shadowed it selfe vnder the wing protection of the said Sigismund In the daies of Henrie of Aniow Iohn prince of Moldauia euen he that with an vndaunted spirit and famous victorie held war against the Turke was shamefully forsaken of them contrary to the couenants of confederacy betweene him and Sigismund Augustus concluded Yet must we needes confesse that such as is the courage valour and reputation of the prince such is the resolution alacritie and forces of the Polands of themselues populous valiant and couragious Stephen Bathor gaue good testimonie heereof in whose time Polonia not onely maintained the honor and glory of a kingdome sufficient to defend it selfe from forraine armes but also to make conquests of great matters from most potent enimies And seeing we haue spoken of celeritie a vertue most necessarie for euerie state it shall not be amisse to speake of the causes of this celeritie which as is aforesaid are two viz. the reputation of the prince which giueth it life and store of coine which preserues it in action for we haue seene in most mightie armies the body by the slownes of the head to haue spent the time most idly and very famous victories for want of money to giue continuall motion to the armie to haue brought forth small or no effects Besides the disposition of the soldier is a great helpe hereunto for no man can truly praise the Germane and Bohemian footemen for celeritie but this commendation without doubt is proper to the Italian Spaniard and Frenchmen not onely for that they are of better constitution of body but for that which in warre is all in all they are better contented to liue with a little though they want coine they are not discouraged neither waxe sicke with fruites if flesh be wanting and happen what may they longer and better can indure hardnes and scarcitie Their riding light armed is of more execution then armed at all peeces and their argoletiers more seruiceable then lanciers for which cause the French also in their late broiles haue giuen ouer their lances wherin of old did consist the glory of their armes and betaken themselues to the pistoll But to what aduantage they haue thus done let another dispute for I say not that a light armed man is absolutely to be preferred before a man at armes in chances of warre but onely affirme that he is more actiue and more readie yea the goodnes of the horse is of great consequence For the Flanders horse farre excelleth the Frieslander and Germane the Hungarie horse the Polonian the Turkie horse the Genet the Barbarie horse is more speedie then any of the rest Betweene both is the courser of Naples who though he be not so swift as the Spanish genet yet he is better able to indure trauell and to beare the waight of armour not becomming ouerâ—low therewith To speake truth experience manifesteth the Germane horse by reason of their slow pace to worke small effect either to pursue the fleeing enimie or swiftly to flie from their executing aduersarie for if the Wallachian Hungarian Polish Turkish Moorish or Barbarie horsemen should breake the Germans they are not able to flie and if it happen the German to ouerthrow them they are as vnable speedily to pursue for they charge slowly retire heauily So in fights at sea ships of burden are of small seruice because if winde want they can neither be mooued nor turned the great Galleons are somwhat better yet performe little more but the best of all is the galley for his swiftnes And for proofe hereof we haue seene the nauy of the Christians consisting of great ships to haue spent the better part of sommer and warlike season in preparations onely and on the contrarie the Turkish fleete soone furnished and speedily put to sea of such aduantage is spare diet and needfull prouision to the Turkish affaires and so discommodious is gluttonie to the proceedings of the Christians for wine and other delicates onely are as troublesome to the Christians as the whole prouision for a campe to the Turkish armie Therefore let no man maruell if they march in all their iorneies excellently well furnished with ordinance shot gunpowder and all necessaries for at land they haue their carriages laden onely with prouision at sea their ships and not with wine pullets and such needlesse vanities At a word they go to the warre to fight and not to fill their bellies The great Duke of Moscouia THE great Duke of Moscouia is Lord of a most large territorie and within the limits of his iurisdiction are contayned many regions Northward his scepter stretcheth to the north Ocean from the Bay of Granico to the riuer of Ob on the south all alongst the riuer Volga to the Caspian sea westward it reacheth to the borders of Liuonia and almost to the riuer Boristhenes and eastward to Volga Some write that it containeth in length three thousand miles in bredth 1500. wherein are contained fifteene Dukedomes sixteene prouinces and two kingdomes They were once subiect to the Tartars whose Prince Roydo in the yeere 1140. conquered all Moscouie but Iohn the first great Duke incouraged by their ciuill dissentions denied them tribute In processe of time when Ammetes the last successor of Roydo who died at Vilua had ouercome the Tartars Precopenses the great Duke adioyned to his Empire Permia Veatia and Iugria prouinces subiect to Ammetes From this time the forces of the great Duke increasing Basilius Casan and Iohn the second conquered the prouinces of Citrahan which are called kingdomes To confesse truth the great Dukes haue mightily enlarged their bounds and haue taken the great Duchies of Seuerin and Smoloncke Bielchese Prescouia Nouogrod Iaroslaue Roscouia some from the Polands some from other prouinces they possessed part of Liuonia and made their armes feareful to their neighbours The chiefe citie of the kingdome is Mosco where the Patriarch resideth Roscouia and Nouogrode are the seats of the Archbishops Cortisa Resania Columna Susdelia Casan Vologda Tueria and Smolonck are Bishopricks Plescouia Porcouia Staritia Sloboda Ieroslaue Volodomer from whence the kings seat was translated to the citie Mosco by Iohn the second Mosayco Saint Nicholas Sugana Vstiud Cargapolia The Emperor abideth in the citie Mosco which taketh his name of the riuer Mosco rising fourescore ten miles higher into the countrey The citie hath beene greater then now it is was nine miles compasse but since that in the yeere 1570. it was sacked and burnt by the Tartars Precopie it contayneth not aboue fiue miles According to Posseâ—inus a writer of good iudgement and industrie there are housed in this citie thirtie thousand people besides oxen and other cattell Nouograde hath the name of Great and yet the same author alloweth it not aboue twentie thousand inhabitants as likewise Smolonck and Plescouia This seemeth most incredible to me if it be true as some write that Plescouia when king Stephen of Poland besieged it had within it
fiftie thousand footemen and seuen thousand horse Truly this is a great number and though they were not all Moscouites yet this reckoning asketh a great proportion of inhabitants for if the king thrust in 57. thousand fighting men it must needs be that the inhabitants were verie many moe Some will haue it that in times past the countrey was better replenished with people and that afterwards it became desolate for three causes the first the plague a new disease in Moscouie which gleaned away many thousand people the second the tyrannie of their Emperors who haue put infinite numbers to death especially of the nobilitie the third the incursions and robberies of the Tartars Precopie and Negaians which neuer cease vexing their bordering neighbours These Tartars harrie not onely the countrey but lead away captiue whole cities selling them to the Turks and other nations These inrodes haue laid waste many and far remooued prouinces The wisedome of a prince is not liuelier discerned then in his good foresight whether his enterprises are likely to prooue hurtfull or profitable to his estate and when he suffereth not himselfe to be carried away with the vaine hope of atcâ—ieuing some conquest which can neither continue to him sure nor certaine but rather draweth after it a continuall disquiet to his owne safetie For that prince that is led with such an ambitious humor to inlarge his estate doth but weaken himselfe in people and riches and in mine opinion is like the man that minding to raise the wals and roofe of his house higher taketh away the foundation of the building It is the greatest glorie well to keepe what wee haue got but those gettings which are made with future losse and diminution of our proper strength are contrarie to that Maxime And seeing these acquisitions are as it were incisions or graffings they ought to better not to impaire the estate of our affaires for as these incisions are vsed to make sower trees sweet or vnfruitful plants fruitfull So the enterprises of princes ought to be such as bring foorth assured honor and profit otherwise they are labours vnprofitable pulling downe more then they build and heaping to themselues more harme then honor more trouble then safety Of this kinde are those wars which are waged to conquer kingdomes farre distant hauing nothing neere vnto vs but are so disioined that they aske greater garrisons then reason or our abilities are able to affoord to defend them Therefore let the resolution of euery expedition be laid on three groundes first that the quarrell be iust secondly what hope and facilitie of conquest thirdly what gaine wil arise of victorie For warre vndertaken without hope of assured fruit is meere madnes and many great captaines haue enlarged the bounds of their empires but not increased their owne quiet and safeties No prince made longer iournies and greater expences then the Great Duke Iohn he vanquished the kingdome of Casan to Volga and Astrachan vpon the Caspian sea he subdued a great part of Liuonia But what honor what profit or what continuance of securitie gained he by these victories What was the end of this warre In these expeditions perished infinite numbers of men in iourneying in assaults with the sword with sicknes with hunger and other extremities When he had ouercome them he was forced to maintaine great garrisons yea to bring thither whole colonies and besides when men were so farre from their homes either busied in getting other mens goods or in keeping what they had got their wiues staied at home like widowes without issue and the inward parts of the realme remained emptie as a hart void of blood wanting his necessarie nutriment whilest the inhabitants were wasted on the skirtes of the kingdome And therefore when it was inuaded by king Stephen of Poland these farre and remote forces were wanting to make resistance and through this ouersight â—e lost againe Pozouia and other peeces of good reckoning yea and inforced to leaue the whole possession of Liuonia to the Polander To returne to our purpose Moscouie for the most part is couered with woods lakes these woods are the branches of Hercinia spreading it selfe through all the North and perhaps more in this prouince then in any other Here grow the goodliest and tallest trees of the world through which for their thicknes the brightnes of the sunne beams can hardly pearce An vnspeakable quaÌ„tity of rosin pitch distilleth out of these trees and here is the neuer-wasting fountaine of waxe and honie For without any industrie of man the bees themselues build their hiues in the barks and hollownes of trees Here is all plentie of cattell and wilde beasts beares martins beastes called in Latine Zibellini and woolues whose skins be are high prices Of the timber of these trees are squared all necessaries as well for buildings as all other vses the wals of their cities are framed of beames cut fowersquare fastened together filling the chinkes and vacant places with earth Of these beames likewise they build platformes of such height and thicknes that they be are the weight of great Ordinance how massie soeuer they are subiect to fire but not easily shaken with the furie of batterie Some men maintaine great disputation whether fortresses built of stone chalke or earth be of greatest validitie For the last these be their reasons they are sooner built with lesse charge and make best resistance when a breach is made they are easiest repaired and any part thereof if chance occasion or necessitie require lightlier changed But all these reasons notwithstanding in my minde fortresses built of stone carrie the credit for seeing there are fower meanes to ruinate a fortresse Ordinance mining fire and digging peraduenture the stone wall may auaile as much in resisting as the earthen in receiuing and deadding the bullet but against mining fire the spade and pickaxe without comparison the stone worke excelleth and to raise platforms on the inside of the wall is all you can inuent either defensiue or praise woorthie to a fortresse built of timber and earth For waters Moscouie is the mother of riuers and lakes witnes Dunie Boristhenes Volga Desna Onega Moscua Volisca and the famous Tanais the lakes of Ina vpon which standeth the great Nouograde Voloppo and many others The abundance of these waters do make the aire colder then is requisite for the increase of cattle or growth of plants and although cold is thought more wholesome then heate yet are their cattle of small growth thereby and many times their fruits come not to ripening the earth drowned with the waters for the most part becommeth light and sandie and then either with too great drouth or too much moisture it destroieth the fruit Winter lasteth nine moneths litle more or lesse yet the soile bringeth foorth plenty of graine feeding for cattle and by consequence abundance of cattle â—ame and wilde It bringeth foorth apples nuts and filberds other kinds of fruits they scarcely know Of fish
and hauing gathered a most mightie and populous armie compacted of Gentiles Mahumetans and Christians after he had raigned twentie yeeres he died in the height of his prosperitie leauing his son Mamudza behind him whom the king graced with his fathers regencie vpon condition to pay him a yeerely tribute which payment the yoong man neither regarded nor shewed himselfe loyall to his soueraigne in many things besides It happened that Sanosaradin dying in the warre which he made against Persia left behind him a sonne of such pusillanimitie and so base a spirit that Mamusda hereupon tooke courage to intitle himselfe king of Canora calling the countrey Decan and the people Decaini that is illegitimate After this he erected eighteene captainships and diuided his dominion amongst them assigning to euerie one his limites only with this penaltie to finde alwaies in readines a certaine number of footemen and horsemen To preuent future rebellion he did choose these Captaines not out of the orders of his nobilitie but from the number of his slaues Nay more then this to be assured of their loyaltie he commanded that euerie one of them should build him a house in his royall citie Bider in which their children should remaine and that once euerie yeere at least they should make their appearance in his court But because all authoritie which is not as well vnderpropped with his proper vertues as grounded vpon the affections of the people is of small continuance so happened it to this Prince for his slaues and vassals hauing soueraigne authoritie put into their hands made no more account of him then of a cipher stripping him poore Prince without respect or reuerence of all his dominions sauing his chiefe citie Bider with the territorie adioyning For euerie one of a Lieutenant became an vsurper of those states which were committed to his trust the mightier alwaies oppressing the weaker so that all in the ende became a pray to a few Two of them are famous at this day the one of them stretching his dominion to the borders of Cambaia the other to the skirts of Narsinga the first called by the portugals Nissamalucco the other Idalcan Either of them is so puissant that in the yeere 1571. Idalcan belegred Goa with an armie of thirtie fiue thousand horse threescore thousand elephants two hundred and fiftie pieces of ordinance Nissamalucco besieged Chaul with lesse forces but better fortune for though he did not force it yet he brought it to an hard pinch with the slaughter of twelue thousand Moores In those countries in which Sanosaradin began his empire not aboue 70 yeeres agone a great prince whom the east people call the great Mogor in the same sense as we call the great Turke laid the foundation of a mightie empire for as the king of Biarma in our times greatly hazarded the states of Pegu and Siam and the bordering regions euen so the Mogor turned topsie turuie the kingdomes lying on this side the riuer Ganges The receiued opinion is that they tooke their originall from Tartaria and that they came from that coast where the ancient Mossagetae a people accounted inuincible in armes did once inhabite and liuing as it were lawlesse and vnder no gouernment by inuasion of their neighbours procured vnto themselues the soueraigntie of most spacious kingdomes By the riuer Oxus they border vpon the Persians and are at continuall enmitie with them sometimes for religion sometime for inlargement of the bounds of their empire Their chiefe citie is Shamarcand from whence came Tamarlan and of whose bloud these Mogor princes do boast that they are descended The predecessor of him who is now prince of the Mogors was very famous in the east for in the yeere 1536. being sollicited by king Mandao of the north from whom Badurius king of Cambaia had taken his kingdome to aide him against the Cambaian he is reported to haue brought with him an infinite number of soldiers which we may coniecture out of that which Maffeus writeth of the armie of king Badurius to witte that this king had vnder his standard one hundred and fiftie thousand horse whereof fiue and thirtie thousand were barbed the number of footemen was 500. thousand Amongst these were fifteene thousand forreine soldiers and fower-score Christians French Portugals at which by what meanes or by what way they should come thither I do mightily woonder Their Galleon which they called Dobriga suffered shipwracke in the chanell of Cambaia I know that if these preparations and prouisions for warre be compared with our forces of Christendom they will hardly be taken for true but we haue alreadie declared the causes why the princes of the east and south may gather greater armies then we can consequently that those things which are spoken of their incredible store and woonderfull prouision of furniture may be answerable to their leuies and proportions of soldiery And as they are able to leuie millions of men for arming and feeding them they take no great care so likewise do the prouinces affoord great plentie of prouision and an inestimable multitude of warlike engines for they carry nothing with them saue that which is necessarie and needfull for the warres Wines cates such like which cannot but with great expence labour and trouble be carried along with armies are by these men wholy omitted and vtterly reiected All their thoughts tend to warlike prouisions as to get brasse iron steele and tinne to forge peeces and cast great ordinance iron and lead to make bullets iron and steele to temper cymitars oxen and elephants to draw their artillerie graine to nourish their bodies mettals to arme them and treasure to conserue them They are all tyrants and to preserue their estates and induce submissiue awednes they hold hard hands ouer the comminaltie committing all gouernment into the hands of soldiers And to make these men faithfull and loyall they ordaine them lords of all things committing vnto their trust townes castles expeditions of great waight but the expectation of the prince is often deceiued by the rebellion of these vassals for sometimes they vsurpe whole prouinces and impose vpon the people all kinde of miuries But let good princes thinke it as necessarie to build their safetie vpon the loue of their subiects as vpon the force of the soldier Feare admitteth no securitie much lesse perpetuitie and therefore these tirants expecting no suretie at the hands of their subiects trust wholy vpon their men of warre flattering them with promise of libertie and bestowing vpon them the goods of their subiects as rewards of their seruice So with vs the Turke strengthneth his estate with Ianizars and as he coueteth to be beloued and fauoured of them to that end bestowing vpon them the riches and honors of the empire so they againe acknowledge no other lord and master I may very well say father and protector And so many of the Malaber princes vsing and accounting the people but as beasts lay all their hopes
one million and three hundred thousand England three millions and Belgia as many if by the continuance of the war in those countries that number be not much decaied The Italians conceiting marueilous highly of themselues thinke no prouince vpon the face of the earth for wealth and people comparable to Italy but they forget that as it is long so it is narrow and nothing wide or spacious neither that two third parts haue not one nauigable riuer a want of great consequence neither that the Apenine a mountaine rockie and barren doth spred itselfe ouer a fourth part Let them not deceiue themselues nor condemne others plentie by their owne wants nor measure others excesse by their handfuls For fertilitie doth France in plentie of graine or cattle giue place to Italy Or England for cattle wooll fish or mettall Or Belgia for number or goodlines of cities excellencie of artificers wealth or merchandise Or Greece for delectable or commodious situation hauens of the sea or pleasant prouinces Or Hungarie for cattle wine corne fish mines and all good things else But I will not stand vpon these discourses onely let me tell you that Lumbardie containeth the thirde part of Italy a prouince delightsome for battell plaines and pleasant riuers without barren mountaines or sandie fieldes and to be as full of people as the whole halfe of Italy besides Yea what may be said of Italy for profite or pleasure that may not be spoken perticularly of France England Netherland both the Pannonies Wherefore sithence the countrey is not onely large mightie and spacious but vnited populous plentifull and rich at least let it be beleeued and accounted for one of the greatest empires that euer was The gouernment is tyrannicall for throughout the kingdome there is no other Lord but the king They knowe not what an Earle a Marquesse or a Duke meaneth No fealtie no tribute or tole is paid to any man but to the king He giueth al magistracies and honors He alloweth them stipends wherewith to maintaine their estates and they dispatch no matter of weight without his priuitie His vassals obey him not as a king but rather as a God In euery prouince standeth his portraiture in gold which is neuer to be seene but in the newe moones then is it shewed and visited of the magistrates and reuerenced as the kings owne person In like manner the gouernours and Iudges are honored no man may speake vnto them but vpon their knees Herein the people shew their base mindes making themselues the slaues not the subiects of the prince Strangers are not admitted to enter into the kingdome least their customes and conuersation should breede alteration in manners or innouation in the state They are onely permitted to traffike vpon the sea coasts to buy and sell vittaile and to vent their wares They that doe traffike vpon the land assemble many together and elect a gouernor amongst them whom they terme Consul In this good maner strangers enter the kingdome but alwaies awaited on by the customers and kings officers The inhabitants cannot trauell but with licence and with that neither but for a prefixed season and to be sure of their returne they grant no leaue but for traffikes sake and that in ships of 150. tun and not aboue for they are iealous that if they should goe to sea in bigger vessels they would make longer iourneis To conclude it is a religious law of the kingdome that euerie mans endeuours tend wholy to the good and quiet of the common wealth By which proceedings Iustice the mother of quietnes policie the mistresse of good lawes and industrie the daughter of peace doe flourish in this kingdome There is no countrey moderne or ancient gouerned by a better forme of policie then this Empire by this gouernment haue they ruled their Empire two thousand yeeres And so hath the state of Venice flourished 1100. yeeres the kingdome of France 1200. It is two hundred yeeres since they cast off the yoke of the Tartars after their ninetie yeeres gouernment For their arts learning and policie they conceiue so well of themselues that they are accustomed to say that they haue two eies the people of Europe one the residue of the nations none They giue this good report of the Europeans because of their acquaintance with the Portugals with whom they trafficke in Macao and other places and the renowme of the Castilians who are their neighbours in the Philippinae By the multitudes of people before spoken of you may imagine the state of his forces for herein all other prouisions take their perfection But to speake somewhat in particular The power of this Prince remembring his contentment and nature detesting all inuasion is more readie and fit to defend then offend to preserue rather then increase His cities for the most part are builded vpon the bankes of nauigable riuers enuironed with deepe and broad ditches the wals built of stone and bricke strong aboue beleefe and fortified with caualiers and artificiall bulwarks Vpon the borders toward Tartarie to make sure worke against such an enemie they haue built a wall beginning at Chioi a citie situate betweene two most high mountaines and stretching it selfe towards the east sixe hundred miles betweene mountaine and mountaine vntill it touch the cliffes of the Ocean Vpon the other frontires you may behold many but small holds so built to stay the course of the enemie vntill the countrie forces be able to make head and the royall armie haue time to come leisurely forward for in 400. great townes he keepeth in continuall pay forces sufficient vpon the least warning to march to that quarter whither occasion calleth Euery citie hath a garrison and guarde at the gates which at nights are not only fast locked but sealed and may not be opened before the seale at morning be throughly viewed To speake truth their soldiers horsemen and footemen by land or sea are more famous for their numbers their gallant furniture and plentie of prouision then for strength and courage For the inhabitants partly by their effeminate and wanton kinde of life partly by their forme of gouernment whereby they are made vile base and vmbragious haue little valour or manhood left them They vse noforren soldiers except those whom they take in warre these they send into the inland countries where being marked to distinguish them from other they serue more like slaues then soldiers yet haue they pay with rewards for their good seruice and punishment for their cowardize true motiues to make men valorous The rest which are not inrold are not suffered to keepe weapons in their houses Their sea forces are nothing inferior to their land forces for besides their ordinarie fleets lying vpon the coastes for the safetie of the sea townes by reason of the abundance of nauigable riuers and so huge a sea-tract full of hauens crecks and Ilands it is thought that with ease they are able to assemble from fiue hundred to a thousand great
