Selected quad for the lemma: country_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	ancient_a	call_v	soil_n	2,386	5	12.0842	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35775	A Description of the seven United Provinces of Netherland wherein is set forth the quality of the country, the productions of the soyl, the trade, manufactures, customes manners and dispositions of the people, the constitution of their laws, the number of the towns, cities and fortification, the original, strength, greatness and riches of each city : together with an exact map of the whole county wherein is laid down the scituations of every city, town, village, castle, fort, and every other remarkable place throughout the whole of the land.		1673 (1673)	Wing D1169; ESTC R13200	17,044	25

Brabant in the South with Flanders ad on the West with the North Sea The Air of Zealand is not so wholesome as is the Air of its Neighbouring Countries especially in Summer because of the exhalations that rise from the Boggs and Fens But then the Air is not ready to take the infection of Plague as other Places yet having once taken it it rages most excessive furiously This Country is very fruitful in Corn especially in Wheat which is here as white and heavy as in any part of the World The Soil is very fat and fit for all Husbandry Here grows much Coriander-seed and Madder a Dying-Stuff in great Plenty Here grows great and high Lawrels and other Herbs used in Physick Here are very pleasant Meadows for Cattle not only within Inclosures but on the Washes of the Sea where several thousands are Feeding both large fat and of excellent rellish In the year 863 in the Reign of the Emperour Charles Calvi this Country as well as Holland was advanced to the Dignity of an Earldom whose first Earl was Ded●rick Son of Sigisbert Prince of Aquitane Under Zealand are reckoned seven Islands of which three lie in the mouth of the Schelde towards Holland and are called Schouwe Duyvenland and Tertholen four lie Westward of the Schelde called Walcheren South-Beveland North-Beveland and Wolfersdijk The Land of Schonwen is the biggest whose circumference is now but 28 Miles though tormerly it was longer and only separated by a small Isthmus from North-Beveland The chief Towns are Zirick-zee and Brouwers-Haven Zirick-zee is counted the ancientest Town in all Zealand and was Founded by one Siringue in the year 849. This hath been a flourishing Town of Trade by reason of its good Haven plenty of Commodities and great number of Merchants But the Haven being much choaked up by the washing of Sand into it it hath lost much of its former Fame Duyven-land so called from the multitude of Doves there In this Land are many Villages but no Cities or Towns In the year 1530 this Island was grievously overflowed by the Sea to the loss of many People But by mending and strengthning the Banks they have since kept out the Sea and amply repaired their great damages Tolen is separate from Brabant but with a small strait of the Sea neer the Town of Tolen so called because there they collected Toll of Passengers that passed over It is an old Town not far from St. Martins Dijck a very delightful place and full of Trees Walcheren the chief Island so called by the first Inhabitants the Waloons or Gauls this Island is 40 Miles about and of great fame in respect of its scituation wealth multitude of Inhabitants Trade and curiosity in their Cities and Villages It hath four Cities in it Middleburg Flushing Vere and Aerumnyden besides many Villages Middleburgh takes its name from its scituation it being a Burgh in the middle of the Island It is a great City well furnished with ordinary and extraordinary Buildings Bridges Towers and Bulwarks It is the chief City in Zealand and a City of great Trade Here was born Pulus à Middleburgo a famous Mathematician Vere or Camp●vere takes its name from a Ferry which the Zealanders call a Vere It was first walled in the year 1358 from which time it became a Town of Trade for Scotch Commodities Flushing is a new City very strong and powerful at Sea full of Fishers good Sea-men and able Pilots Acrnmuyden is as a fore-guard to Middleburg and is a good Haven for Ships South-Beveland stretches along the Coasts of Flanders and Brabant and hath in few years last past been above half swallowed up by the Sea On this Island stood the City Romers-wale washt away with the Sea And at this time all its Fields and Gardens are wholly swallowed p so that the People about it live only upon the Salt-Trade In this City the Earls of Zealand used to take the ordinary Oath Tergoes lies in the West-part of this Island It is a little city but very pleasant and rich the Citizens are very friendly and courteous It is the only City now left in this Island North-Beveland which hath one City Cortgene and many Villages in it This whole Island was in the year 1532 swallowed up by the Sea but some of it is since recovered Wolferts-Dijch a very small Island having