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 Religion.

ALthough that the faith and Christian religion be crept into this realme, yet it is full of [ IX] Idolaters, whereof some worship the Sunne as husband to the Moone, and hold it [ C] for their soueraigne god: and they do also honour the Moone, as his wife, giuing it the second ranke. Some others worship those beasts which are like vnto dragons, whereof we haue made mention, treating of the qualitie of the countrie. And some worship the Earth, as the nurse and mother of all things. To conclude, they are so ful of foolish errors, as we may justly say, that in all their beliefe, they know not what they beleeue. But it shall be fit to let the Reader see by what meanes the name of Christ hath beene planted in these countries, and in what esteeme and honour it is at this day.

The realme of Congo was conuerted vnto the Christian faith by the meanes of D. Iohn the second, king of Portugal, after this manner: Iames Cano, a Captaine to this king, coasting Africke by his commaundement, after a long voyage came vnto the great riuer [ D] of Zaire, and continuing his nauigation, he discouered many lands, whereas he found the inhabitants much more tractable than those which had beene formerly discouered. And to giue a more particular account vnto his king, he resolued to go to the Court of this realme, where being arriued, and courteously entertayned, he began to shew the vanitie of idolatrie, and the greatnesse of the Christian faith, and he found this prince so well disposed, as returning into Portugal, he not onely carried an Embassadour backe with him, but also some noblemens children, to the end they might learne the Christian faith, and be well instructed, then hauing receiued baptisme, be sent backe vn∣to their houses, with certaine Portugal Priests fit to preach the Gospell, and to plant the faith in this realme.

[ E] These children continued two yeares in Portugal, and were well entertained, careful∣ly instructed in the Christian faith, and baptised with great solemnitie. Being confirmed in the faith, King Iohn sent them into their countries, with an honourable embassage, and withall, three Friers of the order of S. Dominicke, men of integritie, and of great lear∣ning, to instruct that nation. Being arriued at Congo, they first conuerted the kings vnkle together with a sonne of his. The King and Queene were afterwards baptised, and this prince in short time caused a goodly Church to be built vnder the name of the Ho∣lie Crosse.

The king was christened by the name of Iohn, his queene by that of Elinor, and their eldest sonne was called Alphonso. This prince was excellent in bountie and liberalitie, [ F] who not content with his owne conuersion, imployed himselfe with great loue an zeale to conuert the subiects: but we must not thinke, that the word of God, or his Crosse, can be planted without much paine. These fathers of S. Dominicke, besides the malignitie of the ayre, and insupportable heat which consumed and wasted them, were also ill intrea∣ted by them of Congo: for although that when they spake of the holie ceremonies and

diuine mysteries, they seemed tractable, for that they thought that those things which [ A] were aboue the capacitie of man, were more fit for the maiestie of God; yet whenas they begun to speake of temperance, continencie, restitution of another mans goods, pardon of offences receiued, with articles of Christian profession, they not onely discouered a dif∣ficultie, but also a contrarietie, and opposition. The king himselfe, who in the begin∣ning had shewed so great zeale, grew cold, and being loath to leaue their southsay∣ings and sorceries, but especially the multitude of wiues (which is a generall difficultie among the Barbarians) he gaue no eare vnto those preachers, and the women not able to endure to be chased away, or confined into any place by their husbands, or to haue one preferred before another, troubled the whole Court, and the citie where the king made [ B] his aboad. They were the more incited to this disorder by Panse Aquitime, the kings se∣cond sonne, who would not be baptised; by reason whereof, there grew great hatred be∣twixt him and his elder brother, who was wonderfully affected to the Christian religion, and maintayned Christs cause as much as might be.

Vpon these contrarieties the king died, and the brethren fel to armes. The euent was, that Alphonso, with six and thirtie souldiers, calling vpon the name of Iesus Christ, and that of S. Iaques, after the Portugal manner, defeated his enemie, who was taken, and died in his detestable opinion. Doubtlesse God fauoured Alphonso in this war••e with apparent myracles; for they say, that being readie to giue battaile, there was so great a light, as his eyes, and his companions, were dazeled for a time, wherewith they conceiued [ C] a great hope to obtaine the victorie. But afterwards, lifting vp their eyes to heauen, they saw fiue shining swords, which the king tooke at that time for his armes, and his succes∣sors haue continued vnto this day. His enemies confest that they had not beene vanqui∣shed by the king, or his souldiers, but by a woman which was wonderfull white, who da∣zeled their eyes with an insupportable light, and by a knight, who mounted vpon a bay horse hauing a purple crosse vpon his brest, strucke them, and bare them to the ground.

