Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	good_a	king_n	subject_n	3,003	5	6.4581	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16282	The manners, lauues, and customes of all nations collected out of the best vvriters by Ioannes Boemus ... ; with many other things of the same argument, gathered out of the historie of Nicholas Damascen ; the like also out of the history of America, or Brasill, written by Iohn Lerius ; the faith, religion and manners of the Aethiopians, and the deploration of the people of Lappia, compiled by Damianus a ̀Goes ; with a short discourse of the Aethiopians, taken out of Ioseph Scaliger his seuenth booke de emendatione temporum ; written in Latin, and now newly translated into English, by Ed. Aston.; Omnium gentium mores, leges, et ritus. English. 1611	Boemus, Joannes, ca. 1485-1535.; Góis, Damião de, 1502-1574.; Nicolaus, of Damascus.; Léry, Jean de, 1534-1611. Histoire d'un voyage fait en la terre du Brésil.; Scaliger, Joseph Juste, 1540-1609. De emendatione temporum.; Aston, Edward, b. 1573 or 4.	1611 (1611)	STC 3198.5; ESTC S102777	343,933	572

and conuenient time This done after he hath washed his body in the company of his greatest states and put on his richest robes he sacrificeth vnto his Gods There custome was that the cheefe Priest when the sacrifices were brought before the Altar and the King standing by praied with a lowde voice in the hearing of the people for the prosperous helth and all good successe of their King that maintaines iustice towards his subiects and more particularly to relate his vertues as to say that he obserued piety and religion towards the Gods and humanity to man then to call him continent iust and magnanimous true bountifull and brideling all his affections and besides that that hee laid more easie punishments vpon offendors then their crimes required and bestowed fauours beyond mens deseruings and holding on this prayer at length he pursueth the wicked with a curse and freeing the King from blame layeth al the fault vpon his ministers which perswade him to doe euill Which done he exhorteth the King to leade a happy life and acceptable to the Gods and also to follow good fashions and not to do those things which euill men perswade him to but such as cheefely appertaine to honour and vertue In the end after the King hath sacrificed a bull to the Gods The Priest recyteth out of their sacred bookes certaine decrees and gests of worthy men wherat the King being mooued ruleth his kingdome holily and iustly according to their examples They haue there times appointed and prefixt not onely when to gather riches and to iudge acording to their auncient lawes but also when to walke when to wash when to lie with their wiues and when euery thing else is to bee done They vsed but simple diet as hauing nothing vpon their tables but Veale and goose they were also limited to a certaine measure of wine that would neither fill their bellies nor intoxicate their braines In a word the whole course of their liues was so modest so temperate as they seemed to be guided rather by a most skilful Phisition for the preseruation of their healths then by a law-giuer It is strange to see after what sort the Aegyptians lead their liues for they liued not as they would themselues but as the law allowed them but it is much more admirable to see how that their Kings were not permitted to condemne others nor yet to inflict punishment vpon any offendor being moued therevnto either through pride malice or any vniust cause whatsoeuer but liuing vnder a law like priuate men thought it no burthen vnto them but rather esteemed themselues blessed in obeying the law for by those which follow their own affections they supposed many things to be cōmitted that might breed vnto themselues both danger damage for though they know they do amisse yet notwithstanding they persist still in error being ouercome either with loue or hate or some other passion of mind whereas those which liue with vnderstanding and aduise offend in few things The Kings vsing such iustice to their subiects did so purchase the good wills of them all as not only the Priests but all the Egiptians were more carefull of their Soueraigne then of their wiues or Children or any other princes else and when one of those good Kings die all men bewayled him with equall sorrow and heauinesse of heart and renting their clothes and shutting vp their Temples frequented not the market nor obserued solemne feastes but defiling their heads with earth for the space of seuenty and two daies and girding themselues about the pappes with fine linnen both men and women walked about together by two hundred and three hundred in a Company renewing their complaints and in a song renumerating the vertues of their King one by one during which time they abstayned from flesh of beasts from all things boyled from wine and all sumptuous fare and also from all manner of oyntments and bathes yea their owne propper beds and all womens companie bewayling for those daies as much as if they had buried their owne children In which meane space all things being prouided for the funerall solemnities vpon the last day they inclosed the corpes in a coffinne and placed it at the entrance of the Sepulcher where vsually was made a breefe narration of all things done by the King in his life time and euery one had then liberty to accuse him that would the Priests stood by commending the Kings good deeds and all the multitude of people that were present at the funerals applauded his praise worthy actions and with bitter exclamations rayled against his misdeeds whereof it hapned that most Kings through the opposition of the people wanted the due honour and magnificence of Burial the feare whereof constrayned them to liue iustly and vprightly in their life times and this for the most part was the manner of liuing of the auncient Kings of Aegypt Aegypt is diuided into many partes euery part whereof is called by the Greeke word Monos and is gouerned by a Praetor or Mayor who hath rule ouer al the people of