50. degrees of latitude hath in longitude 4284. miles and in measuring with a right line from the 150. degree of the Equinoctiall vnto the promontorie Tabin it hath in North latitude 76. degrees which being multiplied by 60. maketh 4560. miles The Ancients diuided it into diuers parts but at this present it is best diuided into fiue according to the chiefe and principall empires therein the first whereof confining with Europe is gouerned by the great Duke of Moscouie the second belongeth to the great Cham the third is commanded by the Turke the fourth is the kingdome of Persia the fift comprehendeth that which hath alwaies been called India and gouerned by diuers princes for the most part vassals feodaries or tributaries to other kingdoms The principall Ilands are Iapan Luconia Mindanao Burneo Sumatra Zeilan and Cipres Gilolo the Moluccae Banda and Celebes belong to Magelanica Afrike is bounded on the North with the streight of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean sea on the south with a sea which diuideth Afrike from the South lande not yet fully knowen and on the East with the red sea on the West with the great Atlantike Ocean In measuring with a right line from Gambra on the West vnto the Cape Guardafu on the East both places hauing tenne degrees of north latitude or thereabout hath in longitude 4155. miles and in measuring with a right line from the 50. degree of the Aequinoctiall vnto the Mediterranean sea it hath in North latitude 32. degrees which being multiplied by 60. maketh 1920. miles In South latitude measuring with a right line from the 50. degree of the Aequinoctiall to the Cape of Good Hope it hath 35. degrees which being multiplied by 60. maketh 2100. miles By the Ancients it hath been diuided into many parts but at this day into eight Aegypt Barbary Biledulgarid Sarra Aethiopia Nubia the large prouinces of the Abassines and Monomotapa Of whose riches lawes customes natures and forces you shall reade hereafter in their seuerall places The chiefe Ilands are Socotora Madagascar S. Thomas Capo Verd and the Iles of Canarie and Madera Mexicana is on al sides enuironed with the sea sauing that nigh vnto Nombre de Dios it is ioined by a necke of land to Peruana The chiefe prouinces are Noua Hispania Florida Norumbega Noua Francia Estotiland and many others The chiefest Iles lying on the North and Northeast part are Groinland Crokland Island Freesland Bacalaos and Cuba Peruana is also enuironed on all sides with the sea saue whereas the foresaide Land-streight doth ioine the same to Mexicana The chiefe prouinces are Brasil Tisnada Caribana Carthagena Peru Charchas Chili Chicam and the land of the Patagones The most renowned Iles are Hispaniola Boriquen and Margarita This sixt part of the world as yet is but little knowen notwithstanding it is thought to containe many large prouinces amongst the which Beach is supposed to be very rich and abounding in gold The chiefe Iles are Iaua maior and Iaua minor Timor Banda the Moluccos Romeros and the Iles of Solomon Thus much in generall now of the particulars The kingdome of France THE kingdome of France hath for his bounds the Alpes which diuide it from Italie the Rhodanus which separates it from Sauoye Sagona which parts it from the Sebusiani and Burgundians and the riuer Mosell which diuides it from Lorraine and the Dutchie of Lucemburge It hath on the East the riuer Aa on the South the Mediterranean sea and the Pyrenean mountaines on the. West the great Ocean and on the North the English Ocean It contayneth from Lorraine on the South side to Caleis on the North side two hundred French leagues and little lesse from East to West from the riuer Varo to Paurus The neerer the North the narrower it is narrowest betweene Caleis and the Brittish promontorie The figure thereof is betweene round and square and therefore bigger then a man would take it It contayneth most large Prouinces as Picardie Normandie Brittaine the Isle of France Champaigne Burgundie Auerne Dalphenye Prouince Bry Blois Turin the Dutchie of Aniou Zantoin Burdeaux and many others The beginning thereof standeth in fortie two degrees and inâ—oyeth such diuersitie of aire that that part which lieth toward the Mediterranean sea where stands Languedoc and Prouince bringeth foorth all sorts of fruits like Italie that which is towards the English Ocean where stands Brittaine Normandie and part of Pieardie bringeth foorth no wine the residue of the kingdome aboundeth aboue beleefe with all kindes of fruits which Europe affoordeth except Oliues figs and such like The gentlenes of the aire with the fertilitie of the ground and the situation of the riuers is so propitions and naturall for the increase of fruit and euerie other liuing creature that France aboue all the other Regions of Europe may best boast of these prerogatiues Betweene the mountaines of Auerne Dalphenie and the Mediterranean sea the aire is so temperate by reason of the coldnes of the hils alwaies almost couered with snow and the gentle blasts comming from the sea that a man being in this place would thinke he were vnder the climate wherein Genua is seated And againe the Pyrenean hils standing as a bulwarke to breake and beat backe the fiercenes of cold and tempests giue the like moderation to another quarter of the countrey These mountaines are full of bathes and veines of warme water and the northern windes which according to most opinions make the aire cold are not heere so cold as in other places For windes participate of the nature of the place by which they passe if by snowie mountaines then bring they with them the cold of those mountaines if by marishes contagion if by woods they are broken if by sandie plaines they are warme if by lakes or seas they are sharpe and cold Hence commeth it that the windes Panormi in Sicill are extreme hot for before they pierce thither they scoure thorow the plaines of Sicill and taking heat from the sands carrie it into the citie The south winde is cold at Genua because it passeth the sea and taketh coldnes thereof without touching the lande before it arriue But the north winde which bloweth thorough France commeth from the sea and taking some measure of heat of the saltnes thereof and finding no mountaines couered with yee or snow in his passage augmenteth his heat by passing ouer the fields of Normandie Champaigne the I le of France and other prouinces euen to the hils of Auuergne which being moderately heated by the south winde on the one side and the north wind on the other bringeth foorth euerie where excellent pastures and feedings for cattell and sheepe besides diuers sorts of medicinable plants and most perfect simples Amongst many branches of those mountaines there is one which is called the Golden-hill for the noblenes of the simples and abundance thereof Of these experiments England may be a sufficient proofe which although it lye more northerly then France yet
these neuer-dying riches Lewes the eleuenth was woont to say that France was a continuall flourishing â—eadow which he did mowe as often as he list And Maximilian the Emperour termed the French king to be Pastorem ouium cum velleribus aureis which he sheared at his pleasure It is vndoubtedly true that if the kings of France were as wise and politike as they are powerfull in armes and riches the affaires of Europe would much stand at their deuotion But force and wisedome seldome keepe companie therefore the Poets fained Hercules furious Ariosto fained Orlando sottish Virgill describeth Dares to be insolent and the Graecians termed all those people Barbari which wanted arts and learning Homer bringeth in Achilles as one vnable to bridle his owne furie and Mars so vnaduised that he suffred himselfe vnawares to be caught in Vulcans net For what state can be more dreadfull or what power can seeme more terrible then the maiestie of that kingdome which is able of it selfe to feede fifteene thousand millions of people and yet hath sufficient remaining for the nourishing and maintenance of any puissant armie besides For the abundance of people and plenty of vittailes are the strongest sinewes of all kingdomes and therefore the Romaines highly prized the rusticke diuision for their numbers and prouision As touching their reuenues Lewes the eleuenth gathered a million an halfe Francis the first attained vnto three millions Henry the second to sixe Charles the ninth to seauen Henrie the third aboue tenne Lewes the twelfth left his kingdome full of golde and siluer and therefore was called Pater populi Francis the first though he managed great wars and made infinite expences left notwithstanding eight hundred thousand crownes in his treasurie but Henry the second his sonne enuying the greatnes of Charles the Emperour and coueting to surpasse him tooke vp money of euery one at 16. per centum left his sonnes indebted 30. millions of crownes and without credite amongst the merchants to the value of a farthing insomuch that Charles the ninth and Henry the third his sonnes the last more then the first were inforced to laie heauie impositions not onely on the people but also on the clergie Whereby the world may see that the riches of a prince consist not in the abundance of reuenues but in the good gouernment thereof for Francis the first made greater warres with lesse reuenues left his credite sound with the merchants and readie money to his sonne where on the contrarie Hemy made farre lesse warre and yet left the kingdome deepely indebted and the people poore and miserable With the foresaid reuenues the former kings maintained 1500. Lanciers 4500. crosbowes in report 4000. Lanciers and 6000. crosbowes continually paide which troupes of horse were accounted the strongest in all Christendome Euerie Lancier brought with him one crosbowe and an halfe so that one companie of Lanciers had another of crosbowes seruing both vnder one ensigne commonly called a Guidon and one captaine gouerned both companies consisting in the whole of 100. Lanciers and 150. crosbowes One million and three hundred thousand crownes were yeerely spent vpon these companies A Lance receiued 250. crownes a crosbowe eightie the Guidon 300. the Lieutenant 380. the Captaine 820. Charles the seuenth reduced these ordinances to perfection made the number certaine appointed their wages trained them in exercise and placed them vpon the frontiers vnder captaines lieutenants ensignes and Guidons He likewise deuided these ordinances into men at armes and archers adioined to them Targatiers Harbengers Muster-masters Pay-masters and Commisaries committing them to the charge and gouernment of the Constable Marshall and greatest Lords of his kingdome they did not much inure their naturall subiects to serue on foote for feare of mutinies and rebellions but Charles the eight considering how necessarie footemen were instituted a squadron of fiue thousand French foote that number Francis the first augmented to fiftie thousand howbeit at this day they are casheerd for their euill carriage and behauiour Lewes the eleuenth that at his pleasure he might sheare or rather fleece the people of France and make them vnapt for seruice waged the Swissers which example Francis and Henry his successors following continually hired great number of Germaines But whosoeuer he be that goeth about to make his people vnwarlike and entertaineth forreine soldiers greatly ouershooteth himselfe For by the exercise of armes and the occurrences of warres courage is increased and the commons by practise and experience will become hardy and vpon occasions of necessitie able like soldiers to maintaine their actions for as conuersing with good men makes men good so the company of soldiers makes others couragious Besides many occurrences may happen which may not be committed to the experience of strangers because they know not the situation of places neither may many matters for the weight of the busines be trusted to their fidelitie Wherefore it is very expedient that that people be entertained vnder military discipline in whose prouinces warre is like to continue either by reason of situation or other casuall accidents as it happened to France where after peace was concluded with the Spaniard and the Swiffers Almaines departed to their owne homes yet by remaining full of French soldiers all things were turned vpside downe As concerning munitions there is no kingdome wherein is greater plentie then there whereof are many one for that whereas the kingdome is deuided into many regalities and principalities as Burgundie Britaine Aniou and Normandy euery one of these strengthneth his frontiers besides the plentie of their munitions hath beene increased by the warre of the English which commanded a great part of France Secondly the scituation and nature of the places fit for fortifications as also the willingnes and readines of the people hath euen with ease ouercome the labour of these affaires For there is no nation more industrious in fortifying and more prodigall in expence vpon these workes neither are the bowels of the kingdome lesse fortified then the frontiers Beauois Trois Orleans Angiers Bourdeaux Lymosin San Florum Carcassona Soissons are not inferior to Calais Perone Narbone or other the frontiers in strength and fortification so that euery part thereof may stand in steed of a frontier to any border of the whole kingdome The kingdome of England AMongst all the Ilands of Europe England which the ancient called Britannia without all controuersie for circuit and power challengeth the chiefest prerogatiue It containeth in circuit 1800. miles diuided into two kingdomes England and Scotland The naturall strength of Scotland being barren full of mountaines lakes and woods is the cheefest cause of this diuision in so much that the armies of the Romaines could neuer bring it wholy in subiection the Emperour Seuerus lost there a great part of his armie The kings of England though they farre excell them in strength and haue ouerthrowne them in many battailes could neuer bring them vnder their iurisdiction The lakes the
is the noblest horse in Christendome far excelling the courser of Naples or the horse of Burgundie so much esteemed of the French or the Frieslander in so great request with the Germans It should seeme that nature hirselfe hath armed this people in giuing them the Iron mines of Biskay Guipuscua and Medina with the temperature of Bayon Bilbo Toledo and Calatajut the Armories of Millan Naples and Boscoducis the corne and prouision of the inexhaustible garners of Apulia Sicill Sardinia Artesia Castile and Andeluzia with the plentifull vintages of Soma Calabria San Martin Aymont and sundry other places To conclude this prince is so mightie in gold and siluer that therewith to spare his owne people ingaged in the defence of so many territories prouinces and frontires from vndoubted destruction he is able to wage what numbers of horsemen and footmen of the Germaine and Italian nations it pleaseth him The princes whose dominions are bordering and in regard of their forces are any way able to indanger his dominions are the Venetians the kings of France and England and the Turke The Venetians long since the Duchie of Millan came to the possessiō of this crowne haue sate them downe in great quietnes rather looking to the strengthning and keeping of their owne townes and pieces then to the winning of others from their neighbours And good reason it is sithence peace is the surest ankor-hold of their cōmon wealth that they should eschue all occasions of war with their friends and allies For we haue seene the Spanish in fauour of the Venetians when their state stood dangerously ingaged with the wars of Baiazet Soliman and Selin the second cheerefully and resolutely to haue entered into the action at Cephalonia Preuisa and Lepanto when at the same instant they had at their owne doores Algier Tunis and Aphrodisium their dangerous enemies neerer affronting Spaine Sicill Sardinia the Baleres and the kingdome of Naples then Ciprus or the Ilands of the Ionian sea Concerning France they are not to be blamed if by wishes and Iesuiticall sedition they could annex it to their crowne but saith one of their owne writers they may long enough desire it before they shall be able to effect it And sithence the French haue put an ende to their ciuill discontents what trophee or what triumph can the Spaniard boast to haue carried from them Indeed it cannot be denied but in elder daies the warines of the Spaniards hath turned the furious attempts of the French to matter of too-late repentance For the great Captaine surprising Barletta and then incamping vpon the bankes of Gariglano first tooke from them the possession of the kingdome of Naples and afterwards all hope of regaining it againe By the same temporizing Anthonie Leua wearied king Francis at Ticinum and Prosper Collonna cleered the Duchie of Millan In assaulting of townes and fortresses I confesse furie to be of great moment I confesse likewise that by this vertue the French preuailed at Ioious Momedium and Caleis but in set battels as at Graueling Saint Quintins and Siena most commonly they haue had the foile for in the field good order and skilfull conduction doth more preuaile then valour and furious resolution in assaults furie and resolution more then counsell or temporizing Since their falling at variance with the English at their hands they haue receiued more dishonour then in the wars of any other nation As to detract from the fame and well deseruing glory of any Christian nation argued rather an enuious humour then an vnpartiall writer so to passe the bounds of modestie in any action deserueth no lesse a reprehension For who acknowledgeth not their discoueries of the Indies to be woonderfull their conquests therein maruellous their treasures inestimable their continuance in wars long as being nouzeled therein since the infancie of Charles the fifth the braue prouinces of Italy and Flanders annexed to their crowne to be matter of goodly consequence But let vs marke and consider their fortunes sithence they vnsheathed their swords against the Christian world as we shall soone see that their treasures their Armadas their long experienced Infanterie and their conquered prouinces haue little or nothing augmented nay haue they not discountenanced their reputation in these parts By the expence of infinite millions of gold and effusion of so much Christian blood what hath he gained in France What in Netherland The world seeth more cleere then day light that for all their great boasts their large territories and infinite treasures sithence the English haue dealt with them held them at the staues ende and discouered their weaknes euerie birde hath pulled a feather their credit is broken with the bankers of Germanie holds giuen ouer for want of pay their sea forces foyled if not as they say discomfited In the yeere 1586. Sir Francis Drake forced the towne of Saint Domingo in Hispaniola Saint Augustines and Carthagena on the continent And when in reuenge of like pretended iniuries they entred the English channell with their inuincible Armada of 150 sailes by the fauour of God and valour of the English they were driuen home without doing any thing worth remembrance through vnknowen seas with the losse taking and sinking of one hundred of their best and tallest vessels To requite this brauado and to teach this proud nation that the English contrarie to their opinion were as well able to offend as defend in the yeere 1589. they shewed their victorious nauie of 126. ships before the Groin in Galizia assaulted the base towne woon it and with 6000. soldiers at the bridge of Berges discomfited sixteene thousand thence weighing ankor and sayling alongst the coast and sight of Spaine landed at length at Pincche in Portugall woon the castell marched fiftie miles into the lande kept their Courts of guard in the suburbs of Lisbon and thence returning to Caskaies without any great fight or skirmish tooke the castell set sayle for England and in their returne landing at Vigo tooke the towne and wasted the countrey Now sithence their great and considerate care of future preuention both for Spaine and the Indies their ships burnt and taken their galleies put to flight Porto Rico woon by assault Cales sacked and the Flemish by our trauels incouraged to strip him of his trade of Spicerie may well put them in remembrance what they haue receiued at the hands of the English sithence their first ambitious apprehension of the western Emperie What the Turke is able to performe you may read hereafter in the discourse of Turkie Let vs now intreat of those countreis which the Spanish hath as appertayning to the Portugall crowne This kingdome which is not aboue 320. miles long and sixtie broad not very populous and but meanely rich in essentiall reuenues yet by reason of the commodious situation for nauigation and acquisition it hath equalized these wants with surplusage with the most famous prouinces of the whole world yea this good fortune hath so elated their mindes that
the tenths of Ecclesiasticall liuings in mines tributes customes The profits of the Church liuings amount to a good summe of money for in this kingdome there were seuen cathedrall Churches threescore Monasteries of men and women endowed with most rich reuenues First Gustan and after his sonne Eric seised the greatest part thereof into their possessions Some of the foresaid mines are wrought at the kings charges some at the charge of priuate persons allowing onely the tenth part Of three copper-workes I haue knowne the tenth part which is the kings to amount to the value of three thousand dolars yeerely hereby estimation may be made of the siluer and lead But his taxes do far surpasse all other things for he leuieth the tenth of rie wheat barley fish oxen skins and such like Of the tenth of oxen at some times he hath gathered 18. thousand and with them maintayneth his court his officers his nauie and his armies for in the time of warre either with the Dane or Moscouite he alloweth his soldiers victuals and by this meanes prouideth it at verie easie rates as well offending as defending The marriage of the kings daughters is at the disposition of the people they allow them besides siluer plate and other gifts one hundred thousand dolars for a dowrie Of the vplandish people and others which pay not the imposition of victuals the king is accustomed to exact of euerie poll according to his ability fiue dolars or more yeerely The customes are paide in the hauen townes the chiefe where of are Calmaâ—e Lodâ—â—is and Stockholme where aâ— some times three hundred ships of burthen are to be seene Abo Auge Reualia Parnouia Narue It is thought that the king doth lay vp in his treasuries sixe or seuen hundred thousand dolars besides the expences vpon the fortresses of Reualia and Viburgh There are maintained in Sweueland and Gothland about thirtie two troupes euerie one consisting of fiue hundred or six hundred soldiers al harquebusiers alwaies ready to march whither occasion calleth Bicause of the thicknes of the woods the horsemen serue with petronels and seldome vse pikes or lances The footemen are most excellent for euerie soldier is able to make and furnish himselfe with any furniture whatsoeuer euen to the making of his owne flaske and tuchboxe as likewise the common people in Perâ—â—ia and the neighbouring prouinces being contented with a little haue alwaies accustomed to make all implements for their houses and bodies to build to weaue to play the taylors to sow to reape and to forge tooles fit for their busines And as for those trades which are neither common nor necessarie as to paint to worke in siluer and such like there are notwithstanding found among them verie good workemen wanting rather matter then art to worke vpon The Sweuian horsemen are diuided into thirteene companies Sweueland and Gothland maintaine eleuen and Finland two and vpon necessitie they can raise a greater force for the Dukedome of Vermeland as report goeth is able to furnish better then ten thousand men with horse In Marchland there is such plentifull breede of horse that there they are sold at a verie low rate both these prouinces are in Gothland Their horse is not so bigge bodied as the Frieslander but exceeding strong hardy actiue able to endure trauell and fed with a little I will not omit to speake of two noble vsages of the king of Sweueland towards his soldiers one is that if a soldier be taken prisoner he is ransomed at the kings charges the other that if his horse be slaine the king bestoweth an other vpon him He giueth yeerely to his captaines and those which serue on horsebacke in part of payment of their wages a garment which the Romanes termed Idolis and may be taken for a cassocke As touching their sea affaires by reason of their huge sea coast and infinite hauens the kingdome swarmeth with marriners and shipping which the king may arrest in his dominions as other princes are accustomed to doe he maintaineth commonly fiftie ships of warre whereof euerie one carrieth fortie pieces of ordinance more or lesse King Gustan brought in the vse of galleies In the warre which king Iohn waged with the Danes before the peace treated on at Stetin was agreed he put to sea seuentie great ships besides others of smaller burthen in which were 22000. fighting men In the sommer time they warre at sea in the winter at land for then the riuers are frozen as likewise the sea neere the shore for a great space Seeing I haue spoken of guns I will adde this much that the king is thought to haue about eight thousand great pieces the most part of brasse and that he could cast many more if he had more store of tinne In the castle of Stockholme onely are numbred fower hundred Vpon the west side of Sweueland is Denmarke on the east Moscouie with both which he hath had long warre The Sweuians haue suffered much losse by the Denmarkes for king Christian the second besieged Stockholme and forced it committing all kinde of crueltie against the inhabitants filling the citie with blood and dead carcasses The title which the Dane pretendeth to the crowne of Sweueland is the cause of their enimities The hauens the situation of the countrey and especially Gotland which is a member of Gothia and therefore the Sweuian claimeth it as his right affoordeth the Dane this facilitie of inuading it at his pleasure After Gustan recouered the kingdome he and his sonne Henrie and Iohn raigned successiuely and although blood enough hath beene shed in the wars betweene Gustan and the Danes yet the kingdome hath retained her honor and the citie of Lubecke the mightiest state in that sea sometimes by confederating with the one sometime with the other doth in so euen a ballance pease the differences of these two nations as it suffereth not the one to practise against the other vpon the perill that may ensue to the offender In warring with the Moscouite the Sweuian hath the most aduantage because Finland which bordereth vpon Russia by reason of the great lakes marishes wherof it is full yeeldeth hard perillous passage to the enimie oftentimes swallowing vp whole armies in those congealed waters there he keepes the castles of Viburge Narue Reualia other piles and peeces vpon the borders of the great Duke of Moscouia excellent well fortified as bridles to stoppe his violent courses In which he doth very wisely for those pieces which lie in the territories of our enimies are to be regarded most carefully because they bring foorth two notable effects first they defend what is ours and offend what is the enimies The further they are distant from our borders the better they stand vs in steed for while the enimy is occupied in besieging thereof our owne state standeth in quiet and time affoordeth meanes for rescue or deliuerie thereof at leysure and that without spoile to our owne people or losse of our proper
exceedeth not 25. thousand dukets Only the dukes of Curland and Regimount exceede this meane For although they are feodaries of the kingdome acknowledge the king as their superior yet are they not as liuing members of the state they come not to the diets of the kingdome they haue not their voices in the election of the prince neither are they accounted as naturall Lords of the kingdome but for strangers as in truth they are the duke of Curlan being of the house of Ketleri and the duke of Regimount of the family of Brandenburge All Prussia did belong to the Dutch Knights who had their Great Master resident there who when he was not able to withstand the forces of the Polonians yeelded himselfe feodarie to king Cassimere afterwards when Albert of Brandenburge their Great Master became a Protestant he was created Duke of Prussia and the countrey diuided into two parts the one regall immediately holden of the crowne the other Ducall allotted to Albert and his successors to hold by fealtie In the kings partition stand Marieburge Torouia Gulma Varnia and Danske in the Duchie which yeeldeth 120. thousand ducats yeerely the chiefe towne is Regimont the Germans call it Conningsburgh and there the Duke keepeth his court The gouernment of Polonia representeth rather an Aristocracie then a kingdome because the nobility who haue great authoritie in the diets of the kingdome choose the king and at their pleasure limite him his authoritie They haue neither law nor statute nor forme of gouernment written but by custome from the death of one prince to the election of an other the supreme authoritie resteth in the Archbishop of Gesne who is president of the counsels appointeth the diets ruleth the Senate and proclaimeth the new elected king Before king Stephen erected new Bishops Palatines and Castellanes in Liuonia few other besides the Archbishop of Leopolis and his 13. Suffragans 28. Palatines and thirtie of the chiefest Castellanes were present at the election of the newe king In the time of their diets these men assemble in a place neere vnto the Senate house where they choose two marshals by whom but with a tribunelike authoritie they signifie vnto the councell what their requests are Not long since their authoritie and reputation grew so mightie that they now carie themselues as heads gouernors rather then officers ministers of the publike decrees of the estates There was one of the councel that after the maner of Clodius refused his Senators place to become one of these officers When a new king is to be chosen these men do more and more limit his authoritie not suffring it to stretch one iot farther then accustomed But although the crowne of Poland be at the disposition of the nobilitie yet was it neuer heard that they reiected or ouerslipped the kings successor or transferred the kingdome into any other line more then once when deposing Ladislaus whom notwithstanding they afterward restored they elected Weneslaus the Bohemian Likewise they haue alwaies a regard to the kings daughters as of Hedinge maried by them to Iagello and in our times of Anne giuen in mariage to king Stephen It was no smal cause of the aduancement of Sigismund the third to the crowne of Polonia that he was the sonne of Katherine sister to Sigismund the emperor and of the foresaid Anne And although the kingly authoritie be electiue yet after he is chosen his power is absolute in manie things as to call the diets to appoint the times and place at his pleasure to choose laie councellors and nominate the bishops and whom he will haue to be of the priuie councell he is absolute disposer of the reuenue of the crowne and Lord of those which hold of him immediate but ouer the tenants of the nobilitie he hath no iurisdiction he is absolute establisher of the decrees of the diets and soueraigne Iudge of the nobles in criminall causes it is in his power to reward and aduance whom pleaseth him to speake in a word such as is his valor dexteritie and wisedome such is his power authoritie and gouernment As the Polanders say the decrees of the king indure but three daies they conuerse with him not as cosins as in France but as brethren And as the king hath absolute authoritie ouer them which immediately hold of him so the nobilitie dispose absolutely of their vassals vpon euerie of whom they exercise more then kingly authoritie in manner as vpon slaues In establishing their kingdome they haue done one thing woorthie the noting which is that as the Romanes increased their names and dominion by communicating the lawes and honors of Italy and the citie of Rome to other cities yea whole prouinces so the kings of Polonia haue enlarged vnited and strengthened their estate by participating the priuileges of the Polish nobilitie to those prouinces which either they haue conquered by armes or otherwaies purchased gracing the nobles thereof with fauours equall to any bestowed on the Polish nobilitie By this equallyzing king Ladislaus strongly vnited Russia and Podalia to Poland Sigismund Augustus Lithuania Stephen Liuonia for equalitie in offices promotions knitteth affections in peace and warre The force of this kingdome as of others consisteth in graine coine footemen horsemen armour and munition Of graine we haue spoken alreadie In coine it is not verie rich for excepting Danske they haue neuer a mart towne woorthie estimation and the wares that are brought from Prussia Liuonia do not inrich the kingdome with ready money yea they do hardly suffice to barter with the English Flemmish for cloth silks wools or with the Spanish and Portugals for sugars spices fruits Maluesâ—ies For when the countrie is not giuen to traffike nor the cities to buy sell nor the people to labour and the nobilitie is very gallant prodigall in expences spending more then their reuenues in diet and apparell and the seasoning of their meates for the Polanders vse more spices then any other nation and their wine their silke and the greatest part of their woollen cloth is brought from forren nations how can the kingdome be rich in siluer For in transporting of rich ware and returning of little consisteth the wealth of euery kingdome gathering together by venting home-bred commodities the coine of forren countries and keeping it once brought in from passing abroad againe In this practise consisteth the wealth of Naples and Millan for Naples sendeth to sea great store of corne wine oile silke woad horses fruits and such like which bring in huge masses of forren coine Millan supplieth the want of other prouinces with corne rice clothes iron works and wares of all sorts and returneth little againe If the kingdome of Naples and Sicill were as well stored with artificiall workmanship as they are prouided with corne and wealth no other kingdome could compare with them To returne to Poland notwithstanding their riches are not so small as some thinke they are for the reuenues of
