them beautifull and commonly all painted and deceitfull except some few of rare worth which may bee the wonder of the country And therefore as you finde them so let them have their due honour For Germany you shall finde the Nobles and chiefe Gentlemen either great Schollers or valiant Souldiers rather resolute to gaine honour than proud of Authority their Cities strong and their Merchants very rich and their Countries well peopled For their Ladies and Gentlewomen by the grossenesse of their diet and too much delight in drinking and banquetting they are for the most part a corpulent kinde of people yet many of them strong and of bigge bone as we commonly say good bearers and good breeders The younger sort as well men as women very industrious and the elder sort rather politike than Religious their Lawes very severe and therefore the people in better order and obedience For Poland the Cities are strong and the people rather wise than wealthy the Gentlemen for the most part given to armes and the peasant in much subjection to the Gentry The Merchant rather covetous than honourable and the Schollers rather beloved than advanced the women indifferent faire and better witted than spoken the old men studious and the younger sort seldome idle little given to drinke and as little accounting of honour except it be in the field For the Low-countries and Denmarke you shall finde them much to agree in nature but that Denmarke will admit a King which I finde not willing in the Low-countries Their Magistrates are rather wise by experience than by study and the Souldier fitter for the Sea than the field Denmarke is governed by the Kings law set downe but the Low-countries have divers formes of Government in a manner according to the disposition of the States and Governours much given to drinke and yet serving their times politike in their government their old men wise and covetous their young men thrifty and industrious and their Merchant very ambitious For their religious thinke of them as you finde them I have seene them much reverenced and well maintained And as for their Ladies they are wittie and of a good complexion for the most paâ—â— many of them are very faire and much given to honour vertue rather neat than proud in their attire very kinde where they take affection The Muscovite is proud stately malicious and those which be slaves are slaves indeed especially when their Emperour or Lord controlleth Superstitious tending almost to idolatry jealous as having many wives and bad performers of promise nor must you challenge him of the same for the good which floweth from him commeth commonly from the fountaine of free will Their women are very private fearefull to offend but once lascivious intolerably wanton beastly idle and ill attended The Greeks are merry lyers blasphemers promise-breakers buggers strong membred and blacke haired Their women are stately comely of person proud without doores no lovers of dalliance yet desirous of the company of men cleanly in washing and shaving themselves whom the Italians imitate as also doe the East hot Countries by reason the company of many men may grow otherwise to great inconvenience mercenary fantasticall in apparell and loving those who speake their language The Turke is a warlike proud man a scorner of other Nations and languages no idle talker or doer of any thing superfluous a judiciall sound fellow hot and venerious comely of person majesticall in gate a slave to his Emperour and a lover of Mahomets race and Religion Their women small of stature for the most part of good complexions and not to be seene or spoken to abroad jealous revengefull when they have opportunity lascivious within doores or in their baths very pleasing in matters of incontinency and cleanly The Persian is lordly in his complement rather fantasticall than curious in his apparell yet sumptuous and in his expences magnificent maintainers of Nobility lovers of learning and good qualities fearfull of troubles desirous of peace and superstitious in his Religion Their women gorgeous in attire with high Tiaras and veiles like the Sultaneses amongst the Turks long sitters at feasts delightsome in sequestration of pleasure as beginning with a modest shamefulnesse but ere you have concluded delicately wanton cleanly in much washing but withall using perfumes and odours loving truly and desirous to be preferred in the first place of her husbands affection For hauing many wives they are desirous to please The Armenians are very merry sluttish carelesse of greatnesse desiring peace and ease though it tend to slavery and bondage having great bodies comely and willing to be soothed in any thing Their women tall and not faire soone old poore loving their children and incontinent The Tartars are swartish illfavoured with a great thick lip flattish nose carelesse of outward ornaments swift on foot vigilant laborious warlike yet loving presents and desirous to be much made of their women sutable only wanting or scorning money they will bedecke themselves like the people of Virginia with gewgaies of copper and latton about their armes and necks The Moore is comely of body stately of gate of sufficient constitution to endure any worke or travell implacable in hatred treacherous tumultuous and superstitious Their women have delicate soft skins sumptuous in jewels odors and perfumes incontinent good bed-fellowes in the darke beautifull in blacknesse and revengefull yet being bought a slave extraordinary loving to their masters so they be well pleased and used accordingly but being once got with childe they expect manumission according to the custome of the Mahometan Law The Savoyen is penurious foolish and ill-nurtured yet doe the better sort imitate the Spanish pride and by reason of his neighbour-hood to France and Millane are reasonable good Souldiers and the better enabled by the hardnesse of the mountaines The women are strangely apparelled ill-favoured scolding must be discommended and for the most part wenny that is having great bunches under their chinnes with drinking snow water like the Helvetians and 13. Cantons The Switzer is strange in his attire yet not transgressing the limits of his inheritance have great bodies and are mercenary as performing what he is commanded and one that best approveth of his owne Country and habit even preferring his owne snowy hils and coldnesse before the fertillest places of Lumbardy Their women are honest somewhat better favoured than the Savoyen ill brought up plaine dealers and so loveth her husband or friend that she will goe with him to the campe and dresse his meat As for the Kingdomes of Saca Bactriae Sogdiana and many like Nations invironing the East and South of the Caspian I meane not to relate of because I finde the best Authors unacquainted with their properties and discoveries The Armenians report them to be tyrannous their chiefe exercise to be rapine and murthering of passengers without forme of government or controll of superiours
losse of their Country in their utmost extremities retired themselves and there partly by the strength of the Mountaines and partly by the fastnesse of the Woods and Bogs where with that Province was for the most part replenished they purchased unto themselves places of safety which unto this day they have made good and retaine Thence-forth the English stiled the Countrey Wales and the Inhabitants Welshmen which denomination in the German language signifieth a Stranger an Alien a Guest or a New-come person that is to say one that speaketh a different language from that of the German for in their understanding Walsh signifieth a Forrainer or Stranger whether it be Italian or Frenchman if he differ in language from the German and Man is as Homo in Latine The Angles therefore being a people of Germany becomming Lords of Brittanie after their Country manner termed those Brittons who escaped the ruine of their Country Wallons or Welshmen for that they spake a language contrary to that of their owne and also the Soile whither they fled to inhabit Wallia which Name the Nation as well as the people retaine unto this day And so the Brittons lost their name together with their Empire The soile of the Country especially of that which adjoyneth unto the Sea or consisteth of Champian is most fertile which both to Man and Beast supplieth great store of provision but contrariwise for the Major part it is barren and lesse fruitfull and peradventure for that good husbandrie is wanting which is the cause that the Husbandmen live hardly eat Oaten-bread and drinke Milke sometime mingled with water In it are many fine Townes with fortified Castles and foure Bishopricks if Hereford be accounted in England as aforesaid according to the Moderne description The people have also a different language from the English which they who boast to derive their pedegree from the Trojan Line doe affirme to participate partly of the Trojan antiquity and partly of the Grecian Verily however the case standeth their pronuntiation is not so sweet and fluent as is the pronuntiation of the English for that the Welsh in my opinion do speak more neere the throat whereas on the contrary the English truly imitating the Latines doe pronounce their words a little betweene their lips which to the Auditor yeeldeth a pleasing sound Thus much of Wales the third portion of Brittany THe fourth and last part followeth and that is Cornewall This Province taketh its beginning upon that part of the Iland which looketh towards Spaine and the setting of the Sunne To the Eastward it stretcheth ninetie miles even a little beyond Saint Germains a fine Village and seated towards the right hand upon the Sea-shore where its greatest breadth is but twenty miles over For this portion of ground upon the right side is incircled with the Ocean upon the left with that inlet of Sea which as before we told you pierceth into the Land as farre as Chepstow where taking the similitude of a horne it runneth along first narrow and afterwards broader a little beyond the Towne of Saint Germaines Eastward it bordereth upon England upon the West the South and the North the maine Ocean incompasseth it The Soile is very barren and yeeldeth profit rather by the toyle of the Husbandman than its owne good nature But for Tinne it is admirable bountifull in the Mines whereof consisteth the better part of the Inhabitants happinesse However the Language is greatly different from the English but with the Welsh it participateth with no small affinitie for either language hath the denomination of many things in common The onely difference is that a Welshman hearing a Cornishman speaking rather understandeth some words than his whole speech A thing worthy admiration that in one and the same Iland there should be so different a confusion of Languages Cornewall pertaineth unto Exeter Diocesse and in times past was thought worthy to be accounted for a fourth part of the Iland partly for the dissimilitude of the language and partly for that it received the first inhabitants as aforesaid But afterwards the Normans who constituted a new forme of a Common-wealth admitted Cornewall amongst the number of the Counties THe first are the Sorlings lie against the Cape of Cornewall They are now termed Silly and are few lesse than 145. covered with grasse and inclosed with huge and massie rocks They are fruitfull enough for Corne but are used altogether to the feeding of Conies Cranes Swannes and Sea-Fowle Some of them yeeld Tinne and the fairest thereof is called Saint Maries being fortified with a Castle and Garrison The residue of lesse fame for brevitie we will willingly omit In the Severne Sea lie Chaldey and Londay Londay is two miles long and as many broad full of good pasture and abounding with Conies and Doves and those Fowles which Alexander Necham termeth Ganimed his birds And though it be wholly incircled with the Sea yet it yeeldeth fresh water from the Mountaines and openeth but one only passage where thorow two men can hardly passe afront the residue is inclosed with high and horrible overshuts of Rocks MOna or Anglesey is a famous Iland separated from Wales by a small fret the ancient dwelling place of the Druides It is two and twenty miles long and threescore broad Although that in ancient times this Iland seemed barren and unpleasant yet in these dayes it hath beene so well husbanded and become so fertile that it is stiled the Mother of Wales It is sufficiently stored with Cattell it yeeldeth the Grind-stone and the Minerall earth whereof Allom and Vitriall are confected It once contained 363. Villages and is at this day reasonable populous The Ilanders are wealthy and valiant and altogether speake the Welsh tongue MAn lieth just betweene the Northerne parts of Ireland and Brittaine In length it containeth little lesse than thirty Italian miles in bredth where it is broadest not above fifteene and in some places hardly eight In Bedas time saith Camden it contained three hundred families but now it can shew not above seventeene parish Churches It yeeldeth plentifull store of Flax and Hempe Tillage and Pasture Wheat and Barley but especially of Oats whereof for the most part the inhabitants feed There are also droves of Rother beasts to be seene flocks of sheep without number but generally all sorts of Cattell are lesse of growth than in England In stead of Wood they use a bituminous Cole in digging whereof sometimes they light upon trees buried in the earth The Inhabitants above all things hate theft and begging being but weake by nature Those which inhabit the Southerne parts speake the Irish tongue those whâ—ch dwell towards the North speake the Scottish THe Hebrides are foure and forty in number and lie upon the South of Scotland the Orcades are thirty and extend towards the North. The Inhabitants of the former speake Irish the people of the latter Gottish Wight is seated in the Brittish Ocean the
yet make they abundance thereof and very good for the use of strangers dwelling in the Country They make three harvests yet have they neither Peares Apples Cherries Nuts nor any other fruits common with us these are brought them from Damascus Some fruits as Oranges and the Apple of Paradise they have and preserve upon the trees all the yeare long It did once yeeld Balme not now but is stored with Honey and Sugar Canes so is it with Goats Swine Hares Partridges and Quailes as also Lions Beares and Camels And in many places so pestred with Rats and Mice that if it were not for certaine Birds devouring those Creatures it were impossible to have any Harvest Iordan runneth thorow the middest of the Countrie whose water is most delicious and therein strangers are accustomed to wash themselves In its course it maketh two lakes the one in Cana of Galilie the other at Tyberias which is called Genazereth and at last disgorgeth it selfe into the Mediterran Sea Upon the bankes thereof grow Withies Tamarisk and many other sorts of shrubs and weeds of which the Arabians make their darts weapons launces and writing pens The former of these two lakes is especially filled when the Snowes dissolve and runne from Libanus In the Summer it is drie and bringeth forth abundance of shrubs and flags wherein Lions and divers wilde beasts do shroud their carcasses The Lake of Genazereth runneth most cleerely and yeeldeth divers sorts of fish as Carps Pikes c. It is not so broad but that a man may see from one side unto the other as consisting of sixteene miles in length and six in breadth The plaines round about are barren for the abundance of bushes which hinder the husbandman from manuring the ground Yet the Iewes industrie doe much amend it and dwell about the bankes thereof for the fishing sake Mare mortuum otherwise the Lake Asphaltites so called of his bituminous favour was a place once woody and full of salt pits which for the pleasantnesse thereof was resembled to Paradise and therein stood Sodome Gomorrah and the three other Cities which for their sinne against Nature were therein drowned and burnt by the doome of God At this day it sendeth forth smokes and fogs as from an infernall furnace wherewith the whole valley adjacent for halfe a dayes journey is made barren It neither yeeldeth Fish nor Fowle and whatsoever creature is cast therein though bound hand and foot it swimmeth on the face of the water The land was once most populous as appeareth by the muster of David who numbred thirteene hundred thousand men able to beare armes besides the Tribe of Benjamin As long as they continued their upright and religious obedience to the service of God the Land prospered but assoone as they forgot God they suffered many miseries and those perpetuall untill they were cleane destroyed and forced to flye every way For to speake nothing of ancient time the 73. yeare after Christ Ierusalem was taken and destroyed by Titus with the slaughter and captivitie of infinite thousands In the yeare 136. it was restored by Aelius Adrianus new named Aelia and given in possession to the Iewes In the time of Constantine and Helena his mother it fell into the hands of the Christians so continued untill the yeare 609. at what time it was sacked by the Persians but left unto the Christians and so continued untill the dayes of Henry the fourth at what time it was againe taken by the Sultan of the Sarazens and the Christians cleane banished In the yeare 1097. in a generall Councell for the deliverie of the holy Land the Crossed Knights were instituted throughout Christendome and Godfrey of Bulloigne chosen Generall of three hundred thousand footmen and one hundred thousand horse These Knights did many famous acts recovered the land instituted a Monarchie and sometime with good fortune and sometime with losse continued the defence thereof untill the yeare 1290. in which yeare it was utterly subdued by the Soldan of Aegypt In whose possession it continued until the yeare of our Lord 1517. and then was it overcome by the Turkish Armies who at this day retaine it in miserable servitude And so it resteth peopled with men of divers Nations and Sects as Saracens Arabians Turkes Hebrewes and Christians whereof some follow the Latine Church some the Greeke as the Grecians Syrians Armenians Georgians Nestorians Iacobites Nubians Maronites Abassines Indians and Aegyptians every one having their peculiar Bishops whom they obey Galilie upon the North is environed with the steepe hils of Libanus Antilibanus upon the with West Phoenicia upon the East with Celosyria and upon the South with Samaria and Arabia the desart The soile is most fruitfull yeelding all sorts of trees and divided by Iordan upon whose bankes stand very many townes and villages and so well watred either with mountain-torrents or springs that no part thereof lyeth unmanured The Countrie is more famous for that in it standeth amongst the rude Mountaines the small village of Nazareth the place of our Lords conception and at this day there is a small Chappell archt and built under ground whereinto a man must descend by staires Here some say the Angell appeared unto Mary and foretold her that she should conceive and bring forth our Lord. The Inhabitants are Arabians short and thicke men rudely apparelled and weaponed with bows swords and daggers In this region likewise standeth the Mount Thabor whose North part is inaccessible and whereon our Lord was transfigured Samaria lyeth in a most delicate plot of Palestine but in bignesse not comparable to Iudea or Galilie The soile is partly mountainous partly champian pleasant fruitfull and very well watred with fresh and sweet water The Citie is now ruinated But Naplos for pleasure and delight is inferiour to none other It is situated upon the side of a hill the eighth part of a mile from whence a man may behold the ruines of a great Temple neere unto that Well where as men say Christ fate when he asked water of the Samaritan woman Iudea far excelleth any part of the residue of Palestine at this day enioyeth its ancient fertilitie The tribe of Iuda so named it and in it as in the rest of Palestine were very many worthy Cities whereof Ierusalem was the chiefe feate of their Princes the receptacle of the Patriarks Prophets and Apostles the originall place of our Faith and the glory of the Christian world By the Barbarians at this day it is called Godz or Chutz It standeth on an eminent place as whereunto a man must every way ascend S. Ieroms opinion was that it stood not only in the heart of Iudea but in the very center of the World as having Asia on the East Europe on the West upon the South Lybia and Africa and upon the North Scythia Armenia Persia with the residue of the Pontique Nations What the glory hereof hath beene may be
