ENGLAND In old writers there are but few records left of these Ilands Amongst the new writers Olaus Magnus Gothus Episcopus Vpsaliensis Albertus Crantzius Saxo Grammaticus Iacobus Zieglerus Sigismundus ab Herberstein in his commentaries of Moscouia haue described these countries And Nicolas Wimman hath set forth the nauigation of the Northren sea See also a little discourse of Antony and Nicolas Zenis two brethren of the ilands situate vnder the North pole together with the shipwracke of Peter Quirinus written by himselfe and Christophero Fiorauante as also by Nicholas Mighel in the Italian tongue There is also a discourse of these Northren parts written by Sebastian Cabato who in the yeare 1557. first sailed into these quarters But aboue all the history of Saxony lately written and set out by Dauid Chytraeus is not to be forgotten SEPTENTRIONALIVM REGIONVM DESCRIP ISLAND I Do find in the Ecclesiasticall history lately set forth and imprinted vnder the name of M. Adams That the people of this Iland came vnto Adelbert Bishop of Breme earnestly entreating him to appoint them some learned diuines that might be able to preach the Gospell and plant Christianity amongst them Neither do I thinke that there is any mention of this Nation in any other more ancient writer than he Although I must confesse that Sigebertus Gemblacensis hath left record that Great King Arthur about the yeare of Christ 470. subdued this iland and reduced the people to his obedience This I take as a fable not for any true history For I do certainly know that this was neuer written by Sigebert but shuffled in as many things els by some other For a very faire Manuscript copy of mine owne as also another in parchment of my friend haue it not Now this Adelbert died about the yeare after Christs incarnation 1070. And that the name Thule oft spoken of almost by all old writers aswell Poets and Historians as Geographers doth not pertaine to this Iland against the opinion well neere of all the learned men of our time but rather to Scone Scandia Peninsula a neck-land of Norway not only the authority of Procopius a graue discreet writer but also for that a note and remnant of that name yet remaineth to this day in Scone in that part which is opposite to the Orkeney iles namely in a place of Norway where the famous Mart of the Belgae is seated For amongst other shires of Norway there is one in this place which they call Tilemercke that is the March or shire of Tule The ilands also ouer against this shore which vulgarly are called Hetland and Shetland the seamen as I vnderstand out of England by the relation of my good friend M. W. Camden are commonly called Thylinsel whereby I conceiue that this Iland tooke the name from the next maine land opposite vnto it For what els is Thilensel but the iland of Thile This opinion of mine not only Pomponius Mela doth confirme who writeth that Thule was opposite to the sea coast of the Belgae he directly saith I say Belgarum not Britannorum littori the sea coast of Britaine where indeed Island is situate not Thule but also Ptolemey the prince of all Geographers and writers in that argument who placeth Thule vnder the 29. degree of Longitude and 63. of Latitude Which position and calculation of degrees doth exactly and precisely fall vpon Tilemarke And as for Island there is no man that hath looked with halfe an eie into Geographicall Mappes and Charts but doth know it to lie vnder the first degree of Longitude and the sixtieth degree of Latitude And I perswade my selfe euen Arngrimus Ionas himselfe an Islander borne in that his Treatise of Island where he saith that the latitude of this Iland is about 44. degrees and 45. minutes was much deceiued It is therefore as cleare as the noone day as he saith that Island is not the same that Thule was and the same Procopius saith that it is inhabited by thirteen Nations and gouerned by so many Kings and to be tenne times as great as Brittaine so that not without good cause Stephanus giueth it the title of Great when as it is certaine that Island is much lesse than Brittaine The same Procopius affirmeth that the Scritifinni a kind of people so called did inhabite Thule these Diaconus nameth Strictofinni and speaketh of them in Scandia as doth also Iornandes in his history notwithstanding he corruptly calleth them that I may note this by the way Crefennae Thus gentle Reader thou seest that which they name Scandia or Scone he calleth Thule and the same nation to this day dwelleth in the same Scandia called by the same name no whit corrupted For they are called vulgarly Scrickefinner and do dwell in Scandia and not in Island In Thule Procopius writeth that there be huge great woods in Island all the world knoweth there are none at all And so Isacius vpon Lycophron saith truly when he affirmeth that Thule is vpon the East of Brittaine not vpon the North as is Island Contrary to that which Strabo a most worthy and diligent Geographer by the sound iudgement of all the learned saith of it but from the relation as there he addeth of Pytheas a shamefull lying historiographer whose custome was as Diodorus Siculus in his second booke writeth to counterfait and coine fables so cunningly that ordinarily they passed for true stories This is that Thule which Tacitus reporteth when the Romane nauy sailed round about Brittaine was seen and viewed by them but not regarded and therefore not entered as is probable This could not be Island which is much farther off and out of kenning But this is enough in this place of Thule or Scandia We will addresse our selues to speake of Island an iland altogether vnknowen and not once named in any ancient writer ISLAND or the Frosen or Icie land which is all one was so named of the ice which lieth continually vpon his North side for there now beginneth the Frosen-sea as Crantzius writeth It was called SNELAND of the Snow which all the yeare long doth heere in some places continue Item GARDARSHOLM that is Garders ile so called as Arngrimus himselfe being an Islander borne writeth of one Gardar a man so named who first found it or inhabited the same This iland is an hundred Germane miles in length as commonly most writers do hold but the foresaid Arngrimus Ionas saith it is 144. miles long For the most part it is not inhabited but is wast and mountainous especially toward the North part by reason of the bitter blasts of the South winds which will not suffer as Olaus teacheth so much as any low shrubbe or bush once to put forth his head It is subiect to the king of Norway and so hath continued euer since the yeare of Christ 1260. at what time first the same Arngrime affirmeth they did their homage to that Crowne Whereupon the king of Denmarke euery yeare sendeth thither a Lieutenant by
and Mappes diuers places both of Sea and Land vnknowen to former ages to describe the tracts and coasts of the East and West South and North neuer spoken of nor touched by Ptolemey Pliny Strabo Mela or any other historiographer whatsoeuer and lastly to bend all his forces to the framing of that his THEATER which now is beheld and read with such admiration and applause of all men in which worke of his he was so generally well liked and approued of all that Philip the Second that renowmed King of Spaine graced him with the honour and title of The Kings Cosmographer He wrot also his GEOGRAPHICALL TREASVRE a very learned and pleasant worke in which the ancient names or appellations yea and oft times the new by which they are now called and knowen at this day of Mountaines Hils Promontories Woods Ilands Hauens People Cities Townes Villages Seas Baies Creekes Straights Riuers c. are at one view instantly to be seene Moreouer out of ancient coines for the benefit and delight of such as are louers and studious of antiquities he set out The HEADS OF THE GODS AND GODDESSES which afterward were illustrated with an historicall narration or discourse done by Francis Sweert the yonger In the yeere of Christ 1596 he set forth THE IMAGE OF THE GOLDEN WORLD that is A treatise describing the life Maners Customes Rites and Religion of the ancient Germans collected and gathered out of diuers and sundry old writers of both languages By these his labours and trauels he hath gotten and purchased vnto himselfe an immortall name and credit amongst the learned of all sorts In company he was of an excellent discreete cariage passing courteous merry and pleasant Such was his singular humanity that it was strange to see how he did winne and retaine the loue and fauour of all men wheresoeuer he became His enemies he chose rather to ouercome with kindnesse or to contemne them then to reuenge himselfe of their malice He did so much hate vice euen in his owne kindred that he rather reuerenced vertue in his enemies and strangers Vaine questions and subtill disputations of diuinity or matters of religion as dangerous and pernicious hee did alwaies greatly detest and abhorre A deepe in-sight and sound iudgment in any kinde of matter he preferred before glosing eloquence and quaint termes Present aduersity and daungers he alwaies endured with more patience then feare of such as were comming on and neere at hand and those which were bitter more easily then such as were doubtfull and vncertaine of euent He was a man which in his life time did set as little by himselfe as any man could For he neuer set his minde much vpon the wealth of this world or ought of those things in the same hauing alwaies in memory that his learned poesie CONTEMNO ET ORNO MENTE MANV I scorne and trimme with minde with hand For surely this man was led with some heauenly spirit which did so with-draw his minde from those earthly cogitations that he neuer tooke any thing in his life more vnkindly then when he was drawne from his bookes which he alwaies preferred before all other things in the world beside These great learned men following were his familiar friends and such as he did greatly loue and reuerence In Spain Benedictus Arias Montanus that great linguist and graue Diuine and the reuerend father Andrew Schotte borne in Antwerp a learned Iesuite In Italy Fuluius Vrsinus Franciscus Superantius and Iohannes Sambucus In Germany Gerard Mercator that famous Cosmographer Iames Monaw Marke Velser Ioachim Chamberlin Ionas Grutterus of Antwerp and Arnold Milius In France Petrus Pithoeus and others In the Low-countries Iustus Lipsius Laeuinus Tormencius Nicolaus Rockoxius Cornelius Prunius Balthasar Robianus Ludouicus Perezius Iohannes Brantius a ciuillian recorder to the state of Antwerp Iohannes Bochius secretarie to the same city Francis Raphalengius Christopher Plantine Iohn Moret Philip Gally Otho Venius that famous painter and Francis Sweert the yonger In England Humfrey Lloyd the only learned courtiour of his time and VVilliam Camden now Clarenceux the painfull and iudicious antiquary of our land With all these and many other he was familiarly acquainted To these he wrot often and from these he often receiued most kinde and louing letters He was a great student of antiquities and searcher out of rare and ancient things He had at home in his house Images Statues Coines of Gold Siluer and copper both of the Greeks Romans and others Shelfishes brought from India and our Antipodes Marble of all kinde of colours Torteises shelles of such wonderfull bignesse that tenne men sitting round in a circle might eate meat out of them at once Others againe so little and narrow that they were skarce so bigge as a pinnes head His Library was so maruellously well stored with all sort of Bookes that his house might iustly haue beene termed A shoppe of all manner of good learning vnto which men flocked from diuers places like as in former times they did to Plato's Academy or Aristotle's Lyceum This Ernest and Albert returning conquerour from the battaill at Hulsten with other great Princes and men of all sorts came in troops to see and behold While he was thus busied and hauing now liued aboue threeskore and eleuen yeeres he fell sicke in Iune in the yeere of our Lord 1598 and growing euery day worse and worse at length he yeelded to nature and died vpon the 28 day of the same moneth The Physicians affirmed that he died of an vlcer of the reines which Hippocrates writeth will hardly euer be cured in old men He was of stature tall and slender the haire of his head and beard was of a yealow colour His eies were gray and his forehead broad He was very courteous and affable In serious businesses he was very graue and sober but without any shew of arrogant disdaine in mirth and iesting he was as pleasant yet with that moderation that all was guided by the rules of Christian piety and modesty This deceased bachelour Anna Ortell a virgine his sister who liued not long after this her brother Abraham for she died in the yeere of Grace 1600 caused to be buried and intombed in Saint Michaëls the Abby of the Praemonstratenses in Antwerp He might well want the honour of a gorgeous and costly tombe who by the generall consent of all men had for his rare and singular vertues deserued an euerlasting fame and reputation Francis Sweert the yonger gathered together the mournefull verses of those poets and friends of his which did bewaile his death set them foorth and dedicated them to the State and citizens of Antwerp Iustus Lipsius at the instant request of his heires and for a perpetuall memoriall of their constant loue and friendship wrote that Epitaph which is in capitall letters ingrauen vpon his tombe ABRAHAM ORTELIVS CITIZEN OF ANTwerpe and Geographer to Philip the second King of Spaine to the courteous Reader SEeing that as I
liuing men of such as are not aware that they are dead neither do they perceiue that they were deceiued vntill the Ghosts be gone Ionas accounteth this for a fable There are also certaine spirits or ghosts which do shew themselues apparantly to be seen in the businesses of mortall men or of such as came to their end by some violent mischance as Olaus reporteth They call these Drols as Rithmayer testifieth Now Drol is a giant of the mountaines if we may beleeue Arngrime Ionas an Ilander by birth and bringing vp Heere is a spring which by reason of a filthy smoaking water which runneth from it killeth any thing that naturally the earth bringeth forth and whatsoeuer is besmered with this smokie fume in continuance of time becommeth as hard as a stone yet still retaining the shape that it had before There is also a spring of pestilent waters which whosoeuer shall tast or drinke of will presently be as if he had drunke poison Heere also are certaine waters that are in propertie and tast somewhat like drinke that is made of mault There are fires heere that will not burne or consume flax yet they will quite drie vp and consume water They haue beares crowes and white hares As also Eagles with white tailes as our authour Ionas the Islander whom we haue often cited doth witnesse These Pliny as he there alleageth calleth Pygargos I thinke we call them Wringtailes But those that are desirous to know all the strange wonders of this iland let them read Albert Crantz Saxo Grammaticus Iohannes Magnus and Olaus Magnus whom they may beleeue or not beleeue according as they shall find cause To those they may adioine that which Dauid Chytraeus in his Saxon history hath written of this iland Except I be deceiued the fable which Isacius vpon Lycophron reciteth of a certaine iland of Brittany whither he saith the soules of dead men are transported doth perteine to this iland For such a like tale is commonly told of Island A declaration of the Markes and Letters of this Mappe A. Is a fish which they commonly call Nahual If any man eat of this fish he dieth presently It hath a tooth in the forepart of his head standing out seuen cubites This diuers haue sold for the Vnicornes horne It is thought to be a good antidote and soueraigne medicine against poison This Monster is forty elles in length B. The Roider a fish of an hundred and thirty elles in length which hath no teeth The flesh of it is very good meat wholesome and toothsome The fatte of it is good against many diseases C. The Burchualur hath his head bigger than all the body beside It hath many very strong teeth whereof they make Chesmen or Tablemen It is threescore cubites long D. The Hyena the sea hogge a monstrous kind of fish of which thou maiest read in the 21. booke of Olaus Magnus E. Ziphius it may be he meaneth Xiphius the sword fish an horrible sea monster swallowing the blacke seale at one bitte F. The English whale thirty elles long it hath no teeth but the tongue of it is seuen elles in length G. Hroshualur that is as much to say as the Sea-horse with a mane hanging downe from his necke like an horse It often doth the fishermen great hurt and skare H. The greatest kind of Whales which seldome sheweth it selfe it is more like a