AN EPITOME OF ORTELIUS HIS THEATRE OF THE WORLD, WHEREIN the principal regions of the earth are described in small Maps.  
With a brief declaration annexed to each Map. And done in more exact manner, then t●e like declarations in Latin, French, or other languages.  
It is also amplified with new Maps wanting in the Latin editions.  CONTEMNO, ET ORNO: MENTE, MANV. 
Α ☧ Ω   projection map of the hemisphere with Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Arctic 
AT LONDON, PRINTED BY JOHN NORTON.  DE GOVERNOR E VENT GRACE..  blazon or coat of arms  

TO THE NOBLY-DESCENDED, AND VERTVOUSLY-ACCOMPLISHED Mr. RICHARD GARGRAVE.  
MOST worthy sir, no sooner did this stranger my friend set foot on English shore, but being desirous to travail North, I could not devise where he should find more condign & respective entertainment then under your most favourable roof. It appears by his many languages, namely Latin, Italian, French, Spanish, high & low Dutch, and now lastly English, that he hath sometimes been a traveler. And so indeed if you examine him thoroughly, you shall find he hath, aswell by sea as by land. In his discourses he is unlike the greatest part of our travelers, who with their tedious & fabulous narrations will bring either deafness to your ears or slumber to your eyes. But this man speaks nothing but matter, and that so succinctly, as by his conference you may reap delight, & yet not hinder your affairs of importance or recreation. Give him encouragement in the North, and ere long you shall see him come over in another habit, to try what acceptance the south will afford him. Thus doing, you shall not only grace him & benefit your country, but in all dutiful services you shall make me his poor well-willer,  
Yours Most truly devoted.   

A brief description of the 2 half globes or spheres, aswell Celestial as Terestrial.  
BEcause the true & proper description of the earth & the parts thereof; cannot well be made without the knowledge of cosmography & Geography, It is not amiss that the circular composition both of heaven & earth be briefly explicated.  
cosmography doth describe the world, that is to say the heaven; & what else is contained within the circuit thereof. For the world is divided into heavenly & elementary regions.  
The celestial or heavenly doth contain 8 distinct Orbs of stars, of which the seven former and nearest to the earth are attributed to the seven planets, and the greater of these doth always contain circularly the lesser, & every one of these doth carry about one only star or planet, but the eight otherwise named the firmament; containeth in it all the other stars which are called fixed.  
The starry heaven or firmament containeth within his circumference all the foresaid Orbs with their planets, and the same again with all the other inferior Orbs is embraced of the ninth heaven, which is called the first movable, by whose continual revolution all these 8 Orbs of stars are carried about, upon the pole of the world, from the east, to the west, in the space of 24 hours: but the 8 inferiors on the other part are ever carried continually about from the west unto the east, upon other poles, called those of the Zodiac. But because mariners do use only the constitutions of certain principal fixed stars, which are found about the 2 poles of the world, the ambiguous moveinges of the planets are here omitted, as to them not necessary, & here are only ajoined two celestial figures, by which the two half spheres of the whole firmament or starred heaven, are demonstrated. Of the which the first containeth the septentrional or northern stars, & the second those which belong to the south●●●●  
THE CELESTIAL GLOBE.   projection of two celestial hemispheres showing northern and southern constellations 
THe elementary region is compassed and contained within the later Orb of the planets, in the which the moon holdeth her place.  
This region doth consist of four elements, of which the highest is called by the natural philosophers, fire, the next after is called air, the third, water, and the fourth, earth, of which the two later do make together one round body.  
And as to the view of the courteous reader hath been set down in two half spheres the whole constitution & order of all the fixed stars, so in like manner is here pourtraited in other two half spheres the constitutions of the whole earth, aswell the parts habitable as the inhabitable.  
The former of which containeth the new discovered world, which is called America, the later, the world longest known, & by our ancerers inhabited, the which is divided into three parts Europa, Asia, & Africa.  
And because there is mention made in the descriptions following of the different countries & places; with their proprieties, such particular descriptions are therefore here omitted.  
To declare also the reasons how the conjoined superfices of the whole earth are to be designed in platform, would be overlong, wherefore such as desire to understand it, may have recours unto the writings of Ptolomey Alexandrinus, as also of Neoteryk, but espetialy to the commentaries of the most learned Gerardus Mercator, upon Ptolomey his book of Geography, & to such learned authors as thereof have treated.  
THE TERRESTRIAL GLOBE.   projection of two terrestrial hemispheres showing the new and old worlds  

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD.  
As a preface to the reader.  
IT is agreed on by all Cosmographers that the whole world is round, & it is compact in that perfect figure, by the Almighty maker & author of all perfection.  
It is surely a mirror of most great admiration, wherein the unsearchable science of the all-surpasling Artisan is to be seen, as also the greatness of himself in so great omnipotency. And rather might it seem a point of faith and belief to hold that the earth depending on nothing should be so immovable, & being round, the opposite inhabitants under different orisons; to be antipodes the one unto the other, but that experience and proof (and not belief and faith) hath taught it unto us.  
How at the beginning the earth was divided from the sea; is altogether unknown, but by the deluge the limits of sea & land have doubtless been much altered, & sundry regions through the extraordinary violence of the most forceible elements have since that time been also greatly changed. As they are at this present, the heer-presented map in general, & those that ensue in particular will demonstrate, to the which I refer the courteous reader, & thus leaving the same to his best commodity, with desire to be excused for such brevity as in the descriptions I have been constrained to use, I humbly take my leave.  
R. V.  M. Tullius Cicero. 
The horse is created to bear & to draw: the ox to till & to labour the earth: the dog to hunt and to guard the hows. But man to consider & contemplate with the eyes of his understanding the disposition of the whole world▪  

THE DESCRIPTION OF THE EARTH.  
TYPUS ORBIS TERRARUM   projection map of the earth   


EUROPA.  
THe countries of Europe, as we now call them are Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Slavonia, Graece, Hungary, Polonia, Lituavia, Moscow, or more significatly the country of Sarmatia, and the Peninsula in which is Norwey, Swethen, and Gothland. Among the Isles, Albion, containing England & Scotland is the chiefest, next unto it have ye Ireland, then more northerly is Island, Friesland, & lastly Groonland, all in the Ocean sea. In the Mediteraneum sea it hath Sicilia, Sardinia, Corsica, Candie, Maiorica, Minorica, Corphum, Nigropont, and others of less fame, whose several names, and situations do appear in the Map.  
This our Europe (besides for the Roman Empire) honourable throughout all the world hath above 28 Christian Kingdoms, if you add the 14 which some reckon only in Spain. It is passing fertile, naturally temperate, and of a mild air. And inferior to no other part in plenty of all kind of fruit, wine, and plants, but to be compared with the most excellent, being made pleasant with most fair Cities, Villages and Thoroughfares. And although it be in compass lesser than the other, yet for the worthiness of the people it is preferred before all other parts of the world, & ever hath been by all ancient writers, having both for the Empire of the Macedonians and mightiness of the Romans' been most renowned.  
EUROPA.   map of Europe  

ASIA.  
ASIA being the second part of the world, hath on the west side to divide it from Europe, the river Tanais, from the head whereof the division is made (as it were by a line) & extended unto Sinus granduicus. It is moreover denyded by Mare Magiore, & a piece of the Mediteraneum sea. On the south side it hath the sea of India. On the east the Ocean called Eous, otherwise, the east sea, And on the north the icy sea of Sithia.  
Asia by estimation seemeth as great as Europe and Africa, yet is it not taken to be so populus as Europe having many wonderful great deserts, huge mountains, & spacious sandy regions, & the mount Taurus stretcheth itself very far & through the midst thereof.  
Some have divided this part of the earth into five portions, The first is that which joineth unto Europe, & obeyeth unto the great Duke of Muscovy. The second that which is under the great Cham Emperor of the Tartars. The third that which is occupied by the race of the Ottomans, under the fourth is comprehended the kingdom of Persia, governed by the Sophy. And the fift & last part is that which as of old so yet at this present it retaineth the name of India, being denyded under the command of many petty Kings, whereof divers are tributaries to the great Cham. And in this part is also contained the great & mighty kingdom of China. This part of the earth is not only famous among profane authors, for the first monarchies of the world, as of the Assyrians, Persians, Babylonians, & Medes, but it is more illustred above other parts in sacred scripture, wherein not only appeareth that in the same mankind was first created, by Almighty God, but our Lord & saviour jesus Christ coming into this world for the redemption of man, did choose to make herein his birth place. It is also to be considered that the most precious things that the world doth yield are fond in this noble part thereof, as besides great variety & divers kinds of beasts, & birds, excellent sorts of spices, fruits, medicinal herbs, roots, & other things, As also the most precious metals, precious stones, and pearls.  
ASIA.   map of Asia  

AFRICA.  
THis third part of the world, the ancient writers have diversty divided, But as joannes Leo witnesseth it is now divided into four parts, to wit Barbaria, Numedia, Libya, and the country of the Negroes or moors. The first of these being Barbary is the best and most fruitful, enclosed with the Atlantike, and Mediterranean seas, the mount Atlas, and the region called Barcha, which confyneth on Egypt. Numedia which yieldeth dates & is of the Arabies called the date country, is otherwise called Biledulgerid, this being the second part bordereth on the Atlantike sea in the west, and the mount Atlas in the north, in the east it reatcheth unto the city Eloacat, and southward unto the sandy deserts of Libya.  
Libya the third part is in the Arabeck tongue called Sa●ra, which signifieth wilderness, it beginneth at the river Nilus and reatcheth to the Atlantyke sea, having on the south the Negroes or Moors, and on the north Numedia.  
The fourth and last part is that which is called the country of the Negroes or Moors (for that they are black people) it hath Libya on the north. The AEthiopian sea towards the south, the Gualates towards the west and on the east side the kingdom of Goaga.  
It is further to be considered that all Africa is environed with the Mediteraneum, Atlantyke and Aethiophian seas and the river Nilus.  
Some have accounted Egypt and Aethiupia to be of Asia, but with more reason all modern Cosmographers do reckon them to belong to Africa.  
The south part or coast of Africa was undiscovered unto the year of our Lord 1497 that Vasca de Gama passed the promontory or cape de Bona speranza, and sailing round about all the south coast of this part of the world arrived at calicut in the east Indies.  
Africa hath great and dry deserts wherein many strange beasts and serpents are nowrished, and in some parts there of (as about the river Nilus sundry new creatures or monsters are often produced.  
AFRICA.   map of Africa  

AMERICA.  
THis fourth part of the world for the exceeding largeness thereof is called the new-world altogether unknown unto all Consmographers until the year of our Lord 1492, in which it was discovered by Christopher Columba of Genua, who for that discovery was employed by Ferdinand King of Castille & Queen Isabel his wife. It seemeth most strange that so great a part of the world should so long remain unknown, considering the diligent search of Geographers to describe the whole earth, the opportunity to search out countries, & the insatiable desire that man hath of gold & silver, wherewith this America aboundeth, & yet could never before be found out. Some think it was deciphered by Plato under the name of Atlas, others affirm a piece of coin to be found there having on it the Image of Augustus the Emperor, about the which there are divers opinions and disputes.  
This part of the world hath been all sailed about except on the north side, which coast is yet undiscovered. It seemeth to form itself into two peninsulaes, whereof the one which is northerly containeth new Spain, the province of Mexico, the lands of Florida, & Terra nova, etc. That which is southward called Terra firma containeth the regions of Peru, Bresilia, and others.  
America had not in times past either wheat or wine, kine, sheep, goats, asses or dogs, but it hath since the discovery there of been enriched from Europe with all these and sundry other commodities.  
AMERICA.   map of America  

ENGLAND.  
THe whole I'll of Albion called also Britanny being the greatest Isle of this part of the world, is at this day by two several names called England and Scotland, because it containeth those two kingdoms. The Meridional greatest & best part thereof is called England, of Englishmen (sometime a people of German) whose offspring doth still possess the same under their own King. It containeth together with the country of wales, 52 Shires, 29 Cities and 25 Bishoprykes. On the east side it hath the German Ocean, On the west the Irish sea. On the south the narrow seas which divide it from France. And on the north it is separated from Scotland by the river of Twede & the Cheuiot hills.  
It aboundeth chief in cattle, for which cause the inhabitants are more given to grafing then to tillage of the ground, desiring rather pasture than corn land. This region is very temperate, and without great extremity of cold. The soil is exceeding fruitful, howbeit it yieldeth not wine. There are many hills, which being without trees do yield a kind of short and sweet grass for the best nowrishing of sheep, which are here in all abundance, and whose fine fleeces do excel those of other countries, which is caused either by the temperature of the air, or the goodness of the pasture. This fine english wool, may well be calleth the Golden fleece, for that thereby so great plenty of gold & silver from so many & so remote regions of the world is brought into this Realm. Here are also great store of mines of Tin, Led, & Iron, as also of Copper, neither are the mines void of Gold and Silver. In brief England aboundeth with plenty of all sorts of victuals, & is furnished with all store of things necessary for the use of man.  
ENGLAND.   map of England  

SCOTLAND.  
THe realm of Scotland hath England on the south side thereof & on all other sides else, it is environed with the main Ocean, on the north side it hath the Isles called the Orcadeses & on the west the Hibrides, all subject unto Scotland. And albeit it be not so fruit full as England, yet is the land abundantly furnished with cattle, & the sea with fish, & in it are many things very strange & wonderful.  
In Glasco is a lake, one part whereof frieseth in winter but the other part doth never frise. In Carik are Oxen whose far is never hard, but always soft & oily.  
In the province of coil or Kyle about ten miles from the town of Aer here is a stone 12 foot in height & 30 in length called the deaf stone, for albeit never so great noise be made on the one side, on the other side it cannot be heard, unless a man stand far of, for so may it be discerned, or else not.  
In Lennox is a lake called Lowmond being about 24 miles in length & 8 in breadth having in it thirty Isles, in this lake are three things worthy of note. There are finlesse fishes, & of a good taste. There are fleeting Isles that with thee wind are moved & driven to & fro, And sometimes no wind blowing, the water becometh so rough that the passengers are in great danger to be drowned if they cannot speedily get to land. In Argadia (as is reported) groweth a stone which being put to straw or stubble will kindle & set the same on fire.  
In Burquham is a cane wherein water falling it turneth into white stones, & in this province no rats are found. In the sea at the mouth of the river of Forth is a high rock out of the top whereof issueth a fountain of fresh water. About 10 miles from Edenbourgh is a fountain, on the water whereof drops of oil are found, the which oil is medicinable. In Clidisdale is a mine of Gold, & another of azure, and in the muscles and shellfish on the shore of Scotland pearls are found.  
SCOTLAND.   map of Scotland  

IRELAND.  
IReland is a soil uneven & hilly and the highest hills have standing lakes on the tops, It hath also many bogs and quagmires & is generally watery woody, & moorish, yet hath it notwithstanding in divers places most fair plains, which yet are but few in respect of the woods. It is a fat soil, & apt to bring forth corn. The hills abound with cattle, and the woods with wild beasts. This I'll is more plentiful of pasture then of corn, of grass then of grain yea the wheat-corne is small & withered, and not easy to be wynoed with a fan. In time of harvest the rain scarcely permitteth the corn to be gotten into the barn, somuch is this I'll subject unto rain. It is plentiful of milk & honey. Solinus and Isidorus affirm it to have no bees, but they might more truly have written the contrary. No toad, adder, spider or venomous beast is nowrished in this country, nor can live therein being brought thither from any other place.  

IRELAND.   map of Ireland   

TERCERA.  
THis I'll is called Tercera, because that of the Isles called Acores, it is the third as the  in order, to such as come out of Spain to sail westward. It is plentiful of corn and fruit, and not without wine.  
Madder which dyer's use for the dying of cloth red; doth yield great commodity to the inhabitants of this I'll, for that it groweth here abundantly.  
The Oxen of this I'll exceed in fairness & largeness all others in Europe. Cedar groweth here in such abundance that it serveth for fuel.  
The chief town of this I'll is called Angra which hath a promontory whereon lieth a strong fort called Brazil.  
The Spagniards do also call this Isle Isola del buen jesus. The ships coming from the west Indies are accustomed here to take harbour in their return to Spain.  
Of these Isles of Acores there are seven in number, to wit Tercera, S. Mighel, S. Marry, S. George, Gratiosa, Pico, and Fayal but the chiefest of name is Tercera.  
TERCERA.   map of Terceira Island (Azores)  

SPAIN.  
Spain being greater than France, & lesser than Germany, is environed with the great Ocean and the Mediteraneum sea, except on the north-east side, for there it is continent with France, from the which it is divided by the mountains called the Pirene's, It is now one entire monarchy but in former time hath been divided into fourteen Kingdoms. By authors thus recounted vid. The old and new Castilia, Leon, Arragon, Catalonia, Navarre, Asturia, Granada, Valentia, Toledo, Galicia, Murcia, Cordova, Portugal, & Algarbe.  
Spain albeit it be not in all places manured because of the stoniness of sundry parts thereof, yet is it far more fertile than Africa, & in very many places it yieldeth abundantly whatsoever is necessary for the use of man, As very fair Wheat, Rice, wine, Oil, Honey, Saffran, Sugar, Lemons, Capers, Citrons, Oranges, Pomgranades, & other fruits. Rosmary groweth there in the fields in such plenty that it serveth for fuel. It hath also great store of beasts both wild & tame, & yieldeth horses of such swiftness that it was said of them in old time (as a proverb) that they were engendered of the wind.  
It hath also divers mines, as of Gold, Silver, Copper, Tin, Iron, and Led, & gold is not only found in mines, but even in sand on the sides of the river Tayo. In sundry maritime places it yieldeth great store of Salt. The air is pure and healthful, it is little subject unto tempests, & is free from foul & contagious mists. According to a vulgar saying three things in Spain are for the rarety of them very memorable, to wit, A bridge over the which water runneth, which usually runneth under bridges, intending thereby the aquaduct of Segovia. A town environed with fire, meaning Madrid, the walls whereof are of flint. And a bridge whereon ten thousand beasts are continually pastured, which is understood by the river Guadiana, which running into the earth hideth itself the length of seven leagues, & then coming forth again holdeth his course as before.  
SPAIN.   map of Spain  

PORTUGAL.  
THis country of Portugal is environed about with other countries of Spain, except on the west side, for their it bordereth upon the great western Ocean.  
It is in Latin called Lusitania, taking this name (as is said) from Lusus son unto the nynteenth King of Spain. Sundry fair rivers do take their courses through this region, of which the river Tagus now called T●lo is the principal, & was of old time more famous, for that his sands along by the bank sides were mingled with gold.  
The whole country is well inhabited, and albeit Portugal hath little or no wine yet Algarbe which is joined & reckoned with it, yieldeth very good wines. Mountainous it is not, neither reported to have mines.  
This kingdom began about the year of our Lord 1100, in this sort. Henry an Earl of Lorraine coming into Spain, showed himself very valiant, & had many victories against the Saracins, for the which Alfonsus the sixth King of Castilia gave him his base daughter Tyresia in marriage, & bestowed with her this country upon him.  
Of these twain came Alfonsus the first King of Portugal, the first that got out of the hands of the Saracins the city of Lisboa. He also overcame in one battle five Kings, in memory whereof he bore in his arms five shields, as in the arms of Portugal do yet appear. This kingdom albeit but little yet hath it enlarged itself in glory & fame even to the farthest bounds of the world, & by the great trade of spices & other precious wares from the east Indies hath been most mightily enriched. This trade began in the reign of King john he second, and hath continued with exceeding commodity, & the augmentation of sundry titles of other crowns & kingdoms. This realm of Portugal after the death of Henry first Cardinal & lastly King (who succeeded Sebastian that was slain in Africa) became with whatsoever belonged unto it, to be under the obeisance of Philip the second King of Spain, & so remaineth joined with the other kingdoms of Spain, in one entire monarchy.  
PORTUGAL.   map of Portugal  

