AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



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if they were but one man, and yet they are moe then 

 milhons in number. They have 60000. Courriers, who 

 being sent before upon light horses to prepare a place for 

 the armie to incampe in, will in the space of one night 

 gallop three dayes journey. And suddenly diffusing 

 themselves over an whole province, and surprising all the 

 people thereof unarmed, unprovided, dispersed, they make 

 such horrible slaughters, that the king or prince of the 

 land invaded, cannot finde people sufficient to wage battell 

 against them, and to withstand them. They delude all 

 people and princes of regions in time of peace, pretending 

 that for a cause, which indeed is no cause. Sometimes 

 they say, that they will make a voyage to Colen, to fetch 

 home the three wise kings into their owne countrey ; 

 sometimes to punish the avarice and pride of the Romans, 

 who oppressed them in times past ; sometimes to conquere 

 barbarous and Northren nations ; sometimes to moderate 

 the furie of the Germans with their owne meeke mildnesse; 

 sometimes to learne warlike feats and stratagems of the 

 French ; sometimes for the finding out of fertile ground 

 to suffice their huge multitudes ; sometimes againe in 

 derision they say, that they intend to goe on pilgrimage 

 to S. James of Galicia. In regard of which sleights and 

 collusions certaine undiscreet governors concluding a 

 league with them, have granted them free passage thorow 

 their territories, which leagues notwithstanding being 

 violated, were an occasion of ruine and destruction unto 

 the foresayd governours &c. 



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