Villages and Forts Of the late Accessions in Pomeren and the Empire HOw far the victorious Arms of Gustavus Adolphus spred themselves in the Empire of Germany passing over the Elb the Rhine and the Danow in one year and thereby becoming as well the terror as wonder of Europe is sufficiently known to all the world and how after his death the Swedish Conquests in those parts began to lessen and several places of importance to be either forcibly regain'd by the Emperor or by the succeeding Kings of Sweden freely yielded up to him is no less manifest What Cities Towns Forts Titles Territories c. were by a Ratification of Peace concluded between the Imperial Ministers and the Swedish Agents in lieu of those many and large Dominions which Gustavus Adolphus had possess'd himself of given up into the hands of the Swedes either absolutely and for ever or under some conditions to be by the Swedes observ'd we shall in this place only mention remitting the more large description of them to Pomeren Germany c. whereunto they did formerly belong and where an account of them may be expected By a Treaty of Peace between the Imperial Plenipotentiaries and Swedish Ministers held at Osnabrug and Munster A. D. 1649 it was concluded That because Christina Queen of Sweden had required of the Emperor and the Electoral Princes that satisfaction should be made her for delivering up to them several places which had been by her Father in the late Wars brought under the Swedish power and likewise upon account that she earnestly desired as much as in her lay to restore and promote the publick peace of the Empire which the Emperor and their Electoral Highnesses on the other part were very ready by all means to advance and take care of His Imperial Majesty with the consent of the Electoral Princes and States of the Empire should give up to the Queen of Sweden and to her Heirs and Successors these following Dominions to be held by them in full right of possession as a perpetual and immediate Feud of the Empire viz. 1. All Nether-Pomeren commonly call'd Nor-Pomern with the Isle of Rugen in the Baltic Sea in the same manner and extent as the late Dukes of Pomeren had possess'd and enjoy'd the same And also in Further-Pomeren Stetin Gartz Dam Golnau the Isle Wollin with part of the River Oder that encompasseth it the Sea commonly call'd das Frische Haff with its three Bays Peine Swine and Divenow and so much land on each side as shall be agreed on by the Commissioners to be appointed for assigning the just limits for both Parties Which said Kingdom of Pomeren and principality of Rugen with all Dominions belonging or places annex'd to either of them and also all Territories Prefectures Cities Forts Towns Villages Feuds Rivers Isles c. with all Tributes Revenues Titles Dignities Preeminences Immunities and Praerogatives Ecclesiastical or Civil with all other Rights and Priviledges should from that day 27 of July A. 1648 for ever belong to and be freely used and inviolably possess'd by the then Queen of Sweden her heirs and Successors in as full and ample manner as the former Dukes of Pomeren had had enjoy'd or govern'd the same Moreover That the King of Sweden and the Duke of Brandenburg should both of them use the Titles and Arms of Pomeren after the manner that the former Dukes of Pomeren used them The King of Sweden for ever and the Dukes of Brandenburgh so long as any of the Issue Male of that Family remain'd but that upon defect of the masculine Line of the house of Brandenburg none should lay claim to those Titles and Arms of Pomeren but the Kings of Sweden solely to retain them without any Competitor and not only so but then to have all Further Pomeren with the Bishoprick and Chapter of Camminen yielded up to them and their successors for ever 2. That the Emperor with the consent of the Electors should give up to the said Queen and her successors for ever the City and Port of Wismar with the Fort Walfisch and the Prefectures of Poel the Towns Sehedorff Wietendorff Brandenhusen and Wangern which belong to the Hospital of the Holy Ghost in Lubeck excepted and Newen Closter with all Rights and Priviledges belonging to them in as full and ample manner as the Dukes of Meklenburg had before enjoy'd and possess'd them 3. That the Emperor with c. should give up to the Queen of Sweden and her successors for ever the Arch-Bishoprick of Breme and the Bishoprick of Verden with the Town and Prefecture of Wilshausen and also all the Right the Arch-Bishops of Breme had to the Chapter and Dioeces of Hamburg provided that the house of Holsatia and the City and Chapter of Hamburg retain'd their respective liberties possessions c. with all and singular Rights Priviledges c. Ecclesiastical or Civil to the said Arch-Bishoprick Bishoprick and Prefecture in any-wise belonging yet to retain them for ever as an immediate Fee of the Empire using the ancient Arms which belong'd to them but changing the Ecclefiastical Title into a secular one viz. that of Arch-Bishop and Bishops into Duke of Breme and Verden And likewise the Kings of Sweden by vertue of this Grant to have priviledge to be present at all Diets of the Empire under the Titles of Dukes of Breme Verden and Pomeren Princes of Rugen and Lords of Wismar and to take place amongst the secular Princes on the fifth seat in the said Diets and in all Controversies arising concerning these Territories to appeal to some of his Imperial Majestie 's Courts of Judicature there to have them determin'd 4. That the Queen of Sweden or her successors might have power to erect an Vniversity where they thought most convenient in any part of these new Dominions Lastly that her Majesty of Sweden and her successors should acknowledge all these Possessions as Feudiatary to the Emperor and receive all Investitures from and as their Predecessors and other Vassals of the Empire formerly used to do to take an Oath of Fidelity and Allegiance to him and his Imperial successors for ever By these additional Dominions in Pomeren and Germany which at present by reason of the wars between the two Northern Crowns are very much disturb'd and in great confusion the Kings of Sweden had as was said several new Titles conferr'd upon them which with others that are taken from their late conquests in Livonia Carelia c. make up the greatest part of the whole Catalogue The present King styling himself thus The most Serene and most c. Prince Charles XI King of the Swedes Goths and Vandals and Hereditary Prince Great Prince of Finland Duke of Schonen Esthonia Livonia Carelia Breme Verde Stetin Pomeren Cassubie and Wenden Prince of Rugen Lord of Ingria and Wismar Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria Juliers Cleves Bergen c. Of the new Accessions in Denmark within the Baltic Sea viz. Scania Hallandia
West-side whereof he sailed some days together with a good wind and therefore could not be a small Island as they describe this which H. Hudson could not find when he sought for it see a discourse of this in Purchas's Pilgrim l. 3. c. 1 15. We have nothing of this voyage but those imperfect or short notes which were found lying upon his table after his death wherein it is contain'd that they parted from Seynam Aug. 2. Aug. 14 they were 160 leagues North and Easterly from Seynam they continued sailing till Sept. 14 when they landed on a country high rocky and uninhabited from whence the cold and Ice forced them to return more South which they did till they reach'd Arzina a River in Lapland where the next Spring they were all found frozen to death in their Ship A few years after this about 1556 we read of Steven Burrows who searching a passage by the North-East unto the Indies arrived in 112 deg 25 min. of Longitude and 76 of Latitude and so sailed to 80 deg 11 min. and thence to Nova Zembla Now this cannot be any known place but Greenland which is also confirm'd because the Land was desolate the Ice of a blew colour and great store of Fowls All signs of Greenland But from this time began a great and familiar trade from England to all those Northern Regions and many trials made to discover the North-East passage so that no question but that they landed many times upon Greenland but took no notice of it as neither did the Dutch till many years after when a gainful fishing was there found out Before which none either gave it a name took possession of it or pretended to the discovery This trade was managed for divers years by the Russia company of English Merchants as will appear by the story of it which is this In 1553 the King and Queen Philip and Mary gave a commission to certain Merchants to trade into Russia and made them a corporation who presently not only began a very brisk and profitable negotiation into those Northern Countries but employed divers Ships for finding out a passage that way into the Indies Particularly Arthur Pet and Charles Jackman about the year 1580 rambled over all those Seas and it is very probable they also were upon Greenland but there is nothing particularly known concerning them No nation but the English frequented those Northern Seas till 1578 that a Dutch Ship came to Cola and a year or two after another to St. Nicholas by the solicitation of an English man that set himself against the company Afterwards they crept in more and more and in 1594 they employed Barents and others to find out a passage to the Indies and in 1596 the three Dutch Pilots aforenamed upon the same design who first light upon Bear-Island and thence to Greenland Barents separating from his company sayled to the Northeast of Nova-Zembla where he lost his Ship and himself died In 1603 Steven Benet was employed who went no farther then Cherry-Island whence he brought some Lead Oar. In 1608 Henry Hudson was sent forth to discover the North-pole who went to 82 deg as did also Thomas Marmaduke of Hull 1612 but saw divers Islands beyond that and gave names to divers places upon Greenland formerly discovered as Whale-bay Hackluits-Headland c. The company having been informed of the great number of Sea-horses Morsses and Whales that frequented Cherry-Island and Greenland first applyed themselves with one or two Ships to the killing of Morsses which in a short time made Morsses grow scarce In the year therefore 1610 they set out the Ship Amity Jonas Pool commander for Whale-fishing who fell upon the land formerly discovered though not regarded and