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A16286 A briefe description of the whole world Wherein is particularly described all the monarchies, empires and kingdomes of the same, with their academies. As also their severall titles and situations thereunto adioyning. Written by the most Reverend Father in God, George, late Arch-bishop of Canterbury. Abbot, George, 1562-1633.; Marshall, William, fl. 1617-1650, lengraver. 1636 (1636) STC 32; ESTC S115786 116,815 362

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and admirable Note It is true of this Countrey which Solinus writeth of some other that Serpents and Adders doe not breed there and in the Irish Timber of certaine experience no Spiders webbe is ever found * Of Britaine The most renowned Iland in the world is Albion or Britannia which hath heretofore contained in it many severall Kingdomes but especially in the time of the Saxon. It hath now in it two Kingdomes England and Scotland wherein are * Foure languag●s there spoken foure severall Languages that is the English which the civill Scots doe barbarously speake the Welsh tongue which is the Language of the old Britaines the Cornish which is the proper speech of Cornewall and the Irish which is spoken by those Scots which live on the west part of Scotland neere unto Jreland The commodities and pleasures of England are well knowne unto us and many of them are expressed in this Verse Anglia Mons Pons Fons Ecclesia Foemina Lana England is stor'd with Bridges Hils and Wooll With Churches Wels and Women beautifull * Their originall The ancient inhabitants of this Land were the Britaines which were afterward driven into a corner of the Countrey now called Wales and it is not to be doubted but at the first this Countrey was peopled from the continent of France or thereabout when the sonnes of Noah had spread themselves from the East to the West part of the World It is not strange to see why the people of that Nation doe labour to fetch their pedigree from one Brutus whom they report to come from Troy because the originall of that Truth began by Galfriaus Monumetensis above five hundred yeares agone and his Booke contayneth great shew of Truth but was noted by Nubringensis or some Authour of his time to be meerely fabulous Besides that many of our English Nation have taxed the saying of them who would attribute the name of Britannia unto Brutus and Cornubia to Corynaeus Aenaeas Sylvius Epist 1.3 hath thought good to confirme it saying The English people saith hee doe report that after Troy was overthrowne one Brutus came unto them from whom their Kings doe fetch their Pedegrees which matter there are no more Historians that deliver besides a certain English man which had some learning in him who willing to equall the bloud of those Islanders unto the Romane stocke and generositie did affirme and say that concerning Brutus which Livie and Salust being both deceived did report of Aeneas Wee doe finde in ancient Records and Stories of this Island that since the first possessions which the Brittaines had heere it was over-runne and * The Brittains five times conquered conquered five severall times * First by the Romans The Romanes were the first that did attempt upon it under the conduct of Julius Caesar who did onely discover it and frighted the Inhabitants with the name of the Romanes but was not able so farre to prevaile upon it as any way to possesse it yet his Successours afterwards did by little and little so gaine on the Countrey that they had almost all of it which is now called England and did make a great Ditch or Trench from the East to the West Sea betweene their Dominion here and Scotland Divers of the Emperours were here in person as Alexander Severus who is reputed to be buried at Yorke Here also was Constantius Father unto Constantine the Great who from hence married Helena a woman of this Land who was afterwards Mother to the renowned Constantine But when the Romanes had their Empire much weakned partly by their owne discords and partly by that decay which the irruptions of the Gothes and Vandales and such like invaders did bring upon them they were forced to retire their Legions from thence and so leaving the Countrey naked the Scots and certaine people called the Tictes did breake in who most miserably ' wasted and spoyled the Countrey Then were the Inhabitants as some of our Authours write put to that choice that either they must stand it out and be slaine or give ground till they came to the Sea and so be drowned Of these * Secondly the P●cts who used to print or p●un●e their 〈◊〉 Pictes who were the second over-runners of this Iland some doe write that they did use to cut and pounse their flesh and lay on colours which did make them the more terrible to be seene with the cuts of their flesh But certaine it is that they had their name for painting thēselves which was a common thing in Brittaine in Caesars time as he reporteth in his Commentaries the men colouring their faces with Glastone or Ode that they might seeme the more dreadfull when they were to joyne battaile To meete with the cruelty and oppression of these Barbars the * Thirdly the Saxon. Saxons were in the third place by some of the Land called in who finding the sweetnesse of the soyle and commodiousnesse of the Countrey every way did repaire hither by great troupes and so seated themselves here that there were at once of them seven severall Kingdomes and Kings within the compasse of England These Saxons did beare themselves with much more temperance and placability towards those few of the Countrey that remayned than the Picts had done but yet growing to contention one of their Kings with another partly about the bounds of their territories and partly about other quarrels they had many great battels each with other In the time of these * Their Religion and devotion Religion and Devotion was much embraced and divers Monasteries and rich Religious houses were founded by them partly for penance which they would doe and partly otherwise because they thought it to be meritorious in so much that King Edgar alone is recorded to have built above foure severall Monasteries And some other of their Kings were in their ignorance so devoted that they gave over their Crownes and in superstition did goe to Rome there to leade the lives of private men These seven Kingdomes in the end did grow all into one and then the fourth and most grievous scourge and conquest of this kingdome came in the * Fourthly the Danes Danes who Lording here divers yeares were at last expelled and then William Duke of Normandy pretending that hee had right thereunto by the promise of adoption or some other conveyance from Herald did with his Normans passe over into this Land and obtained a great victory in Sussex at a place which he caused in remēbrance therof to be called Battell and built an Abby there by the name of Battell Abby Hee tooke on him to winne the whole by Conquest and did beare himselfe indeed like a Conquerour For hee seised all into his hands gave out Barons Lordships and Mannours from himselfe reversed the former Lawes and Customes and instituted here the manners and orders of his owne Countrey which have proceeded on and beene by little and little bettered so that the
till that in the yeare one thousand five hundred twenty and one Solyman the Great Turke did winne it from the Christians by force From thence South-ward is the I le * The Ile Carphathus Carphathus but in the farthest end of the East part of the Mediterranean is * The I le of Cyprus Cyprus which about three hundred yeares since was a Kingdome and did afford great ayde unto the Christians that went to conquer the Holy-Land but it is now under the Turke The chiefe City thereof is * The Citie of Famogusta Famogusta which is an Archbishops Sea for Christians for their Tribute doe yet live there In this Countrey in old time was Venus much honored and therfore she was called Cypria as also Paphia because shee had a Temple in a Citie there called * The Citie Paphos Paphos * The Iland Tyrus Neere unto Syria stood the Iland Tyrus against the pride whereof the Prophets doe much speake this was a rich Citie for Merchandize and Navigation in old time and is the place from whence Dido and the builders of Carthage did come The destruction of it is most famous by Alexander the Great Of the rest of the small Ilands wee doe say nothing Of the Ilands in the Jndian Sea THe Ilands are very many that doe lie in the Seas adjoyning to the East Indies but the most famous among them shall only be touched Among old Writers as especially appeareth by Solinus was well knowne that which was then called Taprobana which lieth neere the Aequinoctiall Line It was in that time a Monarchy where the Kings raigned not by succession but by election and if any of them did grow intolerable hee was deposed and enforced to die by withdrawing from him all things necessary This is now called * The Iland of Sumatra Sumatra and hath in it divers Kings Not farre from thence lie Eastward the two Ilands called * Two Jlands Iava major and Iava minor Java-major * Java-minor which were all knowne to the old Writers as in generall may bee noted that all the East-part either in the Continent or in the Ilands have very many small Kings and Kingdomes From whence yet more East lieth a great number of Iles which are now called the * The Ilands of Moluccoes the great Riches which the King of Spaine receives from hence yearly Moluccoes which are places as rich for their quantity as any in the World from these it is that the Spaniards have yearely so great quantity of all kindes of Spice neither is there any place of all the East Indies that doth more richly furnish home their Carrects then doe these Moluccoes The Ilands which are called by that name are by some of our Writers accounted to bee at least foure and twentie or five and twentie and some of them which are the bigger have in them two or three Kings a peece and some of them which are lesse are either the severall Dominion of severall Kings or else two or three of them doe belong to some one Prince * Note When Sir Francis Drake did compasse the whole World hee came neere unto these but did not touch at any of them but Master Candish taking at large a journey was in one or more of them where hee found the people to bee intelligent and subtill and the Kings of the Countrey to take upon them as great state as might be convenient for such petty Princes Some of these Islands the Spaniards in right of the Portugals have got into their owne possession with the Kings of some other they have leagued and a third sort utterly detest them More North-ward over against China lyeth a Countrey consisting of a great many Islands called Iapona of * The Iland of Iapan Iapan the people whereof are much of the same nature with the men of China this Countrey was first discovered by the Jesuites who in a blinde zeale have travelled into the farthest parts of the World to winne men to their Religion This Iland is thought to be very rich About the parts of Iapan there are divers people whose most ordinary habitation is at the Sea and doe never come into the Land but onely for their necessities or to furnish themselves with new vessels wherein they may abide but lying not farre from the Land they have Ducks and other Fowles swimming about them which sometimes they take into their Boats and Ships and in such sort doe breed them to the maintenance of them and their Children Into this Iapan of late dayes have our English also sayled as into other parts of the East Indies and there erected a Factory The rest that be either neere unto Asia or Africa because there is little written of them wee passe over Div●rs smal Iionds onely named onely naming them as the Philippina Borreo Bandara as also on the side of Africke the Island of Saint Laurence called by the Inhabitants Madagascar Sumatra and other of lesse note And yet we doe finde in Solinus and Plinie but especially in Pomponius Mela that it was knowne in old time that there were many Ilands neere unto the East Indies which as it might bee first discovered by the trafficking of the Ilanders into the Continent so no doubt that Navie which Alexander sent out to Jndia to descry and coast thorow the Easterne Seas did give much light thereunto partly by that which themselves did see and partly by those things which they heard in such places or of such persons as they met with in their travell Of the Ilands in the Atlanticke Sea THere bee many Ilands which be westward from Africa and from Europe as those which are called the * Iland of Gorgades Gorgades that lie in the same climate with Guinea which are foure in number not inhabited by men but they are full of Goates Peter Martyr in his first Decade the sixt Booke saith that the Admirall Colonus in the yeare of Christ 1498 sailing to Hispaniola with eight Ships came to the I le * The Ile Madera Madera from whence sending directly the rest of his Ships to the East Indies hee in one Ship with deckes and two Carayels sayled to the Equinoctiall betweene which and the I le Madera in the middest way lie thirteene Ilands of the Portugals in old time called * Hesperides Hesperides now Cabonerde two dayes sayling distant from the inner parts of Ethi●pe one whereof is called * Bonavista Bonavista North-ward from thence in the same climate with the South part of Morocco lie those which are called * Canariae Ilands Canariae or the fortunate Ilands which are seven in number being most fruitfull and very pleasant and therefore called by that name Fortunatae insulae This is famous in them that it hath pleased all Cosmographers to make their Meridian to bee their first point where they doe beginne to reckon the computation of their Longitude and unto them after three hundred and
threescore Degrees to returne againe From these Ilands it is that those strong and pleasant Sacks which are called * From hence the best Canary Sack●s Canary Wines are brought and from thence are fetched those that they call Canary Birds These Ilands are under the Crowne of Spaine The heat of the Countrey is very great and therefore fitter for concoction but besides that the soyle of it selfe is accommodated thereunto and by reason of them both these Ilands doe bring forth a Grape which is sweeter in taste then any other Grape and hath that propertie with it that the Wine which is made thereof doth not fume into the head like other Sacke but doth helpe the stomacke and exercise the force of it there The slips of their Vines have beene brought into Spaine and some other places of Europe but they have not sorted to the same purpose as they doe in their native Countrey There doe grow also in these Iles From hence great store of Sugar-canes good store of Sugar-canes which yeelde plentifully that kinde of commoditie unto Spaine either for Marmalets wherein they much delight or for other uses Peter Martyr in the beginning of his Decades which hee hath written De Orbe novo doth particularly touch the names and some other things of these Ilands On the backe-side of Africa also just under the Aequinoctiall is the * The I le of S. Thomas I le of Saint Thomas inhabited by the Portugals which Island was taken in the latter time of Queene Elizabeth by the Dutch it is reported that in the middest of this Island is an Hill and over that a continuall Cloud wherewith the whole Island is watered such a like thing as this is reported of the * The I le of Cloves Isle of Cloves The ayre of this Island is unwholsome and there is hardly seene any Portugall or stranger that comes to dwell there which lives till hee be above fortie yeares of age More Northward from Africke lie those Islands which are called * The Ilands of Azores Azores Insulae being sixe or seven in number of which Tercera is one of the chiefe of whom the rest by some are called Terceras which are farre inferiour in fruitfulnesse unto the Canaries These were first under the Crowne of Portugall and one of them was the last which was kept out from the King of Spaine by the Prior Don Antonio who afterward called himselfe King of Portugall but the Spaniard at last tooke this Tercera from him and doth possesse all these Islands together with the rest of the Dominion which did belong to the Portugals Hee who list to see the unadvised proceedings of Don Antonio both in parting with Lisbon Note the unadvisednesse of Don Antonio and the rest of Portugall as also in losing these Islands which last of all held out for him let him read Conestagio of the uniting of Portugall to the Crown of Castile But these Azores have in times past yeelded much Oade which thereupon in England was called Jsland Oade but now they are the place where the Spaniards do commonly touch and take in fresh water both going and comming to and from America finding that to passe directly without turning on either hand towards America is very hard by reason of the strong current of the water from the Gulph of Mexico and so forward to the East and therefore they are enforced either to goe lower to the South and so to water in some part of Guinea or thereabout or else to keepe up as high as these Ilands Of America or the new World ALthough some doe dispute out of Plato and the old Writers that there was not onely a guesse but a kind of knowledge in ancient time that besides Europe Asia and Africa there was another large country lying to the West yet he that shall advisedly peruse the conjectures made thereupon may see that there is nothing of sufficiencie to enforce any such knowledge but that all Antiquity was utterly ignorant of the new found Countries towards the West Whereunto this one argument most forcible may give credite * The people of America utterly void of all manner of God or goodnesse that at the first arriving of the Spaniards there they found in those places nothing shewing trafficke or knowledge of any other Nation but the people naked uncivill some of them devourers of mens flesh ignorant of shipping without all kinde of learning having no remembrance of Historie or writing among them never having heard of any such Religion as in other places of the World is knowne but being utterly ignorant of Scripture or Christ or Moses or any God neither having among them any token of Crosse Church Temple or Devotion agreeing with other Nations The reasons which are gathered by some late Writers out of Plato Seneca and some other of the Ancient are rather conjecturall The reasons conjecturall of a new found World that it was likely that there should bee some such place then any way demonstrative or concluding by experience that there was any such Countrey and the greatest inducement which they had to perswade themselves that there was any more Land towards the West then that which was formerly knowne was grounded upon this that all Asia Europe and Africk concerning the Longitude of the World did containe in them but 180 Degrees and therefore it was most probable that in the other 180 which filleth up the whole course of the Sunne to the number of 360 degrees GOD would not suffer the water onely to possesse all but would leave a place for the habitation of men beasts flying and creeping creatures I am not ignorant that some who make too much of vaine shewes out of the British Antiquities have given out to the World and written something to that purpose that Arthur sometimes King of Britaine had both knowledge of these parts and some Dominion in them for they finde as some report that King Arthur had under his government many Ilands and great Countries towards the North and West which one of some speciall note hath interpreted to signifie America and the Northerne parts thereof and thereupon have gone about to entitle the * Some have entitled the Queene of England Soveraigne of these Provinces Queene of England to bee Soveraigne of those Provinces by right of Descent from King Arthur But the wisedome of our State hath beene such as to neglect that opinion imagining it to be grounded upon fabulous foundations as many things are which are now reported of King Arthur onely this doth carrie some shew with it that now some hundred of yeares since there was a Knight of Wales who with shipping and some pretty Company did goe to discover those parts whereof as there is some record of reasonable credit amongst the Monuments of Wales so there is this one thing which giveth pregnant shew thereunto that in the late Navigation of some of our men to Norumbega and some other
Northern parts of America they finde some tokens of civility and Christian Religion but especially they doe meet with some words of the Welch Language as that a bird with a white head should be called Pengwinn and other such like yet because we have no invincible certaintie hereof and if any thing were done it was only in the Northerne and worse parts and the entercourse betwixt Wales and those parts in the space of divers hundred yeares was not continued but quite silenced wee may goe forward with that opinion that these Westerne Jndies were no way knowne to former ages God therefore remembring the Prophecie of his Sonne that the Gospell of the Kingdome should before the day of judgement bee preached in all coasts and quarters of the World and in his mercy intending to free the people or at the least some few of them from the bondage of Satan who did detaine them in blockish ignorance and from their Idolatrous service unto certaine vile spirits whom they call their Zemes Their Religion and most obsequiously did adore them raised up the spirit of a man worthy of perpetuall memory one * Columbus the first discoverer of America Christophorus Columbus borne at Genua in Italy to set his mind to the Discovery of a new World who finding by that compasse of the old knowne World that there must needs be a much more mighty space to the which the Sunne by his daily motion did compasse about then that which was already known and discovered and conceiving that this huge quantity might as wel be land as Sea he could never satisfie himselfe till that he might attempt to make proofe of the verity thereof Being therefore himselfe a private man and of more vertue then Nobility after his reasons and demonstrations laid downe whereby hee might induce men that it was no vaine thing which hee went about hee went unto many of the Princes of Christendome and among others to Henry the seventh King of England desiring to bee furnished with shipping and men fit for such a Navigation but these men refusing him partly because they gave no credit to his Narration and partly lest they should bee derided by their neighbour Princes if by this Genoe-stranger they should be cousened but especially for that they were unwilling to sustaine the charges of shipping at last hee betooke himselfe unto the Court of Ferdinandus and Elizabeth King and Queene of Castile where also at the first hee found but small entertainment yet persisting in his purpose without wearinesse and with great importunity it pleased God to move the mind of Elizabeth the Queene to deale with her husband to furnish forth two Ships for the discovery onely and not for conquest whereupon * In the yeare 149. America discovered by Columbus Columbus in the yeare one thousand foure hundred ninetie and two accompanied with his brother Bartholomeus Columbus and many Spaniards sayled farre to the West for the space of threescore dayes and more with the great indignation and often mutinies of his company fearing that by reason of their long distance from home they should never returne againe insomuch that the Generall after many perswasions of them to goe forward was at length enforced to crave but three dayes wherein if they saw not the Land hee promised to returne and God did so blesse him to the end that his voyage migh● not prove in vaine that in that space one of his Companie did espie fire which was a certain● Argument that they were neere to the Land as it fell out indeed The first Land whereunto they came was an Iland called by the Inhabitants * The Iland Haity Haity but in remembrance of Spaine from whence he● came hee termed it Hispaniola and finding it to bee a Countrey full of pleasure * The riobes of the Countrey and having in it abundance of Gold and Pearle hee proceeded further and discovered another bigge Ile which is called * The Iland Cuba Cuba of the which being very glad with great treasure hee returned unto Spaine bringing joyfull newes of his happy successe When Columbus did adventure to restraine the time of their expectation within the compasse of three dayes engaging himselfe to returne if in that space they saw no Land there bee some write that hee limited himselfe not at all adventures but that bee did by his eye discerne a difference in the colour of the Clouds which did arise out of the West from those which formerly hee had seene which Clouds did argue by the clearenesse of them that they did not arise immediately out of the Sea but that they had passed over some good space of the Land and thereby grew clearer and clearer not having in them any new or late risen vapours but this is but conjecturall * The pride of the Spaniard labouring to abscure the same of Columbus The Spaniards who are by nature a people proud have since the death of Columbus laboured to obscure his fame envying that an Italian or stranger should be reported to bee the first discoverer of those parts And therefore have in their writings since given forth that there was a Spaniard which had first beene there and that Columbus meeting with his Cardes and Descriptions did but pursue his enterprize and assume the glory to himselfe But this fable of theirs doth savour of the same spirit wherewithall many of them in his life time did reproach him that it was no matter of importance to finde out these Countries but that if that hee had not done it many other might and would Which being spoken to Columbus at a solemne Dinner hee called for an Egge and willed all the Guest●one after another to set it up on end Which when they could not doe he gently bruising the one end of it did make it flat and so set it up by imitation whereof each of the other did the same whereby hee mildely did reprove their envy towards him and shewed how easie it was to doe that which a man had seene done before To go forward therefore Columbus being returned to Castile after his welcome to the Princes was made Great Admirall of Spaine and with a new Fleete of more Ships was sent to search further which hee accordingly did and quickly found the mayne Land not farre from the Tropick of Cancer Which part of the Countrey in honour of Spaine hee called * Hispania nova Hispania nova in respect whereof at this day the King of Spaine doth entitle himselfe Hispaniarum Rex Some there bee which write that Columbus did not discover further than the Islands and that hee spent the greatest part of his former labours in coasting Cuba and Hispaniola to see whether they were Ilands or a Continent that some other in the meane time did thrust themselves forward and descryed the firme Land Among whom * Of whom this Countrey had its name Americus Vespucius was the chiefe of whose name a great
