianus Marcellinus Pictauos Ausonius names the countrey Pictonicam regionem but later Writers call it in Latine Pictauia The inhabitants in their owne language terme themselues Poicteuins the region Poictou and the head city Poictiers which perhaps is all one with Ptolemey his Augustoritum The opinion of some who affirme it was thus named of the Pictes I holde altogether fabulous for out of Classicall writers it is apparent that Pictones is an ancienter name than Picti Poictou is now diuided into the Lower and the Vpper The Lower Poictou we call that which ends Westward vpon the sea of Aquitaigne and the Vpper which lieth Eastward towards Tourain and Berry South it confines vpon Xantoigne Angolesme and Limosin and North vpon Brettaigne and Aniou It is a countrey most fertile of corne and cattell rich in wheat and wine and abounding with fish Wild-fowle and beasts heere are great plenty and for that cause much hunting and hauking In this region are conteined 1200. Parishes vnder three Bishopricks namely Poictiers Luçon and Maillezais The principall places besides these are Roch-sur-yon Talmont Meroil Vouuant Meruant Bresuire Lodun Fontenay le Conte All which be in the Vpper Poictou In the Lower are situate Niort Partenay Touars Moncontoul Hernault Mirebeau Chalstelleraudt c. The head of all these is Poictiers which next vnto Paris is the principall citie in all France and is for the most part enuironed by the riuer Clain The antiquity of this towne sufficiently appeareth out of the Theater commonly called Arenas as likewise out of Gallienus his Palace and the Arches of Water-conducts as yet extant which the inhabitants call Arceaux de Parignè all which are Monuments of the Romans gouernment in this place Howbeit before their comming this citie was seated vpon another plot of ground as may be gathered out of the writings of Ammonius and Ado. For they make mention of a place called Olde Poictiers whereat they say was the diuision of the kingdome betweene Charlemaine and Pipin Kings of the Frankes Also in this table vpon the very same riuer of Clain towards Chastellerault you may see a place called Vieu Poictiers that is to say Old Poictiers The towne of Talmont or rather Talon du Monde in English The heele of the World is so called by the French because it stands vpon the vtmost border of this countrey towards the Ocean as if therefore it were to be esteemed the extreame part of the World Ouer against the shore of Poictou lie these islands Oleron by Plinie named Vliarius at the mouth of the riuer Charente called by Ausonius Charantonus fluuius and by Ptolemey Canentelum L'isle de Rez opposite to Rochell abounding with wine wherof it is named The isle Noir or Marmonstier which yeeldeth plenty of salt The isle Aulonne which in this Table is rather a Peninsula this aboundeth with wine and salt as doth another little isle called Chauet The Mappe also represents vnto you L'isle de Dieu or Gods isle and that likewise which is called Nostre-dame de Bouin By Saint Hillary the Apostle of Aquitaigne Ecclesiasticall Writers affirme that this region was conuerted to Christianity A more exact description hereof you may reade in Belleforrest who will referre you from himselfe to Iohn Bouchet his Chronicle of Aquitaigne Something you may learne out of Antony Pinetius in his description of Cities Theuet likewise is to be perused Concerning this region also Iohn de la Haye wrote a peculiar Treatise in French POICTOV PICTONVM VICINARVMQVE REGIONVM FIDISS DESCRIPTIO Auctore Nobili Dn̄o Petro Rogiero Pictone Regiae M t is Galliae consiliario etc. The region of BERRY called of olde BITVRIGES THe people Bituriges are mentioned in most of the ancient Geographers Plinie calles them Liberos and saith they were also named Cubos The country is now diuided into the Vpper the Lower The principall citie called at this present Bourges was named by Caesar as some thinke Auaricum Theobald Fagotius citizen of the same writeth that the territory adiacent is exceeding fruitfull and wanteth nothing that all France may affoord that the city is ancient as appeareth by diuers notable monuments that it is a towne of great trafficke that they haue an Vniuersitie flourishing with all kinde of learning insomuch as it may well be called The Honour of the liberall Arts and A Mart of learned men But concerning the originall of this citie and the deriuation of the name let vs giue eare to Iohn Calmey who writes thereof in maner following In the yeere of the worlds creation 1791. one Gomer of the nation of the Gaules bringing a Colonie into this region of the Bituriges planted the same in the chiefe citie the name of Ogygis being by Noah his grandfather imposed for honours sake vpon the inhabitants which by them for the fauor and loue they bare to their founder descended of Ogygis was afterward changed and they named themselues Bitogyges which in the Armenian tongue signifies The posteritie of Ogygis But as words by custome are often times corrupted for to make them familiar or more proper we will not sticke to adde detract or alter some letters or syllables so the name of this countrey and of the chiefe citie either by the force thereof or by the appointment of a certaine Prince named Biturix changed the name of Bitogyges into Bituriges Amongst other opinions some hold that it was called Bituris quasi Biturris of two ancient Towers which sometimes stood in this citie whereupon a certaine Grammarian hath written this verse Turribus à binis inde vocor Bituris that is Of Towers twaine Bituris I was nam'd Thus much out of John Calamaeus his booke of the originall of the Bituriges from whence
principall members of the whole Dukedome Concerning euery of which I will speake more largely hauing said somwhat of the Metropolitan whereunto belong the third part of Bishop-townes which in times past were vnder the ancient iurisdiction of Lugdune For vnder the third receiued diuision of Diocesses apperteining to the Primacie of Lugdune or Lions are comprehended Tours La Mans Angiers Rhenes Nants Cornevaile Vannes S. Poll de Leon Tregoir Dol S. Malo S. Brieu The Turones therefore of such antiquitie and their city the head of so many Nations Iulius Caesar reckoneth in the first rancke of the people of France and so likewise do other ancient Writers Ptolemey placeth them vpon the riuer Ligeris and Ammianus Marcellinus in Secundâ Lugdunensi But in Caesar they are oftener mentioned and that very plainly especially at the end of his eleuenth booke De bello Gallico This done saith he and all France being at quiet so great an opinion of this war surprized the Barbarians that euen those nations which inhabited beyond Rhene sent ambassadours vnto Caesar promising to giue him pledges and to obey his commandements He therefore hauing ended his warres and put his legions in garison among the Carnutes Andes and Turones which were cities neere vnto these places departed for Italie Hence you may gather that they were not enemies to the Romans but rather Caesars followers Gregory Turonensis often calles them Senatores Romanos for they enioyed the libertie of Free-denizens which was granted to none but such as were the Romans deere friends and linked vnto them in most firme league The Touranois are held to be one of the richest people in all France both for the fruitfulnesse of their fields which they deseruedly call The Kings garden and also for their excellent maner of gouernment and the industry of their Citizens who are especially addicted to traffique for which purpose their nauigable riuer stands them in great stead They haue also attempted of late to make silke than which Italie affoords no better At the East part of Tourain vpon the riuer Loire stands Amboise built in a most excellent and choise seat and a delicate pure aire so that this place especially the French Kings haue chosen to retire and solace themselues in The city of Montrichard situate on a plaine is on the one side fortified with Rocks and Woods and hem'd in on the other side with Medowes and delightsome Fields Without the city are houses vnder ground with Gardens and Vineyards on the tops of them Loches vpon the riuer of Indre hath a castle both for pleasantnesse largenesse munition and situation almost incomparable for situation I say both by Arte and Nature impregnable Pautruy Chastillon Cormery Beaulieu and other cities of this Dukedome are described by Belleforest vnto whom I referre the Reader Touraine TVRONENSIS DVCATVS et CONFINIVM GALLIAE CELTICAE DESCRIPTIO Perlustrata descripta haec regio est ab Ysaaco Franco Regio Aedili nec non in ea provincia Viarum magistro Anno Domini M.D.XCII Complectitur hic ducatus latitudo ab aequinoctiali versus Arcticum ad 47. gradum 49 minutos porrigitur Longitudo vero ab Occidente in Orientem ad 21. gradum 27. minutos extenditur Les Isles de Loire 1. Chaumont 2. Des Chams 3. S. Iehan 4. Le Chasselier 5. Tribon et du Ianover 6. Mahondeau 7. Roche corbon 8. Torcay 9. Vaugon est 10. Maille 11. Buysson Bretenay 12. Drovineau 13. Bec decher 14. Voletz 15. S. Martin 16. Cappel blanche 17. Petit S. Marin 18. Sauget 19. Les Isles de chose 20. Monsoreau BLAISOIS or the territory of BLOIS THis territorie of Blois confineth East vpon Orleans and part of Gastinois West vpon Tourain South vpon Salloigne and part of Berry and North vpon Vendosmois and Le Beaulse That portion of the citie of Blois which looketh towards Le Beaulse stands partly vpon hilles and rocks and partly vpon plaine ground which vneuen situation maketh the wayes and passages somewhat vneasie Howbeit this inconuenience is no disgrace to the Citie nor discourageth Trauellers to frequent it for the fruitfulnesse and faire beautie of the whole Prouince makes it amiable and the excellent temper of the aire populous It being for plentie of Wheat Wine and other necessaries for mans life to no Prouince inferiour for it is all shadie and full of Woods Vineyards Riuers Brooks Pooles and Fountaines so that Nature hath infused a wonderfull fatnesse into this soile with such a temper of heat vpon the hilles neere about the citie as causeth their Vineyards exceedingly to prosper Wherefore this Prouince participating with Le Beaulse and Salloigne excelleth them both in their owne commodities For abounding with Wheat no lesse than Le Beaulse it farre surpasseth thesame in Wines in other kinds of graine and in plenty of water For pleasantnesse it matcheth Salloigne from whence though it be seuered but the bredth of the riuer Loire yet is not the fruitfulnesse thereof empair'd by the others sandie barrennesse Wherefore that part of Le Beaulse wherein Blois is situate hath more abundance of wood and water than the residue and the frontiers of Salloigne next adioyning may ascribe their fruitfulnesse to the good neighbourhood of this territory Neither can the olde said saw That it is best dwelling in Salloigne and best inheriting in Le Baulse be seuerally but iointly applied to Blois That the aire is most holsome and temperate I appeale to multitudes of great and honourable personages who being oppressed with most grieuous diseases do repaire especially to this Prouince for the recouery of their health Yea the Kings children are nursed trained vp in the city of Blois for which cause it is called The Kings city Amongst the rarities of this prouince one there is that can hardly be found in the whole Kingdome besides namely a veine of that earth which is commonly called Terra Lemnia or Sigillata being of the same force and efficacie with the true earth of Lemnos All this description we haue taken out of Belleforest LEMOSIN THe Prouince of Lemosin consisteth of two Regions the Higher and the Lower both being subiect to one gouernment They are diuided insunder by the castles of Massere the riuers Bresdasque and Bezerre and those of the region called La Marche de Lemosin The higher part extendeth from Puy the first village in the way to Paris as farre as the riuer Bredasque for the space of nineteene leagues or fortie French leagues The very same distance it hath from Vareille which stands a mile from Souterane to the foresaid riuer It is plentifully watered by the riuer Vienne which the inhabitants call Vignana and Bezerre abounding with riuers crabs and by other small Freshets so that all the whole country is very moist and fertile and excellent pasture ground for great and small cattell which do here mightily increase The principall citie of the higher prouince called Limoges is accounted one of the most famous and ancient cities of
