in this Church forty-nine Altars whereof the High Altar in the Quire is of one piece of stone curiously wrought and of various colours It is nine Hamburg Ells each of which makes one foot and ten inches in length four in bredth and one in thickness and valued at above two Tun of Gold Magdeburg had once the supreme Jurisdiction in Civil Cases as well as Ecclesiastical over all the other Cities in Saxony Judicature and the Archbishop of this Diocess was like our Bishops of Durham a Count Palatine who had the sole power of determining all Causes brought before him But that grand Authority was lost by degrees and now the Citizens of Magdeburg have no other Courts of Judicature then such as are kept by the Burgomasters and Raedtsherrn of other Cities as well as this That part of this Dukedom which lies on the Western banks of the Elb is exceedingly fruitful in Corn but wants Wood and other fuel and on the contrary that part of it which lies beyond the River has plenty of Wood but wants Corn. There are contain'd in the whole Circle twenty-eight Towns which anciently paid homage to the Archbishops of Magdeburg and are now subject to the Elector of Brandenburg as their Duke ANHALT BEtwixt the Sala and the Elb lies the greatest part of this Principality the whole being environ'd by the County of Mansfeldt the Upper Saxony the Bishopric of Halle the Dukedom of Magdeburg and the Bishopric of Halberstadt MARCHIA NOVA Vulgo NEW MARK in March Brandenburg PRINCIPATUS ANHALDINUS ET MAGDEBURGENSIS Archiepiscopatus Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart 'T will not in this place be amiss to inform the the Reader that Prince Lewis beforemention'd to the great credit of himself and Family was the first Founder of the Frucht-Barende Geselschaft as the Germans call it or Fructifying Society The story of which is as follows This Prince having travell'd over all Europe and observed the great advantages which the Nobility in France Italy and other Nations had in being furnish'd with store of excellent Books in their own Languages was resolved to try whether he could perswade any of his own Countrymen to set upon the Translation of the best Latin and Greek Authors into a more easie and intelligible stile then was ordinarily used among them In pursuance of this design he instituted the Society aforesaid whereof himself was the first President and succeeded so well herein that in a very short time after there were above twenty Princes and at least six hundred Lords and Noblemen who enter'd and enroll'd themselves in this College of Wits And how much the German Nation is beholden to the endeavours of these Virtuosi there is no intelligent man but what is abundantly sensible For besides the opportunity which every man has of reading the writings of foreign Authors in his own Language the Germans are able to spell their own tongue aright which before the Institution of this Society so few of them could do that Duesius tells us one main design of his publishing a German Grammar was to teach the Nobility of that Nation to put their words into writing The most considerable Towns in this small Principality are 1. Zerbst Seated on a small River about an English mile distant from the banks of the Elb. Dresserus fancies this a Town of great Antiquity Zerbst and had its name from the Servetii or Cervetii as he reads it an old Wendish people But Werdenhagen a better Antiquary rejects this frivolous assertion and proves that Zerbst in the Wendish Dialect signifies a strong Fort. 'T is at this day remarkable for nothing but a sort of strong heady Beer which the Citizens brew in Summer and send abroad into all the neighbouring Towns and Provinces 2. Bernburg Bernburg Another Residence of the Princes of Anhalt separated from the Palace by the River Sala On the eleventh of March in the year 1636 this Town was taken by the Elector of Saxony's Forces who put the whole Garrison that defended it with all the inhabitants excepting only those few that belong'd to the Prince's Court to the Sword and plunder'd the City 3. Dessau A well fortified Town on the Elb Dessau seated in a pleasant and fruitful part of the Country It had its name given as most of the German Etymologists imagine by the Jews who in their mungrel Dutch-Jewish Dialect call a fat soil such as this Town stands on Desse The Prince's Palace in Dessau was first built as appears by an old Inscription over one of the Gates by Albert and Waldemar two Brothers Princes of Anhalt in the year 1341. In one of the Chappels of this Town is to be seen the Tomb of Jeckel Rehebock whom some German Historians name Meniken von Belitz an old Miller who having for some time attended Waldemar Marquise of Brandenburg in the Wars took upon him to counterfeit his slain Master and carried on the design so cunningly that a great many believ'd him to be the very Marquise and follow'd him with as great respect as they had done his Master before He dyed in the year 1350. 4. Aschersleben or Ascania Ascania whence the Princes of Anhalt got the name of Principes Ascanii 'T is an old Town on the confines of the Bishopric of Halberstadt and for that reason seized on by Canons of that Church upon the death of Prince Otho's Widow in the year 1315. Since which time the Princes of Anhalt have often complain'd of the injustice of this action and hoped for a redress at the Treaty of Munster but in vain for the Bishopric of Halberstadt was by that Treaty granted to the Elector of Brandenburg who is too potent a Prince to be frighted into a resignation of any of the dependances upon that Diocess THE DUKEDOME OF BRUNSWIC THE Dukedom of Brunswic strictly so call'd comprehends only the Territories subject to the Dukes of Brunswic and Hannover or Calenberg The Principality of Grubenhagen with the Counties of Blanckenburg and Reinstein are indeed usually comprised under the same name because subject to the Dukes of Zell and Wolfenbuttel who are both entituled Dukes of Brunswic as well Luneburg but are however in themselves distinct Dominions and shall accordingly be separately described The Dukedoms of Brunswic and Hannever are exceeding populous and fruitful Soil The Wheat and Rye in this Country grows sometimes to that prodigious height that their ordinary Ears of Corn are higher then the tallest man on Horseback But yet we must not expect to meet with such pleasant and profitable Cornfields as these in every part of the Country A great share of the Hercynean Forest ran thro this Land tho that be now parcell'd out into smaller Woods and Parks In these the Inhabitants have besides the provision of Timber and Fuel great store of Deer wild Swine Hares c. with Fowl of all sorts Not to mention their rich Mines of Iron Salt and Coal-pits of which in