well maintained there is the house of Piety called Il monte della pieta which by ordinary Revenues and gifts may dispend yeerely 60000. Crownes wherewith amongst other charitable workes it maintaineth thorow the Kingdome two thousand Infants It is one of the regions belonging to the Kingdome of Naples It is bounded with the River Iano and the Terrhene and Ionian Seas it is in compasse above five hundred miles and is divided into two Provinces the one lieth on the Terrhene Sea where in ancient times the Brutians did inhabit and that part is properly called Calabria the other lieth on the Ionian and called Magna Graecia It is divided into the higher and lower Of the higher the chiefe seat is Cosenza of the lower Catanzara Cosenza is a large Citie Catanzara a strong Betweene the Cape of the Pillars and the Cape Alice is Corone a place of very wholesome aire Vpon this territorie Anno 1551. the Navie of the Great Turke landed and made some stay which was the cause that moved Charles the fifth to fortifie this Citie It is a thing worthy to be noted how much the Inhabitants of this country in former ages exceeded the numbers of this present for in those dayes this Citie sent more men against the Locrians than the whole Kingdome of Naples is now able to afford being numbred to an hundred and thirty thousand A little above that doe inhabit the Sabarits who were alwayes able to arme thirty thousand At Tarent beginneth the Country of Otranto in ancient times called Iapigia It containeth all that corner of land almost invironed with the Sea which lieth betweene Tarent and Brundusium In it as Strabo writeth were once thirteene great Cities but in his time onely two Tarent and Brunduse The aire is very healthfull and though the superficies of the soile seeme rough and barren being broken with the plough it is found to bee excellent good mold It is scarce of water neverthelesse it yeeldeth good Pasture and is apt for Wheat Barley Oats Olives Cedars excellent Melons Oxen Asses and Mules of great estimation The people are in their manners dangerous superstitious and for the most part beastly The Gentlemen lovers of liberty and pleasure scoffers at Religion especially at that which we terme the reformed and yet themselves of their owne great blasphemers For outward shew they live in great pompe and make the City more stately because they are not permitted to live in the Countrey yet as they dare they bitterly grone under the Viceroyes controll who exerciseth the Spanish pride amongst them so that in these dayes they come nothing neere their native glory nor customary wantonnesse In this Country is bred the Tarantola whose venome is expelled with Fire and Musicke as Gellius reporteth out of Theophrash his History of living creatures There are likewise bred the Chersidi serpents living both on the land and in the Sea yea there is no part of Italy more cumbred with Grashoppers which leave nothing where they come but would utterly consume in one night whole fields full of ripe corne if Nature by sending the birds called the Gaive into those quarters had not provided a remedie against this misery The place at all times of the yeare endureth much dammage by Haile Thunder is as usuall in Winter as in Summer This Province is situated betweene two Seas The Citie is seated in an Island like unto a ship and joyned to the Continent with bridges where the tide setteth violently on the other side the two Seas joyne together by meanes of a trench cut out by mans hand and is of largenesse sufficient to receive a Gally Where the Citie now standeth was before a rocke and is holden to be the strongest fortresse of the Kingdome From thence along the shore lieth Caesaria now ruined by them of Gallipoli Gallipolis is seated on a ridge of land running into the Sea like a tongue On the furthest point whereof standeth the Citie and is of great strength by reason of the situation being fenced with unaccessible rocks well walled and secured by a Castle with which motives of encouragement in the warres betweene the French and the Arragons the citizens thereof to their great honour continued ever faithfull to the fortunes of the Arragons It hath beene counted one of the chiefest Cities of Italy it is now by their civill dissentions almost desolated the cause as I take it wherefore the aire thereabouts is become so unhealthfull an influence incident to all great Cities For as nothing doth better temper the aire than the frequencie of Inhabitants because by husbandry and industry they drie up Fennie and unwholesome places prune such woods as grow too thicke and obscure with their fires purge noysome exhalations and with their high buildings extenuate grosse vapours So on the contrary there is nothing apter to breed infection than desolation for so the places are not onely deprived of the aforesaid helps but even the houses and their ruines are receptacles of infection and matter of corruption Which appeareth to be true by the ruines of Aquilea Rome Ravenna and Alexandria in Aegypt For which inconvenience the Grecians never built huge Cities Plato would not that his should exceed 500. families and Aristotle wished that all his people might at once heare the voice of one Crier This Province extendeth from the confines of Brunduse to the River Fortore It is divided into two territories the one at this day called Bari and by the Latines Peucetia the other Puglia and by them Dawnia divided each from other by the River Lofanto In the second part it comprehendeth Capitanato containing in it many great Cities places of trade and Fortresses of good account Amongst the number whereof is Mansredonia built by K. Manfredi in a high place healthfull with a convenient and safe harbour It lieth under the hill Gargano at this day called S. Angelo because of the appearing of S. Michael who is honoured there with great devotion It should seeme that in this hill all the riches of Puglia are heaped together it hath plenty of water an element rare in this Province The Sarazens finding the opportunitie of the situation thereof did there fortifie therein maintained themselves a long time for in truth there is no place better to molest the Kingdome and to command the Adriatike Sea Puglia is another Province of this Kingdome it is bounded with the River Fortorie and the River Tronto in which circuit are contained many people Towards the Sea it is a fruitfull Country in the middest rough and mountainous and the coldest Region in the Kingdome The wealth thereof consisteth in Cattell and Saffron The Country of Malsi is divided with the River Pescara the Governour thereof resideth in San-Severino This Province hath no famous place upon the Sea-coast but in the Inland Benevento was given to the Church by Henry the fourth in recompence of
other advantages required in the situation of a City hath those two which are required in a well seated City whereof having already discoursed in the site of England wee will here surcease further to dilate of The safety then of this City groweth from the Waters and the situation thereof in the Water where neither it can be well approached or assaulted by Land for the interposition of the Water betweene it and the Land nor yet by Sea for that the streames are not navigable but by Vessels of the lesser size onely for greater ships riding out of the Channels where the Water is somewhat deepe would drive and riding within the Channels with every turning water should bee on ground So that a Navie of lesser shipping would doe no good and greater shipping cannot well there be mannaged In conclusion these Waters are rather made for the places and entertainment of peace than for motions of warre We may adde to these difficulties which nature and the situation doe present another as great which ariseth from the power and provisions of the City which are ever such as will better inable the Inhabitants to offend another in those Waters than any man can invent to offend them All which young Pepin tasted to his losse Who with his ships and men fild all the Coast From the Fornaci to the greater shore And Laid a bridge to passe his ventrous boast From Mâ—lamocco all the Channellore Even to Rialto yet for all this boast Hee 's faine to flie with shame the Seas doe drowne His men His bridge the waves have beaten downe And lastly wee may adde the continuall Art and care which the Seigniorie doth use ever to augment something to the fortification of this their Citie and State The whole Dominion of the Venetian Seigniorie is divided into firme land and Sea By the firme land we understand all that which they possesse in Lombardie in Marca Trâ—visâ—â— and in Friuli for that all those parcels doe make one continued country passable from one to the other without helpe of Sea Wee will terme that Sea which confineth with the Lake Sea-ward or that which cannot be approached without passing by Water This State is againe divided into Continent and Island On the Continent they have Istria Dalmatia Sclavonia Albania or at least some parts thereof The Islands stand partly within the Gulfe not farre distant from the Continent and part of them are without the Gulfe which are Corfu Cephalonia Zante Candia Cenigo Tine and other in the Adriatique The State of the firme Land containeth one of the Marquisats of Italie to wit Trevisa which besides the head Citie whereof it taketh its name hath also in it the Cities of Feitre Belluno and Câ—nâ—da It hath moreover two of those Cities which are of the first ranke of the Cities in Italie namely Venice and â—resâ—la Nor let it seeme strange to any man that Treckon â—râ—scia amongst the said Cities considering that for largenesse of Territorie it giveth place to no Citie thorow Italâ—â— containing in length one hundred miles and in bredth fiftie considering also the number of Inhabitants and the entrade it yeeldeth to the Seigniorie besides the private revenue of the Citie it selfe In all which few other Cities come neere it There is also in the firme Land the Citie of Verona called so for its superemment conditions as Verâ— una and is the first of the second ranke of Cities of Italie The Citie of Padoa which for goodnesse of soile exceedeth Bolognia it selfe There are also the Cities of Bergamo Vicenza and Crema There is againe the State of Friuli with two honourable Cities Vdine where the Lieutenant of the State resideth and Cividal besides a number other populous Townes little inferiour to Cities Lastly there is the fruitfull Polesine with the noble Citie of Rovigo therein with other places of good respect If wee consider the water there are few States of Italy that have more abundance in that kinde either for standing Waters or Rivers In the Territorie of Bergamo is the Lake of Iseo in the Country of Brescia the Lake of Idro In the Veronesse and Brescian is the Lake of Guardo It is also watered with many great Rivers that not only serve to make the fields fruitfull but also to fortifie the place And those Rivers are Oglio Chiese Navilio Mincio Seri Mela and Garza which indeed is rather a Mountaine Bourne than a River c. The Countrey of Polesine and Padoa are so stored with Lakes and Rivers that therein is no Burg or place which standeth not within five miles of some fresh Water And all this Countrey of the firme Land whereof I have spoken is also for aire exceeding wholesome and temperate as the complexions and cheerefull countenances of the Inhabitants can well witnesse together with the quicknesse of their apprehension and wit as well for matter of Armes as Learning Touching the Land this State hath in it many parts that are very diverse in qualitie some-where exceeding happy and fruitfull but lesse industrie in the people other-where the people are exceeding industrious but the ground defective Againe some parts there are where both the people are exceeding carefull industrious and the soile also good Of the first sort is the Territorie of Crema of Padoa of Vicenza of Trevisa and the Polesine Of the second sort is the Countrey of the Bergomasche the Veronise and Friuli Of the third sort is the Country of Brescia And touching the first it is almost incredible what the riches and increase is of those grounds what fresh Meadowes what fruitfull arable what abundance of Cattell of Flesh of all things that come of Milke what plenty of Corne of Pulse of Fruit Wood Flax Linnen and Fish Amongst all which particularities the Padoan doth notwithstanding excell which for goodnesse of soile doth carrie the praise from all the rest of Lombardie The wealth of this Territory may hence be conjectured that it hath the richest Bishopricke and Prebendaries of Italy It hath one of the richest Abbeies of Saint Benet in Italy which is Saint Iustina It hath one of the most beautifull Convents of the same order viz. that of Praxa It hath the richest Monastery belonging to the Austen-Friers which is that of Caudiana It hath two of the greatest Churches that may bee found in Italy which are Saint Iustina and Saint Anthony with one of the greatest Customes of salt in Europe In the time of the Roman Common-wealth no City of the Empire had more Knights of Rome than had Padoa For that as Strabo testifieth there were sometimes counted five hundred of them at once Which must needs proceed from the extraordinary goodnesse of the soile and the greatnesse of private livelihoods But at this day the greatnesse of the Venetian Nobilitie hath in great part diminished the Nobilitie of other Cities Amongst which Aquileia in old time tooke in compasse twelve miles and made an hundred and twenty thousand Citizens
conjectured out of Tacitus who reporteth that in the beginning of the siege it contained two hundred thousand soules At this day it numbreth not above five thousand inhabitants although many Pilgrims daily resort thither for devotion sake It was once strongly and fairely walled but now weakely and therin it sheweth nothing now so famous as the Sepulchie of our Lord Christ whose Temple encircleth the whole mount of Calvarie situated upon a plaine plot of ground high round and open at the top from whence it receiveth light but the Sepulchre itselfe is covered with an Archt-Chappell cut out of the maine Marble and left unto the custodie of the Latine Christians Whosoever is desirous to see this Sepulchre must pay nine crownes to the Turke so that this tribute is yearely worth unto him eight millions of Ducats One hundred and eight foot distant from this Tombe is the Mount called Calvarie whereon our Saviour Christ was crucified by the treacherous Iewes In this place are many other religious Reliques And the pilgrims which come thither are alwaies lodged according to their owne professions that is to say the Latines with the Franciscans without the Citie by Mount Sion the Grecians are lodged with the Caloieran Greekes dwelling within the Citie by the Sepulchre And so every other Nation Abassines Georgians Armenians Nestorians and Maronits who all have their proper and peculiar Chappels Those Franciscans which follow the Latine Church and are for the most part Italians were wont to create the Knights of the Sepulchre and to give testimoniall unto pilgrims of their arrivall there Without this Citie is the Valley of Iehosaphat and therein the tombes of the blessed Ladie and S. Anne The territorie adjoyning is exceeding fruitfull in Vines Apples Almonds Figs and Oyle the Mountaines are no lesse stored with all sorts of Trees wilde Beasts and Spiceries Besides Ierusalem standeth Bethlem now destroyed and shewing nothing worth looking on save a great and stately Monasterie of the Franciscans within which is the place where Christ was borne Rama is now likewise ruinated the Arches and Cesternes yet remaining by the witnesse of Bellonius his owne eye are greater than those of Alexandria but not so thicke Gaza is now a Turkish Sangiak-ship the soile about fertile and the inhabitants Grecians Turks and Arabians In holy Writ this Region is called Edom and by other Authors Nabathea Toward the sea and Iudea the soile is fertile but towards Arabia desart and barren Some say it is inexpugnable for its Desarts and want of water yet is it stored therewith but hidden and knowne to none but the natives Of old they were a turbulent unquiet and seditious people and so at this day they are like to the villainous and roguish Neighbours the Arabians Next bordereth Phoenicia as part of Syria exposed to the sea and bordering upon Galile Of old it had many famous Cities as Tripolis Beritus Sydon Tyrus Ptolemais Capernaum Emissa and others Amongst the which Tyre and Sydon were most famous Tyre was a goodly Citie a Colonie of the Sydonians and round about encircled with the Sea untill Alexander in his siege joyned it to the continent At this day it hath two harbours that on the North side the fairest and best thorowout the Levant which the Cursores enter at their pleasure the other choked with the ruines of the Citie So is it and Sydon now the strong receptacles of the stiffe-necked Drusians A generation they say descended from the reliques of those Noble Christians who under the conduct of Godfrey of Bullen descended into those parts and being by time driven unto harder fortunes betooke themselves to the Mountaines from whence they could never be expulsed neither by the Saracens nor yet by the Turkes Allowed they are libertie of Religion and no other tribute imposed upon them than is upon the naturall Subject the one being no good Christians and the other worse Mahumetans Sydon was once no lesse famous now contracted into a narrow compasse shewing only in her ruines the foundations of her greatnesse The Inhabitants are of sundry Nations and Religions as the Tyrians yet governed by a succession of Princes whom they call Emirs And whose Seigniorie augmented by armes and tyrannie stretcheth from the River of Canis to the foot of Mount Carmel containing a large extent of ground and therein many Cities whereof Saffet is the principall The Grand Seignior doth much envie him for suffering the Florentines to harbour and water within his Port of Tyrus which he is glad to excuse by the waste of the place and inabilitie of resistance But the truth is that hee is a strong rich and potent Lord in these parts partly presuming upon the strength of his invincible Forts and partly upon the advantage of the Mountaines yet having besides in continuall pay fortie thousand souldiers â—ome Moores some Christians and if the worst should 〈◊〉 â—hee hath the Sea at hand and the Florentine to friend with whom he knoweth that a massie Treasure will worke â—o small effects towards the purchase of some rich Seigniorie To conclude he is too strong for his neighbours and able to make a long defensive Warre against the Turke if his tyrannie could assure him of fidelitie in this people Acon or Ptolomais is strongly fortified triangular-wise two parts whereof lye upon the Sea the third toward the land The soile about is very fruitfull and delicious The Citie adorned with a beautifull Hospitall strong and well bulwarked once belonging to the Teutonicke Knights It hath also a very faire Haven capacious of any ships comming from the South now under the Sanzâ—ack of Saffet and usurped with the rest of that Province by the foresaid Emir of Sydon In this wofull Towne dwell not above two or three hundred Inhabitants and those in patcht up ruinous houses Beritus is an ancient Citie once an Episcopall See now famous for Trafficke and Merchandize as the Mart-towne whereunto all the ships comming from Europe doe arrive It is situated most safely and almost inexpugnable NOw following mine Author and having finished this tedious discourse of this great Empire by the patience of my Reader I will once turne backe againe and relate the Originall the manners the discent and the Religion of this warlike and infidelious people composed partly of Natives lineally descended from the Scythians and Tartars and partly of Apostata and Renegado Christians Generally the Natives have broad visages correspondent to the proportion of their members faire and tall and somewhat inclined to grossenesse Their haire they regard not save onely that of their beards They are of a grosse and dull capacitie wayward slow and lazie hating husbandrie and yet above all people in the world covetous and desirous of riches yea selling all places of Justice and Government to their best Chapmen Amongst one another exceeding courteous and as servile toward their superiours in whose presence they keepe admirable silence and
and degrees They must be all Gentlewomen for the Nairs may not take any Countrywoman yea so great is their disdaine and pride that without illusage they will not indure any of the common people to come neere them In their journeyes they send their servants before to the Innes and Villages to declare their Masters approach then must all travellers depart and give roome If it be â—hought in Turkie that by licentious liberty in time of peace the Ianizars become more hardy and couragious in war what may we deeme of these Nairs who will not indure a man of meane calling to look them in the face They inhabit no Townes but dwell in houses made of earth invironed with hedges and woods and their waies as intricate as into a labyrinth Of what force this Kingdome is may be gathered by the armie of 60000. souldiers and 200. vessels of warre which he levied 1503. against Edward Pachecho the King of Portugals Captaine taking part that time with the King of Cochin this war lasted almost five months In the yeare 1529. with an army of 100000. he beleagred the fortresse which the Portugals built in Calecute under the keeping of Iohn Lima In this siege he spent a whole Winter wherein although the Portugals behaved themselves valiantly yet weighing the Kings forces and their owne possibilities they thought it best to destroy it with their owne hands In the yeare 1601. he besieged Caile with 90000. men and tooke it by composition He hath more than once given an instance of his power at Sea He is Lord of many havens whereunto great numbers of shipping doe resort and in that regard cannot chuse but be well furnished with a great Navie But in goodnesse of shipping and martiall discipline we must needs confesse the Sea-forces of all the Indian Princes to be farre inferiour to those of the Portugals whose dominion both at Sea and Land nothing hath so much augmented as their defensive warfare To speake truth it seldome falleth out but the naked man feareth the sword and the armed man is more encouraged thereby bearing himselfe bolder upon his skill than his strength and prevaileth more by temporizing than by rash fighting whereas the Barbarians putting more confidence in their numbers than their goodnesse have alwayes wanted that vertue which should make armies dreadfull and fortunate which is good order and Discipline Iapan Iapan may well be called a politike body compacted of many and sundry Islands of divers different formes and circuits which as they are divided from the rest of the continent so are they inhabited by a people much differing in manners and customes from the residue of the Orient They stand round and close together like the Maldivae in the Indian Sea and the Hebrides and Orcades in the North Ocean They are in number sixty six divided into three partialities The first containeth nine the second foure the third fifty three Amongst these five are renowmed but especially one for the famous Citie of Macao And it is most commonly seene that they who have the soveraigntie of those five are Lords of all the rest It is distant from New Spaine an hundred and fifty leagues from China sixty The soile is to be accounted rather barren than fertile The inhabitants are of a very ready wit and marvellous patient in adversitie Their new borne children they immediatly wash in the rivers and as soone as they are weaned they take them from their mothers and bring them up in labours of hunting and such like exercises They goe bare-headed men very ambitious and desirous of honour Povertie is no disgrace to the Gentrie of their bloud They will not suffer the least wrong to passe unrevenged they salute one another with many courtesies they are very staied and of a setled resolution They are very jealous to shew themselves fearefull or base-minded in word or deed they will make no man privie of their losses or misfortunes they have the like beasts both tame and wilde as wee have but they will scarcely eat any thing save Herbs Fish Barley or Rice and if they doe it is the flesh of wilde beasts taken by hunting Of these graines they make their Wines and water mixt with a certaine precious powder which they use they account a daintie beverage they call it Chia Their buildings for the most part are of timber partly because the upland places are destitute of quarries but abounding with Cedars of admirable height and thicknesse fit for building and partly because the Country is subject to Earth-quakes In times past all Iapan obeyed one Prince shewing him great obedience and subjection and this government endured with no lesse state and majestie at the least sixteene hundred yeares untill about seventie yeares since by the rebellion of two of his chiefest Lieutenants the whole Kingdome was distracted each of them holding by armes whatsoever he atchieved by usurpation By their example others becomming as ambitious seized on the rest of the kingdome some on one part some on another leaving nothing but the bare name of Dairi which signifieth the Lord of all Iapan with the title of Iucata viz. King to their rightfull Soveraigne Yea those Princes which were Lords of the Territories about Meaco would hardly allow him whereof to finde him victuall and apparell so that now he resembleth the shadow rather than the King of the ancient and magnificent Monarchie of Iapan Since those times whosoever layeth fast hold on the dominion of the Coquinat these are the five Kingdomes bordering Meâ—co in stead of Dairi calleth himselfe Emperour and King of Iapan and Lord of Tenza Nahunanga was one of them in our dayes and after him Fassiba in power and majestie excelling all his predecessors Nabunanga was Lord of six and thirty Provinces Fassiba at the least of fiftie The forme of government is nothing like the policie of Europe The strength of the Prince consisteth not in ordinary revenues and love of the people but in rigour and the Princes pleasure As soone as the Prince hath conquered one or more Kingdomes he shareth them wholly amongst his friends and followers who binde themselves by oath faithfully to serve him with a limited company of men as well in peace as warre They againe to make their followers trustâ—e and ready for all services reserving some small matter for the sustentation of themselves and families divide to every man a portion of the former division so that all the wealth of Iapan private and publike is in the hands of a few men and those few depending on the pleasure of one that is the Lord of Tenza He as him listeth giveth taketh disgraceth honoureth and impoverisheth When hee casheereth any Governour of his Province all the Leaders and Souldiers of the said Province are changed and none left there but Artificers and Husbandmen This government draweth with it continuall dislike and innovations for Dairi though hee hath neither power nor government yet being in favour and estimation of
