GENTLEMAN OF THE CITIE OF ROME,
TO THE
REGIONS OF ARABIA, EGYPTE, PERSIA, SYRIA, ETHIOPIA
AND EAST INDIA,
BOTH WITHIN AND WITHOUT THE RYUER OF GANGES, ETC.
IN THE YEERE OF OUR LORDE 1503.
CONTEYNING
MANY NOTABLE AND STRAUNGE THYNGES,
BOTH HYSTORICALL AND NATURALL
TRANSLATED OUT OF LATINE INTO ENGLYSHE,
BY RICHARDE EDEN.
IN THE YEERE OF OUR LORDE 1576.

THE PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR.

There haue been many before me, who, to know the miracles of the worlde,
haue with diligent studie read dyuers authours which haue written of
such thynges. But other giuing more credit to the lyuely voyce, haue
been more desirous to know the same, by relation of such as haue
traueyled in those countreys, and seene such thinges whereof they make
relation, for that in many bookes, geathered of vncertaine aucthoritie,
are myxt false thinges with true. Other there are so greatly desirous to
know the trueth of these thinges, that they can in no wyse be satisfied
vntyll, by theyr owne experience they haue founde the trueth by vyages
and perigrinations into straunge countreys and people, to know theyr
maners, fashions, and customes, with dyuers thynges there to be seene:
wherein the only readyng of bookes could not satisfie theyr thirst of
such knowledge, but rather increased the same, in so much, that they
feared not with losse of theyr goods and daunger of lyfe to attempte
great vyages to dyuers countreys, with witnesse of theyr eyes to see