now in possession of the Turke that it may justly be feared lest at some time or other the said Turke should make an invasion thereunto as indeed hee hath offered divers times and sometimes hath landed men to the great terrour of all Italy but for the preventing of that mischiefe the King of Spain is inforced to keep a good Fleet of Gallies continually at Otranto where is the neerest passage from Italie into Greece I his part of Italie was it which in times past was named Magna Graecia but in later ages it hath been unproperly called one of the Sicilies which was reprooved long since by Aeneas Sylvius in his twelfth Epistle and yet till of late time the Kings of Spain have been tearmed Kings of both the Sicilies Divers Princedomes and States of Italy There be moreover in Jtaly many other Princedomes and States as the Dukedom of Ferrara the Dukedome of Mantua the Dukedome of Vrbine the Dukedome of Parma and Placentia the State of Luca the State of Genua commonly called the Genowayes which are governed by their Senate but have a Duke as they have at Venice There be also some other by which means the glory and strength of Italy is decayed Of Denmarke Sweden and Norway AS Italy lyeth on the South side of Germany Denmars situation so Denmark lieth on the North into the middle of which Land the Sea breaketh in by a place called the Sound The Impost of which passage bringeth great riches as an ordinary tribute unto the King of Denmark This is a Kingdome and ruled by an absolute Governour On the North and East side of Denmarke Sweden lyeth Suezia commonly called Sweden or Swethen which is also a Kingdome of it self Where the King professeth himselfe to be Rex Suecorum Gothorum Vandalorum Wherby we may know that the Gothes and Vandals which in times past did waste Jtaly and other Nations of Christendom did come out of this Country This whole Country which containeth in it Norvegia Suezia and some part of Denmarke is Peninsula being very much compassed about with the Sea and this is it which in Olaus Magnus Joannes Magnus is termed Archiepiscopus Vpsalensis as also in some of the more ancient Writers is called Scādinavia on the North and West side of Sweden lyeth Norvegia Norvegia or Norway or Norway which is at this day under the government of the King of Denmarke although heretofore it hath been a free Kingdome of it self Beyond Norway toward Russia on the Northern Sea lyeth Scrichivia beyond that Biarmia then Hapia or Hapland Hapland a poore and cold Countrey neere Sinus Boddicus whereof there is little to be spoken but that it is said to be subject to the great Knez or Duke of Muscovie But of these afterwards Within the Sound on the East part of the Sea Dantzike lyeth Dantzike about which are the Townes of the Haustmen Confederates and Allies unto the King of Denmarke These are very rich towns by reason of Merchandize which downe the rivers they receive out of Polonia and transport into other parts of Christendome through the Sound of the King of Denmarke They live as free people keeping amity entercourse with the Kings of Sweden and Denmark and with the Emperour of Germany but within these late yeers Steven Bacour the King of Polon doth challenge them to be members of his Crown and Dignity and by warre forced them to capitulate with him There is no great thing to be noted in these Countries but that from Denmarke commeth much corne to the supply of other parts of Christendome and that from all these Countries is brought great furniture for warre or for shipping Riches of Denmarke as Masts Cables Steele Saddles Armour Gunpowder and the like And that in the seas adjoyning to these parts there are fishes of much more monstrous shape than elsewhere are to be found The people of those Countries are by their profession Lutherans for Religion Their Religion Of Russia or Moscovia Russia situate ON the East side of Sweden beginneth the Dominion of the Emperor of Russia although Russia or Moscovia it selfe doe lie somewhat more into the East which is a great and mighty Monarchy extending it selfe even from Lapland and Finmarke many thousand miles in length unto the Caspian sea so that it containeth in it a great part of Europe and much of Asia also Emperour of Russia The governour there calleth himselfe Emperour of Russia Great Duke of Moscovia with many other titles of princedomes and Cities whose Dominion was very much inlarged by the Emperour not long since dead whom in Russia they call Iuan Vasiliwich in the Latine Iohannes Basilides who raigning long and being fortunate in warre did very much inlarge this mighty Dominion This man as in his younger daies he was very fortunate and added very much unto the glory of his ancestors winning something from the Tartars and something from the Christians in Livonia Lituania and other confines of his countrey so in his latter age growing more unweldy and lesse beloved of his subjects hee proved as unfortunate whereby it came to passe that Stephen Bacour King of Polone had a very great hand of him winning from him large Provinces which he before had conquered Gregory the thirteenth Bishop of Rome thinking by his intreaty for peace betweene those two Princes to have woon the whole Russian Monarchy to the subjection and acknowledgment of the Papacy Possevinus a Iesuite sent by the Pope to the Emperour sent Robertus Possevinus a Iesuite but yet a great States-man as his agent to take up controversies betweene the Muscovite and the King of Polone who prevailed so farre as that he drew them to tolerable conditions for both parties but when he began to exhort him to the accepting of the Romish faith the Emperour being therefore informed by the English Ambassadors who he very much favoured for his Lady and Mistresse Queene Elizabeths sake that the Bishop of Rome was a proud Prelate and would exercise his pretended authority so far as to make Kings and Princes hold his stirrop yea to kisse his very feet he utterly and with much scorne rejected all obedience to him Whereunto when Possevinus did reply A fine excuse for the Popes pride that the Princes of Europe indeed in acknowledgement of their subjection to him as the Vicar of Christ and successour of S. Peter did offer him that service as to kisse his feet but that the Pope remembring himselfe to be a mortall man did not take that honour as due unto himselfe but did use to have on his Pantophle the Crucifixe or Picture of Christ hanging upon the Crosse and that in truth he would have the reverence done thereunto the Emperour did grow into an exceeding rage reputing his pride to bee so much the greater when he would put the Crucifixe upon his shooe The Emperours rage against the Pope in as much as the
Russians doe hold that so holy a thing as that is highly prophaned if any resemblance of it be worne but above the girdle Possevinus in a treatise written of his Embassage into that Countrey where hee discourseth this whole matter Possevinus feare of the Emperour confesseth that hee was much afraid lest the Emperour would have strucken him and beaten out his braines with a shrewd staffe which then hee had in his hands did ordinarily carry with him and he had the more reason so to feare because that Prince was such a tyrant that he had not onely slaine and with cruell torture put to death very many of his subjects and Nobility before shewing himselfe more brutishly cruel to them than ever Nero and Caligula were among the Romans but he had with his owne hands and with the same staffe upon a small occasion of anger killed his eldest sonne who should have succeeded him in his whole Empire The people of this countrey are rude and unlearned Chiefe people rude and unlearned so that there is very little or no knowledge amongst them of any liberall or ingenuous Art yea their very Priests Monks wherof they have many are almost unlettered so that they can hardly do any thing more than reade their ordinary service And the rest of the people are by reason of their ignorant education dull and uncapable of any high understanding but very superstitious having many ceremonies and Idolatrous Solemnities as the consecrating of their Rivers by their Patriarch at one time of the yeare when they thinke themselves much sanctified by the receiving of those hallowed waters yea and they bathe their Horses and Cattell in them and also the burying of most of their people with a paire of Shooes on their feet as supposing that they have a long journey to goe and a letter in their hand to S. Nicholas whom they reverence as a speciall Saint and thinke that he may give them entertainement for their readier admission into heaven The Muscovites generally have received the Christian Faith but yet so that rather they doe hold of the Greeke Difference betweene the Greeke and Latin Church and the Easterne then of the Westerne Roman Church The doctrines wherin the Greek Church differs from the Latine are these First they hold that the holy Ghost proceeds from the Father alone and not from the Sonne Secondly that the Bishop of Rome is not the universall Bishop Thirdly that there is no Purgation Fourthly their Priests doe marry and fiftly they doe differ in divers of their ceremonies as in having foure Lents in the yeere whereof they doe call our Lent their great Lent At the time of the Councell of Florence There was some shew made by the Agents of the Greeke Church that they would have joyned in opinion with the Latines but when they returned home their Countrey-men would in no sort assent thereunto In the Northerne parts of the dominion of the Emperour of Russia which have lately been joyned unto his territories as specially Lapland Biarmia and thereabouts The people of Lapland very heathenish there are people so rude and heathenish that as Olaus Magnus writeth of them looke whatsoever living thing they doe see in the morning at their going out of their doors yea if it be a Bird or a worm or some such other creeping thing they doe yeeld a divine Worship Reverence thereunto for all that day as if it were some inferiour God Damianus a Goes hath written a pretty Treatise describing the manners of those Lappians The greatest part of the Country of Russia is in the winter so exceeding cold The extraordnary sharpnesse of the weather in winter that both the Rivers are frozen over the Land covered with snow and such is the sharpenesse of the Ayre that if any goe abroad bare faced it causeth their flesh in a short time to rot which befalleth to the fingers and toes of divers of them therefore for a great part of winter they live in Stoues and Hot-houses and if they be occasioned to goe abroad they use many Furs whereof there is great plenty in that Country as also wood to make fire but yet in the summer time the face of the soyle the ayre is very strangely altered insomuch that the Country seemeth hot the Birds sing very merrily the trees grasse corn in a short space do appeare so cheerfully greene and pleasant that it is scant to be beleeved but of them which have seene it Their building is most of wood even in their chiefe citie of Mosco Their buildings of wood insomuch that the Tartars who lie in the North-east of them breaking oft into their countries even unto the very Mosco doe set fire on their Cities which by reason of their woodden buildings are quickly destroyed Their government The maner of government which of late yeers hath bin used in Russia is very barbarous little lesse than tyrannous for the Emperour that last was did suffer his people to be kept in great servility permitted the Rulers chiefe Officers at their pleasures to pill ransack the common sort but to no other end but that himselfe might take occasion when he thought good to call thē in question for their misdemeanor and so fill his own coffers with fleecing of them which was the same course the old Roman Emperor did use calling the deputies of the Provinces by the name of Spunges whose property is to sucke up water but when it is full then it selfe is crushed and yeeldeth forth liquor for the behalfe of another The passage by Sea into this country The passage by Sea into this country which was wont to be through the Sound and so afterward by land was first discovered by the English who with great danger of the frozen seas did first adventure to sayle so far North as to compasse Lapland Finmark Scricfinia Biarmia and so passing to the East by Noua Zembla half the way almost to Cathaio have entred the River called Ob by which they disperse themselves for merchandize both by water and land into the most parts of the Dominion of the Emperour of Russia The first attempt The first attempt which was made by the English for the entrance of Moscovia by the North Seas was in the dayes of King Edw. the 6. at which time the Merchants of London procuring leave of the King did send forth Sir Hugh Willoby with shipping and men who went so far toward the North that he coasted the corner of Scricfinia Biarmia and so turned toward the East but the weather proved so extream the snowing so great the freezing of the water so vehement that his ship was set fast in the Ice and there he his people were frozen to death and the next yeer some other comming from England found both the Ship and their bodies in it a perfect remembrance in writing of all things which they
in the World which lyeth in the East part of the same Indies This is that Countrey so famous in ancient time for the great riches thereof for the multitude of people for the conquest of Bacchus over it for the passage thither of Alexander the Great throughout all the length of Asia for his adventuring to goe into the South Ocean with so mighty a Navy which few or none had ever attempted before him And certainly thither it was that Salomon did send once in three yeeres for his Gold and other rich Merchandise for the Scripture saith that hee sent his Fleet from Ezion-geber which stood upon the mouth of the Red Sea and it was the directest passage which hee had unto the Easterne Indies whereas if his purpose had been to send to Peru as some lately have imagined his course had been thorow the Mediterranean Sea and the Straits of Gibraltar This Countrey had in ancient time In Jndia are many Kingdomes many absolute Kingdomes and Provinces as in the time of Alexander Porus Taxiles and divers others In it were many Philosophers and men of great Learning whom they called Gymnosophistae of whom was Calanus who burnt himselfe before Alexander The men of the South part of India are blacke Their Cattle very big and therefore are called men of Jnde The Cattell of all sorts that are bred there are of incredible bignesse in respect of other Countries as their Elephants Apes Monkies Emêts and other Their riches The riches hereof have beene very great with abundance of Gold insomuch that the Promontory which is now called Malacha was in times past named Aurea Chersonesus The commoditie of Spice is exceeding great that comes from thence The Partugals first discovered the Indies The Portugals were the first which by their long Navigations beyond the Equinoctiall and the farthermost part of Africk have of late yeeres discovered these Countries to Christendome as heretofore to the use of the King of Portugall so now of the King of Spaine who is reputed owner of them Four Kingdoms by the Portugals discovered The Portugals did finde divers Kingdomes at their first arrivall in those parts as the Kingdome of Calecut the Kingdome of Cambaia the Kingdome of Cananor the Kingdome of Cochin and very many other with the Kings whereof they first entring League and Trafficke and having leave given to build Castles for their defence they have since by policie encroched into their hands a great part of the Countrey which lyeth neere unto the Sea-coast and are mighty now for the space of many thousand miles together The K. of Spain hath there a Vice-roy whose residence is commonly in the Imperiall Citie called God Chief City God They doe every yeare send home great store of rich commodities into Spain The Indians Religion The people of the Country when the Portugals came first thither were for the most part Gentiles beleeving in no one God yea at this day there are divers of them who doe adore the Sunne as their God and every morning at the rising thereof doe use very superstitious Ceremonies which our Merchants who doe trade to Aleppo doe oftentimes see for divers of these Jndians do come thither with Merchandize But the Saracens who reverence the Prophet Mahomet from the Bayes or Gulphes of Persia and Arabia doe trafficke much thither so that Mahomet was knowne among them but in one Town called Granganor they found certain Christians dissenting in many things from the Church of Rome and rather agreeing with the Protestants which Christians had received by succession their Religion from the time of Thomas the Apostle by whom as it is recorded in the ancient Ecclesiasticall History part of India was converted In this Countrey of Jndia are many great and potent Kings and Kingdomes which had beene altother unknown and unheard of in our part of the World but that we were beholding to the Portugals for their Discovery and before their Navigation thither by the backside of Africk to some relations that wee had from the Venetians who traded and travelled thither by Land out of Turkie The names of these Kings and Kingdomes are these The King of Biarme the great Mogol S●● Kingdomes the King of Narsing Pegu Siam the forenamed King of Calecut and others Of Persia Situation of Persia THere be divers Countries betweene India and Persia but they are not Famous Persia is a large Country which lyeth farre West from India it hath on the North Assyria and Media on the West Syria and the Holy land but next unto it Mesopotamia on the South the mayn Ocean which entreth in notwithstanding by a Bay called Sinus Persicus This is that Countrey which in ancient time was so renowned for the great riches and Empire thereof These were they who tooke from the Assyrians the Monarchie and did set up in their Country the second great Empire which began under Cyrus continued unto that Darius who was overthrowne by Alexander the Great In this countrey raigned the great Kings Cyrus The g eat and famous Kings of Persia Cambises Darius the Son of Histaspes the great Xerxes Artaxerxes and many others which in prophane writings are famous for their wars against the Scythians Aegyptians and Graecians in the Scripture for the delivery of the Iewes from Babylon by Cyrus for the building of the second Temple at Jerusalem and for many things which are mentioned of them in the Prophecie of Daniel The people of this Nation although they were in former times very riotous by reason of their great wealth yet after they had lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians Persians great Souldiers they have growne great Souldiers and therefore as they did ever strongly defend themselves against the old Romanes so in the time of Constantine and the other Emperours they were fearefull neighbours to the Romane government and of late time they have strongly opposed themselves against the Turkes ever making their party good with them And yet notwithstanding in the dayes of Amurath the third father to Mahomet the Turke now raigning the Turke had a great hand upon the Persian going so farre with his Army as that hee tooke the strong Citie Tauris standing within the Persian dominions neere unto the Caspian Sea but this losse was to bee attributed partly to the great dissentions which were among the Persians themselves and partly to the multitude of the Turke his Souldiers who by fresh supply did over-beare the Persian although hee slew downe many thousands of them They fight commonly on horseback are govern'd as in time past by a King so now by an absolute ruler Sophy of Persia and a mighty Prince whom they tear me the Shaw or Sophy of Persia Hee hath many Countries small Kings in Assyria Media and the countries adjoyning which are tributaries Among other the Sophies of Persia about a hundred years since there was one of great power called Ismael the