called it Greenland whether because of the green Moss wherewith it was covered or mistaking it for Groenland a Northern Countrey formerly discovered or for some other reason I know not He called it also King James New-land but that name is grown obsolete He also gave names to many of the most eminent places upon the west side of the Country as to Horn-Sound because there they found an Unicorns-horn Ice-Point Bell-Point Lowness-Island Black-Point Cape-cold Ice-Sound Knotty-Point Fowl-Sound Deer-Sound And in Cross-Road 79 deg 15 min. variation 18 deg 16 min. northwest he seized upon the Country to the use of his Masters by setting up a red Cross and fastning a writing to it There also he made some quantity of Oyl and brought an Unicorns-horn as they called it from thence And this was the first time that any benefit was made by the fishing of that place In 1611 the company hired six Basques expert Fishermen and sent them with two Ships to fish for Whales in Greenland where the first Whale they killed yielded them twelve tuns of Oyl Some of his company looking about the Harbours for Whales discovered in Sir Thomas Smiths Bay a great number of Morsses The Master of one of the Ships taking with him some of his men went thither and killed of them 500 and kept 1000 alive on Shoar which afterwards they let go In 1612 two Ships more were sent when they killed seventeen Whales and some Morsses and made 180 tuns of oyl This year the Hollanders came thither with one Ship conducted by Andrew Sallows an Englishman Another English Pilot brought thither also a Spanish Ship the English Ships met with and threatned them but notwithstanding they made a good voyage In 1613 the company sent thither seven Ships who had a Patent to prohibit all strangers except the Muscovia company from frequenting those coasts Yet they met with fifteen Sail of Dutch French Flemish and some interlopers of our own Nation To some the General gave liberty to fish with others he made composition to have half or part of what they caught others he drave away from the Country after he had taken out the English that were in their Ships though themselves also by that means were not so well laden as they might have been this year they discovered Hope-Island and other Islands to the West In 1614 they set out thirteen great Ships besides two Pinnaces well armed and the Dutch eighteen whereof four men of war who being stronger stayed and fished there as did our men also but both parties made a poor voyage This land they fully discovered to 80 deg by Tho. Sherwin and Will. Baffin and by others divers Islands toward the East They also took possession of several parts of the Country for the King setting up a Cross and the Kings Arms in Lead the Dutch afterwards did the like in the same places for the Prince of Orange In 1615 they set out two great Ships and two Pinaces which by reason of fourteen Sail sent by the Hollanders came home not fully laden This year the King of Denmark sent three Ships men of war with an English Pilot James Vaden to demand Custom of the Ships for fishing upon his Island as he pretended the
the lesser Councils or Conventions in the several Palatinates larger Provinces and certain Districts These Conventions precede the general Assemblies of the Kingdom six weeks unless upon some extraordinary accident and are held in the proper Cities of the Palatinates and Provinces appointed for that purpose Here after they have chosen a Marshal who seems to be much like our Speaker as being the Director of the Convention they first consider of such things as are propounded to them by the Kings Deputies dispatched away to every Convention and of what other business is to be motioned at the General Session After that they choose the Land Deputies or provincial Delegates for the general Assembly Every Province sends so many almost in the same manner as our Shires save only that they are not chosen by the people till the whole number amount to about 300. These Deputies are generally elected out of such Magistrates as are not of the Senatorian order excluding all Judges and their Assistants Collectors and all Officers of the Exchequer unless they have exact and full acquittances from the Treasurer The Delegates like our Burgesses have a certain allowance from their respective Provinces during the sitting of the general Assembly The particular Conventions being broken up which by the Law are not to sit above four days three weeks before the Senators and Delegates repair to the Grand Session they meet at the general Committees for the several Provinces where they again read over the Kings commands the instructions given to the Delegates and what was thought needful to be propounded for the publick good The grand Assembly being met the Deputies repair to their Chamber and choose their Marshal or Director which done they are all conducted to kiss the Kings hand and after that ceremony perform'd the Chancellours of the Kingdom and Dukedome in order declare to them the substance of those affairs which are to be the subject of their Debates Before they depart they put the King in mind of supplying such employments as are vacant with deserving persons and desire an account of such Laws or Ordinances as have been made by the resident Senators since the sitting of the last grand Convention Having so done they return to their Chamber The power of these Nuncii or Deputies is very great for when they send any of their number to the King they are presently admitted let the King be never so busy and have an immediate dispatch If they clash in their debates the King is careful to send some of the Senators to reconcile them who then give them the Title of Mosci Panovoie Bracia or Gracious Lords Brothers They have also power to impeach any great Officer of Misdemeanours and to put the King himself in mind of his promises touching the Laws and priviledges of the Kingdom neither is any constitution valid that has not its Original from the Chamber of the Deputies And which is yet more if any one of the whole number of the Nuncii dissent nothing can be legally concluded So that upon the protestation and departure of one Deputy the whole Convention is ipso facto dissolv'd Whilst the Deputies are thus consulting the King and Senators have little to do but to hear certain criminal causes appointed before hand for the first week and some other civil controversies the second till the return of the Deputies embodies the whole Senate together Then every man has liberty to deliver his mind with the leave and direction of the Marshal The King suspends his own opinion till the Senators and Deputies or the major part of them agree Then he endeavours to reconcile their different votes or if he cannot prevail concurs with that party which has voted most conformably to the Laws and priviledges of the Realm These consultations by the Law ought not to be continued above fifteen days after the joyning of both Houses though sometimes urgency of affairs causes farther prolongation When the Session breaks up the Deputies returning home give notice of their return to the Captains with Jurisdiction and the Palatines or Vice-Palatines give the same notice of the return to the Deputies to the Nobility inviting them withal to the Post-Comitial Assemblies or Conventions of Relation the meeting whereof the King appoints In these Conventions the Deputies produce the constitutions made in the last general Assembly of Estates delivered to them under seal by the Chancellours and take care that they be fairly transcribed into the Land and military Registers not omitting after this to give a full account of what they have acted in discharge of their Trusts If the grand Session break up in confusion not having effected any thing to purpose then certain Post-Comitial Councils are called wherein the King prefixes a time for another grand Session Nor is it a wonder that much disturbance should rise in the General Assemblies considering the multitude of the Deputies and the liberty of each member for which reason Cardinal Johannes Franciscus Commendonus facetiously said That Morbus Comitialis was the Epidemical distemper of Poland Now that the King may not want a Council in the interval of general Conventions they before they break up appoint 24 Senators 8 Palatines 8 Major and as many Minor Castellanes and four Bishops to wait quarterly four at a time one Bishop and three Senators till other 28 are chosen And these are bound so close to their duty that they accompany the King to the Wars for which they have a Stipend allowed and payed out of the Treasury The Courts of Judicature in respect of their division are the same as in other countreys 〈…〉 that is either Ecclesiastic or Secular either for civil or criminal causes but in respect of the Judges and manner of proceeding therein not easily to be understood without a particular survey The Nobles have a Court peculiar to themselves called the Court of Land-judicature wherein all actions relating to estates in Land are tryed Where also the Captains and by their permission the Kings Tenants may sue the Nobles themselves for wast done upon the Lands belonging to the Kings table To this Court likewise belong all actions of debt upon Contract The Judges of this Court are a chief Judg a Judg and a Secondary Upon the death of any of these the Nobility propose four landed men whom they recommend to the King who chuses one out of them into the dead place All the Judges are bound to be resident at the Session of the Court which is twice thrice and sometimes four times a year The next remarkable Court is that of the several Captains jurisdiction called Sudy Grodskie or Courtmilitary The chief Judg of this Court is a Captain he sits alone takes cognisance of Rapes Burglary Setting Houses on fire Robberies upon the High-way c. Noblemen not Landed are here also tryed and forreign Merchants coming to Faires He has also power without any noise of Law to condemn and punish idle Vagabonds Thieves Proscribed persons
