soldiers wanted strength and courage but skill and discipline For numbers he was equall to the enemie and reasonably well furnished with necessaries but his troupes consisted of Germans and Bohemians nations by influence heauy slow and nothing fit to cope with the Turkes skilfull and readie in all warlike affaires The Venetians likewise are borderers for many hundred miles space by sea and land but they maintaine their estate by treaties of peace by traffike and presents rather then by open warre prouiding very strongly for their places exposed to danger and auoiding all charges and hazard of warre yea refusing no conditions if not dishonorable rather then willing to try their fortune in battell The reason is not because they want money and sufficiencie of warlike furniture but soldiers and prouision incident to so great a warfare His last neighbour is the king of Spaine betweene whom there is no great difference the kings reuenues I meane those of Europe onely exceed the Turkish for he receiueth more then fower millions out of his prouinces of Italy and Sicil two and vpward out of Portugall and three from the Indies one yeere with another In these onely he aequalizeth the Turke and in the ordinarie reuenues of Castile Arragon and Belgia he farre exceeds him But what can you finde say some men to compare to his Timars First I answere that the kings reuenues are farre greater then the Turks next his subsidies which he leuieth extraordinarily of late times for the most part ordinarily as his Croisados do amount to as much as the intire profits of some whole kingdome His tenths of the spiritual liuings are able to maintaine one hundred strong gallies his escheats in Spaine and Naples bring more into his cofers then a man would thinke for His beneuolences and presents sent him from Naples Sicil Sardinia Millan and the New-world are infinite and magnificent Not long since Castile granted a contribution of eight millions of gold to be paid in fower yeeres which summe amounteth to the Turkes whole reuenue of one yeere What should I speake of his Commendams of the orders of Montegia Calatrauia Alcantara and S. Iames which were inough if he had naught else to suffice him he is great master of the said orders and thereby hath meanes to aduance and inrich his seruants whomsoeuer he pleaseth as freely as if he were king of France or Poland In Spaine he keepeth three thousand horsemen as many in Flanders in Millan fower hundred men at armes and 1000. light horse in Naples 1500. men at armes and a greater companie of light armed Italians The number of his soldierie in Sicill is one thousand fiue hundred Neither are his feodaries lightly to be esteemed who vpon necessitie are bound by their tenures at their owne charges to serue personally in the field especially if you consider their numbers wherein are reckoned 23. Dukes 32. Marquises 49. Vicounts 7. Archbishops for they likewise in this case are bound to contribute as the great Lords 33. Bishops And in Naples 14. Princes 25. Dukes 37. Marquises 54. Earles 448. Barons to speake nothing of Portugall Sicill Sardinia Millan Lastly you must note that these troupes to whom the Turke granteth these Timars are not so renowmed for their valour as for their numbers for the Timars and profits of the villages and possessions togither with the greedie desire of inriching themselues with the demains of their farmes hath bred such loue of ease and peace in their minds that they are growen cowards and base minded by their good wils hating the trauails of warre and innouations They are drawne from their houses with an ill will and they march with a greater desire of returning home inioying the pleasures of their gardens and the plentie of their granges then stomacks to cope with their aduersaries or inriching themselues with their enimies spoiles For if by a little pillage fierce and valiant soldiers haue become cowards and men of small seruice what will faire possessions a pleasant seat a rich dairy and wife and children left behinde bring to passe I may well say say truly that these Timarots are fitter to bridle and keepe vnder the subdued prouinces then to fight in field against armed nations and to this vse it is good policie to maintaine them For who knoweth not that the Turkish subiects do hate his gouernment his religion and tyrannie For religion onely the Moores and Arabians who differ in opinion and for religion and tyranny the Christians who make more then two third parts of his subiects For iealousie heere of he is inforced to keepe the greater part of those troupes at home vnlesse he should lay naked his estates to infinite casualties To speake in a word his caualarie is so farre and wide dispersed throughout the prouinces that they can not easily be drawen vnto any famous iourney in great numbers without losse of long time neither are they able to staie long from their houses but they will fall into diseases and extremities so that if the grand Seignior had no other aides but these Timarots he might happen to make many vnfortunat iourneies The experience of forepassed exploits do well shew the difference of these two prouinces forces The losse of the Spanish fleete at Zerby may be put in the ballance against the Turkish flight from Malta The losse of Goletta against the taking of the rocke of Velez Tunis is alwaies to be taken at his pleasure that hath a liking thereto The Spanish king neuer enterprised any sole iourney against the Turke but he hath valiantly defended his owne at Malta and Oranum I wil speake nothing of the defeature at Lepanto for other princes had their shares therein There was a treatie of truce motioned betweene both princes not many yeeres since and equally accepted of both parties For the one was inuested in the warre of Persia the other in the commotions of the Low countries These warres by reason of their remote distances were extreme chargeable to both princes but woorser to the king then the Turke for though Persia be farre from Constantinople from whence the principall sinewes of the warre were to be drawne yet it bordereth vpon Mesopotamia and other subdued prouinces from whence his armies are supplied with prouisions and treasure but Belgia is farre distant from any part of the Spanish dominions The Turke had to doe but with the Persian a state without any mightie confederate woorth speaking of but the king was ingaged in a warre of greater difficultie fauoured by the English the French and the Germains nations equall in all points to the Persians The Romane Empire THe Romane Empire in his greatest glorie euen in the time of Traian stretched from the Irish Ocean beyond Tigris from the Atlantike Ocean to the Persian gulfe and from Catnes at the Calidonian wood to the riuer Albis and beyond the Danubie It began first to decline by the ciuill warres of Galba Otho and Vitellius For in those times the
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