City of Seleuchus wherein stands the Citie Seleucia built by Seleuchus one of the foure great successors of Alexander the Great On the West of this Pamphilia standeth Lycia Lycia more West from thence confining upon the I le of Rhodes is Caria Caria one of the sea-townes whereof is Halicarnassus which was the Countrey of Heredotus who is one of the most ancient Historians that is extant of the Gentiles and who dedicated his nine Bookes to the honour of the Muses Here also was that Dionysius borne who is called commonly Dionysius Halicarnassus one of the Writers of the Romane Story for the first three hundred yeares after Rome was built The whole countrey of Caria is sometimes signified by the name of this Halicarnassus Halicarnassus although it was but one Citie and thereupon Artemisia who in the dayes of Xerxes came to aid him against the Gracians and behaved her selfe so manfully in a great fight at sea whē Xerxes stood by as a coward is intituled by the name not of Queene of Caria but of Halicarnassus Also in the dayes of Alexander the Great there was another Queene named Ada who also is honoured by the title of Queene of Halicarnassus Wee have thus farre described those Cities of Asia the lesse which doe lie from that part that joyneth unto Syria along the Sea coast Westward but being indeed the Southerne part of Asia minor Now upwards towards the North Ionia standeth Ionia where those did dwell who had like to have joyned with Xerxes in the great battell at Sea but that Themistocles by a policie did winne them from him to take part with the Gracians Diodorus Siculus writeth that the Athenians who professed to be of kin to those Ionians were on a time marveilous importunate with them that they should leave their owne countrey come and dwell with them which when the Ionians hardly but yet at length did accept the Athenians had no place to put them in and so they returned with great disgrace to them both A little within the Land lying North and East from Jonium Lydia was Lydia which sometimes was the Kingdome of Croesus who was reputed so rich a King when hee was in his prosperity making best of his happinesse hee was told by Solon that no man could reckon upon felicity so long as he lived because there might be great mutability of Fortune which he after ward found true For he was taken prisoner by Cyrus Croesus overthrown by Cyrus who was once minded to have put him to death but hearing him report the advertisement of Solon formerly given to him hee was moved to thinke that it might bee his owne case and so tooke pitty on him and spared his life These Lydians being inhibited afterward by Cyrus to use any armour did give themselves to bathes and stewes and other such effeminate things Vpon the sea-coast in Ionia standeth the Citie Ephesus Ephesus which was one of the seven cities unto which Iohn in his Revelation did write his seven Epistles and Saint Paul also directed his Epistle to the Ephesians unto the Church which was in this place This was one of the most renowned Cities of Asia the lesse but the Fame thereof did most arise from the Temple of Diana which was there built The Temple of Diana and was reputed for the magnificence thereof one of the seven Wonders of the world This Temple was said to be two hundred yeares in building and was burnt seven severall times whereof the most part was by lightning and the finall destruction thereof came by a base person called Herostratus who to purchase himselfe some fame did set it on fire This was the place of which it is said in the Acts of the Apostles that all Asia and the whole world doe worship this Diana Tullie reporteth De natura Deorum that Timaeus being asked the reason why the Temple of Diana was on fire that night when Alexander the Great was born gave that jest thereof that the Mistresse of it was from home because she being the Goddesse of Midwives did that night waite upon Olympias the Mother of Alexander the Great who was brought to bed in Macedonia City of Smirna Another of the seven Cities unto which John did write is Smirna standing also in Ionia upon the Sea cost but somewhat more North than Ephesus which is the place where Polycarpus was Bishop who sometimes had beene Schollar unto Iohn the Evangelist Polycarpus schollar to S. Iohn the Evangelist and living till hee was of great age was at last put to death for Christs sake when before hee had beene moved by the Governour of the Countrey to deny his Saviour and to burne Incense to an Idoll But hee answered that fourescore and sixe yeares hee had served Christ Iesus and in all that time he had never done him harm and therefore now in his old age hee would not beginne to deny him The third Citie unto which the Epistle is directed in the Apocalyps City of Sardis which standeth within the Land in Lydia as is described by the best Writers and it was a Citie both of great pleasure and profit unto the Kings in whose Dominion it stood which may bee gathered hereby that when once the Graecians had wonne it Darius Histaspis or Xerxes who were Kings of Persia did give charge that every day at dinner one speaking aloud should remember him that the Graecians had taken Sardis which intended that hee never was in quiet till it might bee recovered againe Foure Cities of vote There stood also in the In-land Philadelphia Thyatira Laodicea and most of all to the North Pergamus which were the other foure Cities unto which Saint Iohn the Evangelist did direct his Epistle Going upward from Ionium to the North there lyeth on the Sea-coast a little countrey Aeolis called Aeolis and beyond that although not upon the Sea the two Provinces called Mysia Major and Mysia Minor which in times past Mysia major and Mysia minor were so base and contemptible that the people thereof were used in speech as a Proverbe that if a man would describe one meaner than the meanest it was said he was Mysiorum postremus On the West part of Mysia major did lye the Countrey called Troas The City of Troy wherein stood Jlium and the City of Troy against which as both Virgil and Homer have written the Graecians did continue their Siege for the space of tenne yeares by reason that Paris had stollen away Helena the wife of Menelaus who was King of Sparta Eastward both from Troas and Mysia major a good space within the land was the Countrey called Phrygia Phrygia where the Goddesse which was called Bona Dea or Pessinuntia or Cybele the Mother of the old Gods had her first abiding and from thence as Herodian writeth was brought to Rome as implying that good Fortune should follow her thither In this Countrey lived
Israel which were under one Kingdome till the time of Rehoboam the Sonne of Solomon But then were they divided into two Kingdomes ten Tribes being called Israel and two Iudah whose chiefe Citie was called Ierusalem Jerusalem Twelve Tribes divided The ten Tribes after much Idolatry were carried prisoners unto Assyria and the Kingdome dissolved other people being placed in their roome in Samaria and the Country adjoyning The other two Tribes were properly called the Iewes and their Land Iudaea The Iewes which continued long after in Ierusalem and thereabout till the Captivity of Babylon where they lived for seventie yeares They were afterward restored but lived without glory till the comming of Christ But since that time for a curse upon them and their children for putting Christ to death they are scattered upon the face of the Earth as Runnagates without certaine Countrey King Priest or Prophet In their chiefe City Jerusalem was the Temple of God first most gloriously built by Salomon and afterward destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar Jerusalem destroyed By the commandement of Cyrus King of Persia was a second Temple built much more base than the former For besides the poverty and smalnesse of it there wanted five things which were in the former as the Iewes write Note First the Arke of the Covenant Secondly the pot of Manna Thirdly the Rodde of Aaron Fourthly the two Tables of the Law written by the finger of God And fiftly the fire of the Sacrifice which came downe from Heaven Herod the Great an Edomite stranger having gotten the Kingdome contrary to the Law of Moses and knowing the people to be offended therewithall to procure their favour did build a third Temple wherein our Saviour Iesus Christ and his Apostles did teach The City of Jerusalem was twice taken and utterly laid desolate Ierusalem twice destroyed 1 By Nebuchadnezzar 2 By Vespasian first by Nebuchadnezzar at the Captivitie of Babylon and secondly after the death of Christ by Vespasian the Romane who first began the warres and by his Sonne Titus who was afterward Emperour of Rome who brought such horrible desolation on that Citie and the people thereof by Fire Sword and Famine that the like hath not beene read in any History Hee did afterwards put thousands of them on some one day to be devoured of the Beasts which was a cruel Custome of the Romanes magnificence Although Numbers and Times be not superstitiously to be observed as many foolish imagine yet it is a matter in this place not unworthy the noting which Iosephus reporteth in his seventh Booke and tenth Chapter de Bello Iudaico that the very same day whereon the Temple was set on fire by the Babylonians was the day whereon the second Temple was set on fire by the Romanes and that was upon the tenth day of August After this destruction the Land of Iudaea and the ruines of Ierusalem were possessed by some of the people adjoyning till that about sixe hundred yeares since the Saracens did invade it for expelling of whom from thence divers Frenchmen and other Christians under the leading of Godfrey of Bullen did assemble themselves thinking it a great shame that the Holy Land as they called it the Citie of Jerusalem and the place of the Sepulchre of Christ should bee in the hands of Infidels This Godfrey ruled in Ierusalem by the name of a Duke but his successours after him for the space of 87 yeares called themselves Kings of Ierusalem About which time Saladine who called himselfe King of Aegypt and Asia the lesse did winne it from the Christians For the recovery wherof Richard the first King of England together with the French King and the King of Sicilia did goe in person with their Armies to Ierusalem but although they wonne many things from the Infidels yet the end was that the Saracens did retaine the Holy Land Roger Hoveden in the life of Henry the Second King of England doth give this memorable note that at that time when the Citie of Ierusalem and Antioch were taken out of the hand of the Pagans by the meanes of Godfrey of Bullen and other of his Company the Pope of Rome that then was was called Vrbanus the Patriarch of Ierusalem Heraclius and the Romane Emperour Fredericke and at the same time when the said Ierusalem was recovered againe by Saladine the Pope● name was Vrbanus the Patriarch of Jerusalem Heraclius and the Roman Emperour Frederick Ierusalem in the Turkes Dominions The whole Countrey and Citie of Ierusalem are now in the Dominion of the Turke who notwithstanding for a great Tribute doth suffer many Christians to abide there There are now therefore two or more Monasteries and Religious Houses where Friers do abide and make a good commoditie of shewing the Sepulchre of Christ and other Monuments unto such Christian Pilgrimes as do use superstitiously to go in Pilgrimage to the Holy Land The King of Spaine was wont to call himselfe King of Ierusalem Of Arabia Arabia bounded NExt unto the Holy Land lyeth the great Country of Arabia having on the North part Palaestina and Mesopotamia on the East side the Gulph of Persia on the South the mayne Ocean of India or Aethiopia on the West Aegypt and the great Bay called Sinus Arabicus or the Red Sea This Countrey is divided into three parts the North part whereof is called Arabia Deserta Arabia divided into three parts the South part which is the greatest is named Arabia Foelix and the middle between both that which for the abundance of Rockes and Stones is called Arabia Petrea or Petrosa Of the Desart of Arabia The Desart of Arabia is that place in the which God after the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt by passing thorow the Red Sea did keepe his people under Moses for forty yeares because of their rebellion feeding them in the mean time with Manna from Heaven and sometimes with water miraculously drawne out of dry Rockes For the Countrey hath very little water almost no Trees and is utterly unfit for Tillage or Corn. There are no Townes nor inhabitants of this Desart in Arabia Petrosa are some but not many Arabia Foelix for Fruitfulnesse of ground and convenient standing every way toward the Sea is one of the best Countries of the World and the principall cause why it is called Foelix is for that it yeeldeth many things in abundance which in other parts of the World are not to be had as Frankincense especially the most precious Balmes Mirrhe and many other both Fruits and Spices and yeeldeth withall store of some precious stones When Alexander the Great was young after the manner of the Macedonians hee was to put Incense upon an Altar and powring on great store of Frankincense one of the Nobilitie of his Countrey told him that hee was too prodigall of that sweet perfume and that hee should make spare untill hee had conquered the Land wherein the Frankincense did grow But when
Marcellinus doth observe that there was never any or almost hath ever beene but that once in the day the Sunne hath beene ever seene to shine over Alexandria This Citie was one of the foure Patriarchall Seas which were appointed in the first Nicene Councell Good Lawes made by the Kings of Egypt This Countrey was governed by a King as long agoe as almost any Countrey in the World Here raigned Amasis who made those good Lawes spoken of by Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus in whose writings the ancient customes of the Aegyptians are worthy to be read After Alexanders time Ptolomeus one of his Captaines had this Kingdome of whom all his successors were called Ptolemies as before time all their Kings were called Pharaohs they continued long friends and in league with the people of Rome till the time of Iulius Caesar but afterward they were as subjects to the Romanes til● the Empire did decay When they had withdrawne themselves from the Romanes governement they set up a Prince of their owne whom they termed the Sultan or Souldan of Aegypt of whom about 400. yeares since Saladine was one But when the race of these were out the Mamalukes who were the guard of the Sultane as the Ianisaries be to the Turk appointed a Prince at their pleasure till that now about an 100. yeares agoe or lesse the Turke Selimus possessed himselfe with the sole government of the Countrey so that at this day Aegypt is wholly under the Turke There bee Christians that now live in Aegypt paying their tribute unto the Turke as others doe now also in Gracia Aeneas Silvius doth report in his History De mundo universo cap. 60. that divers did goe about to digge through that little Istmos or Strait which at the top of the Red Sea doth joyne Aegypt to some part either of Arabia or of the Holy Land imagining the labour not to bee great in as much as they conceived the space of ground to be no more than 1500 furlongs Sesostris the King of Aegypt as he saith did first attempt this Secondly Darius the great Monarch of the Persians Thirdly Ptolomy one of the Kings of Aegypt who drew a ditch a hundred foot broad thirty foot deepe and thirty seven Miles and a halfe long but when hee intended to goe forward hee was forced to cease for feare of inundation and over-flowing the whole land of Aegypt the Red Sea being found to bee higher by three Cubites than the ordinary plaine of Aegypt was But Plinie affirmeth that the digging was given over lest the Sea being let in should marre the water of Nilus which alone doth yeeld drinke to the Aegyptians Pet. Maffaeus in his Indian story doth tell that there was a Portugall also that of late yeares had a conceit to have had this worke finished that so hee might have made the third part of the old knowne world Africa to have beene an Iland compassed round with the Sea Men commonly in the description of Aegypt doe report that whole Country to stand in Africke but if wee will speake exactly and repute Nilus to bee the bound betweene Asia and Africke we must then acknowledge that the Eastern part of Aegypt from Nilus and so forward to the Red Sea doth lye in Asia which is observed by Peter Martyr in that pretty Treatise of his De legatione Babylonica Although this Countrey of Aegypt doth stand in the selfe same Climate that Mauritania doth yet the inhabitants there are not black but rather dunne or tawny Of which colour Cleopatra was observed to be who by inticement so wonne the love of Julius Caesar and Antony And of that colour doe those runnagates by devices make themselves to be who goe up and downe the world under the name of Aegyptians being indeed but counterfeits and the refuse or rascality of many Nations Of Cyrene and Africke the lesse ON the West side of Aegypt lying along the Mediterranean The Countrey of Cyrene is a Country which was called in old time Cyrene wherein did stand that Oracle which was so famous in the time of Alexander the Great called by the name of the Temple or Oracle of Jupiter Hammon whither when Alexander did repaire as to take counsell of himselfe and his successe the Priests being before taught what they should say did flatteringly professe him to bee the Sonne of God and that he was to be adored So that as the Oracle of Delphos and some other were plaine delusions of Sathan who did raigne in that darke time of ignorance so this of Iupiter Hammon may be well supposed to be nothing else but a cousenage of the Priests In this Countrey and all neere about where the Oracle stood are very great Wildernesses where did appear to Alexander for foure daies journey neither Grasse Tree Water Man Bird nor Beast but onely a deepe kinde of sand so that hee was enforced to carry water with him for himselfe and his company and all other provision on Cammels backs At this day this Countrey hath lost his old name and is reckoned as a part of Aegypt and lyeth under the Turke In dry Countries as in Africa and the Wildernesse of Arabia they have much use of Cammels First because they can carry a huge burthen of water and other provision Secondly because that themselves will goe a long time without drinke travelling as Solinus writeth foure dayes together without it but then drinking excessively and that especially of muddy and puddle water And thirdly because that in an extremity those that travell with them doe let them bloud in a veine and sucke out the bloud whereby as the owner is much relieved so the Camell is little the worse Westward from this Countrey along the Mediterranean lieth that which in ancient time was called Africa minor for as in Asia one part above another was by an excellency called Asia or Asia the lesse so this part of Africke was termed by the Romanes sometimes Africa simply sometime Africa the lesse In this Countrey did stand that place so famous mentioned by Salust under the name of Phillenorum arae which was the bound in that time betweene Africke and Cyrene On the North and East part hereof in the Sea neere unto the shore was that Quick-sand which in times past did destroy so many ships and was called Syrtis magna as also on the North and West part was the other sand called Syrtis parva Some part of this Countrey was heretofore under the Sultan of Egypt whose dominion did extend it self so farre to the West and there was diuided from the Kingdome of Tunis but it is now wholly under the Turk and is commonly reputed as a part of Barbary For now by a generall name from the confines of Cyrene unto the West as farre as Hercules Piller is called Barbary though it containe in it divers Kingdomes as Tunis Fessa and Morocco Of Mauritania Caesariensi A Part of that country which by a generall name is called at this day
much hinder the courses of the Turks from Graecia and Asia and of the other Saracens from Fez and Morocco They are very valiant men fit to doe great service either by Land or Sea as appeared when Solyman did thinke to have surprised them and their Iland the description of which warre is diligently laid downe by Caelius secundus Curio in a Treatise dedicated to Elizabeth Queene of England There hath beene divers other Orders of Knights yea and some of them reputed to bee a kinde of Religion in Portugall France England Burgundy and some other places of Christendome but because their service hath not beene employed purposely as these which are before mentioned wee doe not touch them in this place Neere unto Graecia and Peloponnesus on the West side towards Italy is the I le of Corcyra now termed * The Iles Corfu Corfu and not farre South from that is * Cephalenia Cephalenia and from thence South is * Zon. Zon called by Virgill Nemorosa Zacynthus al● which Ilands are at this day under the Venetians The greatest * The commodities of the countrey commodity which that Countrey doth yeeld are Currans which are gathered of a kinde of small Grapes and for the making whereof they commonly one time every summer for the space of three weekes haue a continuall drought day and night in which time the Currans are laid abroad in the open ayre and may not be taken in insomuch that if the season doe continue hot and dry their Merchandize is very good but if there fall any raine untill the time be expired of their full drying the Currans are not good but doe mould and change their colour to be somewhat white like meale The state of Venice under whom this Iland is doth make a great commodity of the impost or taxation which is laid upon this Merchandize calling the Tribute which is paid for them the * The Impost laid on this Iland called the Revenue of S. Marke Revenue of S. Marke for unto that Saint is the Citie of Venice dedicated and they hold him fo● their Patron In this Iland besides the Merchants who repaire thither are divers Italians who be there in Garison for the Venetians in one speciall Castle which commandeth the whole Iland There are also divers Fryers 〈◊〉 that Nation who performe unto their Countrey-men such exercises of Religion as are convenient They will not suffer any of our Merchants to have Christian burial among them unlesse at his death he be confessed after the Romish fashion whereupon some have been forced to convey over some 〈◊〉 their dead bodies into Morea which is not farre distant to be buried there among the Greekes and after their fashion The naturall Inhabitants 〈◊〉 * Zant the Inhabitants Greekes Zant and Greekes both by Language and Religion and observ● all fashions of the Greekish Church in whose words being now muc● corrupted and depraved there may yet be found some tokens and remainders of the old pure and uncorrupted Greeke There are in this Countrey great store of Swine kept whereof the Inhabitants doe feed and carry them into Morea but the Turkes there by their Mahumetane profession will taste no Swines flesh In Zacynthus our English Merchants have an House of abode for their traffick South-east from Morea lieth the great Iland * Creta Creta where Minos sometimes did raign so famous for his severity This Countrey was then called Hecatompolis as having in it an hundred Townes and Cities Here stood the * The Labyrinth of Dedalus Labyrinth which was the worke of Dedalus who conveighed the house so by the manifold turnings infinitenesse of Pillars and Doores that it was impossible to finde the way yet Theseus by the helpe of Ariadne the Daughter of King Minos taking a bottome of threed and tying the one end at the first doore did enter and slay the Minotaur which was kept there and afterwards returned safe out againe * The most noted lyers The ancient Inhabitants of this Countrey were such noted lyers that beside the Proverbes which were made of them as Cretense mendacium Cretisandum est cum Cretensibus the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Titus who was left there by him as Bishop of that Iland doth cite a verse out of the Heathen Poet Epimenides that the Cretians are ever lyers evill beasts and slow bellies * The Iland Candie This Iland is in our dayes called Candy being the place from whence our Sugar of Candy is brought It is under the Venetians and reputed a part of their Seigniory Although the Turke when they had taken Cyprus did thinke also to have surprised it but that it pleased GOD by the meanes of Don Iohn of Austria in the behalfe of his brother the King of Spaine and the Venetians to give the Turke that great overthrow at Sea in the fight neere unto Lepanto Yet since that time no doubt the Turkes have a greedy eye upon the Island of Candy Betweene Creta and Peloponnesus lyeth * Cithera where was the fine Temple of Venus Cithera There was the fine Temple of Venus who thereof by the Poets is called Citheraea The Islands are many which lie in the Sea called Mare Aegeum from the bottome of Greece unto the top of the Hellespont as all the Cyclads Euboia and the great Island Samos and Chios ●o Scyros where Achilles was borne and was King of that Countrey There is also Lesbos and * Divers small Ilands Cemnos Mytelene and Ithaca where Vlysses was King and Androse whither Themistocles was sent by the Athenians for Tribute as Plutarch layeth downe the History * Note Themistocles did tell them that hee came to demand Tribute or some great Imposition upon them being accompanied with two Goddesses the one was Eloquence to perswade them and the other Violence to enforce them Whereunto the Andraeans made answere that they had on their side two Goddesses as strong whereof the one was Necessitie whereby they had it not and the other was Impossibility whereby they could not part with that which they never possessed Of these places something may bee read in the olde History of the Greekes Divers of these did strive that Homer was borne in them but of certaine many of those Kings which Homer saith came with Agamemnon to the siege of Troy were Kings but of those small Ilands Eastward from thence not farre from some part of Natolia or Asia the lesser is the * The Iland of Rhodes Iland of Rhodes the friendship of the Inhabitants whereof was in ancient time very much defired by the Princes that had to do that way so that Alexander first and the Romanes afterwards did embrace their league Here was that huge and mighty Image of the Sunne which was called Colossus Rhodius This Countrey was long defended by those who were called the Knights of Rhodes against the power of the Turke and it was a great Bulwark to defend Christendome