the lesser Councils or Conventions in the several Palatinates larger Provinces and certain Districts These Conventions precede the general Assemblies of the Kingdom six weeks unless upon some extraordinary accident and are held in the proper Cities of the Palatinates and Provinces appointed for that purpose Here after they have chosen a Marshal who seems to be much like our Speaker as being the Director of the Convention they first consider of such things as are propounded to them by the Kings Deputies dispatched away to every Convention and of what other business is to be motioned at the General Session After that they choose the Land Deputies or provincial Delegates for the general Assembly Every Province sends so many almost in the same manner as our Shires save only that they are not chosen by the people till the whole number amount to about 300. These Deputies are generally elected out of such Magistrates as are not of the Senatorian order excluding all Judges and their Assistants Collectors and all Officers of the Exchequer unless they have exact and full acquittances from the Treasurer The Delegates like our Burgesses have a certain allowance from their respective Provinces during the sitting of the general Assembly The particular Conventions being broken up which by the Law are not to sit above four days three weeks before the Senators and Delegates repair to the Grand Session they meet at the general Committees for the several Provinces where they again read over the Kings commands the instructions given to the Delegates and what was thought needful to be propounded for the publick good The grand Assembly being met the Deputies repair to their Chamber and choose their Marshal or Director which done they are all conducted to kiss the Kings hand and after that ceremony perform'd the Chancellours of the Kingdom and Dukedome in order declare to them the substance of those affairs which are to be the subject of their Debates Before they depart they put the King in mind of supplying such employments as are vacant with deserving persons and desire an account of such Laws or Ordinances as have been made by the resident Senators since the sitting of the last grand Convention Having so done they return to their Chamber The power of these Nuncii or Deputies is very great for when they send any of their number to the King they are presently admitted let the King be never so busy and have an immediate dispatch If they clash in their debates the King is careful to send some of the Senators to reconcile them who then give them the Title of Mosci Panovoie Bracia or Gracious Lords Brothers They have also power to impeach any great Officer of Misdemeanours and to put the King himself in mind of his promises touching the Laws and priviledges of the Kingdom neither is any constitution valid that has not its Original from the Chamber of the Deputies And which is yet more if any one of the whole number of the Nuncii dissent nothing can be legally concluded So that upon the protestation and departure of one Deputy the whole Convention is ipso facto dissolv'd Whilst the Deputies are thus consulting the King and Senators have little to do but to hear certain criminal causes appointed before hand for the first week and some other civil controversies the second till the return of the Deputies embodies the whole Senate together Then every man has liberty to deliver his mind with the leave and direction of the Marshal The King suspends his own opinion till the Senators and Deputies or the major part of them agree Then he endeavours to reconcile their different votes or if he cannot prevail concurs with that party which has voted most conformably to the Laws and priviledges of the Realm These consultations by the Law ought not to be continued above fifteen days after the joyning of both Houses though sometimes urgency of affairs causes farther prolongation When the Session breaks up the Deputies returning home give notice of their return to the Captains with Jurisdiction and the Palatines or Vice-Palatines give the same notice of the return to the Deputies to the Nobility inviting them withal to the Post-Comitial Assemblies or Conventions of Relation the meeting whereof the King appoints In these Conventions the Deputies produce the constitutions made in the last general Assembly of Estates delivered to them under seal by the Chancellours and take care that they be fairly transcribed into the Land and military Registers not omitting after this to give a full account of what they have acted in discharge of their Trusts If the grand Session break up in confusion not having effected any thing to purpose then certain Post-Comitial Councils are called wherein the King prefixes a time for another grand Session Nor is it a wonder that much disturbance should rise in the General Assemblies considering the multitude of the Deputies and the liberty of each member for which reason Cardinal Johannes Franciscus Commendonus facetiously said That Morbus Comitialis was the Epidemical distemper of Poland Now that the King may not want a Council in the interval of general Conventions they before they break up appoint 24 Senators 8 Palatines 8 Major and as many Minor Castellanes and four Bishops to wait quarterly four at a time one Bishop and three Senators till other 28 are chosen And these are bound so close to their duty that they accompany the King to the Wars for which they have a Stipend allowed and payed out of the Treasury The Courts of Judicature in respect of their division are the same as in other countreys 〈…〉 that is either Ecclesiastic or Secular either for civil or criminal causes but in respect of the Judges and manner of proceeding therein not easily to be understood without a particular survey The Nobles have a Court peculiar to themselves called the Court of Land-judicature wherein all actions relating to estates in Land are tryed Where also the Captains and by their permission the Kings Tenants may sue the Nobles themselves for wast done upon the Lands belonging to the Kings table To this Court likewise belong all actions of debt upon Contract The Judges of this Court are a chief Judg a Judg and a Secondary Upon the death of any of these the Nobility propose four landed men whom they recommend to the King who chuses one out of them into the dead place All the Judges are bound to be resident at the Session of the Court which is twice thrice and sometimes four times a year The next remarkable Court is that of the several Captains jurisdiction called Sudy Grodskie or Courtmilitary The chief Judg of this Court is a Captain he sits alone takes cognisance of Rapes Burglary Setting Houses on fire Robberies upon the High-way c. Noblemen not Landed are here also tryed and forreign Merchants coming to Faires He has also power without any noise of Law to condemn and punish idle Vagabonds Thieves Proscribed persons
six chief Courts of Judicature Courts of Judicature for the examination and trial of Cases Civil and Ecclesiastical in the Elector's Dominions 1. At Coen on the Spree or in the Elector's Palace at Berlin 2. At Colberg in Pomeren 3. Cleve 4. Halberstadt 5. Petershagh where all Causes depending between any of the Elector's Subjects in the Dukedom of Minden are brought to trial 6. Konigsberg in Prussia To these may be added the Court of Magdeburg since that Archbishopric is now fall'n into the Elector's hands But of this more hereafter The whole Marquisate of Brandenburg strictly so call'd is commonly divided into the Alt Mittel Neue and Vcker-Marck with the Territories of Prignitz and Sternberg But taking Prignitz and Vcker-Marck into the Middle and Sternberg into the New we may include them all under the three following heads ALT-MARCK FIrst ALT-MARCK or the old Marquisate is bounded on the North with the Dukedom of Mecklenburg on the West with Saxon-Lawenburg and some part of the Duke of Lunenburg's Territories on the South with the Dukedom of Magdeburg and on the East with the Middle Marck containing about thirty English miles in length or bredth Some Authors for the plenty it affords of all manner of Herbs and Fruits have been pleased to call it the Galilee of Germany It is commonly subdivided into four petty Provinces whereof that on the East called Das Balsamerland or Ostland contains Stendal Arneburg the City and County of Osterburg with some other Towns of note On the South lies Die Langer or Das Angerland taking its name from the River Anger Towards the West Das land zu Zermund in which is situate the ancient City Soltwedel And lastly