printing restored musicke framed the chariot deuised the laying of colours in oile the working of colours in glasse the making of tapestrie saies searges wosteds russets frisadoes and diuers sorts of linnen cloth with innumerable other small trifles all sorts of clocks and dials and the mariners compasse It is diuided into 17. prouinces viz. the Dukedomes of Brabant Limburg Lutzemburg and Guelders the Earledomes of Flanders Artois Henault Holland Zeland Namure and Zutphen the Marquisat of the sacred Empire the Seigniories of Friesland Mechlin Vtrecht Ouerissel and Groningen all territories rich plentifull and exceeding populous In them are 208. walled townes stately and magnificent besides 3230 townes hauing priuilege of walled townes and 6300. villages with parish churches It hath manie mines of lead copresse and cole and quarries of excellent good stone The Emperor Charles had an intention to erect it into a kingdome but the difficultie consisted herein that euerie of these prouinces being gouerned by peculiar customes prerogatiues and priuileges would neuer haue yeelded vnto one royall law common to all especially those that had the largest priuileges for which cause he gaue ouer his determination It is seated commodiously for all the prouinces of Europe and containeth in circuit about 1000. Italian miles The aire of later times is become much more holsome and tempelate then in times past whether it be by reason of the increase of inhabitaÌ„ts or the industry of the people who spare no charge to amend whatsoeuer is amisse The beeues of Holland FrieslaÌ„d are very great weigh some of theÌ„ 1600 pound of 16 ounces to the pound the ewes in these prouinces and some part of Flanders bring foorth three and fower lambes at a time and the kine often two calues at once It bringeth foorth great quantitie of mather very perfect woad but no great store but of flaxe and hempe great abundance Whosoeuer shall consider what commoditie they raise by their fishing and traffike only may well say that no nation thorough the whole world may compare with them for riches For Guieciardine writeth that of their he ring fishing they make yeerely 441000 pound sterling their fishing for cod 150000. pound sterling and of their fishing for salmon more then 200000 crownes which is of sterling money 60000. pound The continuall riches that groweth to the countrie of other sorts of fish takeÌ„ all the yeere is infinite The value of the principall merchandize yeerely brought in and caried out is likewise infinite the foresaid authour esteemeth it to about 14. millions one hundred and thirtie fiue thousand crownes whereof England onely bringeth to the value of fiue millions and two hundred and fiftie thousand crownes It is a woonder to see how that the inhabitants of all these prouinces especially of Brabant and Flanders vnderstand speake two or three languages and some fower or more according to their entercourse with merchants and strangers yea in Anwerpe you shall heare the women speake Dutch French Italian Spanish and English The kingdome of Spaine SInce the first time that man began to acknowledge a superior authoritie and submit himselfe to the behests of a ruler there was neuer a more spacious seigniorie then that which the Spanish enioieth at this day especially hauing vnder a colorable and defensible title embezeled the crowne of Portugall For 〈◊〉 the large and faire prouinces in Europe the goodly regions of Asia and rich countries in Africa he enioyeth in peaceable quietnes securitie being not disturbed or contested by any riuall or competitor the newe worlde in circuite more spacious then either Europe or Africke In Europe he is the sole soueraigne of Spaine holding it whole and intire a thing woorthie obseruation because for the space of these 800. yeeres before this age it neuer obeied any one prince but was dismembred and peece-meale claimed by diuers seigniors He hath very much shaked Belgia and lordeth it ouer the kingdome of Naples containing in bignes 1400. miles and retaineth Insubria otherwise called the Duchie of Millaine comprehending three hundred in circuite Of the Ilands he holdeth Maiorique Minorique and Huisa the first of three hundred miles space the second of 150. the third of eight Sicill is reported to be of 700. Sardinia 562. In Africa he holdeth the great hauen called Masalquiuir the most secure and safe harbor in the whole Mediterranean sea He hath also Oran Melilla and the rocke commonly called the Penion of Velez and without the Streights he possesseth the Canarie Ilands twelue in number and the least of seauen containing 90. miles In the right which he pretendeth to the crowne of Portugall he keepeth the woorthie places of Septa and Tangier which may rightly be surnamed the keies of the Streights yea of the Mediterranean and Atlantique Ocean without the Streights he holdeth the citie of Mazaga and by the same title in the vast Ocean he retaineth the Terceraz Porto Santo and Madera the ladie-like Iland of the Atlantique sea containing by estimation 160â— miles in compasse then the Ilands of Cape Verd seauen in number Vnder the aequinoctiall he holdeth the Iland of Saint Thomas somewhat more spacious then Madera but most plentifull in sugar and rangeth ouer that huge tract of land which tendeth from Cape Aguer to Cape Guardafu Lastly he is lord of all the traffique merchandize negociating and nauigation of the whole Ocean and of all the Ilands which nature hath as it were inameled the Ocean withall and scattered in the seas especially betweene the Cape of good Hope and promontories of Guardafu In Asia in the aforesaid right of the crowne of Portugall he ruleth the better part of the westerne coasts viz. Ormus Diu Goa and Malaca Ornius for his commodious satuation is growne so rich that it is a common prouerbe among the Arabians Si terrarum orbis quaqua patet annulus â—sset Iâ—â—ius Armusium geâ—â—â—ia decusque foret A great portion of Arabia Foelix belongeth to the principalitie of Ormus as likewise Baharem the Iland-queene within that gulfe both for the most plentifull circuite abounding in all varietie of fruites as also for the rich fishing of pearle In this sea the Portugals possesse Damain Bazam Tauaan and Goa which citie to omit Ohial Canora Cochin and Colan is of so great esteeme that it is thought to yeeld the king as great reuenue as many prouinces in Europe do their Lords and finally the Portugals hold all that sea coast which lieth betweene the citie Damain and Malepura wherein no prince except the king of Calecure challengeth one foote of land The Iland of Zeilan wherein they possesse a strong hauen and castle commonly called Columbo may rightly be called the delight of Nature and they enioy also Malaca which in those places is the bound and limite of their empire and also the key of the traffique and nauigation of the east Ocean and of all those Ilands which are so many and so spacious that in circuite of land they may be well compared to