to imagine all heat and no temperature sufficient for a man to live in was but an errour of the times bewraying their owne unexperience and the uncertainty of speculative philosophie It is true indeed that neere unto the North pole men thinking to draw in their breaths are in danger to have their throats pluggd up with an Isicle and the Dutchmen wintering in Nova Zembla had their house covered with snow for nine or ten moneths together nor could they get themselves a heat with all the fire they could make But there is not the same reason for the insufferablenesse of heat that there is of cold Heat is the friend of life and nature and cold the great enemie and nipper of vegetation And whereas cold can without doors receiue no temperer heat on the contrarie is capable of very many For so hath the most wise God ordered his Creation that under the Torride Zone there is most abundant plentie of waters Rain-water Snow-water Sea-water Lake-water River-water and Spring-water As for their raines even the heats cause them for in those moneths when the Sunne is verticall and right over their heads and at that time of the day when he scorches from the height of his Meridian at high noone dayes even then most plentifully doth hee dissolve the clouds and the raines at that time quench his flames most temperately At mid-day also have they and that constantly those coole and gentle winds which the Spaniards call the Brizes In those parts have they the most mighty Rivers witnesse the Orelian 70. leagues in bredth and that of Plate 40. leagues over with divers others not much streighter than our narrow Seas There have they the Lake Ticicaca 80. leagues compasse Nicuragua 300. miles long and the Lake of Mexico 1100. miles about To come on this side the Line yet still under the Torride Zone where can you finde such impetuous raines continually falling for some whole moneths together and such vast Lakes and Rivers as in Aethiopia the mouth of the River Zairo is 20. miles wide nay and in these places the rivers content not themselves with their owne channels but in the hottest moneths they then overflow the whole country witnesse the Nile and the Niger Another commoditie of these waters is this that the winds skimming over the face of them fannes the coole vapour all over those quarters Nay as if this were not enough wee see that God hath provided water even in living and growing Cesternes the hollow truncks of most tree-like canes being full of water and those coole a little also such be plentifull in the Moluccas even under the Aequinoctiall Besides all this hath nature provided those parts of many high mountaines which cast long shadowes and mightily keepe off the Sun yea and which you would wonder at even in that continuall neighbourhood of that great Thawer have you hils perpetually covered with frost snow so is it in the I le of Saint Thomas which is just under the Aequinoctiall and so are the silver hills of Pâ—tossi also The generall causer of these snowes and colds is held to be the length of the nights whose long and frequent intermissions be another maine occasion of temper and cooling and these are generally and all the yeare the neerer the Line the longer being there equall with the dayes themselves so that there it snowes and freezes as much in the night as the Sun thawes in the day these snow-waters being naturally more cold than other waters also For these and other reasons have our men of Europe found not people alone but even white people and most delicate and temperate dwelling perchance the best in the world in this Torride Zone yea under the very Aequinoctiall yea much cooler Summers than in Estramedura in Spaine or Apulia in Italy To conclude this point the ancient Romanes who lookt for nothing but rost-meat in that Zone and that raw men could not possibly live there were a great deale worse scorched in their owne Italy nor have those under the Torride Zone so much need of the Romane Grottaes or Freskataes for to coole them Of the Constitutions Complexions and Natures of the Northerne man GEnerally both in the North in the South as also in the Middle you shall observe great difference both of fashion and qualitie occasioned no question through the intermingled resort from both Extremes But in the Extremes you shall see no such apparant diversitie For the assured token of a Scythians countenance is his reddish eye like those of the Owle which also doe dazle at the sight of the light Such eyes saith Plutarch haue the Cimbrians and such at this day the Danes The Germanes and the Brittish have them not so fierie but rather grey intermixed with a bright blacknesse most resembling the colour of water And this bright-shining colour saith Aristotle argueth heat but blacke the colour of the Southerne people betokeneth want thereof The grey eye and such is theirs who inhabite betweene both is sharpest of sight seldome troubled with dimnesse and according to Aristotle denoteth good qualities the Red crueltie and austeritie as Plinie and Plutarch observed of Sylla Caro and Augustus The bloud also of the Scythian is full of small strings such as are discernable in the goare of Bulls and Boares and betokeneth strength and courage The people of the South haue their bloud thinne and fluent like to that of the Hare and Hart and denoteth feare Whereupon it may be conjectured that those Nations which are spread from the fortieth degree to the seventie five Northward are hot within but the people of the South what they borrow from the Sunne that they want in themselves the inward heat being dispersed and drawne into the outward parts by the vehemencie of the outward heat A reason why in frosty weather our minds and joynts are couragious and strong in heat idle and lazie and so our appetites and digestion more vehement in Winter than in Summer especially if the Northerne winds be stirring The Southerne winds effect the contrary in all living creatures saith Aristotle as may daily be observed amongst the English the Germans and the French travelling into Italy and Spaine where if they live not sparingly they fall into surfets witnesse Philip Duke of Austria living in Spaine after his Germane gourmandizing fashion Againe the Spaniards who in their owne Countries live most niggardly in our parts of the world prove better trencher-men than the natives And this experiment falleth not out true in men onely but also in beasts which as herdsmen affirme being driven towards the South fall away and lose flesh but if they feed towards the North they prosper and wax fat Which I the rather beleeve for that Leo Afer writeth that throughout all Afrike you shall almost see no herds of Cattell nor Horse few flocks of Sheepe and scarce any milke at all On the other side the goodly droves of the English the Germans and the Scythians are celebrated
Beere are transported from thence into Belgia as also Pelts Hides Tallow and Sea-coale The Island is so commodiously seated for the Sea that it is never without resort of Portugall Spanish French Flemmish and Easterling Merchants The traffike betweene the English and the Flemmish ariseth to an inestimable value for Guicciardin writeth that before the tumults of the Low-countries they bartered for twelve millions of crownes yearely The aire is somewhat thicke and therefore more subject to the gathering of clouds raine and winds but withall lesse distempered with heat or cold for the same reasons of crassitude The nights are lightsome and in the Northermost parts of the Land they are so short that the falling and rising of the Sunne is discernde but by a small intermission for that the Island is situated almost full North and the Sunne in the Summer time moving slowly and staying long in the Northerne Climates doth almost compasse it round above In the Winter it is as farre removed when approaching neerer the South it runneth towards the East I my selfe have observed that in the City of London being seated in the Southerly part of the Island about the Summer Solstice the night hath not beene above five houres long At all seasons of the yeare the Country is most temperate being subject to no extraordinary evill influence of the Heavens so that diseases are not there very common and therefore lesse use of Physicke than in other places yea many times some people there are who attaine unto one hundred and ten yeares of age yea some to one hundred and twenty Earth-quakes are here seldome heard of and lightnings almost to speake of as seldome The soyle is very fruitfull and plentifull and of all necessaries it yeeldeth abundance except of those things which are peculiar to hotter or colder Regions Vines are fostered rather for the pleasure of their shadowes than for the increase of their profits yet prosper they in all places and bring forth Grapes which notwithstanding hardly wax ripe unlesse an unusuall hot Summer or an artificiall reflexion doe helpe them Wheat Rye Barley and Oats are sowed in their seasons other graines they commonly use not and of Pulse onely Beanes and Pease The fruits suddenly knot but ripen slowly the cause of either is the overmuch moisture both of the soile and the aire Wine as aforesaid the Land affordeth not in stead whereof beere is in request without controversie by use a pleasant and wholsome Beverage Wines are transported from France Spaine and Canaie The Woods are full of fruit trees and most plentifull of Mast. The Rivers faire and runne through many Provinces The Downes are many yet neither cumbred with wood nor overlayed with water which by reason therof bringeth forth a tender and short grasse gratefull and sufficient for the pasturage of infinite flockes of sheepe And whether it be by the influence of the Heavens or the goodnesse of the land they yeeld the finest and softest freeces thorow the whole world And first I must put you in minde of a Miracle how this beast besides the dew of Heaven ordinarily tasteth of no other water so that the shepherds of purpose doe drive them from all watry places upon true observation That to let them drinke is to let them bane Without doubt this is the true golden Fleece wherein the maine wealth of the whole Island consisteth And for to buy this commoditie immensive treasure is yearely reconveyed into the Land by Merchants from whence it is never conveyed because it is provided by the Lawes of the Kingdome That no person transport Gold or Silver Plate Iewels c. Whereby it commeth to passe that no Countrey under the Cope of Heaven is richer than England For besides those masses of Coyne which passe this way and that way through the hands of Tradesmen Merchants and Gentlemen there is almost no person of meane condition but for the use of his daily table he hath either a Salt Cups or Spoones of Silver and according to his estate more or lesse for divers services It is no lesse stored with all kinde of Beasts except Asses Mules Camels and Elephants It bringeth forth no materiall venomous Creature or Beast of prey save the Fox worthy talking of for the race of the Wolves is quite extinguished and therefore all sorts of cattell stray as they list and are in safetie without any great care-taking for an Heards-man so that you shall see Heards of Rother Beasts and Horses and Flocks of Sheepe in all places wandring by day and by night upon Hils and in Vallies in Commons and inclosed Grounds by ancient Customes laid open after Harvest wherein every Neighbour claimeth communitie to feed his Cattell For in truth the Oxe and the Weather are Creatures especially ordained for the Table than whose flesh there is not in any place a more savourie or delicious service Of the two the Steere is the best especially if it be seasonably powdered of which there is no marvell for that this choice is altogether exempted from labour and fed up for food and withall the diet of the English Nation consisting most upon flesh The people are tall of stature faire of complexion for the greater part gray-eyed and as in pronunciation they approach the Italian so in constitution of body and fashion they doe well-neere imitate them They are civilly qualified and take counsell by leasure knowing that profitable proceedings have none a more dangerous adversary â—han rashnesse Of their owne dispositions they are courteous and in all good offices forwards especially the Gentry even towards strangers Their acquaintance they invite to their houses and there entertaine them kindly and feast them both at noone and at night merrily neatly heartily and bountifully and this they terme courtesie or neighbourhood In battell they are fearlesse excellent Archers and in service unindurable of temporizing and therefore the sword being once drawne they forth with set at all upon the hazzard of a battell knowing that all good successe attendeth the fortune of the Victor Fortresses they build none but rather suffer those which heretofore have beene built and are now by age growne ruinous utterly to perish but being once in forren parts they retaine all military discipline to the utmost For Booke-men their maintenance is bountifull their proficiencie commendable and their number numberlesse Their attire differeth not much from the French their women are amiable and beautifull and attired in most comely fashion Their Cities are honourable their Townes famous Hamlets frequent and Villages every where magnificent So that if any courteous Traveller would desire of mee to behold an Idea of happinesse in abstracto fitting for the generall necessitie of life and upright conversation viz. the use of diet clothing sociable feastings solemne festivals and banquets with approbation of magnificence Or demand to see the place where Law indifferent to all sorts permitteth the private man to thrive to purchase estates to devise chattels and inheritances
througing discontentments turne to a flame of furious disconsolation amongst us Neither is this the full scope of their continued envies Religion is the pretence but malice and private respects procure these bad effects Saevit post funera virus At Venice the English have no buriall allowed them but the Sea neither at Zante are they better used but faine to be carried up into Morea amongst the Turks At Lygorne and other places of Italy an Englishman dying without confession is throwne into some ditch to be devoured of beasts and birds And in Spaine he is interred in the strond the field or a Garden How farre more charitable was Alexander to Darius Hannibal to Marcellus Caesar to Pompey Turks to Christians and Man to Man if not a Romanist But now leaving these premonitions to your better considerations as I have made you acquainted with those blessings which in truth doe make a Kingdome really happy So again for the strength of situation I hope to make you as perfect beholders of the two properties which Aristotle wished above all projects what ever to be regarded in the building of a Citie The one is that it be difficult to besiege the other that it be easie for conveying in and transporting out of things necessary These two commodities hath England by the Sea which to the Inhabitants is a deep trench against all hostile invasions an easie passage to take in and send out all commodities whatsoever being situated in the bosome of the maine Ocean which even by naturall courses fortifieth the Iland more than any Sea doth any other Kingdome For on the West lieth the Irish Ocean a Sea so turbulent and so full of rocks and flats that it is very dangerous for great Ships and on the East South and North the flowing and ebbing of the Brittish Ocean is so accidentall the removing of the sands and shelves so uncertaine and the rising and falling of the water betweene twelve and fifteene fathome a thing wonderfull to be spoken of so ordinary every twelve houres that without an English Pilot no stranger shall bee able to bring in a vessell in safety And he likewise must bring his Tide justly with him or otherwise it is impossible to land without perill The Sea coast on every side is cliffie and inaccessible except in some certaine places which are strongly fortified as Barwicke Dover Dartmouth Plimmouth Portsmouth c. so that the whole Iland may well be reputed for one impregnable fortresse To this strength of situation sithence of late a worthy Gentleman and that truly hath not doubted to averre that ten such Merchants ships well provided of munition and men as in these dayes trade into the East-Indies would not much feare the Navy royall of some Kings in Christendome why should we feare to rejoyce in the flourishing estate of that Kingdome in whose Havens besides the Navie Royall two thousand vessels are reported to traffike yearely And be it as it may to prove what we speake and to passe over the much famoused passages of Edward the third to Callis and Henry the eighth to Bulloigne we will flie no further for examples than the fourth yeare of Queene Elizabeth when in her journey to New-haven the Navie lately neglected was now againe so well furnished as both the Spaniard and Frenchman envied her Abilities But 88. was the yeare which gave both terrour and admiration unto all our neighbours A yeare by the Germans foretold to be the worlds climactericall by Regiomontanus Admirable And so indeed it proved full of rumours anxieties and menaces The King of Spaine having of late dayes added unto his Seigniories of Spaine the kingdome of Portugal and boyling in revenge against this kingdome suggesting unto his imaginations that if his destinies would vouchsafe as facile a victory against England as elsewhere upon like suppositions they had bestowed upon him at the Terceras and Portugal then even then at once had the life of the Low-Countries lien a bleeding his navigation to the Indies warranted and his hopes finished To the accomplishment whereof he presseth forceth hireth and borroweth from sundry Nations the strongest vessels and therein imployeth his utmost meanes to have tamed the English and confounded the Netherlands But that ever memorable Lady wary and provident summoneth her subjects relieth on their loves and to the Westward opposeth a Navie consisting of 100. saile there to wait the approach of this Invincible Armada And because from Flanders the Duke of Parma threatned no lesse danger upon that coast also she laid twenty other good ships to attend his attempts besides those of the Low-Countries From the West the enemy was discerned and fight with present courage entertained but precisely ordered that none of the English ships should voluntarily if otherwise it might be avoided lay any Spaniard aboard but alwayes fight at best advantage endevouring by all meanes to keepe into the weather whereby at all times soundly to have interrupted them if they had offered to land So to leave and take as occasions presented they comming to invade and the English ends being onely to keepe them from landing The which directions were so punctually observed as that this invincible fleet for all their force and appearance without either gaining or sinking one of our vessels was faine to flie away by the backe doore I meane by the North Seas wherein they found a miserable and tedious flight lost an hundred and odde of their best ships and in recompence never got so much as one dishfull of fresh water not ever landed one man prisoners except upon the English coast Whereat neither let the Papist mutter nor the ignorant detract by saying That is was the onely stormy winds and tempestuous Seas that afflicted our enemies and drave them from our coast These excuses argue bad spirits for it could not be avoided but that the English ships should also bee ingaged to like violent accidents of wind and waves as were the Spaniards The English had no determination to leave them no not to looke into any of their owne ports or those of their friends for succour And surely foule weather and high growne Seas did more hinder us than them For then could not we carry out our lower ports being our best tyres which the Spaniards might doe their ordnance lying nothing so neere the water as the English did Notwithstanding we alwayes affronted them and galled them with our great ordnance as our best opportunities served our ships being more proper for these Seas than their huge Lee-ward Carts Alwayes in spight of their hearts we kept into the weather of them to our great advantage which in truth was no small meanes of victory and of their disgrace that made so great preparations to so small purpose If they longed to be fought withall and were not why did they never offer to dispatch the businesse whereabout they made the world beleeve they came so resolutely determined why did they not make a
