Roade from whence they were constrained by the season of the yeare to retire home and such were the sudden great showers of raine that the Bisshop of Munster was forced in disorder to raise his siege at Groeningen and the French to quit Gorcom I could ad many more observations of the Providences of God to these people as the preserveing the Prince of Orange from the many treacherous designes contrived against him from his Cradel but Moses must be preserved to goe in and out before his people certainely never young Prince Indured so many fatigues as did his Highnes in his tender yeares of which I was an eye witnes and had his Highnes had the yeares and Experience and such a good disciplinde Armie as now he hath in the yeare 1671 when the French Entered the Country his Highnes had given them as good a welcome as he did at Bergen I will say no more of this subject only this that the peace at Nimwegen was also a very wonderful thing for that not above 8 dayes before the peace was signed most of the Plenipotentiaries did believe the war would have continued another yeare first because the King of Denmark and Duke of Brandenburg prospered Exceedingly against Sweedland and totally refused the propositions of France and secondly because the French King writ such Bitter letters against the States Generall yet 8 dayes after drest a letter unto the States in which he calles them his good friends and old Allyes offering them not only Mastricht but every foot of ground they could lay claime to in the world also giveing them new Termes and Conditions as to their priviledges in France by way of Trade Neither can I forget how speedilie and as strangly the mighty French King did quit his Conquered Townes after the Valiant Prince of Orange took Naerden which was the first step to the Frenchs ruine in the States Dominions I come now according to promess in the beginning of this book to give the reader some Remarkes I made in other Countries where I have been during my sixteen years travels To give a full account of all that might be observed in so many Countries is not a taske for one man nor a subject for so small a book I shall onely therefore briefely take notice of some remarkable matters which may in some measure satisfie the curiositie of my Country men who have not been in the said places and convince if possible all of them that no Countrey that ever I was in afords so great conveniencies for the generalitie of people to live in as the Kingdome of England doth Though I have twice made the grand tour of Germany Hungary Italy and France and after my return back to England travelled a third time through Holland as for as Strasbourg and so back by Francfort to Denmark and Sweden yet the reader is not to expect I should follow a Geographicall method and order in speaking of the places I have been in that is to be lookt for in the map and not in travels but onely that I mention places as I found them on my rode according as busines or curiositie led mee to travel The first considerable place I then met with after I was out of the dominions of the States General was Cleave the capital citie of the Province so called a fair and lovely citie standing upon the Rhine and the rivers Wall and Leâ—k This Province much resembles England in rich soyl and pleasantness of its rivers The inhabitants of the Countrey would have mee beleeve that they were originally descended of those Saxons who made a descent in to England and conquered it and to convince the truth of this they shew'd mee a cloyster standing on a hill called Eltham from which they say our Eltham in Kent had its name I was made to observe also two places standing upon the Rhine neare Emmerick called Doadford and Gronâ—wich which according to them gave the names to Dedford and Greenwich in England but many such analogies and similitudes of names are to be found in other places of Germany but especially in uper Saxony and Denmark The greatest part of this Province of Cleave and part of the duchy's of Julieres and Berg and of the Provinces of Marke and Ravensbourg belongs to the Elector of Brandenbourg the rest belonging to the Duke of Newbourg now Elector Palatine and the Elector of Cologne The inhabitants are partly Roman Catholicks partly Lutherans and partly Calvinists who all live promiscuously and peaceably together both in city and Countrey The citie of Cleave is the out most limit of the territories of the Elector of Brandenbourg on this side of Germany from whence his Electorall Highness can travel two hundred dutch miles out right in his own Dominions and never sleep out of his own Countrey but one night in the territories of the Bishop of Osnabrug From Cleave I went to a small town called Rhinberg but a very strong fortification belonging to the Elector of Cologne which dies at two miles distance from the citie of Wesel that belongs to the Elector of Brandenbourg Through Disseldorpe scituated on the Rhine and the Residence of the duke of Newbourg I went next to Cologne a very