An epitome of Mr. John Speed's theatre of the empire of Great Britain And of his prospect of the most famous parts of the world. In this new edition are added, the despciptions of His Majesties dominions abroad, viz. New England, New York, 226 Carolina, Florida, 251 Virginia, Maryland, 212 Jamaica, 232 Barbados, 239 as also the empire of the great Mogol, with the rest of the East-Indies, 255 the empire of Russia, 266 with their respective descriptions.

[illustration] map of Tartary

TARTARIA

The Description of the Kingdom of TARTARY.

SCYTHICARVM gens semper antiquissima. It was a judged case (long since) betwixt the Aegyptian and Inhabitant of this Countrey. Yet were not the Scythans the first which possest it: At least it was the first name by which they were known. For, before the entrance of Scythes the supposed Son of Hercules, we find here a people which derive their pedegree from Magog the son of Iopheth, and were called Magogins, in remembrance of their antique Founder. To this purpose Iunius and other learned interpret terram Magogin, in the 38 of Ezek. 2. and Rev. 20. 8. and so in sundry places elsewhere of divine Scripture, take it for other land, than that which was after by prophane Writers called Scythia, and Sarmatia, and now Tartaria; though perhaps these have not all had still the same bounds from the beginning; for what any one Kingdom of the earth hath? All States have had their course to rise and fall, to be impaired, or enlarged, at pleasure of the most High, who disposeth of Empires as seems best in his wisdome.

(2) Of the Magogins we have not much story; yet they have left their name behind them, which is now corrupted i••to Ma••gol, as most imagine. While the Scythae bare rule, they infested their neigh∣bours without mercy or equity; and practised their rapines, as far almost, as they could find a subject to work on. Insomuch that they gave name to all the rude and inhumane Nations, both of Asia and Europ•• ••••rth of Danubius: which▪ for their cruelty were much feared, and for bruitish customes grown 〈…〉〈…〉 the more civil parts of the World.

(3) 〈…〉〈…〉 barum mores, was meant of these by the Poet, and well it might. For who could be more barbar••••s than the Essedons, which lived here by the Palus M••otis, and (as Herod, in his fourth Book of Histories delivers) were wont to sing their Parents to the grave, invite their best friends, to feast with their fathers flesh, and use his ••k••ll as a Cup to drink in, at their lascivious banquets.

Who more than the Axiacae? who quenched their thirst with the bloud of him whom they first flew, as it gusht warm from his wounds? Who more foolishly proud than the Agathyrsi? who, as God and nature had come short in their making up, were used to mend their beauty by a deformed painting, and ugly staining of their bodies with motly colours. Our Picts are supposed by some to have had hence their original.

(4) It were too much to recite here the other scattered Nations which over-spread the earth: for she was, as most stile her, the offi••ina generis humani: and sent forth swarms of her brood, which soon fastned themselves where••ever they set footing. For they were strong of body, bold and hardy, be∣yond the rule of valour; distinguisht not right from wrong in their quarrels, but reckoned justly their own, whatever they could clasp by force of Arms. And this they all practised almost without diffe∣rence of sex, unless in this, that their women were most warlike: witness that incomparable story of Tomyris, who cut off the Persian Cyrus, and 200000 more of his Souldiers at one encounter, and cast his head into a cauldron of bloud, with this upbraid, for the slaughter of her son Pergapises: Satia te ••anguine, quem sitisti. Nor was she the single one that put off the weakness of her sex to take Arms. For here lived those professed Amazons, which admitted no man into their Camps, but at set times of necessity, to preserve their race: yee were they a terrour to the world, vext a great part of Asia the less, and built the renowned Ephesus, Smyrna, Cuma, Magnesia, &c.

(5) These had their time. The Gothes or Getae succeeded, and were inheritors as well of their mischievous customs, as ill-gotten possessions: for which they purchased them the na••e of Polonei▪ among their neighbours, thieves and destroyers, such as were no less grievous to th••m th••n their predecessors. Doubtless a curse of perpetual tyranny lies upon their wicked Empire. For when next the Tartars came on, the State it self was not much bettered, nor the innocent which lay near any whit more secured.