that they were the Sonnes of some God and not borne of mortall seed but sent downe from Heaven unto them and this conceit was the stronger in them because at the first in such conflicts as they had with them they could kill few or none of them the reason whereof was partly the Armour of the Spaniards and partly the want of Iron and Steele upon the Arrowes which the Americans did shoot but they were not very long of that opinion that they were immortall but reformed their errour both by seeing the dead corpes of some of the Christians and by trying an experiment upon some of them also for they tooke of them and put their heads under the water and held them till they were choaked by which they knew them to be of the same nature as other men * They admired and feared a Letter Among other points which did shew the great ignorance and unlettered stupidity of these Indians this was one that they could not conceive the force of writing of Letters in so much that when one Spaniard would send unto another being distant in place in India with any Provision and would write a Letter by him what the fellow had received from him The poore Indian would marvell how it should bee possible that hee to whom hee came should bee able to know all things which either himselfe brought or the sender directed And thereupon divers of them did thinke that there was some kinde of Spirit in the Paper and marvellously stood in feare of such a thing as a Letter was This Countrey yeeldeth great abundance of strange Herbes the like whereof are not to bee found in other parts of the World * Some very rare Beasts as also some very rare Beasts as one among the rest who by Peter Martyrs description hath some part like an Elephant some part like an Horse and divers other parts like divers other Beasts Nature having studied to expresse a great many severall Creatures in one There are also found at the Sea or within some Rivers * The Sea Crocodiles Crocodiles but not of that hugenesse as those that breed in Aegypt in the River Nilus whereof some are described by Plinie to bee at the least foure and twenty Cubits in length which argues the Crocodile to bee the greatest Creature in the World that comes of an Egge * Some rare stones There are also thereabouts some extraordinary Stones growing in the Land as above others the Bloud stones wherof there are great store but especially there is one thing of great beauty and worth that is the abundance of Pearles which are taken in Shell fishes and are of as great quantity as any that be in the Seas neere to the East Judies so that the true cause of the plenty of Pearle in Europe in this our age beyond that incomparably which hath beene in the dayes of our Fore-fathers is to be ascribed to the Discovery of these New-found Lands * Divers trees not else-where found There are also here divers trees which are not to bee found elsewhere and many Roots which serve for divers purposes * The abundance of Kine and Buls Among other things whereof there is great plenty in those Westerne parts is the abundance of Kine and Buls whereof they report that there is such store in Cuba and Hispaniola that there are killed downe divers thousands every yeare whereof the Spaniard maketh no other use but to take the Tallow or the Hide which serveth them in their shipping and for divers other purposes but the flesh of the most part of them they suffer for to putrifie as making little account of it partly because of the heate of the Countrey wherein they eat little flesh and partly because they have great store of Hennes and other more dainty meate whereupon together with fish they doe very much feed It may seeme a kind of miracle unto him who looketh no higher than the ordinary rules of Nature and doth not respect the extraordinary and unlimited power of God that whereas a great part of America doth lye in the Zona torrida in the selfe-same Climate with Aethiopia and the hottest parts of the East Jndies where the Inhabitants are not onely tawny as all bee in Aegypt and in Mauritania but also cole-blacke and very Negroes here there should bee no man whose colour is blacke except it bee those which are brought out of Africa but that the people should bee of a reasonable faire complexion which is to be ascribed onely unto Gods peculiar Will and not to that which some foolishly have imagined that the generative seed of those people should be white and that other of the Aethiopians blacke for that is untrue in as much as the Aethiopians case doth not differ from the quality of other men The Spaniards did find the people to be here most simple * The condition of the people of America without fraud giving them kinde entertainment according to their best manner exchanging for Knives and Glasses and such like toyes great abundance of Gold and Pearle It is certaine that by the very light of Nature and by the ordinary course of humane shape there were among this people very many good things as affabilitie in their kinde Hospitalitie towards strangers which had not offended them according to their ability and open and plaine behaviour * Their Religion yea and in some parts of the West Indies there was an opinion in grosse that the soule was immortall and that there was life after this life where beyond certaine Hils they know not where those which dyed in defence of their Countrey should after their departure from this life remaine in much blessednesse which opinion caused them to beare themselves very valiantly in their fights either striving to conquer their enemies or with very good contentment enduring death if it were their hap to be taken or slaine in as much as they promised themselves a better reward else-where * Tet many grieuous sins by them committed But withall as it could not choose but be so there were many other grievous sinnes amongst them as Adoration of Divels Sodomie Incest and all kinde of Adultery Ambition in very high measure a deadly hatred each to other which proceeded all from the Fountaine of ignorance wherewith Satan had blinded their eyes yet there were among them some which by a kinde of blinde Witch-craft had to evill purpose acquaintance and entercourse with foule spirits * Their Attire The manner of their Attire or beautifying themselves which divers of these people had severally in severall parts did seeme very strange unto them who came first into that Countrey For some of them did adorne themselves with the shels of Fishes some did weare Feathers about their heads some had whole Garments made of Feathers and those very curiously wrought and placed together of divers colours to which purpose they did most use the Feathers of Peacockes or
Parrots or such other Birds whose covering was of divers colours Yea in very many places they had their lower lippes bored thorow with a great hole and something put into them as also into the upper parts of their eares being pierced in like manner which as it seemed in themselves to be a point of beauty so it made them appeare to other men to be wonderfull ugly * Infinite store of Gold and Silver in America The quantity of Gold and silver which was found in those parts was incredible which is the true reason wherefore all things in Christendome as Bodin de Repub. observeth doe serve to be sold at a higher rate than they were in the dayes of our Fore-fathers when indeed they had not so for as hee noteth it is the plenty of Gold and Silver which is brought from this America that maketh money to bee in greater store and so may more easily bee given than it could bee in the dayes of our Predecessours * Precious Mines But for the thing it selfe it is testified by all Writers that there were in those parts very great Mines of the most precious Mettals that in the Banks of Rivers with the washing of the water there was divers times fretted out very good and bigge peeces of Gold which without melting or trying was of reasonable perfection and the like was to bee found in many places of the Land when the people did digge for their Husbandry or for any other use This made the Inhabitants there for the commonnesse of it to account Gold and Silver but as a vile thing and yet by the reason of the colour of it for variety sake to bee mingled with the Pearle divers of them did weare it about their necks and about their armes And yet wee doe finde that in some part of the West Indies the Kings did make some reckoning of Gold and by fire did try it out to the best perfection as may appeare by * Attabaliba his ransome Attabaliba who had a great House piled upon the sides with great wedges of Gold ready tryed which hee gave to the Spaniards for a ransome of his life and yet they most perfidiously did take his life from him * The Countrey people exchanged it for any bables But the meane account ordinarily which the people had of Gold did cause them very readily to bring unto the Spaniards at their first arrivall great store of that Mettall which they very readily exchanged for the meanest Trifles and Gew-gaws which the other could bring even such things as wherewith Children doe use to play But there was nothing more acceptable unto them then Axes and Hammers Knives and all tooles of Iron whereof they rather make account to cut downe their Timber to frame it and to doe other such necessaries to their convenient use belonging than to fight or to doe hurt each to the other and therein may appeare the great variety of Gods disposition of his Creatures here and there when in all that mayne Continent of America but especially in that which lyeth betweene or neere the Tropickes there is no Iron or Steele to bee found which without doubt gave great way to the Conquest of the strongest places there as of Mexico by name when armed men with Gunnes and other instruments of Warre were to fight against them which were little better then naked and it was rightly upbraided by one of his Countrey-men to Ferdinandus Cortesius upon one of his returnes from America having made exceeding boast of his great victories in those parts and comming afterwards in service into Africke where he being hardly laid unto by the Moores and shewing no valour at all it was remembred unto him that it was an easie thing for him to doe all those exploits which hee cracked so much of in the West Indies in as much as the people there had nothing to resist They dreaded men on Horse-back There was 〈◊〉 ●●ing more dreadfull to those ●●●rmed men than the sight of Horses and men riding upon them whereof a very few did quickly over-beare many thousands of them even almost in the beginning of the discovery of those parts Ferdinandus and Elizabeth then King and Queene of Castile and after them Charles the fift the Emperour who succeeded in their right partly to stirre up their subjects to action and partly to procure unto themselves the more treasure with lesse expence and trouble of their owne did give leave unto divers of their Subjects that by speciall commission they might passe into those parts and there have severall Quarters and Countries allotted unto them where they might dig and try out Gold and Silver on condition that they did allow clear unto the King the * The King had the fift part for his tribute fift part of such commodities as did arise unto them and therefore neere unto every Mine and Furnace the King had his speciall Officers which did daily attend and take up his Tribute And to the end that all things might the better bee ordered both there and in Spaine concerning the affaires of those Countries the King caused a * A Coun. sell at Sivill for the government of America Counsell and Counsell-house to bee newly crected at Sivill where all things should bee handled that did grow to any controversie and where the intelligences and advertisements might be laid up as in a place of Record which should from time to time be brought out of America Of this Counsell Peter Martyr who wrote the Decades was one and continued there till he was very old and therefore might upon the surest instructions set downe these things which hee committed to story * Note the Spaniards cruelty The desire of gaine caused the Spaniards to seeke further into the Countries but the tyrannie and covetousnesse of the Spaniards was such in taking from them their goods in deflowring their Wives and Daughters but especially in forcing them to labour in their Gold Mines without measure as if they had beene Beasts that the people detesting them and the name of Christians for their sakes did some of them kill themselves and the Mothers destroyed their Children in their bellies that they might not bee borne to serve so hatefull a Nation and some of them did in warre conspire against them so that by slaughter and otherwise the people of the Countrey are almost all wasted now within a hundred yeares being before many millions and those which remaine are as slaves and the Spaniards almost onely doe inhabite those parts * His insolency and tyrannizing pride It is not unknowne to all the parts of Europe that the insolency of the Spaniards is very great even over Christians tyrannizing and playing all outrages wheresoever they get men in subjection and this maketh them so hatefull to the Portugalls at home to the Italians in Millaine and Naples but especially to the Low-Countrey men who have therefore much desired to shake off the yoake
low to the South * Divers Ilands in the Gulph of Mexico In and neere unto this Gulph are divers Ilands conquered and inhabited by the Spaniards as the forenamed Cuba and Hispaniola where the Spaniards were visited by our English in the time of Queen Elizabeth and their Towns of Sancto Domingo and Saint Iago taken by Sir Francis Drake as also Iarvaica and Boriquen otherwise called the Island of Saint Phu where the Earle of Cumberland tooke the Towne of Porto Ricco and many other Ilands of lesse note In the Sea coasts of all this Nova Hispania the Kings of Spaine have built many Townes and Castles and therein have erected divers Furnaces and Forges for the Trying and Fining of their Gold They that doe write of the discovery of the West Indies doe report that when Columbus at the first went thitherward in their greatest distraction and doubtfulnesse of minde whether to goe forward or backward and Columbus had begged onely two or three dayes respit there was one of his Company who after the Sea manner going up to discover the Land did espie some fire for the which being so happy and lucky a token hee did hope to receive at the hands of the King of Spaine some bountifull Reward but when hee returned home there was * Note nothing at all given unto him which hee tooke with that male contentednesse and disdaine that hee fled over into Africa and there among the Moores did apostatate and renounce the Christian Faith so that hee became a Sarazen Of the parts of America towards the North. THe rumour of the discovery of these parts being blowne over Christendome and the great quantitie of the Land together with the fruitfulnesse thereof being reported abroad some other nations did enterprize to set foote therein as namely the Frenchmen who sent certaine Shippes to a part of this Countrey lying North from Hispania nova some few degrees without the Tropicke of Cancer into which when they had arrived because of the continuall greenenesse of the ground and Trees as if it had beene a perpetuall spring they call it * And named it Florida Florida where after some few of them had for a time setled themselves the Spaniards tooke notice of it and being unwilling to endure any such neighbours they came suddenly on them and most cruelly slew them all without taking any ransome And the French in revenge of this deed of the Spaniards came in againe afterwards into this Countrey and slew those that were the slayers of their Countrey men Yet the Spaniards for want of men are not able to inhabite that Countrey but leave it to the old people The French had built in Florida upon the * The River Mayo River of Mayo where they were visited by our Sir Iohn Hawkins a Fort which they called Fort Carolin and had reasonably assured themselves for their defence against the Natives but some malicious spirits amongst them fled to the Spaniards with whom they returned againe into Florida to the murther and overthrow of their owne Countreymen Hee who list to see both the attempt of the French-men for the inhabiting of that part and the usage of the Spaniards towards them let him reade the Expedition into Florida which is the end of Benzo his Storie concerning the New found World and there hee shall finde both the covetous and insatiable nature of the Spaniards who would not endure the French neere unto them although there was Land sufficient and much to spare for both of them also their perfidiousnesse in breaking of Oathes and Promises and their * Note the Spaniards unchristian cruelty unchristian cruelty whereby they massacred all The Spaniards also to the number of three hundred Foote and two hundred Horse under the conduct of Ferdinando de Soto entred Florida about the yeare of the Lord 1550 and there conquered a thousand miles wide and large and after foure or five yeares continuance in that Countrey betooke themselves again from thence and went to New Spaine landing at Panuc in Shippes and Vessels that they had built in Florida And in all that time notwithstanding many conflicts with the Natives and divers discommodities and wants which they sustained in the Countrey they lost but two hundred men After this departure of the Spaniards out of Florida brought thither by Ferdinando de Soto who died in the Countrey after the defeat of the French and their revenge againe taken on the Spaniards the King of Spaine sent thither some small Forces to take possession of the Countrey and set downe there for no other end as it is thought but to keepe out other Nations from entring there the one halfe whereof set downe on the River of Saint Augustine and the other halfe a dozen leagues from thence to the Northward at a place by them called Saint Helena In the yeare 1586. as * Sir Francis Drakes Voyage Sir Francis Drake came coasting along from Cartagena a Citie in the mayne Land to which hee put over and tooke it after hee departed from Sancto Domingo when the mortality that was amongst our English had made them to give over their Enterprize to goe with Nombre de Dios and so over Land to Pannaenia there to have stricken the stroake for the Treasure hee was on the Coast of Florida in the height of thirtie our men described on the shoare a place built l●ke a Beacon which was made for men to discover to Sea-ward so comming to the Shore they marched along the Rivers side till they came to a Fort built all of whole Trees which the Spaniards called the Fort of Saint Iohn where the King entertained halfe his Forces that hee then had in the Countrey which were a hundred and fifty Souldiers the like number being at Saint Helena all of them under the governement of Petro Melendez Nephew to the Admirall Melendez that a fifteene or sixteene years before had beene to bring with our English in the Bay of Mexico this Fort our English tooke and not farre from thence the Towne also of Saint Augustine upon the same River where resolving to undertake also the Enterprize of Saint Helena when they came to the Havens mouth where they should enter they durst not for the dangerous shols wherefore they forsooke the place coasting along to Virgina where they tooke in Master Ralph Lane and his Company and so came into England as you shall heare when wee speake of Virginia In these Northerne parts of America but especially within the maine Continent some have written but how truely I cannot tell that there is a Sea which hath no entercourse at all with the Ocean so that if there be any third place beside the Mare Caspium and the Mare Mortuum in Palestina which retaineth in it selfe great saltnesse and yet mingleth not with other Seas it is in these Countries There is also in new Spaine a great salt Lake as bigge or bigger then the dead Sea of Palestine in
the midst of which stands the great City of Tenustitan or Mexico the Mistris or imperiall City of those parts and on the bankes or sides of that Lake many other Cities also beside which though they are but little in comparison of the greatnesse of Tenustitan yet of themselves are great This Tenustitan is supposed to consist of sixty thousand houses as you may reade in the third Chapter of the fifth of the Decades and this City standing in the midst and centre of this salt Lake goe which way you will from the Continent to the Citie it is at least a league and an halfe or two leagues on the Lake unto it some of the other Cities are said to be thirty some of fortie thousand Houses the names of these are * Foure Cities more in America Mesiqualcingo Coluacana Wichilabasco Iztapalapa and others the Lake though it bee in the middest of the Land hath his fluxus refluxus his ebbing and flowing like the Sea and yet seventy leagues distant from the Sea But certaine it is that towards the South of these parts which is the Northerne part of Hispania nova above Mexico there * The burning Hill in America is a burning Hill which oftentimes breaketh out into flames as Vesuvius in Campania did in the time of the elder Plinie and as Aetna hath done many Ages since and before Peter Martyr in the fift of his Decads saith that eight leagues from Tenustitan or Mexico as Ferdinando Cortes went thither from the Chiurute Calezthere is a Hill called of the Inhabitants Popecatepeque as much as to say a smokie Mountaine at the top whereof there is a hole of a League and a halfe wide out of which are cast * A strange fire fire and stones with Whirlewindes and that the thicknesse of the ashes lying about the Hill is very great It is reported also elsewhere of this Hill that the flames and ashes thereof oft times destroy the fields and Gardens thereabouts When Cortes went by it he senten Spaniards with Guides of the Countrey to see and make report thereof unto him two of which ten venturing further then the rest saw the mouth of this fiery Gulph at the Hils top and had they not happily soone returned towards their Fellowes and sheltred themselves under a Rock on the side of the Hill such a multitude of stones were cast out with the flame that by no meanes they could have escaped * Of Virginia the first plantation The Englishmen also desirous by Navigation to adde some thing unto their owne Countrey as before time they had travelled toward the farthest North part of America so lately finding that part which lyeth betweene Florida and Nova Francia was not inhabited by any Christians and was a Land fruitfull and fit to plant in they sent thither two severall times two severall Companies as Colonies to inhabite that part which in remembrance of the Virginitie of their Queene they called Virginia But this Voyage being enterprized upon by private men and being not throughly followed by the State the possession of this Virginia for that time was discontinued and the Countrey left to the old Inhabitans * The second plantation I here was some English people who after they had understood the calmnesse of the Climate and goodnesse of the foyle did upon the instigation of some Gentlemen of England voluntarily offer themselves even with their Wives and Children to goe into those parts to inhabit but when the most of them came there upon some occasions they returned home againe the first time which caused that the second yeare there was a great company transported thither who were provided of many necessaries and continued there over a whole Winter under the guiding of Master Lane but not finding any sustenance in the Country which could well brooke with their nature and being too meanely provided of Corne and Victuals from England they had like to have perished with Famine and therefore thought themselves happy when Sir Francis Drake comming that way from the Westerne Indies would take them into his Ships and bring them home into their Native Country Yet some there were of those English which being left behind ranged up and downe the Countrey and hovering about the Sea coast made meanes at last after their induring much misery by some Christian Shippes to bee brought backe againe into England While they were there inhabiting there were some children borne and baptized in those parts and they might well have endured the Countrey if they might have had such strength as to keepe off the inhabitants from troubling them in tilling the ground and reaping such Corne as they would have sowed * The third plantation Againe in the dayes of our now raigning Soveraigne in the yeere of our Lord 1606. the English planted themselves in Virginia under the degrees 37 38 39. where they doe to this day continue and have built three Towns and Forts as namely Iames-Towne and Henrico Fort Henricke and Fort Charles with others which they hold and inhabite sure retreats for them against the force of the natives and reasonably secured places against any power that may come against them by Sea In the same height but a good distance from the coast of Virginia lyeth the Iland called by the Spaniards La Bermuda but by our English the * Of the Summer Ilands Summer Ilands which of late is inhabited also by our Countrey-men North-ward from them on the coast lyeth Norumbega which is the South-part of that which the French-men did without disturbance of any Christian for a time possesse For the French-men did discover a large part of America towards the Circle Articke and did build there some Townes and named it of their owne Countrey Nova Francia As our English-men have adventured very farre for the discovery of new found Lands so with very great labour and diligence they attempted to open something higher than Nova Francia and therefore with some Shippes they did passe thither and entred upon the Land from whence they brought some of the people whose countenance was very tawny and duskie which commeth not by any heate but the great cold of the Climate chilling and pricking them but the digestion and stomacke of these people is very good in so much that like unto the Tartars some other Northerne Nation their feeding was for the most part upon raw meate their manners otherwise being barbarous and sutable to their Diet. They had little leatherne Boats wherein they would fish neere the brinckes of the Sea and at their pleasure would carry them from place to place on their backes Notwithstanding all their paines there taken it was a great errour and ignorance in our men when they supposed that they should finde good store of Gold-mines in those quarters for the Countrey is so cold that it is not possible to find there any full concoction of the sunne to breed and worke such a mettall within the