large city called by the Romans Colonia Agrippina and the French Rome d'Allemagne Cologne is an Imperial citie and a Republick though for some things it does Homage to the Elector of that name and receives an oath from him It is much decayed within these hundred years having been much priest ridden a misfortune that hath undone many other great cities The Jesuits have had so great influence upon the Magistrats that they prevailed with them to banish all Protestants who removed to Hambourg and Amsterdam so that Cologne is become so dispeopled that the houses dayly fall to ruine for want of inhabitants and a great deal of corn and wine now grows within the walls upon ground where houses formerly stood I dare be bold to affirm that there is twice the number of inhabitants in the parish of St. Martins in the fields then there is in Cologne and yet it contains as many parish churches monasteries and chappels as there are days in the year The streets are very large and so are the houses also in many of which one may drive a Coach or waggon into the first room from the streets but the streets are so thin of people that one may pass some of them and not meet ten men or women unless it be Church men or Religious sisters The most considerable inhabitants of the citie are Protestant Merchants tho but few in number and they not allowed a Church neither but a place called Woullin a mile without the citie the rest of the inhabitants who are lay men are miserably poor There are no less than 3000 Students in Cologne taught by the Jesuits gratis who have the priviledge to beg in musicall notes in the day time and take to them selves the liberty of borrowing hats
To his ROYALL HIGHNES the PRINCE Of ORANGE Great SIR PRovidence the wise disposer of us all sending me abroad to seeke bread in a strange land gave me the good fortune to be a spectator of some of the Heroick Actions of your Royall Highnesse not only at the takeing of Narden and the Grave from the French but at severall other places I have been also happy in liveing long in the Hague where for severall yeares I had the opportunitie of observeing or rather Admiring your Highnesse wise direction and Government in the severall Colledges of the States where some times your Highnesse hath been pleased to Act the part of the Pensionarie during his Indisposition But why doe I speake of these things All the world knowes that your Highnes hath wrestelled with and overcome the greatest Difficulties Imaginable not feareing the frownes and unjust proceedings of some who by force of Armes detaine part of your Highnesses soveranity and inheritance nor could the large Proffers and Advantages offered to you by some at any time shake that stedfastnes and Princely resolution your Highnesse ever had to stand by and dye for the Intrest of the Common-wealth No God hath certainely chosen your Highnesse to be a Moises to goe in and out before his People and to be a glory to the Royall Familie of the Stewards And now great Sir I want words to beg your Highnes pardon for the high presumption of Dedicating this small piece to your Highnes All I can say is that it would be an infinite joy to me if I could possiblie doe any thing to engage your Highnesse to look upon and accept of these Remarks as comming in all submission from him who shall never cease to implore the Throne of Grace to preserve your Highnesse to be the most eminent Instrument in his own hand for the good of Church and Common-wealth so prayes Your Highnesse Most devote and Humble Servant Wâ—L CARR To the READER THere is nothing more odious and I am sure nothing that I hate more then to be recorded a foole in print and yet I must be scribling But when I consider that the best of pens have mett with the like misfortune by being severely censured by the Wittâ— of the Towne I am the more encouraged to stand their Shott I know the Criticks of the Age will take my remarkes in peeces the one calling me a Commonwealths man will say I have flattered the Government of Holland too much others will say I have been to fevere in painting out the Defects of some Countryes and Governments and there is yet another sort that will say I am an Opiniator of an English man in praiseing so much myne owne Country To all which I shall answer that I never designed to please the Wits of the time what I have done hath been to Comply with the desires of some friends who designed to Travell and therefore Ingaged me to print some of the remarks I made in my Travells Dureing my 16 yeares liveing abroad This being the truth of the matter I hope the curteous Reader will passe by any faults on the method I have used in discribing some Countryes which is all I beg who am yours c. W. C. Some Necessarie REMARKS for such as Entend to TRAVEL Thro the Province of HOLLAND AS they that confine themselves to their own countrie have not the opportunitie to see and observe Rarities in other parts of the world so such as goe into forrain places rather wander at Random then travel who hane