three hundred beautified with Churches imbatteled and of many severall fashions besides Granges Castles Religious houses Towers and Gentlemens Manours The aire seemeth moist yet not prejudiciall to the health of the inhabitants for in the Campaine of Brabant men live an hundred yeares and glory in the same as if the promise were fulfilled in them to haue their dayes long in the Land which the Lord God hath given themâ— The Emperour Charles had an intention to erect it into a Kingdome but the difficultie consisted herein that every of thâ—se Provinces being governed by peculiar customes prerogatives and privileges would never have yeelded unto one Royall Law common to all especially those that had the largest privileges for which cause he gave over his determination It is seated commodiously for all the Provinces of Europe and containeth in circuit about a thousand Italian miles The aire of later times is become much more wholesome and temperate than in times past whether it be by reason of the increase of Inhabitants or industry of the people who spare no charge to amend whatsoever is amisse Whosoever shall consider what commodity they raise by the fishing and traffike onely may well say that no Nation through the whole world may compare with them for riches For Guicciardine writeth that of their Herring-fishing they make yearely 441000. pound sterling their fishing for Cod 150000. pound sterling and of their fishing for Salmon more than 200000. crownes which is of sterling money 60000. pound The continuall riches that groweth in the Country of other sorts of fish taken all the yeare is infinite The value of the principall Merchandize yearely brought in and carried out is likewise infinite the aforesaid Author esteemeth it to be about foureteene millions one hundred and thirty crownes whereof England only bringeth to the value of five millions and two hundred and fifty thousand crowns It is a wonder to see how that the Inhabitants of all these Provinces especially of Brabant and Flanders understand and speake two or three languages and some foure or more according to their entercourse with strangers yea in Antwerp you shall heare the women speake Dutch French Italian Spanish and English The Countrey is everywhere bettered by navigable Rivers and those not empty handed but affording delicate water and excellent fish It is reasonably beautified with woods affording materials to build withall and pleasure for hunting It is smally or not at all mountainous except about Namurs Lutzenburg and Henalt fruitfull of corne grasse and herbs fit for medicine in some places of Brabant and Gelder-land full of heath yet not so barren but cartell are well sustained there their flesh having an exdinary sweet taste It is free from those creatures which are either noysome or dangerous to man and wanteth none of those blessings wherwith the God of all blessings indoweth a country but a noble Prince unity of Religion and a quiet Government Which if it might please the Almighty to regrant it would questionlesse shine as the Sunne amongst the inferiour Planets with the rest of their adjacent neighbours in treasure potencie content and ordinary felicitie For their Forces at Land of them it may truly be reported that they have not only made their parties good against the potent wealth and exact discipline of the Spanish but have also at all times prevented the intimations intrusions and underminings of all their neighbours and lately regained the freedome of their ancient libertie even to point of admiration That where all other Nations grow poore by warre they only thrive and become rich For the store of shipping they are also immatchable In the yeare 1587. the King of Denmarke upon some pretences of displeasure arrested one with another 600. in the Sunds at one time In 88. upon short warning they rigged to the narrow seas 100. good men of warre And if suggestion deceive not at this day Holland Zealand and Freesland are said to rejoyce in the possession of 2500. good ships from 150. to 700. tun a peece In regard whereof other nations professing the same religion and accommodated with like advantages may first observe to what height of courage and confidence this people is growne by good order and faithfull dealing who in truth being but two or three small shires have for forty yeares space resisted and beaten the forces of a mighty King who keepes Millan Naples and Sicil under great bondage in despight of all the Italians for valour and policie notwithstanding proclaiming themselves to be the sole Minions of the habitable world But truth is These petty Princes have not now those daring spirits which they had in former times when the Visconti Neapolitans Fortibrachio Francis Sforza with other Lords and Common-weales were of power to invade the territories of the Church and inforce the Romans themselves to thrust their Pope Eugenius out of Rome to save their citie from sacking The Country now representeth unto all Christendome nothing more livelier than a Schoole of Martiall Discipline whereunto all Nations resort to learne and see the practice of Armes and the models of Fortifications Whereupon no few considerations are to be observed first into what follies and extremities Princes run by inuring their people to the assiduitie of warfare and secondly what great advantages a small or weake Estate gaineth by fortifying places and passages for surely there is nothing that sooner undoeth a great Price than to be forced to besiege a Towne which is excellently defended because herein he consumeth his time and most commonly loseth his reputation As did Amurath before Belgrade Soliman before Vienna Charles the fifth before Mets Francis the first before Pauie Maximilian before Padoa The Catholikes before Rochel The Protestants before Saint Iohn de Angeli And Albert before Oastend This manner of defence grew in use first in Italie by occasion of the comming of Charles to the Conquest of Naples whose manner of warfare together with the terrour of his Ordnance never before that time practised in Italie gave the Inhabitants occasion to raise their wits to the utmost of resistance Then followed the famous overthrow of the Venetians at Caravaggio where in an adverse battell they almost lost all they held upon the sinne Land By which examples Princes being instructed in the danger that came by fields so foughten the most part afterward turned all their imaginations of defence from the field to fortresses And the first that put this in practice to his highest commendation was Prosper Collouna who at two severall times most honourably defended the Duchie of Millaâ—ne against the French only by shutting them from victuall wearying them with all manner of distresses and opposing them to the want of all things requisite for an Armie Whether the Netherlands borrowed this discreetnesse from the Italians or more lately provided for their best safeties being by long time beaten with the rod of experience I will not here dispute but sure I am that by this manner of
not the one to practise against the other upon the perill that may ensue to the offender In waiting with the Moscovite the Swevian hath most advantage because Finland which bordereth upon Russia by reason of the great Marishes whereof it is full yeeldeth hard and perillous passage to the Enemie oftentimes swallowing up whole Armies in those congealed Waters there be Keepers of the Castles of Viburge Narve Ravelia and other piles and peeces upon the borders of the great Duke of Moscovia excellent well fortified as bridles to stop his violent courses In which hee doth very wisely for those peeces which lie in the Territories of our Enemies are to be regarded most carefully because they bring forth two notable effects first they defend what is ours and offend what is the Enemies The further they are distant from our borders the better they stand us instead for while the Enemie is occupied in besieging thereof our owne State standeth in quiet and time affordeth meanes for rescue or delivery thereof at leasure and that without spoile to our owne people or losse of our proper revenues They grieve the Enemie with so much the more dammage by how much the neerer they are situated unto him Of this effect was Calais in the possession of the English and the places which the Spaniards and Portugals hold in Africke But the Fortresses built in our owne borders serve to no other end than to defend what is already ours and that to our great disadvantage for as often as they are invaded all things are done at a sudden and it cannot be avoided but somewhat will fall to the spoile of the Enemie To end with the King of Swethland he is so much better able than the Moscovite to defend his Territories by how much Sea-forces joyned to Land-forces are able to prevaile against a State furnished with Land-forces only Spaine EVROPE is in the Mappe shaped something like a Queene and there is Spaine made the head of it and perchance there may prove some fatalitie in it The shape of Spaine doth indeed resemble a Dragon which is a creature of prey and for devouting Spaine indeed hath in hope and designe already devoured all Europe and would be head of the Monarchie Bâ— stay the proverbe is That Serpens nisi serpentem come devis non fit Draco Vnlesse one Serpent eat another hee never proves a Dragon there be many Countries that Spaine must first eat up before it proves the European Dragon and Monarch England France Netherland c. all must be careâ— first But soberly to consider of the matter Spaine hath already done very well towards it for â—â—hence the remembrance of later times a larger Empire hath not befallen any Christian Potentate than that which the Spanish enjoyeth at this day especially since the union of the Kingdome of Portugal with the dependencies thereof unto this Crown For besides the large and faire Provinces in Europe the goodly Regions of Asia and divers rich Territories in Africke he enjoyeth in peace and securitie without any corrivall oâ— competitor the New World in circuit more spacious than either Europe or Africke In Europe hee is sole Soveraigne of Spaine holding it whole and entire A thing worthy observation for that by the space of eight hundred yeares before our age it never obeyed any one Prince but was dismembred and peece-meale claimed by divers Seigniors Hee hath very much shaken Belgia and Lordeth it over the Kingdome of Naples containing in circuit a thousand and foure hundred miles and retaineth Insubria otherwise called the Duchie of Milâ—une comprehending three hundred miles in circuit Of the Islands he holdeth Majorique Minorique and Evisa the first of three hundred miles circuit the second of an hundred and fifty the third of eight Sicil is reported to containe seven hundred Sardinia five hundred threescore and two In Africa he holdeth the great Haven called Masalquivir the most secure and safe harbour in the whole Mediterranean Sea Hee hath also Oran Mililla and the rooke commonly called the Paevion of Velez And without the Streights he possesseth the Canary Islands twelve in number and the least of seven containing ninety miles In the right of the House of Portugal hee possesseth the famous places of Sepra and Tangier and of late he hath conquered Alarach the which may rightly bee surnamed the Keyes of the Streights yea of the Mediterran Sea and Atlantique Ocean Without the Streights he holdeth the Citie of Mazaga and by the same Title in the vast Ocean he claimeth the Terceraz Port-Santo and Madera famous for the Wines which grow therein and the Lady-like Iland of all the Atlantique containing by estimation 160. miles in compasse Then the Ilands of Cape Verd seven in number Vnder the Aequinoctiall he holdeth the Iland of S. Thomas some what more spacious than Madera but most plentifull in Sugar and from thence rangeth over that huge tract of Land which tendeth from Cape Aguer to Cape Guardafu Lastly he pretendeth to be Lord of all the Traffique Merchandize Negotiation and Navigation of the whole Ocean and of all the Ilands which Nature hath scattered in these Seas especially betweene the Cape of Good-hope and the promontory of Guardafu In Asia in the aforesaid right of the Crowne of Portugal he ruleth the better part of Westerne Coasts viz. Ormus Diu Goa and Malaca Ormus for his commodious situation is become so rich that these verses are growne to a common proverbe among the Arabians As in a Ring the well set stone appeareth to the eye Such to the worlds round circle doth rich Ormus-Ilandlie A great portion of Arabia Felix belongeth to the Principalitie of Ormus as likewise Balsara the Iland-Queene within that Gulfe for plentie circuit varietie of fruits and the rich fishing of Pearle But this goodly Iland and Castle of Ormus is since taken from him by the Persians with the aid of our East-Indian Fleet and there are continuall fights with the Portugall Frigats maintained by the English and Hollanders So that on those coasts he rather exerciseth Pyracie than Dominion In this Sea the Portugals possesse Damian Bazain Tavaan and Goa which Citie to omit Chial Canora Cochin and Colan is of so great esteeme that it is thought to yeeld the King as great a revenue as many Provinces in Europe doe their Lords and finally the Portugals hold all that Sea-coast which lieth betweene the Citie Damian and Malepura wherein no Prince except the King of Calecute challengeth one foot of Land The Iland of Zeilan wherein they possesse a strong Haven and a Castle commonly called Columbo may rightly be called the delight of Nature They enjoy also Malaca which in those places is the bound and limit of their Empire as also the staple of the Traffique and the Navigation of the East Ocean and of all those Ilands being so many and so spacious that in circuit of Land they may well be compared to all Europe To continue their
and harbours of those Provinces challenging unto themselves the peculiar traffike of the Atlanticke and East Ocean They seised upon the Terâ—craz knowing that without touching at those Islands no ship could safely passe into Aethiopia India Brasil or the New-world Returning from the Countries towards Spaine or Lisbon they put into releeve their wants and sicke passengers and outward they touch to take in fresh water and fetch the wind In Africke they are Lords of those places which we spake of before in the description of Spaine In Cambaia they have Diu Damain and Bazain the hither India Chaul Goa and the fortresses of Cochin Colan the Island Mavar and the haven Columbo in Zeilan Amongst these Goa is the chiefest as the place where the Viceroy keepeth his Court Cochin and Colan for their plenty of Pepper Mavar for the Pearle-fishing Columbo for the abundance of Cinamon Damain and Bazain for fertill provision In these quarters they have some Princes their Confederates others their Feodaries The chiefe and wealthiest of Allies is the King of Cochin sometime tributarie to the Calecute but now by the entercourse and traffike with the Portugals he is growne so rich and mighty that the other Princes doe envie his prosperity The King of Colan is likewise their confederate Their cheife Force consisteth in situation and strength of places and in number and goodnesse of their shipping As concerning situation this people wisely foreseeing that in regard of their contemptible numbers they were not of power to make any famous journey into the Inland Regions neither able to match the Persians the Guizarites the Princes of Decan the King of Narsinga and other barbarous Potentates in Cambaia turned all their cogitations to immure themselves in such defensive places that therein with small forces they might ever have hope to divert great attempts and make themselves Lords and Commanders of the Sea and Navigation which when they had done they entertained and maintained so strong a Navie that no Prince in those parts was able to wrong them yea they furnished those vessels so throughly that one single ship would not refuse to cope with three or foure of the Barbarians With this Armada of one and twenty ships Francis Almeida defeated the Maâ—â—lucks neere the towne of Diu. Alfonse Alburquerick with thirty great ships wonne 〈◊〉 cute with one and twenty he tooke Goa and regained it being lost with foure and thirty With three and twenty he tooke Malaca with six and twenty he entred the Red Sea and with two and twenty recovered Ormus In processe of time as their mightinesse increased Lopes Zuâ—â—ezius made a journy into the Red-sea with seven and thirty Galleons Lopes Sequeira with twenty foure ships but with greater number of souldiers than ever before laid siege to Guidda in the Red-sea Henry Menesius wasted Patan with fifty ships Lopes Vazius Sampaius left in the Arsenall 136. vessels of warre whereof the greatest part were excellent well furnished Nonius Acunia undertooke a journey to Diu with three hundred ships wherein were three thousand Portugals and five thousand Indians besides a great number of his Guard and Servants which ordinarily follow the Viceroyes in those Countries Thus have they much talked of their victories and purchases and so should still for mee if truth and time proclaimed not that indeed they are but poore possessors of some Harbours and Townes by the Sea shore standing on their Guard now more than ever as fearing to lose them with more terrour than ever they entertained comfort in the facile acquisition of them Besides his confederates and feodaries hee is confined with most mighty Princes his enemies as the Persian the King of Cambaia who maketh title to Diu and other places which were once under his jurisdiction Nizzamaluc and Idalcam for so the Portugals call the two Princes of Decan and the Kings of Calecute and Narsinga As for the Kings of Persia Narsinga they never waged warre against them because they have alwayes had to doe with more dangerous enemies other Princes though they have enterprized to their uttermost to regaine Diu Chial Goa and other places and have left no meanes unattempted to bring their designes to effect yet their abilities could not worke any prosperous successe to their laborious endevours by reason of situation so commodious for the transportation receit of continuall succours from the Sea And though they have undertaken the like actions in the deepe of Winter hoping by tempests and other casualties to barre the Portugals from their Sea-succours yet they never prevailed because the ships and courages of the Portugals the one resolute to endure the siege and by patience to overcome â— the other determining hap what may never to forsake their distressed Countrey-men have set all upon hazard and exposed their fortunes to the mercy of wind and waves in those tempestuous seasons Their worst greatest and fiercest enemie is the Turke who being backed with the like advantage of situation which the Citie of Aden affordeth him and sometime pricked on by his owne proper envie emulation and ambition sometime egged on by the perswasion of the King of Cambaia hath often endevoured to dispoile them of the Soveraignty of the Red-sea and finally to drive them out of the East India The greatest Navie that ever he sent against them was to recover Diu consisting of sixtie foure ships but by them defeated Afterwards he sent a Navie of greater vessels to the conquest of Ormuz and that likewise was almost wholly beaten bruised and drowned In the further Indies they hold nothing but Malaca and the Moluccas In times past Malaca was farre greater than now it is for it lay scattered three miles alongs the Sea-coast but the Portugals that they might the better defend it have brought it into a round forme containing not above a mile in compasse Here the King hath two puissant enemies Ior and Achem tho one mighty at Land and the other far mightier at Sea by whom the Towne not without great danger hath more than once beene besieged but by the aid sent from India alwayes releeved with great slaughter of the Enemie At length Paul Lima defeated King Ior and raced the Castle built by him neere Malaca wherein besides other spoiles he found nine hundred brazen cast-peeces This territorie is subject to great danger by reason of the puissance of this King of Achem bending all his cogitations to the rooting and finall destruction of the Portugals out of this Province and therefore the King of Spaine of late yeares sent Matthias Alburquerk with a great power into India with authority either to secure the territory of Malaca or to fight with the King of Achem. To secure their trade of Spice and Nutmegs in the Moluccas and Banda they have built many Castles yet for many yeares past they have beene mightily molested by the Dutch and English Nations who by no meanes will bee excluded from the free traffique of the Sea
obedience so that at this day the Empire is inclosed in Germanie Whereupon sithence the glory thereof at this day consisteth only in Germanie It is good reason to say somewhat of this most ample and flourishing Province It lyeth betweene Odera and Mosa betweene Vistula and Aa and betweene the German Sea the Baltick Ocean and the Alpes The forme thereof is foure-square equall in length and breadth stretching six hundred and fifty miles every wayâ— That it aboundeth with Corne Cattell and Fish let experience shew For Charles the fifth had under his Ensignes at Vienna ninety thousand foot-men and thirty five thousand horse Maximilian the second at Iavorin had almost one hundred thousand footmen and thirty foure thousand horse and yet no man complained of dearenesse or scarcitie In the warre betweene Charles the fifth and the Protestants for certain moneths one hundred and fifty thousand men sustained themselves abundantly in the field And surely of all Europe it is the greatest Countrey and beautified with the best and richest store of Cities Townes Castles and Religious places And in that decorum and order for in a manner see one and see all as if there had beene an universall consent to have squared them like Courts to one anothers proportion whereto may be added a secret of moralitie That the inhabitants for honesty of conversation probity of manners assurance of loyaltie and confidence of disposition setting apart their imperfect customes of drinking exceed our beleefe For notwithstanding these their intemperate meetings and phantasticalnesse in apparell yet are they unoffensive conversible and maintainers of their Honours and Families wherein they steppe so farre as if true Gentrie were incorporate with them and there had his principall mansion And wanted they not an united and heeditary succession of government having sometime an Emperour by partiality of election and sometime by the absolute command of the Pope I should stand as forward as the best to say with Charles the Emperour That they were indeed a valiant a happie and an honourable Nation But in respect of these apparant and materiall defects in some abatement of their ostentation concerning their owne glory and the honour of Majestie in my judgement they should not doe amisse to reforme the custome of intituling the younger sonnes of Dukes Earles and Barons by the honourable Titles of their Ancestours especially sithence the Italians in facetiousnesse doe jest That these Earles of Germanie the Dukes of Russia the Dons of Spaine the Monsiers of France the Bishops of Italy the Knights of Naples the Lairds of Scotland the Hidalgos of Portugal the Nobles of Hungarie and the younger Brethren in England make a very poore company Otherwise if noveltie transport you to view their Palaces of Honour you shall eft-soones bee brought into their well fortified Cities wherein you shall finde Armorie Munition c. with a presence of the very Burgers excellently well trained in Militarie discipline you shall see brave musters of Horse with their exercises of Hunting Hawking and Riding yea how every man liveth of his owne the Citizen in quiet and the women blessed with plentifull issue The Nature of this Climate is temperate enough somewhat of the coldest yet tolerable and healthie No place thereof unlesse by nature it be utterly barren lieth unmanured insomuch that few remainders of that huge wood of Hercynia are to bee seene at this day unlesse in place where humane necessitie requireth their growing or Nature hath made the Earth fit for no other imployment as are the Blacke-Wood the Ottonique Wood and the Woods of Bohemia And yet doe they neither carry that horrid face of thicknesse as in old times neither are they so untravelled or unhabitable but exceeding full of Habitations Hamlets Villages and Monasteries It is rich in Mines of Gold Silver Corne Vines Bathes and all sorts of Metall and therein surpasseth the residue of the Provinces of Europe Nature hath also bestowed upon the Vp-land Countries many Springs and pits of Salt Water of which hard Salt is boiled Neither is it lesse stored with Merchandize for the Inhabitants more than any other Nation doe excell in curious workmanship and mechanicall invention and it is so watered with Navigable Rivers that all sorts of merchandize wares are with ease conveied from one place to another The greatest of them is Danow next the Rhene which runneth cleane through the Country from the South to the North as the Danow from East to West Albis riseth in Bohemia passeth by Misnia Saxonie Marchia and the ancient Marquisat Odera springeth in Moravia watereth Sâ—â—â—sia the two Marquisats and Pomeran Then followeth Wesar Neccar Mosa Moselia Isara Câ—nus Varia the Mase This divideth Germanie into two parts the higher and the lower The high stretcheth from the Mase to the Alpes the low from the Mase to the Ocean It is divided into many Provinces the chiefe whereof I meane the true members of the Empire are Alsatia Swevia Bavaria Austria Bohemia Moravia Silesia Lusatia the two Marquisates Saxonie Masaia Thuringia Franconia Hassia Westphalia Cleveland Magunce Pomeran In these Provinces besides Belgia and Helvetia are esteemed to bee ten Millions of men and eightie great Cities Villages innumerable and those plentifully stored with all sorts of Mechanicall Occupations Those which are seated neere Rivers for the most part are builded of Stone the Vp-land part of Stone and part of Timber The Houses thereof are very faire and high the Streets strait large and paved with stone yea more neat and handsome than those of Italy Strabo writeth that the Romans excelled the Grecians in cleanlinesse of their cities by reason of their Channels to conuâ—y away the soile but at this day the Dutch-men doe farre exceed the Romans herein These Cities are of three sorts viz. free Cities yet those stiled imperiall Hanse-townes and Cities by inheritance immediately holden of Princes and Prelates The free Cities are those which are by time and prescription immediately subject to the Emperour and have no other protector but him onely In times past they have beene accounted 96. now 60. Of Hanse cities there were 72. mutually bound by ancient leagues to enjoy common privileges and freedomes both at home and in forren Countries In ancient times they were of high estimation in England and other Provinces in regard of their numbers of shipping Sea-trade whereby they stored all Countries with their Easterne commodities and served Princes turnes in time of warre with use of shipping But at this day wee shall finde neither themselves nor their meanes so great that the English should either feare them or favour them especially in cases of prejudice I write this because of their continuall grudges and complaints against our Nation For if the State upon occasion as of late yeares after the example of other Princes should forbid them all offensive trade into Spaine which is their chiefest support they would in short time be quit of that indifferent
