Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	country_n	great_a	king_n	8,331	5	3.6012	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00052	A discouerie of the countries of Tartaria, Scithia, & Cataya, by the northeast: with the maners, fashions, and orders which are vsed in those countries. / Set foorth by Iohn Frampton merchaunt.	Frampton, John, fl. 1577-1596.	1580 (1580)	STC 11255; ESTC S92572	34,080	90

Gelones are labourers and tillers of the earth and haue corne and possesse gardeines and orchardes and haue no manner of likenesse at all vnto the Budinos neither in countenance nor collour all the realme where these inhabite is full of trees by a very great lake that is there They hunt great store of wilde beasts And of their skinnes make gownes for them selues to weare There is an other kynde of people called Argipeos which liue at the foote of certeine high mountaines They are a people balde from the tyme of their birth as well the women as the men They haue flat and broad noses and verye great beardes and a certayne sounde of a voyce wherewith they speake They are apparelled like to the Scythians They liue commonly of the fruite of trees They care not for breeding of cattell and therefore haue not many Euery one hath his dwelling place vnder a tree which in the Winter they couer with a white couering and in the Summer it is not couered at all No people of the worlde hurteth them for they say that they are sanctified They possesse no armour neither to defende nor to offend but rather themselues by perswasions and faire meanes take vp all maner of controuersies strifes that rise among them Whosoeuer commeth vnto them they fauour and succour him There are others called Isledones which vse these customes whensoeuer the father of any of them dyeth all his kinred bring thither their cattell the which they kill and make bankets and the like is done of the father of him that hath conuited them and so they make their banket eating the fleshe of the dead man with the flesh of the cattaile They flea and take off the skinne of the head of the dead man and clense it of all that is therwithin and after gilde the same haue it for their image and make therevnto euery yeare very great ceremonies and sacrifices This the father doeth for the sonne and the sonne for the father euen as the Greekes do celebrate the day of their birth These do affirme them selues to be a iust people and their women are as strong as the men thēselues These were the manners and fashions of the Scithians in tymes past vntill they were brought vnder the subiection of the Tartars and then followed their maner of liuing and nowe liue as the Tartars do being all called Tartars by one generall name Of the Countrie that is called the other side of Ganges and of Cataya and the region of Sinas which is a countrey of the great Cham and of the meruailous things that haue bene seene in those countries BEyond the riuer Ganges towards the East is the land and part of India that standeth on the other side of the same riuer and therfore is called the other side of Ganges This is the greatest the best the rychest countrey of all India which is towardes the East partes where the Sunne riseth and is now called Cataya and it appertaineth to the great Cham who is lorde of Tartaria In old time it was saide that it belonged to Prester Iohn The countrey of Cataya is greate and hath in it manye kingdomes and the buyldings like to Europe There is in it great policie of all things It is a riche countrey of Gold spices and precious stones whereof there is great aboundance The people are of great reason and liue in better order then we do There are among them Philosophers who are much esteemed The seconde sort are husbandmen The third Shepheards The fourth handicraftes men The fifth men of warre to defende the countrey The sixt the presidents and gouernours that gouerne the country The seuenth are the counsellers to the king And these are cheefest and haue charge ouer all the rest and will not consent that any one should leaue his owne office or science and take an other and therefore they are better gouerned then we are The great Chain deuyded this prouince into nine kingdomes in the which are two thousande great cities or thereabouts There is no richer prouince in the worlde It hath all thinges necessarie and in great plentie for the life of mankinde The Catayans are idolaters great merchauntes and craftes men They giue them selues much to Astronomy There are among them many religious houses of Idolaters which leade a straight life They haue among them there Vniuersities and studies of learning and the scripture of the old and newe Testament wherof it commeth to passe that they honor God and beleeue in the euerlasting life but are not baptized They loue the Christians and giue almes with a good will They haue no beardes They are much like in face countenaunce to those of the prouince of Mongall There are many Christians in Cataya It is so great a countrey and so inhabited that in a verye short space the great Cham