Das Senland on the North supposed to have its name from the Senones who are thought to have been the ancient inhabitants of these parts The most considerable Cities and great Towns in the Old Marck are 1. Stendal the Metropolis of this Province Stendal seated upon the River Vcht about five English miles distant from the Elb and Angermund in a pleasant plain and at the side of a large Forest It was built by the Emperor Henry the First in the year of Christ 920 and afterwards fortified with strong Walls and Bulwarks by Marquise Albert surnam'd Vrsus in the year 1150. In this neat and well-built Hans-Town are kept the ordinary Quarter-Sessions for decision of all Law-Suits in the Old Marck The chief trade of the Citizens is in Corn and Linnen Cloth with which and the daily opportunity of entertaining Passengers that travel this road from Hamburg and Lubec towards Magdeburg Erfurt c. they make a shift to live handsomly MARCHIA VETUS Vulgo ALTE MARCK in March Brandenburgico To the R. t Wor. ll Ralph Macro M. D. r this Plate is Humbly Dedicated by Moses Pitt MARCHIA MEDIA Vulgo MIDLE MARCK in Brandenburg IE NE SERCH QVâ— To the R. t Hon. t Iames Earle of Northampton This Mapp is humbly Dedicated by M. Pitt 3. Gardleben GARDLEBEN Some Authors tell us that the ancient name of this Town was Isoburgum from the Image of Isis here worshipp'd Others believe 't was Isernburg and so called from its impregnable strength that name signifying properly a City of Iron The neighbouring old Fort call'd still by its ancient Wendish name Iseren Schnippe i. e. Iron Jaws gave occasion to both these opinions which are purely conjectural and are neither countenanc'd by Antiquity nor Probability But omitting these fancies with that of other Authors equally impertinent who write the Gardelegia and fetch its Etymology from Gardalegionum or Custodia Legionum because forsooth Claudius Drusus quarter'd some of his Soldiers here as well as at Soltwedel 't is most likely this City had its name from the multitude of pleasant Gardens among which 't is seated The Beer brewed in this Town is famous all Germany over and reckon'd amongst the greatest Blessings of the Old Marck Henry Meibonius a Professor in Helmstadt whither great quantities of this Liquor is ordinarily convey'd has writ a Panegyrick in commendation of it Another great commodity of the Town is Hops which are preferr'd by the Danish Merchants and others before the best in Germany and bought up at a higher rate The Arms of the City are three Hop-poles laden with Hops IV. Angermund ANGERMUND or Tangermund Seated as the name intimates on the mouth of the River Anger or Tanger about thirty English miles from Magdeburg The Emperor Charles IV. having bought the whole Marquisate of Brandenburg built the Castle of Angermund in the year 1376 making this the usual place of his residence for some years after The Citizens have a considerable trade from the advantage of the Elb by which their Corn and other Commodities of the Country are convey'd in Vessels down to Hamburg and thence into foreign Nations Other places of less note are 1. Seehusen or Senheusen as some write it seated on the River Alant and falsely suppos'd to have been built by the Senones who were indeed a Gaulish people and never inhabited these parts 2. Osterburg a great Corn-Market 3. Werben seated at the confluence of the Rivers Elb and Havel built by Henry surnamed the Fowler out of the ruins of the old Castellum Vari Gustavus Adolphus fancied this place capable of being made the strongest Fort in Germany and himself contributed so far towards its fortification as to cause that Castle to be built which now commands the whole Town 4. Havelberg anciently a Bishop's See 5. Perleberg the chief Town in Prignitz seated in a pleasant and fruitful plain Arneburg Wittemberg Bismarcht Schnakenburg with some others are Villages rather then great Towns II. MIDDLE-MARCK MIDDLE-MARCK as its name intimates is situate in the very midst of the Marquisate of Brandenburg 'T is the largest of the three and reaches from the banks of the Elb to the Oder about an hundred English miles The chief Towns in it are I. BRANDENBURG which Brandenburg tho at present far inferior to many of the neighbouring Cities well merits the preeminence as having been formerly the Metropolis of the whole Land and to this day giving name to the Marquisate Some of the German Historians endeavour to perswade us that 't was built 416 years before the birth of our Saviour by one Brenno a famous Captain of the Semnones Others more modestly fetch its original and name from one Brando who as they tell the story first built this City about the year 230. At present the Town is considerable for little but its age and the inhabitants would be put to a hard shift to pick up a livelihood if the neighbouring Lake about ten English miles in length did not supply them with good store of Fish In the great Church there are a great many Monuments and Sepulchers of Princes and Bishops and in the Market-place a Statua Rolandina of which last we have already given the Reader a short account II. BERLIN Berlin Angelius a
The second for businesses of war The third for the demeasne and revenue of the Prince The fourth for trade and merchandise The fifth for determination of civil causes amongst themselves The sixth for criminal matters Every Council hath its President Counsellors Secretaries c. who write all things at large in rolls after the ancient manner sometimes thirty or forty ells long whereof they have vast quantities orderly laid up in their respective offices To these also are referred all the affairs of the whole Nation every Province being assign'd to one of these to send their appeals make their relations receive orders and the like Every Council knowing the Provinces that belong to it and the Province knowing its own Council and office where to make their applications In their judgments they give sentence according to witnesses if there be any if none they give liberty for trial by combat wherein it is lawful for the Appellant or the Apellee to substitute another in his stead Sometimes they put them to the question or torment wherein they are very ingeniously cruel sometimes also to their oath tho no man be compelled to swear but if any voluntarily offers it it is commonly accepted and solemnly performed in the Church by kissing a cross But he that swears in this manner twice or thrice becomes infamous he is prohibited entrance into the Church nor will persons of condition willingly converse with him For there being amongst them no more abhorr'd crime then false-swearing they startle at every solemn oath tho in their conversation they are not scrupulous of swearing They refer also some doubtful matters to lots of which see a story in Hackluit p. 309. Their usual punishments are severe Their Punishments A robber is broke upon the wheel A sacrilegious person impaled A traitor and a servant that murthers his master beheaded An Adulterer compoundeth with the abused husband and besides is whipped from the Court to the house of the Adulteress and she if her husband pleases is repudiated and put into a Monastery and himself after six weeks hath liberty to marry another But none suffer more severity then those that are in debt who are kept prisoners till a day appointed when they engage to pay if they keep not their day and be able to pay they are every day brought into the Court and there beaten for an hour together upon their shins and the calves of their legs and back to prison at night and so till the debt be paid But if they be unable to pay it they are made slaves to the creditor The chief Officers