Prester Iohn.

ALthough the soueraigntie of this prince be very mag∣nificent, powerfull and spacious; yet in truth doth it nothing answere the fame and report of the vulgar. Horatius Malaguccius in his discourse De amplitudine domi∣niorum huius temporis, maintaineth it to be larger then the em∣pire of any other potentate, excepting that of the king of Spaine. Truly I must needs say, that in elder age, by the num∣ber of his titles, it may be coniectured, that his dominions did stretch farre and wide: for he did intitle himselfe king of Goiam (which is beyond Nilus) Vangue and Damur, pla∣ces situated beyond the riuer Zair, whereas at this daie he hardly commeth neere the bankes of either riuer: yea Iohn Baroz writeth, that the Abessines by reason of the mountains betweene them & Nilus, haue little or no knowledge of that riuer. In the center of his kingdome is Barcena; eastward it stretcheth from Suaquen to the entrance of the red sea, a tract of 122 leagues, and yet betweene him and that sea lie infinite mountaines inhabited by Moores, doing what outrages they list vpon that coast. Westward vpon the banks of Nilus lie a Page  170 ridge of mountaines, inhabited by Gentiles, who pay him tribute. Towards the north his bounds are to be limited by an imaginarie line to be drawne from Suaquen to the head of the Iland Meroe, conteining the space of 125. leagues; then making a semicircle like a bowe, not too much bended to∣wards the south, as farre as the kingdome of Adea (in whose mountaines the riuer which Ptolomey calleth Ratto, ariseth and falleth into the sea about Melind) for the space of 250. leagues, it stretcheth euen to the frontires of the Gentiles: and from thence turning your imaginarie line, and abutting the end in the principalitie of Adel (whose chiefe citie is Acar in the altitude of 9. degrees) you shall finde this Empire to containe in compasse 672. leagues. It is diuided into vast plaines, fertile hillocks, and mountaines though woondrous high, yet fit for tillage, and full of habitation. It is not very well stored with wheate, but it bringeth foorth barly, millet, a cer∣taine other graine holesome & indurable, Indian wheat, and all other kinde of pulse (as well knowne as vnknowne to vs) in very plentiful maner. They haue vines, but make no wines, vnles it be in the kings court, or the patriarchs palace, in steed whereof they brew a kind of sharp beuerage made of the fruit of Tamerind. The orange, lemon and, cedar tree grow wilde. They make oile of a certain fruit which they cal Zaua, it is of a good colour, but vnsauorie. The Bees build their hiues euen in their houses, whereupon ariseth great quantitie of wax & ho∣ny. Their garments are wouen of cotton wool. The richer sort are clothed in sheepe skins, the gentlemen in cases of Lions, Tygres, & Linces. Their riches consist in herds of oxen, goats, sheepe, mules, asses, and camels. Of horses their breed is small, but they haue great store of goodly coursers brought them from Arabia and Egypt. They leaue the foles with the mares not aboue three daies, but put them vnto kine to sucke and reare vp. They haue hens, geese, wilde swine, harts, goats, and hares, but no conies, yea and such beasts, of which we haue not the like, as panthers, lions, elephants, and linces. To speak in a word: there is no countrey vnder heauen fitter for in∣crease of plants and all liuing creatures, but none lesse helpt by arte or industrie; for the inhabitants are idle and vnthrifty. Page  171 They haue flaxe, but make no cloth, they haue sugar-canes and iron-mines, but know not the vse of either: and as for smiths, they feare them as f•ends. They haue riuers and streames, yet will they not take the paines in drouths to cut the banks to water their tillage or harten their grounds. Few giue themselues to hunting or fishing, which causeth their fields to swarme with foule and venison, and their riuers with fish. But it seemeth that the true ground of their idlenes ari∣seth from their euill vsage: for the poore people perceiuing their land-lords to pole and pill them, neuer sowe more then they needs must. They keepe no method in their speeches, and to write a letter, many men (& that many daies) must lay their wits togither. At meales, they vse neither cloth, nap∣kin, nor tables. They are vtterly ignorant in physicke. The Gentlemen, Burgers, and Plebeians dwell apart, yet may any man rise to honour by vertue and prowesse. The first borne is heire to all, euen to the vtmost farthing. Through the whole land there is not a towne conteining aboue 1600. housholds, and but few of that quantitie: for, for the most part they dwel dispersed in small villages. They haue no castle or fortificati∣on, in imitation of the Spartans, maintaining that a countrey ought to be defended by the sword, and not by strength of earth or stone. They barter one thing for another, and to make reckonings euen, they supply the want with corne and salt. For pepper, frankinsence, myrrhe and salt they giue gold, and that by weight: as for siluer it is in little request. The greatest concourse of people is about the kings court, which neuer staieth long in one place, but is euer in progresse, some∣time in one place, sometime in another, and euer in the open fields vnder tents and pauilions. It is said to containe ten miles in circuit.

