easily determined for we meet with it in almost all the European languages The Latins write it Litera the French Lettre the Spaniards Letra the Italians Letera the Germans sometimes for buchstab is the more usual word with them write it as we do Letter The Latin Critics are hard put to it to six upon a good Etymology of it in that tongue One brings it a lituris another from lino a third a lineando a fourth quia legentibus iter praestat and a fifth quod legendo iteretur But these are all alike ridiculous and therefore it may perhaps be worth our search to enquire whether an apter primitive then any of these may not be found in the German language and consequently whether the Latins borrowed the word litera amongst many others from the Dutch Schottelius derives it from an old Teutonic monosyllable Lett or Litt still used in Saxony and the Netherlands tho the High Dutch instead thereof say Glid signifying a member or part which in the plural number makes Litter or Letter This is as probable a conjecture as any Latin writer can pretend to since letters are nothing else but the several parts and members of a word And possibly the Romans had their word Scribere from the Dutch Schreiben or as it was writ formerly Scrieven The most usual word for a Letter amongst the Germans is Buchstab i. e. einer stab des buches or a staff made use of in a book The reason of which name is thus given by Wormius The ancients says he were wont to make one long strait line in fashion of a staff as a foundation of whatever they were about to write And indeed the Runic Inscriptions seem to be nothing else then a company of such staves cross'd and turn'd as occasion requir'd The other member of this compound word Buch whence our Book had the like original with the Latin word Liber being so called from Buche which signifies a Beech-tree Because before the ancient use of paper the old Cimbrians wrote on this kind of wood and stones as the Romans did on the bark of trees Lazius gives us a specimen of an Alphabet used by the Normans in their Sorceries and Incantations before ever they came acquainted with the Romans Duret thinks que l' Alphabet des lettres des Gots a este le premier Alphabet des premieres plus anciennes lettres i. e. That the Gothic Alphabet is the most ancient one in the world and a Copy of the first Letters that were ever invented Where by Gothic Letters he does not understand the Alphabet invented by Wulphilas Bishop of the Goths and by him employed in writing his Version of the four Evangelists of which the Codex Argenteus published by the late famous Franciscus Junius F. F. in the year 1665 is a noble transcript but the old Runic characters which the Bishop would not make use of in this pious work because they were used in Sorcery and Witchcraft Upon the same consideration all other ancient Alphabets used in the other Provinces of Germany were laid aside as soon as Christianity appear'd in this Country Thus upon the first conversion of the Saxons by Charles the Great the Latin Letters were introduced into those parts and their old conjuring characters abolished Mr. Sheringham thinks and 't is more then probable that our old Anglo-Saxonic character was first made use of upon the like occasion For that before their conversion to Christianity both they and the Danes in Britain used another sort of Letters seems manifest from the several fragments of Runic Monuments found at Beau-castle Papcastle and other places in the North of England But when those that had employ'd themselves in the conversion of these poor Idolaters saw how these characters had been made use of in their Incantations and idolatrous practices and that upon the sight of them they were always ready to return to their Sorceries they resolved to remove them and give others in their stead It was formerly a grand question among the ancient Philosophers â—ignifiâ—ancy of â—ords whether words have their significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the natural import of the words themselves or the will and pleasure of the first author of them Plato was of opinion that a reason could at first have been given for the name of every thing in the world because he that gave every particular being its distinct name knew its particular nature and was directed by divine providence in finding out a name answerable to that nature In like manner as Bibliander fancies Adam was directed when he named every thing according to its nature Many learned men have been curious in observing what an accurate analogy there is in the Greek and Latin tongues betwixt the voices of birds and beasts and the words which in those languages are made to signifie such and such voices Julius Pollux brings these and many more examples out of the Greek tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And Jos Scaliger has collected these among many others out of the Latin Boare Mugire Rudere Latrare Barrire Blaterare Tetrinnire Glocitare Fringulare Trinsare c. But certainly there is no tongue more exact at this sort of Onomatopoeia then the High Dutch For example the Germans say the Ox beelket the Bear brummet the Sheep bleeket the Swine gruntzet the Dog baffet the Horse wihelet the Cat mauet the Goose schnatteret the Hen kakkelt or klukket the Raven kraket c. Besides no language comes near this in the aptness of expressing the sounds and noises of inanimate creatures by verbs active Which is also an excellence observed in our own tongue by the learned and famous Dr. Wallis in his English Grammar No greater argument can be made use of for the antiquity of a language Monosyllables then the multitude of monosyllables which cannot be imagined to be derived from any primitive further off nor hardly fancied to be a corruption of so many words in foreign languages Simon Stevin an ingenious Hollander has reckoned up 2170 monasyllable primitives and the number might have been advanced far higher in the Dutch tongue whereas in the Latin he can find no more then 163 and only 265 in the Greek In our English tongue a whole speech might be composed of monosyllables which are all of them originally Dutch Indeed in the High Dutch Dialect many of these ancient primitives are turned into Dissyllables but if we look back unto the old way of writing these words we shall find that they consisted only of one syllable Thus Vater Muttel Himmer Leber c. were anciently written Vaer Moer Himl Lefr c. There are in the German tongue twenty-three principal terminations Derivatives which tho they signifie nothing in themselves yet when added to another word do very much alter its signification Of which our English tongue has retain'd a great many As 1. Er in Buyer Seller Waiter