garrison to keepe the Towne in obedience To it resort divers Merchants for traffique and many Gentlemen to leaâ—â—â— the â—â—â—â—uage There are besides divers other pretty and reasonable stâ—oâ—g Townes but above all Dresden the ancient seat of the Dukes of Saxonie It standeth in the Countie of Misâ—â—a round and containing in compasse about the walls the circuit of two English miles These Walls are of faire and large squared stones wel countermined with earth on the inside and wonderfully fortified with seven strong Bulwarks and as many great Mounts on the outside On the which as also on the walls are one hundred and fifty goodly peeces of Brasse artillerie with a garrison of five hundred well appointed Souldiers in continuall pay This City within the walls hath eight hundred houses foure Churches three Gates two faire Market places and a great Bridge of stone over the Elve The Mote which incompasseth the wall is deepe and cleere without any filth or weeds and is on all sides walled with faire stones to the bottome The streets are not many but very faire the houses not very great but of one uniformitie and pleasing to behold In most of the streets runneth from the River a small streame of water and in many of these streets are tubs placed upon sleds full of water alwaies ready to be drawne by horses or men whither occasion of fire should crave imployment For prevention whereof they maintaine men of purpose to walke every night in the streets and some to watch carefully on the highest Towers The Palace of the Duke is of great beauty and majesty the Chambers are flowerd with coloured Marbles and garnished round with Stags heads of extraordinary greatnesse many bed-steds and tables also are of divers coloured Marbles most curiously carved and polished Within the Palace is an Armory for horsemen of unspeakable magnificence with a great number of horses curiously framed in wood and painted to the life with as many woodden men on their backes furnished most richly with all furniture fit for a horseman to use in the warres Amongst these are the lively portraictures of many of the Dukes of Saxonie carved and painted to life covered with such robes armour and furniture for their horses made of gold and silver and set with precious stones as they used to weare when they were living There are also thirty six sleds for pleasure of great beauty and rare invention with two carved and painted horses to every of them richly furnished with silver bits and the bridles and capar sons imbrodered with silver and gold hanging full of silver bels according to the German custome Here are also many Chambers full of Masking garments and other abiliments for triumphs and pastimes both for Land and Water In this Armory also are many costly weapons both offensive and defensive such so good and so rich as mony can procure or the wit of man invent Vnder this Armory standeth a most princely Stable arched with stone and supported with goodly pillars of Marble Out of every of which pillars runneth sweet and fresh water for the daily use of the Stable The rackes are of iron the mangers plated over with copper the stalles for the Horses of strong carved timber every Stall having a faire glazed window and every window a greene curtaine The ground betweene the stalles is paved with faire broad stones In this Stable are an hundred eight and twenty horses and yet no wet nor filth to be perceived nor dung to be seene or smelt Neere unto the Palace standeth the Arsenall wherein is seene such plenty of great Artillerie yellow as gold such strange Engins and such wonderfull qualities of all kind of Armour and Munition whatsoever necessary for the Wars or a long siege that for Land-service it farre excelleth the Arsnall of Venice or any other Storehouse in Europe able to arme 300000. Horse and Foot at a dayes warning And as the Armory and Arsenall excell all others so the City for its quantity in my judgement is to be accounted the fairest and strongest of Europe and that far surpassing Noremberg Anwerp or Lubech at this day reckoned to bee the prime Cities of Christendome Besides this Armory all the Cities and Townes have their Armories very well kept and provided neither are the Noblemen Gentlemen and Country people unfurnished There are in Saxonie three Vniversities Wittenberg Liepâ—que and Iene The first is supposed to be the prime-Vniversity of all Germany It is about two miles compasse within the walls being neither strong nor faire In it are only two Churches and foure Colleges being neither rich nor beautifull and in them about a thousand Students of all sorts It hath a strong Bridge of Timber over the Elve and a faire Castle or Palace appertaining to the Duke In the Church of this Castle are interred the bodies of M. Luther and P. Melancthon under two faire Marble stones with superscriptions of copper upon them and their pictures from head to foot in great tables set up by them The other two have some six or seven hundred Schollers a peece but in Colleges Lectures Order Proceeding and all things else infinitely inferiour either to Cambridge or Oxford There are all professions in each of them but Wittenberg is esteemed the chiefe Seminary of Divines Iene of Civilians and Liepsiege of Philosophie All the Dukedome but especially Misen is one of the pleasantest and fruitfullest parts of all Germany and in truth much exceeding any that I saw but onely the Dukedome of Wittenberg It hath great store of very good Corne of all sorts reasonable good and convenient store of most sort of Cattell of Horses they have plenty and those strong and tall of stature but fitter to draw than to serve yet very well fitting their manner of service being heavily armed viz. with a Petronell a case of Pistols a Courtle-axe and divers times with a Battle-axe over and above all which his Horse must be able to carry two or foure bottles of Wine or Beere in his great heavy Saddle left in any case his Master should faint for want of liquor in his journey But their best races they have out of the nether Saxonie where there be exceeding store The Bullocks are but small and nothing good Of sheepe they have in some places indifferent store especially within these few yeeres of body little and but reasonable good yet so as bearing indifferent good wooll either the sheepe themselves or their fleeces are bought up by the Netherlands and imployed in the making of cloth to some prejudice of ours in England They have great store of Mines of most sorts as Silver Copper Tin Lead Iron and as they say some Gold The chiefe places of the Silver Mines are Tiberg Aviberg Mariaberg and other Townes at the foot of the Bohemian Mountaines In Voitland there are also some Hills very rich in Minerals especially one called which being much celebrated for having some Rivers running out
boughs and leaves having great flocks of Cattell which they preserve with much care These are the chiefe the residue are not worth the reading for nothing can be spoken unto but their barrennesse or fertility their poverty or riches blessings and curses peculiar more or lesse to every of these Nations The Xeriffe AMongst all the Potentates of Africkâ— I doe not thinke that there can any one be found to excell this Prince either in wealth or power His Dominion containeth all that tract of Mauritania which the Romans called Tingitana and stretcheth from the promontorie Bayadir or Tanger and from the Atlantike Ocean to the River Mulvia In which progresse is contained the best portion of all Africke the best inhabited the pleasantest the fruitfullest and most civill Herein amongst others are the famous Kingdomes of Fez and Marocho the one divided into seven Provinces the other into eight The Countrey is divided into Plaines and Mountaines the Mountaines are inhabited with a fierce people rich in pastures and Cattell and possessing a great part of the lesse and bigger Atlas Betweene the greater Atlas and the Ocean lieth the Plaine Countrey and therein the Royall Citie of Marocho distant foureteene miles from Atlas watered with many Springs Brookes and Rivers In times past this City contained one hundred thousand housholds and was the chiefest of Africke but by little and little it is decayed and now lieth more waste than inhabited In the Kingdome of Marocho besides others is Tedsi a Towne of five thousand hoâ—sholds and Tagoast of eight thousand Taradent giveth place to none for Noblenesse and traffike though for largenesse and circuit It is situated betweene Atlas and the Ocean in a plaine sixteene miles long and little lesse broad abounding with Sugar and all kinde of provision The good regard and continuall abode which Mahumet Xeriffe made in this place did greatly augment ennoblish this Towne Being past Atlas you enter into most batle plaines wherein how fruitfull the soile is of Sugar Olives Cattell and all good things can hardly be spoken Fez. THe Kingdome of Fez likewise containeth divers Provinces excellent well peopled Amongst them is Alga a territory of eightie miles long and sixty broad Elabut is an hundred miles long and sixty broad Eriffe is a Province wholly mountainous therein are said to bee three and twenty branches of the Mount Atlas inhabited for the most part with savage and barbarous people Caret is drie and rockie more like Lybia than Barbarie Now because the glory and Majesty of this Kingdome consisteth especially in the City of Fez I thinke it not amisse to describe the situation thereof It is divided in two parts a little distant one from another the one is called the old Town the other the new A little River likewise divideth the old Towne into two parts the East part is called Beleyda containing foure thousand housholds the West part is commonly called old Fez and hath fourescore thousand and upward standing not farre from the new Fez which likewise hath eight thousand Old Fez standeth partly upon hils partly on plaines and hath in it fifty Mahumetan Temples of admirable largenesse All of them have their fountaines and pillars of Alablaster and Jasper Besides these there are six hundred of a lesse sort amongst which that which is commonly called Carucen is most beautifull built in the heart of the City and containing halfe a mile in compasse In breadth it containeth seventeene Arches in length an hundred and twenty borne up by two thousand five hundred white marble pillars under the chiefest Arch where the Tribunall is kept hangeth a most huge Lampe incompassed with an hundred and ten lesser Under the other Arches hang very great Lamps in each of which burne an hundred and fifty lights They say in Fez that all these Lamps were made of the Bels which the Arabians brought out of Spaine who not onely made prey of Bels but of Columnes Pillars Brasse Marble and whatsoever was rich first erected by the Romans and afterwards by the Gothes There are in Fez above two hundred Schooles two hundred Innes and foure hundred Water-mils every one driven with foure or five wheeles There are also divers Colleges among which that which is called Madarac is accounted for one of the most finest peeces of workmanship throughout all Barbarie There is likewise 600. Conduits from whence almost every house is served with water It were a long labour to describe their Burse they call it Alcacer it is a place walled about having twelve gates and divided into fifteene walkes where Merchants meet to dispatch their businesse under Tents Their delightsome Gardens and pleasant Parkes with the Rillets and waters running thorow them I can hardly describe For the most part the King keepeth his Court at Fez wherein he hath a Castle Palaces and Houses adorned with rare workmanship rich and beautifull even to his hearts desire He hath a way under ground from the old Towne to the new For greatnesse and statelinesse thereof by the grant of former Kings it injoyeth this strange privilege not to indure any siege unlesse the Citizens shall thinke their Prince for strength and force able and equall to cope with his Enemy if not without reproach of treason they may yeeld their City before the enemie approach within halfe a mile of it This have they done that so goodly and so flourishing a City should not suffer spoile under pretext of unprofitable temporizing It is of no lesse moment for situation store of Corne Oyle Flax and Cattell than for pleasantnesse of territory and plenty of Water The Wals are very strong and defended with many Bulwarkes The Inhabitants are very thriftie given to traffike and especially to the making of Cloths of Wooll Silke and Cotten The Kings eldest sonne is called the Prince of Mequivez Though the Kingdome have no good Havens upon the Mediterranean Sea yet great store of Englishmen and Frenchmen resort to Alarach Aguer and other Ports in the Ocean whereof some belong to the Kingdome of Fez and other to the Kingdome of Marocho They carrie thither armor and other wares of Europe which they barter for Sugar and other commodities But how the Kingdomes of Fez and Marocho two severall principalities with their dependances became subject to one Crowne I thinke it worthy relation because a more strange and memorable accident hath not happened in our age About the yeare 1508. a certaine Alfaique borne in Tigumedet in the Province of Dura beganne to grow in reputation a man of a reaching wit and no lesse ambitious than learned in the Mathematickes his name was Maâ—umet Ben-Amet otherwise called Xeriffe by his owne commandement This man deriving his pedigree from Mahumet and emboldned by the civill warre of Africke and the differences of the States and Common-weales thereof wherein in those daies the Portugals were of no small puissance began to dreame on the conquest of Mauritania Tingitana Which the better to
it cannot be but at this day very great for that in feare of the Florentine Fleet the grand Seigniour dare not commit the treasure thereof to the passage by Sea but is at charges every yeare to transport it over land by a convoy of Ianizars About the beginning of Aprill they goe to harvest by the twentieth of May no one eare of Corne is left growing About the bankes of Nilus it brings forth the fruits of the earth with great ease but farther off they are faine with the labour of Oxen and Men to let in Water from the Rivers by trenches to moisten their grounds Besides wilde Beasts and harmefull in abundance it affordeth infinite store of tame cattell as the Buffall the Oxe Camell the Horse the Asse the Ramme and the Goat All which as Bellonius affirmeth by reason of their deepe pastures and excellent temperature of the Country doe exceed common proportion As the Ramme who groweth very fat and extraordinary big having a large and grosse taile trailing after him upon the earth and a dewlap in manner of an Oxe And for that the Winter is very pleasant and the soile moorish it is no lesse stored with Fowle especially with Storkes who for their infinite abundance especially towards the Nile a man would imagine the fields to be covered with white But as these flockes of Birds are admirable no lesse noisome are their swarmes of Frogs So that if God had not ordained these Birds to devoure this Vermine all places would prove lothsome barren and infectious The Country is now divided into three Provinces Sahid exceeding in Flax all sorts of Pulse Poultrie and Cattell Errisia in Fruits and Rice Maremma in Cottons and Sugar The Pharaohs resided in Sahid the Ptolomies in Errisia and the Romans and Greeks alongst the Sea-shores But the Mahumetans have made the midst of the land the seat of their Empire The people of the middle times were prone to innovations luxurious and cowardly cruell Those that now inhabit the Country are for the most part Moores Of Turkes and Iewes there are many but they reside in Cities Of Arabians and Negroes not a few Of Christians the Natives are most and those termed Copties some Greeks there be and a few Armenians of all the poorest and honestest labouring painfully and living soberly These Copties be the true Aegyptians and hold the Roman Church for hereticall rejecting all generall Councels after that of Ephesus In this Country was Thebes destroyed by Cambises Memphis Babylon and Alexandria if not destroyed yet were defaced by time and divine punishment Cair is seated on the East side of Nilus winding therewith in the forme of a Crescent stretching South and North with the suburbs adjoyning containing in length five Italian miles in breadth scarce one and a halfe at broadest The wals carry small shew of strength yet is it strong as appeared by that three daies battell which Selimus was constrained to carry thorow it being opposed by a poore remainder of the surviving Mamalucks For the streets are narrow and the houses high built all of stone well high to the top At the end almost of all a Gate which being shut as every night they are make every street a defensible Castle The Inhabitants consist most of Merchants and Artificers not frequenting forren Marts The Country was no sooner knowne but it was inhabited And although it were and is of hard accesse by reason of the huge Desarts steepe Mountaines moorish places and violent Seas where with it is wholly incompassed yet hath it suffered divers and lamentable alterations under the yoke of strangers For first it was subject to their native Kings and they were the Pharaohs then to the Aethiopians whom Cambises King of Persia expulsed and subjected After that they revolted from Darius sir-named Nothus and elected Kings againe of their owne Nation untill the daies of Alexander the Macedonian After whose death the third time they had their owne Kings called Ptolomies of Ptolomie the sonne of Lagus In whose race it continued till the times of Ptolomeus Auletâ—s Father of Cleopatra whom Augustus Caesar utterly defeated and annexed the Province to the Roman Empire Under the Romans the Aegyptians became Christians and in the division of the Empire it accrued to the share of the Constantinopolitan Emperours But in the declination thereof the people being weary of their oppressions called in the Saracens to assist them in the expulsion of these Greekes And expulsed they were by Hamro Generall to Homar the second Mahumetan high Priest who onely imposing a tribute afforded unto all liberty of Religion Long time his successors held the soveraignty therof untill the reigne of Melec-sala who being often foiled by those Christians which after the dayes of Godfrey reigned in Soria and Ierusalem and hereupon distrusting the courages and effeminacy of the Inhabitants procured a multitude of Circassian slaves in his assistance from the Tartars who first in those daies began to amaze the Provinces with their multitudes These he armed and by these he gave the Franks a direfull overthrow And they againe insulting in their victories and mutuall valours slew their patron Melec-sala elected a Sultan of their owne tyrannized over the naturall Inhabitants and by yearely purchases of Circassian children erected and maintained that strong body of warre which untill the daies of our Ancestors in this Kingdome bare the name of Mamalucks and so continued dreadfull in power and abounding in riches for the space of two hundred and seventy yeares even untill the times of Selimus who utterly extinguished both the name and discipline of the said souldierie together with their Sultans Empery and Fortunes In whose posterity it remaineth to this day and is now governed by a Bassa who as absolute Soveraigne resideth and commandeth in Caire Under him are 16. Sanziacks and 100000. Spahies by estimation The revenues amount to three millions of Shariffs The grand Seignior hath one part wherof is conveyed over land with a guard of 600. souldiers for feare of the Florentine Fleet as afore Another is spent in payes and in setting forth the Carvan to Mecha The third the Governour hath for support of his charge and estate and entertainment of dependants Aethiopia Inferior THe lower Aethiope siteth most Southerly of any part of Africke unknowne to Ptolomie and but lately discovered by the Portugals It containeth many Kingdomes whereof some are famous and unwritten of some obscure and not worth the recording Amongst them is Adel a large Kingdome adorned with two famous Mart-Townes Zeila and Barbora Adea Magadazzum a Kingdome and Citie Zanzibar Melina Mombassa Quiola Mozambique Cafala Angola and Loangi all Kingdome Amongst the Islands Insula Spiritus sancti Madera the Canaries Capo verde Saint Thomas Magadascar and Zocotarie are the most famous THE FOVRTH BOOKE Of Asia ASia is the greatest and vastest part of the World and in ancient times acknowledged for the third part thereof Now it is accounted the fourth or if