that Prouince The Aegiptians deuide their tribute or custome money which is payd them by forrainers in three parts the greatest part whereof belongeth to the colledge of Priests which are of great authority with the inhabitants both in regard of their seruice to their gods as also for their doctrine where-with they instruct others and part of this portion they bestow in ministring their sacrifices and the rest to increase their priuate estates for in no case would the Aegiptians haue the worship of their gods omitted nor doe they thinke it fit that they that be ministers of common councell and profit should want things necessary to liue vpon for the Priests in all weighty businesses bee assistant to the King both by their labour and councell as well in regarde of the knowledge they haue in the starres as by their sacrifices foretelling things to come Moreouer they shew out of their sacred volumnes the actes and gests of worthy men by which the Kings may know in their designes how things are likely to succeed and it is not so with the Aegiptian Priests as it is with the Greekes that one man or one woman should haue charge of their sacrifices but there bee many that bee conuersant about the worship and honour of their gods which leaue the same charge of holy misteries to their children they be all of them freed and discharged from tribute possesse the second place of honor and estimation after their King The second portion of the tribute money commeth to the Kings which serueth them for the wars for their maintenance and also to reward valiant and worthy men for their prowesse and good seruice by which meanes it commeth to passe that their owne people are vexed with no kind of tribute The Captaines and Souldiours haue the third part to the end that hauing such wages they might haue more

customes of those people heretofore and how they liue at this day CAP. 17. BAVARIA a Prouince of Germany is so named of a people called Auarij by putting therevnto the letter B who being a remnant of the Huns expelled thence the Norici and possessed their country It is also called Boioaria of a people of Cisalpine France called Boij who were once said to inhabite those parts before which time it was called Noricum Vpon the East thereof lyeth Hungaria and Sueuia vpon the West Italy ioyneth vnto it vpon the South and Franconia and Boemia vpon the North. The famous riuer Danubius comming from Sueuia runneth through Bauaria and vnder the name of Bauaria at this day is comprehended Austria Stiria and Cari●thi● the people whereof bee all a like both in life and language whereas heretofore it contayned noe more than that onely which was called Noricum That good and holy King Lucius King of Britaine was the first that instructed them in the Christian religion and after him Saint Rupertus and lastly they were confirmed in the faith by Boniface Bishoppe of Moguntinum Bauaria is deuided into foure Bishoppes seas that is to say Saltzburga Patauia Phrisinberge and Ratisbon it hath in it more famous Citties than are in any one prouince of Germany besides the Metropolitan wherof is Saltzburge heretofore as is surmised called Iuuania Schiren was once the Dukes seate but now it is translated to Monachium This land before it was reduced into a Prouince was gouerned by Kings of their owne nation vntill the raigne of Arnolphus the Emperor And as all the Kings of Parthia were named Arsaces and the Aegiptian Kings Ptolomies so was euery king of Bauaria called Cacannus but after it was subued by Arnolphus and annexed to the Empire the gouernment was committed to Dukes which manner of gouernment remayneth still and all the Dukes for many successions together haue beene elected out of that most worthy and renowned family of the Agilolphingij The manners and customes of that people may bee vnderstood by the lawes which were giuen them when they first receiued the right faith of Christ wich were these following first that if a freeman borne would bestow any thing towards the maintenance of the Church whether it were lands mony or goods hee should make a deed thereof in writing and seale and subscribe it with his owne hand and seale and put to the names of sixe witnesses to confirme it and then deliuer it as his deede in the presence of the Bishoppe by which act both hee him-selfe and all his posterity were vtterly bard for euer after to inioy or repossesse the same againe but by permission of the Church And whatsoeuer was so giuen to the maintenance of Gods holy Church was committed to the Bishoppes custody and by him defended and protected If any one wronged the Church or any thing there-vnto belonging hee incurred the iudgement of God the displeasure of holy Church and was constrayned ether by the King or Prince for the time being to render restitution and forfeted three ounces of gold besides but if he denied the fact he was brought before the Altar and there in presence of Preest and people swore and deposed what wronge hee had done and of what value He that perswaded another mans seruant to runne away from his Maister were he man-seruant or maid seruant was inforced to fetch him againe and to put an other into his place as a pledge till he came and was fined at fifteene shillings besides If a seruant did priuily burne any Church goods hee had his hand cut off and his eyes puld out that he might neuer after see to commit the like villanie and the maister of such seruant made good the value of that which was burnt But if a Freeman commited such a fault he restored againe the full value of the losse and forfeted for his folly three pound and if hee denyed the fact hee was to purge him-selfe by the othes of twenty foure men who standing by the Altar before the defendor of the Church layed their hands vpon the holy Euangelist and swore whether they thought him faulty or noe If an offendor tooke sanctuary for refuge he was secure nor was it lawfull for a Maister to fetch his seruant thence otherwise to hurt him for if hee did the Iudge would compell him to pay forty shillings to the Church as a recompence