of State and the Court for secular businesses under the Emperor are much-what the same as in all other Monarchies Officers of State The Chancellor who is also the chief Secretary and to him belongs and he presides in the office of Ambassadors his charge also is to present petitions to the Tzar and to return his answer which he doth in the Princes own words The Treasurer that looks to and takes account of all the revenue The Constable who looks after the soldiery The Master of the Horse who besides the Prince's horses minds also the Guards their discipline and quartering The Ocolnick or Chief Justice whom they call the Great Counsellor always present with the Princes person under whom is the Neddesnick who commands all the Serjeants Prisons c. And divers of these are sometimes bestowed upon the same person Ilias Danielowitz Miloslawsky was Generalissimo an employment very befitting him for he was a man of great courage and strength both of body and mind he had such a vast memory that he knew all the Commission-officers of an Army of eighty thousand what their abilities and where their quarters He was also Treasurer and had divers offices besides Afanase Nashockin succeeded him in his Princes favour and was Chancellor Treasurer Lord of Russia minor and had several other employments a man not corrupted by bribes very sober and abstemious indefatigable in business and who seriously set about a reformation of the evil customs of his country But such a vast dominion as Russia cannot be governed without very many Magistrates Inferior Magistrates and such indeed there are There is a Court or Council for the government of Moskow who have many officers under them In all the great frontier Cities are Weywods or Governors of great quality and experience and in every City two if not three besides the officers of Justice c. In lesser Cities are also Governors but of lesser quality whom the Grand Tzar appoints by delivering them a staff which at their return they restore him again and this is the ensign of their power Besides these there are divers other Magistrates as the Gubnoy-starust which is like an Alderman or Mayor of a Town Sotskoy-starust like a Baily of an Hundred And divers others who can judg in small cases and from whom there ly appeals a great catalogue of them is in Olearius an 1636. But Afanase Nasbockin had a design that to save the subjects trouble and the Princes charge the Governors should in many cases and even in some capital matters have power of judging without appeal and executing also their judgments One thing seems very faulty in their government that having so many Magistrates salaried by the Prince their stipends must necessarily be very small and inconsiderable yet are they by these to make their fortunes and many of them to receive rewards of former services and expences Consequently they must oppress the people and so much the more as will not only satisfie themselves but also buy their peace and impunity at their return from their employment Thus much for their government The revenues of the Emperor let us see what means there is to maintain it the Emperors revenues I mean which are very great and arise thus 1. There is the office of the Steward which receives all the Emperors revenue of his inheritance or Crown-lands which contain thirty-six Towns with their territories whereof some pay their rents in money others in corn or other provision This provision for the Emperors houshold is more then is spent and the surplus is sold by the Steward and the money brought into the Treasury which according to the bounty and hospitality of the Emperor is more or less In Ivan Vasilowich's time it was accounted 60000 Rubbles per ann but in his sons time 230000. And this commonly is employed in paying the wages of his houshold-servants 2. The office that receiveth the Tagla and Podat Tagla is an imposition upon every measure of grain that groweth in the Kingdom the Podat is a tax of money upon every Town and Precinct bringeth in communibus annis about 400000 Rubbles 3. The Court of the great income bulsha precod receiveth all the customs upon commodities in all the principal Towns and this is farmed out to the respective places and is therefore as trading riseth and falleth sometimes more sometimes less
and Vilna For the Polonians believe that it very much avails both to the security of the Governour and to confirm the allegiance of them that obey that the King should be chosen by the Generality who can then have no pretence to complain of their own Act. The place of Election is in an open field not far from Warsaw near the Village Wola by reason of the multitude of them who have voices in the Election it is mark'd out by the Marshals of Poland and Lithuania When the day of Election is come and the Senators all met the Interrex asks the Question three times Whether it be their pleasure to command that such a one shall be declared King If by consent of voices they return for an answer It pleases us Let him live then the Archbishop declares him King in these words In the name of God I declare such a one King and great Duke of Lithuania and beseech the King of Heaven to enable him for so great a charge and through his mercy so to order that the Election may be prosperous for the Nation and happy for the Catholick Religion After which the Marshals proclaim the Election in the following manner King N. is unanimously elected and so declared by the Interrex him therefore all ye acknowledg your lawfully elected and declared King If the King so elected be absent his Ambassadours are obliged to confirm by oath the conditions and receive the decree of the Election After which the Marshalls make a second Proclamation in these words The Polanders have a lawful King On the other side before the King is admitted he is obliged by oath to preserve the Laws and priviledges of the Kingdom and the Covenants agreed upon by the Estates in all their clauses points and conditions and to renew the said oath at his Coronation But though he be now elected the Interregnum does not cease till after his Coronation for till then he assumes no other Title then that of King Elect neither are his Letters to Foreign Princes seal'd with any other seal then that of the Chamber So that though the present King was permitted to make use of the Seal of great Duke of Lithuania before his Coronation that was only done upon the necessity of the Muscovitick Expedition The usual place of Coronation is Cracow where the Crown is kept in the cheif treasury under the charge of the high Treasurer and the person performing the ceremony is always the Archbishop of Gnesna if not prevented by sickness The chief Ceremonies at the Coronation are the Questions propounded to the King Wilt thou profess the Catholick faith delivered by Catholick men Answ I will Wilt thou defend and maintain the Church and its Ministers Wilt thou uphold defend and govern the Kingdom by God committed to thy care according to Justice Ans I will All which he confirms by the usual form of words and laying his hand upon the Evangelists The Ceremony of anointing is perform'd with saying these words I anoint thee King with the sanctified oil in the name of the Father Son and holy Ghost The words of Confirmation are Sit and possess the Throne appointed thee by God Let thy hand be strengthned and thy right hand exalted The solemnity being ended the King repairs to the grand Assembly for the Coronation where the Interrex resigns his Authority and the Senatours together with the Nobility and Deputies of the Cities take their oaths of allegiance to the new King The present power and authority of the Kings of