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.

Iapan.

Iapan may well be called a politike body, compacted of many and sundry Islands of divers different formes and circuits, which as they are divided from the rest of the continent, so are they inhabited by a people much differing in manners and customes from the residue of the Orient. They stand round and close together like the Mal∣divae in the Indian Sea, and the Hebrides and Orcades in the North Ocean. They are in number sixty six, divided into three partialities: The first containeth nine; the second foure; the third fifty three. Amongst these, five are renowmed, but especially one for the famous Citie of Macao. And it is most commonly seene, that they who have the soveraigntie of those five, are Lords of all the rest. It is distant from New Spaine an hundred and fifty leagues; from China sixty. The soile is to be accounted rather barren than fertile. The inha∣bitants are of a very ready wit, and marvellous patient in ad∣versitie. Their new borne children they immediatly wash in the rivers, and as soone as they are weaned, they take them from their mothers, and bring them up in labours of hun∣ting, and such like exercises. They goe bare-headed men very ambitious and desirous of honour. Povertie is no dis∣grace to the Gentrie of their bloud. They will not suffer the least wrong to passe unrevenged: they salute one another with many courtesies: they are very staied, and of a setled resolution. They are very jealous to shew themselves feare∣full or base-minded in word or deed: they will make no man privie of their losses or misfortunes; they have the like beasts both tame and wilde as wee have, but they will scarcely eat any thing save Herbs, Fish, Barley, or Rice; and if they doe, it is the flesh of wilde beasts taken by hunting. Of these

graines they make their Wines, and water mixt with a cer∣taine precious powder, which they use, they account a dain∣tie beverage: they call it Chia. Their buildings for the most part are of timber, partly because the upland places are de∣stitute of quarries, but abounding with Cedars of admirable height and thicknesse fit for building, and partly because the Country is subject to Earth-quakes. In times past all Iapan obeyed one Prince, shewing him great obedience and sub∣jection, and this government endured with no lesse state and majestie, at the least sixteene hundred yeares, untill about seventie yeares since, by the rebellion of two of his chiefest Lieutenants, the whole Kingdome was distracted, each of them holding by armes whatsoever he atchieved by usurpation. By their example others becomming as ambiti∣ous, seized on the rest of the kingdome, some on one part, some on another, leaving nothing but the bare name of Dairi, which signifieth the Lord of all Iapan, with the title of Iucata, (viz.) King, to their rightfull Soveraigne. Yea, those Princes which were Lords of the Territories about Meaco, would hardly allow him whereof to finde him vi∣ctuall and apparell, so that now he resembleth the shadow rather than the King of the ancient and magnificent Monar∣chie of Iapan. Since those times whosoever layeth fast hold on the dominion of the Coquinat, (these are the five King∣domes bordering Me••co) in stead of Dairi, calleth him∣selfe Emperour and King of Iapan, and Lord of Tenza. Na∣hunanga was one of them in our dayes, and after him Fassiba in power and majestie excelling all his predecessors. Nabu∣nanga was Lord of six and thirty Provinces, Fassiba at the least of fiftie.

The forme of government is nothing like the policie of Europe. The strength of the Prince consisteth not in ordinary revenues and love of the people, but in rigour and the Prin∣ces pleasure. As soone as the Prince hath conquered one or more Kingdomes, he shareth them wholly amongst his friends and followers, who binde themselves by oath faith∣fully to serve him with a limited company of men as well in

