A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 1
Of Spaine.
TO say nothing of England and Ireland, the most Westerne Country of Europe, How Spain is bounded.is Spaine, which is bounded on the South with the Mediterranean, on the West with the Atlanticke, on the North with Oceanus Cantabricus, or the Spanish Seas, on the East with France, from which it is severed with certaine Mountaines, called Montes Pyrenei, or the Pyrenay hils.
If we should enquire into the times that were before the comming of the Carthaginians and Romans into Spaine, we shall find nothing but that which is either fabulous, or neare to sables: here itThe original name of the Country of Spaine. was first called Iberia, ab Ibero flumine, afterwards Hispania, ab Hispane, we may take as a tradition: but their Gargoris their Ha bis, their Geryon exceed beleefe of any, but those that will take all reports on trust. It is certain that the Syrians planted a Colony there in the Isle of Gades, corruptly now called Cadiz, or Cales: These troubled by their Neighbours desired aid of the Carthaginians, a flourishing neighbour Common-wealth, descended of the Syrians, as well as themselves, who sent first to defend the Gaditanes against their neighbours, afterwards heartned on byCarthaginians sent to defend the Gaditanes. their successe in their first Expedi tion; these Carthaginians succes sively sent thither three Captaines, Hamilcar, Hasdrubal, and Hanibal who for the most part subdued the Province and held it, till by Scipio's and the Romans Forces they were dispossessed of it: Yet for many years after the fortunes of the Romans stuck as it were in the subduing of that▪ Province, so that from the time of …he second Punick war, untill the time of Augustus, they had businesse made them in that Country continually, nei…her could they till then bring it peaceably into the forme of a Province.
It continued a Province of theSpaine once a Province of the Roman Empire Roman Empire untill the time of Honorius the Emperour, in whose dayes the Vandals came into it, conquering and making it theirs; then the Goths (the Vandals either driven out, or called over into Africk▪ ) entring erected there a Kingdome, which flourished for many yeares, till by the commingSarazens and Moores erected it a Kingdome. of the Saracens and Moores, their Kingdome was broken, who setling themselves in Spaine, erected it a Kingdome, changed the names of many places and Rivers and gave them new names, such as they retaine to this day, and continued for the space of some hundred of yeares mighty in that Countrey, till they were first subdued by Ferdinand: They were utterly expelled by Philip the T…ird.afterwards, and that now lately utterly expelled by Philip the Third.
After the comming in of these Africans in this Country, there were many Kingdomes, as the Kingdome of Portugall toward the West; the Kingdome of Granado toward the South; the Kingdom of Navarre and Arragon toward the East; and the Kingdome of Castile in the middle of the Land: but the whole Dominion is now under the King of Spaine.
As Damalanus à Goes doth write in the Treatise intituled, Hispania, Spaine in …ormer time twelve several Kingdomes.there were in times past twelve severall Kingdomes in Spain, which he nameth thus: Castellae antiquae & novae, Leonis, Aragoniae, Portugalliae, Navarrae, Granatae, Valentiae, Toleti, Galitiae, Algarbi…rum, Murtiae, Cordubae: which is not to be wondred at, since in England, a farre lesse Country, there were in the time of the Saxons seven severall Kingdoms and Monarchies.
In the best Maps of Spaine, the Armes of these severall Kingdomes do yet distinctly appeare: where for the Armes of Leons is given a Lion, which manifestly argueth, that whereas by some it is called Regnum Legionis, that name is false, for it is Leonis, surable thereunto: for the Armes of Castile is given a Castle, which was the cause that John of Gaunt, Son to Edward the Third, King of England, did quarter with the Armes of England, the Castle and the Lion, as having married Constance Daughter to Peter King of Castile; and at this day the first and chief Coat of the King of Spain is a Castle quartered with a Lion, in remembrance of the two Kingdomes of Castile and Leons.