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
reuenues They grieue the enimie with so much the more dammage by how much the neerer they are situated vnto them Of this effect was Cale is in the possession of the English the places which the Spaniards Portugals hold in Africke But the fortresses built in our owne borders serue to no other end then to defend what is alreadie ours that to our great disaduantage for as often as they are inuaded all things are done at a sudden and it cannot be auoided but somewhat will fall to the spoile of the enimie To ende with the king of Sweueland he is so much better able then the Moscouite to defend his territories by how much sea-forces ioyned to land-forces are able to preuaile against a state furnished with land-forces onely Poland THE kingdome of Polonia was neuer so great as at this day the great Dukedomes of Lituania and Liuonia being ioyned thereto It stretcheth from the flood Notes and Obra which diuideth it from Marchia and Odera which seperateth it from Silesia to Berâ—say and Boristhenes which two parteth it from Moscouia It reacheth from the Balticke sea to the riuer Niester which parts it from Moldauia and to the mountaines Carpathie which diuide it from Hungarie By this limitation from the borders of Silesia to the frontires of Moscouia betweene the west part and the east it containeth 120. Germain miles and from the vtmost bounds of Liuonia to the borders of Hungarie not much lesse So allowing the forme thereof to be round it is far larger then a man would take it to be It containeth many and goodly large prouinces as Polonia the great and the lesse Massouia Prussia Russia Volinia Liuonia and Lituania Among these prouinces Poland was found inhabited of the Polonians but Prâ—se part of Pomeran Podalia Volinia Masouia and Liuonia haue been obtained and gained by armes Lithuania and Saâ—otgathia prouinces of Russia were the inheritance of the house of Iagello For in the yeere 1380. Iagello then Duke of Lithuania tooke to wife the Princesse Hedinge the last of the blood royall of Polonia and was installed king on three conditions the first that he should become a Christian the second that he should cause his people to do the like the third that he should vnite his principalities to Poland These couenants were accomplished in our age when the race of Iagello ended For when the people were vnwilling by depriuing the heires which had right to the empire of their iust inheritance to subiect it to election they alwaies called vpon the performance of the conditions hoping that the nobilitie and people of Lituania would not loose their honor and dignitie by this mixture yet at last on the one side when they considered the issue of their Princes to faile for Sigismund Augustus was the last heire male and on the other side fearing the force of the Moscouite they agreed to vnion and election In times past Liuonia was the seate of the Dutch Knights and they had therein their chiefe gouernor whom they termed the Great Master But in the yeere 1558. being spoiled of the greatest part of their territorie by the great Duke of Moscouie they fled to Sigismund king of Poland who tooke them into his protection and vntill the raigne of king Stephen 1582 the prouince was neuer regained For the most part Poland is a plaine countrie and but for certaine mountaines rather hils then mountaines situated in the lesser Poland and diuiding it from Prusland all the residue of the countrie stretcheth it selfe into most ample plaines wherein are very many woods especially in Lithuania The greater and the lesser Poland are better inhabited then any other prouince of the kingdome The like may almost be spoken of Russia for the neerenes of the sea concourse to the hauens and situation of the riuers Prussia and Liuonia haue fairer cities goodlier buildings and by traffike and concourse of merchants greater plentie of riches For when the Dutch Knights were Lords of the countrie they builded cities like those of Germanie and all alongst the sea coast for the space of fowerscore miles many castles and places of good esteeme They haue many faire hauens of good woorth and are Lords of all the traffike between Poland and the Balticke sea which is a thing of great value and consequence For the riuer Vistula arising in the extremest bounds of Silesia watereth all Poland the lesse and part of the greater and Mazouia and Prussia and falleth into the Baltike sea below Danske whither it transporteth the greatest quantitie of Rie corne hony and waxe of the whole kingdome a iourney of fower hundred miles From another coast the most famous riuer Duina arising out of the lake Ruthenigo parting Liuonia into euen portions falleth into the sea about Riga a citie of great concourse There are in Prussia and Liuonia many lakes amongst which one is called the new sea one hundred miles long in Liuonia is a lake called Berhas more then 400. miles long from thence spring the riuers which running by Pernouia and Narue make two notable hauens for traffike Betweene these two cities standes Riualia giuing place to neither in beautie Samogithia is more rude and barbarous then the other prouinces and Podalia more barren which is not to be attributed to the nature of the soile for it is most plentifull of those commodities which the climate vnder which it lieth can affoord but to the crueltie of the Tartars which so vexe it with continuall inrodes that the inhabitants are driuen either to flie for feare or to be ledde away captiues of the barbarous Tartars The riches of Poland are the abundance of corne and all sorts of graine which grow there in so plentifull sort that in the yeere 1590. and 1591. it releeued not onely the bordring nations oppressed with famine and scarcitie but also yeelded some portion of releefe to the wants of the Genowaies Tuscane Rome It floweth with honie waxe whereas in all these northerly nations of Poland Lithuania Russia Muscouia there are no wines growing insteed thereof nature hath bestowed vpon them incredible quantities of honie whereof these people doe brew an excellent kinde of Beuerage The Bees make honie either in the woods where they finde the trees made hollow by rottennes or mans industrie or in hiues set in the open field by the countrey people or in holes of the earth or in any place where they can finde neuer so small a liking It aboundeth with flaxe and hempe with sheepe cattle and horses Amongst the beasts of the wood are found wilde oxen and wilde horses and the bufle which cannot liue out of the wood of Nazouia The riches of the land consist in the salt-pits of Bozena and Velisca in the territorie of Cracouia The reuenues of the kingdome for the most part are equally diuided betweene the noblemen and gentlemen for no man is left so rich by inheritance that he may excel others aboue measure and the greatest reuenue
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
