Profitable instructions describing what speciall obseruations are to be taken by trauellers in all nations, states and countries; pleasant and profitable. By the three much admired, Robert, late Earle of Essex. Sir Philip Sidney. And, Secretary Davison.

A Letter to the same purpose.

MY good Bro∣ther; you haue thought vn∣kindnesse in me, that I haue not written oftner vnto you, and haue desired I should

write vnto you some∣thing of my opinion touching your tra∣uell; you being per∣swaded my experi∣ence therin to be som∣thing, which I must needs confesse; but not as you take it. For you thinke my expe∣rience growes from the good things which I haue learned: but I know the only

experience which I haue gotten, is, to find how much I might haue learned, & how much indeed I haue missed, for want of directing my course to the right end, and by the right meanes. I thinke you haue read Aristotles Ethiques; If you haue, you know it is the beginning & foundation of all his

worke, the end to which euery man doth and ought to bend his greatest and smallest Actions, I am sure you haue im∣printed in your mind the scope and marke you meane, by your paines, to shoot at. For if you should tra∣uell but to trauell, or to say you had trauel∣led, certainely you

should proue a pil∣grim, no more. But I presume so well of you (that though a great number of vs never thought in our selves why we went, but a certain tickling humour to doe as o∣ther men had done,) you prupose, being a Gentleman borne, to furnish your selfe with the knowledge

of such things as may bee serviceable for your Country & cal∣ling. Which certainly stands not in the change of Ayre, (for the warmest Sunne makes not a wise mā) no, nor in learning Languages (although they be of serviceable vse) for words are but words in what Lan∣guage soever they be;

and much lesse in that all of vs come home full of disguisements not onely of apparel, but of our counte nances, as though the credit of a Traueller stood all vpon his outside: but in the right informing your minde with those things which are most notable in those pla∣ces which you come

vnto. Of which as the one kinde is so vaine, as I thinke, ere it bee long, like the Moun∣tebanks in Italy, wee Travellers shall bee made sport of in Co∣medies; so may I inst¦ly say, who rightly trauels with the eye of Vlysses, doth take one of the most ex∣cellent ways of world∣ly wisdome. For hard

sure it is to know Eng∣land, without you know it by compa∣ring it with some o∣ther Countrey; no more than a man can know the swiftnesse of his horse without seeing him well mat∣ched. For you that are a Logician know, that as greatnesse of it selfe is a quantity, so yet the iudgement of

it, as of mighty riches & all other strengths stands in the predica∣ment of Relation: so that you cannot tell what the Queene of England is able to do defensively or offen∣sively, but by through knowing what they are able to doe with whom shee is to bee matched.

This therefore is one

notable vse of Tra∣vellers; which stands in the mixed & cor∣relatiue knowledge of things, in which kinde comes in the knowledge of all legues betwixt Prince and Prince; the To∣pographicall descrip∣tion of each Country, how the one lyes by scituation to hurt or helpe the other, how

they are to Sea, well harbored or not, how stored with shippes, how with Reuenue, how with fortificati∣on & Garrisons, how the people, warlike trained or kept vnder, with many other such warlike conside∣rations; which as they confusedly come in∣to my mind, so I, for want of leisure, hasti∣ly

set them downe: But these things, as I haue said, are of the first kinde which stands in the ballan∣cing one thing with the other.

The other kinde of knowledge is of thē which stand in the things which are in themselus either sim∣ply good or simply e∣vill, and so serve for a

right instruction, or a shunning example. Of these Homer meant in this verse, Qui mul∣tos hominum mores cog∣nouit et vrbes. For he doth not meane by Mores, how to looke, or put off ones Cap with a new found grace, although true behavior is not to be despised: marry my Heresie is, that the

English behaviour is best in England, and the Italians in Italie. But mores hee takes for that from whence Morall Philosophy is so called; the certain∣nesse of true discer∣ning of mens mindes both in vertue, passi∣on, and vices. And when he saith, Cogno∣uit vrbes, hee meanes not (if I be not decei∣ued)

to have seene Townes, and marke their buildings; for surely houses are but houses in every place, they doe but differ se∣cundum magis et minus; but hee intends to their Religion, Poli∣cies, ••awes, bringing vp of children, disci∣pline both for warre and peace, and such like. These I take to

be of the second kind which are euer wor∣thy to be knowne for their owne sakes. As surely in the great Turke, though wee have nothing to doe with them, yet his Discipline in warre matters is, propter se, worthy to be learned. Nay, even in the kingdome of China, which is almost as far

as the Antippodes from vs, their good Lawes and Customes are to be learned: but to know their riches and power is of little purpose for Vs; since that can neither ad∣vance vs, nor hinder vs. But in our neigh∣bour Countries, both these things are to be marked, as well the latter, which containe

things for themselues as the former which seeke to know both those, and how their riches and power may be to vs auaileable, or otherwise. The Countries fittest for both these, are those you are going into. France a∣bove all other most needfull for vs to marke, especially in the former kind. Next

is Spaine & the Low-Countries, then Ger∣many; which in my opinion excels all o∣thers as much in the latter Consideration, as the other doth in former, yet nei∣ther are voyd of nei∣ther▪ For as Germany me ••••inks doth excell in good lawes and well administring of Iustice; so are wee

likewise to consider in it the many Princes with whom we may have league; the pla∣ces of Frade, and meanes to draw both Souldiers and furni∣ture there in time of need. So on the other side, as in France and Spaine we are princi∣pally to marke how they stand towards vs both in power and

inclination; so are they, not without good and fitting vse, even in the generality of wisdome to bee knowne; As in France the Courts of Parlia∣ment, their subulter Iurisdiction, and the it continual keeping of payed Souldiers: In Spaine, their good & grave proceedings, their keeping so ma∣ny

Prouinces vnder them, and by what manner; with the true points of honor. Wherein since they haue the most open conceit wherein they seeme ouer curious, it is an easie matter to cut off when a man sees the bottom Flan∣ders likewise, besides the neighbour-hood with vs, and the an∣nexed

considerations therunto, hath diuers things to be learn'd, especially their go∣uerning their Mer∣chants & other trades. Also for Italy, wee know not what wee haue, or can haue to doe with them, but to buy their Silkes and Wines: And as for the other point, except Venice, whose good

Lawes and customes wee can hardly pro∣portion to our selues, because they are quite of a contrary gouern∣ment; there is little there but tyrannous oppression, and seruil yeelding to them that haue little or no right ouer them. And for the men you shall haue there, although indeed some be excel∣lently

learned, yet are they all giuen to counterfeit learning: as a man shall learne among them more false grounds of things then in any place else I know. For from a Tapster vp∣wards, they are all discoursers in certain matters and qualities; as Horsmanship, wea∣pons,

wayting; and such are better there then in other Coun∣tries: But for other matters, as well (if not better) you shall haue them in nearer places.

Now resteth in my memory but this point, which indeed is the chiefe to you of all others; which is,

the chiefe of what men you are to direct your selfe to, for it is certaine no vessell can leave a worse taste in the liquor it contains than a wrong teacher infects an vnskilfull hearer with that which hardly will e¦uer out: I will not tel you some absurdities I haue heard some

Trauellers tell; taste him well before you drinke much of his Doctrine And when you haue heard it, try well what you haue heard before you hold it for a princi∣pall; for one error is the mother of a thou∣sand. But you may say, how shall I get excellent men to take

paines to speake with me? Truly in few words; either much expence or much humblenesse.

FINIS.