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.

[ XXIIII] IT is sufficiently knowne, that the knights of this Island are the bulwarkes of the Catho∣lique religion against the Infidels. There is a Bishop in the Island of Malta, who is vn∣der [ C] the Archbishop of Palermo in Sicile. Finally, the brethren of this order are bound by the auncient custome, and by their profession, to say euerie day at once, or at seuerall times, one hundred and fiftie Pater nosters in stead of the Canonicall houres: but the Priests, Deacons, and others of the Clergie, are bound to say the seruice euerie day, accor∣ding to the order and custome of the Church of Hierusalem. They are all bound to fast the time of Lent, from Ashwednesday vnto Easter, at the Rogations, S. Iohn Baptist, S. Marke, at Whitsuntide, the foure Ember weekes, the Apostles eues, S. Laurence, at the As∣sumption, Natiuitie, Conception, Purification, and Annunciation of our Ladie, at the feast of all Saints, and natiuitie of our Sauiour. They are in like manner bound to com∣municat at Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide. Whenas they go to any enterprise, [ D] they must confesse themselues, which they may not doe but vnto their priests, but if there be not any, then they may in that necessitie confesse themselues vnto another, with the leaue of the Prior, or Subprior, in the absence of their head. The knights being in the Conuent, are bound to assist at diuine seruice, and procession, euerie man in his ranke, and according to his antiquitie, and no man man may presume to sit in the place of Priors or Conuentuall Bailifes, nor of their Lieutenant, to the end they may obserue the honour which is due vnto the Clergie. They say for euerie brother deceased, thirtie Masses, at the first of which, all the brethren that assist, go & offer a wax candle, and a denier, which must be giuen to the poore. Euerie Priest doth owe vnto the deceased a Masse, the Deacons, [ E] and Subdeacons, a Psalter; and the seruants the office of the dead, or one hundred and fif∣tie, Pater nosters. It is ordained, that there should be a learned man feed to instruct young Clo••kes, and to teach them the Latine tongue, and another to teach them to sing, and no man shall be admitted a Subdeacon before the age of eighteene yeares, nor a Deacon be∣fore fiue and twentie, and euerie Priest must be six and twentie yeares old; and they must all haue made profession of their order.