ANDALUZIA.  
THis country hath on the east side Granada, on the west Algarbe, on the north the province called Magistratus S. jacobi, & on the south the strait & beginning of the Mediteraneum sea, commonly called the strait of Gibraltar.  
On either side this strait are two most high mountains, to wit, Gibraltar in Andaluzia whereof that strait taketh name, and Abyla in Mauritania. These two mountains are of many called the columns of Hercules, yet there are that affirm the columns of Hercules to have been two pillars of brass in the temple of Hercules, which was in the I'll of Gades, now called Cadiz or Cales in which they say was graven the charges which the building of the said temple did cost, howbeit the certainty is altogether uncertain, whether the two pillars of Hercules were these two mountains, or two artificial pillars of brass.  
This country of Andazulia is the most fertile part of all Spain, for abundance of all sorts of fruits, & great plenty of other necessary things.  
The inhabitants are courteous & civil, & very opulent. It is replenished with almost 200 sign towns, but the great & rich city of Siuil is the Chiefest city of all this province.  
The name it hath of Andazulia is grown but by corruption, for the right name is Vandazulia, of the Vandules, that here made there habitation, when by the Goths they were chased out of other parts.  
ANDALUZIA.   map of Andalusia  

VALENCIA.  
THe Kingdom of Valencia bordereth on the east side upon the Mediterranean sea, & is on all other sides environed with other countries of Spain. The chief city of this realm is also called Valencia, & of this city the whole country taketh name. Some authors do witness it received the name of a Kingdom in the year of our Lord 162. There are two principal mountains in this country, the one called Mariola, the other Penna G●lofa, which do produce many sorts of medicinal herbs, for which cause divers physicians & apothecary's repair thither for simples. There is in this country at a place called in the spanish tongue ●uriol, a my of silver. And in a place called Aioder there are stones found striped with golden veins. At the promontory of Finistrat are certain mines of Iron, though of no abundance. About Segorbia is a quarry out of which marble in times past was taken & sent to Rome. In Piacent Alabaster is found, & in sundry places great store of Alum, Red-ochre, lime & Chalk. This country yieldeth fine wool, which (as is said) cometh of the race of cotsold sheep transported out of England into Spain by licence of King Edward the fourth in the fift year of his reign. There is great commodity made in this country by the making of certain earthen vessels which the Spagniards call Procellana.  
This country was long inhabited of the Moors, until at last King james after a long siege constrained them to leave the city of Valencia, out of the which there departed at once more than thirty thousand in number, who carried with them all their riches, & left the city void, both of people and wealth. There is not (as is thought) any corner of the world so replenished with goodly gardens, abounding with such rare & excellent flowers & herbs, as is this country of Valencia.  
VALENCIA.   map of Valencia  

GADES.  
THe Spagniards call at this present this Isle Cadiz & corruptly it is called Calais. It is as divided into two parts, & so seemeth two Iles. In the lesser is now the City of Cales, & in the greater was julia Gaditana Augusta, which as Strabo saith, was called Naples. The City of Cales is now a Bishop's sea. By most ancient authors it appeareth that this I'll was found out by the Phenitians, & others hold that after them the Geryons inhabited here, whose cattle was taken away by Hercules. In this I'll was a temple of this Hercules, which for the founder & for Antiquity, religion, & riches, was very famous. This Church saith Mela is become holy because the bones of Hercules are here buried. In the Temple of Hercules Ceasar did behold the picture of Alexander the great, as Sueton telleth us. There was a well which at full sea yielded salt water, and at the ebb fresh. Sundry temples the pagans builded in this I'll, as a temple of jupiter, a temple of juno, a temple of Saturn, a temple of old age, & a temple of death. In these temples altars were erected to the Gods of the year, to monthly Gods, & to Art & poverty.  
The inhabitants of this province did in times past excel in navigation, & they do not now degenerate from their anceters. Their chief commodities rise of salt, & fish. This was the last I'll known in the world, as antiquity believed. And there (they said) the Sun being wearied with running his daily race descended into the Ocean sea, & took rest, & therefore this I'll is of Statius called the suns bed.  
GADES.   map of Cadiz  

FRANCE.  
THe realm of France (as now it is limited) hath on the north side the narrow seas that divide it from England, westward it hath the west Ocean, in the south-west it joineth to Spain, & directly south it bordereth upon the Mediterranean sea. On the eastside to begin from the south downward unto the north, it bordereth first upon Savoy, then on the County of Burgundy otherwise called La Franche Countè, & so along by Lorraine, upon Luxembourg, Hevalt, & Årtois.  
This goodly kingdom is abundant in corn and wine & all sorts of fruits, having plenty of cattle and foul & wanteth not all other necessary things, mines it is not renowned to have, yet is it most rich & opulent, being situate in the midst of the chief countries of Europe, & having traffic on all sides.  
It shall not be needful to show the three parts wherein Ceasar recounteth it to have been divided of oldtyme, seeing both the limits and inhabitants are since altered. At this present it is divided into eight provinces, which are under eight continual courts of Parliament. The first is the province of France otherwise called the I'll of France, wherein the city of Paris is situate, In which city the first court of parliament resideth.  
The second province is Languedoc, the parliament whereof is in Tholouse. The third Guienne, whose parliament is in Bourdeaux. The fourth is Normandy, whose parliament is in Rouen. The fist is Burgundy, whose parliament is Dijeon. The sixth is Dauphinè, whose parliament is in Grenoble. The seventh is Provence, whose parliament is in Aix. The eight is Britanny, whose parliament is in Renes, and under these eight provinces all France is contained, & limited for recours of justice unto these parliaments.  
FRANCE.   map of France  

GASCONIE.  
THis province of Gasconie is situate on the south-west side of France reatching on the said side unto the Pireney mountains by the which France & Spain are divided. On the east side it hath Languedoc and on the north Guienne and Arminac.  
The people are valiant & warlyk. The country is very plentiful of all things, but it chief aboundeth in wine, where with it not only serveth itself, but sundry other countries in Europe besides.  
In the time of Carolus Magnus it was called the kingdom of Gascony. In this country the said Charles the great marching against the Saracins of Spain did lose in a battle forty thousand men, in which battle his noble nephew the Earl Roland was slain. This country was first subdued unto France by Dagobert the first of that name. In the year of our lord 1155 both it and all Aquitaine came to be subject unto the crown of England, through the marriage of King Henry the second of that name, with Elinor daughter and heir unto William Duke of Aquitaine. And it was lost in the year of our lord 1453. in the 31 year of the reign of King Henry the sixth, so as it remained under the obeisance of England about 300 years.  
GASCONIE.   map of Gascony  

POICTOV.  
THis province of Poitou, called in Latin Pictavia is detryded into two parts, to wit the Superior & Inferior. The upper Poitou is that which stretcheth eastward towards the countries of Towers & Berry, the neither Poitou is that part which westward extendeth itself to the Ocean sea.  
It is a country fruitful in Corn & cattle rich in wines & furnished with great store of fish, And the great abundance of wild beasts & fowl, doth cause the delightful sports of hunting & hawking to be here much used.  
The chief city of this province is called Poitiers, having a notable university chief for study of the Civil law, this city is of great antiquity as appeareth by the Theatre, Aquaduct, & monuments, which are there yet remaining.  
POICTOV.   map of Poitou  

BRITANNY.  
BRitannie (called in time past Armorica) bordereth eastward upon the country of Maine and a part of Anjou, towards the north it hath the narrow sea & a part of the country of Constantin, towards the west the main Ocean, & towards the south the country of Poitou. It is reckoned in two parts, to wit the higher & the lower Britain. There are in it nine Bishoprykes which are divided into three distinckt quarters. Three of these which are, Cornuaille, S. Paul & Treguiers, do speak the British tongue, & the inhabitants are called Cornubians, Other three, to wit, those of Dol, Renes & S. Malo, do speak the French tongue. The third being those of Nantes, Vannes and S. Brieu, do speak both French and British.  
The principal towns in Britanny are Nantes and Renes, but in Renes resideth the court of Parliament for the whole province. The chief haven of all Britain is that of Breast. It is not to be omitted that the haven of S. Malo is guarded with mastiffs, which being thereto trained do there keep diligent night▪ watch.  
It is generally a pleasant & fertile country, the earable land being as good as can be desired, having also plenty of wood & pasture, & exceeding great store of meadow ground. There are in it mines of Iron & lead, & in some places silver▪ fine salt is there boiled through the heat of the Sun. And the country through the many commodities thereof, & the sea traffic, is very wealthy.  
BRITANNY.   map of Brittany  

NORMANDY.  
NOrmandie hath on the north side thereof the narrow seas, that separate England & France, & on all sides else it is enuyrond with several countries & provinces of France.  
From whence this Duchy taketh name, the name itself of Normandy doth declare, to wit, North-mandie, that is the dwelling or region of the men of the North, for from Norvvay otherwise North-way, came Rolo (afterward called Robert) with his Northmen, and of Charles the simple King of France he and his people obtained here there habitation, about the year of our Lord. 9 12.  
This province of Normandy is a most pleasant & fertile soil, so well furnished of all necessaries as seldom any place better. It hath great store of flesh and fish, of corn, and wood, much wine it hath not there growing, but is furnished with great store by the river of Scine, which coming through Paris passeth by Rouen the chief city of this province. All the corn fields, as also the high ways & passages, are set & planted about with frute-trees, espitially apples & pears, which yieldeth great abundance of tider & perry, The river of Seine (as a foresaid) passing by Rouen falleth into the sea at Haure de grace, or newhaven, where ships arriving do come up the river to Rouen, which maketh the city of great trade & traffic of merchandise.  
NORMANDY.   map of Normandy  

ANIOV.  
THe Dukedom of Anjou lieth (northward) in the west part of France joining upon Britanny. It is not great, howbeit very good, for that there is not any country in France that exceedeth it in fertility of soil. It hath plenty of wine, store of corn, and aboundeth in kine, & sheep, & hath great store of fish through the many fishpondes therein, & above 36 rivers, whereof the Loire and the Main are the principal. It is beautified with pleasant meadows, woods, forests & mountains, & in the mountains are quarries of freestone, marble & slate.  
The principal town of this Duchy is Angiers, situate on either side of the river of Maine. It is of great antiquity, which is witnessed by the ruins of a Theatre not far from it. It hath a very fair bridge over the river of Main all built of free stone, It hath also a famous university which was founded in the year of our Lord 1387.  
ANIOV.   map of Anjou  

BERRY, OR THE COUNTRY OF BOURGES.  
BErry, otherwise called the country of Bourges, so taking name of this the chief city thereof, lieth in the midst of the realm of France.  
The inhabitants of this country were in times past a free people, but in process of time became with other like provinces to be under the Kings of France.  
Bourges (as is aforesaid) is here the chief city, in old time very famous, and by Ceasar called Auaricum, & it is by few cities in France exceeded in greatness.  
In this city is a famous university, wherein the liberal sciences are taught, which university was erected in time passed by a Duke of this duchy, who greatly favoured good letters.  
It hath in many places marish ground & chief about this city, by reason of the sundry rivers & brooks, that pass by & about it, nevertheless it is very fruitful, & abundant in all things that are generally else where found in other parts of France.  
BERRY.   map of Berry  

LIMOUSIN.  
LImousin called in Latin Lemovicum, lieth in the west part of France between Berry and Xanctoigne, The chief city of this Vicontie is called Lymoges, the inhabitants are called Limosins or Limosians a very ancient people, and there name having never been changed they are of some authors called Aborigines. The chief city (aforesaid) of this province is of great antiquity, it was first spoiled by the Romans', after that by the Goths, then by the French, afterward again by Charles Martel, and lastly by Englishmen.  
The soil about this city is fruitful & the city is not inferior to any in all Aquitaine, in regard of traffic.  
The country is woody & hilly, & therefore less fruitful than other provinces of France, Chestunt trees are here very plentiful, & their fruit is a great sustenance for the common people, & great store thereof is sent from hence to other places and provinces of France.  
The rivers that pass through this country are exceedingly stored with fish.  
LIMOUSIN.   map of Limousin  

ORANGE.  
THis Princedom of Orange taketh name of the principal city thereof,  is so called, & it is reckoned (of some) to be within the limits of Provence.  
It is of great antiquity & of Ptolomey called the Colony of the Aurasians. It was in times past the heritage of the Princes & family of Chalon, & often allied with the house of Burgundy.  
It is since fallen unto the house of Nasau through alliance made with the house of Chalon.  
There is seen at the City of Orange the ruins of one of the most fair theatres in the world & a wall of squared stone such as is scarcely found in any place and at one of the gates standeth a most goodly Triumphal-arck.  
All which doth argue the great antiquity of the place.  
ORANGE.   map of Orange  

SAVOY.  
THis Dukedom of Savoy, lieth at the southeast end of France, & between France and Italy. In the time that Hannibal passed the Alps it was called the kingdom of Allobroges, so named of their King Allobrox, whose kingdom stretching further than Savoy now reatcheth comprehended also the province of Dauphine.  
The chief city of Savoy is Chambery, & there is the residence of the court of Parliament for the whole Duchy.  
The nature of the soil is very different, for in some places it is fertile of corn & wine, & in other places very barren, fir trees it hath very many, & many chestnut trees. Here are to be seen those huge & immeasurable mountains called the Alps, & rightly so called after the Latin word Albus, that betokeneth white, for the higher tops of them being always white of the snow where with they are covered; it seemeth there a continual winter.  
Many wild beasts are harboured in these mountains, as bears, & wolves & ce, there is also a kind of goat which clambering & skipping upon the rocks doth oft help himself from falling by his horns, where with he catcheth hold, they being crooked & bending forward, like unto hooks. Here are also certain beasts called the mice of the Alps, being ordinarily as great as coneys, but having long tails like unto rats, hey are hares, that are white in the winter & brown in summer.  
This country is most barren toward mount Senis, where there are no meadows in the valley, nor scarcely anything growing of worth, but passing over the said huge mountain & coming down on the other side, it seemeth a new world, for than beginneth the even plain & pleasant country of Piedmont, so called for lying at the foot of these mountains, and though it be not of Savoy, yet is it a Princedom belonging unto the Duke of Sanoy.  
SAVOY.   map of Savoy  

PROVENCE.  
Provence lieth on the furthest side of France southward. On the southside it hath the Mediteraneum sea. On the eastside, some part of the Alps, & on the other sides it is confined with sundry other provinces of France.  
This region being warmer than the other parts of that realm, doth yield fruits accordingly, for besides wheat which it yieldeth in all abundance, it is full of Odoriferant trees, as of Oranges, Citrons, Olives, Pomgranades & Figs, & full of marvelous fair Vineyards, the hedges are not of thorn or brambles but of Pomgranades & other frut-bearing trees, to the end the very hedges should yield profit as well as what is enclosed within them, the unlaboured & waste grounds of this country do yield marvelous plenty of Rosemary, Myrtle, Gineper and Sage. palm-trees are also growing here, which bear as good fruits as in Africa, here groweth also Sugar, Saffron, & Rice. And here the pure air yieldeth the gentle purgative called Manna.  
Among the cities of name of this country Marseiles is not the least, for having the best haven of all France, on the midland sea. Here is also the city of Arles, heretofore much renowned, as also the city of Aix. wherein the court of parliament for that part of France is holden. In this province lieth avignon, which belongeth unto the Church, & where sundry Popes for above 70 years together have made their residences. This city of avignon among other rareties hath seven things of note, & seven again of each of them, to wit, seven Palaces seven Parishes, seven Hospitales, seven Monasteries of women, seven Colleges, seven Covents, & seven Gates.  
PROVENCE.   map of Provence  

THE COUNTY OF BURGUNDY.  
THe county, of Burgundy, the frenchmen call La franche Conté, that is to say a free earldom, the limits of this earldom northward are Lorraine & Germany, southward Savoy, westward the Duchy of Burgundy, & eastward Switserland.  
Besançon & Dole are the two chief cities of this country. The former of these being very ancient is the principal of all. It hath as good & pleasant a situation as any city else, being environed with rich mountains, plentiful vineyards & forests of goodly Oaks, & the river of Doux which passeth through the midst thereof doth yield unto it very good fish.  
Dole standeth also upon the same river, and hath a flourishing university in all faculties of learning. In a part of this country there are salt pits which do yield most excellent pure white salt.  
In that part called Arbois groweth the excellent wine called vin d'Arbois. The whole country (although but little) is both fruitful & well inhabited, albeit it be said of Orgelet (a place where very industrious people dwell, that live by clothmaking) that by reason of the rocks & mountains, the fields are without grass, the rivers without fish, & the hills without wood.  
THE COUNTY OF BURGUNDY.   map of the county of Burgundy  

THE DUCHY OF BURGUNDY.  
THis second or lower Burgundy now a Dukedom was in former ages a kingdom, the kings where of did for the most part make their residences in the city of Arles, so as the bounds of this kingdom stretched much farther than this Duchy now doth, the which paleth with campaign on the north side, with Nivernois & Bourbonnoys on the west, with the country of Lions on the south, & the county of Burgundy on the east. Of this Duchy Dijeon is the chief city, it lieth upon the river of Ouche, & here is held the tribunal or court of Parliament for Burgundy, etc. The river whereon this city standeth is full of fish. The country is very frutefuul & yieldeth very good wine.  
The Dukes of Burgundy have heretofore been very famous, & of great power & opulence, and the people valiant.  
The country taketh name (as Saniulianus saith) of a Burg or castle in the valley of Ogue, & therefore called Burgogue.  
It hath besides Dijeon, divers fair cities, as Beaunle, Chalon, Mascon, & sundry others, among which, Autun showeth itself to be of great antiquity, where the ruins of a great Theatre are yet to be seen.  
The chronicles of Aemylius do show, how about the year 1044, the whole country of Burgundy was divided into two parts, to wit, into a Dukedom, and an Earldom.  
THE DUCHY of BURGUNDY.   map of the duchy of Burgundy  

LORRAINE.  
THis Dukedom (accounted to be of Germany,) hath on the east side the country of Alsatia, in the south the county of Burgundy, in the west champaign, & on the north the forest of Arden. It was heretofore a kingdom, and called Austrasia, but then extending itself much farther than it now doth. It took the name of Lorraine of Lotbarius nephew unto Charles the great, & was annexed unto the Empire under Otho the first.  
The country is hilly, but wanteth nothing necessary for man's use, It is furnished with cattle, & hath very good meadows & pasture grounds, it yieldeth corn & wine. It hath mines of Silver, Tin, Copper, Iron & Lead. Pearls are found in some waters in the valley of vaguy. The precious stone called the Calcedony, with sundry other stones of worth are here fomid, as also azure. Moreover here is exceeding pure white salt, which is said to yield yearly unto the Duke (all charges borne) 100000 franks.  
There is a lake about 14 leagues in compass wherein (among other sorts of fish) are carp of exceeding sweet taste, commonly of three foot long & one foot large this Lake being fished every three years doth yield somuch that it maketh in yearly value unto the Duke 16000 Franks.  
Lorraine hath many fine rivers, & the wholesome warm bath of Plombiers'. The chief city is Nancy, & there the Duke most commonly resideth.  
LORRAINE.   map of Lorraine  

