FHE D E S C RIP T l G j Ob THE KINGDOME OF TA^TJIp
into the thoughts of better fortune:.: which he ceâftanot to
nte, till he had made good his purpoft, and not onely
1 ettkd himicltc in the throne, but inlarged the dominion of the
Tartan, through a great part or Ar* and Europe, which had
Icarce betore heard ot any fuch people. His firft forces he îm-
ploycd vpon TenduJ) and Argon, bounded with the Ealtcrne
Seas, bo'h or them were then Prouinces gouernedby Vncbam,
or Presbyter lobn. Soone after they gor ground in Sarmattn A-
fsatif^i, followed their blow vpon kujjia, Hungana, and Palonm ;
fetebe in the K-ngdome? oi China, Meut, and Bcngala, and left
many out-reachc; r-> then ■uccetiour
tire to this day, as being not able to match loihat.y potrntad-
uerlsrics, as they hauc from euery quarter ot rheir Kingdome.
( i î ) The limits are now on the North the Scythian Ocean,
on the Weft the Msifcoutan Empire, Sa-m4tiiE'*ropeta,a\Sc\ mtre
Cafptum : on the South Mount Cawa/s^,tht KingdomeoiPtr-
(ta, and part oi India : and on the Halt pai ily the Eafterne Seas,
and partly the Kingdome of China, Thusdmidedliiecontaines
fme Prouinces. (x) Tart una minor: (_) Afiatica: (?) Ait
tiqua : ( 4 ) Zagat hit, intra Imattm : ( 5 ) Cat bat, extra Imuum,
( 12) Tartarta minor is called likewile Horda PrecopenÇtum,
a i'ot toi Tartars which haue their ifamc from one Citie Precopi,
but inhabit all thofe plaines which lye roundabout thcPontus
Euxinw,6r Mare Magor,znd Palm jî__««#,includingthc whole
Tawka Cberfonefus, (o that Ihee extends her limits from the
bankesot the Riucr Bonjlhenes, as fa'rre u,Tan*ù. Her chiefe
ProuinccistheC6er/»>K?/*fc»., a Penin/ula feuentie m les in com-
pafTe, which tookc the name of Taurica from Ofyris, who ( they
(ay ) h'rlt plowed thisland withayoke of Bulls. Itwasinuadcd
by one J taws, trom whom the Inhabitants of this whole Region were fometimes called /7<«w,as they were after Çrym Tartars,
from that Citie Crym, once the Kings feate of this Peninfala,
though it flood not within lier lnnits-.For her principallTowne
was ( 1 ) Theodofta now Caff*, where there was heretofore a Colonie of GenoaesytiU they weredifpolTelt by Mahomet,the eighth
tmperour oitheTurbes: ( 2 ) Eupatorta : ( 3 ) Parthenium.&c.
The other Townes of this Tartaria Precopenjis, which Hand
wuhowthe Cherfonejia, vceOcxjacon, which this peopletooke
from the Dukes of Lttuanta, and Tanas, which Hands inthevt-
moit part ot this Tartaria, aboue the mouth ot the Riuer Tanau
fome three miles diftant. It is called by the Inhabitant A-utc,
and is a place of great trarfique, and free accclTe tot many neigh
bounng Nations, Neare this South-ward, beginnes the Palm
AJaotis,xeacheth asfarreas theTaurtcaÇherfonefsu,betv>in which
andthemainc land, is the Bofphortu (fmmertttt ; and on their
South bankesf owes their Pontus Eaxinta, which runnçs into
the Propontu, but returnes not. This Sea is in fome places fo
def pe, that the wa tr* ippeares at toppe blacke, and was therefore
called UMare nig ught be thought, that the people liu-
ing lo neare thcciuill parts ot Chriftendome, were better mannered, then the ^iftatike Tartars 5 But their ftubborne rudeneffe
takes m foule fcorne to be taught by any other Nation : and
therefore ftands ftiffly to their old courleof lite, in woods,and
wild fields,and ceale not to commit continuall murtrjr: I and rapines vpon the Countries adjoymng, with an iputteratc hate
tofuch,asprofe|Te the name of Chnft ; info much, that they
haue engaged themlelues to pay yearely three hundred Chnlti-
ans, as tribute to the great 7»r^;whicl. number they draw out
oiPolonia, Raffia, Lituania, fValach'i, and part of Mo/coma.