that his Russes should be interpreters to other Nations It is very rare if any of them understand Greek tho they have most affection unto and receiv'd their Religion from that Church There was at Slaboda a school set up for the Latin tongue which now few or none understand but it was quickly pull'd down again A Printing-press also for their own books but if not forbidden 't is used only for their Offices and such books as the Grand Tzar commands Nor are there many tho there want not men of parts that desire any further knowledg then to read and write in their own tongue to understand their Service and such homelies of the fathers especially St. Chrysostom as are translated into the Russ language Now tho this seems to be good policy yet is it indeed but forcing of nature for the conversing with civiler and more knowing people cannot but work in them a despising of their own manners and ignorance and a great desire of reforming that inconvenience which how far it may be heightned I know not Besides wanting learning they are very easily led by a good tongue and fair pretences And therefore we have seen that notwithsstanding their education in the veneration I had almost said adoration to their Prince yet are they subject to follow any pretences if they think to amend their condition by it and the oppressions of the Moussacks or common people and of their great men them to affect alterations How greedily did they embrace the Wor impostor Demetrius tho their Grand Tzar Boris Godonove was a worthy and not cruel Prince how easily did they deliver up to his enemies Vasili Zuiski a prudent and valiant but only as they conceived unfortunate Emperor what a number of impudent cheats found followers nay I know not whether ever any pretender except cropt in the bud that was not able to raise an army against the government In the time of the reign of the Princes of this present family who have behaved themselves with great prudence courage and moderation being far from the tyranny of others yet did one Timoska Anchedina feign himself heir of the Zuiskies and had he not been diligently pursued in his very beginning might have raised very great troubles as did Stepan Radzin who only pretended reformation and that insurrection against corrupt Judges in 1636 which was difficultly quieted even by the Grand Tzar himself with his cap in his hand and tears running down his cheeks Both the stories of Timoska and of this sedition are at large set down by Olearius The Grand Tzar labours to nourish in the people an opinion of his own wisdom good government and care of all his dominions so that they in common discourse attribute all their propriety all their happiness and prosperity to God and the Grand Duke And it is very remarkable that they had this very opinion of Ivan Vasilowich then whom a greater tyrant was never represented in any story yet hear what a writer of our own saith Purch l. 4. c. 9. If I found not an universal conspiracy against him I should speak in his defence I honour his good parts his wit his learning perhaps more then any Russ in his time his exemplary severity upon unjust Magistrates his martial skill industry c. Tea his memory is still savoury to the Russes who hold him in little less reputation then a Saint And to the same purpose also Herberstein Whether he was incited to those murders and cruelties by his own natural disposition or the malice and treachery of his subjects as himself said I dare not determine especially since he had not any truculent aspect or sign of fierceness in his countenance And tho these policies help very well yet are they not sufficient to conserve the power of the Prince nor peace of the Nation He knows that he cannot trust to the affections or the judgment of the common people who the more learned they are are the more intractable and dangerous but useth other more effectual and certain means of well governing As that he bestows all places of honour and gain even of the very Diacks or Clerks immediately by himself Whereby he is able to reward all that serve him and all is acknowledged to be his bounty Which is so much the more acceptable because it carries the testimony of his good opinion of the person and this breeds a great dependance upon him and emulation amongst the Nobility who incessantly by their observance strive to out-merit one another for his favour But lest all these should fail he hath force to coerce them who will not be obedient either for duties sake or reward And besides the garrisons which are dispersed in the Castles up and down the country wherein are great numbers of soldiers he hath the guards of his person which ordinarily amount to 16000 foot besides horse many of which also are foreigners who have no dependance upon any person but himself That he may engage more of his Nobility and Gentry he never continues a Governor longer then three years nor is there any hereditary nor doth he frequently chuse the same person again into the same employment but advanceth him according to his merit He disposeth of all the lands in his Empire whereof some belong to respective governments and employments the rest tho he seldom takes from the children of the last possessor especially of the common people except for crime The Commons pass over their lands by descent of inheritance to which of their sons they please which commonly they do after our Gavel-kind and dispose of their goods by gift or testament without any controul saith Dr. Fletcher Yet they pay an acknowledgment after the nature of an Heriot or Relief They have few laws but many customs in their government Their Laws according to which they judg yet no case special extraordinary or of consequence is determined without the knowledg and approbation of the Grand Tzar There being a Chief Justice who is also a chief Councellor that receives all appeals and informations from all places and acquaints his Majesty with them But in 1647 the Grand Tzar by a memorable example called together the wisest men in his dominion and caused to be set down and published a Code containing the laws and ordinances whereby the Judges were to regulate their judgments Which are printed in fol. under the title of Solorna Vlosienia or Universal Right The Grand Tzar also makes peace and war sends all Ambassadors whom he commonly chuseth out of the richest of the Nobility who may bear the expences at his own charge the Emperor taking to himself what he pleaseth of the presents made to his Ambassador and rewarding him according to his merit with a government or other beneficial employment The more solemn laws are thus made The Emperor calleth to him such of the Boiars or Nobility as he thinks most fit for wisdom and authority and orders also the Patriarch to send for such