CALIS and BULLEN.  
OF all parts of the main continent, this only part is in the view of England, & England thereof is viewed. These two towns with their territories, are paled on the east side with west Flaunders, on the west side with the English or narrow seas, northward with the German Ocean, & southward with Artois & Picardy. The country about Bullen is good & pleasant, & inward into the land are hills, & some woods, which are accounted portions or parts of the great forest of Arden, which the french call Boys de morman. The country about Calis is unpleasant, low & warrish. Calis of sundry authors is called Iccius Portus, but others attribute that name unto Bullen. At Bullen is yet beheld a strong tower built by julius Ceasar, & of Englishmen called the old man.  
The town & territory of Calis was subject to the crown of England, from the year 1346 (what time through force of arms it was by Edward the third taken from the french) unto the year 1557, when (the Lord wentworth being governor thereof for Queen Marie) it was taken again by the French, so that it remained in the possession of the English 210 years, and the town of Calis became famous through the Staple of wool by them there holden.  
In times past the town of Calis belonged unto Flaunders, after unto France, then to England, & so to France again, as hath been said, & in the year 1596 It was taken from the French through force, by the Archduke & then Cardinal, Albertus of Austria, governor of the Netherlands at that time, for the King of Spain, & in the year 1598. upon a peace concluded between France & Spain it was rendered again to the French.  
CALIS and BULLEN.   map of Calais and Boulogne  

VERMANDOIS.  
VErmandois is almost environed with Picardy, save that on the one side thereof it joineth upon Artois and Cambresy. It is a little province, but the name is of antiquity, & the people thereof were of old called Veromandui.  
The chief town hereof is called S. Quintin's, which was long since called Augusta Veromanduorum howbeit one author saith that the said Augusta was two miles from the town of S. Quintines, and was since called the Abbey of Vermond.  
This was wont to be a bishopric, but S. Medard the fourteenth Bishop of Vermandois translated that seat unto Noyon, in the year 524 when the Vandals came into France.  
Philip the second King of Spain took this town by force of arms, in the year 1557 with great discomfiture & loss of the French men.  
In this country of Vermandois two notable rivers have there beginning & the one not far from the other. The one is the river of Somme, which passing through Picardy falleth into the sea at S. Valeries. The other is the river of Skeld, which passing through Cambressi & Tournay, into Flannders, cometh unto Antwerp, & so down into Zealand, is there received into the sea.  
VERMANDOIS.   map of Vermandois  

PICARDY.  
PIcardie accounted of old a part of Galia Belgica, hath on the east side Vermandois, on the west Normandy, & a part of the narrow sea, on the north it hath Artois and on the south Champagne.  
The river of Some which of Ptolomey seemeth to be called Phrudis, watereth this country & maketh it fruitful, and the towns to be furnished with all necessary provision. The soil yieldeth great abundance of corn, & albeit it hath no wine, it is rather thought to proceed of the negligence of the inhabitants in not planting vineyards, then through the unfitness of the soil to nourish them.  
The principal city of this country is Amiens, which is a Bishop's sea, ancient, & very famous, and aswell fortified as any city in France.  
Next unto this is Abbevile, then have ye Peronne, as also the town of Guise, whereof the house & family of Guise taketh name.  
From whence the name of Picardy is derived there are divers opinions. Some think that the Begardi should be changed into Picardoes, which Caenalis will not affirm of certainty.  
Others do say that these people have the name of Picardes (& consequently their country the name of Picardy) for having in war first taken up the use of pikes.  
PICARDY.   map of Picardy  

GERMANIA.  
THis great & spacious country, hath on the northside thereof the German & Baltish sea, southward it confyneth with Italy, westward it reatcheth unto France, eastward northerly it joineth on Polonia & southerly upon Hungaria, & within it lieth the Kingdom of Bohemia. It is a country mightily replenished with goodly cities towns and villages, & exceeding populus, having therein many goodly rivers, whereof the Rhine, the Danubie, & the Elbe, are the chief. It is divided into sundry Dukdomes, Earldoms, & other governments, yet all in some sort depending on the Empire for here in Germany the Emperor hath his seat & residence for whose election Pope Gregory the fift (being of the house of Saxony) ordained seven Princes electors, to wit, three spiritual & 4 temporal, the spiritual are the Bishops of Magunce, Cullin & Trevers. The 4 temporal are the Dukes of Saxon, and Bohemia (for Bohemia now a kingdom, was then a dukdome) The Palsgrave of the Rhine, & the Marquis of Brandenbourg.  
The earth & air, as also the people of Germany seem much altered since the time of C. Tacitus, who described the soil to be barren, the air not very good, the country woody & waterish, & the people very rude, & uncivil, for now we find the air to be healthsome & good, the country fruitful, & the inhabitants courteous & civil. It hath now good wine growing in it, & such abundance of corn in the east parts thereof that it sustaineth sundry other countries, neither is it unfurnished of all other necessaries. It hath also mines of Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron & other metals. The people are warlike, very industrious, & many rare inventions have been by them found out.  
GERMANIA.   map of Germany  

INFERIOR GERMANY.  
INferior Germany, containing the seventeen provinces which the Emperor Charles the fift left unto his son King Philip the second of Spain, Is corruptly of some strangers called Flaunders, & the inhabitants Flemings, whereas Flaunders is but one of these provinces, & the inhabitants thereof properly Flemings.  
The names of the provinces are these. The Dukedoms of Brabant, Geldres, Limbourg, and Lutzembourg. The Earldoms of Flanders, Artois, Henalt, Holland, Zealand, Namure, and Zutphen. The Marquesat of the holy Empire. The Signories of Friesland, Macklin, Vtreck, Ouerysel, and Grooning. The provinces, are generally by the inhabitants called by the name of Nederlant which in English is netherlands, and the people generally call themselves Netherlanders.  
There are in it (as Lewis Guicciardyne affirmeth) the number of 226 walled towns, ditched about, and more than 6300 villages each village having a parish Church, then are there Castles, fortresses, & noble men's houses a great number. Some part of this country is very even & flat like unto Lombardy, other parts are more high & hilly. It is very fruitful, having plenty of corn, of flesh, and fish, some of which commodities are in some provinces more or less abounding then the others, according to the nature & situation of the place.  
The people are marvelous industrious, and do excel in all arts and sciences, whereby, as also by their great trade of merchandise, this country may well be said to be one of the most pecuniary countries of the world.  
INFERIOR GERMANY.   map of low Germany or the Netherlands  

LIEGE.  
THis Bishopryk joineth on the north & west side unto Brabant, on the east on the duchy of Limbourg & southward it extendeth unto Lutzembourg & partly unto France. The air is sweet, the country exceeding fruitful in corn and other grain, it hath wine albeit but small, it hath store of beasts, both wild & tame. It hath exceeding good Iron, it hath lead, & also gold. Alabaster & very fair marble is digged out of the hills, & with great labour and art of undermining Stone-coles are digged out of deep pits, which kind of coal was first discovered to be there in the year 1198, whereof (besides those there spent) there is transported yearly to other provinces to the value of more than 100000 ducats. Sr john Mandevill knight & doctor of physic, being borne in England; & having travailed so far, & through somany countries & kingdoms, did not find a place that for the sweetness of the air, the fruitfulness of the earth, accompagned with a very great freedom: that better pleased him then did this country of Liege, where he chose to end the rest of his days, & there died in the year 1272. The city of Liege is the chief of all the towns in this country, wherein are 8 collegiat Churches, with rich Canonries.  
Tungres for the antiquity thereof is reckoned next unto Liege, & the ruins without and within the town do (aswell as old books) declare the oldness of this city, there apeereth yet the paved high way that reatched from thence unto Paris. Some think the fountains to be about Tungres whose virtues Pliny somuch commendeth, but experience showeth them to be at the Spa.  
LIEGE.   map of Liege  

LUTZEMBOURG.  
THis Duchy is bordered on the northside with the Bishopryk of Liege & the Earldom of Namure, on the south Lorraine, on the east the Mosel & the Bishopryk of Trevers, & westward partly with the Mose & partly with the forest of Arden.  
The country is altogether hilly & woody, & much of the wood of late years is turned to corn land. The chief cirie is of the same name that the whole Duchy beareth, but was by Ptolomey called Augusta Romanduorum: It lieth part on a hill & part on low ground.  
The inhabitants do speak the high duitsch for the more part, except those which dwell on the side towards France, for they use the french tongue.  
By reason of the situation of this country being frontyred with so many several jurisdictions it hath been often subject to the spoil of enemies, & many of the inhabitants have abandoned it & gone to live in other countries.  
Lutzembourg was wont to be an earldom, till Henry the seventh Emperor & Earl of Lutzemburg (as saith Lewis Guicciardin) erected it into a Duchy.  
LUTZEMBOURG.   map of Luxembourg  

HENALT.  
THe earldom of Henalt hath on the north part of Brabant & part of Flanders, on the south it hath part of Champagne & part of Picardy, on the east it hath the earldom of Namure & a piece of the country of Liege, & on the west it hath the river of Skeld, & a piece of walsh-Flanders.  
This province is very fertile, abundant▪ in corn & cattle, with great store of Orchards, & many fish ponds. It hath mines of Iron and lead, & hills wherein are quarries of marble. Stone-coles corruptly called in english sea-coal are here found, though not so good as in the country of liege. Mouns is the chief city & so ordained to be by Carolus▪ Magnus. The next unto this is Valeneyne, called rightly val de cignes that is the valley of Swans, for the situation of the place is low & the rivers there about have been wont to nowrish many swans.  
About a league from Valencyne is the fair Abbey of Vicogne wherein is a library stored with all sorts of rare book, many other walled cities there are in this country among which is Cimay, the birth▪ place of john Frosard that wrote a french chronicle.  
About Barbançon glass for the glazing of windows is made, as also other glasses.  
HENALT.   map of Hainaut  

ARTOIS.  
IN this province Ceasar placeth the Atrebates, so called of their chief city Atrebatum. at this present Arras: which now unto the whole province giveth the name of Artois. It is almost circuited by Flanders & Picardy, having the first of these on the North-east sides, & the later on the south-west. It hath heretofore belonged to Flanders, but afterward unto France, & by S. Lewis King of France it was made an earldom, but in the agreement made in the year 1529 between the Emperor Charles the fift, & Francis King of France, the first, it came to be under the house of Austria. The air is very temperate, & the earth fruitful, yielding principally great abundance of corn.  
Arras afore named is the chief city, next unto lers S. Omer, which according to the opinion of Ortelius, was that Iccius Portus, where Ceasar embarked himself when he made his voyage to England, than Britanny, And that the sea hath of old time come unto this town is apparent by the often finding of anchors in digging in the meadows & other places there about.  
Not far from S. Omer is a lake wherein are certain little Isles, that with accord or the wind, are made to pass up & down from the one side to the other.  
ARTOIS.   map of Artois  

NAMURE.  
THis earldom is enclosed between Brabant, Henalt and the country of Liege.  
It is but a little county, very hilly, but a fine and pleasant region. It aboundeth in mines of Iron, it yieldeth a black or brown marble, as also a veyned marble of different colours, and here are Stone▪ coals also found as in the country of Liege.  
There are in it four fortified or strongly walled towns. The first is the city of Namure, which is principal, & a Hishops' sea, and situate where the river of Sambre runneth into the Maze.  
The second is Bo●in●s, the third Charlemont, & the fourth Walcourt.  
The city of Namur taketh name (as some say) of an Idol called Nanus, which was placed on the top of the hill where now the castle standeth, where to the demaunders of things to come he gave answer, until the coming of Christ, by whose coming this falls God (as all the others which the Pagans honoured) became dumb.  
NAMURE.   map of Namur  

BRABANT.  
THe Duchy of Brabant is limited eastward with Geldres, westward with Flanders, northward with Holland, and southward with the country of Liege. In it is contained the Marquisat of the holy Empire, whereof Antwerp is the chief town. The country is very pleasant & fruitful, but most towards the south. It beareth all kind of grain, & about Lovayn it hath vineyards, but they yield a small kind of wine.  
Campinia or Kempenland is the most barren part of all this country by reason of the sandy heaths, howbeit it nowrisheth kine & sheep, & the soil is much bettered through the labour of the people. It hath five woods, whereof that of Sonien which beginneth near unto Brussels & containeth about 7 Brabant miles in circuit, is the chief. There are in it 26 walled towns, whereof the most fair & famous city of Antwerp lying on the river of Skeld is the principal in traffic & opulence, not only of this country of Brabant, but of all the netherlandprovinces, & inferior to no city in Christendom. In one day a man may pass from Antwerp to Macklyn (which albeit it be a province a part yet lieth it within the limits of Brabant) from Macklyn to Brussels, & from Brussels, to Louvain, & ride an easy pace, taking his repast by the way. The first of these hath the traffic of merchandise, the second the highest court of Law, the third the court of the Prince, & the fourth the university. The people of Brabant have many great & strong privileges, granted unto them by their former Dukes & Princes.  
BRABANT.   map of Brabant  

FLANDERS.  
FLanders the best & fairest earldom in Europe hath lying next unto it on the east side Brabant, on the west the German Ocean, on the north it hath Zealand, but separated by some small parts of the sea, & on the south it hath Artois.  
Whence this country took name it is diversly reported, the likeliest is to be of the lady Flandria for whose husband (the earl of Harlebeke) his great service to Charles the great, the said Charles did of espetial favour give unto the whole province her name. In old time it was as a wildernisse, & therefore the governor was always called Forestier de Flanders. The whole earldom is divided into 3 parts, to wit, Flemish Flanders, walsb Flanders, & Imperial Flanders.  
Gant is the chief city of all the country, being 7 Italian miles in compass, it is very ancient & was before the time of julius Ceasar called Odueum.  
Bruges is the next & containeth in circuit 4 Italian miles. Then followeth Ipers, Lyle, Tornay, Douai, & sundry other. In brief there are accounted in Flanders 35 cities or towns almost all walled, & such as are unwalled have the privileges of walled towns. Of thorp's or villages there are 1174 to wit such as have their several parish churches.  
The country is very fruitful & easily cultived, fair horses are bred therein, & the yeowes do ordinarily bring 2 lambs at a time, and very often 3. Twelve rivers take their passages through this province, the principal whereof is the Skeld, certain Isles adjacent do belong unto Flanders as Cadsant Osburg and Bieruliet, in the later of these lieth buried William Beuckelens, who died in the year 1397 & was the first man that found out the manner of salting & barrelling up of herring.  
FLANDERS.   map of Flanders  

GELDRES.  
GEldres extendeth in the northwest unto the Zuder-sea, & south west it confyneth with Brabant, eastward it hath the Duchy of Cleve, & westward the Signory of Vtreck.  
It is divided into 4. several quarters, whereof the 4 principal cities are, Nimmegen, Ruremond, Zutphen & Arnhem.  
The country is very fruitful, having, come & wood, but it most exceedeth in meadow & pasture ground, by reason of the rivers of Rhine, Wale & Mase, which do all take their passage through this country. Lean oxen are sent from other parts to be here fattened, & in the year 1570 an Ox was brought from hence to Antwerp, that weighed 3200 pound.  
The people of all the inhabitants of the netherlands provinces have always been reputed the most warlike, & the country by war hath been most wasted. They were of old time called Sicambri, as Henricus Aquilius in his compendious Chronicle plainly proveth, who also showeth how it afterward took the name of Geldres. It was sometime an Earldom, but Reynold the second for his great valour whereby the made himself both feared & honoured, being withal a great justicer, & having done great & faithful service to the Roman Empire, was in an assembly or diet holden at Frankford in the year 1329 by Lewis the Emperor, honoured with the title of Duke, in the presence (as is said) of the Kings of France & England, & of all the Prince's electors.  
GELDRES.   map of Guelders or Gueldres  

ZEALAND.  
Under the name of Zealand are comprised all the Isles lying between Flanders, Brabant, Holland and the sea. Whereof 7 are esteemed the principal, to wit Walkere, Southbeverland, Northbeverland, Wolferdyk, Skow, Doveland, and Tole. These 7 with certain other of less account do altogether make an earldom, which hath in all 8 walled towns with some other that are unwalled and 102 thorp's, or villages.  
The chief city of Zealand is Midlebourg situate in the I'll of Walkere, where the staple of wine is kept, & in this I'll is Flushing, camphor & Armuy. And Midlebourg lying in the midst, taketh there of that name.  
Well may this country be called Zealand or Sealand; being so low that the sea is at every high water higher than the land, & men standing in the meadows may see in looking upward the very keels of the ships as they sail along, & were it not for the sand-bancks or downs on the one side; & the banks of earth & faggots made on the otherside▪ the sea would soon overrun it.  
It is said for a proverb, that none of the 4. elements are good in Zealand or Holland, the air is strong, the earth unfirme (by reason of the marishnes) the fire stinking (because it is made of turf) & the water salt & brackish.  
Zealand notwithstanding bringeth forth fair corn, & the meadows do nowrish cattle.  
ZEALAND.   map of Zeeland  

HOLLAND.  
THe earldom of Holland, lieth all along on the west side upon the German, Ocean, with the creeks whereof it is almost environed, having a great number of waters & rivers every way passing through it. It is said to have the name of Holland by reason that the earth through the unfirmnes thereof seemeth hollow, others affirm it to have taken the name of Holland of the Danes or Normans that invaded it in Anno 837 (having before been called Batavia) for that they called it Oland after an I'll so named in their northern region.  
The country of Holland is like unto Zealand, very low, the earth soft & weak, much of it being by the waters overflown. All along the main Ocean it hath through the mercy of nature the downs or sand-hilles that defend it from the inundation of the sea, & in these downs are wonderful store of coneys.  
The meadow grounds for the feeding of cattle are so exceeding good; as the great abundance of butter and chief transported from Holland into so many countries doth declare. The inhabitants do also reap great commodity by their wild ducks & waterfoule, but especially by their sea-fishing, & principally by there hering-fang. Little or no corn groweth in Holland, but they have it from the east countries of Germany. Wood they have not, their fuel for the most part is turf, their wood beth for howsing & shipping is brought from Norway & other places. The chief city is Amsterdam the houses whereof are built upon piles of wood, which are driven into the waterish ground. The court of Holland is kept at the Hage, which is no walled town, howbeit the fairest village in all Europe, & situate in the most pleasant part of all the country. The people are exceeding industrious, & the country full of towns & cities.  
HOLLAND.   map of Holland  

FRIESLAND.  
BOth east & west Friesland hath all along on the northside the German Ocean, & on the southside Westphalia & ce.  
Tacitus in his description of the manners of the old Germans parteth Friesland in Maiores and Minores, that is the greater & the lesser freslanders▪ according to their power and habitation. The country is now divided into east and west Friesland.  
Generally it is very low, & the Summer being past it is not to be used: it hath little corn ground, but very notable meadows, & yieldeth very fat oxen, as also fair & great horses.  
The chief city in West friesland is Grooning, and in Eastfriesland Embden▪ Groening, with the territory thereof is accounted one of the seventeen netherlands provinces, but Embden belongeth unto the earl of the same place.  
The Frizons or Frieslanders are an ancient and warlyk people, being in old time governed by a king of their own. Pliny saith that an herb groweth in this country (which he calleth Herba Britannica) which herb is good for the fastening of lose teeth, & for the weakness of the legs & knees, & espetial good for the disease called the Scorruie, which disease is scarcely known but in these low-landes, & the remedy in lyk fort espetialy here to be found.  
FRIESLAND.   map of Friesland  