little iland than a fish It cannot follow or chase the smaller fishes by reason of the huge greatnesse and waight of his body yet he praieth vpon many which he catcheth by a naturall wile and subtilty which he vseth for to get his food I. Skautuhvalur this fish altogether full of gristles or bones is somewhat like a ray or skaite but an infinite deale bigger when it appeareth it is like an iland and with his sinnes ouerturneth ships and boates K. Seenaut sea cowes of colour gray they sometimes come out of the sea and do feed vpon the land many in a company together They haue a little bagge hanging at their nose by the helpe of which they liue in the water that being broken they liue altogether vpon the land and do accompany themselues with other kine L. Steipereidur a most gentle and tame kind of whale which for the defence of the fishermen fighteth against other Whales It is forbidden by Proclamation that no man may kill or hurt this sort of Whale It is in length an hundred cubites at the least M. Staukul the Dutchmen call it Springual he hath beene seene to stand a whole day together vpright vpon his taile It is so called of leaping or skipping It is a very dangerous enemy to seamen and fishers and greedily seeketh after mans flesh N. Rostunger which also is otherwise called a Rosmar is somewhat like a sea-calfe it goeth in the bottome of the sea vpon foure feet but very short ones His skinne may scarcely be pearced with any weapon Hee sleepeth twelue houres together hanging by his two long teeth vpon some rocke or cliffe Ech of his teeth are at the least an elle long but the length of his whole body is foureteen elles long O. Sperma ceti parmacitty or a base kind of amber they commonly call it Hualambur P. Blockes and Trunkes of tree by force of winde and violent tempest blowne vp by the rootes from off the cliffes of Norway tossed to and fro and passing through many stormes at length are cast vp or do rest against this shore Q. Huge and maruailous great heaps of ice brought hither with the tide from the frozen sea making a great and terrible noise some pieces of which oft times are fourty cubites bigge vpon these in some places white beares do sitte closely watching the silly fish which heere about do play and sport themselues But I thinke it not amisse to set downe the Verses of Erasmus Michaelis which he hath of Island in his third booke De re Nautica Vltima Parrhasias Islandia spectat in Arctos Sub Canrum porrecta gradus non diuite tantùm Laeta solo cùm vel caecis occlusa cauernis Sulphura flaua coquit mixtisque extrudit arenis Pabula vel laetis pecori gratissima pratis Fundit oppletas inuestit gramine valles At vicina etiam solidos cùm littora pisces Nec numeris nec mensura certisve ferendos Nominibus stipat ratibusque immittere certat Prouentu siquidem vario cum cxcesserit vno Hoc vincit tamen cumulato pisce redundat Aucta opibus fortesque animis complexa colonos Cuius in Notios quae pars iacet obuia ventos Aestuat aeternis per aperta foramina flammis Eructatque globos cinerum trepidoque boatu Hecla tonans inter sparsa pice sidera lambit In English thus Island a famous ile that 's farre remote and distant from the Maine North-west from hence doth lie in frozen sea The countries chiefest gaine Is Brimstone pale which heere in mountaines high in plenty great is found Or
this continent and circuite curtuous Reader that thou beest not caried away with a vaine and false perswasion of the knowledge of things done in the whole world or if you please so to call it within the compasse of that part of the world described by the old Cosmographers all ancient HISTORIOGRAPHY both SACRED and PROPHANE is comprehended in these all famous acts of mortall men which from the beginning of the world euen vnto the daies of our fathers haue been registred by learned men haue been done and performed For euery storie before the forenamed Columbus written in Latine Greeke or any other language exceeded not the limits of the Roman Empire or the conquests of Alexander the Great if you shall only except the trauels of Marcus Paulus Venetus by land into China and the nauigation of Katherino Zeni by the ocean sea into the North parts of which we haue spoken in the discourse to the Mappe of Mare del zur which I make no doubt all learned historians and others will easily grant me Whereupon we may see how maimed and vnperfect the history of the world is when as it is very apparant that this part of the earth then knowen is scarse the one quarter of the whole globe of the world that is now discouered to vs. And which is especially to be considered rather than to be commended we may truly say that now which Cicero in his third oration against Verres wrote then most falsly when he said of that age There is now no place within the vast ocean none so far remote and distant from vs none so obscure or hidden whither in these our daies the couetous and bad minds of our men doth not cause them go Certaine recordes and testimonies of ancient writers concerning Geographicall Mappes Anaximander scholler to Thales Milesius did set forth as Strabo witnesseth the FIRST GEOGRAPHICALL CHART Now Anaximander who liued in the time of Seruius Tullus the VI. king of Rome was borne in the first yeare of the 35. olympiade which was the first yeare of the raigne of Ancus Martius the 4. king of the Romanes 639. yeares before the birth of Christ The same Strabo maketh mention of a mappe of the HABITABLE WORLD done by Eratosthenes Socrates when he saw Alcibiades to stand so much vpon his welth and great possessions brought him to a mappe of the VVHOLE VVORLD bid him there to find out the prouince of Athens which when he had found he againe willed him to point to his landes and when he answered that they were not in any place there described he saith Art thou then proud of the possession of that which is no part of the World Aelianus in the 28. chap. of his 3. booke De varia historia Hamo Carthaginensis setteth out a mappe of his nauigation into the ATLANTICKE SEA wherein he made a discouery of the COASTS OF LIBYA which he caused to be hanged vp in the temple of Saturne Aristagoras Milesius had a Table of Brasse in which was cutte the VVHOLE COMPASSE OF EARTHLY GLOBE the VVHOLE SEA with all the RIVERS emptying themselues into the same Herod in his V. booke Augustus and Agrippa set out a mappe of the VVHOLE VVORLD to the publicke view of all men as Pliny in the second chapter of his third booke hath left recorded Amongst the Aegyptians there were continually kept certaine Chartes containing all the TRACTS BOVNDS and COASTS both of sea and land as Apollonius in the fourth booke of his Argonautickes doth witnesse Saint Hierome affirmeth that a MAPPE of PALAESTINA made by Eusebius Caesariensis was lost long before his time That Charles the Great Emperour of Rome had a Siluer Table wherein the VVHOLE VVORLD was portraitured those authours who liued in his time and haue written of his life and histories do constantly affirme Theophrastus Eresius bequeathed and gaue by his last Will and Testament certaine mappes in which were described the SITVATION of the VVORLD on condition that they should be put and reserued in the lower part of the gallery which he built and adioined to his schoole as Diogenes Laertius writeth in his life I haue described a Charte of the VVORLD in 12. sheets of parchment Thus Dominicanus the authour of the Annals of the city Celmar in Germany who wrote about the yeare of Christ 1265. speaketh of himselfe in that his worke There are certaine GEOGRAPHICALL CHARTS mentioned and cited by Stephanus Byzantinus in the word Αινος The Emperour Domitian put Metius Pomposianus to death because he caried about the country certain mappes of the VVORLD portraitured in sheets of Velame as Suetonius recordeth Varro in the second chapter of his first booke of Husbandrie hath these wordes There I light vpon by chance Caius Fundanius wy wiues father and Caius Agrius a Knight of Rome a disciple and follower of Socrates with Publius Agrasius the Customer whom I found looking vpon a Mappe of ITALY drawen and described vpon a wall Heere also Vitruuius what he speaketh in the eighth book of his Architecture that these things are and may be so the HEADS OF RIVERS do sufficiently prooue which we do see are described in the Chartes and Mappes of the World Florus who seemeth to haue liued in the time of Traian the Emperour hath these wordes I will do that that Cosmographers are wont to do who vse to set out the SITVATION of the VVORLD in a small chart or table Iulian the Emperour in an Epistle to Alypius thus writeth I was euen then newly recouered of my sicknesse when thou sentest the GEOGRAPHY and yet the map which thou sentest was neuer the lesse welcome For there are in it not only better and more true descriptions but also certaine excellent Iambicke verses wherewith thou hast much graced it But that the Ancients were wont to describe the VVORLD and globe of the earth in Mappes it is manifest out of Plutarcke in the life of Theseus as also out of the fourth booke of Propertius the Poet where he bringeth in Arethusa thus speaking to Lycorta Cogimurè TABVLA PICTOS ediscere MVNDOS We forced are to vnderstand By charts the state of Sea and Land AEVI VETERIS TYPVS GEOGRAPHICVS Abrah ortelius Regiae M t s Geographus describ cum Privilegijs decennalib Imp. Reg. et Cancellariae Brabantiae Antverpiae Ambivaritorum 1590. EN SPECTATOR PILAE TOTIVS TERRAE ICHNOGRAPHIAM AT VERERIBVS VSQVE AD ANNVM SALVTIS NONAGESIMVM SECVNDVM SVPRA MILLES QVADRINGENT COGNITAE TANTVM GEOGRAPHIAM The ROMANE WORLD OR The ROMANE EMPIRE AMmianus Marcellinus thus writeth in his foureteenth booke At such time as triumphant Rome which shall flourish as long as men do liue vpon the earth began first to grow into credit and honour in the world that it might still rise by degrees and lofty steppes into a firme league of eternall peace vertue and fortune which often times iarre did fully consent and agree For if either of them had opposed themselues it surely had neuer come to that
Caliabria Calucula Carabis Carbulo Careo Carruca Castax Castra gemina Castra vinaria Cedrippo Certima Cimbis Cinniana Cisembrium Colenda Colobona Coplanium Cotinas Crabalia Cusibi Danium Dia Dumium Eiscadia Erisane Fabreseense Gemella Gruâ—nus Helingas Hellenes Hippo Hippo Carausiarum Ibem Ilipa minor Ilipula Laus Illurco Ilucia Indica Ipasturgi Ituci Iulia cognomine Concordia Iul. Constantia Iul. Contributa Iul. Fidentia Iul. Restituta Lancia Transoudana Lenium Magala Malia Marcolica Massia Moron Merucra Nobilia Nuditanum Olitingi Olone Onoba Opsicella Osintigi Ossigi Ossigitania Oxthraca Sacvuna Saepona Saon Segeda Segestica Serippo Sicane Silpia Sitia Soricaria Soritia Tabeta Tarscium Transsucunus Tribola Turba Turobrica Tutia Velia Ventisponte Vergentum Vergium Vescelia Vesciveca Vesperies Victoria portuo Vrbicuà Vxena MONTES Sacer Ydrus FLVMINA Chalybs Silicense FONTES Tamarici et quaedam Antonini item Avieni Horum omnium situm quamvis ignorarem abesse tamen ab hac tabula iniquum putari In omni enim vetere historia veterem voco ad Caroli Magni usque tempora omnium huius regionis locorum vocabula exprimere valui ni fallor â—â—pressi Si quae autem doctori in en deesse videbuntur erunt fortassè horum querundam synonyma de quibus omnibus in nostro Thesaure geographico Without the limits of the maine land or continent of Spaine there is a part of this country called INSVLARIS or BALEARIVM that is The Spanish iles or the Baleares For this part of Spaine consisteth altogether of ilands The names of those which do lie in the Ocean or Maine sea are these GADES now Caliz IVNONIS insula GERYONIS monumentum S. Pedro a little ile betweene Caliz and the maine land LONDOBRIS ouer against Portugall now knowen by the name of Barlinguas CORTICATA AVNIOS DEORVM insulae peraduenture those which they now call Islas de Baiona and the faigned CASSITERIDES in this tract For these famous ilands are indeed those which our seamen call The Sorlings belonging to the crowne of England as we haue shewed before In the Midland sea are these following the two BALEARES the Greater and the Lesser MALLORCA and MENORCA the two PITYVSAE to wit EBVSVS now Yuica or as some terme it Ibissa and OPHIVSA SCOMBRARIA Cabo di Palos COLVBRARIA Moncolobrer CAPRARIA Cabrera TIQVADRA Coneiera PLVMBARIA PLANESIA and MAENARIA all of them except only the Baleares and Gades small ilands and of none account Gades was much renowmed and famous long since by meanes of the fables of Hercules and Geryon feigned by Poets to haue been acted heere as also for that the long liued king Arganthonius who was before his death 300. yeares old did sometime keepe his court heere The Baleares were much talked of by reason the Ilanders were counted good slingers best experienced and skilfull in that weapon called by the Romanes Funda But especially it was much spoken of by meanes of the great famine and dearth that there was caused by conies of which there was sometime in these Ilands such wonderfull store and abundance that old stories do testifie that the country people were forced to entreat of Augustus Caesar a military aid and band of men to helpe to destroy them keepe them from breeding and spreading any further Pliny compareth the winds of these Ilands with the best that are made of Italian grapes I do verily beleeue that Seruius vpon the 7. booke of Virgils Aeneids did mistake the matter when he writeth that Geryon did rule as king of the Baleares and the Pityusaes For all other writers do affirme that he reigned and kept his court about Gades Except in defence of Seruius one should alledge this saying of Trogus In parte Hispaniae quae ex insulis constat regnum penes Geryonem fuit that is In a part of Spaine which consisteth altogether of ilands Geryon swaied the scepter and ruled as soueraigne king But that he spake this of Gades and the iland not farre from it in the maine sea the wonderfull pastorage and rankenesse which he ascribeth to these is a sufficient argument and proofe which by no meanes may be verified of the Baleares Againe Solinus plainly testifieth for me that Bocchoris and not Geryon did reigne in the Baleares But his owne words may perhaps please thee better therefore listen thus he speaketh Bocchoris regnum Baleares fuerunt vsque ad euersionem Phrygum cuniculis animalibus quondam copiosae In capite Baeticae vbi extremus est NOTI ORBIS terminus insula à septingentis passibus separatur quam Tyrij à Rubro profecti mari ERYTHRAEAM Poeni sua lingua GADIR id est sepem nominarunt In hac Geryonem habitasse plurimis monumentis probatur tametsi quidam putent Herculem boues ex alia insula abduxisse quae Lusitaniam contuetur Thus rudely in English The Baleares where Bocchoris vntill the ouerthrow of the Phrygians raigned and held his court were sometime wonderfully full of Conies In the entrance and head of Baetica which is the outmost bound of the KNOVVEN WORLD there is an iland which is distant from the maine land threescore and tenne pases This the Tyrians come from the Redsea called ERYTHRAEA or The Red iland but the Poeni or Carthaginians in their language named it GADIR that is The hedge Heere Geryon did sometime dwell as monuments and antiquities do strongly prooue although some do thinke that Hercules did cary the Oxen from another iland which lieth ouer against Lusitania Thus farre Solinus Obserue heere that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gader in the ancient language of the Iewes and Giadir in the moderne tongue of the farre-conquering Arabians doth signifie an hedge enclosure or fence Beside these forenamed ilands knowen to the ancient and best writers Sextus Rufus Auienus reciteth others by these names OESTRYMNIDES ARCHALE POETANION AGONIDA CARTARE STRONGILE and LVNAE These because no man else doth seeme to know or take notice of peraduenture may be some of those which Pliny termeth mari vadoso paruas Small ilands or shelues in the shallow sea and are in number well neere twenty What if to these I should adioine CROMYVSA and MELVSSA certaine ilands vpon the coast of Spaine as Stephanus citeth out of Hecataeus his Cosmography Of TRANSFRETANA or TINGITANA Hispania that other part I meane of Spaine beyond the streights called Tingitania because it did only in name and vsurpation not indeed and of right belong to Spaine as also for that it is thus Pomponius Melawriteth of it Regio ignobilis vix quidquam illustre sortita paruis opidis habitatur parua flumina emittit solo quam viris melior segnitiae gentis obscura Abase country and hath scarce any good thing in it worth the speaking of It hath no famous cities but small ragged townes and villages The riuers which runne through it are very small and not nauigable yet the soile is better than the men For the slouththfulnesse and cowardice of the people hath made the country the more obscure I will speake nothing