Grammar of the High Dutch Tongue Grammars the rules of which he collected out of a company of old genealogical Ballads which he had picked up among the Country Rustics But Trithemius says he found it an undertaking too great for him and never liv'd to finish it After his days the Emperor Rudolph the First in the year 1273 published a Decree ordering all Lawyers to draw up their instruments and pleadings in this Tongue Which was afterwards confirm'd by Maximilian the First at Colen in the year 1512. Upon this the study and improvement of the High Dutch came much in fashion and by degrees that Dialect was advanced to the repute which it now has not only in the Empire but in all parts of the Northern Kingdoms of Europe From thenceforwards the best Scholars in Germany have thought it worth their while to take some pains in trimming and beautifying their mother-tongue The German Historians mention besides that imperfect piece of Charles the Great several Grammars writ by Pierius Wisens Sunthem Aventine Luther and Meliss which are now all lost Luther was undoubtedly a man that thorowly understood the German Tongue tho he never attain'd that knowledg and accuracy which he shews in all his writings without a great deal of pains and study Sleidan represents him as the greatest Master of the German Tongue and best Translator of any foreign Language into his mother-tongue that ever wrote His translation of the Bible now commonly made use of all Germany over where the Commonalty are permitted to read the Scriptures sufficiently confirms the Historians testimony And he himself assures us that he took such care to have this work exactly done that sometimes in the translation of Job he and his assistant would consult for a fortnight together about the rendring of one word But of all that have hitherto undertaken to give an account of the High Dutch Tongue Mr. Schottelius formerly Counsellor to the late Duke of Brunswic-Wulfenbuttel has done the best He had at several times published a great many little Tracts upon this subject as his Sprachkunst Verskunst c. which at last he collected into one entire work in five Books printed at Brunswic in Quarto A. D. 1663. Duesius in his preface to his Dutch Grammar complains â—ctionaâ—es that few of the Nobility of Germany are so good Masters of their own mother-tongue as to be able to write it right Tho this accusation is not altogether warrantable yet certainly the Germans are as liable to this grosness as any other Nation in Europe One great reason of which proceeds I suppose from the want of a compleat Dictionary in their own Tongue For by this means the wits of Italy and France have reduc'd their Language to that purity which at this day makes them so much admired by foreigners But the Germans have not nor ever had any such helps in their Tongue In the year 1616 George Henisch an ingenious and learned German published a Book at Augsburg entituled Thesaurus linguae sapientiae Germaniae Which if ever finish'd would have prov'd a work of great learning and use but the Author dying before 't was finish'd it went no further then the letter H. Besides there has not that exactness been observed either in the transcribing or printing of it as might be expected for often the Primitives Compounds and Derivatives are misplaced and sometimes a great many of the most considerable Compounds omitted He that would compleat this work and write an exact Dictionary of the High Dutch Tongue must necessarily be a man of indefatigable industry and accurate observation For 1. It will be requisite that he make a perfect collection of all the Primitive words in the ancient German or Celtic Language Which he cannot be well supposed to do out of a particular Dialect made use of in Meissen or Austria but must be forced to ransack all the several branches of that copious Tongue For it cannot be expected but that in the Danish Swedish English Welsh and Norwegian Tongues there are thousands of words which tho not now to be met with in the German Language yet nevertheless are originally Celtic And therefore he that would publish to the world an absolute and accurate Dictionary of the High Dutch must gather up into one bundle these scatter'd remnants Since in Germany you shall observe a vast number of Derivatives in ordinary use whose Primitives must be fetcht out of other Languages Kilian had taken a great deal of pains in collecting the old Saxon words into his Teutonic Dictionary but his elaborate work suffer'd no small injury by the ignorance and avarice of Booksellers who in their later Editions have left out the greatest part of the old words as obselete and out of use Schottelius has made a very considerable catalogue of these stamm-worter as he calls them or radical words but 't is capable of a vast enlargement 2. He must be exceeding punctual in setting down all the different Cases of Nouns and the Moods and Tenses of Verbs for hence proceeds no small variety in the German Tongue 3. He must of necessity converse with all manner of Tradesmen and from them learn the names of their Tools c. For it is hard to conceive what a large portion of any Tongue is confin'd to Tradesmen's Shops and the Husbandman's Stall The Miners in Germany have almost a particular Language of their own which cannot be understood by any Dutchman never concern'd in that employment Joh. Matthesius formerly Minister at Jochimsthal and an intimate acquaintance of Philip Melancthon's publish'd twenty Sermons in the year 1562 which were all preach'd before a congregation of Miners and contain an explication of all the Texts of Scripture which mention either Mettals or Minerals In which discourses the Author has industriously muster'd up the greatest part of the words and phrases peculiar to the Miners About two years ago there was printed at Freyberg in Meissen an Alphabetical Dictionary consisting of nothing else but these kind of terms and phrases If by these and some other such-like means an accurate Dictionary of the German Tongue were compleated and published the generality of High Dutch would be able to write as well as speak their own Language perfectly and foreigners would not find it so hard a task to be Masters of that noble Tongue And without doubt the profit would richly recompence the pains and cost They only betray their own ignorance who proclaim to the world that there is nothing worth the reading writ in High Dutch since 't is well known the Germans are the best Mechanics in the world and do still instruct the rest of Europe in the Art of purging and refining all sorts of Mettals Now most of those who are employ'd in this Art are men that have not had the opportunity of learning any language but their own therefore we must expect that the instructions we have from them be writ in High Dutch Another grand advantage
