Relations of the most famous kingdomes and common-wealths thorowout the world discoursing of their situations, religions, languages, manners, customes, strengths, greatnesse, and policies. Translated out of the best Italian impression of Boterus. And since the last edition by R.I. now once againe inlarged according to moderne observation; with addition of new estates and countries. Wherein many of the oversights both of the author and translator, are amended. And unto which, a mappe of the whole world, with a table of the countries, are now newly added.

Of the Situation of Nations.

NOw to the South-wards, wee will limit the hithermost Spaniards, the Siculi, the Pe∣loponnesians, the Cretensians, the Syrians, the Arabians, the Persians, the Susians, the Gedrosii, the Indians, the Aegyptians, the Cirenians, the Africans, the Numidi∣ans, the Libians, the Moores, and the people of Florida in America, to be situated: but with this caveat, that those wholly to the West-wards in the same latitude, live in a more cold temperature.

The people of the North, I meane to be those, which live under the fortieth degree to the sixtieth: and those of more temperature, who extend to the seventieth. Vnder the first are situated, Brittaine, Ireland, Denmarke, part of Gotland, Netherland, and those Countries, which from the River of Mase stretch to the outmost borders of Scythia and Tar∣taria, containing a good portion of Europe, and the greater Asia.

The inhabitants of the Middle Region, as being subject neither to extreme heat, not to extreme cold, I place be∣tweene both Extremes, and yet able to endure both, with indifferent content. I also terme that the Middle Region, which lieth betweene the Tropike and the Pole; and not that which lieth betweene the Tropike and the Line: because the extremitie of heat is not so forcibly felt under the Line (as aforesaid) as under the Tropikes. So that, that cannot be accounted the temperate climate, which ex∣tendeth from the thirtieth degree to the fortieth; but that which beginneth at the fortieth, and endeth at the fiftieth: and the neerer East the more temperate. Vnder which tract, lie the further Spaine, France, Italie, the higher Ger∣manie, (as farre as the Mase) both Hungaries, Illyria, both Mysiaes, Dacia, Moldavia, Macedon, Thrace, and the bet∣ter part of Asia the lesse, Armenia, Parthia, Sogdiana, and a great part of Asia the great. And the neerer the East, the more temperate, although they somewhat incline to the South-ward, as Lydia, Cilicia, Asia, Media, &c.

The ancient Greekes and Romanes both to set forth their owne skill in Geographie and Philosophie, and withall to make shew of the largenesse of their conquests; with igno∣rance and idlenesse enough, did like the Chinois at this day represent their owne kingdome in the map, as bigge as all the rest of the world besides. They therefore dividing the heavens into five Zones, made three of them utterly inha∣bitable: In those two next the Poles their philosophy judged not much amisse; for though no man of Europe hath beene neere to either of them, yet at that distance were the discoverers, yea the Seas themselves frozen up with most insufferable cold; and these the Ancients rightly called, The frozen Zones. But in that which is called the Torride Zone, their philosophy was much mistaken. This Zone takes up all that space which is betwixt the two Tropicks, and is e∣qually divided by the Aequinoctiall line; the whole breadth of the Zone being 47. degrees, that is, 2820. Italian miles of ground. Now in this vast tract to imagine, all heat and no

temperature sufficient for a man to live in, was but an er∣rour of the times, bewraying their owne unexperience, and the uncertainty of speculative philosophie.

It is true indeed, that neere unto the North pole men thinking to draw in their breaths, are in danger to have their throats pluggd up with an Isicle: and the Dutchmen wintering in Nova Zembla, had their house covered with snow for nine or ten moneths together, nor could they get themselves a heat with all the fire they could make. But there is not the same reason for the insufferablenesse of heat, that there is of cold. Heat is the friend of life and nature, and cold the great enemie and nipper of vegetation: And whereas cold can without doors receiue no temperer; heat on the contrarie is capable of very many. For so hath the most wise God ordered his Creation, that under the Torride Zone, there is most abundant plentie of waters; Rain-water, Snow-water, Sea-water, Lake-water, River-water, and Spring-water. As for their raines, even the heats cause them; for in those moneths, when the Sunne is verticall, and right over their heads, and at that time of the day when he scorches from the height of his Meridian, at high noone dayes, even then most plentifully doth hee dissolve the clouds; and the raines at that time quench his flames most temperately. At mid-day also have they (and that constantly) those coole and gentle winds, which the Spani∣ards call the Brizes. In those parts have they the most mighty Rivers; witnesse the Orelian 70. leagues in bredth, and that of Plate, 40. leagues over; with divers others not much streighter than our narrow Seas. There have they the Lake Ticicaca, 80. leagues compasse; Nicuragua, 300. miles long; and the Lake of Mexico 1100. miles about. To come on this side the Line (yet still under the Torride Zone) where can you finde such impetuous raines continually falling for some whole moneths together, and such vast Lakes and Rivers as in Aethiopia? the mouth of the River Zairo is 20. miles wide; nay, and in these places the rivers content not themselves with their owne chan∣nels,

but in the hottest moneths they then overflow the whole country, witnesse the Nile and the Niger: Another commoditie of these waters is this, that the winds skim∣ming over the face of them, fannes the coole vapour all over those quarters. Nay, as if this were not enough, wee see that God hath provided water even in living and growing Cesternes; the hollow truncks of most tree-like canes being full of water, and those coole a little also; such be plentifull in the Moluccas, even under the Aequinoctiall. Besides all this, hath nature provided those parts of many high moun∣taines, which cast long shadowes, and mightily keepe off the Sun; yea, and which you would wonder at, even in that continuall neighbourhood of that great Thawer have you hils perpetually covered with frost & snow: so is it in the Ile of Saint Thomas, which is just under the Aequinoctiall; and so are the silver hills of P••tossi also. The generall causer of these snowes and colds is held to be the length of the nights (whose long and frequent intermissions be another maine occasion of temper and cooling) and these are generally, and all the yeare, the neerer the Line, the longer, being there equall with the dayes themselves; so that there it snowes and freezes as much in the night, as the Sun thawes in the day; these snow-waters being naturally more cold than other waters also. For these and other reasons have our men of Europe found not people alone, but even white people, and most delicate and temperate dwelling (per∣chance the best in the world) in this Torride Zone, yea, un∣der the very Aequinoctiall; yea, much cooler Summers, than in Estramedura in Spaine, or Apulia in Italy. To conclude this point, the ancient Romanes who lookt for nothing but rost-meat in that Zone, and that raw men could not possi∣bly live there, were a great deale worse scorched in their owne Italy; nor have those under the Torride Zone so much need of the Romane Grottaes or-Freskataes for to coole them.