Poland will more plainly appear by a recital of the articles to the observance whereof they bind themselves as well before as at their Coronation for they contain all the essential properties of Regal Dominion under the name of Pacta Conventa As to their power in Ecclesiastical affairs the Roman-Catholick Kings of Poland have been so kind as to part with their chiefest prerogatives in that particular reserving only to themselves the collation of benefices The King swears to maintain peace between the dissenters in Religion of which there are many in Poland and to compose the causes and differences among persons professing the Greek religion as appears by the Pacta Conventa sworn to by John the Third now reigning As for foundations of Churches and Monasteries whatsoever liberty the King may have to erect they are to be confirm'd by all the orders at the general assembly of Estates and thus the immunities and priviledges granted by the Kings of Poland to the Academy of Vilna were also confirm'd The next prerogative is the legislative power concerning which we find that in the time of Lechus the Kings of Poland had an absolute authority of making Laws themselves as necessity required But afterwards when they had received the Christian faith they began to make Laws with the consent of the Peers Insomuch that Sigismund the Third in the year 1570 enacted That no Law should be of publick force till reviewed and subscribed by such a number of Deputies of the Nobility and Senators whose consent was to be required before-hand whether the Law should pass which Law remains to this day The determination of Controversies was likewise formerly in the breast of the King as supreme Judg till Vladislaus Jagello granted this priviledge to the Nobility That they should not be punished or imprison'd till convicted by Law After him Bathor threw off the burthen of hearing causes from his own shoulders and erected several courts of Judicature in Poland and Lithuania reserving only to himself the judgment of such causes as concerned his Chequer and such Cities as were immediately under his jurisdiction But now the Nobility create the chief Judg or Marshal with his assistants in those tribunals nor does the King sit alone upon causes that come before him by way of appeal besides the King swears to determine all Court causes according to the advice and opinion of the Senators and Officers residing at Court as also to call the causes in order as they are set down in the Register and neither to retard nor further any cause for favour or interest The power of making war did formerly without doubt absolutely belong to the King But Casimir the third in the year 1454 made a promise that he would undertake no war without the consent of the Senate At this day the Kings of Poland by the Pacta Conventa promise not to admit or call in any foreign assistance without the especial consent of the Estates not to encrease the number of the standing Militia nor raise forces privately not to send aid to any other Prince without consent as aforesaid nor to commit the trust of Forts or Castles to strangers or plebeians but to men of worth and landed Nobility Besides all these engagements there is a Council of War elected out of the Senate and Nobility to attend and advise him in the field according to the late Constitutions in the year 1676 and several others before He is also
Fugitives and people of infamous conversation The writ of the Court runs Nos Capitaneus c. Tibi c. Mandamus vigore Regio nostra qua hac parte fungimur Authoritate c. In Criminal causes it is to be served a fortnight in Civil a week before the Court sits To the Judicia Campestria may be referred the Vice-Captains Court which takes cognizance of the division of Estates between brothers forcible ejections servants entertained without testimonial exaction of customs non-payment of publick duties c. The Sub-Chamberlains Court is for settling the bounds of Noblemens Estates The Commissorial Courts are erected for the same purpose when the controversy happens between a Noble-man and one of the Kings tenants For then the King sends down Commissioners to settle the limits of his own lands who therefore issue out their writ after this form Nos c. Commissarii per Majestatem Regiam specialiter deputati vobis Generosis c. innotescimus c. The Tribunal-Courts are superiour Courts which take cognizance of all causes removed thither by way of appeal from the Courts of Land-judicature the Captains Courts the Vice-Chamberlain and the Commissorial Courts The Judges of these Courts are as well spiritual as secular The spiritual Judges are elected by the several Chapters of the Provinces the temporal Judges by the most voices of the Nobility These Courts are held only in two places for Poland Petricow and Lublin The Causes are heard in order for three days are allowed to enter all causes that come and whatever is not enter'd in those three days cannot be medled with that sitting Here are tried all causes that concern Ecclesiastical persons and the revenues of Churches and religious houses The writs issued hence run all in the Kings name under the Seal of the Province where the Defendant lives The Decrees of the Court are seal'd with the Seal of the province where the Court is held From hence there lyes no appeal either to the King or the General Session unless where the Court is equally divided or that the case in Controversy be not decided by the Constitutions The Courts of the General Conventions are either Criminal or Civil The Criminal either for publick crimes as High Treason Treason Robbing the Exchequer Violation of the priviledges of the General Parliament and adulterating or falsifying the publick Coin or else for private crimes as Murder Poysoning Incest Adultery and such like hainous offences To the civil Conventional Courts belong all causes concerning the Estate of the Kings table goods unlawfully received extortion of custome negligence of Magistrates c. all causes concerning the tenths of Noblemens Estates profanation of Churches Land-offices and Honours c. The Judges of this Court are the King and the Senatours Whilst the Senatours and Deputies give their votes the King absents himself afterwards when the decree is confirm'd by plurality of votes he returns and the Marshal having proclaimed the Sentence in the Kings presence commands the person condemn'd to be clapt into irons and takes care that execution be done For causes that relate to the public Revenues there is the Court of the Exchequer usually held at Radom and therefore called Tribunal Radomiense The Judges of this Court besides the Treasurer are certain Senators elected for this purpose in the general Parliaments of the Kingdom Before this Court are examined and tryed all Sub-treasurers and Collectors of contributions and Captains which have not brought into the Treasury what collections were paid into their hands as also all Merchants and others by whom the Treasury has suffer'd any dammage This Court seldome sits above a fortnight or three weeks and always adjourns before the meeting of the general Conventions Nearly relating to this Court is that which they call The Commission for payment of Souldiers wages Here are tryed such Souldiers as have not appeared after they have received their pay or that have committed any Acts of violence towards the Kings Subjects The Judges of this Court are the chief Commission-officers of the Army with certain selected Senators and Deputies to assist them To omit the Military Courts which are the same in all well disciplined armies the Marshal of the Kings house has also his Court whose jurisdiction extends not