Selected quad for the lemma: master_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
master_n	annuity_n	bassa_n	ducat_n	173	3	15.8752	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16489	Relations of the most famous kingdomes and common-wealths thorowout the world discoursing of their situations, religions, languages, manners, customes, strengths, greatnesse, and policies. Translated out of the best Italian impression of Boterus. And since the last edition by R.I. now once againe inlarged according to moderne observation; with addition of new estates and countries. Wherein many of the oversights both of the author and translator, are amended. And unto which, a mappe of the whole world, with a table of the countries, are now newly added.; Relazioni universali. English	Botero, Giovanni, 1540-1617.; Johnson, Robert, fl. 1586-1626.	1630 (1630)	STC 3404; ESTC S106541	447,019	654

Husbandry and Traffick●● 〈◊〉 they needs must yea no more than their owne necessity as neere as they can shall enforce them to make ●eere at the yeares end For say they Why should we sow and another reape Or why should we reape and another devoure the reward of our labours This is the cause that in the Ottoman Dominions you shall see admirable ●uge Woods all things laid waste few Cities well peopled and especially the better part of the fields lying unmanured An assertion easily and probably to be proved by Constantinople it selfe No object in the world promiseth so much afarre off to the beholders and entered so deceiveth expectation the best of their private buildings being inferiour to the more contemptible of ours and is said to containe but seven hundred thousand soules halfe of them Turkes and the other halfe Iewes and Christians and those for the generall Grecians An estimate neere which as I have heard our London may affoord And no wonder for in our Countries by the abundance of people ariseth the dearenesse of victuals but in Turkie through the scarcity of Inhabitants the greatest number of the Husbandmen perish with carrying provision and other necessaries to the remote places thorow which their Armies are to travell In their Gallies likewise falleth most commonly so great a mortality that of ten thousand Rowers haled from their houses scant the fourth part returneth againe This the rather hapneth because the Turkes in Winter time as aforesaid mooring their Gallies doe not inure their Sea-men and Gally-slaves to change of aire and the discommodities of tempestuous Seas in all seasons The whole trade of Merchandize for the most part is in the hands of Iewes or Christians of Europe Epidaurians Venetians Frenchmen and Englishmen In so large a Territory as the Turke hath in Europe there is never a famous Mart-towne but Constantinople Capha and Thessalonica In Asia but Aleppo Damasco Tripoli and Adena In Africke Cair Alexandria and Algier Although the ordinary Revenues are no greater than aforesaid yet the extraordinary arise to a richer reckoning and that by confiscations and presents For the Bassaes and great Officers as Harpies sucke the very bloud of the people and after they have heaped up inestimable riches for the most part they escheat to the coffers of the Grand Seignior It is reported that Ibraim Bassa carried from Cair six millions and Mahumet Visier a farre greater masse Ochiali besides other riches had three thousand slaves The Suliana Sister to Selim the second received daily five and twenty hundred Chechini and for the ease of pilgrims and travellers journeying betweene Cair Meca she began to trench a water-course along the way an enterprize great chargeable and majesticall Yea to give you an estimate of his Revenues I have seene a particular of his daily expences amounting by the yeare to one million nine hundred threescore and eight thousand seven hundred thirty five pounds nineteene shillings eight pence sterling answered quarterly without default with the allowance of foure hundred ninety two thousand an hundred threescore and foure pounds foure shillings and eleven pence which is for every day five thousand three hundred ninety and three pounds fifteen shillings and ten pence upon which account runneth for his owne diet but one thousand and one Asper a day according to the frugall custome of his Ancestors amounting in sterling money by the yeare to two thousand one hundred ninety two pounds three shillings eight pence Amongst five and forty thousand Ianizars dispersed thorow his whole Dominions every one at six Aspers a day is expended five hundred ninety one thousand and three hundred pounds The tribute-children farre surmount that number and are allowed one with another three Aspers a day The five Bassaes besides their ordinary revenue receive one thousand Aspers a day and of ordinary revenue the chiefest receiveth for his Timar or annuitie threescore thousand Ducats the second fifty thousand Ducats the third forty thousand the fourth thirty thousand and the fifth twenty thousand In Europe he maintaines three Beglerbegs viz. in Greece one another in Hungary and a third in Sclavonie at a thousand Aspers a day the fourth in Natolia the fifth in Carmania of Asia at like allowance The Admirall receiveth two thousand one hundred and ninety pounds the Captaine of the Ianizars one thousand nine hundred and fiftie pounds besides his annuitie of twenty thousand Ducats by