WESTPHALIA.  
THat Westphalia should take that name of the Goddess Vesta is very fabulous, for the name is aptly significant in the self country language. It joineth on the northwest side with Friesland & on the North-east with the diocese of Breme, on the southeast side it hath the country of Padelborne, & on the south-west the diocese of Cullen & part of the duchy of Cleve.  
It was according to the opinion of Sebastian Munster the ancient habitation of the Saxons. It hath in it divers earldoms, & Signories.  
The people of this country are strong & fair, & good soldiers the country is most woody & pasture ground, & very good for the nowrishing of cattle. Dainty meats & delicacies are not he ere found with bacon beef & brown bread the people do live very long & helthfully, and here is the best Bacon, & the greatest store.  
The chief city of westphalia is Munster, which in Anno 1535. the Anabaptists having gotten into possession erected there a new common wealth, under their king john of Leyden, who before had been a tailor, & having endured the most extremity of a hard siege, were at the last by the Bishop & true lord of that city subdued punished and according to their demerits.  
WESTPHALIA.   map of Westphalia  

DITMERS.  
DItmers called in latin Thietmarsia or rather Teutomarss lying at the mouth of the river of Elbe, & where Cimbrica Chersonesus taketh beginning, hath on the northside the river Eyder, on the east the dukdome of Holsteyn, on the south the river Elbe and St●rmarsia, & on the west the German sea.  
All the country is full of brooks & marish grounds, for which cause the fruitfulness of the soil is the less praise worthy, & the name of Ditmers betokeneth the nature of the place, for mers or meyrish with them, is the same that marish is in English.  
These people were of old accounted amongst the Saxons, but they are now subject unto the king of Denmarck, and were subdued by force, in the year of our lord 1559. by Aduphus the son of Frederik king of Denmarck, since which time it always remaineth unto the king of Denmarckes eldest son.  
DITMERS.   map of Dithmarschen  

DENMARCK.  
THis kingdom is by the sea denyded into sundry portions, the first is eastward & called Scandia, which hath on the west the kingdom of sweden, the air thereof is good, and the country fruitful, having great store of corn, flesh, & fish, it hath also mines of Gold, silver, copper & lead 7. The west portion of Denmarck is jutia, called of Ptolomey Cimbrica Chersonesus, which stretcheth itself out between 2 seas, not much unlike, though much less, than Italy, having on the east side the German Ocean, & on the west the Baltishsea. There are also belonging to Denmarck divers Isles, whereof the chiefest is Seland.  
jutland was in oldyme in habited by the Saxens, who afterward by the Danes were chased thence. Munsterus saith that Denmarck was a kingdom long before the birth of Christ, & that of the first king thereof called Dan the country took the name which it yet retaineth, but if junius be to be believed, then hath Denmarck taken appellation of the firrtres other wise called den trees which do grow in the country in all abundance.  
The inhabitants of this kingdom have in former ages borne their arms through out Europe, & established their power in the most noble regions thereof: for from hence came both the Goths & the Goths & the langobards.  
DENMARCK.   map of Denmark  

SAXONY.  
THe name of Saxony heretofore common to divers protinces now remaineth unto two, to wit, the higher & the lower Saxony, high Saxony hath the dignity of the prince elector, & the principal cities thereof are Wittenberg & Torga. Nether Saxony hath the cities of Flamburg & Breme, and in the midst lieth the city of Brunswik. It joineth eastward unto the marquisdom of Brandenbourg, westward upon Westphalia, southward on Thuringia, & northward it extendeth to the Germany sea.  
Besides sundry necessary things for the use of man wherewith Saxony is well furnished, it hath divers mines as of Silver, Copper, and Led.  
There is taken out of pits a certain kind of stone called in their tongue Schyffer, for it lightly shelfereth or shivereth, it is black of colour & it is mixed with copper & brimstone, & the copper by fire is gotten out of it. When this stone is shelfered in pieces there are seen in it divers veins of a golden colour, & which is a most wonderful work of Nature, there apeereth the pictures of divers sorts of beasts, fishes, fowls, & serpens, as perfectly as if they were drawn thereon by the art of a painter.  
The inhabitants of Saxony are strong & hardy people, which is held to proceed of there diet, which is nothing dainty or curious: they feed young children with chewed flesh, rather than with pap or milk.  
Wine groweth not in Saxony, but their ordinary drink is beer.  
SAXONY.   map of Saxony  

BRANDENBOURG.  
IN time forepast all the country beyond the river Albis, vulgarly Elbe whereof this Marquisdome of Brandenbourg was a parcel, was inhabited by the Vandals. This province confyneth eastward with Polonia westward with Saxony, Northward with Meckelburg & Pomerania, and southward with Mifnia and Silesia.  
The chief city is called Brandenbourg, & thereof the whole Marquisdome taketh name, & the city itself took name of Brandus, a prince of the franks.  
Henry the Emperor surnamed the faukner besieged this city in winter, when the waters about it were frozen, & his soldiers passing over the ice took it by assault, he placed here a Marckgrave, & thus began the greatness of this Prince who aftward be came (& so remaineth) one of the Prince's electors.  
The country is very fruitful, especially in come, it hath many fishpondes & meadows, It hath moreover vineyards, which were first planted by the Marckgrave Albertus.  
At Francford upon the river Oder, which is in this marquisdome, is an university, founded by the Marckgrave joachim, in the year 1506. near to this city from the vyne-hilles runneth a small brook which is length of time converteth wood & other things thrown into it, into stone.  
BRANDENBOURG.   map of Brandenburg  

POMERANIA.  
POmery, whereof the Latin name Pomerania cometh signifieth in the vandalish language a country lying near the sea even as this country (so named) doth, which all along the northside lieth on the Baltish sea, on the east it joineth to Prusia, southward it hath the Marquisdome of Brandenbourg, & westward the Dukedom of Mekelbourg.  
In this country of Pomerania and the confining places the Vandals inhabited, the people yet dwelling there being of that race, who after they were brought from paganism to the Christian faith began to frame both their language & customs nearer unto their neighbours the Saxons.  
The country hath many rivers & meynes or little lakes. The meadows are very good, on the higher grounds there are woods. Beasts both wild & tame it hath great store of, & great plenty of corn, fish, butter, honey & wax, and wanteth no necessary commodity.  
Amber is here gotten out of the sea, albeit not in such abundance as in Prusia.  
The chief city of this province (although there be other cities of more antiquity) is called Stetin being very pleasantly situated upon the side of the river of Oder.  
POMERANIA.   map of Pomerania  

SILESIA.  
SIlesia lieth eastward confining on Polonia, southward upon Moravia, Westerly upon Bohemia, & northwest upon Lusatia.  
This country hath heretofore been many years under the dominion of the King of Polonia, & afterward it came to belong unto the crown of Bohemia.  
The chief city is Preslaw, which is built with a very great uniformity. The inhabitants of the greater part of Silesia to speak the German tongue, the rest the polonian language.  
The country is hilly, yet hath it many woods, & from the mountains of Bohemia many rivers & brooks descending do take divers passages through this province, and increase the fertility thereof.  
The gentlemen of this country are given to husbandry, which is not usual with the gentlemen of other parts of Germany, and yet are they notwithstanding well trained & exercised in feats of arms.  
SILESIA.   map of Silesia  

AUSTRIA.  
AVstria, heretofore called the higher Panonia, hath on the east part the kingdom of Hungary, on the west it hath Bovaria, towards the south the mountains of Stiria, & on the north Moravia.  
It is very fruitful, having many rivers and they for the most part do fall into the river Danubius, which taketh his course through this country. It hath such good store of wine that it therewith furnisheth sundry other provinces of Germany. The chief city is Vienna the walls whereof are said to have been builded with the ransom that Leopold the duke did take of Richard the first, King of England.  
A little beneath the city of Greim there is in the river of Danubius a very dangerous place for such boats & vessels as there do pas, the water whirling about so very switftly: some have sought by line and plomet to have measured the depth of this place, which hitherto none hath been able to do, it is so exceeding deep.  
Polybius showeth divers reasons that through the heaps of sand scoured down the rivers of Danubius Borystenes & others, the sea called Pontus Euxinus (whereinto they fall) would be made innavigable, which experience the best reason-teacher doth show to be otherwise, & that sea no whit less navigable now, then in Polybius tyme.  
Austria was first governed by Marck-graves, afterward by Dukes, & now lastly by Archdukes.  
AUSTRIA.   map of Austria  

BOHEMIA.  
THis kingdom lying in Germany, is compassed about with hills & woods, it hath on the north side Silesia, on the west Franconia, on the south Austria & Bavaria, & on the east Morania.  
The ancient inhabitants where the Boy, whereof the country took the name of Bohemia, but by a people of Sclavonia they were vanquished. The language of this country is not the German, but the Sclavonian tongue.  
prague is the chief city of this realm, now the more famous for the court and residence of the Emperor. The river Multania vulgarly Vltania runneth through this city, & entereth afterward into the river Albis, or Elbe. In wheat & barley the country is very fruitful, beasts both wild & tame it nowrisheth in great abundance, among the wild beasts are store of Bears, Reddeere, & Ouroxens, this beast called the Ourox in the German tongue, & in the Bohemian Lomi hath growing under the neck as it were a bag, with water, & being hunted; he casteth forth the said water upon the hounds, who thereby become as scorched or scalded. The country is rich in mines, which yield gold, silver, quicksilver, Iron, & sulphur. Stones of price & pearls are here also found, wine it hath reasonable store, & beer is here also used.  
This kingdom was in former times a dukedom, until the year 1086, at what time, as Munsterus saith, the Emperor Henry the fourth made Vratislaus King of Bohemia, howbeit some authors say that Vladislaus was the first King, & advanced to that dignity by the Emperor Frederik.  
BOHEMIA.   map of Bohemia  

THE DIOCESE OF SALISBURG.  
THis Diocese is in Bavaria, & the chiefest bishopric of the whole country, it lieth on the southside of the said Duchy, & taketh name of the city so called, which is situated on the river of Saltza, the which coming from the Alps passeth by this city, & hereof some think the city itself to have taken name, though others hold it to come of the salt pits out of which salt is digged.  
julius Ceasar did here build a fortress calling it junania, which the Germans in their tongue called Helfenberg, that is, the hill of help, alluding therein unto the Latin name junania.  
This place in the time & tyranny of Attila suffered great detriment.  
S. Rupertus Bishop of worms having converted Theodon Duke of Bavaria to the faith of Christ in the year 540, was the cause of the reparation of this city, and became thereof the first Bishop, & there erected churches & monasteries.  
This bishopric hath mines of gold, silver, copper, and Iron. Brimstone, alum, and antimony is here also found, & quarries of marble stone.  
The store of wild beasts & foul do here yield much delight & exercise of hunting & hawking. Among the Bishops of this Diocese, Bishop Ernestus (by birth palsgrave of Rhine & Duke of Bavaria & a very learned man) is renowned, for that he would travail abroad (yea into other country's unknown & as a mean person) to do works of charity & piety.  
THE DIOCESE OF SALISBURG.   map of the diocese of Salzburg  

BAVARIA.  
IN all Germany is not any province found where more & fairer cities are then in Bavaria. The country is divided into 2 parts, to wit, the higher & the lower Bavaria, It hath on the northside Franconia, on the west Swenia, the Alps of Italy in the south, & Bobemia and Austria on the east.  
The higher Bavaria which lieth southward hath divers forests, lakes, & rivers, & many wild beasts, as bears, wyld-swyne, & thousands of stags. The cities of this part of the country are Monaco, where the duke most resideth, Ingelstat which hath an university, Frising having a Bishop's sea, & sundry others.  
The lower part is of both best inhabited, & through it passeth the famous river Danubius, the cities thereof are Regensburg, Passaw, Straubing & Lantsbut etc.  
The country is fruitful in wine, corn, cattle, & foul, but of all beasts it most aboundeth in Swine, whereof it furnisheth divers other provinces of Germany.  
If Strabe (who esteemed all Bavaria to be a wilderness) were now alive, he might see it mightily changed: for that there are in it 34 cities, besides 46 fair market towns, 72 monasteries, & infinite thorp's, castles, & lords & gentlemen's houses.  
Bavaria was sometime a kingdom, unto the time of the Emperor Arnulphus, for than began it to be governed by dukes.  
BAVARIA.   map of Bavaria  

NORTGOIA.  
THis province of Northgow being accounted a part of Bavaria, lieth on the westside, next adjoining unto the forest of Bohemia. The chief city of this country is Nuremberg, the castle whereof lying on a high place was sometime called Castrum Noricum. The city is very strongly walled, having on the walls 182 towers, it standeth in a barten and sandy foil, but yet is very rich, & hath great trade & trasike through the great industry of the people, whose Iron & copper woorcks are carried from thence almost to all countries of Europe.  
Some authors say that by the Emperor Conrade in the year 913 a Burghgrave was placed in this city, howbeit some appoint the time to have been in the year 1140 by Henry then Emperor, but the burghers or citizens of Nuremberg for a some of money given by them to Frederic their fourth Burgh grave obtained the government of the city to themselves, & left him to govern in the country thereabouts.  
In this province the Emperor Charles the great caused a ditch to be begun, which should have been in length 2000 paces, & in breadth 300, whereby through the help of the rivers Regnits and Altmul, he meant to have made a passage for boats from the Danubius into the river of Rhine, which begun work was hindered by continual rains, and the marishnes of the ground.  
NORTGOIA.   map of Nordgau  

FRANCONIA.  
FRanconia, in the German tongue vulgarly called Franckenland hath on the southside Bavaria, on the west the river of Rhine, Bohemia on the east, & Hassia & Thuringia on the north.  
Out of this province according to the opinion of many very good authors came▪ Faramond, with his Francs or Franc-men (so called because they were a free people, & thereof since called Frenchmen) into Galia, which thereupon came to lose that ancient name, & to be called France, & of some authors Francia Occidentalis, or west-france, because this country of Franconia is called Francia Orientalis, that is, East-france. Adriauns junius notwithstanding holdeth a paradox that the franks that went out of Germany to inhabit Galia did dwell much lower upon the east side of the Rhine. The most famous city of Franconia is Frankford, where 2 very famous fairs or martes are holden every year, the one about midlent, the other in the midst of September. The Emperor Charles the fourth ordained Frankford for the place of the Emperor's election.  
All Skirm-masters, to wit, masters of defence; through all Germany, must come to this city, & be here allowed so to be, if by the burghers (which are notable fencers) they are found to deserve that name.  
The Bishop of Wirtsberg is duke of Franconia. The country is pleasant & fruitful, having store of vineyards.  
About the city of Bamberg groweth so great abundance of Licoris that it is transported thence with cartloades.  
FRANCONIA.   map of Franconia  

WIRTENBERG.  
THe dukedom of Wirtenberg in time past an earldom doth join westward upon the marquisdome of Baden, northward upon the territories of the Paisgrave of the Rhine, & east & southward upon Swevia.  
It is very fertile & hath many fair towns & thorpes, the principal city is called Stutgard, & there the Duke keepeth his court. There are such fruitful vineyards about this city that the people have a proverb that if the grapes of Stutgard were not gathered, the city would be drowned in wine.  
Next unto this is the city of Tubing, which hath an university, the which was founded by the Earl Euerard in the year 1147. At the towns of Wiltbad & Zil, there are hot baths, and at Gipping there is a fountain which yieldeth water of a fine tartish savour which the inhabitants in their tongue do call Saurbrun, which is in english, sower-bourne, or sower-water, and being drunk it serveth for a remedy against divers diseases.  
The castle of Wirtenberg whereof the country taketh name is situate upon the pleasant river of Neccar on the sides whereof groweth a very good kind of wine well known in German by the name of Neccar-wyne.  
WIRTENBERG.   map of Württemberg  

TIROL.  
THis earldom of Tirol containeth a part of the Alps that divide Germany & Italy, having on the northern side Bavaria, & on the southern side Italy.  
The chief cities hereof are Inspruck, Bolzan, Tirol, Trent, Brixia, Bruneck and Schwatz.  
This country is very rich in mines, and notwithstanding the hillynesse thereof yet hath it sufficient of all things for humane sustenance.  
About three German miles from the city of Trent lieth a mountain called Nausberg, which is in length 12 German miles and 3 in breadth.  
Rodulph, the son of Albert Duke of Austria annexed by marriage this earldom unto his other possessions, the same being also confirmed by the last will & restament of the foregoing heir & possessor thereof.  
TIROL.   map of Tyrol  

SVITZERLAND.  
SVitzerland called in Latin Helvetia, hath on the southside Lombardy, on the west side Savoy, on the north the county of Burgundy & on the east the county of Tyrol.  
This people having taken all government from the Nobility, & divided the country into 13 parts or Cantons, the magistrates of each chief town of these cantons do govern the whole canton there unto belonging.  
The 13 cantons are these, Zurick, Berne, Lucerne, Vri, Suits, Vnderwalden, Zug, Glaris, Basel, Fribourg, Soleurre, Shafhouse, and Appenzel, & besides these they are confederate with certain other jurisdictions. This country of Suitzerland is held to be the highest land in all Christendom, & very probably, for the exceeding high mountains thereof, from whence the rivers of Rhine, Danubius, Po, Sun, & Rhosue, descending; do seek their passages through lower regions, & hold their courses divers ways, as the Danubie eastward, the Rhine northward, the Po southeast, & the Sun & Rhosue westward, which z rivers lastly joining in one do turn southerly & fall into the sea at Marcels. It hath many great lakes, one of them being upon a high hill is not known to have any issue forth, nor by any channels coming to it to be augmented.  
There groweth very good corn & wine, & such store of cattle is there nowrished that oxen are sent thence to serve other provinces, both of Italy & Germany.  
SVITZERLAND.   map of Switzerland  

ITALY.  
ITalie beginning in the northwest at the foot of the Alps, which devydeit from Germany and France extendeth it self between the Mediteraneum and the Adriatyk sea toward the foutheast, in the form of a man's arm. This famous countries praise would rather require a large volume then so brief a description as a page of paper will admit. The sweetness of the air, the goodness of the earth, the fruitful wines & olive trees, the plenty of cattle, the sweet rivers, lakes, & fountains, & the sea & havens about it, what praise deserve they not.  
There are in Italy very many fair & ancient cities, amongst the which the chiefest is the majestical city of Rome, whose glory both antiquity & power hath highly renowned over all the world.  
The principal cities of Italy are commonly thus praised, Rome for holiness, Naples for nobleness, Florence for fairness, Bononia for fatness of the soil, Ravenna for oldness, Venice for ritchnesse, Milan for greatness, and Genua for stateliness. etc.  
The people of Italy are generally very ingenious excelling in all excellent arts & sciences.  
ITALY.   map of Italy  

FRIULI.  
FRiuli called in latin Forum julij, lieth at the upper end of the Adriatyksea or gulf of Venice, and not far from the city of Venice, on the east side it hath Istria, on the north the hills called Lapides, westward a part of the Alps, & on the south the aforesaid sea.  
This country hath served for the door & entrance of sorrow & affliction to itself & the adjoining countries, for that the Batbarians in times past did here make their arival. It is on the one side plain & even, but afterward it riseth higher & higher, & groweth steep up unto the high neighbouring mountains, it hath notwithstanding fruitful fields, & fair vineyards, much wood both for fuel and maintenance of chase.  
In the mountains are mines of all metals, as namely, Iron, Led, Tin, Quicksilver, Silver, & Gold. There is also passing fair white marble taken our of the quarreyes, & moreover Crystal, Beril, & other stones of price are there found.  
This country was subject unto the Romans so long as their gratnes endured: afterward it was subdued by the Longobards, & governed by dukes, and now lastly it belongeth unto the Venetians, who account themselves the ancient owners.  
The chief city is Aquilea, sometime rich & famous, but since obscured through the greatness & nearness of the city of Venice.  
FRIULI.   map of Friuli  

