Danuby to buy and hire ships so fast at this very present at Lubecke Rostocke and other coast townes and to appoint Mansfelt for his Admirall Such a friend is the Sea to those that border upon it and of such importance towards the defending or enlarging of Empire But as for Islands such as ours wholly situate in it certainly that wall of water and sand about us is a surer fortification than Frier Bacons wall of brasse could have beene Our Almighty Creator in an humble and a thankfull sense bee it spoken hath even married us to his owne providence protection the sand about us seemes to be our wedding Ring and the riches of the Sea our Dowrie By benefit of the Sea as long as we have kept our selves masters of it we have enjoyed peace and have heard of rather than felt the miseries of other Nations and certainly so long as we keepe our selves so wee are at liberty to take as much or little of the warre as wee please and at length verily even the wealth of the Indies will be but an accessary to the command of the Seas The Indies being but like the Bets at play he that winnes the game gets not only the maine Stake but all the Bets by follow the fortune of his hand This finally is the advantage of an Iland that it cannot be taken if it be master at Sea t is not so much matter what the Land-forces be in the resisting of the landing of an invading enemie seeing one Fleet is worth three Armies Wee had two Armies drawne together on foot in 88. and one of traine bands to be called for upon occasion yet our Fleet blessed be God did more service than they all and good reason is there for it For suppose an enemie this evening he discovered at Sea upon the coast of Kent thitherwayes presently make the Land forces but ere morning the wind chops about and the enemy is ready within foure and twenty houres to land Northward or Westward where the Army cannot possibly be to attend him but a Fleet now is ever ready to dogge him with the same wind and is ever and anon bearing up to him still beating upon his Reare and if it be able to doe no more can yet at least hold him play till the beacons be fired and the Country forces come in to hinder the landing And thus much for situation upon the Sea and the strength which that affords us either in offending or defending in keeping or inlarging of Empire Of all creatures in the world a River most resembles a monster The head like that of Rumor is oftentimes not to be found the mouth farre bigger than the head and withall farthest off from it The head hath no motion the veines feed the bodie the mouth serves not but to void the supersfluities How monstrous not withstanding soever it be yet most beneficiall it is The next advantage to that of the Sea being the commodity of great navigable impassable Rivers The Roman conquests never made stand in Germanie till they came to the banks of the Rhine and Danuby but there they did for many ages The swift River Oxus in the East of the world hath beene the fatall bounder of two Monarchies the River Don in Russia hath the honour to part Europe and Asia and the River Dee by Chester did a long time keepe our Welshmen thereabouts unconquered Nothing awes a great River so much as a bridge whose Arches he labours to overthrow with all his forces for a bridge is the saddle to ride this Sea-horse The Emperour Hadrian thought he had done such an act when he had laid a bridge over the Danuby that he expressed the memory of it as of a victory in medals and coynes That mighty Armies have beene defeated in their passing of Rivers need not be stood upon When Spinola in these late warres being guided by a country butcher had once passed the Rhine and undisturbed set footing in the Palatinate Be of good comfort fellow souldiers saith he to his Army I le warrant you that we shall never be fought withall by this enemie For in passing of a River the enemy hath so many disadvantages what by the swiftnesse of the streame the smalnesse of the boats the unsteadinesse of the footing and the disorder in the approaching that he that to save his owne will not then fight will never fight And thus see wee that though Rivers be not like the Sea so apt to inlarge Empire they bee most commodious to guard it being once acquired and that 's no small benefit seeing wise men have anciently accounted it That Non minor est virtus quà m quaerere parta tueri T is an argument of no lesse valour or fortune to keepe what a man hath than to get that which a man hath not None of the weakest boundaries to Conquerours and Monarchies are the Mountaines for were all the world a levell and Campania what should hinder him that were strongest in horse to scowre it all over and as t is seene in the Low Countries to make all men pay contribution to the master of the field or the stronger party of horse even at pleasure Mountaines be naturall swellings of the earth above the usuall levell or surface of it which make the same exception to the definition of the roundnesse of the earth that a wart or pimple may to the smoothnesse of a young face They may seeme to be some heaps of rubbish and offals left of the creation of the world The difficulty of the ascent up to them the horridnesse of their cragges the savagenesse of their wilde inhabitants beasts or people the chillnesse of their frostie tops with the inhospitable barrennesse of their rugged sides may give scandall or leave an imputation of beggery and barbarousnesse to that country that hath most of them if their commodities be not thought upon as well as their discommodities For as they keepe their neighbours poore so they keepe them safe witnesse our unconquered Wales and Scotland which nor Romans nor Danes nor Saxons durst ever throughly set upon The Emperour Severus lost the greatest part of his Army in the hils of Scotland and how have our English Armies beene moyled in the Welsh mountaines and we have finally rather conquered the people than the Country Mountaines are natures bulwarkes cast up as the Spaniard sayes at God Almighties owne charges the Retreats they are of the oppressed the scornes and turne-againes of victorious Armies That knew the Barbarians in Q. Curtius well enough who having retreated from Alexander the great to the fastnesse of an inaccessible mountaine and Alexanders Orator in his parly and perswasive to them to yeeld telling them of his masters victories and of the Seas and Wildernesses that he had passed It may be so said they but can Alexander 〈◊〉 Over the Seas he might have ships and over land horses but he must have wings if he get up hither Where now
triall for landing or adventure the surprisall of some famous port for want whereof in former ages Xerxes suffered that terrible defeature at Thermipola Before this was done why ranne they away of what were they so fearefull who came like souldiers and resolute men under the title of assurance to conquer such a Nation Did the terrour of a storme onely drive them from hence in such haste were they not resolved to endure such weather as should happen in so great an enterprise Did they thinke to winne England with bigge lookes or to have tamed the people by tricks and dalliance as they had done the surly Portugues and fine Italians their neighbours Surely it seemed the Southerne winds had only inflated their minds as it is reported it doth their mares in the Asturies Where let us leave them and wish that some of those Worthies who yet live and were eye-witnesses of those great and fortunate expeditions undertaken and effected within the 44. yeares space of Her Royall government would take the paines to commit the Relation thereof to everlasting record Which done I make no doubt but that it would appeare beyond all objection That although the English Nation had long breathed under the milde aspect of so gracious a Lady yet 〈◊〉 it no lesse exercised in militarie discipline abroad than in peaceable pleasures at home Yea that the politike Regiment and heroicall actions of a maiden Queen have hardly since the conquest been exceeded by any her Majesties most famous progenitors For be it either in the wise reformation or wonderfull re-establishment of Christian Religion wherein she shewed no lesse constancie than true sincerity or otherwise in continuall comfort or liberall assistance of her distressed neighbours and allies whereof she had a royall and Christian-like regard or else in resolute repelling and fortunate invading her most mighty enemies wherein she was alwayes blest from above with happy and victorious successe her enterprises evermore were crowned with happinesse and in regard thereof throughout all nations her Counsellors were reputed grave and prudent the Realme flourishing and powerfull and herselfe magnanimous and renowned the fruits whereof I doubt not but we enjoy at this day The force at land is nothing inferiour to that at Sea for the kingdome is divided into 52 Shires in one only whereof commonly called Yorkeshire it is thought seventy thousand foot-men may be levied Every shire hath a Lieutenant who seeth to the election and training of souldiers when necessity requireth In chusing of souldiers they take the names of all the inhabitants In the Country from above sixteene yeares of age to sixtie and out of these they chuse the likeliest and ablest for service The taller and stronger are chosen for footmen and these divided into foure kinds The first are Archers by whose dexterity they conquered the greatest part of France tooke King Iohn captive and held Paris sixteene yeares in subjection The Arrowes of the Parthians were never more dreadfull to the Romans than the Bowes of the English to Frenchmen The second sort used browne Bils well headed with Iron with which they would strike and also plucke a man from his horse This was the ancient weapon of the Britons The other two use and experience of latter times hath taught them the one is the Harquebuze the other the Pike a fit weapon for their constitution by reason of their tall strong and man-like stature For their service on Horsebacke they chuse men of small stature but well set active and nimble These horsemen are of two sorts some heavie armed those for the most part are Gentlemen other lighter armed and some riding after the manner of the Albannesses some after the fashion of Italie using a Scull a Iacke a Sword and long light Speares And although they are able to bring to the field 2000. men at Armes and infinite troopes of light Horsemen yet their Horsemen never carried reputation to their Footmen For Edward the third and Henry the fifth which made so many journeyes into France and obtained so many famous victories to shew what confidence they reposed in their Infantely ever left their horse and put themselves into the battell of their footmen wheras the French Kings not daring to inure the Commons to warfare left leaving their manuall occupations and trades they should grow insolent in the warres to which humour they are greatly addicted alwayes put themselves their hopes upon the fortune of their Cavalry being all almost Gentlemen But forasmuch as the French maintaine no good races of horse and to purchase them from other places is a matter of great charge and good cannot alwayes be gotten for money for these reasons and for that Horsemen are nothing so serviceable in the field as footmen I thinke the French have often beene so defeated by the English To shew what force the Kings of England are able to bring into the field let these examples stand for many Henry the eighth passed to Bullvigne with an Army divided into three Battalions In the Vantguard passed twelve thousand footmen and five hundred light-Horsemen cloathed in blew Iackets with red guards The middle ward wherein the King was and passed last over consisted of twentie thousand footmen and two thousand horse cloathed with red Iackets and yellow guards In the rereward was the Duke of Norfolke with him an Army like in number and apparell to the first saving that therein served one thousand Irishmen all naked save their maneles and their thicke gathered skirts Their Armes were three Darts a Sword and a Skeane They drew after them one hundred great peeces besides small an Army by the censure of Guicciardini not more notable by the multitudes of souldiers and consideration of their valour than most glorious by the presence and Majesty of their King in whose person appeared at that instant being in an age disposed and active all those tokens of honour and magnanimity which rising after to their full ripenesse and perfection by degrees of time study experience made him the most renowned and mighty Prince that lived in his age in all this part or circuit of the earth which we call Christendome Their carriages were so many that therewith they intrenched their Campe like a wall And for the conveyance of their Ordnance their baggage and their provision they transported into the Continent above five and twenty thousand horse beside all other kinde of cattell In the aforesaid yeare of 88. after that Queene Elizabeth had provided fully and sufficiently to prevent her enemies at Sea then ceased she not to be as carefull at Land over her owne and her peoples safeties And therfore to be ready against any sinister accident which it might have pleased the Almighty to have given her at Sea at land she appointed five and twenty thousand souldiers to attend the enemy all along the Southerne coast At Tilbury lay the Earle of Leicester with one thousand horse and two and twenty thousand foot
as is said before when any that held either some strong Towne or place of importance came into the King he did alwayes capitulate to have some one of these Offices besides summes of money and governments also such was the necessities of the times saith Haillan These under the Constable have the command over all Dukes Earles Barons Captaines and Gens d'armes but may neither give battell make proclamation or mustermen without his commandement They have under them Lieutenants whom they call Prâ—vostâ—-Marshals who have the punishing of mutinous souldiers such as quit their colours Rogues and such like There is the office of Admirall Looke what the Marshals are in a Land-Armie the same is the Admirall in a Sea-Armie and these two offices are severall because the subject of their imployment is differing and unlike This office is the most ancient of all France for Caesar speaketh thereof The Admirals of Provence Bretaigne and Narbon are much commended for their practice and skill in Sea-service I marvell therefore why du Haillan reporteth that they were first made in Charlemaignes dayes and that one Monsieur Ritland was the first that was made There are now foure Admiralties France Bretaigne Guyenne and Provence This last is alwayes annexed to the governourship of that Countrey So that of Guyenne likewise till the King that now is came to the Crowne who before was Governour and Admirall of Guyenne but since he hath divided the commands Yee may observe in Histories that all the while the French voyages were upon the Levant Seas either to the holy-Holy-Land Sicilie or Naples or whithersoever the French alwayes had their Vessels and Commanders out-of Italie France borrowed their Admirals from Genoa Pisa Venice and Luca. These have the tenth of all wrack prize or prisoners that are taken at Sea Before the invention of shot there was an Officer in France called Great Master of the Crosse-bowes and Engines which office is now called the Great Master of the Artillerie who at first also immediatly after the invention of shot was called Captaine Generall of the Artillerie You have also Treasurers for the warres which are either ordinary or extraordinary Those pay the Gens d'armes and these the Regiments of the Infanterie Treasurers ordinary are so many as there be places where they muster of extraordinary there be alwayes foure The Heraults of France are six Normandie Guyenne Valois Bretaigne Burgogne so called of the Countries as with us in England and Mont-joy who is the chiefe of the rest Their ancient office was to be present at all Iusts and Tournaments to denounce warre or peace to summon places to defie enemy-Princes to give Armes to men new enobled But now they be only used at Feasts Coronations Solemnities Funerals and such like for they are no more used in the Treatie and negotiation with forren Princes I thinke the reason is because the office hath of late yeares beene bestowed upon unworthy and insufficient persons It shall here be needlesse to name all other his Officers of the Wars which are all one with those of other Countries as Colonel Captaine Sergeant Lieutenant Ensigne Corporall c. I will only remember in a word the French manner of Mustering March Charge and service in generall and then proceed to the next branch of this Relation Wee must observe that excepting the Gens d'armes and the Regiments above named when any souldiers are taken up for the warres they are not pressed as with us but the Captaine having his Commission gathereth them up by found of Drumme entertaining only such as will which may be some cause of the badnesse and basenesse of the French foot for being commonly the Rascall sort and such as have no other meanes there cannot settle in their abject minds that true and honourable resolution requisite in a souldier This Commission must first be shewed to the Governour Lieutenant generall Bailiffe or Seneschall of the Province upon paine of death Neither is it good except it be signed by the King and one of the Secretaries of Estate and sealed with the great Seale The souldiers levied are at the charge of the Province where they be taken up untill they depart the same Their March it should seeme is somewhat more sharpe than ours for I remember I have heard say that upon a time the old Marshall Biron should bid Sir Roger Williams bring up his Companies faster taxing the slow March of the English Sir saith he with this March our fore-fathers conquered your Countrey of France and I meane not to alter it A memorable answer of an honourable Souldier For the French charge ye shall heare the Spaniards opinion out of La Nove The French Infantery skirmisheth bravely a farre off and the Cavallery gives a furious on-set at the first charge but after the first heat they will take Egges for their money And indeed this is that which all Writers give them and which best agrees with their Nature for we may say of them as is said of Themistocles He was so hot at the on-set that he lost his wind in the midst of the carriers Or say of them as Fabius of Hannibal his valour is like a fire of straw and a flame kindled in matter of small continuance Concerning the French discipline Caesar himselfe saith They had it first from us It is said the discipline of the Gauls was first invented in Brittanie and from thence translated into Gallia and now such as desire to attaine the perfection thereof commonly travell thither to learne it But they have long since degenerated from their old discipline of war and they themselves confesse that since the beginning of the civill warres where souldiers in all disordered and dissolute manner have beene given to pillage and thee every that it is very much abastardized whereof La Nove complaineth in his discourses As for the Military discipline we must confesse that she keepes her bed sicke of a very deadly disease The Noblesse fight alwayes on horse-backe and thinke it a dishonour to serve on foot But Commines saith of the Nobilitie of Burgundie in the warres with Lewis the eleventh that they all quâ—t their horses for they were then most honoured that lighted on foot to the end the people might be the more encouraged and fight more valiantly and this they learned of the English And it is no question but if some of the French Nobilitie would doe so it would much confirme their foot by the example of their valour and abiding and recover that reputation which now their foot have lost in the world Neither doe I thinke this the least reason why our Ancestors have wonne so many battels upon them namely for that ever we have had men of Noble Houses to lead and serve on foot with our forces A notable cause to confirme and assure the unsteadie headinesse of a multitude And for the opinion that the world hath of our foot yee shall observe what the same Writer elsewhere saith
discipline they only of all Christendome have made best use thereof As the people to whose glory industry patience and fortitude and that in a good cause too much honour and commendation can never be attributed The States of the Low-Countries ALL the seventeene Provinces of Netherland were sometimes under one Lord but privileges being broken and warres arising the King of Spaine the naturall Lord of all these Low-Countries was in the treaty of peace Anno 1606. inforced to renounce all pretence of his owne right to these confederate Provinces Since when we may well handle them by themselves as an absolute and a free State of Government as the Spaniard himselfe acknowledged them The Provinces united are these Zeland Holland Vtrich Over-Isell Zutphen Groningen three quarters of Gelderland with some peeces of Brabant and Flanders This union was made Anno 1581. The Fleets and Forces of which Confederation are from the chiefe Province altogether called Hollanders The first of these is Zeland whose name given it by the Danes of Zeland in Scandia notifies its nature A land overflowed with the Sea Broken it is into seven Ilands whereof those three to the East beyond the River Scheld and next to Holland are Schowen Duvelant and Tolen the other foure be Walcheren Zuyd-beverlant Nort-beverlant and Wolferdijck 1. T'land van Schowen is seven of their miles about parted with a narrow fret from Nort-beverlant The chiefe towne is Zierickzee the ancientest of all Zeland built 849. The Port sometimes traded unto is now choaked with sand which they labour to cleare againe 2. Duveland so named of the Doves foure miles about hath some townes but no City 3. Tolen called so of the chiefe towne as that was of the Tolle there payed by the boats comming downe the Scheld 4. The chiefe of the seven is Walcheren ten miles compasse so named of the Walsh or Galles In the middle of it is Middleburgh the prime Citie of Zeland and a goodly Towne other Cities it hath as Vere Armuyden and Flushing all fortified 5. Zuyd-beverlant Nort-beverlant so named of the Bavarians The first is now ten miles about The Cities are Romerswael much endangered by the Sea and divided from the Island and Goesse or Tergoose a pretty and a rich towne 6. Nort-beverlant quite drowned in the yeare 1532. but one towne 7. Wolferdijck that is Wolfers-banke hath now but two Villages upon it Zeland hath ten Cities in all The land is good and excellently husbanded the water brackish Their gaines comes in by that which brought their losses the Sea Their wheat is very good some store they have the Cowes but more of Sheepe great store of Salt-houses they have for the refining of Salt of which they make great merchandize The Zelanders were converted to the faith by our Country-man Willebrord before Charles the greats time HOlland so named either quasi Holt-land that is the Wood-land which woods they say were destroyed by a mighty tempest Anno 860. the roots and truncks of which being often here found or quasi Hol-land Hollow and light land as it is indeed But most likely it is that the Danes also comming from Olandt in their owne Countrie gave name to this Province as they did to Zeland also The whole compasse is not above sixtie of their miles the breadth in most places is not above six houres travelling with a Wagon and in some places scarce a mile over The whole is divided into South-Holland Kinheymar West-Freesland Waterlandt and Goytland The chiefe Towne is Dort but the goodliest and richest is Amsterdam one of the greatest Townes of merchandize in the whole world they have almost twenty other Cities strong and elegant At Leyden there being a College and Vniversity Their banks mils and other workes for keeping out the Sea be most admirable vast and expensive Three of the foure Elements are there and in Zeland starke naught then Water brackish their Aire foggie their Fire smokish made of their Turses for which they are said to burne up their owne land before the day of Iudgement The men are rather bigge than strong some accuse them to love their penny better than they doe a stranger Their women are the incomparable huswives of the world and if you looke off their faces upon their linnen and houshold stuffe are very neat and cleanly At their Innes they have a kinde of open-heartednesse and you shall be sure to finde it in your reckoning Their land is passing good for Cowes they live much upon their butter and they bragge mightily of their cheeses As for flesh-meat I thinke that a Hawke in England eats more in a moneth than a rich Boore nay than a sufficient corporall Burger does in six weekes The industry of the people is wonderfull so many ditches have they made thorow the Country that there is not the most iâ—Iâ—land Boore but he can row from his owne doore to all the Cities of Holland and Zealand The Dutchman will drinke indeed but yet he still does his businesse he lookes still to the maine chance both in the City and Country by Sea and Land they thrive like the Iewes every where and wee have few such drunkards in England too many wee have apt enough to imitate their vice but too too few that will follow them in their vertue THis Duchie lies on the East of Holland and Brabanâ— touching also upon Cleve and Iuliers It hath two and twenty Cities and good Townes whereof Nimwegen Zutphon Ruremond and Arhneim are the chiefe Some peeâ—es the Spaniard here hath â— and the whole Country having heretofore beene infeâ—ted with the warres makes â— a little to come behinde his fellowes The land and people differ not much from those of Holland saving that towards Cleveland it is more mountainous the Champian is very rich pasturage for grazing THis touches Gelderland upon the South West-Freesland upon the North Westphalia upon the East and the Zuydersee on the West The chiefe Citie is Deventer others of the better sort be Campen Zwol Steinwick Oetmarse Oldenzeel Hesselâ—â— Vollenhoven c. This Countrey was of old inhabited by the Franks or Frenchmen of which there were two tribes the Ansuarii which gave name to the Hanse-townes whereof Deventer was first and the Salii which tooke name from the River Isala upon which Deventer stands and these gave name to the Salique Law which you see did rather concerne these Countries than France it selfe and was made by a barbarous people in an age as barbarous though this onely was pretended to barre women from the crowne of France and to hinder our Kings and occasion those warres and bloudsheds THe Bishopricke of Vtrecht hath Holland on the North and Gelderland on the West The circuit is but small yet hath it five pretty Cities whereof Vtrecht it selfe is large delicate and rich inhabited by most of the Gentry of Holland Much harassed hath it beene but now well recovered since it came into the union GRoningen
