Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

3 VALACHIA.

VALACHIA is bounded on the East with Moldavia and a branch of the Ister, or Danubius bending towards the North; on the West with Rascia; on the North with Transylvania, and some part of Moldavia, and on the South with the Danubius wholly, by which parted from Servia and Bulgaria. First called Flaccia, from one Flaccus, a Noble Roman, who on the conquest hereof in the time of Trajan, brought hither an Italian Colonie; afterwards by corruption Vlachia, and at last Valachia.

But the name of Flaccia or Vlachia, was at first of a more large extent, then it is at present; com∣prehending all Moldavia also: divided in those times by a ridge of Mountaines, into Cisalpina, and Tran alpinaa; the name of Moldavia, being afterwards appropriated to the one, and that of Valachia (properly and specially so called) unto the other. The people of both in token of their first ex∣traction, speak a corrupt Latine or Italian language: but in matters of Religion follow the dictates of the Greek Church, and obey the Patriarch of Constantinople; under whom all Ecclesiasticall affairs are governed by one Archhishop and two Bishops. In other things they partake generally of the rude∣nesse and barbarity of those Nations which have since subdued them; being a rough hewn people, hardly civilized, ignorant for the most part of letters and all liberall sciences: not weaned perfectly (in so long time of their possession of Christianity) from the superstitions of the Gentiles; swearing by Jupiter and Venus, marying, and unmarying at their pleasures; much given to magicall charms, and in∣cantations; and burying with their dead both clothes and victuals, for their relief in that long jour∣ney to the other world.

It is in length 500, in breadth 120 miles: the countrey for the most part plain, and very fertile; affording store of Cattell, a breed of excellent Horses, iron-mines, salt-pits, and all provisions ne∣cessarie to the life of man. Some vines they also have, and not few mines of gold and silver, more then for feare of the Turkes and other ill neighbours they dare discover: begirt about with woodie moun∣taines, which afford them fewell; and very well watered with the Rivers of Pruth, called antiently ••••rasus, 2 Stertius, 3 Fulmina, 4 Teln, 5 Alluta, all of them falling into 6 the Danow; which in this Province, at the influx of Fulmina takes the name of Ister: yet is it not (at the present) very popu∣lous, the spaciousnesse and fertilitie hereof considered; by reason of the ill neighbourhood of the Tartars, Turks, and Polonian Cossackes: their late long wars against those Nations and the Dutch, having much decreased their former numbers: with which they so abounded in the times foregoing, that the Vaivod of this countrey in the year 1473. was able upon little warning to bring 70000 men in∣to the field for a present service.

Places of most note herein are 1 Galatz on the influx of the River Pruth or Hierasus into the Da∣nubius, the waters of which River are so unwholesome, that it causeth the body to swell. 2 Trescor∣tum, not far from which they dig a bituminous earth, so refined and pure, that usually they make Candles of it instead of wax. 3 Prailaba, by some called Brailovia, the town of most trade in all this countrey; situate on the Danow, and defended with a very strong Castle fortified by Art, and Na∣ture, and furnished with a strong garrison of Turkes, as the key of this Province, opening the dore unto the rest. The town most cruelly destroyed and razed to the ground, with an incredible slaughter of the Inhabitants of all sexes, ages, for the spaces of four dayes together: by John the Vaivod of Moldavia spoken of before, at his first revolting from the Turkes: but the Castle in regard of the great strength of it, scarce attempted by him. 4 Teina, a Fortresse of great strength, but in the hands of the Turkes also. 5 Zorza, corruptly for San-Georgio, seated on the Danow, with an arm whereof the

