and those of Curland on the other After this the Envoy is permitted to sit down to cover his Head and has great civilities paid him This Duke has all the Regalia that the German Soveraign Princes have He Coins Money in his own Name and has high and low Justice over the Noblemen of his Country only in some extraordinary cases Appeals may be made to the Court of Poland He has great Demesns of which his Revenue chiefly consists and keeps a very pretty Court having all his great Officers as other Princes have The chiefest of which are The Landhoff-Meister or chief Minister The High Chancellor The Supreme Marshal and The Supreme Burgrave These are the Four great State Officers The more inferiour are The Councellors of State which are the Supreme Starostas whereof two are for Curland viz. The Supreme Starostas of Goldingen and Tuczkon And two for Semigallia viz. The Supreme Starostas of Mittaw and Selburg These Staâ—ostas ought all to be Noble Natives and Landed-Men Next follow the Governors of Places Military-Officers c. The Gentry of this Country are very Antient and very free being exceedingly Jealous of suffering any Upstart Nobleman to come among them esteeming nothing so much as Ancient Families and Creations Before I proceed to give a farther account of this Country I must add a word or two more concerning the Livonian Order and which I could not have done before unless I had broke the Chain of the Connection The Provincial Master of this Order was wont to be chosen by the Great Chapter of Prussia whereupon when in the Year 1439. the Livonian Knights had Elected one Henry a Bukenode for their Master they were forc'd to give a reason for their having so done and notwithstanding were afterwards oblig'd to submit to a new Election in Prussia Next the Provincial Master of the Livonian Order was the Marshal of the Order After whom came the several Commendadors and the Advocates The Commendadors were in number Eleven whereof the two first were in Curland and the third in Semigallia The Advocates were Nine two having been of Curland and one of Semigallia These Knights had the Title of the Order of Sword-Bearers and their Habits Arms were a White Mantle with a Sword on the Breast in Pale and a Star Gules in Chief but after their joining with the Teutonick Order they had likewise their Habit and Cross For a Geographical Description of this Country I must acquaint you Sir that the two Dutchies of Curland and Semigallia have these several principal Cities and Towns for I cannot meet with any sub-division into Jalatinates or Districts as I have perform'd in Poland In the Dutchy of Curland are the several Cities and Towns of Goldingen Cap. Vinda Bish Pilten Liba Erdwalen Angermund Grubin Tuczkon Frawenburg Vschwend Talsen Candaw Durben Hasenpot and Oendange Of all which the chief City is Goldingen in Latin Goldinga a City that stands on the Banks of the River Wete about seven German Miles from Vinda or Windaw to the West and near fifteen from Mittaw in Semigallia to the East This City has a large Jurisdiction Vinda or Windaw call'd by the Poles Kiescz is a City and Palatinate It has a Castle built on the Sea-shoar and which was formerly Residence to the Livonian Knights as likewise the place where they conven'd their Parliament or General Assemblies Now it has usually a Garrison of Poles but which are nevertheless under command of the Duke of Curland This City is one of the Sea-ports of Curland the other being Liba Pilten is a Town and Palatinate of this Dutchy whose Gentry being Protestants and offering themselves to the King of Poland's Protection he endeavoured to re-establish a Popish Bishop there this having formerly been a Catholick Bishoprick whose Lands they then possess'd whereupon they alter'd their Resolutions and forthwith submitted to the Duke of Curland These are the richest Gentry in this Prince's Dominions whereof the principal Families are those of Maydel Beher Sacken Mandevil c. In the Dutchy of Semigallia are the Cities and Towns of Mittaw Metropolis of these Dominions Bauske Doblin Selburg Radziwiliski Nithaw Birze Pozwole Lunka Dalen Schudding Pilkall Beher Nersten and Salatt Of all which the Capital of this Dutchy and Metropolis of the Duke of Curland's Dominions is Mittaw in Latine Mittavia or Mittovia the usual place of Residence of the Dukes of Curland This City is built on the River Musza and is a pretty large place containing about Twelve Thousand Inhabitants It has a weak Wall tho' nevertheless a well Fortifi'd and stately Castle with two Bastions which are surrounded by Marshes and defended by a strong and numerous Garrison The streets of this City are not Pav'd for want of Stone and the Citizens Houses are either of Brick or Timber as in Poland This place lies about seven Polish Miles from Riga in Regal Livonia and only four from the Prontiers of Samogitia It has been twice taken of late by the Swedes but has been since regain'd and is at present wholly subject to its Duke Bauske another strong City in this Dutchy which has a well Fortifi'd Castle and a numerous Garrison The Religion of this Country is generally Lutheran tho' there are some few Roman Catholicks and Calvinists there In favour of the first the late Duke at the King of Poland's request gave leave for the building of two Roman Catholick Churches one at Mittaw and the other at Goldingen The Jesuits pretend to have bought this Cureteship of Mittaw and upon that account to have settled there but nevertheless they are frequently oppressed and their College was broke down not long since yet notwithstanding they still subsist The Dutchesses of Curland having been all hitherto Calvinists have always had one Church at Mittaw set a part for them and their Religion where the Calvinists and Protestants of Livonia as likewise the English Merchants of Riga come to Exercise their Devotion there being no liberty of Conscience allowed throughout the King of Sweden's Dominions except at Stockholm only where the French Huguenots have been permitted to build a Church As to the Government of Curland there is first The Parliament or General Assembly of the States of this Duteby which is conven'd after this manner The Duke as often as any Urgencies of State so require it sends out his Letters of Summons to all the Starostas of his Dominions together with a Schedule of the Points propos'd to be debated on requiring them and every of them to cause Deputies or Representatives of the Gentry to be forth with Elected in their respective Jurisdictions whereupon they are soon Elected accordingly and furnished with Instructions from their Electors how they shall behave themselves in like manner as in Poland These afterwards meeting at Mittaw together with the four Supreme Counsellors consult
Miâ—ceslaus I. 24. His Christian Wife ib. His Wars 25. II. His Wars 26. Character and Death 27. III. When Elected and how long Reign'd 36. Whence surnam'd the Old ibid. Is Dethron'd 37. Endeavours to get restor'd 38. Is restor'd 40. Dethron'd again ibid. Reinthron'd 41. His Death ibid. Michael Wiesnowiski Refuses the Crown 144. Accepts it ibid. Proclaim'd Crown'd and how long Reign'd 145. His Marriage ibid. His Death 149. Leaves no Issue ibid. Buried 171. Marienburg City built 51. It s Description 262. Maximilian the Emperor King Elect Acquainted that he was chosen 87. Prevented invading Poland by Death 88. Maximilian of Austria Routed by the Polish General 109. Beaten again and made Prisoner 110. Offer'd Liberty on honourable terms 111. Dissents ib. Consents ib. Mines 245. Of Cracaw 246. Description of them ib. c. Manna Particular sort and eaten for Sauce 248. Michalevia Territory It s Description 262. Marienburg Pal. It s chief Cities and Towns 262. Their several Descriptions ib. c. Masovia Province Its Bounds 283. Inhabitants 284. Division into Palatinates ib. Their several Arms 288. 289. 290. Masovia Pal. Division into Districts 284. Chief Cities and Towns 285. Their Descriptions ib. c. Mindog Duke of Lithuania Acknowledg'd King 308. Murther'd 309. Mscislaw Pal. Description 333 Division into Districts ib. c. Chief Cities and Towns 334. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 335. Mscislaw City It s Description 334. Minski Pal. Division into Districts 337. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 338. Minski City It s description 337. N. Number of Polish Princes 9. Of Towns and Villages in Poland 217 c. Novogrodec Pal. Division into Districts 332. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 333. Novogrodec City It s description 332. O. Oliva Treaty there 133. P. Poland Its Origin 3. Whence so call'd 5. What by the Inhabitants ib. By whom Founded ib. Its Policy 7. Made a Figure in the IXth Century 20. It s Antient Extent 213. Encrease by Conquests ib. By Policy 214. Present Extent 225. Its Bounds and Soil 216. Its Products 217. Cilmate 218. Rivers ib. Their several Courses ib. c. Its Lakes 220. Poles when first Christians 24. March to recover Podolia 148. Conquer but fail in their design ib. c. Popiel I. 16. His Vices and Death ib. II. ib. Judgment upon him 17. Piastus 21. Cause of his Election ib. His Vertues and Death 22. How long his Family Reign'd ib. Gives the Name of Piasto 23. Patron of Poland 30. Premislus when Crown'd 48. Murther'd ib. Prophecy Comical 108. Posts when first setled in Poland 123. Peace concluded with the Turks 173. How long lasted ib. Prince James his Character 188. Intended Marriage disappointed ib. Marry'd to another 189. Weak and Sickly ib. Officiates as Embassador 192. Resigns his Interests to the Elector of Saxony 206. Princess John III's Daughter Her Character 190. Her Marriage ib. Portion 191. Ceremony of her Marriage ib. Equipage for her Journy to Brussels 193. Reception at Berlin 195. Is met by the Elector 196. Proceeds on her Journey 197. Arrival at Brussels 198. Physicians A Consultation of them 199. Posnan City It s Description 221. Posnania Palatinate Its Arms 226. Prussia Province Its Bounds 257. Products ib. Rivers 258. Lakes ib. Division 259. Officers that belong to the Great Council ib. Its Arms 265. Prussia Royal Division into Palatinates 259. Prussia Dueal It s Chief Cities and Towns 264. Pomerania Pal. 260. Premislaw City It s Description 269. Podolia Pal Wherefore famous 274. Division into Districts ib. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their several Descriptions 175 c. Plosko Pal. Division into Districts 288. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their Descriptions ib. c. Plosko City It s Description 288. Podlachia Province Its Bounds 296. Division into Districts ib. Chief Cities and Towns 〈◊〉 Their Descriptions 297 c. Arms of the Proâ—ovince 298. Pinsko City It s Description 331. Polocz Pal. Division into Districts 338. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 339. Polocz City It s Description 338. Q. Queen-Dowager's Zeal 156. King Michael Assign'd a Jointure 166. Queen's John III's first Coming into Poland 186. Her first Marriage ib. Age and Qualifications ib. c. Her Address in disposing of Employments 187. R. Rochester Lord His Embassy into Poland 172. Had Audience of the Queen at Dantzick ib. Made a Present to the Princess ib. Receiv'd by the King in his Camp 173. Had Publick Audience at Zolkiew ib. Manner thereof ib. His Return home ib. Respect Little paid to the King's Children 189. Rava Pal. Division into Districts 230. Its Cities and Towns ib. c. Rava City It s Description 230 c. Russia Province Division and Description 266. Division into Palatinates ib. Arms 276 280 281 283. Russia Pal. Division into Districts 267. Their several Arms 269 271. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Rosienia Capital of Samogitia It s Description 293. Religion Antient and Present of Lithuania 339 c. S Stratagem Succeeds 14. Defeated 15. Sigismund I. When Elected and how long Reign'd 69. Defeats a Conspiracy and Army ib. Other Wars ib. c. His Marriage 70. War with the Teutonic Order ib. Grants Liberty of Conscience to Dantzickers ib. War with Knights ended by Mediation 71. Forces other Invaders to retire ib. His Death and Age 72. His Character Marriages and Issue ib. II. Surnam'd Augustus When Crown'd and how long Reign'd 75. His Marriage displeases the Diet 76. Unites Livonia to Poland 77. His Wars with the Moscovites ib. Forces the Czar to a Peace 78. Sends an Army to support Bogdan in Valachia ib. Oblig'd to return home ib. Rather favour'd than disturb'd the Lutherans 79. Hears several of their Preachers ib. Enclines most Bishops to that Perswasion ib. A great Escape he had ib. His Death and Issue ib. Stephen Batori King Receiv'd and Crown'd 88. Primate submits ib. Who greatly Assisting to him in his Election ib. His Rise 89. His Marriage ib. More severe in Punishments than Laws allow'd 90. Encourag'd Speaking Latin 91. A Wonder to the French ib. His Wars ib. Is refus'd to name a Successor 100. His Character ib. His Death and Epitaph ib. c. Sigismund de Vasa King Ambassadors sent to acquaint him 107. Is Crown'd in Poland 109. His Marriage 111. Crown'd King of Sweden 112. Depos'd there ib. Cause of his War with the Moscovites 113. His War with the Turks 115. Invasion by Gustavus Adolthus 116. Sigismund's Death ib. His Character ib. Speech of the Bishop of Premislaw 119. Another Appeases Heats 143. Another by the Palatin of Russia 160. Byasses Poland and part of Lithuania 161. Senators of Great Poland 225 227 229 232 233 236. Of Lesser Poland 248 254 256. Of Prussia 265. Of Russia 274 276 277 280 281 283. Of Masovia 287 289 290. Of Samogitia 294. Of Volhynia 296. Of Podlachia 298. Of Lithuania-Proper 328 330 331. Of Lithuanic-Russia 333 335 336 338 339.