thinke there is no man gentle Reader but knoweth what and how great profit the knowledge of Histories doth bring to those which are serious students therein I doe verily beleeue and perswade myselfe that there is almost no man be it that he haue made neuer so little an entrance into the same and touched them neuer so lightly that is ignorant how necessary for the vnderstanding of them aright the knowledge of GEOGRAPHY is which in that respect therefore is of some and not without iust cause called The eye of History For thou shalt meet with many things in the reading of Histories I will not say almost all which except thou haue the knowledge of the countreys and places mentioned in them cannot onely not bee well conceiued and vnderstood but also oft-times they are cleane mistaken and otherwise vnderstood then they ought to bee which thing commeth to passe in many discourses but especially in the expeditions and voyages of great Kings Captaines and Emperours in the diuers and sundry shiftings of Nations from one place to another and in the traueils and peregrinations of famous men made into sundry countreys But seeing that this is a matter which euen experience it selfe doeth teach vs to be true there is no reason why I should stand long vpon the proofe of the same This so necessary a knowledge of Geography as many worthy and learned men haue testified may very easily be learn'd out of Geographicall Chartes or Mappes And when we haue acquainted our selues somewhat with the vse of these Tables or Mappes or haue attained thereby to some reasonable knowledge of Geography whatsoeuer we shall read these Chartes being placed as it were certaine glasses before our eyes will the longer be kept in memory and make the deeper impression in vs by which meanes it commeth to passe that now we do seeme to perceiue some fruit of that which we haue read I omit here that the reading of Histories doeth both seeme to be much more pleasant and in deed so it is when the Mappe being layed before our eyes we may behold things done or places where they were done as if they were at this time present and in doing For how much we are holpen when as in the Holy Scripture we read of the iourney of the Israëlites which they made from Egypt through the Red sea and that same huge Wildernesse into the Land of promise when as looking vpon the Mappe of Palestina we doe almost aswell see it as if we were there I thinke any student in Diuinitie or that History hath oft made triall Which things being so how much those which are students and louers of Histories are combred hindred and stayd yea many times euen while they are in their race and continued course drawne backe it is an easie matter to conceiue when either the description of all countreys cannot be gotten or if they may be gotten they are dearer then that euery mans money will reach and attaine vnto especially those that are but poore or none of the wealthiest For there are many that are much delighted with Geography or Chorography and especially with Mappes or Tables contayning the plotts and descriptions of Countreys such as there are many now adayes extant and euery where to be sold But because that either they haue not that that should buy them or if they haue so much as they are worth yet they will not lay it out they neglect them neither do they any way satisfie themselues Others there are who when they haue that which will buy them would very willingly lay out the money were it not that by reason of the narrownesse of the roomes and places broad and large Mappes cannot so be opened or spread that euery thing in them may easily and well be seene and discern'd For that I may speake that which is the trueth those great and large Geographicall Maps or Chartes which are folded or rowl'd vp are not so commodious nor when any thing is peraduenture read in them so easie to be look'd vpon And he that will in order hang them all along vpon a wall had need haue not only a very large wide house but euen a Princes gallery or spacious Theater This I hauing oft made triall of I began to bethinke my selfe what meanes might be found to redresse these discommodities which I haue spoken of and either to make them somewhat lesse or if possibly it might bee to take them all cleane away And at length me thought it might be done by that meanes which we haue obserued and set downe in this our booke to which I earnestly wish that euery student would affoord a place in his Library amongst the rest of his bookes But that thou mayest the better vnderstand what it is that wee haue done in this our Theater and what it is that thou must exspect and looke for in the same I thinke it not amisse in few wordes briefly here to declare vnto thee First my purpose was to represent vnto thy view whatsoeuer heretofore thou had'st or new hast in any Geographical or Chorographicall Chartes here and there lately or long since set out that euer came to my handes or were possibly to bee gotten for loue or money Of all countreys whose descriptions are set out in Geographicall Tables we haue selected one for of some there are diuers which in our iudgement seemed to bee the best and most exact Which notwithstanding that it were by the first draught of the Authour somewhat large and broad we haue brought into that small forme as might agree with this our worke and that the whole Mappe might be contein'd in one leafe or which sometime thou shalt obserue we haue done as thou may'st see that in one leafe many might bee contein'd and expressed yet so as nothing no neuer so small a thing is either omitted or altered that was to bee found in the greater except it be this which oftentimes thou shalt finde that the names of places and other things which in the first Copies could hardly be read in these our Mappes we haue so expressed that they may perfectly be read of any man And sometime where occasion did serue or need require and the place would permit vnto the moderne and vsuall names of certaine places wee haue added the ancient names mentioned by old writers but now vulgarly vnknowne Which as we doubt not we haue done with the good-leaue and liking of the Authours themselues so I hope it will be a thing very well pleasing to all such as are readers and students of old Histories and Antiquities In those Mappes which haue their Authours names written vpon them we haue as I said altered nothing at all excepting two or three of the Marine tracts of the Low-countreys which the Sea hath much changed since the time that their descriptions were first set foorth As for examples sake in Flaunders ouer against Zeland not farre from the towne Wateruliet where by the goodnesse and great
but two walled cities namely Eemden and Awricke Of which EEMDEN situate at the mouth of the riuer Eems is the common Mart-towne of the whole prouince for concourse of Merchants especially famous which indeed is caused by the commodiousnesse and opportunity of the hauen which doth thrust it selfe so farre vp into the heart of the city at such a great height and depth that it doth easily receiue and entertaine great shippes full laden with sailes stricken into the very middest of the same This city is much beautified with the sumptuous palace of the Prince a gorgeous Church the Yeeld hall and the goodly houses of the priuate citizens AVRICK by reason of the woods and groues which on all sides almost do inclose it is inhabitd for the most part of Gentlemen and Noblemen where they recreate and delight themselues with Hawking and Hunting In the territorie of this city there is as Kempius reporteth a place called Iyl enclosed round with a wall beset with bushes a commodious dwelling for Hares and Deere in which as in a Parke or warrein they maintaine a great number of these kind of beasts which none dare take vnder a great penalty but they are reserued for the Earles disport and pastime when he is disposed to recreate himselfe with hunting In the confines also of this city Awricke is a little hill rising somewhat high commonly they call it Obstalsboom or Vpstalsbom where the seat of Iustice or Court leet for the whole shire is ordinarily held Heere they were wont euery yeare out of all the Zelands to meet in the open and wild fields and there by the most skilfull and approued lawiers such as best knew their customs and lawes to end and determine all controuersies arising between man and man In this precinct also are diuen castles villages and farms Of hamlets and end-waies such is the number that oft times one doth touch another The greatest part of which both for beauty of their houses and streets as also for multitude of inhabitants and strangers do so excell that they may foe honour and greatnesse contend with diuers cities of Germany The people do giue themselues either to traffique as Merchants or to get their liuings by occupations and handy-crafts or by playing the husbandmen and tilling the ground With their neighbours and forreners they speake in the Dutch tongue amongst themselues they vse a peculiar language proper to that nation and not vnderstood of strangers They are comely apparelled yea euen the very country people so that a man would take them to be citizens The women weare a kind of attire and apparell much differing from that of other nations They bind vp all the haire of their had into one locke and that set out with diuers siluer and gilt spangles and buttons they let to hang behind their backe Their head they bind vp in Summer with a caull of red coloured silke behung with siluer spangles but in the Winter they weare an hood of green cloth wherewith they do so couer their whole head that skarsely one may see their eies this kind of attire they call an Hatte Their vpper garment huick of loose gowne which they weare abroad from the head to the foot is pleited with many small pleits and is so stiffe with siluer and gilt wire or plate wouen into it that when it is put off it will stand vpright This sometime is made of red sometime of green cloth In this country of East-Friesland there are also two other counties the one called Esens the other Ieueren bearing the names of their chiefe towns Of the situation of this prouince nature and maners of the people read Vbbo Emmius FRISIA ORIENTALIS RIDERIAE PORTIONIS facies ante inundationem qui postea sinus maris factus est DENMARKE SAxo Grammaticus hath thus described Denmarke DENMARKE saith he parted in the middest by the boisterous sea conteineth a few small parts of the maine continent seuered and disioined one from another by the breaking in of the ocean winding and turning it selfe diuers waies Of these IVTIA Iuitland is in respect of the greatnesse and beginning in the enterance of the kingdome of Denmarke Which as it is in situation first so running out further it is placed in the vtmost borders of Germany From whose company it being parted by the intercourse of the riuer Eydor it runneth with a larger breadth toward the North euen to the banke of the frith of Norwey he calleth it Fretum Noricum In this is the bay of Lemwicke Sinus Lymicus abounding with such store of fish that it alone yeeldeth as much prouision of victuall to the inhabitants as all the whole country beside To this is adioined FRESIA Strand Friesen a prouince much lesser which lying more low then Iuitland in plaine and champion fields receiueth from the sea ouerflowing it great strength and heart and is very settile for come Whose inundation or violent tide whether it do bring to the country people more profit or dammage it is hard to say For in tempestuous weather the Sea breaking in through the creeks wherein the water was wont to be contained such a world of waters oft times doth follow and come into the country that diuers times it runneth ouer not only the fallow fields but drowneth also whole families with their goods and cattell After Iuitland the ile FIONIA Fuinex doth follow vpon the East which a narrow arme of the ocean sea doth seuer from the maine land This iland as vpon the West it looketh toward Iuitland so vpon the East it hath the ile SEELAND Sialandia he calleth it an iland much commended for the great abundance of all maner of necessary things that it yeeldeth which for pleasant situation is thought to excell all the prouinces of this kingdome and is supposed to be in the middest of Denmarke indifferently situate between the one end of the same and the other Vpon the East side of this an arme of the ocean runneth between it and SCONE Scania Scandinauia Basilia and Baltia called by diuers authours a part of Norwey or Swedland This sea yearely affoordeth great gaine to the Fishermen For this whole bay or gulfe of the sea is so full of all sorts of fish that the fishermen oft times do catch such store and therewith they so fraight their boats that they haue no roome to stirre their oares neither do they heere vse any nets or other meanes to take the fish but many times they are taken only with the hand Moreouer HALLAND and BLIEKER Blekingia he nameth it two prouinces issuing forth from the maine land of Scone like two armes from one and the same body of a tree are by many spaces and by-corners adioined and knitte to Gotland and Norwey Thus farre Saxo Grammaticus See also Albert Crantzius Sebastian Munster and the Ecclesiasticall history of M. Adams The kingdome of NORVVAY is subiect to the crowne of Denmarke as also the ile GOTLAND Item if you will giue credit to Marke
Saxony for the true and ancient Saxony was comprehended in former times between the riuers Elue and Rhein according to his vttermost length the breadth of it was restrained by the Germane sea and the riuer Eydore and the borders of Hessen and Thuringen Brunswicke was almost in the center and middest of it But now it is not bounded with those or such like naturall bounds such as riuers and mountaines are but it is confined by other Princes signiories and countries Therefore Saxony at this day is diuided into the Vpper and Neather The Vpper or High Saxony is that which this Mappe doth represent and is graced with the title of a Dukedome whose Duke also is one of the Princes Electours which haue their voices in the choosing of the Emperour The chiefe townes of this prouince are VVitteberg and Torga Of Saxony and the antiquities of the same Albert Crantz hath written a whole volume M. Adams also in the first booke of his Ecclesiasticall history hath some things of this country worth the reading Hamelman hath set out the histories of Saxony and VVestfalen They that do desire to know the situation buttes and bounds and famous acts let them read VVitichinde and Sebastian Munster Pet. Albinus Niuemontius very lately and Dauid Chytraeus haue written very learnedly of this prouince Of the Marquesate of BRANDENBVRG LVSATIA Laussnitz and VOITLAND countries which we haue also described in this Chart take these few lines The Marquesate of BRANDENBVRG one of those prouinces which in old time were inhabited of the Wandalls is diuided at this day into the Old and the New by this runneth the riuer Oder by that Elue Albis the Latines call it In the old Marquesate the chiefe city is Brandenburg whereof the whole country tooke his name The New hath the city Franckford vulgarly called Franckford vpon Oder to make a difference between it and that which is situate vpon the riuer Meyn Heere is an Vniuersitie and a great Mart kept twise euery yeare At Berline is the Princes court ordinarily kept Him of the Marquesate they commonly call the Marquesse he also is one of the Prince Electours VOITLAND is a little shire subiect to the Marquesse This Aeneas Syluius calleth Aduocatorum terram and Praetorianam the Sollicitours or Controwlers land framing a word from the Etymologie or true meaning of the Germaine name for Voyt in the Dutch tongue signifieth a Sollicitour or Controwler So called for that sometime the Prince of this country was one of the foure controwlers of the Roman Empire The townes of better note are these as Gasper Bruschius thus reckoneth them vp in Munsters Cosmographie Curia Regnitiana Renitz court commonly called Hoff so named of the riuers which runne by it and there falling into Sala a great city and very populous beautified with the goodly and stately Church of S. Michael a large Monastery of Nunnes and two rich Hospitalls Plauhenium or Plaun a city with a castell Olsnitz which the castell Voytzberg neere adioining Adorff and Weidonium Weyda as I thinke a faire towne with certaine Abbeies about them Milford and VVhite-crowne Geraw Scletz and whatsoeuer is between the Hoff and Cygney standing vpon the riuer Elster Hallestra the Latines call it Neere vnto this is Feichtelberg that famous mountaine bearing plentifully the stately Pine-trees out of which foure riuers do arise runne a very strange worke of Nature vnto