they raise their greatest gaine as hauing greatest abundance of that commoditie they drie them in the frost and winde as in Norwey and other northerly nations and they lay it vp for store as well in their townes of warre as for their priuate families The kingdome is not full of merchants because by nature thâ— inhabitants are idle and that prouince cannot abound with merchandise where arts and artificers are not established They haue not the vse of the sea because it is not lawfull for a Moscouite to trauell out of his princes dominions such and such store of wares as they haue as skins rosin and waxe they barter for cloth and other commodities which the Armenians bring to Astrachan by the Caspian sea and the English to Saint Nicholas in the bay of Graduicâ—or The gouernment of the great Duke is more tyrannicall then of any other prince in the world for he is absolute lord and disposer of the bodies and goods of his subiects Therefore Mahumet the Visier was woont to say that the Moscouite and the great Turke amongst all princes of the earth were onely lords of their owne dominions and in that regard thought the iourney of king Stephen of Poland would prooue full of danger and difficultie To preserue his maiestie and reputation he vseth incredible policie and seueritie first it is not lawfull for any of his subiects to depart the realme vpon paine of death and therefore no man there dare go to sea no not speake to an ambassador or vse the counsell of a forteine phisition without licence He weareth apparell of inestimable value ioyning the ornaments of a bishop to the maiestie of a king by wearing a miter on his head shining with diamonds and most rich stones when he weareth it not on his head he placeth it before his chaire of estate and oftentimes changeth it in boast of his riches in his left hand he beareth a most rich crosier apparelled in a long garment not much vnlike to that which the pope we areth when he goeth to â—â—ssâ— his fingers are full of gold rings and the image of Christ and his blessed mother the virgin are ouer the chaire wherein he sitteth The priuie chamber and great chamber are full of men clothed in cloth of gold downe to the foote In ceremonies of religion he vseth great deuotion reuerence at the table as often as a dish is changed or he hath a desire to drinke he maketh many signes of the crosse he beareth singular regard to fasts in the church he kisseth the ground with his forehead euen as others doe That no man should prooue a better scholler then himselfe he suffereth no schoole but of writing and reading to be kept they read nothing but the Euangelists some historie the liues of saints a Homily of Iohn Chrysostome or some such like yea they would hold him for an heretike that should go about to professe himselfe better learned and assure himselfe he shall not escape punishment Which is the reason that their Notaries nay the Secretaries themselues commonly can neither write nor answere ambassadors of forreine princes no farther then they are taught of the great Duke when they negotiate they no sooner name the great Duke but all of them rise vp with great reuerence the like is done at his table when he drinketh or carueth to any man and so in a thousand like casualties they are taught euen from their cradles to beleeue and talke of their great Duke as of God vsing these phrases in their ordinarie talking God onely and our great Seignior knoweth this Our great Lord knoweth all things Allâ—â—e inioy health and riches all proceedeth from our great Duke For his subiects seeing such state and magnificence in their prince and knowing no more then they are taught at home reuerence and obey him as slaues not as subiects accounting him rather a god then a king He hath not vnder him Lords graced with titles as we haue dukes earles barons c. but he bestoweth vpon one a hamlet vpon another a farme and these not hereditary vnlesse he confirme it and when he hath confirmed it the farmers notwithstanding pay him a portion of their fruits and owe him villaine-seruice which is the cause that euery man dependeth on the will of the prince and looke by how much the richer by so much the deeper is he indebted vnto him To preuent rebellion he transferreth whole families and towneships from one prouince to another and sendeth the one and the other into garrisons as into exile so farre away are the miserable people carried from their owne homes By this a man may gesse of his wealth and riches for seeing he is absolute Lord of all he vseth the seruice of their bodies at his pleasure and what portion of their goods him listeth Of the skins of wild beasts he challengeth what portion he liketh and of euery sort of fish euen what he will The skins are sold or giuen as pleaseth him the fish dried in the winde is kept for vittailing the garrisons In the market no man may sell his wares before the king hath sold. He hath not any mines of gold or siluer The best mart townes from whence he gathereth the greatest part of his reuenues are Astrachan at the Caspian sea whither the wares of the Persians and Armenians are brought and Saint Nicholas whither the ships of the English and Hollanders doe arriue laden with cloth and other merchandize which from thence are transported to Vologda When his ambassadors returne he taketh from them the presents giuen them by forrein princes and insteed thereof bestoweth vpon them some other reward and many times nothing at all To speake in a worde he gleaneth whatsoeuer is good or ought woorth through his whole kingdome it is thought that he hath great store of treasure in his castles of Mosco Ieroslane and the marishes of Albi which may be true for the great Duke Iohn wasted in a manner all Liuonia sparing neither relique chalice crucifixe nor any ornament of siluer and of thatwhich is once brought in he suffereth no part thereof to be transported out of his dominions vnlesse it be for the ransome of soldiers taken in the warre or of other poore people carried into captiuitie This is most true that when he lost Liuonia which king Stephen of Poland reconquered in the yeere of our Lord 1582. he lost the richest prouince of his dominions for the traffike of the Baltike sea and the best for the strength of 34. castles standing therein The strength of the kingdome consisteth in the manifold numbers of riuers and marishes and in the thicknes of woods Besides they vse to lay waste the parts neerest their enimies that there the woods may grow thicker which for the moisture of the soile quickly commeth to passe are as auailable as a wal or trench to the defence of the next townes This policy brought great trauel to the Polanders for they were constrianed to
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