they had several drinking-cups kept in his house beforemention'd which were made of the first Letters he used Angelus Rocha who published an account of the Vatican Library in the days of Pope Sixtus the Fifth tells us that Aldus Junior a learned Antiquary shew'd him a printed Copy of Donatus's Grammar in Vellam in the first page of which were these words Johannes Faustus civis Moguntinus Avus maternus Joannis Schoeffer primus excogitavit imprimendi artem typis aereis Quos deinde plumbeos invenit multaque ad poliendam artem addidit ejus filius Petrus Schoeffer Impressus est autem hic Donatus Confessionalia primo omnium A. D. MCCCCL Admonitus certe fuit ex Donato Hollandiae prius impresso in tabula incisa In which words Mariangelus Accursius for the same Author says 't was his hand assures us that the first man that printed Books in Germany with molten Letters had the first hint of his Trade out of Holland The old Chronicle of the City of Colen which was wrote in the year 1496 confirms this story in telling us wie wail die kunst is vonden tzo Mentz al 's dan nu gemeynlich gebruicht wirt so is doch die eyrste vurbyldung vonden in Hollant vuss den Donaten die dae selffst vur der tzyt gedruckt syn i. e. Notwithstanding the common report of the first invention of this Art at Mentz yet the first hint was had from Holland where Donatus was printed before that time speaking of Guttenburg's first printing at Mentz And indeed most of the German Historians seem very willing to grant that the first printing with wooden Cuts was invented by this Coster before their Country-man found out the way of setting Letters composing words out of the several different characters and making lines up of words and pages of lines but this they look upon as an Art distinct from Typography and no more then in all probability was some thousands of years since practis'd in China and perhaps Mexico too where they used thus to cypher out their Hieroglyphicks But the Hollanders have a second part of their story which if true utterly confutes whatever the High Dutch can pretend to bring against them They tell us further that after Costor had improv'd this new-found Art so far as to print with Tin Letters he began to take more Servants into his House to enable him to carry on his work with greater vigour Amongst these there was one John whom Junius fancies to be Joannes Faustus abovemention'd to whom upon his taking an oath of secresie the whole Art was communicated After this fellow had for some time apply'd himself with all imaginable industry to his trade and attained to as great skill as his Master he resolv'd at the first opportunity to fly and to take with him as many of his Masters Utensils as he and another whom he had made privy to his design could conveniently carry off Accordingly on Christmas-Eve which was a night of as great solemnity in Holland in those days as it is still in the Popish dominions whilst Coster and his whole Family were attending the usual Processions these two seized on as many Cases of Letter and other printing instruments as they were able to convey without the danger of being apprehended in their flight With these carriages John and his Companion got safe to Amsterdam where for some short time they privately printed small Books and Pamphlets Thence they removed to Strasburg and there communicated their Art to Guttenburg who carrying on the Press at his own charges had the honour of being reckon'd the first Printer in the world At last they setled at Mentz where out of danger of being prosecuted by Costor they kept open shop and made public profession of their Trade The first Book they printed in this City was Alexander Gallus's Grammar with Peter Hispanus's small Grammatical Tracts annex'd There is in our public Library at Oxford a Copy of Tully's Offices printed by this Faustus on Vellam which by the irregular and unequal cut of the Letter seems engraven in plates or cut in wood as those Copies of Coster's work which are in the custody of the Prince of Orange and the Citizens of Harlem At the end of it we read these words in red Letters Praesens Marci Tulii clarissimum opus Johannes Fust Moguntinus civis non atramento plumali canna neque aerea Sed arte quadam perpulcra Petri manu pueri mei feliciter effeci finitum Anno M. CCCC LXV Junius says that he often has heard his Master Nicolas Gale tell of an old Bookseller in Harlem with whom he was acquainted in his younger days who had been Servant to Coster and Chamber-fellow witht his Fellow that cheated him of this invention The old man would tell the story with such vehemency of passion as commonly caus'd the tears to gush from his eyes and he was resolv'd to undeceive the world but liv'd not so long as to perform his promise These are the reports we have from both parties whereby each of them pretends a just title to the Invention but whether has the surer grounds I dare not venture to determine Some French Authors have engaged their Kingdom in the brawl and assert that France has as good reason to lay claim to this point of Honour as either Germany or the Low Countries The grounds they have for this conjecture are exceedingly mean and inconsiderable The first original of their mistake as Wimpheling assures us was this About the year 1471 the Art of Printing was first carried to Rome by one Vldaric Hahn a German Now Hahn in the High Dutch signifies as much as the Latin appellative Gallus a Cock whence the Latin writers call'd him Vldaricus Gallus which Campanus and others interpret Vlderic a Frenchman And when those Historians had represented him as the first Founder of Printing in Italy these men very illogically concluded he was the first Inventor of that Art which the world ever heard of Notwithstanding these brags Printing was not only us'd in Holland and Germany but in England also before ever the French were acquainted with it Stow tells us the Hollanders first taught our Nation this Art being brought over into England by William Caxton about the year 1471 and adds that the first printing in this Isle was in Westminster-Abbey But it appears the Art was sooner brought hither then he speaks of For there is in the Archives of our University of Oxford a Copy of St. Jerome's Exposition of the Apostles Creed given by Mr. Moses Pitt the Publisher of this ATLAS printed on Paper which ends thus Explicit exposicio sancti Jeronimi in simbolo apostolorum ad papam laurencium Impressa Oxonie et finita Anno domini M. cccc lxviii xvii die decembris Mr. Wood in his learned Account of the Antiquities of our University at Oxford tells us that Robert Tourner Master of the Wardrobe to King Henry the Sixth was the first that brought from Harlem into
