Text (translated from the 1573D1Add, 1573D, 1573L1Add, 1573 Latin, 1574 Latin; 1575 Latin, 1579 Latin, 1580/1589 German, 1581 French, 1584 Latin, 1587 French, 1588 Spanish, 1592 Latin, 1595 Latin, 1601 Latin, 1602 German, 1602 Spanish, 1603 Latin, 1606 English, 1608/1612 Italian, 1609/1612/1641 Spanish and 1609/1612 Latin edition).
The first version or template of texts derives from 1581F, 1598F, 1601L & 1606E only;
144.1. {1581F & 1598F{[no title]1581F & 1598F{1601L & 1606E instead{The other Map of ILLYRICVM}.
144.2. I intended, as I promised in the Preface of this book, to publish only one Map or Table for each country, and that as exact as it might be. Therefore}1601L & 1606E only}, when the famous man Iohannes Sambucus sent to me a more accurate map of this country to be inserted into this Theatre of ours [than I had], I decided to leave the other one out. But since it is often both delightful and profitable to acquaint oneself with different opinions about one and the same thing, I persuaded myself for this reason that it will not be altogether unprofitable sometimes to see the different descriptions of different authors of one and the same country.
144.3. Again, lest the studious and diligent Reader should miss in this most recent edition what was to be had in the first [edition], we have thought it good to retain one as well as the other, and to put it here in this place as an insert or appendix. I do not doubt that it will be a thing well pleasing all students of Cosmography}1581F}.
Note: in 1574L, 1575L, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1602S, 1603L, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612/1641S and 1609/1612L this map receives the text previously given to Ort 145, (whereas this standard text for Ort 144 moves to Ort 145). The 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1574L, 1575L, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612/1641S and 1609/1612L text is the following:
144.4. {1573L1Add{ILLYRICVM.
144.5. Illyricum {not in 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S{or (which pleases others better) Illyris}not in 1602S & 1609/1612/1641S} is a country on the coast of the Hadriatic sea opposite Italy. The bounds of this province vary according to various authors. For Plinius assigns only a small area [to it] between the rivers Arsia and Titius. And Ptolemæus gives its confines a further extension, namely from Histria, up as high as Macedonia, along the entire coast, and inland towards its more central parts he makes it reach out as far as the borders of Pannonia {1602G has instead{Austria}1602G instead} and Msia the higher {1608/1612I has instead{Hungary, Bosnia and Sclavonia}1608/1612I instead}.
144.6. Pomponius Mela and Dionysius Alexandrinus make it even far larger, ascribing [as they do] to Illyricum all that part of the Hadriatic sea that there is between Tergestum and Montes Ceraunij, and say that the Illyrij dwell [even] beyond the river Donaw. And Mela counts the river Donaw among the rivers of Illyricum. Strabo also, in the seventh book of his Geography, says that the Illyrij border on Macedonia and Thracia.
144.7. But Appianus Alexandrinus makes it even larger than any of the writers mentioned, for he writes about the Illyrij like this: The Greeks, he says, call all those people Illyrij who dwell between Chaonia and Thesprotis (beyond Macedonia and Thracia) up as high as the river Ister. For this is the length of this province. The breadth of it is the distance between Macedonia and the mountains of Thrace all the way to Pæonia and the Ionian sea, and [it al]so borders on the Alps, which is a distance of a five day journey. {not in 1588S{Its length is trice as much as its width &c}not in 1588S}.
144.8. And a little after the same author has these words: The Romans generally include under the Illyrij not only what has been mentioned before, but also the Pæones beyond these, together with the Rhæti, Norici and Mysij who inhabit Europe and whatever other Nations border on these which they have on the right hand side when sailing up the river Ister {1580/1589G, 1602G & 1608/1612I have instead{Donaw}1580/1589G, 1602G & 1608/1612I instead}. And again, to distinguish the Hellines from the Greek, they call them by various proper names.