the yeare The Imbrabur Bassa Master of the Horse receiveth three hundred and eight and twenty pounds his annuitie is fifteene thousand Ducats The Captaine of the Spahi or Horse-men receiveth one thousand nine hundred threescore and one pounds the Capigi Bassa head Porter one thousand foure hundred and fourteene pounds The Sisingar Bassa Controller of the Houshold two hundred threescore and three pound The Chaus Bassa Captaine of the Pensioners two hundred threescore and two pounds sixteene shillings besides his annuitie of ten thousand Ducats The residue of the foresaid account is expended upon inferiour officers and attendants upon the Court Citie and Armies every man receiving according to his place and calling viz. the Masters of the Armory Masters of the Artillery Physitians Porters of the Court and Citie Archers of his Guard Servitors of his Stable Sadlers Bit-makers Captaines of Gallies Masters Boat-swaines Pursers Shipwrights and such like Where note by the way That a Sultany is equall to the Chechini of Venice and sixscore Aspers amount to a Sultanie To raise his Donatives to a high reckoning it is a custome that no Ambassadour appeare before him empty-handed no man may looke for any office or honourable preferment if money be wanting no Generall may returne from his province or journey without presents and you must thinke that so magnificent a Prince will swallow no trisles The Va●vods of Valachia and Moldavia hold their estates by vertue of their bribery and yet are often changed For the Estates are given to the best Chapmen who make good their dayes of payment oppresse the people and bring the Commons to extreme povertie Notwithstanding all this we have seene the Persian warre to have drawne dri● his Coffers and emptied his Treasures Not long sithence both at Constantinople and thorow the whole Empire the value of Gold was raised above beleefe insomuch that a Chechin of Gold went for double his value and the alay of Gold and Silver was so much abased that the Ianizars finding themselves aggrieved thereat brought great feare not onely upon the Inhabitants but also to the Grand Seignior in threatning That they would set fire on Constantinople In Aleppo threescore thousand Ducats were taken up of the Merchants in the name of the Grand Seignior But although his Revenues are not so great as the spacious apprehension of so mightie an Empire may seeme to produce yet hath he an assistance of greater value than his surest revenues and that is his Timariots or stipendaries For it is the custome of the Ottoman Princes to seize

released his claime to the Pope who now solely after the death of this old man lookes for it but many thinke his nose will be wiped of it for that the Archduke Leopold brother to this Emperour hath in the yeare 1626. married the daughter and heire of this old Duke Guido And this may happen to be the occasion of a breach betweene the Pope and the house of Austria especially of the Duchie fals void in the life and height of this present Emperour and that the Spaniard and he get the better of it in the wars of Mantua Modena is an hereditary Dukedome full of riches and fashionable Gentry after the best Italian manner newly allied to Mantua and reasonably well fortified against his dangerous neighbour in Millan and inviteth you to the view of a very delicate Country The Duke dome of Mantua MAntua is a late Dukedome erected of an ancient Marquifate in the name of Gonzaga He liveth in better fashion of Courtship than the other Princes with a Guard of Switzers The Citie is large boasteth of Virgils birth and the delicate streames of Po over which for all the swiftnesse and largenesse a gallerie-bridge transporteth both Coach Cart and Horse under which are preserved many Courtly Barges both for magnificent shewes and pleasure of the water in Summer time as also for the necessities of the Inhabitants thorowout the yeare This State abutting upon the East of Millane hath the Marquifate of Moutferrat annexed unto it and is now the field of warre in Italie Rich men never want heires weake titles rather than no titles are made use of Thus comes the quarrell The Towne of Mantua was as the rest of Italy sometimes belonging to the Empire from which all going away the famous Matilda laid hold on this which with the rest of her estate she bequeathed to the Church of Rome Under the Popes the name of Poledroni bearing great sway grew at last too strong and usurped from their Lord about foure hundred yeares since from whom Gonzaga at last snatcht it who so well inlarged both the territorie and honour that it grew to be a Marquifate and some hundred and five yeares since was it made a Dukedome by the Emperour Charles the fifth about which time Duke Frederike obtained the Marquifate of Montferrat also and that by mariage of Margarita It so happened that a younger sonne of this Familie plants himselfe in France whole descendant upon the late death of his cousin Ferdinand Gonzaga who having beene first a Cardinall before hee came to be Duke of Mantua was unmaried and thereupon died without issue now puts in for the Duchie as next of the bloud So that the Cardinall-Duke being dead without issue the Pope claimes his share and hath it The Emperour puts in for his title pretending the Estate escheated to him for want of issue The heire in the meane time hastens out of France