(13) iAftatica or Tartari tfttta et Mofccrttica differs not
much from the ancientS armatia Afiatica, which in Ptolemies
descriptions is bounded on the Weft, with the Riuer lanau and
Paltié Maotiijow the Eaft with Scythia intra Imaum.pn the North
with the Lfrfontej Hyptrberei, and on the South with the mountaines Coran and Qaucaftu. The ] nhabitants hue in hordes as the
reft doe, which remoueottcn,and direct their wandringcourfe
by obleruing the Pole-ltarre. In this too their Hordes haue di-
ui(ions,and are knowne by fetierall names: The chieie nZatoll,
which for the moft part lyes betwixt the Rmers Volga & Laych,
and m regard it is as it were the mother Horde to the reft, it was
called magna Horda, and her Emperour ZJlachem, magnni dominai ; tor f o he was, and had full power of a Pnnce,till they were
fubdued by the Precopenfes in the yeare one thouland fiue hundred fixe, and after by Bafilitu Dukcof UMofeorta. Next to this
arc the Caftnenfes, which haue their chiefe Citie Cafax,vpcm the
Riuer Volga, neare the confines of Mofcoria. It was once an in-
tiregouemmenttoit felfe, but in the yeare one thouland fiue
hundred fiftie one,after many victories and reuolts, it wa* fully
and irrccouerably vanquifht, and made an addition to the Duke
ot Mofiorm's title. The Inhabitants here are fomewhat more ingenuous then the Precopenfes-.thty till their ground,and in fome
places bujid houfe?, and practife merchandize with the Turkyt
and UMoffontes, Not much vnliketo thefe arc the ^raciwwj*-
;ti,iuuaie toward the mureÇajpturn, and haue their name Irom
their rich Metropolis Afiracban, tweiuie Italian miles diftant
from the mouth of Volga 5 both they and it,were fubdued in the
yeare one thouland foure hundred nineticfourc, by the Duke
oimtofcoria. Befides thefe there are many other wilde Hordes
of Tartars ; Ofthe Nohatcen/es, ThumcKcnjes^ Schtbafchienjes, Co~
fachtenfes, Aftnichanenfes, 'Bafibtrdi, 'Ktrgejft, tJMolgame^am.
Thefe lalt ltrange 1 dolatf rs ot the Sunne 6c a piece of red clout,
hung vp betore them vponapole. 1 hey hue incaucs,andfeed
tor rhe moft part vpôluch creatures as crcepe vpon the ground:
Ibmeof thetn ire Jmhropopbaet, And here abouts is the great
lake called Kjtay.
( ia\) Tarta'taantiqtiii, the ancient feate ofthe Tartars, and
Kuigdome of Mi icn both the firft Inhabitant was pla-
ctdny the fonne(A/ipbeib, and when thclel >ft7jr/<»>-xcnrred,
vnder the command ot Çhincbi*. It is the vt moft portion ofthe
Tartanai Empire, jo the frozen Seas on hci North, the Scythian
on the Eaft, and th|mare de Annian: for it contâmes many dif-
pcril Hordes, .11 ( ihnoft ) Subject to the great £ ham of Cathai.
In the moft N'Mtl-Tiietrart, winch llnk^s into the Sea beyond
thepolarecircle dwell the D*nt, Neptattta Alecntt, &c, more
South-ward the Kmgdomcof Tabor, and the vaft delert Ctr*-
corannm, and the Mount Altaj, the place of buriall tor the Tartarian Emperours. Toward the Eaft Seas and nea^c the promontory of T«bm, are the Kegiohsor Ar^aret, ( which fomc thinke
to be the very place firft polleft bjgBppmnant of the ten cap-
tiue tribes,) and Anma», and «Argon, and Terid:cb,and Mongal,
and many odier, whole people hue after the antique manner in
tents tnoueahli'j fome few Cities they haue, poorely built,and
as rudely cuftomed. Among-other mainlines they haue this
f-'lbion, toproltiture their wmes and-liftcrs to llichgucfts, as
they would entcfaine moft friendly -, and when it was once forbad by their great Cham, they rcomercd it againe with much
(uite, and ioleinne protcftation, ci.ai they had not thriued fince
it was laid alide. Theground brings forth good ftorc of efpeci-
all good Rhubarbe.