and so to the Molucco Ilands then homeward from the East by Africke did in a devise give the Globe of the Earth with this word or motto Primus me circumdedisti which is not simply to be understood that never any had gone round the World before him but that never any of fame for Magellane himselfe was slaine as before is noted or else he did doubt of the truth of that narration that the Ship called Victoria did returne with safety into Spaine The Maps which were made at first concerning America Peru did so describe the Westerne part of Peru as if when a man had passed Magellane Straits and did intend to come upwards towards Nova Hispania on the further side he must have borne much West by reason that the Land did shoot out with a very great Promontory and bending that way But our Englishmen which went with Sir Francis Drake did by their owne experience certainely finde that the Land from the uttermost end of the Straits on Peru side did goe up towards the South directly without bending to the West and that is the cause wherefore all the new Maps and Globes especially made by the English or by the Dutch who have taken their directions from our men are reformed according to this new observation When the Spaniards had once found an ordinary passage from the South Sea towards the Moluccoes they never ceased to travaile that way and discovered more and more and by that meanes they have found out divers Ilands not knowne in former Ages as two for example sake a good distance from the Moluccoes which because * Insulae Latronum they be inhabited by men which do steale not only each from other but doe pilfer away all things that they can from such strangers as doe land thereabouts they are called Insulae Latronum They have also descryed some other neere unto the East Indies which they now tearme * Jnsulae Solomonis Insulae Solomonis But the most renowned of all are those of whom the name is given * Philippinae Philippina in remembrance of Philip the Second King of Spaine at whose cost they were discovered * Their Rich●s These Philippinae are very rich and from thence is brought abundance of costly Spices and some other rich Merchandize yea and Gold too There were also some other Ilands descryed by Magellanus himselfe which he called * Insulas infortunatas Insulas infortunatas as being of quality contrary to the Canaries which are tearmed the fortunate Islands for when hee passing thorow the South Sea and meaning to come to the Moluccoes where hee was slaine did land in these Ilands thinking there to have furnished himself with victuals and fresh water hee found the whole places to be barren and not inhabited Of the Countreys that lie about the two Poles HAving laid downe in some measure the description of the olde known World Asia Africa and Europe with the Islands adjoyning unto them and also of America which by some hath the title of New-found-world it shall not be amisse briefly to say something of a fift and sixt part of the Earth the one lying neer the South Pole and the other neer the North which are places that in former times were not known nor thought of When Magellanus was come downe to the Southerne end of Peru he found on the further side of the Straits a maine and huge land lying towards the South-Pole which some of his name called since * Regio Magellanica Regio Magellanica and that so much the rather because he touched upon it againe before he came to the Moluccoes Since his time the Portugales travelling towards Calecut and the East Indies there have some of them bin driven by tempest so far as to that which many now call the South Continent and so divers of sundry Nations have there by occasion touched upon it It is found therefore by experience for to goe along all the degrees of longitude and as in some places it is certainely discovered to come up so high towards the North as to the Tropicke of Capricorne so it is conjectured that towards the South it goeth as farre as to the Pole The ground whereof is that never any man did perceive the Sea did passe thorow any part thereof nay there is not any great River which hath yet beene described to come out of it into the Ocean whereupon it is concluded that since somewhat must fill up the Globe of the Earth from the first appearing of this land unto the very Pole and that cannot be any Sea unlesse it should be such a one as hath no entercourse with the Ocean which to imagine is uncertaine therefore it is supposed that it commeth whole out into the Land to the Antarticke Pole which if it should be granted it must needs be acknowledged withall that this space of Earth is so huge as that it equalleth in greatnesse not only Asia Europe and Africa but almost America being joyned unto them Things memorable in this Countrey are yet reported to be very few only in the East part of it over against the Moluccoes some have written that there bee very waste countries and wildernesses but we find not so much as mention whether any do inhabit there or no. And over against the promontory of Africke which is called Caput bonae spei there is a Countrey which the Portugals called * Psittacorum Regio Psittacorum regio because of the abundant store of Parrots which they found there Neere to the Magellane straits in this South part of the world is that land the Spaniards call Terra del fuego * Terra del fuego those also which have touch'd at it in other places have given to some parts of it these names Boach Eucach Maletur but we have no perfect description of it nor any knowledge how or by whom it is inhabited * A description of the people About this place the said Portugals did at one time saile along for the space of 2000. Miles and yet found no end of the land And in this place they reported that they saw inhabitants which were very faire and fat people and did goe naked which is the more to be observed because we scant read in any writer that there hath bin seen any people at all upon the South-coast More towards the East not far from the Moluccoes there is one part of this countrey as some suppose although some doubt whether that be an Iland or no which commeth up so high towards the north as the very Aequinoctial line and this is commonly called * Nova Guinea Nova Guinea because it lieth in the same climate and is of no other temperature then Guinea in Africke is I have heard a great Mathematician in England finde fault both with Ortelius and Mercat●r and all our late Makers of Maps because in describing this Continent they make no mention of any Cities
Kingdomes or Common-wealths which are seated and placed there whereof he seemed in confidence of words to avouch that there be a great many and that it is as good a Countrey as almost any in the world Note But the arguments why he gathered it to be so he did not deliver and yet notwithstanding it may be most probably conjectured that the Creator of the world would not have framed so huge a masse of Earth but that hee would in his wisdome appoint some reasonable creatures to have their habitation there Concerning those places which may be supposed to lie neere unto the Northerne Pole there hath in times past something been written which for the particularity thereof might carry some shew of truth if it be not throughly looked into It is therefore by an olde tradition delivered and by some written also that there was a Fryer of Oxenford who took on him to travaile into those parts which are under the very Pole which he did partly by Negromancie wherein hee was much skilled and partly againe by taking advantage of the frozen times by meanes whereof he might travell upon the Ice even so as himselfe pleased It is said therefore of him that he was directly under the Pole and that there he found a very huge and blacke Rocke which is commonly called * Nigra Rupes Nigra Rupes and that the said Rock being divers miles in circuit is compassed round about with the Sea which Sea being the bredth of some miles over doth runne out into the more large Ocean by foure severall currents which is as much to say as that a good pretty way distant from the Nigra Rupes there are foure severall Lands of reasonable quantitie and being situated round about the Rocke although with some good distance are severed each from other by the Sea-running betweene them and making them all foure to be Ilands almost of equall bignesse But there is no certaintie of this report and therefore our best Mathematicians in this latter age have omitted it Our travellers of later years have adventured so farre to their great danger in those cold and frozen Countries that they have descryed * Groin-Land Groin Land which lieth as far or beyond the circle Artick but whether it goe so farre out as unto the Pole they cannot say which is also to bee affirmed of the Northerne parts of America called by some Estote-land for the opening wherof our English-men have taken great paines as may easily appeare by the new Globes and Maps in which all the Capes Sounds and Furlongs are called by English names Their purpose was in attempting this voyage to have found out a passage to China Cathaio by the north parts of America but by the snowes which fell in August and September as also by the incredible Ice there after many hazards of their lives they were forced to returne not knowing whether there bee any current of the Sea that might leade to the East Indies or how farre the Land doth reach Northward In like sort some of our English Merchants to their great charges set forth Fleets to descry the Seas towards the East yet going by the North and there have found many unknowne Countries as * Nova Zembla Nova Zembla * Sir Hugh Willoughbies Land Sir Hugh Willoughbies Land and other more but of certaine what is very neere unto the Pole they could never finde They have also so far prevailed as to reach one halfe of the way towards Cathaio by the North going East-wards insomuch that by the river Ob and by the Bay of Saint Nicholas they bring the Merchandize downeward into Russia But whether the Sea doe goe thorow out even to the farthest Easterne parts or whether some great Promontory doe stretch out of the maine Continent unto the very Pole they cannot yet attaine to know These things therefore must be left uncertaine to further discoveries in future ages UNIVERSITIES In England 1 Oxford 2 Cambridge Vniversities in Spain 1 Toledo lat 40.10 long 16.40 2 Sivill lat 37.30 long 14.20 3 Valencia lat 39.55 long 21.10 4 Granada lat 37.30 long 17.15 5 Saint Iago lat 40.5 long 15.40 6 Valladolib lat 42.5 long 15.45 7 Alcalade Henaros lat 40.55 long 17.30 8 Salamanca lat 14.20 long 14.4 9 Carageca lat 42.22 long 22.20 10 Siguenca lat 14.35.20 lo. 18.20 11 Lerida lat 42.20 long 18.20 12 Huesca lat 42.50 long 21.20 13 Lisbon lat 38.50 long 10.50 14 Coimbra lat 40. long 11.25 15 Ebora lat 37.38 long 20. In the I le Majorica 1 Majorica In Polonia 1 Cracovia 2 Posue In Prussia 1 Koningsberg In Lituana 1 Wild. In France 1 Paris lat 48.10 long 23. 2 Poicters lat 46.10 long 19 10. 3 Lions lat 44.30 long 25.40 4 Anger 's lat 47.25 long 18.10 5 Avignon lat 42.30 long 25.50 6 Orleans lat 47.10 long 22. 7 Burges lat 46.20 long 22.10 8 Cane lat 49.45 long 19.20 9 Rhemes lat 48.30 lon 25.25 10 Burdeaux lat 44.30 lon 17 50. 11 Tolouse lat 43.5 long 20.30 12 Nismo lat 42.30 long 25. 13 Montpellier lat 42. long 24.30 14 Bisanton lat 46.30 long 27.48 15 Lole lat 46.10 long 27. In Jtalie 1 Rome lat 41.20 long 38. 2 Venice lat 44.50 long 37. 3 Padua lat 44.45 long 31.10 4 Bononia lat 43.33 long 35.50 5 Ferrare lat 44. long 36. 6 Millan lat 44.40 long 33. 7 Pavia lat 44. long 33.5 8 Turin lat 43 45 long 31.30 9 Florence lat 42.35 long 35.50 10 Pisa lat 42.40 long 35. 11 Sienna lat 42.20 long 36.15 12 Modena lat 13.50 lon 35.40 In Bohemia 1 Prage Of Germany 1 Collen lat 51. long 30. 2 Basil lat 47.40 long 31. 3 Mentz lat 50. long 31. 4 Wisburge lat 50. 5 Triers lat 49.50 6 Heidleberge lat 49.25 long 33. 7 Tubinge lat 49.50 8 Ingolstad lat 49.40 9 Erfurt lat 50. 10 Leistgige lat 51.10 11 Wittenberg lat 51.20 12 Frankford in Order 52.10 13 Rostoch lat 53.40 14 Grisswald lat 53.50 15 Friburg lat 48. 16 Marburg lat 50.40 17 Vienna lat 48.40 18 Diling in Switzerland neere Dovaw In Germania inferiori 1 Lovaine lat 51. long 23. 2 Doway lat 50.30 long 29. 3 Liege lat 50.30 long 29. 4 Leiden lat 52.10 long 27 20. In Denmarke 1 Cobenbagen lat 56.50 long 34.30 In Moravia 1 Olmnes In Scotland 1 S. Andrewes 2 Aberdon Of England In England are contained Shires 52 Bishoprickes 26 Castles 186 Rivers 555 Chases 13 Forrests 18 Parkes 781 Cities 25 Parish-Churches 9725 Bridges 956 FINIS
A BRIEFE DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD Wherein is particularly described all the Monarchies Empires and Kingdomes of the same with their ACADEMIES As also their severall Titles and Situations thereunto adjoyning Written by the Most Reverend Father in God GEORGE late Arch-bishop of Canterbury LONDON Printed by T. H. and are to sold by Wil. Sheares at the signe of the Harrow in Brittains Burse 1636. A BRIEFE DISCRIPTION of the whole WORLD Written by the Right Reverend Father in GOD. George Abbott Late Archbishop of Canterbury COSMOGRAPHIA 〈…〉 Will Marshall Sculpsit Printed for Will Sheares at the Harrow in Britaines by 1636. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE whole World THE Globe of the Earth doth either shew the Sea or Land Of the Seas The Sea generall is called by the name of Ocean which coasteth all the World and taketh his name in speciall either of the place neer which it commeth as Oceanus Britannicus The diver ●●s names giuen to the Seas and the reason why Mare Germanicum Sinus Persicus Mare Atlanticum of the hill Atlas in the West part of Africk or of the finder out as Fretum Magellanicum or of some other accident as the Red Sea because the sand is red Mare Mediterraneum because it runneth betweene the lands of Europe and Africk Mare Jcarium because Icarus was drowned there or the like There be some few Seas which have no intercourse with the Ocean as Mare mortuum neer Palestina Mare Caspium sive Hircanum not farre from Armenia and such a one is said to be in the North part of America Of the Straits or Narrow Seas The Straits or narrow Seas are noted in the Latine by the name of Fretum as Fretum Britannicum the English narrow Seas Fretum Herculeum the Straits between Barbarie and Spain Fretum Magellanicum c. Of the Earth The Earth is either Ilands which are those which are wholly compassed by the Sea as Britan●ia Sicilia Corsica or the Continent which is called in the English The firme Land in the Latin Continens The old known firme Land was contained onely in Asia Europe and Africa Europe is divided from Africa by the Mediterranean Sea from Asia by the River Tanais whereby appeareth that the North parts of Asia Europe in old time were but little known and discovered Africa is divided from Europe by ●he Mediterrean Sea from Asia by ●he River Nilus and so Asia by ●anais and Nilus is severed from Europe and Africk Of Spain TO say nothing of England and Ireland the most Western Country of Europe is Spain How Spain is bounded which is bounded on the South with the Mediterranean on the West with the Atlantick on the North with Oceanus Cantabricus or the Spanish Seas on the East with France from which it is severed with certain Mountains called Montes Pyrenei or the Pyrenay hils If wee should enquire into the times that were before the comming of the Carthaginians and Romanes into Spaine wee shall finde nothing but that which is either fabulous or neere to fables The Originall names of the Coūt●ey of Spain here it was first called Iberia ab Ibero slumine afterwards Hispania ab Hispano wee may take as a tradition but their Gargoris their Habis their Geryon exceed beliefe of any but those that will take all reports on trust It is certaine that the Syrians planted a Colony there in the Isle of Gades corruptly now called Cadiz or Cales These troubled by their Neighbours desired aid of the Carthaginians a flourishing neighbour commonwealth descended of the Syrians as well as themselves who sent first to defend the Gaditanes against their neighbours afterwards heartned on by their successe in their first Expedition these Cathaginians Carthaginians sent to defend the Gaditanes successively sent thither three Captains Hamilcar Hasdrubal and Hannibal who for the most part subdued the Province and held it till by Scipio's and the Romane Forces they were dispossessed of it Yet for many years after the fortunes of the Romanes stucke as it were in the subduing of that Province so that from the time of the second Punick War untill the time of Augustus they had businesse made them in that Countrey continually neither could they till then bring it peaceably into the forme of a Province Spain once a Province of the Roman Empire It continued a Province of the Romane Empire untill the time of Honorius the Emperour in whose dayes the Vandalls came in●o it conquering and making it theirs then the Gothes the Vandalls either driven out or called over into Africke entring erected there a Kingdome which flourished for many yeeres Saracens M●●●es er●cted it a Kingdome till by the comming of the Saracens and Moores their Kingdome was broken who setling themselves in Spaine erected a Kingdome changed the names of many places and Rivers and gave them new names such as they retaine to this day and continued for the space of some hundred of years mighty in that Countrey till they were first subdued by Ferdinand They were utter●y expelled by Philip the Third afterwards and that now lately utterly expelled by Philip the Third After the comming in of these Africans in this Countrey there were many Kingdomes as the Kingdome of Portugall toward the West the Kingdom of Granado toward the South the Kingdome of Navarre and Arragon toward the East and the Kingdome of Castile in the middle of the Land but the whole Dominion is now under the King of Spain Spain in former 〈◊〉 12 sev●●all Kingdomes As Damianus a Goes doth write in that Treatise intituled Hispani● there were in times past twelve several Kingdomes in Spain which hee nameth thus Castellae antiquae novae Leonis Aragoniae Portugalliae Navar●ae Granatae Valentiae Toleti Galitiae Algarbiorum Murtiae Cordubae which is not to be wondred at since in England a farre lesse Country there were in the time of the Saxons seven severall Kingdomes and Monarchies In the best Mappes of Spaine the Armes of these severall Kingdomes do yet distinctly appeare where for the Armes of Leons is given a Lion which manifestly argueth that whereas by some it is called Regnum Legionis that name is false for it is Leonis sutable thereunto for the Armes of Castile is given a Castle which was the cause that Iohn of Gaunt sonne to Edward the Third King of England did quarter with the Armes of England the Castle and the Lion as having maried Constance daughter to Peter King of Castile and at this day the first and chiefe Coat of the King of Spain is a Castle quartered with a Lion in remembrance of the two Kingdomes of Castile and Leons In Corduba as in times past it was called standeth Andoluzia neere unto which is the Island called properly Gades but since by deprivation of the word Cadiz and commonly Cales which was lately surprized by the English The Kingdome of Granada Granada ●oo yeeres possessed by the Moores Saracens which
lyeth neerest to the Mediterranean was by the space of seven hundred yeers possessed by the Moores and Saracens who do confesse the Religion of Mahumet the reason whereof Rodericus Toletanus in the third Book of his Story doth shew to be this Rodericus Toletanus that whereas the Saracens after Mahumets time had spred themselves all along Africk even unto the Western part of Barbary a King of Spaine called Rodericus employed in an Embassage to them one Iulian a Nobleman of his who by his wise demeanour procured much reputation amongst the Moores but in the time of his service the King Rodericus destoured the Daughter of the said Iulian which the Father tooke in such indignation that hee procured those Saracens to come over into Spaine that so he might be revenged on his King but when those barbarous people had once set foot in there they could never be remooved untill the time of Ferdinando and Elizabeth King and Queen of Spain about a hundred yeeres since The Authour before named writeth that before the comming of those Moores into Spaine the King Rodericus would needs open a part of a Palace which had been shut long before and had by discent from hand to hand beene forbidden to be entred by any yet the King supposing there had beene great treasure therein broke into it but found nothing there saving in a great Chest the pictures of men who resembled the proportion Attire and Armour of the Moores and a Prophecie joyned therewithall A strange and unexpected prophecie that at that time when the Pallace should be entred such a people as was there resembled should invade and spoile Spaine which fell out accordingly The Spaniards that now are be a very mixt people descended of the Gothes which in former times possessed that Land and of those Saracens and Iews which are the basest people of the World Portugall added to the Kingdome of Spain The Kingdome of Portugall did contain under it Regnum Algarbiorum but both of them are now annexed unto Castile by the cunning of the King of Spaine Philip the Second who tooke the advantage after the death of Sebastian who was slaine in Barbary in the Yeere 1578. Then after him raigned Henry who sometimes was Cardinall and Vncle to Sebastian in whose time although shew was made that it should be lawfully debated unto whom the Crowne of Portugall did belong yet Philip meaning to make sure work did not so much respect the right as by main force invaded and since to the great griefe of the Portugals hath kept it The chiefe City of Portugall is Lisbone Lisbone the chief City of Portugall called in Latine Olysippo from whence those Navigations were advanced by which the Portugals discovered so much of their South part of Africk of the East Indies possessed by them to this day The City from whence the Castilians do set forth their ships to the West Indies is Sevill Sevill called in Latine Hispalis Another great City in Spain is Toledo Toledo where the Archbishopricke is the richest spirituall dignity of Christendome the Papacy onely excepted The magnificent greatnes of Spain and Portugall In the time of Damianus à Goes there were reckoned to be in Spain foure Archbishoprickes of great worth three other inferiour and forty Bishopricks as also in Portugall three Archbishoprickes and eight Bishopricks Hee reckoneth up also in Spaine besides the great Officers of the Crown 17 Dukes 41 Marquesses 87 Earles or Coūts 9 Viscounts as also in Portugall besides the Officers of the Crown six Dukes 4 Marquesses nineteen Earles and one Vicount In Spaine he saith are seven Vniversities The Country is but dry and so consequently barren in comparison of some other places What commodities it doth yeeld it may be seen in the Treatise of Damianus a Goes which hee calleth his Hispania Not onely this great and large Countrey heretofore divided into so many Kingdomes is now under one absolute King but that King also is Lord of many other Territories as namely of the Kingdome of Naples in Italy and the Dutchy of Millaine of the Isles of Sicily Sardinia Majorque Minorque Evisa In the mid-land Sea of the Ilands of the Canaries in the Atlantique besides divers strong Towns and goodly Havens in Barbary within without the Straits On the back side of Africk he commands much on the Frontiery besides the Islands adjoyning to the mayn Land In the Western Indies he hath Mexico Peru Brasil large Territories with the Islands of the South the North Sea And Philip the Second getting Portugall as a Dowry to that forc't Marriage got also all the dependances of that Crown in Africke the East Indies and the Atlantique Sea the Towns of Barbary and the East Indies willingly submitting themselves unto him but the Terceras hee wonne by force at the first and second Expedition so if we consider the huge tract of ground that is under this Kings Dominion The Empery of the Kingdome of Spain the great●st in the Christian World wee will say that the Empery of the King of Spain is in that respect the largest that now is or ever was in the World Of France France how bounded THE next Countrey is France which is bounded on the West with the Pyrenie hils on the North with the English Seas on the East with Germany on the South-east with the Alpe-hils on the Southwest with the Mediterranean Sea The Kingdome of France is for one entire thing France o●● of the most absolute kingdomes of the World one of the most rich and absolute Monarchies of the World having both on the North and South side the Sea standing very convenient for profit of Navigation and the land it selfe being ordinarily very fruitfull The consideration wherof caused Francis the first King of France to compare this Kingdome alone to all the Dominions and Seigniories of Charles the fifth Emperour for when the Herauld of the sayd Charles bidding Defiance to King Francis did give his Majestie the title of Emperour of Germany King of Castile Arragon Naples Sicilie c. Francis commanded his Herauld to call him so often King of France as the other had Titles by all his Countryes implying that France alone was of as much strength and worth as all the Countries which the other had Concerning this Argument see the warlike and politike Discourses of Monsieur de la Nove. He who writeth the Commentaries of Religion and state of France doth shew that when there had beene of late in France in the dayes of Francis the second and Charles the ninth three Civill warres which had much ruinated the glory and beauty of that Kingdome Civil wars in France when a little before the great Massacre in the yeare one thousand five hundred seventy two there had beene peace in that Country scant full two yeares yet so great is the riches and happinesse of that Kingdome that in that short time