well deserueth the title of the Royal or princely castle For it resembleth rather a city then a Castle filling vp so great a roome with the wals and buildings Of publique edifices the Church built by King Charles before mentioned and the Castle erected by K. Vladislaus late deceased are the most memorable And as Prage of all their Cities hath the preeminence so hath Elbe called by Tacitus renowmed and famous of all their riuers Howbeit concerning the fountaine of this riuer Tacitus writeth skarce soundly namely that it springeth in the region of the Hermonduri For it ariseth not among the Hermonduri but rather out of certaine Bohemian mountaines lying open to the North vpon the frontiers of Morauia which the ancient Bohemians call Cerconessi From which mountaines this riuer refresheth and watereth the greater and better part of Bohemia and then hauing augmented his streames by the influence of Vultawa Egra Satzawa Gitzera and Misa his neighbour-riuers continueth his course and name through Misnia and Saxonie to the maine Ocean being all that way enriched with abundance of Salmons But the smaller riuers and freshets of Bohemia yeeld in some places graines of gold and in others shell-fishes containing pearle Heere also you haue certaine hot bathes both pleasant and medicinable And all the whole countrie so aboundeth with graine as it affoordeth plenty to the neighbour-regions Wines there are no great store and those of the countrey so weake as they last but a very small time Howbeit they haue saffron of the best excelling both in colour smell and moisture three principall properties to chuse that commoditie by There are siluer-mines so exceeding rich that were it not for some small quantitie of flint that insinuates it selfe into the veine you should haue nothing but perfect siluer whereas in other countries those mines are esteemed of high price that hold a quarter or a fift part or at the vtmost one halfe of good siluer They find also plenty of gold-ore in certaine mines which take their name of a place called Giloua It is reported that the Kings of Bohemia haue had graines of pure gold brought from thence weighing tenne pound a piece Neither are they destitute of baser metall namely tinne lead copper and yron And sometimes they finde in those mineral rockes the carbuncle the Saphyre and the Amethist Next vnto their mines there is nothing of greater account to the Bohemians then their waters replenished with carps which I haue declared more at large in a peculiar booke treating of fish-pondes Now let vs decypher the disposition of the inhabitants In briefe therefore both in maners habit and stature of body the Bohemians resemble the Lion king of beasts vnder whose constillation they are subiect that is to say if you consider either the largenesse of their limbs their broad and mightie breastes their yellow shag-haire hanging ouer their shoulders the harshnesse of their voice their sparkling eies or their exceeding strength and courage The Lion carries a kind of contempt and disdainefull pride ouer other beastes and hardly shall you vanquish him if you assaile him by force Neither doth the Bohemian in this respect degenerate but soone shewes his contempt towards other nations both in word and deed and discouers his arrogancie both in his gate gesture and pompe Being set light by he growes impatient in any enterprize he is as bold as a Lion and most firme and constant till he hath brought it to execution but not without a touch of ambition and vaine glory Moreouer like a lion he is greedie of his meat and very curious in the dressing and seasoning thereof And their neighbours the Saxons haue taught them to carouse both day and night And by reason of their neighbourhood the Bohemians differ not much from the Germans in other qualities Hitherto Dubrauius by whom also the originall and ancient dwelling place of this nation is described They brew excellent ale in this countrey calling it Whiteale They speake the Sclauon tongue calling themselues Czecks and the Germans Niemecks Vnder the stile of this kingdome are also comprized the regions of Morauia Silesia and Lusatia Likewise in the yeare 1315. the city Egra became the warehouse or principall mart towne of the Bohemians Concerning the region it selfe you may read more largely in Aeneas Siluius and of the people in the first booke of Martinus Cromerus his Polonian story Vnto these you may adde Munster Rithaimer Crantzius in his description of Wandalia and Sabellicus En. 10. lib. 2. Panthaleon Candidus wrote of late seuen books entitled Bohemaidos Prage the head citie of this Kindome is peculiarly described by Georgius Handschius The Map it selfe we borowed out of the Table of Ioannes Crigingerus published at Prage 1568. The diuers appellations of certaine cities in this Kingdome we thought good here to put downe out of Munster For the names of all their cities are by the Bohemian pronounced after one maner and by the German after another Bohemian names German names These cities are immediatly subiect to the King Praha Prag Plzen Pilsen Budiciowize Budwis Kolim Coeln Cheb Eger Strzibre Misz Hora Kuttenberg Tabor Taber Zatetz Satz Litemierzitze Leitmiritz Launij Laun. Rockowinck Rakowinck Klattowy Glataw Beraim Bern. Most Bruck Hradetz Gretz Auscij Aust Myto Maut Dwuor Hoff. Laromiertz Iaromir Bohemian names German names These cities are subiect to the peers of the kingdome Dub Ath. Piela Wiswasser Gilowy Gilaw Krupka Graupen Loket Elbogen Hanzburg Hasenburg The riuer Albis is called by the Germans Elbe and by the Bohemians Labe. The Bohemians call the riuer Molta by the name of Vltawa REGNI BOHEMIAE DESCRIPTIO Bohemiae longitudo latitudoque peuè par nam retundam faciem ex circumiacientibus montibus accipit cuius diametrū trium dierum itinere expedito absoluitur quorū montium quae ad Septentrionalem plagā vergunt Sudetae appellantur ardui sane ac praecipites vbi Gabrita silua ingens extenditur qui montes cum alijs Danubio proximis vnde Albis fi se proripit in coronam cocunt quos vndique profundissima nemora latissimè occupant Hercinia enim silua vniuersā Bohemian compraehēit SILESIA JOhn Crato one of the Emperours counsellers and his principall Physician hath for the benefit of the studious in Geography out of his relations of Silesia imparted thus much vnto vs. That we may not be scrupulous about the name of the Silesians nor as some haue done deriue it from the Elysian fields we are out of ancient writers to vnderstand that the same region which they now possesse was formerly inhabited by the Quadi For Quad in the Saxon or old German tongue hath the same signification that Siletz hath in the Polonian or Sclauon For they were a people that resorted hither out of sundry places more addicted to warre than peace destroyers rather than builders and impatient of all superioritie The first King that bare rule ouer them was Boleslaus a Polacke He was borne in the yeere of our Lord 967. his
from all countreys of Europe Here is great plentie of all maner of prouision necessary for the maintenance of mans life The riuers of Austrich are Donaw sometime the vtmost border of the region but now it runneth thorow the midst of the same Onasus Drawn Erlaph which at Cella or Zelltal famous for the Church of the Virgine Marie ariseth out of a most pleasant lake Draisn Ypsie Melck Marck These doe seuer Morauia from Austrich Camb a notable riuer for sundry sorts of fish Leytte and Swegad in which are Crefishes or Crabs of a most pleasant taste Thus farre Rithaymer Of the originall and reason of the etymologie of the name of this countrey this report Lazius in his Commentaries of VVien doth giue The name of Austria saith he was inuented of late about foure hundred yeeres since of the blast of the South winde called of the Latines Auster which winde in this country bloweth oft or of the similitude of the German name which I thinke to be more likely for the Kings of the Franks called the East border of their Kingdomes Ostenrich like as the West part they termed Westenrich This region long since was first gouerned by Marquesses then by Dukes and lastly by Archdukes to whom it is now subiect as is more at large to be seene in the said Commentaries of Lazius The ancient armes of this countrey were fiue Larkes Ore in a field Azure but Lupold the Marquesse the fift of that name of an accident or euent that befell him was licenced by the Emperour to alter his coat and to beare a field Gules with a fesse argent for that in the siege and assault of Accon he was all ouer embrued with bloud onely his girdle excepted More thou maiest reade of this in Munster and Cuspinian The description of Austrich is to be seene in Bonfinius in the end of his fourth booke fourth Decade of his historie of Hungarie Pius the second in his description of Europe citeth an historie of his written of this countrey which notwithstanding as yet it was neuer our chance to see The same authour hath in his Epistles passing well described Vienna or VVien the chiefe citie of this Prouince AVSTRIAE DESCRIP per WOLFGANGVM LAZIVM The Bishopricke of SALCZBVRG FRANCIS IRENICVS saith that of the fiue Bishopricks of Bayern this is the principall and the Bishops sea termed of Aeneas Syluius the Metropolitan citie whose description we haue here set downe is by Munster thus described Iulius Caesar entending to make warre vpon the Germans caused a very strong castle to be built in the streights of the mountaines whither his souldiers in danger might retire themselues and from whence they might haue succour when need required and therefore it was called Castrum Iuuauiense in the German tongue Helfenberg The riuer vpon which it standeth called Iuuauius is thought by some to haue giuen the name to this castle of which also the citie afterwards built was named Iuuauia This citie hath Fennes Plaines Hilles and Mountaines round about belonging to it The Fennes yeeld pastures the Mountaines hawking and hunting But this citie hauing long since flourished for a few yeres in the time of Attila the King of the Hunnes susteined many inrodes and incursions and was miserably wasted with fire and sword Afterward about the yeere of Christ 520 whenas S. Rupert descended of the bloud royall of the Franks was inuested Bishop of the sea of VVormes and after the death of Childebert was driuen from that his Bishopricke Thedo Duke of Bayern entertained him at Ratispone with great ioy and solemnitie and was baptized of him with his Nobles and Commons Rupert the Bishop going on visitation and trauelling about by Noricum euen vnto Pannony preaching the Gospell conuerted many to the faith of CHRIST and comming vnto the riuer Iuuaue where sometime the citie Iuuawe had stood but now ruined decaied ouergrowen with bushes and without inhabitant and obseruing the place fitting and conuenient for a Bishops sea he obtained the possession thereof from the Duke stocked vp the trees and bushes and finding the foundation of the buildings he erected there a Church which he dedicated vnto the honour of S. Peter Also by the bountifull magnificence of the same Duke he erected a Monasterie of the order of S. Bennet and gouerned the Bishops sea foure and fortie yeeres c. The same authour in that place reckoneth vp also the rest of the Bishops and Archbishops of this sea See Auentinus who thinketh this citie to haue beene of Ptolemey called Poedicum This citie is seated amongst the Alpes Some doe thinke it to haue beene named Saltzburg of Salt which in the countrey neere adioyning not farre from Reichenhall is digged out of the earth in great plenty Yet who doth not see it not to be called of them Saltzburg or Salisburg but Salezburg of Salcz or Salczach the riuer vpon which it is built and situate like as Insperg Instadt of the riuer In Iltzstadt vpon Iltz Regensperg vpon Regen not farre from this place and a thousand such euery where to be obserued The territorie and liberties of this citie is rich of all sorts of mettels as of Golde Siluer Brasse and yron Here is also found Vitrioll Brimstone Alume and Antimonie It hath also some quarries of Marble VViguley Hund hath set forth a catalogue of the Bishops of this citie The Iournall of Antoninus maketh mention of Iuuaue But Gaspar Bruschius thinketh the more ancient name of Iuuaue to haue beene Helfenberg and of that the name Iuuaue to haue beene formed which in signification is the same Pighius writeth that he hath read these verses in the chiefe church of this city Tunc Hadriana vetus quae pòst Iuuauia dicta Praesidialis erat Noricis Episcopo digna Rudiberti sedes qui fidem contulit illis CHRISTI quam retinet Saltzburgum serò vocata Thus verbatim in English Where Hadriana old did stand which since they Iuuaue call'd A garrison towne to Roman State there Robert was enstall'd First Bishop of the sea who them did bring to cheerefull light Of Gospell cleere which yet they hold it now is Salczburg hight SALISBVRGENSIS IVRISDICTIONIS locorumque vicinorum vera descriptio Auctore Marco Secznagel Salisburgense Qui patriae adfert ingenio suae Illustre nomen Laudibus excolens Dignus fauore est praemióque Quem sequens veneretur aetas Cum Marcus ergo fecerit hoc opus Grato tuum te quaeso foue sinu Salczburga ciuem ges tiensque Posteritatis honore cinge BAVARIA BAyern or Bauiere called of the Latines Boiaria or as others like better Bauaria was inhabited in former times by the Narisci Vindelici and Norici The Nariskes which now are called Nardge the riuer Donaw parteth from the other two The Noricks did enter at the riuer In and doe decline toward the East and West euen vnto Hungarie and Italie The Vindelicks were conteined betweene the riuers Lyke Donaw Isara Inne and the Alps which Ptolemey calleth Penninae All this
trusted rather to their swords of steele than walles of stone it was notable for the pleasantnesse of the place only commendable now for his antiquitie hauing a most goodly prospect round about aboue are the woods of Beech beneath are the fertile hilles of Vines c. The late Dukes of Wirtemberg for many ages past held their Court in this tower taking from thence their name their stocke and their armes as is to euery man very apparent There are which thinke that the Dukes of Wirtemberg haue had their ofspring from the Tuscans or Rhaetians others from the French Whether of these opinions are more probable I much regard not for in a thing altogether vncertaine I affirme nothing constantly It is certaine that they were strangers whether they came first forth of Italie or from France that as yet is not certainly knowen c. Thus farre Iohn Pede WIRTENBERG DVCATVS Accurata descriptio In qua omnia eius Opida Monasteria pagi nemora flumina et riuuli alicuius nominis diligentissimè exprimuntur Auctore Georgio Gadnero Cum Priuilegio Imp. Regiae M. 1579. The Precinct of SWITZERLAND THey which diuided the Empire of Germany into certeine Bands or Circles Kreis they commonly call them they made Switzerland the fourth in order now in all they record tenne it is certaine as approued histories do mention that at first Switzerland was a Kingdome but afterward reduced vnto a Dukedome Notwithstanding at this day there is none of the Princes of Germanie which is graced with the title of Duke of Switzerland for it is now diuided amongst many Princes One part hath accrued by lot of inheritance vnto the house of Austrich the duke of Wirtemberg enioyeth the greatest part in it there are many free cities and such as do belong vnto the crowne of the Empire many are subiect vnto the Duke of Bauiere There is none of the old writers which doth not make report of this Nation as of the most noble and ancientest of all Germany It is cleere out of Ptolemey Strabo and other authours that heretofore they were seated vpon the riuer Sweue and Albis But now at this day it is the vtmost prouince of all Germany for it abbutteth vpon the Alpes It is bounded by Bayern Frankenland and Alsatia or Elsas on euery side round about In olde time this countrey was called Alemanie of the lake Lemanus vulgarly now