Knights of the Teutonick Order had made their Master in the year 1525 it was agreed upon That the Teutonick Order should be wholly extirpated and that part of Prussia which to this day is called Ducal Prussia should be govern'd by the said Marquess with the title of Duke of Prussia and the rest or Regal Prussia remain still subject to the King of Poland But with this proviso That the Duke should always pay homage to the Crown of Poland and as a member of that Kingdom be President of the Kings Council Lastly John Casimir the late King of Poland granted first in the year 1657 and again 1663 full and absolute power and dominion over Ducal Prussia to the present Elector of Brandenburgh on this condition That the Dukedome upon defect of male issue should return to the Kings of Poland as supreme Landlords and be conferred on the Dukes of Onoldsbach and Culmbach as Feudataries Muscovy How affairs stand at present between the Great Duke of Muscovy and the King of Poland may appear by the Treaty of Peace signed by both parties A.D. 1667 spoken of before But formerly the Kings of Poland have laid claim and made good their title either by justice or the sword to several large Territories now in the hands of the Great Duke For first Jorislaus Duke of Russia was forced to pay tribute to Boleslaus Chrobri A.D. 1018. Afterwards A.D. 1069 Boleslaus II. possessed himself of Kiow and indeed the whole Dukedom of Russia over which he set Jesaslaus a tributary Duke After his death continual wars were between the two Nations till Casimir the Great in the year 1340 reduced the Southern Russia into the form of a Province But how little of that remains at this day in the hands of the present King of Poland we have shew'd before Several of the Kings of Poland have stiled themselves Kings of Sweden Sweden upon no other pretence then having made themselves masters of a great part of Liefland But this title ceased upon the death of John Casimir their late King as hath already been observed in the description of Liefland Of the Pretensions of Foreign Princes to the Kingdom of Poland WE have seen to what Kingdoms and Countries the Kings of Poland have in former ages claimed a right and title and we may perhaps find as many Kings and Princes of other Nations who have challenged the Crown of Poland upon as good grounds But to omit the many conquests obtain'd by the Russians Bohemians Hungarians and others over the Poles enough to entitle any potent Prince to their Kingdom the strongest pretensions to this Crown are those of the Emperor For the most of the Polish Historians tell us That Boleslaus I. was created King of Poland by the Emperor Otto III. before which time the Princes of that Nation were only Dukes This story is confirmed by besides the testimony of the most considerable writers of Poland an ancient Epitaph found in the Cathedral at Posen in which among other commendations of Boleslaus I. are the following rithmes Tu possedisti velut Athleta Christi Regnum Slavorum Gothorum seu Polonorum Caesar praecellens a te Ducalia pellens And again Ob famam bonam tibi contulit Otto Coronam Propter luctamen sit tibi salus Amen However tho the Historians of Poland grant that Boleslaus received the title of King at the hands of the Emperor yet they deny stubbornly that this Kingdom was ever subject or tributary to the Roman Empire But Conringius an ingenious and learned German Physitian in his book entituled De finibus Germanici Imperii c. 18. has demonstrated the contrary For not to take notice of Charles the Great who 't is more than probable conquer'd Poland as well as Silesia 't is certain that Miecislaus the first Christian Prince of Poland paid tribute to the Imperial Crown And the Polish writers are forced to confess That Otto III. remitted all homage due otherwise to Boleslaus Chrobri when he created him King After Boleslaus's death Miecislaus II. his successor was compelled to pay the usual tribute to the Emperor Conrad II. After this several of the Kings of Poland very willingly submitted themselves to the Emperors and others were forced out of their obstinate refusal At last in the long vacancy of the Imperial Throne soon after the middle of the thirteenth Century during which Richard Earl of Cornwal was one of the four elected Emperors whilst the Empire of Germany was in a confused distraction the Polanders took occasion to shake off the German yoke to which they could never since be reduced This is part of the relation which Conringius gives us of the ancient state of Poland in reference to the German Empire founded chiefly upon the testimonies of Dithmarus Mersburgensis and Helmoldus men of unquestionable veracity in their Histories Hartknoch endeavours to evade the force of his argument by saying That tho it be true that the Polanders have formerly paid some certain sum of money to the Emperors by whom it was demanded under the notion of a tribute yet this does not necessarily suppose any dependance of the Crown of Poland upon the Empire of Germany For 't is ordinary even with the Emperors themselves to buy peace with money And thus the English bought their peace of the Danes and made Lewis XI King of France pay for his But let him consider First whether the words of Helmoldus Chron. Slav. lib. 1. c. 1. num 9. can be properly understood of any such sum of money as is usually paid by any Nation upon the ratification of a Treaty of Peace when he says servit ipsa speaking of Poland sicut Bohemia sub tributo Imperatoriae Majestati Here the Historian tells us plainly the Kingdom of Poland was in his time as much tributary to the Emperor as Bohemia and how truly that was under his subjection every Historian will shew Again 't was not very considerately done to instance in the tribute paid by the English to the Danes or by Lewis XI to the King of England For both these were doubtless acknowledgements of subjection and homage The Danes all know were absolute Lords of our Land for 26 and made almost continual incursions into it for the space of 250 years Dane-gelt which perhaps Hartknoch as some of our own Historians have done mistakes for a tribute or composition-money paid the Danes upon any invasion was at first only a Subsidy gather'd for the maintenance of a standing army to oppose the Danish fury Afterwards indeed the word was used to denote a tribute sometimes amounting to 72000 pounds levyed yearly in England and paid to the King of Denmark upon the refusal of which payment the English were sure to feel the weight of that Kings displeasure This tribute was certainly a sign of a true and real subjection to the Crown of Denmark which might have lasted longer had not the Saxon and Danish lines been peaceably united in the pious King
satisfactory then the Drummer puts himself by dancing and howling into a violent motion till he falls down which he chuses to do upon his Drum and there he lies without motion or disturbance and without sense till he voluntarily rise agian and gives answer to what is desired This kind of divination is chiefly used when something at a great distance is desired to be known The stories are so frequent and from persons not credulous that it is very hard to disbelieve what they speak concerning these Sorceries Take this from a person of worth and understanding as an example of the rest who said that being one time at dinner with his Father Mother Brother Sisters c. his Fathers knife was missing upon a sudden nor could be found till two years after when a Cosin of his returning from being Factor in or near Lapland brought it with him telling them that out of curiosity he had employed a Laplander a pretender to great skill in this art to bring him notice of the health and condition of that family who after he had lain some time in this now describ'd manner brought him news that they were all well that he found them at dinner and that to confirm his relation he brought away that knife which he deliver'd to the Merchant and the Merchant brought home now to his Uncle Sometimes also they practise their Sorceries without the Drum using instead of it commonly strings or darts by which they advantage their friends or injure their enemies at their pleasure The strings they make use of to raise or quell the winds which they sell to Mariners for that purpose They consist commonly of three knots the first of which being untyed affords a favourable wind the second a brisk gale and the third a violent storm as has been approved to the great danger and loss of several Mariners that have given account of it in publick By their darts which are short Cylinders of Lead they wound any one who hath offer'd them an injury or their malice puts them upon to assault These are said to be the most powerful charms of any and upon occasion to have split rocks level'd mountains and such like incredible exploits Besides these Christian Religion planted amongst them they have some other remains of Idolatry as a ball which they work up of Cowshair and so send it of mischievous errands with several such like heathenish fooleries all which are at this day in most parts left off among them the Natives themselves informing one against another and causing such delinquents to be brought to condign punishment which is most frequently done in those parts that are under the Swedish Government for Christianity which was first planted in Finland by Ericus the Saint and so made known to the Laplanders has in these latter times made considerable advances amongst them under the Reigns of their late Princes In the year 1600 Charles IX built some publick Schools in Lapland and in the year 1619 or about that time Gustavus Adolphus who took especial care of the Laplandish Countries and having united them more closely to the Kingdom of Sweden then his predecessors had done they having been in former times rather tributary to the Birkirli then subjects to that Crown erected more publick Schools and caused divers Christian Churches to be built amongst them all which by the charity and piety of Christina were augmented both in number and endowments for the promoting of Religion and Learning amongst them and many Pastors were considerably stipended for that purpose So that whereas formerly those that had a mind to have their children baptized used to carry them as Olaus Magnus relates sometimes above two hundred English miles to Church they now are eased of that trouble and have Churches built at very inconsiderable distance one from another and whereas they had opportunity of hearing only one Sermon a year viz. when they came to a general Market which was held in February or to pay their taxes to the King of Sweden they now have Ministers provided which are always resident amongst them whom they very much respect and whose Sermons they constantly