for infringing his priuiledges Hee that iniured any one that was in any inferiour order in the Church made satisfaction with twise the value of the iniury done which was paide ouer vnto his parents or neerest friends But if the wrong were to one of an higher order he paide three times the value Hee that killed a Priest forseited and paid forthwith to the Church where he was Minister three hundred peeces of gold and he that killed a Deacon two hundred and if he were not able to pay such a summe of money hee was deliuered both himselfe his wife and children into bondage and seruitude and detained in slauery vntill he could make shift to pay the money No one might offer violence to a Bishop although hee did him wrong but might make his complaint and commence his suite before the King Duke or commons whether it were for homicide fornication or consenting to the enemy and if it was prooued that he would haue brought in enemies to inuade the country or sought the spoyle of those he ought to preserue he was either deposed or banished Hee that contrary to the lawes of the Church married a recluse or Nun out of her Cloyster was compelled to restore her thither againe and to leaue her where hee found her and the Bishop by the Dukes assistants would thrust her into the Nunry againe whether shee would or no and the man if there were no hope of his amendment was banished the country It was not lawfull for either Priest or Deacon to keepe in his house any strange woman lest by often companie and familiaritie with her he might happe to be polluted and so offer an vnworthie sacrifice vnto God and the people be plagued for his offences If any difference or controversie arose betwixt Priests Deacons or other Clergie men the Cannon law committed the deciding thereof to the Bishops farmers husbandmen and seruants payd tribute and tyth to the Church euery one according to his abilitie as euery tenth bushel of graine euery tenth perch of land euery tenth faggot the tenth part of their honey and for euery foure pullets fifteene egs They were bound also to bring stone timber and lyme for the reparations of the Churches but yet with this speciall care that no man shold be taxed more then he was wel able to indure If any one were false vnto his Duke and by treason procured enemies into the Prouince or betrayed any Cittie and was thereof conuicted by three witnesses all his goods were confiscate to the Duke and the Duke had power to vse

elect another Patriarch by the most voyces but it is not lawfull to elect any other than one of Alexandria and one of incorrupt manners and vntainted conuersation who being created they signe their suffrages and giue them into the Legates hands that came for that purpose he foorthwith goeth to Cayre whither when he is come he offereth that creation vnto the Patriarch of Alexandria whose seate is alwaies there to be read And when he perceiueth which of the people of Alexandria they haue elected he foorth-with sendeth the man ordained to such honors with the Legate into Aethiopia who by an old ordonance ought alwaies to be an Eremit of the Order of S. Anthony with whom the Ambassadour goeth straight into Aethiopia where he is receiued of all men with great ioy and honor in which busines somtimes is spent a yere or two in al which time precious Iohn doth dispose of the reuenues of the Patriarke according to his pleasure Now the chiefest office of the Patriarch is to giue orders which none but he can either giue or take away but he can bestow vpon none either Bishopricke or other Church-benefice this onely belongeth to precious Iohn who dispenceth of all things according to his will And the Patriarch beeing dead he whose power and yerely reuenues is the largest is made heire of the whole substance of all his goods Moreouer the office of the Patriarch is to proceed to excommunication against the stubborne the obseruation whereof is so strict as the punishment of perpetuall steruing to death is inflicted vpon the offenders Indulgences he giueth nor granteth none neither bee any interdicted the Sacraments of the church for any offence whatsoeuer be it neuer so hainous but onely for homicide the name of the Patriarchship in our speech is called Abunna but he which now executeth the office is called Marcus which was the proper name giuen him in Baptisme he is a man of an hundred yeares of age or aboue And you must note that we begin our yeare in the Kalends of September which day alwaies falleth vpon the vigill of Saint Iohn Baptist the other festiuall dayes as the Feast of the Natiuity of our Lord Easter and the rest bee celebrated with vs at the same times they be in the Roman Church And this I may not obscurely passe ouer as though it were not so that Saint Philip the Apostle did preach the Gospell and faith of our Sauiour Iesus Christ our Lord in our countrie Now if you desire to know of the name of our Emperour he is fully perswaded that hee was euer called precious Iohn and not Presbiter Iohn as is falsly bruted abrode for in one speech it is written with characters that signifie Ioannes Belull that is as much to say as precious or high Iohn and in the chaldaean tongue it is Ioannes Encoe which beeing interpreted doth signifie precious or high Iohn Neither is hee to be named Emperour of the Abyssini as Matheus hath vntruly declared but Emperour of the Aethiopians and Mathew beeing an Armenian could not throughly vnderstand our matters especially those which appertained vnto faith and Christian Religion and therefore he related many things in the presence of the most prudent and most potent king Emanuel of happy memory which with vs are nothing soe and this hee did not with a desire to speake vntruths for hee was a good man but for that hee was not throughly instructed in matters concerning our religion The succession of his Kingdomes and Empire doth not alwaies descend vpon the eldest sonne but vnto him vpon whome the father pleaseth to bestow it And hee which now gouerneth the Empire was his fathers third sonne which hee merited and obtayned by an