called Lac de Losanne or Lac de Geneue the Germans call it Ienfferlee as some thinke The countrey as Iohn Auban in that worthy worke of his De moribus gentium describeth it is partly champian partly hilly The soile is fruitfull of which there is no part which lieth vntilled excepting that which Lakes Mountaines or Woods do possesse In it are many woods and therefore the nation is giuen much to hunting and hawking they haue abundance of corne and great store of cattell The whole prouince by reason of the holsomnesse of the aire is euery where replenished with goodly cities villages castles and bulwarks strongly fortified aswell by nature as arte About the mountaines it yeeldeth iron siluer and other mettals The nation is populous stout audacious and warlike and therefore Plutarch calleth it The most excellent nation of all the Germans Whose renowme is recorded to be such and so to be enlarged that for valour and feats of armes it seemeth to haue deserued the Empire of the whole world which indeed it hath most gloriously for the space of somewhat more than an hundred yeeres enioyed Thus farre out of Iohn Auban where thou mayest at large see the customes and maner of life of this nation Augusta Vindelicorum Augspurg vpon the riuer Lech and Vlm vpon Donaw are the most famous cities of this prouince at this day There are also Campodun Memmingen Werd Nordling and others of which thou mayest reade in Munster Donaw the greatest riuer of all Europe here taketh his beginning and passeth thorow the middest of the countrey This riuer laden with threescore streames which Cuspinian according to the report of Collimitius describeth by name and order emptieth it selfe into Pontus Euxinus the Greeks now call it Maurothalassa the Italians Marmaiore the Turkes as Busbequius affirmeth Cara-denis that is The blacke-sea by six huge mouthes Euery one of which mouthes are so great and the streame so violent as Pliny saith that you shall obserue the sea to be ouer-mastered and driuen backe the space of fortie miles and so farre the water to be perceiued to be sweet Of this countrey and his people and first inhabitants see the ancient Geographers and of the latter writers Iohn Auban of Bohemia Munster and Irenicus who affirmeth that Naucler hath penned certaine books only of this argument and that Berno a certaine Abbat hath written many volumes of this nation In the vpper part of this Map you see a little prouince cōmonly called Kreichgey Dauid Chytraeus hath described it in a seuerall treatise The territorie of BASELL THis Map conteineth that coast in which long since the Rauraci and the Cis Iurani did inhabit as also the Waste of Heluetia The Rauraci in time past according to the opinion of most men were contained betweene the riuers of Rhein Byrsa and Ar and those mountaines which from Iurassus doe reach hither At this day it is for the most part vnder the iurisdiction of Basell In it as yet is there a village vpon the Rein distant a Dutch mile from Basell called Augst sometime the chiefe citie of this nation and was called Augusta Rauracorum but now it is become a base village notwithstanding many apparent signes of decayed buildings which as yet do testifie his antiquitie we haue seene to remaine and be yet extant there The country is rough full of many cragged rocks and euery where shadowed with thicke woods yet is very well inhabited and manured so that euen in the mountaines besides the goodly pastures for cattell of which it is greatly stored it beareth plentifully very good wine and corne Sequani CisIurani did long since reach from the mountaine Iura euen vnto the banke of the riuer Rhein Now this part is called Sungow and the Higher Elsas and is subiect for the most part vnto the Dukes of Austrich Brisgow and Blacke-wood commonly called Swartz-wald possesse the other banke of the Rein. Here the waste or wildernesse of Heluetia is placed by Ptolemey Brisgow is very well replenished with cities and villages and is very rich in corne The common people for the most part liue vpon Vintage The iurisdiction and gouernment of this countrey is diuided betweene the Archdukes of Austrich and the Marquesses of Bath Of this shire thou mayest see many things in Munster Christian Vrstise in a peculiar treatise hath most exactly described the citie of Basell In like maner Aeneas Syluius afterward called Pope Pius II. BASILIENSIS TERRITORII DES CRIPTIO NOVA Auctore Sebastiano Munstero Miliaria Germanica duarū horarū itineris Circulus siue Liga SVEVIAVE Vulgo Schwa
and engins both for offence and defence against the assault of Pirates The village is inhabited almost of none els but Cooks Ostlers Shoemakers and such like fellowes which attend heere ready to do any businesse for such as resort hither almost all the yeare long in great numbers for deuotion and to prouide and serue them with such things as they want Heere is also the town and castle called Fabriano whose inhabitants do almost altogether liue by making of Paper which thereof is called Charta Fabriana There are also many other goodly towns in this prouince which are excellently described in Leander Franciscus Pamphilus hath also written in verse a description of this Shire The Mount Apennine in this place hangeth ouer this country with craggy topps exceeding high in which is that huge caue that they call Sibyllas caue in their language Grotta de la Sibylla and which the poets faine to be the Elysian fields For the common people do dreame of one Sibylla to be in this caue which heere possesseth a large kingdome full of gorgeous buildings and Princely palaces beset with pleasant gardens abounding with many fine wanton wenches and all maner of pleasures and delights all which she will bestow vpon them which through this caue which is alwaies open will go vnto her and after they haue been there the space of one whole yeare they haue free liberty giuen them by Sibylla if they please to depart and from that time being returned vnto vs they affirme that they liue for the rest of their time a most blessed and happy life This caue is knowne also to our countrie-men by the name of Vrow Venus bergh that is The Lady Venus mount Whereupon they vulgarly sing certaine Dutch rimes of one little Daniel for so the ballad calleth him who after that he had liued a whole yeare in this caue at last it repented him of this kind of life therefore heere he leauing his Loue departeth goeth to Rome commeth to the Pope confesseth his sinne and desireth to be absolued The Pope not deeming the sinne to be veniall the staffe which by chance he had in his hand withered and drie sticking it into the ground said that his sinnes should then be pardoned when this staffe shall beare Roses Daniel by this answeare despairing of his saluation went away very heauy and discontent and presently taking two of his nephewes his sisters sonnes with him returneth againe vnto his Paramour Within three daies after the staffe was obserued to put forth blossomes Daniel was sought for vp and down but could no where be found For they do beleeue that he spent the rest of his life in this caue But the story of this ballade is a worthy matter for a poeticall head and to be deemed as true as the rest of their fictions CORSICA CORSICA an Iland of the Mid-land sea was anciently inhabited of diuers nations At this day it is diuided into two parts The East part they call Banda di dentro The inner side the West part opposite to this Banda di fuori The outter side That end which is next to Italie Di qua da i Monti On this side the mountaines That next to Sardinia Di la da i Monti beyond the Mountaines Yet the people of what part soeuer in respect of the situation of the mountaines do call one another Tramontanesse but himselfe Cismontanum The iland is very hard to be entered or come vnto as being on all sides enclosed with steepe and high hilles The inner part is almost wholly mountainous and therefore is no very good corne ground yet is it highly commended for rich wine being transported to Rome of the place is called Vinum Corsicum It breedeth Horses of great stomacke and Hounds of extraordinary bignesse Heere iâ— as Plinie affirmeth the beast Musino a kind of ramme which in the steed of wooll beareth an hairie shagge like the goate now they call it Mofoli Strabo speaketh of this beast in Sardinia as if it were proper to that iland The Italians do account the inhabitants of this I le for valiant and stout souldiers Ancient writers haue affirmed that heere is found a kind of bitter Hony The Tyrrheni first possessed this Iland and afterward the Carthaginians from these the Romanes tooke it who held it vntill such time as the Saracens draue them out these the Genowaies at length expelled Then being taken by the citizens of Pisa it became subiect to the Bishops Lastly it was brought againe vnder the obedience of the Genowaies to whom at this day it doth belong Leander Alhertus hath so exactly described this Iland out of the Commentaries of Augustine Iustinian that a man may not easily find what moreouer may be added or desired SENENSIS DITIONIS ACCVRATA DESCRIP Cum Priuilegio CORSICA MARCHA ANCONAE OLIM PICENVM 1572. APRVTIVM now called ABRVZZO IN the kingdome of Naples there is a prouince which they call Abruzzo the Latines anciently named it Aprutium why it was so called as it is vncertaine so that it tooke not his name of the Brutij as some haue been of opinion I make no question Some there are which thinke it so named ab Apris of Bores for that the country being foresty and full of woods it swarmeth with wild hogges other some do deriue it ab asperitate montis Apenini from the cragginesse of the mount Apeninus which heere in this tract is very hideous steep and high The greater and better sort of writers do beleeue that in it some part of the ancient name of Praetutiana doth as yet remaine For Volaterranus Blondus Domi. Niger Leander and Scipio Mazella do perswade themselues that the Samnites and amongst them the Praetutiani the Peligni Marucini Ferentini Vestini Marsi Caraceni and Albenses haue formerly inhabited these places It is bounded at this day on the North side by the Hadriaticke sea on the West by the riuer Tronto anciently called Truentum on the East by Fortoro in old time named Frento vpon the South it hath the mount Apenine although in some places it stretcheth it selfe beyond the same This prouince Alphonsus the stout king of Arragon diuided into two parts Abruzzo the neather and Abruzzo the higher Abruzzo the higher which we haue described apart by it selfe is seuered from the Neather by the riuer Pescara which old writers called Aternus Scipio Mazella in his curious description of the kingdome of Naples affirmeth that this country is by situation and nature of the place very strong and inhabited by a stout and sturdy nation and the soile is very fertile of wines and cattell The chiefe cities of it are Aquila Interamna or Teramo Amatrice Atri Pinne and long since heere haue stoode Amiterno and Furconio both now defaced yet of their ruines and ashes is raised Aquila some fiue miles off built vpon the toppe of an hill as Volateran and others haue written This city is seated in a place most fertile of all maner of things necessary so
of the forenamed Maffeius who handleth them more at large with many other things of these Ilands of Iaponia Of the same there are heere and there many things in the Iesuites Epistles INDIA THat there is not a more goodly and famous country in the world nor larger comprehended vnder one and the same name than INDIA almost all writers iointly with one consent haue affirmed It was so named of the riuer Indus The whole compasse of India by the iudgement of Strabo and Pliny is thus limited vpon the West it hath the riuer Indus on the North the great mountaine Taurus on the East the Eastern sea wherein those famous Ilands the Moluccaes do lie on the South it hath the Indian sea In the middest it is diuided into two large prouinces by the goodly riuer Ganges Of which that which is on the West side of Ganges is called India intra Gangem India on this side Ganges that on the East India extra Gangem India beyond Ganges That in holy Scripture it is called EVILAT or Hauila this latter some writers call SERIA the country of the Seres as Dominicus Niger testifieth M. Paulus Venetus seemeth to diuide it into three prouinces the Greater the Lesser and the Middlemost which he saith they name Abasia This whole country generally not only for multitude of nations of which as Herodotus writeth it is most populous and best stored of any country in the world and for townes and villages almost infinite but for the great abundance of all commodities only brasse and lead excepted if one may giue credit to Pliny is most rich and fortunate It hath very many riuers and those very great and faire These running to and fro and in many places crossing and watering the same do cause it as in a moist soile where the sunne is of force to bring forth all things most plentifully It storeth all the world with Spices Pearles and Pretious stones as hauing greater plenty of these commodities than all the countries of the whole world besides There are neere vnto this country many goodly ilands which heere and there lie scattering in the maine Ocean so that it may iustly be tearmed the World of Ilands But especially IAPAN which M. Paulus Venetus calleth Zipangri situate in this sea is worth the noting which because it is not many yeares since that it was knowen to few or none I thinke it not amisse to say something of it in this place It is a very large and wide iland and hath almost the same eleuation of the Northren pole and position from the South with Italy The Ilanders and people heere inhabiting are much giuen to learning wisedome and religion and are most earnest and diligent searchers out of the truth in naturall causes They vse to pray and say seruice oft which they do in their Churches in the same maner as the Christians do They haue but one King vnto whom they are subiect and do nothing but according to his behests and lawes Yet he also hath one aboue him whom they call Voo to whom the ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters gouernment of the state of the Church is soly committed This peraduenture we may not vnfitly compare