The decades of the newe worlde or west India conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the west ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne. ... Wrytten in the Latine tounge by Peter Martyr of Angleria, and translated into Englysshe by Rycharde Eden.

¶ A briefe description of Moscouia after the later wryters, as Sebastian Munster and Iacobus Bastaldus.

THe prouince of Moscouia, is so named by the ryuer Mosco which passeth by the metrapoli∣tane citie of Moscouia cauled Mosca by the name of the ryuer Mosco. This prouince was cauled of the owlde wryters, Sarmatia Asiati¦ca. The bortherers or confines to the Mosco∣uians on the one syde towarde the East, are the Tartars cau∣led Nogai, and the Scianbanians, with the Zagatians. To∣warde the West, the prouinces of Liuonia and Lituania. To∣warde the South, the ryuer of Tanais and the people confi∣nyng with the ryuer Uolga, cauled of the owld writers Rha. And towarde the North, the Ocean sea cauled the Scythian sea, and the region of Lapponia. Moscouia is in maner all playne and full of marysshes, wooddes, and many very great ryuers wherof the ryuer of Uolga is the principal. Sum caul this Ledyl, as the owld autours named it Rha. It beginneth at the great lake cauled Lacus Albus (that is) the white lake and runneth into the sea of Bachau, named of the aunciente wryters, the sea Caspium or Hircanum. Under the domini∣on of Moscouia, are certeyne regions and dukedoomes: as Alba Russia (that is whyte Russia. Also Colmogora, Plesco∣nia, Basrida, Nouogardia, with also manye places of the Tartars which are subiecte to the duke of Moscouia. The chiefe cities of Moscouia, are Mosca, Plesconia, Nouogar∣dia, Colmogora, Otogeria, Uiatra, Smolenser, Percassauia, Cologna, Uolodemaria, Roslauia, and Cassam. The people of Moscouia are Christians, and haue greate abundaunce of hony and waxe: also ryche furres, as Sabels, Marternes, Foynes, Calaber, and dyuers other. All the Tartars which inhabite towarde the East beyonde the ryuer of Uol∣ga, haue no dwellynge places, nor yet cities or castels. But cary abowt with theym certeyne cartes or wagens couered with beastes hydes, vnder the whiche they reste, as wee do in owre houses.

They remoue togyther in great companies whiche they caule Hordas. They are warlike people and good horsemen, and are all Macometistes.

Sebastian Munster in his booke of Uniuersall Cosmogra∣phie, wryteth that the citie of Mosca or Moscouia conteineth in circuite .xiiii. myles, and that it is twyse as bygge as the citie of Praga in Bohemie. Of the countrey of Moscouia, bi∣syde other prouinces subiecte to the same, he wryteth thus. It extendeth in largenesse foure hundreth myles, and is rich in syluer. It is lawfull for no man to go owt of the realme or coome in withowt the dukes letters. It is playne without mountaynes, and ful of wooddes and marysshes. The beastes there by reason of the coulde, are lesse then in other countreis more southwarde. In the myddest of the citie of Mosca be∣inge situate in a playne, there is a castell with .xvii. towres and three bulwarkes so stronge and fayre, that the lyke are scarsely seene in any other place. There are also in the castell xvi. churches, and three very large courtes in the which the noble men of the courte haue theyr lodgynges. The dukes pallaice is buylded after the maner of the Italian buyldyng, and very fayre, but not great. Theyr drynke is mede & beere as is the maner of the moste parte of the people that inhabite the North partes of the woorlde. They are exceadynge∣ly gyuen to droonkennesse. Yet (as sume saye) the princes of the lande are prohibite in peine of death to absteine from such stronge drinkes as are of force to inebriate, except at certeyne tymes when licence is graunted theym, as twyse or thryse in the yeare. They plowe the grownde with hor∣ses and plowes of woodde. Theyr corne and other grayne by reason of longe coulde, doo seldome waxe rype on the ground by reason wherof they are sumtimes inforced to rype and dry them in theyr stooues and hotte houses, and then grynd thē. They lacke wyne and oyle. Moscouia is extended vnto Iur¦ham and Corelia which are in Scythia. The famous ryuer of Tanais, the Moscouites caule Don, hauyng his sprynges and originall in Moscouia in the dukedome of Rezense. It ryseth owt of a grownde that is playne, baren, muddy, full of marysshes and wooddes. And where it proceadeth toward the East to the mountaynes of Scithia and Tartarie, it ben∣deth to the south: and commyng to the marysshes of Meotis

it fauleth into them. The ryuer of Uolga (sumetyme cauled Rha, and nowe cauled of the Tartars Edel) runneth toward the north certeyne myles, to whom is ioyned the ryuer Occa or Ocha, flowynge owt of Moscouia, and then bendynge in∣to the South and increa••ed with many other ryuers, fauleth into the sea Euxinum, which diuideth Europe and Asia.