frequent so that now the light of the Gospel has very much expell'd all heathenish superstitions out of these remoter Regions of the world and a pious and godly life with the Lords Prayer repeated with sincerity are experienced to be the most effectual countercharm against all Sorceries whatsoever it being constantly observed that neither their Drum nor any of their Magical instruments have any power against them that call upon the name of our Lord nor are able to defend them from the power of his Ministers insomuch that it has lately been reported upon very credible authority that the Devil foreseeing the danger of his Kingdom appear'd visibly to his servants encouraging them by all means to continue in their obedience to him The truth of this I cannot assert but all Authors affirm that as Christian Religion got more ground amongst them so Government Civility Arts and Ingenuity have also proportionably advanc'd We meet not with any thing concerning their Government before they came under the Birkarli Theâ—â— veâ—â—â— but what was of the chief of the Family which toward their wives was very rigid and toward their children very indulgent or rather negligent neither did the Birkarli exercise any greater power over them then to fright them them into paying of tribute part to themselves part to the King of Sweden and some other such subjection as was for their own not the peoples profit But Gustavus Adolphus took even this power also from them and the country was by him wholly and entirely subjected to the Swedish Government which is at present managed by three chief Governours called by the Swedes Lagmen and as many Provincial Judges so nam'd from the Provinces where they are plac'd Under these there are particular Governours Vnder-Lagmen which have power to determine Suits at Law or pass sentence upon Malefactors even unto death but never without the assistance of a Judg and a Priest Anciently their Courts were called only twice a year at their publick Fairs in winter and summer but now for the more effectual restraining of vice they are more frequently used amongst them and if any controversie arise which is of lesser concern they put an end to it by these Courts but if any happen of greater moment or difficulty they appeal to the supreme Courts of Judicature in Sweden Tribute which formerly in the reign of Ladulaus was granted to the Birkarli Theâ—â— butâ—â—â— is now by the Laplanders paid only to the Crown of Sweden save that those of Torna for their priviledg of fishing upon the coasts of Norway pay some Acknowledgment to the King of Denmark It is commonly paid in kind as furs skins or dryed fish By a contract made betwixt Gustavus I. and these Laplanders the inhabitants of Luhla and Pitha were engaged to pay yearly eight timber of furs
Treasurer the Key and the King on horseback follows them to the Church where the Arch-Bishop receiving him demands of him an account of his faith then reverently approaching the high Altar he tenders to him an Oath to this effect That he will fear God and defend his Church promote love justice and truth amongst his Subjects that he will govern his Kingdom by Natives and not admit any Strangers into Council or places of great trust that he will not alienate any Forts Lands or Territories within his Dominions but preserve them whole and entire to his Successours that he will provide himself and his Court out of his constant Crown Revenues and never burthen his Subjects with Taxes but upon these accounts viz. Either upon an Invasion whether by Christians or Infidels a Domestick Insurrection upon the marriage of his Sons or Daughters for the building of some new Forts or upon diminution of the Exchequer and that he will introduce no laws or Constitutions without or against the consent of the people To Sigismund the third King of Poland who claim'd this Kingdom they propos'd that he would not alter any thing in the establish'd Religion which was the Lutheran which Oath he either refusing or presently breaking lost the favour of his people and the Kingdom it self before he was well setled in it This done the Arch-bishop puts on him his Crown and other Kingly Ornaments and one of the Heralds proclaims such one is crown'd King of Swedland and Gothland and none but he then all the people answer Let the King live After this the King calls before him the Governors or Legifers of every Province and chief Cities within his Dominions who for themselves and their respective Governments take an oath of Allegiance to the King this done the King gives to every one of them to the Legifer of Vpsal first and the rest in order an Escutcheon with the Arms of that Province or that City where they are to preside as Badges of their Offices and returning to his Pallace his Nobility are by him splendidly entertain'd and the Ceremony ends Henceforward he hath power in Ecclesiastical and civil matters and rules his people as an absolute Monarch The next heir to the Crown is the Kings eldest Son if he have any who sometimes is by publick declaration acknowledg'd to be so before his Fathers death as Charles eldest Son to Gustavus the first is said to have been and though in that Kings time the right of succession was by the States granted only to his Issue Male yet in the year 1627 Gustavus Adolphus procur'd that the Kings Daughters also might be admitted to the Throne by which procurement his Daughter Christina was made capable to succeed him Upon default of Issue Royal it is by the Vnio Haereditaria provided that the nearest in blood to the Kings Family shall suceed and upon failure of these the power of electing is to devolve upon the States The Kings younger sons he commonly makes Governours over some particular Provinces giving them Titles fitted to their Commands His Daughters are provided for at the expence of the whole Kingdom their Portions being not taken out of the Kings Exchequer but levied by publick Tax In the Interregnum absence sickness or minority of the King the Kingdom is govern'd by the Drotset or Vice-Roy the Marshal Admiral Chancellour and Treasurer of the Kingdom who at their admission to the publick management of affairs take an Oath not to diminish any thing of the Kings Rights but preserve them whole and entire and if it happen that any part of them be by these Trustees during the Kings Minority sold or alienated the King when he comes to full age may by law recover it Anciently the Kings of Sweden shortly after they were elected used to make a publick Progress through their Dominions the Legifer or Lievtenant of every Province being bound to provide for his Reception what the King did was to assure the people of the great care he had of them and that charge wherewith they had entrusted him and to receive of the people Oaths of Allegiance and Fidelity This custom being found somewhat expensive and the civil troubles of the Kingdom oftentimes not permitting it is now quite left of and the people rest content in the confidence they have of their Prince without thus seeing his Person The Court of the King of Sweden The Court of Sweden like that of England consists of Ecclesiastical Civil and Military persons and government 1. For the Ecclesiastical there is the Arch-bishop with as many Suffragans as are by the King thought convenient who attend the King both at Church and Council upon these several of the inferiour Clergy continually wait 2. For the Civil officers the Drotset or Vice-Roy is chief whose office was anciently to admonish and direct the King to inform him upon any default whatsoever and upon non-amendment to declare the same to the Governours of the Kingdom in whose power it was when they thought fit to dethrone their Prince 2. Next is the Chamberlain or Commissary General who presides over the chief Court of Judicature the Kings Chamber commonly held at Stockholme and discharges all expences and orders all the disbursements of the Kingdom He has under him one Questor who takes care of what money is brought into the Exchequer and gives account to him Under these are twelve Masters of accounts who keep Registers of the Kings Revenues take care lest any detriment happen to the Crown and once a year make up their accounts to the Commissary General in the presence of some of the Privy Counsellours Every one of these has one particular Province of the Kingdom given him in charge in which he employs divers Tax-Masters who collect the Tributes Tenths and other Crown Revenues and bring them to his hands 3. In the third place succeeds the Chancellour of the Kingdom whose Office is much-what the same as in other Kingdoms 4. The Treasurer of the whole Kingdom who has under him several Secretaries and other Officers his office is to keep the Crown Globe Scepter and Sword he is Master of the Royal Mint and Pay-master general of the whole Kingdom accountable to none but the King only 3. For the Military Officers the principal is the Grand Marshal or Generalissimo of the Kings Forces Next is the High Admiral of the Kingdom with the several other officers not different from those in other States Besides these chief Officers of State each Province of the Kingdom has its peculiar Governour called Landshere or Stathallar whose power is very great and office considerable under him there are in every Province as many Lands-men and Nemdaries or Nempmen as there are Districts or Praefectures in it all which have distinct and subordinate offices appeals lying from the lower to the next immediately above it and so to the supream Court of Judicature the Kings Chamber all actions acquiescing in the King as the source and