ready to march whither occasion calleth Because of the thicknesse of the Woods the Horsemen serve with Petronels and seldome use Pikes or Launces These are most excellent Footmen for every souldier is able to make and furnish himselfe with any furniture whatsoever even the making of his owne Flaske and Touch-box as likewise the common people in Pervina and the neighbouring Provinces being contented with a little have alwayes accustomed to make all implements for their houses and bodies to build to weave to play the Tailors to sow to reape and to forge tooles fit for their businesse And as for these Trades which are neither common nor necessary a to paint to worke in silver and such like there are notwithstanding found among them very good worke-men wanting rather matter than Art to worke upon The Swevian Horse-men are divided into thirteene Companies Sweveland and Gothland maintaine eleven and Finland two and upon necessitie they can raise a greater force for the Dukedome of Vrmeland as report goeth is able to furnish better than ten thousand men with Horse In Marchland there is such plentifull breed of Horse that there they are sold at a very low rate both these Provinces are in Gothland Their Horse is not so bigge bodied as the Frieslander but exceeding hardie active able to endure travell and fed with a little I will not omit to speake of two Noble usages of the King of Swethland towards his Souldiers one is that if a Souldier be taken prisoner he is ransomed at the Kings charges the other that if his Horse be slaine the King bestoweth another upon him To his Captaines and those which serve on Horse-back in part of payment of their wages hee giveth yearely a Garment which the Germans terme Idolis and may be taken for a Cassocke The rest of the Captaines meanes if he serves within the Kingdome against the Dane or Moscovite is but foure Dollars a moneth and exemption for himselfe and family from other duties and payments to the King The common souldier is not thus exempted unlesse in time of warre or danger his other pay is one Dollar and a quarter for a moneth small pay if you consider not the cheapnesse of victuals In their marches in loose troopes they are billetted in the next houses at the countries charges But when the Armie is in the field altogether the King findes them victuals without deducting it out of their meanes It was not long since that the Horseman in time of peace received more than twenty Dollars standing for a yeare with a Horsemans coat and his exemptions but this is increased in the warres The Officers of Horse-troopes receive monethly pay for themselves their servitors horse-boyes c. The Nobilitie and Courtiers also Privie Councellors excepted which may be about three hundred in all are bound to wait on the King on horseback every of which for himselfe and followers receiving each five Dollars a moneth Every Captaine must be a Gentleman borne As touching their Sea-affaires by reason of their huge Sea-coast and infinite Havens the Kingdome swarmeth with Mariners and shipping which the King may arrest in his Dominions as other Princes are accustomed to doe hee maintaineth commonly fiftie Ships of warre whereof every one carrieth fortie peeces of Ordnance more or lesse King Gustavus first brought in the use of Gallies In the Warre which King Iohn waged with the Danes before the Peace treated on at Stetin was agreed he put to Sea seventie great ships besides other of smaller burthen in which were 22000. fighting men In the Summer time they warre at Sea in the Winter at Land for then the Rivers are frozen as likewise the Sea neere the shore for a great space Seeing I have spoken of Guns I will adde thus much that the King is thought to have about eight thousand great Peeces the most part of Brasse and that hee could cast many more if hee had more store of Tin In the Castle of Stockholme only are numbred foure hundred Certaine it is that the King can on the sudden rigge up a sufficient Fleet both for defence and offence and that cheaper than any Prince of Christendome For first he hath store of Mariners and they easily paid as desiring little more than cloaths and victuals Their cloathes are simple enough and their victuals the Countrie is bound to send them a proportion namely of Beefe Bacon Salt-fish Butter Barly and Peason As for materials for building a ship he either hath them of his owne timber pitch iron and cordage or else they are brought him but from the next doore Brasse peeces such plentie of metall he hath that they cost him little or nothing So that well might King Iohn the third of Swethland affirme that he would set out and maintaine as good a Fleet for 100000. Dollars as the King of Spaine could for a million of pounds The chiefe of the Kings Navie in time of peace rides like our Kings at Chatham commonly in two places either at Stockholme where they may lye safe even afloat without mooring or so much as anchoring the Harbour being thirty English miles within Land and the high cliffes keeping off all winds The other Stations are in Finland still in a readinesse against the Muscovite and to watch that nor Armes nor munition be brought them out of Germanie The chiefe Fort of this Countrey is the Finnish Sea which breaking in about Dantzik runs up with a long gut or free thorow the midst of his Countrey from South to North a great deale beyond the Arctick Circle into Finmarch and Lapland another Arme of it neere the first entrance parting Liefland and Finland of which it is called the Finnish Bay flowing even to the Frontiers of Russeland Both of them are wonderfull strengths eases and riches to his Countrey Fortified Townes and Castles he hath in all his Frontiers upon the Dane and Muscovite some twentie in all Vpon the West-side of Swethland is Denmarke on the East Moscovie with both which he hath had long war The Swevians have suffered much losse by the Denmarkes for King Christian the second besieged Stockholme and forced it committing all kinde of cruelty against the Inhabitants filling the Citie with bloud and dead carkases The title which the Dane pretendeth to the Crowne of Swethland is the cause of their enmities The Havens the situation of the Countrey and especially Gothland which is a member of Gothia and therefore the Swevian claimeth it as his right affordeth the Dane this facility of invading at his pleasure After Gustavus recovered the Kingdom he and his son Henry and John reigned successively and although bloud enough hath beene shâ—â— in the warres betweene Gustavus and the Paris yet the Kingdome hath retained her honour and the Citâ—e of Lubeck the mightiest State in that Sea sometimes by consederating with the one sometime with the other doth in so even a ballance poise the differences of these two Nations as it suffereth
few which escaped the generall massacre yet are they contented without laying any claime to their ancient gentility to range themselves with the residue of the basest commonalties and can but seldome be admitted to the chiefest magistracies being commonly bestowed upon Butchers and such like Mechanicall Artizans Italy ITaly according to Plinie the most beautifull and goodliest Region under the Sun the Darling of Nature and the Mother of hardy Men brave Captaines and valiant Souldiers flourishing in all Arts and abounding with Noble wits and men of singular spirits is situate under a Climate most wholesome and temperate commodious for Traffike and most fertile for Corne and Herbage containeth in length from Augusta Pretoria unto Otranto one thousand and twenty miles and in breadth from the River Vara in Provence to the River Arsia in Friuli where it is broadest foure hundred and ten miles and in the narrow places as from the mouth of Pescara to the mouth of Tiber an hundred twenty six miles So that to compasse it by Sea from Vara to Arsia are three thousand thirty eight miles which with the foure hundred and ten by land maketh the whole circuit three thousand foure hundred forty eight miles Thus it appeares to bee almost an Iland in shape of a legge bounded on the East with the Adriatike Sea on the South and West with the Tirrhene Seas and on the North with the Alpes the which for that it is described by others we will but point to and so much the rather because there is no Country in the world better knowne and more frequented by strangers Inheritance there descend to the children as Lands holden by Gaâ—â—â—â—nd with us in some parts of England so that one brother hath as good a share as another and if the older be borne to the title of a Coâ—â—e so is the younger and so called yea if there be twenty brethren except it be in the Estates of Princedomes as Mantua Ferrara Vrbin and such like which evermore descend to the eldest entirely By this meanes it commeth to passe that often times you shall see Earles and Marquesses without Lands or goods yet most strictly standing upon descents and the glory of their names for themselves and their issues for ever But the Gentlemen which have whereof to live are reported to surpasse the Gentry of any other Nation in good carriage and behaviour and for the most part professe Armes and follow service And to bee discerned from the vulgar they all in generall speake the Courtisan which is an excellent commendation considering the diversitie of Dialects amongst them For leaving the difference betweene the Florentine and the Venetian the Milanois and the Roman the Neapolitan and the Genois which may well be likened to the difference betweene a Londoner a Northerne man yet by the tongue you shall not lightly discerne of what part of the Countrey any Gentleman is No more different are they in manners and behaviour honourable courteous prudent and grave withall that it should seeme each one to have had a Prince-like education to their superiours obedient to equals respective to inferiours courteous to strangers affable and desirous by kinde offices to winne their love Of expence and lone of his mony very wary and will be assured to be at no more cost than he is sure either to save by or to have thanke for In apparell modest in furniture of houshold sumptuous at their table neat sober of speech enemies of ill report and so jealous of their reputations that whosoever speaketh ill of one of them if the party slandered may know it and finde opportunitie to performe it the party offending shall surely die for it The Merchants likewise for the most part are Gentlemen For when of one house there bee three or foure brethren lightly one or two of them give themselves to traffike And sometimes if they chance not to divide their Fathers substance and patrimonie as many times they doe not then doe they which professe themselves Merchants travell for the welfare of their brethren joyntly participating of losse and profit But in outward shew these carry not like reputation to the Gentlemen afore spoken of for they professe not Armes but desire to live in peace and how to vent their wares and have new traffike into strange Countries yet have no lesse reputation of Nobility for their trade of Merchandize but by reason they stay at home and use the richest Farmes and follow Husbandrie by their Bailises and Factors they become the best and wealthiest Merchants in all Christendome Their Artificers are thought the best workmen of the world and are so well paid that many live by their labours as well as many doe by Revenues yea and grow very rich and within two or three descents to the reputation of Gentry The poorer sort are the husbandmen for they are oppressed on all hands in the Country liveth no man of wealth The Gentry and wealthier sort dwell in Townes and walled Cities leaving the Villages fields and pastures to their Tenants not at a rent certaine as we doe in England but to halfes or to the thirds of all graine fruit and profit arising of the ground according as it shall be either barren or fertile And this the poore Tenant must till and manure at his owne charge so that the Lords part commeth cleare without disbursing one penny yet shall you see many faire houses in the villages but they are onely for the owners pastime in Summer For then they leave the Cities for a moneth or two where under the fragrant hedges and bowers they solace themselves in as much pleasure as may be imagined And for the most part every man hath his Mistresse with instruments of musicke and such like pleasures as may serve for recreation and delight Thus much of the manners and nature of the inhabitants now will wee speake of the estates of the Country The King of Spaine hath the greatest part for his share as Naples and the Duchie of Millaine The Pope hath the Citie of Rome Campagnia part of Maremma part of Tuscan the Duchie of Spoâ—et Marca d' Ancona Romagnia and the Citie of Bononia The Venetians have for their part the Citie of Venice with the townes in and about that Marish called La contrada di Venetia La marka Trivigrina a great part of Lombardie and part of Istria They likewise are and have beene Lords of certaine Islands some whereof the Turke hath wonne from them The Common-weale of Genoa hath the territorie about them called at this day Il Genovosaio and anciently Liguria Tuscan once Heâ—ruria is divided into divers Seigniories whereof the Bishop of Rome holdeth a small part but the greatest is under the jurisdiction of Florence Then are Common-wealths of Sienna and Lucca whose Territories are not great 13. The Duke of Ferrara hath part of Romagnia and part of Lombardie 14.
Manicongo Coâ—go Mombassa Quiolasafola Melinde Mosambique Monâ—â—â—â—gi with the rest within land are all inhabited with Moores Mahumetans Heathen and barbarous people who live plentifully upon those good nutriments which God and nature hath provided for those places traffiking and bartering one with another some for Ambergrice Wax Silver Copper and Rice some for Gold Pearle Linnen and Silks and others for Ivory Cotton and such inbred commodities as each Province peculiarly can spare to the necessities of the other Monomotapa seemeth to be civiller and better governed than any of the residue and is almost an Island lying betweene the Rivers of Cuama and Spirito Sancto from whence it stretcheth along the Sea-coast to the Cape of good Hope and on the North to the Kingdome of Moâ—emugi It is an hundred and fifty leagues in compasse and all the Vice-Royes or Lieutenants throughout that whole territory doe acknowledge the King thereof for their Soveraigne Of Townes and Villages they have few but Cottages many and those compacted of timber thatcht Cities there are also many whereof Zimbas and Benemetaxa are betweene twenty and five and twenty miles distant from Sofola towards the West The soile aboundeth with Corne and Cattell great and small wandring by herds through the fields and woods By the store of teeth from thence yearely transported we can but conjecture that lesse than five Elephants cannot but die in this Country these beasts are herevery huge There is no climate like it for plenty of Gold for there are said to be three thousand Mines whereout Gold is usually digged Which commodity is also found as well in the Plaines as in Rocks and in Rivers Whereof the Mine of Manica Boro Quiticui and Teroâ— which some men all Butna are the chiefest So that some men are of opinion that out of this Countrey Salomon procured his Gold and Ivory to be brought unto Ierusalem Which seemeth not unlikely for that in this Kingdome were found many old and Prince-like buildings and those very costly in Timber Stone Chalke and Wood which in the Countries thereabouts are not to be found The Government is great and extendeth over many warlike people all Pagans meane of stature blacke well set and very swift Their weapons are Darts and light Targets and the men much given to rebellion the cause wherefore the Prince retaineth the heires of his vassall Princes to be secured of their parents as also that he entertaineth strong Regiments in severall Provinces divided into legions after the Roman manner Amongst the which that he accounteth his battalion of Amazons comparable for trust of person to the Turkish Pretorian Ianizars with their manner of warfare copulation and educating of their males according to the ancient custome of those masculine Viragoes you may by my leave confidently beleeve because some late travellers have as lately reported it But truth it is that according to their uncivill civility they converse with the King kneeling on their knees and to sit in his presence is the use with them as with us to stand and that is granted but to great Lords onely The assay of meat and drinke is not made before but after the Prince hath eat and drunke Here are no prisons because Law passeth upon the offender in the very moment wherein the offence was committed The offences most severely punished are Witch-craft Theft and Adultery They pay no other tribute but certaine daies worke and presents without which no man may appeare in the Princes presence The King beareth in his Coat-Armour a little spade with an Ivory handle and two small Darts One of them not long since was converted and baptized by Gonsalva Silva a Iesuite with the greater part of his Courtiers but afterwards by the perswasion of certaine Moores in great credit about him hee caused him to bee slaine Sebastian King of Portugall offended hereat proclaimed warre against him under the leading of Francisco Berotio This Armie consisted of sixteene hundred the greatest part Gentlemen to whom the Monomotapa fearing their Armes and valour offered honourable conditions but the Captaine whom no offer or indifferency could satisfie was overcome and his Armie utterly consumed yet not by the enemy but by sicknesse and in the infectious aire of the Country Aegypt IN this description I will rather follow the opinion of Ptolomy and some others who make it a part of Africa than those who either referre some portion thereof to Asia and the residue to Africke It is a most noble and ancient Region much celebrated both in Scripture and other profane Writers for the excellency and antiquity thereof In holy Writ as witnesseth Iosephus it is called Misraim and so the Inhabitants For Misraim was the Sonne of Chus the Sonne of Cham the Sonne of Noe. The Arabians call the country Mesre but the Inhabitants Chibeth for such was his Name that first brought his Colonie into these parts It is plaine sandy and low Land without Mountaines which is the reason that it cannot be seene afar off the aire is hot and infectious and therefore either to avoid or mollifie the intolerable heat of Summer Sunne the Inhabitants are accustomed in all their Cities upon the tops of their Houses to build open Tarases to let the wind drive in thorow all their roomes Yet is not this Country as the rest of Africke infested with the Southerne winds ingendred of heat but is especially refreshed with the Northerne which here is moist and in other places drie It hath no Earth-quakes nor showres but of very able fertility and if it raine as it seldome doth it bringeth many diseases as Murres Catars Agues and such like The inundation of Nilus is mother of all fertility the want thereof an assured prediction of famine and scarcitie The Country is full of cuts and inlets from this River which long agoe Sesostris caused to bee intrenched left those Townes which were situated from the maine banke in the heart of the Kingdome should want water upon the ebbing of the River This inundation causeth such plentifull harvests that through the whole earth better increase and speedier ripenesse is not to be found The wealth hereof is rather to be admired than estimated in reviewing the spendor magnificence of their regall Antiquities their Labyrinths their Pyramides water-works all built and perfected at inestimable charges The ruines whereof are to be seene at this day whereunto the bravest Monuments of the Roman Empire are nothing comparable The revenue of this Kingdome in times past both in regard of the fertilitie of Nilus and the infinite quantity of Merchandize transported from Aethiopia Arabia and India hath beene very great Some report saith Ptolomie that Auletes received from hence twelve millions and fifty talents which according to the computation of Budaeus ariseth to seven millions and a halfe of Crownes the Romans received a farre greater masse but now by the Portugall Navigations it yeeldeth the Turke no such reckoning Howbeit
the mountaines but Amazar detesting the tyranny of his Lord conveied the children to his owne house and brought them up like Gentlemen amongst his owne sonnes and falling sicke of a deadly disease forecasting what might happen after his decease gave them horses and money willing them to flie and to betake themselves to their mothers house and tuition Ismael the eldest was no sooner returned to his mothers place but he vowed revenge for his fathers death and after some fortunate expeditions tooke upon him the cause and protection of the followers of Halie from whom hee derived his pedegree Hee made the Turbant higher and sent Ambassadours to all the Orientall Mahumetans to exhort them to unity in Religion and Cognisances By these meanes and fortune of his armes he became a terror to the East and slew Ossan then Usurper of the Persian State with his ten brethren except Marabeg who saved himselfe and sled to Soliman first Emperour of the Turkes imploring his aid This Ismael at the Lake Vay overthrew with a great slaughter the Prince of the Tartars Zagatai and in heat of his victory had passed the River Abbian if his Astrologian in whom he greatly trusted had not foretold him that his passage should bee prosperous but his returne unfortunate Hee left to his sonnes a most spacious Empire bounded with the Caspian Sea the Persian Gulfe the Lake Sioc the Rivers Tygris and Oxus and the Kingdome of Cambaia which Provinces containe more than twenty degrees from East to West and eighteene from North to South And although these Kingdomes lying within these bounds held not immediatly of the Crowne of Persia yet all acknowledge the Persian for their soveraigne Prince that is to say the Kings of Matam Patan Guadel and Ormus Georgia and Mengrellia being Christian Countries according to the superstition of the Greeke Church submitted to certaine conditions as toleration of Religion payment of Tribute and disclaiming to assist the Turke against them and so obtained a kind of peace and protection untill againe the Persians declined by the fortunes of the Ottomans The like course ranne Media now called Servan Dierbechia once Mesopotamia Cusistan the inhabitation of the Susiani Farsistan the Country of the Persians Strava once Hircania Parthia at this day called Arac Caramanie now Sigestan Carassa Sablestan and Istigiu whose ancient names were Drangia Bactria Parapamisus Margiana Of these Regions those which lie neerest to the Persian Sea are most plentifull by reason of the Rivers every where dispersed thorow the whole Land Amongst these Rivers the most famous is Bindimir to whose waters the Inhabitants are much beholding conveying it by trenches and other inventions into their grounds to their great ease and commodity The Provinces lying upon the Caspian Sea for their Rivers and temperature doe likewise participate of the said fertility especially all those quarters which are watered with the River Puly-Malon falling into the Lake Burgian the residue of the Province is dry by reason whereof Townes and Villages are seldome seene in those places unlesse it be by some springs or waters side The most ample and magnificent Cities of Persia are Istigias the chiefe seat of Bactria thought to be one of the pleasantest Cities of the East Indion the chiefe City of Margiana situated in so fat and fertile a territory that therefore Antiochus Soler caused it to be walled about Candahar the chiefe seat of Pamaparisus famous for the trafficke of Indiae and Cathaia whither the Merchants of those Countries doe resort E rt the chiefe City 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 spacious for the circuit thereof that the Persians hyperbolically terme it the halfe World Chirmaine is the chiefe seat of Caramania renowmed for the excellent cloth of gold and silver woven therein Eor is a noble City and so is Custra of Susiana But all these for beauty and magnificence may bow and bend to Syras seated upon the River 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 bee re-edified It is not at this time so great as in times past yet it is thought to bee one of the greatest Cities in all the Orient with its suburbs which are in compasse twenty miles It is a Proverbe among the Persians Quando Suars erat Siras tunc Cairus 〈◊〉 Pagus yet they account it not very ancient neither are they of their opinions who will have it the head of â—â—â—ia Tauris and Casbin are famous Cities and besides their magnificence they may glory that in them the Kings of Persia for the most part keepe their residences The forme of Government of this Nation is not like the Government of any other Mahumetan people neither is â—â— There are also many desarts and many mountaines disjoyning the Provinces farre asunder Herein it resembleth Spaine where for want of navigable Rivers except towards the Sea-coast traffike is little used and mountaines and Provinces lie unmanured for scarcity of moisture But Nature unwilling that humane life should want any easement hath so provided for mutuall commerce in these sandy and barren places that through the labour of Camels the want of Navigation is richly recompenced thorowout Persia the bordering Countries These beasts carry wondrous burdens and will longer continue than either Horse or Mule They will travell laden with a thousand pound weight and will so continue forty dayes and upward In sterile and deepe sandy Countreyes such as are Lybia Arabia and Persia they drinke but once every fifth day and if extremity enforce they will endure the want of water ten or twelve When their burdens are off a little grasse thorns or leaves of trees will suffice them There is no living thing lesse chargeable and more laborious certainly ordained of nature a fit creature for those sandy and deepe places of Asia and Africke wherein even man himselfe feeleth the want of food and water Of these there are three sorts upon the lesser men travell the middle sort have bunches on their backs fit for carrying of Merchandize the greater and stronger are those which carry burdens of one thousand pound weight these are their ships the sands their Seas What numbers of horsemen this King is able to levie was manifested in the warres betweene Selim the first and Ismael betweene Ismael and Soliman and betweene Codabanda and Amurath Not one of them brought above thirty thousand horse into the field but so throughly furnished that they had little cause to feare greater numbers The richer and abler sort arme themselves after the manner of our men at Armes the residue being better than the third part of their Cavalry content themselves with a Scull a Jack and