about the good of the Publick Next the four Supreme Counsellors or Ministers of State meet twice every Year that is on the Epipbany and Trinity Monday at Mittaw and sit at least five Weeks to exercise and do Justice The First Week is usually spent in State-Counsels where the Princes Presence and Authority is likewise requir'd The second is taken up in judging Appeals from inferiour Courts The Third in determining Criminals Cases The Fourth in settling Ecclesiastical Affairs And the Fifth in hearing Complaints of and receiving Petitions from the Subjects The degrees of demanding Justice in Cities in all extraordinay matters are these First The Gentry apply themselves to the Supreme Starosta for it must be observ'd that the inferiour Starostas have little jurisdiction but in small matters Secondly In Case of Appeals they have recourse to the supreme Councellors Court In Criminal Cases where the life of any Nobleman is concerned immediate Application is made to this Court and the four Supreme Starostas are oblig'd to assist there If any of these Starostas happen to be absent one that is inferiour may be deputed in his room Thirdly Appeals may be made both in Criminal and Civil Cases to the Court of Poland which the Curlanders term Judicia Post-Curialia Ecclesiastical Courts are held by the four Supreme Councellors before mention'd in conjunction with a Sur-intendant and four Provosts The Inferiour City Courts belong to the City Magistracy or to the Neighbouring Starostas within whose Jurisdiction the Offender lives Appeals in these trivial Courts can be made no farther than to the Supreme Starostas whose Sentence is Final The Executors of Justice in Curland are term'd die Man-Richters who in Civil Cases after a third Summons to satisfy the Plantiff and upon Non-performance or Non-Plea levy the Debt or Demand by way of Distress The Trade of Curland consists in much the same Commodities as in Poland The Corn of Curland and Livonia is fought after by the Dutch more than that of Poland by reason that it is better prepar'd and cur'd here than in other Countries for they are accustom'd to dry their Corn in the Straw as we do Malt and afterwards to thrash both together But this consumes a great deal of Wood and therefore the King of Sweden has forbid it to be practis'd any where within his Dominions I had almost forgot to acquaint you Sir that this Dutchy of Curland in case the Duke thereof wants Heirs-Males is to revert to the Crown of Poland in like manner as Ducal-Prussia is to do from the Elector of Branden burg Thus Sir I have endeavour'd to make what use I could of my short time and imperfect helps to entertain you but which I have a great deal of reason to despair of accomplishing unless I could have produc'd something more Accurate in its kind nevertheless I hope you will dispense with my Inabilities and accept the Good Will of SIR Your very Humble and Obedient Servant J. S. FINIS THE TABLE VOL. I. A ALexander King When Crown'd and how long Reigned Page 67. His Wars and Death 68. His Character Ibid. Alexander Prince His Character 189. Affected by the Queen ibid. B BOleslaus I. His Wars 26. Institutes XII Senators his Assistants Ibid. His Character and Death ibid. II. How long Reign'd 29. His Wars Marriages and Vices ibid. Flight out of the Kingdom and Death 30. III. His Sir-name and Wars 31. c. His Marriage 32. Valour and Success 33. Death Issue and Character ibid. IV. When Elected and how long Reign'd 35. His Wars ibid. His Death 36. V. His Sir-name and Guardians 43. When Elected and how long Reign'd ibid. His Marriage ibid. His Troubles 44. Retires into Hungary ibid. Returns 45. Farther Troubles and Wars ibid. His Death ibid. Batori vide Stephen Bishop Of Cracow Lord over 13 Cities 223. His Chapter ibid. Bresty City It s Description 234. Braclaw Pal. Chief Cities and Towns 277. Descriptions ibid. Braclaw City It s Description 277. Belsko Pal. Description 280. Division into Districts ibid. Chief Cities and Towns 281. Their Descriptions ibid. Belsko City It s Description 281. Byelsko Cap. of Podlachia It s Description 297. Broscia Pal. One district 330. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Descriptions 331. Its Arms 332. Brescia City It s Description 331. Bears Nourish Children 342. Story of one ibid. Assertion confirm'd by the King 343. Another account from the Dutch Embassador ibid c. A third Account from Hartknock 348. C. City The First 6. The Second ibid. Cracus His Death 13. His Issue ibid. Cracow When and by whom built 12. University by whom Founded 59. Taken by Stratagem 132. Where Situate and how distant from other Places 238. Whence its Name ibid. Its Division Castle and Cathedral 238 c. When first made a Metropolitan See 240. How many Churches ibid. Its University and Professors ibid. c. Its Colleges 241. Vice-Chancellor ibid. Monasteries and Mendicants 242. Its Houses ib. Mayor of Cracow 248. Government of the Castle 249. Chrobry vi Boleslaus I. Casimir I. Queen Regent during Minority ibid. He becomes Monk ibid. Recall'd upon Agreement with the Pope ibid. His Marriage Wars Death and Issue 28. II. When Elected and how long Reign'd 37. Surnam'd the Just and an Example ibid. c. Eases his Subjects of Taxes 38. Conspiracy against him ibid. Disappointed 39. His Wars ibid. Death and Issue ibid. III. Surnam'd the Great 50. When Elected and how long Reign'd ibid. Makes Peace with Teutonic Knights ibid. His Conquests ibid. Good Deeds ibid. Character other Wars and Death 55. IV. When Elected and how long Reign'd 63. His Marriage ibid. Assists the Prussians 64. Routs Teutonic Order ibid. Obtains advantageous Peace ibid. His Issue 65. His Death and Age. Curland and Semigallia First Duke 77. Enjoy'd by his Posterity ever since ibid. Common Wealth Jocular of Babina 79. Candidates for the Crown After the death of Sigismundus Augustus 85. After the Abdication of Henry of Valois 87. After the death of Stephen Batori 104. Two of these come into Poland 108. After Uladislaus VII 125. After John Casimir 140. After Michael Wiesnowiski 155. After John Sobieski 235. Courts of Justice none 90. Batori erects two call'd Tribunals ibid. Were to determine Civil Causes without Appeal ibid. Cosacks How so term'd 94. Us'd to make Inroads ibid. To whom compar'd ibid. Reduc'd to a Discipline ibid. Whence their Name ibid. Extent of their first Dominions 95. A Conjecture about this Country ibid. It s present Extent 96. Their Buildings ibid. Character ibid. Religion 97. Fasts ibid. Language 98. Customs and Manners ibid. Abundance of Flies and Locusts ibid. Their Customs and Manners in Peace and War 99. Their Rebellion 146. Are favour'd by the Turks ibid. Produces a bad Peace ibid. Conti Prince of Pretends to the Crown of Poland 205. Proclaim'd King by the Primate 206. Sent for into Poland 207. Favour'd by Prince Sapieha ibid. Comes to Dantzic ibid. Gives
over his Pretâ—nsions 208. c. Cujavia Territory Division into Palatinates 234. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Cracovia Palatinate It s division into Districts 237. Cities and Towns ibid. Their several Descriptions 238 c. Castellan's Power 248. Czentochova a Town Famous for a Convent 244. Cruswick City It s Description 235. Culm Pal. Join'd by the Territory of Michalovia 260. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Their several Descriptions ibid. c. Culm City It s Description 260. Caminiec City It s description 275. Built 320. Chelm Pal. Division into Districts 282. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. Their descriptions ibid. c. Chelm City It s description 282. Crasnistaw Town It s description 282. D. Denmark It s King taken Prisoner II. Dantzic Made a City 39. Dantzickers reduc'd 89 c. First allow'd a Vote 120. Deputies first admitted to the Diet 65. Diet. Conven'd 85 101 119 124 140 154 205. Dobrina Pal. In what abounds 289. Division into Districts ibid. Chief Cities and Towns 290. Their Descriptions ibid. c. Dobrina City It s description 290. E. Election By Horse-race 15. Peaceable 118. Of Sigisimund de Vasa 106. Of Uladislaus VII 119. Of John Casimir 124. Of Michael Wiesnowiski 144. Of John Sobieski 155. Embassadors Admitted to Audience 105 120 141 159. Elbing Town It s description 263. F. Family of Lechus 11 c. Cracus from 12 to 14. Leschus II. from 15 to 17. Piastus from 21 to 57. Jagello from 58 to 82. Factions Lutheran and Catholick 102. Not to be United 103. The former Mutiny ibid. Suppressed ibid. Three Factions 103. Lutheran's Policy 105. Frederic August King Elected 207. Takes possession of Cracow ibid. Crown d ibid. Reasons why he is likely to restore Poland 209. First German Prince that has been King ibid. G. Great Poland Province It s Division 220. Palatinates 221. Their several Cities and Towns ibid. c. Their Arms 226 c. Gnesna City It s description 223. Great Dukes of Lithuania Their several Lives from 310 to 324. Grodno City It s description 329. H. Henry I. Elected and Dethron'd 48. Appoints a Successor in vain ibid. Hedwigis Queen comes into Poland 58 Is Crown'd and how long Reign'd ibid. Has several Suitors ibid. Marries Jagello 59. Dies ibid. Henry of Valois King Sent for by the Diet 85. Agrees to Articles and takes an Oath ibid. c. Is Crown'd 86. Abdicates Poland 87. Embassies sent after him in vain ibid. House of Austria Jealous of Sigismund I's greatness 71. Raises Enemies against him ibid. How came by Hungary Bohemia and Silesia ibid. Habit of the Poles 177. Heilsberg City It s description 263. Halicz Town It s description 271. I. Jagello Great Duke of Lithuania Becomes Christian 59. Crown'd King of Poland and how long Reign'd ibid. Converts the Lithuanians ibid. Founds the University of Cracow ibid. His Wars ibid. Death and Issue 60. John Albert King His Character 66. Policy and Army defeated ibid Makes Peace with the Valachians and Turks 67. His Death ibid. John Casimir King Led a Religious Life and made Cardinal 124. His Character and Travels 126. Like to be excluded ibid. c. Elected 128. His Marriage ibid. His Wars ibid. c. Suedish King invades Poland 139. Wherefore 131. Motives and means of Casimir's Abdication 134. His Death 135. His Epitaph 136. John Basilowitz Czar of Muscovy Is a great Tyrant and his variety of Tortures 78. John III. Sobieski Elected in the Year 1674 163. His Father and Mother ibid His Travels 164. His Marriage ibid. His Generosity 165. Zeal to Arms discourag'd 166. War with the Turks and Tartars 167 c. A Battle 169. His Coronation 172. He relieves Vienna 173. Defeats the Turks 174. His entry thro' the Breach 175. Pursues the Enemy ibid Takes Zytehin in Hungary 176. Enters into a League against the Turks 177. Is immoderately covetous ibid. His Person and Dress ibid. His Character 179. Engages Dr. Connor in a Dispute ibid. His Buildings 184. Care of his Children 185. His great Riches ibid. Fortune formerly and gradual Promotion 150 His Sister 198 What Issue she left 200. Account of the King's Distemper from the Bishop of Plosko 201 c. The King's Death 204. Reflections on his Disease ibid. Inter Regnum before the present King's Election 205. Inowlocz Pal. Division into Districts 235. Chief Cities and Towns ibid. K. King Of Poland his Policy 8. The first 9 25. Four classes of Kings 10. Title ceases 30. Restor'd 48. King of Sueden enters into a League with the Elector of Brandenburg 132. Koningsberg in Regal Prussia built 45. It s description 264. Kalisch City It s description 226. Kalisch Pal. Its Arms 227. Kiovia Pal. How bounded 277. Chief Cities and Towns 278. Their descriptions ib. c. Kiow City It s Description 278. L. Laws What formerly in Poland 5. Lechus I. 10. Founds Poland 5. Builds Posnan and Gnesna 6. Occasions Poland the Name of Lechia ib. His Posterity how long Reign'd 11 12. II. His Banishment and Death 13. Lescus I. 14. Elected by a Stratagem ib. Reign and Death uncertain 15. II. How Elected 14. His Death 15. III. His death uncertain 16. IV. His Character and Death 23. V. Surnam'd the White 39. Under Guardians ib. His Wars 40. Is dethron'd ib. Restor'd ib. Dethron'd again 41 Put by an Election ib. c. Re-establish'd 42. Murther'd in a Bath ib. VI. When Elected and how long Reign'd 46. His Wars ib. Insurrection against him ib. Retires into Hungary 47. Returns with success ib. His death ib. Leaves his Kingdom in distraction ib. Lasconâ—gus Vide Uladislaus III. Locticus vide Uladislaus IV. Lewis King of Hungary When Crown'd and how long Reign'd 56. Oblig'd to take an Oath ib Returns into Hungary ib. His Wars Death and Issue 57. Commendable Example of his ib. Leopol City whence so call'd 46. It s description 267. Luther's Doctrine when first known here 70. Very much propagated 78. The occasion ib. First Person of Note that embrac'd it ib. Lutherans Contend for share in the Government 101. Obtain perpetual Liberty of Conscience ib c. Lutheran party Dissents 107. Elects and Proclaims Maximilian of Austria 〈◊〉 2 Pronounc'd Traytors by the Diet 108. Lithuanid Tends towards a Civil War 160. How call'd by the Inhabitants 302. Present Bounds ib. Antient Extent ib. Soil and Products ib. c Union with Poland and Privileges 303. Division ib. Its Arms ib. Different Opinions about its Name 304. Its Dukes from 305 to 310. Division into Palatinates 324. Lithuanid Proper Province 325. Lesser-Poland Province Its Bounds 236. It s Division into Pal. ib. c. Their several Arms 249 254 257. Lowitz City It s description 231. Lanschet Pal. It s division into Districts 232 Chief Cities and Towns ib. Lanschet City It s Description 232. Lublin Pal. Join'd by the Territory of Lukovia 254. Chief Cities and Towns 255. Their several Descriptions ib. c. Lublin City It s Description 255. Lutzk City It s Description 295. M.