(6) These last have been supposed to be the remnant of those ten Tribes which wer•• led captive by Salmanassar. How likely the Reasons are I will not dispute. But surely if so, they must have retained some knowledge of the the true God, at least some precepts of civility from their Fore-fathers, though never so long since. For what people can we read of in Stories, which have at any time been enlightned with the truth, and yet afterward fallen into that gross barbarism, which is now found among the Tartarians? See their Character, which (as they are by most described) deals impartially; gives them ill-fashioned bodies, answerable to their rude minds, fit Houses for so unclean Guests.

(7) There stature is different. The most part have large shoulders, a broad face, with a crooked nose, deformed countenance, swarthy colour, hollow eyes, hairy and untrimmed beard, and head close shaved. Their speech is boysterous and clamourous; their noise in singing like the yell of Wolves; and endurance of Hunger, Thirst, Heat, Cold, and Watching, equals them (in strength of body) to the most able beast, for it exceeds the common power of a man. Their lust is without law. For they except no kindred but their own Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters: No species, for they mix with Beasts: no sex, for they are insatiate Sodomites: and yet take liberty for as many wives as they can maintain; which contrary to our civil courses they buy of their Parents, instead of receiving dow∣ries. Their meat is the raw flesh of Horses, without regard how they were killed, or of what diseases they died: sometimes they suck bloud from the living, to appease their Hunger and Thirst, if (in a journey) they be distressed for want of food.

(8) Cities they have but few, nor Houses, other than moveable Tents, made of Beasts skins, which they pitch up by great multitudes, in the form of a Town, and those are called Hordes; when the grass is once eaten bare, a••d the ground yields not meat for their Cattel, they trudge with bag and bag∣gage to another quarter: and so in course they wander through the vast deserts, unsetled, and indeed impatient to be setled, or rather imprisoned (as they take it) within any one bounded compass,

having the wid•• world to roam in. Their chief Arms are Bow and Arrows, which they use most on Horseback, for their more speedy flight; and have them commonly strongly poysoned, for the more sure mischief to the Foe. Their Stratagems are down right fraud, and breach of truth; for they keep no Faith with any enemy, regard not any compact made upon terms of peace; but follow their own sense, and commit what outrages they can with least danger to themselves.

(9) Their Religion is answerable to their vile customs; Some are Pagans, others Mahometans, yet will not be called Turks, but Bersemanni, and their chief Priest Seyd, whom they reverence more than their Maker, and admit that none should touch his Hand, but their Kings, and these too with an hum∣ble gesture: their Dukes aspire not above his knee, nor their Nobles higher than his feet: the rest are happy, if they can but reach at his garment, his horse, his any thing, so simple are they in their Superstition: and thus have they continued either Atheists or false Idolaters, ever since their first entrance upon this Kingdome in the year 1187. Before, they were not esteemed a Nation at all, but wild people, without law or reason almost, who lived in the open fields, and conversed with no o∣ther than their own Heards of Cattel.

(10) Their first King was one Chinchis, a man of low birth, but high spirit, impatient of that sla∣vish condition to which he was bred; he brake forth at last, and drew more by his example, into the thoughts of better fortunes: which he ceased not to prosecute, till he had made good his purpose, and not only setled himself in the throne, but enlarged the dominion of the Tartars, through a great part of Asia and Europe, which had scarce before heard of any such people. His first Forces he imployed upon Tenduch and Argon, bounded with the Eastern Seas, both of them were then Provinces govern∣ed by Vnchan, or Presbyter Iohn. Soon after they got ground in Sarmatia Asiatica, followed their blow upon Russia, Hungary, and Polonia, fetcht in the Kingdoms of China, Mein, and ••en∣gala, and left many out-reaches to their successors, which have not kept entire to this day, as being

not able to match so many potent adversaries, as they have from every quarter of their Kingdome.

(11) The limits are now on the North the Scythian Ocean, on the West the Muscovian Empire, Sar∣matia Europoea, and mare Caspium: on the South Mount Caucasus, the Kingdom of Persia, and part of India: and on the East partly the Easterly Seas, and partly the Kingdom of China. Thus divided she contains five Provinces. (1) Tartaria minor. (2) Asiatica. (3) Antiqua. (4) Zagathai intra Imaum. (5) Cathai extra Imaum.