to the Pope as their King to the Emperour To their Bishop they commit the saluation and care of their soules They worship only one God protraitured with three heads yet they can shew no reason of this act They baptize their infants by fasting in token of penance they labour to bring downe their bodies They crosse and blesse themselues with the signe of the crosse against the assault of Satan so that in religion certaine ceremonies and maner of liuing they seeme to imitate the Christians yet notwithstanding the order of the Iesuites labour by all meanes possibly they can not refusing any paines and trauell to reduce them wholly to Christianity Heere are also the MOLVCCAE certaine ilands famous for the abundance of spices which they yearly yeeld and send into all quarters of the world In these is bred the Manucodiatta a little bird which we call the bird of Paradise a strange fowle no where els euer seen More neere the coast of India is SVMATRA or rather Samotra for so the King himselfe of that country writeth it in his letters vnto his Maiesty this Iland was knowen to the ancient Geographers and Historians by the name of TAPROBANA There are also diuers other Ilands heereabout of great estimation and fame as Iaua Maior Iaua Minor Borneo Timor c. as thou maist see in the Mappe but we cannot in this place speake of euery thing particularly and to the full Thus farre the religion of Mahomet is professed and from Barbary ouer against Spaine euen vnto this place is the Arabicke language spoken or vnderstood The Moores from Marrocco Ambassadours to our late Queene some fiue yeares since we saw and heard them speake that tongue naturally in which also their commission or letters patents were written From Achem in Samotra and Bantam in Iaua Maior our Merchants this other day brought letters vnto his Highnesse so fairely and curiously written in that character and language as no man will scarcely beleeue but he that hath seen them especially from so barbarous and rude a Nation Of the ancient writers Diodorus Siculus Herodotus Pliny Strabo Quintus Curtius and Arrianus in the life of Alexander haue described the Indies So hath Apuleius also in the first booke of his Floridorum Dion Prusaeus in his 35. oration hath written much of this country but very fabulously There is also extant an Epistle of Alexander the Great written to Aristotle of the situation of India Of the latter writers Ludouicus Vartomannus Maximilianus Transsiluanus Iohannes Barrius in his Decades of Asia and Cosmas Indopleutes whom Petrus Gyllius doth cite haue done the same But see the Iesuites Epistles where thou shalt find many things making much for the discouery of the I le Iapan But if thou desire a full and absolute description of the same I would wish thee to haue recourse vnto the twelfth booke of Maffeius his Indian history Iohn Macer a Ciuillian hath also written bookes of the history of India in which he hath much of the ile Iaua Moreouer Castagnedo a Spaniard hath written in the Spanish tongue a discourse of the Indies Of the ilands which lie scattering heere and there in this ocean read the twentieth booke of the second Tome of Gonsaluo Ouetani written in like maner in the Spanish tongue INDIAE ORIENTALIS INSVLARVMQVE ADIACIENTIVM TYPVS Cum Priuilegio The kingdome of PERSIA OR The Empire of the SOPHIES THe Empire of the Persians as it hath alwaies in former ages been most famous so at this day still it is very renowmed knowen farre and neere and conteineth many large and goodly prouinces For all that whole tract of Asia comprehended between the great riuer Tigris the Persian gulfe the Indian which of old writers was called mare Rubrum the Red sea the riuers
immediately after Baiazeth he placeth Mahomet And that I may giue euery man his right the singular learned man my good friend Georgius Bruno Agrippinensis hath taught me that the very Turkes themselues do not account him for an Emperour After him MAHOMETES tooke vnto him the crown of the Empire who made fierce warres vpon the Walachians subdued a great part of Slauonia first passed with an armie ouer the Donaw conquered Macedonia and pearced through the country euen as low as the Ionian sea He translated his Court from Prusias in Bithynia vnto Adernopoli in Greece where he died in the fourteenth yeare of his raigne After him AMVRATH the second succeeded in the kingdome This man conquered Epirus Aetolia Achaia Boeotia Attica and Thessalonica now Salonichi a city belonging to the state of Venice After him MAHOMET the second tooke vpon him the Diademe he ouerthrew Athens the most renowmed Vniuersity of the World He wonne by battery the great city of Constantinople vpon the nine and twentith day of May in the yeare after the birth of Christ 1452. He subdued the kingdome of Trapezonda vnder his command He tooke Corinth He forced the ilands Lemnos Stalamine they now call it Euboea Nigroponte and Mitylene to yeeld to his obedience He got Capha a city belonging to the Signiory of Genua and at Geiuisen a city of Bithynia died in the 32. yeare of his raigne BAIAZETH the second after his death possessed the crowne He made warre vpon the Venetians and wanne from them Naupactus Lepanto or as the Turkes call it Einebachti Methona Modon or Mutune a city in Peloponesus Dyrrachium Durazzo and spoiled all Dalmatia He was poisoned by a Iew his Physition After whom SELYMVS his sonne succeeded in the Emperiall throne He wanne Alcairo the strongest city of Aegypt and killing the Souldan subdued Alexandria and all Aegypt vnder his obedience He tooke also Damascus in Syria SOLYMANNVS the only sonne of Zelimus possessing his fathers roome wanne Belgrad tooke Buda the Princes seat and spoiled Strigonium and almost all Hungary He gatte the Rhodes by composition and vtterly rased Quinqueecclesias in Hungary the Turkes call it Petscheu the Dutch Funfkirchen Hauing surprized the city he besieged Zygeth where he ended his life ZELIMVS the second his sonne continued the battery wanne it and sacked it in the yeare of Christ 1566. And thus vnder 11. Emperours in 260. yeares a great part of Africa a greater of Europe and the most of Asia was by Turkish tyranny brought vnder their yoke But he that desireth a more absolute knowledge of the histories of the Turks let him read Paulus Iouius Christofer Richer Cuspinian Baptista Egnatius Gilbertus Nozorenus Andreas Lacuna Pius the second in the fourth chapter of his Europa and others that haue written of the Turkish affaires but no man hath set out these histories either with greater diligence or more amply than M. Richard Knolles our learned countryman my singular good friend Laonicus Chalcondylas hath curiously described the pedigree of the Ottomans together with the originall of the Turks Iohn Leonclaw hath very lately imprinted the Annalles of the Souldan Otthomans written by the Turks in their owne language and interpreted by him into the Latine tongue Of their ancient maner of life behauiour and customes thou maist read in the eighteen chapter of Leo the Emperour of Warlike preparation as also in Bartholomew Georgieuiz who hath written a seuerall treatise of that argument but especially the Annalles of the Turkish Souldans and the history of the Musulmans both written by the singular learned Iohn Leonclaw shall satisfie thee to the full TVRCICI IMPERII DESCRIPTIO Concordia parue res crescunt Discordia maximae dilabuntur Cum priuilegio The HOLY LAND THat which the ancients called Palestina and Phoenicia all the Europeans generally now call The HOLY LAND vnder which name they comprehend that whole country which God gaue vnto the Israelites by the name of the Land of Promise to them and their seed to possesse and inhabite for euer and which after the death of Solomon we read was diuided into two kingdomes IVDAH conteining two tribes Iudah and Beniamin whose cheife or Metropolitan city was Ierusalem and SAMARIA or ISRAEL which comprehended the other tenne tribes together with the city Sebaste or Samaria A latter description of the modern situation of this country very curious exact done by F. Brocard in a seuerall treatise vnto whom we send the Reader for further satisfaction we offer in this Mappe for the former tables did present vnto thy eie the ancient face and more beautifull countenance of this land To him they may adioine that please the treatise of William Tyrius entituled The Holy warres and other authours that haue written their Peregrinations to Hierusalem of which sort there is a great number written and imprinted in diuers languages For many Christians not only out of sundrie parts of Europe but from all quarters of the world haue in former times and now do daily trauell vnto Hierusalem for deuotion to visite the holy sepulchre of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ and are there sometimes by the Franciscane Friars dubbed Knights who thereof are named Knights of the Sepulchre the order ceremonies of making these Knights we haue thought not altogether impertinent from our purpose to describe in this place as it is set out by Iod. a Meggē an ei-witnes of that in the 12 chap. of his treatise intituled Peregrinatio Hierusolymetana And thus he hath down the maner of it First of all therefore the Knight that is to be made prepareth himselfe vnto his deuotions that he may receiue the fauour of the degree of the holy order and making his confession hauing heard Masse receiued the Sacrament he is admitted into the roome where the holy sepulchre is and then they begin on this manner First all being gathered together within the holy sepulchre they sing this Psalme Come holy spirit c. Then this Send forth thy spirit c. The Answear And renew c. Lord heare c. Let vs pray Thou Lord which know'st the harts of the faithful c. Then the Gardian demandeth of him what wouldest thou haue He answeareth vpon his knees I do desire to be made a knight of the order of the Holy sepulchre of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ Question Of what state and condition of life art thou of Answear A noble man borne of honourable parents Question Hast thou sufficient liuing whereby thou maist liue and maintaine the estate and dignity of knighthood without the help of merchandise or vse of any mechanicall or handie-craft occupation Answear I haue thankes be to God sufficient liuing and maintenance by lands and reuenews Question Art thou prepared to sweare with hart and mouth to keep and obserue to the vttermost of thy power those militarie sacraments and orders which shal be heereafter inioined thee namely these which follow First a knight of the holy order of the sepulchre
Vniuersall Mappe PRESBITERI IOHANNIS SIVE ABISSINORVM IMPERII DESCRIPTIO Titulus Insignia Presbiteri Iois DAVID SVPREMVS MEORVM REGNORVM A DEO VNICE DILECTVS COLVMNA FIDEI ORTVS EX STIRPE IVDA FILIVS DAVID FILIVS SALOMONIS FILIVS COLVMNAE SIONIS FILIVS EX SEMINE IACOB FILIVS MANVS MARIAE FILIVS NAHV SECVNDVÌ„ CARNEM FILIVS SANCTORVM PETRI ET PAVLI SECVNDVM GRATIAM IMPERATOR SVPERIORIS ET MAIORIS AETHIOPIAE ET AMPLISSIMORVM REGNORVM IVRISDICTIONVM ET TERRARVM REX GOAE CAFFATES FATIGAR ANGOTAE BARV BALIGVANZAE ADEAE VANGVAE GOIAMAE VBI NILI FONTES AMARAE BAGVAMEDRI AMBEAE VANGVCI TIGREMAHON SABAIM PATRIAE REGINAE SABAE BARNAGASSI ET DOMINVS VSQVE IN NVBIAM QVAE IN AEGYPTVM EXTENDITVR BARBARY and BILEDVLGERID THe later writers which haue diuided Africa into foure parts do name this Barbary for the chiefe and they do thus bound it On the East toward the rising of the sun it hath the deserts of Marmarica at this day they call it Barcha euen as farre as that part of the mount Atlas which now is vulgarly called Meies which part peraduenture was described by Strabo vnder the name Aspis This mountaine which runneth all along by the side of it from the East vnto the West euen to the maine sea which of it is called Mare Atlanticum the Atlanticke sea doth bound it vpon the South On the West it abutteth vpon the said Atlanticke sea On the North coast the Mediterran sea doth beat therefore all that whole tract of Africa which formerly conteined both the Mauritanies Africa properly so called and Cyrene is generally by one name called BARBARIA all which tract as Suidas witnesseth was vnder the command of King Masmissa This now is held for the best and most famous part of all Africa and is diuided into foure kingdomes or if you like that terme better foure prouinces namely Marroccho Fesse Telesine and Tunete The people generally of this whole country are of a brownish or tawny complexion They which dwell in cities are very ingenious in Architecture and such like Mathematicall inuentions which a man may easily gather by their rare and artificiall workmanship shewed in their buildings They are if we may beleeue Iohn Leo Africanus most singular honest men without any deceit or couen not only making a shew of simplicity and true dealing outwardly and in word but also approouing the same by their actions to be so indeed and in hart They are very stout and strong men but especially those which dwell in the hils and mountaines There is no Nation vnder Heauen that is more zealous so that they had rather die than to put vp any wrong or disgrace offered by their wiues They are very couetous of wealth and as ambitiously giuen to seeke after honour and preferment and therefore they trade and traffique almost into all quarters of the World They which dwell in tents that is such as follow grasing and do liue by cattell are very kind men courageous patient curtuous good housekeepers and as great louers of vprightnesse as any men in the whole world elsewhere But seeing the state of the world is such that there is no man altogether blessed none but haue their faults these also are not without their vices for the citizens which before we spake of are exceeding haughty and proud hasty and fumish so that the least iniury or indignity that may be offered they do as the common saying is engraue in marble they will neuer forget it The country or vplandish people are so clownish and of such rude behauiour and that so deepely imprinted in their mindes that they will hardly be wonne to acquaint themselues with any stranger he shall hardly euer winne their fauour They are so plaine and simply minded that they are easily drawne to beleeue things told