being denied the daughter of Vnchan in marriage he made warre vpon him and ouercomming him in battell cast him out of his kingdome After the death of Changis his successors afflicted Europe In the yeere 1212. they droue the Polosochi from the banks of the Euxine sea In the yeere 1228. they inuaded and spoiled Russia In the yeere 1241. they raced Kiouia the chiefe citie of the Rutheni and Battu their captaine wasted Polonia Silesia Morauia and Hungary Innocentius the fourth amazed with the tempest of these inuasions in the yeere 1242. sent certaine friers of the orders of Dominicke and Francis to the court of the great Cham to intreate a peace for Christendome The circuit of this Empire in the times aboue spoken of stretched from the vtmost bounds of Asia to Armenia and from Bengala to Volga yea their incursions pierced euen to Nilus and Danubius The Macedonian and Roman Empires were neuer so large But bicause they were rather runnagates then men of warre wanting politike gouernment and militarie discipline sometime ruling one prouince sometime another they rather wrought spoile and terror to the conquered nations then feare of bondage or subiection and at last seated themselues beyond the mountaine Caucasus After it became diuided into many principalities yet so that the title and maiestie of the Empire remained alwaies to the great Cham who as we said before tooke the originall of his name from the great Changis At this day this Empire reacheth from the desert Lop on the one side and the lake Kicauia on the other to that famous wall of China situate betweene 43. and 45. degrees which leadeth from mountaine to mountaine till it end at the Ocean and diuideth the Tartars from the Chinois and from the Scythian Ocean to the confines of Tipura and the bordering regions In the foresaid compasse are contained many and mightie kingdomes and many puissant prouinces as Tangut wherein are the cities Succuir and Campian built after the manner of Italie Ergimul Carazan Tebet and Caindu the chiefe cities of prouinces In the middest of the Empire is Tenduch which in the time of Paule Venetus was in the iurisdiction of Prester Iohn but now subdued by the great Cham. The greater part of the people were Christians but Nestorians the rest Mahumetans Here is the citie Cambalu the imperiall seate containing in compasse 28. miles and neere vnto it Taiduc situated vpon a lake containing in compasse 24. miles Then Xaindu the palace of the great Cham being foure square euery square containing eight miles and fower gates Within that square is another palace sixe miles square in the middest whereof are three gates towards the south and as many towards the north from whence as likewise from euery corner you may behold the imperiall pallace And within this circuit is yet an other square of one mile hauing sixe gates like the former Betweene euery wall you may see meadowes and woods and within this square is the Imperiall pallace of whose pleasures riches and magnificence neither of his chases fowlings and fishing am I able to write This whole region for the most part is very populous full of townes rich and ciuill which you may the rather beleeue first for that the Tartars choosing this for their seate and countrie beautified it with the spoiles of Asia China and that part of Europe which they harried and were neuer woon or taken from thence againe to this day next for that the prouinces are most commodiously situated for traffike and negotiation partly by reason of their admirable plaines and huge lakes amongst which are Cazaia whose waters are salt Guian Dangu Xandu Catacora partly by reason of their large riuers which with a long course do run by the prouinces of Curato Polisango Zaiton and Mccon Paul Venetus calleth it Quion A great helpe hereunto likewise is the variety of fruits and the aboundance of graine rice wooll silk hempe Reubarbe muske and excellent fine chamblets wouen of camels haire Paule writeth that it affoordeth ginger cinnomom cloues which for my part I hardly beleeue In many riuers are found graines of gold Their coine is not all of one value In Cathaia a coine is currant made of the blacke rinde of a certaine tree growing betweene the bodie and the barke This rinde being smoothed rounded tempered with a gummie substance is stamped with the image of the great Cham. In the kingdomes of Caiacan Carazan certaine sea shels are currant which some men terme Porcelline This kinde of money is frequent in many places of India and Aethiopia By this meanes the princes get vnto themselues all the gold and siluer of the prouinces which they cause to be molten and laid vp in most safe places without euer taking any thing from thence againe In like sort Prester Iohn is thought to be Lord of an inestimable treasure while he maketh graines of salt and pepper to passe for currant coine amongst his subiects They brew an excellent beuerage of rice and spices which sooner procureth drunkennesse then wine As the Arabians so they delight in sower milke or Cosimus a kinde of charmed sower mares milke very forcible to turne the braine His force consisteth first as we told you in situation in spacious territorie in magnificent cities in plentie of prouision in rich reuenues for amongst many other things he taketh the tenths of wooll silke hempe graine cattell and is absolute Lord of all but the chiefest sinewes of his state consisteth in his armed troupes which he keepeth in continuall pay and action These liue alway in the field foure or fiue miles remote from the cities Ouer and aboue their salary they are allowed to make profit of their cattell milke wooll When he goeth to warfare according to the custome of the Romanes he mustereth part of that soldierie which lyeth dispersed through the prouinces For the most part all the nations of the Tartars except the Varcheni who are not subiect to the Great Cham fight on horsebacke Their weapons are the bow and arrow which they vse as desperately in their flight as in the charge They are verie swift their tents are made of wouen wooll with which they shelter themselues from foule weather Their chiefest sustenance is milke dried in the sunne after the butter is queased out yea the blood of their horses if famine inforce They fight not pel-mel with their enimes but somtime on the front sometime on the flanke after the Parthian maner they ouerwhelme them as it were with a showre of arrowes Whosoeuer carrieth himselfe valiantly stands assured of reward and are graced with honor immunities gifts Twelue thousand horsemen are appointed for the guard of the Prince and it is said that of this kinde of force he is able to leuie a greater power then any other potentate Howsoeuer it be two things in his kingdome are woorthie consideration the one is numbers which may be imagined by the spaciousnes of his dominions the other
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
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
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
