ip The fixth Booke of 



like weiglitjnotwichftanding that the fundiy'ftamps and images upon the peeccs fhewecl plain. G 

 ly that they were made by divers perfons. And hereupon efpecially was he mooved and lollici- 

 tedtofccke for the alliance and amitieof the people of Rome: and fodilp arched 4Eriibafla- 

 dours of purpofe, of whome one Rachias was the ehiefe and principal! pcrfonage^By theie Em- 

 bafladours we were cnformed of the ftate of that Iflandj namely, that it contained live hundred 

 great towns in it:and that there was a haven therin regarding the South coaft5lying hard under 

 Palefimundum the principall citie of all that realme, and the kings feat and pallace i that there 

 tvcre by jufl account 200000 of commoners and citizensrmoreover/hat within this Hand there 

 was a lake 270 miles in circuit, containing in it certaine Iflands good for nothing elfe but padu- 

 rage, wherein they were fruitfull , out of which lake there iffued two rivers, the one^Palcfimun'- 

 dasj palling neere to theciiie abovefaid of that name, and running into the haven with three 

 ftreames, whereof the narroweft was five ftadia broadband the largeii 1 5 j the other Northward 

 on India fide , named Cydara : alfo that the next cape of this countrey to India, is called Colai- 

 cum/rom which to the neereft port of India is counted four daies failing : in the iiiids of which 

 pafifagejtherelyethinthewayjthellandof theSunne. Theyfaid moreover, that the water of 

 this Tea was all of a deepe greene colour 3 and more than that, full of trees growing within it : in- 

 fomuch as the pylots with their helmes many times brake off the heads and tops of thofe trees. 

 The ftarres about the North pole^called Septentrionesj the Waines or Beares, they wondrcd to 

 feehereamongusinourHemilpheretasalfothe Brood-hen, called Vergilid in Latine,asif it 

 had been another heaven. They confeffed aKbthey never faw with them, the moone above the 

 ground before it was 8 dayes old , nor after the i day. That the Canopus, a goodly great and j 

 bright ftarre about the pole Antar^lickCjufed to fliine all night with them . But the thing that 

 they marveiled and were moft aftonied at was this, that they obferved the fhadow of their own 

 bodies fell to our.Hemifphere,and not to theirs 5 and that the funne arofe on their left hand and 

 • let on their rightjtather than contrariwife.Furthermore they related, that the front of that Hand 

 of theirs which looked toward India, contained iooooftadia,and reached from the Southeaft 

 beyond the mountains Enodj. Alfo,that the Seres were within their kenning, whom they might 

 caiily difcovcr from out ofthistheirlfland 3 with whome they had acquaintance by thcmcanes 

 of trafficke and merchandife : and that RAchias his father uled many times to travaik thither. 

 Affirming moreovcrjthat if any ftraungers came thither, they were encounrred and affaikd by 

 wild and lavage beafts : and that the inhabitants themfelves were giants offtature,excceding the 

 ordinarie proportion of men,having red hairc^eies of colour blewiflijtheir voice for found hor- 

 rible, for fpeechnbrdifiind nor intelligible for any ufe of trafficke and commerce. In all things 

 clfe their pra£tife is the fame that our merchants and occupiers doeuie : for on the farther fide 

 of theriver, whenwaresandcommoditiesarclaiddowiie,if they lift to make exchaunge they 

 have them away, and leave other merchandife in lieu thereof to content the forrein merchant. 

 And verily no greater caufe nave we otherwife to hate and abhorthis exceflfiveflfperfeitiej than 

 to cat^ our eye lb far and confider with our fclves, what it is that we feeke fbr^ from what remote 

 parts we fetch it, and to what end we fo much dcfire all this vanitie. But even this Ifland Tapro 

 bane, as farrcoffas it is, feeming as it were caftout of theway by Nature, and divided from all 

 this world wherein weJive, is not without thefe vices and imperfedions wherewith we are tarn- 

 ted and infe(ftcd.For even gold and filver alfo is there^in great requeft and highly eff eemed : and 

 marble, efpecially if it be fafhioned like a torioife fhell. Icmmes and precious ilones5pearles 

 aifojfuch as be orient and of the better fort, are highly prifed with tliem : and herein confiftcth 

 the verie heigth of our fuperfluous delights. Moteova',thefe Embaffadours would fay,that they 

 had more riches in their Ifland, than wee at Rome, but we more ufe thereof than they . They af- 

 firmed aJfo, that no man with them had any flaves to commaund : neither fleptthey in the mor- 

 ning after day-light,ne yet at all in the day time. That the manner of building their houfeswas 

 low^fomewhat raifed above the ground and no more adoe : that their markets were never 

 deare, nor price of victuals raifedr As for courts, pleading of caufes, and going to lav^, they 

 knew not what it meant . Hercules was the onely god whome they worfliipped , Their king was y{ 

 alwaycs chofen by the voices of the people : wherein they had thefe regards; that hce were 

 aged,mild, and childlefTe .-but in cafe hee fhouid beget children afterward, then hee was depo- 

 fedfrom hisregalidignitie, totheendthatthc kingdomc fhouid not in proceffc of time be 

 hercdicaric and held by fucceffionj but by ekaion oncly . This king being thus chofen and, 

 ^7'~T " - invefted^ 