them although almost incredible Of naturall Philosophy they are so ignorant that they hold all things done by the naturall force and operations of Nature to be wholy supernaturall They are so hasty and cholericke that one shall hardly in the day time walke the streets but he shall see two or three either quarrelling or together by the eares They neuer speake but hastily aloud and as if they would eat one another Thus farre of the quality and behauiour of the people now it remaineth that we should speake somewhat of the nature of the soile and country That part of the country which is toward the Mediterran sea is full of hils and mountaines From these mountaines euen vnto famous Atlas it is plaine and champion yet heere and there rising with knols and hils Heere are very many goodly springes and therefore it is well watered with diuers pleasant brookes and riuers It yeeldeth great store of Dates and Pomegranates it is not very fertile for corne and graine but of figges and oliues with such like fruites it affoordeth yearely great plenty Mount ATLAS verie cold and barren on all sides full of woods and couered ouer with snow breedeth almost all the riuers of Africke Yet the cold heere is neuer so great and sharp that one need to desire to come to the fire to warme him The later end of Autumne all the Winter and a great part of the Spring haue many boisterous and bitter stormes of wind and haile and oftentimes they are in these places much vexed and affrighted with terrible thundrings and lightning in some places they haue great and deep snowes c. But Iohannes Leo Africanus hath described these countries and people very curiously and at large who will satisfie thee at the full to whom it thou pleasest thou maiest adioine what Ludouicus Marmolius and Fazellus in the first chapter of the sixth booke of the latter decade of his history of Sicily haue written of this prouince Caelius Augustinus Curio hath set out the description of the kingdome of Marocho in a seuerall treatise to him he that pleaseth may adioine Diego de Turribus who in the Spanish tongue hath written a booke of the Originall and Succession of the Xariffes BARBARIAE ET BILEDVLGERID NOVA DESCRIPTIO Cum Priuilegio The kingdomes of FESSE and MAROCCHO THat part of Africa which of old was called MAVRITANIA TINGITANA at this day comprehendeth the kingdomes of Fesse and Maroccho which heere we present vnto thy view in this Mappe Of the which MAROCCHO taketh the name of Maroccho they call it Marox the Spaniards Marwechos the chiefe and metropolitane citie of the same The territories round about this city and generally the soile and fields of the whole kingdome as Iohn Leo Africanus writeth are most pleasant and fertile euery where bespread with heards of cattell flockes of sheep and diuers sorts of deere and wild beasts in all places are green and goodly pastures most plentifully yeelding whatsoeuer is necessary for the maintenance of mans life whatsoeuer may recreate the senses by pleasant smels or please the eies with delightsome shewes The whole kingdome is almost nothing else but one large champion not much vnlike Lombardy
the Paradise of Italy The hils that are which are but very few are exceeding bleake cold and barren so that they will beare nothing but barly Maroccho which we said was the chiefe city of this kingdome is accounted one of the greatest cities of the whole world for it is of such a wonderfull bignesse that in the raigne of Haly the sonne of Ioseph their king it had more than an hundred thousand families It hath about it 24. gates The wall of a maruelous thicknesse is made of a kind of white stone and chalke vnburned There are heere such abundance of Churches Colledges stoues or hothouses and innes as iustly more may not be desired Amongst the Churches there is none more artificially and gorgeously built than that which standeth in the middest of the city built by the foresaid Haly. There is another beside this first raised by Abdu'-lmumen his successour and enlarged by Mansor his nephew and lastly more richly set out with many goodly columnes which he caused to be brought out of Spaine He made a fountaine or cestern vnderneath the Church as large and wide as the whole Church it selfe The roofe of the Church he couered all ouer with lead At euery corner he made spoutes by which the raine water falling vpon the roofe might runne into the cestern vnderneath The steeple made of a very hard kind of stone like that of the Amphitheater of Vespasian at Rome is higher than that towre of Bononia in Italy The greeses or staiers by which they go vp to the toppe of it are euery one nine handfull thicke but in the outside of the wall are tenne This tower hath seuen roomes or lofts one aboue another Vpon the toppe of it is set another turret or spire like a pyramis sharpe toward the top This hath three lofts one aboue another into which they go vp from one to another by staires or ladders made of wood On the toppe of this spire vpon a shaft of iron in steed of a weather-cocke doth stand a most goodly Moone of pure gold with three golden globes so put vpon the iron shaft that the greatest is lowest the least highest of all If any man from the toppe of the steeple shall looke downe toward the ground the tallest man that is seemeth no bigger than a child of a yeare old From the toppe also of this the cape or fore-land which they call Azaphy being an hundred and thirty miles off may easily be descried And although one should skarcely find a greater Church if one should trauell all the world ouer yet the place is almost wholly desert for none do euer vse to come hither but vpon Fridaies Vnder the cloisters of this Church they report that there were wont to be an hundred Stationers and as many ouer against them on the other side of the Churchyard which daily heere kept shoppe where as now I do not thinke that all this whole city can affoord at this time one booke-seller Hardly the one third part of the towne is inhabited Heere hence it is that within the wals there are many vineyeards large gardens of palme-trees and other fruites with goodly corne fields most fertile and well manured for without the wals they cannot till the ground by reason of the frequent inrodes of the theeuish Arabians This one thing is most certaine that this city is suddenly growne old before the time for it is not aboue fiue hundred and six yeares since it was first built There is also in this city a very strong castle which in respect of the large bignesse the great thickenesse and compasse of the wals the high and many towers or lastly the goodly and stately gates built of the richest Tiburtine marble may iustly be accounted for a faire towne Within this castle is a most beautifull Church with a very high steeple vpon whose toppe is a golden moone with three golden globes of different bignesses all of them weighing 130. crownes There haue been some kings of this country who moued with the loue and valew of the gold haue attempted to take these globes downe and to put them into their purses but alwaies some strange euent or misfortune or other did hinder their purpose and crosse their desires So that it is now commonly amongst the people held for a very ominous thing for any man but once to offer to touch these globes with his hand Let this be sufficient to haue spoken of this city in this place he that desireth a larger discourse both of the city and castle let him haue recourse vnto Leo Africanus who in his 2. booke will satisfie him to the full In this kingdome also is the city TARADANT the Moores call it Taurent a very great and goodly city built by the ancient Africanes It conteineth about 3000. houses or families The people are more ciuill and curtuous than in other places heere about Heere are many artificers of diuers and sundry occupations The townesmen do yearely raise a great profit by keeping of a gard to defend merchants that from hence do trauell vp higher into the country from the assault of theeues and robbers and to conduct and lead them the neereest and best way for it is a place of great resort of strangers aswell of Christians as others There are also other cities as the mappe doth shew amongst the which is MESSA hauing a Church not farre from the sea which they do most religiously reuerence For there are some heere that most fondly do beleeue and affirme that the Prophet Ionas when he was sent of God to preach vnto the Niniuites was at this place cast vp of the fish which before had swallowed him The sparres of this Church and the beames are made of whale bones for it is a common thing for the sea to cast vp heere dead whales of maruailous bignesse Vpon the coast also of this country is found that kind of Amber which we call Amber-greese Not farre from this city is TEINT a towne where all those rich skinnes are dressed which are commonly called Maroccho pelts More of this kingdome thou maist read of in Leo Africanus Marmolius and in the Saracen history of Caelius Augustinus Curio where he hath a seuerall treatise of this prouince Thus farre of Maroccho it remaineth now that we should speake likewise of Fesse FESSE like as Maroccho is a kingdome so called of the chiefe city and metropolitane of the same This city is situate in the hart and middest of the kingdome It was built as they affirme about the yeare of our Lord 786. Neither is it only the head city of this kingdome but it is esteemed The Metropolitane of all Barbary and is vulgarly called as Marmolius testifieth The Court of all the West part of the World Some there are which do thinke it to haue been named Fesse of a masse of gold that heere was found when first they began to lay the foundations of the same for fes in Arabicke signifieth an heap or masse
The greatest part of the city standeth vpon hils only the middest of it is plaine and leuell The riuer vpon which it is seated entreth it at two sundry places for the one is diuided into two parts and being entered within the wals it spreadeth it selfe almost into infinite branches and is by and by in channels troughs and pipes conueighed almost to euery priuate house church colledge inne and hospitall Lastly running through their vault fewers and sinkes it carieth with it all the ordure and soile of the city out into the maine riuer and by that meanes keepeth it continually near and cleane The greatest part of their houses built of bricke and coloured stones are very beautifull and do make a goodly shew to the beholder Moreouer the open places galleries and porches are made of a kind of party-coloured bricke or pauement much like vnto those earthen dishes which the Italians call Maiorica The roofe or seelings of their houses they ouerlay with gold and other most orient coloures very finely and gorgeously The toppes of their houses on the out side are couered ouer with boord a dare made plaine so that in the summer time they may be ouerspread with couerlets and other clothes for heere in hot weather they vse to lie and sleepe all night Item for the most part euery house hath a turret seuered into many roomes and lofts whither the women being toiled and weary may with-draw themselues to recreate and refresh their mindes for from hence they may almost see al-ouer the city Churches and Chappels they haue in this city to the number almost of 700. whereof 50. are very large and goodlie most sumptuouslie built of free CONGI REGNI CHRISTIANI IN AFRICA NOVA DESCRIPTIO Auctore Philippo Pigafetta FESSAE ET MAROCCHI REGNA AFRICAE CELEBERR describebat Abrah Ortelius 1595. stone or bricke euery one hauing a fountaine or conduict adioining to it made of a kind of marble or stone vnknowen of the Italians Euery Church hath one Priest belonging to it whose charge is to say seruice there and to read praiers The greatest and chiefe church in this city called Carrauen is of that greatnesse that it is said to be almost a mile and a halfe about It hath one and thirty gates of maruellous bignesse and height The steeple of this Church out of which the people with a very lowd and thundering voice are called to Church like as we do vse by the towling of a bell is very high Vnderneath this is a cellar or vault where the oile lights lampes mats and such other things necessarily and ordinarily vsed in the Church are kept and laid vp In this Church there are euery night in the yeare 900. lamps lighted at once Moreouer in this city there are more than an hundred Bathes Item two hundred innes euery one hauing six skore chambers apeece at the least for diuers of them haue many more Euery inne hath a well or fountaine of water priuat to it selfe In about foure hundred places you shall find mill-houses euery place hauing in it fiue or six mils so that in all you may account heere certaine thousands of mils All occupations heere are allotted their seuerall and proper places to dwell in euery one by it selfe so that the best and more worshipfull trades are placed neerest the cathedrall Church All things which are to be sold haue their seuerall market places appointed out for them There is also a place assigned as proper to the Merchants which one may iustly call a little city enclosed round with a bricke wall It hath about it twelue gates ech of which hath a great iron chaine drawne before it to keep horses and cartes out And thus much of the West part of Fesse For the other side which is vpon the East although it haue many goodly churches buildings noblemens houses and colledges yet it hath not so many tradesmen of sundry occupations Notwithstanding heere are about fiue hundred and twenty weauers shops besides an hundred shops built for the whiting of thread Heere is a goodly castle equall in bignesse to a prettie towne which in time past was the Kings house where he vsed to keep his court These particulars we haue heere and there gathered out of the third book of Iohn Leo his description of Africa where thou maist read of very many other things of this city both pleasant and admirable Item Iohn Marmolius hath written something of the same Moreouer Diego Torresio in that his booke which he sometime wrot of the Seriffs or Xariffs as the Spaniards vsually write it hath done the like Out of whom I thinke it not amisse in this place to adde this one thing worth the remembrance There is a stone saith he at one of the gates of this city which hath vpon it this inscription in Arabicke letters _____ FIZ VLEDEELENES id est populus gentium or thus Fes bleadi'lenes Fesse is a world of men like as they commonly speake of Norway calling it Officinam hominum the shoppe or workehouse where men are made Againe he alleadgeth this as a common prouerbe vulgarly spoken of this city Quien sale dc Fez donde ira y quien vende trigo que comprera as much to say in English He that is weary of Fesse whither will he go and he that selleth wheat what will he buy answerable to that of the poet spoken of Rome Quid satis est si Roma parum est What will content thee if all Rome be not inough This S. Hierome in his second Epistle vnto Geruchia a virgine doth cite out of Ardens the Poet. The kingdome of CONGI OF Congi this kingdome of Africa which others corruptly call Manicongo for this word properly signifieth the king of Congi and cannot he spoken of the country alone my good friend Philippus Pigafetta the authour of this Mappe wrote a booke in the Italian tongue this other day imprinted at Rome Which he penned from the mouth and relation of Odoardo Lopez a Portugall who had himselfe been a long time a dweller there and so a man very skilfull of the state and situation of this country and an ey witnesse of that which heere is set downe out of whom we haue drawen these few particulars This kingdome is diuided into these six prouinces Bamba Sogno Sundi Pango Batta and Pemba The first of which is inhabited and possessed by a warlike and very populous nation so that this one by it selfe is able if need be to make 40000. fighting men The chiefe city of this prouince and seat of their Kings is Bansa which now they call Citta de S. Saluador All this whole prouince is very rich of siluer and other mettals especially about the iland Loanda where also they catch abundance of those shell fish which breed the pearles these they do vse in this kingdome for exchange in buying and selling in steed of money for heere there is no manner of vse of coine neither do they much esteeme of gold or siluer