Christian Whereupon he was baptized in the year 826 and immediately restored to his dominions But soon after he renounced Christianity and continued Heathen till reclaim'd by St. Anschar who for his good offices in the Northern Kingdoms was made Archbishop of Hamburgh in the year 835. 2. Eric succeeded his brother Harald with whom he had been baptized in Germany in his Kingdom and cruelty against the the Christians In his days about the year 853 the Danes first enter'd France under the command of their Captain Rollo though others more probably relate him not to have been the first of those Northern Rovers that invaded France but to have succeeded to Gotfrid and to have entred France about the year 876 and not to have been peaceably settled in Normandy till 889 or 890 see the History of the life of King Aelfred and seated themselves in that part which has ever since kept the name of Normandy 3. Eric Barn or the Child being the only male left alive of the Royal Family after the bloody wars between his predecessor and Guthorm King of Norway He begun his reign happily having married the daughter of King Guthorm but within awhile he grew more cruel then any of his Ancestors had been slaying more Bishops and destroying more Churches and Religious Houses both in Germany and England then all the rest of the Danish Kings put together In his German wars he slew Brunno Duke of Saxony and twelve Counts He dyed about the year 902. 4. Canutus the Hairy or Lodneknudt succeeded his father Eric In his days saith King Eric in his Chronicon every third man in Denmark went by lot to seek his fortune so that those who marched off over-run all Prussia Semgal Curland and several other Countries whence they never return'd but there they and their posterity have continued to this day He dyed a Heathen about the year 912. 5. After the death of Canutus the Danish Scepter was given to Frotho his son so say the most credible Historians tho Lindenbruch reports that his brother Sueno reigned nine years He was twenty years King of England and Denmark in the former of which he was baptized and dyed a good Christian 6. Gormo Gormund or Guthrum surnam'd Hartesnute and Engelender because born in England succeeded his father He together with his followers was baptized at Aalre in Sommersetshire and had our Learned and Pious King Aelfred to his Godfather who at the Font gave him the name of Athelstane and afterwards bestowed on him the Kingdom of the East-Angles From this Gormo a Village near Huntingdon call'd at this day by the inhabitants corruptly Godman-Chester had its name Gormon-Chester As Cambden proves from that old Verse Gormonis a Castri nomine nomen habet I am very unwilling I must confess to confound this Gormo with King Aelfred's God-son who as far as we can learn from English writers never sat in the Throne of Denmark neither do the times agree But the Danish Historians will have it so and 't is in vain to seek for satisfaction in the midst of such confusion as we meet with in their writings 7. Harald surnam'd Blaatand succeeded his father Gormo In his days the Danes threw up that famous Trench between Gottorp and Sleswic call'd Dannewirck of which we shall have occasion to speak more hereafter 8. Sueno or Svenotho surnamed Tuiskeg i. e. fork'd-beard succeeded Harald At first he was an Heathen and a severe persecutor of the Christians but afterwards he turned Christian himself and founded three Bishopricks at Sleswic Ripe and Arhuse Some say he dyed in the year 1012 and was buried at York others make him live till the year 1014 and bring him to his grave in Denmark 9. Canutus the Great son to Sueno He was at once King of England Denmark Sweden Norway Slavonia and Sambland some make him King or Duke at least of Normandy And this seems to be the meaning of that old Distich which not reckoning either Slavonia or Sambland a Kingdom brings him in thus speaking of himself Facta mihi Magni pepererunt inclyta nomen Quinque sub imperio regna fuere meo He was buried at Winchester in the year 1036 after he had been twenty-seven years King of Denmark twenty-four of England and seven of Norway leaving the Kingdom of Denmark to his son 10. Hardi-Cnute who within four years obtain'd the Kingdom of England upon the death of hs brother Harald Here he dyed in the year 1041 and was buried by his father in the Cathedral at Winchester 11. Magnus King of Norway seized on the Kingdom of Denmark upon the death of Hardi-Cnute pretending a title to it by contract But he enjoy'd it not long He dyed in the year 1048 and left the Kingdom to 12. Sveno Esthret son on one Vlf an English Earl He dyed in the year 1074 and left behind him five sons who all of them sate successively in their fathers Throne 13. Harald Sveno's eldest son held the Scepter only two years He was a soft easie and timorous Prince afraid to punish offenders or to look an enemy in the face So that the English making use of the opportunity shook off the Danish yoke without any considerable molestation 14. St. Canutus King Swain's second son was barbarously murder'd in St. Alban's Church in Odensee a City in the Isle of Funen whither he fled for sanctuary from the rage of his own Subjects in the year 1088 Pontanus says 1077 The occasion was this The pious King commanded that all his Subjects should pay Tythes according to the custom of other Nations This Edict was represented to the people by his brother Olaf who long'd for the Crown as an encroachment upon the priviledges and liberty of the Subject Whereupon they quickly rose in open rebellion against their Soveraign who to appease the rage of the rabble was martyr'd 15. Olaf Swain's third son upon the slaughter of his brother Cnute which he traiterously had procured was by his followers unanimously declared King But his brothers blood went not long unrevenged For in this Kings days the famine was so great in Denmark that even the Kings Houshold wanted bread Olaf at last sensible that this judgment was inflicted on the Kingdom for his sins pray'd that God would turn the current of his vengeance from the people upon his head that had offended His prayers were heard and the same night in the year 1096 he dyed hungry and miserable and the famine immediately abated 16. Eric Swain's fourth son surnam'd the Good for his religious zeal and piety who dyed in his pilgrimage towards Jerusalem and was buryed in the Isle of Cyprus in the year 1106. In his days Lunden was made an Archbishops See before which time all the Danish Bishops were under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Bremen 17. Nicolas Sveno's youngest son He was slain by the Jutes in revenge of Cnute Duke of Flanders whom he had caused to be killed in the Church in the year
1135. 18. Eric Emund a pious and good King succeeded his Uncle Nicolas and was barbarously murder'd by one Plag Sorte a Nobleman of Jutland in his own Palace in the year 1139. 19. Eric Lamb succeeded his Uncle Eric Emund He laid down his scepter and put himself into a Monastery at Odensee in Funen where he dyed in the year 1147. 20. Swain Gratenhede Eric Emund's son got the Crown upon the death of his Kinsman Eric Lamb. In this mans days there were three Kings of Denmark at the same time Some running after Cnute King Nicolas's Grandchild others following Waldemar son to Cnute Duke of Flanders After some skirmishes in which both Swain and Cnute were slain the whole Kingdom was rul'd by 21. Waldemar surnam'd the Great He was Lord of all the Countries on the North of the Elb and dyed in the year 1182 leaving the Kingdom to his son 22. Cnute He bravely maintain'd a war against the Emperor of Germany who would needs demand homage of the Kings of Denmark He dyed at Ringstede in the year 1202. 23. Waldemar II. Cnute's brother He new modell'd the Danish conquer'd Norway and set over it a Vice-Roy vanquish'd and put to flight the Emperor Otto who thought to have made himself Master of Holslein and having reign'd victoriously thirty-nine years dyed in the year 1241 Crantzius says 1242 24. Eric Plog-penning Waldemar's son He was taken at Sleswic and slain by his brother 25. Abel who reign'd wickedly two years and was then murder'd by his rebellious Subjects in the year 1252. 26. Christopher I. brother to Eric and Abel He lived in a continual war with his own people to whom rebellion was now grown natural Some of the Danish Chronicles say he was at last in the year 1259 poyson'd by Arnefast Bishop of Arhuse as the Emperor Henry the Seventh was afterwards by Bernardine the Monk with the Eucharist 27. Eric Glipping King Christopher's son who being seated in his fathers Throne gave himself up to all manner of lewdness and debauchery His whole life is nothing else but a Catalogue of his oppressions sacriledges murders and whoredoms After a long uninterrupted course of wickedness sleeping one night in a Barn at Findetorp a small Village in the Bishoprick of Wiberg he was murder'd with fifty-six some say seventy wounds given him by seven Ruffians hired to dispatch him by Andrew Stigot Marshal of Danemark whose wife he had ravish'd and some others of the Nobility in the year 1286. 28. Eric Menved Glipping's son He was as godly a Prince as his father was impious The murderers of his father had conspired his death but were prevented by Providence which protected him both from the lewd life and miserable death of his Ancestors So that he dyed as he had lived peaceably in the year 1319 and was buryed at Ringstad where his Epitaph is still to be seen as follows Ego Ericus quondam Daniae Rex regnans ann xxxij Rectus Justiciarius pauperum divitum ubi jus habuerunt Oro omnes quibus aliquid forefeci ut mihi per suam gratiam indulgeant orent pro anima mea Qui obii A. D. 1319. die beati Brixij Episcopi Confessoris 29. Christopher II. Menved's brother He trod in his fathers steps and ended his days like him He is reported to have been an unfortunate sluggish cruel and perfidious Prince an hater of the Nobility and hated by the Commonalty Had he had any sense of Religion policy or common honesty in him he might have been an happy Prince for never were the Danes more unwilling to rebel and take up arms against their King then in his days tho never more provok'd to it Having linger'd out a reign of about thirteen years he dyed at last forsaken of all neglected and unpity'd at Nicoping in the Isle of Falster in the year 1333. After this Kings death the Danes seem'd to be weary of a supreme Soveraign and resolv'd not to set any more over them They fancy'd 't was more eligible to have no King at all then such as they had the bad luck to meet with a Sot or a Tyrant But after fifteen years confusion they found it was better to have an akeing head then none at all Whereupon weary of their new Anarchy they resolv'd to establish in the Throne of his father 30. Waldemar III. King Christopher's son who recollected the scatter'd members of the Kingdom into one body and dismounted most of the Usurpers without any great bloodshed He is represented as a Prince of great subtilty avarice and boldness When Pope Gregory XI threatned to excommunicate him for his saucy behaviour and sleighting of the Apostolic See he is said to have