A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 13 – Part 16
Of the East Indies.
ON the South side of China, toward the Molucco llands, and the Indian Sea, lyeth the great Country of India, extending it self from theThe situ… tion of the Indies. South part of the Continent, by the space of many thousand miles westward unto the River Indus, which is the greatest River… in all the Country, except Ganges, one of the greatest Rivers in the World; which lyeth in the East part of the same Indies.
This is that Country so famous in ancient time, for the great riches thereof, for the multitude of people, for the conquest of Bacchus over it: for the passage thither for Alexander the Great, throughout all the length of Asia; for his adventuring to go into the South Ocean with so mighty a Navy, which …ew or none had ever attempted before him. And certainly thither it was that Solomon did send once in three yeares for his gold and other rich Merchandise: for the Scripture saith, that he sent his fleet from Ezion-geber, which stood upon the mouth of the Red Sea, and it was the directest passage which he had unto the Eastern Indies; whereas if his purpose had been to send to Peru, as some lately have imagined, his course had been thorow the Mediterranean Sea, and the Straits of G…lbraltar.
This Countrey had in ancient time, many absolute Kingdomes and Provinces: as in the time of Alexander, Porus, Taxiles, and diversIn India are many Kingdomes others. In it were many Philosophers, and men of great Learning, whom they called Gymnosophistae, of whom was Calanus, who burnt himself before Alexander.
The men of the South part of India are black, and therefore are called men of Inde. The cattell of all sorts that are bred there, are ofTheir Cattle v…ry big. incredible bignesse, in respect of other Countries, as their Elephants, Ap…s, Monkies, Emets, and others.
The riches hereof have been veryTheir Richs great, with abundance of gold, insomuch that the Promontory, who is now called Malacha, was in times past named Aurea Chersonesus. The commodity of spice is exceeding great that comes from thence.
The Portugals were the first,The Portugals first discovered the Indies. which by their long Navigations beyond the Equinoctiall, and the farthermost part of Africke, have of late yeares discovered these Countries to Christendome: as heretofore to the use of the King of Portugall, so now of the King of Spaine, who is reputed owner of them.
The Portugals did finde diversFour Kingdoms by the Portugals discovered. Kingdomes at their first arrivall in those parts, as the Kingdome of Cal…cut, the Kingdome of Cambaia, the Kingdome of Cananor, the Kingdome of Cochin, and very many other, with the Kings whereof they first entring League and Traffick, and having leave given to build Castles for their defence, they have since by policy incroached into their hands a great part of the Countrey, which lieth neer unto the Sea-coast, and are mighty now, for the space of many thousand miles together. The K. of Spain hath there a Vice-Roy, whose residence is commonly in the Imperiall City called Goa. They do every year sendThe City of Goa. home great store of rich commodities into Spaine.
The people of the Country when the Portugals came first thither, were for the most part Gentiles, The Indians Religion.beleeving in no one God: yea, at this day there are divers of them who do adore the Sunne as their God, and every morning at the rising thereof, do use very superstitious Ceremonies, which our Mer chants, who do trade to Aleppo do oftentimes see; for divers o these Indians do come thither wit… Merchandize But the Saracens wh… reverence the Prophet Mahomet from the Bayes or Gulphes of Persia, and Arabia, do traffick much thither, so that Mahomet was known among them: but in one Town called Granganor, they found certain Christians dissenting in many things from the Church of Rome, and rather agreeing with the Protestants, which Christians had received (by succession) their Religion from the time of Thomas the Apostle; by whom (as it is recorded in the ancient Ecclesiasticall History) part of India was converted.
In this Countrey of India, are many great and Potent Kings and Kingdomes, which had been alto gether unknown and unheard of in our part of the World, but that we were beholding to the Portugals for their discovery, and before their Navigation thither, by the back side of Africk…, to some Relations that we had from the Venetians, who traded and travelled thither by land out of Turkie. The … of these Kings and Kingdomes are these; The King of B…arme, the great Mogol, the King of Narsing, Six Kingdomes.Pegu, Siam, the forenamed King of Calecut, and others.
Of Persia.