Severia City Belongs to the Bishop of Cracow 243. Siradia Pal. Its Arms 230. Sendomir Pal. It s Division into Districts 249. Chief Cities and Towns 251. Their several Descriptions ib. c. Sendomir City It s Description 250. Sanoch Town It s Description 273. Sâ—â—â—giâ—ta Province 290. Its Bounds 291. Manners of People ib. Their Superstition 292. Manner of Sacrificing ib. c. Division into Districts 293. Principal Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. T Teutonic Order Call'd into Poland 43. Establish'd in Prussia 51. Proves troublesome to the Poles ib. Therefore Excommunicated by the Pope 52. Routs the Prussians and Casimir IV. 64. Tartars First Inroad 44. Second Incursions 61. Third Incursion with the Moscovites and Moldavians 71. Turks Take Podhais 170. Thorn City It s Description 261. Its Arms ib. Native Town of Copernicus ib. c. Troki City Built 315. It s Description 329. Troki Pal. Division into Districts 328. Chief Cities and Towns 329. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 330. U. Visimirus 10. His Conquests 11. His Death ibid. Venda 13. Her Death ib. Uladislaus I. 30. His Wars ib. His Marriage and Death 31. II. When Elected and how long Reign'd 33. Persecutes his Brothers 34. A Severe Revenge ib. His Flight out of the Kingdom and Death 35. III. Uladislaus Lasconogus 42. Surrenders his Crown ib. IV. Whence so call'd 48. When began his Reign and how long Reign'd 49. His Wars and Vices ib. Is Dethron'd ib Restor'd 50. Meets with Difficulties ib. c. His Speech to his Army 52. Overthrows the Teutonic Order 53. Is Crown'd with his Queen ib. His Death ib. Uladislaus V. Vide Jagello VI. When Elected and how long Reign'd 60. Regents during Minority 61. Crown'd King of Hungary ib. His Wars with the Turks ib. c. Is Complimented on a Victory 62. Kill'd and Routed by the Turks 63. Epitaph upon him ib. His Perfidy awakens the Turks ib. VII Elected Proclaim'd and Crown'd 121. His Marriage and Wars ib. With the Cosacks 122. His Death 123. Ukraina Country of the Cosacks Whence so call'd 93. How divided ib. To whom antiently belong'd ib. Its Inhabitants Vide Cosacks Vielunia Territory It s Division 229. Principal Towns ibid. Arms 230. Uladislaw City It s Description 234. Varmia Bishoprick and Pal. Exempt from Regal Jurisdiction 263. It s Chief Cities and Towns ib. their several Descriptions ib. c. Vinnicza City It s Description 277. Volhynia Province Division into Districts 294. Chief Cities and Towns ib. c. Its Arms 296. Vilna City Built 316. It s Description 325. Its Arms 328. Vilna Pal. Division into Districts 325. It s Chief Cities and Towns ib. Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 328. Vitebsko Vide Witebsko W. Woievods XII Their Government 12 14. Depos'd ib. Wenceslaus King of Bohemia Crown'd King of Poland and how long Reign'd 49. Goes into Bohemia ib. Loses his Kingdom of Poland and dies 50. Warsaw City It s Description 285 c. Witebsko Pal. Has but one District 335. Chief Cities and Towns ib. Their Descriptions ib. c. Its Arms 336. Witebsko City It s Description 335. Z. Ziemovitus 23. His Wars Character and Death ib. Ziemovistus ib. His Character and Death ib. c. Zulava Island It s Division 263. Zamoisk City It s Description 283. TABLE II. ☞ Note This Second Volume having been put to two Printing-Houses a Second Alphabet was necessary to be made use of Therefore to avoid Mistakes the Reader is desir'd to take notice of this Asterism * after the Folio's for the Distinction of the Second Part. A. ARmenians in Poland Where Inhabit 49. Have peculiar Prelates c. ib. Service in what Language ibid. Acknowledge the See of Rome ib. Associates to Judges 77. Army Polish It s Division 9 * Of the Horse ib. c. * Of the Foot 11 * Manner of Paying the Army 20 * Inferiour Officers of the Army 31 c. * Auxiliaries What 16 * Example ib. * B. Bishopricks Polish How many 36 c. Their several Diocesses 37. Peculiar Jurisdictions ib. Bishops Polish Each has a kind of little Court 46. Have also Suffragans ib. Contest with Lay-Senators for Precedence ib. Have most of them large Revenues 47. Bishop Greek In Premislaw 44. In Kiovia being formerly Primate of Moscovy 45. Burgraves Their Office 80. Baths in Poland Private and Publick with their Effects 199. Burials Order of Procession at them 206. Other Proceedings 207. Particulars of the King and Queen's Interrments ib. C. Commonalty Polish Their Condition 5. Wherefore Enslav'd ib. Incapable of Preferment except some few 167. How first Enslaved 182. Live Satisfied notwithstanding 183. Their present Condition 184. Enrich their Lords ibid. c. How fix'd in a Farm 185. Cosacks A further Account of them 11 c. * Their Councils of War 12 * Way of Fortifying their Camps and Boats ib. * Their Power 13 * Crown of Poland Means to continue it in one Family 26. Vacant four Ways 126. Customs Polish Way of Hunting Wild Oxen 209. Manner of Taking Bears 211. Way of Ordering Cabbage 212. Poles eat but little Bread 215. Customs at Feasts Vide Feasts Manners at Table 217. Way of Taking Tobacco 218. Customs in Travelling Vide Travelling Manners of peculiar Countries 224. Customs in Grinding Corn 227. Rusticks Employments within and without Doors 229. Manners in Husbandry 233. Way of Pruning Trees ib. Manner of Sowing ib. c. Way of Securing and Ordering Corn 234. Peculiar Customs in Prussia ib. Manner of Fishing in Poland 40 * Manner of Electing and Ordaining Priests in Dantzic 47 * Counsellors Privy Who in Poland 31. Four Senators particularly Assign'd 31 35. Castellans What and whence so call'd 35. Names and Precedence from 61 to 67. Their Duty 60. Their Division Qualifications Office and Titles ib. c. Name in Polish 68. Cracow Bishop of His Residence and Precedence 42. Bishoprick and Power ib. How Address'd to 43 Cracow Palatin of Wherefore Preferr'd 55. Cujavia Bishop of His See Precedence and Authority 43. Has several Places of Residence ib. Culm Bishop of His Precedence and See 45. Chelm Bishop of His See Translated and wherefore 45. Caminiec Bishop of Honorary being under the Turk 46. Churches Greek Two Sorts 47. Priests how call'd and Wherefore ib. Calvinists In what Part of Poland 48. King oblig'd to protect them ib. Name in Polish ibid. First Nobleman that became Calvinist ibid. c. Clergy Regular Their Privileges 51. Dissolute Lives ib. Clergy Secular Their Manners 52. Division ib. Churches Polish Fine and well adorn'd 53. A rich Cope at Leopel ib. Chancellors Great and Vice Qualifications of those of the Kingdom 70. Both have Seals and equal Authority 71. Their Office and Power ib. Succeed each other 72. How ought to be qualified ib. Cavalry Polish What requir'd in vain of them 7 * Great Force with Examples 24 c. * Cup-bearers Carvers c. 77. Custom-house Commissioners 78. Chamberlain Vice of District His Office 78. Chamberlains under him ib. Convocation
the Poles have to Aspire to the Honours of the Kingdom for by their Constitutions all the Nobles as they call them or Free-born of the Land are equal as to their Birth and none though never so Poor ows precedence unless through a Compliment to any ever so Rich Insomuch that Preferments and Honours are the only Means by which they attain to Precedence which is annex'd thereto and ascertain'd by the Statutes and Laws Now one would think that this mighty Power which the King of Poland has to dispose of so many Places of Profit and Trust so many Lands by Royal Tenure and so many Benefices must needs gain him the Love and Affection of those on whom they are conferr'd But on the contrary the Poles being none of the most grateful and knowing too well that the King cannot dispose of those Preferments but to themselves they believe that when he Grants them he only gives back what of Right belongs to them and that it is not so much an Act of Grace in him as a piece of Justice When a King of Poland comes to any City the Inhabitants are oblig'd immediately to present him with the Keys and he can send his Regiment of Guards to take possession of the Gates The Citizens of Dantzick only have a Privilege to keep their own Keys and to hinder all but a few Troops from following the King into the City It is certain that Dantzick has more Immunities and Privileges than any other City of Poland insomuch that it may be rather look'd upon to be a small Republic of it self under Protection of that Kingdom than a City subject to it Nay it has in a manner all the Marks of a Sovereign Power for it can Condemn to Death without Appeal even the Polish Gentry if they commit any Crime within its Territories and Jurisdiction The King can raise no Troops at his own Charges without Consent of the Diet and this for fear that he should strengthen himself and Intrench upon their Liberties Nevertheless Vladislaus VII Levied some with the Portion of his Queen Mary Ludovica but the Senate so Murmur'd that he was soon oblig'd to Disband them The King cannot on any Account whatever go out of the Kingdom without Consent of the Diet for Your GRACE may observe that King Henry of Valois was fain to steal out of the Kingdom when he went into France Sigismund III. after the Death of his Father John King of Sueden was forc'd to call a Diet at Warsaw in the Month of May 1592. to obtain Consent to return into Sueden to take Possession of his Hereditary Kingdom and that Lewis King of Hungary who was chosen King of Poland in the Year 1370 having a mind to return to his Native Kingdom desired leave of the Senate and was oblig'd to Augment their Privileges to obtain it The King's Children are more than ordinarily respected though at the same time every private Gentleman thinks himself as great as they by the Law and to have as lawful a Right to the Crown yet are they nevertheless always treated as Princes of the Blood Royal. His Eldest Son has the Title of Prince of Poland and the others barely that of Princes adding withal their Christian Names as Prince Alexander and Prince Constantin of Poland The Kings Eldest Daughter is call'd the Princess of Poland and the others only Princesses adding thereto their Names as Princess Mary of Poland But it must be understood that when the King their Father dies and a new King of another or the same Family succeeds and has Children then do they lose the Titles of Princes and Princesses of Poland and take only the Names of their Families or Estates such as Prince Sobieski Princess Czartoriski yet however the Senate always look upon themselves oblig'd to provide for them to give them Pensions and to Match them equal to their Dignity and Birth which has ever hitherto been duly observ'd Nay the Poles have all along shew'd such Esteem and Affection to the Royal Family that although they have not allow'd them any Hereditary Right to the Crown by Law yet have they always Elected one of them King where there was any surviving For I find from the time of their Prince Piastus even down to that of the Election of the late King John Sobieski which is from the Year 830. to the Year 1674 the Crown has always continued in the same Family in a direct Line as your GRACE may observe in the First Volume of my Account of Poland They have also not confin'd this Affection of theirs to the Kings Sons only but have likewise extended it towards their Daughters and even their Widows as may be seen at large in their Histories where Your GRACE will find what strict Regard the Poles had to the Royal Race in the Election of the Princess Hedwigis whom they waited for with great Patience though all the while they suffer'd extreamly by the Insults of the Duke of Masovia who pretended a Right to the Crown as being a Relation to Casimir the Great The King 's Natural Sons are extreamly undervalu'd and are hardly look'd upon to be Common Gentlemen for none of the Gentry care to keep Company with them Nay one of the Late King's is a Clerk in the Salt Custom-House at Thorn a City in Prussia where his Place is not worth him above Thirty Pounds per Annum All over the Kingdom they usually have a very mean Opinion of Illegitimate Children though Nature endows them generally with as many Perfections and with as good Qualities as she does the Lawfully Begotten The only way for a King of Poland to continue the Crown in his Family is to be Warlike to enlarge his Dominions to gain the Love and Affections of his People by his own Merits and by the Favour of the Clergy to send his Children early to the Wars to get Credit and Reputation in the Army to spend Liberally all his Revenues and to die in Debt to the end that the Poles may be enclin'd to Elect his Son to enable him to pay what his Father ow'd But all this while he must never think to encroach on the Privileges of the Nation nor endeavour by any means to render the Crown Hereditary for whenever the Poles begin to smell out any such private Design they are presently apt to stir up Seditious Tumults which would prove very Pernicious to all the Posterity of that King as the ill Success the Late King's Sons have had sufficiently demonstrates It is altogether impossible for a King of Poland in Imitation of the King of Denmark to reduce his Subjects under an Arbitrary Power for the State of Denmark was quite different then from what that of Poland is now In Denmark the King Clergy and Commonalty were under the Rule and Government of the Gentry so that it was the Interest of the Clergy and Commonalty to side with the King to abate and depress the