ancient name and were called Israël Againe the later part after the captiuity of Babylon was diuided into two prouinces Samaria and Galilee Samaria the Metropolitane or chiefe city of which the country tooke the name was the seat of the Kings of Israel But Galilee was possessed and inhabited by forreners and strangers 3. King 9. and 4. King 17. and therefore grew to be much enuied and despised of the rest of the Iewes so that they did vse to speake all villany and reproachfull speaches of the people of this prouince The North part of this in scorne was called Galiley of the Gentiles and in respect of the situation the Higher Galiley the other part of it toward the South was called the Lower Galiley Therefore afterward euen vnto the time of Christ and his Apostles and so foorth the land of Chanaan or Israel was diuided into three parts and called by three distinct names The Higher country toward Sidon and Tyre they called Galiley the Middle Samaria the Lower toward the South and Arabia Petraea was properly called Iudaea Iewrie as is manifest out of the second chapter of Saint Matthew and the fourth of Saint Iohn This later did containe onely two Tribes Iuda and Beniamin Although also all the land of Canaan euen as high as the mountaines of Thracon neere Antioch and the country of Ammon was called Iudaea as is euident by the ninteenth chapter of Saint Matthew and the tenth of Saint Marke and therefore also Pliny mentioneth Iudaea citerior Iewry on this side Iordan Strabo in his sixteenth booke and Lucane in his second booke do also call the same Iudaea which name as we said before had the originall from the Tribe of Iuda Ptolemey and others call it Palaestina of the Palaestini which according to the propriety of the Hebrew pronunciation in the Holy Scriptures are named Philistiim Phelistines this Nation indeed both for their great command and warres made with their neighbours for certaine yeares together were very famous Herodotus in Polymnia and Dion in his seuen and twentieth booke calleth that part of Syria which is next to Aegypt Syriam Palaestinam Palaestina of Syria Ptolemey calleth it Palaestinam Iudaeam Palaestina of Iewrie or Palaestinam Syriae Palaestina of Syria Because that Palaestina is a part of Syria as Pomponius Mela thinketh who calleth it Syriam Iudaeae Syria of Iudaea Many places of this Palaestina are expressed in that his Mappe and therefore heere they are omitted OF AEGYPT The country situate between Syene or the Catarractae Nili the fall or mouthes of Nilus through the middest of which this riuer runneth and by his yearely inundation and ouerflowing watereth all the grounds of the same in old time was called CHAM of Cham the sonne of Noe to whose lot this country fell when the world was diuided presently after the confusion at Babel Psalm 78. v. 51. 105. v. 23. and 106. v. 22. Afterward it was called Misraim of Misraim the sonne of Cham Gen. 5. and 10. Iosephus in the twelfth chapter of his first booke calleth it Mersin which name doubtlesse is made of Misraim either by contraction or short kind of speaking depraued by custome or fault of the writer Herodotus in Euterpe affirmeth that Aegypt was sometime named Thebes Of some it was called Aëria or Aëtia as some copies write it Marmolius Theuer and Pinetus affirme that the Turkes and country people in and about Aegypt do now call this country Chibth Elchibet or Elchebitz And indeed the Arabs that turned Genesis the first booke of Moses into Arabicke in the 45. and 46. chapters for Aegypt hath Elchibth from whence no doubt the Greekes and Latines fetched their Aegyptus like as of Phrat the Hebrew name is made Euphrates Aegypt had three speciall prouinces or shires the Higher which was called Thebaica the Middle and the Lower Thebaica and the Middleshire of Aegypt which the mountaines of Aethiopia and the vtter section or parting of the riuer Nilus at Sebemytus do define are called the Higher Egypt through the middest of which the riuer Nilus doth iointly runne in one maine channell and is both vpon the East and West enclosed with high and steep mountaines The other Prouince from thence euen vnto the Aegyptian sea is called the Lower Egypt This alse they call Delta for that this country or part of Egypt which is conteined between the parting of the riuer at Sebemytus Canopus and Pelusium or the two mouthes of the same riuer where it falleth into the Mediterran sea neere these townes is in fashion three cornered or triangular representing the forme of the Greeke Capitall letter Δ. These countries by the discreet aduise of Alexander the Great were diuided into ÎΟΜΟΩΣ that is Shires for by Nomòs NomÄ— and NomarchÃa the Greekes do vnderstand a shire and ward ouer the which is set Nomárches a Lieutenant or Lord-warden Thebes comprehended tenne shires and the middle prouince sixteen shires so that in all the Higher Egypt conteined six and twenty shires But in the Lower Egypt or Delta there were onely tenne Egypt is very often mentioned in the holy Scripture and the places where it is spoken of are very famous and memorable Gehon that is as some do expound Nilus Gen. 2.13 Bethshemeth the Sunnes house Heliopolis the Greekes call it Gen. 41. and 46. Esa 19. This also is called On Ezech. 30. Gessen or Gosen a country or prouince of Egypt Gen. 45.47.50 Exod. 9. Phitom Exod. 1. a city of store situate vpon Nilus This the Israelites were forced to build Ramesse or Raemses Gen. 47. Exod. 1.12 which also was built by the Israelites in their bondage when they were slaues and serued the Aegyptians Sucoth Exod. 12.13 Etham Exod. 12. Piachiroth Magdalum Beelsephon The red sea Exod. 14. Migdal or Migdalum Ierem. 44.46 Taphnis Ierem. 2.43.44.46 Exod. 30. Phatures Paturos Pathros Ierem. 44. Ezech. 19.30 Tanis Num. 13. Esa 19. Ezech. 30. Psalm 77. This Iosephus calleth Protanis Alexandria Ierem. 46. Ezech. 20. Pelusium and Bubastus Ezech. 30. Memphis called of the Hebrews Noph and sometimes Moph and Migdol Esa 19. Ierem. 2.44.46 Ezech. 30. Ose 9. This was the seat of the Kings of Egypt where they ordinarily kept their court and was the Metropolitane city of all that whole kingdome PALAESTINAE SIVE TOTIVS TERRAE PROMISSIONIS NOVA DESCRIPTIO AVCTORE TILEMANNO STELLA SIGENENSI Dominus Deus tuus introducet te in terram bonam terram rivorum aquarumque et foncium in cuius campis montibus erumpunt fluviorum abyssi Terram frumenti ordei ac vinearum in qua ficus malogranata oliveta nascuntur terram olei ac mellis Vbi absque ulla penuria comedes panem tuum rerum omnium abundantia perfrueris OF ARABIA This country the Hebrews call Arab that is a misture hotchpotch or dwelling of diuers and sundrie Nations together in one and the same country as is probably to be gathered out of the six and twentith chapter of
is likely therefore that the etymology and reason of the deriuation of the word Europe which was vnknowen vnto the old writers is to be sought and fetched from no other language else but from that which was most vsuall in this part of the world For that the inhabitants of any country should take the name of their natiue soile from strangers it is so absurd and hard to be beleeued that there cannot any thing more foolish or contrary to truth be inuented or deuised Wherefore I thinke it good concerning this matter heere to lay downe the iudgement of Goropius Becanus our countryman who thinketh it to be so named not of a woman which it is probable either neuer was or neuer came heere but à latitudine videndi of the largenesse of his prospect as he speaketh namely because I do cite his owne words out of the 9. booke of his Origines it doth not only looke toward Asia on the East and South Africa on the South and West but also the New-found-world beyond the Hyperborei on the West and North. Neither shall any man perswade me that Europe had the name from Greece or the Greeke language seeing that it was first inhabited of the Cimbers Cimmerij descended from Gomer the elder brother before it was possessed of the Greeks Iones come from Iawan a yonger brother but the 4. son of Yapheth we make a dipthong by setting the 5. vowel of the Latins before the 2. which neither the Latins nor Greeks do admit Therefore if so be at any time they would change the words in which this did light for We they put Eu turning it backward Therefore our men do term it Verop not Europ whereby they vnderstand a worthy company of men for Wer a mono-syllable pronounced like a dipthong signifieth losty great excellent that which is best in euery kind of thing which notwithstanding some do write ur without a dipthong yet with a long vowell Therefore as of Terues they formed Tereus so of Werop the Latines Greeks haue made Europe so named of the excellency of the Nation which doth farre surpasse all other men of the World For Hop as I haue shewed before signifieth a company or multitude of men More of this word thou maist see in his 8. booke Thus farre out of his workes which are foorth in print that which followeth is taken out of a booke of his which he also hath set foorth yet not imprinted but such as he vsed priuatly and hath many additions in sundrie places in the margin written with his owne hand which he had prepared against the second edition But I waighing saith he and comparing this name with that which I haue read in holy Scripture another reason farre more excellent and better commeth into my mind We see that to Yaphet was promised enlargement or a farre spreading of his posterity or as some other interpret the word ioy and gladnesse which then he truly had enioied when as Christ had redeemed vs by his death and pretious bloud which blessing doth agree to this part of the world rather than to any other vnder heauen beside and therefore all other countries generall do call Europe THE KINGDOME OF THE CHRISTIANS and the Europeans are called of the Turkes and Arabians GIAVVR that is Christians E therefore doth signifie a lawfull contract and mariage VR excellent and HOP hope whereupon it commeth to passe that Europe signifieth The excellent hope of a lawfull mariage which is proper to this portion of the world which Noah gaue to Iapheth his sonne to inhabite For although that the posterity of Sem was by Abraham for many ages wedded to God yet at length he put her away and diuorced her from him But the wedlocke whereby God by Christ is wedded to Europe his Church shall neuer be dissolued so that Europe may most properly be said to be Iaphets portion But of this word we will speake more in our Francica Thus farre Goropius Which I haue very willingly communicated to the curtuous Reader leauing it to the censure of the learned to be iudged Yet I know that these things haue been very bitterly skoffed at already by a certaine learned man but one wholly ignorant of this tongue and therefore of lesse iudgement in this argument There are some which do thinke that this Europe was in the holy Scripture called IAPETIA Thus farre of Europe to which before I do altogether leaue I will ad out of Herodotus in his Polymnia the words of Mardonius to Darius spoken of this country That it is a country most goodly and beautifull bearing all maner of excellent fruitefull trees and those in their kind the best and to be such that it were pity that any man but a king only should possesse The BRITISH ILES Now THE EMPIRE OF Great Britaine PLiny saith that in the Atlanticke ocean there be many ilands named BRITANNICAE INSVLAE The British ilands but the two greater ALBION and HIBERNIA Ireland are properly so called Of these ALBION in regard that it is both the greatest and as it were commander of the rest is most properly called BRITANNIA And I might easily be drawen to beleeue that all these ilands were recorded in the ancient monuments of the Greekes before they were once named or knowen to the Romanes and to haue generally been called CASSITERIDES as who say The Stannaries and that properly CASSITERA which the Romans call Britannia And although I am not ignorant that Cassitera is held of Dionysius and Stephanus to be Indica Insula an Indian an iland or an iland belonging or neere adioining to India yet I am not a whitte moued from that my opinion For I do verily thinke that this was deliuered by them rather of ignorance than of sound knowledge grounded vpon the skill of Geography and we know that this is also a common errour in these our daies to call all countries and ilands vnknowen or farre remote and distant from vs Indian iles by which name not without a manifest ignorance of the truth they call all that whole continent of the New world together with the circumiacent ilands first discouered and found out in the daies of our grandfathers and such also as daily are descried they call by that name On my side is Pomponius Mela a man out of all doubt of good iudgement and credit who calleth them CELTICAS Celtickeiles as if they were neere neighbours to the Celtae I do know that these Cassiterides are of others otherwise described as of Diodorus Siculus a little aboue Lusitania Portugall of Pliny oueragainst Celtiberia Valentia neere Artabrum promontorium cabo de finis terrae by Strabo and Ptolemey where now there are no ilands at all and therefore not these nor euer were any whereupon it is apparant that these ilands were rather known to the ancients by name than true situation Now all men do iointly commend these ilands for the great abundance of Tinne and Lead which they yearely did