the crowne raised of the mines of salt and siluer amount yeerely to sixe hundred thousand ducats True it is that Sigismund Augustus pawned part of his reuenues and king Henry a moneth before his flight to binde some part of the nobilitie fast vnto him sold vnto them more then three hundred thousand ducats of yeerly rent It is lawfull for the king by sales of escheats falling to the crowne to purchase liuings for himselfe and of the said reuenues to retaine great portions to his proper vse and spare his owne expences for when the king with his court abideth in Lithuania the Lithuanians defray the charges the like is done in most places of Poland He that waieth with himselfe that the reuenues of Scotland Nauarre and Sardinia exceed not yeerely one hundred thousand duckets nor the kingdome of Aragon to yeeld aboue one hundred thousand crownes euery three yeeres cannot lightly esteeme of the reuenues of this kingdome yet the king might raise his reuenues to a higher reckoning if he were lesse bountifull to his Palatines and Castellanes for most commonly he bestoweth on them two parts and three parts yea now and then the whole profits arising in their gouernments but in the time of war and dangerous occurrences yet by the decree of the assemblies of the kingdome the king doth lay greeuous impositions and taxes on the people which are either leuied of the prouinces or of the asâ—ise of bread and these tallages haue amounted to such a reckoning that therewith king Stephen sustained the burden of a most heauy three-yeeres warre against the great Duke of Moscouie yea the gentlemen for the defence of the kingdome are bound to serue at their own charges These serue on horsebacke some armed as our men at armes some lightlier armed some like the Tartars and those they terme Cossaches or aduenturers trained vp to steale to depopulate to waste to turne all things vpside downe These gent. serue in the field gallantly furnished attired in cassocks and hose shining with gold siluer thousand other colours they adorne themselues with plumes and feathers of eagles with the skins of leopards and beares and with many banners and partie-coloured ensignes These and such like furnitures do cause them to be discerned of their fellowes make them seeme terrible to their enimies and incourage their mindes to fiercenes and prowesse Their horse are small but nimble and farre more couragious then the Dutch It is thought that vpon necessitie Poland is able to raisean hundred thousand horse and Lithuania 70. thousand but far inferior in goodnes to the Polish They haue so great confidence in the great number of their horse that nothing fearing the power of any enimies they regard not the building of fortresses but resolue that they are able to defend their countrey their wiues and children their libertie and goods in the open field against any prince whatsoeuer boasting that in either chance of warre they neuer turned their backes to their enimies Sigismund Augustus labored that in the diets of the kingdome order might be taken for the fortifying of Cracouia because of the neighbourhood of the Emperor but he could neuer effect it partly because it should not giue their kings opportunity of absolute authoritie and tyrannicall emperie partly because they thinke themselues by noble courage sufficiently able to defend the kingdome They haue no infanterie for all the people of the kingdome is diuided either into merchants and artificers which inhabite the cities or labourers and husbandmen which liue in the countrey in such subiection as we spake off before and this is the reason that the gentlemen onely go to the warre and will not in any case serue on foote but when occasion serueth they wage Germaine and Hungarie footemen and of these king Stephen in his iourney into Liuonia entertained vnder his colours little lesse then sixteene thousand to conuey their great ordinance For pioners they vse the Tartars and their owne vplandish people The kingdome is sufficiently stored with great ordinance and all furniture belonging thereto of which it can suffer no manner of scarcitie first because the noblemen keepe many in their castles next for the neighbourhood of Germanie which is rich in mettall to cast great ordinance and plentifull of artificers to forge any thing belonging to the vse of warre And though it is not vsuall to seâ— many castles in Polonia yet the fortresses of Leopolis and Camentzie in Russia the castle of Cracouia in the lesse Poland Polocensis in the frontiers of Moscouia Marienbourge and some other townes in Liuonia are peeces of no small strength These forces of Polonia which we haue spoken of are such in quantitie and qualitie that few nations in Europe can equall them none surpasse them one thing they want and that is celerity for to the sure strengthning of euery kingdome fower things are required that is to say that their force be of their owne subiects that it be populous valiant quick their owne because it is dangerous trusting a stranger populous because of reenforcements after checks or ouerthrowes valiant because number without courage little auaileth yea it bringeth forth tumult and confusion quicke that they may lightly mooue and speedily be drawen whither necessitie enforceth The last of these fower vertues the Polands want that is celeritie which commeth two waies one by the authoritie of the prince the other by readie money The king hath not power to determine any thing to denounce warre to impose taxes or to gather treasure without the consent of the parliament and this parliament where it is necessarie that many be present is like an engine made of many peeces which without long delaies and losse of time can neuer readilie be ioined togither or mooued forward For in warlike affaires those princes make best speede which are best able to command and haue most money in readines otherwise in appointing and ordring the diets and deuising that the actions may answere the counsels then in executing and lastly in prouiding of money there happeneth such losse of time that litle is left for the beginning of the iourney much lesse for the accomplishment Besides the Barons and nobles are at such charges in trauailing to the diets and make such long tariance when they are there that at their departure they haue little left wherewith to maintaine the war It may be that for the defence of the state quicker and readier resolution would be taken because of the imminent danger fatall in generall But for the conquest of any place I beleeue they would proceed with like slownes and irresolution for the hope of good doth not so much mooue vs as the feare of euill yet hath our age seene in the raigne of Sigismund Augustus the Moscouite to haue conquered the prouinces of Moloch Smolock and that without resistance or reuenge a cowardize ill beseeming so high a king so mightie a state as likewise he inuaded Liuonia without impeachment which had
loose much time in cutting down the woods before they could come to the inhabited places of their enimies They haue a few fortresses some built of stone some of bricke after the Italian fashion but without strength of moderne diuises or cunning workmanship Such are the castles of Mosco Nouograd Plescouia Porcouia Sloboda some are wrought with twigs earth wel troden downe as Smolonck But commonly the wals of strong places are built of great beames stuffed with turffe or mosse leauing loopholes for their shot This fortifying is very auailable against great ordinaÌ„ce but exceeding subiect to â—â—riâ—g They serue in the field as we told you before treating of his gouernment rather bearing themselues valiantly for feare of punishment then of their owne natures shewing alacritie or willingnes to the seruice He hath his captaines at a becke his soldiers suffer all extremities patiently they care not â—orâ—â—ost or raine they indure hunger scarcity with incredible conteÌ„tment they liue with a little better able to defend a fortresse then fight in field for here courage and agilitie there constancie and resolution are most seruiceable whereas the Polanders are better to fight in the field then to keepe a castle And therefore the Great Duke Iohn finding by experience the vnaptnes of his soldiers the readines of the Polonians in skirmishes and assaults was wont to say that his men had need of a spur to driue them forward the Polonians wanted a bridle to hold them back His chiefest force is in his horse but what number he can raise who can shew For I doe not beleeue that he is able as some say to arme three hundred thousand because though his Empire be large yet for the greatest part it lieth vnmanured as the many-daies iourney betweene Cazan and Astrachan and scarce meeting with one village in the way may well witnes In the war which king Stephen waged against him being not aboue 60. thousand foote and horse strong he was not able to raise so great a force I will not say to meete him in the open field yea not to hinder him from the forcing of Pozouia Vilocoluc and other pieces no nor to diuert him from the siege of Plescouia In the yeere 1570. the prince of the Tartars with fourescore thousand soldiers pierced euen to the bowels of his kingdome and set fire on his imperiall seat Mosco Therefore I thinke that they that report that the Great Duke can leuie three hundred thousand men and the king of Polonia two hundred do rather meane heads of horses then riders for there may be so many thousand horse and yet euerie one is not to be accounted a horse of seruice no more then euery horseman a rider or able to finde himselfe armour One hath his hart in his hose another wants abilitie a third wants strength of bodie a fourth both courage and strength yea admit he could raise so many horse and men as these men speake of yet would it be a hard matter perchance impossible for him to assemble them in one place or if he could where would wages or victuals be found sufficient to sustaine them For 200. horsmen in Moscouie require 300. packhorses and so many tenders who must all befed as likewise the victualers the merchants the artificers and such seruants as can hardly be spared in warlike enterprises To performe this whole Moscouie must of necessitie be gathered into one place and then it were to be feared least in so great a iourney from one part of the kingdome the other part opposite would run to ruine decay Likewise although such a proportion of horse as hath beene spoken of might be raised it were not wisedome for the state to strip the borders of their garrisons the prouinces of their sinewes the cities of their magistrates the countrey of husbaÌ„dmen Therefore I conclude that prince whose kingdome is able to affoord him 150. thousand horse to be brauely furnished if he can bring into the field but the third part I speake of warre and not of incursions Some more modest in writing affirme that the Moscouite could leuie 150. thousand horse if necessitie to defend himselfe should constraine him thereto and that Iohn the third in the voyage of Astracan entertayned 120. thousand horse and twentie thousand foote The same king inuading Liuonia in the time of king Alexander leuied a mightie armie and kept another vpon the borders of the kingdome The Great Duke Iohn adioyned to his troupes of horse certaine thousand of shot most strangers which yeelded him notable seruice in the defence of his cities Euerie second or third yeere he renueth his soldierie throughout the prouinces and keepeth a register of the sonnes of noblemen and the number of his seruants and horses The wealthier horsemen vse a curasse of brasse a helmet light and thin bucklers brought out of Persia and lances others are armed with Iacks quilted with bombast to resist arrowes These handle the bow and many of them the harquebuse all the sword and dagger The Germanes serue them in the field and the Italians in their fortifications To the Duke of Moscouie are adioyning the Tartars Precopenses the Taurici the Chersonesi the Circassi and the Tartars Negayans These people inhabite a countrey seuen daies iourney distant and are gouerned by Dukes after the manner of the Heluetians He hath receiued great iniurie of the Precopenses without hope of amends because they are confederate with the great Turke and by him furnished with harquebusiers ordinance and haue in their kingdome many strong places fortified with Turkish garrisons therefore he thinketh it hard and dangerous to inuade them being backed by the Turke whose power he should stir vp likewise against him It is the custome of the Precopi often vsed to make inrodes into the prouinces of the great Duke as likewise of the Polonian and to carrie away whatsoeuer comes to hand If the great Duke haue vanquished the Tartars of Cassan and Astracan let him attribute the conquest to his great ordinance which they wanted This Duke led against the Cassani an engine deuised on this fashion he fastened to the sides of charriots a broad and large planke bored full of holes and fitted for the shooting of harquebusiers and musketers with the which they did grieuously wound their enimies and could not be hurt againe by the arrowes of their aduersaries By these helpes it was no masterie to vanquish and subdue them But the Precopi haue the vse of gunnes and woorth all the rest the fauour and protection of the Turkish Emperor who thirsting to open a way into Moscouie or the Caspian sea assaied not many yeeres since to dig a trench from Tanais to Volga but his forces were put to flight by the Moscouites with the aid of the Tartars who feared their vtter destruction if the Turke had brought that designement to passe This was a deuise of greater courage then wisedome for the Moscouites not onely defeated his nauie taking
part thereof but put his land-forces to the sword consisting of fourescore thousand Tartars fiue and twentie thousand Turkes and amongst them three thousand Ianizars As we said before the Circassi liue after the manner of the Swissers they endeuour not to enlarge their owne bounds but serue for wages sometime the Turke sometime the Persian somtime the Moscouite from whose dominion they are so farre disioyned that they stand in no feare of their seuerall mightines The Tartars Negayans are more to be dreaded for their sudden inrodes furious incursions then for ielousie of their forces or that they are able to raise or vndertake any voyage royall Of late times they threatned the Moscouite but their furie was appeased by sending them presents It is the best course to hazard our money rather then our forces against the thefts spoiles of these barbarous natiōs for when they haue nether city nor strong place to subdue to keepe them in subiection what can you terme the warre made against them but a labour with losse a charge without profit The great Duke is constrained to keepe great troupes of horse in Citrachan Casan and Viatca against these Nagaij as likewise a great garrison in Culagan vpon Danais against the Precopi The next bordring neighbour by Finland side is the king of Sweueland Of late times this king holding a long war against him tooke from him by force the castles of Sorenesco Pernauia the great the lesse in Liuonia on the one side whilest king Stephen cruelly vexed him with war on the other In the vttermost bounds of the Fioland Bay the Sweuian to his great charges possesseth the fortresse of Viburge maintaining therein a great garrison to resist the attempts of the Russies and the great Duke Likewise in that sea and the coast adioyning he maintaineth ships of warre as well to be readie at all assaies against the approches of this great Duke as likewise to forbid the Easterling the bringing of any munition or warlike furniture into any part of his dominions neither doth he suffer other ships to saile in those seas without a speciall placard signed with his owne hand By the benefit of this nauie and sea force the king of Sweueland wheresoeuer he findeth meanes to vse it becommeth master of the field by vertue thereof ceaseth vpon many places on the coast of Liuonia and the bordering territories but where the Dukes horse and his great numbers of footemen may stand him in steed as in the open field or places remooued from the sea there he maketh his part good enough and most commonly putteth the Sweuian to the woorst The best is nature bath placed betweene them such rough mountaines such cold such yce and such snowes that they cannot greatly endammage one another The last neighbour is the king of Poland betweene whom and the great Duke this is the difference the Moscouite hath more territories the Polonian better inhabited and more ciuill the Moscouite more subiects and more subiect the Polonian better soldiers and more couragious the Moscouites are apter to beare the shoke then to giue a charge the Polonians to charge the Moscouite is fitter to keepe a fortresse the Polonian to fight in the open field the Moscouites forces are better vnited the Polonian more considerate and better aduised the Moscouite lesse careth for want and extremities the Polonian death and the sword yea either nation is of the greater woorth when either of their princes is of greatest valour and magnanimitie as it happened when Basilius conquered the great Duchie of Smoloncke and Poloncke and the large circuite of Liuonia And againe when Stephen king of Poland in his last warre against Iohn Basilius sonne reconquered Polonck with diuers other places of good reckoning besieged the citie of Plesko and forced the Moscouite to leaue all Liuonia whereby I conclude such as is the valour and wisedome of the prince such is the force and courage of his people The Great Cham. AS our Ancestors were ignorant of the regions situated vpon the east side of the Caspian sea which they imagined to be a branch of the Ocean Euen so as yet little or nothing knoweth this Age what regions lie or what people inhabite beyond that sea the mountaines commonly called Dalanguer and Vssont Marke Paule Venetus was the first that broke the ice in describing of those countries and of him haue we receiued what we know of the Tartars For the great distance of countries the difficultie of the iournie and the inaccessible situation of places hath hindered the discouerie of those prouinces for the great Duke of Moscouie by whose dominions we may easiest trauell thither will suffer no stranger to passe thorough his kingdome the Caspian sea a passage no lesse fitting for the iournie is not frequented and by the way of Persia infinite mountaines and vast deserts diuiding both prouinces oppose themselues against vs. And to the further hinderance of this discouerie neither the great Cham neither the king of China nor the Duke of Moscouie will suffer any of their subiects to trauell out of their dominions nor any stanger to enter in vnlesse he come as an ambassador neither in this case is it lawful for him to conuerse freely or range at his pleasure They liue vnder diuers princes the principall whereof are those that weare greene on their turbants These inhabite Shamarcand and are at continuall enmitie with the Persians Next are those of Bochan Mahumetans then those of Mogor of whom you shall heare hereafter and lastly those of Cathay whereof we now intreat Neuer was there any nation vpon the face of the earth that enioyed a larger emperie then they doe or haue vndertaken haughtier exploites and I would that they had had some who might haue recommended by writing their doings to the world M. Paule Venetus writeth that this people once inhabited Ciurga and Barge prouinces situated vpon the Scythick Ocean without citie castell or house wandering like the Arabians from place to place according to the season of the yeere They acknowledged Vncham whom some interprete Prester Iohn for their soueraine Lord to whom they gaue the tenth of their cattell In processe of time they multiplied to such numbers that Vncham being iealous of their neighborhood began to lessen their number forces by sending them now hither now thither vpon most long and desperate voiages as occasion offered Which when they perceiued they assembled themselues resoluing to leaue their naturall soile and to remooue so farre from the borders of Vncham that neuer after he should haue cause to suspect their numbers this they performed After certaine yeeres they elected amongst them a king called Changis to whom for the greatnes of his glorie and victories they added the sirname of Great This Changis departing from his owne territories in the yeere of our Lord 1162. with a most fearfull armie subdued partly by force partly by the terror of his name nine prouinces At last
goodnes haue alwaies wanted that vertue which should make armies dreadfull and fortunate and that is good order and warlike discipline The kingdome of Persia. PErsia and the Persian glorie hath beene often obscured first by the Arabians who to bury in obliuion the memorie of their former reputation enacted by law that they should no more be called Persians but Saracens then by the Tartarians lead by Chingis and lastly by Tamerlan and his followers But not long before our times by the vertue of Ismaell Sophy of whose originall and fortunes for the better vnderstanding of the state and historie of Persia it shall not be amisse to deuile the kingdome regained his ancient splendor When Mahumet after the decease of his first wife who adopted him her heire by her riches and his new superstition had gotten him a name amongst the vulgar he married for his second wife Aissa the daughter of one Abubacer a great rich man and of high authoritie in those quarters By this mans countenance and the friendship of Omar and Ottomar his kinsemen he gathered together a great rable of Arabians and partly by faire meanes partly by colour of religion he became master of many of the bordering townes and about the same time gaue Fatime his daughter by his first wife to Haly his cosin and to him after his death all his earthly substance making him the head of his superstition with the title of Caliph Abubacer by whose countenance Mahumet became gracious taking in ill part the preferment of the yoong man by the aide of Omar and Ottomar whose desires were in hope of succession by reason of the old mans yeeres and for kinreds sake rather to see Abubacer then Haly Caliph began openly to resist Haly and to spoile him and his wife Fatime of all the substance which was left him by his vncle Abubacer died Omar and Ottomar succeeded Omar was slaine by a slaue Ottomar in a priuate quarrell after whose decease Haly succeeded Against him rose Mauie who accusing him as accessarie to the death of Ottomar his Lord caused him to be slaine neere Cafe a citie within two daies iourney of Babylon where likewise he lieth buried The place is called to this day Massadall that is the house of Haly. After his decease the inhabitants of Cafe proclaimed Ossan the sonne of Fatima Caliph but him likewise Mauie resisted and slew by poyson Then was he absolute Caliph and after him his sonne Iazit Ossan left behinde him twelue sonnes one whereof was called Mahumet Mahadin The Moores say he neuer died but that he shall returne againe to conuert the world and therefore they keepe alwaies readie in the mosque of Massadella a horse gallantly furnished where in their fopperie they affirme that this worlds conuersion shall there first begin Vpon these differences of Haly Abubacer Omar Ottomaâ— Mauie haue mightie factions of armes and opinions arisen amongst the sectaries of this new superstition The Persians labour to prooue Haly true Caliph by the last will of Mahumet the Arabians stand as stifly to the three first When from the yeere of our Lord God 1258. to the yeere 1363. the Moores had no Caliph Mustapha Mumbala the last Caliph being slaine by Allacu king of the Tartarians a certaine noble man in Persia named Sophi Lord of Ardeuell deriuing his pedegree from Haly by Musa Ceresin his nephew and one of the twelue sonnes of Ossan in memorie of whom he altered the forme of the Turbant by his vertue and valour woon great credit and estimation to his new faction To him succeded Adar the sonne of Guine to whom Assembeg a powerfull Prince in Siria and Persia gaue his daughter in marriage But his sonne Iacobbeg fearing the power and estimation of Adar caused him to be slaine and deliuered his two sonnes Ismael and Soliman to his captaine Amanzar willing him to cast them in prison in Zaliga a castle in the mountaines but Amanzar detesting the tyrannie of his Lord conueyed the children to his owne house and brought them vp like gentlemen amongst his owne sonnes and falling sicke of a deadly disease forecasting what might happen after his disease gaue them horses and money willing them to flie and to betake themselues to their mothers house and tuition Ismael the eldest was no sooner returned to his mothers place but he vowed reuenge for his fathers death and after some fortunate expeditions tooke vpon him the cause and protection of the followers of Haly from whom he deriued his pedegree He made the turbant higher and sent Ambassadors to all the orientall Mahumetans to exhort them to vnitie in religion and cognisances By these meanes and fortune of his armes he became a terror to the east and slew Ossan then vsurper of the Persian estate with his ten brethren except Marabeg who saued himselfe and fled to Soliman the first Emperor of Turkes imploring his aide This Ismael at the lake Vay ouerthrew with a great slaughter the Prince of the Tartars Zagatai and in heat of this victorie had passed the riuer Abbian if his Astrologian in whom he greatly trusted had not foretold him that his passage should be prosperous but his returne infortunate He left to his sonnes a most spatious Empire bounded with the Caspian sea the Persian gulfe the lake Sioc the riuers Tygris and Oxus and the kingdome of Cambaia which prouinces containe more then twentie degrees from east to west 18. from north to south And although these kingdomes lying within these bounds held not immediatly of the crowne of Persia yet all acknowledged the Persian for their soueraigne Prince that is the kings of Macran Patam Guadel and Ormus The Georgians did follow their fortunes so did Media now called Siruan Dierbechia once Mesopotamia Cusistan the habitation of the Susiani Farsistan the countrey of the Persians Straua once Hircania â—athia at this day called Arac Caramania now Chermain Sigestan Carassa Sablestan and Istigiu whose ancient names were Drangia Bactria Parapamisus Margiana Of these regions those which lie neerest to the Persian sea are most plentifull by reason of the riuers euerie where dispersed through the whole land Amongst these riuers the most famous is Bindimir to whose waters the inhabitants are much beholding conuaying it by trenches and other inuentions into their grounds to their great ease and commoditie The prouinces lying vpon the Caspian sea for their riuers and temperature doe likewise participate of the said fertilitie especially all those quarters which are watered with the riuer Puly-Malon falling into the lake Burgian the residue of the prouince is drie by reason whereof townes villages are seldome seene in those places vnlesse it be by some spring or waters side The most ample and magnificent cities of Persia are Istigias the chiefe se at of Bactria thought to be one of the pleasantest cities of the east Indion the chiefe seat of Margiana situated in so fat and fertill a territorie that therefore Antiochus Soter caused it