Persian who procured unto himselfe great fame by his many valorous attempts against the Turke Surius in his Commentaries writing upon him saith that upon some fond conceit the Iewes were strongly of opinion that hee was that Messias whom unto this day they expect and therefore hoped that he should have beene their deliverer and advancer But he addeth in his report that it fell out so cleane contrary that there was no man who more vexed and grieved them than that Ismael did Their Religion The Persians are all at this day Sarazens in Religion beleeving in Mahomet but as Papists and Protestants doe differ in opinion concerning the same Christ so doe the Turks Persians about their Mahomet the one pursuing the other as Heretikes with most deadly hatred in so much that there is in this respect almost continuall war betweene the Turke and the Persians Of Parthia and Media Situation of Parthia ON the North-East side of Persia lyeth that Country which in old time was called Parthia but now named Arach of whom those great warres of the Romanes with the Medians or Armenians in Tacitus and ancient Histories are true This Country boundeth on Media by the West and it was in ancient time veryful of people whose fight as it was very much on horsebacke Their manner of fight so the manner of them continually was for to give an onset and then to returne their wayes even to returne againe like to the Wilde Irish so that no man was sure when he had obtained any victory over them Great wars of the Parthians against the Romanes These were the people that gave the great overthrow to that rich Marcus Crassus of Rome who by reason of his covetousnesse intending more to his getting of gold than to the guiding of his army was slaine himselfe and many thousands of the Romanes The Parthians with exprobation of his thirst after money poured moulten gold into his mouth after he was dead Against these the great Lucullus fought many battels but the Romanes were never able to bring them quite to subjection Media how situated On the West-side of Parthia having the Mare Caspium on the North Armenia on the West and Persia on the South lyeth that Country which in time past was called Media but now Shirvan or Sarvan which is at this day governed by many inferiour Kings and Princes which are tributaries and doe owe subjection to the Sophy of Persia So that hee is the Soveraigne Lord of all Media as our English-men have found who passing through the dominion of the Emperour of Russia have crossed the Mare Caspium and merchandized with the inhabitants of this Media A famous Nation This Nation in former times was very famous for the Medes were they that removed the Empire from the Assyrians unto them which as in themselves it was not great yet when by Cyrus it was joyned to that of the Persians it was very mighty and was called by the name of the Empire of the Medes and Persians Here it was that Astyages raigned the Grandfather of Cyrus and Darius of the Medes The chiefe City of Media The chiefe City of this Kingdome was called Ecbatana as the chiefe City of Persia was Babylon It is to bee observed of the Kings of Media that in the Summer time they did use to retire themselves Northward unto Ecbatana for avoyding of the heate but in the winter time they came downe more South unto Susis which as it seemeth was a warmer place but by this meanes they were both taken for Imperiall Cities and chiefe residences of the Kings of Media which being knowne takes away some confusion in old Stories The like custome was afterward used also by the Kings of Persia Of Armenia and Assyria Situation of Armenia ON the West-side of the Mare Caspium of Media lieth a Countrey called by a generall name Armenia which by some is distinctly divided into three parts the North part whereof being but little Divided into three parts is called Georgia the middle part Turcomania the third part by the proper name of Armenia By which a man may see the reason of difference in divers writers Some saying that the countrey whence the Turkes first came was Armenia some saying Turcomania and some Georgia the truth being that out of one or all these Countries they did descend These Turks are supposed to bee the issue o● them whom Alexander the Great did shut up within certaine Mountaines neere to the Mare Caspium A memorable Note There is this one thing memorable in Armenia that after the great Floud the Arke of Noah did rest it selfe on the Mountaines o● Armenia where as Josephus witnesseth it is to be seene yet to this day the hills whereon it resteth are called by some Noae Montes Armenians Christians The people of this Nation have retained amongst them the Christian Faith as it is thought from the time of the Apostles but at this day it is spotted with many absurdities Bathing of their children Among other Errours which the Church of Armenia hath bin noted to hold this is one that they did bathe their children waving them up and downe in flames of fire and repute that to bee a necessary circumstance of Baptisme Which errour ariseth by mistaking that place of Iohn the Baptist where he saith That he that came after him meaning Christ should baptize them with the holy Ghost and with fire In which place the word doth not signifie materiall fire but expresseth the lively and purging operation of the Spirit like to the nature of fire On the South part of Armenia bending towards the East lyeth the Country of Assyria Assyria bounded which is bounded on the West with Mesopotamia This Country was that Land wherein the first Monarchy was setled which began under Ninus whom the Scripture calleth Nimrod living not long after Noahs Flood and it ended in Sardanapalus continuing a thousand and three hundred yeares The King of this Countrey was Senacherib Kings of Assyria of whom wee reade in the Booke of the Kings and here reigned Nebuchadnezzar who tooke Ierusalem and led the Iewes away prisoners unto Babylon In this Countrey is the swift River Tygris The swift river Tygris The City Ninivee neere unto the which was Paradice Vpon this River stood the great City Ninivee called by prophane writers Ninus which was almost of incredible bignesse and exceeding populous by the neerenesse of the River and marvellous fruitfulnesse of the soile which as Herodotus writeth did returne their Corne sometime two hundred and sometimes three hundred fold and did yeeld sufficiency for to maintaine it This Citie for a long time was the Imperiall Seat of the Monarchy but being destroyed as God foretold it should be by the Chaldeans the residence of the King was afterwards removed unto Babylon a great City in Chaldea first built by Semiramis Of Chaldea Situation of Chaldea NExt unto Assyria
that Gordius who knit the knot called for the intricatenesse thereof Nodus Gordianus Gordius knot and when it could not bee untied was cut in sunder by Alexander the Great supposing that it should bee his fortune for the loosing of it so to bee the Conquerour and King of Asia as by a prophecie of the same Gordius had beene before spoken Yet North-ward from Phrygia lyeth the Countrey of Bythinia Bythinia which was sometimes a Kingdome where Prusias raigned that had so much to doe with the Romanes In this Countrey standeth the Citie Nicea Citie of Nice where the first Generall Councell was held against Arius the Heretike by Constantine the Great thereof called the Nicene Councell Here standeth also Chalcedon where the fourth Generall Councell was held by the Emperour Martianus Chalcedon against the Heretike Nestorius From Bythinia Eastward on the Northside of Asia the lesse standeth the Countrey of Paphlagonia Paphlagonia where was the Citie built by Pompey the Great called by his name Pompeiopolis On the South of Paphlagonia toward the Iland of Asia Minor Pompeiopolis did stand the Countrey of Galatia whereunto Saint Paul wrote his Epistle to the Galathians Galatia And this also was one of those Countries where the Iewes were dispersed unto which Saint Peter wrote his first Epistle as also unto them which were in Pontus Cappadocia and Bythinia from whence Southward lyeth the Province termed Lycaonia Lycaonia And from thence yet more South bordering upon Pamphilia which touches the Mediterranean Sea lyeth Pisidia Pisidia concerning which countries we finde oftentimes mention made in such Stories as doe touch Asia the lesse From these Southerne parts if we returne backe againe unto the North and East of Asia Major The kingdome of Pontus lyeth the Kingdome of Pontus confining upon that which is named Pontus Euxinus In this Pontus did raigne Mithridates Mithridates who in his younger dayes had travelled over the greatest part of Asia and is reported to have beene so skilfull that hee could well speake more than twentie Languages His hatred was ever great towards the Romanes against whom when hee meant first to put his malice in practise he so combined with the Naturals of those parts that in one night they slew more than threescore and tenne thousand of the Romanes carrying their intendment so close that it was revealed by none till the execution was done Pompey brought Mithridates to distresse Pompey the Great was the man who distressed this Mithridates and brought him to that extremity that hee would gladly have poysoned himselfe but could not in as much as his stomack had beene used so before unto that kinde of Triacle which by reason of his inventing of unto this day is called Alithridate which is made of a kinde of poyson allayed that no venome would easily work upon him Southward from this Pontus standeth the old Kingdome of Cappadocia Cappadocia which in times past was observed to have many men in it but little money Whence Horace saith Mancipiis locuples eget aris Cappadocum Rex Armenia Minor Eastward from this Cappadocia as also from Pontus is Armenia Minor whereof the things memorable are described in the other Armenia And thus much touching Asia the lesse Of Syria and Palestina or the Holy Land SOuthward from Silicia and Asia the lesse Syria bounded lyeth Syria a part whereof was called Palaestina having on the East Mesopotamia on the South Arabia on the West Tyre and Sydon and the end of the Mediterranean Sea The people of this Syria were in times past called the Aramites Their ancient names In their language is the translation of the new Testament called Syriacke Citie of Antioch In this Countrey standeth Antioch which was sometimes one of the ancient Patriarchs Seas and is a Citie of reckoning unto this day Here also standeth now the Citie of Aleppo Aleppo which is a famous Mart Towne for the Merchandizing of the Persians and others of the East and for the Turks and such Countries as be adjoyning Here standeth also Tripolis Tripolis The South part of Syria lying downe toward Aegypt and Arabia was the place where the Children of Israel died well being a Country of small quantity not 200 Jtalian miles in length it was so fruitfull flowing with Milke and Honey as the Scripture calleth it that it did mayntayne above thirty Kings and their people Thirty Kings before the comming of the Children of Israel out of Aegypt and was sufficient afterwards to relieve the incredible number of the twelve Tribes of Israel It is noted of this Countrey Note that whereas by the goodnesse of the Climate wherein it stood and the fertilitie of the Soyle but especially by the blessing of God it was the most fruitfull Land that was in the World Now our Travellers by experience doe finde the Countrey in respect of the fruitfulnesse to be changed God cursing the Land together with the Iewes the Inhabitants of it It is observed also for all the Easterne parts that they are not so fertile as they have beene in former Ages the Earth as it were growing olde which is an Argument of the dissolution to come by the day of Iudgement The River Iordan Through this Countrey doth runne the River Iordan which hath heretofore beene famous for the fruitfulnesse of the trees standing thereupon and for the mildnesse of the Ayre so that as Iosephus writeth when Snow hath been in other places of the Land about the River it hath beene so calme that men did goe in single thinne linnen garments In this Countrey standeth the Lake The Lake Asphaltites called Lacus Asphaltites because of a kinde of slime called Bitumen or Asphaltum which daily it doth cast up being of force to joyne stones exceeding fast in building And into this Lake doth the River Iordan run Mare Mortuum This Lake is it which is called Mare Mortuum a Sea because it is salt and Mortuum or Dead for that no living thing is therein The water thereof is so thicke that few things will sinke therein in so much that Iosephus saith that an Oxe having all his legges bound will not sinke into that water The nature of this Lake as it was supposed was turned into this quality when God did destroy Sodome and Gomorrah and the Cities adjoyning with fire and Brimstone from Heaven for Sodome and the other Cities did stand neere unto Iordan and to this Mare Mortuum for the destruction of whom all that Coast to this day is a witnesse the Earth smelling of Brimstone being desolate and yeelding no Fruit saving Apples which grow with a faire shew to the eye like other Fruit but as soone as they are touched doe turne presently to soot or ashes as besides Josephus Solinus doth witnesse in his 48 Chapter Twelve Tribet of Israel The Land of Palestina had for its Inhabitants all the Twelve Tribes of
As hee is a Prince absolute so hee hath also a Priest-like or Patriarchall function and jurisdiction among them * One of the greatest in the world This is a very mighty Prince and reputed to bee one of the greatest Emperours in the world What was knowne of this countrey in former time was knowne under the name of Aethiopia but the voyages of the Portugalls in these late dayes have best described it The people thereof are Christians * Their Religion as is also their Prince but differing in many things from the West Church and in no sort acknowledging any supreme prerogative of the Bishop of Rome It is thought that they have retained Christianity even from the time of our Saviour being supposed to bee converted by the Chamberlaine of Candace the Queene of Aethiopia who was instructed concerning Christ by Philip the Evangelist in the Actes of the Apostles Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall story doth make mention of this But they doe to this day retaine Circumcision whereof the reason may be that the E●nuch their Converter not having any further conference with the Apostle nor any else with him did receive the Ceremonies of the Church imperfectly retayning Circumcision which among the Iewes was not abolished when he had conference with Philip. Within the dominion of Prester John are the Mountains commonly called * Lunae montes Lunae montes where is the first wel-spring and rising of the river Nilus Yet there are that fetch the head of this River out of a certaine great Lake toward the South called Zembre out of which toward the West runnes the River of Zaire into the Kingdome of Moni-congo The River of Zuama or Cuama towards the South to the Kingdome of Monomotapa or Benomotapa as this River Nilus towards the North through the Kingdome of the Abissines to Aegypt which River running violently along this Countrey and sometimes hastily increasing by the melting of much Snow from the Mountaynes would over-runne and drowne a great part of Aegypt but that it is slaked by many Ponds Dammes and Sluces which are within the Dominion of Prester Iohn And in respect hereof for the maintenance of these the Princes of Aegypt have paid unto the Governour of the * The Abissines drowned Egypt Abissines a great Tribute time out of minde which of late the great Turke supposing it to be a custome needlesse did deny till the people of the Abissins by commandement of their Prince did breake downe their Dammes and drowning Aegypt did enforce the Turke to continue his pay and to give much mony for the new making of them very earnestly to his great charge desiring a peace In this Countrey also of Prester Iohn is the rising of the Famous River * The River Nigar Nigar supposed to have in it the most and the best precious stones of any River in the World which rising likewise out of a great Lake out of that Mount after it hath runne a good space hideth it selfe for the space of sixty miles under ground then appearing againe after it hath runne somewhat further makes a great Lake and againe after a great Tract another and at last after a long course fals at Cape Verde into the Atlantick Sea Ortelius in his larger Mappes describes it falling into the Sea like Nilus in Egypt with seven streames or Ostia but those that travell these parts say that there are only some Bayes but there is no River in those parts running into the Sea but Senega There bee other Countries in Africke * Countrie 3 more in Africk as Agisimba Lybia interior Nubia and others of whom nothing is Famous but this may be said of Africke in generall that it bringeth forth store of all sorts of wild Beasts as Elephants Lions Panthers Tygres and the like yea according to the Proverbe Africa semper aliquid apportat novi Oftentimes new and * Strange shapes of wild beasts strange shapes of wilde beasts are brought forth there the reason whereof is that the Countrey being very hot and full of Wildernesses which have in them little water the Beasts of all sorts being enforced to meet at those few watering places that bee where oftentimes contrary kinds have conjunction the one with the other so that there ariseth a new king of Species which taketh part of both Such a one is the Leopard begotten of the Lion and the Beast called Pardus and somewhat resembling either of them And thus farre of Africk Of the Northerne Ilands THe Ilands that do lie in the North are in nūber almost infinite the chief of them onely shall bee briefly touched Very farre to the North in the same Climate almost with Sweden that is under the Circle Articke lyeth an Iland called in old time * Thule Thule which was then supposed to be the farthest part of the world North-ward therfore is called by Virgil Vltima Thule The Countrey is cold the people barbarous and yeeldeth little * Their commodities commodity saving Hawkes in some part of the yeare there is no night at all Vnto this land divers of our English Nation doe yearely travell and doe bring from thence good store of Fish but especially our deepest and thickest Ling which are therefore called Island-Lings It hath pleased God * Their Religion that in these latter times the Gospell is there preached and the people are instructed in Christianity having also the knowledge of good Learning which is brought about by the meanes of the King of Sweden unto whom that Iland is now subject There is lately written by one of of that Nation a pretty Treatise in Latine which describeth the manner of that Countrey and it is to be seene in the first Tome of master Hackluits Voyages Southward from thence lyeth * Frizeland Frizeland called in Latine Frizlandia whereas the Frizeland joyning to Germany is in Latine called Frizia On the coast of Germany one of the seventeene Provinces is called * Zealand in it standeth Flushen and Middleburge Zealand which containeth in it divers Ilands in whom little is famous saving that in one of them is Flishen or Flushen a towne of war and Middleburge is another a place of good Mart. Levinus Lemnius and some of the low Germanes bee of opinion that this Citie first was built by Metellus the Romane and that which now is called Middleburge was at the first termed Metelli Burgum The States of the Low-countries doe hold this Province against the King of Spaine These Ilands have beene much troubled of late with inundation of water The Iland that lyeth most West of any fame is * Ireland Ireland which had in it heretofore many Kings of their owne but the whole Land is now annexed to the Crowne of England The people naturally are rude and superstitious the Countrey good and fruitfull but that for want of tillage in divers places they suffer it to grow into Bogges and Desarts * A rare