confesse the truth the great Dukes have mightily inlarged their bounds and have taken the great Duchies of Severin and Smoloneke Bulchese Prescovia Novogrod Iaroslave and Roscovia some of them from the Polaques and some from other Potentates they possessed thirtie great Townes in Lituania with Narve and Dorp in Livonia but they are all quite gone being of late yeares surprized by the Kings of Poland and Sweveland The chiefe Citie of the Kingdome is Mosco where the Patriarch resideth Roscovia and Novogrod are the Seats of Archbishops Cortisa Resania Columna Susdelia Casan Vologda Tuera Smoloncke Plescovia Staritia Sloboda Ieroslave Volodomir from whence the Kings Seat was translated to Mosco by Iohn the second Mosayco Saint Nicholas Suâ—ana Vstium and Gargapolia are Bishoprickes The Emperour abideth in the Citie of Mosco which taketh his name from the River arising fourescore and ten miles higher into the Countrey The Citie hath beene greater than now it is and was nine miles compasse the forme thereof is in a manner round invironed with three wals the one within the other and streets lying betweene whereof the inmost wall and the buildings closed within it lying safest as the heart within the body fenced and watered with the River Mosco that runneth close by it is all accounted the Emperours Castle The number of houses thorow the whole Citie being reckoned by the Emperour a little before it was fired by the Enemie was accounted to be 41500. in all But since it was sacked 1571. and burnt by the Tartars it containeth not above five miles According to Possevinus a Writer of good judgement and industrie there are housed in this Citie thirty thousand people besides Oxen and other Cattell Doctor Fletcher writeth that it is not much bigger than the Citie of London Novograde hath the name of Great and yet the same Author alloweth it not above twenty thousand Inhabitants as likewise Smoloncke and Plescovia As the Russe saith here was committed that memorable warre so much spoken of in histories of the Scythian servants that tooke armes against their Masters who in memory of their great victorie have ever since in their coine stamped the figure of a horse-man shaking a whip aloft in his hand This seemeth most incredible to me if it bee true as some write that Plescovia when King Stephen of Poland besieged it had within it fifty thousand foot-men and seven thousand Horse Truly this is a great number and though they were not all Moscovites yet this reckoning asketh a great proportion of Inhabitants For if the King thrust in fifty seven thousand fighting men it must needs be that the Inhabitants were very many moe Some will have it that in times past the Country was better replenished with people and that afterwards it became desolate for three causes the first was the Plague a new disease in Moscovie which gleaned away many thousand soules the second the Tyranny of their Emperours who have put infinite numbers to death especially of the Nobility the third the Incursions and robberies of the Tartars Precopians and the Nagayans which never cease vexing their bordering neighbours For the nature of these roguish Tartars is to make spoile of all men and to captivate their bodies selling them to the Turkes and other Nations By reason whereof many farre removed Provinces partly upon feare and partly upon policie are suffered to lie waste and unmanured And this is all the good which ambitious Princes gaine by their undiscreet invasions of their neighbours to the destruction of their people and their owne vexation No Prince made longer journeyes and greater expences than the great Duke Iohn he vanquished the Kingdomes of Casan to Volga and Astrachan on the Caspian Sea he subdued a great part of Livonia But what honour what profit or what continuance of security gained he by these victories What was the end of this warre In those expeditions perished infinite numbers of men in journeying in assaults with the Sword with sicknesse with hunger and other extremities When he had overcome them he was enforced to keepe great Garrisons yea to bring thither whole Colonies Besides when men were so farre from home either busied in getting other mens goods or in keeping what they had got their wives stayed at home like widdowes and the inward part of the Realme remained empty as a heart void of bloud wanting his necessary nutriment whilst the Inhabitants were wasted on the skirts of the Kingdome And therefore when it was invaded by King Stephen of Poland these remote forces were wanting to make resistance and through this oversight he lost againe Pozovia and other peeces of good reckoning yea and was enforced to leave the whole possession of Livonia to the Polander To proceed the soyle of the Countrey for the most part is of a sleight sandy mould yet very much different one place from another for the yeeld of such things as grow out of the earth Northwards toward the parts of Saint Nicholas and Chola and North-East toward Siberia it is barren and full of desart Woods by reason of the climate and extremity of cold So likewise along the River Volga betwixt the Countries of Casan Astrachan notwithstanding the soyle be fruitfull it is all inhabited saving that upon the West-side the Emperor hath some few Castles and Garrisons in them This happened by meanes of the Chrim Tartars that will neither plant Townes to dwell in living a wilde and vagrant life nor suffer the Russe being farre off with Colonies to people those parts From Vologda which lieth almost a thousand seven hundred versts from the Port of Saint Nicholas downe toward Mosco and to toward the South parts that border upon the Chrim containing the like space of a thousand seven hundred Verstz or thereabouts it is a very pleasant and fruitfull Countrey yeelding Pasture and Corne with Wood and Water in great store and plenty The like is betweene Rezan lying South-East from Mosco to Novogrode and Vobsco that reacheth farthest towards the North-West So betwixt Mosco and Smolensko that lieth South-West towards Lituania is a very fruitfull and pleasant soyle and also very fertill and commodious for those Inhabitants that dwell therein The Countrey differeth very much from it selfe by reason of the yeare so that a man would marvell to see the great alteration and difference betwixt Winter 〈…〉 In Winter it lieth under snow which falleâ—◠〈…〉 unually sometime a yard or two of thicknesse but deeper towards the North. The Rivers and other waters are frozen up a yard or more thicke how swift or broad soever they bee And this continueth commonly five moneths viz. from the beginning of November till towards the end of March about which time the snow beginneth to melt The sharpnesse whereof you may judge by this for that water dropped downe or cast up into the aire congealeth into Ice before it come to the ground In extremity of weather if you hold a pewter dish or a pot in your
hand or any other metall except in some chamber where their warme Stoves be your fingers will freeze fast to it and draw off the skin at parting when you passe out of a warme roome into a cold you shall sensibly feele your breath to wax thick and stifling with the cold as you draw it in and out Divers not onely that travell abroad but in the very markets and streets of their Townes are monstrously pinched yea killed withall so that you shall see many drop downe in the streets many travellers brought into the Townes sitting dead and stiffe in their sleds And yet in Summer-time you shall see such a new hue and face of a Countrey the Woods so fresh and so sweet the Pastures and Meddowes so greene and well growne and that upon the sudden with such variety of flowers and such melody of Birds especially of Nightingales that a man shall not lightly travell in a more pleasanter Countrey Which fresh and speedy growth of the Spring seemeth to proceed from the benefit of the Snow which all the Winter time being spread over the whole Countrey as a white robe keepeth it warme from the rigour of the frost and in the Spring-time when the weather waxeth warme and the Sunne dissolveth it into water it doth so throughly drench and soke the ground being of a sleight and sandy mould and then shineth so hotly upon it againe that it even forceth the Herbs and Plants to shoot forth in great plenty and variety and that in short time As the Winter season in these Regions exceedeth in cold so likewise I may say that the Summer inclineth to overmuch heat especially in the moneths of Iune Iuly and August being accounted the three chiefest moneths of burning heat in those places much warmer than the Summer in England To returne to our relation of the soyle and climate for the most part it is covered with Woods and Lakes these Woods are the branches of Hircinia spreading it selfe through all the North and perhaps more in this Province than in any other Here grow the goodliest and tallest trees of the world thorow which for their thicknesse the brightnesse of the Sun-beames can hardly pierce An unspeakable quantity of Rozin and Pitch distilleth out of these trees and here is the never-wasting Fountaine of Wax and Hony For without any industry of man the Bees themselves build their Hives in the Barks and hollownesse of trees Here is all plenty of Cattell and wilde Beasts Beares Martins Beasts called Zibellini Wolves and blacke Foxes whose skins doe beare highprices Of the timber of these trees āre squared all necessaries aswell for buildings as all other uses the Wals of the Cities are framed of beames cut foure-square fastned together filling all the chinks vacant places with earth And of these beames likewise they build platformes of such height and thicknesse that they beare the weight of great Ordnance how massie soever They are subject to fire but not easily shaken with the fury of battery For Waters Moscovie may well be called the mother of Rivers and Lakes witnesse Duyna Boristhenes Volga Duyna Onega Moscua Volisca and the famous Tanais the Lakes of Ina upon which standeth the great Novograde Voluppo and many others The abundance of these Waters doe make the ayre colder than is requisite for the increase of Cattell or growth of Plants and although cold is thought more wholsome than heat yet are their Cattell of small growth thereby and many times their fruits come not to ripening and the earth being drowned with the waters for the most part becommeth light and sandie and then either with too great drought or too much moisture it destroyeth the fruit Winter in some sort lasteth nine moneths little more or lesse in seasonable times the soyle bringeth forth plenty of graine and feeding for Cattell It also bringeth forth Apples Nuts and Filberds other kinds of fruits they scarcely know Of Fish they raise their greatest gaine as having greatest abundance of that commodity they dry them in the frost and wind as in Norway and other Northerly Nations and they lay it up for store as well in their Townes of Warre as for their private Families The Kingdome is not full of Merchants because by nature the Inhabitants are idle And that Province cannot abound with Merchants where Arts and Artificers are not favoured And againe the government is absolute mixed with a kind of tyranny enforcing slavish prostitution So that in the chiefest and best ordered Townes of Novograde and Mosco many strange and fearefull concussions have beene practised Concerning which you have whole Commentaries from whence you may take notice how he once nailed an Ambassadours Hat to his head because he abated him of that reverence appropriate to so great a Majesty How Sir Tho. Smith was entertained with a contrary satisfaction and welcome How Mosco is compared to the grand Caire for spaciousnesse of ground multitude of houses and uncomlinesse of streets so that as the one is patible of stinke corruption and infectious aire so this other is not free from beastlinesse smoke and unwholesome smels They have not the use of the Sea because it is not lawfull for a Moscovite to travell out of his Princes Dominions such and such store of wares as they have as Skinnes Rosin and Wax they barter for Cloth and divers other commodities which the Armenians bring to Astrachan by the Caspian Sea and the English to Saint Nicholas by the Bay of Graduicum This Government is more tyrannicall than of any other Prince in the World for he is absolute Lord and disposer of the bodies and goods of his subjects Therefore Mahumet the Visier was wont to say That the Moscovite and the great Turke amongst all the Princes of the earth were only Lords of their owne Dominions and in that regard thought the journey of King Stephen of Poland would prove full of danger and difficulty The Kingdome is divided into foure parts by them termed Chetferds those governed by foure Lieutenants not resident upon their charges but attending on the Emperours person wheresoever he goeth and there holding their Courts but especially at Mosco the prime seat of the Empire where from their under-Deputies they receive the complaints of the Provinces and informe the Kings Councell of the businesse and from them againe receive instructions for amendment or reformation For you must note that the great Duke doth not trust any particular Nobleman with any eminent place of honour or dignitie but placeth therein a certaine Duke of meanest ranke and no great capacitie adjoyning with him in commission a Secretary to assist him or to speake more properly to direct him for in execution the Secretary doth all And being thus united they have authority over all persons in criminall and civill causes in levying of Taxes and Subsidies in mustring of Souldiers and commanding them to all services imposed by the Emperour or his Councell And to prevent all
Christians of the Greek Church To which if you adde the Empire of Trebisond you shall then finde him great Controller of the Black-sea For although Russia Bogdonia Moldavia and some Polanders keepe the North and West shores yet is it as a man who alwaies for feare the theeves approach dare not slacken his guards for doubt of surprisall Next doth the pride of his Greatnesse send you into Assyria Syria Palestine Mesopotamia Iudea the three Arabies the Red-sea Aegypt and the shores of Afrike as farre as the confederation of the Kings of Barbarie Fâ—z and Marocco Neither resteth he there but he can bring you to the Towers of Alexandria and bid you looke Northward as farre as is possible at all the Ilands in the Archipelago except Caâ—die and some few other under the Venetian But is this sufficient Stay and answer your selves The fields of Greece lye waste and are ashamed to shew forth that disparitie of countenance which in times past Thracia Macedonia Thessalia Epyrus and Peloponnesus smiled with in ancient times Nay more his Bashawes will bring you to Buda and Belgrade and affright you with Hungaries conquest telling you that now it knoweth no other Proprietor but the Turke as Conquerour And concerning the Princes of Transylvania Slavonia Poland and others with whom he hath contracted a Treatie of pacification they notwithstanding observe such correspondencie as Wolves and Dogges doe watching advantages to prey upon the harmelesse His principall Cities are Trebisond Amasia Babylon or rather the ruines of confusion Tauris gotten if not regotten from the Persians Mecha famous for the history and death of Mahomet Cairo once Memphis of late new Babylon now the mirrour of heat dust sluttishnesse and the mortalitie of an hundred thousand in a yeare when the Pestilence rageth amongst them Aleppo the chiefe Seat of Syria and Constantinople a Citie exceeding all the Cities in Europe for populous numbers For it is thought that seven hundred thousand soules reside therein which if it be true it is well-neere twice as much as may be said of Paris Shall I come backe againe and tell you of Ierusalem Tyrus and Sidon Alas they are but names and all the miseries denounced by the Prophets have broken their bones asunder and bruised them like a rod of iron The few Cities of Europe the poore harbours of Asia the port Townes of the Ilands and the two Castles of the Hellespont stand upon no better termes Only Algier lifteth up the head of a strong Castle protesting a generall entertainment to Pirats and bragging of the defeature of Charles and Emperour Now if you demand how from so small a mole-hill such mountaines have beene raised know That in the yeare of grace 1300. did Ottoman the sonne of Zichis step before other Families and as if hee were adopted the darling of successe in his fathers behalfe obtaine jurisdiction over Bithynia Cappadocia and most part of Pontus His successour Orchanes conquered the great Citie of Prusia and made it the Seat of his Kingdome but in the two and twentieth yeare of his Progresse he was slaine by the Tartars and left his sonne Amurath to succeed both in his honour and family who perceiving the dissention of the Greekes and division of the Empire spent not his labours without a great satisfaction for with the water that drave the Mill hee drowned the same and invited as a guest to this banquet of Combats became Master of the feast So he made a conquest of Gallipolis Cherfonesus Peloponnesus Hadrianopole Servia Bulgaria and Mysia but after three and twentie yeares convulsion of the Grecian glory hee was stabbed with a dagger and so gave way to his sonne Bajacet to fill the chaire of imperiousnesse He began well attaining Phocis Macedonia and had indangered the most part of Thracia had not fortune kept him from insulting and tript up his heeles even in the race of his Triumph For with the losse of two hundred thousand Turkes against the valiant Tamberlane he also lost his freedome and how he died our Stages have instructed Mechanicall men yet in the meane while did Calephin his sonne take up the Colours of defiance and forbearing the revenges of Asia he wrecked his anger on Sigismond and determined to have over-run the other Kingdomes of Europe But prosperitie was not so attendant for ere six yeares had inlarged the branches of his strange spreading tree the axe was put to the root and as in Daniels vision Nebuchadnezzar-like hee fell to the earth But this stumpe sprung againe and Mahomet his sonne in imitation of his fathers progresse set forward his journey and wan Valachia Slavonia and infested all the borders of the Ionian sea making Hadrianople the store-house of his projects wherein for foureteene yeares he raised up such ornaments of Mars and Bellona that he terrified the Emperour of Germanie and all the Confederates of Hungarie Presently followed Amurath the second who filled up his Inventorie with Epyre Aetolia Achaia Beotia Attica and Thessalonica now Salenica subject to the Venetians with the gulph of Napoli adjacent to Nigropont Next him Mahomet the second overthrew the Schoole of Athens on a fatall day the nine and twentieth of May 1452. forced Constantinople whereof when Corinth Lemnes Mitylen Caplea a Towne belonging to the Genois and many other Ilands understood they tooke the course of prostitution and had some mercie extended The like part played Trebisond after that God gave him leave to continue two and thirtie yeares in pompe and jollitie After him Bajacet the second obtained Naupast Methon and Dirachium from the Venetians Then made hee a contract with Fortune for the most part of Dalmatia and thought to have bargained for Austria but the conditions were somewhat too unreasonable and an envious hand poysoned his bodie as ambition had inthralled this minde which was imputed to his sonne Selimus in detestation of his long life after whose departure this Selimus set forward for the conquest of Africa uniting Aegypt and Damascus to the Empire Now behold Fortunes wanton Soliman the magnificent who stepped backe againe into Europe and over-reached Belgrad Buda and Strigonium leaving Hungarie as a sorrowfull mother mourning for the losse of her dearest infants Yet herewith not satisfied he besieged Rhodes loading his Camels with the broken Colossus therein sometime erected to which hee added the devastation of the five Churches and Iula At Zigoth he was arrested with an imperious interdiction from his supreme Commander and so died His sonne Selim the second lived and reigned untill Cyprus fell from the Venetians 1570. This losse resembled a stone pulled from a ruinous wall which being loose before did not much indanger the foundation which the following battell of Lepanto did somewhat repaire by the reputation whereof the enemie ever since hath beene more considerate to try Masteries at Sea After him time wrought Amurath the third great Lord of Lords over-looking the most part of Europe and the West of Asia more proud of