foure quarters of the world namely Egre Meyn Nabe and Sala VVolfangus Iobstius hath written a curious description of the Marquesate of Brandenburg LVSATIA Laussnitz is diuided into Ober Laussnitz and Nider Laussnitz the Vpper and the Neather it is also is a part of Saxony as Rithaymer testifieth It lieth between the riuers Elue and Oder and the Bohemian mountaines Sometime it was a part of Meisen Misnia and was adioined to it but the Bohemians who laboured by all meanes to enlarge the bounds of their kingdome and command at length seized it into their hands The people in maners conditions and language do not much differ from the Silesians only they are distinct from them by name and iurisdiction as gouerned by seuerall Princes The name and appellation of Lusatia is somewhat neere in sound to the name of Elysij or Lygij which it is certaine as Ioachinus Cureus writeth sometime dwelt heere about Their chiefe cities are Gorlitz and Sittaw and some others The riuer Neiss runneth through the middest of this country Gasper Peucer hath this other day in Elegiacke verse described the same in a pecular treatise MISNIA Meisen and THVRINGIA Thuringen are described and set out in their seuerall tables which we haue heereafter inserted into this our Theater of the World in their proper places A portraiture and draught of these countries shaddowed and counterfeited out of the Geographicall Chart of Iohn Criginger which was imprinted at Prage in Bohemia in the yeare of Christ 1568. we haue adioined to this our worke SAXONIAE MISNIAE THVRINGIAE NOVA EXACTISSIMAQUE DESCRIPTIO Cum priuilegio The county of MANSFIELD MANSFIELD a part of Old Saxonie is thought to haue beene so called of Mannus the second king of the Germanes For Mansueldt in this country speech seemeth to signifie nothing else but The field of Mannus Which deriuation Ascanien another place not far from hence denominated as some men do verily beleeue of Ascenez the first authour of the Germane name and nation doth seeme strongly to confirme Heere also is Ascher leuben which in their language is as much to say as The house of Aschenez There is also a lake which of Ascenez is called Ascherslebische see This countrie hath vpon the East the riuer Sala the territories of the Archbishopricke of Magdeburg and the Diocesse of Merseburg on the South lieth Turingen on the West the Counties of Swartzburg and Stolberg the Principalities of Sangerhouse Anhalt and Asseburg So that these Earles of Mansfield which are also called The noble Lords of Heldrungen haue these princes their neere neighbours the Archbishop of Magdeburg the bishop of Merseburg the Prince Electour of Saxony the Landgraue of Thuringia the Duke of Saxony the bishop of Halberstade the Prince of Anhald the Lord of Bernburg the Earles of Swartzburg and Stolburg the Lords of Werther and Asseburg When or by whom this prouince was graced with the title of an EARLDOME Andrew Hoppenrode in his booke which he hath written set forth of the Petigrees of the Saxon Princes plainly confesseth that he is altogether ignorant Notwithstanding this same authour and with him Syriacus Spangeberg do auerre it to haue beene very ancient by this that an Earle of this country called Herger did liue in the daies of Great Arthur that renowmed king of the Britans and was one of those which together with the rest of the worthies of this king were first made Knights of the order of the Round Table Now this king Arthur we know liued about 542. yeres after the incarnation of our Sauior Christ But if there be
Manutius doth highly commend it both for learning and chiualrie Whether this be that Quintianum of which Optatus after speaketh I leaue to the learned to determine The riuer Mela or Mella of which Virgil maketh mention doth runne through the middest of this shire as also Catullus in this verse affirmeth Brixia Cygnaea positus in specula Flauus quam molli percurrit flumine Mella Old Brixia plac'd amidde the brookes as gardian of the Swans The riuer Mella kindly greet'th and watereth all his lands This riuer retaineth the name of Mella vnto this day Notwithstanding it runneth not by it now as you may see although not farre off from thence it passeth through his liberties The little riuer which runneth along by the city is now called Garza but I thinke that in old time it was also called Mella And I thinke I may truly affirme that the riuer Mella when it approacheth neere vnto the city spreadeth it selfe into two channells both of them retaining the same name do make a riuer-iland like as Nilus maketh Heracleopolites and then againe falling into one streame still keepe the name of Mella and hauing so heauily laden runne for many miles together at length it vnladeth it selfe into the riuer Ollio But before I finish the discourse of this Mappe I haue thought good to say somewhat of the Lakes of the same The lake Benacus called of the poet Catullus Lydius Capriolus thinketh to haue been so named of the city Benaco sometime seated vpon his brinke a mention of which to this day remaineth still in a village called Toscolano which thou seest vpon his west side standing vpon a brooke of the same name A memoriall of this city is preserued in an auncient monument whose inscription Manutius setteth downe in his Orthographie This lake is now called Garda of the castle Garda placed opposite vnto Benaco vpon his east banke This lake as Alexius Vgonius writeth in a letter of his to Cardinall Poole aboundeth with store of fish which for goodnesse do far surpasse all others It is enclosed on euery side with most pleasant hilles into it from all quarters the cleare fountaines flow Goodly meddowes vines oliues beeches laurell and cedars besides townes furnished with all maner of necessarie prouision like a crowne beset it round on euery side so that nothing at all of those things may further be desired which may make a champion country either beautifull to the eie or commendable for profit and commodities c. While I was writing of this there came into my mind what speech I once had of this lake with that most learned good man Benedictus Arias Montanus for we both had seene the same although not at the same time in which we both did protest either to other that we neuer in all our liues had seene a place either more pleasant for situation or more delightsome to the eie so that it was no maruell that Catullus did so highly commend in his Epigrammes that his Sirmion and the waters of this lake The other lake in this Cart is Sebinus or Seuinnus for Plinie vseth both made by the riuer Ollio This now they call Iseo of a town of the same name situate vpon his banke There is also another lake which they call Idro by what name it was called of the auncients or whether by any I doe not certainly know I know that a certaine learned man doth hold it to be Brigantinus Lacus whereof Plinie speaketh but why I am not of his opinion I haue shewed reasons in my Geographicall treasure Bresciano BRIXIANI AGRI TYPVS Brixia Cygnaea supposita in specula Cum priuilegio Imperiali Regio et Belgico 1590. Milliaria Italica decem The Dukedome of PIEMONT THat prouince which was formerly called Taurinorum regio is now termed Piemont or Pedemont for that it is seated at the bottome of the Alpes which do diuide France and Sauoy from Italie and so is as one would say The prouince at the foot of the hilles The bounds of this country are thus on the East the riuer Po on the South the Alpes of Liguria vpon the West the Alpes of France on the North Riuiera di Duria It hath many goodly fields full of pleasant and fruitfull hilles which yeeld corne and other sorts of graine excellent wines and fruite great store It is well replenished with Cities Townes and Villages Vnder the gouernment of the Lombardes it was called The Dukedome of Taurine so named of the city Taurin By them it was first reduced into the forme of a prouince vnder the iurisdiction of a Duke The gouernment of the Lombardes being come vnto a period it was made subiect to the Kings of Italie who were alwaies chosen by the Emperours after that it was gouerned by diuers Petie Kings and long since in later ages it was accounted as part of the iurisdiction of the Princes Earles and Dukes of Sauoy vntill the yeare 1536. when as Francis the first King of France tooke a great part of it and now it is againe restored to the Duke of Sauoy The chiefe city of this Prouince is Turin seated at the mouth of the riuer Dorra where it falleth into Po. This citie Ptolemey Plinie and Tacitus call Augusta Taurinorum That this citie in old time was a very famous citie it may easily appeare in that it was a colonie of the Romanes It lieth at the foot of the mountaines it is foure square and hath foure goodly gates It is very famous for the rich Isle and state of the citizens and is adorned with many goodly buildings amongst the which the Cathedrall Church is most beautifull It hath an Vniuersitie of all maner of goodly learning and is very well serued with all sorts of prouision of victuall The countrie is of a very good and fertile soile especially toward the East and South hauing Vallies most rich for veines of Iron Paulus Diaconus affirmeth that Taurin was the seat of the Lombardes vnto whom it was subiect vntill Desiderius their king was ouercome and taken by Charles the Great and then it was brought vnder the subiection of the Kings of Italie Emperours Countes Montferrate and Marchions and Dukes of Sauoy to whom at this time it is obedient Neere the head of the riuer Po toward Ripell or C. de Reuell and Paisana are quarries of most excellent Marble Vpon the North side of the fountaine of the riuer Po beginneth a certaine pleasant valley called the Vale of Po or as the inhabitants terme it the Vale of Luserna of the towne Luserna which standeth in it It runneth out in length thirtie miles and is not aboue foure miles broad In the entrance of his Eastend is Mambrinum in the end toward the West is a very high stone crosse The people of this place are commonly called The Christians but in some maners and customes which they vse they scarse follow the strickt rules of Christianity nay they do obserue most vngodly and wicked rites and ceremonies amongst which
that after his death by the triall of Hoate Iron she would approue to the view of the world how wrongfully he was put to death The day came when as the Emperour sate to heare the causes and complaints of widdowes and Orphanes Together with these came the late Countesse bringing in her hand the Earles head and demandeth what death that Iudge is worthy of that had put a man to death wrongfully The Emperour answered He is worthy to lose his head She saith Thou art the same man who at the false suggestion of thy wife didst vniustly cause my husband to be beheaded The which when as the widdow approued vnto him by the maner of triall by hoat iron the Emperour yeelded himselfe into the hands of the widdow willing to abide his deserued punishment Notwithstanding by the mediation of the Bishop and the Nobility he obtained of the Countesse respite for tenne daies then for eight then for seuen lastly for six After the end of which daies the Emperour hauing examined the matter and being assured of the truth gaue sentence against his wife that she should be burned at a stake and giuing foure castles vnto the widdow redeemed his life These castles are in the Bishopricke of Luna in Hetruria or Tuscane and they are called after the names of the daies of repreeue The tenth The eighth The seuenth and The sixth Thus farre Syffridus which I thought good to set down in this place for to my knowledge no man els hath left any record of these castles neither are they named in this Mappe by our Authour notwithstanding that he hath described the country most curiously FLORENTINI DOMINII FIDELISSIMA ET NOVA DESCRIPTIO Auctore D. Stephano Monacho Montisoliueti The liberties of PERVGIA IOhannes Campanus writing of this country affirmeth that although he had trauailed and viewed many countries yet he neuer saw in all his life a more pleasant country and better manured then the country of Perugia All things seeme wast and wild to those that are farre off but if you shall come more neere nothing may be found more glorious either in respect of the husbandry of the land or wholesomnesse of the aire or fertility of the soile The riuer of Tiber runneth through the middest of this country and kindly watereth the same Not farre from which is the city Perugia situate vpon the Mount Apennine built long since as Trogus Pompeius affirmeth by the Achaians and of the twelue cities of Hetruria it is the chiefe It was called Augusta by the Emperour Augustus as the Capitall letters halfe a yeard square grauen vpon the gate do declare This city in regard of the nature of the place is inuincible richly beautified both with religious and priuate buildings of great state and is very populous This city aboue all the cities of Italie hath been euermore most fortunate and happie hauing retained the same state and gouernment little or nothing altered which it enioied before the building of Rome and that which afterward it had in the time when Rome was ruled by Kings Consuls Emperours and Tyrants at this time it reteineth Yet it hath endured many and diuers greeuous and bitter storms For in the time when Fabius Maximus was Consull as Liuie reporteth 4500. of his citizens were slaine In the daies of the Triumuiri Augustus besiedged it and forced it to great distresse for want of victualls tooke it and rased it to the ground and was wholly defaced with fire except only the Temple of Vulcane as Appian recordeth Afterward it endured the seuen yeares siedge and batterie of the cruell Tyrant Totilas and at length was sacked and spoiled c. Now it is subiect to the Pope of Rome and hath a famous Vniuersitie which was erected about the yeare of CHRIST 1290. as Middendorpius hath written Heere in the time of our grandfathers flourished the most renowmed Ciuilians Bartholus and Baldus In the precincts of this city is Lago di Perugia the lake of Perugia anciently called LACVS TRASVMENVS famous long since for a great ouerthrow heere giuen by Hanniball to the Romanes Appianus calleth it Lacus Plestinus but for what reason I know not It is in compasse as the foresaid Campanus writeth about thirtie miles The water of it is very cleare and pure there are no riuers which runne into it neither hath it any issue forth yet is his water so exceeding sweet that any man would thinke it were fedde from some running fountaine It hath in it three Isles whereof two which are toward the North are close together the one called the Greater the other the Lesser Maiores and Minores This is wast and not in habited only it hath a Church situate vpon the toppe of an hill The other which is neere to the liberties of Cortona conteineth about 200. families The third which is toward the South and is bigger then the other two is very populous and well inhabited The inhabitants almost giue themselues wholly to Fishing they sow little Corne yet they do not neglect to plant vines For wood fuell and fodder they go out into the fields and woods neere adioining Amongst the records of Lewis first Emperour of Rome there is mention of these three Ilands where he nameth them MAIOR MINOR and PVLVENSIS now Polueso where I perceiue that they yet retaine their ancient names No boggs fennes or spuing meeres do impech the shore this is full of Oliue gardens which vpon the hills on euery side do adorne the Lake and are for their wonderfull fertility very beautifull In the plaine which is between the Lake and the Hilles there is such abundance of Hempe and Flax so that in all Hetruria or Tuscane there is not more No country yeldeth better Wines or sweeter Apples The kinds of Fishes in the lake are not many but the abundance is wonderfull in which it farre excelleth all other Lakes of Italie heere also the fishing continueth all the yeare long yea euen in the dead of winter which no other Lake in all Italie affoordeth These fish in the winter are caried into Tuscane Vmbria and Picenta to Rome also they driue much cattell daily to be sold The same Campanus affirmeth that heere they take a pickerell partly coloured spotted with diuers green specks of the which he reporteth strange wonders namely that it doth engender with serpents and from thence it getteth those strange colours The common people saith Iacobus Greumus in the twentieth chapter of his first booke verily beleeueth that lampreies do engender with serpents which Plinie holdeth for a fable notwithstanding that hee often seemeth to be much delighted in writing of fables Athenaeus also writeth out of the report of one Andreas that these Lampreies which are bred of the viper if they bite the wound is deadly which opinion he afterward reclaimeth as false Againe he telleth of a Pike that lying vpon the drie land which when a fox assaied to catch one of his feetstooke fast in his teeth and both were