but two Villages in it The Inhabitants of Zealand are careful ingenious and quick-witted of middle Stature yet their Chronicles make mention of a Gyantick woman born here to whom the biggest men seemed but Dwarfs she was so strong that she could carry two Tuns full of Beer in both her hands and could carry a piece of Timber that eight men could not tear This People is very strong at Sea and have a particular faculty in cleansing foul Salt which is rought thither from Westward Countries to that purpose Of Spanish or British Salt they will boyl 100 pound and by pouring water on it and boyling it they will increase it to 145 pound of pure Salt as white as Snow which Salt for whiteness and fineness is a good Commodity all over Furope They make also great profits of Corn Madder and by their great number of Sheep They are very neat and curious in their Houses and House-keeping and very eager after Trade and Commerce and very charitable to the Poor The Politick State of Zealand consists in three Estates to wit the Clergy one Noble-man which used to be the Marquess of Tervere as a Representative of all the Gentry and the Community of the Cities Of Friesland THe name of West-Friesland hath been diversly deriv'd for some will have it from Frisia the Country of Phrygia Others will have it from the bitter Frosts of this Country Hadrianus Junius will have it call'd Friesland from the freedom the People of the Country live in The Frieslanders are accounted the ancientest People of all Germany and for their courage well known to the romans who never changed their name The Air of this Country is tolerable wholesom and not subject to the vapours of the Fens and Moorasses whose exhalations are cleansed and putified by the smart Breeses that this Country is used to The Soil of this Country is very low and Fenny scarce to be used but in the Summer-time and therefore produces little Corn because the Floods and yearly overflowings of the waters which begin early and end late in the year spoils the seed that is thrown into the Ground Yet are there rich and fat Meadow-grounds which feed most excellent Cattle from whence the Inhabitants gather yearly great profits It would almost seem incredible what quantities of excellent Butter and Cheese is yearly sent from hence into other Countries besides what they spend themselves for their own necessity The Fewel of this Country is Turf in regard there are few Woods and no Coal among them This Province till the time of Charles the Great had Kings of their own In West Friesland

A DESCRIPTION OF THE Seven UNITED PROVINCES OF NETHERLAND WHEREIN IS SET FORTH The Quality of the Country The Productions of the Soyl. The Trade Manufactures Customs Manners and Dispositions of the People The Constitution of their Laws The Number of the Towns Cities and Fortifications The Original Strength Greatness and Riches of each City Together with an Exact Map of the whole 〈…〉 wherein is laid down the Scituation of every City Town Village Castle Fort and every other Ramarkable 〈…〉 of the whole LAND LICENSEED Roger L'estrange LONDON Printed for Joseph Moxon and Sold at his Shop on Ludgate-Hill neer Fleet-Bridge at the Signe of Atlas 1673. A brief Description of the Seven Provinces OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS THe Vnited Netherlands is part of Belgia or Lower Germany bounded on the East with Westphalia on the West with the North Sea on the North with Embdenland and on the South with Flanders and Brabant It consists of the Provinces of Gelderland Holand Zealand Friesland Vtrecht Overyssel Zutphen and Groennghen part of Brabant and part of Flanders These Provinces are called the Vnited Netherlands from an Agreement and Contract made among themselves in the year ●571 to throw off their Subjection and Allegiance to the King of Spain their Soveraign Lord and to unite all their Power and Force against him But though they thus united their Power yet are all these Provinces yea and most of their Cities in each Province distinct Commonwealths of themselves and governed by Laws and Customs different from each other Only for managing of Publique Affairs each Province and City of note sends their ●tates or Trustees to the Hague where they debate Affairs in a Parliamentary order And these States thus assembled are ●alled the States General or as they stile themselves The High and Mighty States of the Vnited Netherlands In Councel with these States sate formerly the Prince of Orange General of their Armies who for his many Services done against the Spaniards since their foresaid Revolt was by them made Stadt-holder Admiral of the Seas c. and allowed in their Assembly a double Voice which Offices and Titles have since descended to his Heirs the Successive Princes of Orange But in the year 16 Faction and Jealousie suggested to some Leading Men in their Councels that so much Authority was not fit to be invested in a Sngle Person lest by his Power he should change their Commonwealth