gets possession of Mantua and of the good will of the people also The Emperour he cals in the King of Spaine to trie his title by the sword and if not to hinder or regaine possession yet to inforce him to demand investiture of the Emperour The Duke craves aid of France the King himselfe leads an Armie thither which this present yeare having passed the Alps by the Duke of Savoyes stopping up the passage against him miscarries in Pledmont The Savoyard is proved the Duke of Mantuaes enemie for the Marquifate of Montferrat which he pretends a triple title unto all which were adjudged weake and insufficient pleas by Charles the fifth being made Vmpire by both parties But what he could not obtaine by Law he hopes in the weaknesse of the new Duke to doe by power striking in especially with the Spaniard with whom he is now made friends upon it the Spaniard restoring some Townes in Montferrat which the Savoyard had seized upon in the last vacancie An. 161● but had beene taken from him againe in the late warres with Spaine So that the poore Dukedome of Mantua is like to be undone by foure Pretenders The Heire the Pope the Emperour and the Savoyard The Spanish forces of Millane are too neere unto Mantua and the Savoyards to Montferrat These be his neighbours and enemies The Dukedome of Mantua is indifferent rich and able to live of its owne Seven good Cities it hath whereof Mantua is one of the strongest in Italie three sides being fortified with a wide River Montferrat is larger than the Duchie of Mantua containing about threescore good walled Townes three of which be faire Cities Both territories together containe as much land as the great Duke of Tuscanie is master of yet his yearly Revenues come not to much above 500000 Ducats for that he uses his subjects well and wants the commoditie of the Seas For his Forces Italy hath not better Horsemen nor any willinger to serve their Prince Divers strong Townes he hath and all little enough at this time The State of the Duke of Savoy THe State of this Duke lyes in two Countries in France where Savoy is seated and in Italy where he possesses part of Piedmont But what Nature and the Alpes have disjoyned Marriage and Warres have united His Dominions in France reach as farre as Geneva the County of Burgunde Bresse Provence and Daulphine on Germanie side they touch upon the Switzers and in Italy are they bounded with Millane Montferrat and the State of Genoa The length is three hundred miles the breadth an hundred and threescore the compasse nine hundred To begin with Savoy from whence the Prince hath his Title The fable I see passes currant that these mountaine-passages being infested with theeves the Countrey was thereupon named Malvoy which disorders being reformed by a Nobleman the Emperour rewarded him with the title of Duke and named the Countrey Saulvoy that is the Safe-way But hee that shall remember that the Noticia of the Empire mentions the very name of Sabaudia will know it to be ancienter than the moderne French tongue from whence this fable derives it Savoy containes the Earldome of Geneva the Marquifate of Susa the County of Morienne the Lordships of Tharentaise Brengeois Faucignie Chablais and Pays de Vaul with three Bishoprickes whereof the Duke hath the nomination It containes foure or five good Cities whereof Chamberie is a Parliamentary Towne and the Seat of the Duke on that side Situate it is in a rich and delicate Valley full of Gentlemens houses and every way inclosed with high mountaines The Valleyes be fruitfull enough but the Mountaines very inhospitable which is the occasion that there be but five hundred thousand soules in all Savoy Many and large Lakes it hath and those very well fisht Piedmont is much the pleasanter and the richer Country though the common people be poore enough as scorning to worke and caring but to have from hand to mouth The chiefe Honour or Title that the Duke here hath is the Marquifate of Saluzzes The other part of

this Iland goes much upon the number of threescore Many masters hath this also had first the Phenicians and then the Greekes thirdly the Moores of Barbary from them the Spaniard tooke it after their expulsion out of Spaine Charles the fifth lastly gave it to the Knights of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem when the Turke had beaten them out of the Rhodes Anno 1522. the length of it is twenty miles and the breadth twelve The countrey people both in language and attire much resemble their old Masters and Sires of Affrica their Arabick Dialect being much corrupted with words crept in out of the severall Countries from whence their Knights doe come The women are handsome and the men jealous The Citizens be altogether Frenchified The whole number of Inhabitants is about 20000. The weather is hot and the soile barren as being onely a flat Rocke with a pan of earth a foot or two thicke Trees hath it few and Rivers none watered only with fountaines and raine water All their Corne is Barley which and Olives makes the best part of a Malteses dinner Plenty of Anice seed Comine seed and Hony they vent to Merchants Here also growes the perfectest Cotton Wooll The people are healthy dying rather of age than of diseases The Religion Popish Foure Cities be upon the I le quartered under the command of ten Captaines whereof Valetta is both the fairest and the strongest