the people ceaseth not to insinuate into their heads that this Lord of Tenza and the other Tyrants are usurpers of other mens right destroyers of the Monarchie and enemies to the state and liberties of Iapan Which perswasions take so deepe root in the hearts of the people and so extenuate the reputation of these Usurpers that under colour of suppression of other they often take Armes upon hope to raise their owne greatnesse so that by this daily change of Governours the people not knowing who are their right and naturall Lords know not whom to love and obey And againe their Lords being as uncertaine of their continuance care not for the people nor for the welfare of their owne vassals no more than if they were meere strangers but always aspiring by the same facilitie whereby they gained one to conquer a better after the manner of Gamesters continually hazard one upon hope of winning another in this sort sometime one alone sometime many together vexing the Islands with perpetuall warfare Fassiba to assure his estate and disable the greatest ones from enterprising against him doth often transport them from one Province to another causing them to forgoe their ancient inheritances and to lead their lives amongst unknowne neighbours neither in those places will he suffer them to enjoy livings united but farre divided in peeces and parcels For all this they are never at peace among themselves by reason that the frontiers of their pettie jurisdictions neighbour so neere one upon another In these alterations Fassiba constrained as well the losers as the winners to doe him homage and obeysance and once a yeare 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 and Fortresses the like whereof are no where to be seene In these works he hath more than an hundred thousand workmen labouring in their severall 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 given commandement to all his people and Merchants to bring all iron and Armour into one place Besides the oath of fealtie whereby the residue of the Kings and Princes are bound to aid and assist him in peace and warre he receiveth yearely two millions arising of the profits of Rice reserved upon his owne possessions He was determined after the finishing of the fabrikes to attempt a journey into China and for that enterprise caused timber sufficient for the building of two thousand vessels for transportation to be felled By these magnificent fabrikes this haughty resolution this large dominion and conquest for forren Kingdomes he hopeth to attaine the reputation of immortality among his subjects as divers of his predecessors have done before him For Anida Xaca Canis and Toâ—oque were no other than Lords of Iapan which either for their glory in warre or invention of some good arts in peace were accounted as Gods amongst the Iaponians as in the old world Hercules and Bacchus were amongst the Grecians and Saturne and Ianus amongst the Italians Of these demi-gods they report as many strange and fabulous inventions as the Grecians and Italians did of theirs But Fassibâ— understanding by the preaching of the Iesuites that there can be no God but one who created the heaven and earth of nothing and all other deities to be foolish and detestable determined to banish them all and to weed up that good Vine which began to take deepe root in those Provinces Surely this may stand for a memorable example of the pride and blindnesse of mans heart The Roman Emperours opposed their forces against the Christian Religion onely to maintaine and uphold the worship of their Idols condemned for vaine and devillish by the Law of Christianity but this man raiseth persecution against Religion to arrogate to himselfe the Name of God an imagination as I said before full of extreme ambition and madnesse But in the middest of these proud and unreasonable cogitations God raised up against him a new enemie from the Easterne parts of Iapan who as wee understand is likely to give him his hand and head full of businesse THE SIXTH BOOKE Of America commonly called West India THis spacious part of the World utterly unknowne to the Ancients and extended upon the vast and raging Atlantique Ocean lay undiscovered untill the yeare of our Lord 1492. In which yeare it was found out by Christopher Columbus a man of an excellent judgement and haughty spirit under the protection and good fortunes of Ferdinand King of Spaine Him seconded Americus Vesputius and other famous Gentlemen who to their everlasting memories with infinite labour and danger surveied that huge tract with the Iland adjoyning even unto the furthest parts of the West and South That portion they called the New world as well for the incredible spaciousnesse thereof being larger than the two old divisions of Africke and Europe as for the infinite number of Ilands diversity of manners fashions of Inhabitants variety of Languages Nations and Customes with the disproportions of living Creatures Trees and Plants not to bee found or seene in these parts which they there found It is bounded upon the East with the Atlanticke or North Sea upon the South with the Magellan Streights upon the West with Mare pacificum or Mar del Zur and on the North with Terra incognita And as some Writers affirme the whole Circum Navigation amounteth to thirty thousand miles This Continent according to its diversity of situation is diversly provided In some places it is admirable fruitfull in other places very barren and needy Some part thereof lieth upon huge plaines some places are very hilly and mountainous It is watered with many famous Rivers whose sands in many places yeeld Gold with many famous Lakes and Springs It bringeth forth graine and pulse sufficient especially Maiz the chiefest bread and provision thorow the whole Indies Wine they have none and where they want this Mâ—â—z they make their bread of a kinde of Root good and wholsome if the juice be thorowly squeezed out otherwise not It yeeldeth Sugar Cotton Wooll and Flax as with us with a thousand sorts of Trees Birds Beasts and Fishes some whereof we know and other some not Horses they have none neither conceive their use and at the first sight of horsemen the Inhabitants stood amazed In it are found the Spices Gems and precious Stones with those huge masses of Gold Silver and other Minerals which we see daily transported into Europe The Inhabitants are of a swarty complexion fairer or fouler according to their different situations Not very well favoured but of savage brutish behaviours excellent footmen and swimmers clearly in their bodies naked libidinous and men-eaters Some worship the Devill some Idols some the Sun and some the Starres Their armes are the Bow
reporteth that their battell seemed rather to consist of Giants than of ordinary Souldiers Neither hath any Nation ever dealt more at adventure or hath used more boldnesse and blinde fury than the Portugals whose voyages beyond the Cape of Good-Hope and the Straights of Sinca-Pura their conquests of Ormus of Goa of Malacca and the Moluccos the defence of Cochin of Diu of Chaul and of Goa are more true and commendable than in reason likely to have prospered Military valour now is usually increased by some such like means as these First by using them to the wars Secondly by treating them like free men not like slaves Thirdly by inuring them to Arts manly Fourthly by appointing military rewards and honours for the souldiery When people are inured to the warres it takes away the horrour and hideous feare of it and makes it but a kinde of trade to the followers who desire it to live by it One of our lusty ploughmen of mid England would at fifty-cuffes or cudgels soundly beclowt a Hollander but yet for that he never saw men with iron faces he durst as well take a sheet of an hedge as come within the cracke of a pistoll whereas t is usuall for the Bores of Holland some with firelocks some with Loapestaves to make out parties of foot to goe a-bootehaling and even to set upon the horse of the enemie And all this is because the Englishman is not used to it and the Hollander is For the same reason there is much difference betwixt the same people in time of warre and after a long and effeminating peace That felt Hannibals souldiers after their long and lazie quarter in Capua Before Da'lvaes comming into the Low-Countries to provoke the Hollanders there was not a more simple cullion in the world than a Dutchman and now no where a braver man and what hath effeminated our English but a long difuse of armes Finally though in a hard battell there would appeare a great deale of difference betwixt an old beaten souldier who had seene men die familiarly even the sight of bloud making men fierce and fearelesse and a man of our traine bands of London yet surely would the Londoner much sooner prove fit for a battell than the unexperienced country-man even for that little use which he hath had of his Armes in the Artillery garden and Military yard of such force is use and custome to the increase of military valour Most requisite it is that what people a Prince would make valiant he should use freely and not like slaves A Nation overlaid with taxes will never prove military In France therefore where the peasant is but the day-labourer for his Land-lord the Monsieur and never suffered to eat good bit to weare good ragge or scarce to lay up a quart-deseue at the years end the Prince does not much trust to the Enfantery which is made up of this slavish people Inforced impositions mightily abate peoples love and courages and the blessing of Iudah and Issachar will never meet That the same people should prove the Lions whelpe which is used like an Asse betweene two burthens But where the yeoman or husbandman may eat what he breeds spend what he earnes and have the benefit of the Law against the best gentleman of the Country there are they fit for an helmet And all this is in England in no Nation under heaven does the common man live so freely or dares spend so frankly no where so free minds or so able bodies Three other usages have we had in England which have kept our people in spirit and valour One was the tenure of Knights service by vertue of which when the Lord of the Mannor was called to serve the King he drew his Tenants after him who would not budge a foot but live and die with their Land-lord and Captaine for if they proved cowards to their Land-lord how should they looke his sonne in the face and how disgraced should they be at their returne into their owne Country Thus proved we victorious in France The second usage was perfected by King Henry the seventh which was to reduce the Farmes and houses of husbandry to a standard assigning such a proportion of land to each as might breed a subject to live in a convenient plenty neither with so much as should effeminate him into the ease of a gentleman nor with so little as should discourage him with beggery The third usage was the frequency of Serving-men and Retainers who before that the sinne of drunkennesse had overflowed their gals and courages were no whit for valour and service inferiour to the Yeomanrie All these being kept in freedome were maintained in courage able and willing to serve both their Prince and Country A third thing necessary to breed courage in a Nation is if other reasons of State will beare it that there be more addicted to arts manly than unto sedentary and within-doores occupations Such I mean as require the strength of the backe and brawne of the arme rather than the finenestle of the braine or finger Some have thought that the multitudes of Monkes and Friers would if need were be a great strengthening to the Papacie and fight hard for their Grandfire of Rome But most assuredly those cage-birds have no military minds at all When Rome was beleagred by the Duke of Burbon in Charles the fifth his time and taken too not a Frier came to the rescue The Kings of England have sometimes made bold with the treasure of the Monasteries but never thought their persons serviceable Had they beene martiall-minded such multitudes would never have suffered themselves to be turned out of their warme nests in King Henry the eighths time without stroke striking And surely the taking in of the Dutch and Waltons into our Cities of England was more out of charity than policie for they being all given to neat and delicate manufactures may seeme rather to bring riches than strength to the kingdome Nor have our Kings hitherto tryed any of them in their souldierie Studious delicate and sedentary arts are not fit for armes t is the whip the plough-stafte the slayle the hammer and the hatchet that breeds the lusty souldier that makes able bodies and couragious spirits Another great maintainer of courage is the invention and worthy bestowing of military honours and rewards after the service is done The Romanes had their Triumphs and Ovations their Garlands and their Donatives to inhearten their souldiers Orders of Knighthood were also invented for this purpose But what 's all this to the common Souldier who hath no reward assigned untill he be lame and that a little from the Treasurer As for releefe in an hospitall a serving-man can make better meanes to get into it than a poore souldier after twenty or thirty years service This is a discouragement But nothing so bad as the Spaniards whose practice hath beene for these many ages to reward most of his great Captaines
to his children and kinsfolkes to reward servants or to countenance followers with libertie of civill conversation of comely burials and mourning for the dead of rejoycings at mariages of honest and friendly visitations and harmlesse recreation where every man eateth under his owne Vine and doth what seemeth good in his owne eyes so it tend not to scandall Then let mee be bold to shew him the noble Kingdome of England which to approve I intend by way of comparison wherein most of our Gentrie are well acquainted to make good what I thinke without offence may be truly avouched And first wee will begin with those Countries of which wee have only knowledge by way of traffike and so travell into Russia and Aethiopia But there alas to say nothing of the government the sole load-starre of goodnesse and happinesse the two extremities of heat and cold debarre both Plentie and Abundance from unloading their laps amongst the Inhabitants comparable to our happinesse and satisfaction As for their government and uniformitie of a Common-wealth the name of Emperours only excepted there is nothing worthy observation more than the tyrannous controlling of Lawes and the immediate prostitution of all sorts to the imperious will of the prevailer nor in truth have they temple palace wisdome peace or tranquillitie such as Royaltie or good government intendeth but both Empires especially Russia have suffered many convulsions from ambitious Vsurpers and unworthy Princes who have traiterously supplanted one another and by indirect courses brought the subject into the house of slaughter which undoubtedly is the maine reason why they cannot come neere magnificence provision in house-keeping navie multitude of Princes Nobles or subjects with the equality of obedience to advance a true Scepter or to manifest the glory of a king by the flourishing condition of all estates In a word their Cities and Townes are subject to such bestiality and confusion that they seeme rather routed troopes of deformity than men orderly disposed to the mannagement of affaires either of commerce or of Noble trade And so in all other particulars there is a meere disparity betweene them and our proposition Shall we come neerer home and with prying eyes like the Censors of Rome looke into the Empire of Germany there the Princes are so absolute and the Emperour so timorous to raigne as Asueroth did from India to Aethiopia over 127. Provinces that neither the Queene of Saba will come to heare his wisdome nor to view the order of his Palace neither will the King of Arabia send him presents nor the Confederates admire his magnificence The Merchant will not bring him horse and fine linnen from remote places nor supply his wants according to the prerogative of Kings Nor are the Cities ordered by the appointment of his Ministers nor can he send his chariots to this place nor his horse-men to that nor his Army whither he lists nor fill the streets of Ierusalem when he would solemnize a Passeover for the people live divided and the Burger boasteth of his policie in manumitting themselves and giving their Townes the usurpation of chiefe commandery as for the having of many commodities tending either to necessity or pleasure alas the commutation consisteth in the inriching one another wherin all the corruptions of avaâ—ice are put in practice finally God wot to the augmentation of the Empires Majesty So that their Marts and Faires are as so many boothes of drunkards where with in stead of Ships at Sea they fill the fields with wagons full of strange creatures who make their bellies as great devourers as the Sea Nor can he goe with the wise King to view his navie at the red Sea shores not in person visit the Cities which want fortification or repairing nor in truth doe any thing to come neere the six steps of gold on Solomons throne but eat and carouse yet farre from the meane of mirth Shall we venture over the Alpes and the gulfe of Venice into Italy and there search the Apennine Hils the fields of Campania the garden of the World Lombardy the territories of Rome or attractive Naples for an instance of this our Greatnesse and Happinesse No surely For throughout this goodly territory in one corner ruleth the Spaniard at another end the Savoyen then is intermingled a confused government of pettie Princes Next lieth the Venetian state who meerely out of parsimonie like their adjoyning neighbours the Florentines have obtained the reputation of wealth and greatnesse As for the Duke he is but a voice unsignificant for the Senate carrieth the sword And lastly the Church with the mercenary contraries of blessing and cursing keepeth Saint Peters patrimony as safe as if the indubitate heire of some noble family should maintaine the privileges of his deceased Ancestors But should I knit all these models together and set up the wals of Rome incompassed with her seven hils in such an order that the fabricke might boast of twenty miles circuit and the government lift up a head of Daniels vision againe Or that in a yeare of Iubile I could settle you under the wings of an Angell on the top of the Popes Palace as the Devill carried our Saviour to the pinacle of the Temple And there shew you the consistory of Cardinals triumphs of a Popes Inauguration his stately carriage adorned with his triple crowne on mens shoulders with all the appurtenant shewes and ceremonies yet would all come short to our example For the very provision of our Kings Palace would exhaust the Country consume the commodities and like barren ground drinking up the raine devoure the plenty of the Land and pull in peeces their best compacted husbandry As for their drinking in vessels of gold well may it serve to divulge the glory of some ambitious triumph but nothing verifie the bounty of an overflowing cup considering the wines are not onely small but the vintage so barren and penurious that to conceale the scarcity thereof by parsimonious custome of the Country women and children are forbidden to drinke thereof As for the Villano he is glad of water to quench his thirst fetcht from muddy channels falling from the mountaines of snow and cleansed with much adoe by the swift course of Eridanus Many other defects doe bespot the face of this goodly creature and debarre it from the boast of our essentiall happinesse For though the Inne-keepers daughter goe in a satten gowne and that the bravery of Italy be discovered in the attire of the people as if every burre had golden kernels and every corner were full of silkwormes yet is there neither method of government nor can the inhabitans rejoyce under unity or any privileges of a strong compacted Administration tending to the assurance of love true alliance or obedience so that in a manner all the defects deforming the beauty of Kingdomes more than some private blessings and those scattered as it were by the hands of divine goodnesse may be here lookt upon with
and Forests Grand Master of the Artillerie and others I shall speake of them when I come to relate of the Kings Forces in generall to which place these Offices especially appertaine The first Office then of Court is that of the great Master which in elder times was called Earle of the Palace and after changed into the name of Grand Seneschall and now lastly into Grand Maistre It is his Office to judge of matters of difference betweene other Officers of Court He had also the charge to give the word to the Guard to keepe the Keyes of the Kings private Lodging and to determine in disputes among Princes that followed the Court for their Lodgings In assemblies he sitteth right before the King a staire lower as you reade in the Dern Trobl Great Butler or Taster was in former times a great Office in the Kings House they had place in the Courts of Iustice as Peeres This Office was long in the Counts of Seulis It is now vanished and only there remaines that of the Grand Panetier This Office is ancient he hath besides the Kings House super-intendence over all Bakers in the Citie and Suburbs of Paris They which were wont to be called Pantlers Tasters and Carvers are now called Gentlemen Wayters of the Court. The Office of great Chamberlaine was long in the House of Tankervile he lay at the Kings feet when the Queene was not there His Privileges are now nothing so many as in times past Those which were then called Chamberlaines are now Gentlemen of the Chamber The Office of great Esquire is not very ancient though now it be very honourable and is the same that Master of the Horse is in the Court of England for it is taken out of the Constables Ofâ—â—â—â— to whom it properly appertained It was first instituted at the time of Charles the seventh In the Kings entrance into the Citie he carries the Sword sheathed before him The Cloth of Estate carried over the King by the Maior and Sherifes belongs to his Fee No man may bee the Kings Spur-maker Mareschall and such like Officer but he must have it of him as also other inferiour Offices belonging to the Stables He had in times past the command over Stages of Post-horses but now the Controller generall of the said Posts hath it The Office of Master or Steward of the Kings House hath charge over the expence of the Kings House For a marke of his authoritie he carries a truncheon tipt at both ends with silver and gilt and marcheth before the Sewer when the Kings dinner comes to the Table No Sergeant can arrest any of the Kings House without their leave They serve quarterly they were wont to be but foure but now I have heard it credibly said they be eightie in name but all of these doe not execute the Office The Great Provost of France and of the Kings House was so called since Charles the ninth for before he was called Roy des rebauds King of the Rascals His Office is to stickle amongst the Servants Pages Lacquies and Filles de joye Punkes or pleasant sinners which follow the Court and to punish all offences in these people I should have named before these last as a place more honourable the Office of Great Faulconer and Common Hunt who have authoritie over all Officers of Chase. They of the Kings Chamber are either Gentlemen of the Chamber of whom I spake before or Groomes of the Chamber which are but base Groomes and Yeomen The hundred Gentlemen of his Guard though there be two hundred of them they hold and use a weapon called Le bec de corbin They march two and two before him they are part French and part Scots The Scot carries a white Cassocke powdered with silver plates and the Kings device upon it The French weare the Kings Colours There is also a Guard of Swisse attired in partie-coloured-Cloth drawne out with silke after their Countrey fashion these follow the Court alwayes on foot the other on horse There belong to the Court also the Marshals of Lodgings and Harbingers they have like Offices as the Harbingers in the English Court there bee also divers others which are here needlesse to be spoken of It followeth I speake of his Forces aswell horse as foot of which this Country is very well furnished and indeed vaunteth and I thinke worthily to be the best and greatest Gens d'armerie of any Realme in Christendome but on the other side their foot have no reputation Insomuch as at the Siege of Amrens we should heare the Spaniard within the Towne speake over the wals to our English Souldier in their Trenches after we had saved the Kings Cannon from which the French were shamfully beaten by them within fallying out upon them You are tall Souldiers say they and we honour you much not thinking any foot to come neere us in reputation but you and therefore when you of the English come downe to the Trenches we double our Guard and looke for blowes but as for these base and unworthy French when they come we make account we have nothing to doe that day but play at Cards or sleepe upon our Rampart Of both these Forces of horse and foot of France you are to note this which followeth It is reported of the great Turke that when he conquereth any Province or Country he divideth the Lands upon his horsemen and to each his poâ—tion â—ith an exemption of paying either Rent Tax or â—allage whatsoever only they are bound to serve the Grand Seigâ—ior with a proportion of horse at their owne charge and in their owne person in his warres except either age or sicknesse hinder which are the two only excuses admitted These are called his Timariots of like Nature were the Calasyres or Mamalucks of Aâ—gypt So did the Kings of France in former times bestow upon Gentlemen divers lands and possessions freeing them likewise from taxes and aids upon condition to have their personall service in time of need These Lands were called Feifs instituted before Charlemaigne his time but till then they were given onely for life as at this day are those of the Turks but since they bee hereditary The word Feif hath his Etymology of Foy Faith signifying Lands given by the King to his Nobility or men of desert with Hauâ—â—â— et basse â—ustice with an acknowledgment of fealty and homage and service of the King in his warres at their owne charge Some Feif was bound to finde a man at Armes some an Archer some the third and some the fourth of a man at Armes according to the quantity of Land he held He that had Land from the value of five to six hundred Livres rent that is from fifty to sixty pound sterling was bound to finde a man on Horse-backe furnished for a man at Armes and from three to foure hundred a good light Horse-man who if it please the Prince and upon occasion of service shall