very Church now almost nine hundred years old wherein his first Sermons were deliver'd But the great ornament of this Town is the Academia Julia or University founded by Julius Duke of Brunswic-Wolfenbuttel in the year 1576. Amongst other grand priviledges granted to this University by the Emperor Maximilian II. 't was order'd that its Rectors should for ever be honour'd with the Title and Dignity of Counts Palatine Whereupon Henry Julius Duke Julius's eldest Son and Bishop of Halberstadt was by his Father made the first Rector and before his succession to the Dukedom of Brunswic upon his Father's death founded the fair College which is still call'd Juleum novum These two Dukes procured for the use of the Professors and Students in this University a considerable Library of Books which since has been well augmented but comes far short of that at Wolfenbuttel Amongst some hundreds of Hebrew Greek Latin and Dutch Manuscripts of little value they have two old Volumes containing the Pentateuch in Hebrew written on Vellam in a fair and legible character For these two Books they tell us several Jewish Rabbies who pretend to more then ordinary skill in discerning the true Antiquity of such kind of Monuments in their own language have offer'd some hundred of Rix-dollars After the death of Duke Frideric Vlric the last Prince of the ancient House of Wolfenbuttel the Dukes of Lunenburg divided the Rectory of this University amongst them agreeing that each of the Dukes Regent should in his course supply that Office for one year and no more And in state it has ever since continued There is not any University in the German Empire that has bred up more eminent and learned men within the compass of one Century then Helmstadt Witness Joh. Caselius Jac. Horstius Val. Forsterius Reinerus Reineccius Hen. Meibomius Joh. Stukius Jac. Lampadius Conr. Hornejus c. and of late years the ingenious Calixti and incomparable Conringius IV. 〈◊〉 HANNOVER The Metropolis of the Dukedom of Calenberg whence the Duke's Palace was removed hither by George Duke of Brunswic-Calenberg upon the decease of the above-mention'd Frideric Vlric The Town was anciently call'd Lawenroda from the neighbouring Castle which was subject to Counts of that name About Henry the Lion's time it got the name of Hanover from a Ferry at this place over the River Leina as some imagine Han over in the old Dialect of the Lower Saxons signifying the same as the more modern High-Dutch haben uber i.e. to have or carry over There are yearly kept in this Town four Fairs during which there is always a vast concourse of Foreigners as well as Germans from all parts of the Empire These contribute exceedingly to the enriching of the Citizens but however a more considerable share of their wealth arises from their Breuhane a sweet and muddy sort of Beer which is hence exported in great quantities into the neighbouring Towns and Villages V. HAMELEN Hamelen An ancient City on the outmost confines of the Dukedom of Brunswic-Calenberg seated on the mouth of the River Hamel whence it has its name and the banks of the Weser This place is look'd upon as the Key to the whole Dukedom and is therefore better fortified and garrison'd then almost any other City in the Duke of Brunsic's Dominions The Records of this City relate a notable accident which hapned amongst the Burgers on the 26th day of June in the year 1284. The story is as follows The Citizens being strangely infested with Rats and having tried all imaginable expedients but in vain to rid themselves of these troublesom guests at last met with a stranger who undertook for a certain reward to do the feat The Burgers agreed to his proposals and the strange Gentleman immediately with his Tabret and Pipe draws after him all the Rats in the Town like so many Maurice-dancers to the River and there drowned them Returning for his reward it was denied him as being judg'd to great a recompense for so small a performance However less he could not be perswaded to take but left the Town in a rage threatning in a short time to be reveng'd Accordingly about a year after he came again and play'd the second part of the same Tune but with another Train after him For now he went attended with a great number of Children who follow'd him in at the mouth of a great Cave on the top of a neighbouring Hill call'd by the Burgers Koppel-berg and were never after heard of In remembrance of this sad accident the Citizens were wont for many year after as appears by several old Deeds and other Records in that City to date all their Indentures and Contracts such a year von unser kinder aussgang i.e. since the departure of our Children The street thro which they pass'd is to this day call'd Bungloese Strass or Tabret-street and on the top of the Mountain near the Cave's mouth is still to be seen a mounment of stone with this inscription Post duo CC mille post octoginta quaterque Annus hic est ille quo languet annus uterque Orbantur pueros centum etque triginta Johannis Et Pauli caros Hamelenses non sine damnis Fatur ut omnes eos vivos calvaria sorpsit Christe tuere reos ne tam mala res quibus obsit Which sorry piece of dogg'rel is there translated into two Distichs in the Nether Saxon Dialect much of the same strain The Principality of GRVBENHAGEN GRUBENHAGEN Name in the Dutch language signifies properly a Grove or Forest belonging to the ancient Family of the Grubes tho afterwards that word was appropriated to a Castle built by some of the said Family which in process of time communicated its name to the whole Principality Thus the Hague in Holland called by the Low Dutch s'Gravenhaghe which is ordinarily render'd in Latin by Haga Comitis had its name from the neighbouring Forest where it seems the Earls of that Province were anciently used to hunt And indeed this whole Principality is nothing else but a large Forest Hercynian Wood. most of it being a part of the Hartz or Sylva Hercynia mention'd by Roman Writers Julius Cesar in his Commentaries says that this Wood is at least nine days journey in bredth and of an unaccountable length Several men he tells us have travell'd forty days together strait forward in it but that no man durst ever yet boast that he had seen both ends of it The German word Hartz out of which without all question the Latins form'd their Hercynia signifies properly Rosin or Pitch which is nothing else but the liquor distill'd out of the Pine and Fir-trees the only Timber wherewith this Forest abounds Since the Empire began to be cultivated and the inhabitants understood the advantage of uniting themselves into Cities and Corporations the Hercynian Wood has in many places been converted into great Towns and large Corn-fields but yet passing over these 't is still easie to track it