only over the Kings servants but also over the Senators themselves that live in the Court The Captural Court is two-fold either General which sits during the Interregnum to prevent disorders having absolute power of life and death whose Judges are chosen out of the prime Nobility Or Particular in the several Palatinates of the Kingdom the Judges whereof are chosen out of the Nobility at the several particular Conventions in the beginning of the Interregnum They take cognizance of all causes tryable in the Captains Court and of all injuries and batteries but meddle not with civil matters being like a Court constituted to keep the peace during the Interregnum All Captural Courts cease three weeks before the Assemblies for Election meet After the Election is over they sit again till the Coronation of the King The Jews are every where tried and judged by the Palatines from whom there lyes no appeal except the sum exceed an hundred Florens They that live in Towns or Villages belonging to Noblemen are under the jurisdiction of the Lord of the Royalty In the Assessorial Court the Chancellour sits as supreme Judge assisted by the Masters of requests and the principal Secretaries of the Kingdom Here are heard all causes removed from the City Courts as also from the Palatines when the controversy lies between a Christian and a Jew Of the Court of Relations the King himself is Judg and hears all causes removed by way of appeal out of the Assessorial Court Hence there lies no appeal but only to the Parliament it self and that but in two or three cases As when the action relates to an Estate which the possessour affirms that he holds by inheritance or that it concern the publick revenue of the kingdom I do not find any Ecclesiatical Courts particularly named however most certain it is that the Bishops have their several Courts where either they or their officials take cognizance of all ceremonies and institutions Ecclesiastical and are Judges of Heresy Schism Magick Incantations Usury Simony as also controversies about Tithes and Church-lands of murder or violence offer'd to a religious person or upon holy ground Moreover they determine the rights of Patronage Matrimonial differences and contests touching birth-right As for Wills and Testaments the differences about them are decided in the secular Courts as well as in these unless in case of some Legacies left to the Church From the Bishop's Court there lies an appeal to the Arch-bishop of Leopol from him to the Arch-bishop of Gnesna and thence to the Apostolick See To the Spiritual Courts belong the Court of Nunciature under the jurisdiction of the Popes Nuncio for that purpose always residing in Poland However before he
an oath taken in Norway and Iseland we read Hialpi mier suo Fryer og Niordur og hin al matke As i.e. So help me Frier and Niordur a Norwegian King Deified for his noble exploits and the almighty Asian i.e. Woden From him the Iselanders call the fourth day of the week Odensdagur and we Wendesday The Nobility of the ancient people of the North were wonderfully ambitious of fetching their pedigree down in a streight line from this Patriarch and God of the Northern Nations Hence possibly it comes that in some Copies of our Anglo-Saxonic Chronicle the Genealogy of our English King Cerdic with several others is run up to one who is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the son of Woden and there the pedegree breaks of As if in so doing they had sufficiently imitated St. Luke's Genealogy of our Saviour unto Adam which was the son of God And hence as may well be conjectured the Islanders do to this day call their Noblemen Godar and Hoffgodar i.e. such as are of the lineage or family of the Gods Besides these two we sometimes read of Freyer as in the Norwegian oath before quoted one of Wodens companions and Friga Wodens wife whence our Friday with several others of less note Arngrim allows 〈…〉 that several Christians came out of Norway into Iseland with Ingulf in the year 874 but that the Isle was then converted to the Christian faith he denies A full and total conversion he says was never attempted till about an hundred years after The first that openly preached the Gospel was one Frideric a Saxon born who came over into this Isle in the year 981 and succeeded so well that within three years after there were several Churches built The Iselandic Chronicle mentions one Thangbrandt another outlandish Bishop who came into Iseland in the year 997. At last in the year 1000 it was agreed on in a general Assembly of the whole Isle That the worship of Heathenish Idols being abandoned they would unanimously embrace the Christian Religion In the year 1056 Isleif an Iselander was consecrated Bishop of the whole Isle and enter'd upon the See of Schalholt the year following It is very observable what is recorded in the Iselandic Chronicle that this Isleif married Dalla the daughter of one Thorwald and by her had three sons The eldest of which named Gysser succeeded his father in the Bishoprick of Schalholt altho he also is said to have married Stenun the daughter of Thorgrin Since that time the inhabitants of Iseland have continued stedfast in the Christian faith Gudbrand Thorlac who entred the Bishoprick of Holen in the year 1571 abolished the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome and introduced the Augustan Confession which to this day is maintained all over the Isle The same Bishop first procured a Printing-house to be set up in Iseland and afterwards caused the Bible and several other godly books to be translated into the Iselandic tongue and printed Christian the third King of Denmark founded two Free-schools in Iseland one at Holen and the other at Skalholt which by the munificence of his successors Frideric the second and Christian the fourth were improved into two considerable Colledges where young men were instructed in the liberal Arts and principles of Religion till they were thought fit for the ministry Of late years many ingenious men and learned Iselanders have been bred up in the University at Copenhagen We have before taken a survey of the mean Cottages or Burrows of the Rusticks in Iseland Cities and we cannot expect that their Citizens should live in much better fashion There are only two Cities in the Isle Holen and Skalholt the one the seat of their Northern the other of their Southern Bishop In both of them the houses are built of wood rarely of stone cover'd with either boards or turf The Cathedral at Holen according to Arngrim's description either is or at least has been a stately Fabrick In his days the Church-porch had on each side five pillars which were fourteen ells high I suppose he means Norwegian ells one of which is about three quarters of a yard English and five in thickness The Quire and Body of the Church were proportionable to the Porch This noble structure was blown down in the year 1584 but magnificently rebuilt at the charge of Frideric II. King of Denmark within four years after Neither of these Cities look any better then one of our ordinary Villages for the houses are not contiguous nor defended by any fortification or rampire Blefkenius tells us how truly I know not of a pleasant plain in the middle of Iseland Judicature where formerly stood an high flaming mountain which by degrees burnt away This plain says he is encompassed with huge rocks which make it inaccessible excepting only in one place and there too you have room for no more then one passenger at once From the tops of two of these rocks fall down two large rivers which with a terrible noise are swallowed up by a whirl-pool in the midst of the plain Hither