not the Curiositie to Commit to memorie or writing such things they meet with both for thier own and others Satisfaction as may Demonstrate the fruits of their travels I Confesse all Travellers are not of alike Temper Some delight themselves in contemplation of the curiosities of Arts som are taken with the varieties of the works of nature others speculate with a kind of Reverence the decays and ruins of Antiquitie others studiously inform themselves with the transactions of Modern tymes others with thee Gouvernment and Politie other speculate the strange customs and fashion of the places they passe thro To be short everie one labors to entertain the reader with those objects and rarities of forain parts his Genius and inclination is most affected with As to my self although during the space of 16 yeaves travel I might have inlarged according to the curiositie and opportunitie I have had in the rehearsal of many rare and exquisite things verie observable yet my chiefe aime was to make such remarks as might most contribute to the common good of humane society and Civil life in taking notice of the Government and politie of the several States and Dominions where I have been viz. The Vnited Provinces Germany Denmark Sweden and other countries whose natural temper and disposition seemed to me most to sympathise with our English nation and thereby have an occasion to do some good to my own countrie Expect not Reader alike punctualnes as to all the forementioned places because verie many things which I might have observed are much agreeing and so may be referred to what shal be spoken of the Politie and Goverment of Holland which for reasons I shal by and by hint at is the Chiese End I aimed at in this treatise We wil begin then in the first place with the Common-wealth of Holland and Dominions of the States General which for some yeares hath bin in a declining condition and their forces exceedingly weakned by reason of that fatal war it managed against England France and the Bishop of Munster unto which if we ad the Intestime divisions of those two factions the Prince of Orange and Lovestein that Politick body was so tottered and torn as did threaten its utter and total ruine But as bodies whither natural or Politick after that a violent fit hath sore shaken dissipated and exhausted their spirits may recover vigor and look-lively again if so be the radical constitution and natural temper be not wholie changed and depraved even so This Common-wealth of Holland hath visibly recovered strength again and probaly may attain to its former force and Lustre except som depravation in its vital humous should stil keep it languishing and obstruct its perfect cure We wil therefore make some remarks as to the defects and faylings observed not onely by me but also by others which that famous Commonwealth hath of late yeares bin guiltie of which I shal doe not out of any malice or disigne of reflection the intention of writing this treatise being simplie to insert those defaults which the wisest of Authors have alwayes Judged necessarie not onely for the reformation of this but of all states whatsoever This Commonwealth of Holland hath worthily bin the wonder of all Europe during this last age and perhaps not to be paralled in the records of former tymes for if we consider how many yeares it was assaulted by the then most Potent Prince of Europe who aspired to no
the tyme of their death or departing the Companyes service Then next to that is a Councel Chamber where the Residing Chamber or Committe of the Company alwayes sitts Then assending up staires there sitt their Book-holders who keepe the accounts of all the Transactions of those that buy or sel actions of the Company and over against this office sitts the Heer Gerbrand Elias who is the second Advocate of the Company On this floore are several large Roomes in which are great stores of Packt Goods and also a Roome with all sorts of Drugs Tee and Wax Ambergreace and Musk and on the same floore is a Chamber where the Commissiners sitt who governe the Packhouses And next to them sitt their Clarks who keepe the Registers of the sales of the Company Goods And on the same Gallery or Floore is a Chamber where are kept the severall Bookes of Divinitie printed in the Indian Language that are sent to the several Colonies of the Company And at the end of this Gallery is a Magazine full of Medicaments and Instruments for Barber Chirurgions Chests to furnish the Companyes Shipps and Garrisons in the Indies Then assending up another paire of staires there are several large Magazins of Nutmegs Cloves Mace and Sinamond and in a long Gallery are many men at work sorting of Spices fitt for sale Then ascending up another paire of staires there are many Roomes full of Spices then desending into the Court-yard there is a Guard Chamber where every night the house keeper hath a Watch and on the other side of the Gate there is the Chymist who with his men prepares Medicaments for the Indies Adjoyning to