ABSTRACT
H a y i n g e found and felt your love and favour so great towardes the furtheringe of my well doinge and prefirment, sine the happie tyme my most woorthye frend and kyndsman, Sir Edward Horsey, first brought my aquaintance unto your honnor ; * and * knowinge your noble disposición, and desier to understand the estate and forren occurants ; and accordinge to your advice and instructions (hertofore geaven me), I hold it noe less a dutie of thankfulnes in me to render an accounte of such things as most propperly are due unto your place, of all others to be advertised of ; and for the incouragment of others that maye reape some benefett by the knowinge and doinge the like ; I have thought good, by waye of discourse or treatice, first unto your honnour, and next to you, my right woorthy good frendes, that ar desirous to knowe my observacions in my travells, imploiments, and negociacions, of the most rare and remarcable things of the kuowen countries and kyngdoms in the north and north-wasteren parts of Europia and Sithia, as Russia,
Moscovia, Tartaria, with all those continent territories and kyngdoms adjacent, Pollonia, Transilvania, Littuania, and Livonia, Swethia, Denmarcke, cittuated hetwene the Northern Ocian and ‘ the ’ Balticque Seas ; the empier and emperiall spacious principallities of high Garmanie ; of the five upper and neither united cantons, Clevia, Waestphallia, Fresland ; the lowe countries of Bass Garmania, comonly called Flaunders, Brabant, Seland and Holland, consistinge of the seaventine United Provinces ; their chieff citties and towns of trafficque and commers, both inland and maritene ; their comodities, their universities and aunctient monnements ; their climates and cittuacions, lawes, luanguages, religion, discipline of church and comonwealth, and naturali disposición of the peopll. A ll which I mynde to contract in fower severall and distinct treatices, as compendious and methodicall as my observation and seaventine years experience will geave me leave.