can ioyne together an armye of three hundred thousand fighting men In the prouince of Cataya they haue no wine but make their drinke of Rise They haue fleshe milke and cheese They bury their dead bodyes richely In this prouince they celebrate their weddings with great bankets Songs and Trumpets They vse bathes They deuide the yeare into 12 monethes according to the twelue signes The moste part of these people accompteth the yeare from August They vse Crosse-bowes and gunnes and of all kinde of artillery for they are the best handycraftes men in the worlde They write vppon the leaues of trees and make bookes of them They make money of the rinds of Mulbery trees In some places they vse small Irons for money like to needles In other places small peeces of Golde There is among these neither pestilence nor any other contagious diseases and therefore is such an infinite number of people There is in this countrey many and very great Serpents which the Catayans do eate in their bankets with great affection The principall citie in Cataya is Cambula contayning xxiiii myles in compasse and is foure square and in euery square reacheth vi myles Some saye that it contayneth xl Italian myles which is xx leagues in compasse The walles are xx paces in height and v. in breadth with pinacles vpon all of three paces in height In the foure corners are foure rounde fortes and euery one of them foure myles in compasse with greate prouision of armour in euery of the same This citie hath xii gates two myles distant one from another Euery gate hath ouer it a faire large house wherein are continually a thousand watchmen kept to gard the citie There is a wall that goeth to euery one of these fortes with their arches where the king may passe into any of them The great Cham his pallace is strong and very stately and faire The streetes are streight in so much that the light of the fire is seene from one ende to another In this citie are many faire and sumptuous houses and palaces and in the middest of it is a great and wonderfull Pallace

yet for all this they are very vicious no more nor lesse then the Sarasens Moores And the wife which they take they ●●lde her not for theyr lawfull wise neither 〈◊〉 they receiue her dowrie vntil she bring ●●rth children and therfore it is lawfull b● them to put away such as are barren 〈◊〉 haue no children and to take an other in ●●r steede And it is to be wondred at that al●●it many women haue but one husband yet ●●ey neuer fall out vnles it be great maruel Notwithstanding that some of them be preferred and made more of then others sometimes the goodman keepeth companie with one of his wiues sometimes with an other but euery one haue their family and habitation asunder and they liue very chast for if they be taken in adulterie as well the man as the woman by their law shall suffer death presently When the men haue no warres they keepe their cattell go a hunting exercise them selues in wrastling and do nothing els all the rest of their affayres remayneth in the charge and ouersight of the women They haue a care of that is necessary for their foode apparell and all other thinges apperteining to the house These people vse many superstitions and witchcraftes chiefly they take it for a haynous matter to cast a knife into the fire or touch the fire therewith or take the meate out of the pot with a knife There can no straunger be admitted to the kinges presence though he be of great dignitie and haue waightye affayres with him but first he must purge him selfe And if anye mans feete do smell and come into the place where the Emperour is although he be any of the Captaines forthwith he is commaunded to be slaine and besides this if any when he is eating take a mouthfull that hee cannot swallow but is forced to vomit it immediately they runne all to him a●d make a hoale vnder the place where he is and that way they plucke him out and kill him cruelly There are many other thinges that these holde for sinne without redemption and in other respects they account it a small matter to kill men to take other mens landes and to rob the goodes of others against al right and iustice and set light by the commandements of God and with all this they beleeue that they shall liue after this life for euer in an other worlde but they knowe not how to declare it and beleeue that there they shall receiue rewarde according to their desertes Immediately after that one of them falleth sicke and is neere the poynt of death they take a launce and pich it in the tent where he is and set vpon the top of the same a blacke cloth in token that none which passeth that ●ay should enter in there this being seene ●one dare go in vnlesse hee be called And when the sicke person is dead all the hous●olde ioyne together and take the body out 〈◊〉 the shoppe or shedde and carrieth it to a ●lace that they haue appoynted for this cause 〈◊〉 making there a hollow place long and broad they rayse vp a small cotage or stall and put a table therevppon full of meate and set the deade body leaning to it very richly