this Court-yard is their Way-house and Packhouse for Pepper and Grosse Goods But before I leave this house in the ould part of the City I must say some thing of the maner or method used in the Transactions of the Jewes and others who make a Trade of buyng and selling the Actions of the Company the which is a great mystery of Iniquitie and where it inricheth one man it ruins an hundred The Jewes are the chiefe in that Trade and are said to negotiate 17 parts of 20 in the Company These Actions are bought and should 4 tymes a day at 8 in the morning in the Jewes street at a 11 on the Dam at twelve and at one a Clock upon the Exchange and at six in the evening on the Dam and in the Coledges or Clubs of the Jewes until 12 at midnight where many tymes the Crafty Jewes and others have Contrived to Coine bad newes to make the Actions fall and good newes to raise them the which craft of doing at Amsterdam is not taken notice of which is much to be wondered at in such a wise Goverment as Amsterdam is for it is a certaine trueth they many times spread scandalous reports touching the affaires of State which passe amongst the Ignorant for truth I shall now in the next place say some thing of their Pallace or Magazine in the new part of the City the which may more properly be called an Arsenal It is a building so superb that it lookes more like a Kings Pallace then a Magazin for Merchants I have measured the Ground on which this Arsenal stands which I find to be 2000 foot and square every way reckoning the Motes or Burgals about it I remember the Ingenious Sr. Joseph Williamsen measured the two Rope-allies by telling the stone figures in the wal found them to be 1800 foot long the like whereof is not to be seene in the world On the backside of this Rope-allie lyes a store of 500 Large Anchors besides small ones In this Arsenal they build the Ships belonging to this Chamber and here are al sorts of worke houses for the Artificers that serve the Company And in a Chamber next to the Joyners Office is a model of a Ship they now build their Ships by which cost 6000 Gilders When a man beholds the great stores of Tymber Cordage and the Provisions of war in their Magazin a man would think there were enough to furnish a whole Nation In this Arsenal the Ships unload their Goods layd up in several apartments in the grand Magazin and afterward is removed to the house in the ould part of the City as their is occasion for sale In the upper part of this large Pallace sit the saile Makers at worke but on the Lower part of this house is an appartment where the Bewinthebbers assemble upon occasion of Businesse This Arsenal is not to be seen by strangers without a Ticket from the Bewinthebbers Now al what I have spoaken of these two houses or Magazins doth only belong unto the Chamber of Amsterdam There are yet other Chambers of the Company who according to their Quota or stock in the Company have the like houses and Magazins as the Chambers of Zealand Delph Rotterdam Horne and Enkusen And now I have named the six Chambers of which the Company is composed I shall say some thing of their constitution which is from an Octroy or Act of the States General by which they have soveraign power over their servants in the Indies yea their Authoritie reacheth their servants in al Territoryes of the States General Donions It is Death for any of the States subjects to be Interlopers against this Company nor may any of what nation soever that lives in any of the Companyes Territories as Burgers or servants returne into Europe without leave from the Company only those called Freemen may depart without askeing leave to remove The Grand Councel of this Company is the Assembly of the Seventeen which are Elected out of the several Chambers before named that is eight from Amsterdam and four from Zealand Delph Rotterdam Horne and Enkusen send one a peece which makes sixteen and the five lesser Chambers by turns chose the seventeenth In the Chamber of Amsterdam there are 20 Bewinthebbers in ordinary who are for life and have 1000 Ducatones a yeare and spices at Christmas and their travelling charges when they goe upon the Companyes service The next Chamber is Zealand which hath twelve Bewinthebbers who have about 250 L. a yeare and travelling Charges and Spices at Christmas The next is Delph which hath seven Bewinthebbers who have only 120 L. a yeare and Travelling Charges and Spices at Christmas The other Chambers of Rotterdam Horne and Enkhusen have seven Bewinthebbers a peece and the like sallarie with travelling Charges and Spices at Christmas as the Chamber of Delph hath These Bewinthebbers are Elected or chosen out of those Adventerers called the high Participanten of the Company They generally chose such as are rich and men of parts and wisdome most of them being of the Magistratie of the Country No man is capable of being Elected a Bewinthebber who hath not a 1000 L. stock in the Company In a word this grand Councel of the Seventeen make lawes for the governing the Company both in India and Europe It is