awfull and holy reuerence to his father for when his father lay a dying he commanded all his sonnes to sit downe vpon his throne which all the rest of his children did sauing he and he refused saying God for bid that so much should be attributed vnto me that I should sit in my Lords chaire whose deuotion when his father saw hee indued him with all his Kingdomes Empire he is called Dauid the power of whose Empire as well ouer Christians as Ethnickes is large and ample wherin be many Kings and petty Kings Earles Barons and Peeres and much Nobility all which be most obedient to his command In all whose dominions there is no mony vsed but such as is brought from other places for they giue and receiue siluer and gold by weight wee haue many citties and great townes but not such as we see here in Portugall the reason whereof for the most part is that precious Ioan liueth alwaies in campes and tents which custome is vsed for this purpose that the nobility may continually excercise themselues in military affaires And this I may not omit to tell you that wee bee compasled about on all sides with the enimies of our faith with whom we haue many and euer prosperous conflicts which victories we attribute to gods diuine assistance written lawes we haue none in vse amongst vs neither be the complaints of those which sue others expressed in libells or writings but by words which is done least by the couetuousnesse of Iudges and counsellors controuersies should be protracted And this more I thinke sit to shew you that this Mathew was not sent by Dauid our Emperor vnto the most inuincible and potent King Emanuell of happy memory but by Queene Helena the Emperors wife surnamed the hand of Mary who at that time by reason of Dauids nonage tooke vpon her the gouernment of the Kingdomes being a woman without doubt most prudent and holy And the same Helen as shee was excceeding well learned writ two bookes in the Chaldean tongue one of the which is called Enzera Chebaa that is to say praise God vpon the Organes and instruments of Musicke in which booke shee disputeth very learnedly of the Trinitie and of the virginity of Mary the mother of Christ The other booke is called Chedale Chaay that is to say the sonne beame contayning very acute disputations of the law of God All these things concerning our faith religion and state of our country I Zaga Zabo by interpretation the grace of the father both Bishop and Preest and Bugana Raz that is Captaine Knight and Veceroy of the Prouince haue declared which I could not deny at your request my most deere Sonne in Christ Damianus nor yet any other man desiring to be instructed there in neither is it lawfull to deny it for two causes the first whereof is for that I am commanded by my most mighty Lord Precious Iohn Emperor of the Aethiopians to satisfie euery one that demandeth of me concerning our faith religion and prouinces that I should conceale nothing but faithfully declare vnto them the truth of al things both by words and writing the other reason is for that I deeme it very fitting and labour well spent that our names customes and ordinances and

yet of that validity estimation as the people of euery village yeeld there obedience to their parish Priest the parish Priest to the Deane the Deane to the Bishop the Bishop to the Archbishop the Archbishop to the Primate or Patriarch the primate or Patriarch to the Legate the Legate to the Pope the Pope to general councels and general councels only vnto God 4 The fourth Sacrament is the most holsome Sacramēt of the body bloud of our Lord Sauiour Iesus Christ euery priest that is duly called ordained according to the rules of the Church and intendeth to consecrate may by obseruing the vsual forme of words vsed in the consecration make the true body of Christ of a peece of wheaten bread and of wine his right and perfect bloud And this Sacrament the same Lord Iesus Christ in the night before he suffered his bitter passion did celebrate with his disciples consecrating it and ordaining that it should euer after be celebrated and eaten in remembrance of him It behoueth euery one that receiueth this Sacrament to bee strong in faith that he may beleeue and credit these thirteene things following First that he beleeue the transmutation or transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the body and bloud of Christ Secondly that though this be done euery day yet is not the body of Christ thereby augmented Thirdly that the body of Christ is not diminished though it be eatē euery day Fourthly that though this Sacrament be deuided into many parts that yet the whole and intire body of Christ remaineth in euery little particle Fiftly that though it be eaten of wicked malicious men yet is not the Sacrament thereby defiled Sixtly that to those which receiue it worthily as they ought it bringeth saluation eternal damnation to those which receiue it vnworthily Seuenthly that when it is eaten it conuerteth not into the nature property of him that eateth it as other meate doth but rather conuerteth the eater into the nature of the Sacrament rightly that being eaten it is taken vp into heauen without hurt Ninthly that in euery little forme of bread and wine is comprehended the great and incomprehensible God and Man Christ Iesus Tenthly that one and the same body of Christ is receiued and taken at one moment in diuers places of diuers men and vnder a diuers forme Eleuenthly that the substance of the bread being turned into the true body of Christ and the substance of the wine into his bloud the natural accidents of bread and wine doe yet remaine and that they are not receiued in forme of flesh and bloud Twelfthly that vnto those that eate it worthily it bringeth twelue great commodities which are expressed in these verses following Inflammat memorat substentat roborat auget Hostin spem purgat reficit vitam dat vnit Confirmat fidem minuit fomitemque remittit The effect whereof is that the hoast inflameth remembreth sustaineth strengthneth and augmenteth our hope It purgeth refresheth quickneth and vniteth It