In Corduba (as in times past it was called) standeth Andaluzia, neare unto which the Island called properly Gades, but since; by depravation of the word Cadiz, and commonly Cales, which was lately surprized by the English. The Kingdome of Granada, which liethGranada 700. yeares Possessed by the Moores Sarazens. nearest to the Mediterranean, was by the space of seven hundred years possessed by the Moores and Saracens, who do professe the Re…igion of Mahomet: the reason whereof Rodericus Toletanus in the third…. book of history doth shew to be this; that whereas the Sarazens after Mahomets time, had spread themselves all along Africke, even unto the Westerne part of Barbary, a King of Spaine called Rodericus, employed (in an Embassage to them) one Julian, a Nobleman of his, who by his wise Demeanour, procured much Reputation amongst the Moores; but in the time of his service, the King Rodericus defloured the Daughter of the said Julian; which the Father took in such indignation, that he procured those Saracens to come over into Spaine, that so he might be revenged on his King; but when those barbarous people had once set foot in there, they could never be removed, untill the time of Ferdinando and Elizabeth, King and Queen of Spaine, about a hundred years since.
The Author before named writeth, that before the comming of those Moores into Spaine, the King Rodericus would needs open a part of a Palace which had been shut long before, and had by descent from hand to hand been forbidden to be entred by any: yet the King, supposing there had been great Treasure therein broke into it, but found nothing there, saving in a great Chest, the Pictures of Men, who resembled the proportion, Attire, and Armour of the Moores, A strange and unexpected prophesie.and a Prophecy joyned therewithall, that at that time, when the Palace should be entred, such a people as was there resembled, should invade and spoyle Spaine, which fell out accordingly.
The Spaniards that now are, be a▪ very mixt people, descended of the Goths, which in former times possessed that Land, and of those Sarazens and Jews, which are the basest people of the World.Portugal added to the Kingdome of Spaine.
The Kingdome of Portugall d…d containe under it Regnum Algarbi…rum, but both of them are now annexed unto Castile by the cun…ing of the K ng of Spaine, Philip he Second, who took the advantage after the death of Sebastian, who was slaine in Barbary; in the year 1578. Then after him raigned Henry who sometimes was Cardinall, and Uncle to Sebastian; in whose time, although shew was made that it should be lawfully debared, unto whom the Crown of Portugal did belong, yet Philip meaning to make sure worke, did not so much respect the right, as by maine force invaded, and since (to the great griefe of the Portugals) hath kept it. The chief City of Portugal Lisbone the chiefe City of Portugalis Lisbone, called in Latine Olysippo, from whence those Navigations were advanced, by which the Portugals discovered so much of their South part of Africk, and of the East-Indies, possessed by them to this day. The City from whence the Castilians do set forth theirSevill. ships to the West-Indies is Sevill, called in Latine Hispalis. AnotherToledo. great City in Spain is Toledo, where the Archbishoprick is the richest spirituall dignity of Christendome, the Papacy only excepted.The Magnificent greatness of Spaine and Portugal.
In the time of Damianus à Goes, there were reckoned to be in Spain foure Archbishopricks of great worth, three other inferiour, and forty Bishopricks; as also in Portugal, three Archbishopricks, and eight Bishopricks. He reckoneth up also in Spaine (besides the great Officers of the Crown) 17 Dukes, 41. Marquesses, 87. Earles or Counts, and 9. Vicounts: as also in Portugal (besides the Officers of the Crown) fix Dukes, four Marquesses, nineteen Earles, and one Vicount. In Spaine he saith are seven Universities. The Country is but dry, and so consequently barren, in comparison of some other places. What commodities it doth yeeld, it may be seen in a Treatise of Damianus à Goes, which he calleth his Hispania.
Not only this great and large Country heretofore divided into so many Kingdomes, is now under one absolute King, but that King also is Lord of many other Territories: as namely, of the Kingdome of Naples in Italy and the Dutchy of Millain, of the Isles of Sicily, Sardinia, Majorque, Minorque, Evisa, in the midland sea; of the Islands of the Canaries in the Atlantique, besides divers strong Towns and goodly Havens in Barbary, within and without the Straits On the back side of Africk he commands much on the Frontiery, besides the Islands adjoyning to the maine Land. In the Westerne Indies, he hath Mexico, Brasil, large Territories, with the Islands of the South, and the North Sea. And Philip the second getting Portugall as a Dowry to that so…ct Marriage, got also all the dependances of that Crown in Africke the East-Indies, and the Atlantique Sea, the Towns of Barbary, and the East-Indies, willingly submitting themselves unto him, but the Terceras he won by force at the first and second Expedition: so if we consider the huge tract of ground that isThe Empery of the Kingdome of Spain the greatest in the… … an world. under the Kings Dominion, we will say that the Empery of the King of Spaine is, in that respect, the largest that now is, or ever was in the World.