Toutonick order The government is easy to the people they not being taxed as other cities are and had it not been for the Alarmes the French gave them during the last war they had not been much troubled but being forced to keep three or four thousand men in constant pay to defend their fortifications the Magistrats were constrained to raise money by a tax Besides that of the Emperour they are under the protection of some neighbouring Princes as of the Landgrave of Hessen Cassells Landgrave of Armestadt the Count of Solmes and the count of Hanau who are either Lutherans or Calvinists amongst whom the Late Elector Palatine was also one but whether the present who is Roman Catholick be so or not I cannot tel This city takes great care of their poor and in their charitie to poor travellers exceed Holland I have seen a list of seaven thousand whom they relieved in one year Their great hospitall is a large court or palace where the English Merchants formerly lived in the time of Queen mary's persecution of the Protestants who when they were recalled by Queen Elisabeth were so generous as to give the whole court with all their Packhouses and lands to the poor of the city It was my fortune to be there in that cold Winter in the year 1683. and saw a ceremonie performed by the Wine coopers of the citie who are obliged by law that when ever the Maine lyes fast frozen over for eight days together to make a great Fouder fat Hoops and Staves and set it up compleat upon the Ice It was very good diversion to see so many hands at worke and to observe the jollity and mirth of the many thousands of spectators who wanted not plenty of Rhenish wine to carouse in I had the curiositie afterward to goe to the court of the Landgrave of Armestadt a Lutheran Prince who lives in part of the richest soyle in Germany His Highness is a very courteous and obligeing Prince to Strangers and his subjects are in a pretty good condition again though they have been great sufferers by the last war between the Landgrave of Hessen and this familie From thence I went to Heidleberg a city I had been formerly in in the life time of that wise tho unfortunate Prince Elector elder brother to Prince Rupert Here I had the Honour to pay-my dutifull respects to the Elector the son of that great Prince whose commissary I had the honour to be for two years together in Amsterdam This Prince since my being there is lately dead and left behind him the reputation of having been a Zealous thorough paced Calvinist and so constant a frequenter of the church that some Sundays he went thrice a day to Sermon but never failed if in health to be once a day at least at the garrison-church where he took particular notice of such officers as were absent He was married to a most virtuous lady the Royall sister of the King of Denmark and his brother Prince George During his life time the university of Heidleberg flourished exceedingly so that the number of students was so great that Chambers and lodgings in the citie were scarce and Spanhemius was about quitting Leyden to return to his professors place in Heidleberg but how matters stand since his death I am as yet ignorant This Countrey is called the paradise of Germany for its fruitfulness in wine corn and all sorts of fruit I my self have seen growing in one plain at the same time vines corn chestnuts almonds dates figs cherries besides severall other sorts of fruit And as the Countrey is fertile in yeelding the fruits of the Earth so the people are carefull in providing store room for them This I take notice of because of the prodigious Rhenish wine fats which are to be seen there amongst which there are seaven the least whereof holds the quantitie of 250 barells of Beere as I calculated but the large and most celebrated fat is that which goes by the name of the great Tun of Heidleberg and holds 204 fouders of wine and cost 705 L. Sterling in buildiug for which one may have a very good house built This fat I have seen twice and the first time was when the Elector treated the French Ambassadours that came to conclude the match betwixt his daughter and Monsieur the French Kings brother who married her after the death of our Kings sister his first wife at which treat there happened an adventure that I shall here please the Reader with In a gallery that is over this fat the Elector caused a table to be placed in the midle exactly above the bunghole of this Monstrous vessell and to be covered with a costly banquet of all sorts of sweet meats The day before all the wine being emptied out of this Tun into other Fat 's a litle before the Ambassadours with other forrein Ministers and Persons of qualitie mounted the stairs to come to the place of entertainment The Elector caused twelve drummers with as many Trumpeters some Kettledrums and other musick to be lodged in the belly of the Tun with orders to strike up upon a signall given when the Elector drank the French Kings health All being sate down at table