yearly upon the twenty-ninth day of June repair all such as have any suit at Law or other controversie to be determined At the passage stands a guard of soldiers who admit all in that desire the favour but suffer none to go out without a pass from the Governor As soon as all who have any business are come in the Governor or Lieutenant of the Isle reads his Commission from the King of Denmark That done he gives his charge insisting much upon the good will and kindness which the King his Master and himself bear the Iselanders and advising them all to administer justice without respect of any manner of persons whatever After this he returns to his Tent where in a godly Sermon preach'd to him and the rest of the Assembly the necessity of punishing offenders and vindicating the injur'd is declared As soon as Sermon is ended the twelve chosen Justices whom they call Lochmaders i.e. men of the Law sit down on the ground with each a book of the Iselandic Laws in his hand After the Plaintiff and Defendant have both given in what they have to say they all arise and every man examines privately the verdict of his book in the case proposed Returning they consult awhile of the sentence and then unanimously pronounce it If any considerable doubt arise among them which they themselves cannot easily solve they consult the Lieutenant but will not give him authority or leave to decide the controversie by pronouncing of sentence These twelve Jurymen of whom one always is Foreman have great respect shew'n them as long as these Assizes last They have power to determine all Civil causes and to pronounce condemnation as they think convenient against all Criminals Those that are condemn'd to dye as Adulterers Murderers and notorious Thieves are beheaded but smaller misdemeanors are marked in the forehead with an hot iron This
hardly recover'd any of its ancient riches and grandeur and is now moulder'd into a Sea-Port Town of less note if possible then Wollin Cities and great Towns of Note in the Lower POMEREN FIrst 〈◊〉 STRALSUND When this City now the largest and wealthiest in Pomeren was first built is not certainly known The most credible Historians tell us it owes its first original to Sunno II. King of the Franks who laid the first foundation of this Town in the year 145 or 146 calling it from his own name Sunnonia which was afterwards corrupted into Sunda and by the addition of Strala an Island situate no man knows where turn'd at last into Stralsund But I had rather believe it had the name Sund as 't is still sometimes call'd from the narrow Sea upon which it stands since this as well as the Baltic Straits betwixt Helsingore and Helsingborg would be properly nam'd in the Danish or Gottish tongue de Sund. The other part of its modern name seems afterwards added von den Stralen oder flussen from the interchangable portions of Sea and Land in this place The first undoubted truth we find related of this City is that after some great spoiling or utter destruction it was magnificently rebuilt enlarged and peopled with Germans by Jaromar Prince of Rugen about the year 1209. By this Prince's Son its fortifications were first begun in the year 1230 and the City removed a little out of the place where its first foundations had been laid by his Father For before Jaromar had quite encompass'd his new built Town with a slender Wall which he fancied would have been sufficient to have defended it against the incursions of the Danes on the one hand and the Pomeranians on the other the Dukes of Pomeren broke in upon him and overpowering his small Garrison burnt up the greatest part of the intended City So that the Stralsunders have good reason to reckon the Age of their City no farther then from the year 1230 as they intimate from the following distich engraven in several places of the Town in Golden Letters Annis Ducentis ter denis mille retentis Fit Stralsundensis Civitas cui nomen ab undis Since that time it has had almost as many fair priviledges and immunities conferr'd upon it as any City in the Empire of its age As 1. The Magistrates of the Town have power to determine all controversies as well in Criminal as Civil causes within their own Courts from whence lies no appeal to any superior Judge or Prince whatever 2. They have power to coin money and raise forces either for Sea or Land 3. In case of an engagement of the whole German Empire with some foreign Nation in a Sea-Fight the Stralsunders are not obliged to venture any further abroad then is convenient for the defence of their own City 4. They have had power to make Leagues and Confederacies for the advancement of their own trade and to chuse their own Patrons and Protectors out of all the Princes of the Empire At this day the City is in a flourishing and splendid condition the Houses generally stone and very uniform This last year 1680 some part of the Town was burnt down by an unhappy accident but the plentiful purses of the inhabitants will be able quickly to repair the damages of that fire The Sea betwixt this Town and the Isle of Rugen is about an English mile in breadth down to which from the Walls there are six great Gates and as many Bridges leading thither To these Bridges the Merchantships of 150 or 200 Tun which ride in the Harbour are fasten'd Towards the Land it is fortified with regular Bulwarks and Fish-ponds of twice a Musket's shot in bredth over which there are four Dams and Bridges leading from the four Land-Gates of the Town The chief Commodity of the Town is Corn which the Merchants transport in great quantities into the Low-Countries Scotland Norway and many other parts of Europe In some of the Northern Nations the Stralsund beer is reckoned a choise Commodity and for that reason many tun of that Liquor is here yearly ship'd off Stralsund has always so bravely maintain'd its priviledges and Liberties that it would be a voluminous History to give an account of the many several Proofs its Inhabitants have given of their valour in this kind Historians will acquaint us that at once it withstood the United Forces of two Kings of Denmark and Sweden and ten Princes against the assaults of all which it bravely defended it self and in the engagement took Eric Duke of Saxony Prisoner After this exploit the City began to be as terrible as before it had been impregnable and none of the Neighbouring Princes durst offer either violence or any affront to the Citizens of Stralsund In the Civil Wars of Germany Count Walstein trusting to Fortune that had always favour'd his former enterprises lay close siege to the Town but after a furious onset and a long but vain expectance of success was at last forced shamefully to retire Within a while after the Stralsunders put themselves under the protection of Gustavus Adolphus the triumphant King of Sweden who though at first designed only for a titular Patron prov'd in the end their real Lord and Master However the present Elector of Brandenburg is the only Prince that can justly brag of having fairly conquered the City of Stralsund which after he had taken Stetin and the greatest part of the upper Pomeren was by him besieged and taken in the year 1678 though afterwards as he stood obliged by the Fifth Article of the Treaty of peace signed by the Ministers of the Kings of France and Sweden and the said Elector at St. Germain's en Laye the 29th of July in the year 1679 he resign'd it back into the hands of the Swedish King II. Bardt BARTH or BARDT This Town not many ages agoe was the Metropolis of the upper Pomeren and gave name to all that part of the Countrey wherein are now situate Stralsund Grimmen Tribsees with many other Cities and great Towns of good note Some fancy it derived its name from the Longobardi whom they make the undoubtedly antient Inhabitants of these parts and in confirmation of this their conjecture produce the old Arms of the Town wherein it bears a mans head with a long beard But the more probable opinion is That 't is so called from the River Barte or Bartze on the mouth of which it is seated The Fields about this City are exceeding fruitful and abound with all manner of grain whence were the Haven here as deep and fit to harbour Ships of a considerable burthen as that at Stralsund Bardt would be capable of being as much advanced by Merchandise as any of its Neighbouring Cities But that small Arm of the Sea upon which this City stands is so shallow that neither Merchantmen nor almost any other Vessels save only such as serve to convey Passengers from hence into Denmark or Sweden