Gnesna An Address to this Bishop is commonly Admodum Reverendo when others have only Reverendo The fourth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Cujavia and Pomerania the See of whose Bishoprick is at Vladislaw upon the Vistula four Leagues below Thorn in Low Poland His Seat in the Senate is on the right hand of the Archbishop of Gnesna whose Place he officiates in an Inter-regnum as your GRACE may have observed before His Bishoprick was formerly call'd the Bishoprick of Cruswick because he had a Cathedral Church there but that being translated to Vladislaw at this Day it has sometimes the Name of the Bishoprick of Vladislaw His usual Residence when in Poland is either at Wolboria in the Palatinate of Lanschet or Lagovia in the Palatinate of Sendomir and when in Prussia is chiefly at Sobkovia The fifth Ecclesiastial Senator is the Bishop of Vilna the capital City of the great Dutchy of Lithuania on the River Vilia which discharges it self into the River Niemen below Cowno His Diocess extends it self thro' Lithuania and White-Russia even to the Borders of Moscovy The sixth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Posnan a City in Low or Great Poland situate on the River Varta There are the Tombs of several Kings of Poland in the Cathedral Church of this City all which are very Magnificent His Diocess not only extends thro' the Province of Posnania but also thro' some part of the Palatinate of Masovia as Warsaw c. The seventh Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Plosko a small City in Masovia on the River Vistula five Leagues above Vladislaw He has the same Jurisdiction over the Territory of Pultausk as the Bishop of Cracow has over the Dutchy of Severia and wherein there lies no Appeal to the King His Episcopal See is at Pultausk in Masovia upon the River Narew which runs into the Bug two Leagues below The eighth Eclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Varmia in Royal Prussia which Bishoprick is so divided that the Bishop has two Parts and the Chapter the third and in which they have a free Jurisdiction over the Gentry exempt from the Regal Power His Episcopal See is at Frawenberg a little Town near Frisc-haff The ninth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Luceoria or Lucko which is the capital City of High Volhynia His Diocess contains part of the Palatinate of Masovia Podlachia and Briescia or Polesia in the great Dutchy of Lithuania The tenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Premislia or Premislaw a City of Red-Russia on the River San six Leagues above Jeroslaw and twelve from Leopol In this City there is a Greek-schismatic Bishop It was here that a Canon of the Cathedral Church nam'd Orikowski in the Beginning of Lutheranism maintain'd the first that Priests might Marry and who Marry'd afterwards himself in the Year 1549. under the Reign of Sigismund II. The eleventh Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Samogitia who obtain'd from Pope Vrban VIII that he might likewise be Bishop of Curland This Bishop has no particular See appointed but sometimes resides at Midnich one of the chief Towns in that Province The twelfth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Culm a City of Royal Prussia on the River Vistula six Leagues above the City of Thorn This Bishop formerly preceded the Bishop of Varmia His Episcopal See is at Lubavia as likewise at Stargardie which the Germans call Althousen The thirteenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Chelm in Red-Russia There is besides in this City a Greek-Schismatick Bishop The Bishop of Chelm has for some time translated his See to Kranostaw a Town in the same Palatinate of Chelm built upon a great Lake thro which runs the River Nieper This Translation was occasion'd by the frequent Irruptions of the Tartars and Cosaks and who have altogether destroy'd the City of Chelm The fourteenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Kiovia capital City of Low Volhynia and of all Vkraina Here is moreover a Greek-Schismatick Bishop formerly Primate of all Russia or Moscovy The Inhabitants of this City are all of the Greek Perswasion and at present are subject to the Great Czar The fifteenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Caminiec Capital of Podolia which is now under the Turk The sixteenth Ecclesiastical Senator is the Bishop of Smolensko upon the River Vistula Capital of the Dutchy of the same Name This Dutchy was formerly subject to Lithuania but now is also subdu'd by the Moscovite Every one of these Bishops has a great Retinue and a kind of little Court having several Ecclesiastical and Secular Officers about him The greatest Part of them also have Suffragans because they believe themselves chiefly made Bishops to have a Right to sit in the Senate and not to be troubled with the Duties of their Office and therefore allow these a small Pension to perform all Episcopal Functions for them Guagnini says that in the Year 1506. there was a great Contest in the Diet held at Lublin between the Ecclesiastical and Lay Senators for the latter pretended to have a Right to sit next the King on his left Hand but which at length the Bishops over-power'd them in and thereby retain'd their ancient Privilege Krzistanowic in his State of Poland says that such was the Piety of the Poles that immediately after they became Christians they prefer'd their Clergy to their Laity and allow'd them many Noble Immunities and Privileges which they enjoy to this Day Most of the Bishops have very large Revenues wherewith they may not only live splendidly and comfortably themselves but also be assistant to the inferiour Clergy and charitable to the Poor Here I must beg leave to give Your GRACE by way of Digression some Account of the present State of Religion both in Poland and Lithnania together with a few historical Circumstances relating as well to modern as more remote Times and wherein I shall all along endeavour to be as concise and comprehensive as the several Particulars I have to go thro' will admit Your GRACE may first be inform'd that the Poles became Christians under the Reign of Miecislaus I. in the Year 964. as may be observ'd in the Life of that King The first Tenets they embrac'd were those of the Church of Rome But however the Russians entertain'd the Greek Perswasion which they continue in many Places of that Province to this Day They are utterly averse to the Roman Catholick Religion and term its Professors by way of Contempt Latins their Service being in that Language There are two Sorts of Greek Churches in this Kingdom the Schismaticks and the Vniats whereof the latter differ only from the Roman Catholicks in that their Devotion is all in the Greek Language The Priests of both these Churches are call'd Popi the Word Pop in Polish signifying a
Then they proceed to institute the Court call'd Kaptur treated of before This Diet consists of the Archbishop of Gnesna who represents the King's Person and the other Senators together with the Deputies of the Provinces In Case there is no Archbishop of Gnesna when the King dies the Office of Inter-Rex comes to the Bishop of Cujavia and next to the Bishop of Posnan and so to the rest of the Bishops of Lower Poland which in this Respect is preferr'd to the Higher tho' in nothing else Yet however they may grant away their Power as they did in the Inter-Regnum before the Election of the late King when the Bishop of Cracow officiated during the whole Interregnum by a common Consent of those Bishops Some of the Senators and Deputies are dispatch'd to the Generals of the Army to remain with them and to be assisting to them with their Counsel in the Affairs of the War Some Senators and Deputies likewise are appointed to inspect the Crown-Treasure deposited in the Castle of Cracow and to take an Inventory thereof which they are afterwards to report to the Diet. This Treasure is commonly committed to the Custody of eight Senators who are the Castellan of Cracow the Palatins of Cracovia Posnania Vilna Sendomir Kalisch and Troki together with the Treasurer of the Kingdom each having his particular Seal and Key and therefore none to act without the unanimous Consent of all Also Commissioners are sent to inform themselves of the King's Crown-Revenue which they are likewise to make their Report of during this Session and till a new King be proclaim'd the Republick claims the Title of Most Serene from all Sovereign Princes and Crown'd Heads altho' Hautaville says he has observ'd that the King of France writing to this Diet of Election has not faluted them with that Title but only express'd himself in these Terms To our dearest and well beloved Friends and Allies the States of the Kingdom of Poland and Great Dutchy of Lithuania Whilst this Diet sits which by the Laws is not to be above a Fortnight without Prorogation and from the Time of the Circular Letters to the Conclusion of the Diet of Election all Courts of Justice cease except only that of the Marshal's which continues as before and a Court establish'd to prevent Disorders in the Diet. As for all private Affairs and Suits of Law they are delay'd till after the new King's Coronation The Proceedings in this Diet are much of the same Nature with those in other Diets Most Crown'd Heads and other Christian Princes send Ambassadours to this Election and more especially the Emperour and King of France The Pope also always sends his Nuncio to take care that the Election should fall upon a profess'd Catholick and one that is in the Interest of the See of Rome The Emperour and French King always raise great Factions to promote their several Interests Before any Ambassadours arrive they are to send Notice of their coming to the Archbishop of Gnesna who is to appoint them Lodgings at a Distance from the City and to assign them a Polish Gentleman whose Business is rather to observe their Conduct and to acquaint the Diet therewith than to do them either any Service or Honour But however these Rules are but seldom observ'd for Princes Ambassadours now generally live publickly at Warsaw A Gentleman 't is true is still appointed to be always with them whose chiefest Business is to prevent their corrupting any with Money but this Precaution is notwithstanding now become useless since Avarice bears so great a Sway in Poland that even the Fidelity which a Polish Gentleman ows his Country cannot withstand the Charms of a Thousand Crowns Embassadors are not only receiv'd from Foreign Princes and their Masters Letters publickly read but also Polish Ministers are sent at this Time from the Republick to all Neighbouring States to answer their Embassies and to request their Amity Here it may be observ'd that all Embassadours or Envoys who have had Audience of Leave before the late King's Death are desir'd to depart within eight Days Embassadors from foreign Courts must take especial Care to secure the Diet in general since the bare disobliging of one particular Member may render them for ever incapable of bringing their Designs about as it hapned in the Election of Michael Wiesnowiski where the true Reason of the Duke of Newburg's being excluded was the Quarrel with the Chancellor Patz Nevertheless it must be acknowledg'd that that Election was tumultuary the Nobility had not their free Votes and that they were in a manner hurried away by the Violence of the Multitude which was so great that Prasmowski then Primate was forc'd to proclaim him tho' he knew that the Republick at that Juncture had need of both a rich and valiant King neither of which that Prince could in the least pretend to be He was no sooner proclaim'd but the Chancellor began to insinuate that he ow'd his Crown to him nor was it a difficult Task for him to impose on a Prince who was easily govern'd and who had always shewn more good Nature than Judgment After the Diet of Convocation ended the Nuncios and Deputies retire to their several Countries where they acquaint the Gentry being a second Time assembled in their Little Diets of the Proceedings in this general Convocation and particularly of the Day assign'd for the Election Whereupon the Gentry immediately begin to consult about what is proper to be propos'd in the Diet of Election and they proceed to choose new Deputies In Prussia the Bishop of Varmia being sole Lord Lieutenant summons all these little Diets by his Mandates The general Diet for the Election of a King was formerly held at Petricovia but since the joining of the Kingdom with the Great Dutchy is always held in an open Field half a League from Warsaw and near the Village of Vola and is not to continue by the Laws above six Weeks The Crown-Treasurer at the Charges of the Republick builds there a large Booth or Hall with Boards not unlike Booths in our Bartholomew Fair The Name the Poles give to this Place is Szopa signifying a cover'd Room against the Injuries of Weather It has but three Doors to go in at and they fortifie it round with a broad and deep Ditch When this Place is thus finish'd by the Care of the aforesaid Officer and the Day fix'd for the Diets convening is arriv'd the Senators and Nobility go in great Order to St. John's Church at Warsaw where they pray God to assist them in the Election of a King who may have all the Qualities necessary to defend the Church and protect the Republick Then they go to wait on the Queen Dowager to condole the Death of the deceas'd King her Husband the Primate speaking for the Senate and the last Nuncio-Marshal for the Deputies who are then answer'd in the Queen's