The woodde or forest cauled Hircania sylua, occupie••h a smal portion o•• Moscouia. Yet is it sumwhere inhabited, and by the longe labour of men made thinner and barer of trees. In that parte that lyeth towarde Prussia, is a kynde of greate and fierce bulles cauled Uri or Bisontes, as wryteth Paulus Iouius. There are also Alces muche lyke vnto har••es, with longe snoutes of flesshe and longe legges withowt any bow∣inge of theyr houx or pasternes. These beastes, the Mosco∣uites caule Lozzi, and the Almaynes Helenes. The iornaye that is betwene Ulna of Lituania by Smolense to Mosca, is trauayled in wynter on sleades by the snowe congeled by longe froste, and made very slypperye and compacte lyke Ise by reason of much wearynge and treadynge, by meanes wher¦of this vyage is performed with incredible celeritie. But in the sommer, the playne countreys can not bee ouercome with owt difficulte labour. For when the snowe begynneth to bee dissolued by continuall heate, it cause••h marysshes and qua∣myres inextricable and daungerous both for horse and man, were it not for certeyne causeyes made of tymber with in ma∣ner infinite labour. The region of Moscouia (as I haue said) beareth neyther vynes nor olyue trees, nor yet any other trees that bere any apples or frutes of very plesant or sw••te sauour or taste exc••pt chery trees, for as much as al ••ender frutes & trees are burnte of the coulde blastes of the North wynde.

Yet doo the fieldes beare all kyndes of corne, as wheate and the grayne cauled Siligo, wherof the fynest kynde of breade is made: also mylle and panyke, whiche the Italians caule Melica: Likewyse all kyndes of pulse, as beanes, peason, tares, and suche other. But theyr chife haruest consisteth of hony and waxe, forasmuch as the hole region is replenysshed with fru••e••ull bees which make most sweete hony, not in the husbande mens hyues, but euen in holowe trees. And hereby commeth it to passe that both in the wooddes and sha¦lowed launes, are seene many swarmes of bees hangynge on

the bowes of trees, so that it shall not bee necessarie to caule them togyther or charme theym with the sounde of basens. There are oftentymes founde greate masses of hony combes, conserued in trees of the owlde hony forsaken of bees, foras∣much as the husband men can not seeke euery tree in so great and large wooddes: In so much that in the stockes or bodies of exceadynge great and holowe trees, are sumtymes founde great pooles or lakes of hony. Demetrius thambassadour of the duke of Moscouia whom he sent to the bysshop of Rome not many yeares sence, made relation that a husbande man of the contrey not farre from the place where he remayned, see∣kynge in the wooddes for hony, descended into a greate hol∣lowe tree full of hony into the which he slypte vp to the brest, and lyued there only with hony for the space of two dayes, caulynge in vayne for helpe in that deserte of wooddes. And that in fine dispayrynge of helpe, he escaped by a marueilous chaunce, beinge drawen owt by a great beare that descended into the tree, with her loynes downewarde after the maner of men. For when the man (as present necessitie and oportu¦nitie serued) perceaued the beare to bee within his reache, he suddeinly clasped her abowt the loynes with his armes, and with a terrible crye prouoked the beast to inforce her strength to leape owt of the tree, and therwith to drawe hym owt, as it chaunced in deede.

These regions abounde with beares whiche euery where seeke both hony and bees, not only herewith to fyl theyr bel∣lies, but also to helpe theyr syght. For theyr eyes are often∣tymes dulled, and theyr mouthes wounded of the bees: both which greefes are eased by eatynge of hony. They haue wea∣kest heades, as lions haue strongest. In so muche that when (beinge therto inforced) they caste theim selues downe heade∣longe from any rockes, they couer theyr heades with theyr fiete, and lye for a tyme astoonysshed and halfe deade with knockes. They walke sumtyme on two fiete, and spoyle trees backewarde. Sumtyme also they inuade bulles, & so hange on them with al theyr fiete, that they wery thē with weight. The beare (as sayth Plinie) bryngeth furth her byrth the .xxx day and oftentymes two. Theyr byrth is a certeyne whyte masse of flesshe withowt forme and little bigger then a mouse withowt eyes, and withowt heare, with onely the nayles or