againe wonne by those of Pisa Now together with the kingdome of Sicilia it is gouerned by the Spaniard MALTA sometimes called MELITA QVintinus Heduus hath passing well described this Iland and hath set forth a peculiar Treatise of the same The landing of S. Paul and his shipwrecke heere vpon this coast hath made this Iland famous But not many yeares since by the ouerthrow of the Turks huge nauy the knights of Hierusalem to their eternall fame manfully defending the assault it is now againe made more famous See also Fazellus of this I le ELBA anciently called ILVA THis Iland in these our daies is in subiection to the Dukes of Florence and by a strong castell newly built it seemeth to be very defensible and safe against the inuasions of the Turks Of the new order of knight-hood by the name of the Knights of S. Steuen answereable to those of Hierusalem in Malta instituted in the yeare 1561. by Cosmus Medices Duke of Tuscane read Caelius Secundus in his historie of the warres of Malta That this Iland had many veines of mettall it is cleare by the report of ancient Cosmographers And now Leander saith it hath a rich mine of iron where also the Loadstone is found as he writeth Matthiolus telleth that from hence Liquid alume is brought and conueied vnto vs. Diodorus Siculus in his fifth booke hath a large description of this Iland where he calleth it by the name of Aethalia CORCYRA now CORFV IT is an Iland of the Hadriaticke sea subiect to the state of Venice In it is a very strong castell of the same name where is continually maintained a garrison against the Turks Beside the ancient Geographers these later writers Volaterranus Bened. Bordonius and Nicolas Nicolay in his Eastern obseruations with others haue described this Iland ZERBI of old writers called LOTOPHAGITIS THe ouerthrow of the Christian nauie neere this Iland which happened in the yeare of Christ 1560. hath made this iland more famous Of the situation bignesse and gouernours of this Iland read Iohannes Leo Africanus in his fourth booke of his description of Africa INSVLARVM ALIQVOT MARIS MEDITERRANEI DESCRIPTIO Cum Priuilegio The Ile ISCHIA THat this Iland hath been in former times called AENARIA ARIMA INARIMA and PITHECVSA Homer Aristotle Strabo Pliny Virgill Ouid and other good writers are sufficient witnesses Now it is called ISCHIA of the name of the city there built vpon the top of an hill in forme somewhat like the Hucklebone as Hermolaus Barbarons testifieth which of the Greeks is named Ischia or rather of the strength and defenciblenes of the place as Volaterranus thinketh Although it be sure that these be but synonymes of one and the same iland yet Mela Liuie and Strabo do seeme to make Aenaria and Pithecusa two distinct iles as also Ouid may be thought to do in these verses Inarimen Prochitamque legit sterilique locatas Colle Pithecusas habitantum nomine dictus By Inarime he saileth by Prochyte ile by barren Pithecuse A town on toppe of loftie cragge where wilie Apes do vse Where by Pithecusas as I thinke he vnderstandeth the city ancientlie as also now it is of the same name with the whole iland Which although now it be obserued to be ioined to the I le yet in former ages it was called Gerunda and was apart and disioined from the I le as Pontanus a man of good credit doth testifie in his second booke which he wrote of the warres of Naples where he affirmeth that in his time it was ioined vnto the Iland by a causway made between them Prochita not farre distant from hence which Plinie doth write to haue been seuered from Pithecusa doth shew that this was sometime adioined to and sometime disioined from this Iland The same authour doth affirme which Strabo also doth approue that all these sometime were cut off from the maine continent and to haue been part of the cape Miseno This doth the forenamed Pontanus in his sixth booke confirme in these words That Aenaria saith he was cutte off from the maine continent many things do demonstrate namely The torne rocks The hollow ground full of caues The nature of the soile like vnto that of the continent leane drie and spuing out hotte springs and fountaines It breedeth flaming fires in the middest of the earth wherefore it is manifest that it conteineth much Alume Andreas Baccius in that his famous worke of the Bathes of the whole world writeth that this iland doth counterfait Campania of which it was sometime a part not only in respect of the fertility of the soile but also for likenesse and similitude of the bathes Erythraeus vpon the 9. booke of Virgills Aeneiads doth thinke it to be called Arima of a kind of people or beasts so named and that Virgill was the first that when he translated that of Homer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Ionicke preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altering the declension and number did make the new word Inarime Yet Plinie in the 6. chapter of his 3. booke and Solinus surnamed Polyhistor are of a contrary opinion which do affirme it to be of Homer also called Inarime And as the same Pliny reporteth it was called Aenaria for the ships of Aeneas put into harborough heere Pithecusa not of the great store of Apes there found but of Coopers shops or warehouses But this opinion the same Erythraeus in the foresaid place laboureth to ouerthrow as not altogether consonant to the truth for that of tunnes made for this purpose he protesteth that he hath not read of in any authour whatsoeuer Yet Seruius in my iudgement seemeth vpon the forcited 6. of Virgils Aeneads to stand for Pliny where he saith that by Cumae there was a certaine place named Doliola that is if we should interpret it Tunnes And it is more likely that this Iland should take the name from that place with which sometime it was vnited according to the opinion of these good authours rather then of apes for I regard not the fable of Ouid of which beasts none are heere or euer were That this Iland from the beginning hath been subiect to earth-quakes flames of fire and hot waters from thence oft breaking out we are certified by Strabo and Pliny The mountaine which Strabo calleth Epomeus and Pliny Epopos now they call it S. Nicolas mount which for the same cause they report to haue burned inwardly at the bottome and being shaken with an earthquake to haue somtimes cast out great flakes of fire Heere hence arose that fable of Typhon the giant wherof you may read in Homer Virgill Silius Italicus who calleth him Iapetus Lucane and others as the same Strabo interpreteth which they fable to lie vnderneath this hill and to breath out fire and water That it is on euery side wonderfully fertile of the last writers Io. Elysius Fran. Lombardus Io. Pontanus Solenander Andreas Baccius and especially Iasolinus the authour of this
Turke draue from hence Therefore it is now inhabited by Turks and Iewes SANTORINI of the ancients called by the name of Therasia This Iland riseth by little and little euen from the shore vnto the middest vntill it become an high mountaine vpon whose toppe is placed the castle Scaro The people for the most part liue by fishing This also as the other is vnder the command of the great Turke SCIO the old writers called it Chios is all full of trees and mountaines it is watered with many small brooks Vinum aruisium they now call it Maluasia was from hence first transported into Candia This iland only breedeth the Mastiche-tree whose gumme from hence is conueied all Christendome ouer Andronicus Palaeologus the Emperour of Constantinople gaue it to the Genowaies who possessed it vntill the yeare 1465. when as Soliman by a wile gatte it from them The women of this I le are commended aboue all other for fauour and beauty Of this you may read in Laonicus his tenth booke RHODVS still retaineth the ancient name It hath a city of the same name very strong and defensible with a very large and capacious hauen It is the more famous for the Colossus of the sunne a statue or image seuentie cubites high which being broken off at the knees by an earth-quake was ouerthrown fell to the ground Certaine Egyptians as Domi. Niger reporteth in the time of Constance the Emperour passing the sea from Alexandria to Rhodus amongst other things ouerthrew this Colossus brake it in pieces and with the brasse did lade away 900. camels It was giuen by Emanuel Emp. of Constantinople vnto the knights of Ierusalem which for a long time and often did valiantly defend it against the furious assaults of the Turks vntill in the yeare 1522. when as Solyman besieging it round by sea and land they were forced to yeeld it vp and to flie into the ile Melita Of these see more in Theodoricus Adamaeus STALAMINE this the Gretians in old time called Lemnos Of it read that which we shall write in the description of Cyprus MILO former ages long since called it Melos In it is a mine of Siluer where also is found the Sardoine a pretious stone METELLINO old writers called it Lesbot It hath a city of the same name shaken and ruined by an earth-quake They are vnder the gouernment of the Turke as the other yet they retaine their old language and religion CERIGO in old time they called it Cythera SCARPANTO the ancients named it Carpathus or as Homer writeth it Crapathus whereupon the sea about this place was called Mare Carpathium It is situate almost in the mid-way between Candia and Rhodus It is in compasse forty or as others affirme fifty miles Eustathius in his commentaries vpon Homer saith that it is craggy and euery where mountainous and full of hils and was called Porphyris in old time of the great abundance of Purples a kind of fish whereof commeth the purple colour found in this sea and Tetrapolis of the foure cities in this iland From this iland sprong that prouerbe Carpathius leporem as the same Eustathius deliuereth out of Iulius Pollux It is spoken of those which do so do a thing that afterward being done they do repent them of it Because these Ilanders first brought in hares into this country and within a little while after when they perceiued how they eat and spoiled their corne they destroied them againe It hath many Hauens but those very narrow shallow and dangerous The inhabitants do speake the Greeke tongue and professe the Religion of the Greeke Church but are subiect to the iurisdiction and gouernment of the Signiory of Venice You may read more of these ilands in Bordonius and Porcacchius which in the Italian tongue haue written peculiar treatises of Ilands CANDIA INSULA ARCHIPELAGI INSVLARVM ALIQVOT DESCRIP METELLINO CERIGO SCARPANTO NICSIA SANTORINI MILO STALIMENE NEGROPONTE RODVS SCIO CYPRVS CYprus doth iustly challenge his place amongst the greater Ilands of the Mediterran sea The forme of the Iland is much longer than it is broad The Metropolitan or chiefe city is Nicosia Famagosta also is a most goodly city the Mart-towne of the whole I le and very rich in regard of the commodious hauen and great customes and toles there paid It is inferiour to no Iland that I know for it yeeldeth plenty of wine and oile it hath also sufficient corne to find it selfe Moreouer it hath had some veines of Brasse or Copper in which veines there was also found Vitrioll and Rubigo aeris the rust of brasse simples of soueraigne vertue in the practise of Physicke In it doth grow in great plenty the sweet cane canna mellis out of which they do boile Sugar It affoordeth an excellent kind of strong wine as good as that of Candy which they call Malmesey There is a kind of stuffe made there of goates haire which now we call Chamelett the Italians Zambelloto This Iland sendeth ouer diuers commodities into other countries whereof they yearely raise great profit and gaines it doth not much stand in need of any forrein commodities or merchandise The aire is not very wholesome nor healthfull The people generally do giue themselues to pleasures sports and voluptuousnesse the women are very wanton and of light behauiour The fruitfulnesse of it is so great that in old time they called it Macaria that is The Blessed Iland and the lasciuiousnesse of the nation such that vulgarly it was supposed to haue beene dedicated to Venus the Goddesse of loue It is 427. miles about and 200. long as Bordonius hath recorded The Venetians do hold it by right of inheritance and is vnder them gouerned by a Lieutenant or Praetor Diodorus Siculus in his 16. booke saith that in this iland were nine goodly cities which had their seuerall petie Kings by whom they were gouerned all notwithstanding subiect to the King of Persia Inferiour townes also were commanded by their proper Kings But that the fertility of this I le may better appeare I thinke it good to set downe that commendation of Ammianus Marcellinus which he hath left behind him of it Cyprus saith he is so fertile and aboundeth with such variety of all things that without the help of any forrein commodities only of themselues it is able to build a ship from the keel to the toppe saile and send it to the sea ridged and furnished with all things necessary whatsoeuer Sextus Rufus also hath these words of it Cyprus famous for wealth and great riches tempted the poore and needy Romanes to inuade it so that we held the possession of that iland iniustly and rather for gaine then for any right we had vnto it But this ô Rufus is not as they say mercenary commendation of the Roman valour Amongst the ancient writers Strabo Mela and other Geographers haue described this Iland Of the latter Benedictus Bordonius in his treatise of Ilands Vadianus Pius the second Pope of Rome Domin Niger
of the forenamed Maffeius who handleth them more at large with many other things of these Ilands of Iaponia Of the same there are heere and there many things in the Iesuites Epistles INDIA THat there is not a more goodly and famous country in the world nor larger comprehended vnder one and the same name than INDIA almost all writers iointly with one consent haue affirmed It was so named of the riuer Indus The whole compasse of India by the iudgement of Strabo and Pliny is thus limited vpon the West it hath the riuer Indus on the North the great mountaine Taurus on the East the Eastern sea wherein those famous Ilands the Moluccaes do lie on the South it hath the Indian sea In the middest it is diuided into two large prouinces by the goodly riuer Ganges Of which that which is on the West side of Ganges is called India intra Gangem India on this side Ganges that on the East India extra Gangem India beyond Ganges That in holy Scripture it is called EVILAT or Hauila this latter some writers call SERIA the country of the Seres as Dominicus Niger testifieth M. Paulus Venetus seemeth to diuide it into three prouinces the Greater the Lesser and the Middlemost which he saith they name Abasia This whole country generally not only for multitude of nations of which as Herodotus writeth it is most populous and best stored of any country in the world and for townes and villages almost infinite but for the great abundance of all commodities only brasse and lead excepted if one may giue credit to Pliny is most rich and fortunate It hath very many riuers and those very great and faire These running to and fro and in many places crossing and watering the same do cause it as in a moist soile where the sunne is of force to bring forth all things most plentifully It storeth all the world with Spices Pearles and Pretious stones as hauing greater plenty of these commodities than all the countries of the whole world besides There are neere vnto this country many goodly ilands which heere and there lie scattering in the maine Ocean so that it may iustly be tearmed the World of Ilands But especially IAPAN which M. Paulus Venetus calleth Zipangri situate in this sea is worth the noting which because it is not many yeares since that it was knowen to few or none I thinke it not amisse to say something of it in this place It is a very large and wide iland and hath almost the same eleuation of the Northren pole and position from the South with Italy The Ilanders and people heere inhabiting are much giuen to learning wisedome and religion and are most earnest and diligent searchers out of the truth in naturall causes They vse to pray and say seruice oft which they do in their Churches in the same maner as the Christians do They haue but one King vnto whom they are subiect and do nothing but according to his behests and lawes Yet he also hath one aboue him whom they call Voo to whom the ordering of Ecclesiasticall matters gouernment of the state of the Church is soly committed This peraduenture we may not vnfitly compare to the Pope as their King to the Emperour To their Bishop they commit the saluation and care of their soules They worship only one God protraitured with three