Perinthij made it a free corporation and endowed it with many large and ample priuiledges After him as Themistius Euphrada in his sixth oration testifieth Theodosius the Great did beautifie it with diuerse gorgeous and costly buildings Moreouer Iustinian the Emperour as Procopius an eie-witnesse affirmeth adorned it with many most faire and beautifull workes of curious Architecture But especially he graced it by that glorious worke of that stately temple of Santa Sophia which he repaired being a little before burnt downe and vtterly defaced by fire and of it bestowed such cost that the Emperour himselfe as Glycas witnesseth boldly said that in this edifice he had exceeded euen glorious king Salomon in that his building Which worke of his as P. Diaconus writeth of it did so much excell all other buildings that in the whole world beside there was not to be found another that might in any respect be compared vnto it Whereupon Corippus thus speak th of this Church Iam Solomoniaci sileat descriptio templi Cedant cunctorum miracula nota locorum That stately worke of Salomon great Iudahs glorious king May now be still and bragge no more The greatest woonders of the world may well giue place to this No eie hath seene the like before Consta Manasses calleth it Orbis ornamentum The glorie of the world which he verily beleeueth the very Seraphim themselues did reuerence and adore But if any one be desirous to know the fashion and modell of this building let him haue recourse to Procopius his first booke of Edifices Of this church Paulus Lyrus Florus wrote a treatise in heroike or hexameter verse as Agathias in his fifth booke testifieth So that it might seeme that there was nothing more that might be wished for the further beautifying of this city Sozomen doubted not boldly to affirme That Constantinople both for multitude of men and store of wealth and money by all mens ioint consent did farre excell euen great Rome it selfe Moreouer Nazianzen writeth That Constantinople for beauty and brauerie did as much excell all other cities of the world beside as the highest heauens in glory do exceed the lowest elements Whereupon of some it was graced with these proud titles VRBS AETERNAE VRBS REGIA NOVA SECVNDA ROMA The eternall City The Emperiall City New Rome and Another Rome In the praising and tax of the chiefe cities of the Romane Empire this city in a Councell there held was placed in the second degree but in former times as Egesippus testifieth it possessed only the third place Zosimus writeth that there is no other city whatsoeuer whether you respect the large compasse and circuite of the wals or great felicity of it euery way that may iustly be compared vnto it The buildings of it are so close and neere together and the houses and streets are so pestered and thronged that whether a man keepe home or walke abroad he shall be so crowded and thrust that scarcely he might go without danger by reason of the huge throng of men and infinite of multitude of cattle alwaies passing to and fro in the same He that desireth to know all the glorious ornaments and woonderfull things worthy of obseruation to be seene in this city let him read George Cedren his historie of the life of Theodosius the Great Where he doth not onelie receite them all and reckon them vp curiously but also he doth most artificially describe them and paint them out in their true colours This city was taken in the yeere of Christ 1453. by Mahomet the first of that name Emperour of the Turkes who at this daie do yet possesse it Manie other things pertaining to the beautie and magnificence of this city are to be seene in the booke of Records of both the Empires and in Procopius his first booke De Aedificijs Of the originall and famous buildings of this city read George Codinus for no man hath handled that argument better than he But of the later writers Petrus Gyllius hath most exactly and learnedly described the same Of the Thracians this one thing in this place I cannot omit namely That in former times they bore a great sway in forren countries and were great Lords out of their owne natiue soile For they conquered and had vnder them a great part of Asia which is situate ouer against them and caused it after their name to be called THRACIA ASIATICA yea and toward the South beyond the bounds of their owne country vpon the Aegean sea where Pausanias described THRACIA CARIA they had long since placed their colonies This prouince Porphyrogenneta calleth THRACESIVM Xenophon doubted not to call this kingdome the greatest of all other between the Ionian sea and Pontus Euxinus Moreouer Strabo maketh mention of a certaine nation dwelling aboue Armenia which were called Thraces Seraperae To this Thracia is annexed a Chersonesus or Neckland which thereupon was sirnamed THRACIA CHERSONESVS Suidas calleth it CHERSONESVS HELEESPONTIACA of the sea Hellespontus neere neighbour vnto it It is also named PALLENE of Halicarnasseus and Stephanus who moreouer addeth that it was inhabited of the Crusaei Xenophon saith it was a most rich soile and fertile of all manner of things whatsoeuer and withall affirmeth that in it were eleuen or twelue great and goodly townes But wee out of all ancient Historians haue much exceeded this number as the Mappe doth sufficiently approue This Neckland or Chersonesus belonged sometime to Marcus Agrippa after whose decease as Dion reporteth it fell vnto Augustus Caesar He that desireth out of ancient writers a more ample description of Thracia let him read Wolfangus Lazius his Histories of Greece Item the fifth booke of Agathias a Grecian borne A strange thing it is that William Brussius writeth of this Chersonesus that by no manner of meanes or diligence vines can be made to grow heere in any great abundance GRAECIA OR HELLAS THat country which the Latines call GRAECIA Greece of the Greekes themselues generally was named HELLAS yet the out-borders of it are not the same according to euery mans description and limitation That was truly and most anciently called Greece which Ptolemey Pliny and Mela name ACHAIA in which Athens the first and most flourishing Vniuersity of the World and most renowmed citie of these parts was seated Heere Iupiter himselfe as Athenaeus witnesseth kept his Court. It is a free city as Pliny calleth it and needeth as he saith no further commendations so famous and honourable it is and euer hath been beyond all measure or conceipt of man Yet it is manifest not only out of the writers of the common sort of Historiographers but also euen out of Strabo himselfe the prince of Geographers that many countries are comprehended vnder the name of Graecia or Hellas as namely Macedonia Epirus Peloponnesus and those other prouinces and shires conteined vnder these names so that all Greece as it is generally taken is on three sides bounded with the Ionian Aegean Archipelago and the Libyan
was a waggon consecrated and sanctified couered ouer with a cloth and adored as a saint But peraduenture we haue beene too tedious in this argument As we haue out of old and ancient histories laid downe two diuers and sundry formes of this god Ammon so out of the same it is very probable that hee had two diuers temples For Diodorus in his seuenteenth booke in the description of this temple doth say that it was built by Danaus the Egyptian And the same authour againe in his first booke saith that Ofiris also erected a temple for Iupiter Ammon in Thebes a city in Egypt which was all of beaten gold cleane contrary to that which we haue described before as appeareth out of these verses of Lucane in his 9. booke Non illic libyeae posuerunt ditia gentes Templa nec Eois splendent donariagemmis In Egypt it was not in Libya as is manifest out of the second booke of Herodotus Where you shall find this description of it Iupiter being not willing that Hercules who came to visit him should see him yet at length by importunity being ouercome vsed this deuice to deceiue him He tooke a ram flead him and cut off his head this fell with the head wool and all he put vpon him and thus sheweth himselfe to Hercules Wherupon the Egyptians haue decreed to make the image of Iupiter and to picture him with a rammes head For him euery yeare vpon a certaine day they kill a ramme in like manner as before is shewed and the skinne they put ouer the image of the said c. And because the temple of this god Ammon was in the city Thebes which thereupon is of good writers called Diospolis that is Ioues towne I was of opinion that the Holy scripture did also in some place or other speake of it And indeed in the thirtieth chapter of Ezechiel the septuagints for the Hebrew No haue Dâ—â—spolu and againe in the third chapter of Naum for No Amon they haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is very probable therefore that Amon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hamon which in the Hebrew tongue signifieth a multitude was the proper name of this place THE VOYAGE OR Nauigation of AENEAS especially gathered out of the renowmed Poet VIRGILL with some other matters perteining to that historie collected out of others TRoy being surprized sacked and burnt Aeneas betooke himselfe for a refuge to the mount IDA a hill in the prouince of Troas in Asia Minor a place verie well wooded and serued with water from thence forsaking his natiue soile he went to ANTANDRVS a towne in Mysia abutting vpon the Aegean sea taking with him as Xenophon sayth all his kindred both by fathers side and mothers side with a nauy of twenty saile putteth forth to sea and at length landeth in THRACE or as Dionysius Halicarnasseus writeth at PALLENE a promontory and city of the same name in Macedony neere vnto which he built the citie Aenos Oeno or Inos they still call it Lycophron sayth that he came to CISSVS Cis a hill of Almopia a shire of the kingdome of Macedony Liuy writeth that he stayed about OLYMPVS But our authour reporteth that from Thrace he came to DELOS Sdiles an iland in the Aegean sea of the number of those which the ancient Geographers called Cyclades Here he maried Lauinia the daughter of Anius a Priest belonging to the temple of Apollo as you may see in a Treatise written of the originall of the Romane nation but let them beleeue him that list for Halicarnasseus condemneth him for a very lying and fabulous authour And from Delos he setting saile saluted NAXOS Nicsia PAROS Pario DIONYSA OLEARVS Quiniminio and other ilands of the Aegean sea and the third day after arriued at CRETA Candy where he built the cities RHOETEVM and PERGAMEA From hence putting off to sea againe and as Dionysius Halicarnasseus writeth saluting CYTHERA Cerigo an iland in the Midland sea where he built a Temple dedicated to the honour and seruice of the goddesse Venus then CYNETHIVM a foreland or promontory of Peloponnesus and there layed the foundation as Pausanias and Halicarnasseus haue left recorded of the cities APHRODISIADES and OETIA and the fourth day after landed at the STROPHADES Striuali two ilands in the Ionian sea From these he passed to ZACYNTHVS Zante where he dedicated as Halicarnasseus writeth a chapell to Venus then passing by DVLICHIVM SAMOS NERITVS and ITHACA came to LEVCATE Thence to ACTIVM neere the Temple of Apollo and so leauing CORCYRA Corfu coasting along by CHAONIA a prouince of Epyrus in Greece and AMBRACIA as the same authour affirmeth he came at length to BVTHROTVM Golfo de Butronto From hence on foot ouer land he went and visited DODONA a citie of Epyrus and the CERAVNIAN mountaines and vpon the third day came to Anchises Hauen ANCHISAE PORTVS where his ships meeting him he crossed ouer the Hadriaticke sea into ITALY his consorts landed on this side the forland IAPYGIVM Cabo de S. Maria himselfe with some few others as the same Halicarnasseus witnesseth at the forland or promontorie ATHENAEVM Rossia or Cabo de Campanella so named of the Temple of Minerua called of the Greekes Athene which stood in this place From thence he passed by sea to TARENTVM Taranto LACINIVM Cabo delle Colonne CAVLON Castro veto or vetore and SCYLACEVM Squilacci Afterward sailing by SCYLLA Scyllo and CHARYDIS Galofaco by the CYCLOPES giants or a certaine kinde of people neere mount Ethna in Sicilia of an extraordinary stature and strength feined by the Poets to haue but one eie and that in the middest of their fore-heads the mouth of the riuer PANTAGIAS Porcari by the bay of MEGARA a sea towne sometime called Hybla by THAPSVS a neckland or peninsula now knowen by the name of Manghisi by the forland PLEMMYRIVM Cabo Massa Vliuien by ORTYGIA by the riuer ELORVS Abyso or Atellari by the forland or promontory PACHYNVS Cabo Passaro by the citie CAMARINA by the CAMPI GELOI by the riuers GELA Cherza or Salsi by AGRAGAS Draco by the citie SELINVS Salemo or Terra de Pulici then by the promontorie LILYBAEVM Cabo Boëi or Cabo Coco and so at length to the forland DREPANVM Trapani From hence leauing the strait course he fetcheth a compasse about by those dangerous rocks which our authour calleth SAXA or ARAE directing his course toward CARTHAGE in Africa where hauing stayed a while with Queene Dido who enterteined him and his most kindly and in the best maner at length hoiseth saile and returneth backe into SICILIA againe heere landing his men at the riuer CRIMISVS as Halicarnasseus writeth after diuers games iusts or triumphs he ordeined that those dayes yeerely for euer after should be solemnly kept as holy in honour of Anchises his father and moreouer also he built the citie ACESTA or Egesta and ELIMA Alymite or Palymite if we may beleeue Halicarnasseus Item he founded the TEMPLE of Venus Idalia vpon the top of