His gouernment is tyrannicall: for he intreateth his vas∣sals, rich and poore more liker slaues then subiects; which to do with the greater safety, he carrieth himselfe amongst them with a certaine holy and Saintlike adoration: for at his bare name they bow their bodies, and touch the earth with their hands. They reuerence his pauilion, yea though he be absent. In old time they were accustomed to shew themselues vnto Page  172 the people but once in three yeeres, but sithence they are growen lesse maiesticall, shewing themselues thrice in one yeere, to wit, on Christmas day, on Easter day, & Holy Rood day, yea and in these times Panufius which now raigneth is be∣come more gracious. When any matter of weight is commit∣ted in the princes name to any man be he neuer so great, he is to attend his commission starke naked to the middle, neither may be put on his garment without licence. Being called to witnesse a matter in controuersie, they hardly speake truth, vniesse they sweare by the life of the king. He giueth and ta∣keth to whom and from whom he pleaseth, neither dare he from whom he taketh, for his life shew a discontented counte∣nance. He presenteth to holy orders, and disposeth at his good pleasure of the goods of the spiritualtie as well as of the laitie. In trauelling he rideth shadowed with red curtains, high and deep incopassing him round about. He weareth on his head a crowne, the one halfe wrought of gold, the other of siluer, & in his hand he beareth a siluer crucifix. He couereth his face with a piece of watchet taffata, which more or lesse he lifteth vp & putteth downe, according as he is minded to grace him with whom he talketh. Sometime he sheweth his whole leg, lifting it without the hangings, then may no man approch but by degrees, and after many curtesies and diuers messages passing to and fro. No man hath vassals but the king, to whom once a yeere they do homage, and protest obedience as subiects to their liege soueraignes. He deriueth his pedegree from Mi∣leich the sonne of Salomon and Saba. In the raigne of Candaces they receiued the Christian faith: and about that time one Gasparis became famous in Aethiopia; from whom after thir∣teene generations discended that Iohn, who first tooke vpon him the ••rname of Sanctus, and left it an hereditarie title to his house and successors. This man hauing no issue of his body, about the time of Constantine gaue the kingdome to the eldest sonne of his brother Caius, and inuested the yoonger (Baliha∣sar and Melchior) the one with the kingdome of Fatigar, the other with the kingdome of Goiam, and so diuided the blood∣royall into three families, the Gaspars, Balthasars, and Melchi∣•rs. To auoide sedition and innouation, he made a law that the Page  173 sonnes, brethren, & neerest kinred of the Emperor should be kept and shut vp in the castle of mount Amara, and that they should neither succeed in the Empire, nor enioy any honora∣ble estate: for which cause the Emperors euer since haue sel∣dome married.