(12) Tartaria minor is called likewise Horda Precopensium, a sort of Tartars which have their name from one City Precops, but inhabit all those plains which lie round about the ••ontus Euxinus, or Mare Magor, and Palus Maeotis, including the whole Taurica Chersonesus, so that she extends her limits from the banks of the River Boristhenes, as far as Tanais. Her chief Province is the Chersonesus, a Penin∣sula, seventy miles in compass, which took the name of Taurica from O••yris, who (they say) first ploughed this Land with a yoke of Bulls. It was invaded by one Vlanus, from whom the Inhabitants of this whole Region were sometimes called Vlani, as they were after Crym Tartars, from that City Crym, once the Kings seat of this Peninsula, though it stood not within her limits: For her principal Town was, (1) Theodosia, now Casta, where there was heretofore a Colony of Genoaes, till they were dispossest by Mahomet the eighth Emperour of the Turks. (2) Eupatoria. (3) Parthenium, &c. The other Towns of this Tartaria Precopensis, which stand without the Chersonesus, are Oc••acon, which this people took from the Dukes of Lituania and Tanas, which stands in the utmost part of this Tartaria, above the mouth of the River Tanais, some three miles distant. It is called by the In∣habitants Azac, and it is a place of great Traffique, and free access from many neighbouring Nations. Near this South-ward, begins the Palus Maeotis▪ reacheth as far as the Taurica Chersonesus, betwixt which and the main Land, is the Bosphorus Cimmerius; and on their South banks flows their Pou∣tus Euxinus, which runs into the Propontis, but returns not This Sea is in some places so deep,

that the water appears at top black, and was therefore called Mare nigrum. It might be thought that the people living so near the civil parts of Christendome, were better mannered than the Asiatick Tartars; but their stubborn rudeness takes in foul scorn to be taught by any other Nation; and there∣fore stands stiffly to their old course of life, in Woods and wild Fields, and cease not to commit con∣tinual murders and rapines upon the Countries adjoyning, with an inveterate hate to such as profess the Name of Christ; insomuch that they have engaged themselves to pay yearly three hundred Christians, as tribute to the great Turk; which number they draw out of Polonia, Russia, Lituania, Walachia, and part of Muscovia.

(13) Asiatica, or Tartaria deserta & Mu••covitica, differs not much from the ancient Sarmatia As••••ti∣ca, which in Ptolomy's description is bounded on the West with the River Tanais and Palus Maeotis, on the East with Scythia intra Imaum, on the North with the Montes Hyperborei, and on the South with the mountains Coran and Caucasus. The Inhabitants live in Hordes as the rest do, which remove often, and direct their wandring course by observing the Pole-star. In this too their Hordes have divisi∣ons, and are known by several names: The chief is Zavell, which for the most part lies betwixt the Rivers Volga and Layich, and in regard it is as it were the Mother Horde to the rest, it was called mag∣na Horda, and her Emperour Vlacham, magnus dominus; for so he was, and had full power of a Prince, till they were subdued by the Precopen••es, in the year one thousand five hundred six, and after by Basilius Duke of Moscovia. Next to this are the Casanenses, which have their chief City Casan, upon the River Velga, near the confines of Muscovia. It was once an entire government to it self, but in the year one thousand five hundred fifty one, after many victories and revolts, it was fully and irrecoverably vanpuisht, and made an addition to the Duke of Muscovia's title. The Inhabitants here are somewhat more ingenious than the Precopenses: they till their ground, and in some places build houses, and pra∣ctise Merchandise with the Turks and Moscovites. Not much unlike to these are the Astroc••anenses,

situate toward the Mare Caspium, and have their name from the rich Metropolis Astrachan, twenty Italian miles distant from the mouth of Volga; both they and it were subdued in the year one thou∣sand four hundred ninety four, by the Duke of Muscovia. Besides these, there are many other wild Hordes of Tartars; Of the Nohaicenses, Thumenenses, Sc••ibaschienses, Casachienses, Astnichanenses, Ba∣sc••irdi, Kirgessi, Molgamozani. These last strange Idolaters of the Sun, and a piece of a red clout, hung up before them upon a pole. They live in Caves, and feed for the most part upon such creatures as creep upon the ground: some of them are Anthropophagi. And hereabouts is the great Lake called Kvtay.