to be walled about Candahar the chiefe seate of Paramisus famous for the traffike of India and Cathaio whither the merchants of those countries do resort Eri the chiefe citie of Aria so abounding with roses that thereof it should seeme to take the name Barbarus saith it is of thirteene miles compasse Ispaa the chiefe seat of Parthia so spatious that for the circuite thereof the Persians hiperbolically terme it the halfe world Chirmain is the chiefe seat of Caramania renowmed for the excellent cloth of gold and siluer wrought therein Eor is a noble citie and so is Custra of Susiana But all these for beautie and magnificence may bow and bend the knee to Siras seated vpon the riuer Bindimire It was once the chiefe seat of Persia and as some thinke called Persepolis Alexander the great burnt it to the ground at the intreatie of his Concubine but afterward being ashamed of so vile an action caused it to be reedefied againe It is not at this time so great as in times past yet it is thought to be one of the greatest cities of all the Orient with his suburbs contayning twentie miles in compasse It is a prouerbe amongst the Persians quando Suars erat Siras tunc Cairus erat eius Pagus yet they account it not verie ancient neither are they of their opinions who will haue it the head of Persia. Tauris and Casbin are most famous cities and besides their magnificence may glorie that in them the kings of Persia keepe their courts The forme of gouernment amongst this nation is not like the gouernment of any other Mahumetan people neither is there to be seene the like policie in any place through the whole east as amgōst the Persians Al the rest hate nobility depending vpon the faith and seruice of slaues do either murder their brethren or put out their eies But amongst these people nobilitie is honored the king entreateth his brethren kindly and magnificently and they allow in their dominions many noble rich and mightie Barons of which sort there is not one to be found through the whole Ottoman dominions They likewise grace gentilitie and highly esteeme their seruice on horsebacke they delight in musicke and learning they studie poesie and therein become excellent They giue their minds to Astrologie all which good parts the Turks do vtterly reiect and despise Merchandize and Mechanicall trades are fauoured in Persia and in all kinde of ciuilitie and curtesie excell the Turkish The security of this state consisteth rather in prowesse then numbers they maintaine three sorts of soldiers one sort the king keepeth in continuall pay and alwaies about his owne person The second is the Timarotes for this kingdome likewise as doth the Turke in lieu of wages allotteth certaine quantities of land to great numbers of horsemen The third are Auxiliaries which serue for pay and those are onely Georgians and Tartarians To speake of the two first the essentiall sinewes of this king and kingdome they are all horsemen For where princes relie onely vpon the valour of the gentrie there is little regard had of the footemans seruice the like reason may be giuen for their want of shipping For although on the one side lieth the Caspian and on another the Persian gulfs yet to this day were they neuer owners of any warlike shipping If they chance to saile vpon the Caspian a sea eight hundred miles long and sixe hundred broad they dare not venter into the maine but houering by the shore timerously saile from one place to another Of the Persian sea the Portugals are lords It aboundeth in mettall of excellent fine temper especially in the prouince of Cazan They haue not the vse of artillerie neither the Arte of defending besieging assaulting mining or intrenching of fortresses and all because they want the vse of footemen to whom these peeces of seruice do properly belong as it doth to horsemen to fight in plaine and open field Besides these wants they are infested with two other more greeuous mischiefes and those are ciuill dissentions arising of the greatnes and disloialtie of their Sultans with the length of iourneies and the scarcitie of nauigable riuers Those riuers which they haue are not frequented at all or at leastwise so little that small ease ariseth thereby They fal all into the Caspian or Persian seas The Inland regions are sandie and vtterly destitute of water How can then the forces of that land make any commodious or speedie rendeuous when halfe the land is drie and barren in so waste a tract not one riuer seruing for nauigable transportation as doth the Loir in France Poo in Italy Vistula in Poland Sheild in Flanders and such like in other kingdomes There are also many deserts and many mountaines disioyning the prouinces farre in sunder Heere in it resembleth Spaine where for want of nauigable riuers except towards the sea coast traffike is little vsed and mountaines and prouinces lie vnmanured for scarcitie of moisture But nature vnwilling that humane life should want any easement hath so prouided for mutuall commerce in these sandie and barren places that through the labour of Camels the want of nauigation is richly recompenced throughout Persia and the bordering countries These beasts carrie woonderous burdens and will longer continue then either horse or mule They will trauell laden with one thousand pound weight and will so continue fortie daies and vpward In sterill and deepe sandie countries such as are Lybia Arabia and Persia they drinke but once euery fift day and if extremitie inforce they will indure the want of water ten or twelue When their burdens are off a little grasse thornes or leaues of trees will suffice them There is no liuing thing lesse changeable and more laborious certainly ordained of nature a fit creature for those sandie and deepe places of Asia and Africke wherein euen man himselfe feeleth the want of foode and water Of these there are three sorts vpon the lesser men trauell the middle sort haue bunches on their backs fit for carrying of merchandise the greater and stronger are those which carry burdens of one thousand pound weight What numbers of horsemen this king is able to leuie was manifested in the warres betweene Selim the first and Ismael betweene Ismael and Soleman and betweene Codabanda and Amurath Not one of them brought aboue thirtie thousand horse into the field but so thoroughly furnished that they had little cause to feare greater numbers The richer and abler sort arme themselues after the manner of our men at armes the residue being better then the thirde part of their Caualrie content themselues with a skull a iacke and cemiter They vse the launce and the bow indifferently Touching their riches the common opinion is that in the daies of king Tamas the yeerely reuenues amounted to fower or fiue millions of gold who by a sudden doubling of the value of his coine raised it to eight and accordingly made paiment to his souldans and soldiers But
of their bodie as blinde lame tall bold c. This king is verie puissant in people of whom he exacteth no other tribute then the tenths of the increase of their liuely hoods For exercise and insteed of occupations they giue themselues to steale to slay their neighbours and to take them prisoners and then to barter them for horses with the merchants of Barbarie He hath vnder him many kingdomes and nations some white some blacke He is an heauie enemie to the Abessines taking away their cattell rifling their mines and leading away the people in captiuitie His horsemen ride after the Spanish manner armed with lances steeled at both ends darts and arrowes but their inrodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles then wars managed by valiant soldiers The Turke likewise on the east and the king of Adel on the southeast do cruelly vexe him for they haue curtald his large dominion and brought his prouinces into great miserie In the yeere 1558. the Turke harried the whole territorie of Bernagasso but since expulsed and tooke from Prester Iohn whatsoeuer he was Lord of vpon that sea coast especially the hauen and citie of Suaquen and Erococo in which place the mountaines betweene Abex and the red sea make a gate as it were for the traffique and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians And sithence that Bernangasso was inforced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands to buy his peace and in name of a tribute to pay one thousand ounces of gold yeerely The king of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie he bordereth vpon the kingdome of Fatigar and his siegniorie stretcheth alongst the red sea as far as Assum Salir Meth Barbora Pidar and Zeila Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with merchandise which they trucke for flesh honie wax and vittail these commodities are carried to Aden gold iuorie and such wares are sent to Cambaia the greatest part of vittail honie wax corne and fruits brought from Zeila are carried into Aden and Arabia as likewise much cattell especially sheepe hauing tailes of 25. pound weight with heads and necks all blacke the rest of their bodies all white Of these cattell there are some altogether white with turning crooked tailes as long as a mans arme and dewlaps like oxen Some of their kine haue hornes with many branches like our deere othersome haue one horne in their forehead growing backward a span and halfe long The chiefe citie of this kingdome is Arar 38. leagues distant from Zeila towardes the southeast He professeth Mahumetisme and since his conuersion he hath intitled himselfe with the sirname of Holy aâ—owing continuall war against the Abessine Christians and therefore he watcheth the time of the foresaid fast of fiftie daies when he entreth their territories burneth their villages taketh prisoners and then committeth a thousand other mischiefes The Abessine slaues doe often leaue their countrie and take vpon them great iournies putting themselues in the seruice of great Lords where many times by their industrie and good carriage they become high commaunders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra For the Mahumetan princes being all tyrants Lords of those countries which they haue forced from the Gentils to secure their estates doe neuer trust their home-bred subiects but wage strangers and slaues vnto whose fidelitie they commit their persons and the managing of all the affaires of their kingdomes And amongst all sorts of slaues the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnes and towardly disposition The king of Adel ouerlaieth Egypt and Arabia with these slaues which hee changeth with the Turks and princes of Arabie for armour prouision of warre and soldiers In the yeere of our Lord 1500. Claud king of Abex perceiuing himselfe inferior to Grad-Ameda king of Adel for he had vexed his land with 14. yeeres incursions forsaking the frontires retired himselfe into the inward parts of his kingdome intreating for aide of Stephen Gama viceroy of India vnder Iohn the third king of Portugall who was then in the red sea with a warlike nauie In compassion of his miseries and religion he sent him fower hundred Portugall-shot very well furnished vnder the conduct of Christopher his brother By their aide and vse of their artillerie he ouerthrew his enemies in two battels but the king of Adel obtaining of the gouernor of the citie of Zebit one thousand harquebushers and ten pieces of ordinance in the third fight put the Portugals to flight and slew their captaine Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes king Claudius set vpon him at vnawares by the riuer Zeila and the mountaine Sana with eight thousand footemen fiue hundred Abessine horsemen and the remainder of the liuing Portugals one of whome gaue Grada-Amada his deaths wound But in March 1509. Claudius fighting with the Moores of Malaca gaining the victorie was slaine in the battel Adam his brother succeeded against whom being a demi-Mahumetan the greatest part of the Abessine nobilitie rebelled and was ouerthrowne in the yeere 1562. by Bernagasso By this casualtie did the Aethiopian affaires ebbe flow vntill in the raigne of Alexander things began in some sort to returne to their ancient estate by the aide of the Portugals who furnished them with weapons both offensiue and defensiue and by their examples incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies All that were liuing after the defeature of Christopher Gama and all that euer went thither since that day to this doe still remaine there marrying wiues and begetting children King Alexander gaue them leaue to elect a Iusticer and to end all matters of controuersie amongst themselues which maketh them so willing to stay and to teach them the vse of their weapons the manner of our warfare and how to fortifie passages and places of importance Sithence those times Francis Medices contracting friendship with the Abessine diuers Florentines some for pleasure and some for profit haue trauelled into those prouinces wherein when they are once entred the king intreateth them so faire and giueth them so largely whereupon to liue that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne countries Besides these he hath other enemies as the king of Dancali whose citie and hauen is Vela vpon the red sea and the Moores of Doba a prouince diuided into foureteene Lieutenantships These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire yet doe they often rebell hauing a law amongst themselues that no yoong man may contract matrimonie vnlesse he can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelue Christians Monomotapa IN the residue of Aethiop raigne diuers powerfull princes as the kings of Adel Monomugi Monomotapa Angola and Congo of which as yet we vnderstand very little But that the Reader by the description of one may coniecture of the rest I wil speake somwhat of the state policie of Monomotapa because it is mightier and more famous then the rest This kingdome containeth all that Iland which lieth between the riuers of Cuama and Spirito Santo a territorie of 150. leagues in compasse and from Spirito Santo it stretcheth euen to the Cape of Good Hope for the Vizeroys of that huge tract do acknowledge him for their soueraigne and supreme gouernour of townes villages they haue few those cottages which they haue consist of timber and tâ—ach One of their chiefe cities is called Zimbas and other Benema taxa the one fifteene miles the other 21. distant from Cefala towards the west The soile aboundeth with corne with cattle great and small wandring by heards through the fields and woods By the store of teeth from thence transported we may coniecture that lesse then 5000. elephants cannot but die yeerely in this countrey These beasts are here very great There is no climate like it for plentie of gold for by report there are 3000. mines whereout gold is digged gold is likewise found in the earth in rocks and riuers The mines of Manica Boro Quiticui and Toroe which some men call Butua are the richest The people are meane of stature black wel set They conuerse with the king kneeling on their knees and to sit in his presence is the vse with them as with vs to stand and that is granted but to great lords The assay of meate and drinke is not made before but after the prince hath eate and drunke Heere are no prisons because law passeth vpon the offendor in the very moment wherein the offence was committed The offences most seuerely punished are witchcraft theft and adulterie They pay no other tribute but certaine daies worke and presents without the which no man may appeere in the princes presence The king beareth in his coat of armes a certaine little spade with an Iuorie handle and two small darts He keepeth for his faithfullest guard two hundred dogs He keepeth the heires of his vassall princes to be secured of their parents loyaltie One of the kings not long sithence was conuerted and Baptized by Gonsalua Silua a Iesuite with the greater part of his courtiers but afterwards by the perswasion of certaine Moores in great credite about him he caused him to be slaine Sebastian king of Portugall offended heereat proclaimed warre against him vnder the leading of Francisco Barreâ—â—o This armie consisted of sixeteene hundred the greatest part gentlemen to whom the Monomotapa fearing their armes and valour offered honorable conditions but the captaine whom no offer or indiffeferencie could satisfie was ouercome and his armie vtterlie consumed yet not by the enimie but by sicknes and the infectious aire of the countrey FINIS Faults escaped Page 17. lin 30. for lanciers read men at armes Page 20. lin 38. for defensible r. defeasible Page 24. lin 22. for supremacie r. soueraigntie Page 28. lin penult these words without relation to the kingly authoritie are superfluous Page 65. lin 30. for it might r. he might Page 65. lin 34. for he is immediate r. mediate he is Page 127. lin 24. for can be wanting r. cannot be wanting 1597.
woods and the marrishes which euen in plaines make great pooles being vnto them a naturall wall trench against all incursions On the tops of mountaines are manie fruitfull plaines plentifull and fit for the feeding of â—atâ—le and thicke woods full of wilde beasts These rockie and mountainous places abounding notwithstanding with woods and pastures doe so strengthen the countrey that they neither feare to be forced by inuasion nor to be constrained with hunger for the dangerous accesse of the mountaines and the thicknes of the woods secureth them against the assaults of their enimies and in beseegings they doe sustaine themselues by cattle and wilde beasts which can neuer faile them To this helpeth the abundance of people fierce of courage excellent in the vse of their armes for necessities sake being able speedily to assemble 25. or 30. thousand men against the inrodes of their enimies and trusting to the strength of situations of places and practise of their armes they indeuour not to fortifie their ciâ—â—eâ— nor hauens which are so thicke in this countrey that by reason of the inlets of the sea there is not almost one house distant aboue twentie miles from the Ocean The king of Scotland gouerneth the Hebrides being fortie two and the Orchades thirtie two in number But since neither Scotland nor the saide Ilands are better stored with plenty of corne more then sufficeth for their owne prouision and the people are neither giuen to artes or abounding in wealth few merchants do resort thither But England whereof we now treate is diuided into three great prouinces England Cornwall and Wales England stretcheth to the Germaine sea Cornwall is right against France Wales against Ireland This most florishing kingdome conteineth two Archbishopricks Canterburie and Yoâ—ke 24. bishopricks 136. walled townes In the reigne of king Henry and his son Edward there were reckoned fortie thousand parishes but now there are onely 9725. Cornwall Wales in comparison of England are barren in the vpland places the people liue vpon white meates and oaten bread especially in Wales yet hath nature placed an Iland commonly called Anglesey so neere vnto it abounding with corne and cattle that it niay woorthily be called the mother of Wales Cornwall is exceeding rich in mines of Tinne and Lead England farre surpasseth both these prouinces in largenes riches and fertilitie and though it stand somewhat more northerly notwithstanding by the benefite of the sea or some vnknowne influence of the starres the aire there is so gentle and temperate rather thicke and moist then sharpe and colde that it token thereof the bay tree and the rosemarie are alwaies greene And it is most certaine that Flanders and Brabant are more vexed with cold and ice then England wherein for the most part the land is plaine yet now and then so garnished with fruitfull and delightfull hilles and those rising so pleasantly by little and little that they which see them a farre off can scant discerne them froâ—â— the plaine The cheefest prouision of the kingdome is corne cattle and fish so stored therewith for plenty goodnes and sweetnes that it needeth neither the helpe of France no nor of any neighbour bordring countrey Among other things the flesh especially of their swine oxen and veales haue the best relish of any part of Christendome and of fish their Pike and Oysters It bringeth not foorth Mules nor Asses but of horse infinite store The wealth thereof consisteth in neuer decaying mines of tinne and lead there are also found veines of copper and iron and in Cornewall is digged tinne of such excellent finenes that it seemeth little inferiour to siluer in qualitie Heere the wools are most fine by reason of the hils whereof the kingdome is full On these hils groweth a finall and tender kinde of grasse neither dunged nor watred with spring nor riuer but in winter nourished with the moisture of the aire and in sommer with the deaw of heauen which is so gratefull and pleasing to the sheepe that it causeth them to beare fleeces of singular goodnes and exceeding finenes The Iland breedeth no wolues nor any other rauening beasts and therefore their flockes wander night and day by hils dales and fields as well inclosed as common without feare or danger Most delicate clothes are wouch of this wooll which are transported in great abundance into Germanie Poland Denmarke Sweuqland and other prouinces where they are in high request There grow all sorts of pulse great store of Saffron and infinite quantitie of beere transported from thence into Belgia as also pelts and sea-coale The Iland is so commodiously seated for the sea that it is neuer without resort of Portugall Spanish French Flemish and Easterling merchants The trafique betweene the English and the Flemish ariseth to an inestimable value for Guiâ—ciardin writeth that before the tumults of the Low-countries they bartered for twelue millions of crownes yeerely There are other Ilands subiect to the crowne of England as Ireland Wight Man and Anglesey the ancient dwelling of the Druides Syllyes Gernsey Iersey and Alderney Ireland is not much lesse then England in bignes for it is three hundred miles long and ninetie broad mountainous woodie full of bogs apter for pasture then corne and abounding with milke and butter It sendeth foorth great store of butter skiâ—nes and saffron It is full of riuers and lakes abounding with fish It hath two Archbishoprickes Armach and Cassels the chiefe seat is Dublin and that part which lieth towards the East and the south is best peopled The prouinces of Vlster Conaught and Mounster situated to the west and north are lesse fruitfull and more sauage The other three Ilands are about one bignes of them Anglesey is the â—â—st and therefore called the mother of Wales it is well replenished with cattell and plentie of corne Man is fiue and twentie miles distant from England it hath one Bishopricke and two hauens the land is not verie fertill Wight is a hilly countrey in it is Newport a towne strongly fortified it incloseth the whole channell of South-hampton which is ouer against it and the fairest hauen in that sea In strength of situation no kingdome excelleth England for it hath these two properties which Aristotle wisheth in the building of a citie one is that it be difficult to besiege the other that it be easie to coâ—uey in and out all things necessarie these two commodities hath England by the sâ—â— which to the inhabitants is as a deepe trench against hostile inuasions and an easie passage to take in or sende out all commodities whatsoeuer On the west is the Irish Ocean a sea so shallow and so full of rockes flats that it is verie dangerous for great ships and on the south the flowing and ebbing of the Brittish Ocean is so violent and the remoouing of sandes and shelues so vncertaine that vnlesse the mariners be skilfull in taking the opportunities of winde and â—ydes they can hardly bring in their ships
all Europe For trade with the Chinois and Ilands of Tidore and for their safe merchandizing with Molucca and Banda they are so secure of their welfare that they count it an vnnecessarie charge to erect any castles or fortifications of defence but onely inhabite dispersed in weake cottages Certainly it would amaze and bewoonder a man to thinke how many puissant kings and fierce nations are brideled and yoked by the armes of twelue thousand Portuguezes for in so huge atract of land and sea there are nor euer were a greater number inhabiting and not onely to haue discouered and conquered the Atlanticke Indian and east sea but also to defend it against all forrein inuasions or inrodes vpon their confines for it is 90 yeeres since they fortified those places with an ouerlasting memoriall of their valiancie Neither can any man to ecclipse or detract from their iust commeÌ„dation obiect vnto them the facilitie of subduing a naked and vnarmed people altogither raw and vnexperimented in the feates of armes if he will recall to his remembrance how by the vertue of their armes they tooke the kingdome of Ormus from the vassall and confederate of the king of Persia as also that they drowned and defeated at Diu the nauie of the Sultane of Egypt fully furnished with Mammelukes a kinde of soldier no lesse famous for their armes and discipline then the Praetorian Turkish soldiers called Ianizaries as also that they made good the saide place against the leaguer of the Turkes and Guzarits and in the red sea they haue often forced the Turkish gallies to retire with a most dishonorable foile In the yeere 1552. they defeated his whole fleete at Ormus In Trapoban they affronted and contested with the kings of Decan Cambaia Calecute and Achem princes both fauored and also aided with the forces of the Turkish Emperour yea such haue beene their expeditions in Cambaia India the whole Ocean and along the coasts of Asia that in desart of glorie and admiration they are to be censured nothing inferior to the victorious praises of Alexander the great yea so much the rather to be preferred because neither in circuit of territorie nor numbers of people they were euer comparable to the Macedonians for with nineteene ships they ouerthrew the Egyptian nauie farre greater in number and furniture with two thousand soldiers they forced Goa and recouered it being lost with 1500. with 800. they wonne Malaca and not with many more Ormus Another member of the Spanish dominions lieth in the new World wherein because be hath no corriuall able to make head against him he challengeth as his owne whatsoeuer either by discouerie or conquest he attaineth vnto This new Worlds dominions is diuided into the continent and Ilands In the north sea are so many Ilands most of them of forty miles compasse that their number can hardly be ascertained or knowne some of them so rich and spacious that they might suffice to erect a magnificent and stately soueraigntie Of these Boriqâ—en is 300 â—iles long and threescore broad Cuba is 300 miles long and twentie leagues broad Hispaniola is 1600 miles in compasse As for the continent he is absolute lord of all that sea coast which watereth Florida Noua Hispania Iucatan and that spacious south erly promontorie to the cape of California and Quiuira For euen so farre the discoueries and nauigations of the Spaniard haue proceeded The coast of Noua Hispania counting his beginning at the towne of Santa Helena and cutting by Panama to Quiuira containeth about 5000. and 200 miles in length to which if you please to adde the vpland regions coasting towards the north you shall finde no lesse then 9000. miles Peru beginning at Panama containeth by the maritimate coast 12000. and 600. miles of which three thousand lying betweene the riuer Maragon and Argenteum and including Brasile do acknowledge the supremacie of Portugall In the continent are many kingdomes and seigniories amongst which these of Mexico and Peru once most powerfull and wealthie dominions were counted chiefe and as it were the two imperiall seats The kings of Mexico did not claime by inheritance from their ancestors but were chosen by sixe electors Him whom they iudged yoong valiant and wise of an able bodie and fit for the warre they crowned and one of their kings because he prooued a coward slothfull and irresolute they poisoned There was a Senate of Sages continually resident about his person which consisted of fower degrees of Nobilitie and Magistracies without whose authoritie and consent no matters of consequence or weight could be determined or put in action They regarded nothing so seuerely as the good education of their youth their ceremonious superstitions their orders of soldiarie Amongst them there was a most woorthie chiefetaine called Tlacaellell so expert in militarie prowesse that he subdued the greatest part of the Mexican seigniorie and of so great and admired spirit that he obstinately refused and forsooke the kingdome being offered him saying that it was auaileable and commodious for the common-weale that another should weare the crown and he attend vpon him as a minister and counseller and that his shoulders were too weake to sustaine so weightie a burden adding moreouer that he would no lesse endeuour with a carefull and warie foresightfulnesse the safetie of the common-weale then if he himselfe were inuested in the soueraigntie These kings liued in great maiestie inhabited sumptuous palaces and maintained a mightie troupe of their vassals for the guard of their persons On one quarter they enlarged their bounds and planted their religion and language to the skirts of Teguante-Pecum two hundred leagues remote from Mexico and on another quarter as farre as Guatimall 300. leagues distant In these places they made the north and south seas their bounds but Mecoican Tascalan and Terpeacan they could neuer bring vnder their yoke Their differences and troubles with the citie of Tascala incouraged the Spaniards to inuade their dominions and being entred made their victories easie without any difficult resisting or hinderance from the pursuite of their coÌ„quest which happened in the yeere of our Lord 1518. The Mexicans diuided into seauen tribes came into those regions from that part of the north where of late yeeres the Spaniards discouered a most wealthie and populous prouince which at this day they call new Mexico The most respected honor which doth ennoble their men is purchased by alacritie couragious forwardnes to armes Matezuma their last king instituted certaine orders of horsemen surnaming them Lions Eagles and Leopards These he priuileged to weare gold and siluer and a silken cassock after the Arabian fashion to go shod and occupy gilded and painted vessell which things were prohibited to the vulgar and forbidden all such who had not inwoorthied himselfe by some noble seruice The Empire of Peru whose king was surnamed Inga is found to be larger and more magnificent when it was in the prime and highest it reached from Pasto to Chile 1000.