ISTRIA.  
IStria is almost a peninsula, it is situate on the upper end of the gulf of Venice or the Adriatik sea, having the said sea on all sides save on the north, for there it is joined with the continent of Croatia, & with the high mountains thereof it is limited. In this province are sundry cities, the chief whereof are Ca●od'istria, otherwise called Instinopolis, Parenzo, and Pola, the later being famous both for the antiquity thereof & the comodiousnes of the haven. It is said to have been builded by those of Colebe, from whence the inhabitants of this country will seem to be descended, the great antiquity in deed appeareth by certain Arckes and Towers yet remaining. By Attila King of the Huns, this city (as many other) was sore spoiled.  
About Cauod'istria the country is very fruitful, it bringeth forth wine & oil, & hath good meadows for the nurture of cattle, & it hath also good salt.  
The high hill called Monte Maggior (which to the shipmen at sea doth give the first show of this country) is frequented by the apothecary's & seekers of simples for the excellent herbs here growing, whereof some be very rare, as else where scarcely or not at all to be found.  
ISTRIA.   map of Istria  

ZARA and ZEBENICO.  
THe territory of Zara and Zebenico lying on the North-east side of the Adriatyk sea (otherwise called the gulf of Venice) is almost an I'll but by joining with the continent on the northside, it is a peninsula.  
Zara was sometime called jadera, it was a city where soldiers resided, strong & foreseen of all necessary things, which was the cause of their often resisting the venetians, & in fine their own subduing: In this city among other antiquities, there lieth the body of S. Simeon, which as saith Peter Martyr of Angleria doth yet remain whole & entire, and that he wondered that a dead body should so long remain whole & uncorrupted, which neither with Myrrh or any ointment hath been conserved.  
The city of Zebenico was of old time called Sic, it is not of that greatness or fame that Zara is of, which is a fair & well built city & well situated for the commodity of the sea.  
ZARA and ZEBENICO.   map of Zara (Zadar) and Sebenico (Šibenik)  

THE DUKEDOM OF MILAN.  
THis most pleasant part of goodly Lombardy confyneth eastward with the territories of Parma and Cremona, westward with Piedmont, Southward with the mountains of Switzerland.  
The city of Milan is the chief of all the cities of this duchy, & hath been even the ball of fortune to be tossed & transposed to & from somany commanders. This city is very great, the buildings high & beautiful, & the citizens excelling in all arts and sciences.  
The Demo or great church is marvelous fair, being within & without adorned with goodly imagery of white marble. The castle of Milan is held to be the chiefest place of strength of all christendom. Many other notable cities are in this duchy, & scarcely is their any one town or city to be found, where the memory of war either at it or near about it doth not yet remain.  
The country is very even, having every where fine brooks of clear water passing through it, as also some principal rivers, whereof the Po is the chief, which beginning at mount Vesulus endeth in the Adriatyk sea.  
The soil is exceeding fruitful, & abundant in all things, as corn, wine, flesh, fish, & all sorts of excellent fruits.  
THE DUKEDOM of MILAN.   map of the dukedom of Milan  

PIEDMONT.  
THis country is wholly on the west side & partly on the north & south sides joined unto the Alps, and is the first plain & even ground that beginneth at the foot of those mountains, & therefore rightly hath the name of Piedmont: westward it joineth unto the state of Milan, & is accounted as a part of Lombardy.  
It is a very pleasant & fruitful soil; yielding good corn & wine, & abundance of other necessary things, for humane sustenance.  
The chief city is called Turin, called heretofore Augusta Taurinorum, it is very fair & beautified with goodly buildings, containing both the court of the Prince (who also is duke of Savoy) the court of Parliament, and the university. There are besides this city sundry other fine towns, strong castles, & many villages. About a quarter of an Italian mile from the city of Turin runneth the famous river of Po. which in times past was called Padus Eridonus.  
PIEDMONT.   map of Piedmont  

THE TERRITORY of ROOM.  
THis territory of Room long time since called Latium, is by divers authors diversly limited, but Leander beginneth it on the east side with the river Liris, westward with the Tiber & Anien, & noorthward with the Appenynes. This province hath been the beginning of the greatness of Italy, & the place that hath brought forth and fostered the greatest princes of the world.  
The region is fruitful & watered with sundry rivers, divers cities it hath, but the city of Room not only of this territory but of all the cities of the world hath achieved the greatest reputation. It was first builded by Romulus in the year before the birth of Christ 751. It hath contained within it 7 hills, and the circuit thereof as saith Pliny was 20 miles, & the city & suburbs had 24 gates. There were also 734 towers about it, & in them were the garrisons lodged.  
Now in our time is the circuit of the city only 13 miles & it hath some 365 towers.  
Through the divers destructions of this city it hath been mightily altered, & the very form & fashion thereof wholly changed as also the number of hills which in time of the heathen Emperors were named & reckoned to be in old Room, yet the river of Tiber (as of old) doth still hold his course through this city.  
There are now to be seen many most goodly Palaces, fair Churches, & old ruins, the which ruins do yet carry in them a certain majestical show of that glory which in times past hath been in this place. The residence of the Pope is in this city & his chief Palace ajoineth unto the great Church of S. Peter. Besides all the Churches, & monasteries in Rome, there are more hospitals & places where all sorts of sick & diseased persons, are relieved then in any other city in all christendom.  
THE TERRITORY of ROOM.   map of the territory of Rome  

THE TERRITORY of SIENNA.  
THis territore is accounted within the limits of Tuscan, howbeit lying at the east end thereof, & having on the southside the Mediteraneum sea.  
The soil is pleasant & fertile, yielding corn, wine, oil, & other fruits, The places towards the sea coast commonly called Maremma are not held so good, by reason of the illness of the air, & are therefore the less inhabited.  
The city of Sienna whereof the territory taketh name is very ancient, and unto Pliny, Tacitus, & Ptolomey, was not unknown. Not only the gentlemen but the gentlewomen also of this city are very studious (more than ordinarily they are in other parts of Italy) and in their own tongue delighted in the reading of books of philosophy.  
In times past this territory was of larger bounds, & the inhabitants maintained great war against the florentines, but at this present it is subject unto the Duke of Florence.  
THE TERRITORY of SIENNA.   map of the territory of Siena  

THE TERRITORY of PERUGIA.  
THis territory is confined in the north west with that of Elorence, south-west with that of Oruieto, North-east with that of Urbine, & south-west, with the city & country about it of Assisie.  
It seemeth a far of to be but a barren soil, but it is both fertile & pleasant, full of towns & villages, & the air very good. Through the midst of this region runneth the river of Tiber, & not far from this river (upon a hill) is the city of Perugia, whereof the whose territory taketh name: it is a strong city, & beautified with many fair edificies; as well citizeus houses as churches: & in this city was borne the great & learned lawyer Baldus.  
The Lake of Perugia of the ancients called Lacus Trasymenus, is a very pleasane lake, it is large & round in compass, not having any issue forth of it, and it yieldeth abundance of good fish, but the taking fish thereout from Easter unto the first of November is prohibited, to the end the increase of the same be still maintained: about this lake are many Castles & villages, & one among the rest of the villages is called Ossaia, where sometime the Romans were by Hannibal overthrown, and this place seemeth to have the name of Ossaia by reason of the bones of the there-killed Romans.  
The lake containeth in circuit about 27 Italian miles, & in it are three islands two whereof are inhabited, with fishermen. There groweth about the Lake very good wine & great store of hemp & flax.  
THE TERRITORY of PERUGIA.   map of the territory of Perugia  

THE TERRITORY of ORIVETO.  
EAstward from the territory of Sienna lieth this of Oriveto.  
The air naturally is good, but is corrupted through the hemp which at certain seasons▪ is laid to steep in the river of Pagia, where it yieldeth so ill a scent that it maketh the very air noisome unto the inhabitants.  
The town of Oriveto (which giveth appellation to the whole territory) is fituate upon a high rocky mountain, it is unwalled, but yet fortified by nature through the strength of the place whereon it is built. It hath a very fair Church, the stone of the windows thereof being transparent so as the son is seen through them.  
There is among other imagery within the said Church the creation of Eve of a rib of the side of Adam, which is held for so rare a piece of woorck that no hand of man may amend it, The river Pagia runneth close by the rock of Oriveto, & afterward entereth into the Tiber. Near unto Oriveto lieth the mount Pelio, which Leander weeneth to have taken name of the Pelijs, which from the mount Pelione in Thessaly came here to inhabit.  
THE TERRITORY of ORIVETO.   map of the territory of Orvieto  

THE MARCA of ANCONA.  
THe langobards after their many victories in Italy appointed six rulers, whereof four were dukes, namely, of Benevento, Spoleto, Turino and Friuli, the two other were Marck-graves, the one of Ancona, the other of Trevigi: and hereof it cometh that this province sometime called Picenum is now named Marca de Ancona, for Marck in duitsh betokeneth a limited province, & this on the east side is limited by the river Tronto, on the south by the high Apenynes, on the north by the Adriatyk sea, & by Romagna in the west.  
The city of Ancona whereof the territory taketh name lieth on the sea aforesaid, having a very good haven. The whole country is very fruitful, it is stored with Orange & olive trees, & fair vineyards, & for the worthiness of the soil it is to be accounted among the best parts of Italy.  
Between the town of Reccanato & the sea somewhat on a hilly place is the famous church of our lady of Laureto, & in this church standeth the house (as Leander writeth) wherein the blessed virgin dwelled when she received the salutation of the Angel Gabriel. This church is wonderfully enriched through the gifts of many princes & other people that from divers places do come thither on Pilgrimage.  
In the Appenyne hills (which in this province are higher than in the other provinces of Italy where they extend) there is a grotte or deep cave where it is said one of the Sibilla's had sometime her habitation. This Marca of Ancona came to be of the territories of the Church in the time of Pope Clement the seventh.  
THE MARCA of ANCONA.   map of the March of Ancona  

THE LAKE of COMO.  
Within the bounds of Lombardy and on the north side thereof is the famous lake of Como, called in latin Larius Lacus. This lake according to the account of Strabo is 38 miles in length, and 4 in breadth, it lieth north & south, and at the south end thereof is the city of Como situated. About the midst of this lake it extendeth as it were an arm towards the east. The river of Adda passeth through it, & as it were swimming over the own water of the lake.  
There lieth within it an Island called Comacina, which in former time hath had a strong fortress, wherein the Kings of Lombardy were wont to keep their treasure & jewels, as in a place of good security.  
Many towns castles & villages are placed about this lake, among the which the city of Como is the most both of wealth & of fame, Out of this city two lights have risen, whose glistering brightness hath illustred their names through the world, these I mean are the two Pliny's, whose learning & eloquence hath merited their still during memory.  
THE LAKE of COMO.   map of Lake Como  

THE TERRITORY of PADVA.  
THis territory is closed on the south side with the river Ladesse, on the north with the small brook called Muson, with the gulf of Venice on the east, & the Euganish mountains on the west.  
Seven walled towns are belonging to Padua, & six villages, among the villages Arquato Montanare is of fame, for having in the church thereof the sepulchre of the renowned orator & poet Petrarcha, and thereon is his epitaph of his own making.  
The city of Padua whereof the territory taketh name; hath of former time been very famous, & one of the principal places of Italy: where unto the ruins which are seen in divers places about it do give testimony, and among these ruins is the sepulchre of Antenor who is said first to have sounded it.  
This city & country belonging to it after the many & different rulers it hath had is lastly come to be under the command of the Venetians, who have repaired the walls & strengthened them against the force of war: so as now the mother resteth under the fortnuate shadow of her daughter for that Venice took first offspring from Padua.  
Within this city, the phisisians have a marvelous fair garden, where in are many rare herbs brought from far countries. Padua was the birthplace of the right renowned Titius Livius, as also of sundry other excellent persons.  
The country about it is very pleasant, it yieldeth great abundance of corn, which maketh the purest white bread of all Italy: In like manner the wine which groweth here is very much esteemed, for the singular goodness thereof.  
THE TERRITORY of PADVA.   map of the territory of Padua  

THE JURISDICTION of BRESCIA.  
THis region whereof Brescia is the chief city, is bordered on the north with the earldom of Tirol, on the south with the territory of Cremona, on the east it hath the Laga di Garda. & westward the country of Bergamo.  
It is abundant in corn, wine, oil, & pleasant fruits. It hath also mines of Gold, silver, copper & alum: quarreyes of marble & much other good stone. The hills, valleys, & plain grounds are so well inhabited, that hardly is any province in all Italy better.  
The city of Brescia commonly called the bride of Venice, is both in old & new books registered: & having passed many tumultuous changes; it now resteth under the tranquillity of the venetians.  
There are in this country three lakes, to wit, Laga di Garda, Lago Idro, & Lago D'Iseo. Lago di Garda doth far exceed the two others both in same & greatness, & is by old authors called Lacus Benacus, it is by tempests so moved that it rather seemeth a sea then a lake, so high do the waves & billows thereof arise. The river Sarca coming out of the mountains of Trent doth fall into this lake.  
At such time as the venetians had war with Philip Vesconte, Duke of Milan, they found means to have their Galleys & other ships carried over hard & steep hills, & so put into this lake, which was doubtless a wonderful work, & but that the verity is sufficiently known, might rather seem a fable then a truth.  
THE JURISDICTION of BRESCIA.   map of the jurisdiction of Brescia  

THE TERRITORY of VERONA.  
THe town & territory of Verona being in Lombardy: is paled on the northside with the Alps of Germany, on the west part it hath the lake of Garda, on the south the state of Mantua, & on the east the territory of Vecentino.  
Verona whereof the country about it taketh name is accounted one of the chief cities of Italy, & it is very ancient, having so fair a Theatre that in all Europe none is seen to have better withstood the force of devouring time then this.  
After the decay of the Roman Empire the Signory of this city hath been under divers different comaunders & it was 127 years governed by princes of the noble family of the Scaligers. At this present it is under the rule of the Venetians, & the strength thereof is much by them increased.  
There is in this territoriea high hill called Monte Baldo which yieldeth great variety of good & madicinable herbs which from thence are brought into divers regions.  
Here are many pure & wholesome brooks & small rivers: one fountain among other is not to be omitted, to wit, that in the valley of Policella by Negarino, where in a hard stone is carved the two breasts of a woman; out of the nipples whereof there issueth continually certain drops of clear water, which hath so great virtue that a mother whose milk is dried up coming thither, & washing her breasts with the said water obtaineth again plenty of milk.  
The river Athesus, now called Ladice having but a small beginning in the mountains of Trent, runneth afterward so swiftly to Verona that through the great swiftness it is not navig able yet running from thence in a more calmer course it beateth vessels, and entering into the gulf of Venice it maketh there a very good haven.  
THE TERRITORY of VERONA.   map of the territory of Verona  

THE TERRITORY of CREMONA.  
THis territory lying in Lombardy is joined northward unto that of Brescia, eastward with Mantua, south ward with Panna & Placenza, & westward with Crema. The country is plain & even, & very fruitful, but abounding chief in corn & wine.  
The principal city is Cremona, & the name-giver to the country about it, rightly of the Poet Virgil it was called Miserable Cremona, in regard of the many miseries which it hath sustained, having been sundry times sacked & given to the spoil of soldiers, the houses & palaces burnt, & the city left waste and desolate. Afterward about the year 1248 it was again renewed, & then was the high fair steeple builded that may be reckoned among the most accounted of in all Europe, howbeit after all this, this unfortunate city came again to feel a new smart, through the wicked wars of the Gelphes & Gibellines.  
last; after many disastrous changes it came to be under the government of the duke of Milan, & consequently now to belong unto the King of Spain.  
It was first founded as saith Tacitus in the time that Ti. Sempronius and P. Cornelius were consuls, against the approaching force of Hannibal, and the Gauls that inhabited beyond the Po, upon which notable river this city is situated.  
THE TERRITORY of CREMONA.   map of the territory of Cremona  

THE JURISDICTION of CREMA.  
THis jurisdiction is under the venetians, it lieth in Lombardy, & hath confining unto it from the east unto the west upon the south side, the state of Milan: on the northwest side it joineth unto the country of Bergamo, & North-east unto the jurisdiction of Brescia.  
The chief town is called Crema, the venetians have sought to have it made a city (according to the right account of cities) but the townsmen for some reasons have refused it, it is strong & beautified with fair buildings & the inhabitants are very wealthy, the country round about it is full of villages & of many fair vineyards, many fine & clear brooks do pass through it: which do yield unto the inhabitants very good fish.  
The most memorable thing of this city is of the long besieging thereof by Fredericus Barbarossa, who in the end obtained & destroyed it, but after the destruction of Cremona, this town of Crema was again builded up.  
THE JURISDICTION of CREMA.   map of Crema  

TUSCAN.  
TVscane in old time called Hetruria, & esteemed equal to the best parts of all Italy lieth all along from the south unto the west on the Mediteraneum sea, on the northside it hath Lombardy, and eastward a part of Latium.  
Within the limits of Tuscan are divers goodly cities, as Florence, Sienna, Pisa, Perugia, Viterbo, Luca, & others. Fair Florence is the first & chief of all; where the duke of Florence who almost commandeth all Tuscan, hath his principal residence. It is most pleasantly seated upon the river Arno, and by the said river separated. The countty round about flourisheth with fruitful & beautiful trees, & yieldeth ahoundance of excellent commodities: within this city are most goodly edifices, among which is the most sumptuous Church of S. Maria Florida all of fair marble, there is also an old round temple of Mars the gates whereof are of cast copper. There is the stately Palace of the Duke before the which is a most goodly fountain with statues of white marble.  
The famile of Medici's hath with sundry fortunes ruled this city, & the rule thereof is still continued in that famile. The territories of Sienna & Perugia are in this epitome particularly described.  
The city of Luca albeit within the bounds of Tuscan is a free city & state by itself. Viterbo lieth not far from monte Fiascone, which yieldeth the most excellent wine of all Italy. Pisa is situated somewhat near the sea, & not far from the haven of Linorno.  
TUSCAN.   map of Tuscany  

THE KINGDOM of NAPLES.  
AT the farthest & southeast end of Italy lieth this kingdom of Naples, the limits whereof are in the west the river Tr●nt●, in the north the Adritatyk sea, the sea of Sicilia in the south, and the Ionish sea in the east. And herein are enclosed besides a part of Latium, 8 of the goodliest regions of Italy, as namely Terra di Lavora, Basilicata, Calabria inferiore, Calabria superiore, Terra d Otranto, Terra de Barri, Puglia Piana and Abrazzo.  
The country generally is mountainous yet are there also plain & even fields & fair rivers, it is very fruitful, yielding abundance of all necessaries, it hath also fair havens, as Gaeta, Taranto, Naples and Brindiso.  
If we look into the histories of former ages we shall not see any known kingdom in the world, that hath seemed more unforunate than this, having been as it were the very butt whereat fortune hath shot her sharpest-hedded arrows, here have the Romans, the Goths, the Lougebards, the Greeks', the Saracius, the normans, the Frenchmen & Spagniards, at several times, had their several dominations.  
It is at this present under the command of Philip the 3. King of Spain, who hath there his viceroy for the governing thereof.  
The noble city of Naples which dareth that name to the whole kingdom is situate on the sea side, at the foot of pleasant hills, it is great & spacious & inhabited with the nobility of the whole realm, who have herein their goodly palaces & gardens, & so pleasant it is without the city by reason of the fine walks & odoriferous trees that it seemeth an imitation of Paradise.  
Eight miles from this city lieth the mount Somma of old called Vesevium, accounted (though now it hath left burning) among the burning mountains of the world, & here Pliny the curious searcher of natural causes, showed himself too curius, when of the fire he was consumed.  
THE KINGDOM of NAPLES.   map of the kingdom of Naples  