heads yet they can shew no reason of this act They baptize their infants by fasting in token of penance they labour to bring downe their bodies They crosse and blesse themselues with the signe of the crosse against the assault of Satan so that in religion certaine ceremonies and maner of liuing they seeme to imitate the Christians yet notwithstanding the order of the Iesuites labour by all meanes possibly they can not refusing any paines and trauell to reduce them wholly to Christianity Heere are also the MOLVCCAE certaine ilands famous for the abundance of spices which they yearly yeeld and send into all quarters of the world In these is bred the Manucodiatta a little bird which we call the bird of Paradise a strange fowle no where els euer seen More neere the coast of India is SVMATRA or rather Samotra for so the King himselfe of that country writeth it in his letters vnto his Maiesty this Iland was knowen to the ancient Geographers and Historians by the name of TAPROBANA There are also diuers other Ilands heereabout of great estimation and fame as Iaua Maior Iaua Minor Borneo Timor c. as thou maist see in the Mappe but we cannot in this place speake of euery thing particularly and to the full Thus farre the religion of Mahomet is professed and from Barbary ouer against Spaine euen vnto this place is the Arabicke language spoken or vnderstood The Moores from Marrocco Ambassadours to our late Queene some fiue yeares since we saw and heard them speake that tongue naturally in which also their commission or letters patents were written From Achem in Samotra and Bantam in Iaua Maior our Merchants this other day brought letters vnto his Highnesse so fairely and curiously written in that character and language as no man will scarcely beleeue but he that hath seen them especially from so barbarous and rude a Nation Of the ancient writers Diodorus Siculus Herodotus Pliny Strabo Quintus Curtius and Arrianus in the life of Alexander haue described the Indies So hath Apuleius also in the first booke of his Floridorum Dion Prusaeus in his 35. oration hath written much of this country but very fabulously There is also extant an Epistle of Alexander the Great written to Aristotle of the situation of India Of the latter writers Ludouicus Vartomannus Maximilianus Transsiluanus Iohannes Barrius in his Decades of Asia and Cosmas Indopleutes whom Petrus Gyllius doth cite haue done the same But see the Iesuites Epistles where thou shalt find many things making much for the discouery of the I le Iapan But if thou desire a full and absolute description of the same I would wish thee to haue recourse vnto the twelfth booke of Maffeius his Indian history Iohn Macer a Ciuillian hath also written bookes of the history of India in which he hath much of the ile Iaua Moreouer Castagnedo a Spaniard hath written in the Spanish tongue a discourse of the Indies Of the ilands which lie scattering heere and there in this ocean read the twentieth booke of the second Tome of Gonsaluo Ouetani written in like maner in the Spanish tongue INDIAE ORIENTALIS INSVLARVMQVE ADIACIENTIVM TYPVS Cum Priuilegio The kingdome of PERSIA OR The Empire of the SOPHIES THe Empire of the Persians as it hath alwaies in former ages been most famous so at this day still it is very renowmed knowen farre and neere and conteineth many large and goodly prouinces For all that whole tract of Asia comprehended between the great riuer Tigris the Persian gulfe the Indian which of old writers was called mare Rubrum the Red sea the riuers
ditch wall or rampart Yet it is apparant out of the description of this prouince done by Iohn Leo Africanus that there be diuers other cities beside these although they be not very strong For in his eighth booke of the description of Africke he reckoneth vp thirty and two beside certaine other villages which he describeth according to their name and situation Of Egypt thou maist read in the description of the Holy Land set forth by Brocard toward the latter end of the same as also in Bellonius Obseruations Guillandine and Niger Of Nilus read Goropius and Nugarola beside that which ancient writers haue written of it which thou shalt see in our Mappe of old Egypt The Hauen of CARTHAGE IT is not our purpose to describe CARTHAGE that famous city and next after Rome the only glory of the world which so long bearded the Romanes and stood out against all forren subiection but because we saw this his Bay to be set out in Italy in this forme I thought it would be a thing wel-pleasing the learned student of Geography to ioine the same also to this our worke together with this discourse of Paulus Iouius written of the same Such is the forme of the Bay of Carthage that the entrance into it is not to be descried by such as saile thitherward from the maine sea for that the cape Clupea called of old writers Mercuries Foreland or Fairenesse stretcheth out it selfe farre into the West and againe winding it selfe and bending inward maketh another cape sometimes called Apolloes Foreland now the sailours call it Zafranio From thence vnto the straits of Goletto it is redoubled in maner of an halfe moone and at the left hand of the city Rada Raba the chart hath famous for hot bathes of soueraigne vertue it leaueth the country Ouer against which are to be seene the ruines of old Carthage and the place where it stood Thus farre Iouius But the places neere adioining are described more particularly in Iohn Leo Africanus NATOLIAE QVAE OLIM ASIA MINOR NOVA DESCRIPTIO AEGYPTI RE CENTIOR DE SCRIPTIO CARTHAGINIS CELEBERRIMY SINVS TYPVS ETHIOPIA or ALHABAS The country of ABYSSINES or The Empire of PRESTER IOHN THe same whom we in Europe call Presbyter Iohn or Priest Iohn the Moores call ATICI ABASSI themselus that is the Abyssines or Ethiopians ACEGVE and NEGVZ that is Emperour and King for his proper name is arbitrarily giuen him as heere we vse in Europe at the discretion of the parents It seemeth also that at his coronation he changeth his name like as the Popes of Rome vse at this day to do and together with his crowne to take vnto him another proper appellation for he which in our remembrance possessed the throne and made a league of amity with the King of Portugall was called before his coronation Atani Tingal but after he had taken vpon him the Emperiall diademe he was named Dauid This Prester Iohn out of doubt in this our age is one of the greatest Monarches of the World whose kingdome lying between the two Tropickes reacheth from the Red-sea almost vnto the Ethiopian ocean and that we may somewhat more precisely set downe the bounds of this Empire for as much as we can gather out of the surueihgs of the same made and set forth by some learned men of our time it hath vpon the North Egypt which now is vnder the command of the Turke on the east it abutteth vpon the Red sea and Barbaricum sinum Pliny calleth it Troglodyticum sinum others Asperum mare the rough sea the seamen at this day vulgarly Golfo de Melinde on the South it is strongly by nature fensed and enclosed by Montes Lunae the mountaines of the Moone on the West it is confined by the kingdome of Nubia and the riuer Nilus These bounds do seeme to containe that prouince which old writers called Ethiopia beneath Egypt together with Troglodytis Cinnamomifera regio the country where in those daies Cinnamon grew most plentifull with part of the inner Libya These countries now are diuided into many smaller prouinces and are called by diuers and sundrie names as thou maist see in the Mappe These countrie people are at this day generally of all our moderne Historiographers called ABYSSINI or as themselues with the Arabians round about them pronounce the word Hhabas and with Al the Arabicke article or pronoune prefixed Alhabas as Beniamin reporteth and Abexim as Garcias ab Horto affirmeth all which wordes indeed originally are the same and do only differ either in sound or maner of writing for the Eastern Hheth a letter I meane proper to those nations and barbarous to vs borne in Europe the West part of the World is diuerslly expressed by diuers as they do well know which know ought in the Hebrew Arabicke Syrian and Ethiopicke languages sometimes by our single h sometime by the double hh otherwise by ch others do wholly omit it as not finding any letter in that language in which they write that is of that nature and power whereby they may truly expresse the same Again the last letter of the same word which the Hebrewes and Arabians call Schin is sometime expressed by sh sometime by ss or by the Spanish x which they sound almost like our sh and sometimes by s or z. For thus I find the word written often in the holy Scriptures translated into Arabicke and Habashi and Alhabassi Psalm 68.32 and 74.14 Item in Gen. 2.13 where Ardzi ' lhabas the land of Ethiopia is the same that Auicenna in the 283. chapter of the second tract of his second booke calleth B'ledi'lhhabashah the country of the Abyssines or as our fathers named it India Occidentalis the West Indies the interpetour Gerardus Cremonensis hath Terras alhabes Bellunensis hath Terras Indiae minoris the countries of the Abyssines or of the lesser India Heere also it is worth the obseruing that this word out of all doubt had his originall from the Hebrew שוכ Cush whereby they did long since call this nation and people as it is apparant out of Gen. 10.5 and 2.13 by the iudgement of all Interpreters Grammarians and Iewish Rabbines For the Hebrew ו or vaw which indeed and in his owne nature is the same with our w is pronounced of some nations in some cases like the Germane v or v consonant as they call it somewhat like the sound of b altogether the same with that pronunciation of the Hebrew Beth when it followeth a vowell as the modern Grammarians and Iewish Rabbines do now teach According to which custome it is not vnlikely but that this word שוכ which the Iewes sounded Cush some other nations might pronounce and vowell thus שוח chauash chabaas habas or Abyssi And indeed the Asians generally and they themselues as Ortelius citeth out of Iosephus do call themselues Chusaeos and as he reporteth from the relation of the reuerend B. Arias Montanus Hispalensis they are euen to this day of
length being released for a long time preacheth the Gospell in Rome and other places of Italy v. 31.32 Some there are that thinke that after his enlargement he went also into Spaine and France and planted the Gospell amongst those Nations Lastly he was againe apprehended by Nero and at Rome put to death by him in the last yeare of his raigne which was the 70. yeare after the birth of Christ The PEREGRINATION of ABRAHAM the Patriarke ABraham the first Patriarke whom Iesus the sonne of Syrach chapter 44. v. 19. calleth a Great man and Admirable for glory and honour the sonne of Thare was borne as Iosephus writeth in the 292. yeare after the vniuersall floud in V R a city of the Chaldees otherwise called Camarine as Eusebius witnesseth it may be it is the same that Ptolemey calleth Vrchoa He goeth forth of his country and natiue soile at the commandement of God when he was as Suidas teacheth but foureteen yeares old into CHARRAN which S. Stephen in that oration which he made to the Iewes Act. 7.2 3.4 as also Achior in the story of Iudith chapter 5. v. 7. in his speech to Holofernes and likewise the 72. interpretours do expound to be Mesopotamia Iosephus taketh it for a city That this place was Carrae famous for the great ouerthrow heere giuen to the Romane forces led by Crassus against the Parthians although there be some which are of that opinion yet I dare not wholly yeeld vnto them only I leaue it to the learned to determine Hauing staid a while in this country of Mesopotamia his father being dead there as the same Suidas reporteth from thence he goeth with Sarai his wife Lot his brothers sonne and all his family and the soules or liuing creatures that he had gotten in Charran toward the land of Chanaan Gen. 12.5 And if you will beleeue Nicolaus Damascenus in Iosephus he dwelt sometime neere Damasco where in his daies he saith there was to be seen a street which they vulgarly called Abrahams house When he came from thence into SICHEM at the plaine of MOREH a place which diuers interpreters diuersly interpret some the Oke Moreh others the Oke-groue of Moreh Zozomene writeth that in his time it was called Terebinthus the Terebinth or Turpentine tree Gen. 12.6 God appeared vnto him and promised to giue to him and to his seed that land for an inheritance for euer therefore in this place he built an altar to the Lord which heere appeared vnto him v. 7. From thence remouing vnto a mountaine Eastward from Bethel he pitched his tent hauing Bethel on the Westside and Haai on the East and there also he built an altar vnto the Lord and calleth vpon the name of the Lord v. 8. thence he remooueth and goeth on toward the South v. 9. But a great famine arising in that land and euerie day growing still more grieuous than other he goeth downe into EGYPT to soiourne there v. 10. And comming thither with his wife a very faire and beautifull woman v. 11. whom he called by the name of his sister v. 13. Pharao the king of Aegypt fell in loue with her and tooke her into his house v. 15. and for her sake intreated Abram extraordinarily well and bestowed great gifts vpon him v. 16. who also was there as Iosephus affirmeth for his eloquence wisedome and great experience in all things had in great estimation amongst the Aegyptians But when the Lord punished Pharao and all his family with many great and greeuous plagues for Sara Abrams wiues sake v. 17. he debated the matter with him and examined him what his reason was to giue out speech that she was his sister and that he had not told him that she was his wife v. 18. and so he restored her to her husband againe v. 19. and gaue commandement that he his wife and all that he had should be conueighed out of the land v. 20. Therefore Abram goeth vp backe againe to Bethel chapter 13.3 into that place where formerly he had built an altar and there he called vpon the name of the Lord v. 4. After this returne Abram and Loth who had alwaies accompanied him grew exceeding wealthy and rich in sheep cattell tents and familie v. 5. that the land could not conteine them both neither might they dwell together v. 6. Besides that their heard-men sheep-heards and seruants could not agree v. 7. Therefore they consent to diuide the land between them v. 9. Loth he chose the plaine of Iordane a champion country well watered euery where with that goodly riuer diuers smaller brookes lakes wels and poolles a tract of ground for pleasantnesse and fertility like vnto Paradise and Aegypt In this place then stood Sodome Gomorrha and those other cities which as yet the Lord had not destroied v. 10. In these cities Loth dwelt euen vp as high as Sodome but Abram he abode still in the land of Chanaan v. 12. Thus they being parted the Lord appeared vnto Abram and shewed him all the country round about Northward and Southward Eastward and Westward as farre as he could see v. 14. all which he promised to giue to him and to his seed for euer v. 15. From thence he remoued and came to dwell in the plaine of Mambre The Septuagint interpretours haue translated it The oke of Mambre quercum Mambre Iosephus hath the Oke Ogyn Euagrius writeth that in his time the place was called Terebinthus the Turpentine tree of the Turpentine tree as I suppose that stood six furlongs off as we read in Iosephus and which Eusebius Pamphilus saith stood still in that place euen in his time This place was not farre from HEBRON or as some write it Chebron v. 18. Heere Abram hearing of the newes of Lots captiuity with his whole familie and goods and substance whatsoeuer taken by the kings of the Nations when they sacked and spoiled Sodom for Lot dwelled at Sodome chapter 14.11.12 he armed 308. slaues or bond-seruants bred and borne in his owne house and with all possible speed maketh out after the enemy v. 14. following them euen as high as DAN and CHOBA Saint Hierome calleth it Hoba and Iosephus Soba v. 15. rescueth his nephew recouereth all his goods and booty that they had taken and bringeth them backe againe with the women and all the people v. 16. Being come home from the slaughter of Chodorlaomer and the rest of the kings which were with him at the VALLEY OF SAVE the Kings dale as Saint Hierome doth call it or the Kings field as Iosephus nameth it the King of Sodome meeteth him v. 17. together with Melchisedech King and Priest of Salem or Ierusalem who bringing forth bread and wine entertained him most kindly v. 18. blessing him and wishing all good fortunes vnto him v. 19. to whom Abram gaue tith of all that he had v. 20. These things being thus performed God appeareth vnto him againe chapter 15.1 and promiseth him an heire of his owne seed v. 4.