leagues in length and 100. in bredth euen from the south Ocean to Andi in the east The mercilesse furie of the waters in some places standing and moorish in other running haue gainesaid and put a period to their further progresses when without any colorable or iust cause they inuade their confining neighbours They most ridiculously pretend that in the vniuersall deluge mankind was preserued in their countrey and so by tradition haue been nuzzeled in the true ancient religion which as they say they are bound in conscience to sowe and disperse in the mindes of all men either by faire meanes or foule Their chiefe gods are Viracoca that is to say the Creator of all things and the Sunne Inga Pacacuti who instructed them in their superstitions when he had beautified the temples with offrings and sacrifice assigned none to the temple of Viracoca alleaging that forasmuch as he is the maker of all things he needeth not any thing Amongst other memorable ordinances by him instituted in the winning of countries one was that the conquered land should be diuided into three parts the first dedicated to the gods and maintenance of the charge of their ceremonies the second and greatest portion was giuen to Inga therewith to maintaine his estate the expences of his court parents barons and garrisons the third was distributed amongst the soldiers no man could claime propertie in any thing to say this is mine but by the fauour and sufferance of Inga neither might that descend by inheritance The landes belonging to the people and comminaltie were yeerely limited and so much allotted to euery man as might be thought sufficient for the sustentation of his family some yeeres more some lesse without exaction of any rent in liew whereof they conditioned to manure the lands of Inga and the gods the increase they stored in most ample garners thereunto appointed from whence in time of scarcitie it was shared amongst the people the like they did with their cattel diuiding them by head which point of gouernment in mine opinion farre exceedeth either the partitions of Lyeurgus or the Agragrian lawes of the Romaines Besides merchandize incredible treasures of gold and siluer are transported out of Noua Hispania and Peru of those treasures commonly Peru yeeldeth two parts and Noua Hispania the third which is more rich in commodities then Mexico Amongst the rest it giueth Cochinella a merchandize of inestimable value and infinite store of Hides The Ilands affoord plentie of hides cotten wooll sugar cannafistula hard waxe and pearles Amongst these riches and treasures of Peru two things are woonderfull one that in the siluer mines which were discouered in Potosie in the yeere 1545. there is and hath beene found so huge a masse of Bullion that the fift part which is the kings in the space of fortie yeeres amounted to one hundred and eleuen millions of Pezoes neither yet did two third parts pay their due to his maiestie The other is the quick-siluer mines in Guancaualcan found in the yeere 1567. out of which the king hath receiued 40000. Pezoes all charges defraied It is a strange thing to note that whereas mother Nature hath interlaced so riotously her golden and siluer veines in the bosome and wombe of Peru it hath bestowed no such blessing vpon her neerest daughter Brasile but in stead thereof hath inriched her with a most temperate and holsome aire with many pleasant springs and large riuers not without sufficiencie of wood she hath diuided the land into fruitefull plaines and delightsome hils clothed it with the beautie of continuall greenenesse abounding about beliefe with sugar-canes which the Portugals there planted and now transport in infinite numbers into forreine regions The Philippinae may well be termed the appendances to this new world and although in respect of their site by reason of their proximitie they may be thought a part of Asia yet the discouerers thereof trauelled through new Spaine before they could discouer them of which Ilands more then 40. are subiect to this soueraigntie and by them haue been reduced to a ciuill kinde of life and policie Now bauing generally run ouer the spacions I will not say boundlesse members of this empire let vs diuide the discourse thereof as much as concernes the strength and policie into fower particulars the first whereof shall intreate of his pieces in Europe the second of his dominions in the newe world the third of his territories of the west and south coast of Africke the fourth of his principalities in India and Asia The prouinces which he hath in Europe are of the most puissant powerfull sort that are comprehēded in this limitation Spaine it selfe hath bin alway acknowledged for so wealthy so puissant and so spacious a kingdome that not without good cause it may challenge the primacie of all the prouinces and of the continent if not in any consideration else yet in regarde that the Romaines Carthaginians continued so long and so cruell wars for the possession and royalty thereof The Gothes and Vandals when they had with the streames of their ouerflowing multitudes swarmed ouer the greatest part of the Romaine empire here sat them downe and made it the place of their inhabitation Trebellius Pollio termeth it and France the iointes and sinewes of the Romaine empire Constantine when he diuided the empire preferred it before Italie And in the diuision when England France Spaine and Italie fel to his lot he little esteeming the last and voluntarily leauing it to his competitor contented himselfe with the three formost Who knoweth not that the kingdome of Naples is the flower of the Italian prouinces Who seeth not that nature hath confined and heaped into this territorie as if it were into her closet all those delightfull happinesses which with her owne hands she hath here and there scattered and dispersed through the other of the European prouinces What can we say otherwise of the Duchie of Millaine And for Sicil it may be compared to any yea it surpasseth all the Ilands of the Mediterranean for fertilnes for the concourse of merchants for artizans singular for populous townes and for stately edifices The gouernment of Spaine is absolute and kingly in their regiment we may see that they haue attained to such perfection of aduisednes that all things are purposely discussed and questioned in seuerall counsels before they are put in execution Where the graue and considerate counsels of Fabius are receiued when the rash and headie precepts of Marcellus are reiected Innouations and change of ancient customes are auoided in regard whereof Innocent the eight was woont to say that the Spaniard was so compleat in gouernment that in this respect he neuer erred or miscarried and by this policie he gouerneth nations different in natures and dissonant in lawes and fashions Castilians Arragons Biskaines Portuguezes Italians Dutchmen Indians Christians and Gentils with such peaceable vnion as if they were his owne naturall subiects And whereas some obiect that this
empire cannot long remaine in this flourishing estate bicause it is disiointed and dismembred To such men this may be answered that spacious dominions are easily secured from any inuasiue attempts but not so safely preserued from intestine and home-bred dissensions as the kingdomes of smaller compasse are But in a state thus diuided there is an vnion both of amplenes and a measurable mediocritie the first is apparant in the whole bodie compounded of seuerall members the second in the greatest parcell of the members For seeing that the portions thereof as Spaine Peru Mexico are so great and goodly states of themselues they cannot be but stored with all those good things which are necessarie either in greatnes or mediocritie viz. both with a puissant powerablenes to frustrate forreine attemptes and sufficient inwarde forces to prouide against all domesticall discontentments And it is as cleere as day that by meanes of sea-forces all these members may strengthen one another and stand as it were vnited euen as Casar Augustus by maintaining one fleete at Rauenna and another at Messana awed the whole Romaine empire and kept it in assured concord and also we haue seene the Portugals by reason of their sea-forces which they maintained in Persia Cambaia Decan and other parts of the Indies not onely to haue giuen the lawe to those famous princes but maugre the force of their enimies to keepe it and peaceably enioy it Some wise and experienced commanders in discoursing this point oppose the iealousie and aemulation of the Turke and affirme that if the king should imploy those treasures which now he spendeth in the erecting of fortresses vpon the increase of his nauie an expence sufficient for the furnishing of 150. gallies it would be an occasion that the Turke whose nauie now exceedeth not the number of 130. gallies would augment it to the number of 200. to the intent that he may be superior and maister of the sea and that so the king would be inforced to vndergoe an excessiue charge without gaining any reputation thereby But this their subtiltie is meere booke-wisedome and it is very agreeable with reason that there is nothing so dangerous in action and so readie to imbarke a man in an irrecouerabe disaduantage as an ouer-weening conceite which commonly draweth with it an headdie wilfulnes flexible to nothing But they ought to consider not what the Turke will doe but whether it be in his power to surmount such a nauie And although the Turke be Lord of a larger sea coast then the king yet he cannot compare either in furniture or mariners Along all the coast of Africke he hath not an harbour where he can build or keepe a couple of gallies except Algier and Tripolie In the Euxine sea what place of name is there besides Capha and Trapezond What better report can we giue of the coast of Asia More implements then a spatious sea-coast are incident to this busines he must haue plentie of timber and cordage he must be furnished with a people practised in sea affaires able to endure the labour and working of the waters delighting in traffique and nauigation cheerefull in tempests rough weather which dare dwell as it were amongst perils and expose their liues to a thousand dangers as for the Turkish subiects the better part neuer saw sea and those that haue vsed it are not to be compared to the Biskains Catalonians Portugals and Genowais I adde this people for their many good seruices done at sea in the behalfe of this crowne To conclude in two things the king excelleth the Turke the first is that although the Turke can command more men yet the best and greater part of them being Christians he dare hardly trust against vs the second is that the sea coasts of the king are neerer conioyned then those of the Turke and in that regard are sooner assembled and prouided By this commoditie experience hath prooued that the Eastern nauies haue beene often ouerthrowen by the Western the Southern by the Northern the Carthaginian by the Romaine the Asian by the Grecian Octauius Caesar with the nauie of Italy defeated the fleete of Aegypt and in our times the Armada of the Christians the fleete of the Turkes The Turkes themselues confesse that in sea-fights the Christians excell and are vnwilling to deale with those forces As often as Charles the fife rigged foorth his nauie it was so puissant that the Turke neuer durst leaue the harbour In his iourney of Algier he rigged fiue hundred vessels in his Tunis voyage sixe hundred Andrew Doria conducted so gallant an armada into Greece that the Turke not daring to mooue out of his place he tooke Patras and Corona in Morea His land-forces consist in Cauallerie and Infanterie the best footeman of all the Germaine nations is the Wallon to say nothing of the naturall Spaniard it is well knowne that in all ages it hath beene accounted one of the most valorous nations of the world The French in nine yeeres were subdued to the Romane yoke the Spaniards held out zoo The power and person both of Augustus Caesar were requisite to the subduing of the Cantabrians They not onely deliuered their countrey from the subiection of the Moores but inuaded Africke and tooke therein many strong places The Portugals inuaded Barbarie tamed the coast of Guinea Ethiopia and Cafraria they conquered India Malaca and the Moluccas The Castilians sayling through the Atlantike sea subdued the New world with all the kingdomes prouinces and people therein they droue the French from Naples Sicill and Millan The fortune of this nation doth consist in discipline and dexteritie for no people can readier finde the occasion and sooner take it or refuse it when it comes in celeritie for through slothfulnes they let nothing slip in loue and concord for they were neuer knowen out of their owne borders to strike stroke amongst themselues at a word in suffring of hunger thirst heat cold labour and extremities they will lay vp any nation whatsoeuer By these vertues they haue atchieued the glorie of so many victories and though sometime they haue beene ouercome notwithstanding they haue vanquished their vanquishers as it fell out at Rauenna They neuer suffred any famous defeature but in the iournies of Algier and England the one by the casualtie of tempests the other by the skilfull prowesse and seafaring dexteritie of the English Three or fower thousand of them turned topsie turâ—â—e the better part of Germanie and made way euerie way with their swords thorough the thickest of their enimies These were they that at the iourney of Caruen in Barbarie being fower thousand foote souldiers of great valour made a braue retraict the space of fower or fiue miles be set and charged with twentie thousand horse by the king of the Moores at least fiue or sixe times with the losse onely of 80. men and the slaughter of 800. of the enimie As concerning their Cauallerie it cannot be gainsaid but that the Spanish genet
legions of Britannie were transported into the continent Holland and the bordering countries reuoked and immediately after the Sarracens finding the frontires of the Empire without garrisons passed ouer Danubius The Alani woon the streights of the Caspian hils the Persians indeuoured to get them a name and reputation the Gothes wandered throughout Moesia and Macedonia the Frenchmen entred Gallia But Constantine the Emperor restored it to the former glorie made an end of ciuill warre and tamed the barbarous and cruell nations and had he not committed two faults the Romane Empire might long haue flourished The first was the translating of the Imperiall seate from Rome to Constantinople which action weakened the West and ouerthrew the Empire For it is more cleere then day that as plants remooued out of their naturall soile and transported into regions contrarie in temperature and aire retaine small vigour of their naturall vertue So humane actions but especially cities and kingdomes loose their glorie and splendour by these great alterations And for this cause the Romane Senate would neuer consent that the people should leaue Rome and dwell at Veij a citie far more pleasant and commodious then Rome especially after the sacking thereof by the Frenchmen The seate of Constantinople is so pleasant so commodious and so fertile that it is hard to iudge whether humane wisedome or nature shewed most industrie in the situation thereof There is no citie vpon the face of the earth better serued by land and sea on one side lie the most beautifull meadowes on the other side the pleasant vallies here rise the fruitfull hillocks there floweth and refloweth the plentifull sea yeelding all sorts of needfull and delicate prouision to the inhabitants thereof He that did see it would say that here stroue Bacchus with Ceres Pomana with Flora magnificence with plentie who should be most bountifull to this citie After the sea hath made many gallant bayes and safe roades whereof Bospherus onely in the space of fiue and twenty miles yeeldeth thirtie it runneth by the citie and countrie with so quiet and gentle a streame that the great ships bringing corne from Siria and Egypt and the riches of Trapezond from Capha doe seldome miscarrie Here is euermore haruest which now and then faileth in Thrace and Asia Here sholes of fish frisking and playing hard vnder the wals of the citie swim in such woonderfull abundance that he which hath not seene it will hardly beleeue it but he may easily be perswaded hereof that considereth how in the winter time the fish flying the cold places ascend by Pontus Euxinus euen in the view of Constantinople towards Propontus then shunning the heate of summer returne againe by the same way which they went before At these two seasons of the yeere the inhabitants as well for their profit as delight store themselues with great quantities thereof At this day on the Northeast part of the citie on the other side of the water is the towne of Pera on the North part is the Arsenall where the gallies are built and doe remaine and on the South side is all the ordinance artillerie and houses of munition To speake in a word there is no place fitter seated for plentie of all things for weakning mens valors for corrupting vertue with vice then this great and most stately citie of Constantinople prooued by the sloth and delicacie of the greatest number of the Greeke Emperors and their armies For if the pleasures of Tarent and the soile of the Siberites were inchantments sufficient to make men effeminate and quite alter the nature of the inhabitants if the delights of Capua could soften and quench the fierce courages of Hannibal and his soldiers if Plato deemed the Cyrenians incapable of discipline by reason of their long prosperitie what may wee thinke of Constantinople for situation proud for buildings sumptuous especially of their temples for beautifull and commodious hauens pleasant and delightsome aboue any other citie through the whole world To conclude when nothing can be more dangerous to a state then innouations what could be more hurtfull I may say desperate to the Romane Empire then that great so daine and vnlooked for mutation That good wel meaning Emperor in this did neither more nor lesse then as a man endeuouring to adde a greater grace to his bodie should place his face on his knees and his hart on his heeles The second fault of Constantine was the diuision of the Empire to his children ann Dom. 341. By this diuision of one Empre he made three and withall a memorable diminution of his authoritie and force For when his sonnes fell to ciuill dissention they consumed one another so cruelly that the Empire resembled a bloodlesse yea liuelesse bodie And though sometime vnder some one prince it stood on foote againe yet it remained alwaies subiect to diuision and departed into two Empires the east and the west till the comming of Odoacer king of the Herules and Turingi into Italy with a mightie host by which inuasion Augustulus was brought to such a narrow pinch that for despaire he cast himselfe into the protection of the east Empire This happened in the yeere of our Lord 476. And about this time the Huns passed Danubius Alaricus king of the Gothes tooke Rome the Vandals first spoiled Andoluzia afterwards Africke the Alans woon Portugall the Gothes conquered the greater part of Spaine the Saxons Britaine the Burgundians Prouince Iustinian restored it somewhat to a better staie driuing the Vandals out of Africke and the Gothes out of Italy by his captaines anno 556. But this faire weather lasted not long For in the yeere 713. the armes and heresies of the Mahumetans began to vexe the east Empire and shortly after 〈◊〉 the Sarracens wasted Syria Aegypt the Archipelago Africke Sicill Spaine In the yeere 735. they vanquished Narbon Auignion Tolouse Burdeâ—â— and the bordering regions Thus by little and little went the westerne Empire to ruine As for the easterne it stood so weake and tottering that with all the force it had it was scarce able to defend Constantinople against the armes of the Sarracens much lesse to minister aide to the westerne prouinces But in the yeere of our Lord 800. Charles the great king of France obtained the title of the westerne Empire which Ado bishop of Vienna remembreth in these words Vpon the holy feast day of the natiuitle of our Lord assoone as the mightie king Charles had made an end of his praiers Leo the Pope set the Imperiall crowne vpon his head whereat all the people with one voice cried Câ—â—olâ— Augusto 〈◊〉 Deo coronatâ— magno pacifico Imperatori Romanorum vita â— victoria The westerne Empire was diuided from the easterne in this sort that Naples and Sipont eastward with Sicill should belong to the Greeke Empire Bononâ—a should remaine to the Lombards the Venetians were neuters the popedome free the rest Charles should possesse Bloudus saith that the Empresse Iren gaue the first
countrie is 75. miles long and 55. broad Carniola with the bordering countries vp to Tergiste is 150. miles long and 45. broad They are plentifull of corne wine flesh and wood The countie of Tirol is full of mines of siluer and salt pits and is eighteene German miles long and broad The territories of Sweuia Alsatia and Rhetia doe pay little lesse then two myriades and an halfe of ordinarie reuenue so much extraordinarie besides the 18. cantons of Rethia are vnder the same iurisdiction They are so well peopled that vpon occasion they are able to leuie 100. thousand footemen and 30. thousand horse I know no other prouince in Europe able to say the like And therefore the Emperor is not so weake a Prince as those who are ignorant of the state of kingdomes doe suppose him reporting his territories to be small vnprouided of necessaries poore in monie and barren of people But this is certaine that as he is a Lord of a large dominion fertile rich and infinite people so let euery man thinke that by the neighborhod of the Turke bordering vpon him from the Carpathie mountaines to the Adriatique sea the forces of a mightier prince may seeme small and ouerlayed For what prince bordering vpon so puissant an enemie but either by building of fortresses or by intertaining of garrisons is not almost beggered I will not say in time of warre but euen during the securest peace Considering that the forces of the Turke are alwaies readie strong and cheerefull yea better furnished in the time of peace then any other nation in the hottest furie of warre Wherefore it standes him vpon that is a borderer vpon so powerfull an enemie either for feare or iealousie to be euer watchfull and to spare no charges as doth the Emperor retaining in wages continually twenty thousand soldiers keeping watch and warde vpon the borders of Hungarie These aske great expences and yet lesse then these are not to be defraied for the strengthening of other places besides other expences not meete here to be spoken of Wherefore seeing the Turke like an vnsatiable dragon hath ouerwhelmed so many noble prouinces and so many flourishing kingdomes yea hath brought vnder his yoke those cities which were thought impregnable and those bulwarks which the world deemed could neuer be forced let vs not shut both our eares and say lie is farre from vs when he stands at our doores yea close by our sides Denmarke ALthough it may seeme needlesse to make any mention of Sweuelād because it is as it were situated in another world and with whom there is no great entercourse of trading yet for the spatious largenes thereof it may well deserue a place amongst other kingdomes spoken of in these relations It is situate in that part of Europe which some terme Scandia others Scandania or Balthia from whence issued the Gothes and Vandales the verie treaders downe of the Romane Empire It is subiect both to the Danish and Sweuian crowne The king of Denmarke besides the Cimbrian Chersonese where Helsatia Theutomarsia the Dukedome of Slesia Flensburge Friesland and Iuthland regions fruitfull replenished with store of cattle and wilde beasts doe lye retaineth other spacious Ilands the best whereof stand in the entrance of the Balticke sea being 15. in number all comprehended vnder the name Denmarke The chiefest of them is Sclandunia containing 60. miles in length and little lesse in bredth It excelleth the rest in woorth both for the number of villages the mildenes of the aire and because it hath beene and is the seate of their kings He hath also Gothland in his iurisdiction which is placed right ouer against Gothia One of his kinsemen hath the gouernment of Osilia a pretie Iland in the greater gulfe of Liuonia and ruleth those fat and plentious countries which lie in the continent of Liuonia Scania likewise acknowledged his soueraigntie and he holdeth the kingdome of Norway which from the confines of Scania extendeth and stretcheth northward 1300. miles to the castle of Wardhouse vpon whom border the Lappians The Iles adioining therto Sania Setland and Faria lying in the maine sea are in his tenure In times past the people of Norwey haue beene of great puissance they afflicted England scourged France and therein obtained a prouince called to this day Normandie In Italie they conquered the kingdome of Sicill and Appulia And in the holy warre Boemand leader of the Normans woon the principalitie of Antioch In the north Ocean besides that of Friesland and the sea coast of Island and Gromland he holdeth the dominions of the foresaid Ilands of Shetland and Faria The Orchades acknowledge the kings of Norwey for their lords although they are subiect to the Scottish crowne Sithēce the kingdome of Norwey became electiue turmoiled with ciuill wars and intestine discords it came to the possession of the Danish kings who that he may hold it surely intreateth the inhabitants cruelly spoiling them of their substance and to leaue no hope of better fortune to this miserable people he holdeth fortified all the creekes and hauens of the sea coast The wealth of the kingdome consisteth in the abundance of cattle and sea fish whereof there is such store that of the herring fishing onely a mightie masse of money is yeerely gathered so huge is the number of all sort of fish that at sometimes of the yeere a ship can make but slowe way in this sea and the marishes meadowes adioining thereunto are verie pleasant and sauorie to the feeding cattle Scania is rich in corne and pasture and well replenished with people Norwey hath no riches of any moment except timber fit for the erecting of houses and framing of ships from thence transported into Holland and Flanders and cattle and great store of cheese and milke Some profite also ariseth of a kinde of fish dried in the winde which the Dutchmen call Stockfish It is taken in Ianuarie and laid in the winde and cold vntill it be indurate and hardened like wood and then carried into diuers regions as a kinde of sustenance The greatest matter of gaine to the king of Denmarke is that narrow sea or streight betweene Cronburg Eltzenburg commonly called the Sound which is a passage so narrow that no shipping can passe that way without the licence and fauour of the watchmen keeping garrison there to receiue the impostes and customes of the arriuing vessels it is easily gathered to what some of money that impost amounteth by the infinite number of shipping of Holland Zealand France England Scotland Norwey and the Baltike sea that saile in those seas and of necessitie must passe the iawes of that narrow streight The inhabitants are as needie of Rhenish French Spanish wines the spices of Portugall or the fruits of Andoluzia as they againe are greedie of the waxe honie skins and corne which are brought thither from Prussia Liuonia Moscouia and the bordering nations Touching his powerablenes in land seruice it was neuer seene that he