(15) Zagat hat, the '.-.me with Styhia intra Imaum, and is
bounded vpon rhe Weft with the mare Cajpium, vpon the Eaft
with the delert asfarreas Lop : vpon the North with the Riuer
laxartus, and vpon the South with the Mount Caucafm. It hath
the ntme from their Prince, brother to their great Cham, and
containesinitthefeleuerallProumccs: (1) Zagataie, where
Tamherlane was borne, and firft bare rule in the Citie Satma-
cband, a place enricht by his victories, and memorable for the
death of Clytus, flaine by Alexander in his drunken fury. The
feate ofthe gouernour is in /?«:ta>v*,anotherTowneofthe beft
note here. (2) Bailria now Cocaz<.an, the Inhabitants were
I'd by Bcffus, which fieweLanm, and the firft King Yi&sZoro-
<*/?*.*, in the time of Ntxiti'he AQyrtun, and twice tried thefor-
tuneof warre with him, but was at lalt vanquifhed, and his
Kingdome made a Prouince to the Monarchie: In feuerall ages
ithath beene tolled into the hands of diuerfe ftates, among the
reft, the Romanet hadit once in then polltftion, at which time
the Inhabitants reccmed knowledge of the truth from the
mouth of Saint T homes : but hauc lolt it lince by the tyranny of
the SaracensandTartars. (3) S cgdiana on the North of BaUrta
where Cjropolis ftood, built for a Fortagainft theScythians, and
(landing to the tim e of A texauder,*ho battered it to the ground.
( 4 ) OWargiana, and ( j ) TurcbefianiEnH ofthe Mart Ca'ptum,
and was the feate ofthe Turkfs before they brake into Armenia.
( 16) _^r^*>,thelamewith5«7'^M^^/r/»/«>a«w,andisthe
Empire of the great Ch»m ot the Tartars, and trueprogenieof
Chmchis. It is compMled aimoft with mountaines, anddeferts :
sod is diuided from (China, onely by a great wall on the South.
Thefoyleisexceedingfenik, and the peopletarre moreciuill,
then in the other parts of Tartaria. Her Prouinces are ( 1 ) Ça-
thate, which is fuppofed to be the antique feate ofthe Seres:
ar.d is therefore called %egioScnca : For it fends forth excellent
Silkes, Stuffes, and Chamletts, and other rare Commodities,
which equalize her ( at leaft in her owne efteeme) to the beft
partsof£«ro^. Her Metropolis is Cambelu, twentie eight miles
in compalTe, befides the fuburbs, built fourc-fquare by the Riuer Polyfangtu, and ennchc from India, Chma, and other Regions, with all forts of merchandize. Here their great Cham liues,
but is buried at the Mount Altay, and is conucy cd thither by a
ftrong guard,which kills all they meetein the way ,& comands
them to feruc their Lord in the other world : CMagmus reports
from Marcus Poltu, that while he was in Cathaie, tenne thou-
fand perfons loft their liues vpon one fuch occaliou.( 2) Tangut,
which (they fay ) had the Art oi 'Printing many hundred yearcs
beforeit was knowne among vs. ( 3) Camul. \/C)Tanifa; ( $)
Ttbtt, not much differing either from themfelues, or the other
parts of Tartaria, which belong to the Kuigdome of Q&thaie.
lie Kingdome oi
ARTA RY.