and merrily feeding the Elector drank the health and the signall was given whereupon the musick began to play its part with such a roaring and uncouth noise out of that vast cavitie below that the French and other Persons of qualitie who were unacquainted with the designe looking upon it to be an infernall and ominous sound in great astonishment began to cry out Jesu Marie The worlds at an end and to shift every one for himself in so great disorder and confusion that for haste to be gone they tumbled down staires one over another All that the Elector could say to compose them was either not heard or not valued nor could any thing satisfie and reassure them till they saw the Actors com marching out of their den Had not many Persons of qualitie and travellers seen this Fat as wel as my self who know that what I say of its incredible bigness to be true I should be afraid the Reader might think I imposed upon his credulitie From Heidleberg I went to see that impregnable Fort or citadell of Manheim alias Fredericks-berg built by the Elector Frederick brother to Prince Rupert a Prince of as good a head as any Germany affoarded who though some have too partially Judged of him by his misfortunes yet by the wisest of the age was acconnted the Cato of Germany The wisest and best-men of the world have been unfortunate which makes some to be of the opinion that God in his wisdom thinks fit it should be so least otherwise they might attribute their prosperitie rather to the wise direction of their own conduct then his all seeing Providence and indeed dayly experience seemes to evince the truth of this since wee see knaves and fools advanced to preferment and richess when men of
his place This custome is Religiously observed by all his highnesses garrisons whilest he himself with his Children being five sons two Daughters and two Daughters in law goe constantly to the Calvinist Church adjoyning to the Court. Amongst other acts of publick pietie and charitie this Prince hath established and endowed some Religious houses or Nunneries for Protestant young ladies where they may live virtuously and spend their time in devotion as long as they please or otherwise marry if they think fit but then they lose the benefit of the Monastery There is one of these at Herford in Westphalia where I was and had the honour to wait upon the Lady Abbess the Princess Elisabeth eldest sister of the Elector Palatine and Prince Rupert who is since dead Notwithstanding the late wars with Sweden and that by the prevalency of France in that hasty treaty of peace concluded at Nimwegen his Electorall Highness was obliged to give back what he had Justly taken from that crown yet his subjects flourish in wealth and trade his highness having encouraged manufactures of all sorts by inviting Artizans into his dominions and estalished a Company of tradeing Merchants to the West-Indies which will much advance navigation amongst his subjects And in all humane probabilitie they are like to continue in a happy condition seing by the alliances his highness hath made with the Protestant Princes of the Empire and especially the house of Lunenbourg they are in no danger of being disturbed by their neighbours I told you before that the Prince of Brandenbourg was married to the Daughter of the duke of Hanover so that so long as that alliance holds the families of Brandenbourg and Lunenbourg will be in a condition to cast the ballance of the Empire they both together being able to bring into the field 80000 as good men as any are in Europe When I parted from Berlin I made a turn back to Lunenbourg in my way to Swedland where I found severall of my Countrey men Officers in the garison who shew'd mee what was most remarkeable in the city as the Saltworks which bring in considerable summes of money to the duke of Lunenbourg the Stathouse and Churches in one of which I saw a communion table of pure ducat gold From thence I went into the Province of of Holstein and at a small sea port called Termond of which I spake before I embarked for Sweden He that hath read in the histories of this last age the great exploits of Gustavus Adolphus and his Swedes perhaps may have a fancy that it must be an excellent Countrey which hath bredsuch warriours but if he approach it he will soon find himself undeceived Entering into Sweedland at a place called Landsort wee sailed forwards amongst high rocks having no other prospect from Land but mountains till wee came to Dollers which is about four Swedish that is twenty four English miles from Stockholm the capitall citie of the Kingdome upon my comeing a shore I confess I was a litle surprised to see the poverty of the people and the litle wooden houses they lived in not unlike Soldiers huts in a leaguer but much more when I discovered litle else in the Countrey but mountanous rocks and standing lakes of water The Reader will excuse mee I hope if I remarke not all that I may have taken notice of in this Countrey seing by what I have already written he