(14) Tartaria Antiqua, the ancient seat of the Tartars, and Kingdom of Magog, when both the first Inhabitant was placed by the Son of Iapheth, and when these last Tartars entred, under the Com∣mand of Chinchis. It was the utmost portion of the Tartarian Empire, to the frozen Seas on her North, the Scythian on the East, and the mare de Annian: for it contains many disperst Hordes, all (almost) subject to the great Cham of Cathai. In the most Northern tract, which strikes into the Sea beyond the Polar circle, dwell the Dani, Neptalitae, Mecriti, &c. more South-ward the Kingdom of Tabor, and the vast desart Caraecoranum, and the Mount Altay, the place of burial for the Tartarian Emperours. Toward the East Seas, and near the Promontory of Tabin, are the Regions of Arzaret, (which some think to be the very place first possest by the remnant of the ten Captive Tribes) and An∣nian, and Argon, and Tenduch, and Mongal, and many other, whose people live after the antique manner in tents moveable: some few Cities they have, poorly built, and as rudely customed. Among other incivilities they have this fashion, to prostitute their wives and sisters to such guests, as they would entertain most friendly; and when it was once forbad by their great Cham, they recovered it again with much suit and solemn protestation, that they had not thrived since it was laid aside, The ground b••ings forth good store of especial good Rhubarb.

(15) Zagathai, the same with Scythiaintra Imaum, and is bounded upon the West with the mare Caspium, upon the East with the Desart as far as Lop: upon the North with the River Iaxartus, and upon the South with the Mount Caucasus. It hath the name from their Prince, brother to the••r great Cham, and contains in it these several Provinces: (1) Zagatai, where Tamberlane was born, and first bare rule in the City Sarmachand, a place enr••cht by his victories, and memorable for the death of Cly∣tus, slain by Alexander in his drunken fury. The seat of the Governour is in Bochara, another town of the best note here. (2) Bactria now Coccazzan, the Inhabitants were led by ••essus, which ••lew Darius, and the first King was Zoroastes, in the time of Ninus the Assyrian, and twice tried the fortune of war with him, but was at last vanquished, and his Kingdom made a Province to the Monarchy: In several ages it hath been tossed into the hands of divers States, among the rest, the Romans had it once in their possession, at which time, the Inhabitants received knowledge of the truth from the mouth of Saint Thomas: but have lost it since by the tyranny of the Sarazens and Tartars. (3) Sogdiana, on the North of Bactria, where G••opolis stood, built for a Fort against the Scythians, and standing to the time of Alexander, who battered it to the ground. (4) Margiana, and (5) Turchestan, East of the Mare Caspi∣um, and was the s••at of the Turks before they brake into Armenia.

(16) Cathaie the same with Scythia extra Imaum, and is the Empire of the great, Cham of the Tar∣tars, and true progeny of Chinchis; It is compassed almost with mountains and deserts: and is divi∣ded from China, only by a great wall on the South. The soyl is exceeding fertile, and the people far more civil than in the other parts of Tartaria. Her Provinces are (1) Cathaie, wh••ch is supposed to be the Antique seat of the Seres: and is therefore called Regio Serica: For it sends forth excellent Silks, Stuffs, and Chamlets, and other rare commodities, which equalize her (at least in her own e∣steem) to the best parts of Europe. Her Metropolis is Cambelu, twenty eight miles in compass, be∣sides the Suburbs, built four square by the River Polysangus, and enricht from India, China, and

other Regions, with all sorts of Merchandise. Here their great Cham lives, but is buried at the Mount Altay, and is conveyed thither by a strong guard, which kills all they meet in the way, and commands them to serve their Lord in the other world. Maginus reports from Marcus Polus, that while he was in Cathai, ten thousand persons lost their lives upon one such occasion. (2) Tangut, which (they say) had the Art of Printing many hundred years before it was known among us. (3) Camul. (4) Tanifu. (5) Tebet, not much differing either from themselves, or the other parts of Tartaria, which belong to the Kingdom of Carthaie.

FINIS.