in such peace as he could not have done being a stranger amongst civiller bred people The King gave him good words without any kind of barbarous wondring or other distastfull fashion But at his returne to the river he found the Master of his House Master of his Boat accompanied with a great sort of Arabs who in conclusion â—o'ens nolens forces him to send his Master three verst of cloth of gold as a present for beholding his person Towards Syria this is somewhat fertile yet smally commended for that propertie by the Ancients for indeed it is exceeding barren and wanteth necessarie sustenance wood and fresh water The memorable things herein are the Mountaines of Sinai and Oreb upon the former whereof is at this day builded a Monasterie of Christians following the Greeke Church and the onely receptacle or Inne for way-faring Christians other place of releese is there none Arabia Felix is a very large Province better manured and watered than the other It is adorned with Noble Cities and full of villages especially towards the sea side where are many excellent places of trade The residue except the sand is made manurable either for feeding of Cattell or Camels in which places live infinite swarmes of divers Nations by grazing and husbandrie It bringeth forth whatsoeever will grow in India and that twice a yeare in abundant manner besides Cassia Cinamon Myrrh c. and soly as much Frankincense as will serve all the world It yeeldeth also metall and excellent pearle all along the coast by fishing It sendeth abundance of horse and sheepe into India whose tailes weigh forty pounds In it are many famous Cities as Medinat Al-naby Mecca Zidem Zibit and Aden This City of Aden together with the whole Country was in the yeare of our Lord 1538. fraudulently surprised by the Turke and their King hanged It is now strongly fortified and erected into a Stately Turkish Beglerbeg-ship Turcomania in times past a part of the greater Armenia TVrcomania comprehendeth no small portion of Armenia major what remaineth is accounted in Georgia Upon the North lieth Colchis now Mongrelia Upon the West Euphrates and the lesse Armenia upon the East that remainder of the greater Armenia which is counted in Georgia Upon the South Mesopotarâ—â—a now Dierbechia with the people Curdi It is invironed with Mountaines and beautified with plains amongst the which Periander now Chalderan Antitaurus now Mons-nigor are most renowmed It is generally exceeding fertile and stored with Cattell but marvellously subject to deepe snowes The people by nature are much given to theft and spoile as descending from the Tartars and so at this day lead their lives living in Tents and Hovels attending and pasturing their cattell Yet some of them inure themselves to tillage and mechanike Trades in weaving of Chamblets and Hangings watered and unwatered of the like qualities are the Curdi and some suppose that these Curdi inhabit the ancient seats of the Chaldeans whereupon it is called at this day Curdistan by the Turkes and Persians but by the Arabians Kelaan that is to say Chaldea Georgia by the Barbarians termed Gurgistan comprehendeth the ancient Iberia with part of the greater Armenia and peradventure Atropatia Upon the West lieth Mengrelia upon the North Zuiria once Albania upon the East the middle Atropatia now Siruan upon the South that part of the greater Armenia which now is called Turcomanta For the greater part it is covered with Mountains Woods and thickets and in that regard inconquerable for the difficulties of the mountainous passages It is notwithstanding fertile and adorned with many large plaines and vallies from whence arise many famoused Rivers as Cirus and Araxis springing from the Mountaine Taurus and running thorow the whole Province untill at last it disgorge it selfe into the Caspian The Inhabitants are termed Georgiani of S. George whom they advow their Patron and Advocate But this is but a vulgar errour seeing both Plinie and Mela make mention of the Georgiani one hundred yeares before the birth of Saint George the famous souldier and martyr They are Christians according to the Greeke Church with some small difference They are very populous and warlike strong of body and valorous in fight even untill our times mantaining their libertie in the midst of the Mahumetans sometimes following the fortunes of the Turkes sometimes of the Persians But at this day they have not onely lost their wonted libertie but also many Fortresses and Cities as Testis Lori Clisca Gâ—ri and Tomanis and withall some of of them have imbraced the Turkish infidelitie Palestine or the Holy Land PAlestine is one of the most excellent Provinces of Syria as well in regard of habitation as of many famous acts done therein and celebrated in holy Scripture Under the generall name whereof are comprehended Idumea Iudaea Samaria and Galile Anciently it was called Canaan of Chanaan the sonne of Cham whose posteritie divided the Land amongst them and under that name it continued untill the invasion of the Israelites who called it after their owne denomination Israel It was also called Philistim of the Philistians once a powerfull and mighty people after that the Land of promise and now lastly The holy Land It is situated betweene the Arabies and the mid-land Sea Northerly upon part of Phoenicia East-ward upon Libanus South-ward and South-East upon Arabia and Westward upon that part of the Mediterran which is termed the Syrian and Phinicean Seas From the very beginning as witnesseth the holy Scripture it hath beene a most famous Province and afterward more renowned for the Birth Miracles and Passion of our Saviour Christ. Distant from the line 31. degrees and extending unto thirty three and somewhat upward So that in length from Dan unto Beersheba it containeth no more than one hundred and fortie miles where broadest not fiftie A Land that flowed with Milke and Hony Adorned with beautifull mountaines and luxurious vallies the rocks producing excellent waters and no part emptie of delight and profit The ayre very temperate and the bodies of men healthfull and patient of labour The ancients will have it to be situated in the midst of the world where it is neither pinched with extremitie of cold nor vexed with over-much heat And therfore the Israelites say This to be the land which God promised unto Abraham For site it is very pleasant for plaines and hils no lesse delightsome rich in divers sorts of Manufactures and well watered Where although it raine but seldome yet was the soile batefull and that by testimonie of Scripture averring it to be a Land excelling all other in goodnesse and fertilitie So that their graine was most delicate their increase abundant and their Roses most sweet Rue fennell and sage and such like pot-hearbs it brought forth of its owne accord Olives Figges Pomegranets and Palme trees are very frequent with some store of Vines For although the Saracens are forbidden the drinking of Wine
yeeld due reverence but toward strangers they are all fashioned of pride insolencie and boasting thinking no Nation in the world to equalize them in their speech entertainment and gesture bewraying their inherent insolence faithfull to none but where fidelitie may produce advantage By nature they are as idle and given to excessive eating and drinking sitting close by it three dayes together and secretly not abstaining from Wine although by their Law they are forbidden the drinking thereof No lesse are they addicted to lechery and lothsome unnaturall venery exceeding credulous superstitious relying upon dreames fortunes divinations and destiny beleeving every mans fortune to be written in his forehead impossible to be avoided the fundamentall reason why they adventure like brute beasts into so many desperate dangers As concerning their Religion a man might write much but we studying brevity doe relate that generally as a people too too credulous they embrace many absurd and triviall opinions touching the Creation and end of the world of Paradise Heaven Hell the Earth the creation of Man and Mahumets journey to Heaven even such and so grosse as would make our children to laugh if they heard them fabled They doe all acknowledge one God they reverence Christ not as the Sonne of God but as a Prophet borne of the Virgin Mary and not crucified on the Crosse but some other man foisted in by the subtiltie of the Iewes Idols and Images they will not endure and observe the Friday as wee doe the Sabbath They keepe a Lent of thirtie dayes which they call Ramadan and fast all day but in the night they make amends for all abstaining from nothing that commeth to hand save Swines flesh Wine and Women Next this Feast followeth their Easter by them termed Baydan it continueth three dayes and during that time they take no delight in any pastime This feast falleth not at all times alike but sometimes in the Winter sometimes in the Spring and sometimes in Autumne by reason that they account not their yeare according to the course of the Sun but of the Moone the rising whereof at first quarter they adore bearing the Figure thereof as we the Crosse in their Ensignes They are circumcised Iew-like but not as they on the eighth day but at the eighth yeare They have no Bels after the manner of Christendome neither will they suffer the Christians to have any but five times in one day and night their Priests ascend the Steeples with their lowd roarings and out-cries to call and assemble the people to prayers By their good will they will not be called Turkes for in the Hebrew tongue that denomination signifieth a Vagabond or banished man and is accounted a word of disgrace and therefore forsooth they must be stiled Musolmans that is Right-beleevers They have likewise amongst them as amongst the Papists foure Orders of professed persons viz. the Torlaci the Darvisi the Calenderi and the Hughie mali the most wicked Sect of all the residue giving themselves to all imposture and uncleannesse They are not very daintie to converse with Christians but with small intreatie will eat drinke and trafficke with them yea and sometimes marry the daughters permitting them to live peaceably after their consciences but to the Iewes they are most insociable detesting their company and hating their tables accounting them the basest people in the world neither will they marry with any of that progenie nō nor receive them into the Mahumetan Religion unlesse they be first baptized By their Lawes they may have but foure wives yet by prescription every man taketh as many as he can well maintaine one of these is accounted the wife to her the residue are underlings and may at any time be divorced Their women goe seldome abroad but if they doe they maske their faces are gallantly attired and shine in gold Stone and Jewels Twice a weeke as doe men they frequent the Baths They never blaspheme the name of God nor of Mahumet nor of Christ nor of our Ladie nor of any other Saints but if any bee heard so to offend he is grievously punished let him be of what calling or religion soever At Dice and Cards they never play but only at Alveolo They are very charitable disbursing their Almes not only to Turkes but also to Christians and men of all professions yea to brute beasts sometimes buying quicke Birds which for charities sake they will againe let flye at libertie Their garments are long and open before to the foot except their shirts which they weare without their Broges so that as they goe they are openly seene Their rayment is very faire and costly viz. of cloth silke imbrodery and set with pearle They cover their head with a Turbant except those of the discent of Mahumet these weare altogether greene but the Christians inhabiting among them weare no one colour but as they please greene except They are all clothed in long garments like the Turkes and are not distinguished by any apparell they weare of what profession soever they be but only by the attire of their heads In salutations they never uncover their heads neither doth the meaner salute his better the left hand with them is the place of honour and the better sort ride about their affaires on horsebacke In diet they are very rude they fare basely and grossely and yet they eat thrice a day at morning noone and evening alwayes without Table-cloth or Napkin not sitting orderly at Table but on the ground or some low stoole with their legges acrosse Taylor-like They feed upon all sorts of flesh except Porke which is forbidden them by their Law Their chiefest food is Rice and the Asian Turks care not much for Fish but the European Turks for nothing more By Law they forbeare Wine and therefore drinke water whereunto the better sort mix either Honey or Sugar and in cold weather in stead of a tost they throw in a burning coale to take away the offensive operation of this raw Element They make great use of Opium and there is not one of them but eateth it beleeving that thereby his courage increaseth and thereby lesse dreadeth the hazard of warre They make water cowring downe like women and their private buildings for the most part consist of timber and morter very narrow and ill contrived wherein to say truth they are not intensive esteeming it an hainous sinne to bestow more cost upon the frame than is likely or convenient to last longer than during the life of one man but in building of Temples to the honour of God in providing for publike receptacles of travellers in erecting Hospitals publike Baths watering places for men and cattell and fountaines to wash away their imaginary pollutions before they enter into their Mesehits they are most sumptuous most prodigall No lesse a pride take they in building of Conduits in erecting of Bridges and in paving of high-wayes all which in Turkie you shall see very carefully repaired as a man
the mountaines but Amazar detesting the tyranny of his Lord conveied the children to his owne house and brought them up like Gentlemen amongst his owne sonnes and falling sicke of a deadly disease forecasting what might happen after his decease gave them horses and money willing them to flie and to betake themselves to their mothers house and tuition Ismael the eldest was no sooner returned to his mothers place but he vowed revenge for his fathers death and after some fortunate expeditions tooke upon him the cause and protection of the followers of Halie from whom hee derived his pedegree Hee made the Turbant higher and sent Ambassadours to all the Orientall Mahumetans to exhort them to unity in Religion and Cognisances By these meanes and fortune of his armes he became a terror to the East and slew Ossan then Usurper of the Persian State with his ten brethren except Marabeg who saved himselfe and sled to Soliman first Emperour of the Turkes imploring his aid This Ismael at the Lake Vay overthrew with a great slaughter the Prince of the Tartars Zagatai and in heat of his victory had passed the River Abbian if his Astrologian in whom he greatly trusted had not foretold him that his passage should bee prosperous but his returne unfortunate Hee left to his sonnes a most spacious Empire bounded with the Caspian Sea the Persian Gulfe the Lake Sioc the Rivers Tygris and Oxus and the Kingdome of Cambaia which Provinces containe more than twenty degrees from East to West and eighteene from North to South And although these Kingdomes lying within these bounds held not immediatly of the Crowne of Persia yet all acknowledge the Persian for their soveraigne Prince that is to say the Kings of Matam Patan Guadel and Ormus Georgia and Mengrellia being Christian Countries according to the superstition of the Greeke Church submitted to certaine conditions as toleration of Religion payment of Tribute and disclaiming to assist the Turke against them and so obtained a kind of peace and protection untill againe the Persians declined by the fortunes of the Ottomans The like course ranne Media now called Servan Dierbechia once Mesopotamia Cusistan the inhabitation of the Susiani Farsistan the Country of the Persians Strava once Hircania Parthia at this day called Arac Caramanie now Sigestan Carassa Sablestan and Istigiu whose ancient names were Drangia Bactria Parapamisus Margiana Of these Regions those which lie neerest to the Persian Sea are most plentifull by reason of the Rivers every where dispersed thorow the whole Land Amongst these Rivers the most famous is Bindimir to whose waters the Inhabitants are much beholding conveying it by trenches and other inventions into their grounds to their great ease and commodity The Provinces lying upon the Caspian Sea for their Rivers and temperature doe likewise participate of the said fertility especially all those quarters which are watered with the River Puly-Malon falling into the Lake Burgian the residue of the Province is dry by reason whereof Townes and Villages are seldome seene in those places unlesse it be by some springs or waters side The most ample and magnificent Cities of Persia are Istigias the chiefe seat of Bactria thought to be one of the pleasantest Cities of the East Indion the chiefe City of Margiana situated in so fat and fertile a territory that therefore Antiochus Soler caused it to be walled about Candahar the chiefe seat of Pamaparisus famous for the trafficke of Indiae and Cathaia whither the Merchants of those Countries doe resort E rt the chiefe City of Aria so abounding with Roses that thereof it should seeme to take the name Barbarus saith it is of thirteene miles compasse Ispaa the chiefe seat of Parthia so spacious for the circuit thereof that the Persians hyperbolically terme it the halfe World Chirmaine is the chiefe seat of Caramania renowmed for the excellent cloth of gold and silver woven therein Eor is a noble City and so is Custra of Susiana But all these for beauty and magnificence may bow and bend to Syras seated upon the River Bindimire It was once the chiefe seat of Persia and as some thinke called Persepolis Alexander the Great burnt it to the ground at the intreatie of his Concubine but afterward being ashamed of so vile an action caused it to bee re-edified It is not at this time so great as in times past yet it is thought to bee one of the greatest Cities in all the Orient with its suburbs which are in compasse twenty miles It is a Proverbe among the Persians Quando Suars erat Siras tunc Cairus 〈◊〉 Pagus yet they account it not very ancient neither are they of their opinions who will have it the head of â—â—â—ia Tauris and Casbin are famous Cities and besides their magnificence they may glory that in them the Kings of Persia for the most part keepe their residences The forme of Government of this Nation is not like the Government of any other Mahumetan people neither is â—â— There are also many desarts and many mountaines disjoyning the Provinces farre asunder Herein it resembleth Spaine where for want of navigable Rivers except towards the Sea-coast traffike is little used and mountaines and Provinces lie unmanured for scarcity of moisture But Nature unwilling that humane life should want any easement hath so provided for mutuall commerce in these sandy and barren places that through the labour of Camels the want of Navigation is richly recompenced thorowout Persia the bordering Countries These beasts carry wondrous burdens and will longer continue than either Horse or Mule They will travell laden with a thousand pound weight and will so continue forty dayes and upward In sterile and deepe sandy Countreyes such as are Lybia Arabia and Persia they drinke but once every fifth day and if extremity enforce they will endure the want of water ten or twelve When their burdens are off a little grasse thorns or leaves of trees will suffice them There is no living thing lesse chargeable and more laborious certainly ordained of nature a fit creature for those sandy and deepe places of Asia and Africke wherein even man himselfe feeleth the want of food and water Of these there are three sorts upon the lesser men travell the middle sort have bunches on their backs fit for carrying of Merchandize the greater and stronger are those which carry burdens of one thousand pound weight these are their ships the sands their Seas What numbers of horsemen this King is able to levie was manifested in the warres betweene Selim the first and Ismael betweene Ismael and Soliman and betweene Codabanda and Amurath Not one of them brought above thirty thousand horse into the field but so throughly furnished that they had little cause to feare greater numbers The richer and abler sort arme themselves after the manner of our men at Armes the residue being better than the third part of their Cavalry content themselves with a Scull a Jack and
frequent his Dominions Without the which inticements peradventure they might be unwilling to hazard their estates from farre Nations amongst such barbarous and unsure customers For sure hee was that his Neighbours could not and the Portugals would not supply those necessities which concerned the life and essence of an intire Estate THE FIFTH BOOKE Of India commonly called Asiatica or East-India INdia is a spacious portion of Asia the most Noble part of the World and far exceeding any other apportionment comprehended under one name Tartarie only excepted As that which without other addition lifteth up her Title alone to challenge all the Territories betweene China and Persia A conteinue almost twelve hundred leagues yet divided into many Kingdomes Amongst whom he is principall that most obtaineth by force and popularitie The Region is most wholesome to inhabit by the favour of the Westerne winds but in regard of its spaciousnesse subject to diverse Temperatures As in some places to heat viz. towards the Equator In some to temperatures or rather to cold as towards the North. But generally for goodnesse of situation health and fertilitie it is farre better than any other Countrey And therefore seldome or never feeleth famine or scarcitie the misery whereof is prevented by the benefit of Rivers as in Aegypt For the two great Rivers of Indus and Ganges water it thorowly which being divided into a thousand brookes insulteth of two Summers temperature of Aire with duplicitie of increase And that wee are but Adventurers for those delicacies which shee vtlipendeth and yet not admitted to the understanding of one halfe of her worth yet hath it its Desarts scorching Sands places infested with wilde Beasts and unpeopled by reason of impenetrable woods And although the Region wanteth Wheat yet aboundeth it with divers sorts of fruits of Pulses of Barley and Rice Vines they haue none but rare and therefore brew their Beverage of Barley and Rice Fruit-trees and trees fit to make linnen cloth of they have in abundance and out of the Palme they produce Wine Vinegar and fruit to eat The particular of their Silkes Bombasies Elephant Serpents Spices Stones and divers famous Rivers being well knowne I will not stand to recite The natures and fashions of the Inhabitants briefly I will who being diversly dispersed into divers Regions and Principalities doe diversly differ in language visage habit manners and religion Both men and women imitate a noble pompe as not incountred abroad nisi mâ—gna comitante caterva using many odours in their baths and washings nor are they without oiles and perfumes jewels pearls and other ornaments befitting the businesse they intend Of whom the foure principall Nations that inhabit this tract are the Indians viz. the Natives and they for the most part are Gentiles The second are the Iewes and they are dispersed here as else-where over the whole face of the earth The third are the Mahumetans whereof some are Persians and some Scythians now called Mogors living in the upland Countries The fourth are the Moores or Arabians who within these two hundred yeares usurping upon the maritime coasts of the Country have built them places and Cities very fit for Trafficke and expulsed the Natives into the more Inland Countries And now of late besides those ancient Christians which Saint Thomas converted there reside many Portugals natives and Mâ—sticos who are daily converted by the industry of the Iesuits to the Christian beleefe who have taught them to baptize Children and to fast Wherein they are now tedious observants as all barbarous people are the best maintainers of customes and ceremonies especially where the Roman Church instructeth The Portugals intruded by armes prayers and policie Their purchases I account to be so farre from the name of a Conquest as was the possession of the English from the Crowne of France when they held nothing but â—alais in Picardie Howbeit for state and ostentation every third yeare a Vice-Roy is sent to Goa from whom and from whence all inferiour deputations have their directions and governments Here he hath his Councell his Nobles his Chancery and Iustices as is used in Portugal from whence in Civill cases the parties may appeale to Portugal but in Criminall no one person except he be a Gentleman He is very magnificent in State and never goeth abroad unlesse to Church and then attended with musike and accompanied with all the principall Gentlemen and Burgers of Goa on horsebacke with a guard of souldiers before behinde and on each side It is a place of great honour and profit For besides the presents which the bordering Princes round about Goa send them at their first entrances for contraction of peace and friendship by their Embassies they have also the management of the Kings revenues and treasure with absolute allowance from his Majestie to give spend and reward as best pleaseth him When a new Vice-Roy arriveth the time of the former being expired hee presently dispatcheth his Lieutenants with sufficient authoritie in their Masters name to receive the possession of the Government of India and to prepare the Palace Whereupon the old Vice-Roy maketh quicke and cleane riddance of all Vtensils neither leaving one stoole in the Palace nor one peny in the Treasury So that these great Officers by reason of their short time of imployment have enough to doe The first yeare to furnish their house with necessaries The second to gather treasure and to respect the causes that moved them to come into India The third and last yeare to prepare themselves and to settle their businesses in order left they be overtaken and surprised by the approach of a new successour The like is to be understood of all the Captaines in the Forts and of all other Officers thorowout these Indies The Great Mogor IT shall alwayes beene beleeved that the territory lying betweene Ganges and the 〈◊〉 Indus hath evermore beene subject to great and mighty Monarchs For to be silent in matter of more ancient memory about the yeare of our Lord 1300 there reigned in the Kingdome of Delos and Arabian Prince of the fâ—â—t of Mahumet named Sanofaradin as Iohn Barros reporteth of so great power strength that he enterprised the conquest of Asia Upon which resolution forsaking these Regions in which Indus and Ganges take heir beginnings with a mighty Army by little and little he subdued those Princes and people which did oppose against him untill he pierced to the bounds of Canora where it beginneth at the River Bate about Chaul and stretcheth betweene Bate the Gulfe of Bengala to Cape Comerine When he had wonne so large and famous a territory resolving to returne to Delos he left Abdessa his Lieutenant in Canora This man encouraged by the victories of his Master and presuming upon his owne good fortune bereaved the Gentiles of the greater part of Canora and hauing gathered a most mighty and populous Army compacted of Gentiles Mahumetaâ— and Christians after he had reigned twenty
