Text (translated from the 1573 Dutch First Add./1573 Dutch, 1573 German 1st Add/1573 German, 1573L1Add, 1573 Latin, 1574 French 1st Add/1574 French, 1574 Latin, 1575 Latin, 1579 Latin, 1580/1589 German, 1581 French, 1584 Latin, 1587 French, 1588 Spanish, 1592 Latin, 1595 Latin, 1598 Dutch, 1598 French, 1601 Latin, 1602 German, 1602 Spanish, 1603 Latin, 1606 English, 1608/1612 Italian, 1609/1612/1641 Spanish and 1609/1612 Latin editions).
149.1. {1580/1589G, 1602G & 1608/1612I only{The Isle of}1580/1589G, 1602G & 1608/1612I only}{1573D1Add{CYPRVS.
149.2. Cyprus justly claims its place as the greatest islands of the Mediterranean sea. [As regards] the form of the island, it is about twice as long as it is broad. The metropolitan or chief city is Nicosia. Famagusta is also a most excellent city, the Market town of the whole Island, and very rich, considering its commodious harbour and the high customs and tolls paid there. It is inferior to no island that I know, for it yields plenty of wine and [olive] oil, [and] has also enough corn to feed itself.
149.3. Moreover, it has some mines with Brass or Copper, and in these mines there was also found Vitriolum and Rubigo æris, {1606E only{the rust of brass,}1606E only} samples of sovereign virtue in the practice of Medicine. It grows plenty of sweet cane {not in 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S & 1608/1612I{(canna mellis)}not in 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S & 1608/1612I} out of which they boil sugar {1602G has instead{honey}1602G instead}. It affords an excellent kind of strong wine, as good as that of Creta, {1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1606E only{which they call Malmesey}1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1606E only}. There is a kind of stuff made there of goat's hair {1573D, 1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1598F, 1602G, 1602S, 1606E & 1608/1612I only{which we now call Chamelett,}1573D, 1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1598F, 1602G, 1602S, 1606E & 1608/1612I only} {not in 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598D, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1603L, 1609/1612/1641S & 1609/1612L{the Italians}not in 1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1603L & 1609/1612L} [call it] Zambelloto}not in 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1598D, 1598F, 1602G & 1609/1612/1641S}.
149.4. This island exports various commodities to other countries, by which they yearly make great profit and gain. It does not have much need of any foreign commodities or merchandise, and has a {1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1603L & 1609/1612L instead{no}1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1601L, 1602G, 1603L & 1609/1612L instead} wholesome and mild climate. The people generally give themselves to pleasures, sports and voluptuousness. The women are very wanton, {1606E only{and [are] of light [morals in their] behaviour}1606E only}. Its fruitfulness is so great that in old times they called it [=the island] Macaria, that is, The blessed Island, and the lasciviousness of the nation is such, that it vulgarly was supposed to have been dedicated to Venus, {1580/1589G, 1602G, 1606E & 1608/1612I only{the Goddess of love}1580/1589G, 1602G, 1606E & 1608/1612I only}.
149.5. It is 427 miles wide, and 200 long, as Bordonius has recorded. The Venetians hold it by right of inheritance, and under governance of a Lieutenant or Prætor {1573G only has instead of this last sentence:{The Venetians possessed it for about one hundred years. But in this year, 1571, the Turcs deplorably brought it back under their tyranny}1573G only}. {1579L, but not in 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1598D, 1598F & 1602G{Diodorus {not in 1588S{in his 16th book}not in 1588S} says that on this island there were nine excellent cities which [each] had their own petty Kings by whom they were governed, all subject to the King of Persia. Inferior towns were also governed by their own Kings}1579L, not in 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1598D, 1598F & 1602G}.
149.6. But that the fertility of the island becomes more apparent, I think it right to record the recommendation which Ammianus Marcellinus has left behind. Cyprus, he says, is so fertile and abounds with such a variety of all things, that without the help of any imported commodities, they are by themselves capable of building a ship from the keel to the top sail and send it to sea, fully fitted out and furnished with all things whatsoever that are needed. Sextus Rufus too has the following words about it:
149.7. Cyprus, famous for its wealth and riches, tempted the poor and needy Romans to invade it, so that we possessed this island unjustly, and rather for [personal] gain than for any right we had to it. {not in 1573G{But this, oh Rufus, is not, as they say, a mercenary recommendation of Roman valour {1573D, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598D only have instead: by praising the Romans in this way, you will not earn a farthing for a drink, as they say}1573D, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598D only}.