apparelled and so couer it altogether with earth they likewise bury with him one of his Cattell and a Horse with all thinges apperteining to him And suche as are of moste power and riches when they are lyuing doe choose one of their seruaunts and marke him with his Yron and marke whome they cause to bee buryed with his maister to the ende that in the other worlde they may haue one too doe them seruice After this the friendes of the deceased take an other Horse and kill him and eate his fleshe and fill the skinne full of hay and sowing it togeather rayse him vppe with foure peeces of timber vppon the Sepulchre in token that there is one buried and the women doe burne the bones saying that they are for the purgation of the Soule They which are of greatest authoritie doe an other thing with the skinne namely they cut it small into very little strings and stretching them round about the Sepulchre measure the earthe and beleeue that the dead body shall haue so much in the other worlde as his friendes do measure with his skinne and at the 30. dayes ende they make an ende of their crying and lamentation There are of the Tartars certaine that are Christians although contrary to true christianitie These take after their fathers when they waxe olde because they should dye the sooner make an end of themselues and after their deceases burne them and gather diligently the ashes which they keepe as a precious thing and therewith dayly dresse their meate And now it would be tedious to write any more of thē as also perhaps to reade with what ceremonies and solemnitie the Tartars doe choose their kinges After that any king dyeth I will shewe it you in fewe woordes all the Princes Captains and chiefe men and all the people of the realme assemble and meete together in a place appointed for that cause in the fieldes according to their custome and manner and then take him to whome the realme ought to come either by succession or election and place him in a Throne and Chaire of Gold and he sitting downe all the people with a loude voyce say in this maner We pray thee likewise wil commaund thee to be our souereigne Lord. Whervnto he aunswereth if you will haue me so it is necessary that you be redy to do any thing that I commaund you come when I cal you that you go whether so euer I send you And any that I commaund you to kill that forthwith it be done and that you put and leaue all the kingdome in our handes Immediately all aunswer So we are content Then the king saith From hence forwarde I will you to vnderstand that the word of my mouth be my sword all the people with great noyse and gladnesse confirme the same Immediatly the principal and chiefe men of the people take the king and bring him down from the royall chayre and cause him to sit vppon the ground vpon a felt layd abroade and say vnto him these wordes Looke vpwarde and knowe God and then looke downe vpon the-felt whervpon thou sittest Thou shalt vnderstand if thou gouerne the Realme well thou shalt haue all that thou wilt at thy will and if thou gouerne it ill thou shalt bee throwne down and dispossessed in such sort that that thou shalt not remaine with this poore felte where vppon thou sittest and in saying this they place him one of his wiues neere to him that is best beloued and lifting them both vp with the felt they salute and reuerence him as Emperour of all the Tartars and she as Empresse Then the new Emperour and Empresse are presented with many gifts by al the people that are vnder their Empire and

partly by reason of a deuout superstition in that they had conceiued a stedfast beliefe that God was the beginning and foundation of that kingdome and that if they refused to obey the commaundementes of their king they committed not an offence to him but to God And with this trust and power so raysed the king Canguista first of all brought vnder his subiection by force of armes the Scithians that bordered vpon his countrey making them his tributaries with the other people also to whom his owne subiects had before payed tribute and forthwith set vpon diuers other nations both farre and neere from his owne dominions hauing so prosperous successe that he brought in subiection vnder his Empyre all the Realmes Dominions nations euen from Scithia vnto the Mediterran sea wher the Sun ryseth some what more insomuch that with reason he intituleth him selfe Lord and Emperour of all the East partes All the Tartars are of an euill shape in their bodies the most part of them being of a small stature They haue great eyes standing farre out and the liddes thereof couered with very much hayre in such sorte that there can but a litle of their eies be sene their faces are brode they haue no beards sauing on their vpper lips in the same haue but a few hayres and those very thin al of them for the most part are slender in the wast in the fore pare of their heads they weare their hayre long like women of our countrey and make two rowles thereof and so gather thē behind their eares and not only the Tartars do thus but also such as are ioyning nere to