absolute height and greatnesse The people of this city from the first infancy euen vnto the last of childhood which was limited almost within the compasse of three hundred yeares abode the bitter assaults and warres of their neighbours round about them then hauing growen to a striplings age and past the rodde after many outragious furies of Mars it passed the Alpes and narrow sea Being come to mans estate and best yeares from all quarters of the wide world it brought away the laurell the signe of conquest and triumph but now being old and beginning to dote and sometime only bearing the name of conquerour rather than winning ought indeed it hath betaken it selfe to a more quiet kind of life Therefore this city reuerend for so many glorious conquests of stout and fierce nations and for so many good and wholesome lawes which it hath enacted hath now at last like a kind and thrifty father both wise and wealthy committed her patrimony and possessions to the Emperours as vnto her naturall sonnes to be ruled and gouerned And lately although the tribes and wardes be idle the hundreds and wapentakes still and quiet and there be no dissensions in the Senate house but that the more secure and calmer times such as Numa Pompilius liued in were come againe yet in all parts of the world wheresoeuer it is regarded as a Mistresse and Queen in all places the reuerend gray haires of the graue Senatours euery where the very name of the Roman Nation is greatly esteemed and honourable Thus farre Ammianus Moreouer this you shall find in Sulpiciaes Satyricke poeme Two things there are which raised great Rome to that height valour in warre and wisdome in peace As this Romane Empire in the iudgement of all men was esteemed very great and large so also indeed it was especially if you shall compare it with those which haue been in former ages as that of the Assyrians Persians and Grecians Item with those which since their fall haue sprong vp in their places as namely that of the Othomans amongst the Turkes the Sophies amongst the Persians of the great Cham ouer the Tartars in Asia and of Prester Iohn as we call him ouer the Aethiopians or Abyssines in Africa But if you shall compare it with that Monarchy which Charles the fifth Emperour of Rome within the memorie of our fathers established in diuers parts of the world and Philip his sonne in our age hath enlarged and shall by looking into an vniuersall mappe of the Earthly globe conferre and measure the greatnesse of this with those others by the eie you shall plainly and truly discerne that this for largenesse may not only be preferred farre before all those other forenamed but also euen before that of the Romanes The kingdome of the Portugals after that by diuers nauigations they had subdued vnder their obedience the marine tracts and sea coasts of East India together with the ilands there about if it did reach and were extended vp as farre within the land as it commandeth about the shore it might doubtlesse be accounted none of the least Empires Seeing now therefore that this also at this day is vnder the obedience of the said K. Philip who doth not see that this Empire is the greatest that euer was in the world Of the Empire of Rome as it stood in his daies Tertullian in his booke De Pallio speaketh thus honourably Reuera Orbis cultissimum huius Imperij rus est that is In very deed the whole world is nothing else but a farme well stocked and stored belonging to this Empire Lastly Ouid in his second booke De Fastis thus writeth of it Gentibus est aliis tellus data limite certo Romanae spacium est vrbis Orbis idem All other nations in the Earth their certaine bounds may name The compasse of the World and Rome they only are the same ROMANI IMPERII IMAGO Originis Incrementi et Culminis Imperij Romani breuis enumeratio Primo sub Regibus septem Romulo Seruio etc. per annos ducentos tres supra quadraginta non amplius quam vsque Portum atque Hostiam intra decimum octanum miliariū Romanum processit Imperium Sub Consulib verò inter quos interdum Dictatores et Decemuiri ac Tribuni militares fuerunt per annos quadringentos septem supra quadraginta vsque trās Padum Italia est capta Africa Hispaniaeque subactae Gallia et Britannia tributarie sunt factae Illyrici Histri Liburni Dalmatae sunt domiti ad Achaiam transitum est Macedones expugnati cum Dardanis Moesis et Thracibus est bellarum ad Danubium est peruentum ac in Asia pulso Antiocho primum pedem posuerunt Romani Mithridate victo regnum Ponti est captum cum Armenia minori quam idem tenuerat in Mesopotamiam progressum est cum Partbis foedus initum contra Carduenos Saracenoe ac Arabas pugnatum Judaea omnis victa Cilicia et Sÿria in potestatem redacta ac tandem in Aegÿptum peruentum Sub Imperatoribus autem a Diuo Augusto nempe ad Theodosij superioris et Honorij ac Arcadij eius filiorum tempora per annos quadringentos quadraginta Cantabri Astures totaque Hispania sub iugum missa est Alpes maritimae Cocciaeque et Rhetiae Noricum Pannoniae et Moesiae Imperio accesserunt Omnis ora Danubij in Prouincias est redacta Pontus omnis et Armenia maior Mesopotamia Assÿria Arabia Aegÿptus in Imperij Romani iuna concesserunt Atque hoc modo his Principibus viris populi Romani virtute ac immortali eorū gloria hoc Augustissimū Imperium ad summū fastigium perductum fuit Cuius limites fuere ad Occidentē Oceanus à Septentrione Rhenus et Danubius ab Oriente Tigris à Meridie Atlas mons quae omnia in hac tabula ob oculos historiae candidatis ponuntur Ex Liuio Dionÿsio Plutarcho hanc genealogiam septem Regum desumpsimus atque huic tabulae in historiae Romanae studiosorum gratiam adiecimus In qua maxima linea est Regum mediocres sunt coniugum mintinae verò filiorum filiarumque Circuli duplicibus circumferentijs descripti masculos denotant simplicibus autem foeminas Diuina mens ciuitatem populi Romani egregia temperataque regione collocauit uti Orbis terrarum imperio potiretur Vitruuius lib. 8. Cum Gratia et Priuilegio EVROPE IN the diuision of the world diuers haue placed Africa in the third part some few haue made no more but Asia and Europe only and Africa they make a part of Europe saith Salustius This is that which S. Paulinus in Antonius out o the opinion of the same Salust thus writeth of Europam Asiamquè duo vel maxima terrae Membra quibus Lybiam dubiè Sallustius addit Europae admixtam postit quum tertia dici Europe and Asia vast the Earthly globe between them share Yet whether Africke should a part of this our Europe be or make a
tooke the name and was so called or who first gaue it that name I thinke saith Herodotius there is no man vnder heauen doth certainly know or can vpon any probalibity gesse except one should thinke it so called of Europa Tyria But wherefore it should so of her be named I am wholly ignorant and I perswade my selfe and do verily beleeue that no man in the world doth truly know For that she as we read in the fabulous stories of the poets was violently taken out of Phoenicia a country of Asia and caried from thence into Cyprus or as others write into the iland Creta Candy all men do know well enough where as Eusebius his Chronicle doth witnesse being taken of Asterius king of Creta to wife she bare him Minoes Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon from whence she went not into Europe but into Asia as Herodotus hath left recorded But what is that to Europe this part of the world One might easilier beleeue it to haue been so named of Europus who as Trogus Pompeius witnesseth sometime in these parts possessed a large kingdome which also I do see to be auouched by Eustathius vpon Lycophron who maketh this Europus to be the sonne of one Himerus Pausanias saith that one Europa was king of Sicyonia a prouince of Peleponnesus in Greece to him Eusebius in his Chronicle doth ascribe who maketh him equall to the Patriarke Abraham to haue liued aboue 3550. yeares since about 1950. yeares before the birth of Christ There be some as Festus writeth that thinke it so named of the beautifulnesse and excellency of the country These we are sure are fabulous or vncertaine may we not therefore as they haue formed of Phrat Euphrates and of Koft Aegyptus as we haue shewed before thinke that of Riphath the sonne of Gomer Iapheths sonne to whom this part of the world was presently after the confusion at Babel assigned they haue likewise formed Europa And surely the name Riphath doth very manifestly shew it selfe in Riphaeis montibus the Riphean hils item in Riphaeo fluuio now called the riuer Oby in Ripe a city of Peloponnesus in Rhiphataeis the people of Paphlagonia as Iosephus writeth Ptolemey in the second booke of his Quadripartite in my opinion much more truly writeth that it was sometime called by a common name CELTICA namely of a principall Nation that first did inhabite it For there is almost no prouince in all this part in which in time past the CELTAE did not inhabit For in Spaine toward the West and beyond Hercules pillars are the Celtae as Herodotus affirmeth Item about the riuer Baetis as Strabo auoucheth the Ciltica Praesamarci are in the prouince of Lucensis and others otherwise named Nerij as Pliny saith Dion and Xiphilinus do shew that the Cantabri and Astares are the same with the Celtae Pliny nameth the city Celtica in the prouince Hispalensis Antonius hath the Celti item Celticum promontorium is the same that Cantabrum promontorium which now is called Cabo de finis terre What Geographer or Historian is he amongst the ancients that hath not made mention of the Celtebri In France were the Celtae and Celtogalatae and from thence are those in Britaine For that this iland was first peopled from hence lying so neere ouer against it it is a common opinion and very probable That the Gauls Germanes were vulgarly called Celtae all Historiographers do iointly agree and indeed Dion doth affirme that the Celtae did dwell vpon either side of the riuer Rhein the Celtae dwelt in Gallia Cisalpina Lombardy or Italy as Appianus writeth And againe vpon the Ionian sea that is the Hadriaticke which also Strabo doth auerre Silius Italicus placeth them about the riuer Eridianus Po In Epirus sometime dwelled the Celtae as Antonius Liberalis hath giuen out Stephanus placeth the same about the mount Haemus Arrianus neere the mouth of the riuer Donaw as also Strabo in Moesia The same authour writeth that the Celtae are intermedled with the Illyrij and Thraces Who also placeth them vpon the riuer Borysthenes Moreouer Aristotle in his booke De mundo ioineth the Celtae with the Scythians Heere hence the same Strabo and Plutarch do make their Celtoscythae In Plutarch in the life of Camillus I read that the Galatae which he maketh to haue come of the stocke of the Celtae passing the Northren sea came vnto the Riphaean mountaines Againe out of the forenamed Strabo I learne that the Nations dwelling Northward were in his time called Caltae The which also their ancient language which is called the Celticke or Germane tongue doth at this day sufficiently demonstrate which is the same only differing a little in dialect with that which is vsed in the ilands neere adioining to these places as in Island Groenland Friesland and others in this ocean Plutarke in Marius writeth that Celtica doth begin at the outmost sea that is the Atlanticke sea and so stretcheth it selfe out farre into the North and from thence vnto the fenne Maeoris Mare delle Zabacche Pomponius Mela calleth the Cassiterides which in another place we haue proued to belong to great Britaine or to be of the number of those which are named Brittanicae Celticke Ilands What is this else I pray you than plainly to affirme that THE CELTAE DO POSSESSE ALL EVROPE Which indeed is that which Ephorus in Strabo did see so many yeares since when as he diuiding all the world into 4. quarters saith that That part which is toward the East is inhabited of the Indians that which is in the South of the Aethiopians the North parts of the Scythians and the West of the Celtae The scholiast of Appollonius nameth the Hadriaticke sea Mare Celticum the Celticke sea And Lycophron describeth Celtos a certaine poole about the mouth of the riuer Ister Item he placeth Leuce an iland of Mar maiore Pontus Euxinus ouer against the mouth of the riuer Donaw May we not therefore properly as they call those that inhabit Asia Asians and those which dwell in Africa Africanes call these which dwell in Celtica Celtickes He that out of all ancient stories penned either in Latine or Greeke doth not know that the Celtae are the Germanes let him haue recourse to the 22. chapter of Hadrianus Iunius his Batauia and I doubt not but hauing throughly waied those many sound arguments and sufficient testimonies of ancient graue writers shall rest satisfied and sweare to our opinion If not let him listen to the Dutchmen and he shall heare them call one another in their familiar communication Kelt The French also or Gauls I call a German nation And I can proue by good arguments if it were a matter pertaining to this our purpose that the Germane or Dutch tongue is the ancient language of the Celtae and to be the same which hitherto they haue vsed in all places and now is spoken except in some places where the power of the Romanes so preuailed that they banished this and seated theirs in the roome It
mention of the Latinienses a nation of this prouince but extinct something before his time as he there addeth These were called Prisci as Halicarnasseus and Festus doe testifie Of the nature of this countrey Strabo in the fifth booke of his Geography writeth thus All Latium sayth he generally is a very good soile and fertile of all maner of things except only some certeine places neere the sea coast which are morish and very vnhealthfull as namely the fields about Ardea and whatsoeuer is betweene Lauinium and Antium euen as farre as Pometia with some places about Setia and others neere Tarracina and Circeium beside all those fields that are stony and mountainous although euen these grounds are not altogether idle and vnfruitfull all of them hauing either some good pastures and large woods or doe yeeld great abundance of fenny and mountainous commodities Caecubum a place in this fenne doth yeeld a kinde of vine which groweth vp in height like a tree whose wine is counted to be the best of all Italy Heare also what Theophrastus writeth of this prouince in the fift booke of his history of Plants at the ninth chapter of the same booke Latinus ager the countrey of Latium sayth he hath great plenty of water The champion plaines haue great store of laurell and myrtle trees item they yeeld a wonderfull kinde of beech scissima he calleth it or oxea as others terme it of that maruellous length that one tree may serue for a whole keele for such kinde of ships as they commonly vse in Etruria The hilly and mountainous places doe beare the pine and firre trees Pliny doth highly commend the wines of Latium Latiniensia vina The same authour affirmeth that their chiefe meat was far that is a kinde of bearded or redde wheat and withall testifieth that it is certaine that the Romans for a long time together liued with puls by which they vnderstand all maner of corne beside wheat and barley not with bread How populous this countrey was how many cities and people it conteined the same authour doth teach vs where he writeth that in Old Latium only three and fiftie nations are vtterly decayed and extinct without any mention at all remaining of their names Item that Pomptina palus the fen Pontina now called Aufente palude a part also of this countrey had in former times in it three and twentie cities Of all the cities of Latium in olde time Alba longa was the chiefe and metropolitan but afterward Rome which grew to that greatnesse and power that it was not only the head of this prouince but also euen of the whole world beside Whos 's other name because it is held an vnlawfull thing to speake that which is concealed and enrowled in ceremonious mysteries I will not vtter lest with Valerius Soranus I be worthily punished for the same Yet the syrnames epithets and commendable titles where with it was graced and set out by the best writers of all nations if I shall here reckon vp I hope there is no man that is an indifferent Iudge that will blame me It is called and intituled a citie AEQVAEVA POLO As ancient as the heauens of Claudian AETERNA Immortall of Ammianus Tibullus Ausonius and marble inscriptions ALTA Stately by Virgil ALTRIX IMPERII The Nurse of the empire by Corippus ALTRIX ORBIS The Nurse of the world of Rutilius ANTIQVA The ancient by Prudentius and Corippus ARX OMNIVM GENTIVM The fortresse or bulwarke of all nations by Nazarius ARX TERRARVM The bulwarke of all lands by Symmachus AVGVSTA The imperiall by Corippus AVREA The golden by Ausonius and Prudentius BEATA