149.8. {not in 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F{Amongst the ancient writers Strabo, Mela and other Geographers have described this Island. Of the later [writers, we have] Benedictus Bordonius' {1579L only{and Porcacchius'}1579L only} treatise on islands, Vadianus, Pius the second, Pope of Rome, Dominicus Niger, Sabellicus, Volaterranus and especially Iacobus Zieglerus {1579L only{of decent quality}1579L only}. {1595L, not in 1598D & 1602G{Stephanus Lusignanus has written a specific book on this island in French}1595L, not in 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F, 1598D, 1598F & 1602G}. {1579 only{Also, the Hierosolymitana by Iodocus à Meggen is not to be frowned upon}1579L only}.
149.9. {1608/1612I only{The isle of}1608/1612I only}{1573D1Add{STALIMENE, at one time called LEMNOS.
149.10. Lemnos, an Island in the Ægean sea, lies opposite Thrace {not in 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S & 1608/1612I{(Romania)}not in 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S & 1608/1612I} between {1606E only{the Peninsula or Neckland of Thrace}1606E only} [and] Mount Athon {1608/1612I only{now called the Holy mountain}1608/1612I only} of Macedonia. It was famous for Vulcanus' workshop a long time ago, and now it is much talked about because of its medicinal earth ({1573L1Add, 1573L, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1602G, 1606E & 1608/1612I only{by the Physicians called Terra Lemnia) which is dug out here}1573L1Add, 1573L, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1587F, 1588S, 1602G, 1606E & 1608/1612I only}. Nowadays this island is called Stalamine by the Turks and Italians. It is 100 miles in circumference, as Bordonius says. It is a plain and flat country, compared to the islands around it.
149.11. On the East side, as Bellonius reports, it is lean, and not good for corn. Between its Southern and Western parts, where it is more moist, it is much more fertile. In ancient times it had two cities, Myrina and Ephestias. The latter [city], wholly deserted and uninhabited presently, is now called Cochino. Nowadays it is a town of small importance, situated in a Demi-isle or Peninsula joined to the Island by a narrow neck or Isthmos, at this day called Lemno.
149.12. On this island, as Plinius testifies, there was a Labyrinth, esteemed the third in rank after those of Ægypt {1573D, 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1584L, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598D, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612/1641S & 1609/1612L only{of which there are remnants today}1573D, 1573L1Add, 1573L, 1573G, 1574F1Add/1574F, 1579L, 1580/1589G, 1581F, 1584L, 1587F, 1588S, 1592L, 1595L, 1598D, 1598F, 1601L, 1602G, 1602S, 1603L, 1608/1612I, 1609/1612/1641S & 1609/1612L only}. But Bellonius, ardently seeking its foundations, could not find any mention of it, nor was there anyone in the country that could show him more than just a few pieces of it. The same author states that there are still 75 villages remaining on it [=Lemnos].
149.13. The earth which in ancient times was called Sphragida and Terra Lemnia, [and more] commonly Terra sigillata is now (as was the custom in old times) dug out of the ground, but not without a certain kind of superstitious ceremony, every year at the sixth day of August, and at no other time. And on penalty of death, it is decreed that no man either privately or openly shall go there to dig [some of it] out. The place where it is dug out is called Vulcan's Mount.
149.14. About the kind of herbs, serpents and fishes which are here very common, and about the ceremonies and all the ado with the earth taken out of the ground {not in 1574F1Add/1574F & 1581F{which is called Terra Lemnia}not in 1574F1Add/1574F & 1581F}, and about various other peculiar things of this island, read the first book of Observations by P. Bellonius}1573D1Add; end of 1574F1Add/1574F, 1581F, 1587F & 1598F}. {1573L{Also [read] Andreas Matthiolus{1573G, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S only{in his writings on Dioscorides}1573G, 1580/1589G, 1584L, 1588S, 1602G, 1602S, 1608/1612I & 1609/1612/1641S only}, [and] from the letters of Albacarius, addressed to Augerius Busbechius, [who] has a curious description and text on the ceremonies used in digging out the Terra sigillata, in those learned commentaries on Dioscorides.
149.15. Read also about this in Hodporicum Byzantinum by Hugonis Favolij}1573L1Add, 1573L & 1602G end here}. {1595L{He who wants to know [more] about the old ceremonies of digging out [the medicinal earth], let him turn to Galenus in his ninth book and second chapter [of] De Medicam Simplic.}1595L}. © Marcel van den Broecke ©.