as it were the Dowre which the State brings to the King her Husband for her tuition defence and maintenance And therefore one saith It belongs not to the King but to the Crowne There are two sorts of Domaines first the Rent which the King holds in his hands of the Feifs given for service Secondly that which is united and incorporate to the Crowne The rights of the Domaine are these Rents Feifs Payments at alienations Tributes Penages Toll of whatsoever enters or comes out of Cities Woods Forests and divers other That is Domaine which belongeth to the Crowne First either by Possession time out of minde Or secondly by Re-union for want of heires males as the Apennages when they returne or by Confusion for want to such as can make just claime much like our concealed Lands in England Or lastly by Confiscation of offenders inheritances Of this last sort we reade that in the time of Saint Lewis there were confisked to the Domaine the Countries of Dreux Bray Fortyonne and Monstrevil Languedocke Guyenne Anjow Maine Turraine Auvergne And after in the time of Philip the Dutchy of Alencon the Countries of Perche Perigort Poutieu La Marche Angoulesme and the Marquisat of Saluzzes But Bodin saith most of this came to the Crowne by force La siur 〈◊〉 Serre saith it came by way of Exchange or purchase But the Author of the Commentaries of the estate of the Religion and policie of France is of the first opinion Thus great was the Domaine in former times that of it selfe without oppressing the people with impositions it was sufficient to maintaine the State and greatnesse of the Kings of France but it is now utterly wasted It is well knowne that the Domaine which alone maintained heretofore the beautie and lustre of the Royall Estate is not now such as it was in the reignes of King Lewis the eleventh Charles the eighth and Lewis the twelfth The continuance of our warres hath caused it to be engaged in many hands in such sort that there is need of more than 15. or 16. thousand pounds sterling to redeeme that which is worth above five millions of pounds And Bodin saith that almost all the Countries Baronies and Seigneuries of the Domaine are aliened for the ninth or tenth part of that they be worth Yee must observe that the lands of the Domaine are not alienable but in two cases 1. For the Apennage of the Kings brother 2. For the warres And these must be confirmed by the Arrest of the Parliament For all other cases all Lawyers and Historians of France agree That it is inalienable and many Arrests have beene made of late yeares to confirme it I have read that the Charta Magna of England saith the Kings when they are crowned take an oath not to alien ti so doe they here in France And there is no prescription of time to make such sales or alienations good but that they may be recovered and repurchased whensoever the Crowne is able To this purpose Plutarch saith well Men cannot prescribe against God nor particulars against the Respublique 2 Concerning the second meanes of raising Money by conquests the present State of France can yeeld no example it hath beene long but on the saving hand 3 For the third meanes it is now out of season it was used in that good old world when men wiped their nose on their sleeve as the French man sayes for now Princes are so farre from giving as they hardly pay that they owe. 4 The fourth meanes also of Pension which Princes have upon some consideration of their Allies helpeth the French Kings coffers nothing at all for they rather give than take As for example to divers Cantons of the Swisses to whom at first they payed not above one hundred and twentie thousand Livres yearely but for these sixtie yeares they never pay lesse the yeare than two Millions For saith Commines Lewis the eleventh entered league with the Swisses and they into his Pension to whom he yearely gave forty thousand Florins whereof 20. went to the Cities and 20. to particular men upon condition to have a certaine proportion of their forces to serve in his warres upon all occasions An advantagious alliance for the Swisse in my opinion who by this meanes enrich themselves cleare their Countrey of many idle and bad members and lastly breed good souldiers to serve themselves upon need at another mans cost The Turke hath also a Pension of the Emperour of Germany for certaine Lands hee holdeth in Hungary which hee notwithstanding vaunteth to be a Tribute Many examples might bee alleaged of this kinde as of Philip of Macedon that by Pensions got all Greece partiall on his side and the Kings of Persia by Pension got ever the forces of Asia diverted 5 The fifth which is of Trafficke availeth nothing the French Kings for they hold it here a base and sordid kinde of profession for a Gentleman much more for a King to trade by Merchandize And by the Lawes of England France and Germanie he loseth the quality of a Nobleman that doth Trafficke Notwithstanding these Lawes and the disparagement that it brings to Nobility yet so sweet is the savour of gaine that many have used this as no small meanes to increase their Finances The great Duke of Tuscane present gaines infinitely this way and the more by his most unlawfull and tyrannous Monopolies for he commonly buyeth up all the Graine of his owne Countrey at his owne price yea and that which commeth from other places also and then sendeth out a Bando or Proclamation that no man shall sell any corne thorowout his State till his owne be sold forcing also all Bakers and other people to buy thereof This manner of ingrossing Alphonsus of Arragon also used by the testimony of Bodin The Kings of Portugal also and the Seignory of Venice have beene great Traders by Merchandize but it hath beene in an honester fashion at sea and not to the grinding of their poore subjects The Nobilitie also of Italy in all Cities except Naples hold it no dishonour to Trafficke in grosse 6 The sixth meanes of raising money upon all Wares and Merchandize that come in and goe out of the Countrey is the most ancient and best agreeing with reason and used by all Princes in the World The particulars comprised under this branch are these Customes inward and outward By these the Prince is to have Impost five in the hundred So much just had the Romans as Cicero witnesseth in his Praetorship of Sicilia The Turke takes Ten in the hundred of the stranger and five of the subject the French quite contrarie You must observe that which here I call the Domaine forraine is generally called the Aides first granted by the Estates to Charles Duke of Normandie when Iohn his father was prisoner in England which was the payment of twelve Deniers upon all Merchandizes and Wares which should bee sold in this Kingdome except upon
communicates apart his principall and most importing affaires where are read all letters which come from other Princes and such like publike businesse and after a conclusion what is to be done the dispatch thereof is committed to the Secretaries The other is the Great Councell or Councell of Estate which at first was as it were a member of the Parliament and consisted of the Princes of the Bloud and Nobility having only to deale in the matters of the policy generall of France or of warres or of the enacting and publishing of Edicts But the faction of Orleans and Burgundy caused it to bee changed to a choice number of Counsellors provisioned of 1000. crownes pension apeece yearely Of this Councell the Chancellor is chiefe for neither the King himselfe nor any Prince of the Bloud comes there This is the Court of which the Frenchman saith every time it is holden it costs the King a thousand crownes a day And now saith Haillan he cannot keepe them so cheape so infinite is the number of them growne Where he also complaines that this Conseil d' Estat which was wont only to determine publike affaires as the establishment of justice the Reglement of Finances and redressing of common grievances is now so charged with private contentions as the glory thereof is much diminished The Chancellor anciently served as a Secretarie and so was called in the old Charters of France where hee is likewise called the Grand Referendaire The Secretary doth signe and the Chancellor doth seale The Secretary is next in office who at first were called Clerks They are either of the Finances which have their place among the Officers of the Finances before remembred or of Affaires which we heare speake of Of these are foure which are called principall Governours and Lieutenants generall of Cities and Provinces are as it were Vice-royes and Regents of those places committed to them and indeed the persons sustaining these charges are much more Noble than those of the Secreâ—aries as being for the most part conferred upon the Princes of the Bloud and Peeres of France The Governours of Cities were in old time called Dukes and they of Provinces Counts They were at first only in Frontier Provinces but now since the troubles of France they have had the command over Cities and Countries even in the midst and bowels of the Land So that now saith Haillan France is become a Frontier to it selfe on every side There are but few Cities whereof anciently there were Governours as Rochel Calais Paronne Bologne Mondidier Narbonne Bayonne and two or three others Others that had keeping of some small Castle or Fort was onely called the Keeper or Captaine at most But now saith Haillan lib. 4. every paltry fellow that hath the keeping of a Pigeon-house must forsooth be called My Lord the Governour and my Mistresse his Wife My Lady the Governesse The Governour of Daulphenie hath greatest privileges for hee giveth all Offices in his Province in other places they can give none except they have it by expresse words in their Patent The Governour may not be absent above six moneths in a yeare but the Lieutenant must never be absent without leave of the Prince except teh Governour be present There is yet an Office whereof I must remember you which is one of the chiefest in France either for honour or profit called grand Maistre des Eaues Forests All matters concerning the Kings Chases Forests Woods and Waters whatsoever are determined by him by the Grand M. Enquesteur and by their Reformateur at the Table of Marble under him are infinite sorts of Officers and divers others As the particular Master of each Forest their Lieutenants Overseers of the sale of woods and the other Officers here specified But I will not load this short Relation with reckoning up all the divers and infinite sorts of Officers where with France herselfe seemeth tâ— be over-loaden as partly ye have heard already and yee shall reade in Bodin how hee complaines not only of the multiplicitie of Offices in generall but also that even the Councell of Estate is surcharged with number where you may likewise observe how he approves the Privie Councell of England erected some foure hundred and odde yeares since where are never saith he above twentie by whose sage direction the Land hath long flourished in Armes and Lawes And for the execution of Lawes and administration of Iustice yee may remember what hath beene said before that the Lawes are good and just but not justly executed Where Haillan comparing the time saith Then great ones were punished but since only pettie fellowes and great ones goe Scot-free Th'ensnaring Lawes let Crowes goe free While simple Doves entâ—ngled bee HAving thus related of the Topography and Policie of France it remaineth I speake somewhat of the Oeconomie that is of the people of France comprised under the three Estates of the Clergie the Nobilitie and Comminaltie of the severall humour profession and fashion of each of them which is the third and last branch of this Relation The Church Gallicane is holden the best privilege of all those of Christendome that have not yet quit their subjection to the Pope It hath alwayes protested against the Inquisition It is more free from payments to the Pope than the Church of Spaine as also to the King For here in France they only pay the Disme but in Spaine the King hath his Tertias Subsidio Pilâ— and Escusado in all a moitie of the Church living Indeed it is reported of this Catholike King that he hath founded many Abbeyes and Religious Houses but what saith his Subject He steales the sheepe and gives the Trotters for Gods sake In this Church of France are twelve Archbishopricks one hundred and foure Bishoprickes five hundred and fortie Archpriories one thousand foure hundred and fifty Abbeys twelve thousand three hundred and twenty Priories five hundred sixtie seven Nunneries one hundred and thirtie thousand Parish Priests seven hundred Convents of Friers and two hundred fiftie nine Commendums of the Order of the Knights of Malta There are saith the Cabinet du Roy three millions of people that live upon the Church of France where he particularly setteth downe in each Diocesse the number of all sorts of Religious people as also the number of their Whores Bawds Bastards and Servants of all sorts And why not saith he as well as the Magitians undertake in their Inventory of the Diabolike Monarchie to set downe the names and surnames of 76. Princes and seven millions foure hundred and five thousand nine hundred twentie and six Devils The Church hath for all this rabble to live upon these two things First her Temporall Revenues and secondly her Spirituall which they call the Baise-mani Of her Temporall Revenues divers men judge diversly The Cabinet who in all his computations makes of a Mouse an Elephant saith that they are fourescore millions of crownes the yeare besides the Baise-mani which is as
ready and perfect in the use of his Peece and so more able and fit to doe his Country service And I suppose if in times past we had had like Prizes for the long Bow the ancient glory of our English service we had not so soone quit the exercise thereof nor degenerated so far from ancient custome So doe I thinke that in these dayes wherein the Peece is only prized if we have this fashion of France and Germanie in England to reward him in every place that should best deserve therein that our Country-man would grow more perfect and expert in the use thereof at whose unaptnesse and aukwardnesse in their first training before they come to have served some time I have often marvelled He hath also his sports of Bowling Carding Dicing and other unlawfull and unusefull games whereof I will omit to speake being too common both with them and us As for the exercise of Tennis-play which I above remembred it is more here used than in all Christendome besides whereof may witnesse the infinite number of Tennis-courts thorowout the Land insomuch as yee cannot finde that little Burgade or Towne in France that hath not one or moe of them Here are as you see threescore in Orleans and I know not how many hundred there be in Paris but of this I am sure that if there were in other places the like proportion yee should have two Tennis-courts for every one Church thorow France Mee thinkes it is also strange how apt they be here to play well that yee would thinke they were borne with Rackets in their hands even the children themselves manage them so well and some of their women also as we observed at Blois There is this one great abuse in their exercise that the Magistrates doe suffer every poore Citizen and Artificer to play thereat who spendeth that on the Holy-day at Tennis which hee got the whole weeke for the keeping of his pâ—oâ—e family A thing more hurtfull than our Ale-houses in England though the one and the other be bad enough And of this I dare assure you that of this sort of poore people there be more Tennis-players in France than Ale-drinkers or Malt-wormes as they call them with us Neither would I speake of Dancing save only that I presume yee will give me leave for Methods sake having undertaken to speake of the French exercises not to omiâ— that of Dancing wherein they most delight and is most generally used of all others And I am perswaded were it not for this That they of the Reformed Religion may not dance being an exercise against which their strait-laced Ministers much inveigh that there had long since many of the Catholikes turned to their side so much are they all in generall addicted hereunto For yee shall onely see the Gentlewomen and them of the better sort but every poore draggle-taile even to the Cobblers daughter that can dance with good measure and Art all your Quarantes Levaltics Bransies and other dances whatsoever not so much but the Chamber-maid and poore Citizens wife dance usually in the City-streets in a round like our Country Lasses on their Towne-greene about the May-pole making musick of their owne voices without any Instrument And rather than saile the old women themselves both Gentle and base who have moe toes than teeth and those that are left leaping in their heads like Iacks in Virginals will beare their part This argueth I will not say a lightnesse and immodestie in behaviour but a stirring spirit and livelinesse in the French nature whereof also the musicke and songs they have is no small argument for there is not almost a Tune in all France which is not Ienicke or Lydian of five or seven tunes a note forbidden youth by Plato and Aristotle because saith Bodin it hath great force and power to soften and esseminate mens mindes The tune Doricke which is more grave musick and was commanded for the singing of Psalmes in the Primitive Church their inconstant and stirring humour cannot brooke by any meanes It remaineth I speake of their Language of whom the Italian hath a Proverbe The French neither pronounce as they write nor sing as they pricke nor thinke as they speake In which first point they differ from the Lutine Italian Spanish and Greek who fully pronounce every letter in the word whereas the French to make his speech more smooth and Ceulante as he termes it leaves out very many of his consonants whereby it now is growne almost as sweet a tongue to the care as the Italian or Greeke which two by reason of the many vowels are questionlesse the most delicate languages of the World It now remaineth I speake of the French nature and humour which by the change of his speech apparell and building by his credulity to any tale which is told and by his impatience and haste in matter of deliberation whereof I shall not omit presently to speake ye may judge to be very idle wavering and inconstant Saith one As the Frenchmens pronuntiation is very fast so are their wits very wavering And ye shall reade in Caesars Commentaries very often how he taxeth them of this leality and suddennesse Caesar being informed of these matters and fearing the unstablenesse of the Gaules as being sudden and wavering in their resolutions and generally desirous of innovations he thought fit not to trust them And in another place Caesar understanding that almost all the Gaules were naturally hungrie of change and unconstantly and suddenly stirred to war c. And againe Vt sunt Gallorum subita repentina consilia As the resolutions of the Gaules are sudden and unlooked for c. To conclude if yee will rightly know the Nature and Humor of the ancient Gauls ye must reade the sixth of these Commentaries and you shall observe how strange it is that though all other things in the world are subject to change yet the same naturall of lightnesse and inconstancie still remaines in the French This is aptly shewed by Haillan in his description of Lewis the eleventh If he had one thing he straight casts his affection to another being violent busieheaâ—ed and impatient To this accordeth another of their owne Writers Such is the condition of France that if she have no Wars abroad against powerfull Neighbours shee must have broiles at home among her owne Subjects and her working spirits can never remaine long quiet And therefore Tacitus cals them Levissima hominum geneâ—â— The most sickle kinde of Men sudden to beginne and more sudden to end apter to apprehend the action than comprehend the cause ready to lay hold not able to hold fast as by the making and revoking of so many Edicts against the Reformed Religion in so short a time and by many other their actions appeareth For ye must observe of the French that he entrech a Countrey like thunder and vanisheth out againe like smoke He resembleth the Waspe who after the
three hundred beautified with Churches imbatteled and of many severall fashions besides Granges Castles Religious houses Towers and Gentlemens Manours The aire seemeth moist yet not prejudiciall to the health of the inhabitants for in the Campaine of Brabant men live an hundred yeares and glory in the same as if the promise were fulfilled in them to haue their dayes long in the Land which the Lord God hath given themâ— The Emperour Charles had an intention to erect it into a Kingdome but the difficultie consisted herein that every of thâ—se Provinces being governed by peculiar customes prerogatives and privileges would never have yeelded unto one Royall Law common to all especially those that had the largest privileges for which cause he gave over his determination It is seated commodiously for all the Provinces of Europe and containeth in circuit about a thousand Italian miles The aire of later times is become much more wholesome and temperate than in times past whether it be by reason of the increase of Inhabitants or industry of the people who spare no charge to amend whatsoever is amisse Whosoever shall consider what commodity they raise by the fishing and traffike onely may well say that no Nation through the whole world may compare with them for riches For Guicciardine writeth that of their Herring-fishing they make yearely 441000. pound sterling their fishing for Cod 150000. pound sterling and of their fishing for Salmon more than 200000. crownes which is of sterling money 60000. pound The continuall riches that groweth in the Country of other sorts of fish taken all the yeare is infinite The value of the principall Merchandize yearely brought in and carried out is likewise infinite the aforesaid Author esteemeth it to be about foureteene millions one hundred and thirty crownes whereof England only bringeth to the value of five millions and two hundred and fifty thousand crowns It is a wonder to see how that the Inhabitants of all these Provinces especially of Brabant and Flanders understand and speake two or three languages and some foure or more according to their entercourse with strangers yea in Antwerp you shall heare the women speake Dutch French Italian Spanish and English The Countrey is everywhere bettered by navigable Rivers and those not empty handed but affording delicate water and excellent fish It is reasonably beautified with woods affording materials to build withall and pleasure for hunting It is smally or not at all mountainous except about Namurs Lutzenburg and Henalt fruitfull of corne grasse and herbs fit for medicine in some places of Brabant and Gelder-land full of heath yet not so barren but cartell are well sustained there their flesh having an exdinary sweet taste It is free from those creatures which are either noysome or dangerous to man and wanteth none of those blessings wherwith the God of all blessings indoweth a country but a noble Prince unity of Religion and a quiet Government Which if it might please the Almighty to regrant it would questionlesse shine as the Sunne amongst the inferiour Planets with the rest of their adjacent neighbours in treasure potencie content and ordinary felicitie For their Forces at Land of them it may truly be reported that they have not only made their parties good against the potent wealth and exact discipline of the Spanish but have also at all times prevented the intimations intrusions and underminings of all their neighbours and lately regained the freedome of their ancient libertie even to point of admiration That where all other Nations grow poore by warre they only thrive and become rich For the store of shipping they are also immatchable In the yeare 1587. the King of Denmarke upon some pretences of displeasure arrested one with another 600. in the Sunds at one time In 88. upon short warning they rigged to the narrow seas 100. good men of warre And if suggestion deceive not at this day Holland Zealand and Freesland are said to rejoyce in the possession of 2500. good ships from 150. to 700. tun a peece In regard whereof other nations professing the same religion and accommodated with like advantages may first observe to what height of courage and confidence this people is growne by good order and faithfull dealing who in truth being but two or three small shires have for forty yeares space resisted and beaten the forces of a mighty King who keepes Millan Naples and Sicil under great bondage in despight of all the Italians for valour and policie notwithstanding proclaiming themselves to be the sole Minions of the habitable world But truth is These petty Princes have not now those daring spirits which they had in former times when the Visconti Neapolitans Fortibrachio Francis Sforza with other Lords and Common-weales were of power to invade the territories of the Church and inforce the Romans themselves to thrust their Pope Eugenius out of Rome to save their citie from sacking The Country now representeth unto all Christendome nothing more livelier than a Schoole of Martiall Discipline whereunto all Nations resort to learne and see the practice of Armes and the models of Fortifications Whereupon no few considerations are to be observed first into what follies and extremities Princes run by inuring their people to the assiduitie of warfare and secondly what great advantages a small or weake Estate gaineth by fortifying places and passages for surely there is nothing that sooner undoeth a great Price than to be forced to besiege a Towne which is excellently defended because herein he consumeth his time and most commonly loseth his reputation As did Amurath before Belgrade Soliman before Vienna Charles the fifth before Mets Francis the first before Pauie Maximilian before Padoa The Catholikes before Rochel The Protestants before Saint Iohn de Angeli And Albert before Oastend This manner of defence grew in use first in Italie by occasion of the comming of Charles to the Conquest of Naples whose manner of warfare together with the terrour of his Ordnance never before that time practised in Italie gave the Inhabitants occasion to raise their wits to the utmost of resistance Then followed the famous overthrow of the Venetians at Caravaggio where in an adverse battell they almost lost all they held upon the sinne Land By which examples Princes being instructed in the danger that came by fields so foughten the most part afterward turned all their imaginations of defence from the field to fortresses And the first that put this in practice to his highest commendation was Prosper Collouna who at two severall times most honourably defended the Duchie of Millaâ—ne against the French only by shutting them from victuall wearying them with all manner of distresses and opposing them to the want of all things requisite for an Armie Whether the Netherlands borrowed this discreetnesse from the Italians or more lately provided for their best safeties being by long time beaten with the rod of experience I will not here dispute but sure I am that by this manner of
for Hony and for Flax thither resort likewise Hollanders Scots and French-men Almost in the middle of this Bay is also an Iland and Towne called Warde-huâ—s which Fredericke the second caused to be very strongly fortified and here the Merchants doe also pay their Customes In Scandia hath he some silver mines about which were his late warres with the King of Sweden Besides all this the Kings of Denmarke of this present Familie have thought it no disroyaltie to set up divers manufactures for which they take up the children of such parents as are unable to keepe them whom the King brings up till they be able to worke he in recompence taking the profits of their labours afterwards Finally t was ever held that Magnum vectâ—gal parsimonia Sparing was equall to a great tribute And truly the cold winters and durtiâ— wayes of 〈◊〉 expect no great Gallanterie nor is his Court and Retinue very chargeable to him By these and other wayes came the King of Denmarke before these warres with Iâ—llyâ— to have the reputation of the greatest monied Prince of Europe Touching his Forces for matter of Invasion by Land it hath seldome beene seene that he enterprized any journey of reputation but only that against Dietmarsen upon whom King Valdemar laid the yoke of subjection but they falling againe into rebellion after many chances of warre beginning in the yeare 1500 were againe utterly vanquished by Frederick the second in the yeare 1558. before which overthrowes they once discomfited Iohn the sonne of King Câ—risâ—terne the first Since these troubles of Europe this present King hath beene inforced to take up Armes in defence of his dominions of Holsteyn and Dietmarsen and in favour withall of the lower Creâ—â—z or circle of Saxony and those parts with which he was confederate But his Army of Danes and Germans being base and cowardly Aids also from other places failing him he was still put to the worst by the Imperialists many of his Townes much of his Land being taken from him which upon composition were all restored in the yeare 1629 the Emperour having his hands full otherwhere being glad enough of a peace with him What this King is able to performe at Sea may be gathered by the Navie which upon occasion he once rigged up at the intreatie of Henry the second King of France when Christierne the second sent a Navie of 100 Saile into Scotland against the English and 10000 Land-souldiers with them And certainly forasmuch as it is apparent that hee is Lord of so ample a Sea-coast and possessor of so many Havens in Denmarke Scandia Norwey and the many Ilands both within and without the Baltike Sea it is most likely that he is able to assemble a great Fleet. It concerne him also to have a sufficient Sea-force ever in pay and readinesse for defence of the Sowndt and his many Ports especially upon the coast of Norway where they willingly yeeld him no better obedience than hee is able to â—â—â—ct of them by strong hand As for surprize or sudden invasion hee needs not much feare seeing that Denmarke is nothing but broken Ilands and those sufficiently fortified Norwey NOrwey upon the East respecteth Denmarke on the West it is bounded with the Ocean on the South lieth Swevia upon the North it is separated from Lapland by high and steepe craggie Rocks The Westerne and Easterne Tracts are rockie and hard to travell yet is the Aire there temperate insomuch that the Sea freezeth not neither doe the Snowes long continue The Land it selfe is not very fruitfull to sufficiencie for it is poore and towards the North what by reason of the rocks and cold yeeldeth no sort of Corne. And therefore the Inhabitants except the better sort in stead of Bread eat dried Fish viz. Stock-fish which to their great profit they transport thorow Europe and exchange for Corne. The Countrey especially the Southerne parts transport rich Furres Tallow Butter Tan'd-Lether Traine-Oile Pitch Clapboord all sorts of Timber-works and Masts Fire-wood and Timber for building and that with great ease and little charge Their owne buildings are base and poore and the Inhabitants honest lovers of strangers liberall of gift and most serviceable Amongst them are neither Filchers Theeves nor Pyrats though they dwell in a most convenient situation for Pyracie Birgis was once their Metropolis a Hanse-Towne and for its safe harbour one of the foure chiefe Maâ—t-Townes in Europe viz. Birgis in Norwey London in England Nugardia in Moscovic and Burgis in Flanders But it is now decayed The cold Northerly and smally-frequented Ilands of Schetland Friesland Island and Groneland with the Navigations such as they are thereunto for Fish I imagine every man can conceive and therfore forbeare further to write of Swethland THe King of Swethland reigneth in part of Scandie being a larger Province than Denmarke for it is accounted to be a journey of five and forty dayes from the borders of Scandia to Lapland and the Coast of the Balticke Sea is little lesse than foure hundred leagues long a tract of Land esteemed larger than France and Italie Swethland is incompassed with the Balticke Ocean on the South the Mountaines on the West the Icie Seas on the North and Russia on the East In Livonia he possesseth Rivalia the Narve Danovia and other peeces of good estimation the Ilands Vlander Alandes and other places not worthy speaking of situated in the Sâ—râ—veâ—an and Finland Sea These Regions besides Livonia are divided into three severall Kingdomes viz. Gothland Sweveland and Vandalia which againe are subdivided into eleven Provinces and twelve Counties amongst which the Lappians are not accounted because this people though inhabiting a larger Countrey than Sweveland cannot be termed to live under any certaine dominion by reason of their miserie povertie and wandring from place to place thorow woods and mountaines but they who have any manner of certaine abode or setled habitation are under the Swevish dominion and pay rich skins for their tribute These are those Lapps which inhabit the Countries of Biarmia and Scrisinia the other Lapps being under the Russian Both of them are Idolaters The Swethlanders are Lutherans in opinion and Dutch in language but with a different Dialect Of the three Kingdomes whereof wee spake Gotland bordereth with Scandia and is divided into East and West as also into the Iland of Gothia lying in the Baltike Sea five of their miles which in some places of Sweden be seven or nine of our English broad and almost 18. long Sometimes the Danes but now the Sweden possesse it The Metropolis is called Wiâ—sbich The firme land of Gothland is the hither part of that which is called Scandia and next to Denmarke In this is the mighty Lake Weret in the middest whereof the King delighting in the pleasantnesse of the place keepeth his Court Twenty foure Rivers doe runne into this Lake yet it emptieth it selfe but by one mouth The Inhabitants for the excessive noise of waters