ships which they terme Giunchi To thinke that treasure can be wanting to leuie so great a number of ships soldiers and mariners many men affirme that the kings reuenues amount to 120. millions of gold which value although it may seeme impossible to him that shall make an estimate of the states of Europe with the kingdome of China yet may it finde place of beleefe if he do but call to minde first the nature and circuite of the Empire being little lesse then all Europe next the populousnes of the inhabitants accompanied with inestimable riches then tho diuersitie and plentie of mines of gold siluer iron and other sorts of mettall the vnspeakable quantitie of merchandise passing from hand to hand by so many nauigable riuers so many armes and inlets of the sea their vpland cities and maritime townes their toles customes and subsidies For he taketh the tenth of all things which the carth yeeldeth as barly rice oliues wine cotton wooll flaxe silke all kinds of mettall fruits cattle sugar hony rubarbe campher ginger woad muske and all sorts of perfumes The custome onely of salt in the citie Canto which is not of the greatest nor the best traffike yeeldeth 180. thousand crownes yeerely the tenth of rice of one small towne and the adiacent territory yeeldeth more then 100. thousand crownes By these you may coniecture of the rest He leaueth his subiects nothing saue foode and clothing He hath vnder him no Earles Lords or Nobles of any degree no nor priuate persons indowed with great wealth Wherefore sithence this empire is so huge and all the profits thereof are in his hands and at his disposition how can the former assertion of so great a yeerely reuenue to men of reason seeme any thing admirable There are two things moreouer which adde great credite to this reckoning one is that all his impositions are not paide in coine but some in haie some in rice corne prouender silke cotton wooll and such like necessaries the other is that the king of 120. millions which he receiueth disburseth againe three parts thereof And so sithence it goeth round from the king to the people it ought to seeme no woonder if the people be able to spare it againe for the princes vse at the yeeres end For as waters do cbbe as deepe as they flow so impositions easily leuied suffice for the expences of the state and the people receiue againe by those expences as much as they laide out in the beginning of the yeere The king of China feareth no neighbour but the great Cham of Tartaria all the rest acknowledge vassalage Against this enimie the ancient kings built that admirable wall so much renowmed amongst the wonders of the Orient Towards the sea he bordereth vpon the Iaponians and Castilians The distance betweene Iapan and China is diuers From Goto one of the Ilands of Iapan to the citie Liampo is threescore leagues from Cantan 297. The Ilanders of Iapan doe often spoile the sea coasts of China by their incursions descending on land and harrying the countrey more like pirats then men of war For in regard that Iapan is diuided into manie Ilands and into diuers seigniories ill agreeing amongst themselues though they excell the Chinois in armes and courage yet are they not of sufficient power to performe any action of moment against them Vpon another frontire lye the Spaniards of whom the Chinois not without good cause are verie iealous because of the situation of the Philippinae commodiously seated for the inuasion of China and the fame of their riches well knowen to the Spanish But the king of Spaine wisheth rather to plant Christianitie peaceably amongst them whereof there was once good hope that God had opened a passage thereunto For though the Chinois will suffer no stranger to enter within their dominions yet certain Iesuits zealous in the increasing of the Christian religion in a territorie so spatious as that is entered with great secrecie and danger and obtayning the fauour of certaine gouernors obtained a priuilege of naturalization especially frier Michaell Rogerius who in the yeere 1590. returned into Europe to aduise what course were best to take in this busines About the same time intelligence was brought from two friers remaining there that after diuers persecutions they were constrained to forsake the citie wherein they soiourned and had conuerted many and to make haste to sea-ward The Portugals are likewise eie-sores vnto them but by the report of the iustice and moderation of Ferdinand Andrada which he shewed in the gouernmeÌ„t of the Iland of Tamo by the traffike which they exercise in those seas they can better digest their neighbourhood then that of the Spanish This was the first Portugal that arriued in the citie of Cantan and set a land Thomas Perez Iegier for Emanuell king of Portugall But other captaines being there afterwards disimbarked behaued themselues so leudly that they occasioned the said Embassador to be taken for a spie and cast in prison where he died most miserablie the residue were entreated as enimies At last it was permitted the Portugals for traffike sake to settle a factory in Macao where againe before they had strongly fortified their colony they were coÌ„strained to submit to the limitations of the Chinois to whom in short time for their strength wisedome friendship and allians with the Castilians they became suspicious therfore they do daily more more bridle their libertie of traffike carrying so heauie a hand towards them that they would faine giue them occasion to leaue Macao of their owne wils and retire backe againe into India from whence they came The kingdome of Siam VPon the borders of China to speake nothing of Cauchinchina because we know nothing woorth relation of that territorie ioineth the countrey of Siam accounted amongst the great kingdomes of Asia It tooke his name of the citie Siam situated vpon the entrance of the riuer Menan It is also called Gorneo It stretcheth by east and west from the citie Campaa to the citie Tauai in which tract by the sea coast are conteined 500. leagues Of which the Arabians once vsurped 200. with the cities Patan Paam Ior Perca and Malaca now in the possession of the Portugals From the south towards the north it reacheth from Sinca-Pura situate in degree to the people called Gueoâ—â— in 29. degrees The lake Chiamai is distant from the sea six hundred miles the vpland circuit stretcheth from the borders of Canchinchina beyond the riuer Auan where lieth the kingdome of Chencra Besides the lake of Chiamai the riuers Menon Menam Caipumo Ana which cause greater fertilitie of graine through the whole region then a man would beleeue are all his The better part of his kingdomes are muironed with the mountaines Ana Brema and Iangoma the residue is plaine like Egypt abounding with elephants horses pepper gold and tin In the west part are huge woods tygres lions tinces and serpents It containeth these prouinces Cambaia Siam Muantai