ABRUZZO.  
THis territory lieth on the north east side upon the gulf of Venice, other wise the Adriatyk sea, and the other sides are limited with the rivers Tronto Salino, & the Apenyne hills. From whence the name Abruzzo cometh is uncertain through the difference of opinions thereof.  
This province is somewhat colder than the others of Italy, it yieldeth much saffron (though not so good as that of England) & nowrisheth great store of cattle.  
It hath sundry high & steep mountains, & that which is called Mount Maiella is always covered with snow Monte de la Virgin is very famous for the fair Church of the B. Virgin which is builded upon the highest part thereof.  
The chief city is Aquila, but of no antiquity, Benevento is very old, & was first called Malenentum, as both Pliny & Livius do witness, because the wind was there so forceible that a man fitting on horseback was thereby thrown to the ground. Ortano is a place exceeding ancient, and there the ships out of Epirus & Dalmatia do arrive with commodities for the fair or mart of Lanciano, which lieth 4 miles from the sea, & is a town of traffic. Sulmo is well known through the famous poet Ovid, who here was borne, as himself doth tell us.  
Ascoli is by Leander accounted among the chief towns of Abruzzo, & was the birthplace of Ventidius Bassus, who of poor yea contemptible race (himself being but a mule-keeper) was by the Romans' made Consul, & a comaunder of the world: of whose rising from so low estate to such greatness the poet Juvenal maketh memory. Aquino where. S. Thomas the great divine & philosopher was borne is also in this territory, & sundry other towns & cities of name.  
ABRUZZO.   map of Abruzzo  

SICILIA.  
THis Island & kingdom lieth in the Mediteraneum sea, & at the North-east end thereof it is near unto the southeast end of Italy.  
It is of divers authors holden to have been continent with Italy, & that the force of the sea hath broken through & divided it. It is a fertile country, but most of all abounding incorne, where with sundry parts of Italy from thence are served.  
The whole I'll is divided in 3 parts, the first is called Valle di Demona, herein is the city of Catania, more famous heretofore then at this present. In this valley lieth Mount Aetna, known through the world for the flaming site thereof, it was in opinion confirmed that the stuf or matter where through this fire was caused was wholly consumed, & that therefore the fire was ceased, but in the year 1536 the flame again burst forth to the great terror and annoyance of the inhabitants there about. The city of Messino is also in this part, having a comodibus haven & near thereunto is the dangerous Charybdis, as much feared by sea as Aetna by land, but the danger is now far less than of old, by reason that the hollow places on the land side being stopped the sea yieldeth not such violence: & small boats may pass over there as over a calm river.  
The second part of the I'll is Valle di Mazzara and in it is the city of Palermo & therein the viceroy for the King of Spain with most of the Nobility resideth there is a plain or spacious place, where Constanza Normanna was delivered of frederik the second, under a pavilion, & would so be delivered & not in any hows because it should not so be said that her chyld-bearing was uncertain, or by stealth, & this she did for that she was past the ordinary years of conception. The third part is Valle di Noto, & herein lieth the ancient city of Syracuse, famous heretofore through the infamous tyrants thereof. It is at this present much decayed.  
SICILIA.   map of Sicily  

SARDINIA.  
THis I'll lieth in the Midland or Mediterraneum sea, having Tunes in Africa over against it; on the south side, & the I'll of Corsica on the north. The air of this country is not held very pleasing, & espetialy in summer.  
That side which lieth towards Corsica is hilly, but that which is towards Africa is more plain & even. It yieldeth much corn, & good wine, Olive trees it hath great store, but no oil is there made. Many horses are there bred, & there are also wild horses, which are less than the other, & of less account. Here moreover is bred a certain hest called Musions, which in other places is not found, the skin & hear thereof is like unto that of the heart, the horns wreathing & turned like unto the horns of a ram, & it is less in bigness then a heart it feedeth & liveth upon high mountains, and the flesh of it is very good meat.  
In this I'll groweth the herb which in latin is called Ranunculus, the quality whereof is such, that whoso eateth of it dieth laughing.  
Among the towns or cities of name of this I'll is Calaris, now called Caglire, situate upon a hill upon the seaside towards Africa, having a very good haven, & in this city the Vice Roy hath his residence.  
SARDINIA.   map of Sardinia  

CORSICA.  
THis Island lieth in the Mediteraneum sea having Sardinia over-against it on the south side, & the state of Genna over-against it on the north.  
It is nor easy to be manured by reason of the stoniness of the soil, & by reason of the hills that are in it, as writeth Strabo, who addeth withal that the inhabitants (in his time) were of rude behaviour: Howbeit they have long since received the civility of Italy, & they are esteemed good soldiers.  
It now bringeth forth very good wine, there are bred in it fair horses, & hounds of extraordinary greatness; which serve for the chase of wild beasts. The Signory or domination hath sometime belonged to the Tirbenes, after that to those of Carthage and lastly to the Romans, as Titus Livius reporteth; and under the Romans it remained until such time as the Saracins stretched over it their powerful hands, but these being overcome by those of Genua, to Genua was then the rule of this place transferred who kept thereof the government until such time as those of Pisa got it from the Geneuoises, from whom the Genevoyses, did in fine recover it again. It hath moreover been belonging unto the Church, but under those of Genua it now remaineth.  
CORSICA.   map of Corsica  

ISCHIA.  
divers authors are of opinion this I'll now called Ischia & situate in the Mediteraneum sea hath heretofore been firm land with Italy, & the likelihood hereof appeareth by the rocks on the sea side towards Italy, where through the hollowness of them it is seen how the sea hath in length of time eaten out the earth from among them, & also that the very soil & kind of earth is even the same that is in Italy; on the side that is nearest unto this I'll. It is so circuyted with stony rocks that there is hard coming to it & it also hath a very strong fortress; wherein Fernandino the son of Alphonso the second; King of Arragon, retired himself, at such time as Charles the 8 King of France was received into Naples.  
It the year 1301 in the time of Charles the second King of Sicilia; certain veins of sulphur (whereof this I'll is full) being kindled; the fire extended divers ways, and burned a great part of the city of Ischia now called Geronda, & through this fire which continued the space of 2 months; much people & cattle were destroyed, & numbers of the inhabitants forced to flee into the kingdom of Naples.  
This I'll containeth 18 miles in compass, it yieldeth good wine, & in it are divers baths of hot water.  
ISCHIA.   map of Ischia  

MALTA  
SOuth from Cicilia lieth this I'll of Malta (in the Mediteraneum sea) it was of old called Melita: It is affair isle & well inhabited, on the sea towards the southside thereof are highrocks▪ but towards the east & the north it is very even & fruitful. It hath a good haven where the knights of S. johnes otherwise called the knights of Malta have builded a very strong town.  
They of this order were called the knights of the Rhodes, but since the loss of the Rhodes their residence hath been here.  
There is mention made in the scriptures of this I'll by the name of Melita to wit how S. Paul (in his journey from jerusalem to Room) having suffered shipwreck, came here on shore, & being bitten on the hand by a viper was not hurt thereby: since which time as divers authors do report, no viper or venomous thing doth live here.  
The fame of this I'll hath in our age been revived through the valour of those worthy knights who to their undying glory have so well defended it against the attempts of the Turck.  
MALTA.   map of Malta  

CORFV.  
THis Island of Corfu was heretofore called Coreyra, It lieth at the mouth of the gulf of Venice or Adriatyke sea, where the said sea conjoineth with the Midland or Mediteraneum sea.  
It is under the Venetians, who have in it a very strong fortified town called by the name of the I'll. This place by the forces of Soliman the Turck was besieged, at which time two venetian governors for the Signory of Venice were within it, and were of necessity constrained to put the unnecessary people forth of it sin the night season) who remaining close without the walls, between their mortal enemies & their unhelpful friends, their arose so great a tempest & such continual rain that almost all the young children died upon the laps of their mothers.  
In fine Soliman being advertised by his Captains Barbarossa and Ajax that the place was invincible, & that they were in despair ever to obtain it, & finding it to be so in truth; he levied his siege, & retired away his forces.  
During the being in this I'll of these miscreants they sent & carried away with them into bondage and slavery (as writeth Paulus jonius) about 16000 christian souls.  
CORFV.   map of Corfu  

CANDIE.  
THis Island of Candie of old called Creta, lieth in the Mediteraneum sea & is of great & ancient fame: the name it now hath of Candia is of the chief city thereof so called.  
The country is full of hills & valleys, many woods there be, & most of them of Cypress trees; which over the whole I'll do yield a sweet savour. Sirabo & Pliny do write that in Creta (in english Crect) there are no damageable beasts nor serpents. goats there are great store, but no dear except about Cydon.  
The abundant vineyards of this I'll do yield excellent malmsey which is thence transported into far countries & here also groweth sugar.  
Hear only as Pliny faith groweth the herb Dictamum where with the goats (by instinct of nature) know to cure themselves being wounded by the arrows of the hunter. The 100 fair towns or cities that were of old reckoned to be in this country are now come unto three, to wit, Candia, Canea, and Rhetimo, but in Candia the Potestate (that there administereth justice in behalf of the venetians) hath his residence.  
The first inhabitants were rude & uncivil till Rhadamantus the son of jupiter did first bring them to order and civility, after him came King Minos who amended & amplified their laws.  
Pordoneus saith that on the northside of the I'll is a certain cave in the earth; made by the hands of men; being 40 cubits in length & 4 in breadth which to this day is called the grave of jupiter, & there is his epitaph yet to be seen.  
CANDIE.   map of Crete  

CYPRUS.  
THis Island of Cyprus is one of the greatest of the Mediteraneum sea between Sicilia & Syria, and it is the farthest Isle eastward of all the Midland sea, & some think that it hath been firm or continent land in times passed with Syria, & by tempests & force of the sea cut of & separated. It was of old time called Macaria, by reason of the pleasantness thereof. The chiefest commodity that it yieldeth is silk, which from thence in great quantity is yearly brought unto venice. It hath also very good wine & like unto the malmsey of Crete, & salt is there also found.  
It is said for a spetial commendation of this I'll that ships can therein be built & wholly furnished with the own commodities of this country as not needing to have aught unto them belonging to be brought from other parts: for here are great & high trees both for building them & for their masts, & here is also pitch & flax, for fails & ropes.  
Not far from the town of Lymise is a place which is so full of worms & such like creeping vermin that no people can inhabit there. There is some distance from this place a monastery wherein is kept many cats which are let out into the fields to diminish this vermin, & so taught, that by the sound of a bell they are called home again unto the monastery.  
There are in this Isle two famous cities, namely Famagosta and Nicosia, in Nicosia the kings of Cyprus were wont to make their, dwelling but while the venetians had the rule the Governor & garrisons their for them remained in Famagosta, until such time as by Selym the Turkish emperor it was taken from them. This I'll hath been in tymss past divided into 9 kingdoms, but came afterward to be all reduced unto one.  
CYPRUS.   map of Cyprus  

GREECE.  
THis famous country of Greece was sometime called helas. It hath on the west side the Midland & Adriatyk sea, on the east side the sea called Archipelago, on the south it hath the Peninsula Morea & northward it is ajoined unto the main continent. The most famous Republykes hereof of old time were two, to wit, that of Athens & that of Lacedemonia.  
Sundry strange woundres have been said to be in this country, as that the river Melas made white sheep to become black & that the river Cephis made the black sheep white, with sundry other things found to be no less fabulous: & moreover that the sea called Euripus did in 24 hours 7 times ebb & flow▪ so that Aristotle not wise enough to understand this secret of nature, for shame & anger cast himself into the said sea, whereof it was said, that because Aristotle could not comprehend Euripus, Euripus had comprehended Aristotle.  
Sundry moste pleasant places were renowned in Greece of old time, as Helicon & Parnassus, where Apollo with the nine muses had there residence. Hymeirus ever green, Olympus, Pindus & Tempe, places exceeding delightful. Delphos, where the Oracle was of Apollo, which was in this manner. In a rock was a deep hole; out of the which issued a cold spirit like unto a vapour or wind; which possessing the senses of the soothsayers they became as frantic, & in their frantiknes they ga●e their ambiguous answers to the demaunders, & foretold things that were to come.  
This noble country of Greece after all her flourishing▪ lieth now under the subjection and stanery of the Turck.  
GREECE.   map of Greece  

ILLYRICUM.  
Between the Adriatyke sea & the kingdom of Hungary were in old time two famous regions, the one Illyricum, the other Dalmatia, but Illyricum being now divided into many sundry provinces, as Schlavonia, Croatia, Carnia, or Carinthia, Istria, Bosnia, etc. maketh that the confines of this country (through diversive of the opinions of authors) are not easy to be set down.  
Strabo saith that this country hath good havens, the soil is very fat, divided into vineyards & Olive trees, exceptin certain stony places.  
Among the country people some are found to have great bags growing under their chins, which is said to proceed of their drinking of snow water, which falleth from the hills. The famous cities were Flamone, Segne, Iadere, Scardone, Spalare & Epidaure, which being destroyed by the Goths, the city of Ragusia is grown great through their ruins, being now a city of great trasyke, but of little territory, and accounted the least common weith or republyke in the world, & is now under the protection of the Turck for the which they pay a tribute of 12000 ducats by year.  
In Carinthia is a city called Clagen, where they observe an old custom albeit very rigorous, for if a thief be taken with the fact he is forthwith hanged, without more a do: & they hang those also which are upon great presumptuous thought culpable of theft, & 3 days after judgement is given on the case, & if the judges then find the party guilty is he left hanging on the gallows till he fall thence, but if he be unguilty he is taken down, & honestly buried, to make him amends.  
ILLYRICUM.   map of Illyria  

HUNGARY.  
THis kingdom beginneth on the south at the river Era, & on the north it extendeth unto Polonia & Walachia, westward it joineth to Austria, & eastward unto Maesia. The people are strong & valiant, And scarcely is any country found whereof the soil is more fertile, & the air more sweet & temperate, or that hath greater abundance of cattle & greater store of mines than this, and wanting neither corn, wine nor great choice of excellent fruits &c: in somuch as divers authors affirm if it were not so afflicted through continual war; but were wholly in the quiet possession of Christians it might rather be preferred before all the provinces of the world, then after any one of them.  
Buda is the chief city of All Hungary, which King Sigismond beautified with a fair Palace & other sumptuous edifices, Agria is also a commodious city Cassovie is more ancient & so called after one Cassio a Roman. At Alba regalis the ancient kings of Hungary are buried. But to the grief of all good minds, the chief cities & best parts of this country are now in the possession of the mahometical Tyrant.  
The famous river danubie passeth through this country, & in divers places is so large that in it are sundry Isles having towns & villages in them.  
The Emperor beareth at this present the title of King of Hungary & hath a good part of the country and some good cities also in possession.  
HUNGARY.   map of Hungary  

OZWICZIN and ZATOR.  
ON the south west side of Polonia bordering upon Silesia are these two dukedoms of Ozwiczin and Zator.  
In former time they belonged not unto the kingdom of Polonia, but were brought unto it by Casimire the third, and Sigismond the first. The city of Ozwiczin lieth near the river Sola, which cometh out of the confining hills of Moravia, & not far from this to wne falleth into the river Vistula; vulgarly called Wixel, The jurisdiction of the city the Germans call Auschwitz, which King Casimire obtained by sword-right in the year 1454.  
The town of Zator is situate on the river Skauda, which falleth also into Wixel, & was gotten through force by King Sigismond the first, & so annexed unto Polonia.  
OZWICZIN and ZATOR.   map of the dukedoms of Oświęcim (Auschwitz) and Zator  

TRANSSILVANIA.  
THis country called in latin Transsiluania; is of the Germans called Sevenbergher-lant, that is, the Seven-hily country, of seven principal hills where with (among other that be lesser) this country is environed, It confyneth on the west side with Hungary, & hath Moldavia & Walachia joining to it on the North-east & southeast.  
The country albeit mountainous is very good, yielding both corn wine & cattle very abundantly. There are in it wild oxen which have beards under their chins, and wild horses whose manes do hang down to the ground. Ours there are also both of gold & silver.  
The chief city is called Hermenstat, but Alba-Iulia is the oldest.  
The people are very valiant, & have been very victorious against their cruel eastern neighbours the Turcks, from whose invasions they are much defended through the mountains that environ the whole country even as a city is environed with a wall. The Ceculiernes are esteemed most valiant, these have among them no difference between gentlemen & boors, but live all in an ordinary state, part of the Transylvanians do speak the German tongue, but these the Hungarian.  
The Prince of this country is called the vaivode & these vayvods were wont to be placed there by the kings of Hungara.  
TRANSSILVANIA.   map of Transylvania  

PRUSSIA.  
THis country bordereth eastward on Lituania, southward with Polonia, northward with Livonia, & westward with Pomerania.  
The Knights of the Teutonic or Duitsche order have here borne great authority, the which at last by the King of Polonia was abridged. Albert Marckgrave of Brandenbeurg was the last greatmaster, who by an agreement with k. Sigismond of Polonia left his habit & held this country in see of the King, and so became duke thereof. It is now denyded into 2 parts, the one belonging unto the King of Polonia, the other unto the duke of Prusia: who keepeth his residence in the city of Coningsperg. The sea shore of this country doth yield the fairest sort of amber, the which is aswell drawn up out of the sea with nets; as gathered on the sea side.  
The country is marvelous abundant in corn & cattle, & well furnished with fish, it hath great store of woods & wildernesses. There are many Bears, stags, wild swine, & wild horses, & a greater kind of buffulaes than are in Italy or other parts, the wild horses are never tamed being found not serviceable through their weakness of back.  
The beast Alces is heerfound, who resembleth the horse in proportion, & the heart in horns, saving that the horns be more brother, & are yearly cast; & new grow again. In the woods & wildernesses are great store of bees, which yield abundance of honey & wax.  
PRUSSIA.   map of Prussia  