call it in their tongue the Devils Head Gothia signifieth a good Country which doth well agree thereto for the abundance of sustenance no Region being comparable unto it for fertility of Flesh Fish and Corne. Next followeth Sweveland which is larger than Norwey and Gotland both together In Sweveland is Vpsalia their chiefe Citie an Archbishopricke and an Vniversity and Stockholme the Kings seat Stringa Envecopia Orogundia Arboia Arosia Then comes Finland situated betweene the Balticke and Finland Bay where stand Abo the chiefe City Rangina and Augo both famous Mart-Townes Vames Viburge and Castelholme in the Alandian Islands The Husbandmen doe not inhabit in Townes but by reason of the plentie of Timber and Woods the Vallies and other places are so well defended from the fury of the Northerne wind that they live here in very good sort keeping in their houses flocks of Cattell and all sorts of instruments to digge to build or to make any thing necessary 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 Over and above the Cities and Villages there are accounted 1433. Parishes in some of which a thousand people or as they terme it a thousand housholders or fires doe inhabit but there are few of these Parishes in which at the least there are not one hundred families By this a man 〈◊〉 judge the number of this people especially if he consider the fruitfulnesse of their generation for the Women of Finland by a secret operation of their Beere as some think become exceeding fruitfull The men live here very long chiefly in the most Northerly parts neither is it miraculous amongst them to see a man live above an hundred thirty or forty yeares And in truth this long living is the cause of their propagation for where men live shortest lives there the vertue of generation must needs soonest decay and therefore our Lord God in the beginning of the world did permit mankinde to live seven hundred yeares and more that the world might the sooner be peopled and the act of generation which now for the shortnesse of our lives is determined within forty yeares was then more vigorous at one hundred and upward than in this our age at twenty There is not onely Finland but Finmacke also bordering upon the North Ocean and lying beyond the Arctike circle whose barbarous inhabitants be Witches and Idolaters They usually sell winds to Merchants to carry their ship to any Port and to bring them backe againe which some making just scruple of have laid wind-bound in the harbour whiles others have made prosperous voyages Bothnia or Bodia which gives name to the Sinus Bodicus is also under his dominion To these may be added these new conquests which this present King Gustavus Adolphus the gallantest and most warlike Prince of these times hath already made or shall make hereafter in Prussia where he hath taken Elbing and other Townes and Lands from the Polander with whom he is still in warres and now ready to come with an Army also into Germany He hath under him eleven Dukedomes twelve Earledomes and seven Bishopricks The whole is from Stockholme one way a thousand Italian miles and twenty dayes journey another The riches of this kingdome consisteth in plenty of victuals which this word Gothia signifying an heavenly Region as we said before and Finland signifying a fine land or Country doe well witnesse Their provision 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 Travellers are there freely entertained The Innes at this day in the Villages being the Parsons houses who expect some rare toy by way of gift rather than of pay for they doe it of courtesie It is so rich in Mines of Lead Copper Silver and some Gold that no Province in Europe may compare therewith And these Mines are to be found in every place if the Country people bound to carry wood to the Mines and to servile works did not hide and hinder the discoverie thereof as much as in them lieth Most fine Silver is found in the Province of Vestros and more would be were it not for the envie of the Inhabitants who though they know not the use of trying of Mâ—ttals doe notwithstanding murmure that any strangers should imploy their labours therein And this their frowardnesse toward strangers ariseth not of hatâ—ed but upon a jealousie that they should be over-reached or otherwise abused for by nature they are simple and well meaning not given to ambition nor infected wâ—th avarice The Kings revenue consisteth in foure things the tenths of Ecclesiasticall livings Mine Tributes and Customes The profits of the Church-livings amount to a great summe of money for in this Kingdome there were seven Cathedrall Churches threescore Monasteries of Men and Women endowed with most rich revenues First Gustan and after his sonne Eric seized the greatest part thereof into their possessions Of the Mines some are wrought at the Kings charges some at the charge of private persons allowing the tenth part to the King Of three Copper-works I have knowne the tenth part which is the Kings to amount to the value of three thousand Dolars yearely hereby estimation may be made of the Silver and Lead But his taxes doe farre surpasse all his other In-comes for he levieth the tenth of Rie Wheat Barley Fish Oxen Skinnes and such like Of the tenth of Oxen at some times he hath gathered eighteene thousand and with them maintaineth his Court his Officers his Navie and his Armies for in the time of warre either with the Dane or Moscovite he alloweth his Souldiers victuals and by this meanes provideth it at very easie rates as well offending as defending The mariage of the Kings daughters is at the disposition of the people and they allow them besides Silver 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 every poll according to his ability five Dolars or more yearely The customes are paid in the Haven-Townes the chiefe whereof are Calmar Loabuis and Stockholme whereat sometimes three hundred ships of burthen are to bee seene Abo Auge Revalia Parnovia and Narve It is thought that the King doth lay up in his Treasury six or seven hundred thousand Dolars over and above the expences upon the fortresses of Revalia and Viburgh for so did he in the yeare 1578. out of two or three Mines onely and yet this was but the Kings tenth whereas if need be he may take all the silver and pay the masters of the worke with victuals Câ—pper or other commodity There are maintained in Sweveland and Gothland about thirty two Companies every troope consisting of five or six hundred Souldiers all Harquebusiers alwayes
is brought out of Germanie The Countie is so populous and so replenished with buildings in all places that here are credibly affirmed 29237. Cities Townes and Villages to be numbred Others say 780. Castles and walled Townes and 32. thousand Villages Here is also plentie of Fowle and great store of Fresh-water Fish by reason of the great Lakes which are found in many places of this Kingdome The people are for the most part Lutherans and their language is more than halfe Polish They are a free people and after the death of their King they may make choice of whom they will to be their Governour So did they lately chuse Matthias And for their more strength and better securitie against the Romanists they linked themselves with the Silesians their next neighbours in a perpetuall and firme bond of amitie offensive and defensive against all men whatsoever The people of Bohemia live in great plentie and delicacie they much resemble the English the women be very beautifull white-handed but luxurious and that with libertie of their husbands also They are divided in opinion of Religion the Protestants of the Augustane Confession being so potent that they were able to chuse a King and to put out the Emperour Their Kingdome is meerely elective although by force and faction now almost made hereditary to the House of Austria which it seemes it was not when as within these two Ages that State made choice of one M. Tyndall and English Gentleman father to M. Doctor Tyndall Master of Queenes College in Cambridge sending over their Ambassadors to him and by them their presents which story is famously knowne in Cambridge Their chiefe Citie Prague is one of the greatest of Christendome as being three townes in one each divided from other by the River Multaw and all three conjoyned by a goodly woodden bridge of foure and twenty arches by it runnes the famous Elve which receives two others into him in that Country Eger and Wattz The Kingdome hath many mighty men of estate into whose Lordships the Countrey is altogether divided and not as others into Shires and Counties The King hath three silver Mines and one of gold some pearles are there found also The tinne Mines there were first found by an English Tinner who fled thither for debt and is the best of Europe next our English All the Nobilitie and Gentrie are by their tenures obliged when their King is in the field to wait upon him on horsebacke completely armed which are enow to make an Army of twenty or thirty thousand This service the Protestants promised to King Fredericke of late but the tenth man appeared not They serve willinger on horsebacke than on foot and are rather for a Summer service than to lie in the field all Winter and yet are every way better souldiers than the Germans The Protestants were suffered to plant and increase there by the craft and plot of Cardinall Glessel who was governour to the Emperour Matthias his pretence was that they would bee a sure bulwarke against the Turke should spare the service and lives of the Catholikes this was his pretence but his plot was an expectation of some stirres to be raised by them which some lay he did in hatred of the house of Austria whom hee desired to see set besides the cushion others imagine it was but a tricke to make the great men of the Protestants to forfeit their Estates Howsoever the plot tooke and the Cardinall after the taking of Prague being invited to a banquet by the Elector of Mentz was by him sent prisoner to Rome where he remained two yeares but was afterward both inlarged and rewarded And this was one of the secrets of the Mysterie of iniquitie Moravia lying on the East of Bohemia so named of the River Mora for the bignesse thereof affordeth more corne than any Country of Europe It aboundeth also with good and pleasant wine like unto Rhenish and is wonderfully replenished in all parts with faire Cities Towns Villages all built of stone or bricke It is very mountainous and woody but the South part is more champian It containes two Earledomes one Bishopricke divers Baronies two good Cities and foure or six faire Townes The people be very martiall and fierce especially the mountainers who stood so stoutly to King Frederick at the battell of Prague that had all the rest of the Army done so the Kingdome had not beene lost It is a free State like Poland and may make choice of whom they will to be the Lord whose stile is to be called Margrave of Moravia And for that informer times the Emperour and Matthias his brother offered them some wrongs concerning religion they have sithence contracted a league offensive and defensive with the Nobility of Hungarie and Austria as well against the invasions of the Turke as the oppressions of the Romanists Amongst these Provinces Silesia and Lusatia are as large as Bohemia but in strength and numbers of people farre inferiour These two Provinces with Moravia are incorporate to the Crowne of Bohemia Silesia lies on the East of Bohemia Poland on the South of it to which it sometimes belonged Hungaria and Moravia on the East It is two hundred miles long and fourescore broad It is a most delicate and a plentifull Country finely divided in the middle by the faire River Oder on which stand foure or five handsome Cities the chiefe of which is Breslaw the Bishop whereof is for his revenue called the golden Bishop here is also an Vniversity Niesse is also another Bishopricke who now is a Cardinall The people especially of the Cities be civill and generous nor is there any where a more gallant or warlike Gentry which the Turke well tried in the warres of Hungarie for very sufficient serviters they be both on horse and foot and they are able to levie great numbers The government is Aristocraticall that is by the States yet in most things a dependant upon the will of the King of Bohemia It was sometimes divided amongst fifteene Dukes but all their families being extinct nine of those Lordships are escheated to the King of Bohemia the other six still remaine amongst three of the heires of the ancient owners The two Dukedomes of Oppelen and Ratibor in this Country were by this present Emperour given to Bethlem Gabor in consideration of his relinquishment of the Crowne of Hungaria For which two Dukedomes and for the lands of the old Marquesse of Iegerensdorff in Lusatia who being prescribed by the Emperour and beaten out by the Duke of Saxony fled to Bethlem Gabor who had newly married his neece that is the sister to the present Elector of Brandenburgh whose fathers brother this Iegerensdorff was For these lands I say came part of the discontents still depending betweene Bethlem Gabor and the Emperour T is reported that if King Frederick would have laid downe his right to Bohemia the Emperour would have beene content to have made him King of Silesia
of them tooke up just Armes of late even against the Emperour Subjects these Cities and States are but yet were they no freer than the subjects of other Princes they durst not make leagues amongst themselves to the prejudice of their Emperour Thirdly even these Imperiall Cities have some other Lords besides the Emperour or the Maior or Officers of their owne Townes Thus the Marquesse of Onspach being of the House of Brandenburgh stil challengeth the ancient Office and Title of his Family which is to be Burgrave of Nurembergh which is a principall Imperiall Citie We see also what power and favour the King of Poland had in these warres with Sweden in the Imperiall Citie of Dantzik which put it selfe under his protection Wormbs also in the Palatinate under protection of the Palsgrave received an Armie of the Princes of the Vnion in favour of him even against the present Emperour Finally the House of Austria holds the Empire in that fashion that Adonias laid claime to the Kingdome wherein another sate confirmed and perished for want of supportation For besides that it is not hereditary neither can he after Coronation command like an absolute Soveraigne nor expect or inforce the reciprocall duties betweene Prince and Subject nor is hee powerfull enough to countermand the Privileges of the Empire no nor to call the Diet without the consent of the major part of the Electors For some Provinces are as it were members of the Empire yet disunited for neither doe they nor will they acknowledge that they belong at all to the Empire as the Kings of Denmarke and Sweden the Duke of Prussia the Elector of Brandenburg that now is who requires Investiture of the Polander not of the Emperour the Switzers and the Netherlands Others confesse the Emperour for their Soveraigne Prince but they come not to the Diets of the Empire nor will beare the Tax and Tallages of the Empire as the Dukes of Savoy Lorraine and the Princes of Italy Others come to the Diets and pay all impositions and these are properly the Princes ' and Cities of Germanie But the King of Bohemia by the grant of Charles the fourth is exempted from all contributions As for the other Princes they be so many and by leaguing together so mighty that they attend in Court at pleasure contest with the Emperour at pleasure raise forces at pleasure and supply his wants of Exchequer at pleasure Some of them have to doe both in the Diets and at the Election of a new Emperour those be the Electors three Bishops and three Princes But as at first Wenceslaus the Emperor was faine to bribe them with many Privileges and Lordships for their voices in his Election so still they must be courted if the Emperour desires to have his sonne or brother chosen after him or any great favour done unto him If they be displeased they are strong enough to ruffle with him The other Princes live of themselves and the Emperour is oftner beholding to them than they to him so that these be but Lordly Subjects of the Empire To speake now in a word These are truly termed the States the Princes and Cities of the Empire who have to doe in the Diets or Parliaments and as members of one bâ—die participate of good and evill of advantage or disadvantage thorowout the whole Empire These living after the manner of a Commonwealth well united make use in manner aforesaid of the Emperour for their head and common safetie And such be divers of the lesser Princes together with the Hanse-townes and Imperiall Cities Free or Imperiall Cities are they which are not directly within the Inheritance of any Prince though they stand within his Territory For example Heidleberg Wormbs and Spiers are all in the Palatinate whereof the first is the Princes owne and not Imperiall the other be Imperiall and not the Princes Such Cities have obtained their freedome either for money or for service done to the Emperour whereupon some of them are so strong so privileged and so populous that out of obstinate repining at Taxes and Impositions they have many times opposed against their naturall Lords yea and in hostile manner excluded them from the superioritie of commanding witnesse the contentions heretofore betweene the Citie of Brunswicke and their owne Duke the exclamations of the Cities and Princes when the Landigrave of Hessen was imprisoned and the generall cause of the Protestants protesting in every place against the Ecclesiasticall proceedings and Imperiall threatnings These Cities governe themselves by their owne Lawes being bound no further than to pay two fifth parts of whatsoever generall contribution is assessed in the Imperiall Diets They pay tribute to the Emperour some say fifteene thousand Florens but they have for the most part sufficient revenue of their owne to defray the charges The nature of other Cities you have before read of The Diets now be the things by which the Emperour rules all if he be able to make a partie The ordinances of these Diets cannot be frustrated but by another Diet but of putting the Decrees in execution the Emperour hath the full power and the sole authority And therfore as touching preheminence and dignity hee is to be accounted the first and chiefe of the Christian Princes as the person upon whom the Majestie of the Roman Empire resteth and who ought to defend the Nation of the Germans the Church of God the Catholike Faith and to procure the peace and wel-fare of the whole Christian world And this is something towards the understanding of the State of the Empire in Germany Go we now to relate of the other chiefe Princes there And first of those which worthily challenge the next place the Electors of which the Palsgrave is chiefe The State of the Prince Elector Palatine HIs Dominion containes the Vpper and the Lower Palatinate The Lower is the chiefe of the two as being both the richest the largest and the Seat of the Elector A goodly and a delicate Country it is almost two hundred miles in length and about halfe so much in breadth lying on both sides of the famous Rhine and watered besides with the Neccar whose bankes are inriched with the most generous Wines It touches upon Lorraine at the Southwest and hath the Duchie of Wirtenberg upon the East Of this Countrey because of the armie of the Destroyer may we speake in the Scripture phrase The Land is as Eden before them and as a desolate wildernesse behind them her goodly and strong Cities her pleasant fields and delicate vineyards are fallen into the possession of those that reaped where they did not sow To this Principalitie was the Title of the first Elector incorporate It and Bavaria were made a Kingdome Anno 456. which Charles the Great conquered in whose Line it continued from the yeare 789. till Otho's time Anno 955. whose heires continued in them but not as a Kingdom till the yeare 1043. at which time Henry the third deprived Prince Conrade of
them to whose heire Fredericke Barbarossa restored the Palatinate in the yeare 1183. since which time as Munster saith it ever continued in that male Line untill these unfortunate warres The Lower Palatinate hath beene twice augmented once by the Emperour Wenceslaus who bestowed Oppenheim and two other Imperiall Townes upon the Elector for his voice in the Election The second augmentation was by the ransome of the Duke of Wirtenberg and the Archbishop of Mentz both taken in one battell by Prince Frederike Anno 1452. out of both whose Countries lying next unto the Palatinate the victorious Palatine tooke some what to lay to his owne For which and other quarrels there hath still continued a grudging in the Archbishops towards the Palsgraves Mentz whose Archiepiscopall Citie is also in the Palatinate laying a claime to a Monastery and the lands upon the Bergstraes or mountaine within two English miles even of Heidleberg The Palsgrave hath many prerogatives above the Electors of â—ther sort He taketh place of the Duke of Saxony and the Marquesse of Brandenburgh because Henry the first Palatine was descended of Charles the Great for which cause in the vacancie of the Empire he is also Governour of the West parts of Germanie with power to alienate or give Offices to take fealty and homage of the Subjects and which is most to sit in the Imperiall Courts and give judgement of the Emperour himselfe The Land naturally is very rich the Mountains are full of Vines Woods and such excessive store of red Deere that Spinola's souldiers in the late warres had them brought to them like Beefe or Bacon How famous the Rhenish Wines are I need not say Of Corne they have no want Silver also is here digged up Goodly Townes and strong it had such store as if they had had nothing but Cities All which are now divided betwixt the Emperour the Bavarian and the Spaniard The Prince also was said to have two and twenty Palaces But the chiefest ornament was the incomparable Library of Heidleberg not for the beauty of the roome for it was but in the roofe of the chiefe Church and that by a long wall divided into two parts but for the numbers of excellent Manuscripts and printed bookes with which it was then better stored than Oxford yet is The Princes Revenue arose first out of his owne Lands and Customes of his Manours Secondly out of the tenths and wealth of the Monasteries and estate of the Church confiscated which perchance made up one quarter if not more of his whole estate Thirdly from the Toll of one Bridge over the Rhine he yearely had about twentie thousand crownes Fourthly some say that one silver mine yeelded him threescore thousand crownes All together the revenues of this and the Vpper Palatinate lying next to Bavaria and some thirty English miles distant from this Lower were valued to amount unto one hundred sixtie thousand pounds sterling of yearely Revenues Finally of the three Temporall Electors goes this common proverb in Germanie That the Palsgrave hath the honour Saxony the money and Brandenburgh the land for Saxony indeed is richer and Brandenburghs Dominions larger than those of the Prince Elector Palatine The State of the Elector of Saxonie THe Dominion of the Dukes of Saxonie containeth the Marquisat of Mâ—sen the Lantgravedome of Turinge Voitland part of Nether Saxonie almost within two Dutch miles of Maigdburg part of the Lands of the Earles of Mansfielt pawned to Augustus for some summes of money and a parcell of Frankhenland The whole Country is seated almost in the midst of Germanie on all sides very farre from the Sea except Voitland very plaine and Champion sprinkled here and there with some few of them navigable The chiefest of them all is the Elve â—o which all the rest pay the tribute of their waters All of it together is imagined to bee in bignesse about a third part of England or somewhat more The climate in temperature is not much differing from ours of England It confineth on the South-East with the Kingdome of Bohem and is parted with many high hils and great woods on the South with the Bishop of Bambergs Countrie and on the South-west with the Lantgrave of Hesse on the North and North-west with the Counts of Mansfielt the Princes of Anâ—â—â—â—â— and the Citie of Maidburgh of which this Duke writeth himselfe Burgrave and the Marquesse of Brandeburghs eldest son Arch-Bishop yet is it not under either Iurisdiction but freely governed within it selfe On the North-east lyeth the Marquesdome of â—randeburgh and the Lansknites who partly belong to the Marquesse and partly to the Emperour It is in peace at this time as all Germanie beside with all the Neighbour-Princes Betweene the Bohemians and them there is a great league but betwixt the Emperour and their Dukes great jealousies under hand The Duke of Saxonie the Marquesses of Brandeburgh and the Lantgraves of Hesse have many yeeres they and their ancestry beene linked together and both Lutherans howbeit the Lantgrave is thought to fâ—vour of Calvinisme The Bishop of Bamberge both himselfe and his Countrie are all Catholiques but of no power to hurt though they were Enemies The Counts of Mansfielt have a grudge to the house of Saxonie because most of their land being pawned to Augustus is as they pretend wrongfully detained the debt being long since satisfied but they are so many and so poore as they may well have the will but not the power to annoy Saxonie in Religion Catholiques The Princes of Anhault as also the Counts of Mansfield are homagers to this Duke but of small power or riches In Religion Calvinists For home defence and strength this Dukedome is so strong by nature on Boheme side and upon the frontiers and within Land so well fortified by Art with reasonable strong Cities Townes and Castles so well peopled and all places of strength so well looked unto and kept in so good order that it seemeth provided to withstand the Enemy not onely of any one but of all the Neighbour-Provinces The greatest and chiefest Citie within this Dukedome is Erdford seated in Turing not subject to the Duke but a free and Hanse-towne the next unto it is Leipsique the Metropolis of Misâ—n a Towne very well seated both for profit and pleasure yet of no great strength though it held out Iohn Fredericke a siege of two or three moneths with small disadvantage of building very faire and stately most of the houses of seven eight or nine Stories high but all of Bricke and no Stone It is greater than Dresden and hath many faire and large streets and yet inferiour in beautie and strength for the Duke will not suffer the Inhabitants neither to fortifie nor to repaire the walls left they should againe rebell as in former times within the walls are nine hundred Houses it hath three Churches five Colleges and about foure hundred Students as also a faire Castle with a small