144.9. Otherwise, generally they are with one name called Illyrij. For even from the head of the river Ister {1580/1589G, 1602G & 1608/1612I have instead{Donaw}1580/1589G, 1602G & 1608/1612I instead} to the Pontick sea they commonly call them Illyrici. So far Appianus. Suetonius in the life of Tiberius Cæsar says in a similar way that the bounds of Illyricum are of this size {not in 1580/1589G, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612L{on its left}not in 1588S, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612L}.
144.10. {not in 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1580/1589G & 1602G{Sextus Rufus who lived at the time of Valentinianus the Emperor, attributes seventeen provinces to Illyricum: Two of the Norici, the two Pannonies, Valeria, Sauia, Dalmatia, Msia, the two Dacias, Macedonia, Thessalia, Achaia, two Epirus, Præualis and Creta}not in 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1580/1589G & 1602G}.
144.11. Some think that these countries were named as they are after Illyrius, the son of Polyphemus. Others [say] after Illyrius, the son of Cadmus. Strabo writes that the whole sea coast of Illyricum, with the adjacent islands, is provided with very good harbours, whereas in contrast to this the whole opposite coast of Italy has none at all. It is a hot country, as Italy is, and very fertile for many sorts of grain, famous for olives and vines. except [for] certain places which are altogether rough and untilled. The high country above it is altogether mountainous, cold and snowy, especially the part towards the North.
144.12. The country people in old times were much given to robbery and thieving, but now they are somewhat more civil. They dwell mostly in houses of timber, thatched with straw, except for a few harbour cities in which their buildings are a bit better. {not in 1588S & 1602G{So far Strabo}not in 1588S & 1602G}. Among which [cities] the main one is Ragusi, anciently called Epidaurus, a city famous for its Market as well as for its political government of the commonwealth. Not long ago it was a free city but now it is tributary to the Turks, and for that [reason] (as Nicolaus Nicolaius says in his Observations) it pays yearly to the great Turk {1608/1612I only{Sborsa}1608/1612I only} 12,000 ducats of Gold. {1602S, 1603L, 1609/1612/1641S & 1609/1612L only{There is also a description of this area in Martin Barletius in his Life of Scanderbergus}1602S, 1609/1612/1641S only} book 10}1603L, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612L only}.
144.13. So far in general about Illyricum. Now I do not think it amiss to say something about our Map which does not cover all of Illyricum according to the judgment of the authors mentioned except for Plinius who restrains its borders to a smaller area. There are on this Map Histria, Slauonia, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Carinthia, {not in 1580/1589G, 1602G & 1602S{part of}not in 1580/1589G, 1602G & 1602S} Carniola and part of Stiria, almost all [of them] tributary to the kingdom of Hungary, except for a few provinces bordering on the sea, which belong to the Venetians. The Turk has subdued most of them to his obedience. Almost all of these regions are described on the various Maps in this Theatre of ours, and therefore we will not speak about them at all here. Only, I do not think it amiss to add this single story about Stiria.
144.14. That this country breeds {not in 1588S & 1602S{those Strumosi, that is}not in 1588S & 1602S}, a kind of people subject to tumours [=goitres], and that you often see some with such huge large tumours that these impede their speech. And a woman allowing her child to suck (as Aubanus writes on hearsay) casts it [=the tumour] over her shoulder like a bag or pouch, lest it should prevent the child from reaching the breast. And indeed, near Frisach where we saw {not in 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1592L, 1602G & 1606E{in 1558 {1602S & 1609/1612/1641S have instead{1550}1602S & 1609/1612/1641S instead} on our way from Vienna to Venice}not in 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1592L, 1602G & 1606E} in great wonder a man whose chin [contained a tumour which] began at his ears and was almost as broad as from shoulder to shoulder and hung all the way to his breast. {1595L, not in 1602G & 1606E{I say in great wonder in contrast to what Iuvenalis has said: Who has not seen this tumour in the Alps?}1595L, not in 1602G & 1606E}.