enterprised any iourney of reputation but that against the Theutomarsi vpon whom king Valdemar laid the yoke of subiection but falling againe into rebellion after many chances of warre beginning in the yeere 1500. they were vtterly vanquished by Frederick the second in the yeere of our Lord 1558. Before that time they discomfited Iohn the sonne of king Christian the first What this king of Denmarke is able to performe at sea may be gathered by the names which vpon occasions he hath rigged to sea at the intreatie of Henrie the second king of France Christian the second sent a nauie of 100. ships into Scotland against the English and in them ten thousand land soldiers But for as much as it is apparent that he is lord of so ample a sea coast possesseth so many hauens in Denmarke Scaâ—â—a Norwey and so many Ilands without the Baltike sea it is most likely that he is able to assemble a mightie fleete of ships if money were not wanting which as I take it cannot but often faile him considering that in his whole kingdome there is growing no merchandise of value excepting seafish neither is there any famous Mart towne which is able to draw or long to maintaine traffike with other nations The greatest matter is his customes of the sea townes the profite of certaine mines in Scania the horses cattle of the Danish Chersonesse the timber and fish of Norwey and the Ilands It hath beene obserued that fiftie thousand oxen hath beene driuen out of these prouinces into Germanie for which tole hath beene paid at Gutthorpe He reapeth some profit likewise of Wardhouse whither the English of late yeeres haue sailed betweene Norwey and Groenlant some to Colmogro others to Stockholme not farre from S. Nicholas where they traffike with the Russies for waxe honie and flaxe thither resort likewise Hollanders Scots and Frenchmen Almost in the middle of this baie is an Iland and towne called Wardhuis which Frederick the second caused to be strongly fortified and here the merchants pay their custome Sweueland THE king of Sweueland raigneth in Scandia which is larger then Denmarke for it is accounted a iourney of fiue and fortie daies from the borders of Scandia to Lapland and the coast of the Balticke sea is little lesse then 400. miles long and his tract of land is esteemed larger then France and Italy In Liuonia this king possesseth Riualia the Narue Danouia and other peeces of good esteeme the Iland Vlander Alandes and many other places not woorthy speaking of situated in the Sweuian and Finland sea These regions besides Liuonia are diuided into three kingdomes Gotland Sweueland and Vandalia which againe are subdiuided into eleuen prouinces and twelue Counties among the which the Lappians are not accounted because this people though inhabiting a larger countrey then Sweueland cannot be termed to liue vnder any certaine dominion because of their miserie pouertie and wandring from place to place through woods and mountaines but they who haue anie manner of certaine abode or setled habitation are vnder the Sweuish dominion and pay rich skins for their tribute Of the three kingdomes whereof we spake Gotland bordereth vpon Scandia and is diuided into east and west both bounded with the lake Weret in the midst whereof the king delighting in the pleasantnes of the place keepeth his court Twenty fower riuers do run into this lake yet it emptieth it selfe but by one mouth The inhabitaÌ„ts for the excessiue noise of the waters call it in their toong the Diuels Head The word Gothia signifieth a heauenly countrie which doth wel agree thereto for the abundance of sustenance no region being comparable vnto it in fertilitie of flesh fish and corne Next followeth Sweueland larger then Norwey and Gotland both togither In Sweueland is Vpsalia their chiefe city and Stockholme the kings seate Stringa Enuecopia Orogundia Arboia Arosia Then comes Finland situate betweene the Balticke and Finland bay where stand Abo the chiefe citie Raugina and Augo both famous mart townes Vames Viburge and Castlehome in the Alandian Ilands The husbandmen inhabite without the townes and by reason of the plentie of timber the woods vallies and other places defended from the furie of the northren winde they liue here in verie good sort keepe in their houses flockes of cattell and instruments to digge to build or to make any thing necessarie for the life of man and this is the reason that townes here are neither so faire nor so frequent as in Germanie or England Ouer and aboue cities and villages there are accounted 1433. parishes in some of which a thousand people or as they terme it a thousand housholds or fires doe inhabite but there are few of these parishes in which at the least there are not an hundred families By this a man may iudge the number of this people especially if he consider the fruitfulnes of their generation for the women of Finland by a secret operation of their beere as some thinke become exceeding fruitfull The men liue here verie long chiefly in the most northerly parts neither is it miraculous amongst them to see a man liue aboue an hundred and thirtie or fortie yeeres This long liuing is the true cause of their propagation for where men liue shortest liues there the vertue of generation must needs soonest decay and therefore our Lord God in the beginning of the world did permit mankinde to liue seuen hundred yeeres and more that the world might the sooner be peopled and the act of generation which now for the shortnes of our liues is determined within fortie yeeres was then more vigorous at one hundred and vpward then in this our age at ten The riches of this kingdome consisteth in the plentie of victuals which this word Gothia signifying an heauenly region as we said before and Finland signifying a good countrey do well witnes Their prouision is flesh fresh fish salt fish fish dried in the smoke and sunne corne and beere whereof there is so great abundance that it is a hard thing to see a begger amongst them and trauellers are there freely entertained It is so rich in mines of lead copper siluer and some gold that no prouince in Europe may compare therewith And these mines are to be found in euerie place if the countrey people bound to carrie wood to the mines and to other seruile workes did not hide and hinder the discouerie thereof as much as in them lyeth Most fine siluer is found in the prouince of Vestros and more would be were it not for the enuy of the inhabitaÌ„ts who though they know not the vse of trying of mettals doe notwithstanding murmur that any strangers should imploy their labours therin And this their frowardnes toward strangers ariseth not of hatred but vpon a iealousie that they should be ouerreached or otherwise abused by theÌ„ for by nature they are simple and well meaning not giuen to ambition nor infected with auarice The kings reuenue consisteth in fower things
these actions and while time passeth the neighbouring nations prouide if not infest for their owne safetie yea most commonly by losse of time proceedeth the losse of victorious opportunitie He that hath ouercome his enimie standeth oftentimes in feare of his friend yea of such as haue bin fellowes partners with him in all his fortunes so that to secure himselfe of these such like infinite casualties he is constrained euen in the course of victory to sound the retraict surcease his designements Againe continuall victory make leaders insolent soldiers mutinous refusing to passe forward at the command of their generall as it happened to Alexander Lucullus Great enterprises euen brought to their wished ende enrich the purses of certaine priuate men but leaue the Princes cofers emptie who neuerthelesse must be at the charge to maintaine continuall companies and keepe them in continuall pay without which course the cashed soldier is euer readie to follow any faction whensoeuer it shall be offered Moreouer this numberlesse armie which Marhumedius led against the king of Cambaia did not only waste the regions where through it passed and encamped but likewise by deuouring all things that the face of the earth yeelded bereaued itselfe of the meanes which nature in measure affoorded to euerie one to maintaine his life and so it often happeneth that those armies which in apprehension seeme inuincible for their hugenes are most commonly ouerthrowen by famine the forerunner of pestilence For proofe hereof we haue seene the inundations of Attila Tamerlan and those barbarous nations stand on foote but a little space whereas the Grecians Macedonians Carthaginians Romanes Spaniards and English haue done great matters with meane armies For things that are moderate last and indure as small riuers which what they cannot doe in one yeere in two or more they finally accomplish whereas immoderate and violent are like vnto Torrents making more noise and furie then hurt or hinderance violently comming and violently carrying themselues away Therefore against such mightie impressions the surest safetie is to draw the warre out in length and onely to stand vpon the defensiue for let such armies rest assured that they cannot so long hold out but they will wauer either for want of prouision scarcitie of coine infection of the aire or infirmities of their owne bodies The other thing is that prosperitie blindeth the winner making him carelesse aduersitie ripeneth the looser and maketh him warie and industrious so fortune changing her copie the affaires of the winner decline and the good successe of the looser groweth euerie day better then other Besides conquests are not perfected but by processe of time and in processe of time old age creepeth vpon the persons of Princes and how fit a crasie bodie and a vigorous spirit nummed with olde age is for the consummation of a conquered estate the liues of Iulius Caesar and Charles the fift may stand for examples Lastly to answere those who vnlesse they be ere witnesses will neuer be answered let them know that nothing so much hindereth the inuasiue ambition of this prince as the nature of places For Caucasus stretching it selfe into a thousand branches in those parts incompasseth whole kingdomes with some parcels thereof by some it runneth by the sides to others it is more defensiue then any artificiall rampire sometime it wholy shutteth vp passages sometime it meaketh them inaccessible These difficulties are more iniurious to the Mogor then to any other Prince because the strength and sinewes of his forces consist in horse which as they are of great consequence in Campania so amongst hils and rocks they are of no seruice Of this qualitie are the frontires of Persia and the kingdome of Sablestan on euerie side heâ—d in with that part of Caucasus which the Grecians call Paropanise Segestan is likewise so inuironed that the riuer Il-mento were it not for searching out infinite windings and turnings through naturall vallies could hardly finde passage to pay his tribute to the famous Ganges In Cambaia it selfe where the Mogors are of such fearefull puissance liue the Resbuti not dreading them one whit by reason of the strength of the mountaines These Resbuti are the remainder of the Gentiles that betooke themselues to the mountaines betweene Cambaia and Diu when the Mahumetans first entred these countries and since that day by strong hand they haue preserued their libertie infesting verie often the plaine countrey with their incursions Other prouinces there are vtterly barren not onely wanting water but all necessaries else of this kinde is Dolcinda vpon the skirts of Cambaia thorough which it is impossible to lead an armie To these discommodities you may adde the losse of time which Princes being lords of ample and spacious dominions are constrained to make in their voiages For the better part of sommer is spent before they can arriue at their rendeuous with their horses halfe dead through trauell and the armie halfe in halfe in number and courage diminished yea winter ouertaketh them commodious for their enimies and disaduantagious for them For they must lie in the field and open aire amongst mire frosts their enimies vnder a warme roofe holesome harbour Whereupon wise princes which haue beene to make long land-iourneies through diuers prouinces of diuers natures for feare of such like discommodities haue thought it best to prouide shipping and to vse the oportunitie of riuers or sea as did Caesar Germanicus in the warre of Germanie after he perceiued that in the protracting of time which was requisite for the marching of his armie the greater part of his men and horses were idlie consumed by infirmities labour and the length of iourneies But the Mogor is vtterly destitute of this aduantage vpon one side he hath no hauen on an other the Portugals are his iealous neighbours who with two castles of great strength at Din and Damain haue shut vp the whole gulfe of the Cambaiaâ— sea Finally the puissance of their neighbours hath beene as great a controule to their furious inuasions as any other naturall cause viz. the king of Barma who is nothing inferior in power and riches for he is lord of so many kingdomes and so fierce and warlike a people and can bring such swarmes into the field that he is fearelesse of any his Tartarian neighbours And as the Mogor ruleth fare and wide betweene Ganges and Indus so doth this king betweene Ganges and Siam As the one deuiseth to offend so by little and little the other waxeth wise to defend For by nature man is more prone to procure his owne safety then ready by wrong to oppresse others being alwaies more carefull to conserue then forward to destroy It cannot be expressed how ful of subtiltie shifts deuises industrie man is to defend him and his for he vseth for his owne safegard not that only which is properly defeÌ„siue but euen that also which may be any way offensiue Neither euer was there any instrument inuented for
offence but that the same might be turned to defence of which kind are castles built of later times and the deuises of moderne fortification And therefore the closest castles are neuer accounted the best because they which are forced to guard such places are depriued of the facilitie of offending the enimie by sallies shot wilde-fire and such like all which and many other stratagemes were easily performed in an open hold But of all inuentions there is none more admirable then that of fortification for euen the termes thereof as Curtains counterscarps parapets trenches vamures mines and countermines casemats and such like phrases are verie ingenious and misticall for by this arte fewe soldiers haue resisted great armies and a small place made tenable hath wasted the forces and treasures of a mightie Emperour As well witnessed the fortunes of 800. Portugals at Damain vpon the coast of Cambaia who by this arte scorned and deluded the whole forces and attempts of this mightie Mogor The kingdome of China IN times past the kingdome of China hath beene farre larger then now it is For it appeereth by their histories containing the Annales of 2000. yeeres and vpwards and by other of their manuscript Cronicles written in their owne language whose fragments are yet to be seene that their kings were Lords almost of all the sea coast of Asia from the streight of Anian to the kingdome of Pegu the prouinces of Meletai Bacam Calan Boraga and other territories situated vpon the north side of Pegu where their monuments with their epitaphes deuises are to be seene at this day For in all the foresaid regions the reliques of their ancient ceremonies whereby the knowledge of the Mathematiques as the diuision of the yeere into monethes the Zodiake into twelue signes true testimonies of their emperie are obserued and taught by tradition Neither is the time long sithence all those kingdomes accoūted the king of China their soueraigne sending their ambassadors with presents to his court euery third yeere These ambassadors ought to be fower at least for before they could arriue at their iourneies end some of thē either by remotenes of place difficult accesse of audience or delay in dispatch could not but surely die those whose chance it was to scape the Chinois in some set banquet would poison erect vnto them stately tombes with the inscription of their names the place from whence they came with the title of ambassadors thereby say they to commit to eternitie the remembrance of the bounds of their empire They inlarged their dominions no lesse vpon the Ocean then vpon the continent For they first of all inuaded the Iles of the Orient next them followed the Giau◠then the Malaccans and Moores and lastly the Portugals and Castilians who hold them at this day But none of these nations were of equall power and magnificence to the Chinois for besides the conquest of the bordering Iles which in regarde of their numbers their spaciousnes and fertilitie were of great reckoning they became Lords of the greatest part of all the inhabitable places in that vast Archipelago euen to Zeilan where they left their speech caracters as also they did the like vpon the opposite continent We read also in the papers of certain Iesuits that in one quarter of the Iland of S. Laurence they found white people which said that they descended of the Chinois They first discouered the Moluccas gaue names to the spices planted colonies in many of them which to this present keepe their old names as Batta China a Muar Batta China Mauri Batta signifieth a towne Batta China a towne of the Chinois It is likewise thought that the inhabitants of Iaua descended of them to speak truth there is no great difference between their maner of liuing clothing building industrie traffik manuall occupations But after the shipwrack of 80. vessels and the losse of their people in the sea of Zeilan comparing their profit with their losse they resolued to trie no more such hazards but to containe thēselues within their owne bounds And to cause this edict to be inuiolably obserued they enact ed that none thereafter vpon paine of the losse of his head should offer to saile into those parts the kings themselues did euer after abstaine from future inuasions For sithence they enioy a very earthly paradise where nature and arte are at strife to content the inhabitants where no good thing is wanting but much superfluous and to spare what mad men would consume their bodies and treasures in getting those things which are more chargeable to get then profitable to keepe Polibius writeth that vpon the same reasons the olde Carthaginians forsooke part of those things which before they had conquered The Romanes after they had suffered a greenous losse of their best vessels in the second Punicke warre in meere dispaire bid nauigation adieu but afterwardes perceiuing that they who were commanders of the sea were likely to prooue Lords of the land built a new nauie and at length saw the successe answere their latest opinions Therefore can we not but ascribe this resolution of the Chinois rather to good conscience and aduisednes then to wisedome or good policie For seeing there can be no greater follie then to hazard our owne goods vpon hope to gaine anothers to waste the borders of our owne dominions to inuade our neighbours to shed our owne blood vpon desire to spill a strangers it is more honorable and worthie the office of a king to content himselfe with his owne right rather then by wrong to possesse anothers Content breedes stabilitie conquest brings care to see to the conquered therefore why should any prince weare out himselfe to inlarge his dominion if inlargement doe not onely doe no good but euen spoileth that which was good before making that vncertaine which before was certaine and weakening that which before was strong Let a wise prince vtterly refraine such iournies if they bring not assured securitie and more then common profit For securitie is one scale wherein a state hangeth which if the beame stand true must onely aime at that which is likely to breede greater securitie and that is the seising vpon streights sconces passages and fit places to remooue the enemie far away In the other scale should hang profit that is by conquering those prouinces which are rich or able to yeeld all kinde of prouision for liuing creatures and furniture for warre and shipping But to returne to the Chinois When this surrender was resolued in full counsell they set the people whom they had vanquished free yet some of their good wils remained feodaries shadowing their estates vnder the wings of their puissance as the kings of Corea Lequi Canchinchina and Siam And notwithstanding their retrait within their owne bounds yet possesse they a dominion little lesse then all Europe for from the North towards the South it reacheth from 17. to 52. degrees from the East to the West are 22. degrees
Bremea Caipumo and Chencra The inhabitants of Lai which border vpon the north of the prouinces of Muantai and Caipumo and are diuided into three principalities are vnder his obeisance The first is that of Iangoma the second of Cucrai the third Lanca neere Chachinchina They inhabite a plaine and welthie countrey into which the Gueoni Marke Paul calleth their country Cangigu discending from the mountaines to hunt for men make oftentimes cruell butcheries amongst them The people of Lai for feare of these anthropophagi acknowledge the soueraingtie of Siam but they often rebell and obey as they list The wealth of the countrey may be coniectured by the firtilitie for being situated in a plaine and watered with most noble and famous riuers like an other Egypt it cannot but abound with plentie of all things It bringeth foorth rice graine of all sorts horses elephants infinite store of cattle gold and tinne siluer is brought thither by the people of Lai By reason of this plentie the people are drowned in pleasure and wantonnesse They follow husbandry but take no great delight in manuell occupations which causeth the kingdome to be poore in merchandise Amongst many other cities three are famous Cambaia seated vpon the riuer Menon which rising in China is so hugely augmented by the falling in of many riuers that his owne chanell not sufficing for receit thereof it renteth the earth to disgorge it selfe into a thousand Ilands making a second Meotis more then 60. miles long Meicon signifieth the captaine Menon the mother of waters The second citie is Siam whose statelines giueth the name to the whole countrey It is a most goodly citie and of admirable trasfike which may the better be imagined by the writing of a certaine Iesuite who reporteth that besides the naturall inhabitants there are more then thirtie thousand Arabian housholds The third citie is called Vdia greater then Siam consisting of fower hundred thousand families It is said that two hundred thousand boats belong to this citie and the riuer Caipumo whereupon it is seated This king to shew his maiestie and magnificence keepeth a guard of sixe thousand soldiers and two hundred elephants of these beasts he hath thirtie thousand whereof he traineth three thousand for the warre This is a great matter if you weigh their woorth and their charges in keeping His gouernment is rather tyrannicall then kinglike for he is absolute Lord of all the demeanes of the kingdome and either setteth them out to husbandmen or giueth them to his nobles for their maintenance during life and pleasure but neuer passeth the right of inheritance He bestoweth vpon them likewise townes and villages with their territories but vpon condition to maintaine a certaine number of horsemen footemen and elephants By this policie without any pennie pay or burden to the countrie he is able to leuie twentie thousand horsemen 250. thousand footemen Vpon occasion he can wage a greater number by reason of the largenes of his kingdomes and the populousnes of his townes For Vdia onely the chiefe seat of his kingdome mustered 50. thousand men And although he be Lord of nine kingdomes yet vseth he no other nation in the warre but the Siamits and the inhabitants of the two kingdomes of Vdia and Muantai All honors and preferments are bestowed vpon men of seruice in this kingdome In times of peace they haue their warlike exercises and in certaine pastimes which the king once a yeere exhibiteth at Vdia are shewed all militarie feats of armes vpon the riuer Menon where more then 3000. vessels which they terme Paraos diuided into two squadrons skirmish one against the other Vpon the land runne the horses and elephants and the footemen trie it out at sword and buckler with point and edge rebated the remainder of their daies they spend in riot and wantonnes Their borders towards the East reach to Canchinchina betweene whom are such huge woods lions tigers leopards serpents and elephants that they cannot infest one another by armes Towards the lake Chiamai they border vpon the Chinois Towards the sea they affront the Arabians and Portugals The one tooke from them Patan Paam Ior and Peam the other Malaca and the territorie adioyning so that betweene them they bereaued him of two hundred miles of land and contenting themselues with the sea coasts and the customes arising vpon the carriyng out and bringing in of merchandise they abstaine from further inuasion of the inland prouinces and hold it good policie to keepe firme peace with the king and his countries Toward the west lieth the kingdome of Pegu like an halfe moone betweene the mountaines of Brama and Iangoma Towards the north lye the Gudoni inhabiting the barrein and sharp mountaines betweene whom and Siam dwell the people of Lay. This people is subiect to the crowne of Siam for feare of these Canibals of whom if it had not beene for his protection they had long agon beene vtterly deuoured Not fortie yeeres since the king made a iourney against them with twentie thousand horse their horse are small but excellent good in trauell 250. thousand footemen and ten thousand elephants part imploied for seruice part for carriage No kingdome hath greater store of these beasts or doth more vse them An innumerable number of oxen buffals and beasts of carriage followed this armie whom they slew when they wanted other prouision Hitherto haue we deuised of Siam and Pegu as they stood before the comming of the Portugals into India but how in proces of time the state was altered you shall now heare In times past diuers kingdomes of Barma situated along the riuer towards the lake Chiamai obeyed the king of Pegu vnder the gouernment of certaine Lieutenants Sixtie yeeres sithence one of these captaines ruler of the kingdome of Tengu by the aide of his faction and reputation of his vertues entred into rebellion and slaying the Nobles of the land vsurped the kingdome Afterward he forced the cities and conquered the kingdome of Prom Melintai Calam Mirandu and Ana all inhabited by the Bramians for the space of one hundred and fiftie leagues towards the north He assaied likewise the conquest of Siam but comming before Vdia the chiefe citie of the kingdome he was forced to raise his siege and depart He vndertooke this iourney with 300. thousand footemen consuming more then three moneths in making way for his armie through stonie mountaines huge woods maccessible places and in lieu for the losse of 120. thousand of his soldiers he tooke two hundred thousand Siamits prisoners At his returne home he inuaded the kingdome of Pegu and woone it Afterward in the yeere 1507. he renued his iourney against Siam and ouercame the king thereof who slew himselfe with poison but he tooke his sonnes and with them the better part of the kingdome He belegerd Vdia with a million of men and vpward Our late writers call this man and his successors because their fame arose by the conquest of the kingdomes of Brama