Virgins to be deflowred of Idols abominable their exorcismes damnable and the varietie of senselesse profanations most contemptible It is not so spacious but it is as fertill for it yeeldeth not only what is fitting for humane life but whatsoever the delicate and esseminate appetite of man may lust after Many Plants yeeld fruit twice or thrice a yeare and that not only by the temperature of the ayre but by the number of the rivers and plentie of waters which doe both cause trafficke thorow every corner of the Region and so water it on all sides that it resembleth a most pleasant and delectable garden-plot Of this plentie there are three causes one the prodigall expences of the King in digging of trenches thorowout the whole Land sometime cutting thorow rockie Mountaines sometime damming up deepe valleyes to make them levell with high mountaines and to draine the waters of Lakes and Marishes the other for that the whole Region is situated under the temperate Zone and in no place either by nature or mans industrie wanteth moisture so that all creatures taking nourishment of heat and moisture must needs here wonderously prosper In no place Plants may take larger scope to spread their branches nor Cattell larger walkes to wander in than in this Country The last reason is for that the idle are neither severely punished nor altogether tolerated but every one is forced to doe somewhat no foot of land is left unhusbanded nor dramme of stuffe cast away unwrought Among other things note-worthy this one is of great consideration that in Cantan they maintaine foure thousand blind people to grinde corne and Rice every childe is set about somewhat according to his yeares and strength those only who are truly impotent in their limbs and have no friends living to succour them are provided for in Hospitals That none may excuse themselves in saying hee can doe nothing every one is bound to learne his fathers occupation which is the reason that the children borne as it were tradesmen learne their fathers occupations before they perceive it by continuall practice becomming in time most artificiall mechanickes He that cannot live at Land seeketh his maintenance at Sea for that is no lesse inhabited than the Land yea infinite housholds live on the Rivers in Boats without comming to Land for a long season Some whereof live by ferrying over people some by transporting passengers and their merchandize others keepe shops others vessels of lodging for their Merchants and Travellers Whatsoever is needfull for cloathing for food or nourishment delight or ease of a civill life is to be found in the middest of great Rivers Many likewise nourish all sorts of Poultrie especially Duckes in their vessels To hatch the egges and to nourish the young ones they use not the dams as we doe but an artificiall heat in a manner as they doe in Aegypt especially at Cair All night he keepeth them in his Boat and at morning sendeth them to feed in the fields sowed with Rice where all day long having fed on the weeds to the great good of the husbandman they returne toward evening to their Cages at the sound of a little Bell or Cimball Many live by carrying Fish both salt and fresh into the high Countries for in the Spring when the Rivers rise through thawes and landstouds so incomparable quantities of sea-fish doe abound in the havens and creekes that the fishermen depart rather wearied than wanting This fish the Skippers buy for a small matter of the fishermen and keeping them alive in certaine vessels made for the purpose they transport them into Provinces farre remote from the Sea There they are sold and preserved in Pooles and Stewes neere Cities and great Townes to serve the Markets and Tables of the richer Chinois all the yeare long Because it is forbidden any inhabitant to passe out of the Land without leave and therewith neither but for a certaine time limited it must needs be that by the daily increase of people the Country is even pestered with inhabitation It hath beene observed among themselves that for every five that have died seven have beene borne The Climate is so temperate and the aire so wholsome that in mans memory any universall pestilence hath not beene knowne to infest the Country Notwithstanding left any man should thinke this people to enjoy all sweets without some mixture of sowre you must note that their earth-quakes are more dreadfull unto them than any pestilence to us for whole Cities have beene swallowed and Provinces made desart by this punishment These casualties choke up the course of ancient Chanels and make new where were never any before they lay Mountaines levell with the ground and make havocke of the people In the yeare 1555. a deluge breaking out of the bowels of the earth devoured an hundred and fourescore miles of firme land with the Townes and Villages standing thereupon those which escaped the floud lightning and fire from Heaven destroyed There are said to be in China one hundred and fifty Cities two hundred thirty five great Townes one thousand one hundred fifty foure Castles and foure thousand two hundred Boroughs without walls wherein souldiers are quartered of Villages and Hamlets some of them containing a thousand housholds the number is infinite for the Country is so covered with habitation that all China seemeth but as one Towne They have two Metropolitan Cities Nanquin and Panquin In Nanquin toward the North the King keepeth his Court under the jurisdiction of the one are seven Provinces under the other eight Both of them are so spacious that it is a daies journey for a horseman to ride from one end to the other Of the number of the Inhabitants no certainty can bee produced but according to manuscript relations and the report of travellers it is said that the Kingdome containeth threescore and ten millions of living soules This is an admirable report and not to bee beleeved if it be compared with the Provinces of Christendome but surely something above conceit is to be credited to those spacious populous and barbarous Nations Let us set the largenesse of their Provinces the circuit of their Cities their plenty and abundance of all things and in all places either in prospering by nature or mans industry with their number and inhabitation and we shall finde a Country like enough to afford such a reckoning with places cities and dwellings able to containe them and nourishment sufficient to maintaine them Italy exceedeth not nine millions Germany excluding the Swizzers and Netherlands not ten and with the foresaid Provinces not above fifteene which number peradventure France may reach unto Spaine is farre inferiour to Italie Sicilie hath but one million and three hundred thousand England three millions and Belgia as many if by the continuance of the warre in those Countries that number be not much decayed The Italians conceit marvellous highly of themselves thinking no Province upon the face of the earth for wealth and
frequent in the rough mountaines of Campa Cambaia and Macin That which is brought to us is in no esteeme with them the right is found say they in Congo and Angola and the bordering Countrey and used by them in all their grievous and dangerous maladies which if it be true I marvell that the Portugals will let slip so precious a commoditie Narsinga IN the row of these potent Princes inhabiting betweene Indus and Ganges dwelleth the King of Narsinga Whatsoever lieth betweene the mountaine Guate and the gulfe of Bengala betweene the promontories Guadaverne and Comorin by the space of two hundred leagues abounding as prodigally as any other province in the Indies with all good things is under his dominion The waters sometime falling from the mountaines sometime from the rivers and received into trenches meeres and lakes doe wonderfully coole moisten and enrich this land causing the Graine and Cattell to prosper above imagination It is no lesse plentifull of birds beasts wilde and tame Buffals Elephants and Mines of precious stones and metals It breedeth no races of horse for the warre but they buy them of the Arabian and Persian Merchants in great numbers the like doe all the Princes of Decan Within the bounds of Narsinga dwell five Nations different in language he hath many strong places on the Indian Ocean Canera is at his command wherein are the haven Townes of Mangolar Melinâ— Berticala and Onor but the Portugals receive the custome of Berticala and also in times past of Onor In Narsinga are two imperiall Cities Narsinga and Bisnagar by reason whereof he is termed sometime King of Narsinga sometime King of Bisnagar It is undoubtedly beleeved that this King receiveth yearely twelve millions of ducats of which he layeth up but two or three the residue he expendeth upon the troopes of his souldiers that is to say forty thousand Nairs and twenty thousand horsemen kept in continuall pay Upon necessitie he is able to levie a farre greater number for besides these allowances he setteth out certaine lands to two hundred Captaines on condition to keepe in readinesse a proportion of Horsemen Footmen and Elephants The wages of these Captaines to some of whom he giveth a million of ducats yearely may be an argument of his great revenues for to these projects this Prince and all the Potentates of the Fast keepe in their possession all the profits of the lands woods mines yea and the waters of pooles and rivers thorow their whole Dominions No man may wash himselfe in Ganges which runneth by Bengala nor in Ganga which watereth the Land of Orissa before he hath paid toll to the King The King himselfe is now inforced to buy this water causing it to be brought unto him by long journies upon a superstitious custome either to bathe or to purge himselfe therein He is absolute Lord of the bodies and goods of his subjects which he shareth to himselfe and his Captaines leaving the people nothing but their hands and labour of lands the King hath three parts and his Captaines the residue Whereupon sithence all these barbarous Princes maintaine not peace and justice as arches whereupon to lay the ground-worke of their Estates but armes conquest and the Nurserie of a continuall Souldierie it must needs follow that they are able to levie greatertroopes of horse and foot than otherwise wee were bound to beleeve But to induce some measure of credit let us compare the abilities of some Christian Princes with theirs If the King of France were absolute Lord of all the lands and domaines of his whole dominion as these men are it is thought that his yearely revenues would amount to fifteene millions and yet therein are neither mines of gold nor silver The Clergie receiveth six millions the Kings demesnes amount to one and an halfe the residue is theirs who have the inheritance and yet here the peasants live well in comparison of the Villagoâ— of India Polonia and Lituania Besides this the King hath eight millions of ordinary revenue arising of customes and escheats How mighty a Prince would he be if hee were Landlord of the demesnes and rents of the whole Kingdome and should imploy them upon the maintenance of Souldiers as doth the King of Narsinga Surely whereas now the Kings revenues doe hardly suffice for the maintenance of foure thousand men at armes and six thousand Crosse-bowes if this allowance were added to the former he might as easily maintaine an hundred and fifty thousand To returne to Narsinga The King to see that his Captains performe their duties once a yeare proclaimeth a muster whereat they dare not but be present At the muster day those who have presented their companies defective either in number or furniture are sure to be cashiered but those who bring their companies compleat and well armed hee honoureth and advanceth What forces may be gathered out of so ample a dominion armed after their manner as aforesaid you shall gather by that which Iohn Barros writeth of the Armie which King Chrismarao lead against Idalcan in the journey of Raciel These are his words verbatim Under sundry Captaines the Armie was divided into many battalions In the Vantguard marched Camraque with one thousand horse seventeene Elephants and thirty thousand footmen Tirabicar with two thousand horse twenty Elephants and fifty thousand footment Timapanique with three thousand horsemen and fifty six thousand footmen After them followed Hadanaique with five thousand horsemen fifty Elephants and one hundred thousand footmen Condomara with six thousand horse sixty Elephants one hundred and twenty thousand footmen Comora with two hundred and fifty horse forty Elephants and fourscore thousand footmen Gendua with a thousand horse ten Elephants and thirty thousand footmen In the rereward were two Eunuchs with one thousand horse fifteene Elephants and forty thousand footmen Betel one of the Kings Pages lead two hundred horse twenty Elephants and eight thousand foot After all these followed the King with his Guard of six thousand horsemen three hundred Elephants and fortie thousand footmen Upon the flankes of this battell went the Governour of the Citie of Bengapor with divers Captaines under whose colours were foure thousand two hundred horse twenty five Elephants and sixty thousand mercenary footmen Upon the head of the battell ranged 200000. horsemen in small troops like our vantâ—urrers in fâ—â—â—h sort and order scowring the Countrey before behinde and on all sides that no novelty could so suddenly happen but notice thereof was given at the Imperiall Tent in a moment Twelve thousand carriers of water and twenty thousand light huswives followed this Armie The number of Lackies Merchants Artificers and Water-bearers Oxâ—n Buffals and carriage-beasts was infinite When the Armie was to passe any River knee-deepe before the foremost were passed there was scant sufficient for the latter whereof to drinke Before this journey the King sacrificed in nine dayes twenty thousand three hundred seventy six head of living creatures as well of birds as beasts the
and Arrow which in stead of Iron they head with the teeth of Fishes and the bones of Beasts Gold Silver and Stone they little regard their chiefest delight is in Feathers and Plumes Insomuch that if these Countries had beene travelled into with unarmed search and peregrination for what occasion of warre could justly bee applied unto those who neither held wealth in estimation neither coveted Honour with ambitious emulation No doubt but all Authors in discoursing of these Nations could have informed you of nothing but Gold-yeelding-Rivers miraculous temperature of Atre strange shapes in Beasts and Birds The Sea abounding with Pearle and Land with Gems And above all Man here living and conversing in his rude and anticke simplicity under the shield of genuine innocency with irkesome hatred of our vile custome and wrangling conditions But alas Avarice under the marke of Religion and Vain glory had no sooner set foot in these terrestriall places as I may say of Paradise but depravation turned all things topsi-turvie Since when happinesse hath taken its flight into some ether Climate and as now nothing is thereof recorded save undermining of Mountaines disembowelling the Earth exiling the Natives unpeopling of Villages and that by tyranny and slavery For in one or two petty battels whole Empires have beene subdued by an handfull of men and a Kingdome conquered in a manner before it hath beene entred And no wonder for this simple and naked people had never seene Horse nor ever heard the report of the Harquebush Without the which peradventure the Spanish Nation had not galloped in so short a time to such miraculous victories no though every petty Commander imployed in that action in these daies stand comparatively paraleld with the worthy Scipio and the Great Alexander To whom in truth the ancient exprobration of the Brittons against the Romans mentioned in Tacitus cannot more feelingly be applied than unto these Indian Spaniards They are the Robbers and Ravishers of the World After the spoile of all Nations through defect of strange Lands and new Conquests they scowre the wide Ocean The riches of the enemy breeds covetousnesse in them the poverty ambition which neither the East nor West can terminate or containe They onely alone covet the wealth and penury of all Nations with equall greedinesse and affectation On Robbery Murther and Villany they colourably impose the glorious title of Empery Solitude and desolation they terme Peace and Tranquillitie So that had not Charles the Emperour cast strict reines upon these licentious and injurious proceedings Spaine had swarmed with slaves and India had quite beene bereaved of almost all her Natives Of foure hundred thousand Inhabitants living in New Spaine at the arrivall of these Spaniards the Country at this day can scant shew you eight thousand About the like number you shall finde in the Fonduras remaining of foure hundred and ten thousand when the Spaniards therein set first footing If you reade their owne Histories you shall meet with no better accounts concerning the present Inhabitation of Hispaniola Guatimala Nicuragua and the Ilands adjacent The greatest number whereof were either slaine led captives or consumed in the Mines Doubtlesse in divulging of the aforesaid Proclamation the good Emperour could not chuse but remember that God whose judgements are profound did once by the cruelties of the Goths the Huns and Saracens waste Italy persecute France and consume Spaine and the consumers were againe consumed in fulnesse of time So may it fall out with those who following the steps of their Predecessors take a glory to amaze the Sea with Ships and the Land with Armies Time may come that Pride shall burne and be consumed with warre and he that buildeth his house wrongfully upon the ruine of another shall himselfe become a booty to Aliens and Strangers The linage of the Moores is not quite extinguished The race of the Indians is not utterly extirpated That progeny as yet surviveth in Italy which in times past and in one day at one watchword slue all the loose French Vsurpers of other mens fortunes And albeit that the fatall cowardize of these Nations dare not presume to arme themselves against their Oppressors yet there raigneth a just God in Heaven who can raise footmen and horsemen from the utmost bounds of the North to asswage and correct the intemperate insolency of bloud-thirsty Tyrants New Spaine or Mexico NEw Spaine is a very large Province better manured pleasanter and more populous than any part of this New world It was possessed by the Spaniard in the yeare 1518. under the leading of Ferdinando Cortez to the great slaughter of the Inhabitants and of his owne people In reward of whose service Charles the fifth bestowed on him the Countrey of Tecoantepec Although it lye under the Torrid Zone yet it is temperate mountainous and full of woods It aboundeth with all good things necessary for life and profitable either for thrift or pleasure as fish flesh gold and stones Of all part of the Indies none is like unto it for habitation For therein the Spaniards have erected many Colonies as Compostella Colima Purificatio Guadaâ—lara Mechoochan c. Whereof the best and fairest is Mexico thorow the whole Indies It should seeme the Shire tooke its name from the Citie In ancient time it was built in the middest of the Lake like Venice but Cortez removed it to the banke therof It is at this day a Citie excellent well built containing six miles in compasse one part whereof the Spaniards inhabit the residue is left to the Natives In this Citie the Vice-Roy and Archbishop keepe their Seats having the privileges of supreme Justice Printing and Coyning The Lake whereon the Citie is built is salt and ebbeth and floweth as the Ocean At ebbe it sendeth its waters into another Lake adjoyning but fresh it yeeldeth no fish but wormes which in Summer putrifie and corrupt the aire and yet of the waters thereof they boile great store of salt The circuit of both these Lakes is about fiftie leagues and about the bankes and in the Islands doe lye above fiftie Townes every one consisting of ten thousand housholds Upon these waters doe ferry fiftie thousand Boats which they terme Canoas to serve the use of the Citie This Countrey was an Indian Empire full of order and State as having seene a succession of ten Kings and enjoying a Soveraigntie over the neighbour Provinces But all this was about an hundred yeares since utterly overthrowne by Ferdinando Cortez who with nine hundred Spaniards assisted with an hundred thousand Indians of Tlascalan neighbours and enemies to the Mexicans with the helpe also of eightie Spanish horse the terrour of seventeene field-peeces and a fleet of twelve or thirteene Pinnaces and six thousand Indian Canoas to trouble the Towne on the Lake side performed this great but easie worke made an absolute Conquest of the Empire of Mexico and imposed the name of New Spaine upon it The Citie hath at this day six