Country But here the Citizens in Prussia are excepted for they may possess Lands of what Extent soever out of their Cities Also the Inhabitants of Cracow may purchase and enjoy Lands in any Part of the Kingdom Likewise the Magistrates of Vilna have a Power to possess Lands and the City of Leopol in like manner has a Privilege for its private Citizens to hold Lands A Nobleman Gentleman or one that is free-born of the Kingdom of Poland are the same thing Every Gentleman has his Coat of Arms granted him by the Republick but then either he or some of his Family must have Possessions in Lands there He can pretend to all the greatest Employments and Offices in the Kingdom and buy Lands where he pleases all over the Dominions of Poland and Lithuania He has moreover a Right to the Crown if his Credit and Interest can procure it Every Gentleman is a Sovereign Lord and Master in his own Lands for he has the Power of Life and Death over his Tenants or as the Poles term them his Subjects tho' I may better call them his Slaves for they have neither Privilege nor Law to protect them but are to be govern'd absolutely by the Will and Pleasure of their Lord. They dare not leave his Lands to go to anothers under Pain of Death unless he sells them to his Neighbour as he has the Power to do or has violated or ravish'd their Wives or Daughters insomuch that I have heard that some have wish'd to have had a fine Wife or Daughter that their Lord might thereby have given them Occasion to get rid of him If a Gentleman kills another Gentleman's Slave he is neither to be try'd nor punish'd for it and is only oblig'd to give that Gentleman another Slave in the Room of him or as much Money as will buy one And besides to maintain the Family of the Person that he has kill'd likewise if he kills one of his own Slaves he only pays a matter of fifty Livres to be quit Nay if one Gentleman kills another he cannot be apprehended nor clapt into Prison for his Crime Nisi Jure Victus unless a Court of Justice has first convicted him which commonly gives him Time enough to escape for he must first be cited to appear and upon his Neglect he is declar'd contumacious and consequently convicted But it may very well be suppos'd that he who knows himself guilty will not run the Hazard of Appearing nor venture the losing of his Head This Honour the Poles likewise bestow on the common People Hanging being not the usual Way of Execution in their Country However Hartknoch has these Exceptions from this Privilege for says he if a Nobleman be taken in the very Act of Ravishing Burning of Houses Theft Robbery or the like he may be apprehended by the Laws Likewise if he will not give sufficient Caution according to the Quality of his Offence or lastly if he be found in the Register to have been thrice convicted before Notwithstanding this Privilege of the Nobility says Hauteville I have known one Instance to the contrary for those who assassinated Gonczenski Petty General of Lithuania were seiz'd without any Formality and carry'd Prisoners to Elbing and were afterwards condemn'd to be beheaded at the general Diet at Warsaw in the Year 1664. but then this Crime of theirs was so notorious that the Nobility might well have wav'd their Privilege for these Villains took that Gentleman out of his Bed at Vilna and putting him into a Coach with a Confessor carry'd him out of the City where they scarce allow'd him Time to say his Prayers before they shot him dead with Pistols A Polish Nobleman tho' he be proscrib'd and cited and found guilty cannot be executed without the King's Knowledge and Consent as may appear by the Case of Samuel Zborowski who tho' he had been proscrib'd and condemn'd by the Great Chancellor and General of the Army Zamoiski yet would he not presume to Behead him till he had known King Stephen's Pleasure therein The Polish Gentry also have another Privilege which is that no Soldiers or Officers of the Army can be Quarter'd upon them for if any one should presume to attempt such a thing the Diet would either condemn him to Death or pronounce him infamous whereby he would be depriv'd of the Power of giving his Vote in all Assemblies and moreover be render'd incapable of enjoying any Office or Employment in the State and this is as being degraded from his Nobility whereupon I may take notice of a Passage that hapned at the Diet of Election of John III. and which did not a little contribute towards his being chosen The Palatin of Smolensko's Son went and quarter'd at the House of Wiesnowiski without his Leave as was reported by Order of the Grand General Patz which occasion'd the Marshals who are Judges in these Cases two Days before the breaking up of the Diet to deprive this Palatin of his Vote in the Election whereby Sobieski was freed from a declar'd Enemy and the Austrian Faction lost a profess'd Friend The King likewise cannot now lodg in any Nobleman's House against his Will as he could before the Year 1433. Also wherever any Foreigner dies without Heirs his Estate Escheats to the Lord of those Lands where he dy'd and not to the King And where any Polish Gentleman dies without Heirs the King cannot seize upon his Estate by Right of Escheat if he have a Relation left of the eighth Degree inclusively The Gentry also may have Houses in the King's Cities and Towns but then they must not let such Trades inhabit them as may prove obnoxious or a Nusance to the Citizens and likewise these Houses ought to be subject to the Jurisdiction of the City but which however is seldom or never observ'd The House of a Nobleman moreover is a Kind of Asylum for tho' Delinquents may be arrested there with his Consent yet cannot they be taken thence by Force Not less are a Nobleman's Privileges as to Customs and Taxes for if he will swear his Goods were not bought but arising from his Lands he may send them any where out of the Kingdom to be sold without paying Duties and where he has once so sworn his Testimonials alone for the future will suffice to exempt them Also his Subjects will have the same Privilege wherever they trade In Prussia the Nobles are not only free from Customs but likewise all the other Inhabitants by the Magna Charta of Culm But altho the Polish Nobility are thus said to be free from Taxes yet upon emergent Occasions and Exigencies the Diet usually obliges them to pay them for a certain Time The Nobility also have a Privilege of Preemption of Salt for in the Staples for that Commodity there must be at least a Months Notice before any can be sold to any body else After all these Privileges the Polish Nobility
Crowns but they are worn only at Diets and descend from Father to Son The Fashion the Women use comes nearer to that of the Men than in most Countries In Lithuania the meaner sort make Shoes of Bark of Trees which they wrap about and put under the Soles of their Feet These Shoes they call Chodakys Of the tenderest Bark also they make Stockings turning and winding it about the Calves of their Legs Before they come into any Town they always take care to put on fresh Chodakys These every Countryman almost makes so that it is commonly us'd as a Jest in Poland That there are more Shoomakers in Lithuania than in all Europe besides The same People likewise wear a sort of Habit with Sleeves woven all of a Piece This they call Samodzialka It is commonly Gray and very thick and worn equally by Men and Women among the Rusticks Some few of the Poles imitate the French Fashion and wear Linnen Lace Point Perukes and Swords for those who retain the Polish Habit have no other Linnen but Shirts and Drawers and some of them Socks The ordinary sort of Gentry and even some of the Great Men put sifted Chaff into their Boots which serves them instead of Socks When I speak of the Poles wearing Linnen I mean only the Gentry and Citizens for the Peasants wear none at all unless some by chance happen to have Shirts of Course Cloth The Women formerly had only Garlands on their Heads compos'd of Gold Gems Flowers Silk and the like but now they wear Silk Caps lin'd with Furr like the Men. They also formerly imitated the Women of Foreign Countries and in the late Reign all the Women of Quality particularly those that resided at Court follow'd the French Mode King John III's Queen being of that Nation Never does the Price hinder their having fine things for they suffer themselves to be Bubbled by Foreign Merchants especially French at a ridiculous rate Both Women and Men are Extravagant to an infinite Degree insomuch that some among them will have fifty Suits of Cloaths at once all as Rich as possible but what shews their Prodigality yet more is that they will almost have their Servants go as well drest as themselves whereby they generally soon spend their Estates and are reduc'd in a short time to the extreamest Want But this Prodigality of theirs does not only extend to their Habits but likewise to their Buildings Equipage and other Customs In their modern Buildings many of them imitate the Italians tho' generally speaking indeed their Houses are Small and Low especially in the Country They never live above Stairs and their Houses are not united The Kitchin is on one side the Stable on another the House on another and the Gate in the Front All which make a Court either Square or Round These Houses are for the most part of Wood though the other sort are both of Brick and Stone The Inside of their Houses is generally hung with Tapestry or Arras and all the rest of their Houshold-stuff and Utensils proportionably suitable Yet towards Tartary they do not much care to have any Furniture extraordinary for fear of the Incursions of that Barbarous People Therefore in that part of Poland the Gentry content themselves with a few small Beds with Taffeta Curtains just enough to serve their Family for if any go to Lodge at their Houses they generally carry their Beds along with them The Polish Gentry have seldom any Gardens or Orchards to their Houses though their Country be very proper for Fruit-Trees whereby they might save the Expence of a great deal of Corn which they consume in Beer by making of Cider and Perry Although it be extream Cold in Poland yet will the Polish Gentry have almost every one a Bagnio in his House in which the Women have their Apartments separate from the Men. There are likewise publick Baths in every City and Town for the use of the Common People which they frequent not only in Summer but also in Winter From their frequent use of Baths probably comes the reason that the Polish Children are seldom Scabby either in Head or Face It may be here also observ'd that the Children in Poland are seldom distorted crooked or ill-shap'd as it often happens in other Countries because here they do not Swath their Children but only wrap them loose in Linnen Clouts The Poles are generally so great Admirers of Splendour and Show that their Women seldom stir out of Doors without a Coach and Six though it be only cross the way either to Church or to Visit a Neighbour but the Men for the most part go on Horseback and rarely on Foot which they look upon to be very Ignoble Both Men and Women are always attended with a great Number of Servants of both Sexes The Women to wait on the Women and the Men on the Men. The Principal Senators always Ride or Walk in the middle of their Retinue putting the best Cloath'd of their Servants before them When the Gentry of either Sex go abroad a Nights they have twenty four or more Whitewax Flambeaux carried before their Coach Women of Quality generally have their Trains born up by He or She-Dwarfs These Ladies have also with them an Old Woman which they call their Governante and an Old Gentleman for their Gentleman-Usher whose Office is to follow their Coach on Foot and to help them out of it when they Alight It may be remark'd that their Coaches go always very slow and gravely The reason of these two Old Peoples waiting on the Ladies is not because their Husbands are Jealous as in most of the Eastern Countries for the Polish Ladies are generally very Modest and do not at all abuse the great Liberty allow'd them But this Rule does not hold among the Common People for Maids with them never think themselves awhit the worse for being unmarried Mothers Nor is their Frailty any hinderance to their Fortune for they soon Marry again and thereby repair the Scandal These sort of Grass-Widdows most commonly serve for Nurses for a Virtuous Marry'd Woman though she be never so Poor will hardly ever Nurse any Child but her own It may be observ'd notwithstanding all these Honours done the Women in Poland that they do neither keep the Purse nor wear the Breeches for when they have a mind to have any thing they are oblig'd to ask their Husbands for it by Kneeling Embracing his Knees and calling him their Benefactor except some few Trifles of course allow'd them As Butter and Eggs after the House is serv'd and Flax ready hitchell'd by the Peasants all which indeed they may dispose of without their Husband's Privity but as to other Things they cannot For the Man is the sole Manager of all Things in Poland and the Women have little more to do than to Eat Drink and Divert themselves As the Poles