England One of the honourable commendations which are reputed to bee in this Realme is the * Fair and large Churches fairenesse of our greater and larger Churches which as it doth yet appeare in those which wee call Cathedrall Churches many of them being of very goodly and sumptuous buildings so in times past it was more to be seene when the Abbeyes and those which were called Religious Houses did flourish whereof there were a very great number in this Kingdome which did eate up much of the wealth of the Land but especially those which lived there giving themselves to much filthinesse and divers sorts of uncleannesse did so draw downe the vengeance of God upon those places that they were not only dissolved but almost utterly defaced by King Henry the eight 1. Archbishopricks and 24. other Bishopricks There are here two Archbishoprickes and twenty foure other Bishoprickes within England and Wales It was a tradition among old Writers that Britaine did breed no Wolves in it neither would they live here but the report was fabulous in as much as our Chronicles do write that there were here such store of them that the Kings were enforced to lay it as an imposition upon the Kings of Wales who were not able to pay much money for tribute that they should bring in yearely certaine hundreds of Wolves by which meanes they were at the length quite rid from Wolves * The Countrey of Wales had in times past a King of it selfe yea Of Wales and sometimes two the one of North Wales and the other of South-wales betweene which people at this day there is no great good affection But the Kings of England did by little and little so gaine upon them that they subdued the whole Countrey unto themselves and in the end King Henry the eight intending thereby to benefit this Realme and them did divide the Countrey into Shires appointed there his Iudices itinerantes or Iudges of the circuite to ride and by Act of Parliament made them capable of any preferment in England as well as other Subjects When the first news was brought to Rome that Iulius Caesar had attempted upon Britaine Tully in the elegance of his wit as appeareth in one of his Epistles did make a flowt at it saying that there was no gaine to bee gotten by it For gold here was none nor any other commodity to bee had unlesse it were by slaves whom he thought that his friend to whom he wrote would not looke to be brought up in learning or Musicke Note But if Tully were alive at this day hee would say that the case is much altered in as much as in our Nation is sweetnesse of behaviour abundance of Learning Musicke and all the liberall Artes goodly Buildings sumptuous Apparell rich Fare and whatsoever else may bee truely boasted to bee in any Countrey neere adjoyning * Of Scotland The Northerne part of Brittaine is Scotland which is a Kingdome of it selfe and hath beene so from very ancient time without any such Conquest or mayne transmutation of State as hath beene in other Countries It is compassed about with the Sea on all sides saving where it joyneth upon England and it is generally divided into two parts the one whereof is called the hye-Hye-land and the other the low-Low-land The low-Low-land is the most ' civill part of the Realme wherin religion is more orderly established and yeeldeth reasonable subjection unto the King but the other part called the hye-Hye-land which lyeth further to the North or else bendeth towards Ireland is more rude and savage and whether the King hath not so good accesse by reason of Rockes and Mountaynes as to bring the Noblemen which inhabite there to such due Conformity of Religion or otherwise as hee would This Countrey generally is more * Scotland very poo●e in former times poore than England or the most part of the Kingdomes of Europe but yet of late yeares the wealth thereof is much increased by reason of their great trafficke to all the parts of Christendome yea unto Spaine it selfe which hath of late yeares beene denied to the English and some other Nations and yet unto this day they have not any Shippes but for Merchandize neither hath the King in his whole Dominion any vessell called A man of Warre Some that have travelled into the Northerne parts of Scotland doe report that in the Solstitium aestivale they have scant any night and that which is is not above two houres being rather a dimnesse than a darknesse The language of the Countrey is in the Lowland a kind of barbarous English But towards Ireland side they speake Irish * Thereason why it is said that in Brittain are soure languages which is the true reason whereof it is reported that in Brittaine there are foure Languages spoken that is Irish in part of Scotland English for the greatest part Welsh in Wales and Cornish in Cornwall In the Confines between the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland which are commonly called the * Borderers great Robb●s and Stealers Borders there lie divers Outlawes and unruly people which as being subject to neither Prince by their good wils but so farre as they list do exercise great robberies and stealing of Cattell from them that dwell thereabout and yet the Princes of both Realmes for the better preservation of Peace and Iustice doe appoint certaine Warders on each side who have power euen by Martiall Law to represse all enormities The Queene of England had on her side three whereof one is called the * Lord Warden of the Marches Lord Warden of the East Marches the other of the West Marches the third the Warden of the middle Marches who with all their power cannot so order things but that by reason of the out-rages thereabouts committed the borders are much unpeopled whiles such as desire to be civill do not like to live in so dangerous a place It hath beene wondred at by many that are wise how it could bee that whereas so many Countries having in them divers Kingdomes and Regiments did all in the end come to the Dominion of one as appeareth at this day in Spaine where were wont to bee divers Kings and so in times past in England where the seven Kingdomes of the Saxons did grow all into one yet that England and Scotland Note being continuate within one Iland could never till now bee reduced to one Monarchy whereof in reason the French may bee thought to have beene the greatest hinderance For they having felt so much smart by the Armes of England alone in so much that sometime all that whole Countrey almost hath beene over-runne and possessed by the English have thought that it would bee impossible that they should resist the force of them if both their Kingdomes were united and joyned into one The Custome therefore of the Kings of France in former times was that by their Gold they did binde unto them the Kings and
Nobility of Scotland and by that meanes the Kings of England were no sooner attempting any thing upon France but the Scots by and by would invade England Whereupon the * A Proverbe Proverbe amongst our people grew That hee who will France winne must with Scotland first begin * The policie of the French And these Frenchmen continuing their policie did with infinite rewards breake off the Marriage which was intended and agreed upon betweene King Edward the sixt and Mary the late unfortunate Queene of Scotland drawing her rather to bee married with the Dolphine of France who was Sonne to King Henry the second and afterward himselfe raigned by the name of King Francis the second But this was so ill taken by the English that they sought revenge upon Scotland and gave them a great overthrow in that battell which was called * Musselborough field Musselborough-field The people of this Countrey were in times past so * The barbarousnesse of these Scots in former times barbarous that they did not refuse to eate mans flesh which as Saint Hierome doth witnesse of them hee himselfe saw some of them to doe in France and the fame thereof went so farre that Chrysostome in one place doth allude to such a matter There bee many little Ilands adjoyning unto the great Iland Britaine as at the very North point of Scotland the * The Orcades the people barbarous Orcades which are in number above thirty The chiefe whereof is named Orkney whereof the people are barbarous On the West-side of Scotland towards Ireland lye the Ilands called Hebrides in number forty foure where inhabite the people ordinarily called the * The Red-shankes Red-shankes Not farre from thence is the I le Mona commonly called the * The I le of Man I le of Man the peculiar jurisdiction of the Earles of Darby with homage notwithstanding reserved to the Crowne of England On the North part of Wales is the Iland of * The I le of Anglesey Anglesey which is reputed a distinct Shire Towards France side on the South part of England is the I le of * The I le of Wight Wight in Latine called Vectis which is a good hold in the narrow Seas against the French More neere France are the Iles of * The Iles of Gernesey and Iernesey Gernesey and Iernesey where they speake French and are under the Crowne of England There are also many other but of small account As the Iles of Teanet and Sheppy on the side of Kent the Sorlings or Sully at the end of Cornewall in number as it is said 145. Caldey Lunday and the Flatholnes with * Divers other Ilands others in the mouth of Severne Holy-farne Cocket Ilands on the side of Northumberland And thus much of Great Britaine and the Ilands thereunto adjoyning Of the Ilands in the Mediterranean Sea THere be many Ilāds in the Mediterranean renowned in all the old Writers● but the chiefe of them onely shall bee touched From the Pillars of Hercules going Eastward are two Ilands not far from Spaine which in times past were called * Iusulae Baleares Insulae Baleares for that the people of them did use both for their delight and Armour Slings which they continually almost carried about with them and whereunto as Pliny writeth they did traine up their Children from their youngest yeares not giving them any meat till they had from some post or beame cast it downe with a Sling Of these were those Fonditors or Sling-casters which the Carthaginians and Spaniards did use in their Warres against the Romanes The lesser of these which lyeth most West was called in old time Minorica The bigger which lyeth more East was called Majorica and now Minorica and Majorica they are both under the Dominion of the King of Spaine More Eastward in the Sea called Mare Inferum or Tyrrhenum lyeth the Island of * The Iland of Corsica Corsica over against Genua and direct Southward from thence lyeth the great * The Iland of Sardinia Island Sardinia For the quiet possession of which two the warres were often revived betweene the old Carthaginians and the Romanes for these two Islands lye in the middle very fitly The Iland of Corsica is subject to the State of Genua whither the Genoes doe transport things out of the Mayne and are ruled by their Governours as the Venetians doe Candie This Iland is but barren either in respect of some other that lye neere unto it or of the Countrey of Italy but yet yeeldeth profit ease and honour unto the States of Genua which have little land beside it The Island of Sardinia also is no way so fruitfull as Sicily but it is under the Government of the King of Spain and was the same which was promised to Anthony the King of Navarre Note Father to Henry the Fourth King of France in recompence of Pamplona and the rest of the Kingdome of Navarre then and now detained from him and his heires by the Spaniard But this was the device onely of the Cardinall of Lorraine who intending to draw him to Papistry and to order his politicke purposes did make shew of this which was no way meant by the Spaniard Further to the East at the very point of the South part of Jtaly lyeth the great * The Iland of Sicilia Iland Sicilia which some have supposed to have beene heretofore a part of the Continent but by an Earth-quake and inundation of water to have beene rent off and so made an Iland The figure of this Countrey is Triquetra triangled or three square Iustin in his fourth Booke doth seeme to suspect that Sicily was in times past fastned unto Italy But Seneca in Consolatione ad Martian Cap. 97. doth say plainly that it was sometimes a peece of the Continent There was also a great contention for this Countrey betweene the Carthaginians and the Romanes but the Romanes obtained it and had from thence exceeding store of Corne yearely whereupon Sicily was called Horreum Pop. Rom. Here stood the goodly * The Citie Syracusa Note City called Syracusa which was destroyed and sacked by Marcellus the Romane When as Livie writeth of him hee being resolved to set on fire that Citie which was then one of the goodliest places of the World could not chuse but break forth into teares to see how vaine and transitory the glory of worldly things is here At that time lived * Archimedes the famous Engine-maker Archimedes who was a most admirable ingenious Engine-maker for all kinde of Fortifications of whom it is said that by burning Glasses which hee made he did set on fire divers ships which the Romanes had lying in the Haven When the Citie was taken hee was making plots and drawing figures on the ground for to prevent the assaults of the Romanes and being unknowne he was slaine by some of the Souldiers which did breake in upon him Some thinke that it was
hee and not Architas which made the Dove of which it is written that it was so equally poysed that being throwne up into the ayre it would hover or flutter there and in a good space not fall downe This was in times past * Sicily once a kingdome 2 Famous Tyrants in it a Kingdome where the two Tyrants the elder and the younger Dionysius did raigne where Gelo also that great friend to the Romanes did remaine It was afterward made a Province and governed by the Praetor or Deputy of the Romanes whereof Verres was one who was so inveighed against by Tully It grew afterward to be a Kingdome againe in so much that Tancredus was King of Sicily which entertained our Richard the first when with Philip the King of France he went to the Conquest of the Holy Land Here was likewise * The tyrant Phalaris The tyrannies of Sicily were very famous Phalaris the Tyrant so famous King of Agrigentum The tyrannies which were used in Sicilie were in times past so famous that they grew into a Proverbe as Invidia Siculs non invenere Tyranni tormentum majus but they who were the causes of all did oftentimes speed very ill themselves as appeareth by the elder Dionysius who being driven out of his Dominion did flee into Italy and was glad there to teach Children that so hee might supply his necessity His sonne grew more tyrannous than the father and stood so farre in feare of his owne people that many times hee caused himselfe to bee shut up in a Tower and his Guard to keepe the doore that no body might come at him hee durst not trust his Barbour to shave or clip him * Note that cruelty is alwayes attended with feare for feare of cutting of his throat but that which was done hee caused his Daughter to doe who with the thinne inner skinne of Walnuts being set on fire is said to have taken off the haire of his face This was hee whose felicity when Damocles a Flatterer did seeme marveilously to admire Damocles the flatterer hee caused him to bee set one day at Dinner in his Royall Seate with dainty Fare before him Plate rich Hangings Musique and all other matters of delight but withall a naked Sword which was onely tyed with a single haire of a Horses Mane to be hanged directly over him the feare whereof did so feare the Flatterer lest it should fall upon him that hee continually looked upwards and about him and tooke no joy of that which was before him whereby Dionysius did evidently teach him that the State of some Princes howsoever it seeme glorious yet it doth bring little contentment unto themselves by reason of the continuall dangers which hang over them It is reported of this man that when all the people of his Countrey did for his cruelty continually curse him there was one Woman which daily did goe to the Churches and prayed the Gods to lengthen his life wherewithall when Dionysius was acquainted marvelling himselfe at the reason of it he sent for her and asked what good thing hee had done unto her that shee was so carefull evermore to pray for him Note ●ow the poore woman prayed soy this Tyrant But the woman answered that it was not for love but for feare that shee begged these things of the Gods For said shee I am an old woman I doe remember when your Grandfather lived who being very hard unto his people was much maligned by them and they prayed that they might be rid of him which falling out afterward your Father came in place and hee was worse than the former which when the Subjects could not endure they prayed also that hee might die hoping that the next would bee better Then came your selfe in place who have much exceeded the cruelty of your father And whereas others wish that you were gone also trusting for amendment in the next I that have lived so long see that things grow worse and worse doe pray that you may continue because that if we should have one that should succeed you if he walke in the steps of his Predecessors he must needs bee as bad as the Divell himselfe for none else in tyranny can goe beyond you * A good note for all inventers of ●ortures and cruelty and likewise for time flatterers Phalaris of Agrigentum was hee who proposed rewards unto him who invented new torments which caused Perillus to make a Bull of Brasse into the which if offenders should bee put and fire should bee set under then it would make them roare like a Bull But when upon the terrour thereof none would so offend as to deserve that torment Phalaris tooke Perillus the Author thereof and to try the experience put him into it whereby Perillus lost his life This Countrey is now also under the King of Spaine who among other titles was wont to call himselfe King of both Sicilies reckoning this Iland for one and that part of Italy for another which is now called Calabria and was in the Romane Histories named Magna Graecia There is nothing more renowned in all Cicilia either with new or old Writers than the * The Mountaine Aetna Mountaine Aetna which being on the out side oft covered with snow yet by a sulphurous or brimstony matter doth continually burne within yea so that whereas it was supposed in the ages last before us that the matter being consumed the sire had ceased twice in our age it hath broke forth againe to the incredible losse of all the Countrey adjoyning the ashes thereof destroying vines and fruits which were within the compasse of many miles about Agatheas in his History doth tel that in his owne time there was an incredible deale of ashes which did fall about Constantinople and the places neere adjoyning in so much that the ground was covered with the same which he reputeth to have been brought from the Hill in Sicily But Bodin in his Method Hist doth reprove this as a fable which can have no shew of truth by reason of the great distance of the place notwithstanding it is certaine that sometimes when it doth strongly breake out the Fields and Vineyards and all the fruits within the compasse of some miles are much hurt therewithall * The reason of the fire in the mountaine of Aetna The reason of this Fire was laid downe by Iustine in his fourth Booke and is since approved both by Historians and Philosophers which is that within the ground there is great store of Sulphure and brimstony matter which having once fire in it is apt to keepe it And whereas all the whole Countrey is full of chinks and chaps and hollownesse within the ground the matter which entreth there doth minister substance to the continuance of that flame as wee see that water cast on coales in the Smiths Forge doth make them burne more fervently and then into the Chinkes and Chaps the Winde doth also enter which
by blowing and whifling doth both cause the fire never to extinguish and sometimes according unto the strength of the blast doth make flames breake out either more or lesse There are in the Hill Aetna two principall places which are like unto two Furnaces with Tunnels on the top of them where divers times but especially in the Evening and Night the flame doth appeare mounting upwards and it is so strong that oftentimes it brings up with it burnt and scorching stones and peeces of hard substances which seemes to bee rent out of some Rocke to the great terrour and danger of any that doe come neere This is that place whither Empedocles threw himselfe Note that hee might be reported a God This is it whereof Virgil doth make his Tract called Aetna which the Poets did report to bee the Shop of Vulcan where Cyclopes did frame the Thunderbolts for Iupiter And to conclude that is it which some of our grosse Papists have not feared to imagine to be the place of Purgatory As they have beene so foolish to thinke that there is also another place called the Mount Veda in Jseland where soules have another Purgatory to bee punished in but there by colde which Surius in his Commentaries is so absurdly grosse as to report and allow * The Papists Purgatory is the fiery Aetna The Papists have show for their Purgatory in Aetna out of that Book which is commonly called by the name of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great For in that Booke there are divers things to that purpose But our best Writers of late have discovered that that same Treatise is a counterfeit being made by a later Pope Gregory and not by the first of that name ordinarily called Gregorius Magnus who although hee have in his Workes divers things tending to Superstition yet hee was never so absurde as to write things so unprobable foolish and grounded upon so bare reports as these were Such another Hill as the Mountaine of Aetna is was in time past Vesuvius a Hill in Campania which is part of Italy but this never had the like continuance as that of Aetna although in the time of Pliny the fire did breake forth there and so strongly as that the elder Pliny who spent all his time in discovering the secrets of Nature pressing neere to behold it was stifeled with the flame smoke or ashes so that hee * The d●ath of Pliny the elder died in the place as is most excellently described in the Booke of his Epistles by his Nephew the younger Plinie Not farre from Sicily on the South lyeth the little Ile called in old time Melita whence those Dogs come which are so much desired under the names of Canes Melitenses * Note This is the place where Saint Paul was cast up after his shipwrack in his journey to Rome where the Viper hanged on his hand and did not hurt him This Countrey is now called * Malta the onely place for repelling the Turks Malta is one of the places most renowned in the world for repelling of the Turkes When Soliman the Emperour of them did send against it a most mighty Army it was then defended by them who are called the Knights of Malta which by Sea doe great spoyle to the Gallies of the Turke that passe that way There were in times past divers Orders of Knights and men that had vowed themselves to adventure their lives and whole state for the maintenance of Christs Religion and some places of the Earth against the Infidels and Saracens The most ancient of all those were called the * The society of the Knights Templers Templers who were a great corporation or societie consisting of divers Gentlemen younger brothers for the most part out of all the Realmes of Christendome Their chiefe charge was to defend the Citie of Ierusalem and the Reliques or remainder of the Temple there and Sepulcher of Christ for the preservation of which places together with the rest of the Holy Land they had given unto them and purchased for their money very rich and ample possessions in England France Spaine Jtaly and other places of Europe in so much that in the dayes of Mathew Paris hee reporteth that they had under them many thousands of Mannours They had also in every kingdom where their Order was permitted a great and ample house where some chiefe of their company did lye who received the Rents within that Kingdome and caused the money to bee transported into the Holy Land and other Ordinances to be made and executed belonging unto their Order of which houses the Temple that is now in London was a chiefe one which had in f rmer times belonged to the Iews but was afterwards translated to that use when the Holy Land was quite taken by Saladine and could never be recovered into the hands of the Christians since the Societie of these Templers ceased * The Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruine the Pope and the King of France conspiring their ruine and their Lands were dispersed into divers mens hands In the same time when the Templers were in their strength there was another sort called the * Hospitallers Hospitallers whose condition and employment was very like unto the other both of them fighting for the preservation of Palest na Wee reade that sometimes these two companies had great jarres betweene themselves whereby grew much hinderance to the Warres against the Infidels All these were accounted as Orders of Religion and therefore it was forbidden them at any time to marry without dispensation from the Pope because not being entangled to Wife and Children they might be more resolute to adventure their lives After them grew up the order of the * The Knights of Rhodes Knights of Rhodes who since they could not live in the Holy Land yet would abide as neere unto it as possible they might and therefore partly to preserve Pilgrimes which should goe to visit the Sepulchre of Christ and partly to infest the Turkes and Saracens but especially to keepe the Enemies of Christ's Faith from encroaching further upon Christendome which most earnestly they did and doe desire they placed themselves in the Ilands of Rhodes where daily doing great scath unto the Turke Solyman the great Warriour could not endure them but with a mighty Army so over-laid them that hee wonne the Island from them The Knights of Malta After the losse of Rhodes the Island of Malta was given unto these Knights by Charles the Fift Emperour whereupon they are now called the Knights of Malta for the great Master after hee came from Rhodes went into Candy and from thence into Sicily and so into Jtaly from thence hee made a Voyage into England and then into France and lastly into Savoy from whence hee departed with the Religion into this Island and there they continue and behave themselves as in the former Iland and offering no violence unto Christians they