Pomeren with which Dukedom after the failure of that Line it should have been annex'd to the Marquisate of Brandenburg but as hath been before noted in consideration of the signal favours the King of Sweden had done the Protestant party in the Civil Wars of Germany the Princes concern'd in the Westphalian Treaty thought fit to annex the Lower Pomeren to the Dominions of that King and as a part of this Dukedom the Isle of Rugen was thrown into the bargain Afterwards the King of Denmark Frideric III. began to revive some ancient pretensions of some of his Ancestors to the Principality of Rugen but the ensuing wars betwixt him and the Crown of Sweden of which we have given the Reader some account in the Description of Denmark put an end as 't was thought to these pretensions For the said Frideric in the Treaty of Roschild made between the two Northern Crowns in the year 1658 disclaim'd all right and title to the Isle of Rugen However notwithstanding the promises and protestations made in that Treaty the present King of Denmark shew'd that Contracts made between great Princes and Commonwealths are no longer obligatory then consistent with the intrigues of State For hearing that the Elector of Brandenburg had besieged Stetin and that Count Koningsmarck the valiant Swedish Governor of Rugen had thereupon drawn the greatest part of his forces into Pomeren leaving the Island of Rugen to be defended by a small company of about fifty Horse he immediately ship'd six thousand Soldiers intending with them to surprize the deserted Island and regain it into his own possession But the weather not favouring this design the Danish Forces were kept off at Sea by contrary winds till that small Garrison which kept the Isle was alarm'd and had time to give notice to the General who nevertheless could not arrive with the rest of his Army before the enemy had made themselves Masters of Jasmund However after one brisk engagement with the Count 's left Wing the Danes were forc'd to fly in great disorder leaving six hundred of their Companions dead in the field and two thousand five hundred more taken prisoners The rest retreated confused into Wittow where they were beset with the Swedes who slew took prisoners and plunder'd as many of them as they pleased In this Victory the Swedes are said to have taken from the Danes besides an incredible number of prisoners six and twenty Standards sixteen Field-pieces five Mortar-pieces and thirty thousand Rixdollars in money Yet this unhappy overthrow was not sufficient to discourage the brave King Christian from a second adventure and the drawing back his Arm after this defeat seem'd only intended to fetch the greater blow For having doubled his Forces in the year following 1678 he fell upon the Rugians with that irresistable strength and courage which obliged them to resign up the whole Island upon his own terms And it might to this day have been at his devotion had not the French King struck in as Mediator betwixt the Northern Crowns in the alte Treaty signed by the Danish and Swedish Ministers at Lunden in Schonen Sept. 26. A. D. 1679 by the seventh Article of which Treaty 't was agreed because Lewis the Great was pleas'd to have it so that Rugen should be deliver'd up to the Swede on or before the sixth of December following Accordingly the King of Sweden is now repossess'd of that Island and has sent in new Garrisons to fortifie and defend it against all future assaults of its formidable neighbours the Danes and Brandenburgers The only Town of note in the whole Isle of Rugen is Bergen Towns situate about the middle of the Island It had the name of a City given it in the year 1190 but so little deserv'd that title that it had not the advantage of being fortified or wall'd round All the account which modern Travellers give of it is that 't is one of the better sort of Villages consisting of about four hundred Houses Stralsund indeed seems the Metropolis of Rugen and as it was formerly may still be so accounted if we consider the many and great priviledges which the Burgers of that City still pretend to in that Island For 1. The High Court of Admiralty in Stralsund determines all causes and contests arising in any of the Port-Towns in Rugen and therefore because the Stralsunders will not assign over this Jurisdiction to any Delegates residing in the Island the Rugians are obliged upon debate of all such quarrels to repair to Stralsund for judgment 2. Without the consent of the Senate and Citizens of Stralsund no definitive sentence can be given nor no Court of Equity or Judicature whatever erected in any part of the Isle 3. The Rugians may not without leave first obtain'd from the Common Council of Stralsund export any manner of Grain or other Commodities or brew Beer for sale In short this City is the Key of the Island and the only Fortress upon which depends its security or ruine So that had Rugen been kept by the King of Denmark and Stralsund by the Elector of Brandenburg according to the Rights of Conquest in the late Wars 't is probable that those new accessions would in a short time have occasion'd quarrels and animosities between the two Princes The Elector would questionless have been loth to have disclaim'd all Right and Title to the Priviledges which the City of Stralsund now challenges in Rugen and on the other hand His Majesty of Denmark would in all probability have been as unwilling to have suffered any Prince of the Empire to Lord it in his Dominions 'T is almost necessary considering the present State of Stralsund and the Isle of Rugen that both these places should be subject to the same Master though not impossible to make the Island at least independant upon if not a Terror to that City For since all the Merchant Ships which come from the Danish Sund to the City of Stralsund are obliged to sail round the Isle of Rugen 't would not possibly be so expensive as profitable to build three or four good Port-Towns in Wittow Jasmumd and other parts of the Island and thereby not only command all Ships that sailed this road but also divert the grand current of trade from Stralsund to Rugen the Store-house of that City But as long as the City of Stralsund wants Provision for its Inhabitants and the Isle of Rugen vent for its great abundance of Corn and other Commodities there seems to be such a mutual dependance between the two places that to subject them to different Masters manifestly threatens the destruction of their Common Interest Tho never poor Island has been more miserably mangled and afflicted with war witness the Civil wars in Germany and the late Northern Broils Nobility in both which Rugen was several times taken and retaken yet you shall meet with a great many noble Families that pretend to derive their pedigree from the true antient Rugii