bear their own Losses and suffer all Disasters with a great deal of Temper so likewise they regard the Miseries and Misfortunes of others with the same Indifference for they will often stand and see a House burn without offering in the least to lend a helping Hand to quench it Neither are they more indulgent to their Children or on the contrary the Children to their Parents both whom are reciprocally suffer'd to continue Slaves to the Tartars when but a small Summ of Money would purchase their Redemption In Poland there are neither Academies nor Schools for the Manege Riding the Great Horse Fencing nor Dancing and yet the Gentry being naturally bent to those Exercises will either Practise them at home after their own rude Fashion or Travel to inform themselves of Strangers abroad Of all these Pastimes Musick and Dancing are their Darling Pleasures for even the very Nurses are order'd to teach their Children this last as soon as they can go So that you shall often see two Children tripping it about a Room to the dull Notes of their Nurses or a Servants Pipes The Poles are so addicted to Musick that Barge-men may be frequently seen Playing on Fiddles as they Sail along the River Vistula with Corn. The other Customs and Manners of the Poles I shall inform your Lordship of as methodically and succinctly as the Variety of Matter will admit But first a word or two of the Polish Families and Names The Gentry are divided into many Tribes all distinguish'd not by Places or Countries but by several peculiar Appellatives and Coats of Arms Out of every one of these springs several Families of different Names and Affinity For example to the Tribe of Lelivicz whose Standard is a Field Azure charg'd with a New Moon in chief and a Star of the first Magnitude between its Horns belong the Families of Zarnowiski Pileczki Melstin c. Formerly the Poles had their Names from several occasions but of latter days they have been accustom'd to take them only from Castles Cities Towns and Villages most commonly by adding the Termination ski or ki which signifies Son though some say Dominion because they are generally so call'd from the Place which they Govern In Lithuania the Termination for the most part is in witz which rather implies Son than Ski Sometimes also they take their Names from these Places by omitting Ski and Witz and putting before the Place à ab in or de As à Gorka in Tenstin de Fulstin and the like Some of the Poles usual Names are which I mention for the difficulty of Pronunciation Chrzonstowski Krzikritzki Grzmialtowski c. Lastly Several Names in Poland begin with an O as Opalinski Osolmski Vzaorwski Orzakowski and such like Now as to Marriages among the Poles it must first be observ'd that the Feasts of those of the Gentry always last three days be they that make them either Poor or Rich wherefore they must necessarily be exceeding Expensive If a Lady Marry any of her waiting Maids she generally Expends as much as for one of her Daughters But as the Court-Marriages will shew the greatest Magnificence of this kind I shall entertain your Lordship out of Hauteville with one of that sort When the Queen Marries any of her Maids of Honour or when any Senator or great Lord is to be Marry'd the first and second day the King gives a great Feast For this purpose a large Hall is pitch'd upon where there are three Tables set out At the first Table sit the King and Queen in a Manner that they both Face the Hall Next the Queen sit the Two that are to be Married and next to the King the Popes Nuncio and Archbishop of Gnesna At the same Table likewise sit the Foreign Embassadors over against the King and Queen At the two other Tables extending the whole length of the Hall all the Ladies Senators and Officers except only such as wait on the King and Queen are plac'd by an Officer according to their respective Precedence Most commonly this Feast begins about four or five of the Clock in the Afternoon and lasts to two or three in the Morning Here it may be observ'd that the Senators are accustom'd to rise often and go up to the King's Table to drink his Majesty's Health on their Knees At these Feasts they eat little but drink Hungarian Wine to an immoderate Degree The Ladies out of Modesty only touch the Tops of the Glasses with their Lips and so set them down before them or pour them into their Plates in a manner tha◠more Wine is thought to be spils and lost here than drank When they have sate about five or six Hours at Table the Violins and a little Sort of portable Organs begin to strike up and then they spend the rest of the Time in Dancing In this Exercise every body joyns and not so much as the old People of either Sex are excus'd Those that begin the Dance are generally the ancient Senators and old Ladies who move slowly about like so many Fryars or Nuns in Procession but altho the Dancing begins with so much Gravity and Formality yet it usually ends with a great deal of Hurry and Confusion On the second Day all the Guests present the Bride with something new and none give less than a small Piece of Plate All these Presents are made before the Queen This Ceremony is perform'd before they sit down to Table These Presents most commonly make a good Part of the Brides Portion The late Princess of Poland when she was marry'd to the Elector of Bavaria had above the Value of 100000 Crowns presented her On the third Day are solemniz'd the Espousals All the Wedding Guests accompany the Bridegroom and Bride on Horse-back to Church as likewise in their Return Home when they are always to pass by the King's Palace During all the Time of their coming and going the Trumpets sound from the Balconies on both Sides the way When the Bride has been conducted to her Husband's House and a magnificent Feast there prepar'd is ended and the Company gone the Bride begins to fall a crying it being the Custom it seems in Poland for Maids to weep at that time and to seem concern'd for fear they should be thought impudent and immodest The other Marriages of the Gentry in Poland are perform'd much after the same Manner only with less Magnificence The Men and the Women that are Godfathers and Godmothers to Children are always Cousins and Relations tho they were not so before and consequently cannot be marry'd without a Dispensation from the Bishop of the Diocess The Ceremonies of Burial in Poland are usually celebrated with so great Pomp and Magnificence that one would rather take them for Triumphs than Enterments The Corps having been put into the Coffin it is plac'd in a Herse or Chariot with six Horses all cover'd with black Housings The Coffin has a
any Presumption I had to lay down any thing which might in the least contribute or add to the Knowlege of a General Officer of your Experience MY LORD In the Infancy of the Polish Empire the Poles were rather forc'd by an Arbitrary Power than commanded by indulgent Laws to defend their Country and extend its Limits but since Christianity has been received among them Bolestaus Chrobry their first King ordain'd a certain number of Horse out of every Palatinate and District and a set company of Foot out of every City and Town to be ready at a short warning and to bring their Provisions and Ammunition along with them This is what they call their Pospolite Ruszenie or the whole Body of Militia of the Kingdom gathered together under one Head or General at a place and time appointed by the King and those of the Senate that are always to attend him as his Privy-Council To this General Expedition first all Landed Gentry as well Publick as Private a few only excepted which I shall name hereafter are obliged to come 2. All Gentry that live in Cities or Towns upon Usury or otherwise 3. All Citizens that enjoy Lands or Tenements These besides all in Prussia are those of Cracow Vilna and Leopol 4. All Tenants that have hired Lands are to go themselves or to send out others 5. The Kings Tenants 6. Ecclesiastical Scultets or Advocates 7. In cases of imminent danger all Citizens in general are ordered either to send or go themselves 8. Even those Gentry that are clapt up in Jails for hainous Crimes are to be let out to assist at the Pospolite yet when that is once over they are to return to Prison again to expiate the whole extent of their Sentence All these are to be Horse well accoutred but as an Army cannot be compleat without some Foot this Pospolite also did consist formerly of the 20th Boor out of every Village or rather Farm who was to be arm'd with a Scymitar long Gun and Pole-Ax but which is often now chang'd to a Mulct to hire Forreigners Yet there are still some Polish Foot tho' of small Esteem Every Citizen that is now worth 8000 Florens is to find a Horse and he that has only 4000 is to set out a Foot-Soldier well provided The Boors also are to fit out one among 28 Families and to furnish him with Provisions sufficient for half a Year The Poles term both these Wybrancy's that is Pick'd or Selected Men so that Wybraniecka Piechota is a Pick'd Soldier If any of all these refuse to appear upon the third Summons their Lands or Goods are immediately confiscated to the King's Use Those Gentry that are excus'd from appearing at the Pospolite are 1. Such as may depute others in their Room viz. Superannuated or Sick Persons Widows Orphans Minors and lastly the Clergy for their Temporalities When any Publick or Private Nobleman is Sick he must notisie and attest it by the Oaths of several sufficient Witnesses Also it must be observ'd that in Lithuania a Clergy man must send out both for his Spiritual and Temporal Estate as likewise in Poland where there are any Temporal Lands annex'd to his Benefice 2. Those that have Estates in several Palatinates or Districts are oblig'd but to appear for one 3. The poorer sort of Gentry are eas'd in some measure for several of them may joyn in the fitting out of one Horse which is practised especially in Masovia Also Brothers that are Joint-Tenants may Depute one to appear for all 4. The King's Court and Retinue are not obliged to Muster under the Palatins and where the King does not go into the Field in Person they are to be totally excus'd 5. About 30 of the Gentry of the Queen's Court are exempt 6. About 12 of the Archbishop of Gnesna's Court and oftentimes some Officers of the Bishop of Cracow and other Bishops Courts especially where their Attendance is otherwise requir'd by the Republick 7. All Ministers to Foreign Courts together with their Domesticks are absolutely to be dispensed with 8. All Starosta's that are left in Garrisons and their Tribunes And lastly the great Constable or Governor of Cracow Castle with his Deputy the Burgraves and two Captains of Foot are to be excus'd Several Provinces and Palatinates likewise have peculiar Privileges relating to this general Meeting for in the Palatinates of Masovia and Plockzko six Brothers altho' they have distinct Estates send but one Horse-man In Podlachia out of ten Farms they send but one Light-Horse and out of twenty but one Cuirassier The Palatinates of Kiovia and Braclaw have likewise peculiar Privileges In a general Expedition the Gentry of Podolia were to continue in Garrison at Caminiec while the Poles had that City in possession The Prussians also need not march beyond the River Vistula Ossa and Drebnicz And lastly Lithuanians are not to go beyond the bounds of their Great Dutchy As to the great number assembled at this Pospolite Basko a Polish Writer says that only in the Palatinate of Lenschet in the time of Boleslaus Chrobry 2000 Cuirassiers and 4000 Light-Horse were raised at one time Starovolscius says that Uladislaus had 100000 Horse against the Prussian Knights over and above what he had left to defend the Provinces I might observe several other prodigious Lustrations out of the aforesaid Author but for brevity sake I omit them only I may affirm with Boterus in his Description of Poland that in case of necessity the Poles can raise upwards of 100000 Horse and the Lithuanians 70000 But Starovolscius is of Opinion they can both raise above 200000 Horse without Expense Also Fredro thinks that the Poles can raise above 200000 Horse The number of Polish Foot is uncertain they being at Liberty to appear or to be excused for Money Starovolscius says that in his time they did not amount to many hundreds being discouraged by the rigour of their Starosta's and wholly confin'd to their rustick Drudgery tho' continues he they are more able to sustain the hardships of War then either the Germans or Hungarians who can scarce live in the Polish Air. He also is of Opinion that the Polish Infantry if encouraged might amount to a considerable number and be not a little serviceable The Foreign hir'd Foot have sometimes exceeded 30000 when the Cosacks serv'd the Poles but they fought also on Horseback and King Stephen in his Expedition against the Suedes in Livonia had above 16000 German and Hungarian Foot in his Pay Now I shall proceed to present your Grace with an account of the manner of raising and Mustering this vast Body of Men. When a Pospolite is once agreed by the General Diet to be summon'd the King after the Ancient manner sends out his Writs or Letters into all the Palatinates or Districts of his Kingdom which being received by the inferiour Officers they are fastned by a small Cord to a long Pole whence they are called