confirmeth our faith and mitigateth and vtterly quencheth in vs all concupiscence Lastly that it is wonderfull good and profitable for all those for whom the priest specially offereth it as a sacrifice be they liuing or dead and that therefore it is called the communion or Sacrament of the Eucharist In the beginning of Christian religion yet in some places there was consecrated at one time such a loafe of bread as being afterwards cut into small mamocks by the priest and laid vpon a sawcer or plate might well serue all the communicants that were present at the sacrifice and at that time did Christians communicate thereof dayly And afterwards they were limitted to receiue it only vpon sundaies but when the Church perceiued that this sacrament was not taken euery sunday so worthily and with such due obseruation as was sitting it was ordained that euery Christian man of perfect reason vnderstanding should with all diligence he could and with his best preparation both of body and soule receiue the same thrice a yeere or at the least euery yeere once at Easter as also when hee found himselfe in any danger of death as a ready preparatiue against al perils by which name it is often called 5 Matrimony which is a lawfull coniunction of man and wife instituted and ordained by the law of God the law of nature the law of nations is the fift Sacrament and the holy fathers in Christian piety haue commanded that but one marriage shall be solemnized at one time and that it shal not be done in secret but publikely either in the Church or Church-porch but most commonly in the Church-porch where the priest meeting the parties that are to be married first asketh of the man and then of the woman whether they be willing to be contracted who answering that they are content and agreed which is a thing most necessary in that Sacrament he taketh them by the right hands ioyning them togither in the name of the blessed and indeuided trinity in vnity the Father Sonne and holy Ghost hee admonisheth and exhorteth them that being euer mindefull of this vnion and holy communion they neuer after forsake one an other but to liue in mutual loue honor and obedience one to an other that they should not desire one an others company for lust but for procreation of children and that they should bring vp their children honestly carefully and in the feare of God this done he marrieth them with the ring and sprinkleth holy water on them and then putting on his stole which is thither brought him he leadeth them into the church and causing them to kneele humbly before the Altar there blesseth them if they were not blessed before the woman when she is married hath her haire tied vp with a red fillet or headband and a white veile ouer it without which veile or head couer it is neuer lawful for her after that time to goe abroad or to be in the company of men There be twelue impediments that hinder marriage before it be solemnized and dissolue it after it is contracted that is to say the error or mistaking of either party the breach of some condition kindred a manifest offence disparity of religion violence or forcible rauishment from their parents holy orders breach of reputation publike defamation affinity and dissability to performe the act of matrimony 6 The sixt Sacrament of the church is penance which is giuen by Christ as a second repaire of our shipwrake and euery Christian man is bound vndoubtedly to belceue that this Sacrament consisteth of these foure things to wit repentance for sins past cannonical confession absolution and satisfaction for he that will be partaker of this Sacrament must first of al repent be sorrowful in his very soule that through his grieuous and heinous sins hee hath lost that purity and innocency which he once had either by the Sacrament of Baptisme or by this Sacramēt formerly

vppon the toppes whereof the roofe must rest and bee supported and the Altars must leane to the lower parts The Altars are alwayes to bee decently couered with two linnen clothes hauing a crosse set vpon them or a shrine containing the Relicks of Saints two Candlesticks on each end and a booke The walls both within and without must bee fretted and carued with variety of sacred Images In euery parish Church there must be a hollow Font stone in which the hollowed water to baptize withall is preserued and kept Vpon the right side of the Altar must stand a Pix or Custodia which is either set vp against the wall or carued out of it in which the blessed sacrament of Christs body holy oyle to annoint the sick Chrisme for those which are baptised is to be kept fast shut vppe Furthermore in the midest of the Church must be placed a pulpit out of which the Curat on festiuall dayes teacheth the people all things necessary to saluation The Cleargie onely are permitted to sit in the Quire and the laitie in the body of the Church yet so deuided as that the men take place on the right side and the women on the left both of them behauing them-selues modestly and deuoutly and diligently auoyding whatsoeuer is opposite to good manners and Christian religion In the Primitiue Church the manner was both for men and women to suffer their haire to grow long without cutting and to shew their naked brests nor was there much difference in their attire Saint Peter the Apostle did first command that men should cut their hayre and women should couer their heads and both should bee apparelled in distinct habites That there should bee layde out to euery Church a peece of ground in which the bodyes of Christian people deceased should be buried which peece of ground is called the Church-yard and is hallowed by the Bishop and hath all the priuiledges belonging to the Church it selfe The funeralls of the departed are not solemnized in all places alike for some weare mourning apparell seauen dayes together some nine others thirty some forty some fifty some an hundred and some for the space of a whole yeare The Toletan Councell hath decreed that the dead body shall be first washed and wraped in a shrowd or sear-cloth and so carried