waters are better then our drinkes Cookerie is in no such request with them as with vs nor their tables accustomed to such cates their banquets are onely furnished with rice and mutton Neither doe the people of the east spend a quarter of that clothing which we doe they goe to the warre halfe naked hiding nothing but their priuities they stand not in need of that number of workemen which we doe amongst whom the greatest part of our life is spent in weauing and deuising stuffes and fashions to cloath the carkasse and adorne the bodie with cloath silke colours and imbroderies All their expences are onely vpon cloathing of cotton wooll and that but from the nauell to the knee These are the reasons which I meant to lay why they may gather fortie thousand men with more ease then we ten and to these may be added this as the last that vpon ordinance and their furnitures vpon prouisions and their carriages vpon horses pioners and a thousand like necessaries infinite summes are expended of which the people of the east are vtterly ignorant especially those which haue not to deale with the Portugals or Arabians They goe to the warre without armour without curases helmets lances or targets which with vs cannot be conueyed from place to place without great expence Virgil calleth this luggage iniustum fascem because it seemeth a needles trouble and therein we degenerate much from the ancient Romanes who for ten daies iourney and more carried euerie man 's his proper weapons both offensiue and defensiue yea and sometimes his victuals What should we speake of the armies of the Assirians and Ethiopians of Belus Ninus Simiramis Cambises Cirus Darius Sesostris Sesacus were they not as huge and populous by the report of all histories as these whereof we intreat Or in times lesse ancient haue not we and our ancestors seene the Arabians Tartarians and Turkes inuading prouinces with armies of three hundred thousand people and vpward By moderne examples and memorie of later accidents to giue credit to the ancient I will set downe what happened in Angola a noble rich prouince of the west Ethiop adioyning to Congo reported by the letters of certaine Iesuits and Portugall captaines In the yeere 1584. Paulus Diazius by the fauour of God and valour of his people vpon the second day of Februarie put to flight the king of Angola and defeated his armie consisting of one million and two hundred thousand Moores which may well prooue that these populous armies are of little seruice and small continuance rather like violent stormes then dripping showers and though with ease they are gathered yet without greater prouision then any prouince is able to affoord them they are not easily held together When their prouision is spent they begin to break and bid adue to the action and that most commonly not in the middest of their course but euen in their first remooues for merchants victualers tailors shomakers smiths and such like follow not their warres and if they should then this inconuenience would follow that for one million of soldiers it were necessarie to prouide another million of wagons packehorses carters carpenters victualers merchants and their seruants and then neither riuers would serue them for drinke nor the fields with bread nor the earth for lodgings so must they needs sinke vnder their owne waight which the eastern Princes leading these vnaccustomed numbers vpon long iourneis in some sort forecasting did alwaies prouide incredible masses of money victuall and such like warlike prouisions long before they entred into action as was well seene in Xerxes who to maintaine that great armie as well at sea as at land which he led for the conquest of Greece spent seuen yeeres in preparation for the iourney To returne to the king of Barma of late yeeres he tooke the hauens of Martela and Pernasor and turning his armies sometime towards the north sometime toward the west he vexed the Princes of Caor and Tipura tooke the kingdomes of Aracan and Macin leading vpon this iourney 300. thousand men and fortie thousand elephants Aracan is a kingdome round inuironed with mountaines and woods as with a wall or trench the chiefe citie which giueth the name to the countrey is situated vpon a riuer fifteene leagues from the sea and 35. from Catagan Macin is a kingdome abounding in Aloës this wood which the Arabians call Calambuco and others Lignum vitae for the sweete sauour is valued by the people of the east at the waight in siluer In India and Cambeia they vse it at the buriall of great Lords in bathes and in other wantonnes It groweth most frequent in the rough mountaines of Campa Cambaia and Macin That which is brought to vs is in no esteeme with them the right is found say they in Congo and Angola and the bordering countrey and vsed by them in all their grieuous and dangerous maladies which if it be true I maruell that the Portugals will let slip so precious a commoditie Narsinga IN the rowe of these potent princes inhabiting betweene Indus and Ganges dwelleth the king of Narsinga Whatsoeuer lieth betweene the mountaines Gate the gulfe of Bengala betweene the promontories Guadauerne and Comorin for the space of 200. leagues abounding as prodigally as any other prouince in the Indies with all good things is vnder his dominion The waters sometime falling from the mountaines sometime from the riuers and receiued into trenches meres and lakes doe woonderfully coole moisten and inrich this land causing the graine and cattell to prosper aboue imagination It is no lesse plentifull of rice birds beasts wilde and tame buffals elephants and mines of precious stones and mettals It breedeth no races of horse for the war but they buie them of the Arabian and Persian merchants in great numbers the like doe all the princes of Decan Within the bounds of Narsinga dwell fiue nations different in language he hath many strong places vpon the Indian Ocean Canora is at his command wherein are the hauen townes of Mangolar Melind Batticala and Onor but the Portugals receiue the custome of Batticala and in times past of Onor In Narsinga are two imperiall cities Narsinga and Bisnagar by reason whereof he is termed sometime king of Narsinga sometime king of Bisnagar It is vndoubtedly beleeued that this king receiueth yeerely twelue millions of ducats of which he laieth vp but two or three the residue he expendeth vpon the troupes of his soldierie that is to say fortie thousand Nairs and twenty thousand horsemen kept in continuall pay Vpon necessitie he is able to leuie a far greater number for besides these allowances he setteth out certaine lands to 200. captaines vpon condition to keepe in readines a proportion of horsemen footemen and elephants The wages of these captaines to some of whom he giueth a million of ducats yeerely may be an argument of his great reuenues for to these proiects this prince and all the potentates of the East
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
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
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