Literae Restium by some and by others VVici signifying in Polish a Staff and carried alost to every one of the Chief Noblemen of the District thrice in a Month and Proclaim'd as often in all Cities and Towns All Courts of Justice cease at the third reading of these Letters unless it be those of the Vice Starosta's who exercise their Jurisdiction as before After the last reading of these Letters a Place is appointed by several private Assemblies of the Nobility in every District for particular Musters and afterwards for the General Muster of every Palatinate Here the Palatins and Castellans take an exact Account of the Men Horses Arms c. neither of which can be chang'd after that Muster At the same time also the Palatin divides the Districts among the several Castellans and orders them their several Posts In those Palatinates where there is but one Castellan there part of his Duty is performed by a Vice-Chamberlain c. and in Lithuania by a Marshal of every District This particular Muster being over the Castellan of every District leads the Gentry under his Command to the place of general Muster for the Palatinate where the Palatin Musters them again and takes an account of the Defaulters Before the Castellans come to the Palatins Justice is absolutely in their Hands but afterwards they must resign it to the Palatin tho' Capital Crimes are always reserved for the determination of the General or rather of the King who of late days has had a Council of War Assign'd him for that purpose I may here observe that the Gentry are always Muster'd and Registr'd annually by their respective Officers Starovolscius reasonably requires two necessary Qualities in the Polish Horse which they seldom or never have and those are Expedition and Obedience As to the former he says they are always unwilling to leave their Wives and Children and therefore never care for appearing before they are forced by the third Summons And as for the latter when they are got together he says thinking themselves Powerful they are always Plotting and ready to Rebel against their Superiours and the reason is that altho' the Kingdom of Poland abounds with all manner of Plenty yet in every Expedition almost the Soldiers are ready to starve which is occasioned by a shameful neglect of the Chief Officers to furnish the Army with requisite Provisions whence it often comes to pass that tho' matters are brought to the nearest issue yet they are generally forsaken before they are accomplished the Soldiers Heads running after nothing but Forrage and Plunder which they take wherever it comes in their way whereby the Country is generally injur'd instead of being righted and defended There are other Causes of this Confusion and Disorder in the Army which I shall speak of hereafter When the Gentry have been thus Muster'd by the Palatins they are next to be led by their Officers to the Place of general Rendezvous where every Palatin delivers up his Charge to the Supremacy of the Great General In their March they are not to be quarter'd upon any of the King 's or Gentrys Estates but are to encamp in the open Fields that they may make no disturbance in the Citys At this day the Generals Power is very much limited in respect of what it was formerly for then a General was altogether Absolute and his Will alone went for a Law but now he can do little without the consent of such as the Republick has Assign'd him Besides the Great Generals and Field-Marshals the King by the Laws is obliged to be in the Army in Person This appears by the example of King Alexander who by reason the Gentry demanded his Presence among them tho' Sick was forced to be carried in a Litter into the Camp This was thought to have been Plotted by the Contrivance of the Duke of Glinski who hoped thereby that the King would catch his Death Before I proceed any farther I ought to give your GRACE a Division of the Polish Army and therein observe that it is composed of different kinds of Soldiers as first of the Pospolite or Militia 2. Of hir'd Soldiers 3. Of Auxiliaries 4. Of Quartarian Hirelings And 5th of Voluntiers And again it consists both of Horse and Foot and those Natives and Foreigners the Natives are for the greatest part Horse or Cavalry and may be divided into four sorts which may also be considered in two manners as first heavy-Arm'd and secondly light-Horse The former are 1. The Hussartz which with their Horses are both in close Armour And 2 the Tovarzysz which have only a Breast-Plate Helmet and Gorget These are both choice Men and the latter are so named from a word in Polish which signifies Companion The first of these are Armed with short Lances Sabres and Pistols and the second with Carabines Bows and Arrows c. These short Lances are called by the Poles Kopye whence also the Body of Men that uses them is term'd Kopiynick These Kopiie are about 6 Foot long and tied to the Horsmen's Wrists with strings of Silk When they come near their Enemy they dart their Lances with all their Force against them and if they miss their Bodies they suddenly snatch back the Lance by help of the Silken string but where they have mortally wounded any then they slip the Silk and leave the Lance in their Bodies till such time as they can ride up to them to cut of their Heads with a broad well temper'd Sabre which always hangs by their Saddles Both the Hussartz and Tovarzysz with their Horses look frightfully being stuck all over with Wings of Storks Cranes Turky-Cocks c. and Cloath'd over their Armour with skins of Leopards Tygres Bears Lyons c. all which they do to make themselves the more terrible to their Enemy These Cavalry for the most part set themselves also off wilh various Partycolour'd Mantles which oftentimes shine with Jewels Gold and Silver Of the Hussartz there are but 5 Companies in Poland every Company consisting of about 300 Men all Arm'd Cap-a-pe They have but one Lieutenant in each Company which they call Poruczknik and one Korazy or Trumpeter with a particular sort of Trumpet which they call Koronzy One of these the present King of France caus'd to be brought into his Kingdom with design to have the like made but being extreamly costly and not like to be of any great use among the Cannon he laid his Intention aside The Light Horse are also of two sorts and are either with Armour or without The first sort wear Coats of Mail and differ in Names as they do in Countries The Poles call them Pancerznicy Koragwy and the Lithuanians Petihorsky Koragwy which last differ something in their Dress from the former The number of these far exceeds that either of the Hussartz or Tovarzysz They are both separate Companies and are Incorporated into no Regiments They are in all about 6 or 7000
Kingdom have a right to any of these Mines as likewise to those of any Metals found upon their Lands there being by the Constitutions no Royal Mines in Poland except those of white Salt only which belong peculiarly to the King Throughout all Poland and Lithuania there are a great many Corn and Cachat-Mills but scarce any for Fulling or Paper yet which they might very well have by reason of their great number of rapid Streams In this and in other respects the Poles are very negligent of their own Interest being content to pay great rates for Cloth and Paper when they might easily have both of their own Manufacture As for Leather tho' no People use it more having almost all Boots and Chariots which they call Ridevans yet do they not care to take the trouble of dressing it themselves but suffer Foreigners to do it for them and which commonly they pay very dear for when done The Poles Trade very much in fresh Fish amongst themselves and the manner of their Fishing I imagine may not be unacceptable to your Excellency having something peculiar in it Their Lakes and Fish-ponds in Poland and Lithuania being generally so large that it would be almost impossible ever to drain them They usually choose to Fish them in Winter when they are all frozen up They first make a great hole in the Ice to let down their Nets and afterwards several little ones from place to place that they may draw them along from hole to hole with a Rope fastned to a long Pole till they bring them back to the first large opening When the two ends of the Nets are brought together they pull them up and bring out with them all the Fish that happen to be within the space of Water thro' which the Nets were drawn for they cannot possibly leap over them because of the Ice Throughout all Poland and Lithuania there are huge quantities of Honey to be found in the Woods either in hollow Trees holes of the Ground or any where else that the Bees can find to settle in Of this Honey as I said before the People make several sorts of Mead with which and the Wax that comes from it they Trade very much into the Neighbouring Countries Now is it not a great wonder that these Bees can produce so great plenty of Honey in so Cold a Climate But it seems they find something in the Fir-Trees whereof there are great numbers in every Wood that supplies the place of Flowers which they suck their materials from in other Countries Before I proceed to give your Excellency a description of the Famous City of Dantzic I must take some cursory Notice of the former Trade of Prussia before its Inhabitants came to have the use of Money In the XIIIth Century the Teutonic Knights coming out of Germany into Prussia brought along with them the Coin of their Country for before that time the Prussians only barter'd Commodities with their Neighbours Their chiefest Trade then lay in Electrum or Amber of the Nature of which Hartman a late German Author gives this account He says that since it can neither be melted down nor is Malleable it is impossible it should be Metal and because it is too solid a Body to come under the Species of Sulphur or Bitumen it must necessarily be rank'd among the precious Stones This Amber is of divers Colours and notwithstanding Hartman insinuates it to be always solid yet is it certain that sometimes it is as liquid as Oyl There is a black sort of it which is no other than what we call Jett A Description of the City of DANTZIC TO come to the Description of Dantzic in Latin Dantiscum or Gedanum your Excellency may be pleased to understand that it is the Capital and Largest City in Royal Prussia and lies in 41 Degrees and 30 Minutes of Longitude and in 54 Degrees and 20 Minutes of Latitude It is Situate in one of the three Islands of which Regal Prussia consists called by the Germans der Dantzicher Werder the other two having the Names of der Marienbursche Werder and der Elbingsâ—her Werder This Name Der Werder implies properly so many pieces of solid Ground encompassed by Fenns and Boggs By whom this City was first built remains as yet undetermin'd Becanus will have the Danes to have been the Founders of it and from them to have been called Danes-wick i. e. Danes-Town but this derivation seems to have too much Dutch in it therefore it is more probable that to the word Dan Cdan or Gdan was added the Sclavonian term Scke signifying a Town which made it Danscke Cdanscke or Gdanscke and which might very reasonably be suppos'd afterwards for better Pronunciation's sake to be chang'd into Dantzig or Dantzic It is distant about 80 Polish Miles from Cracow 40 from Posnan 50 from Warsaw 30 from Gnesna 22 from Thron 24 from Koningsberg 8 from Elbing 6 from Marienburg and near 4 English Miles from the Baltick Sea and is built on the borders of the Vistula on the North-West side of the aforesaid Island The Town it self is watered by the Rivers Rodawn and Motlaw and divided by the former into two parts the Old and the New On the Southern and Western side it is surrounded with high Mountains and was well fortified with Bulwarks against the Incursions of the Swedes in the Year 1656. It has a large and high Wall so broad that Coaches easily go round the Ramparts and so large in compass that it is three hours Journey round which I may very well compute at six English Miles At the Entrance of the Rodawn on the other side it has a strong Fort wherein there is commonly kept a Garrison of 1000 Soldiers It is impossible this City should be Bombarded from the Sea by reason of its distance from it but from the Neighbouring Hills it may and therefore some Works are raised there and always a certain number of Soldiers with store of Cannon and Ammunition plac'd in them for its greater security This City is at present a famous Mart and one of the principal of the Hanse-Towns being altogether govern'd by its own Laws tho' under Protection of the Crown of Poland from which it has a Castellan appointed over it Half of the Suburbs belong to that Crown and the other half to the City for in some Parts the Crown-Lands reach to the Suburbs but in others the City-Lands go several Miles together into the Country There are Twenty Parishes in the City and the Suburbs The Houses are generally of Brick and the Streets most commonly very large and well pav'd tho' somewhat dirty in Winter as most of the Towns in Poland are The chief Part of the City call'd by the Inhabitants Die rechte Stadt was built by Conrad Wallenrodt Master of the Teutonick Order about the Year 1388. There are no Gardens in the City but nevertheless several very fine and large