them do the like They are light people and good horsemen but euill footemen none of them do go afoote although they be very little Their manner is to ride vpon horses or oxen whether so euer they trauaile and the women vse Geldinges that are not fierce They also vse to haue their forheds decked with siluer and precious stones and conceiue a great glorye in that their horses carry collers of belles to make a great iyngling Their speach is sharpe and high when they would singe they howle like wolues when they drinke they shake the head and also they accustome to drinke so often tyll they fall downe and take it for great honour They inhabite neither townes nor cities but in the fieldes as the Scithians did in the olde time vnder Pauilions and Tentes For the most parte are shepheardes In the winter they vse to lyue in the plaine fieldes in the Sommer they continue in the mountaines for the fruitefulnesse of the pasture They make their lodginges and plates of abode like a shoppe eyther of bowes or of timber couered with felt and in the middest of these sheddes make a rounde windowe where the light commeth in and the smoke goeth out in the middest of the cottage is the fire and their wiues and children alwayes about it The men vse to shoote in bowes and to wrastle they are merueilous hunters they ride a hūting armed on horsback whē they see any wilde beastes they compasse them about and euery one of them shooting his arow they wound take him They haue no bread vse no table cloth nor napkins and beleeue in one God onely affyrming him to be the maker of all thinges visible and inuisible they honour him not with any ceremonie but make certeine Iodls of felt or silke or the likenesse of a man and put them on both sides of their sheddes or shoppes praying them to keepe safe their cattell and shewing great reuerence toward them offering them all the milke that they haue first of the cattell and before they beginne to eate or drinke they set their part before them Any manner of beast that they kyll for to eate they put his hart in a vessell all night and in the morning seeth and eate it They honour and do sacrifise likewise to the Sunne and Moone to the foure Elements and also the great Chaam their king and Lorde whome they thinke to be the Sonne of God and so honour him deuoutly and do sacrifice to him and beleue that in al the world there is none better nor of more dignitie then he neyther wil they consēt that any other be named but be This people in respect of them selues thinking no other nation worthy to be compared with them in wisdome nor goodnesse and therfore will not willingly speake with any other but rather auoyd them selues from their companies They call the Pope and al other Christians dogges and Idolaters alledging that they honour stones and stockes They are much adicted to wicked arts geue credit to dreames and enterteine and allow such as vse the magicall science and arte of diuination and can enterpret their dreames Also they aske questions and receiue answer of their Idols with ful perswasion and beliefe that God speaketh in them And therfore what enterprise so euer they take inhand they begin and proceede in the same by the counsell of those Idols They behold and marke the weather very much and especially the Moone for they make no difference of one tyme more then of an other nor honour any festiuall day ne vse any manner of fasting or abstinence At all times they liue after one fashion and are so couetous that what soeuer they see if it like them well if they cannot get it with the good will of the owner being no Tartar they take it from him by plaine stafford law accounting it a matter lawfull to be don by meanes of a commaundement and establishment of the king their souereign Lord. For they haue an ordinance of their Canguista and Chaam their first king that any manner of Tartar or Tartars seruaunt finding by the way as he trauaileth any horse man or woman without a letter or safe conduct of the king may sense and take them as his owne and enioy them foreuer They lend their monye to such as stand in neede of it and take a certeine kind of vsurie both very great and also intollerable for they take after the rate often pounds vppon the hundred for euerie moneth and if the vsurie money be not payde immediatly then they they take further vsurie They constraine the people subued vnto them to paye so excessiue tribute and taxes and so greatly molest and oppresse them that there is no people read of that so much molesteth their tributarie subiects Their couetousnesse is such as is skant credible to be beleeued they are alwayes crauing and brybing yea the most Lordes of all others geue nothing to any no not to such as are in necessitie neither giue to poore people almes onelye in this they seeme worthy of some commendation that if any guestes by chaunce come to them when they be at meate and would take parte with them they turne them not awaye nor disturb them but rather inuite them and geue them of that they eate with much pitie In their diet they are very filthy