return'd this answer Valdemarus Rex Daniae c. Romano Pontifici salutem vitam habemus a Deo regnum ab incolis divitias a parentibus fidem vero a tuis praedecessoribus quam si nobis non faves remittimus per praesentes Vale. i. e. Waldemar King of Denmark c. To the Bishop of Rome sendeth greeting We hold our life from God our Kingdom from our Subjects our Riches from our Parents and our Faith from thy Predecessors which if thou will not grant us any longer we do by these presents resign Farewel He dyed in the year 1375 and was buried by his father at Sora. 31. Margaret King Waldemar's daughter was upon the death of her father crown'd Queen of Denmark and manag'd the Scepter more discreetly then almost any of the Kings her Predecessors had done A womans government seem'd at first a little uncouth but her Subjects soon found a great deal of satisfaction in her prudent management of affairs at home and wise conduct abroad when in one Campagn she took Albert King of Sweden Rodulph Archbishop of Scharen the Duke of Mecklenburg and the Earls of Holstein and Reppin prisoners Her father was wont to say of her That Nature intended her for a man but spoil'd her in the making She dyed a great friend to Religion and Patroness of the Clergy and was buryed at Roschild in the year 1412 leaving the Kingdom to her Great-Nephew 32. Eric son of Vratislaw VII Duke of Pomeren Who having spent a great many years in tyranny rapine perjury oppression and whoredom was at last in the year 1438 forced to quit his Throne and fly from the fury of his incens'd Nobles into Gothland whither he carried with him a vast treasure and one Cecilia his Concubine who by her evil counsels and proud humours brought him to these extremities 33. Christopher Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine another of King Waldemar's Great-Grandchildren succeeding Eric in the Kingdoms of Denmark Norway and Sweden His reign was short but prosperous especially against the Rebels in Jutland and the Hans Towns He dyed childless at Helsingburgh in the year 1447. The Danish Chronicles are full of his commendations but Johannes Gothus and other Swedish Historians will not by any means allow him so good a character
power of Denmark chiefly consists Their Vessels were formerly bulky large and unwieldy unfit either for flying or pursuit But now they build more advantageously and thereby they are enabled to furnish themselves with many more Ships in proportion then otherwise they could and those easier man'd and fitter for service The yearly revenue of the King of Denmark ariseing from the rents of Crown-Lands Revenues Customlands Custom-money Tithes and other contingences is not easily stated Some measure may be taken from the income brought in by the Customers of Elsineur raised from those infinite sholes of Merchant Ships which daily pass the Sundt Every Ship that passes that way pays for each mast a Rose-noble or four Rixdollars And it has been observed that usually 200 Ships often 400 and sometimes 600 pass by in one day But reckoning only 200 to pass daily and each of these to pay two Rosenobles or eight Rixdollars for two masts for each day in the year there will be gathered about 400 pound of our money Nor is the revenue arising from the exportation of Cattle much inferiour when for every beast the Customers take a Rixdollar Coins in use are Ducates of Gold Money of the value of two Rixdollars or Crowns of Gold of the value of either eighteen or nineteen Marks Or the double of these The lesser Danish coins are 1. Hvide whereof three make one of their Shillings 2. Soslinger whereof two make one Shilling 3. Shilling whereof sixteen make a Mark. 4. A Mark which is the fourth part of a Slet-dollar 5. A Rixdollar which is six Mark or ninety-six Shillings Besides the Bards or Druids Learning we have an account of many other kinds of Poets and Learned men among the antient Danes Wormius tells us the several sorts of Verses composed by the Scialdri and Runae are innumerable but may be at least the best of them reduced to 136 heads It was formerly the custom of all the Northern Nations to have the Genealogies and famous deeds of their Ancestours put into Doggerell that being daily tuned over by parents to their children they might be the easilier remembred and handed down to posterity These ballads they called Viiser i. e. Wise-sayings And how much the Wisdom of the Antients consisted in Poetical compositions and fables is sufficiently shown by the Incomparable Sr. Francis Bacon The Composers of these Songs were reckoned among the Grandees of the Nation and always attended the Prince as his wisest Counsellours Nay so great was the esteem the people had of these men that Hiarnus is said to have had the Crown of Denmark presented him as a reward for an Epitaph made upon the deceased King Frotho a story hardly to be parallel'd in any of the Annals of other nations except we believe what St. Augustine cites Varro for that there was once a Nation so enamour'd of musick as to make a Trumpeter their King In Seland betwixt Roschilt and Slangendorp there is a small hill called to this day Frode-Hoy where they say King Frotho was buried The neigbourhood report That the Kings Grave-stone upon which this famous Epitaph was writ was not many years since broken and carried to mend a bridg at the bottom of the hill The Copy of these precious Verses if we may judge of the worth of them by the price is not to be met with in the Original language Saxo Grammaticus who calls them barbarum metrum saw them and has given us this Latine translation of them Frothonem Dani quem longum vivere vellent Per sua defunctum rura tulere diu Principis hoc summi tumulatum cespite corpus Aethere sub liquido nuda recondit humus I cannot tell whether this instance will prove if we do grant it to be true that Learning flourished much in Denmark about these times However from the many ancient Runic Epitaphes and Inscriptions published by Wormius 't is manifest that the Danes were of old Lovers at least of learning Afterwards as soon as Learning begun to spread its dominions beyond the narrow confines of Rome or Athens Denmark had its share of Scholars 'T were an endless task to give a complete Register of all the Danish Authors Learned Men. I shall therefore content my self with a short Catalogue of some few who have always been esteemed men of great learning and sound judgment and most of them excellent at some piece of knowledg 1. Saxo Grammaticus who lived in the twelfth Century has writ the History of Denmark in so elegant a stile that Erasmus was amazed to find so much Rhetoric and clean Latine in Denmark especially in so barbarous an age as Saxo lived in 2. Erasmus Laetus Professour of Divinity in the University of Copenhagen has published many learned works of which Gesner has given a large Catalogue 3. Nicolaus Hemmingius famous for his acute Commentaries on several parts of the Scripture He died at Roschilt A. D. 1600. 4. All Europe as well as Denmark do to this day gratefully acknowledge the vast improvements which Astronomy the noblest and most ancient of all the sciences has received from the admirable observations of Tycho Brahe a Danish Nobleman to whom King Frideric the Second gave the Island Ween as a place remote from all trouble and fit for a Students retirement Here Tycho about the year 1575 built his Vraniburg an Observatory built like a Castle and fenced round with regular fortifications which he adorned with a collection of the most exact Mathematical Instruments that could possibly be made or procured Among his many Admirers who daily flock'd from all parts of the Learned world to pay him their respects our Learned King James returning from the celebration of his marriage with Queen Ann lodged three nights together in the Island with him and afterwards honour'd him with a letter from his own hands dated at Holy-rood House August 1 1593. The learned Resenius at the end of his Inscriptiones Hafnienses gives us a large account of the life and death of this famous man and an exact description of the Vraniburg 5. Christianus Severini Longomontanus was bred up in the Science of Astronomy by Tycho whom he assisted many years in his Observations Afterwards he was made publick Professour of Astronomy at Copenhagen where he writ his Astronomia Danica printed at Amsterdam by Janssonius in which he explains the various motions of the Planets according to his Master Tycho's Hypothesis and some observations by himself in the Isle of Ween Had he given over writing as soon as he had finished this work or medled with no other parts of Mathematics but Astronomy he might have ended his days as he spent his youth in good repute and credit But after he had bestowed above thirty years of his dotage in labouring to demonstrate the square of a circle which he fancied he had at last conquered in that peice of his entituled De vera Circuli mensura 4o. Amstelodami A. D. 1644. he became