C TTHA RV M gent fempsr anti-
('•■nffima. 11 was a judged cafcf long
lince) betwixt the «ALgypttanand
Inhabitant of this Countrey. Yet
were not the Scythians the firft,
which pofleft it : At leaft it was the
firft name by which they weie
knowne. For, before the entrance
of Scythes the fuppofed fonne cf
Hercules, wtc finde here a people
— - \        r l   r       F     . f
which det iue their pedigree from Lft?ageg,the fonne oilaphtth,
and were caiUd CMagogiis in rememorance of their antique
founder. To this puipote Junius and other learned interpret
terrain Maqogin in the 38. ot EKecb. 1. and Reuel. 20. 8. and le»
in fnndry places elle-where of diuine Scripture,take it for other
land; ti en chat, which was alter prcphanc Writers, called Scytbia, and Sarmatia, and now Tartaria ; though perhaps thefe
hauei.ot all had ftill the lame bounds, from the beginning}
for what ar.y one Kingdome vpon the earth hath i All ftatcs
haue becne their courfe to rife and fall, to beimparcd or inlarged, at plcalure ofthe moft High, whodilpolethof Empiresas
leemesbeftin hiswiledome.
( 2 ) Ofthe Magogins,vie haue no much ftory ; yet they hauc
left their name behind them, which is now corrupted into
(JMaugol-a moft imagine. While the Scytba bare rule, they in-
felled their neighbours without mercy or equitie : and practifed
then rapms,astarre almoft,as they could find a fubjeit to workc
on. in lo much that they gaue name to all the rude and inhumane Nanons, both of A fia and Europe, North of Danttbius :
which for their crucltie were much feared, and for brutifh Cu-
lioiius growne odious to the more cunll parts ofthe world.
( 3 ) To/lite Bxrbtviim mores ; was meant of thefe by the Poet,
and w^ll it might. For who could be more barbarous then the
êjfcdones, which liued hereby the Palm Mceotis^ and as ( Herod:
in his fourth booke of riiftoriesdehuers) were wont to fing
their Parents to the grauc, iuuitc their beft friends, to feaft with
their Fathers flefh, and vie his foil!, asaCuppetodrinkein,at
tluir laiciuious banquets. Who more then the Axtaca? who
quenched their thirlt with the bloud of him, whom they firft
flew, as it gullied warme Irom his wounds. Who more foohlh
proud then the Agatbyrft f Who, as God and nature had come
Ihort in their making vp, were vied to mend their beautie by a
deformed paiiuing,and vggly ftaining of their bodies with mot-
ly colours. Our T3ic7s are iuppefed by fome to haue had hence
their originail.
(4) It weretoomuch to recite here the other fcattered Nations, which ouerfpread the earthtFor fhe was,asmoft ftile her,
the offctnageneris humam : and fent forth f warmes of her broode,
which foone faftned themfelues, where euer they fet footing.
For they were ftrong of body,bold and heady,beyondthe rule
of valour : diftinguilht not right from wrong in their quarrells,
buc reckoned juftly their owne, what euer they could clalpe by
force of Armes. And this they all practifed aimoft without difference of fex, vnlcfle in this, that their women were moft warlike: witnelle that incomparable ftory of Temyris, who cutoff
the PerfianCtrm and 200000 more of his fouldiers at one encounter, and call; his head into a cauldron of blood, with this
vpbraidc, for the (laughter of her fonne Pergaptfes 5 Sana te fat-
g-iine. q'tem fittfti. Nor was fhee the Tingle one, that put off the
weaknelTe of her fcx to take Armes. For here liued thofe pro-
fcfTed Ama-u>ns,-N\»cn admitted no man int£ their Campes,but
at fet times ofneccflitie, topreleruc their race : yet were they a
terror to the world, vext a great part ofA/ia the lelTe, and built
the renowned Epbefus, Smyrna, (fumt, Aiagnefia, &c.
(5) Thefe had their time. The Çothcs or Çetœ fucceeded,
and were inheritors al well of their mifchieuous cuftomes,as ill-
got pofJfeflions : for which they purchafed them the name of
Voloncij among their neighbour*, thecuesand deftroyers:fuch
as were no lelle grieuous to them then their prcdeceiTors.