clawes commynge foorthe. But the damme with continuall lyckynge, by lyttle and lyttle figurethe the informe byrthe. When shee entereth into the denne whiche shee hath chosen, shee creepeth thyther with her belly vpwarde lesse the place shulde bee founde by the steppes of her fiete. And being there deliuered of her byrthe, remaynethe in the same place for the space of .xiiii. dayes immoueable as wryteth Aristoteles. They lyue withowt meate fortie dayes, and for that tyme susteyne them selues only by lyckynge and suckyng theyr ryght foote. At the lengthe chaunsynge to fynde meate, they fyll theym selues so full, that they remedy that surfecte by vomyte whi∣che they prouoke by eatynge of antes. Theyr byrthe is op∣pressed with so heauy a sleape for the space of .xiiii. dayes, that it can not bee raysed eyther with prickinge or woundes, and in the meane tyme growe exceadynge fat. After .xiiii. dayes they wake from sleepe, and begyn to licke and sucke the soles of theyr fore fiete and lyue thereby for a space: Nor yet is it apparent that they liue by any other meate vntyll the sprynge tyme of the yeare. At whiche tyme begynnynge to runne abrode, they feede of the tender buds and younge sprig¦ges or braunches of trees, and other herbes correspondent to theyr lyppes.

Before fiue hundreth yeares, the Moscouites honoured the goddes of the gentyles: And then fyrste receaued the Christian faith when the bysshoppes of Grecia began to dis∣cent from the churche of the Latines: and therfore receaued the rites of the Greekes. They minister the sacrament with fermented breade vnder both kyndes: And thinke that the soules of deade menne are not helped with the suffragies of preestes, nor yet by the deuotion of theyr frendes or kinsfol∣kes: Also that the place of Purgatorie is a fable. In the tyme of the diuine seruice, the hystorie of the miracles of Christe and the Epistels of saynt Paule are rehearsed owt of the pulpitte. Beyonde Moscouia, are manye people whiche they caule Scythians, and are partely subiecte to the Prince of Moscouia. These are they which duke Iuan subdued, as are the people of Perm, Baskird, Czriremissa, Iuhra, Core∣la, and Permska. These people were Idolatours before the duke compelled theym to baptisme, and appoynted a bysshop ouer them named Steuen, whom the Barbarians after the

departure of the duke, fleyde alyue and slewe. But the duke returnyng shortly after, afflicted them sore and assigned them a newe bysshoppe.

It is here also to bee noted that the owlde Cosmogra∣phers fayned that in these regions towarde the Northe pole, there shuld bee certeyne great mountaynes which they cauled Ripheos & Hyperboreos, which neuerthelesse are not founde in nature. It is also a fable that the ryuers of Tanais and Uolham doo sprynge owt of hygh mountaynes, wheras it is apparent that both these ryuers and many other, haue theyr originall in the playnes.

Nexte to Moscouia, is the frutefull region of Colmogo∣ra throwgh the whiche runneth the ryuer of Diuidna beinge the greatest that is knowen in the north partes of the world. This ryuer increaseth at certeyne tymes of the yeare as dooth the ryuer of Nilus in Egypte, ouerfloweth the fyeldes round abowt, and with abundaunce of fatte moysture, resisteth the couldenesse of the ayer. Wheate sowne in the grounde, grow¦eth abundauntly withowt plowynge: and fearynge the newe iniurie of the proude ryuer, spryngeth, groweth, and rypeth with woonderfull celeritie of hastynge nature.

Into the ryuer of Diuidna runnethe the ryuer of Iuga: And in the very angle or corner where they meete, is a fa∣mous marte towne named Ustiuga, beinge a hundreth and fyftie myles distant from the chiefe citie of Mosca. To this mart towne from the hygher countreys, are sent the precious furres of marternes, sables, woolues and such other whiche are exchaunged for dyuers other kyndes of wares and mar∣chaundies. Hytherto Munsterus.