the following order 2. Frideric II. Son to the First 3. Ernest Frideric the second 's Son 4. Frideric III. Ernest's Son 5. John Frideric the third's Brother 6. John-Frideric the Son of John a great promoter of the Reform'd Religion 7. Maurice Cousin-German to his predecessor John who drove Charles the fifth out of Germany and was slain in the Battel of Siffridhuse against Albert Marquise of Brandenburg 8. Augustus Maurice's Brother 9. Christian Augustus's Son 10. Christian II. Son of Christian the first 11. John George Christian the second 's Son who first sided with the Emperor Ferdinand against the Elector Palatine and afterwards with the King of Sweden against the Emperor 12. John George II. Son to John George the first He spent the greatest part of his time in ease and quiet and dying this last year 1680 in a good old age left the Electorate to his Son 13. John George III. This Elector is a Prince of low stature but great Spirit something fat and corpulent but withall active and brisk He was born the 20th day of June A. D. 1647 and in the year 1663 married Ann Sophia Princess of Denmark and Sister to the present King Christian By her he has several children the eldest of whom John George is the Electoral Prince The Revenues of this Elector are thought to be as great at least as any other Prince's in Germany Reveâ—â—â—â— excepting only the Imperial Family altho the circuit of his Dominions and number of his Subjects fall far short of what his neighbour the Elector of Brandenburg is master of They that reckon his yearly Revenue to amount to 400000 pound sterling speak modestly enough and he that shall carefully compute all the incomes of his Treasury from the Imposition upon Beer and all other Commidities from Taxes Mines c. will I presume find it rise to a much larger sum The profit which arises to him out of the silver Mines at Freyberg and some other places in his Territories has been long since computed to amount yearly to 130000 pound and certainly the daily encrease of labourers will rather augment that sum The Excise or Impost upon Beer in Leipsick only a City consisting of no more then two Parishes is usually farm'd at the rate of 20000 pound per annum Besides this and the like Customs he has Tenths of all the Corn Fruit Wine c. in his Country Add to these the great standing Tax laid upon his Subjects towards the maintenance of a war against the Turk granted at first in times of danger and hostility but gather'd since in days of peace at least as to that Enemy under pretence of being in a readiness to receive him whensoever he shall attack this Country Answerable to these vast revenues is the pomp and splendour of his Court his Attendants being usually more numerous then the Trains of any of his neighbour-Princes 'T is reported that in the Elector Christian the second 's Court at the same time three Dukes as many Earls and five Barons of foreign Nations besides a great number of the Nobility of his own Country were Pensioners to that Prince Nor have the two late Electors abated much of this state and grandeur Witness the Funeral of John George the First in the year 1657 at which were twenty-four Horses of State cover'd with black and the Electoral Eschutcheon wrought thereon each of them being led by two Gentlemen after which follow'd three thousand five hundred persons in mourning The Court of Saxony has been always more bronded with excessive intemperance in drinking then any other Prince's Palace in Germany Nor have the Electors themselves been able to shun the imputation a red nose being as is reported by some of their own Historians the inseparable badg of that Family II. Leipzig LEIPZIG This City is supposed to have been built by the Vandals who were ancient inhabitants of these parts about the year of Christ 700 and to have had its name from the Slavonian or Wendish word Lipzk which signifies a Linden-tree from the multitude of this sort of Timber which formerly grew in this place Whence in Latin Authors we sometimes meet with Phylurea instead of Lipsia from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tilia 'T is seated at the concourse of three small Rivers the Elster Pleissa and Parda in a pleasant and fruitful plain abounding with all manner of necessaries and pleasures as large and rich meadows which are mowed twice constantly sometimes thrice a year pleasant Woods and an infinite number of fine Orchards plentifully stock'd with all sorts of fruit Within the walls there is no such thing as Orchard or Garden but the whole plot of ground is cover'd with stately Fabricks Pleissenburg or the Castle seated on the Pleissa which defends the Town is a strong Fort and strictly guarded and St. Nicolas's Church is thought to be the fairest on the inside of any Lutheran Church in Germany The Citizens have generally well-built houses many whereof especially near the market-place are seven some nine stories high Near this place was the chief seat of the late civil wars of Germany insomuch that this Town was five several times besieged and taken in the space of two years At the last 't was taken by the Imperialists on the 12th of August 1633. but restored upon the ratification of the Treaty of peace betwixt the Emperour and Elector of Saxony sign'd at Prague A. D. 1635. At this day 't is famous for besides the purity of the high Dutch tongue which is thought to flourish here in a more refin'd strain then in any other part of Misnia and consequently of Germany the three things following 1. The great Traffic and concourse of Merchants from all places of note in Europe especially dureing the three fairs which are here kept yearly at Christmas Easter and Michaelmas 2. The high Court of Judicature before which the Elector himself is bound to appear upon summons The manner of proceding in this Court is at large deliver'd by Zobelius in his book entituled Differentiae Juris Saxonici Civilis and by the Author of the Chronicon Lipsiense written not many years since in High Dutch 3. The University which was founded here A. D. 1408 upon the quarrel betwixt the Hussites and Papists at Prague whereby the former were forced to leave the town and to settle themselves at Leipsig to which City two thousand of them are said to have flock'd in one day There are in it at this day four Colleges and twenty four public professors amongst whom the chief professor of Divinity is Dr. John Adam Schertzer a person of wonderful humanity and as great learning The several books he has publish'd especially his Collegium Anti-socinianum wherein he has bravely confuted those knotty arguments of the Cracovian party which few of his Countreymen before him were able to understand sufficiently demonstrate to the world the quickness of his parts and foundness of his judgement His