THere be divers Countries between India and Persia; but there are not famous.
Persia is a large Country,… of Persia. which lyeth far West from India: it hath on the North, Assyria and Media, on the West Syria and the Holy Land, but next unto it Mesopotamia: on the South the main Ocean, which entreth in notwithstanding by a Bay called Sinus Perficus.
This is that Countrey, which in ancient time was renowned for the great riches, and Empire thereof. These were they that tooke from the Assyrians the Monarchy, and did set up in their Countrey the second great Empire, which began under Cyrus, and continued unto that Darius, who was overthrown by Alexander the Great. In this Countrey reigned the great Kings,The great and famous Kings of Persia. Cyrus, Cambyses, Darius the Son of Histaspes, the great Xerrxes, Artaxerxes, and many others, which in prophane writings are famous for their wars against the Scythians, Egyptians and Grecians, and in the Scripture, for the delivery of the Jews from Babylon by Cyrus, for the building of the …. Temple at Jerusalem, and for many things which are mentio ed of them in the Prophency of Daniel,
The … of this Nation, although they were in former times very riotous, by reason of their great wealth; yet after they had lost their Monarchy by the Macedonians, they have grown greatPersians great Souldiers. Souldiers: and therefore as they did ever strongly defend themselves against the old Romans; so in the time of Constantine, and the other Emperours, they were fearefull Neighbours to the Romane Government: and of late Time, they have strongly opposed themselves against the Turkes, ever making their party good with them. And yet notwithstanding, in the daies of Amurath the third, father to Mahomet the Turke now reigning, the Turke had a great hand upon the Persians; going so farre with his Army, as that he took the strong City Taunus standing within the Persians Dominions, neer unto the Caspian sea, but this losse was to be attributed partly to the great dissentions which were among the Persians themselves, and partly to the multitude of the Turke his Souldiers, who by fresh supply did overthrow the Persian, although he slew down many thousands of them.
They fight commonly on horseback,Sophy of Persia. and are governed as in time past by a King, so now by an absolute Ruler, and a mighty Prince, whom they terme the Shaw or Sophy of Persia. He hath many Countries and small Kings in Assyria and Media, and the Countries ad joning, which are tributaries.
Among other the Sophies of Persia, about a hundred years since, there was one of great power, called Ismael the Persian, who procured unto himself great fame by his many and valorous attempts against the Turk Surius in his Commentaries, writting upon him, saith that upon some fond conceit, the Jewes were strongly of opinion, that he was that Messias, whom unto this day they expect; and therefore hoped that he should have been their Deliverer and Advancer: But he addeth in his report that it fell out so clean contrary, that there was no man who more vexed and grieved them, than that Ismail did.
The Persians▪ are all at this dayTheir Religion. Sarazens in Religion, beleeving in Mahomet: but as Papists and Protestants do differ in opinion, concerning the same Christ, so do the Turks and Persians about their Mahomet: the one pursuing the other, as Herericks, with most deadly hatred, insomuch that there is, in this respect, almost comin… all war between the Turk and the Persians.
Of Parthia and Media.
ON the North-East side of Persia; lieth that Countrey which in old time was called Parthia, but nowScituation of Parth…a. named Arach; of whom, those great wars of the Romans with the Medians or Armenians, in Tacitus, and ancient Histories are true.
This Country aboundeth on Media by the West, and it was in ancient time very full of people: whose fight as it was very much on horseback,Their manner of fight. so the manner of them continually was for to give an Onset, and then to return their waies, even to return again like to the Wild-Irish, so that no man was sure when he had obtained any victory over them.
These were the people that gaveGreat wars of the Perthians against the Romanes. the great Overthrow to that rich Marcus Crassus of Rome, who by reason of his covetousnesse (intending more to his getting of gold, than to the guiding of his Army) was stain himself, and many thousand of the Romanes: The Parthians with exprobration of his thirst after money, poured molten gold into his mouth after he was dead. Against these, the great Lucullus fought many battles; but the Romanes were never able to bring them quite to subjection.