built 1565. and so named of Valetta the Grand Master famous for his valour against the Turks Founded upon a rocke it is high mounted wonderfully fortified close to the Sea and by land assaultable onely at the South end Victualled continually it is for three yeares new provision still supplying the expence of the old sent in from Sicily and by reason of the heat of the Country preserved under ground This small City is neighbour to two others La Isula and Saint Hermes each distant but a musket shot from other neere to the Haven and on the East end and North side of the Iland from which Malta the fourth City is eight small miles separated Two Forts more it hath Saint Michael and Saint Angelo So that all together this Iland is thought the most impregnable place of the world The Knights of Ierusalem since called of the Rhodes command all in all here no man daring to contradict Of these there bee five hundred continually resident in the Iland and five hundred m●re a thousand being their whole number dispersed in other Alberges or Hospitals in Europe Of them at this day there be seven seminaries one of France in generall one of Auvergne one of Provence one of Casrile one of Germany one of Arragon and one of Italie the eighth of England was suppressed by Henry the eighth These knights be all Friers by profession their Vow was to defend the Sepulcher of Christ now it is to defend the Romish Religion and Countries against the Infidels Of every one of these there is a Grand Prior having goodly houses and Seminaries in divers Countries living in great plenty and reputation Such an house of theirs was that of Saint Iohns commonly called Saint Ioanes without Smithfield The builder of which house was Thomas Docwra Prior then whose name lives in Esquires estate at Offley in Hartford shire c. A Knight of this order was to prove himselfe a Gentleman for six descents over the gate therefore may you see that testified by so many Eschutcheons There also is to be seene their Vow and Title expressed in the Motto Sarie ✚ Boro The word Sarie being accented with harsh aspirations to brand the Saracens with a note of wickednesse Both words with the figure of the crosse betwene signifie thus much Defender of the Crosse of Christ against the wicked Saracens This is written in the Saracen tongue the language of Malta which words expressing their Vow and Title is not much unlike to that of Raimund the first Master of their order whose Motto was The poore servant of Christ and defender of the Hospitall of Ierusalem And thus much by the way out of Docwra's pedigree for preserving of this antiquity Of these thousand Knights of the Rhodes there be sixteene more eminent than the rest called Great-Crosses for that the white crosse upon their blacke cloake which is the cognizance of their order they are privileged to weare larger than the rest Over all these there is one grand Master for whose election two are appointed out of each of the eight Nations two supplying the place of the English also these sixteene make choice of a Knight a Priest and a Frier-servant and those three nominate one of the sixteene Great Crosses to bee Grand Master for which place the foresaid Docwra was once in competition The stile of this Master is The illustrious and most reverent Prince my Lord Frier great Master of the Hospitall of Saint Iohns of Ierusalem Prince of Malta and Goza The Estate of the Grand Master arising out of the profits of the Iland of Malta ●tselfe is valued at ten thousand ducats besides what he hath out of the I le of Goza which the ancients called Glacon and Strabo Gaudon lying but one mile to the South-west of Malta and twenty miles in compasse The rest of his Entrada is made up out of fat Commendams of Ecclesiasticall dignities in severall Countries and of pensions from other Princes He hath an allowance out of the publike treasury the tenth of all prizes by Sea as also the whole or the cheife part of whatsoever estate any of the officers belonging to his owne person shall chance to leave behinde them The severall Knights are very rich besides their temporall lands in severall Countries enjoying divers Commendams and pensions also of which they are capable after five yeares of their admission and when they have made foure martiall expeditions Their common treasury is maintained by the gifts of Princes by the admissions of novices into their order each Knight paying an hundred and fifty crownes and every Frier-servant an hundred at his first entrance and lastly by the deaths of their brethren for when any of the Fraternity dies the whole order is heire excepting onely of one fifth part These consist not so much in the number of the Knights for they are but five hundred upon the Iland at once though the other five hundred are to come in upon summons as in their valour and resolution the whole Iland may perchance make six or eight thousand men able to beare armes and Goza the third part of that number The Ilanders are alwayes well trained for land-service and how much they are able to doe was seene by their repulsing the Turkish invasion By Sea the religion maintaineth but only five Gallies and one ship by report so stinted each galley carrying seventeene peeces of Ordnance and foure or five hundred men More than these wise men peradventure will imagine that a barren and small Iland living for the most part