into a Monarchy and of Free States make them all his Subjects To prevent which danger they Voted that the Generalship belonged not to the Prince of Orange as his Right but their Courtesie and made an Edict that for the future there should be no more Stadt-holder and caused all the States General to take an Oath to observe this Edict inviolably Nay when this present Prince of Orange in the year 16 was made General of their Armies they caused him to swear never to accept of the Office of Stadt-holder But this seems only the humour of the Hogen Mogens and not the voice of the People for they remembring the many good Offices of his Forefathers done for the State cry out against these proceedings with him and taking an advantage of the present troubles their Country is in in a tumultuous manner force the States to abjure their former Edict and absolve the Prince of Orange of his foresaid Oath and make him their Stadt-holder Amiral Disposer of the Militia and in their Assemblies to have a double Voice as his Forefathers had But to the Description of the Country and First Of Gelderland THe Land now called Gelderland or Gelve was formerly called Ponthis and had from Charles the Emperour the additional name De Caluwe It was first made a Lordship in the year 878. Its first Lord as Guicciardine relates was Winchard van Pont who with his Brother Leopold built the Castle Pont-Gelve which now is the City of Gelder and gives name to the whole Province It is a strong City This Province is begirt in the North with the Land of Overyssel and the South-Sea On the South in part with the Mase and the Lordship of Gulicb in the West with the Rhine and part of Cleveland and in the East with the Bishoprick of Vtrecht It is a plain Country with few Hills but many delightful and profitable Woods as that of Echterwalt to the Northwest of Aernhem and several others The Soyl is generally very fruitful particularly of Corn and in many places especially about the Rhine Mase and Wael excellent Meadows for feeding of Cattle which there are kept in great abundance In this Dakedom besides that of Zutphen and its seven Villages which is an Earldom of it self and therefore shall be discoursed in its proper place are numbred fifteen walled Cities as Nimmegen Aernhem and Reurmond the three head-Cities then Tiel Bommel Harderwijck Wageninghen Hattem Elburg Gelder Venlo Wachten Douck Stralen and Erckelens There are several other Towns in the Dukedom of Gelder and Earldom of Zutphen that have been formerly walled but by several accidents have wholly or in part lost their Walls but yet retain their ancient Priviledges as Batenburgh Gent Montfort Echt Burgh Keppel and several others There are moreover above 300 Villages with Parish-Churches The States of the Dukedom of Gelder and Earldom of Zutphen consist of the Barons Gentry and the four head-Cities aforesaid viz. Nimmegen Aerahem Reurmond and Zutphen Nimmegen was formerly called Magus from one Magus King of Gallia but afterwards when one Bato King of the Katts came into the Land and being delighted as well with the convenience of its scituation as the antiquity of the Place he rebuilt and enlarged this almost-ruin'd City and fortified it with three strong Walls and called the City Nava Magen which name be length of time is now altered into Nimmegen Our Author tells us also that the Betuwers which he calls Bataviers chose this City for the Metropolis and chief Seat of their Kingdom from whence the Land about it is at this day called the Kingdom of Nimmegen and the City it self by Latine Authors Pes Imperii because as some write Charles the Great advanced it to the dignity of one of the three Royal Cities of these Lands Aken being the First this the Second and Theonville in the Land of Lutzenburg the Third Nimmegen lies upon an arm of the Rhine called the Wael which there is very wide and deep It is a great strong and populous City whose Inhabitants after they came under the Oostenrijk Princes much addicted themselves to Learning and Merchandise when as before they only followed the Wars The chief Church in this City is dedicated to the honour of St. Stephen the first Martyr Among the ancient Buildings of this City the chief is the Castle scituate upon the top of an high Hill from whence the whole City is discovered This is held to be built by Julius Caesar who by the means of this Castle intended to keep the Country about it in