may perceive that my designe is rather to observe the manner of the inhabitants living then to give a full description of every thing that may be seen in the Countrey they live in However I shall say somewhat of that too having premised once for all that the ordinary people are wretchedly poor yet not so much occasioned by the Publick taxes as the barrenness of their Countrey and the oppression of the nobles their Landlords and immediate superiours who till the present King put a stop to their violences tyrannically domineered over the lives and fortunes of the poor peasants From Dollers I took waggon to Stockholm changing horses three times by the way by reason of the badness of the rode on all hands environed with rocks that hardly open so much as here and there to leave a shred of plain ground At two miles distance upon that rode the citie of Stockholme looks great becaus of the Kings palace the houses of Noblemen and some Churches which are seated upon rocks and indeed the whole citie and suburbs stand upon rocks unless it be some few houses built upon ground gained from the rivers that run throw the town Stockholme has its name from a stock or logg of wood which three brothers threw into the water five miles above the city making a vow that where ever that stock should stop they would build a castle to dwell in The stock stopt at the Holme or rock where the palace of the King now stands and the brothers to be as good as their word there built their castle which invited others to doe the like so that in process of time the other rocks or holmes were covered with buildings which at length became the capital citie of the Kingdome It is now embellished with a great many Stately houses and much emproved from what it was 4â—0 yeares agoe as indeed most cities are for the Stathouse then built is so contemtible and low that in Holland or England it would not be suffered to stand to disgrace the nation The Council Chamber where the Burgemaster and Raedt sit is two rooms cast into one not above nine foot high and the two rooms where the sheriffs and the Erve colledge which is a Judicature like to the Doctors Commons in England sit are not above eight foot and a halfe high The Kings Palace is a large square of stone building in some places very high but an old and irregular fabrick without a sufficient quantitie of ground about it for gardens and walks It was anciently surrounded with water but some yeares since part of it was filled up to make a way from the castlegate down into the old town In this Palace there are large rooms but the lodgings of the King Queen and Royall familie are three pair of stairs high the rooms in the first and second story 's being destin'd for the Senat Chamber and other courts of Judicature The Kings library is four pair of stairs high being a room about fourty six foot square with a closet adjoyning to it not half the dimensions When I considered the appartments and furniture of this Court I began to think that the French Author wrote truth who in his Remarks upon Swedland sayes that when Queen Christina resigned the Crown to Carolus Gustaphus the father of this present King she disposed of the best of the furniture of the Court and gave away a large share of the Crown lands to her favorites in so much that the King considering the poor condition she had left the Kingdome in and seeing the Court
contemptible that the libraries of many Grammar Schools and of privat men in England or Holland are far better stored with books then it is Upon viewing of it and that of the Kings Palace I called to mind the saying of a French man upon the like occasion That Swedland came behind France and England in the knowledge of men and things at least 800 yeares yet some Swedes have been so conceited of the antiquity of their Countrey as to bragg that Paradice was seated in Sweden that the Countrey was turned into such heaps of rocks for the rebellion of our first parents and that Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel in a Countrey three Swedish miles distant from Vpsall A French man standing by and hearing this Romantick story as I was told fitted him with the like telling him that when the world was made in six days at the end of the creation all the Rubbish that remained was throw'n together into a corner which made up Sweden and Norway And indeed the French seeme to have no great likeing to the Countrey what ever kindness they may have for the people for a French Ambassadour as an author of that Countrey relates being by order of Queen Christina treated in a Countrey house 4 Swedish miles from Stockholme and upon the rode goeing and comeing with all the varieties and pleasures that the Countrey could affoard on purpose to make him have a good opinion of the same made answere to the Queen who asked him upon his return what he thought of Sweden that were he master of the whole Countrey he would presently sell it buy a farme in France or England which under favour I think was a litle tart and sawcy