NOBILIBVS POPVLIS Most happy for honourable people of Cassiodorus BELLATRIX The warlike by Ouid Claudian and Sidonius CAPVT GENTIVM The head of all nations by Martianus CAPVT IMMENSI ORBIS The head of the huge globe of the whole world by Ouid CAPVT MVNDI The head of the world by Cassiodorus and Sidonius CAPVT ORBIS The head of the earthly globe by Pliny Ouid Trogus Gratius Fortunatus Aethicus and Prudentius CAPVT RERVM The head of all things by Liuy Ouid Ausonius and Tacitus CAELESTIS The heauenly by Athenaeus CELEBERRIMA The most famous by Statius CELSA The lofty by Prudentius CLARISSIMA The most bright by Stephanus DARDANIA Of Dardanus by Ouid and Silius Italicus DEA The goddesse in coines DEA GENTIVM The goddesse of all nations and DEA TERRARVM The goddesse of all lands by Martiall DESIDERABILIS That all men wish to see by Eustathius and Dionysius Afer DEVM LOCVS The seat and place of gods by Ouid DICNITATVM CVRIA The court of dignities and honour by Sidonius DITISSIMA The most rich by Prudentius DOMINA The mistresse by Ouid Arnobius Horace and Nemesianus DOMINA GENTIVM The lady mistresse of all nations by Eumenius DOMINA RERVM The mistresse of all things by Appianus Eunapius and Ausonius DOMINA TERRARVM The lady mistresse of all lands by Ammianus DOMINA TERRAE MARISQVE The lady mistresse of sea and land by Halicarnasseus DOMINA TOTIVS MVNDI The lady mistresse of all the whole world of Aethicus DOMINA VNIVERSORVM The lady of all things by Halicarnasseus DOMINANS The swey-bearing city by Silius Italicus DOMVS AVREA The golden palace by Ausonius DOMVS DIVVM The palace of the gods by Ausonius DOMVS MAGNA REGVM The goodly palace of kings by Eustathius and Dionysius Afer DOMVS QVIRINI Quirinus palace by Ausonius ELOQVENTIAE FOECVNDA MATER A fruitfull mother of eloquence by Castiodore EXCELSA The lofty by Lucane FELIX The blessed by Propertius Cassiodor and a certeine ancient marble inscription FEROX The fierce by Horace FVTVRA by Rutilius GENETRIX HOMINVM ET DEORVM The mother of men and gods by Rutilius GENITRIX REGVM The mother of kines by Priscian GYMNASIVM LITERARVM A schoole of good learning and liberall sciences by Sidonius IMMENSA The exceeding great city by Statius IMPERII LAR by Ammianus IMPERII LATIALE CAPVT by Statius IMPERII DEVMQVE LOCVS The natiue countrey of emperours and of gods by Ouid INCLYTA The renowmed by Virgil Ennius and Ausonius INVICTA The inuincible in some old coines LAETA The fortunate by Ouid LATII PARENS The mother of Latium by Ausonius LEGVM DOMICILIVM The mansion place of all good lawes and iustice by Sidonius LEGVM PATRIA The natiue soile where all good lawes are bred and borne by Iustinian in his Code LIBERTATIS PARENS The mother of liberty LATIVM Ex Conatibus Geographicis Abrah Ortelij Antverp MONS CIRCAEVS AD VIVVM DELINEATVS AB ANGELO BREVENTANO VIRO NOBILI ET HISTORICO ILLVSTRI MARCO VELSERO PATRICIO AVGVSTANO ABRAHAMVS ORTELIVS DEDICABAT L.M. Cum privilegio decennali Imp. Reg. et Brabantiae 1595. by Corippus LVX ORBIS TERRARVM The light of the whole earth by Tully MAGNA The great by Virgil Horace Calpurnius Siculus Nonn Marcelunus On d and Claudian MARTIA The martiall by Ouid and Ausonius MARTIGENA Begotten by Mars the god of battell by Silius Italicus MARTIS
Africa are generally or indefinitly named these seuerall prouinces of those greater parts are only to be vnderstood The bounds of this prouince of Africa on the West are the riuer Ampsaga and the Mauritania's the countries of the Moores their next neighbours on the North lieth the Midland sea Arae Philenorum a village betweene it and Cyrenaica is the vttermost bound of it Eastward the Inner Libya and the deserts of the same do confine it vpon the South This countrey was otherwise sometime called ZEVGIS and ZEVGITANA It comprehendeth within this compasse these three shires NVMIDIA named of some MASSYLIA BYZACIVM and TRIPOLITANA Diodorus Siculus diuideth this prouince into foure nations the Poeni Libophoenices Libyi and the Numidae At such time as the Romans bore a sway here and Scipio Aemilianus commanded their legions in these parts this Africa was diuided into two prouinces that neere Carthage they called OLDE AFRICA that which conteined Numidia NEW AFRICA as Pliny Appian and Dion do ioyntly testifie Numidia and Byzacium were vnder the command of the Consuls that wherein Carthage stood belonged to the iurisdiction of the Proconsuls as Sextus Rufus reporteth And this diuision they made as Pliny writeth by a certaine ditch drawen betweene them In the first booke of Iustinians Code and in the seuen and twentieh title of the same thou shalt finde another maner of diuision of this countrey and a farre other maner of gouernment of it by Presidents and Lieutenants Numidia beside the great store of Marble there found called by the name of Numidian marble and the maruellous plenty of Deere and wilde beasts which it yeeldeth hath nothing worth the remembrance as Pliny affirmeth Liuy Pliny and Solinus do giue it the praise for the best horsmen for seruice in the warres of any countrey whatsoeuer They doe as highly commend the fat soile of Byzacium which is such that it yeeldeth an hundred for one yea it hath beene knowen that one bushell of wheat being sowen hath yeelded at haruest the increase of an hundred and fifty bushels againe The Lieutenant of this place sent from thence vnto Augustus Caesar Emperour of Rome forty eares of corne sprung and growen vp from one root and one graine as was probable Item there were sent likewise to Nero from thence three hundred and forty stalks with eares of corne come vp of one and the some graine To this also may be adioyned the goodnesse of the soile which is such as Columella reporteth of it that the husbandman after he hath layd his seed in the ground from seed-time to haruest neuer looketh to his fields nor once medleth with it more for that searse any weed or other such thing which vsually hindereth the growth of corne doth here come vp of it owne accord except it be either set or sowen by hand Halicarnasseus also maketh mention of this great fertility of Africa But Titus the Emperor of Rome in one word doth sufficiently declare the woonderfully fruitfulnesse and plenty of all things here in an Oration of his written vnto the seditious and mutinous Iewes where he nameth it Altricem orbis terrarum The nourse of all nations of the world Yea and Saluianus in his seuenth booke termeth it Animam Reipublicae Romanae The soule of the Romane Common-wealth or politicke body there where thou mayst reade many other things worth the obseruation of the riches command and power of this countrey Herodian maketh it a country very fertile of men Polybius on the other side doth as much commend it for the great abundance of cattell and all sorts of liuing creatures that it breedeth So that for multitude of Horses Oxen Sheepe and Goats it doth farre surpasse almost all the rest of the world beside And that which is most woonderfull of all other it is no strange thing here as Columella out of Dionysius Mago and Marcus Varro telleth vs to see Mules to breed and bring forth yoong so that the inhabitants do as oft see the foales of Mules there as we do of Mares here The same authour in the first chapter of his fourth booke sayth that the people are very ingenious and witty Hirtius calleth it Gentem insidiosam A treacherous nation Maternus nameth it Gentem subdolam A wily and crafty people so that Vlgetius doubted not to say That for wiles and wealth the Romans were alwayes inferiour to the Africans Iuuenal the Poet termeth it Causidicorum nutâ—iculam The nurse of prating petifoggers Athenaeus recounteth the Carthaginians amongst those nations which delight much in quassing and carowsing and vse to be often drunke Saluianus in his seuenth booke De Prouidentia sayth that they are generally so inhumane such drunkards so deceitfull fraudulent couetous treacherous disloyall leud lecherous and vnchaste that he that is not such an one he surely is no Africane Lastly there is as he there addeth no maner of wickednesse or villany that they are not giuen vnto All histories do make mention of the vnfaithfulnesse and false-heartednesse of this nation which indeed is such and they for the same so greatly noted and famous that they grew for it into a common by-word among all such nations as had any conuersation or ought to do with them And thus much of this Africa a land as the Poets terme it most rich for triumphs the fortresse or castle as Cicero calleth it of all Prouinces belonging to the Romane Empire The Ilands neere adioyning and belonging to this country more famous and of better note are Melita Menyx Cosura and Cercina beside some other lesser ones and of lesse account of which as also the people riuers mountaines townes and cities see this our Table That Sardinia that goodly iland which lieth ouer against Genua did sometime belong to this Africa Iustinian doth testifie in the seuen and twentieth Title of the first booke of his Code But of CARTHAGE the chiefe and metropolitane citie of this prouince although Salust sayth it is better farre to say nothing at all of it than to speake little yet notwithstanding I thinke it not amisse to adde somewhat of that also in this place This city of the Latines was called CARTHAGO of the Greeks CHARCHEDON Solinus Polyhistor reporteth that it was first called CARTHADA which word sayth he in the Phoenician tongue of neere affinity to the Hebrew and Arabicke signifieth Ciuitatem nouam The new city And indeed truth it is that _____ in the Arabicke dialect and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kariat hadátha in the Syrian doth signifie A new city or castle Hereupon it is that Stephanus nameth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 NOVAM VRBEM The new city He moreouer calleth it OENVSSA CACABE and CADMEIA but vpon what ground and authority I know not Cadmeia peraduenture it was named of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in that language as also in the rest of the orientall tongues deriued from hence signifieth the East or first and chiefest both which may well agree to this city for the first
houres in the yeare was at the same time begunne by Richard Bishop of Sarum in a most goodly plot of ground which vulgarly was called MERIFEILD and in fourty yeares with infinite cost and charges it was by him and others finished and brought to that perfection which it is at now at this day q SOVTH-HANTON we now call it built vpon an arme of the sea betweene two riuers is enclosed with a double ditch and a faire stone wall For the better defence of the Hauen Richard the Second caused a very goodly castle to be built all of free stone It is a passing fine city very populous rich and well frequented of Merchants Clausentum that ancient city mentioned by Antoninus and stood sometimes in that field which at this day is called Saint Maries was often spoiled and sacked by the Danes and at length in the time of Edward the Third was vtterly consumed and burnt downe to the ground by the French-men Of whose ruines this New city was built in a place much more better and commodious r This riuer peraduenture was anciently called WENT and thereof the citie Wentchester happily tooke the name like as the cite Colnchester in Essex was so called of the riuer Colne vpon Which it standeth s WINCHESTER A very auncient citie well knowen to the Romanes and is oft mentioned in old historians Afterward in time so the Saxon Heptarchie the West Saxon Kings ordinarily kept their court heere Straite after the entrance of the Normans and peraduenture somewhat before the Records for the whole land were here bestowed and laied vp It was once or twise much defaced by casualty of fire and oft spoiled and sacked by vnruly souldiers in time of ciuill warres but Edward the Third to salue these damages and hinderances of the citizens and townesmen placed heere THE STAPLE or marte for wooll and cloth At this time it is very populous and well inhabited The wals of this citie are about a mile and an halfe in compasse It hath six faire gates and very large Suburbes adioyning to euery one of them t SHORHAM an ancient Borough and hauen towne in Sussex first called as Master Camden writeth CIMENSHORE of Cimen the brother of Cissa who together with Aella their father landed a greater multitude of their Saxons But in continuance of time a greate part of that towne being eaten vp with the sea and the mouth of the hauen with beech and sand det vp of a goodly towne it is become a small village at this day knowen by the name of OLD SHOREHAM the decay of which gaue occasion of the building and name of another not farre off from it commonly called NEVV SHOREHAM u Heere Athelstane King of the West-Saxons who made a lawe that no man should be so hardy as to dare to coine money out of great townes priuiledged by the King for that purpuse erected a Minte for the coyning of his Siluer and other mettals by which means it became so famous that in the time of the Saxons it deserued the name of a city and was then called by them HASTINGACEASTER In a plaine before this towne that bloody battaill betweene William the bastard Duke of Normandy that cruell tyrant and Harold the vsurper sonne of Earle Goodwin was fought vpon the fourteenth day of October in the yeare of our Lord 1066. It is one of the cinque ports w DOVER before the entrance of the Saxons was called Dubris as Antoninus in his Iournal testifieth who nameth it Portus Dubris The haven Dubris Vpon that side next the sea that was sometime defended with a strong wall whereof some part is to be seene at this daie Victred King of Kent did heere erect a goodly Church which hee dedicated vnto Saint Martines The castle which standeth vpon the toppe of an exceding high cliffe and is thought to be the strongest holde of all England and therefore called by Matthew Paris Clauis repagulum Angliae The key and barre of England was begunne as is probable by the Romans yet not by Iulius Caesar as they would faine make men beleeue Vpon another rocke or cliffe ouer against this on the other side of the towne there was as seemeth a lanterne or watch-tower Pharus they call it opposite and answerable to that which the Romans had built at Bollein beyond the straights in Fraunce which afterward being decaied was repaired by Charles the Great and at this day is called by the French Tour d'order by the English THE OLD MAN OF BVLLEN x This is that famous passage traiectus from the Continent vnto this Iland by which Caesar and the Romans alwaies entred and had accesse hither For vntill the time of Constans and Constantine Emperours of Rome it was thought almost impossible to come hither from Rome with a nauy thorough the maine Ocean And since that long it was in time of Christianity by proclamation forbidden that whatsoeuer hee were borne within the alleageance of England that had a minde to goe beyond the seas for religion or pilgrimage it should not be lawfull for him to take shipping any where else but heere The Frenchmen vulgarly call it Le pas de Calais but the English call it The streights of Douer y London we now call it but of the French and Strangers it is commonly called Londres or Londra Yet Tacitus Ptolemey Antonine and Ammianus Marcellinus doe with one consent write it LONDINVM or LONGIDINVM so named of the Britons as is probable of Llong Ships and Dinas a Citie answerable to those places of Graecia Naupactus Naupactus Naustathino c. denominated of Ships It is doubtlesse a very ancient citie as Ammianus Marcellinus testifieth who twelue hundred yeares since called it Vetustum oppidum An ancient towne Yet Iulius Caesar neuer mentioneth it in all his writings Cornelius Tacitus who liued in the daies of Nero that bloody Emperour was the first if I be not deceiued that euer wrot of it calling it by the name of Oppidum copia negotiatorum commeatu maxime celebre A Towne very famous both for trafficke and great concourse of Marchants as also for victualls and all manner ot prouision whatsoeuer Nay he that made the Panegyricke oration to Constantius the Emperour and Marcellinus who liued after him giue it no better title Yet at this day it is An abridgement or breefe view of the whol iland The Imperiall seate of the Brittish iles Regumque Angliae camera and The chamber of the English Kings and therefore it may now iustly assume that title of AVGVSTA The roiall city which Ammianus so many hundred yeeres since gaue vnto it And being situate vpon the rising of a little hill in a most wholsome and healthfull aire in the middest of the richest countries of the land all a long vpon the North side of the Thames one of the goodliest riuers of Europe it is at this day as famous a Marte for all manner of trade and trafficke as any in the whole world beside The