1.1. The bounds of Albion with the sundrie commodities thereof, and of the great infirmities that fall vnto the people there for their intemperancie, and final|lie of the religion vsed there in old time. The first Chapter.

The bounds of Albion with the sundrie commodities thereof, and of the great infirmities that fall vnto the people there for their intemperancie, and final|lie of the religion vsed there in old time. The first Chapter.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 _THe Ile of At|bion conteineth in the whole cir|cumference, 2 M. miles, ha|uing in length 700, & in bredth 300, as appée|reth well by the coast therof that dooth lie ouer a|gainst France where it is broa|dest, and from whence it gathereth narrower and narrower, till it come to the vtter marches & last bounds of England and Scotland. For betwixt the Mule of Gallowaie that is on the west side ouer against the Irish seas, and saint Ebbes head, that lieth vpon the Germané ocean toward the east, are scarselie 130 miles, and thencefoorth it groweth smaller and smaller till it touch vpon the north seas, where it is not aboue thir|tie miles, as I noted before in the description of Britaine.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 This Ile is replenished with people, horsses, and all other kind of cattell and corne in most abundant maner, except it be in such places where as God of his singular goodnesse hath otherwise indued the soile with rich mines of gold, siluer, tin, brasse, copper, and quicksiluer, which for the most part are so plenti|full, that they suffice not onlie for the necessaries of the whole Iland, but also of sundrie regions that are situated round about it, if the inhabitants were skil|full and painefull to deale withall accordinglie. But the abundance of all other things requisite for the vse of man, that is found generallie in our Iland, maketh the people lesse carefull of these commodi|ties, and more giuen to idlenesse. For beside the great plentie of those things which heauen and earth doo minister, as grasse, corne and cattell, foules of sundrie kinds, there is such store of fish in all parties of our seas, especiallie towards the north, that the same would suffice to féed and susteine all the people of the Iland, if there were none other commodities to be found within the same.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 For the inhabitants of all countries that border vpon vs, as France, Flanders, Zealand, Holland, and a great part of Germanie (especiallie those which lie néere vnto the coast) doo saile hither with great numbers of vessels dailie to fish vpon our coasts, and buy such as we haue alreadie caught, not onlie for their owne vse, but also for the Lenton prouision of such nations as lie vpon the Leuant seas, where they sell the same at their owne wils, with very spéedie vtterance. Manie other rich and pretious commodi|ties are to be gotten in the said Ile, whereof the a|forenamed nations doo make no small account, be|side Dionysius A|lexandrinus saith that the wool of Bri|taine is often spun so fine that it is in manner com|parable to the spiders draught. these common things. What shall I saie of our woolles, which are in so high estimation in all lands, bicause of their necessarie vses, and whereof a great part is so fine and soft, that of it are made the costlie skarlets, pliant gloues, and manie other grained and delicate clothes, of which I thought good to make this mention, bicause the report thereof is not yet made common and generallie knowne to all men.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Certes this I dare boldlie affirme, that if the kingdoms of Britaine had such grace giuen them from aboue, as that they might once liue in vnitie, or by any meanes be brought vnder the subiection of one prince, they should yer long féele such a sauour in this amitie, that they would not onelie liue franklie of their own, without any forren purchase of things, but also resist all outward inuasion, with small tra|uell and lesse dammage. For as touching their per|sons, and likewise their notable wits, apt both for the atteining of learning and knowledge of handi|crafts, they are inferiour to no other nation. There|vnto we find them to be couragious and hardie, of|fering themselues often vnto the vttermost per [...]s with great assurance, so that a man may pronounce nothing to be ouerhard or past their power to per|forme, if they would giue themselues to liue tempe|ratelie, and follow their predecessors in moderation of diet.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Therefore it is (as I thinke) that almightie God in his prouident disposition of all things, hath ordeined their grounds (otherwise plentifullie indued with all kinds of commodities) to be destitute and void of wine; as foreseeing that the said liquor, which brin|geth greatest benefit vnto other countries, would grow in the end to be most pernicious & noisome to EEBO page image 8 them. For they are giuen to such vnnaturall raue|ning and greedie desire of forreine things (whilest they contemne or not regard their owne) that they cannot refraine the immoderate vse of wine, and excesse vsed in drinking of the same: insomuch that we may see diuerse to be ouertaken and haunted, not onelie with sundrie kinds of grieuous maladies common to vs and them of the maine, but also ma|nie other which they haue not, neither be anie thing at all acquainted with, as experience dailie tea|cheth.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Some by long sicknesse and languishing gréefes doo grow into such deformitie onelie through exces|siue feeding, and greedie abuse of wine, that if you knew them when they were children & yoong men, you shall hardlie remember them when they be old and aged; and that which more is, in comparison of o|ther that liue more soberlie, you will hardlie thinke them to be borne in the Ile, but rather suppose them to be changelings and monsters, brought out of o|ther countries to gaze and looke vpon: diuerse of them through the continuall vse of wine are mole|sted in their age, with phreneticall pangs and passi|ons. Seldome also shall you sée those that are giuen much vnto wine and such welfare, to become pa|rents of manie children, sith their naturall moisture and generatiue force is much abated, if not altogi|ther extinguished by such immoderate diet.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But to returne to our purpose, the Albanes or Britains, as Caesar in his commentaries, and Ta|citus in his annales doo report, were very religious, after the maner of religion vsed in old time. For in those daies the priests of Britaine named Druides, were expert both in naturall and morall philosophie, and from thence came the first professors of that sect and opinion into France. The principall seat of their priests was in the Ile of Man, which was re|puted at that season for the welspring and fountains of all learning and knowledge, and after that their priests were once conuerted to the catholike faith, they perseuered in the same with great constancie, without anie note of heresie.