maner Pomerland at this day hath forty cities enclosed with walls and ditches besides certaine goodly castles and monasteries Amongst the which these are the chiefe Stralsund Stettin Grypswald Stargard Colberg and Anglame Fiue hundred yeares since before the enterteinment of Christian religion which was in the yeare 1124. and when they left the Slauonian tongue Pomerland was greater and not much inferiour to a kingdome For Bugslaus the first brother of Wartislaus the first sonne to Swantibore who died a Pagane when as his nephews leauing their country for the alteration of the language adioined Pomerell to Spruise POMERELL which the Polanders do at this day call Casub corner Cassubia is no very small prouince It extended it selfe from the borders of Pomerland to the riuer Wixel or Weissel and conteineth these cities Dantzk Putzka Dirsow Stargard Nauburg Smecha Tauchel Nakel Hamerstein Baldeburg Frideland Conitz Schoneg Slochow c. which cities haue for the most part castles belonging to them beside which there are these castles Moseuantz Talkenborch Subitz Lauterberg and these Monasteries Polpelin Sukow Tzernitz Oliua where the Princes of Pomerell were wont to be buried euen to Mestewin the last of that line who died at Dantzk and was buried at Oliua in the yeare 1295. Read more of Pomerland in the Saxon Chronicle of Dauid Chytraeus This mappe we haue taken out of Munsters Cosmography The Dukedome of OZWIECZIN and ZATOR THis Dukedome is a part of the kingdome of Poland where it toucheth Silesia Sometime it did not belong to this kingdome The territorie of OZVVIECZIN the Germanes in their language call it Auschwitz fell vnto the kings of Poland in the time of Cazimir the third in the yeare 1454. ZATOR about 400. yeares after in the raigne of Sigismund the first was reduced vnto the crowne of Poland and was vnited to that body in the yeare of Christ 1548. as Cromer in his Chronicle of Poland testifieth POMERANIAE WANDALICAE REGIONIS TYP LIVONIAE NOVA DESCRIPTIO Joanne Portantio auctore DVCATVS OSWIE CZENSIS ET ZATORIENSIS DESCRIPTIO ROMANIA anciently called THRACIA THat country which now they call ROMANIA the ancients called THRACIA It was a large and wide prouince hauing on the East Propontis Mar di Marmora and Pontus Euxinus the Italians call it Mar Maiore the Gretians Maurothalassa the Turkes as Busbequius saith Caradenis the blacke sea as both nations vnderstand on the South Mare Aegeum the Turkes call this Acdenis the white sea Archipelago on the West Macedony and Pannony on the North the mount Haemus Monte Argentaro and both the Moesiaes The aire is neither very kind nor the soile very fertile and except it be in those places which do butte vpon the sea it is barrein and cold Ptolemey diuideth it into thirteen shires namely these Danthletica Bennica Bessica Caenica Coeletica Corpialica Drosica Maedica Samaica Sapaica Sardica Sellitica Vrbana and Vsdesica The latter writers haue diuided it into these six prouinces Europa Hoemimontum Moesia Secunda which is the same with Moesia Inferior Rhodope Scythia and Thracia properly so called Lastly it was since called by one name Romania which it still retaineth Yet about Constantinople I vnderstand the Turkes do call it Galatia where also at this day there is the city Galata which we call Pera and the old Historiographers named Cornu Bizantium the horne of Constantinople The famous MOVNTAINES of this country are Hoemus Monte Argentaro or Catena mundi the chaine of the world the Italians call it the Turkes Balkan the Slauonians Cumouiza Rhodope Valizu or Czernaniwerti they now call it Orbelus Karopnitze Pangaeus Malaca or Castagna and diuers others of lesser note The RIVERS are Hebrus Marisa Nessus Nesto or Mestro the Turkes call it Charasou Melas now Lameta or Larissa and Strymon as some thinke although others do rather iudge this to be a riuer of Macedony The famous CITIES are Abdera now Asperosa as Niger thinketh or Polystylo as Sophianus or Astrizza as Nardus affirmeth Apollonia Phinopolis Philippolis Nicopolis vpon the riuer Haemus Nicopolis vpon the riuer Nessus Hadrianopolis the Turkes call it Endrem as Busbechius writeth or Edernay as Postellus teacheth Selyhria Debeltus Heraclea Lysimachia Hexamili and Bysantium famous in all ages so named of Bysa who first built it afterward it was enlarged and fortified by the Emp. Constantine and of him was called Constantinopolis but at this time corruptly and more short Stamboli This now as also long since it was is the most famous and honourable city of all this country next after Hadrianople Andernopoli it is commonly called then Sophia and others of lesse estimation This country also hath adioined vnto it a necke-land or demi-ile which they call the Foreland of Thrace Heere is Callipolis Gallippoli and Sesto famous for the loue of Leander Dauid Chytraeus in his Chronicle of Saxony hath diuers things worth the noting of the prouinces of this chart The ilands in the Archipelago mare Aegaeum neere to Romania are SAMOTHRACIA commonly called Samandrachi and THALASSIA of Ptolemey which others call Thassus and to this day it reteineth some similitude of that name for the latter writers do name it Tasso In Propontis or Mar di Marmora is PROECONNESVS or Elaphonnesus which some haue named Neuris Now the Turkes and Greekes do call it Marmora whereof that sea tooke the name In Bosphorus the Latines call it Stretto di Constantinopoli the straites of Constantinople the Greekes Laimon the Turkes Bogazin are the Insulae CYANEAE which Strabo calleth Symplegades now Pauonare or Iarcazes oft mentioned in the writings of ancient Poets who after their maner did feine them first to haue floted vpon the water and to be moueable and then by the sailing of the Argonautes to haue been setled and fixed Beside the old Geographers Ptolemey Strabo Pliny and Pomponius Mela which haue written of this country the latter writers also are not to be neglected especially the singular learned VVolfangus Lazius his commentaries of Greece and Bellonius his Obseruations Petrus Gyllius hath most curiously and diligently described the city Constantinople which city a man may say was by the prouidence of God ordeined to be the head of many kingdomes and to haue beene sometime called New Rome and at this day Romania so that the famous poet Tibullus may seeme to haue spoken not without iust cause and by a kind of diuine inspiration when he said ROMATVVM NOMEN TERRIS FATALE REGENDIS O Rome thy name doth giue thou shouldest the world command And in the iudgement of Romulus the Gods would haue it VT ROMA SIT CAPVT ORBIS TERRARVM That Rome should be the head of all the World as Liuy hath left record in the first booke of his Decades ROMANIAE quae olim Thracia dicta VICINARVMque REGIONVM VTI BVLGARIAE WALACHIAE SYRFIAE ETC. DESCRIPTIO Auctore Iacobo Castaldo Cum priuilegio decennasi M.D.LXXXIIII SCANDIA OR THE NORTHREN Kingdomes THis Mappe conteineth almost all the Northen tract of the knowen world
but especially the Neck-land or Peninsula knowen vnto the old writers by these names Scandia Scandinauia Baltia and Basilia but to them neuer throughly discried which in regard of his greatnesse they haue called Another World and the Shoppe of men and as it were the scabberd from whence so many Nations haue been drawen But of the diuers names of this country read that which we haue written at the mappe of Island as also in our Treasury of Geography in the word BASILIA This Neckeland in this our age conteineth three kingdomes Norwey Swedland and Gotland with a part of the kingdome of Denmarke and many other prouinces as Bothny Finmarke Finland Lappland c. whose seuerall descriptions we will heere set downe out of Iames Ziegler NORVEGIA Norway if you would interpret it is as much to say as the Northren tract or Northren way This was sometime a most flourishing kingdome and comprehended Denmarke and Friesland with the circumiacent Ilands vntill such time as the kingdome was gouerned by an hereditary succession of kings Afterward the line failing in the time of vacancie by the consent of the Nobility it was decreed that the kings should be chosen by election At this day it is vnder the iurisdiction of the kings of Denmarke who do not only take the lawfull reuenews iustly due to the crowne but imposing intolerable exactions and by scraping and raking all commodities into their hands they conuey all the wealth of this country into Denmarke Neither is this aggreeuance alone but with all the disaduantage and condition of the place doth much hurt the subiects for all the hauens roads shipping are at the command of the king of Denmarke so that neither they may without his leaue vse the sea or transport their merchandise into forren countries This kingdome either for the temperature of the aire goodnesse of the soile or benefit of the sea is not of meane estimation and account This doth transport into other parts of Europe a fish which is a kind of codde slitte and spread vpon a post and so dried and hardened with the frost and cold and thereupon the Germanes call it Stockfish The best time of the yeare to catch them is in Ianuary when as the weather is coldest to drie them those which are taken when the weather is more mild they shrinke or rotte away and are not fit to be transported any whither All the sea coast of Norway is very calme and temperate the sea freeseth not the snow continueth not long SVECIA Sweden or Swedland is a kingdome rich of siluer copper lead iron corne and cattell Wonderfull plenty of fish is heere taken both in riuers lakes and creekes aswell as in the maine ocean Heere are many Deere and wild beasts Stockholme is the kings seat and chiefe mart towne a city fortified both by nature by art and industrie of the ingenious Architect It standeth in a fenne like Venice and thereof it took the name for that being situate in the waters it is built vpon piles which they call Stockes GOTHIA Gotland that is the Good land is subiect to the king of Sweden In it is the port and mart towne Calmar a great city Heere is a goodly Castle which for ingenious Architecture or Fortification as also for large compasse and content is not much inferiour to that of Millane in Italie Neere Tinguallen are mines of excellent iron Thus farre Ziegler Of DENMARKE and the BRITISH ILES we will speake nothing in this place seeing that we entreated of them at their proper and seuerall mappes In this chart there is described also ISLAND an Iland as famous as any other for strange miracles and secret works of nature Item GROENLAND another Iland knowen to very few Heere also is FRIESLAND a third iland altogether vnknowen to ancient writers neither is it once named of the latter Geographers or Hydrographers only Nicolao Zeno a Venetian who in the yeare of Christ 1380. tossed with many continuall bitter stormes in this sea at last rent and weather-beaten arriued in this I le This authour affirmeth that this iland is subiect to the king of Norway and to be greater then Ireland and that the chiefe towne is of the same name with the I le it selfe lastly that the country people do for the most part liue by fishing For in the hauen of this towne they catch such abundance of all sorts of fish that from thence they lade whole shippes and transport them into other ilands neere adioining The sea next to this iland vpon the West full of shelues and rocks as he writeth is of the inhabitants called Mare Icarium Icarus sea and an iland in it he saith is named ICARIA Of GROENLAND he writeth that the winter heere is 9. moneths long and all that time it neuer raineth nor the snow which falleth in the beginning of winter euer dissolueth vntill the latter end of the same But that is most wonderfull which he telleth of the Monastery of the order of Frier Predicants dedicated to the honour of S. Thomas in this Iland namely that there is not farre from it a mountaine which like vnto Aetna in Sicilia doth at certaine seasons burne and cast out huge flakes of fire and that there is in the same place a fountaine of hot or skalding waters wherewith not only all the chambers of this monastery are warmed in the maner of Stones and hot-houses but also all kind of meat and bread is sodden and dressed and with no other fire All the monastery is built of a kind of hollow light stone which the flames of that burning mountaine do cast forth For these burning stones being by nature somewhat fat and oily are solid and firme but being quenched with this water they become drie full of holes and light and the water wherewith they were quenched is turned into a clammy kind of stuffe like bitumen wherewith these stones are laied in steed of mortar when they are to vse them in building and thus they make a sure worke against the iniury of all weathers Their orchyeards also and gardens watered with this water are alwaies green and do flourish almost all the yeare long with all maner of flowres kinds of corne and fruits This Priory standeth vpon the sea shore and hath a reasonable capacious and large hauen into which the forenamed fountaine emptying his waters doth make it so warme that it neuer freeseth in the hardest and egerest froast that euer was knowen Whereupon heere is such abundance of fish which do flocke hither from more colde places that not only these Monkes but also the neighbours round about are furnished from hence with prouision of victuall These thinges amongst many others Zenus hath written of these Ilands who being made by Zichimnus king of certaine Ilands heere about high Admirall of his nauy discouered all these Northren coasts The ile FRIESLAND now againe in these our daies was descried by the Englishmen and was by them called by a new name WEST