And Because The Name, Office, And Dignitie Of The Masters Generall Or Great Masters Of Prussia Would Otherwise Haue Been Vtterly Darke And Vnknowen To The Greater Part Of Readers, I Haue Set Downe Immediatly Before The First Prussian Ambasasage, Pagina 158 [Footnote:

This means, of course, page 158 of original edition.] a briefe and orderly Catalogue of them all, containing the

First originall and institution of themselues and of their whole knightly order and brotherhood, with the increase of reuenues and wealth which befell them afterward in Italy and Germany and the great conquests which they atchieued vpon the infidels of Prussia, Samogitia, Curland, Liefland, Lituania, &c. also their decay and finall ouerthrow, partly by the reuolt of diuers Townes and Castles vnder their iurisdiction, and partly by the meanes of their next mightie neighbour the King of Poland.

After all these, out of 2. branches of 2. ancient statutes, is partly shewed our trade and the successe thereof with diuers forren Nations in the time of K. Henry the sixth.

Then followeth the true processe of English policie, I meane that excellent and pithy treatise de politia conseruatiua maris: which I cannot to any thing more fitly compare, then to the Emperour of Russia his palace called the golden Castle, and described by Richard Chanceller page 264. [Footnote: Ibidem.] of this volume: whereof albeit the outward apparance was but homely and no whit correspondent to the name, yet was it within so beautified and adorned with the Emperour his maiesticall presence, with the honourable and great assembly of his rich-attired Peers and Senatours, with an inualuable and huge masse of gold and siluer plate, & with other princely magnificence; that well might the eyes of the beholders be dazeled, and their cogitations astonished thereat.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 48 of 460
Words from 12913 to 13208 of 127955