Doubtlclle a curie of perpetual! tyrannie lies vpon this wicked
Empire. For when next the Tartars came on, the ftate it felfe
was not much bettered, nor the innocent which lay neare any
whit more fecured.
(6) Thele laft haue becne fuppofed to be the remnant of
thofe tenue Tribes which were led caprme by Salmanaflar.How
likely the reafons are I will not difputc. Butfurely, it fo, they
mufthaue retained fomc knowledge of the true God, at leaft [
fome precepts ot ciuilitie from their tore-fathers, though neucr
fo long fince. For what people can we readeof in ftoncs, which
haue at any time beene inlightned with the truth, and yet afterward fallen into that groflc barbarifme, which is now found
among the Tartarians. Sec their Character, which (astheyare
by moft delcribed ) deales impartially ; giues them illfalhioned
bodies, anlwerable to their rude minds, fit houles for lo vn-
cleane guefts.
( 7 ) Their ftature is different. The moft part haue large
moulders, a broad face, with a crooked nofe, deformed countenance, fwarty colour, hollow eyes,hairy and vntritnmcd beard,
and head clofe fliaued. Their fpecch is boyftrous, and clamorous: their noyfc, in finging, like the yell of Wolues; and endurance of hunger,thirit,heat,cold and watching equalls them,
(in ftrength of body,) to the moft able beait, foritexccedes
the common power of a man. Their luft is without Law. For
they except no kindred, but their ownc mothers, daughters,and
fillers: No Species, for they roixe with beafts ; Nor fexe,for they
are infatiate JW»iw*>v/: and yet takelibertic for as many wiues,
as they can maintaine ; which ( contrary to our ciuillcourfes)
they buy of their Parents, in Head of rccciuing dowries. Their
meate is the raw flefh of horfes without regard how they were
killed, or of what dileafesthey dyed:fometimes they fucke blood
from the liuing, to appeafe their hunger and thirft, if (in a journey ) they be diftf clfcd for want of food.
( 8 ) Cities they hauc but few,nor houfcs,other then mouea-
ble tents, madeot beafts jkinnes, which they pitch vpby great
multitudes, in thetormeof atowne,and thofe are called hordes:
when the gralle is once eaten bare, and theground yeclds not
meate for their Cattle, they trudge with bagge and baggage to
another quarter: and foin courfe they wander through the vaft
Deferts, vnfettled, and indeed impatient to be fettled, or rather
impnfoncd (as they take it) within any one bounded eompalle,
hauing the wide world to roame in. Their chiefe Armes are
Bow and Arrowes, which they vfemofton horle-backe,for
their more (pcedie flight: and haue them commonly ftrongly
poyfoned, for the morefure milchicfetothefoe. Their ftrata-
gems are dovvne-right fraud,and breach of truccjfor they kecpe
no faith with an enemy, regard not any compact made vpon
termes of peace ; but follow their owne fenfe,and commit w hat
out-rages they can with leaft danger to themlelues.
(«) Their Religion is anlwerable to their vile cuftomes:
Some are "Pagans, others -JMahumetans, yet will not be called
Turkes but Berfemami, and their chiefe Pricft Seyd, whom they
reuerence more then their maker; and admit that none Ihould
touch his hand, but their Kings, and thefe too with an humble
gefture : their Dukes aipire not aboue his knee, nor their Nobles higher then his feete : theTeft are happie, if they can but
reach at his garment,his horfe, his any-thing,fo fimplearc they
in their fuperftition : and thus haue they continued either A-
theiftsor falfe Idolaters, euer fince their firft entrance vpon this
Kingdome in the yeare one thoufand one hundred eightiefe-
ucn. Before, they were not efteemed a Nation at all, but wilde
people, without law orrcafon aimoft, who liued in the open
fields, and conucrled with no other then their owne Heards of
Cattle.
( 10 ) Their firft King was one Chixckis,* man of low birth
but high Ipirit-, impatient of that flauifh condition to which he
was bred: he brake forth at laft, and drew more by his example,