of it East West North and South is exceedingly spoken of for Silver and Gold Mines insomuch as in a Storie written of the Mines of Saxonie called Berg-Cronicon it is affirmed that this Hill yeelded to the Dukes of Saxonie in eight yeares twenty two Millions of Florens only for the Tenths Besides these Mines the Duke hath the Mine of Mansfielt pawned to divers Merchants of Norimberg and Augusta and are thought to be worth yearely thirty thousand pounds sterling It is held that all his Mines of Saxonie besides those of Mansfielt yeeld the Duke one yeare with another seven hundred thousand Florens which is about an hundred and thirty thousand pounds sterling Other commodities of worth they have none but flax and a kinde of thicke course cloth which by reason of the exceeding falsifying and dearenesse of ours groweth every day into more and more request with them The whole Dukedome but especially Misen is very populous full of Cities walled Townes and Country Villages and all of them very well peopled It is certainly affirmed that the Duke at twenty dayes warning is able to make an Armie of fourescore thousand men very well armed and furnished The people generally are reasonable faire of complexion and flaxen haired but not well favoured either men or women in behaviour as civill as any part of Germanie whatsoever especially the women who taking themselves as they are indeed for the fairest and best spoken of all Dutchland are in their apparell and entertainment indifferently gracefull For their disposition as indeed almost all the rest of the Germans it is very honest true and not ordinarily given to any notorious vice but drinking nor willingly offering any injurie either to their owne country-men or to strangers but when they are drunke and then very quarrelsome and as it is said more valiant than when they are sober Wise in mediocritie but not of any great sharpnesse or subtiltie of wit Of body strong and big boned especially the Countrey people but of a kinde of lumpish heavie and unactive strength fitter for husbandrie and other toilesome labour than fighting In their chiefe Cities some few give themselves at their great and principall Feasts to a little use of their Peece in shooting at a marke but otherwise by reason of their long peace altogether untrained to the warres or any warlike exercises But the use of the pot serveth for all other pastimes and delights in which notwithstanding they have very small store of wine yet they are nothing inferiour to any other part of Dutchland They have great store of Artizans and Handy-crafts men of all sorts but in their severall trades nothing so neat and artificiall as the Netherlanders and English or those of Norimberg and Augusta Of Merchants they have great store especially in Liepsiege and other chiefe Cities and those for the most part very rich whereof this reason is yeelded that though they have no commodities save those before mentioned nor are neere the Sea or any great Rivers by which they may have cheape and commodious importation or exportation of wares yet Germanie is so seated in the midst and heart of all Christendome and Saxonie in the bowels of it as by continuall trafficking with England France the Low-Countries Italie Poland and all the Easterne Countries and by daily conveying all the commodities of each Countrey over-over-land to others that want them they grow very wealthy For such as give themselves to the warres and have no other profession of living though generally all the Germans are mercenary souldiers and so their service accordingly yet I heard of as few in this Province as in any part of Germanie whether it were that the wars of Hungarie imployed them all or that other Princes growing weary of their service their occupation began to decay Touching the Nobilitie I can say nothing in particular of their numbers names titles dispositions c. only in generall there be Earles and Barons Some are meerely subject to the Duke others are borderers which are only but homagers as the Princes of Anhalt the Counts of Mansfielt the Counts of Swarzenberge c. Of Gentils there are good store to the number as it is supposed of three or foure thousand at the least by which meanes the Duke is alwayes in his warres well furnished with Horsemen every one one with another bringing three or foure good horses with him to the field The Nobilitie and Gentilitie generally thorow all Germanie and particularly in this Dukedome have great royalties and revenues The lands goods and chiefe houses are usually equally divided amongst all the children reserving but little prerogative to the eldest brother The Honours likewise descend equally to the whole Familie all the sonnes of Dukes being Dukes and all the daughters Duchesses all the sonnes of Counts Counts and the daughters Countesses c. They are exceedingly had both Noblemen and Gentlemen in extraordinary reverence and estimation amongst the vulgar people which both in their Gate and Seats in publike places they very religiously maintaine In time of Peace they are but little used in counsell or matters of State being almost all utterly unqualified either with wisdome learning or experience only contenting themselves with shadow of honour which their ancestors have left them And if they have beene famous as by the raising of their Houses to that greatnesse it should seeme they have â—eene they imitate them in nothing but in only continuing their so long and so holily observed order of carowsing In time of warre which hath beene for many yeares till the late warres of Hungarie very small or rather noâ—â— â—ecause of their greatnesse both in Revenues and number of Tenants their service hath beene usually imployed but now by reason of their long disuse of Martiall matters which therefore seemed to make some amends or at least some excuse of their other defects they are become if I ghesse not amisse not to fit for their greatnesse as unfit for their want of knowledge every way either in experience or contemplation And truly I cannot so much as heare almost of any of them either Noble or Gentlemen that give themselves to any Noble studies exercises or delights except now and then to the hunting of the wilde Boare by which and by accustoming their heads to the wearing of their heavie thrummed Caps in stead of a head-peece they take themselves to be greatly enabled for service For the valour and warlike disposition of the people of this Dukedome I cannot commend them above the rest of their Country-men neither shall I as I thinke need to stand much upon that point sithence their actions shall plead their sufficiencie in generall The great matters which they have undertaken and the little that they have performed will produce sufficient testimonie What they did one against another in the time of Charles the fifth is not much materiall to prove their courage since without question Bulrushes against Bulrushes
onely still continued but since the last warres increased What the generall summe of all the revenues arise unto I have nothing certaine neither indeed is it certaine in it selfe a great part thereof as aforesaid consisting upon casualties as the Mines and Tenths c. But for mine owne particular conceit being not altogether unconfirmed by other mens opinions I cannot imagine how that it can arise to lesse than foure hundred thousand pound sterling yearely at the least Thus have I briefly runne over some few particulars of the great and noble Dukedome of Saxony worthy a much more ample discourse and a farre more worthier and better informed discourser being all things considered not onely the greatest and mightiest Princedome under the Empire but even greater and mightier I meane as it stood united in the time of Christianus than the Empire it selfe For though the Emperour by his sacred Imperiall Seat bee his Liege-Lord and in greatnesse of dominion farre superiour yet is he in revenue in great love of his people in warlike provision and in German leagues and confederacies farre inferiour The State of the Marquesse Elector of Brandenburg THis Prince possesseth a larger tract of land than doth the other Electors and hath more Noblesse Gentry and people yet is a great deale of his land very wilde and barren much of his people poore and himselfe though of great revenue yet farre short of that of Saxony Brandenburg lies on the East limited with Poland on the West with Saxonie touching upon Lusatia on the South The compasse is about five hundred miles wherein are reckoned fifty Cities great and small and threescore and foure walled Townes The whole Marquisate is divided into the Old the chiefe Towne whereof is Brandenburg and the Nen the greatest Citie therein being Franckford upon Oder famous for the Mart and Vniversity The Princes Seat is at Berlin This twofold division is againe subdivided into eight Provinces from which the Nobilitie take their titles one of these Crossen by name being a Dukedome For in Germany you are to understand a Dukedome may be contained within a Marquisate yea and a Duke come behinde a Count for that in the Empire precedencie goes not as with us by title but by bloud and antiquity The name of the present Elector is Iohannes Georgius in whose line the title hath continued these two hundred and eleven yeares Besides now the bare Country of Brandenburg this Prince hath other dominions many townes and lands both in Lusatia and Silesia which with that of Onspach by Nurenberg goe commonly away to the younger of the family all which write themselves Marquesses of Brandenburg The three Dukedomes of Cleve Iuliers and Berg have also beene united to this family though now almost twentie yeares since the Duke of Cleve dying without issue these three States are yet in controversie betwixt this Marquesse and the Duke of Newenburg Besides these is hee Duke of Prussia which is a great Country into which the King of Poland is to give him investiture So that hee and the Archbishop Elector of Cullen be Lords of the greatest tracts of lands of all the Princes of Germany The revenues out of Brandenburg are thought to amount to forty thousand pounds sterling and certainly his profits out of all his other Estates cannot but double that summe A sufficient rent for such a Prince if you consider the cheapnesse of all things in his Country He is Lord of much people and therefore of many souldiers The Duke of Brunswicke hath a large dominion well peopled well furnished and himselfe of a great revenue but both in place much inferiour being no Elector being as of body the strongest so also of minde the vilest natured people of all Germanie In other things likewise he is inferiour to the Duke of Saxonie a great part of his Country being barren and his subjects poore The Duke of Bavaria hath a large rich and goodly Country lying in great length on both sides the Danubie a great revenue and his subjects in good estate but as being almost the only Catholike great Prince of the temporalty of no great party and unfurnished of warlike provision but much more of treasure being exceedingly behinde hand principally through the abuse of his Iesuites by whom being wholly governed he hath spent and daily doth infinitely in building them Churches Altars and Colleges and endowing them with large revenues What is above written of the Duke of Bavaria's estate was something to the truth at the time of the former edition of this booke for certainly the house of Bavaria is wholly Iesuited insomuch as the father of this present Duke giving over the government retired himselfe into a house of Iesuites and this present Duke besides other his large bounties and buildings hath already estated eighteene hundred pound sterling a yeare upon the English Iesuites with condition that it shall goe to the Vniversity of Oxford so soone as that shall be converted to Popery So that the case is now altered with the Duke of Bavaria hee hath gotten part both of the Vpper and Lower Palatinate into his hands yea and the Electorship it selfe is estated upon him Thus for the time are the Palatinate and Bavaria fallen both upon one person againe as they were before the yeare 1294. when as Lewis the Emperour Prince of both of them gave the Palatinate to his elder sonne and Bavaria to the younger after which the Palatine marrying the heire of Bavaria againe united them But about 125. yeares since the Emperour Maximilian againe parted them giving Bavaria to the Ancestor of this present Maximilian He is Vncle to King Frederike himselfe hath no issue his second brother is the Elector of Cullen and a third brother he hath who is not childlesse Bavaria touches both Austria Bohemia and the Vpper Palatinate too aptly situated for the late warres both to distresse his nephew and to aid the Emperour What forces he is able to make did then appeare and his revenue must bee answerable The Duke of Wirtemberg as in dignitie he is inferiour to all these so doth hee if I be not deceived approach neerest in most particulars of greatnesse to the Duke of Saxonie having a Country in circuit but small being not much bigger by ghesse than Yorkeshire but very full of neat Townes and rich Villages very well peopled and they generally very rich The land is not so fruitfull as in other places but farre excelling the best in England that ever came under my view abounding exceedingly especially about Stutgard with wine and the Countrey so pleasantly diversified as that the hils whereof it is full and River sides being only imployed to Vines the plaines are every where full of corne of all sorts of excellent meadow and pasture with sufficient store of wood The Duke himselfe is well loved of his people very rich in treasure and yearely revenue so that setting the mines aside he is thought to be equall if not
well maintained there is the house of Piety called Il monte della pieta which by ordinary Revenues and gifts may dispend yeerely 60000. Crownes wherewith amongst other charitable workes it maintaineth thorow the Kingdome two thousand Infants It is one of the regions belonging to the Kingdome of Naples It is bounded with the River Iano and the Terrhene and Ionian Seas it is in compasse above five hundred miles and is divided into two Provinces the one lieth on the Terrhene Sea where in ancient times the Brutians did inhabit and that part is properly called Calabria the other lieth on the Ionian and called Magna Graecia It is divided into the higher and lower Of the higher the chiefe seat is Cosenza of the lower Catanzara Cosenza is a large Citie Catanzara a strong Betweene the Cape of the Pillars and the Cape Alice is Corone a place of very wholesome aire Vpon this territorie Anno 1551. the Navie of the Great Turke landed and made some stay which was the cause that moved Charles the fifth to fortifie this Citie It is a thing worthy to be noted how much the Inhabitants of this country in former ages exceeded the numbers of this present for in those dayes this Citie sent more men against the Locrians than the whole Kingdome of Naples is now able to afford being numbred to an hundred and thirty thousand A little above that doe inhabit the Sabarits who were alwayes able to arme thirty thousand At Tarent beginneth the Country of Otranto in ancient times called Iapigia It containeth all that corner of land almost invironed with the Sea which lieth betweene Tarent and Brundusium In it as Strabo writeth were once thirteene great Cities but in his time onely two Tarent and Brunduse The aire is very healthfull and though the superficies of the soile seeme rough and barren being broken with the plough it is found to bee excellent good mold It is scarce of water neverthelesse it yeeldeth good Pasture and is apt for Wheat Barley Oats Olives Cedars excellent Melons Oxen Asses and Mules of great estimation The people are in their manners dangerous superstitious and for the most part beastly The Gentlemen lovers of liberty and pleasure scoffers at Religion especially at that which we terme the reformed and yet themselves of their owne great blasphemers For outward shew they live in great pompe and make the City more stately because they are not permitted to live in the Countrey yet as they dare they bitterly grone under the Viceroyes controll who exerciseth the Spanish pride amongst them so that in these dayes they come nothing neere their native glory nor customary wantonnesse In this Country is bred the Tarantola whose venome is expelled with Fire and Musicke as Gellius reporteth out of Theophrash his History of living creatures There are likewise bred the Chersidi serpents living both on the land and in the Sea yea there is no part of Italy more cumbred with Grashoppers which leave nothing where they come but would utterly consume in one night whole fields full of ripe corne if Nature by sending the birds called the Gaive into those quarters had not provided a remedie against this misery The place at all times of the yeare endureth much dammage by Haile Thunder is as usuall in Winter as in Summer This Province is situated betweene two Seas The Citie is seated in an Island like unto a ship and joyned to the Continent with bridges where the tide setteth violently on the other side the two Seas joyne together by meanes of a trench cut out by mans hand and is of largenesse sufficient to receive a Gally Where the Citie now standeth was before a rocke and is holden to be the strongest fortresse of the Kingdome From thence along the shore lieth Caesaria now ruined by them of Gallipoli Gallipolis is seated on a ridge of land running into the Sea like a tongue On the furthest point whereof standeth the Citie and is of great strength by reason of the situation being fenced with unaccessible rocks well walled and secured by a Castle with which motives of encouragement in the warres betweene the French and the Arragons the citizens thereof to their great honour continued ever faithfull to the fortunes of the Arragons It hath beene counted one of the chiefest Cities of Italy it is now by their civill dissentions almost desolated the cause as I take it wherefore the aire thereabouts is become so unhealthfull an influence incident to all great Cities For as nothing doth better temper the aire than the frequencie of Inhabitants because by husbandry and industry they drie up Fennie and unwholesome places prune such woods as grow too thicke and obscure with their fires purge noysome exhalations and with their high buildings extenuate grosse vapours So on the contrary there is nothing apter to breed infection than desolation for so the places are not onely deprived of the aforesaid helps but even the houses and their ruines are receptacles of infection and matter of corruption Which appeareth to be true by the ruines of Aquilea Rome Ravenna and Alexandria in Aegypt For which inconvenience the Grecians never built huge Cities Plato would not that his should exceed 500. families and Aristotle wished that all his people might at once heare the voice of one Crier This Province extendeth from the confines of Brunduse to the River Fortore It is divided into two territories the one at this day called Bari and by the Latines Peucetia the other Puglia and by them Dawnia divided each from other by the River Lofanto In the second part it comprehendeth Capitanato containing in it many great Cities places of trade and Fortresses of good account Amongst the number whereof is Mansredonia built by K. Manfredi in a high place healthfull with a convenient and safe harbour It lieth under the hill Gargano at this day called S. Angelo because of the appearing of S. Michael who is honoured there with great devotion It should seeme that in this hill all the riches of Puglia are heaped together it hath plenty of water an element rare in this Province The Sarazens finding the opportunitie of the situation thereof did there fortifie therein maintained themselves a long time for in truth there is no place better to molest the Kingdome and to command the Adriatike Sea Puglia is another Province of this Kingdome it is bounded with the River Fortorie and the River Tronto in which circuit are contained many people Towards the Sea it is a fruitfull Country in the middest rough and mountainous and the coldest Region in the Kingdome The wealth thereof consisteth in Cattell and Saffron The Country of Malsi is divided with the River Pescara the Governour thereof resideth in San-Severino This Province hath no famous place upon the Sea-coast but in the Inland Benevento was given to the Church by Henry the fourth in recompence of
other advantages required in the situation of a City hath those two which are required in a well seated City whereof having already discoursed in the site of England wee will here surcease further to dilate of The safety then of this City groweth from the Waters and the situation thereof in the Water where neither it can be well approached or assaulted by Land for the interposition of the Water betweene it and the Land nor yet by Sea for that the streames are not navigable but by Vessels of the lesser size onely for greater ships riding out of the Channels where the Water is somewhat deepe would drive and riding within the Channels with every turning water should bee on ground So that a Navie of lesser shipping would doe no good and greater shipping cannot well there be mannaged In conclusion these Waters are rather made for the places and entertainment of peace than for motions of warre We may adde to these difficulties which nature and the situation doe present another as great which ariseth from the power and provisions of the City which are ever such as will better inable the Inhabitants to offend another in those Waters than any man can invent to offend them All which young Pepin tasted to his losse Who with his ships and men fild all the Coast From the Fornaci to the greater shore And Laid a bridge to passe his ventrous boast From Mâ—lamocco all the Channellore Even to Rialto yet for all this boast Hee 's faine to flie with shame the Seas doe drowne His men His bridge the waves have beaten downe And lastly wee may adde the continuall Art and care which the Seigniorie doth use ever to augment something to the fortification of this their Citie and State The whole Dominion of the Venetian Seigniorie is divided into firme land and Sea By the firme land we understand all that which they possesse in Lombardie in Marca Trâ—visâ—â— and in Friuli for that all those parcels doe make one continued country passable from one to the other without helpe of Sea Wee will terme that Sea which confineth with the Lake Sea-ward or that which cannot be approached without passing by Water This State is againe divided into Continent and Island On the Continent they have Istria Dalmatia Sclavonia Albania or at least some parts thereof The Islands stand partly within the Gulfe not farre distant from the Continent and part of them are without the Gulfe which are Corfu Cephalonia Zante Candia Cenigo Tine and other in the Adriatique The State of the firme Land containeth one of the Marquisats of Italie to wit Trevisa which besides the head Citie whereof it taketh its name hath also in it the Cities of Feitre Belluno and Câ—nâ—da It hath moreover two of those Cities which are of the first ranke of the Cities in Italie namely Venice and â—resâ—la Nor let it seeme strange to any man that Treckon â—râ—scia amongst the said Cities considering that for largenesse of Territorie it giveth place to no Citie thorow Italâ—â— containing in length one hundred miles and in bredth fiftie considering also the number of Inhabitants and the entrade it yeeldeth to the Seigniorie besides the private revenue of the Citie it selfe In all which few other Cities come neere it There is also in the firme Land the Citie of Verona called so for its superemment conditions as Verâ— una and is the first of the second ranke of Cities of Italie The Citie of Padoa which for goodnesse of soile exceedeth Bolognia it selfe There are also the Cities of Bergamo Vicenza and Crema There is againe the State of Friuli with two honourable Cities Vdine where the Lieutenant of the State resideth and Cividal besides a number other populous Townes little inferiour to Cities Lastly there is the fruitfull Polesine with the noble Citie of Rovigo therein with other places of good respect If wee consider the water there are few States of Italy that have more abundance in that kinde either for standing Waters or Rivers In the Territorie of Bergamo is the Lake of Iseo in the Country of Brescia the Lake of Idro In the Veronesse and Brescian is the Lake of Guardo It is also watered with many great Rivers that not only serve to make the fields fruitfull but also to fortifie the place And those Rivers are Oglio Chiese Navilio Mincio Seri Mela and Garza which indeed is rather a Mountaine Bourne than a River c. The Countrey of Polesine and Padoa are so stored with Lakes and Rivers that therein is no Burg or place which standeth not within five miles of some fresh Water And all this Countrey of the firme Land whereof I have spoken is also for aire exceeding wholesome and temperate as the complexions and cheerefull countenances of the Inhabitants can well witnesse together with the quicknesse of their apprehension and wit as well for matter of Armes as Learning Touching the Land this State hath in it many parts that are very diverse in qualitie some-where exceeding happy and fruitfull but lesse industrie in the people other-where the people are exceeding industrious but the ground defective Againe some parts there are where both the people are exceeding carefull industrious and the soile also good Of the first sort is the Territorie of Crema of Padoa of Vicenza of Trevisa and the Polesine Of the second sort is the Countrey of the Bergomasche the Veronise and Friuli Of the third sort is the Country of Brescia And touching the first it is almost incredible what the riches and increase is of those grounds what fresh Meadowes what fruitfull arable what abundance of Cattell of Flesh of all things that come of Milke what plenty of Corne of Pulse of Fruit Wood Flax Linnen and Fish Amongst all which particularities the Padoan doth notwithstanding excell which for goodnesse of soile doth carrie the praise from all the rest of Lombardie The wealth of this Territory may hence be conjectured that it hath the richest Bishopricke and Prebendaries of Italy It hath one of the richest Abbeies of Saint Benet in Italy which is Saint Iustina It hath one of the most beautifull Convents of the same order viz. that of Praxa It hath the richest Monastery belonging to the Austen-Friers which is that of Caudiana It hath two of the greatest Churches that may bee found in Italy which are Saint Iustina and Saint Anthony with one of the greatest Customes of salt in Europe In the time of the Roman Common-wealth no City of the Empire had more Knights of Rome than had Padoa For that as Strabo testifieth there were sometimes counted five hundred of them at once Which must needs proceed from the extraordinary goodnesse of the soile and the greatnesse of private livelihoods But at this day the greatnesse of the Venetian Nobilitie hath in great part diminished the Nobilitie of other Cities Amongst which Aquileia in old time tooke in compasse twelve miles and made an hundred and twenty thousand Citizens