to the graue with singing by men of the same condition as Priests by Priests and lay folkes by lay folke and that a Priest should goe before the coarse incensing it with Franckincence and sprinckling holy water on it and that it should bee laide in the graue with the face vpwards the feete to the East and the head to the west the Priest vsing certaine imprecations all the while the Sexton is couering the dead body with earth And to shew that a Christian is their buried their must be erected at the gate a crosse of wood with a wreath of Iuy cypresse or bayes about it And these bee the institutions of the Christian religion The end of the second booke THE THIRD BOOKE Of the most famous countries of Europe the third booke CAP. 1. NEXT vnto Asia order induceth mee to speake of Europe the third part of the world which is so called of Europa the daughter of Agenor King of Phaenicia who was rauished by Iupiter brought into Creet It is bounded on the West with the Atlanticke sea with the Brittish Ocean on the North on the East with the riuer Tanais the poole of Maeotis and the sea called Pontus which is the Sea betweene Moeotis and Tenedos and with the Mediterranean Sea on the South The soyle of Europe is of diuerse sorts and qualities very aptly befitting the vertue and disposition of the people of each seuerall Prouince euery one transferring the commodities of their owne countries vnto other nations for Europe is all habitable some little part onely excepted which by reason of the extremity of colde can hardly bee indured which is that part that is neerest vnto the riuer Tanais and the poole of Meotis as also those that dwell vpon the banckes of Borysthenes which liue altogether in Chariots That habitablest part of the Region which is also extreame cold and mountanous is very hardly inhabited and difficult to dwell in and yet all the difficulties and extremity thereof is well mitigated and appeased by honest and good gouernors euen as wee see those Greekes which dwell vppon mountaines and rockes liue indifferently well by reason of their great care and prouidence of Ciuilitie Artes and vnderstanding how to liue The Romaines also receiuing vnto them many people out of those cragged and cold countries or vnfrequented for other causes which naturally were barbarous inhumaine and insociable haue so reclaimed them by mingling them with other people as they haue learned those rude and sauadge people to liue together soberly and ciuilly The Inhabitants of so much of Europe as is plaine and hath a naturall temperature are apt to liue orderly for those which dwell in temperate and fortunate Regions be quiet and peaceable but the rough and difficult places are inhabited by quarrellous and cumbersome people and yet all of them participate their commodities one with an another some helping and furnishing others with weapons some with fruites and some with arts and instructions of manners the inconueniences and hinderances which happen to those that vse not this reciprocal ayd is most apparant for that the other by meanes of this mutuall intercourse of commodities are of sufficient power puissance to carry weapōs wage war and defend themselues so as they bee neuer vanquished vnlesse by a greater number And this commodity also is incident and naturall to all Europe as that it is plaine and euen and distinguished with hils wherby it is in al parts limitted wel ordered ciuill and valiant and that which is more well disposed to liue in peace and tranquillity so as what first by the Grecian forces next by the Macedonians and lastly by the Romaines no maruaile though it hath atchiued great conquests and notable victories by which it plainely appeareth that Europe is sufficient of it selfe both for war and for peace as hauing a competent and sufficient number of able fighting men and husbandmen and Cittizens enough besides Evrope moreouer aboundeth with the best fruites and those which be most profitable for mans life and all manner of mettells whereof is any vse besides odors for sacrifices and stones of great worth by which commodities both poore and rich haue sufficient meanes to liue It yeeldeth also great store of tame Cattell but very few rauenous or wild beastes And this is the nature of Evrope in generall the first Particular part whereof East-ward is Greece Of Greece and of Solons lawes which hee made for the Athenians and which were after established by the Princes of Greece CAP. 2. GReece a country of Europe was so called of one Graecus who had the gouernment of that country It begineth at the straights

other great and famous riuers and brookes there be fountaines like-wife of sweete waters hot bathes and mines of Salte and it is equall to any other country for all sorts of mettals yea all Italy France and Spaine store them-selues with siluer and other mettalls out of Germany and there is some gold gotten so as if those old writers were now liuing and beheld the present estate of Germany as now it is they would doubtlesse thinke it strange and wonder to see such alteration to perceiue each place so holsome and conuenient to dwell in the ayre so temperate the soyle so fertile such aboundance of wine and all kinde of graine such planting of trees such beautifull buildings of Citties Temples and Sanctuaries such aduancement of religion such ciuility amongst cittizens decencie in apparell experience in feates of armes such furniture and prouision for warres and such store of all manner of ornaments besides the extraordinary sincerity and perfection of the Peeres and Nobility if I say they beheld and marked all these things well I am of opinion they would not condemne the ground as barren rude ill fauoured or little beholding to the heauens yea they should see how true that saying is That good things are spoiled for want of workemanship and well husbanding the ayre is there more calme and temperate in winter then in other countries and therefore it produceth more excellent fruites yet be their summers more intemperate through which intemperature many of those fruites be