against true religion to arrogate to himselfe the name of God an imagination as I said before full of extreme ambition and madnes But in the midst of these proud and vnreasonable cogitations God raised vp against him a new enimie from the easterne parts of Iapan who as we vnderstand by aduisoes of the last yeere is likely to giue him his hands and head full of busines The Xeriffe AMongst all the potentates of Afrike I do not thinke that there can any one be found to excell this prince either in wealth or power His dominion conteineth all that tract of Mauritania which the Romans called Tingitana and stretcheth from the promontory Bayador to Tanger and from the Atlantike Ocean to the riuer Muluia In which progresse is conteined the best portion of all Afrike the best inhabited the pleasantest the fruitefullest and most ciuill Herein amongst others are the famous kingdomes of Fez and Marocho the one diuided into seuen prouinces the other into eight The countrey is diuided into plains and mountaines The mountaines are inhabited with a strong and fierce people rich in pastures cattle possessing a great part of the lesse and bigger Atlas Betweene the greater Atlas and the Ocean lieth the plaine countrey and therein the roiall citie of Marocho distant fowreteene miles from Atlas watered with many springs brookes and riuers In times past this citie conteined one hundred thousand housholds and was the chiefest of Afrike but by little and little is decaied and nowe lieth more waste then inhabited In the kingdome of Marocho besides others is Tedsi a towne of fiue thousand housholds and Tagaost of eight thousand Taradant giueth place to none for noblenes and traffike though for largenes and circuit It is situated betweene Atlas and the Ocean in a plaine sixteene miles long and little lesse broad abounding with sugar and all kinde of prouision The good regard and continuall abode which Mahumet Xeriffe made in this place did greatly augment and innoblish this towne Being past Atlas you enter into most batle plaines wherein how fruitefull the soile is of sugar oliues cattle and all good things can hardly be spoken The kingdome of Fez likewise conteineth diuers prouinces excellent well peopled Amongst them is Alga a territorie of fowrescore miles long and sixtie broad Elabut is 100. miles long and 60. broad Eriff is a prouince wholy mountanous therein are said to be 23. branches of the mount Atlas inhabited for the most part with sauage and barbarous people Caret is drie and rockie more like Lybia then Barbarie Now because the glory and maiestie of this kingdome consisteth especially in the citie of Fez I thinke it not amisse to describe the situation thereof It is diuided into two parts a little distant one from the other the one called the old towne the other the new A little riuer likewise diuideth the old into two parts The east part is called Beleyda containing fowre thousand housholds the west part is commonly called old Fez and hath fowerscore thousand and vpward standing not farre from the new Fez which likewise hath eight thousand Old Fez standeth partly vpon hils partly on plaines and hath in it 50. Mahumetan temples of admirable largenes All of them haue their fountaines and pillers of Allablaster and Iasper besides these there are sixe hundred of a lesse sort amongst the which that which is commonly called Carucen is most beautifull builte in the hart of the citie and containing halfe a mile in compasse in bredth it containeth seuenteene arches in length 120. borne vp by 2500. white marble pillars vnder the chiefest arch where the tribunall is kept hangeth a most huge lamp incompassed with 110. lesse Vnder the other arches hang very great lampes in each whereof burne 1500. lights They say in Fes that all these lampes were made of the bels which the Arabians brought out of Spaine who not onely made praie of bels but of columns pillars brasse marble and whatsoeuer was rich and curious first erected by the Romans and afterwards by the Gothes There are in Fez aboue 200. schooles of learning 200. Innes and 400. water milles euery one driuen with fower or fiue wheeles There are also diuers Colleges amongst the which that which is called Madarac is accounted for one of the most finest peeces of workemanship throughout all Barbarie There are likewise 600. conduits from whence almost euery house is serued with water It were a long labour to describe their Burse they call it Alcacer it is a place walled about hauing twelue gates and diuided into fifteene walkes where the merchants meete and dispatch their busines vnder tents Their delightsome gardens and pleasant parks with the rillets and waters running through them I can hardly describe For the most part the king keepeth his court at Fes wherein he hath a castle palaces houses adorned with rare workmanship rich and beautifull euen to his harts desire He hath a way vnder ground from the old towne to the new For the greatnes and statelines thereof by the grant of former kings it enioieth this strange priuiledge not indure any siege vnlesse the citizens shall thinke their prince for strength and forces able and equall to cope with his enimie if not without reproch of treason or ignominie they may yeeld their citie before their enimie approch within halfe a mile of the wals This haue they done that so goodly and so flourishing a citie should not suffer spoile vnder pretext of vnprofitable temporizing It is of no lesse moment for situation store of corne oile flaxe and cattle then for pleasantnes of territorie and plentie of water The wals are very strong and defended with manie bulwarkes The inhabitants are very thriftie giuen to traffike and especially to the making of clothes of wooll silke and cotton The kings eldest sonne is called the prince of Mequiuez Though the kingdome haue no good hauens vpon the Mediterranean sea yet great store of Englishmen and Frenchmen resort to Alarach Aguer and other ports in the Ocean whereof some belong to the kingdome of Fes and other to the kingdome of Marocho They carrie thither armor and otherwares of Europe which they bartre for sugar and other commodities Now how the kingdomes of Fes and Marocho two seuerall principalities with their dependances became subiect to one crowne I think it worthy relation bicause a more strange and memorable accident hath not happened in our age About the yeere of our Lord 1508. a certaine Alfaique borne in Tigumedet in the prouince of Dara began to grow in reputation a man of a reaching wit and no lesse ambitious then learned in the Mathematicks His name was Mahumet Beâ—-Amet otherwise called Xerif by his owne commandement This man deriuing his peregree from Mahumet and imboldened by the ciuill wars of Africke and the differents of the states and common weales thereof wherein in those daies the Portugals were of no small puissance began to dreame vpon the conquest
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
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
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