also This did Trajan expresse in his-Coine or Medaglia which had the Image of Ceres on the Reverse with this Motto Abundantia Daciae From the Riches of the Countrey comes in the Revenue of the Prince This is raised first out of his own crown-Crown-lands the Tenants it seemes paying as in Scotland so many Chaldron of victuals So that one where or other in the Country the Princes yearly parts come to a thousand mowes or stacks of wheat foure thousand Beeves and as many Horses hee hath still running and of sheepe about thirty thousand His second way of Revenues is by his Tenths out of the mines c. whereof Transilvania hath three of Gold two of Silver with Quick-silver among three of Iron some of Copper Steele and Antimony Lastly out of eight Salt-pits something comes to him also The third way arises out of the yearely Tribute and ordinary impositions besides his extraordinary Subsidies in times of warre So that though we by reason of distance and information cannot certainly value his Entrada yet verily hath it never beene read that the Princes of Transilvania ever wanted either money or victuals for their Armies either in warres offensive or defensive The neighbours unto Transilvania bee the Moldavians and Walachians all three Confederates who in a leaguer war have not only resisted the Turks but freed their Countries of them The Turke at this day being glad of a small Tribute for an acknowledgement from them knowing that if he should oppresse them the Emperour would be glad to take them into his protection His other neighbours be the Tartars and Russes who being Boot-halers rather than Souldiers he keeps them out of his Countrey by fortifying upon the eleven Gates or Passages But the two neighbours most to be accounted of are the Turke and the Emperour able friends but too mightie enemies for the Transilvanian But this helpe he hath against them both that if one proves his enemie hee puts himselfe under the protection of the other Thus Iohn Zepusio beaten by Ferdinand was restored by the Armes of Solyman and Sigismund of Transilvania falling out with the Turkes committed himselfe to the Emperour Rodulphus Againe for these last thirtie yeares have three severall Princes of Transilvania thought it more ease and safetie to incline themselves unto the Turkish favour than unto the Emperours The Forces that this Prince is able to raise â—â—y be some five and twenty or thirty thousand horse and foot and so many he may well lead out of the Countrey to a forren Expedition but the whole strength of the Land for the resisting of a common Enemie have beene numbred to amount unto ninety thousand fighting men resolute souldiers able bodies and still inured at least to heare of the warres But the maine strength of Transilvania consists in the multitude of Forts and Castles built not only upon the eleven passages aforesaid for the keeping out of the Invaders but aptly disposed in severall places within Land also as two namely at Alba Iulia lately erected by Bethlen Gabor as very many other likewise have beene since the yeare 1614. that he came to the government so that if hee continues but a few yeares he will leave his Transilvania as well fortified as the Low-Countries 18. or 20. principall peeces of strength are in the Princes hand all well garrison'd the Country being bound to finde the souldiers their provisions The Fort of Fogaras is one of the most impregnable places in the whole world and not much inferiour unto that is the Caâ—â—le of Radnet where sometimes Bethlen Gabor keepes his Court. I omit here the usuall Guards of the Prince which though they be souldiers in time of warre yet are they but like our Gentlemen pensioners and my fellowes of the Guard in time of peace The Government and Religion both are wonderfully much amended since the time of the noble Bethlen Gabor The people are growne more civill and the Countrey lesse Infested with Robbers As for the Religion Bethlen himselfe is a zealous Calvinist seldome going without a Latine Testament in his pocket Churches are so well repayred and served that none wants an Universitie man for its Minister Bethlen still maintaining an hundred poore Schollers upon his owne charges in the Universities of Germanie Colleges he hath built and endowed whereof that one of Clausenburg hath thirtie Fellowships yearely Synodes and disputations he appoints himselfe setting on incouraging and feasting the Divines and Disputers Thus reclaimes he the Hereticks for he usually cals it a marke of Antichrist By the sword to inforce the conscience The Estate of Gabriel Bethlen or Bethlen Gabor in Hungaria which came to him either by Election or by Conquest atchieved from the Emperour With a briefe Relation or Chronicle of his Birth and fortunes TRansilvania is as the maps shew on the East confined by Hungaria in the description whereof we told you of 11. famous gates or Avenues thorow which the Passages lead out of one Countrey into another Foure of which lie betwixt the possessions of this Prince in both kingdomes and next to the first of them on Hungaria side are his Counties of Szolnok and Maramaros this latter being governed by Stephan Bethlen brother unto Gabriel Bethlen The chiefe Towne is Szighet A rich Countrey it is and watered with the famous Tibiscus which in this County hath its fountaine Abutting upon the next Passage is the most plentifull Countrey called Szilagy and is divided into two Counties Crastno and the other Szolnok Upon the ninth Passage along the River Keoreo lyes the most delicate Country Keoreos Videke the chiefe Towne whereof is Varad whose Castle indured a siege of three hundred thousand Turkes in the yeare 1598. who yet rose without it Which Fort hath the famous Bethlen now re-edified from the very foundation fortified it alla moderna and built most stately Palaces about it Adorned also it is with a College of five and thirty Fellowes an hundred Schollars a Master and a publike Reader It hath two hot Baths like wise In this Countrey lyes the County of Bihar so named of Bihar its Metropolis and another County called Ermâ—llyâ—ke whose head is Dioszâ—gh and the chiefe Forts Somlgo and Szâ—kâ—lhid Upon the fourth Passage which is the eighth in order of those of Transilvania lyes the Countrey of Belenyes the head-Towne being of the same name also This is the native soile of our famous Gabriel Bethlen who was here borne in a Mannor house of his owne called Iktar hereabouts also is the Seat of Kornis the Family of his mother A Country it is plentifull in Woods Cattoll Corne Iron and Copper mines and on the South part it reaches unto the Castle of Illyem the Inheritance of his brother Stephan Bethlen on another side touching upon the County of Torontali which is under the Turke who hath also incroached into a part of this Countrey Here be the two strong Castles Ieneo and Baiom this latter is built in
tailes from ours being most broad and containing twenty pound in weight There are a kinde of Lions which in many places dare to adventure upon two hundred Horsemen The Leopards are strong and cruell yet seldome hurt they men The beast which the Arabians terme Dabul and the Africans Ieses is a base and simple beast in fashion and bignesse resembling the Wolfe but in feet and thighs like a man This beast will dig mens Carcases out of their graves and devoure them towards all other Creatures he is harmelesse The sorts of Apes are very diverse Here liveth the Mus-cat and the wilde Conie The strange Fishes and other watry Creatures found in Nilus Niger and other principall Rivers are innumerable The Ambara for his shape and hugenesse is prodigious as a Creature containing twenty five foot in length The Hippotame a beast like an Horse and as big as an Asse liveth as well in Waters as on the Land and by his often striking of Boats laden with Merchandize with his sharpe prickles sinketh them under water The Sea Oxe differeth nothing from the Land Oxe save in smalnesse of stature The Tortoise liveth in Desarts and are found oftentimes as big as a barrell The Crocodile resembleth the Lacerta and is twelve cubits long in body and as many in taile Most huge Dragons and poisonsome are often seene What people inhabit Africke FIve severall Nations inhabit this part of the World viz. the Caseres that is people without Law the Moores the Abussines the Aegyptians the Arabians and the Africans whereof some are white and some blacke In Religion some are likewise Gentiles and worship Idols some Mahumetans some Christians and some Iewes All which Nations some Writers will have derived from Cham the Sonne of Noe excepting some certaine Arabians of the feed of Sem which entred Africke after the residue And these Arabians are distinguished into many Families or Regiments use diverse and many habitations and possesse as many Regions some dwelling by the Sea-side properly termed Arabians some in the Up-land and they are called Badium Others in innumerable swarmes leade a roguish life with their Wives and Children in the Wildernesse dwelling in Tents instead of Houses altogether given rospoile and alike infestuous to neighbour and traveller which is the cause that the Inhabitants dare not travell alone but stay the time of the Caravan that is the whole assembly of the Merchants travelling upon Camels and Asses all in one company at a set time of the yeare for feare of the theevish and roguish Arabians As the Nations are diverse so are their languages the chiefe they call Aquâ—lamarig that is the robâ—e Language and of the Arabians inhabiting Africa the Barbarian Language And this is the true and proper Idiome of the Afâ— utterly differing from the residue save that it favoureth of many Arabicke words The Gnabets Zombati Ghinians the Mellidi and Gagonti use the Sungai Language The Gubarits Canontes Chesenes and the other blacke-Moores use the Gâ—ber tongue The Abassines have their proper speech Moreover the Chaldean Aegyptian and Arabian tongues with another compounded of all three are in use in some places and by the intercourse of Merchants many are accustomed to speake the Moorish Turkish Spanish and Italian Languages All the Sea-Townes from the Mediterran to Mount Atlas speake the Arabian corruptly except the Kingdome and Citie of Marocco which wholly speake the Barbarian The noblest part at this day is called Barbarie and containeth all that Sea-tract which reacheth from Aegypt to the Gaditan Sea inhabited by the Arabians and including divers Provinces At first it was under the Empire of the Greekes secondly under the Vandals and lastly under the Saracens and Arabians who left them their language Some part thereof at this day is subject to the Turke some to Xeriffe and some to the King of Spaine Their manners are not so much differing from those of the Arabians but that they are somewhat more civill ambitious light subtill treacherous wrathfull boasters suspitious and exceeding jealous They are very active and readie Horsemen but not able to indure labour Barbarie BARBARIE is divided into foure Kingdomes Marocco Fez Telesine and Tunes Sanutus addeth a fifth viz. Barca Into what and how many Shires or Provinces these portions are divided let him reade Leo Afer that desireth the particulars Numidia is the second part of Africke and is termed by Leo Afer Biledulgerid that is the Almond-Countrey But it is of lesse estimation than the residue and therefore injoyeth not the Title of a Kingdome It was once disinhabited as was Barbarie and at this day the Townes are but small base scattering and very farre distant one from another Those places that they manure lye beyond Atlas and are hot and drie but being watered with certaine streams descending from the Mount they yeeld Almonds in abundance but scarcity of Corne nor any fruitfull tree except the Palme Those grounds that border upon Lybia are invironed with craggie Mountaines destitute of water and all manner of trees except some fruitlesse shrubs at the foot of the Hils As for infinite store of Scorpions and Serpents it is so over-laid that many are daily found dead by their venemous bitings In old time they were idolatrous and at this day little better irreligious ignorant base treacherous man-killers and Theeves utterly destitute of any civill knowledge save that some few of them addict themselves to the studie of the Lawes The Arabians that live amongst them love Poësie and are more civill but very poore They live long but their teeth soone perish with eating of Almonds and their sight faileth by the annoyance of the Sands They know not the French disease yea if an infected person should but come into the Countrey it were Physicke enough to cleare him Their chiefe food is Barley Almonds and other most course food as for Bread they never taste it but on Festivals And that Corne which they have they exchange for Almonds Lybia LYbia the third part of Africke was once called Sarra that is desart and so it is a Desart drie and sandy countrie utterly bereaved of Springs and Rivers unfruitfull and those which they have they keepe in standing pooles and those also but rare and salt So that the Merchants which are to travell over those Countries must provide carriage for water otherwise man and beast might perish as not possible to finde one drop in six or seven dayes journey By this Region lyeth the way from Fez to Tombut and from Telesine to Agadas a countrie of the Moores Not past one hundred yeares since they that were to travell from Fez to Cairo were accustomed to travell by these Desarts but upon the rising of the South-wind the Wells although intrenched with skins and bones of Camels were so overwhelmed with sands that the Merchants not able to finde either signe or token of way or water have perished in the journey through extreme thirst Some Rivelets they have descending out of Atlas
you please one of the seven exceeding the ancient two viz. Europe and Africke in largenesse and circuit especially in these our dayes being wholly discovered to the East and North the habitations of the Chinois and Tartars without accounting the Islands thereunto belonging which if they were adjoyned would make a Continent farre fairer than Europe Vpon three parts it is bounded with the vast Ocean sirnamed the Orient on the South with the Indian upon the North with the Scythian upon the West it is somewhere disâ—oyned from Europe and Africk with the Red-sea somewhere with the Mediterranean somewhere with the Euxine and somewhere with the River Tanais The Regions which of old it contained were Ponâ—us Bithynia Phrygia the Great Lycia Galatia Paphlagonia Pamphylia Cappadocia Armenia the Lesse Cilicia Sarmatia Asiatica Colchis Iberia Albania Armenia the Great Cyprus Syria cava Phoenicia Palestina Arabia petrea Mosopotamia Arabia deserta Babylonia Assyria Susiana Media Persis Parthia Carmania deserta Carmania altera Arabia Felix Hyrcania Margiana Bractriana Sogdiana Sacarum Regio Scythia within Imaus Scythia without Imaus Serica Aria Paramisus Drangâ—â—no Arachosia Gâ—drosia India on this side Ganges India beyond Ganges Sinatum Regio and Taproban Generally it enjoyeth a most excellent temperature of ayre and is so rich fertile and barefull for variety of fruits and feeding and so abounding therewith that in all these good gifts it excelleth all Countries whatsoever For here are to be found divers sorts of living Creatures and Plants the like whereof the whole world againe affordeth not As Balme Sugar canes Frankincense Myrrh Cassia Cinamon Nutmegs Pepper Saffron sweet Woods Muske and divers other sorts of Drugs and Odors excellent Gold all sorts of Minerals and precious stones Of beasts it affordeth the Elephant and Camell with divers strange sorts both wilde and tame The people are of excellent wits exceeding rich and happie in all good things This Region hath beene the Parent of many rare spirits and the Seat of most mightie and flourishing Empires As wherein raigned the Monarchs of the Assyrians Persians Babylonians Parthians and Medes No lesse regardfull at this day are the Empires of the Turkes Tartars Persians Mogors Indians and Chinois but indeed most celebrated in Holy Writ for our Creation Fall and Redemption as the Region wherein in a manner all the Histories and Acts mentioned in the Old Testament and a great part of those of the New were wrought and accomplished The Ancients divided it into divers parts but at this present it is best divided into five according to the chiefe and principall Empires therein the first whereof confining with Europe is governed by the Great Duke of Moscovie the second belongeth to the Great Cham the third is commanded by the Turke the fourth is the Kingdome of Persia the fifth comprehendeth that which hath alwayes beene called India and governed by divers Princes for the most part vassals feodaries or tributaries to other Potentates The principall Islands are Iapan Luconia Mindanao Burneo Sumatra Zeiland and Cyprus Russia alias Sarmatia now Moscovia THe Great Duke of Moscovia is Lord of a most large Dominion and within the limits of his jurisdiction are contained many Regions It is bouÌ„ded on the North with Lappia and the North Ocean On the South by the Chrim Tartars On the East by the Nagarans possessing all the Countrey on the East side of Volga towards the Caspian sea On the West and Southwest lye Lituania Livonia and Polonia The naturall Shires pertaining to Russia and whereof perticularly the Great Duke will not without offence but be stiled King are sixteene but farre greater and larger than the Shires of England though not so well peopled The other Provinces being nine with a great part of Siberia being not naturall Russes the Emperours of late yeares have purchased by their swords and subjected them to their Lawes Customes and Taxes Casan and Astrachan by them termed Kingdomes have devolved unto them by like providence As for all his interest in Lituania to the number of thirtie great Townes and more with Narve and Dorp in Livonia they are quite gone surprised of late times by the Kings of Poland and Sweden From North to South measuring from Cola to Astrachan it containeth in length foure thousand two hundred and sixtie Versts a verst is three quarters of a mile English Beyond Cola hee hath more Territory Northward viz. to Tromschna running foure thousand versts welnie beyond Pechinga neere Wardhuis but not clearely possessed by reason that the Kings of Sweden and Denmarke have divers Townes therein aswell as the Russe every one of them claiming the lawfull possession of these Northerne Provinces as in his owne right The breadth taken farthest Westward on the Narve side to the bounds of Siberia Eastward where the Emperour hath some garrisons is foure and forty hundred veâ—sts or thereabouts If these Dominions were all habitable and peopled the Russe Emperour were either very unlikely to hold them or holding them with good government would prove too mighty for his bordering Neighbours And although by the spaciousnesse of these Territories it should seeme that he hath ingrossed many Countries and for brevities sake hath also assumed the titles into the credit and majestie of one Monarchie yet it may well be compared to the fortune of the five Kings that tooke Lot prisoner whom Abraham with his three hundred and eighteene menial-servants released and set at libertie witnesse the proofe which a few resolute and well ordered English souldiers made of late amongst them even in the fields of Novograd where they contracted their owne conditions in despight of that whole Armie which both Poles and Moscovites rallied against them It is situated partly in Europe and partly in Asia which separation is caused by the River of Tanais bounder of Asia and running thorow the middle of the Countrey By which as the Rasse reporteth a man may passe from Mosco to Constantinople and so into all those parts of the world by water only drawing his Boat as their custome is over a little Isthmus of land This passage was proved not long since by a Russe Ambassadour sent to Constantinople who passing the Moscua entred into Ockâ— and from thence as aforesaid drawing his Boat over land fell into Tanais then into Meotis and so to his journeyes end The Pole at Moscua is 55. degrees and ten minutes At Saint Nicholas 63. and 50. minutes The people were once subject to the Tartars whose Prince Roydo in the yeare 1140. conquered Moscovie but Iohn the first incouraged by their civill dissentions denied them tribute In processe of time when Ametes the last successour of Roydo who died at Vilua had overcome the Tartars Precopenses the great Duke adjoyned to his Empire Permia Vestia and Iugria Provinces subject to Ametes From this time the forces of the great Duke increasing Basilius Casan and Iohn the second conquered the Provinces of Citrahan which at this day are called Kingdomes To
wealth As may be ghessed by that That 1589. out of Siberia onely by way of custome were collected foure hundred threescore and six timber of Sables five timber of Martrons one hundred eightie cases of black Foxes besides other commodities To these may be added Seisures Confiscations and Incomes of like nature whereof I will shew you some cases As by coyning his Plate into money in shew of want thereby to colour some new taxations so did Theodor Iuanowich And as by suffering every man to give unto Monasteries what pleaseth him that the wealth being stowed in grosse the Prince may come by it the readier to satisfie his pleasure So did Iuan Vasilowich wringing from some Bishops and Monasteries one hundred thousand rubbles from some fortie and from others fiftie c. For the subtile Friers are content without noise to part from somewhat rather than by clamour to indanger the losse of the whole By forestalling homebred commodities and ingrossing the forren as Silkes Cloth Lead Pearle To give out monopolies for staying of Sables till the Emperors be vented By rent corne and provision of victuall hee hath some yeares raised two hundred thousand rubbles Of rent wood hay c. thirtie thousand rubbles But the most Unchristian abuse is that in every great towne he hath a Caback or Tap-house to sell Aqua-vite Mead Beare c. wherein besides the vice of drunkennesse many foule faults as it cannot otherwise fall out are committed The poore labouring man and artificer many times spendeth all from his wife and children Some will lay 20 thirty or forty rubbles into the Caback vowing themselves to the pot till the stock be spent and all this as the drunkard will vaunt for the honour of Hospodare viz. the Prince For for hindering this base and ungodly profit none may dare to call or intreat him out of the Caback Of these some yeeld eight hundred some nine hundred some a thousand some three thousand rubbles by yeare Sometime he will cause his Botarens or Nobles to feigne themselves robbed and then will he send for the Aldermen of the Citie to finde out the fellon and upon an Ignoramus he will sesse the Citie upon colour of misgovernment eight thousand nine thousand or ten thousand rubbles Iuan Vasilowich sent into Permia for certaine loads of Cedar wood whereof he knew none to grow in the Countrie The Inhabitants returned word that they could finde none whereupon he sessed the Countrie at 12060 rubbles So sent he to the Citie of Mosco to provide a Colpack or measure full of live fleas for a medicine They returned answer that the thing was impossible whereupon he praved or beat out of their shins seven hundred rubbles for a mulct So at another time he praved thirty thousand rubbles from his Nobilitie because he missed of his game when he went on hunting Which they againe praved out of the Monsicks or common people of the Countrie as the manner is Besides in their Diets or Parliaments they are reputed of no degree or order For therein the Nobilitie and Clergie onely have voices In all their supplications and petitions to any of the Nobles or chiefe Officers they subscribe Kelophey slaves and so doe they of the Nobilitie to the Emperor So that if a poore Mousal meeteth any of them upon the way hee must turne himselfe about and not dare to looke this Magnifico in the face but conge to the ground with his head as Priests doe to their Wafer-cakes As for the quiet enjoyment of their lands besides the taxes customes feasings and other publike exactions practised by the Emperour himselfe and permitted unto his Nobles Messengers and Officers you shall see Yammes thorow-fare townes of halfe a mile and a mile long stand uninhabited by reason of these ungodly pressures So that in the way towards Mosco betweene Vologda and Yeraslâ—ve which is some what more than an hundred English miles there have beene in sight fiftie Villages at least of the foresaid length quite disinhabited And this is the reason that the people doe not give themselves to thrive nor to trades as in former times whereby honest labour is much decaied and the present quantities of Merchandize nothing answerable to the former reckoning As well you may perceive in this one Historie wherein I will shew you two rare accidents how three Brethren Merchants did rise up to great wealth and in what manner they were fleeced They traded together in one stocke and were found to be worth three hundred thousand rubbies besides lands stocke and other commodities They that knew them report That they set ten thousand men on worke all the yeare long in making of salt carriages by cart and water hewing of wood and such like labours besides five thousand bond-slaves at least to inhabit and till their land They had all manner of Artificers Physitians Surgeons Apothecaries Dutchmen belonging unto them And for custome paid unto the Emperor came the true cause wherfore they were the longer permitted to enjoy their thrift twentie three thousand rubbles per annum besides the maintayning of certaine garrisons on the borders of Siberia which were neere unto them Now if any man object how these men could come to such an estate of wealth under such an exactious Prince First he must understand that their dwelling was in Wichida a thousand miles from Mosco and the eye of the Court Secondly that forbearance is no quittance For the Emperour was well content to use their purses untill such time as they had perfected their designes in Siberia and that by burning and cutting downe woods from Wichida to Permia a progresse of a thousand Versts they had made the land habitable But at last He envying disdayning that a Monsick should grow to be so great a man against the rules of their policie first began to pull from them sometimes twentie thousand rubbles and sometimes more and then the greatest part of their Inheritance So that at this day their Sonnes are well eased of their stocke and have but small part of their Fathers substance Neither is this State content to tyrannize ouer their bodies goods and lands but he doth the like ouer their wits and capacities For for any extraordinarie perfection in any common Art much lesse in learning you shall never see them excellent from which they are kept of purpose as they are also being no Boiardi Gentlemen from all militarie practice And because they should prove utterly unapt for any profession save servilitie they are forbidden to travell so that you shall never meet with a Russe in forren Countries except it be some Ambassadour or perhaps some stragling companion who hath narrowly escaped the watch on the borders The penalty upon taking is no lesse than confiscation of all his goods Neither will they suffer any stranger willingly to enter their Countrie further than the necessitie of venting their commodities and taking in of forren doth inforce them Their capitall punishments are hanging rodding