often-times corrupted and spoiled besides there bee many venemous beasts and other creatures pernitious and hurtfull to the inhabitants and yet for all this is it hardly to bee iudged what Prouince may be compared vnto it much lesse preferred before it The reason why this country assumeth the name of Germany is for that there is such a sympathy and concordance amongst all the people both in the disposition of their bodies their manners and courses of life as all of them agree and liue together like brothers and equalls It was first called Teutonia of Tuisco the sonne of Noe and Alemanin of Mannus his sonne who were said to be the first authors and originall of that nation though some be of a contrary opinion and affirme that Germany was first inhabited by such as were there bred and borne and not by such as were brought from other places of which opinion is one which hath written thus Well situated toward the North d●th lye the Germaires soyle A people famous through the world that neuer fell the foyle Of forren foes no heate nor cold nor paines can them molest For that they scorne to spend their time in idlenesse and rest Borne certes in that land they were with first that were aliue Nor but from Demogorgons loynes can pedigree deriue Those did the Greekes Adelphi name whom Latins Germans call Because in vnity and loue they liue like brethren all A name which vnto noble hearts doth yet grea honor yeeld Large lims hath la●ish nature lent their huged trunkes to weld Vnto their bodies answerable that be both tall and straight Their necks and all their body else is Alablaster white Their eyes their haires and bushie locks of yellow coulor be In temperature their members all and bodies doe agree What inwardly is thought or meant their outward voice forth showes Their toungs be traytors to their hearts their secret to disclose Their speach is not effeminate but lostie bigge and strong So that their valiant warlike hearts may knowne be by their tong They loue to wander much ahroad to hunt and eke to ride And some by Arts and Sciences their liuings doe prouide Some Bacchus tender budding sprouts do winde on naked piles And some do till the fertile earth that barren was ere wh●les Some men in trauell much delight their youthfull dayes to spend And other to Mineruaes lawes their course do wholy bend Or hoysing vp their sailes aloft do cut through forren flouds And store their wants with sundry sorts of far-fetcht strangers goods If forren foes be wanting then within themselues thcile iar A light occasion will suffice to stir them vp to war And all the while that cruell Mats doth bloudy flag display They hold it then no iniury to rauish filch and prey Some in Hircinian woods delight to hunt the tusked Bore And some the brazen-footed Hart with yelping Hounds to gore Through forrests woods and mountains some pursue the cruell Beare And some with Eaulcons talents seeke the silly birdes to teare And pluming of their fethers cleane disperse them in the ayre No enterprice so doub●full is but they will hazard all Nor can the feare of grifley death th●i● valian● mindes appall If wrongs be done they seeke reuenge but fo their countries good Or kin or friends they will not stick to spend their deerest bloud The● constant be in Christ his faith and him do duly serue Nor from sincere religion doe sela or neuer sw●rue Their dealings honest true and iust all lying they detest And euermore their toung declares what 's hidden in their brest The Germaines before they began their battels vsed to chaunt forth a song or holy hymne in honor of Hercules holding opinion that he was once in that country when they ioyned battell they would crie out with a most greeuous and clamourous noyse not so confused and dissonant as terrible to their enemie Their eyes bee for the most part blew their lookes sterne and their hayre red or yellow they be tall of stature and naturally very sodaine and head-long in all their enterprises but they cannot away with much labour and toyle nor can they indure heate and thirst so well as the Frenchmen can but cold they can indure passing well Of gold and siluer they made no account for the plate and Iewels of siluer which were sent them from forraine Princes they esteemed as base and vile as earthen vessels But since by trafficke and trading with other countries the vse thereof hath crept in amongst them And there bee some hold opinion that there is neither siluer nor gold gotten there as yet and but small store of Yron which was the cause that they vsed no swords in the warres but long Speares or Iauelins with short Yron pikes being a very fit and handsome weapon to fight withall both aloofe and neere at hand Their horsemen fought with shields and those short speares and footmen with stones and darts and both of them naked or in little short gabberdines or cassacks the souldiers were distinguished and knowne one from an other by the coulour of their shields which were painted with select and curious coulours and but few of them wore either priuie coates helmets or head-peeces Their horses were neither well shapt nor speedie paced nor could they runne the ring or career like Italian horses but onely straight forward hee that lost his shield in fight was seuerely punished for hee was vtterly excluded from their sacrifices and not admitted to