General of the Clergy How often and where Conven'd 115. Minor Clergy admitted by Deputies ib. Courts of Justice The Kaptur what and its Power 115. Ecclesiastical 116. Of Nunciature ib. High Tribunals ib. c. Senate and Green-Cloth 117. Exchequer-Courts ib. Of Land-Judicature with its Judges 118. Of the Vice-Chamberlains ib. Gentry's Criminal Courts 119. Commonalty-Courts in Cities ib. In Villages 120. Where Courts of Justice cease 129. Exception ib. Relating to Courts of Justice in Lithuania 224 Former Judges there 225. Candidate for Election What Qualifications requir'd in him 140 c. Ceremony Of the King's Swearing to the Pacta Conventa 149 c. Of his Entring Cracow 154. The Interrment of a deceased King 155. Obsequies and Procession 154. Procession at the Coronation 156. Ceremony thereat ib. Farther Particulars ib. c. Coronation-Oath 157. Words at Kissing the Book 159. Unction c. ib. c. How pronounc'd King 161. Feasts thereupon ibid. Ceremony of Creation of Teutonic Knights 71. * Coronation King appoints the Day 153. Place fix'd ib. Exceptions ib. By whom perform'd 155. Manner of Crowning 160. Enthroning ibid. Curland Bishop of Vide Samogitia Bishop of Curland Dutchy Its Bounds and Extent 99 * Soil and former State ib. c. * When wholly conquer'd 100 * Converted by degrees ib. * Its Dukes 105 c. * Duke Vassal to Poland 115 * His Privilege and Power 116 * Revenue and Court ibid. * Chief Officers ibid. * Condition of Gentry ib. 117 * Geographical Description 118 * Government 121 * Degrees of Demanding Justice 122 * Ecclesiastical Courts 123 * City-Courts ibid. * Ministerial Officers ibid. * Trade of Curland ibid. * Corn in great Request ibid. * When Curland is to revert to Poland ibid. * D. Diet Grand of Poland How resembles the English Parliament 5. What it is 6 83. It s Power ib. By whom call'd and where and how often meets ib. Manner of calling it and proceedings thereupon 84. Divides into three Nations 91. Proceedings at the opening 95. After the choice of a Speaker ib. Proceedings in the Lower House 96. Conferences between the two Houses 95. Upper House how employ'd 96. Committees ib. Manner of breaking up Session in the lower House ib. Both Houses joined ib. Diets Session limited and wherefore 98 c. Matters generally treated of 99. Great concourse there 101. Provisions not scarce ib. Dangerous to be out a Nights 102. Visits unacceptable ib. Order of Session in the Diet ibid. c. Causes of disunion here 105. By whom somented ib. Great freedom of Speech 108. Policy of concluding matters by an unanimous consent 110. Diet of Convocation How summon'd 126. Proceeding in little Diets ib. First proceedings in this Diet 128. Diet of Election Where held c. 131 c. First proceedings there 133. Exorbitancies examin'd 135. Diet proceeds to Election 137 c. Farther particulars thereof 138 c. Great concourse there and Policy to byass them 139 c. Rules observ'd in Elections 141. Poland why preserv'd Elective 142 c. Diets Little Where meet 84. Qualifications for and Manner of Voting there 89. Proceedings 90. Deputies Representatives of the Gentry Elected only by the Gentry 6. Assume great Liberty in the Diet 34 c. Who and how many chosen with their Instructions 90. How chosen 91. Their Number ib. Cannot be Senators ib. Their Salaries ib. When first sent ib. Their Power 95. Confirm'd and encourag'd ib. Their Privileges 95 c. How long sit 96. Have great Guards at the Diet 102. Awe the King and Senate 104. Their Business after Diet of Convocation 131. Dantzic Privileges 23 * Where situate by whom built and whence so call'd 42 * How distant from other Places ib. c. * Division and Strength 43 * One of the Hanse-Towns ib. * Parishes Buildings Streets and Gardens 44 * Inhabitants their Number and Religion ib. * Churches and Town-House ib. * Magazines College Exchange c. 45. * Jurisdiction and Government ib. * Senators and their Division ib. * Scabins Syndic and Burgrave 46 * Centum-viri and their Power ib. c. * City's Power and Privileges 48 * Force by Land and Sea 49 * How often Taken and Regain'd 50 * Admitted to Vote in Election of Polish Kings 51 * Dutchies What in Poland 174. Descents Nature of them in Poland 180. Children support their Families however 181. Divines Polish How far their Learning extends 78. * Their Divinity 79. * E. Escheator His Power 77. Embassadors Sent to the Diet of Election 129. Notifie their Arrival and how are receiv'd ib. c. 135 c. Others sent from the Republick 130. Caution to Foreign Ministers ib. c. What requisite in Foreign Ministers 136. What Foreign Embassadors are oblig'd to 179. Election Decree of Presented the King 150. Exercises What practis'd in Poland 202. Edibles What Sorts us'd among the Poles 209. Odd Dainties 210. Pottage and Sauces 215. Crachat what and how made 216. Edibles among the Rusticks of Lithuania 227. Meat and Drink of the Peasants in Prussia 235. F. Fasts in Poland How observ'd 51. Poles retain a rigid Custom and wherefore 52. Factions Foreign What promotes them 106. Fashions Present in Poland 196. What Furrs us'd ib. Some follow the French Mode 197. Women's former and late Fashions ib. c. Families Polish What 202. Fowl Sorts in Poland 211 c. Fish What Kinds the Poles have 212. Feasts Customs thereat 216. Banquetting-Halls ib. c. Particulars of Servants there 217. Feasts made by Turns 218. Foot Polish What and how employ'd 13 * Hir'd and their Condition ib. c. * Why so much us'd and Arms and Liveries 14 * Hungarians when first hir'd 16 * Force Polish Causes that weaken it 18 c. * Other Inconveniencies that suppress it 21 c. * Means to avoid these but over-rul'd 24 * G. Gentry Polish Courted by European Princes 3. Resolves thereupon 4. Equally Noble 5. Seldom intermarry with Commonalty ibid. Only capable of Preferment 20 167. Have not equal Claim to every Preferment ib. c. How kept in Dependance on the King 22. What proves Equality among them 103. No Disgrace to be chastis'd 123. Their Power and Privileges 168. Cannot be Apprehended till Convicted 168 c. Exception 169. Cannot be Executed without the King's Consent 170. Need not Quarter Soldiers ib. c. Other Privileges 171. Need not pay Taxes till oblig'd by Diet ib. Have Pre-emption 172. Have one Grievance ib. How came by their Privileges 172. Value no Honour and why 173. Despise Title of Prince ib. Assume Titles when they travel 174. Further Power 175. What makes them so great ib. c. Their Excessive Grandeur and Magnificence 176. Gentry and Citizens in Lithuania 225. Gentry how far oblig'd to March 15 * Gentlemen Polish Who 5. Gentlemen-Pensioners 29. A Gentleman how made 188. Government Mixt Establish'd in Poland by what Motives 6 c. Unhappy State of Polish Government 109. A Wonder how it can subsist 110.
Must always flourish for several Reasons 111. Guards Horse 29. Chief Commander of Guards in the Camp 79. Captain of the Guards against the Incursions 76. Gnesna Archbishop of Vide Primate Genius of Polish Government To what bent 31. Generals Great Power and Authority 74. Duty 75. Present Great Generals ibid. Dignity Successive ibid. Their Power and Duration 29 c. * Generals Lieutenant Their Office 75. Titles and Power 30 c. * Other General-Officers 31 * Governors of Mines 78. Of the Mint ibid. Gun Founders Foreign 28 * Glass Polish Manner of making it 88 * Gardens and Orchards Seldom any in Poland 199. H. Head-Collector of a District 79. High-Podolia Vide in P. Houses in Poland Their Description 198. Furniture 199. Houses of the Rusticks in Lithuania 197. Habitations and Furniture of the Peasants in Prussia 234. Horses Why little in Lithuania 229 c. Hairs Canular 96 * I. Jews in Poland Enjoy their Religion and Privileges 49. Restrain'd from Trading ib. Their Number ibid. Idolaters Where to be found 50. Retain Superstitions ib. Example ib. Judge and Assistant of a District 78. Jurisdiction Military Wholly in the King 's or his General 's Hands 121. Palatins and Castellans likewise exercise their Authority ib. Inns How call'd in Polish 219. Have few Conveniencies 220. Jâ—â— Belli Polish Some few Particulars thereof 32 * K. King of Poland Former Power 2. Advantages thereby 3. Abridg'd by the Gentry 4. King's Happiness 11. Unhappiness ib. c. Modern Power 13. Abroad and at home 14. What his Subjects term him ib. Great respect paid him ib. c. His Titles and Prerogatives 15 c. Pension Household-Officers and Guards 16. Patrimonial Estate and Perquisites ib. late His Riches 17. Power limited in divers respects 19 c. Other Limitations 21. Inconveniences thereby ib. Occasion of Respect 22. Cities present their Keys 23. Why he can make no Levies without consent of the Diet ib. Must not go out of the Kingdom 24. His Legitimate Issue much respected ib. Titles of his Eldest and other Sons and Daughters ib. How lost 25. Examples of the Poles Affection to the Royal Family ib. Illegitimate Issue slighted 26. Impossible to reduce his Subjects to an Arbitrary Power ib. c. King not unhappy because not able to secure Succession to his Family 28. His Interest to Head his Army 75. Where the King suspends his Opinion 97. Ought not to be present at Trials for Treason 99. Has no Regal Authority till Crown'd 153. Goes to receive Homage and Knights Citizens 161 c. Is Proclaim'd 162 c. What follows 163. His Power and Revenues in Dantzic 48 * Kiovia Bishoprick of Honorary 45. Kiovia Palatinate of Honorary 56. L. Leopol City Whence so nam'd 40. Is the Residence of three Bishops ib. Luceoria Bishop of His Diocess 44. Lutherans Abundance in Poland 48. Tolerated and Protected ib. Name in Polish ib. How the Prussians became so ib. Lay-Senators Their Division and Sub-division 54. Laws What requir'd to Establish them 97 Where cannot be Printed 98. Their Origin Progress and present State 121. Lawdifferences decided by the Sword 179. Example 180. Lawyers Their Number and Study 79 c. * Who seldom go to Law 80 * Suppos'd judgment on a Lawyer ib. * Lending and borrowing in Poland The manner of 195. Lithuania Particulars relating thereunto 224. Learning Former 75 * What discourages Learning 81 * Languages Oriental dis-regarded 76 * Present in Poland ib. c. * Hard to Pronounce 77 * Latine Reasons why the Poles affect to speak it 77 * Livonia Its first Bishop 100 * Livonian Order It s several Masters from 101 to 105 * Residence of the Order 105 * Addition concerning this Order 117 * M. Marienburg Pal. a City of Formerly Seat of Teutonic Knights 58. Built 55 * Marshal Great of Poland His Office Power and Authority 69. Duty and Privilege ibid. His Perquisites ibid. c. Who officiate in his Absence 70. Marshal Great of Lithuania His Office 70. Marshals Little Contend for Precedence 73. Mines Their Officers called Zuppars 80. Meetings General of Senators and Deputies 90. Members of the Diet How habited 103. Not to give Reason for Dissent to any Bill 106. Magistrates and Officers of Plebeian Courts 120. Their Profits 121. Marriages Description and Duration 203. Court-Marriages 204. Customs thereat ib. Presents made the Bride 205. Espousals and Ceremonies ib. c. Who can't be Marry'd without Dispensation 206. Qualification for Marriage among the Peasants 230. Mourning The manner in Poland 208. Money Little in Poland and how occasion'd 36 * What Coin most current there ibid. c. * Contributes to Poverty 37 * Other Coins ib. c. * First Coin in Prussia 49 * Present in Dantzic ib. c. * Mittaw City of Curland It s Castle Streets and Houses 120 * How often conquer'd and regain'd 120 * Calvinist-Church there 121 * N. Nuncio's Vide Deputies Nobility Vide Gentry Notaries Chief 77. Notaries Camp 76. Nuncio-Marshal Vide Speaker Naturalization and Manner of Making Noble 100. How far qualified thereby ibid. c. Nobility how acquir'd 188. A Third Way of becoming Noble 189. Ways of Forfeiting Nobility ib. Where restor'd ib. Names Polish What formerly and now 203. O. Officers Crown and Court 28. Court In Lithuania 29. In several Provinces ib. c. Some rather Honorary than Beneficial 30. Ten Crown-Officers where placed in the Diet 68. Who they are ibid. Those of the Kingdom precede ib. Extra-Senatorial Officers 74. Great Officers in the Army 76. Of Districts 78. Some why so call'd 79. Military Officers of Districts ib. Offices By whom Plurality can be held 67. Exceptions ib. Order of Knighthood Instituted in Poland but undervalu'd 179 c. Vide Teutonic Order P. Poland Undergone several Changes 2. How expos'd to Inconveniencies 12. Physick Practice in Poland 89 * Medicines us'd ib. * What Diseases 91 * Venereal how cur'd by a Quack 90 * Odd Method of curing Wounds 88 * Surprising Particulars 91. * Plica Disease its Description ibid. c. * Unaccountableness and Symptoms 92 * Said to be Contagious and Hereditary 93 * Common to Men and Beasts ibid. * Superstition concerning it ibid. c. * Where most common and how cur'd by a Jew 94 * Causes asserted but question'd ibid c. * Another Account of the Plica 95 c. * Poles Their Division 4. Love for their Kings 12. To Extravagance 13. Behaviour at Church 53. Their good Temper and its Effect 181. How occasion'd 182. Their Character 189. Complexion Constitution c. 191. Their Manners ibid. Further Character 192. Education and Learning ibid. To what they generally apply themselves 193. Worst part of their Character ibid c. Genius how inclined 194. Greedy of Money 195. Love to make a Shew ibid. Their great Extravagance 198. Great Admirers of Shew 200. How Attended ib. Not very Rich and why 38 * Primate His Court-Officers as Inter-Rex and Arch-Bishop 30. What peculiar to him 31.