He manureth his owne fields with his owne slaues and cat∣tell: who, by reason they are suffered to marrie, and their issues remaine in the same estate of villenage, as doe their fathers; they daily increase to infinite multitudes. Euerie man that hath any inheritance, doth likewise pay tribute, some horses, some oxen, others gold, cotton wooll, or such like commodi∣ties. It is thought that he is Lord of infinite treasures, and to haue storehouses full of cloth, iewels, and gold. In his letters to the king of Portugall, vpon condition that he would wage warre against the Infidels, he offered him a million of gold, and a million of men, with prouision according. He his repor∣ted to lay vp yeerely in the castle of Amara three millions of gold. And true it is, that before the daies of king Alexander he did hoord vp great store of gold in rude and vnwrought masses; but no such quantitie, because they knew not how to refine it. His reuenues are of three sorts; the first ariseth of his crowne land: the second of the taxes of his people, who pay euerie man by house somewhat, besides the tenth of all that is digged out of their mines: the third, he leuieth of the great Lords, and they giue him the reuenue of any one of their townes (which he will choose) so he choose not that wherein themselues inhabite. And albeit the Prince be verie rich, yet the people are idle and beggerly; partly because they are in∣treated as slaues, which vsage taketh from any people that courage and alacririe of spirit, which should be in men profes∣sing armes and vndergoing dangers: and partly because in respect of that base bond of seruile fidelitie, wherewith they are ouerawed to his Maiestie, they perceiue their hands are fast bound; through feare whereof they haue no other wea∣pon fit for seruice, then a rustie headpeece, a skull or curasse which the Portugals haue brought thither: so that hauing nei∣ther fortresse to flie vnto, nor weapons to repulse wrongs, their villages and substance lie alwaies open to the pray and Page  174 spoile of whosoeuer will inuade them. Their offensiue wea∣pons are certaine darts and arrowes without feathers. They obserue a Lent of fiftie daies, which by reason of their true (or rather superstitious) abstinence doth bring their bodies so weake and low, that for many daies after they are not able to gather strength to mooue themselues from one place to ano∣ther. At which time the Moores watching the opportunitie, inuade their dominions, and carrie away men, women and wealth. Francis Aluarez writeth, that he is able to bring in∣to the field an hundred thousand men: but experience hath manifested, that euen in his extremities his numbers were far inferior to that reckoning. He hath knights of the Order dedicated to the protection of Saint Anthonie. Euerie gen∣tleman father of three sonnes (excepting the eldest) is bound to giue one to the seruice of the king: out of these are chosen twelue thousand horsemen for the guard of his person. Their vow and oath is to defend the bounds of the Empire, and to fight against the enemies of the Christian faith.

He is affronted with three puissant neighbours: the king of Borno, the great Turke, and the king of Adel. The king of Borno is Lord of that countrey, which from Guangula east∣ward stretcheth about fiue hundred miles betweene the de∣serts of Seth and Barca. In situation it is verie vneuen, some∣time mountanous, and sometime plaine, the people indiffe∣rent ciuill, the countrey reasonably well inhabited, and in re∣gard of plentie of victuall, somewhat resorted vnto by mer∣chants. Vpon the mountaines dwell neat-herds and shep∣herds, liuing for the most part vpon millet, leading a beastiall life, without religion, and accompaning with one an others wife in common. They know no other names, then such as are giuen them for some note or marke of their bodie, as blinde, lame, tall, bold, &c. This king is verie puissant in people, of whom he exacteth no other tribute then the tenths of the in∣crease of their liuely hoods. For exercise and insteed of occu∣pations they giue themselues to steale, to slay their neigh∣bours, and to take them prisoners, and then to barter them for horses with the merchants of Barbarie. He hath vnder him many kingdomes and nations, some white some blacke. He is Page  175 an heauie enemie to the Abessines, taking away their cattell, rifling their mines, and leading away the people in captiuitie. His horsemen ride after the Spanish manner, armed with lan∣ces (steeled at both ends) darts and arrowes: but their in∣rodes resemble rather robberies and garboiles, then wars ma∣naged by valiant soldiers.

The Turke likewise on the east, and the king of Adel on the southeast, do cruelly vexe him: for they haue curtald his large dominion and brought his prouinces into great miserie. In the yeere 1558. the Turke harried the whole territorie of Berna∣gasso (but since expulsed) and tooke from Prester Iohn what∣soeuer he was Lord of vpon that sea coast, especially the hauen and citie of Suaquen and Erococo, in which place the moun∣taines betweene Abex and the red sea, make a gate as it were for the traffique and carriages of the Abessines and Arabians. And sithence that, Bernangasso was inforced to submit himselfe to the Turkish commands, to buy his peace, and in name of a tribute to pay one thousand ounces of gold yeerely.