de Q●●elandea though it be so intermixt and united with Friesland that many think it to be part of that Country is nevertheless a State of it self and used to Lave a Lord of their own whom they gave a particular Title to And as they are now under the High and righty States General of the Unit●● Notherland have their Voice among them and send their Deputies to the Hague It is not only the Head-City but the only City of this Country and as some hold called of Ptolomy Phileum of Pliny Phylleum It took its name from Grunias a Trojan Gentleman or as Munster writes a French Gentleman which opinions may both be true since the French confidently affirm they had their original from the Trojans The Friese Historiographers hold that this Grunius was the son of Gailo and that his great Grandfather was called Friso from whom Friesland seems to have taken its name which Grunius having this small but brave quarter for his share built this City of Groeningen and called it after his own name It hath many flowing and standing Waters led to it by many great Rivers part made by Nature and part by mens hands It is a large fair Populous and strong City full of brave and Lordlike Houses It s chief Church is a very stately building and dedicated to the honour of St. Martin and was formerly under the Bishoprick of Munster in Westphalia but was by King Philip the second it self advanced to the Honour of a Bishops See That learned man Rodolphus Agricola was a Citizen of this City who with his own hands made an Organ which is yet to be seen here as a great rarity In the year 1614 the States General erected an University in this City and have spared no cost to furnish it with Learned men from all parts The Authority of this City is very great and extends it self very far For first it hath Eastwards and Westwards under its jurisdiction a very large Country and many Villges in it Northwards it hath acknowledgment from all the Country that lies between its Walls and the Sea which is a very fat soil and especially good for the feeding of Cattle This Country as was said is called the Ommelanden In Groeningen the People live very handsomly like Citizens as in a free Republique for the City hath great Priviledges and Franchises from their Princes Judging all Causes both Civil and Criminal according to their own Laws the Princes keeping there only a Stadt-holder as the States General do in Civil Causes but in Criminal they act according to their own pleasure shewing Mercy or Justice to whom they please even as absolute and Sovereign Lords do They used to pay their Prince but 12000 Gilders a year Dam is a small Village though it hath formerly been a considerable Town for in the year 1536 its Walls were broken down by the Emperours Forces and as is said are not to be re edified or a Moat to be made about it It suffered also much in the foresaid Spanish Troubles Delf-ziel a handsome Village lying on the wash of the Sea hath formerly been a strong Hold but several times demolished and rebuilt It suffered also very much in the last spanish Troubles Of the associated Cities and Countries S'Hertogenbosch or Boisleduc hath four Members under it Kempenland Peeland Maesland and the Land of Oosterwijck in which lie the Towns of Helmont Eyndhoven Megem and Grave s'Hertogeabosch hath its name from a Wood which formerly stood there belonging to the Duke of Brabant Bosch in that Language being called a Wood and Hertogh a Duke so that it is Dukes wood or as the French call it Boisleduc It is a great brave strong populous rich and well-moated City which hath several times been inlarged it is six miles in Circumference hath seven Gates and as many Bulwarks It hath very strong Wall● 〈…〉 38 Wooden-Bridges many fair Churches Cloy●●●●● 〈◊〉 other places of devotion It was made a Bishoprick in the year 1554 〈…〉 C●●hedral Church is dedicated to the honour of St. John The People are notable Warricurs and lived much upon Plunder till in the year 1629 Frederick Heanrick Prince of Orange after a severe Siege reduced it to the obedience of the States General Of the Marquisateship of Bergen-Op-Zoom BErgen is called Bergen-Op-Zoome because it lies on the River Zoome It was advanced to the dignity of a Marquisateship by the Emperour Charles the fifth in the year 1513. It lies so near the Sea that it may be accounted among the Sea-Towns It is now one of the strongest Frontier-Towns of the tenited Notherlands Of the Barony of Breda BReda lies upon the small River of Mercke It is a pleasant city in which among other fair Buildings is to be seen the Palace of the Barons of the same place who are sprung from the Imperial House of Nassow This Palace was first founded by one Earl Hendrick of Nassow It hath double Moats full of Water as about a Castle The City is so well furnished with Ravelins and Bulwarks that now it is reckoned one of the strongest Places of the United Netherlands The Barony stretches far and hath great Revenues to which is incorporated the Lordship of Steenberg Rosendal and Oosterbout It is famous for the two great Sieges laid to it by the Marquiss Spinola and the Prince of Orange It belongs to the Prince of Orange Of the City of Maestricht MAestricht is an old large fair and well-scituated 〈◊〉 ●aking its name from the Mase whose stream divides it in the 〈…〉 laid over with fair Sto●● Bridges In this City are two Churches of Canons in one of which named St. Servaes the Duke of Brabant used to be Canon Here is also the stately House of Bissen sufficient to entertain a King and all his Retinue This