cal Ale and Beare and they haue much wines brought them out of other countries There bee many villages borrowes and cities whereof London is the chiefest of the nation the Kings seat and the most famous for trafficke and trading These are their customes and manners they vse in this age which are much differing from their customes they vsed the time of Iulius Caesar for at that time it was not lawfull for them to eate Hare Hen or Goose and yet would they norish and keepe them for their pleasures The people that inhabited the middle part of the country liued for the most part vpon milke and flesh beeing vtterly destitute of corne and cloathed themselues with skinnes Their faces they would die with woad to the end that in battaile they might breed a great terror to their enemies They wore long haire hanging downe about their shoulders and shaued all parts of their bodies but their heads one woman would haue tenne or more husbands at one time and it was lawfull for the brother to enioy his brothers wife the father the sonnes and the sonne the fathers and the children were accounted children to them all Strabo dissenting from the opinion of Caesar saith that the English are farre taller then the Frenchmen and of a shorter haire Thicke woods serued them in steed of cities wherein they builded them cabbines and cottages harboring themselues and their cattaile vnder one roofe The country is more subiect to raine then snow and when the weather is faire the earth is couered sometimes with a blacke clowde that for the space of foure houres together you shall see no Sunne at high noone Scotland the vttermost part of Britan towards the North is deuided from the other part of the Island onely with a riuer or small arme of the sea Not farre distant from Scotland lieth Ireland the people whereof vse one kinde of habite in no point differing one from an other They speake all one language and vse the selfe same customes They haue nimble wits and are very apt to reuenge vsing great cruelty in the warres though otherwise they bee sober and can indure all manner of wants with great facility They are naturally faire but nothing curious in their apparel The Scots of whom I spake before as some are of opinion were so called of the paynting of their bodies for it was an vsual and auncient custome there and especially amongst the rudest and barbarous kinde of people to paint and die their bodies armes and legs with varnish or vermillion which custome if all bee true as is written by ancient authors was practised by the Britans especially in time of warre the more to terrifie the enemy as before is said Aeneas Siluius saith that the shortest day in winter there is not aboue three houres long and it is a thing worthy the noting to see how poore folkes there stand about the Temples of their gods begging stones of passengers for them to burne for the country affoordeth but small store of fuell and the stones which they craue and get together in this manner are of a fat and sulphery condition and wil burne like coles Aeneas saith that hee heard there was a tree in Scotland that in Antumne whē the leaues were withered they fell of the tree into a riuer by vertue of the water were turned into birds This tree he saith hee sought for in Scotland but could not find it and that lastly it was told him by some that knew the Country well that this strange miracle was to be seene in one of the Isles of Orcades And thus farre mine Author concerning the estate of this Island by which appeareth the little acquaintance both hee and those writers out of which hee frameth this collection had with it for else would they not so sleightly haue slipt ouer the commendation of so worthy a Country and therefore I thought it not amisse in this place to supply their defects with this short addition of mine owne wherein happely you may perceiue a more liuely description of this our Realme of Great Britany and the condition of the inhabitants then could well bee expected from meere strangers BRITANNIA sometimes called Albion the worthiest and renownedst Island of all the world is in compasse as is said before according to the opinion of the best writers about 1836. English miles It is sytuated in a most milde temperate clymate the ayre beeing neither too hot in Sommer nor too cold in winter through which temperature it aboundeth with all sorts of graine fruits and cattaile that be either necessary or behoueful for mans life for besides that the Country is wholesome pleasant and delightsome there bee such store of ponds riuers and running waters for fish and foule such aboundance of forrests and chases for timber and fuel such large fields champion grounds for corne and graine such pastures and meadowes for sheepe and cattaile such orchards and gardens for pleasure and profit such hunting and hawking in fields fluds and forrests such strong castles such stately buildings such goodly cities and walled townes such beautifull houses of the Nobility disperced in all parts of the country such large territories such renowned vniuersities for the aduancement of learning and good letters such practise of religiō such places for pleading such trafficke and trading such maintainance of Iustice such generous dispositions in the nobles such ciuility amongst citizens such intercourse amongst the commons in a word such is the pompe riches florishing state of this Realme vnder the gouernment of our most gratious Prince King Iames that England at this day is so amply stored with natures richest guifts that she is not onely furnished with things sufficient to serue her selfe but sendeth forth sundry of her superfluous commodities into other countries also and for al things may iustly bee compared if not preferred to any country in Christendome who were the first inhabitants of this Island and why it was so called I finde it so diuersly reported that I rather leaue euery man to his opinion then by setting downe mine owne incurre the censure of ignorance and indiscretion but howsoeuer although it hath bin inhabited by sundry nations and deuided into seuerall Kingdoms yet doe I not finde that euer it admitted any other forme of gouernment but the Kingly authority only no not when it was dismembered into many Kingdomes but that then euery King had a perfect and absolute command ouer his subiects nor that any King of England either then or since it grew into a Monarchy did euer receiue his authority from any other Prince as his supreme but that euery King within the limits of his Kingdome was next vnto God sole and absolute gouernor the idle example of King Iohn onely excepted who without consent of his commons or establishment by act of parliament forced therevnto by the rebellion of his Nobles aided by the Dolphin of France resigned his crowne to the Popes Legate