After the victorie, he drew all the noblemen of his kingdome together, commaunding them to cause all their Idolls to be brought into one place, the which he burnt vpon the topof a high mountaine. He raigned fiftie yeares in peace, during the which, he aduaun∣ced the Christian faith wonderfully, by his authoritie, example, yea and by his preaching. [ D] King D. Emanuel did not abandon the enterprise, for he sent out of Portugal into Congo, twelue Friers, of those which the Portugals call Blew, of the which father Iohn Marien was the chiefe, with Architects, Carpenters, and Masons to build Churches, and with a rich furniture for diuine seruice: And king Alphonso sent his sonne Henrie, with many princes of his realme, to Rome, where they were receiued with verie much honour. King Alphonso had his sonne Peter for successour, in whose time they sent an Eunuch into the Island of S. Thomas, who had the care of Congo, where they erected a Colledge in the towne of S. Sauiour, of eight and twentie Channoins, in the Church of the holie Crosse. The second bishop was of the royall house of Congo, who went to Rome, and di∣ed in his returne. Peter had Francis for his successour in the realme, who raigned little, [ E] and being dead, Diego his kinsman succeeded him. In his time, Iohn the third, king of Portugal, hearing that the king cared not much for religion, and that the Merchants and Priests of Europe did not much aduaunce it, but did scandalize the new Christians by their bad liues, sent foure Iesuits thither to repaire all disorders. These religious men comming first to S. Thomas, and then to Congo, were receiued courteously by the king, and imploying themselues presently in the worke for the which they were sent, one of them began to instruct six hundred children in learning, and in the Christian doctrine, and the rest went into the countrie, preaching with admirable fruit, for in fiue moneths they conuerted aboue fiue thousand persons, and built three Churches. But falling after∣wards one after another into troublesome and languishing diseases, they were forced [ F] to returne into Europe. At that time, they made a third Bishop, who was a Portugois by nation, who found great difficultie by reason of the contumacie of the Channoins, and the Clergie.

In the meane time, king Diego died, and after his decease, there grew great contention

[ A] for the succession of the realme, during which in a manner all the Portugois which were at S. Sauiour were slaine, except the priests. In the end Henrie brother to Diego obtained the crowne, and after him (who died soone after in barraile against the Anziques) Aluaro his sonne raigned. He to reconcile himselfe vnto the Portugois, assembled them altoge∣ther that liued dispersedly throughout the realm, as wel religious, as lay men, & he wrat for his discharge vnto the king and the bishops of S. Thomas. The bishop hauing seene the letters, past into the realme of Congo, where hauing set some order for the discipline of the clergie, he returned to S. Thomas, where he ended his daies.

It happened partly through the absence, and partly for the want of bishops, that the [ B] aduancement of religion was much hindered, and likely to decline in all those countries, for that one called Francis, a man of great authoritie, both in regard of his house, as of his wealth, began to say openly that it was a vaine thing to haue but one wife, and in the end he abandoned the Christian faith, and was the cause that the king lost much of his for∣mer zeale,

They say, that this Francis being dead and buried in the Church of the holie Crosse, the deuills vncouered a part of the Church, and with a feareful noise drew him out of his graue, and carried him away, the which did much trouble the king: but he was moued more by an accident which happened afterwards: for the Giaguas leauing their countrie entred by great numbers into the realme of Congo, and comming to fight with this king, [ C] they put him to flight, and did so terri••ie him, as not holding himselfe safe in his chiefe citie, he abandoned the realme, and retired himselfe into an Island of Zaire called the Horse Island, with the Portugal priests, and the princes of his realme. Seeing him∣selfe reduced to this extremitie, for that besides the losse of his countrie, his people died of hunger, and they sold themselues one to another for a vild price to haue meat; he had recourse to Don S••bastian king of Portugal, from whom he obtained six hundred souldi∣ers, by whose valour he chased his enemies out of the realme, and was restored to his for∣mer estate within one yeare and a halfe. In his time the Bishopricke of S. Thomas was giuen to Anthonie of Glioue a Castillian, who after many difficulties propounded by the gouernour of that Island, was in the end conducted to Congo, with two religious [ D] men, and foure priest, where for a time he maintained things in good estate. In the meane time, king Aluaro died, and had for successor his sonne bearing the same name, who failed not to sollicite D. Sebastian, and D. Henrie kings of Portugal, and after them the Catho∣like king, to send him preachers, and other church men to maintaine and augment the faith in his realme. And amiddest these goodly desseignes he died, leauing for successour his sonne bearing the name of Aluaro.

In the middest of these troubles, certaine Iesuits past into Congo, and began to preach vnto the people. These religious men haue built a house in the Island of Loande, where there remaines six or seuen priests, who go vp and downe where necessitie calls them. For the number of the baptised being very great, there are so few men to entertaine them [ E] in deuotion, as the bad graine exceeds the good. In the yeare 1587, king Aluaro, who for that he was not borne of lawfull marriage was little esteemed of the most part of his sub∣iects, would haue neere vnto his person one of these fathers, by whose meanes and au∣thoritie he purchased himselfe reputation, and came to be honoured. And God fauoured his intention, for that hauing against him a sister of his by the fathers side, with a brother of hers, he gaue them battaile with a great armie, and carried himselfe so valiantly in the fight, as he not only def••ated the armie, but also slew the generall. After which, he ordai∣ned that in the place where he was slaine, they should build a church in honour of our la∣die: and to encourage others by his example, he first of all laid hand to worke, and by very fauourable edicts aduanced the preaching of the Gospel, and the enterprise of these [ F] religious men.