City was reduced to the obedience of the States General in the year 1632. Of the Earldom of Vroon-bof the Town of Grave and Land of Kuyck GRave is a small but strong Town It is the Head-Town of the Land of Knyck and accounted one of the strongest T●●ns of the United Netherlands Roofendal is a very fair Village lying on a River that abounds in Shipping It belongs to the Prince of Orange Lille lies on the Scbelde It hath been a very fair Lordship but since the aofresiad Spanish Trobles it is made a great strong and invincible Fort. In Flanders Hulst a reasonable strong and good Town is one of the four Ambachts 〈◊〉 under it twelve Villages It was reduced to the obedience of the States General as also was Ses van Gent in the years 1644 1645. Axele also a reaschable good Town but not walled about It is also one of the four Ambachts and hath under it seven Villages Sluys in Zealand hath o●e of the fairest and strongest Sea Havens in all Europe in which 500 Ships may easily ride It is double-wall'd and is so strong a Town that it is counted invincible Right against Slays is the Island Casant with a Village of the same name Hereabeuts is the Forts and Places of Aerdt●borg● a small Village Osse●dijck ter Neuse the Philippines Biervlient formerly a good Town but now a strong ●orfication All which we shall for bravlty here pass by and reser you to the May wherein you find the scituation of every City Town Village and places of smaller Note throughout the whole United Netherlands FINIS

subjection to his power In and about this City hath been found for several years last past many Antiquities of the ancient Romans even as about the banks of the Wael several Remnants and Ruines of Roman Fortifications are to be seen at this day from whence those Places are yet called the Roman Footing Nimmegen is a City-Earldom a free City a member of the Kingdom and Coyns money by their own Authority and therefore makes no appeals to the Chancery of Gelderland but at the first instance only to Aken wherefore the Citizens of this City as an acknowledgment of their superiority in the Commonwealth send yearly a Glove full of Pepper which is all the Tax they contribute towards the Publique charges Yet doth not this Priviledge of theirs diminish the Authority of the States of Gelder but they have likewise power to Coyn Money and have the same Jurisdiction in this City as in other Cities of Gelderland Nimmegen came under the Power of the Dukedom of Gelders in the year 1248 by this means Earl Otto the second of Gelder lent William Earl of Holland and King of Rome 21000 Mark of Silver on condition that if he repaid it not again on a set day that then this City and its Appurtenances should be forfeit to him This condition the Emperour Rodoiphus the first confirmed And because the money was not accordingly restored Nimmegen was incorporate into the Dukedom of Gelderland Aerenhem is by Cornelius Taeitus and other ancient Writers called Arenacum It lies on the right side of the Rhine about a mile and half from the place where it divides it self into two branches between Nimmegen and Doesburg which lie each 6 miles from thence It is a pretty large and well-built City with fair and well-ornamented Churches in it the chief of which is dedicated to the honour of S. Eusebius in which Church lies buried Charles the first Duke of Gelderland who died in the year 1538 after whose death he dying without issue the Dukedom of Gelderland and Earldom of Zutphen descended by Contract to the aforesaid Emperour and his lawful Heirs as Dukes of Brahant and Earls of Holland Aernhem us'd in ancient times to be the general place of residence of the Dukes of Gelders It was first compassed with Walls and endowed with City-Priviledges by Otto the third of Nassow Duke of Gelderland Here resides the Provincial Court or Chancery of these two Countries consisting of a Chancellour and ten Judges four of which are of the greatest Nobility of the Land from each Quarter or Circuit one The other six are of Persons learned in the Law From the Decrees of this Chancery there is no appeal yet upon some Grounds another hearing may be had Moreover Philip the second King of Spain as Duke of Gelder erected in Aernhem a Chamber of Accounts consisting of two Accountants an Auditor and a Secretary At this Chamber of Accounts must all the Officers both Civil and Military of the Commonwealth of Gelder and Zutphen give up the Accounts of their Trust Aernhem is the Head-City of the fourth quarter of the Government of Gelder viz. the Quarter called the Veluwe and hath incorporated with it Wageningen Hattem Harderwijck and Elburg all walled Cities besides several Villages that keep Courts of Judicature but with appeal to the upper Courts of this Circuit aforesaid The Veluwe is a small Country begirt on threesides with the South Sea and on the fourth with the Rhine and Yssel so that it is a place both excellent and profitable for Fishing and is beside reasonably well provided