keepe in their possession all the profits of the lands woods mines yea and the waters of pooles and riuers through their whole dominions No man may wash himselfe in Ganges which runneth by Bengala nor in Ganga which watereth the land of Orissa before he hath paid tole to the king The king himselfe is now inforced to buie this water causing it to be brought vnto him by long iourneies vpon a superstitious custome either to bathe or purge himselfe therein He is absolute Lord of the bodies and goods of his subiects which he shareth to himselfe and his captaines leauing the people nothing but their hands and labour of lands the king hath three parts and his captaines the residue Whereupon sithence all these barbarous princes maintaine not peace and iustice as arches whereupon to lay the groundworke of their estates but armes conquest and the nurserie of a continuall soldierie it must needes followe that they are able to leuie greater troupes of horse and foote then otherwise we were bound to beleeue But to induce some measure of credit let vs compare the abilities of some Christian princes with theirs If the king of France were absolute Lord of all the lands and profits of his whole dominion as these men are it is thought that his yeerely reuenues would amount to 15. millions and yet therein are neither mines of gold nor siluer The elergie receiueth sixe millions the kings demesnes amount to one and an halfe the residue is theirs who haue the inheritance and yet the peazants liue wel here in comparison of the villagois of India Polonia and Lithuania Besides this the king hath eight millions of ordinarie reuenue arising of customes and escheats How mightie a prince would he be if he were landlord of the demesnes and rents of the whole kingdome and should imploy them vpon the maintenance of soldiers as doth the king of Narsinga Surely whereas now the kings reuenues doe hardly suffice for the maintenance of fower thousand men at armes and six thousand crosbowes if this allowance were added to the former he might as easily maintaine 150. thousand To returne to Narsinga the king to see that his captaines performe their duties once a yeere proclaimeth a muster whereat they dare not but be present At the muster day those who haue presented their companies defectiue either in number or furnituâ—e are sure to be cassed but those who bring their companies complete and well armed he honoureth and aduanceth What forces may be gathered out of so ample a dominion armed after their manner as aforesaid you shall gather by that which Iohn Barros writeth of the armie which king Chrismarao led against Idalcan in the iournie of Raciel These are his words verbatim Vnder sundry captaines the armie was diuided into many battailions In the vantgard marched Camaraique with one thousand horse 17. elephants and 30. thousand footmen Tiarabicar with two thousand horse twentie elephants and fiftie thousand footemen Timaipanaique with three thousand horsemen and 56. thousand footemen After them followed Hadainaique with fiue thousand horsemen fiftie elephants and one hundred thousand footemen Condomara with six thousand horse sixtie elephants 120. thousand footemen Comora with 250. horse fortie elephants and 80. thousand footemen Gendua with one thousand horse ten elephants and thirtie thousand footemen In the rereward were two eunuches with 1000. horse 15. elephants and forty thousand footemen Betel one of the kings pages led 200. horse twentie elephants and eight thousand foote After all these followed the king with his garde of sixe thousand horsemen three hundred elephants and fortie thousand footemen Vpon the flanks of this battell went the gouernor of the citie of Bengapor with diuers captaines vnder whose colours were 4200. horse 25. elephants and sixtie thousand footemen seruing for wages Vpon the head of the battell ranged 200. thousande horsemen in small troupes like our vantcurrers in such sort and order scowring the countrie before behinde and on all sides that no noueltie could so suddenly happen but notice thereof was giuen at the Imperiall tent in a moment Twelue thousand carriers of water and twenty thousand light huswifes followed this armie The number of lackies merchants artificers scullions they call them Maniati oxen buffals and carriage beasts was infinite When the armie was to passe any riuer knee-deepe before the foremost were passed there was scant remaining sufficient for the latter whereof to drinke Before this iournie the king sacrificed in nine daies 20736. head of liuing creatures as well of birds as beasts the flesh whereof in honor of his idols was giuen to the poore The soldiers were clothed in garments of cotten wooll so close and hard quilted that they would beare out the thrust of a lance or sword Euery elephant was trimmed in a couering of cotten wooll with a frame on his backe bearing fower men To their tusks were fastened long and broad swords to cut in sunder whatsoeuer stood in their way The footemen were armed with bowes iauelins swords and bucklers These last the better to couer their whole bodies and to manage their heauie bucklers carried no offensiue weapons In the fight when the king perceiued Idalcan by the furie of his great ordinance to make hauocke of his men and dismay the residue leaping into the head of the battell is reported to vse this prince-beseeming incouragement Beleeue me my companions Idalcan shall rather boast that he hath slaine then ouercome a king of Narsinga With which words and ensample his soldiers all inflamed and ashamed of their cowardize with a furious charge broke the enemies aray and put Idalcan to flight Amongst other spoiles they tooke fower thousand Arabian horses one hundred elephants fower hundred great peeces besides smal The number of oxen buffals tents and prisoners was inestimable With Idalcan were fortie Portugals with the king of Narsinga twentie In his raigne two of his captaines rebelled Virapanai vsurped Negapatan and Veneapatir the territorie adioining to Matipura Calecute THE most noble part of India is that which lieth betweene the mountaine Gate and the Indian Ocean It stretcheth from Cape Comerin to the riuer Cangierecor three hundred miles long In this prouince raigneth the king of Calecut who though he may not be compared to the princes aboue spoken of for number and power yet for pleasant and plentifull situation he may be saide farre to surpasse them For the region is so cut as it were into many parcels sometime by creekes of the sea sometime by riuers and sometime by lakes that nature as it should seeme would haue it diuided into seuerall prouinces as Trauancor Colan Cochin Crangonor Calecute Tano Canonor Seuen yeeres agone Pereimal king of all Malabar ruled these prouinces who after he became a Mahumetan and resolued to trauell to Meca there to spend the remnant of his daies diuided the land into many principalities but with this prouiso that all soueraigne authoritie should rest in the king of Calecute with the title of
Samori which signifieth Emperor or as some write God on earth Although the reputation of this king be much ecclipsed by the Portugals partly by diuersion of traffike from his countries and partly by astisting his rebels and vassals the kings of Tauor and Cochin and though his title of Samori be little regarded yet maintaineth hee his woonted maiestie in very good sort amongst the Barbarians Calecute is 25. leagues long Malabar in the broadest place exceedeth not ten The citie of Calecute from whence the prouince taketh his name is three miles long situated vpon the sea side It containeth but few houses and those of little woorth not aboue ten fifteene or twentie nobles rent by yeere which is the common rent of all the housing of the East Indies if the Arabians or Portugals be not dealers therein The inhabitants liue vpon rice palmito cattell and fish Their riches consist in ginger and pepper which draweth yeerely a great masse of treasure into the hauens of this kingdome The Arabians were Lords of this traffike for many ages till the Portugals setting light by the incredible dangers of a long nauigation arriued there not aboue 100. yeeres since and bartred their wares for pepper and other commodities of the land And as the Portugals enriched the townes of Cochin so did the Arabians Calecute and that kingdome For this commoditie is of such consequence that it not onely enricheth the prince with presents and customes but in such sort so augmenteth the state of the merchants that some of them are comparable to many dukes in Europe and kings in Afrike In their wars in Malabar they vse not the seruice of horse not onely for that the climate breedeth none for those that they haue are brought out of Persia and Arabia but for that the nature of the countrey is not fit for horsemanship For as in Sweuia the footemen vse no pikes and the horsemen no launces for the thicknes of the woods which maketh them vnseruiceable so in Malabar because of the streights riuers of the sea and marishes they seldome vse horses so that all their forces consist in shipping and footemen It is strange to see how readie the soldier of this countrie is at his weapon they are all gentlemen and termed Naires At seuen yeeres of age they are put to schoole to learne the vse of their weapons where to make them nimble and actiue their sinewes and ioints are stretched by skilfull fellowes and annointed with the oile of Sesamus by this annointing they become so light and nimble that they will winde and turne their bodies as if they had no bones casting them forward backward heigh and low euen to the astonishment of the beholders Their continual delight is in their weapon perswading themselues that no nation goeth beyond them in skill and dexteritie Euery one inureth himselfe to that weapon whereto he findeth his bodie most agreeable Their ancient weapons were the Iauelin the bowe and the sword but after the comming of the Portugals they learned so exactly the mixing of mettals the casting of great ordinance and the practise thereof that some say their artillerie and powder surpasseth ours They go to the warre all naked saue their priuities neither vse they head peeces which is the reason that in fights and skirmishes they shew exceeding agilitie charging retiring more like falcons then soldiers When a man would take them to be farre off he shall see them houering round about him in a trice so that it is as dangerous to follow them flying as to deale with them fighting They are swift as leopards and their flight as much to be feared as their charge If they come to handstrokes which they will not do but vpon necessitie or aduantage they vse altogither to strike with the point They binde copper or siluer shingles to the hilts of their swords the sound whereof in steede of drums and trumpets encourageth them to the encountre They wil lie so close vnder their bucklers that you shall not see any part of their bodies lie open to danger There are one kind of Nairs called Amochi which accurse themselues their kinred and posteritie with most bitter execrations if they leaue iniuries done to their societie vnreuenged If their king happen to be slaine so much the more furious runne they through fire water and assured destruction to reuenge his death And therefore the kings of India suppose their estates weake or strong as they perceiue the numbers of those Amochi to be few or many By the lawe of the countrie they may not marrie but they are all allowed women in common They maintaine those women very well according to their birth and degrees They must be all gentlewomen for the Nairs may not take any countriewomen yea so great is their disdaine and pride that without ill vsage they will not indure any of the common people to come neere them In their iournies they send their seruants before to the Innes and villages to declare their masters approch then must all trauellers depart and giue roome If it be thought in Turkie that by licentious libertie in time of peace the Ianizars become more hardie and couragious in warre what may we deeme of these Nairs who will not indune a man of meane calling to looke them in the face They inhabite no townes but dwell in houses made of earth inuironed with hedges and woods and their waies as intricate as into a laborinth Of what force this kingdome is may be gathered by the armie of sixtie thousand soldiers and two hundred vessels of warre which he leuied 1503. against Edward Pacheco the king of Portugals captaine taking part at that time with the king of Cochin this warre lasted almost fiue monethes In the yeere 1529. with an armie of one hundred thousand he belegered the fortresse which the Portugals built in Calecute vnder the keeping of Iohn Lima. In this siege he spent a whole winter wherein although the Portugals behaued themselues very valiantly yet weighing the kings forces and their owne possibilities they thought it best to destroy it with their owne hands In the yeere 1561. he besieged Ciale with 90. thousand men and tooke it by composition He hath more then once giuen an instance of his power at sea He is Lord of many hauens whereunto great numbers of shipping doe resort and in that regarde cannot choose but be well furnished with a great nauie But in goodnes of shipping and martiall discipline we must needes confesse the sea-forces of all the Indian princes to be far inferior to those of the Portugals whose dominion both at sea and land nothing hath so much augmented as their defensiue warfare To speake truth it seldome falleth out but the naked man feareth the sword and the armed more incouraged thereby bearing himselfe bolder vpon his skill then his strength and preuailing more by temporizing then in ioyning foote to foote by rash fighting whereas the Barbarians putting more confidence in their numbers then
in these daies by the conquest of the great Turke they are much diminished and it is thought that they amount to little more then two millions but the feodarie landes townes and villages which are very many supply a great part of the pay due to the companies of the horsemen aboue mentioned Towards the East bordereth the Mogor vpon the North the Zagatai Towards the West the Turke possesseth a large frontire vpon the South lieth Ormus and therein the Portugals With the Mogors he is little troubled For as Spaine France by reason of the narrow streights difficult passages ouer the mountaines cannot easily conuey necessaries the life of an armie to infest one another so towards the frontiers of India and Cambaia prouinces belonging to the Mogors high mountaines vast deserts keepe good peace betweene these two princes Yet infest they one another on the borders of Cabul Sablestan of which certaine Lords of the Mogors haue gotten the dominion He commeth not neere the borders of the great Cham betweene whom certaine petie princes and impassible deserts doe oppose themselues It seemeth that towards the Zagatai he standeth content with those bounds which the riuer Oxus hath laid out for he neuer durst passe it when Zaba king of the Zagatai had passed it he was ouerthrowne with a great slaughter by Ismael So againe was Cyrus by Tomiris who slew him and all his host The Turke is a borderer all alongst the westerne coast of this whole empire euen from the Caspian sea to the gulfe of Saura a tract almost of 15. degrees He hath no enemie like dangerous to this prince more to be feared or of greater power at whose hands in all conflicts for the most part he hath reaped nothing but losse and dishonor Mahumet the second ouerthrew Vssanchan and tooke from Dauid his vassall and confederate the empire of Trapezond Selim the first ouerthrew Ismael in Campania and tooke from him Caramit Orfa Merdis and all the territorie which they call Alech Soliman put Tamas to flight and tooke from him Babylon and all Mesopotamia In our daies Amarath woon whatsoeuer lieth betweene Derbent and Tauris wherein is comprehended Georgia and Siruan and by building of fortresses in Testis Sumachia and Ere 's assured the passages of Chars Tomanis and Lori He is Lord of all that lieth betweene Erzirum and Orontes a riuer three daies iournie beyond Tauris In this citie he caused a citadell to be built not minding to leaue it as did Selim and Soleman but thereby as with a curbe to bridle and keepe it for euer In this warre which lasted from the yeere 1591. to 1597. the Turks altered their forme of warfare For whereas they were woont to lay their whole hopes vpon their numbers the valor of their horsmen and footemen their store of artillerie and warlike furniture scorning to be cooped vp in castles and fortresses for the most part burning whatsoeuer they became Lords of and little caring to keepe what they had conquered supposing it no good policie to strengthen townes by weakning their companies in these wars to auoide the inconueniences whereinto Selim and Soliman were plunged were glad to build strong places vpon commodious passages and citadels in the chiefest townes furnishing them with good garrisons and great store of artillerie This warre cost them very deere for by surprises by famine and extremities of weather infinite thousands perished yet alwaies to the losse of the Persian or his confederates In the field the Persian is farre inferior to the Turke in numbers and goodnes of footemen in ordinance in all sorts of warlike furniture and the chiefest stay of a state in obedience of subiects Notwithstanding if Selim Soliman or Amarath had not been allured either by rebellion or intestine discords they durst not haue medled with this warre Selim was called in to the aide of Marabeg the sonne of Ossan a most mightie prince in Persia. Soliman came in aide of Elcaso the brother of Tamas hateful to his soueraigne for his ambition and aspiring humor and in the end abused the credit and good will of the people towards Elcaso to the furtherance of his owne desseignes Amurath neuer tooke weapon in hand against this people before he vnderstood by the letters of Mustafa Bassa of Van that all Persia was in vprore about the election of a newe prince thereby certifying him that some had chosen Ismael some Ayner both sonnes of Tamas and that Periacocona slaying her owne brother Ismael and betraying Ayner had procured the kingdome to Mahumet Codobanda After this mischiefe fell those fatalliars betweene Codabanda and his sonne and betweene the Turcoman nation a mighty familie in Persia and the king a faction no lesse disastrous to the state of Persia then the warre of Turkie Against the Portugals of Ormus for want of sea forces he stirreth not and againe for want of land forces the Portugals are not able to molest his vpland countries Tamas being counselled to make a voiage against Ormus asked what commodities the Iland brought forth whether corne cattell fruit or what other good thing When it was answered that the soile was vtterly barren and destitute of all prouision but excellent well seated for traffike and nauigation scoffing at the motion replied that of this kinde of reuenue he had released vnto his people aboue ninetie thousand Tomana The kingdome of Iapan IApan may well be called a politike bodie compacted of many sundry Ilands of diuers different formes circuits which as they are diuided from the rest of the cōtinent so are they inhabited by a people much differing in manners customes from the residue of the Orient They stand round and close togither like the Maldinae in the Indian sea and the Hebrides and Orchades in the north Ocean They are in number 66. diuided into three partialities The first conteineth nine the second fower the third fiftie three Amongst these fiue are renowmed but especially one for the famous citie of Macao And it is most commonly seene that they who haue the soueraigntie of those fiue are Lords of all the rest It is distant from new Spaine 150. leagues from China 60. The soile is to be accounted rather barren then fertile The inhabitants are of a very readie wit and marueilous patient in aduersitie Their new borne children they immediately wash in the riuers and assoone as they are weaned they take them from their mothers and bring them vp in labours of hunting and such like exercises They go bare headed men and women as well in foule weather as faire They are very ambitious and desirous of honor Pouertie is no disgrace to the Gentrie of their bloud They will not suffer the least wrong to passe vnreuenged they salute one another with many curtesies they are verie staied and of a setled resolution They are very iealous to shew themselues fearefull or base minded in word or deed they will make no man priuie of their losses or
misfortunes they haue the like beasts both tame and wilde as we haue but they will scarcely eate any thing saue herbes fish barly or rice and if they do it is the flesh of wilde beasts taken by hunting Of these graines they make their wines and water mixt with a certaine precious powder which they vse they account a daintie beuerage they call it Chia Their buildings for the most part are of timber partly because the vpland places are destitute of quarries but abounding with cedars of admirable height and thicknes fit for building and partly because the countrey is very subiect to earthquakes In times past all Iapan obeied one prince shewing him great obedience and subiection and this gouernment indured with no lesse state and maiestie at the least 1600. yeeres vntill about 50. yeeres sithence by the rebellion of two of his chiefest lieutenants the whole kingdome was distracted each of them holding by armes whatsoeuer he atchiued by vsurpation By their example others becomming as ambitious seised vpon the rest of the kingdome some on one part some on an other leauing nothing but the bare name of Dairi which signifieth the Lord of all Iapan with the title of Iucata viz. king to their rightfull soueraigne Yea those princes which were Lords of the territories about Meaco would hardly allow him whereof to find him victuall apparel so that now he resembleth the shadow rather then the king of the ancient magnificent Monarchie of Iapan Sithence those times whosoeuer laieth holdfast on the dominion of the Coquinai those are the fiue kingdomes bordering vpon Meaco in steed of Dairi calleth himselfe Emperour and king of Iapan and Lord of Tenza Nabunanga was one of them in our daies and after him Fassia in power and maiestie excelling all his predecessors Nabunanga was Lord of 36. prouinces Fassih at the least of fiftie Their forme of gouernment is nothing like the policie of Europe The strength of the Prince consisteth not in ordinarie reuenues and loue of the people but in rigor and the princes pleasure Assoone as the prince hath conquered one or more kingdomes he shareth them wholy amongst his friends and followers who binde themselues by oath faithfully to serue him with a limited company of men as well in peace as warre They againe to make their followers trustie and readie for all seruices reseruing some small matter for the sustentation of themselues and their families diuide to euerie man a portion of the former diuision so that all the wealth of Iapan priuate and publike is in the hand of a few men and those few depending vpon the pleasure of one that is the Lord of Tenza He as him listeth giueth taketh disgraceth honoreth inricheth and impouerisheth When he casleth any gouernor of his prouince all the leaders and soldiers of the said prouince are changed and none left there but artificers and husbandmen This gouernment draweth with it continuall dislike and innouations For Dairy though he hath neither power nor gouernment yet being in fauour estimation of the people ceaseth not to insinuate into their heads that this Lord of Tenza and the other tyrants are vsurpers of other mens right destroyers of the monarchie and enimies to the state and libertie of Iapan Which perswasions take so deepe roote in the harts of the people and so extenuate the reputation of these vsurpers that vnder colour of suppression of others they often take armes vpon hope to raise their owne greatnes so that by this daily chaunge of gouernors the people not knowing who are their right and natural Lords know not whom to loue and obey and againe their Lords being as vncertaine of their continuance care not for the people nor for the welfare of their own vassals no more then if they were meer straÌ„gers but alwaies aspiring by the same facility wherby they gained one to conquer a better after the manner of gaâ—â—esters continually hazard one vpon hope of winning another in this sort sometime one alone sometime many together vexing the Ilands with perpetuall warfar Fassiha to assure his estate and disable the great ones from enterprising against him doth often transport them from one prouince to another causing them to forgoe their ancient inheritances and to lead their liues amongst vnknowen neighbours neither in those places will he suffer them to inioy liuings vnited but far diuided in pieces and parcels For all this they are neuer at peace amongst themselues by reason that the frontires of their pettie iurisdictions neighbour so neere one vpon another In these alterations Fassiha constrayned as well the loosers as the winners to doe him homage and obeysance and once a yeere to pay him a rich tribute drawing to his owne coffers the greatest part of the wealth of Iapan by these tyrannies He keepeth his owne people busied in building of admirable palaces sumptuous temples townes fortresses the like whereof are no where to be seene In these workes he hath more then an hundred thousand workmen labouring in their seuerall occupations at their owne charges Amongst the rest he is now in building a temple for whose iron workes all the stuffe in Iapan will hardly suffice and therefore he hath giuen commandement to all his people and merchants to bring all their iron and armor into one place Besides the oath of fealtie whereby the residue of the kings and princes are bound to aide and assist him in peace and warre he receiueth yeerely two millions arising of the profits of rice reserued vpon his owne possessions He was determined after the finishing of these fabriks to attempt a iourney into China and for that enterprise caused timber sufficient for the building of two thousand vessels for transportation to be felled By these magnificent fabriks this haughtie resolution this large dominion and conquest of forreine kingdomes he hopeth to attaine the reputation of immortalitie amongst his subiects as diuers of his predecessors haue done before him For Amida Xaca Canis and Fotoque were no other then Lords of Iapan which either for their glorie in warre or inuention of some good arts in peace were accounted as gods amongst the Iaponians as in the old world Hercules and Bâ—cchus were amongst the Graecians and Saturne and Ianuâ— amongst the Italians Of these demi-gods they report as many strange and fabulous inuentions as the Graecians and Italians did of theirs But Fassiha vnderstanding by the preaching of the Iesuits that there can be no God but one who created the heauen and earth of nothing and all other deities to be foolish and detestable determined to banish them all and to weed vp that good vine which began to take deepe roote in those prouinces Surely this may stand for a memorable example of the pride and blindenesse of mans hart The Romane Emperors opposed their forces against Christian religion onely to maintaine and vphold the worship of their idols condemned for vaine and diuelish by the law of Christianitie but this man raiseth persecution