POLONIA.  
Westward is this kingdom ajoining unto Germany, northward unto the Baltish sea & Prusia, eastward unto Lituania, & southward unto Hungary.  
It is divided into 2 parts, the greater & the lesser, the greater lieth toward the north, the lesser towards the south. Cracovia is the chief city, & there the King keepeth his court▪ it is also an university. Dansk which lieth on the Baltish sea is a cittieof great traffic of merchandise espetialy of corn the other cities are but meanly builded & of no great same.  
The whole country is plain & unhilly & therefore of the inhabitants called Pole, which in their tongue signifieth plat or plain. The people of Polania, Lituania, Samogithia, Masovia, Volhini, Podolia, Russia & Moldavia, are those which of old authors were called Sarmates. Lituania is great, but not greatly inhabited, a beast is there found called Rosomacka, of the ordinary bigness of a dog, having a face lyk a cat, & a tail lyk a fox, it feedeth on carrion, & being full it forceth it self to pass between the narrowness of 2 trees & thereby voideth all that it hath eaten, & then goeth to eat again & returneth to void it as before, & continueth so long as▪ the carrion (that it feeds upon) lasteth. Samogithia joineth to Lituania, the country is cold, & the people are strong & healthful, & do far hard. Massonia yieldeth much honey, & the inhabitants make their drink therewith. Volhinia is very fertile & full of towns & villages. Podolia is of corn & grass so abundant that the like is not known. Russia aboundeth in horses, oxen & sheep. In this country in summer are certain worms called Ephimere, which being newly bred, do in the morning run upon the water, at none they have wings & fly above the water, & they die before the Son setting: of these worms Aristotle speaketh in his first book of beasts. Moldavia is a part of walachia, the chief city is Sotschen, the people are good soldiers, is it said that the regents of this country do cause their young children to be marked with hot irons, that thereby their descent may the more certainly be known.  
POLONIA.   map of Poland  

LIVONIA.  
LIuonia called in the German tongue Lysland lieth on the eastside on Russia, on the westside on the Baltish sea, northward an arm of the sea separateth it from Eniland, & southward it bordereth upon Prussia.  
The chief city of this country is Riga, which is a place of great traffic, as are the other principal places of Revel, & Narua.  
The country is somewhat sandy, & not mountainous. Great woods there are, & store of wild beasts, as foxes, martyrs, Sables, ermines & hares. It yieldeth▪ wax, honey, wheat rye and furs. The people are not greatly industrious nor wholly civil. The faith of Christ was preached unto them about the year 1270, & divers of the rude people are yet heathenish nor letting to pray unto the Sun, & to the Moon, or to some great tree, or to one thing or other, according as their blind folly leads them. When one of them is dead they put with him into his grave an axe, bread, wine & meat, & some piece of money, & bid him go his ways into the other world▪ where he shall reign over the Duitschmen as they have reigned over him in this. They are subject unto a certain order of German knights, that do rule & govern them. The great master of which order keepeth his court & residence at Wenden a town situate in the midst of the country.  
LIVONIA.   map of Livonia (Latvia and Estonia)  

THE NORTHERN REGIONS.  
THe Septentrional regions of Europe that hitherto are known, are first that which is called the I'll of Scandia, which containeth the kingdoms of Sweden, Norwey & a part of Denmarck: then the famous I'll of Albion, containing England, Scotland, & Wales, & then are there the Isles of Ireland, Friesland, Island Groeneland, Grecland, etc. & the rest yet undiscovered. Of all which regions the realm of England is the principal & best part, by reason of the goodness of the soil, and mildness of the air, in that it lieth more to the south than any of the other.  
Sweden is a country very mountainous, full of lakes & rivers, & abundant in cattle & fish, having also mines of silver, copper lead & Iron. The chief city thereof is Stokholme, builded upon piles of wood, on the sea shore. Norwey extending in length north & south hath the Deucalidon Ocean on the west side, & Sweden on the east, being from the same separated by high mountains.  
This country is full of rocks, howbeit the goodliest oaks of the world do grow there, & thereof the wainscots & clabords are made. The chief city is called Berghe.  
The I'll called Friesland is not well known yet seemeth is about the bigness of Ireland.  
Island is famous through the great store of dried fish which is fetched thence, & the burning hill Hecla. Groeneland is a very great I'll, & the people by reason of the coldness of the country are feign to make their dwellings in the earth.  
The further parts are yet undiscovered, & so is the Isle which Mercator calleth Grecland, & sundry other lesser Isles of these farthest northern regions.  
THE NORTHERN REGIONS.   map of the northern regions of Europe  

RUSSIA or rather MUSCOVIA.  
ON the north side this country hath the Icysea, on the east side it hath Tartary, on the south a part of Polonia & a part of Turkey, & on the west Livonia & the kingdom of Sweden.  
The country is very great, it is for the most part even, & hath many meadows, & in the Summer many standing waters; caused through the melting of the snow. The black forest of Germany extendeth itself into this country, & passeth through it from the south to the north: in it are great store of wild beasts, as Elends, bears, black wolves etc. Wine or oil groweth not here, but wheat rye & other grain. Great store of wax, & honey it yieldeth, the which is not made in hines, but in hollow trees. Mynes they have not, nor precious stones that there are found, but costly & fair furs good store, & also flax.  
The chief city where the great Duke or Emperor keepeth his court is very great and called Musko, lying on the river Musk●a: the houses are built all of wood, not high but large, evety house having a yard or garden plot belonging unto it. They are Christians, but of the Greek Church, & their date they use not from the time of Christ but from the beginning of the world.  
Their laws are very plain according to an ancient simplicity, no advocates are admitted, but every man to tell his own tale for himself.  
RUSSIA or rather MUSCOVIA.   map of Russia or Muscovy  

TARTARY.  
AS there is a Sarmathia in Europe, so is this part of Asia (where the Tartarians inhabit) also so called. It hath on the northside the Scythian sea, on the east the Eoish or east sea, on the south it hath India, & on the west the Caspium sea & Muscouie.  
The country is wonderful great & spacious, having in it marvelous great deserts, the people live not in towns or villages but in tents; and remove their dwellings according to the seasons of the year, they eat sheep, kine & horses, their drink is water, milk & beer brewed with barley.  
Sigismond Baron of Herbestein in Germany, recouneth to have understood of Demetrius Daniel a man of much reputation among all the muscovites, that in the country between the rivers of Wolga & Laic a certain feed (much like unto the seed of a melon) being cast into the ground groweth forth about 2 foot high, & beareth a most strange fruit like unto the shape of a lamb, which of the people there about is called Bonarets, the stalk goeth from the navel into the earth & there hath his root: it hath head, ears mouth, eyes & legs & seemeth to have blood within it, but not flesh, for the substance is like unto the meat of a crevice, it is covered with a thin skin it consumeth the grass or herbs growing about it, & endureth so long as they last, the woules & other ranevous beasts belight much to feed on this beast plant, & if this be true (as it is for a truth reported) it is one of the most wonderful miracles of nature. The royal palace of the great Cham who is Emperor of Tartary is in the city of Cambalu in Cathay, which city is built foursquare & in compass said to contain 24 German miles. The country is in sundry places so very even & plain that wagons having sails like unto ships are driven forward by the wind.  
TARTARY.   map of Tartary (north and central Asia)  

CHINA.  
THis great country of China lieth in the furthest eastern side of East India, over against the Island of japonia, on the northside of it lieth Tartary, on the southside Canchinchina, on the west the Brackmani, & on the east the Oriental sea.  
The country except on the sea side is with a wall & mountain compassed about, & is exceeding good & fruitful, & the people wonderful industrious. It hath plentiful mines of Gold, & store of rhubarb. The fields & hills are full of beasts both wild & tame, the sea & inland rivers very fish-ritch, & numbers of families dwell on the rivers in boats, & do nowrish exceeding store of ducks. The dry grounds they sow with wheat & barley, the moist & low grounds with rice & that 4 times in the year. no part of the country lieth unused to some profit, the very hedges are of roses, & some of flax. They have great store of mulberry trees to the maintenance of their silk worms. The inhabitants do seldom travel into other countries, & other nations come not into theirs, but by espetial licence. They eat not setting on the ground as other people of Asia are wont, but at tables.  
They are heathens in religion & believe that all things have been created. They pray to the Sun, Moon & Stars, & also to the Devil to do them no hurt: their priests marry not, but other men have as many wives as they will, yet must keep house only with one. They call their King the lord of the world & the son of the Sun who when he goeth to the field against the great Cham of Tartary, his army containeth 300000 foot & 200000 horse. Some say they have long since had artillery & printing, but that they had artillery before it was known in Europe is doubtful, printing they have had, but not such as may be compared with the excellency of ours, theirs being no other than carractered stamps or forms of wood, & those thrust down (on their sort of paper) as we use to seal our letters or set a mark or stamp.  
CHINA.   map of China  

INDIA.  
ALl authors do hold East-India for the noblest & greatest country contained under one name. Tartary only excepted.  
It taketh name of the river Indus, & of Strabo & Pliny, India is limited by the river Indus in the west, with the mounts Tauri in the north, with the Eoish sea in the east, & with the Indian sea in the south. It is a land most fair & wholesome, yet the temperature somewhat different in sundry provinces, by reason of the greatness thereof. It yieldeth fruit twice in the year, freeing thereby the inhabitants from hunger & poverty, vast & sterile places there are also in India, but they serve for the habitation of sundry sorts of wild beasts.  
And albeit no great store of corn groweth here; yet hath is barley & rice & the Indians by rice, cheese milk, flesh, fish & delicate fruits, are nowrished, & besides their store of frutebearing trees, they have great reeds or canes whereout white honey like unto gum is pressed. Silk is here in great abundance, beasts both wild & tame are in infinite numbers, & greater then in other places of the world, as Kyen, Camels, Lions, Dogs, Elephants, there are also dragons & serpents, white apes, & chameleons that live by the air: & all sorts of the best kind of foul.  
The spices of India are known to all the world, Ebony wood groweth here & the trees that yield frankincense: the shores or sides of the rivers do deliver gold, & the sea fair pearls. Diamonds, Rubies, sapphires, Amatistes, Agates & sundry other sorts of precious stones are found in this noble country.  
The inhabitants of India are of different languages, different in apparel & of different religions, some being Christians, some Mahometaines, some jews & some Pagans, The people are generally tall of stature, strong, & of a tawny or brown colour, & many do live to 130 years or thereabouts.  
INDIA.   map of India  

PERSIA.  
THe name of Persia is very ancient, but the country was in times heretofore far less than it now is. It hath on the eastside of it part of Tartary & part of East India, on the south side, Sinus Persicus & part of the Indian sea, on the west side it confyneth with the dominions which the Turk now occupieth in Asia, & on the north it hath the Caspium sea etc.  
The beginning of the greatness of this kingdom was in the year 1269, when a noble persian of the city Ardenelim named Sophi (being also a Mahometain) revolted from the Turk & beganby war to conquer countries, and his successors have since both augmented their possessions & continued the great quarrel; about the right successor of Mahomet.  
The Persians are a more human people than the Turks, not being so rigorous against the Christians which live among them, & having among them noble & gentlemen which the Turks have not. The country is very fruitful, except in the mountainous & desert parts.  
It yieldeth abundance of fine silk, & the best Iron for armour, & steel for arms, of the whole world; is here found.  
It hath also rich mines, precious stones & pearls, and the fertility thereof in many places may be compared unto that of the neighbouring India.  
PERSIA.   map of Persia  

TURKEY.  
THe Turkish Empire, containeth the foutheast part of Europe the North-east of Africa, & the south-west of Asia: so as it lieth where these 3 parts of the world do meet, & taketh a part of each of them: howbeit the far greater part is in Asia, which far exceedeth the parts both in Africa & Europe.  
At Constantinople (which is in Europe) the great Turk keepeth his residence. This city was taken by force of Mahomet the eight Turkish Emperor, upon the last day of May in the year 1453. after it had been besieged 54 days: & after sundry other victories this Mahomet died on the first day of May in the year: 481, & was buried in the said city of Constantinople.  
In Europe is subject unto the Turk the greater part of Hungary, all Bulgarie, Greece, Macedonia, Romania, Morea, & sundry other provinces.  
In Africa, Barcha & Egypt, besides the kings & kingdoms there tributary unto him. In Asia he hath Anatolia, & the two arabia's: & to the great grief of Christians the country of Palestyne, where Christ our saviour lived & died, & many other provinces to long here to describe.  
Both Christians & jews are suffered to live in this Turkish Empire under tribute, & albeit the Turks do carry somewhat a better opinion of Christians then of jews, yet are the Christian inhabitants subject to very great inconveniences. The Turks according to the law of their great reputed prophet Mahomet, are circumcised, they are forbidden to drink wine, & to eat swines flesh, & allowed to have many wives.  
TURKEY.   map of the Turkish (Ottoman) Empire  

PALESTYNE.  
THe old pagan authors called this country Palestyne, the jews called it The land of prontis, & Christians have termed it the Holyland.  
It hath all along on the west side the Mediteraneum sea, on the east side Arabia, northward it hath Mount Libanus, & southward it reatcheth down towards Egypt & the Red sea.  
This country was denyded among the 12 tribes of Israel, but after the time of King Solomon it was denyded into a kingdoms. In this most noble country lived the holy prophets. And the Son of God did here receive humane flesh.  
It was in former times so excellent above other countries that it was called the land that flowed with milk & honey, but it is now greatly altered, the sins of the inhabitants having deserved no better. Burcardus saith that it yet excelleth in yielding abundance of pure wheat, & that with little labouring of the ground. Roses, Sage, fenel & other flowers & herbs do without the industry of man grow in the fields.  
The river of jordan having his issue under Libanus runneth through the lake of Genazareth into the dead sea: the country half a days journey every way from this sea is barren: by reason of the evil vapours & savouiss thereof. It seemeth to have the name of Mare Mortuum because there is in it no living thing.  
The ancient & famous city of jerusalem is situate in a hilly place, Mount Zion lieth on the southside & Mount Gyon on the west. By the increased greatness of this city the holy sepulchre wherein Christ was buried (having a church built over it) is now within the walls. The mount of Caluarie whereon our Lord was crucified is 108 foot from the grave, & there is a pavement to pass from the Church to the place where the cross did stand, which riseth in height to 28 foot, & on the same rock the cliffs & renting do yet appear which happened at the death of our dear lord and saviour.  
PALESTYNE.   map of Palestine  

ANATOLIA.  
NAtolia extendeth itself from Asia (where unto on the eastside it is ajoined) and lieth in length westward towards Europe, having on the northside Mare Maggiore, and on the south the Midland sea, and at the west end the sea called Archipelago. The Turks who now possess it do call it Little Asia. It containeth Phrygia, Galathia, Bithynia, Pontus, Lydia, Caria, Paphlagonia, Lycia, Magnisia, Capadocia and Comagena: all goodly countries & ancient renowned provinces, some of them Kingdoms, yea a particular Empire of Trehizonde; whereof Nicomedia heretofore a most noble city, appeareth now but in the ruins thereof. nice is also here to be seen where the famous great Council heretofore was holden. Amasia is the chief city of Capadocia, & was the birthplace of Strabo the wel-knowne Cosmographer. And the renowned martyr and Patron of England S. George, was also of this country of Capadocia.  
In Anatolia are goats which have that fine hear or rather wool whereof the thamlets are made. There are also sheep whose tails are of incredible greatness, & contain 5 or 6, yea 8 or 9 pound of flesh. A certain beast there is which is called Hyena, which draweth dead bodies out of the graves unto his den and their feedeth on them, it is about the bigness of a wolf, & the people of the country are of opinion that these beasts do understand their speech, espetialy when they go about to catch them. These people are generally held to be very crafty falls & deceitful.  
ANATOLIA.   map of Anatolia (Asia Minor)  

EGYPT.  
THis rich & ancient kingdom hath on the north side thereof the Midland sea, on the east the desert of Sues & the northern end of the Red sea, on the south the country of Nubia, & on the west the land of Barcha.  
In this country of Egypt it raineth not, but the river of Nile overflowing it at sundry times doth make it of great fertility, & in the said river is a pillar of marble whereon are made certain marks of the height that the water doth arise unto when the year will prove plentiful. The river is deep, & great ships may pass on it, the great serpent called the Crocodile liveth here; and eateth both men & horse & the fish of the river. The greatest city is called Cairo or Alcaire, & it is marvelous great & of great wealth. Not far from hence are the most wonderful Pyramids, upon the greatest whereof as Pliny writerh 2060 men did continually work for the space of 20 years, they are builded four square, & from the foot unto the top do still grow sloping less & less: a man standing on the top (for there is some space to stand or go) & shooting a bolt out of a crossbow, the bolt in falling down will light on the same Pyramid, which argueth the greatness of the space it carrieth beneath at the foot, which greatness also apeereth in that it never yieldeth any shadow from it. These Pyramids have been built by the ancient kings of Egypt, to serve for their sepulchres & these sepulchres the Egyptians used for the conservation of their dead bodies, which even at this present are found unrotten, & the flesh of them is called Mummia, & carried thence into other countries to be used in medicine.  
The 2 principal sea-havens of Egypt; are Alexandria & Damiata.  
EGYPT.   map of Egypt  

THE port of CARTHAGE.  
THe country enuyroning the gulf of Golette otherwise called Sinus Cartha ginensis; having at the south end thereof the city of Tunis is now after the name of that city called the kingdom of Tunis.  
It lieth on the northside on the Midland sea, & almost directly over against Sardinia, on the west it extendeth to Algiers, & eastward to Mesurata, & all along on the southside it hath the mountains that separate Barbary from Biledulgerid.  
This kingdom containeth 5 provinces, to wit, Bugia, Constantine, the jurisdiction of the city of Tunis, Tripoli and Ezzab.  
On the west side of the said Gulf are the ruins of an aquaduct of the Ancient city of Carthage, whereof but some sew ruins else are left behind to testify that once so famous a city hath flourished in that place, some number of houses village-lyke to that it hath been, & about 25 shops of merchants are now there to be found.  
This city of Carthage is a true glass wherein the incertitude of this vain world may be seen, & that no glory on earth can have everlasting durance.  
THE port of CARTHAGE.   map of the port of Carthage  

ABISSINE or the EMPIRE of PRESTER-IOHN.  
THe great King & comannder of all Aethiopia & sundry other kingdoms & countries is called of Christians Proster john, of the moors Arictabassi, & of his own people Acegue, that is; Emperor.  
His dominions are limited on the southside with the Mountains Lamae, on the west with the kingdom of Congo & the river Nyger, etc. on the north with Nubia & Bugia, that confine upon Egypt, & on the east with the Red sea & Synus Barbaricus.  
The country generally is very fruitful, & albeit there be little corn yet is there other grain & other good fruits not found in Europe, vineyards they have, but no olive trees, yet make they oil of an herb called Gena. Of honey and wax they have marvelous great store. They have all sorts of great beasts as Elephants, Lions, Camels, horses, red-deer, kine goats etc. & they are much endamaged by great multitudes of grashopers. Good mines of metals they have, but not theskil to make use of them. They have 2 summer's & 2 winters, which are not greatly denyded by heat or cold, but by rainy & fair whether. The people are of a kind of tawny colour, unseen in notable sciences, & without knowledge of Physic. They have no coined money, but use pieces or wedges of gold by weight. They are Christians, but hold many gross errors, both men and women are circumcised, & they are Christened at 40 days old. They have a book which is divided in 8 parts: which they believe the Apostles to have written before their departure from jerusalem. Monnasteries they have many, both of men & women, wherein they do live strictly, but it is lawful for lay men to have 2 or 3 wives at once & devorcements are also allowed. The Emperor affirmeth himself to be descended from the line of King David, he hath no one settled place of residence, but removeth from one province to another & dwelleth in tents.  
It is said he is not of the colour of his people, but of a whiter & fairer skin. He may surely be accounted one of the greatest princes of the world & is esteemed able to bring to the field a million of men, 500 elephants & a great number of horses & camels.  
ABISSINE or the EMPIRE of PRESTER-IOHN.   map of Abyssinia or the Empire of Prester-John  

BARBARY.  
ON the northside of Africa all along by the Mediteraneum sea & overagainst the south parts of Spain France & Italy, lieth this country of Barbary. & all along on the southside thereof are certain woody mountains that divide it from Biledulgerid, & in these hills are great store of wild beasts.  
This country of Barbary is held the best & most fruitful part of Africa & containeth 4. kingdoms or rather in deed provinces to wit Maroco, Fez, Telesine and Tunis.  
The inhabitants are of a duscish colour & are called Barbarians of the word Barbara which in the Arabee tongue signifieth grumbling; because their speech soundeth in the ears of the Arabians as no perfect or clear pronounced speech, but as a kind of grumbling, they were first Idolaters, & afterward converted to the faith of Christ, yet at the length they came to Mahometisme wherein they yet continue, & are for the most part subjects or tributaries to the Turck except some few places which are in the possession of the King of Spain.  
BARBARY:   map of Barbary  

FEZ and MOROCCO.  
AT the west end of Barbary are these 2 kingdoms of Fez & Morocco: that of fesse lieth of the twain more toward the north & the Mediteraneum sea, that of Marrocco more inward & toward the south. The realm of Fez taketh name of the chief city thereof, which is so called, & it is the greatest city of all Barbary having in it 500 Mosques, to wit churches, wherein their Mahometical service is said, for the inhabitants are Mahometaines as those of Morocco also are, they are uncourteous & uncivil, espetialy toward strangers: they are of a pale-tauny colour, & often subject unto agues by reason of the of the air.  
The city of Morocco whereof that kingdom also taketh appellation is not as it was of old, having lost the third part of the wont greatness thereof; as the yet remaining ruins do testify, & where were wont to be goodly edifices there are now gardens & groves of palm trees. That which doth now retain any beauty therein; is the royal palace which the King Mansor caused to be builded.  
FEZ and MOROCCO.   map of Fez (Fes) and Morocco   

THE TABLE.  