of Woods and Forrest full of Game By Aernhem lies another neck of Land called the Veluwe-Zoom and extends on one side as far as Zutphen and on the other side about Wagener which is all Meadow-Grounds and well furnished with store of Cattle At the mouth of the River Ruer or Roer which mingles with the Mase lies the City Ruermond from whence it takes its name which commonly for shortness is called Remond a fair and rich City and as well for its scituation natural accommodations and Populousness is a strong Place whose chief Church is Dedicated to the honour of the Holy Ghost and Dignified with the Title of a Cathedral Ruermond is the Head-City of the second Quarter of Gelderland and to it belongs Venlo Gelder Stralen Wachtendonck and Erckelens with the Freedoms of Monford Echt and Niewerstat lying about four Miles distant from one another as also that of Kessel Midler and Kreckensteel belonging to its particular Lords It is a fair Village and hath belonging to it a strong Castle seated upon a Hill This Village takes its name from the small circumjacent Country called Kessel which belongs to the Dukedom The smaller Towns of Gelderland we shall briefly run over As Hattem a little but strong Town having a Castle whose Walls are 24 foot thick lying on the left hand of the Yssel about 8 Miles from Elburg Elburg is a little Town It lies on the East-side of the South-Sea 8 Miles distant from Harderwijck Harderwijck lies on the South-Sea 20 Miles from Wageningen formerly a Village but made a Town and walled about in the year 1229 by Earl Otto the second of Gelderland who also walled Aernhem Bommel Ruermond Goch and Wageningen formerly all Villages but by him made Towns In this Town is by the States of Gelder and Zutphen a famous School erected wherein is read Philosophy and Divinity but neither Law nor Physick Wageningen is a small but strong Town and very Ancient if it be the same as it is held which Cornelius Tacitus calls Vada It lies 8 Miles from Aernhem and as much from Nimmegen Tiel lies on the right side of the Wael 8 Miles from Bommel is a good strong Town whose power and jurisdiction reaches all over the little Island wherein it lies and from whose name the Island it self is called the World of Tiel Bommel lies on the left side of the Wael It is a good strong Town and Head of that Island which from it is called Bommel-weerd This Isle is made of the Rhine and Mase which together encompass it and as Guicciardine supposes is the same that Caesar where he treats of the Mose calls the Isle of Bataviers In this Island are many fair Villages and particularly Rossem the Birth-place of that famous Warriour Martin van Rossem At this time Bommel is accounted one of the best and strongest frontier Towns of the Vnited Netherlands As also is that strong Fortification St. Andies which lies above Rossem in the Peninsula which can with its Bulwarks command both the Wael and the Mase Stralen is a small but strong Town and lies about 6 Miles from Wachtendonck Venlo lies about 6 Miles on the right hand of the Mose It is a good and strong Town where in the year 1543 the Duke of Clove delivered himself to Charles the Fifth together with all his right and pretensions to the Dukedom of Gelderland and Earldom of Zutphen

to which the Estates of the Land also agreed It was taken in the year 1632 by the States of the Vnited Netherlands under the Conduct of the Prince of Orange as also was Stralen and Ruermond Wachtendonck lies upon the banck of the River Niers Elekelens lies upon the Frontiers of the Dukedom of Gulick about 4 Miles from Ruermond The Soyl about it is very fruitful of good Wheat and other Grain insomuch that the Inhabitants addict themselves most to Husbandry These being all the walled Cities and Towns of Gelderland we should here end this Discourse but in regard the Earldoms of Kuylenburg and Buren are pretended to belong to the Government of Gelder and are however Members of it we shall briefly touch at them Kuylenburg is a fair Town whose Command and Jurisdiction hath a large extent It lies on the lest side of the water-stood Lacke four Miles from Boren It was raised to an Earldom by King Philip the Second of Spain and by him endowed with great Priviledges Buren is no Member of Gelder and yet lies within the Dukedom The City lies by the Flood Linge four Miles from Tiel It hath a Castle 1360 Paces in compass on it four Towers and about it three double Moats It bears also the name of an Earldom and hath jurisdiction over many Villages and considerable derable quantity of Grounds It belongs to the Prince of Orange Of the Earldom of Holland SOme Writers suppose it is called Holland from Holt which in the Germane Language signifies Wood because in Ancient times as they say Holland was much overgrown with Woods Others draw the name from the lowness and hollowness of the Land Others think it was called Hoyland which signifies Hayland But the learned Junius is of another Opinion For he believes that Holland