144.15. They commonly attribute the cause of the tumour to the water and air which the inhabitants here use and draw into their bodies. {1595L, not in 1602G & 1606E{[There is] a specific description of Styria in Rithaimerus about its history in his book about the state of the world. About Bosnia, read D. Chytræus in his Chronicle on Saxony}1595L, not in 1602G & 1606E}. About the Illyrians read for greater detail Dominicus Niger, Volaterranus and Ludouicus Vergerius in the Cosmography by Sebastian Munster, as also Laonicus Chalcondylas who {1595L, not in 1602G{in his tenth book of Notitiarum}1595L, not in 1602G} has written something about this country worth reading. The people in this entire area, except for those shires that border on Germany speak the Slavonic language which (to say something about this) is now called VVindisch by some, considered to be the same as what the Romans called Lingua Illyrica, the Illyrian tongue, and at this day it is wide-spread, as it is generally spoken by all the nations inhabiting [the area] between the Gulf of Venice and the Northern Ocean.
144.16. For the inhabitants of Istria, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Morauia, Bohemia, Lusatia, Silesia, Polonia, Lithuania, Pruthenia, Scandinauia, {not in 1602G & 1608/1612I{Bulgaria}not in 1602G & 1608/1612I} and Russia, that wide and large kingdom, and many other neighbouring countries, almost up as far as Constantinople, [all] speak that language, and it is also frequently used much among the Turks}1573L1Add}.
[The 1573 Dutch 1st Add., 1573 Dutch & 1587 French edition are rather different from the text just provided, and is therefore presented separately below]
144.17. {1573D1Add{Slavonia or Land of the Windes.
144.18. This region is rather difficult to describe, partly because the ancient authors do not agree about its borders and limits of this country, which in their times was called Illyricum and Dalmatia, and partly because they it is not well known since few foreigners visit it. And the reason why few people visit it is that it has been divided among many rulers who miatrust each other. The Emperor holds part of it, as also the Venetians and Ragusians. The Turk also has part of it, and is feared by all. And therefore each of these rulers is diligent and vigilant, and takes care to guard its territory, and whenever a starnger intrudes, he is considered to be a spy.
144.19. This is the reason (in my opinion) that this region (situated between the Gulf of Venice, the River Sau, Istria and Greece) has until now not been described by anyone, as it should have been, and that no one can succeed in finding agreement between the ancient geographer and the contemporary ones. Nevertheless we will discuss these regions briefly, as they are presented on this map which shows part of Illyria, and say something about it as we have collected from authors of our own time.
144.20. Thus, you see on this map Windischmark and Windischland, Stiermarck, Crabate, Kernte, Krain, Karst & Istria. These countries all belong more or less to the House of Austria, except for Istria, of which the Venetions hold a part as well. This is a mountainous and woody region. The cities and houses are entirely built of wood and covered with straw, except for the part along the coast, which is somewhat wealthier. The rivers Sau and Drau which empty into the Danube make these regions reasonably fertile.
144.20a. Stiermark abounds with iron mines. No better mines can be found in all of Europe, as Rithaimer says in his Geography. In this region there are also salt mines. It is here that many people have big goitres in their neck under their chin, {1587F{which we have seen to be as large and voluminous as a man's head}1587F}. {not in 1587F{The Duchy of Ciley belongs to this Land}not in 1587F}. In Kernten there is Villach, a pleasant town entirely surrounded by mountains. There is a stone bridge across the river Drau. Then Clagenfort, where the inhabitants (as Rithaymer says) where murderers, as soon as they are suspected of having committed this crime, are hanged without further ado, or speaking justice about them. And then, three days later, they come together to deliberate the matter. And in case the person is found to be innocent, they are taken from the gallows and buried honourably. But if they decide that he is guilty of murder, they let him hang.
144.21. This Windisch or Slavonic language [that they speak] extends itself very widely, in the sense that no other language in Europe extends itself so far and wide; for it begins at the Gulf of Venice and extends itself all the way to the Northern sea, and on one side to the Major sea once called Pontus Euxinus [= the Black Sea], and the Slavonic language is used in Istria, Crabate, Bosse, Moravia, Bohemia, Lausnitz, Slegi, Poland, Littau, Prussia, & Moscovia and further the North coast towards the Kingdom of Sweden. And also in Bulgaria and its surroundings, all the way to Constantinople, where it is spoken frequently at the Court of the Emperor}1573D1Add} © Marcel van den Broecke ©.