The glory of England, or A true description of many excellent prerogatiues and remarkeable blessings, whereby she triumpheth ouer all the nations of the world vvith a iustifiable comparison betweene the eminent kingdomes of the earth, and herselfe: plainely manifesting the defects of them all in regard of her sufficiencie and fulnesse of happinesse. By T.G.

CHAP. II. Countries compared to Canaan, and Salomons glorious happi∣nesse, and first of all the Tartars.

NOw must wee take out our other clothes to * 1.1 the light, & by laying them together, iudge of their finenesse, or at least, how neerely they can match our example: and although to this purpose wee neede not once name the countries of prophanation, or fill our discourses with the vnsauoury particulars of such beastly, filthy, and abo∣minable gouernment: so farre from the method of true maiesty, and established blessednesse, as their workes of mens hands, I meane their Idols, from the omnipotency of the Creatour, or blasphemous ignorance from the translucent light of inestimable truth: yet will I not bee so partiall, or preiudicate, to cast them off without reason, or

sufficient cause of disparity. To beginne therefore with those vast and huge territories of the great Emperor Cham, now including infinite nations vnder the name of Tartari∣ans. Vntill you come to Tangut and Mangia, all the North & Western parts are stil rude & vnciuill, without fashiona∣ble cities, or any formall handsomnesse, and liue in a man∣ner as barbarously as the ancient Scythians, who to their frozen climate and distempered aire, added as frozen harts to morality and charitable workes; nay in truth, liued in all inhumane bestiality, vnder the couert of valour, and being a fierce nation to strangers, and in battell against their enemies: so that, what with their vast desarts, remote countries from Europes concourses, and want of such things, which we either desire, or stand in neede of: they are sildome visited by strangers but for curiosity, and as sildome entertaine such as come amongst them with affa∣bility and orderly welcome. Besides, according to that absolute principle, that barbarous people are best obser∣uers of ceremonies & customs, they wil neither reform any thing which is amisse, nor conform thēselues to the decen∣cies of our Christian cities; nay, in a manner either out of scorne or hate, their next neighbors the Turks are distasting vnto them, & after a strange fashion of derision they mock at their formality, although (as I sayd in my first book) the Tartar Chrim challengeth a kinde of affinity with the race of Ottoman, and euer since Tamberlaine conquered Persia and Baiazet, haue entermingled some of their women a∣mongst them, wherby they keep correspondency and con∣federation, so that when the Turke hath occasion to supply his running army, either against Persia or Christendome, they send him 100000. at a time: but so rude, naked, vn∣prouided, and vndisciplined, that I speake confidently,

and out of some experience, a hundred well trained and ordered souldiers will beat a thousand of them, especially if they can be first staggered with any vnacquainted sight, or strength; I meane our battalions of pikes, strong squa∣drons of horse, firme standings of muskets, and martiall cheerefulnesse from trumpets and drums: for they are presumptuous of nothing, but their bowes and arrowes, swiftnesse of horse-manship in pursuits, and running after preyes or spoiles, and clamorous noyse of horse, and mi∣serable out-cries: so that at one word, neither in warre or peace, they cannot be graced with one word of our exam∣ple, or Salomons happinesse. As for Tangut and Mangia, the very cause of his pride and elated titles, if there can be any pride in bestiality, or shew of magnificence in a Princes se∣questration from his people; they are mighty prouinces in∣deed, and extend to the circling about 1500. English mile of ground, haue many and great cities, and that part to∣ward China, is walled 800. mile, for feare of excursions of the common aduersary: but neither is their gouernment tending to the true vse of iustice in generall, nor their con∣uersation admitting of happy and sociable meetings in particular: for hee that is most mighty ouerswaies the weaker, and he that is most friendly, will cut your throat vpon the least susption or cause of reuenge: as for their best fortified cities, their temples, wals, store-houses, and Emperors, or Gouenors palace, are structures to be looked vpon, and onely worthy of commendation: but the rest of the houses low, vnfashionable, builded most of turffe and canes, which they buy from India and China, and in winter full of smoke and stincke, as in other remooueable cab∣bins or tents of the Tartars: so that except the Emperour himselfe, and his customes, which are rather tyrannous,

then princely, there is nothing amongst them worthy imi∣tation of ruder people. For such marchandies as passe re∣ciprocally betweene them and the Chinesses, or those of Iapan (except Rheubarb, which commonly commeth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 neerer way into Europe through the Caspian sea, and so into Armenia) are euer in hazard to be lost, by the most power∣fullest fraud, either of the buyer or seller: so that some∣times you shall haue 20000. marchants of Iapan, China, and the other Ilands, stayd at a time in Quinzay, Camb•…•…lu, and Tangut, whereupon the vnkindnesse bursts out into open hostility, and to be reuenged of one another, armies of 200000. and more of a side, fill their fields with terror and death, to which if you adde the aduantagious lying in wait on the wall raised vnder mount Taurus betweene them, vpon sudden excursions of the inhabitants, or brea∣ches in the time of inuasion, it will adde a feare and terror to your attention, from the report of so many sauage slaughters, and wilfull command of the Emperours, for whose sake whole families will not care to die, nay, striue to shew their duty in this kinde: yet there is one thing most commendable amongst them, that except the warre is (at it were) publikely proclaimed betweene their Empe∣rors, the people of themselues liue peaceably from offen∣ding one another, and dare not touch a stone on either side of the wall, with a cunning purpose to weaken the same. Amongst other things, their strife about their Emperours titles is so ridiculous (for Cham will be called Dominus Do∣minantium, and he of China, Filius Coeli, as in my first book may appeare) that the least derogation is breach of the peace, and a small comparison casteth vp the dust of con∣tention in both their eyes. For although China be not so big as Tartary by two parts, yet being better inhabited and

adorned with Townes, and Cities, it presumeth for com∣petition of glory, and dare aduenture to maintaine their honorable bestialitie, and idolatrous wretchednes both waies with force of armes. To conclude, if you come to gouernment, loue, dyet, conuersation, hansom apparell, attendancie, friendship, honest meetings, peaceable traf∣ficke, and all such things, whereby the temporall blessings of God are manifested to men, that looke no further, nor enioy the happines to search for happines more deeply, there is not any thing otherwise, than the pride and state of their Emperor, some herbes and drugs for physicke, their northern race of horses, and certaine skins & furres, which couer their houses, and keepe their bodies warme, worthy the looking after, or indeed fit to come neere the borders of the kingdome of true felicitie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The domini∣on of the great Cham compared.