Scholar J. Carpzovius son to the famous lawyer of that name who was formerly professor in this University has got himself great credit by his skill in the Eastern languages and his apprehensive quickness in unfolding the mysteries of the antient and modern Jewish Rabbies the greatest part of which accomplishment he had as himself confesses from the good Instructions of his Master Schertzer Besides these old Mr. Thomasius Schoolmaster near St. Nicholas's is look'd upon as a man singularly well skill'd in all manner of philological writings Amongst the old Manuscripts in their Library which amount to some thousands but are only the despicable plunder of a few demolish'd Monaseries the onely rarity is Tzetzes's Greek Commentary upon Homer's Iliads a book perhaps hardly to be met with elswhere and written in a fair and legible character III. FREYBERG Freyberg A famous and pleasant Mine-Town not far from the bank of the River Mulda The Citizens have so grand a conceit of the delicacy of this Town 's situation that this is an ordinary proverb amongst them Were I Lord of Leipsic I would spend my Income at Freyberg It derives its name from the rich hills upon which 't is seated Fribergam Indigenae claro de nomine dicunt Libera de fossis quasi ferres munera terris In St. Peter's Church at Freyberg is the usual burying place of the Electors many whereof ly here entomb'd in fair Monuments especially Elector Maurice whose Monument of black Marble is rais'd three piles high and adorn'd with many rich statues in Alabaster and white Marble This is reckoned one of the noblest and perhaps may pass for the very best of its kind in Germany When this City was surrendred into the hands of the Duke of Friedland's Soldiers in the year 1632 the Elector of Saxony paid 80000 Ricx-dollars to save these Sepulchers of his Fathers from being ransack'd and defac'd And this large sum was the more willingly given because 't is the fashion to bury the German Princes in their Robes and Ensigns of Honour Rings Jewels c. which would have been rich plunder for the Soldiers if not compounded for The Mines are said to have been found out accidentally in the year 1180 Mines by a fellow carrying Salt who in a Cart-road first discover'd a piece of Ore which was found to be as rich in Silver as the best in Germany Since that time the multitudes of Miners who have swarm'd hither have made so great progress in their work as to undermine the whole Town which stands at least the greatest part of it upon Vaults and Caverns Besides these Mines within the walls there are a great many more within a mile or two of the City the most remarkable of which is that on the top of the high hill Auff dem hohem berg which is above seventy seven of their fathoms in depth Now each of these fathoms contains twelve of their Ells three of which make an English fathom so that this Mine is in all probability the deepest in Europe The Miners have a peculiar habit of their own which cannot so well be describ'd as represented in a figure to the eye They dig several sorts of Metals and Minerals out of these Mines Metals and Minerals tho the only thing they labour for is Silver One of the Overseers of these Mines gave me thirty-two several kinds of Ore all of which would yeild some Silver but in a proportion different from the rest The most ordinary sorts of Ore contain either Silver and Copper Silver and Lead or all three but the Lead and Copper are not much regarded They have here great quantity of Sulpher or Brimstone Ore which is hard and stony and usually speckled which the Miners look upon as a sign of the richest Ore with red spots Some of this Ore contains Silver some Copper and some both but in a small and inconsiderable proportion An hundred weight of Ore yeilds commonly three pounds and an half of Sulphur which runs out of a Furnace made for that purpose into water and is afterwards melted over again and purified The reliques of the Ore out of which the Silver is already melted serves for two uses first to melt down Silver which when too hard it makes fluid But the more consideral use of it is in the making of Vitriol or Copperas after this manner They burn the Brimstone-Ore again and then putting it into a large Fat pour water thereon which having stood a competent while is boil'd to a considerable height and then let out into Coolers In these there are a great many sticks set up as in the making of Sugar Candy to which the purest Vitriol cleaves as the worse sort does to the sides and bottoms of the Vessels They have several ways of discovering Mines Virgula divina the chief of which is with the virgula divina the use whereof some of them look upon as a piece of Conjuration rather then an experiment drawn from the principles of Natural Philosophy 'T is a forked piece of Hazel the two horns of which the discoverer holds in his hands with the forks upright In this posture he traverses the ground muttering a set form of unintelligible words to himself When the fork'd stick mov'd by an occult impulse turns in his hand and points to the ground 't is taken for an infallible argument of some rich veins of Silver in the place it points at Upon this sign given they immediately fall a digging and seldom miss of the expected success Sometimes they meet with damps in the deep Mines which are always dangerous 〈◊〉 and often prove mortal to the labourers But the greatest inconvenience and which constantly attends their labour is the dust which grates upon and frets their Skins Lungs and Stomachs and too often shortens their days by bringing them into irrecoverable Consumptions To secure themselves against these two evils they sometimes use large Vizards with glass-eyes under which they have room enough to breath for some considerable while At Freyberg there is a yearly Coinage of Ricx-dollars 〈◊〉 and other money which is most commonly true sterling and look'd upon generally as the best Cash in Germany For whereas the Emperor's Coin is usually a base and mixt mertal the Elector's is pure and true Silver currant in all parts of the Empire IV. MEISSEN Once the Metropolis and chief City in this Marquisate 〈◊〉 but at this time so inconsiderable as that it hardly merits the fourth place in this Catalogue It has its name from the River Meisse on the banks of which 't is seated Before the Civil Wars of Germany 't was famous for a great wooden Bridge cross the Elb near this place which Dresser is pleas'd to call the bravest sight of its kind in Germany and Bertius ventures to name it the wonder of Europe But some of the unruly Soldiers rob'd the Town of this piece of credit and it has now nothing to brag of