The king of Adel is his no lesse infestious enemie: he bor∣dereth vpon the kingdome of Fatigar: and his siegniorie stret∣cheth alongst the red sea as far as Assum, Salir, Meth, Barbora, Pidar and Zeila. Many ships come from Aden and Cambaia to Barbora with merchandise, which they trucke for flesh, ho∣nie, wax and vittail: these commodities are carried to Aden; gold, iuorie, and such wares are sent to Cambaia: the greatest part of vittail, honie, wax, corne and fruits brought from Zei∣la, are carried into Aden and Arabia, as likewise much cattell, especially sheepe hauing tailes of 25. pound weight, with heads and necks all blacke, the rest of their bodies all white. Of these cattell there are some altogether white, with turning crooked tailes as long as a mans arme, and dewlaps like oxen. Some of their kine haue hornes with many branches like our deere: othersome haue one horne in their forehead growing backward a span and halfe long. The chiefe citie of this king∣dome is Arar 38. leagues distant from Zeila towardes the southeast. He professeth Mahumetisme, and since his conuer∣sion he hath intitled himselfe with the sirname of Holy, a•ow∣ing continuall war against the Abessine Christians: and there∣fore Page  176 he watcheth the time of the foresaid fast of fiftie daies, when he entreth their territories, burneth their villages, ta∣keth prisoners, and then committeth a thousand other mis∣chiefes.

The Abessine slaues doe often leaue their countrie, and take vpon them great iournies, putting themselues in the ser∣uice of great Lords, where many times by their industrie and good carriage they become high commaunders in Arabia, Cambaia, Bengala and Sumatra. For the Mahumetan princes being all tyrants & Lords of those countries, which they haue forced from the Gentils, to secure their estates doe neuer trust their home-bred subiects, but wage strangers and slaues, vnto whose fidelitie they commit their persons and the managing of all the affaires of their kingdomes. And amongst all sorts of slaues, the Abessine is in greatest esteeme for his faithfulnes and towardly disposition. The king of Adel ouerlaieth Egypt and Arabia with these slaues, which hee changeth with the Turks and princes of Arabie, for armour, prouision of warre and soldiers. In the yeere of our Lord 1500. Claud king of A∣bex perceiuing himselfe inferior to Grad-Ameda king of Adel (for he had vexed his land with 14. yeeres incursions) forsa∣king the frontires, retired himselfe into the inward parts of his kingdome, intreating for aide of Stephen Gama viceroy of India vnder Iohn the third king of Portugall, who was then in the red sea with a warlike nauie. In compassion of his miseries and religion, he sent him fower hundred Portugall-shot very well furnished vnder the conduct of Christopher his brother. By their aide and vse of their artillerie he ouerthrew his ene∣mies in two battels: but the king of Adel obtaining of the go∣uernor of the citie of Zebit one thousand harquebushers, and ten pieces of ordinance, in the third fight put the Portugals to flight, and slew their captaine. Afterwards when Adel had sent away these Turkes, king Claudius set vpon him at vna∣wares by the riuer Zeila and the mountaine Sana with eight thousand footemen, fiue hundred Abessine horsemen, and the remainder of the liuing Portugals, one of whome gaue Grada-Amada his deaths wound. But in March 1509. Claudius figh∣ting with the Moores of Malaca, gaining the victorie, was Page  177 slaine in the battel. Adam his brother succeeded, against whom being a demi-Mahumetan, the greatest part of the Abessine nobilitie rebelled, and was ouerthrowne in the yeere 1562. by Bernagasso. By this casualtie did the Aethiopian affaires ebbe & flow, vntill in the raigne of Alexander things began in some sort to returne to their ancient estate by the aide of the Portugals, who furnished them with weapons both offensiue and defensiue, and by their examples incouraged them to be stout and couragious against their enemies. All that were li∣uing after the defeature of Christopher Gama, and all that euer went thither since that day to this, doe still remaine there, marrying wiues and begetting children. King Alexander gaue them leaue to elect a Iusticer, and to end all matters of con∣trouersie amongst themselues, which maketh them so willing to stay and to teach them the vse of their weapons, the man∣ner of our warfare, and how to fortifie passages and places of importance. Sithence those times (Francis Medices contra∣cting friendship with the Abessine) diuers Florentines, some for pleasure and some for profit, haue trauelled into those prouinces, wherein when they are once entred, the king in∣treateth them so faire, and giueth them so largely whereupon to liue, that they can hardly obtaine licence to returne againe into their owne countries.

Besides these, he hath other enemies, as the king of Dan∣cali, whose citie and hauen is Vela vpon the red sea, and the Moores of Doba, a prouince diuided into foureteene Lieu∣tenantships. These people though they are accounted within the limits of the Abessine Empire, yet doe they often rebell, hauing a law amongst themselues, that no yoong man may contract matrimonie, vnlesse he can bring good proofe that he hath slaine twelue Christians.