part of the Countrey is called at this day America They found the people both of the mayne Land and Islands very many in number naked without Clothes or Armour sowing no Corne but making their Bread of a kinde of Roote which they call Maiz. Men most ignorant of all kind of Learning admiring at the Christians as if they had beene sent downe from Heaven * Manner of the prople and thinking them to bee immortall wondring at their Ships and the Tacklings thereof for they had no Ships of their owne but bigge Troughes which they call their Canoes being made hollow of the body of a Tree with the sharpe bones of Fishes for Iron or such like Instruments they have none Although it doe appeare that by the Warres of one of their petty Princes or Kings whom they call Cassickes had against another many thousands of the Inhabitants of those Countries were continually wasted and spoyled yet the number of them was so great in every part of the West Indies that in Hispaniola alone there were supposed to bee by computation of the Spaniards first arriving there not so few as 2000000 which yet by the * The cruelts of the Spaniards cruelty of the Spaniards were so murthered and otherwayes made away that within fifty yeares after as their Writers report there were scant any thousands in that Island remayning of them The like is to be said of the populousnesse of other Coasts and quarters there The * Their Armour Armour which those people did weare when they entred into the Warres was nothing but some sleight covering either made of Wood or shels of Fishes or of Cotton-wooll or some such foolish matter For they had no use at all of Iron or Steele but the most part of them came without any kinde of cloathing or covering yet armed with Bowes and Arrowes which were made sharpe in the end with the scraping of Fish-bones or with Fish-bones themselves put on the end like an Arrow-head and that oftentimes they dipped in a kinde of most venomous poyson Some other of them had for their Weapons great Clubs wherewith they did use to beate out the braines of those with whom they did combate * Note their Bread They had amongst them no good nor wholsome food for even that Maiz whereof they made their bread had in the root thereof a most venemous kinde of liquor which is no better than deadly poyson but they crush out that juyce and afterward doe prepare the roote so that it maketh them a kinde of Bread * No good Literature amongst them There was no sort of good Literature to be found amongst them nay they could not so much as distinguish any times the one from the other but by a blockish kinde of observation of the course of the Moone according to which they made their computation but without any kinde of certainty saving for some few Moneths which were lately past but for the set calculating of ought which was done divers yeares before they could doe nothing therein but onely grossely ayme at it But that in all ages it hath appeared that Sathan hath used ignorance as one of the chiefest meanes whereby to encrease Idolatry and consequently to enlarge his Kingdome it were otherwise incredible that any who have in them reason and the shape of men should bee so brutishly ignorant of all kinde of true Religion Devotion and Vnderstanding For the adoration which they doe give was onely unto certaine foule Spirits which they call by the name of their Zemes. In remembrance of whom divers of them did keep in their houses certaine things made of cotten wooll in the manner of Puppets or like Childrens Babies and to these they did yeeld a Reverence supposing some divine nature to be in them because sometimes in the evening Note how the Divill did strangely delude th●se people in the night time they had such illusions offered unto them as that they saw these their Puppets to move and stirre up and downe in their houses and sometimes to utter voyces and give divers significations of such things as they would have to bee done or not to bee done Yea and that with such effect from the Devill also that if their wils and commandements were not fulfilled there was some vengeance or punishment executed upon them or their Children the more to keepe them in awe and servilitie to the great enemy of Mankind Not long after the Spaniards entred those parts there were in divers of the Ilands and some part of the Mayne such incredible Tempests and Disturbances of the Ayre by Wind and Raine Thunder and Lightning as that the like had never beene seene nor heard of in the memory of man which are ordinarily interpreted to be the speciall worke of the Devill who not unfitly is tearmed by Saint Paul the Prince of the Ayre as having a liberty given him of God there sometimes to doe strange Executions and of likelihood hee did make these stirres Note the malice of Satan either grieving that the name of Christ was at all brought into those parts or else seeking to fright the Inhabitants from associating themselves with those who brought although but superstitiously the knowledge of God and the Redeemer being desirous that they should looke for more such distemperatures and vexations if they would confederate themselves with them * he ad●tion of 〈◊〉 ople be ap●●● of the 〈◊〉 and ●●ping The people were so ignorant of all humane and civill conversation and trafficking into those parts at the first comming of the Christians thither that they thought they could never sufficiently admire their persons their Shipping or any other thing which they brought with them Whereupon they without ceasing gazed on the manner of their Ships seeing them to bee so great and consisting of divers Plancks But they were never satisfied with staring upon their Mastes Sayles Cables and other Ropes and Tacklings whereunto they had never beheld any thing like before and yet nature and necessity had taught them to make unto themselves certaine Vessels for the Sea of some one tree which they did use to get downe not with cutting but with fire and when it lay along upon the ground they did use also fire either to burne away that which was tough and unfit without or to make it hollow within although they have also the shels and bones of Fishes wherby they made it smooth But some of these Troughes or Canoes were so great that sometimes above twenty men have been found rowing in one * The mighty bignesse of the Trees of ●rasile The Trees of America but especially in Brasilia being so huge that it is reported of them that severall Families have lived in severall Armes of one Tree to such a number as are in some petty Village or Parish in Christendome * They conceived them to be some Gods Among other strange opinions which they conceived of the Spaniards this was one
computation is onely by the Sunne and Moone who they hold to be of a Divine nature and although they know nothing truly concerning God yet they have a darke opinion that the soule doth live after the separation from the body * Their apparell The men and women thorowout the whole Countrey doe goe starke naked even very few of them having any thing on to cover their Privities only some of them doe pull some kinde of ornaments thorow their eares and the most of them have their lower-lip bored thorow with a great hole therein putting some device or other * The proportion of the Inhabitants They looke very disguisedly but they are all wonderfull straight of limbe and proportion insomuch that the Author writeth that in all the time wherein hee lived among them hee saw not one crooked backt or mishapen in any part whereof seeking to give a reason hee ascribeth it to this that their Children are never swathed nor bound about with any thing when they are first borne but are put naked into the bed with their Parents to lie which beds are devised of Cotton wooll and hung up between two trees not farre from the ground in the which slagging downe in the middle men and their wives and their children doe lie together But whether this bee the true reason of the straightnesse of their bodies it may bee doubted from the authority of Saint Hierome who in one of his Treatises mentioning that the Children of the noblest and greatest Romanes in his time were very crooked when other which were bred of meaner parents were not so imputeth it to this cause that the Gentlewomen of Rome in a kinde of wantonnesse did not suffer their Infants to bee so long swathed as poorer people did and that thereby their joynts and members not being tied and restrained within compasse did flye out of proportion Certainely howsoever there may be some reasons naturally given of these things it is much to be ascribed to the immediate will of God who giveth and taketh away beauty at his pleasure * Note The men of these parts are very strong and able of body and therefore either give sound strokes with their Clubs wherewith they fight or else shoot strong shoots with their Bowes whereof they have plenty and if any of them bee taken in the Warres after they have beene crammed of purpose to bee eaten of their enemies they are brought forth to execution wherein marvellous willingly they doe yeeld themselves to death as supposing that nothing can be more honourable unto them than to bee taken and to dye for their Countrey He therefore who is to kill the other doth with very much insolencie pride insult over him which is to be slaine saying thou art he which wouldst have spoyled and destroyed us and ours but now I am to recompence thee for thy paines and the other without all feare replies Yea I am hee that would have done it would have made no spare if I had prospered in mine intent and other such sutable words shewing their resolution to conquer or willingly to dye in the common cause of themselves and their people * The Canibals or man-eaters which is the Countrey custome It is strange to see the inhumane and unnaturall custome which many of the people of the West Indies have for there are whole Ilands full of such Canibals as doe eate mans flesh and among the rest these Tovonpinambaltij are famous that way who when they are disposed to have any great meeting or to have any solemne feast they kill some of their adversaries whom they keepe in store for that purpose and cutting him out into collops which they call Boucan they will lay them upon the coles and for divers dayes together make great mirth in devouring them wherein they have this fashion very strange that so long as they are in their eating banquet although it continue divers dayes they doe never drinke at all but afterwards when they are disposed to fall to drinking of a certaine liquor which they have amongst them they will continue bousing at it for two or three whole dayes and in the meane time never eate In many parts both of Hispania nova and Peru as also in the Ilands neere adjoyning they have an herbe wherof they make great use of which some is brought into divers parts of Europe under the name of * Their great use of Tobacco Tobacco Paetum or Nicosiana although we have also much counterfeit of the same the people of those parts doe use it as Phisicke to purge themselves of humours and they apply it also to the filling of themselves the smoake of it being received through a leafe or some such hollow thing into the nostrils head and stomacke and causing the party which receiveth it to lie as if he were drunke or dead for a space needing no food or nourishment in the meane while Whereof it cannot be denied but that it is possible that by prescript of Physicke it may be serviceable for some purposes among us although that also it be very disputable in as much as they who speak most highly of it must and doe confesse that the force of it is obstupefactive and no other whereby it produceth his owne effects and wisemen should be wary and sparing in receiving of such a thing But when we doe consider the vaine and wanton use which many of our Countrymen have of late taken up in receiving of this Tabbaco not onely many times in a day but even at meat Note and by the wa● to the great waste both of their purse and of their bodies wee may well deplore the vanitie of the Nation who thereby propose themselves as ridiculous to the French and other our Neighbours And certainly if it were possible that our worthy warlike and valiant Progenitors might behold hold their manners who doe most delight therein they would wonder what a generation had succeeded in their roomes who addict themselves to so fond and worse then effeminate passion Benzo who lived among them of the West Indies doth call the smell of it a Tartarus and hellish savour And whosoever looketh into those Bookes which our Christians travelling thither have written concerning those West Indies shall finde that the Inhabitants there doe use it most as a remedy against that which is called Lues Venerea whereunto many of them are subject being uncleane in their conversation and that not onely in Fornication and Adultery with Women * Note this yee Tobacoonists but also their detestable and execrable sinne of Sodomie After that the Spaniards had for a time possessed Hispania Nova for the desire of Gold and Pearle some of them travailed toward the South and as by water they found the Sea West-ward from Peru which is alwaies very calme and is by them called the South-Sea as the other wherein Cuba standeth is tearmed the North-Sea so by land they found that huge mighty
being kindely intreated of the natives who much desire them to come and make some plantation amongst them hoping by them to be defended against the Spaniards whom they * They hate the Spaniard and love the English greatly hate and feare When Sir Walter Raleigh came to Guiana he overthrew the Spaniards that were in Trinidado and tooke Bereo their Captaine or Generall prisoner he loosed and set at liberty foure or five Kings of the people of that Countrey that Bereo kept in chains and sent them home to their owne which deed of his did winne him the hearts of that people and make them much to favour our English at this day Divers also of that Country which amongst them are men of note have beene brought over into England and here living many yeares are by our men brought home to their owne Countrey whose reports and knowledge of our Nation is a cause that they have beene well intreated of these Guianians and much desired to plant themselves among them * A strange Storie Our men that travelled to Guiana amongst other things most memorable did report and in writing delivered to the world that neere unto Guiana and not far from those places where themselves were there were men without heads which seemed to maintaine the opinion to be true which in old time was conceived by the Historians and Philosophers that there were Acephali whose eyes were in their breasts and the rest of their face there also situated and this our English travellers have reported to be so ordinarily confidently mentioned unto them in those parts where they were that no sober man should any way doubt of the truth thereof Now because it may appeare that the matter is but fabulous in respect of the truth of Gods creating of them and that the opinion of such strange shapes monsters as were said to be in old time that is men with heads like Dogs some with eares downe to their ankles others with one huge foot alone whereupon they did hop from place to place was not worthy to be credited although Sir Iohn Mandevill of late age fondly hath seemed to give credit and authority thereunto yea and long since he who tooke upon him the name of Saint Augustine in writing that counterfeit Booke Ad fratres in Eremo It is fit that the certainty of the matter concerning these in Peru should be knowne and that is that in Quinbaia and some other parts of Peru the men are borne as in other places and yet by devises which they have after the birth of Children when their bones and grisbles and other parts are yet tender and fit to be fashioned they doe crush downe the heads of the Children unto the breasts and shoulders and doe with frames of wood and other such devises keepe them there that in time they grow continuate to the upper part of the trunk of the body and so seeme to have no necks or heads And againe some other of them thinking that the shape of the head is very decent if it bee long and erect after the fashion of a Sugar-loafe doe frame some other to that forme by such wooden Instruments as they have for that purpose and by binding and swathing them doe keep them so afterwards And that this is the custome of those people and that there is no other matter in it Petrus de Cieca who travelled almost all over Peru and is a grave and sober Writer in his description of those Countries doth report * Their strange devises to take fowles There be in some parts of Peru people which have a strange device for the catching of divers sorts of Fowles wherein they especially desire to take such as have their feathers of pyed orient and various colours and that not so much for the flesh of them which they may eate as for their feathers whereof they make garments either short as Cloakes or as Gownes long to the ground and those their greatest Nobles doe weare being curiously wrought and by order as appeareth by some of them being brought into England And here by this mention of feathers it is not amisse to specifie that in the Sea which is the Ocean lying betwixt Europe and America there be * Divers flying fishes divers flying Fishes yet whose wings are not feathers but a thin kinde of skin like the wings of a Bat or Reare-mouse and these living sometimes in the water and flying sometimes in the ayre are well accepted in neither place for below either ravenous Fishes are ready to devoure them or above the Sea-Fowles are continually beating at them Some of the Spaniards desirous to see how farre this Land of Peru did goe towards the South travelled downe till at length they found the Lands end and a little straight or narrow Sea which did runne from the mayne Ocean toward Africke into the South Sea One * Magellanus Straits Magellanus was he that found this Straight and although it be dangerous passed through it so that of his name it is called Fretum Magellanicum or Magellane Straights And this is the way whereby the Spaniards do passe to the backside of Peru and Hispania Nova and whosoever will compasse the whole World as some of our English men have done hee must of necessity for any thing that is yet knowne passe through this narrow Straight Ferdinandus Magellanus having a great mind to travell and being very desirous to goe unto the Malucco Islands by some other way then by the backside of Africke if it might be did in the yeere 1520 set forth from Sivill in Spain with five ships and travelled toward the West Indies and went so farre toward the South as that he came to the lands end wher he holding his course in a narrow passage towards the West for the space of divers dayes did at the length peaceably passe through the Straights and came into a great Sea which some after his name doe call Mare Magellanicum some others Mare pacificum because of the great calmnesse quietnes of the waters there but most commonly it is termed the * The So th Sea South Sea the length whereof hee passed in the space of three Moneths and twenty dayes and came unto the Moluocos * The Molucco●s where being set upon by the East Indian people himself and many of his company were slaine and yet one of his Ships as the Spaniards doe write called Victoria did get away from those Moluccoes and returning by the Cape Bonae Spei on the South side of Africke came safe unto Spaine * Magellanus the first that ever compassed the World So that it may be truely said that if not Magellanus yet some of his company were the first that did ever compasse the World through all the degrees of longitude Johannes Lyrius in the end of his Booke De Navigatione in Brasiliam doth tell that Sir Francis Drake of England when he passed thorow Magellane straits
had done discovered where amongst the rest mētion was made of a Land which they had touched which to this day ●s known by the name of Sir Hugh Villobies Land Sir Hugh Willobies Land The Merchants of London did not desist to pursue this discovery but have so far prevailed that they have reached one halfe of the way toward the East part of Chyna and Cathaio but the whole passage is not yet opened This Empire one of the greatest to the world This Empire is at this day one of the greatest dominiōs in the world both for compasse of ground for multitude of men saving that it lyeth far North and so yeeldeth not pleasure or good traffique with many other of the best situated nations Among other things which doe argue the magnificence of the Emperour of Russia this one is recorded by many who have travelled into those parts that when the great Duke is disposed to sit in his magnificence besides great store of Iewels and abundance of massie plate both of gold and silver which is openly shewed in his hall there doe sit as his Princes and great Nobles cloathed in very rich and sumptuous attyre divers men ancient for their yeares very seemly of countenance and grave with white long beards which is a goodly shew besides the rich state of the thing But Olaus Magnus man well experienced in those Northerne parts doth say how truely I cannot tell that the manner of their sitting is a notable fraud and cunning of the Russian in asmuch as they are not men of any worth but ordinary Citizens of the gravest and seemliest countenance which against such a solemnity are picked out of Mosco and other places adjoyning and have robes put on them which are not their owne but taken out of the Emperours Wardrope Of Spruce and Poland Prussia bow situated IN Europe on the East and North corner of Germany lyeth a Countrey called Prussia in Latine most times Borussia in English Pruthen or Spruce of whom little is famous saving that they were governed by one in a kinde of order of Religion whom they call the Grand-Master and that they are a meanes to keepe the Moscovite the Turke from some other parts of Christendome This countrey is now growne to be a Dukedome the Duke thereof doth admit traffique with our English who going beyond the Hants townes doe touch upon his countrey amongst other things doe bring from thence a kinde of leather which was wont to be used in Ierkins and called by the name of Spruce-Leather-Jerkins Spruce Leather On the East side of Germany betweene Russia and Germany lyeth Polonia Polands Situation or Poland which is a kingdome differing from others in Europe because the King there is chosen by Election out of some of the Princes neere adjoyning as lately Henry the third King of France These Elections oftentimes doe make great factions there so that in taking parts they grow often there into civill warre The King of Polonia is almost continually in warre either with the Moscovite who lyeth in the East and North-east of him or with the Turke who lyeth on the South and South-east and sometimes also with the Princes of Germany whereupon the Poles do commonly desire to choose warriours to their King In this Countrey are none but Christians but so Their divers Religions that liberty of all Religion is permitted insomuch that there be Papists Colledges of Jesuites both of Lutherans and Calvinists in opinions Anabaptists Arrians and divers others They hate the Iesuites But of late yeares there hath bin made earnest motions in their Parliaments that their Colledges of Iesuites should bee dissolved and they banished out of that Kingdome as of late they were from France The reason of it is because that under colour of Religion they doe secretly deale in State causes and many times sow seditions and some of them have given counsell to murther Princes and wheresoever they be they are the onely intelligencers for the Pope besides that many of the Papists but especially all their Friers and orders of Religion doe hate and envy them first for that they take upon them with such pride to be called Iesuites as if none had to doe with Iesus but they and are more inward with Princes than the rest are Secondly because many of them are more learned than common Monks and Fryers And thirdly because they professe more strictly and severely than others doe the Capuchins onely excepted Their chiefe Citie Cracovia This is that Countrey which in times past was called Sarmatia the chiefe Citie whereof is named Cracovia Of Hungaria and Austria Hungaria situated ON the South-East side of Germany lyeth Hungaria called in the Latine Pannonia which hath beene heretofore divided into Pannonia superior Pannonia inferior it is an absolute Kingdome and hath beene heretofore rich and populous The Christians that doe live there have among them divers sorts of Religion as in Poland This Kingdome hath bin a great obstacle against the Turkes comming into Christendome but especially in the time of Iohan. Huniades who did mightily with many great victories repulse the Turke Here standeth Bunda which was heretofore a great Fortresse of Christendome Bunda but the glory of this kingdome is almost utterly decaied by reason that the Turke who partly by policy partly by force doth now possesse the greatest part of it So that the people are fled from thence and the Christians which remaine there are in miserable servitude Notwithstanding some part of Pannonia inferior doth yet belong to Christendome The Turks for the space of these forty or fifty yeares last past have kept continuall garrisons and many times great Armies in that part of Hungary which yet remaineth Christned yea and sometimes the great Turks themselves have come thither in person with huge hosts accounting it a matter of their Religion not onely to destroy as many Christians as they can but also to win their land by the revenues whereof they may maintaine some Religious house which they think themselves in custome bound to erect but so that the maintayning thereof is by the Sword to be wonne out of the hands of some of those whom they hold enemies to them Hungary is become the onely Cockpit of the world where the Turkes doe strive to gaine and the Christians at the charge of the Emperour of Germany who entituleth himselfe King of Hungary doe labour to repulse them and few Summers doe passe but that something is either wonne or lost by either party The corner of Germany which lyeth neerest to Hungary or Pannonia inferior Austria is called Austria or Pannonia superior which is an Archdukedome From which house being of late much sprung come many of the Princes of Germany and of other parts of Europe so that the Crown imperiall of Germany hath lately oft befallen to some one of this house In this Country standeth Vienna Vienna that