divided formerly the Dukedom of Holstein from the Kingdom of Denmark BEfore the invention of Guns and other terrible Engines of war now used by all the Europeans and the greatest part of the known world the only fortifications and ramparts were strong walls and ditches which the ancients fancied as indeed they were sufficient to defend them from the arrows and battle-axes the only weapons then in use of their barbarous neighbours Hence it was that the Chinois thought their Empire secured from the incursions of their bloody neighbours the Tartars when their famous King Tzinzow had hedged them in with a wall of some hundreds of miles in length Thus the best expedient the Romans could find of putting the borders of their Brittish dominions in a posture of defence against the daily revolt of the Natives whom they had driven into Scotland was the building of Picts Wall and Severus's rampire which reach'd from Sea to Sea For the same reasons the Kings of Denmark having their Territories continually infested by the daily inroads of the Germans thought it highly requisite to block up their passage by walling up that neck of Land which lies between Hollingsted and Gottorp It is hard to determine from the account given by Historians when this work was first begun Paulus Aemilius a curious French Historian says Gothofred King of Denmark whom the Danish writers call Gothric was the first that made use of this stratagem to exclude the Armies of the Emperor Charles the Great about the year 808. The same story is told us by Aimoinus and Christianus Cilicius But Saxo Grammaticus Crantzius and the whole Class of the Northern Historians tell us unanimously That Queen Thyra daughter of Ethelred King of England and wife to Gormo Gamle King of Denmark was the Authoress of this fortification and that thence she had the surname of Danebode i.e. the Mistress builder of the Danish Nation bestowed on her I can scarce allow the latter part of the story to to be truth since we find that this surname was given her long before she had done any thing either towards the building or repairing of the Danewirk as they call'd this Fort. For upon a monument erected by King Gormo Gamle in honour of his Queen Thyra we find the following Inscription Gurmr Kunugr gerdi kubl dusi eft Turui Kunu sina Tanmarkur-bat i.e. Gormo the King erected this Tomb for Thyra his Queen Danebode or repairer of the Kingdom of Denmark This inscription cannot be an Epitaph writ after Queen Thyra's death seeing all the Danish writers assert positively that she outliv'd her husband Gormo many years and after his death took the Danewirk in hand So that its more then probable the surname of Danebode was given her for the many good offices she had done the Nation in repairing several old decayed Castles and Forts and building a great many new ones King Eric the Eighth in his Danish Chronicle says Thyra built the Fort of wood Which Witfield understands of the fencing the rampire with Stakes as bulwarks are guarded in our modern fortifications Others make Harald Blaatand Queen Thyra's son the first Author of this work after he had driven the Emperor Otho out of Jutland Which Erasmus Laetus the Danish Virgil alludes to when speaking of this King Harald he says Hic ille est solido primns qui Cimbrica vallo Munijt arva solique ingens e corpore dorsum Eruit immani quod se curvamine longos Incitat in tractus mediumque perambulat Isthmum Et maris Eoi ripas cum littore jungit Hesperio ac tenuem Sleswici respicit urbem King Eric decides this controversy by telling us That Thyra built a wooden fortification and afterwards advised her son to strengthen the work by Trenches and Rampires of earth Notwithstanding all these relations of other Historians both Pontanus and Wormius agree that 't is most likely the rude draught of this Fort was first drawn by King Gothric and only repair'd and improv'd by Queen Thyra King Harald and other succeeding Princes Waldemar the first built a wall of brick seven foot broad and eighteen high to strengthen it After so many improvements the fort was reckon'd impregnable For soon after King Waldemar's reparation when Henry Duke of Saxony surnamed the Lion intended to have endeavoured a breach through this fort into the King of Denmark's dominions he was disswaded from the enterprise by his chief Counsellor Bernhard Razburg who represented the undertaking as a thing impossible to be effected assuring him Danewirkae custodium Danorum sexaginta millibus mandatum esse i.e. That Danewirk was defended by a Garrison of sixty thousand Danes Hence King Sueno finding himself unable to force his way through so strong and so well man'd a Rampire endeavour'd to work his passage by corrupting the Keeper of Wiglesdor the only Gate leading through this wall into Jutland At this day there remain but sleight marks of so great a work At Schubuge and Hesbuge two small Villages upon the ruins of the wall the Inhabitants find reliques of old furnaces and brick-kilns whence the Danish Antiquaries conclude that King Waldemar had his bricks burn'd here tho he was forced to fetch mortar as far as Gothland Joh. Cypraeus tells us at Dennenwirch an inconsiderable Village in these parts may still be seen the ruins of an old Castle where Queen Thyra lodged The same Author says Wiglesdor was antiently called Kaelgate because placed in an open and plain part of the Country where the Enemy could have no shelter nor be in any probability of suprizing the Defendants HOLSTEIN ANtiently the whole Territories of the Dukedom of Holstein contained at present in the Provinces of Holstein properly so called Ditmarss Wagerland and Stormar went under the general name of Nortablingia or the country beyond the Elb Northwards Adam Bremensis and Helmoldus are the first that mention Holsatia which the former derives from Holts-geseten i.e. seated in a wood or forrest DUCATUS HOLSATIAE DESCRIPTIO NOVISSIMA Excudebant Janssâ—â—io-Waesbergii et Moses Pitt The fruitfulness of the soil convenience of trading in the Baltic and Brittish seas and industry of the Inhabitants render Holstein the richest Country in the King of Denmarks dominions and make the incomes of some of the Nobility exceed the treasure of many Princes in Germany The chief Cities and great Towns in Holstein are 1. Kyel Chilonium seated on the Baltic shore in a corner of land shut in betwixt the mouths of two rivers Whence some have fetcht its name from the German word Kiel which signifies a wedge It is furnished with a large and commodious haven which is continually throng'd with Merchant-Ships from Germany Liefland Sweden and all the Isles on the Baltic Sea There is yearly in this Town a meeting of the greatest part of the Nobility of Holstein who come hither to consult about the affairs of the Dukedom especially the concerns of the mint and value of money The Castle which is seated on the
Neutrality and Commerce and of all their Rights and Priviledges And that the Rights of his Imperial Majesty and the Empire be maintain'd To which the King returned them a kind answer assuring them of his good will and that he would punctually observe on his part this Agreement Which done within a few days after the Danish Army decamped Other Cities and Towns of note in Stormar are 1. Gluckstadt built and well fortified by King Christian IV. who much delighted in its pleasant situation and much improved by his successors It gave sufficient proof of its strength soon after the first building of it when it withstood and beat back the Emperors Army and held out a siege of almost two years continuance without yeilding at last It commands the passage of the Elb so that it highly concerns the Hamburghers to be at peace with the King of Denmark except they could make themselves masters of this Fort and so secure a free passage both for their Men of War and Merchant-Ships 2. Crempe seated on a small river of the same name This is reckoned one of the Keys of the Kingdom of Denmark and in the German wars gave a good testimony of its so being when in the years 1627 and 1628 it bravely resisted the fortunate German General Count Wallenstein for thirteen months together and at last was yeilded upon honourable terms It owes the chief of its strength to King Christian IV. who fortified it with a wall and ditches 3. Itzehoa seated on the navigable River Stoer which furnishes it with plenty of fish and all manner of merchandise from abroad 4. Bredenberg one of the neatest little Towns in all the King of Denmark's Territories the ancient seat of the most noble Family of the Rantzows very remarkable for the stout resistance it made Count Wallenstein who having at last taken it by storm put all the Garrison in it to the sword WAGRIA WAgria or Wagerland is almost girt round with the Baltic Sea and the two Rivers Trave and Suentin The whole length of it from Odelslo as far as the Village Grotenbro amounts to near forty-eight English miles and the breadth about twenty It is observable that the Princes of Holstein tho they bear the Arms of every other Province in that Dukedom have not the Arms of this Country which are a Bulls-head in their Coat Perhaps because the Arms of Oldenburgh are thought sufficient to represent the whole Province Plutarch tells us that the ancient Cimbrians who first made an inroad into Italy bore a Bull's-head Sable in a field Gules which shews of how venerable an antiquity the Arms of Wagerland are and how justly they may claim some place if not the best in the Coat of the Dukes of Holstein It had its name from the Wagrii a people in Slavonia who made themselves masters of this Tract by conquest The chief Towns of Wagerland are 1. Lubeck Lubeck seated at the confluence of the Rivers Trave and Billew From the pleasantness of its situation and stately buildings some Etymologists have derived the name of this City calling it Lobeck or ein eck dess lobes i. e. an honourable Corner Which agrees well with the account an ancient Poet gives us of it in these two verses Angulus haec laudis dicta est urbs nomine prisco Angulum in hunc fertur fluvius Travenna per aequor It was rebuilt by Adolph II. Earl of Holstein about the year 1143. But within a short while after grew so headstrong upon the daily accession of new Priviledges and Charters granted by this Prince and his successors that it bid defiance to the Earls of Holstein and became a Dukedom of it self By the Emperor Frideric I. it was made a member of the German Empire Upon his death the Lubeckers chose themselves another Duke who after he had govern'd them five years was vqnquish'd by the Danes by whom the City was made tributary to their King Out of this bondage it was rescued by the Emperor Frideric the second who made it an Imperial City in which state it continues to this day and therefore as a branch of the Empire of Germany will be described elsewhere more at large 2. Segeberge seated on the River Trave about sixteen English miles from Lubeck It was anciently called Aelberg which name upon the building of the Castle on the top of the adjoining craggy mountain was changed into Segeberg The occasion of which as Helmoldus tells the story was this When the Emperor Lotharius began to advise with some of his Counsellors in the year 1134 about building some considerable fortification in these parts which might check the growing power of the Sclaves in this Province and had at last pitcht upon this hill as the most convenient place One of the Sclavonian Princes is said to have spoken prophetically to his Companion these words Seest thou the fortification on the top of those mountains Let me tell thee it will in a short time prove the yoke of the whole Land c. Whence say the Danes the place to this day retains the name of Segeberg which in High Dutch signifies Behold the mountains 3. Odelso a fair City on the River Trave in the middle way