peace as warre. They againe to make their followers trust••e and ready for all services, reserving some small matter for the sustentation of themselves and families, divide to every man a portion of the former division; so that all the wealth of Iapan private and publike is in the hands of a few men, and those few depending on the pleasure of one, that is, the Lord of Tenza. He, as him listeth, giveth, taketh, disgraceth, honoureth, and impoverisheth. When hee casheereth any Governour of his Province, all the Leaders and Souldiers of the said Province are changed, and none left there but Arti∣ficers and Husbandmen. This government draweth with it continuall dislike and innovations: for Dairi (though hee hath neither power nor government) yet being in favour and estimation of the people, ceaseth not to insinuate into their heads, that this Lord of Tenza and the other Tyrants are usurpers of other mens right, destroyers of the Monarchie, and enemies to the state and liberties of Iapan. Which per∣swasions take so deepe root in the hearts of the people, and so extenuate the reputation of these Usurpers, that under co∣lour of suppression of other, they often take Armes upon hope to raise their owne greatnesse: so that by this daily change of Governours, the people, not knowing who are their right and naturall Lords, know not whom to love and obey: And againe, their Lords being as uncertaine of their continuance, care not for the people, nor for the welfare of their owne vassals, no more than if they were meere stran∣gers: but always aspiring by the same facilitie whereby they gained one, to conquer a better, after the manner of Game∣sters, continually hazard one, upon hope of winning ano∣ther; in this sort sometime one alone, sometime many toge∣ther, vexing the Islands with perpetuall warfare. Fassiba to assure his estate, and disable the greatest ones from enterpri∣sing against him, doth often transport them from one Pro∣vince to another, causing them to forgoe their ancient inhe∣ritances, and to lead their lives amongst unknowne neigh∣bours: neither in those places will he suffer them to enjoy livings united, but farre divided in peeces and parcels. For

all this, they are never at peace among themselves, by reason that the frontiers of their pettie jurisdictions neighbour so neere one upon another. In these alterations Fassiba constrai∣ned as well the losers as the winners to doe him homage and obeysance, and once a yeare to pay him a rich tribute, draw∣ing to his owne Coffers the greatest part of the wealth of Ia∣pan by these Tyrannies. He keepeth his owne people busied in building of admirable Palaces, sumptuous Temples, Townes and Fortresses, the like whereof are no where to be seene: In these works he hath more than an hundred thou∣sand workmen, labouring in their severall occupations at their owne charges. Amongst the rest, he is now in building a Temple, for whose iron workes, all the stuffe in Iapan will hardly suffice, and therefore he hath given commandement to all his people and Merchants to bring all iron and Armour into one place.

Besides the oath of fealtie whereby the residue of the Kings and Princes are bound to aid and assist him in peace and warre, he receiveth yearely two millions arising of the profits of Rice, reserved upon his owne possessions. He was determined after the finishing of the fabrikes, to attempt a journey into China, and for that enterprise caused timber sufficient for the building of two thousand vessels for trans∣portation to be felled. By these magnificent fabrikes, this haughty resolution, this large dominion, and conquest for forren Kingdomes, he hopeth to attaine the reputation of immortality among his subjects, as divers of his predeces∣sors have done before him. For Anida, Xaca, Canis, and To••oque, were no other than Lords of Iapan, which either for their glory in warre, or invention of some good arts in peace, were accounted as Gods amongst the Iaponians, as in the old world Hercules and Bacchus were amongst the Gre∣cians, and Saturne and Ianus amongst the Italians. Of these demi-gods they report as many strange and fabulous in∣ventions, as the Grecians and Italians did of theirs. But Fassi∣b•• understanding by the preaching of the Iesuites, that there can be no God but one, who created the heaven and earth

of nothing, and all other deities to be foolish and detestable, determined to banish them all, and to weed up that good Vine which began to take deepe root in those Provinces. Surely this may stand for a memorable example of the pride and blindnesse of mans heart.

The Roman Emperours opposed their forces against the Christian Religion, onely to maintaine and uphold the wor∣ship of their Idols, condemned for vaine and devillish by the Law of Christianity: but this man raiseth persecution against Religion, to arrogate to himselfe the Name of God, an imagination (as I said before) full of extreme ambition and madnesse. But in the middest of these proud and unrea∣sonable cogitations, God raised up against him a new ene∣mie from the Easterne parts of Iapan, who as wee under∣stand, is likely to give him his hand and head full of businesse.