The estates, empires, & principallities of the world Represented by ye description of countries, maners of inhabitants, riches of prouinces, forces, gouernment, religion; and the princes that haue gouerned in euery estate. With the begin[n]ing of all militarie and religious orders. Translated out of French by Edw: Grimstone, sargeant at armes.

¶ The Forces. [ C]

THey that will carefully consider of the forces of this great Emperor, may easily judge that they consist, first in the scituation of his countries, which we haue formerly shewed to be exceeding strong, in his large territories, and in the greatnesse of townes, as of Sucuir, and of Campion, built and fortified after our manner, of Ergimul, Corazam, Thebet, and Caindu, all chiefe townes of so many realmes; and also in the aboundance of victualls which they yeeld, and in the greatnesse of his reuenues: for that among other things, he exacts the tenth of wooll, silke, hempe, corne, and cattell, and he is ab∣solute lord of all that the Tartarians enioy: but his chiefest forces consist in his men of [ D] warre, whom he entertaines continually in armes. These liue in field some foure miles from euerie towne, and besides the pay which they receiue from the Prince, they doe also make much profit of a great number of cattel which belong vnto them, and of their milke and wooll. If by chance the great Cham hath need to leuie a great armie, he takes what number shall be necessarie out of these men which lie dispersed in the prouinces, after the manner of the Roman Legions. The Tartarians doe not commonly fight on foot, except the Vachens, who are not vnder the empire of the great Cham. Their chiefe armes are bowes and arrowes, the which they vse (as we haue said) as well when they flie, as when they charge. They carrie little with them when they go to the warre, but their chiefest baggage consists of tents of felt, vnder which they retire themselues when it [ E] raines. They liue for the most part of milke, which they drie in the Sunne, hauing first drawne forth the butter; and whenas necessitie doth presse them, they liue of the bloud which they draw from their horses. They do seldome joyne battaile with their enemies, but charge them sometimes in front, sometimes in flanke, shooting their arrows continu∣ally after the manner of the Parthians. They that carrie themselues valiantly, haue goodly recompences, and are aduanced to the greatest dignities; they are honoured with exqui∣sit presents, and haue goodly priuiledges.

This Emperour doth commonly entertaine twelue thousand horsemen for the guard of his person, and it is thought that he may draw more horse together than any Prince whatsoeuer; so as his forces haue two remarkable qualities: the one is, that he hath many [ F] men, as we may conceiue by the greatnesse of his countries, the which must needs be well inhabited, for that in the most part there is aboundance of all things necessarie: the other is, that all his men of warre are in armes, and readie to march vpon the first command, for that they are continually well payed, the which is a matter of great importanc••: 〈◊〉〈◊〉

[ A] as they doe more esteeme the disposition and agilitie of a souldier than his force, so they account much more of armies which are readie to march where they are comman∣ded, and haue not much baggage to hinder them, than those which consist of great num∣bers: but Princes which haue them both great and readie to put to field, must of ••ecessi∣tie be held for powerfull and verie strong: for these are like vnto Eagles, Tygers, or Li∣ons, which are held as princes of other beasts, for that they haue disposition and agilitie joyned to the force of the bodie; so as with these two parts they get the victorie ouer others. They say that the Tartarians cannot serue with a targuet, and that there are few of them that vse lances or long swords: those they weare are made like vnto the Turkish [ B] Cimetaries, pointed, and very sharpe, and of the length of a mans arme, to the end they may strike them that come too neere them. He among them is held most valiant, that knwes best to obey his Captaine.