A  AByssine 108 Africa 4 America 5 Ancona 71 Andalusia 12 Aniow 20 Asia 3 Abruzzo 80 Artois 37 Austria 52  

B  Barbary 109 Bavaria 55 Bohemia 53 Berry 21 Brabant 39 Brandenbourg 49 Brescia 74 Britannia 18 Burgundy county 26 Burgundy Duchy 27  

C  Calis & Bullen 29 Candie or Crect 87 Carthage port 107 China 100 Como lake 72 Corfu 86 Carsica 83 Crema 77 Cremona 76 Cyprus 88  

D  Denmarck 47 Ditmers 46  

E  Egypt 106 England 6 Europe 2  

F  Fez 110 Flanders 40 France 15 Franconia 57 Friuli 62 Friesland 44  

G  Gades 14 Gasconie 16 Geldres 41 Germany 32 Greece 89  

H  Henalt 36 Holland 43 Hungary 91  

I  Illyricum 90 India 101 Inferior Germany 33 Ischia 84 Istria 63 Ireland 8 Italia. 61  

L  Larius lake 72 Liege 34 Limousin 22 Lituania 95 Livonia 96 Lorraine 28 Lutzenburg 35  

M  Malta 85 Marroc 110 Milan 65 Misnia 48 Mosscovie 98  

N  Namure 38 Anatolia 105 Naples 79 Nortgoia 56 Normandy 19 Northern Regions 97  

O  Orange 23 Oruieto 70 Ozwiczin 92  

P  Padua 73 Palestyne 104 Persia 102 Perugia 69 Picardia 31 Piedmont 26 Poictou 17 Polonia 95 Pomerania 50 Portugal 11 Provence 25 Prussia 94  

R  Room territ. Russia 98  

S  Salisburg Dioces 54 Sardinia 82 Savoy 24 Saxony 48 Scotland 7 Sclavonia 90 Sienna territ 68 Sicilia 81 Silesia 51 Spain 10 Suitzerland 60 Sweden 97  

T  Tartary 99 Tercera 9 Thuringia 48 Tirol 59 Transsilunia 92 Tunis 107 Turkey 103 Tuscan 78  

V  Valencia 13 Vermandois 30 Verona 75  

W  Westphalia 45 Wirtenberg 58 The World 1  

Z  Zara & Zebenico 64 Zator 92 Zealand 42   

AN ADDITION OF CERTAIN MAPS UNTO THIS EPITOME OF THE THEATRE OF ABRAHAM ORTELIUS.   


LIMAGNE.  
THis region containeth the best part of the country of Awergne: It is most pleasant & delectable, with goodly forests, pure fointaines, hot baths, mines of silver and many sorts of good fruits & in it is a certain water that turneth things cast into it into stone. Here in is the chief city of all Awergne called Clerment, the which francis Belforest affirmeth, to have been of old time that much renowned city Gergonie; where Vercingetorix King of Awergne was wont to keep his residence. In this city in the year of our lord 1095 was held the great counsel by means of Pope Vrban the fifth about the solicitation of Christian Princes to undertake war against the infidels for the winning of the Holy land, & more Christian Princes & nobility were here then met together, then scarcely can be remembered to have been at one time & place in one assembly.  
Here was also holden in the year 1374 a general meeting of the states of France, under King Charles the fifth, about the expelling of the Englishmen out of such strong places as they then possessed in Awergne.  
LIMAGNE.   map of Limagne  

CHAMPAGNE.  
THe name of this province is not ancient, the first known author that nameth it champaign is Aimon, & as it seemeth it taketh this appellation because it is a champain & unhillie country.  
It is frontyred on the east side with Lorraine, on the south with the Duchy of Burgundy, on the west with Brie, & on the north it hath Retelois.  
It is very plentiful of wine & corn, & in it are sundry principal cities & towns whereof Trois & Rbemes are the chief. The first being a rich city of merchandise & where great store of paper is made, the other an university & the staple for wines of those parts: whereof the country people have among them an old proverb, that he that hath the purse of Troy's & the seller of Rheims, is able to make war against the King.  
The city of Rbemes is very ancient as apeereth by Caesar's commentaries, and in this city the kings of France are wont to be anjointed.  
CHAMPAGNE.   map of Champagne  

TOURAINE.  
THis country of Touraine (being not great) hath on the west side Anion, on the south Poictou, on the east the territory of Blois, & on the north the country of Maine & part of Veudome.  
The chief city is called Towers, which may be reckoned among the richest cities of France, aswell for the fertility of the country about it, seeming rather gardens than fields, as also for the industry of the inhabitants, both in their trasike of merchandise and in their skill in the working & weaving of silk, as fine & well as if it came out of Italy.  
Westward from Towers down the river of Loire is the city of Amboise, situate in a healthful air & most pleasant territory.  
Upon the river of Indre (which falleth in fine into the Loire) standeth the town of Laches, which hath a fair castle the which through the situation of the place is held impregnable, for that it standeth on a rock.  
In this castle was discovered a passage through an Iron gate into a deep cave or dungeon, & therein was found sitting a Giant; resting his elbow upon the side of the place where he sat & his head upon his hand; as if he had slept, but being touched his flesh fell to dust, & the bones only remained: besides him stood a coffer which being opened their was found in it white linen folded together, but in the opening of it it broke in pieces. How this Gigant came to be here so set seeing no records do show it's it is left unto sundry supposals.  
divers othergood towns there are in this territory, as Pa●tr●y, Chastillion Cormery, Beaulieu & others.  
TOURAINE.   map of Touraine  

THE TERRITORY of BLOIS.  
Upon the river of Loire & about the midway between Orleans & Amboys lieth the city of Blois, whereof the territory about it is accordingly named.  
The soil is very fruitful, especially in corn, and & the air so wholesome that sundry noblemen being sickly; have been by their physicians advised to go & live for the recovery of their health in this city or territory: for which cause of wholesomeness of the air divers kings of france have not only here much resided, but have made it the nercery or place for the bringing up of their children.  
The city of Blois is very ancient, & at a place called Orcbeze which is about two leagues from it; was sometime Caesar's Magasin, or the place of provision of grain for his soldiers; in those parts.  
In this territory was by a gentleman of the city discovered (in our time) the very like earth both in cooler & kind which is found in the I'll of Lemnos, the which physicians do call Terram Lemniam, & of the Turk is so greatly esteemed that it is not permitted for any man to take thereof; but licence of those that have farmed it.  
THE TERRITORY of BLOIS.   map of the territory of Blois  

Maine.  
THe country of Man's or Main hath on the south side Aniovv, on the west Britanny, on the north Normandy & on the east Vendome.  
It is a country having therein many woods & forests, & therefore more apt for chase & nouris hang of beasts then for corn or pasturage: yet is it not unfurnished of corn fields & fair vineyards.  
The city of Man's is the chief of all the towns of this duchy. It is fair & populous, & seated pleasantly, the soil about it being made the more fertile through the rivers of Haygne, Orne and Satre: which joining together near this city: do all in one enter afterward into the river of Loire.  
In the chief church of this city of Man's was christened in the year of our lord 1133. Henry son unto Geoffrey surnamed the fair; earl of Anion and of Maine, the which Henry as heir unto Maude his mother daughter unto Henry the first King of England, came after to enjoy the said kingdom by the name of K. Henry the second.  
Maine.   map of the province of Maine (France)  

LANGVEDOC.  
BY this Map is described the maritime part of the country of Languedoc, as also a part of the maritime side of Provence.  
The province of Languedoc is in that part of France that of old time was called Galia Narbonensis. It hath on the east side thereof the river of Rhone, on the west side Gasconie, on the south the mountains that denied it from Arragon, & a part of the midland sea, & on the north the country of Quercie.  
In fertility it approacheth unto that of Provence, according to the nearness of the place, lying on the west side thereof & being separated from it by the river of Rhone.  
Tholouse is the chief city of all this country, & therein is kept the parlamental court which is accounted the second of all France & consequently the next after that of Paris.  
Montpellier is also of fame for the renowned university, especially in the study of physic.  
There is also the cities of Nimes, Narbone & sundry others both of importance & antiquity, as the ruins or remainder of divers most ancient edifices do declare.  
LANGVEDOC.   map of maritime parts of Languedoc and Provence  

THE I'll of FRANCE.  
THe french do properly call this the I'll of France: wherein the citrie of Paris & the town of S. Denis etc. are situate. It is not properly an I'll, but somewhat compassed about with the rivers of Marne, Se●ne and Oyse.  
It taketh the name of France (as Andrew Thenet telleth us) because the Frankes (or Franch-men) that came out of Germany (when France had the name of Galia & the inhabitants were called Gaulos) did here make their first settled abode, & their chiefs did here begin to take upon them the titles of kings.  
The country is abundant in grain, & yieldeth exceeding store of poultry & other commodities. About the city of Paris espetialy towards Mount martyr that kind of mortar for building; called plaster of Paris is found.  
This exceeding great & most famous city (also called Lutetia) took the name of Paris after Paris a King of the Celtes, though some have fabulously affirmed it to come of Paris the Trojan. It is divided into; parts, City, Town & University, the city is in an I'll of the river of Seine, & people do pass by bridge to the town on the one side, & to the university on the other.  
This university was erected by Charles the great, at the solicitation of Alcuinus, who was scholar unto Venerable Bede, and afterward preceptor unto this Emperor, and with other learned men came out of England unto Paris; and there in the streets demanded if any would buy wisdom, offering to sell it them for the giving of them a place wherein to utter it. This city is the chief seat & residence of the kings of France & the court of Parliament. About 2 leagues from hence is the town of S. Denis, where in a goodly monastery the sepulchres and monuments of the ancient kings of France are to be seen.  
THE I'll of FRANCE.   map of Île-de-France  

DAUPHINEY.  
THis province long since a part of the kingdom of the Allobroges, hath on the northside thereof the territory of Lions; on which side lieth the base or low part of Dauphiney, whereof the city of Vienna is the chief, on the west side it is bordered with the Rhosne, on the east it joineth to Savoy, & on the south unto Provence: & this part is called high Dauphiney, & the metropolitan city thereof is Embrun: howbeit Grenoble is the parlamental & capital city of the whole country. It is said that near unto this city is a fountain out of the which their issueth both fire & water the which is a most wonderful work of nature, & incomprehensible to all philosophers. In the Mountains not far from this aforesaid city is the great & chief house of the Carthusians who take their name of those cold & snowy mountains of Carthusia. The people of Dauphiney being annexed unto the crown of France, not by war or conquest; but by amity; have obtained to accept no governor but of the blood royal of that realm.  
The country in some places is very fertile yielding store of corn & wine, & the most infertil places do yield great abundance of chest-nuts with the which both cattle & people are nourished, & so abundant they are in cattle that they are able to furnish therewith other ajoining provinces.  
DAUPHINEY.   map of Dauphiné  

THE SIGNIORY of FLORENCE.  
THis Signiory of Florence the chief part of Tuscan is in the heart of Italy, & in the midst▪ thereof is the rich & beautiful city of Florence. In this city in the year 1464 died Cosmo de Medicis a worshipful citizen thereof, from whom the Duke that now possesseth both the city & country and his predecessors are descended.  
This Cosmo for his great wisdom wealth & credit was such; that it may be thought there was never any private man (to wit without some title of honour) to be unto him compared. The city of Florence by the goodly edifices which therein he erected hath been greatly beautified. The most fair & sumptuous Church of S. Laurence he there builded, as also the Church of S. Mark, & the monastery of S. Verdiana. He built for himself so fair a dwelling house that the best masters in Architecture do admire it. In the Fesulian hills he built the monastery of S. Hierome; and another called the Abbadia.  
In Mugelo he built a monastery of S. Francis. In Fresoli Carregi Cafayolo & Tribio (places in the country there about) he built 4 magnifical palaces, and in jerusalem he built an hospital for pilgrims. He endued the monasteries which he founded with competent lands & revenues, & the churches with vessels of gold & siluor, fair hang, goodly paintings & ornaments etc. His son after his death perusing his books of accounts did find that there was scarcely found any one citizen that was not one way or other in his debt And notwithstanding his great opulence he did not in his port or apparel bear himself otherwise then the other citizens, neither married he his children or kin folks but among his neighbours & fellow citizens.  
Thus much I thought good to add in this place by occasion of this fair city of Florence which is so ancient that the name thereof was not unknown to Tacitus Procopius Agathias & other ancient authors. Touching the soil & country becauseit is already spoken of in this epitome (in the description of Tuscan) it is here omitted,  
THE SIGNIORY of FLORENCE.   map of the Signoria of Florence  

APULIA.  
APulia otherwise called Terra di Otranto, is the furthest east end of Italy & environed with the sea save where it joineth unto Terra di Barri, & approacheth unto Calabria. It seemeth one of the most temperate parts of the world. Corn, fruit, & all sorts of potherbs & medicinal herbs are here most excellent. The oats may be compared unto barley, & the barley unto wheat of other countries. But the country with these extraordinary good commodities is not exempt from incomodities as extraordinary evil, for the foil doth here bring forth the serpent Tarantola; whose venom is cured by instrumental music. Here are also certain water-serpents and gras-wormes that poison and destroy the things which they touch.  
Tarentum in times past was a town of this province, situated between 2 arms of the sea, & thought impregnable. Calliopolis standeth upon a promontory stretching out into the sea; with so narrow a passage unto it in some places that 2 carts cannot pass together in front. Hydruntum which hath a good haven; is thought to have been in times past the Metropolitaine city of all this Peninsula. Brindezi is also a good & commodious haven-towne the haven whereof is chained up every night with 2 chains of Iron, fastened unto the rocks that are on either side.  
APULIA.   map of Apulia (Puglia)  

ISLAND.  
IN the north sea south from Groneland lieth the I'll of Iseland, so called because immediately beyond it the Icy sea is accounted to begin.  
In this I'll in summer when the Sun is in the Tropyk of Cancer there is no night: & contrariwise in winter no day. The country is all full of high hills & stony iockes, & the people do make themselves dwellings in the rock sides, & some do build themselves cabins of the bones of whales & other fishes. Towns & villages are scarce among them, & not a tree is to be found in the country; neither have they corn growing there, but the valleys are so abundant in grass that they are feign to keep up their cattle from overmuch eating; thinking they would else die of to great fatness.  
They have wonderful abundance of fish; & much of it they do dry & so make it stockfish. The I'll is divided into four parts & those according to the four quarters of the world, east west north & south.  
They are subject unto the King of Denmark, who yearly sendeth them a governor. There Bishop (who is of the Lutheran religion) they have in great reverence.  
They delight exceedingly in songs of the valiant acts of their fore fathers, and every where in the stony rocks the doughty deeds of their predecessors are graven & carved. Sundry of their hills are so high that they are always covered with snow, yea sometimes the snow may be seen on the top of the hill when the foot of it burneth in flame; of these the hill Hecla is the chief & it lieth on the west side of the I'll. There are also 2 other burning hills, the one is called Crosberg, & the other Helga and near unto mount Hecla are heard divers hideous and strange noises.  
ISLAND.   map of Iceland  

JAPPONIA.  
BEyond the furthest continent eastward of all Asia & over against China; lierh the I'll of japponia or japan, it containeth in length about 400 english miles, & in breadth in some places but 20, & where it is largest not above 60.  
It is divided into 3 parts, the first whereof containeth 2 kingdoms, to wit, of Miace & Amaguco. In the second part are also 2 kingdoms whereof Bungi the principal of all; is one, & Figen is another. The third part is divided into four provinces & lieth between the other two parts: and in the kingdoms aforesaid are many several governments. The I'll is hilly & somewhat cold; & rather unfruitful then fruitful in divers places. Howbeit in some places they gather in their grain in the month of May, and their rice in the month of September, they make no bread of their corn; but a kind of pottage.  
They have neither oil not butter, beasts they have both wild & tame, but they eat the flesh of the wild rather than of the tame: they have a kind of aversion from much seeding on flesh & therefore their greatest sustenance is rice & herbs, fish they also eat, & the fat of fish serveth them in steed of oil or butter.  
Two mountains in this I'll exceed all the other, the one in wonderful height, reatching above the clouds the other in casting forth flaming fire.  
Many of these people have of late years (through the preaching of the jesuits) received the Christian faith, howbeit not all for foam do yet continue in paganism, & have a custom divers times to kill their new born children, thereby to avoid the trouble & charge of bringing them up.  
JAPPONIA.   map of Japan  

ROMANIA.  
THe region which now is named Romania, the ancients called Thrace. It is the furthest southeast part of Europe, and hath on the east side the sea now called Mare Magiore, of old Pontus Fuxinus: On the southside it hath the sea called Archipelago, on the west it hath Bulgaria etc. & on the north Syrfia & walachia etc.  
In this region lieth the ancient & famous city of Constantinople, of old called Byzantium, & of the Turks that now possess it corruptly called Stambol: the country lying about this city the Turks do call Galatie, & near unto this said city is a little town called Galata, but more modernly Pera & of old time Cornu-Byzantium. This country of Thrace or Romania is neither of good soil, nor good air, but cold and barren, except towards the sea side.  
The principal cities thereof are, Abdera, Apollonia, Phinopolis, Philippopolis, Nicopolis, Hadrianopolis, Selybria, Debeltus, Heraclea, Lysmachia. & the chief of all the aforesaid city of Constantinople, called Byzantium of Byza the founder thereof, & afterward Constantinople after Constantyne the Emperor, of whom it also received new honour & new augmentation.  
ROMANIA.   map of Romania   

THE TABLE UNTO THE ADDITION.  
LImagne 1 Champagne 2 Touraine 3 The territory of Blois 4 Maine 5 Languedoc 6 The I'll of France 7 Daulphiney 8 The Signory of Florence 9 Apulia 10 Island 11 japonia 12 Romania 13   

Typis Henrici Swingenij.