And forasmuche as many doo maruaile that suche plentie of hony shuld bee in so coole a contrey, I haue thought good to declare the reason and naturall cause hereof. It is there∣fore to be considered that lyke as spices, gums, & odoriferous frutes are engendered in hot regions by continuall heate du∣ryng al the hole yeare withowt impression of the mortifying qualitie of could wherby al thynges are constrayned as they are dilated by heate, euen so in could & moyst regions (whose moysture is thinner & more waterysshe then in hot regions) are dowres engendered more abundantly as caused by impres¦sion of lesse and faynter heate woorkynge in thynne matter

of waterysshe moisture lesse concocte then the matter of gum∣mes and spices and other vnctuous frutes and trees growing in hotte regions. For althoughe (as Munster saithe here be∣fore) the region of Moscouia beareth nother vines or oliues, or any other frutes of sweete sauoure by reason of the coulde∣nesse therof, neuerthelesse forasmuch as floures (wherof hony is chiefely gathered) may in sommer season growe abundant∣ly in the playnes, marysshes, and wooddes, not onely on the grownde but also on trees in coulde regions, it is agreeable to good reason that great plentie of honye shulde bee in suche regions as abounde with floures, which are brought furthe with the fyrst degree of heate and fyrst approch of the sonne, as appeareth in the sprynge tyme not onely by the springinge of floures in fyeldes and gardeynes, but also of blossomes of trees spryngynge before the leaues or frute, as the lyghter and thynner matter fyrste drawne owte with the loweste and leaste degree of heate, as the lyke is seene in the arte of styl∣lynge wherby all thinne and lyght moystures are lyfted vp by the fyrste degree of the fyre: and the heuyest and thickest moy¦stures are drawne owt with more vehement fyre. As we may therfore in this case compare the generation of floures to the heate of May, the generation of gummes to the heate of Iune and spices to the heate of Iuly. Euen so in suche coulde regi∣ons whose soommer agreeth rather with the temperate heate and moysture of May then with thextreeme heate of the other monethes, that heate is more apt to brynge foorth abundance of floures as thynges caused by moderate heate, as playnely appeareth by theyr tast and sauoure in which is no sharpe qua¦litie of heate eyther bytynge the toonge or offendyng the head as is in spices, gummes, and frutes of hotte regions. And as in could and playne regions, moderate heate with abundance of moisture, are causes of the generation of floures (as I haue sayde) so lykewyse the length of the dayes and shortnesse and warmenesse of the nyghtes in sommer season in suche coulde reg••ons, is a greate helpe herunto. Cardanus wryteth in his booke De Plantis, that bramble & fearne growe not but in could regions, as dooth wheate in temperate regions. And that spi¦ces and hotte seedes, can not growe in coulde regions, foras∣much as beinge of thinne substaunce, they shulde soone be mor¦tified & extinct by excessiue could. For (as he sayth) nothing

can concocte, rype, and attenuate the substance of frutes with owt the helpe of ayer agreable to the natures of such thynges as are brought foorth in the same, althowgh it may doo this in rootes. But in maner all floures are of sweete sauour, for∣asmuch as the moysture that is in them, being thinne and but lyttle, is by meane heate soone and easely concocte or made rype. Such also as are soone rype, are soone rotten according to the prouerbe.

Plinie, althowgh in the .xi. booke of his naturall hysto∣rie. Cap. viii. he wryteth that hony is gathered of the floures of all trees and settes or plantes, except sorell and the herbe cauled Chenopode (whiche sume caule goose foote) yet he affir∣meth that it descendeth from the ayer: for in the .xii. chapy∣ture of the same booke, he wryteth thus.

Thus coommeth from the ayer at the rysynge of certeyne starres, and especially at the rysynge of Sirius, and not before the rysyng of Vergiliae (which are the seuen starres cauled Pleia∣des) in the sprynge of the day. For then at the mornynge sprynge, the leaues of trees are founde moist with a fat dewe: In so much that such as haue bynne abrode vnder the firma∣mente at that tyme, haue theyr apparell annoynted with ly∣quoure and the heare of theyr headde clammy. And whether this bee the swette of heauen, or as it were a certeyne spettyl of the star••es, eyther the iuise of the ayer pourgynge it selfe, I wolde it were pure, liquide, and simple of his owne nature as it fyrste fauleth from aboue. ••ut nowe descendyng so far, and infected not only with such vncleane vapoures and exha¦lations, as it meteth with by the way, but afterward also cor¦rupted by the leaues of trees, herbes, and floures of sundrye tastes and qualities, and lykewyse aswel in stomackes of the bees (for they vomite it at theyr mouthes) as also by longe re¦seruynge the same in hiues, it neuerthelesse reteyneth a great parte of the heauenly nature. &c. Ageyne in the .xiiii. chapiture of the same booke, he wrytethe that in certeyne regions to∣ward the north, as in sum places of Germanie, hony is found in such quantitie that there haue bynne seene hony combes of eyght foote longe, and blacke in the holowe parte. By the whiche woordes of Plinie, and by the principles of naturall philosophie, it dooth appere that abundaunce of hony shulde chiefely bee engendered in such regions where the heate of