and Zealand were Colonies of the Goths and Danes who leaving their Islands Oland and Zealand in the Sound called these so in remembrance of their own as We and the Spaniards have lately done in America by New England and New Spain c. The circumference of this Country is about 240 Miles but its bredth such that a man standing in the middle of it might travel out of its bounds in three hours time This Country is very fruitful for Corn although not imployed to that produce But the Land is used for Meadows for Pasturage of Cattle in which the Soyl is incredibly rich and brings up the best and largest Cows which do afford in a Summers day 11 quarts of Milk apiece So that John Benning is of opinion that in the Village of Assendelft and four other circumjacent Villages is more Milk given then there comes Rhenish-wine to Dort from all Germany Of their great abundance of Milk they make most excellent Butter fit for the Palats of Princes besides great numbers of Cheeses which for their worth may well compare either with them of Placencia or those called Parmasan The choice are those of Texel and Graveland next those of Edam especially when they grow so me what old This Country brings up very gallant Horses And in the Sand-downs are an incredible number of Coneys Here is also plenty of Harts Hindes and Hares and particularly in the Hagues Woods are a great number of Roe-deer Neither is here any want of Poultrey especially of Geese Ducks and Snipes For Fuel here are Fens which together with their Ditches afford abundance of Turf Holland hath formerly had Kings of their own as is mentioned by Suetonius in the life of Caligula Chap. 44. But was afterwards made an Earldom by Charles Calvo King of France in the year 863. The People were formerly fam'd for great Warriours The Cities of Holland are these Dort Harlem Delft Leyden Amsterdam Rotterdam Goude Naerden Muyden Wesop Edam Monickkendam Purmerent Alckmuer Enckbuysen c. Dort is the Head-City of Holland a rich City and so abounds in eatable Provisions that it may be accounted a Store-house for the circumjacent Places It hath power to stop all forreign Commodities coming down the River so that the Merchant is forced to sell his Wares there and is not permitted to transport them from thence but in Ships belonging to this City This Priviledge is called Staple-right Harlem is in respect of its bigness neat Buildings and commodious Scituation a very brave City and hath in it the best Church in all Holland whose Foundation stands upon very strong and Vast Pillars It is held to be built by the Frieslanders in the year 506. The Harlemers affirm that Printing was invented in this City Delft is the Dutch name for a Moat from whence this City takes its name for from the Mase hither is led a Moat or Ditch Leyden by Ptolony called Ladgduaum Batavorum is a City lying on the middlemost Rbene It is an Academy And here is made great store of Linnen and Woollen-Cloath Amsterdam takes its name from the Amabel It was fortified about 300 years ago with Ports Balwarks Towers c. by the Heer Gijsbert van Amabel But being by the ill will of their Neighbours burnt down it was in the year 1482 encompassed with Walls since which time it was made a City under the command of Hilland And by the resort of all Nations of the World is become the most famous City for Trade of all the World Gowde takes its name from the Danish word Gouw which signifies a Trench and Bank to contain it It lies on the Yssel and is well provided with all things necessary Rotterdam a City of great Trade and is very full of English and Scotch Inhabitants Besides these Cities there are many Freedoms and unwalled Towns among which the Hague is the most Famous Here assemble all the States and here the Princes Councel-Chamber is kept The Earldom of Holland is Governed by three Estates as first the Nobility of which are chief the Earls of Egmond Ligny to whom appertain the Lordships of Wassenaer Valkenburg and the Burg Earldom of the City of Leyden Under Holland also are these Earldoms Maestand Goyland Texel Kennemeland and Steenbergen as also the Lordship and Barony of Brederode to which belongs the Lordship of Vyanen and the Barony of Lijsfelt In the Chronicle of Holland are also found these Baronies Leeke Seven-bergen Voorn Ysselleyn Stryen Teylingen Putten Harlem Leerdam Aspheren Arken Altena and Rottersleet The second Estates consist of the Lords that appear at the Hague in the name of the States The third Estates are those of the Head-Cities who in the name of all the rest appear at the Hague Of Zealand ZEaland in Dutch signines Land of the Sea from whence this Province may have its name but it is most probable it took its name from the Danes who came hither to inhabit and called it after the name of the place from whence they came as was said before in the definition of Holland Zealand consists of several Islands scituate between the Mase and the Schelde bordering in the North on Holland in the East with