of Mauritania Tingitan Which the better to effect he first sent his three sonnes Abdel Abuet Mahumet on pilgrimage to Meca and Medina to visit and worship the fepulchre of their great prophet Mahumet The yoong men returned from this pilgrimage with such opinion and estimation of holines and religion if it be lawfull to vse these termes to so great impietie and fopperie that the inhabitants as they trauelled could not be kept from kissing their garments and adoring them as saints They againe as men rapt in deep contemplation iournied through the prouinces sighing and sobbing and crying with a high voice Ala Ala. They had no other sustenance but the almes of the people Their father receiued them with great ioy and contentment and perceiuing the fauour and opinion of the people not to be like a woonder of nine daies but to continue fresh and the same as at first resolued to make vse thereof and thereupon sent two of them Abnet and Mahumet to Fes to the court The king receiued them kindly and made one of them president of the most famous college of Amodorac and the yoonger tutor of his children In processe of time when they perceiued the king to grace them and the people to fauour them by the counsell of their father taking occasion of the greenances which the Arabians and Moores seruing vnder the Portugall ensignes had done to the professors of their superstition they desired leaue of the king to display a banner against the Christians making him beleeue that they would easily draw the Portugal-Moors to their partie and so secure the prouinces of Sus Hea Ducala and Maroch Muley Nazer the kings brother resisted this petition alledging that if once vnder the shew of holines and colour of religion they grewe to a head it would not afterwards lie in his power to suppresse or range them vnder his obedience againe For war makes men awlesse victories insolent popularitie ambitious and studious of innouation But the king in whose hart their hypocriticall sanctimonie had taken a deepe impression little regarding his brothers counsell gaue them a banner a drum and twentie horsemen to accompanie them with letters of credence to the princes of Arabie and cities of Barbarie In these beginnings many things falling out to their honor and good liking they began to make incursions into Dencala and the countie of Safi ranging as farre as the promontorie Aguer then vnder the gouernment of the Portugals and perceiuing themselues to be fauoured strong and well followed vrged the people who for the most part in those daies liued in libertie to aide those which fought for their law and religion against the Christians as likewise with willing mindes to giue God his tithes which they obtained of the people of Dara Then by little and little they incroched vpon the territorie of Taradant of which they made their father gouernor and inuaded Sus Hia Dencala and the neighbouring places They first seated themselues in Tednest and afterward in Tesarot In their next iournie but with the losse of their elder brother they defeated Lopes Barriga a famous warrior and captaine generall of the Portugall armie By faire and flattering speeches they entred Marocho poisoned the king and proclaimed Amet Xerif king of the countrie After this happened the warre of the Arabians of Dencala and Xarquia with the Arabians of Garbi where while ech partie weakened other and either promised to himselfe the fauour and assistance of the Xerifs they turning their armes vpon both factions carried rich praies from both the nations Before this warre they sent vnto the king the fifth part of all their spoiles but after this victory little regarding their soueraigne and aduancer they sent him only sixe horses sixe camels those very leane and ill shapen Which the king disdaining sent to demand his fifths as also the tribute which the kings of Marocho were accustomed to pay him which if they denied he vowed reuenge with fire sword In the meane time the king died and Amet his sonne once the pupil of the yoonger Xerif not onely allowed but also confirmed Amet in the kingdome of Marocho vpon condition that in some things he should acknowledge the king of Fes to be his Lord paramount To this the Xerifs whose power estimation did daily increase when the day of paiment of the tribute came willed the messenger to say vnto his master that they were the lawfull successors of Mahumet and therefore that they were bound to pay tribute to no man yea that they had more right to Africk then he had but if he would reckon them in the number of his friends no doubt but it would turne to his good and honor but if he diuerted them from the warre of the Christians they would not leaue him so much as a hart to defend himselfe against them The king taking this in ill part proclaimed warre against them and besieged Marocho but for that time was constrained to dislodge Afterwards returning with 18. thousand horsmen and two thousand harquebushers to renew the siege as soone as he had passed the riuer he was ouercome of the Xeriffes who led an armie of seuen thousand horse and one thousand two hundred shot In the pride of this victorie they exacted tribute of this prouince passing Atlas they tooke the famous citie Tafilet and partly by loue and partly by force compelled diuers people of Numidia and the mountaines to beare the yoke of their subiection In the yeere 1536. the yoonger Xeriffe which called himselfe king of Sus gathering together a mightie armie with great store of artillerie part whereof he tooke from the king of Fes and part wherof were cast by certain renegado Frenchmen made a iournie to Cape Aguer This place is of great consequence possessed by the Portugals who built it and fortified it first at the expences of Lopeâ— Sequiera and then at the charges of king Emanuel after he vnderstood of the commodious situation thereof It was fiercely assaulted and as valiantly defended vntill the fire began to take hold vpon the bulwarke wherein their prouision of gunpowder was stowed with which misfortune the companies appointed for the defence of that quarter growing fearfull and faint-harted gaue way for the Xeriffe to enter the place who made slaues of the greatest part of the defendants After which victorie they subdued almost all Atlas the kingdome of Marocho and the Arabians which were vassals to the crowne of Portugall the residue as Safi Azamor Arzil and Alcazar places situated vpon the sea coast of Mauritania king Iohn the third perceiuing the profit not to equalize the charge voluntarily resigned These prosperous beginnings brought foorth sower endings for the brethren falling at discord and dissension twice put their fortunes vpon the hazard of a battell and twice the yoonger ouercame the elder tooke him and cast him in prison in the citie Tafilet Then turned he his armes against the king of Fes tooke
him prisoner and restored him to his libertie but taking him againe for breach of couenants he depriued him and his sonne of life and kingdome By the valor of his sonnes he tooke the citie of Tremissen But Sal-Aries viceroy of Algier being iealous of these good fortunes gathered a puissant host recouered Tremissen put the Xeriffe to flight tooke Fes and bestowed it with the territorie vpon the Lord of Velez who afterward in a battell against the Xeriffe lost both life and kingdome At last in his iournie to Taradant by the subornation of the viceroy of Algier he was murdered in his tent by certaine Turks who with their captaine Assen comming to Taradant rifled the kings treasures but were all slaine except fiue by the inhabitants in their iournie homewards This came to passe 1557. when Muley Abdala the Xeriffes sonne was proclaimed king Let this suffice for the originall of the Xeriffe now let vs see how these risings were like the fortunes of Ismael king of Persia. Both of them in small time conquered many prouinces both grew great by the ruine of their neighbours both suffered great crosses by the armes of the Turkes and to them lost part of their dominions Selim tooke from Ismael Caramit and diuers other cities of Mesopotamia the viceroy of Algier droue the Xeriffe from Tremissen and the adiacent territorie Selim woon Tauris the chiefe seate of Persia and then gaue it ouer Sal-Aries tooke Fes the head citie of Mauritania and left it when he had done This potentate is absolute Lord of the bodies and goods of his subiects whatsoeuer impositions he layeth vpon them they dare not repine at For tribute he taketh the tenth and the first fruits of their fruits and cattell yet is it most true that for first fruits he taketh not aboue one in twentie and though it exceede that number euen to one hundred yet he neuer taketh aboue two Of euery acre of land he taketh a ducat and the fift part and so much of euery houshold and of euery pole male and female aboue 15 yeeres of age yeerely If he want he taketh a greater summe To make the people more willing to pay what is imposed he alwaies demandeth more by halfe then is to be paid that so by paying their due they may think they are wel dealt withall in seeming to be forgiuen somewhat of his full demand The inhabitants of the mountaines a people sauage and vnciuill for the difficult accesse vnto them he cannot inforce to pay tribute but those that manure the plaines he constraineth to giue the tenth of their haruest Besides these reuenues he taketh tole and custome of all kindes of merchandize in cities inward of a citizen two in the hundred of a stranger ten His rent of mils is a great matter for vpon euery asse-load of graine grineded in Fes he taketh halfe a riall in this towne there are aboue 400. mils The church of Carruven was indowed with fower score thousand ducats of yeerely reuenue the colleges and monasteries of Fes with much more all which now are escheated into the kings cofers Moreouer he is heire to all the Iudges which they call Alcaids and hath the bestowing of all their offices When they die he seiseth vpon all their horses armour apparell and all their other chattels If the intestate leaue children behind him fit for the warre he bestoweth their fathers annuitie vpon them if they be sons yoong he nurseth them till they come to ful yeeres if daughters he maintaineth them till they find husbands To be fingring the wealth of the richer sort he hath alwaies some office or lieutenantship with an annuitie to sell them but commonly to preuent those sales they will not be acknowne of their abilities remoouing their abodes far from the court and the kings sight which is the cause that the citie of Fes is much fallen from the ancient splendour He hath no castles or peeces well fortified but only Aguer Labace and Tetuan vpon the sea side His chiefest confidence is in the valour of his soldiers especially his horsemen like the Turke and Persian In this regarde he taketh no great care to furnish himselfe with ordinance yet hath he great store therof in Fes Marocho Taradant in the foresaid hauen townes taken from the Portugals and others As he seeth occasion he causeth new to be cast for which seruice he can want no workmen out of Europe In Marocho he hath an Arsenall wherein he laâ—eth vp monethly at least 46. quintals of gunpowder Here he causeth his harquebushes and bowes to be likewise made In the yeere 1569. by fire which happened amongst the gunpowder-houses the greatest part of the citie was very much defaced His soldierie is of diuers sorts The first consisteth of 2700. horsemen and 2000. harquebushers part lying in garrison in Fes and part in Morocho where lieth the court The second consisteth as a man may say of a royall troupe of sixe thousand horse all Gentlemen pensioners and of great reputation These ride vpon braue horses with rich caparisons their armes and furniture shining with gold siluer stones and all things else which for varietie of colours or rich deuises may delight the eie with gallant shew or feede the humour of the curious beholder To these seruitours besides their allowance of corne prouender butter and flesh for themselues their wiues children and seruants they receiue yeerely from seuentie to one hundred ounces of siluer The third â—ort are a kinde of Timarots for the Xeriffe doth alot a certaine portion of land and tenants to his sonnes brethren and men of qualitie amongst the people of Africke and Arabia for the maintenance of their degrees Those whom they terme Alcaids looke to the manuring of the fields gather the rents of corne rice otes oyle butter flesh poultrie and money distribute it monethly amongst the soldiers to euery man according to his place They likewise giue them wollen linnen silke for their garments armor and horses for seruice If their horses chance to be slaine they giue them new so did the Romanes to those which serued vpon the horses of the state The commanders of these troupes are verie carefull to see their soldiers in hart and full of life excellent well armed and competently attired They receiue betweene fower and twentie and thirtie ounces of siluer yeerely The fourth sort make the Arabians who commonly liue in tents diuided by 120. vnder their seuerall leaders to be alwaies readie vpon all occasions They serue on horsebacke but more like theeues and outlawes then soldiers The fift sort is like the presse of the Christian common-weales These companies consist of citizens villagois and mountaine people Of these men the king maketh no great reckoning neither doth he willingly arme them for feare of sedition and innouations vnlesse it be to warre vpon the Christians wherein he cannot forbid them to serue For vpon remembrance of the slaughter of the Moores by the Christians
because it hath few mountaines and is enuironed on euerie side with the sea the aire is verie milde and temperate euen there yea much more temperate then France which is farther distant from the Pole as you may perceiue by the vines wich neuer ripen in England and yet yeeld most perfect wines in France Likewise it happeneth verie often that the northren or western winde rising from the sea bringeth springtide in the winter season decking the fields with flowers and the gardens with herbes that the inhabitants of Turon Poictou and the Isle of France enioy as forward a sommer as those of Prouince or Lago di Garda The whole lande of France is fertill and fruitfull and euerie where plentifull of all good things And as the Apennine spreading almost ouer the fourth part of Italy for the most part is barren yeeldeth small store of fruit so on the cōtrary in the mountaines of Auuergne being but few stand many good townes and rich places where cloathing is exercised and from whence a good part of the kingdome is serued with flesh butter and excellent cheese the rest of the kingdome almost is plaine heere and there garnished with fruitfull hils and greene valleies in euerie place plentie doth as it were contend with varietie fertilitie with delicacie commodiousnes of situation with beautious cities Herein without all controuersie Italie giueth place to France for although some one corner thereof affoordeth exquisite pleasure and delightfull situation as Riuiera di Salo Campania the territorie of Croton Tarentum and some other cities of Calabria yet these are singular and few in Italy common and frequent in France especially in Burgundie Brie the Isle of France Turon Aniou Zantoin and Languedo◠in each of which prouinces it should seeme that nature her selfe hath diuided and as it were dedicated by allotment some places to Ceres some to Bacchus some to Pomona and some to Pallas But there is nothing in France more worthie the noting then the number and pleasure of the nauigable riuers whereof some as it were gird in the whole realme as Sagona Rhodanus Mosell Some others cut thorough the middle as Sequano Loire Garonne Into these three riuers fall so many other riuers some from the vttermost bounds some from the inmost parts of the realme that it maketh the whole countrey commodious for trafique and exchange of each others wants insomuch that by this facilitie of carriage entercourse of merchandize all things may be saide to be in common to the inhabitants of this kingdome In Aniou onely are fortie riuers great and small whereupon Katherin de Medicis was woont to say that this kingdome contayned more riuers then all Europe beside Truely this was a Hyperbolicall speech yet not much more then truth for the goodnes of the soile and easie transporting of commodities is the cause that there are so many cities and so many townes and those most commonly seated vpon the bankes of the riuers And although it haue many goodly hauens yet the vpland townes are fairer and richer then those that stand neerer the sea which argueth that their wealth is their owne and not brought from forreine countries for there the sea townes excell the land townes where more benefit and prouision is reaped by the sea then by the land as Genua Venice Ragusi but where the state and prosperitie of cities dependeth wholy vpon the land there the vplandish townes far surpasse the sea townes as Millaine and many other in Flanders Germanie and Hungarie All this notwithstanding although like goodnes of soile be proper to the whole realme of France as likewise the situation of the riuers commodious yet Paris except whose largenes proceedeth from the kings court the parliaments and the vniuersitie the townes there for the most part are but small and meane beautifull commodious and verie populous Iohn Bodin writing a description thereof in the time of Henrie the second saith that there were seuen and twentie thousand villages hauing parish Churches not comprehending Burgundie among them In another description written in the raigne of Charles the ninth it is saide that the number of the inhabitants exceeded fifteene millions And as the cities and townes of France may boast of their riuers so the Castles and villages of the noblemen are no lesse fauoured with the pleasure and strength of lakes and marishes which although they may not be compared to the lakes of Italy and Swizerland yet are they so many and so full of excellent fish that the numbers of the one may equallize the largenes of the others The same may be spoken of woods that they are not so spacious as plentifull out of these woods in times past the greatest part of the kings reuenues did arise and the noblemen do make great profite by selling great quantities thereof for firewood but greater by sales of timber trees for for want of stone the greatest part of their buildings consist of timber In regard of the commodious situation of these riuers seruing so fitly for the transportation of vittailes from one place to another this kingdome is so abundantly furnished with all plentie of prouision that it is able to nourish any armie in the fielde how populous soeuer When Charles the fift entred France first by Prouince and afterward by Champaigne it maintained more then one hundred fiftie thousand soldiers besides garrisons In the raigne of Charles the ninth and in our times also there were maintained in this kingdome 20000. horse 30000. footemen strangers and of French 15000. horse and 100. thousand footemen neither did the kingdome for this feele want or scarcitie There are in France as a man may terme them fower loadstones to draw riches from forreine nations corne caried into Spaine and Portugall wines transported into England Flanders and the inhabitants of the Balticke sea and salt wherewith the whole kingdome the bordering nations are plentifully stored This salt is made in Prouince of the salt water of the Mediterranean sea and at Bayon in Zantoine where the heate of the sunne ceaseth his vertue of getting making and boiling salt of sea water not daining to yeeld so great a fauour any farther northward I said of sea water because further north there may be salt found also but is made either of some speciall spring water as in Lorraine or compound of some minerals mixt with fresh waters as in Poland England and Germanie or else it is taken foorth of some salt mines and such in times past were in Sweueland but they are now decaied The fourth loadstone is canuasse and linnen cloth whereof what profit ariseth a man will hardly beleeue vnlesse he hath seene what abundance thereof is carried into Spaine and Portugall to make sailes and cordage for the furnishing of shipping There growes also Woad Saffron and other merchandize of smaller value which though they equallize not the abouesaid commodities yet rise they to a round summe yea such as may enrich a kingdome By reason of
kings of Brama or Barmia but the Portugals of a more sound iudgement grounded vpon neerer neighbourhood call them kings of Pegu. And for that it may not seeme that what we write as concerning their infinite numbers is either fabulous or reported altogither vpon heresay because that now heerebefore and hereafter we shall haue occasion to discourse of this point we thinke it not amisse to spend some time in shewing how by what likelihoods both in this and the other barbarous dominions such huge and numberlesse companies are leuied and nourished First therefore it is a ground infallible that populous armies at home or abroad cannot long endure without great reuenues and a continuall sea of readie money for as the members of our bodie cannot mooue without sinewes nor motion auaile vs if ioints were wanting so without money an armie can neuer be gathered nor being gathered kept togither nor resolutely lead foorth to any piece of seruice if coine be wanting which preuenteth infinite mischances and draweth after it armour prouision victuals and whatsoeuer is necessarie for life or armes And sithence the wealth of Princes euen as of priuate persons from whose purses they supply their occasion hath limits and measure Let them not thinke to begin any long warre much lesse to continue it vnlesse they throughly prouide aforehand or are Lords of mines rich and inexhaustible for great treasures are soone spent and that which hath thriftily been gathered in peace must prodigally be disbursed in warre euen one yeere of warre wasteth the reprisals of many yeeres peace Which mooued a certaine Portugall captaine to tell king Sebastian prouiding for his iournie into Barbarie that warres should be performed with three streames the first of men the second of vittaile the third of siluer For all warres are exceeding chargeable but those most excessiue and beyond opinion which are managed far from home The great Turke in his Persian iourneies felt the smart hereof who though he were so potent a prince was notwithstanding constrained to raise the value of his coine and abase the allay so farre foorth that the Ianizars finding themselues aggrieued thereat raised commotions set fire on the citie of Constantinople and rifled a great part thereof Neither could the king of Spaine sustaine the burden of so many warres and in so remote prouinces if he trusted to no other supplies then those of Spaine but Fortune hath giuen him a countrie prodigall in mines of gold and siluer assuredly paying the expence of one yeere with the income of another This clotheth and feedeth the soldier bringeth them to a head and maketh them to march cheerefully vpon all seruices Iohn laques Triuulce being demanded how many things were necessarie in warre answered three Monie monie monie But these grounds onely holde when the burden of the warre lieth vpon the purse of the prince and his people for sometime it happeneth that the soldier liueth vpon the enemies countrie as did the Huns Vandals Gothes Arabians and in our daies Tamerlane They entred the prouinces without controle or resistance being vnprouided of forces and made pray and spoile of whatsoeuer came into their reaches they ransacked the cities and fed vpon the villages The like good lucke had the Portugals in the East Indies and the Castilians in the West but the one far better then the other for neuer any nation conquered with lesse cost so much as the Spaniards haue done in New Spaine and Peru. But let not any people thinke to doe so in these daies no not in Asia or Afrike much lesse in Europe where the vse of great ordinance is in perfection and the arte of fortification so ingenious that one castell shall be able to sustaine yea well prouided to wearie the forces of the greatest potentate The Turks at Zigeth a sinall castell in Hungarie approoued this which in the yeere 1566. Soliman belegered with three hundred thousand men of warre and at last forced but with so great a slaughter of his people that scant the third part of this huge armie returned to their houses In like manner the Portugals in the beginnings of their Indian acquisitions with a few soldiers and in little time woon admirable victories but when the Barbarians began to grow acquainted with artillerie to allure Carpenters and Masons to build them castels and to arme vessels to sea their courages became calme and there set an end to their plus vltra The like did the Spanish in the new world to their Non sufficit orbis For after their first good fortunes they found in Noua Hispania the Chichimechi and in Peru the Pilcosonij the Ciriguani and the Luchij people so well prouided to stop the furious course of their former victories that sithence in twenty seuen yeeres space they haue not beene able to adde one footes bredth to their new emperie In the vale of Aranco Tecapel and the kingdome of Chile when the inhabitants saw them to be wounded and slaine with the strokes of their arrowes and swords they neuer afterward vouchsafed them their former reuerence nor carried the woonted conceit of their immortalitie and now being beaten by experience they feare not the cariere of the horse nor the terror of the harquebuse If the warre be at or within our owne doores then is it easie to leuie strong and populous forces as we reade of the Crotons Sibarites and Gauntois who made head against the power of France with fourescore thousand fighting men For when the warre was made in these populous countries and neere at hand euerie man made one in the medle gallantly armed and well prouided with furniture and victuall to hold out certaine daies but when the warre continued longer then expectation for want of money and foode euerie man retired one to the plough another to his shop the rest to those trades whereby they sustained themselues and their families The Scots for want of wealth neuer made famous iourney out of the Iland but at home they haue lead mightie armies for a short time either to reuenge wrongs or defend their frontires euen as did the Romanes for certaine ages warring with their neighbours at their priuate charges They tooke the field euerie man prouided with victuall for two or three daies and in one battell and few howers finished that warre But in the iourney against the Veij the warre continuing beyond opinion the State was inforced to procure pay for the armie That armies may far casier be gathered in the east and in Africke then in Europe the reasons are many Those regions for the most part are more plentifull and copious of all necessaries for humane life the people of the south are better contented with little then we their diet is spare and simple onely to maintaine life and not excesse but the Europeans must eate and drinke not to sustaine nature but to comfort the stomacke and expell colds Wine which with vs is deerer then bread is not to be found amongst them their