but the Elector's Palace which would be fit enough to entertain a Prince if it stood at Dresden or any such pleasant part of Misnia V. MERSEBURG Formerly a Bishop's See 〈◊〉 but now usually assign'd as a portion to some of the Elector's younger Brother 's and upon that account enjoy'd by Duke Christian youngest Brother to the late Elector of Saxony Some Antiquaries affirm that in this place stood formerly the famous Saxon Idol Irmensewl of which the Reader has already had an account which they take to be the same with Mars among the Romans and thence conclude the true etymology of the word to be Marsburg or the City of the God Mars The Town at present consists of a great number of old fashion'd and ruinous houses amongst which there is hardly any thing worth the taking notice of save the Cathedral Near this Church they have a Library wherein are a great company of venerable Manuscripts but very ill kept Amongst which I took notice of the Books of Sammuel and the Kings in Latin written in a fair and ancient Anglo-Saxonic character Torgau falsly plac'd by Mercator in the Upper Saxony Ilenburg Naumburg with some others are Towns of some note and traffick but not by much so considerable as those already described LUSATIA SUPERIOR Auth. Bartholomeo Sculteto Gorlitio Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart Vrbs Oppidum munitum Oppidum Arx Monasterium Pagus cum Templo Pagus Mons notabilis Officina ferri THE MARQUISATE OF LUSATIA LVSATIA or Laussnitz as the Germanes call it is bounded on the South with the Kingdom of Bohemia on the West with Misnia and Saxony on the North with the Marquisate of Brandenburg and on the East with the Lower Silesia Not many years since this Province was part of the Kingdom of Bohemia and is usually describ'd as such by most Geographers But when in the year 1620 the Lusatians had joined themselves in an open Rebellion with other confederate Traytors of that Kingdom the Emperor issued out his Commission to John George Elector of Saxony to quell these Revolters and reduce them if possible to their ancient obedience This he did effectually and for his reward and encouragement to proceed in these good services had the whole Province pawn'd to him till further satisfaction should be made At last by the Treaty of Prague in the year 1635 the Emperor setled this Marquisate upon the Elector and his Heirs for ever in which State excepting only some few places in the Lower Lusatia which are subject to the Elector of Brandenburg it continues to this day This great Marquisate is usually divided into the Upper and Lower Laussnitz the former whereof is sometimes by Geographers named Hexapolis because it has in it six Cities Lobau Budissin Camentz Gorlitz Lauben and Zittau all confederate In the Lower Lusatia the Cities subject to the Elector of Saxouy are Lubben on the Spree Guben Lucken and Calow The rest as Cotbus Peytze Sommerfeld with some others of less note pay homage to the Marquise of Brandenburg We cannot much commend this Country for its fruitfulness the greatest part of it being a dry sandy and barren soil and the rest made up of Fens and Bogs However the inhabitants make a hard shift to grow so much Corn as is sufficient for their own relief tho they never have so great plenty as to be able to export any of it into foreign Countries They have no want of Wood. Venison nor Fish nay they have such plenty of these Commodities as is sufficient had they the convenience of trafficking with other Nations to enrich the Country and bring in all the Rarities of other places The two chief Rivers of the Country are the Spree and Neiâ—â—e Rivers both of them exceedingly well stock'd with all manner of fresh fish The EElster too springs in this Marquisate but is a rivulet of no consequence 'till it has pass'd thorough some parts of the neighbouring Provinces It appears Inhabitants from the mixture of an abundance of Wendish words with the High Dutch spoken in these parts that the ancient inhabitants of Lusatia were a branch of the Slovâ—nian Nation Hence in the Villages and most barbarous places of the Marquisate especially in the Lower Lusatia you meet with a strange kind of unintelligible gibbrish tho the Citizens every where speak good Dutch Some of these people Geographers say have their original from the Ilingi Elysii or Lygii others from the Semnâ—nes a third sort from the Scrabi and a fourth from the Lusici or Lutitii But from what Nation or Kindred the Polanders named this Marquisate Ditivonia as Cromer Newgebawer and others tell cannot yet learn The modern Lusatians are thought to be men of as apprehensive and quick natural parts as any of their neighbours but exceedingly addicted to covetousness and penury Their Country breeds neither Horses nor Horsemen but if we believe Joh. Boter in the account he has given us of the Military power of all the great Princes and Potentates of the world they are able upon a very short warning to raise twenty-thousand hardy foot Soldiers who will endure a shock better then twice that number of delicate and well-bred Western Warriours They are in all Cases Civil and Criminal strict observers of the Saxon Laws to the harsh tenure of which they pay a better obedience then ever they were known to do formerly to any Statutes of the Kings of Bohemia The Chief Cities in LVSATIA BAUTZEN Bautzen or Budissina Seated on the River Spree and first built by a Bohemian Duke of this name about the year 800. In the year 1634 this City was so warmly besieged by the the Elector of Saxony's forces that the Emperor's Soldiers who kept the Town were forc'd to fire the Suburbs for fear of sheltering the Enemy This fire was unhappily driven over by a strong wind into the City and in a few hours laid it in ashes In this miserable condition having nothing standing but the walls and Castle it was soon after surrender'd by the Imperialists But not long after even the small remainders of this large Town were demolish'd by some of the Swedish Generals Since which time it has not been able to recover its glory but is still something inferior to II. Gorlitz GORLITZ Which City seated on the Western banks of the River Neisse is said to have been built and fortified by Boleslaus III. Duke of Poland who died in the year 1139. Others say 't was founded by Duke Sobieslaus about the year 1131. However all agree in this that after its first foundation 't was burnt down to the ground and that thence it got the name of Gorlitz which in the Slavonian language as well as Brandstat in the High Dutch a name given it by most Germans signifies a burnt City For Gorlitz is a corruption of Tzschorlitz the ancient name of this Town and that of Ischorelik There are at present several neat Churches in the Town