On the West side of Parthia, (having the Mare Caspium on the North, Armenia on the West, and Persia on the South) lyeth that Country, which in time past was called Media, but now Shirvan or Sirvan; which is at this day governed by many inferiour Kings and Princes, which are tributaries, and do owe subjection to the Sophi of Persia. So that he is the Soveraign Lord of all Media, as our English men have found, who passing through the Dominion of the Emperour of Russia; have crossed the Mare Caspium, and Merchandized with the Inhabitants of this Media.
This Nation in former times wasA famous Nation. very famous; for the Medes were they that removed the Empire from the Assyrians unto them: which as in themselves it was not great, yet when by Cyrus it was joyned to that of the Persians, it was very mighty, and was called by the name of the Empire of the Medes and Persians. Here it was that Astyages reigned, the Grandfather of Cyrus and Darius▪ of the M…des.
The chief▪ City of this Kingdome, was called Ecbatana, as the chief City of Persia was Babylon.
It is to be observed of the Kings, of Media, that in the summer time they did use to retire themselves Northward unto Ecbatana, for avoiding of the heat; but in the winter time they came down, more South unto Susis, which as it seemeth was a warmer place: but by this meanes they were both taken for Imperiall Cities, and chiefe residences of the King of Media; which being known, takes away some confusion in old stories. The like custome was afterward used also by the Kings of Persia.
Of Armenia and Assyria.
ON the West side of theSituation of Armenia. Mare Caspium; and of Media, lyeth a Countrey called by a generall name, Armenia; which by some is distinctly divided into three parts. TheDivided into three parts. North part whereof being but little, is called Georgia; the middle part Turcomania; the third part, by the proper name of Armenia. By which a man may see the reason of difference in divers Writers; Some saying, that the Countrey whence the Turkes first came, was Armenia, some saying Turcomania, and some Georgia; the truth being, that out of one or all these Countries they did descend. These Turks are supposed to be the issue of them whom Alexander the Great did shut up within certain mountaines neer to the Mare Caspium.
There is this one thing memorableA memorable Note. in Armenia, that after the great Flood, the Ark of Noah did …est it self on the Mountaines of Armenia, where (as Josephus witnesseth) it is to be seen yet to this day, the hils whereon it resteth, …re called by some N…ae Montes.
The people of this Nation have retained amongst them the Chri…tian faith, as it is thought from the …ime of the Apostles; but at this say it is spotted with many absurdities.
Among other Errors which theBathing of th…ir children. Church of Armenia hath been noted to hold, this is one, that they lid bathe their Children; waving them up and down in flames o… fire, and repute that to be a necessary circumstance of Baptisme: Which errour ariseth by mistaking that place of John the Baptist, where he saith, That he that came after him (meaning Christ) should baptize them with the holy Ghost, and with fire. In which place the word doth not signifie materiall fire, but expresseth the lively and purging operation of the Spirit, like to the nature of fire.
On the South part of Armenia, bending towards the East, lieth theAssyria bounded. Country of Assyria, which is bounded on the West with Mesopotamia. This Country was that Land wherein the first Monarchy was setled, which began under Ninus whom the Scripture calleth Nim rod, living not long after Noahs Flood, and it ended in Sardanapalus continuing a thousand and three hundred yeares.
The King of this Country was Senacherib, of whom we read …n the book of the Kings; andKings of Assyria. here reigned Nebuchadnezzar, who took Jerusalem, and led the Jewes away prisoners unto Babylon.
In this Countrey, is the swiftThe swift River Tygris. The City Ninive. River Tygris, near unto the which was Paradise. Upon this River stood the great City Ninive, called by prophane Writers, Ninus; which was almost of incredible bignesse, and exceeding▪ populous, by the nearnesse of the River, and marvellous fruitfulnesse of the soil; which, as Herodotus writeth, did return their Corn sometime two hundred, and sometimes three hundred fold, and did yield sufficiency for to maintain it. This City for a long time, was the Imperiall Seat of the Monarchy; but being destroied (as God foretold it should be by the Chaldeans) the residence of the King was afterwards removed unto Babylon, a great City in Chaldea, first built by Semiramis.