Memorabilia mundi, or, Choice memoirs of the history and description of the world by G.H.

Out of the Description of the Kingdom of TARTARY.

THese Tartaryans, for brutish Cu∣stoms, were grown odious to the more civil parts of the World, and as (Herod in his fourth Book of Histories delivers) were wont to sing their Pa∣rents to the Grave, invite their best Friends to Feast with their Fathers flesh, and use his Scull, as a cup to drink in at their lascivious banquets. Who more the Axiaca, who quenched their thirst with the bloud of him, whom they first slew, as it gushed warm from his wounds; who more foolish proud than the Agathyrst, who were used to mend their beauty by a deformed paint∣ing, and ugly staining of their bodies with motly colours.

You shall have here their Character, which is given by most that describe them, to have ill fashioned bodies, an∣swerable

to their rude minds, fit houses for so unclean guests.

Their Stature is different. The most part have large shoulders, a broad face, with a crooked nose, deformed counte∣nance, swarthy colour, hollow eyes, hai∣ry and untrimmed beard, and head close shaved. Their speech is boisterous, and clamorous, their noise in singing, like the yell of Wolves, and endurance of hun∣ger, thirst, heat, cold and watching e∣quals them (in strength of body) to the most able beast, for it exceeds the com∣mon power of a man. Their lust is with∣out Law, for they except no kindred, but their own Mothers, Daughters, and Sisters. No species, for they mix with beasts; nor sex, for they are unsatiate Sodomites; and yet take liberty for as many Wives which they can maintain, which (contrary to our civil courses) they buy of their Parents, instead of recei∣ving Dowries. Their meat is the raw flesh of horses, without regard how they were killed, or what diseases they dyed;

sometimes they suck bloud from the li∣ving, to appease their hunger and thirst, if (in a journey) they be distressed for want of food.

Cities they have but few, nor hou∣ses other then 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, and the ground yields not meat for their Cattel, they trudge with bag and baggage to another quarter, and so in course they wander through the vast Desarts unsetled, and indeed impatient to be setled, or rather imprisoned (as they take it) within any bounded compass, having the wide world to roam in: Their chief Arms are Bow and Arrows, which they use most on Horse-back, for their most speedy flight, and have them commonly strong∣ly poysoned, for the more sure mischief to the foe; their stratagems are down∣right fraud, and breach of truce, for they keep no faith with an Enemy, regard

not any compact made upon terms of peace, but follow their own sense, and commit what out-rages they can with least danger to themselves.

Their Religion is answerable to their vile customs; Some are Pagans, others Mahometans, yet will not be called Turks, but Bersemany, and their chief Priest Seyd, whom they reverence more then their Maker, and admit none shall touch his hand but their Kings; and these too with an humble gesture, their Dukes aspire not above his knee, nor the Nobles higher then 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 the first entrance upon this Kingdom in the year 1187. Before they were not esteemed a Nation at all, but wild peo∣ple, without Law or reason almost, who lived in the open fields, and conversed with no other then their own heards of Cattel.

They cease not to commit continual Murthers and Rapines upon the Coun∣tries 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, Tituania, Walachia, and part of Muscovia.