offence but that the same hath beene turned to defense Of which kinde are Castles built of later times and the devices of moderne fortification whereby few souldiers have resisted great Armies and a small place made tenable hath wasted the forces and treasure of a mighty Emperour as well witnessed the fortunes of eight hundred Portugals at Domaine upon the coast of Cambaia who by this Art scorned and deluded the whole forces and attempts of this mighty Mogor China IN times past the Kingdome of China hath beene farre larger than now it is For it appeareth by their Histories containing the Annals of 2000. yeares and upward and by other of their manuscript Chronicles 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 Provinces of Meletai Becam Calan Boraga and other territories situated upon the North side of Pegu where their monuments with their Epitaphs devices are to be seen at this day For in all the foresaid Regions the relicks of their ancient ceremonies wherby the knowledge of the Mathematicks as the division of the yeare into moneths the Zodiacke into 12. signes true testimonies of their Empire are taught by tradition Neither is the time long sithence all those Kingdomes accounted the King of China for their Soveraigne sending their Ambassadors with presents to his Court every third yeare These Ambassadors ought to be foure at least for before they could arrive at their journeyes end some of them either by remotenesse 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 poyson and erect unto them stately tombes with the inscription of their names the place from whence they came and with the stile of Ambassadors thereby say they to commit to eternity the remembrance of the bounds of their Empire They inlarged their dominions no lesse upon the Ocean than upon the Continent For they first of all invaded the Isles of the Orient next unto them the Giavi then the Moluccans and Moores and lastly the Portugals and Castilians who hold them at this day But none of these Nations were equall of power and magnificence to the Chinois for besides the conquest of the bordering Isles which in regard of their numbers their spaciousnesse and fertilitie were of great reckoning they became Lords of the greatest part of all the inhabitable places in that vast Archipelago even to Zeilan where they left their speech and characters as also they did the like upon the opposite continent Wre reade also in the papers of certaine Jesuites that in one quarter of the Island of Saint Laurence they found white people which said that they descended of the Chinois They first discovered the Moluccas gave names unto the Spices and planted Colonies in many of them which to this present keepe their old name as batta china à Maur batta china Mauri batta signifieth a Towne batta china a Towne of the Chinois It is likewise thought that the Inhabitants of Iava descended from them and to speake the truth there is no great difference betweene their manner of living clothing building industry trafficke and manuall occupations But after the shipwrâ—cke of fourscore vessels and the losse of their people in the Sea of Zeilan comparing their profit with their losse they resolved to trie no more such hazards but to containe themselves within their owne bounds And to cause this Edict to be inviolably observed they enacted that none there after upon paine of the losse of his â—ead should offer to faile into those parts the Kâ—ngs themselves did ever abstaine from future invasions For sithence they enjoy a very earthly Paradise where Nature and Art are at strife to content the Inhabitants where no good thing iâ— 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 than profitable to keepe Polybius writeth that upon the same reason the old Carthaginians forsooke part of those things which before they had conquered The Romans after they had suffered a grievous losse of their best vessels in the second Punicke warre in meere despaire bade Navigation adue but afterwards perceiving that they who were Commanders of the Sea were likely to prove Lords of the Land they built a new Navie and at length saw the successe to answer their latest opinions Therefore can we not but ascribe this resolution of the Chinois rather to good conscience and advisednesse than to wisdome or good policâ—e When this surrender was resolved in full councell they set the people whom they had vanquished free yet some of their good wils remained feodaries shadowing their estates under the wings of their puissance as the Kings of Corea Lequi Cauchinchina and Siam But notwithstanding their retreit within their owne bounds yet possesse they a dominion little lesse than Europe for from the North towards the South it reacheth from seventeene to two and fiftie degrees from East to the West are two and twenty degrees It is divided into eight severall Kingdomes over whom one principall Monarch controlleth by whose high and illustrious titles of Mundi Dominus and Solis filius he would seeme to challenge all Natures immunities and withall that their prescriptions before the dayes of Adam were true and canonicall The principall Citie is called Paquin neighbouring Tartary out of which the Emperour never issueth but in time of warre which is as it were an exercise amongst them at that time challenging the attendance of every Nation For as you have read in the History of England That from the Twede betweene Northumberland and Scotland even to the Irish Seas there was a wall called Picts wall one hundred miles long and at certaine spaces fortified with watch-towers which thorow hollow trunkes placed within the curtaines received advertisements of Alarmes excursions and such like so that in a moment the whole Countrey was up in armes and the ordinary proceedings of military discipline executed So here from the Sea to Mount Caucasus or rather Imaus eight thousand furlongs together is raised a fortification and at every miles end a strong rampart or bulwarke wherein is continuall garrison Thomas Perez the King of Portugals Ambassadour made foure moneths journey from Cantan to Nanquij bearing alwayes Northerly Nor doth he enter the field under an army of three huÌ„dred thousand foot and two hundred thousand horse Of which I am not incredulous considering the levies of the East five hundred thousand men were consumed in the civill warres of Iuda and Ierusalem and against Iuda her enemies the Moores and Aethiopians brought ten hundred thousand paire of hands to pull downe the wals of Ierusalem Their manner of life is most obscene and shamelesse their idolatrie vile and vicious their incantations ridiculous the prostitution of
Virgins to be deflowred of Idols abominable their exorcismes damnable and the varietie of senselesse profanations most contemptible It is not so spacious but it is as fertill for it yeeldeth not only what is fitting for humane life but whatsoever the delicate and esseminate appetite of man may lust after Many Plants yeeld fruit twice or thrice a yeare and that not only by the temperature of the ayre but by the number of the rivers and plentie of waters which doe both cause trafficke thorow every corner of the Region and so water it on all sides that it resembleth a most pleasant and delectable garden-plot Of this plentie there are three causes one the prodigall expences of the King in digging of trenches thorowout the whole Land sometime cutting thorow rockie Mountaines sometime damming up deepe valleyes to make them levell with high mountaines and to draine the waters of Lakes and Marishes the other for that the whole Region is situated under the temperate Zone and in no place either by nature or mans industrie wanteth moisture so that all creatures taking nourishment of heat and moisture must needs here wonderously prosper In no place Plants may take larger scope to spread their branches nor Cattell larger walkes to wander in than in this Country The last reason is for that the idle are neither severely punished nor altogether tolerated but every one is forced to doe somewhat no foot of land is left unhusbanded nor dramme of stuffe cast away unwrought Among other things note-worthy this one is of great consideration that in Cantan they maintaine foure thousand blind people to grinde corne and Rice every childe is set about somewhat according to his yeares and strength those only who are truly impotent in their limbs and have no friends living to succour them are provided for in Hospitals That none may excuse themselves in saying hee can doe nothing every one is bound to learne his fathers occupation which is the reason that the children borne as it were tradesmen learne their fathers occupations before they perceive it by continuall practice becomming in time most artificiall mechanickes He that cannot live at Land seeketh his maintenance at Sea for that is no lesse inhabited than the Land yea infinite housholds live on the Rivers in Boats without comming to Land for a long season Some whereof live by ferrying over people some by transporting passengers and their merchandize others keepe shops others vessels of lodging for their Merchants and Travellers Whatsoever is needfull for cloathing for food or nourishment delight or ease of a civill life is to be found in the middest of great Rivers Many likewise nourish all sorts of Poultrie especially Duckes in their vessels To hatch the egges and to nourish the young ones they use not the dams as we doe but an artificiall heat in a manner as they doe in Aegypt especially at Cair All night he keepeth them in his Boat and at morning sendeth them to feed in the fields sowed with Rice where all day long having fed on the weeds to the great good of the husbandman they returne toward evening to their Cages at the sound of a little Bell or Cimball Many live by carrying Fish both salt and fresh into the high Countries for in the Spring when the Rivers rise through thawes and landstouds so incomparable quantities of sea-fish doe abound in the havens and creekes that the fishermen depart rather wearied than wanting This fish the Skippers buy for a small matter of the fishermen and keeping them alive in certaine vessels made for the purpose they transport them into Provinces farre remote from the Sea There they are sold and preserved in Pooles and Stewes neere Cities and great Townes to serve the Markets and Tables of the richer Chinois all the yeare long Because it is forbidden any inhabitant to passe out of the Land without leave and therewith neither but for a certaine time limited it must needs be that by the daily increase of people the Country is even pestered with inhabitation It hath beene observed among themselves that for every five that have died seven have beene borne The Climate is so temperate and the aire so wholsome that in mans memory any universall pestilence hath not beene knowne to infest the Country Notwithstanding left any man should thinke this people to enjoy all sweets without some mixture of sowre you must note that their earth-quakes are more dreadfull unto them than any pestilence to us for whole Cities have beene swallowed and Provinces made desart by this punishment These casualties choke up the course of ancient Chanels and make new where were never any before they lay Mountaines levell with the ground and make havocke of the people In the yeare 1555. a deluge breaking out of the bowels of the earth devoured an hundred and fourescore miles of firme land with the Townes and Villages standing thereupon those which escaped the floud lightning and fire from Heaven destroyed There are said to be in China one hundred and fifty Cities two hundred thirty five great Townes one thousand one hundred fifty foure Castles and foure thousand two hundred Boroughs without walls wherein souldiers are quartered of Villages and Hamlets some of them containing a thousand housholds the number is infinite for the Country is so covered with habitation that all China seemeth but as one Towne They have two Metropolitan Cities Nanquin and Panquin In Nanquin toward the North the King keepeth his Court under the jurisdiction of the one are seven Provinces under the other eight Both of them are so spacious that it is a daies journey for a horseman to ride from one end to the other Of the number of the Inhabitants no certainty can bee produced but according to manuscript relations and the report of travellers it is said that the Kingdome containeth threescore and ten millions of living soules This is an admirable report and not to bee beleeved if it be compared with the Provinces of Christendome but surely something above conceit is to be credited to those spacious populous and barbarous Nations Let us set the largenesse of their Provinces the circuit of their Cities their plenty and abundance of all things and in all places either in prospering by nature or mans industry with their number and inhabitation and we shall finde a Country like enough to afford such a reckoning with places cities and dwellings able to containe them and nourishment sufficient to maintaine them Italy exceedeth not nine millions Germany excluding the Swizzers and Netherlands not ten and with the foresaid Provinces not above fifteene which number peradventure France may reach unto Spaine is farre inferiour to Italie Sicilie hath but one million and three hundred thousand England three millions and Belgia as many if by the continuance of the warre in those Countries that number be not much decayed The Italians conceit marvellous highly of themselves thinking no Province upon the face of the earth for wealth and
and there tending Brasilia never give over untill I had shewed you the streight of Magellan with the description and relation of the people and Pentagones inhabiting all those tracts I could shew you nothing but heathenisme barbarisme and men of strange and uncouth behaviours No better can be related of Quivira Florida Norumbega Terra Labratoris Estotilant c. Provinces in themselves good fertill and all situated towards the North. Virginia THe Natives call it Aphalchen It lyes betweene Florida and Norumbega the West part is yet undiscovered but the East is bounded with the Mar del Noort Discovered it was Anno 1584. at the directions of Sir Walter Raleigh and named Virginia by our Virgin Queene Elizabeth The soile is said to be marvellous good for Corne and Cattell wonderfull hopefull for Mines of Copper and Iron plentifull in materials for shipping as Timber Pitch and Tarre here be Cedars and Vines also Oyle sweet Gummes and Simples for Dyars with many other most usefull Commodities The more to blame they that bring us nothing from thence but Tobacco which now begins to be so base and low prized that it is scarcely worth the costs and labour The Northerne parts of Virginia be called New England better discovered and inhabited Both Plantations have severall Townes and Forts of the English upon them Nova Francia THis lyes parted from Virginia by Norumbega and had the name from the French Discoverer Iaques Cartier some hundred yeares since Though the soyle be none of the fruitfullest and the people none of the civillest yet have the French-men here gone forward with their plantation especially about Canada the chiefe Towne of it a place much spoken of within these two yeares for those two rich prizes of Furres and Bevers with which it seemes the Countrey aboundeth though of a courser wooll than the Russian lately fetcht from thence by Captaine Kirke our Countriman THE SEVENTH BOOKE America Magellanica Or Peruana MAgellanica is the sixth part of the World which as it is least knowne so without doubt it containeth many large Provinces and those five in number viz Castella del Oro Popaiana Brasilia Chile and Peru Whereof Peru is so famous that sometime under that name all that huge tract is contained and named Peruana The Islands thereof are Iava major and Iava minor Timore the Moluccae Los Romoros and the Islands of Salomon It is separated from New Spaine by a narrow peece of ground not above seventeene miles in breadth called the Streight of Darien It containeth threescore and foure degrees and extendeth on the South-side the Line to fiftie two and on the North-side to twelve That which by the Spaniards at this day is bounded betweene Villa de la Plata and the Province Quito in length from North to South seven hundred miles and in breadth from East to West about one hundred is properly Peru A fruitfull sound populous and well inhabited Countrey wherein as well for those beatitudes as for the riches thereof being infinite the Vice-Roy of that Division keepeth his residence It divideth it selfe into three parts The Plaines the Sierras mountaines and the Andes The Plaines lye upon the Sea-coast and are out-stretched in length by the space of one thousand and five hundred miles in breadth they are not above threescore and where they are narrowest thirtie These Plaines are gravelly full of desarts and for the most part barren especially where freshets and lakes are wanting being never releeved with raine nor showers Those grounds that lye nigh the bankes of the Rivers are very fruitfull by reason of the discent of water all the Winter distilling from the mountaines and rockes which are not past seven or ten miles asunder the residue further off the husbandmen doe enforce with great industry by letting in sluces and digging of channels to their plentifull harvest of Cotton-wooll and Corne. The Inhabitants of this tract are a base people cowardly and poore sleeping and living under trees and reeds and feeding upon fish and raw flesh The Mountaine Countrey is extended from North to South about one thousand miles being distant not above twentie leagues from the Sea and in some places lesse They are very cold and subject to continuall snow wanting wood and incumbred with Lions Wolves blacke Beares Goats and a certaine beast like a Camell of whose wooll they worke them garments and other utensils These Mountaines are full of inhabitants fertill and batefull especially where the aire is indurable and the Inhabitants more wittie couragious and civiller than the residue The Andes are likewise mountaines but lying in one continuall ridge without valleys extending from North to South Betweene which and the former lyeth Callao a Province full of Mountaines also subject to cold yet very populous Thus much of the nature in generall of these halfe known places of the soile and people of their forces little can be spoken by reason of their subjection to the Spaniard and inforced ignorance in matters of armes and policy It is rich in gold and silver more than any Country in all the World as may appeare by the yearely quantities thereof brought from thence Yet say the Inhabitants that in respect of the remainder it is no more than if a man should take a few graines out of a sacke full of Corne. Which surely may carry some presumption of truth considering what Authors write of Atabalipa his ransome offered and performed in those daies when Avarice was not in halfe so much request as now it is It wanteth no good thing that God hath created for the use of man either for pleasure or necessity Onely in this it is dispraisable that for the greater part it bringeth forth Inhabitants of savage irreligious and inhumane behaviour delighting in devouring of mans flesh with other uncleane and undressed viands Summer and Winter beginneth with them as with us upon the Hils but in the plaine land it is cleane contrary For when it is Summer in the Hils it is Winter in the plaines So that there the Summer beginneth in October and continueth till April Which for the exceeding strangnesse I have the rather noted to see a man upon one day in the morning in one and the same Country travelling from the Hils to be well wet with raine and before night to arrive in a pleasant sun-shining-Country where from the beginning of October that is all their Summer long it seldome or never raineth so much as to lay the dust in the high waies But then it is sultry hot in the Plaines and when any small due falleth then is it faire weather on the Hils Yea when the South-west winds blow in the plaine Country which in other places are commonly moist and causes of raine there they are of cleane contrary effects Castella Aurea OR golden Castile is that part of the firme â—anâ— so called by the Spaniards which stretcheth from the City Theonima and Panama even to the bay of Vrava and Saint Michael and
most part upon Millet leading a bestiall life without Religion and accompanying with one anothers Wives They know no other names than such as are given them for some note or marke of their bodie as Blinde Lame Tall Bold c. This King is very puissant in people of whom he exacteth no other tribute than the tenths of the increase of their liveli-hoods For exercise and in stead of occupations they give themselves 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 under him many Kingdomes and Nations some white some blacke He is an heavie enemie to the Abessines taking away their Cattell rifling their Mines and leading away the people in captivity His Horsemen ride after the Spanish manner armed with Launces steeled at both ends Darts Arrowes but their inrodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles than wars managed by valiant souldiers The Turke likewise on the East and the King of Adel on the South-East doe cruelly vex him for they have curtal'd his large dominion and brought his Provinces into great misery In the yeare 1558. the Turke harried the whole Territory of Bernagasso and tooke from Prester Iohn whatsoever he was Lord of upon the Sea-coast especially the Haven and City of Suaquen and Erococo in which place the mountaines betweene Abex and the Red-Sea make a gate as it were for the traffike and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians And since that Bernagasso was forced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands to buy his peace and in name of a tribute to pay 1000 ounces of Gold yearely The King of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie he bordereth upon the Kingdome of Fatigar and his Seigniory stretcheth along the Red-Sea as farre as Assum Salir Mith Barbora Pidar and Zeila Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with Merchandize which they trucke for Flesh Honey Wax and Victuall these commodities are carried to Aden Gold Ivory and such wares are sent to Cambaia the greatest part of Victuall Hony Wax Corne and Fruits brought from Zeila are carried into Aden and Arabia also much Cattell especially Sheepe having tailes of twenty five 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 dew-laps like Oxen. Some of their Kine have hornes with many branches like our Deere othersome have one horne in their fore-head growing backward a span and a halfe long The chiefe City of this Kingdome is Arar thirty eight leagues distant from Zeila towards the South-East He professeth Mahumetisme and since his conversion hee hath intituled himselfe with the surname of Holy avowing continuall warre against the Abessine Christians and therefore he watcheth the time of the foresaid Fast of fifty dayes when he entreth their Territories burneth their Villages taketh prisoners and then committeth a thousand other mischiefes The Abessine slaves doe often leave their Country and take upon them great journies putting themselves in the service of great Lords where many times by their industry and good carriage they become high Commanders in Arabia Cambaia Bengala and Sumatra For the Mahumetan Princes being all Tyrants and Lords of those Countries which they have forced from the Gentiles to secure their estates doe never trust to their home-bred subjects but wage strangers and slaves unto whose fidelity they commit their persons the managing of all the affaires of their Kingdomes And amongst all sorts of slaves the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnesse and towardly disposition The King of Adel overlayeth Aegypt and Arabia with their slaves which he changeth with the Turks and Princes of Arabte for armour provision of warre and souldiers In the yeare of our Lord 1500. Claud King of Abex perceiving himselfe inferiour unto Grand Ameda King of Adel for he had vexed his Land fourteene yeares with incursions forsaking the frontiers retired himselfe into the inward parts of his Kingdome intreating for aid of Stephen Gama Vice-Roy of India under Iohn the third King of Portugal who was then in the Red-Sea with a warlike Navie In compassion of his miseries and Religion he sent him foure hundred Portugal shot very well furnished under the conduct of Christopher his Brother By the aid and use of their Artillery he overthrew his Enemies in two battels but the King of Adel obtaining of the Governour of the City of Zebit one thousand Harquibushers and ten peeces of Ordnance in the third fight put the Portugals to flight and slew their Captaine Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes King Claudius set upon him at unawares by the River Zeila at the Mountaine Sana with eight thousand footmen five hundred Abessine horsemen and the remainder of the living Portugals one of whom gave Grada-Amada his deaths wound But in March 1560. Claudius fighting with the Moores of Malaca gaining the victory was slaine in the battell Adam his brother succeeded against whom being a Demi-Mahumetan the greatest part of the Abessine Nobility rebelled and was overthrowne in the yeare 1562. by Bernagasso By this casualty did the Aethiâ—pian affaires ebbe and slow But in the reigne of Alexander things beganne in some sort to returne to their ancient State by the aid of the Portugals who furnished them with weapons both offensive and defensive and by their example incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies All that were living after the defeature of Christopher Gama and all that ever went thither since that day to this doe remaine there marrying Wives and begetting Children King Alexander gave them leave to elect a Justicer and to end all matters of controversie amongst themselves which maketh them so willing to stay and teach them the use of Weapons the manners of warfare and how to fortifie places of importance Sithence those times Francis Medicis contracting friendship with the Abessine divers Florentines some for pleasure and some for profit have travelled into those Provinces wherein when they are once entred the King intreateth them so faire and giveth them so liberally whereon to live that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne Countries Besides these he hath other enemies as the King of Daâ—caâ— whose Citie and Haven is Vela upon the Red-Sea and the Moores of Doba a Province divided into fourteene Lieutenantships These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire yet doe they often rebell having a Law amongst themselves that no young man may contract Matrimony unlesse hee can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelve Christians Monomotapa VPon this Continent are contained many other Kingdomes As Gualata small and poore Tombuto great and populous Melli rich in Corne Flesh and Cotton-wooll Guinea is next greater and richer than any other within the Moores Countrey except Aegypt and Abessine Angola