soommer is temperate and continuall aswell by nyght as by day as it is not in hotte regions where the nyghtes be longe and coulde as is declared in the Decades. For lyke as suche thynges as are fyned by continuall heate, mouynge, and cir∣culation, are hyndered by refrigeration or coulde (as appereth in the art of styllynge and hatchynge of egges) euen so by the action of temperate and continuall heate withowt interposi∣tion of contrarie and mortifyinge qualitie, crude thynges are in shorte tyme made rype, sower made sweete, thicke made thinne, heauie made lyght, grosse made subtyle, harde made softe, deade made lyuynge, and in fine bodies made spirites, as manifestly appeareth in the marueylous woorke of dygesti∣on of lyuyng beastes, wherby the finest part of theyr nurisshe¦ment is turned into bludde, and the finest of that bludde con¦uerted into spirites, as the like is also seene in the nurysshe∣ment of trees, plantes, and herbes, and all other thynges that growe on the grounde, all whiche are moued, digested, subtiliate, attenuate, ryped, and made sweete by the action of this continuall heate wherof I haue spoken. To conclude therfore, if hony bee eyther the sweete of the starres, or the iuise of the ayer pourginge it selfe (as plinie writeth) or other wyse engendered of subtyle and fine vapoures rysinge frome the earth, and concocte or digested in the ayer by the sayd con¦tinuall and moderate heate, it may seeme by good reason that the same s••ulde bee engendered in soommer season more abundantly in coulde regions then in hot, for the causes aforesayde. And that it may by autoritie and reason more manifestlye appeare bothe that the heate of soommer in could regi∣ons is continual (as I haue sayd) and also that the coulde in wynter is not there so intollerable to thin∣habitauntes of those regions as other doo thynke, I haue though•• good for the better declaration hereof to adde hereunto what I haue gathered owt of the booke of Ziglerus wrytten of the north regions.

Notes

• Sarmatia asi¦atica.
• The Scythi∣an Ocean.
• The ryuer or Uolga.
• Lacus albus.
• The Caspian sea.
• Theyr chiefe cities.
• The wylde T••rtars.
• hordas.
• The bygnes of the citie of Moscouia.
• Syluer.
• The region of Moscouia.
• Beastes.
• A fayre and stronge castel in the citie of Mo••ca.
• The dukes pallaice.
• Theyr drynke
• They are gy∣uen to drun∣kennesse.
• Corne and grayne.
• Stoues.
• The famous ryuer of Ta∣nais.
• The marys∣shes of Meo∣tis.
• Uolga.
• Ocha.
• The sea Euxinum.
• The forest of hircania.
• Uri.
• Alces.
• They trauayl in wynter on sleades.
• Causeys of tymber.
• Trees and frutes.
• Corne and grayne.
• hony in wods and trees.
• Lakes or pooles of hony.
• A man almost drowned in hony.
• A marueilous chaunce.
• Beares feede of hony and bees.
• Beares in∣uade bulles.
• The ••eares byrth.
• The beares denne.
• Beares lyue withowt meate .xl. dayes.
• The sleape of beares.
• The religion of the Mosco∣uites.
• The Scythi∣ans subiecte to the duke of Moscouia.
• It was then an opinion that al riuers spronge owte of montaines
• The fruteful region of Col¦mogora.
• The great ri∣uer Diuidna.
• wheate with¦owt plowing
• The ryuer of Iuga.
• Ustiuga.
• Furrea.
• The naturall cau••e of much hony in could regiōs▪ Gummes and spices in hot countreys.
• Floures in coulde regiōs
• Floures of trees.
• Blossoomes of trees.
• An exemple of the de∣grees of heate.
• The genera∣tion of floures by moderate heate.
• Longe dayes and shorte nyghtes.
• Bramble and ferne.
• Spices.
• The sauoure o•• floures.
• what plinie wryteth of hony.
• Serius is o∣therwyse cau¦led Canicula, this is the dogge, of whom the ca¦nicular dayes haue theyr name.
• what is hony
• howe hony is corrupted.
• hony of great quantitie in North regiōs
• hot nyghtes in coulde re∣gions.
• A similitude.
• Natural heat dooth subtyle and digest all thynges.
• Subtyle va∣pours dige∣sted by heate
• Could regiōs
• Ziglerus.