Castle of it is encompassed, garrisoned by the Turkes, and by them held to be so strong and so safe a place, that at the taking of it by Sigismund the Prince of Transylvania, an. 1596. there were found in it 39 great peeces of Ordinance with such store of Armes and Ammunition as might well have served for a whole kingdome. 6 Tergovista, sometimes the chief City of the Province, and the ordinary resi∣dence of the Vaivod, till the taking of it by the Turkes: once beautified with a fair and famous Mo∣nastery, by the Turkes converted into a fortresse, environed with deep trenches, strong Bulwarks up∣on every quarter, and great store of Ordinance: but many times lost and got againe according to the changes and chance of war. 7 Bucaresta, about a dayes journey from Tergovista, seated on the Da∣now, remarkable for two bridges built neer unto it: the one of Boats, (the laying whereof took up no lesse then an whole moneths time) for the transporting of the Army of Sinan Bassa, against Sigismund Prince of Transylvania before mentioned: and broken down by the said Bassa in his flight, having bern worsted in all places by the Transylvanian. The other work of the Emperour Trajan in his warre against Decebalus King of Dacia, built all of stone, and laid on piles and Arches of a wonder∣full greatnesse; 24 piles or pillars whereof are yet remaining to the great admiration of all be∣holders. 8 Cebium, of old called Lycostomos, in vain besieged by the forces of Mahomet the Great, coming in person to subdue this petit Province. 9 Zarmizegethusa, the seat Royall of Decebalus king of Dacia, taken and destroyed by Trajan in his war against him: who causing it to be repaired and beautified more then formerly, gave it the priviledges of Rome, and the name of Vlpia Trajana; which it retained as long as Dacia was a Province of the Roman Empire. Now a small village called Vetzel. Some stones have been digged hereabouts up with this inscription, COLONIA VLPIATRA∣JANA, AVG. DACIE. ZARMIS: which cleerly shew as well the dignity and esteem, as the antiquity of the place before Trajans time.

This Province, as the rest of Dacia, on that side of the Danow, after the coming in of the Sclaves and Rosses, was under Princes of their own, whom they called (as those of Transylvania and Mol∣davia did) by the name of Vaivods. Protected by the Hungarian Kings they lived long in peace, till sensible of the approaching danger which the conquest of most part of Servia and Bulgaria by the Turkes, was like to bring them: the Vaivod of it in the time of Baiazet the first passed over the Danow with his Forces, and having done great spoil on the Turkish Territories, returned againe into his countrey. Rather provoked then weakened with which invasion, Baiazet comes into Valachia, over∣comes the Vaivod in a pitched field, compelling him to sue for peace, and to pay him tribute. But Baiazet being not long after taken Prisoner by Tamerlane, and the succession controverted amongst his sonnes, the imposed tribute was with-held; till Mabomet the fift King of the Turkes, having setled the affaires of that tottering State, anno 1417. enforced them to a new composition, and the payment of all former reckonings. The fortunate successes of Huniades in severall battels induced them once more to change their Masters, and to put themselves under the protection of the Hungarians, as they had been formerly, but they paid deere for it: their countrey being made the Thorow-fare of the Turkish forces in their attempts upon that Kingdome. But the Hungarians being vanquished at the battell of, Cassova by Amurath the second, the accustomed tribute was brought in, and the Turkes satisfied for the present, being then hardly put to it by the famous Scanderbeg. Not long after in the yeare 1462. Mahomet the Great undertooke the conquest of this Countrey, upon advertisement that Wla∣dus the then Vaivod of it intended to joine with the Hungarians in some war against him: and find∣ing how unprofitably he had spent his Forces in fighting against woods, mountaines, and a wasted countrey, he set up Dracala the younger brother of Wladus, to claim the Government, who making a party amongst the people, and having the Turk for his assistance and support, possessed himselfe of the estate, to be holden of him as a Vassall to the Turkish Empire. And it continued in this state, the Vaivods being after this at the Turkes appointment, and paying all exactions imposed upom them, till the revolt of Sigismund the Prince of Transylvania, anno 1595. at what time Michael the then Vai∣vod hereof, taking that opportunity to shake off this yoak, confederated with him and the Moldavian for their common safety. And though he held out longer against Turk and German then either of the other did; discomfited the Turkes by his own proper Forces at the battell of Nicopolis, vanquished the Transylvanians, and added that Province for a while unto this Estate, yet being at last outed of his countrey by the Polanders, and an other put into his place, he was shamefully slain in his own Tent by the privitie and consent of Basta, Lievtenant of Rodolphus Emperour, and King of Hungary. After whose death the countrey miserably distracted betwixt two Vaivods, the one placed by the Empe∣rour Rodolph, and the other by Mahomet the Grand Signieur; endured all the spoil and wrack which so calamitous a competition could bring upon it: till in the end the fortune of the Turkes prevailing, the Valachians were constrained to submit unto their disposall, and receive their Vaivods from that Court as they had done formerly; performing their accustomed duties, and paying such yearly tri∣bute is as laid upon them. Which notwithstanding partly by their owne naturall unquietnesse, and partly by the ambition of such persons as contend for that dignity; they have since been many times embroyled in wars; never so quietly composed, but that a new hope, or the artifices of the Turkish Ministers starts them into action. By meanes whereof when they have tired and spent them∣selves in their own combustions, they may in fine be fully conquered, and made the next addition to the Turkish Monarchie.