Having stayed a considerable time in Swedland and most part at Stockholme I set out from thence to goe to Elsenbourg by land and went a litle out of my way to see a small city called Eubrone famous for a coat of Arms which it got in this manner A certain Masculine Queen of Denmark who had conquered a great part of Sweden comeing to this city asked the Magistrates what was the Arms of their city who having told her that they had none she plucked up her coats and squatting upon the Snow bid them take the marke she left there for their Arms It 's pity she did not give them a suitable motto to it also What that figure is called in blazonerie I know not but to this day the city uses it in their Armes and for marking their commodities This Queen came purposely into Sweden to pay a visit to a brave woman that opposed a King of Swedland who in a time of famine would have put to death all the men and women in his Countrey above sixty years of age The Countrey all the way I travelled in Swedland is much of the same qualitie of the land about Stockholme untill I came neare the Province of Schonen which is called the store house and Kitchin of Sweden where the Countrey is far better It was formerly very dangerous to travell in this Province of Schonen becaus of the Snaphances who were a kind of bloody robbers now utterly destroyed by the King so that it is safe enough travelling there Entering into Schonen I saw twenty nine of these rogues upon wheeles and elsewhere in the Countrey ten and twenty at severall places The King used great severitie in destroying of them some he caused to be broken upon the wheele others speeted in at the fundament and out at the shoulders many had the flesh pinched off of there breasts and so were fastened to stakes till they died and others again had their noses and both hands cut off and being seared with a hot Iron were let goe to acquaint their camerades how they had been served The King is very severe against Highway-men and duellers In above a hundred miles travelling wee found not a house where there was either French wine or brandie which made mee tell a Swede of our Company who was travelling to Denmark that I would undertake to shew any man 500 houses wherein a traveller might have wine and other good accommodation in the space of an hundred miles upon any rode from London There are severall small towns and fertile land in this Countrey of Schonen lying upon the Sound at the narrowest part whereof lies Elsenbourg burnt down by the Danes in the last war Here I crost over to Elsenore the passage being but a league broad The King of Denmark has a castle at Elsenore which commands the narrow passage of the Sound where all Ships that enter into or come out of the Baltick sea must pay toll Having visited this castle and stai'd about a fortnight with the English Consul and Sr. John Paul late resident at the Court of Swedland I went to the danish Court at Coppenhaguen Copenhaguen is the capitall city of Zeeland Jutland or Denmark and place of residence of the King It stands on a flat encompassed with a pleasant and delightfull Countrey much resembling England The streets of the city are kept very neat and cleane with lights in the night time for the convenience and safetie of those who are then abroad a custome not as yet introduced into Stockholme where it is dangerous to be abroad when it is dark The Kings men of war lye here very conveniently being orderly ranged betwixt Booms after the manner of Amsterdam and neare the Admiralty house which is a large pile of building well furnished with stores and Magazines secured by a citadell that not onely commands the city but also the Haven and entrey into it The Court of Denmark is splendid and makes a far greater figure in the world then that of Sweden tho not many yeares agoe in the time of Carolus Gustaphus the father of the present King of Swedland it was almost reduced to its last when the walls of Copenhagen saved that Crown and Kingdome That siege was famous caried on with great vigour by the Swede and as bravely maintained by the Danes The monuments whereof are to be seen in the canon bullets gilt that still remain in the walls of some houses and in the steeple of the great Church of the town The Royall palace in Copenhaguen is but small and a very ancient building but his Majesties house Fredenburg is a stately fabrick of Modern Architecture and very richly furnished Denmark is at present a flourishing Kingdome and the King who hath now made it hereditary surpasses most of his predecessours in power and wealth He hath much enlarged his dominions aswell as Authority and by his personall and Royall virtues no less then the eminent qualities of a great many able ministers of State he hath gained the universall love of his subjects and the esteeme of all forreigne Princes and States The Court if much frequented every day but especially on Sundays where about eleven of the clock in the morning the Nobility forreigne Ministers and Officers of the Army