between Segeberg and Lubeck In the year 1338 John Earl of Wagerland bought this City into his hands at the rate of ten thousand Marks of Silver After this it continued in a very flourishing condition till Eric of Pomeren in his wars with the Dukes of Sleswic and Holstein so defaced it that it could never since recover its ancient glory 4. Ploen an ancient City seated in the middle of a Lake of the same name by which and a Castle built not many years since by Joachim Ernestus Duke of Holstein after the Italian fashion it is exceedingly well fortified In the furthest corner of Wagerland lyes the ancient and famous County of Oldenburgh Oldenburgh divided from the rest of this Province by the River Brockaw Tho 't is generally agreed on by all the Danish writers that Oldenburgh the chief City in this County was anciently the Metropolis of the Wagrians and Venedi two warlike Nations to whom the greatest part of Mecklenburgh was subject yet we find no mention made of this place before the reign of Otho the Great who after he had vanquished the Venedi founded here a Bishoprick afterwards translated to Lubec and bestowed it on Marcus his Chancellor It was formerly a Town of great trade and exceeding populous having been beautified with four Churches three Monasteries and five Gates but since the Port was stop'd up at the command of Queen Margaret its glory has decreas'd daily and by the late dreadful fire caus'd by thunder and lightning which hath laid waste the best and greatest part of the City 't is now become much less considerable then it was before NOVA et Accurata descriptio totius FIONIAE vulgo FUNEN Apud Janssenio-Waesbergios et Moses Pitt The Baltic Sea ORtelius out of Pliny
for promotion Which says Wimpheling was a saying that became so great an Emperor He Reign'd nineteen years and ten months 875. Charles the Bald a base mean-spirited man Ludowic the First 's Son succeeded his Nephew Pope John IX perswaded him with fair words and money to come to Rome for his Coronation and there to receive the Imperial Scepter from his hands He Reign'd only two years being poyson'd as was supposed by one Sedechias a Jewish Physitian 878. Ludowic surnam'd Balbus succeeded his Father Charles but never enjoy'd the Crown if it was which many question ever set upon his head When he had linger'd out a year and an half he dyed leaving his Throne to 879. Charles III. surnam'd the Gross from his bulk and fatness He might have been stiled a second Charles the Great if he had been as successful in managing as obtaining of Kingdoms For by the death of his two Brothers all Germany France and Italy came into his hands He was the first that added the year of our Lord to the year of his Reign in the dating of any public Proclamations Grants c. At last when by several base actions especially in concluding a dishonourable peace betwixt himself and the Normans in which he gave them that part of France which is still called Normandy he had contracted the hatred of the whole Empire he was deposed by his Nobles and dyed miserably in a poor beggarly Village in Schwaben 888. Arnolph Natural Son of Caroloman Duke of Carinthia and King of Bavaria was elected into the room of Charles thus deposed and rul'd the Empire with a strong arm for twelve years He quell'd the Rebels in Moravia and Normandy and defeated Guido and Berengarius who had made head against him in Italy He storm'd Rome and took it but soon after was poyson'd there by the procurement of Guido's wife and dyed in great misery being eaten up of Lice which the poyson bred in his body 900. Ludowic IV. Arnolph's Son was elected by the Nobles into his Father's stead The Hungarians were continually at war with this Emperor who had seldom the good fortune to come off the field a Conqueror In these skirmishes a great part of the German Nobility was cut off which shortned his life and brought him to his grave before he had got a Son to inherit his Throne He dyed an unfortunate Prince and with him the Family of Charles the Great was wholly extinct During his Reign there was another Ludowic set up for Emperor by the Pope in Italy who was taken prisoner and had his eyes put out by Berengarius King of Lombardy 912. After the death of the Emperor Ludowic the Princes of Germany proffer'd the Imperial Crown to Otto Duke of Saxony who had the name of the wisest man and best Soldier of his time But old Age had render'd him at least in his own conceit unfit for Government Whereupon he made over the proffer'd Empire to Conrad Duke of Franconia who upon Otto's recommendation was immediately declared Emperor He was no sooner stept into the Throne but his carriage disobliged a great many of the Princes of the Empire who made war upon him and put him hard to 't to keep the reins in his hand Henry Duke of Saxony Duke Otto's Son engag'd him the oftest and with greatest courage and success However Conrad by his last Will and Testament notwithstanding the frequent quarrels between him and that Duke bequeathed his Empire to Henry whom he had experienced to be a Prince that for his valour and conduct deserv'd an Empire 919. Henry surnamed Auceps from the great delight he took in Hawking was by the German Princes according to the tenour of the Emperor Conrad's Will proclaim'd King of the Romans at Fritzlar Soon after the Pope fent to proffer his service in consecrating and anointing him Emperor but it was not accepted For Henry return'd his Holiness this answer that 't was enough for him that Gods providence and the voices of his Nobility had made him King of the Romans They that fancied this Title too mean might in Gods name go to Rome for Consecration and Vnction but for his own part he was satisfied with the honour already conferr'd on him He was a valiant and prudent Prince one that composed most of the animosities and quarrels of his own people and bravely defended them from the incursions of the Hungarians and other foreign Enemies He was the first that instituted the sports of Tilts and Turnaments and fortified the great Towns in Germany Ordering that every ninth Bore should remove his Family into a City and that the Citizens should be maintain'd by a Contribution of the third part of the Corn and Hay round about the Country Having overthrown the Hungarians at a memorable Battel near Mersburg he had the title of Pater Patriae rerum Dominus Imperator conferr'd upon him Afterwards going into Italy he was taken with an Apoplexy of which to the great grief of the whole German Nation he dyed after he had reign'd seven years and six months 936. Otto the Emperor Henry's Son succeeded his Father in the Empire and equall'd him in all his acts of piety wisdom and prowess whence he was surnamed the Great He compell'd Harald King of Denmark to acknowledg the Emperor of Germany's Supremacy and embrace Christianity subdued the Bohemians and forc'd their Prince Boleslaus to turn Christian deposed Pope John XII and put Leo VIII in his place making a Decree that for the future the power of chusing Popes should be in the Emperor alone The fashion of Christening of Bells was first brought up in his Reign 973. Otho II. succeeded his Father Otho the Great He found the Empire in peace and excepting some small skirmishes betwixt him and his Cousin Henry Duke of Bavaria whom some malecontent Bishops had proclaimed Emperor never met with any opposition in his own Dominions He overthrew the Turks in Apulia and was thence stiled Pallida Saracenorum mors He reign'd eleven years and at his death left the Empire as he found it in perfect peace 984. Otho III. surnamed the Child was advanc'd to his Father's Throne at ten years of age but quickly grew up to be a Prince of wonderful sagacity and prudence Some say he was the first that instituted the manner of Electing an Emperor by the majority of the Voices of Seven Electors of which more hereafter He reign'd eighteen years and dyed in Italy being poyson'd with a pair of Gloves presented to him by the wife of Crescentius a Rebel whom he had caus'd to be hang'd The woman had been his Concubine for some time after her husbands death and was in hopes of being married to him and so made an Empress But when she saw him ready to leave Italy without taking notice of any former contract betwixt them and preparing for a return to Germany she was resolv'd by this expedient to satisfie her revenge tho she could not provide for her
lust and ambition 1002. Upon Otto's death Henry Duke of Bavaria was chosen Emperor by the Electors His piety got him the Title of Holy and a mischance in his Childhood surnam'd him the Lame Willegise Archbishop of Mentz a Wagoner's Son whence that City got a Wheel for its Arms Crown'd him He fought many great Battels and from most of them came off Conqueror The Saracens were by him driven out of Apulia and Calabria and the Wendish Armies which had over-run a great part of Germany he utterly vanquish'd He is by some Historians stiled the Apostle of Hungary because he was the first that thorowly converted that Nation Upon his death-bed after he had reigned twenty and three years he is said to have return'd his Empress Cunigunda to her friends for a pure Virgin in which state by mutual consent they both had continued from the first day of their marriage Tho we read that once he so far question'd his Wife's chastity and the performance of her Vow as to make her purge her self by a fiery Ordeal Which she perform'd by going barefoot over a red-hot iron grate without the least shrink or sense of pain 1024. Conrad a Prince descended from Charles the Great succeeded Henry and was Crown'd Emperor at Aix la Chappel by the Archbishop of Colen Amongst Historians we find this high character of him that he was Acer consilio manuque strenuus charus Principibus Populo acceptior Reipublicae salutaris i. e. Quick at Council-board and valiant in the field one on whom the Princes of the Empire doted the People's Darling the strength of the Empire One of the good Laws which he established was That it should be death for any Prince to offer to disturb the peace of the Empire by making an offensive war upon any particular Province in it He died suddenly in his return from an expedition against the Hungarians and was buried at Spire after he had reigned fifteen years 1039. Henry surnam'd the Black Conrad's Son succeeded his Father in the Empire He reign'd seventeen years and seven months The first war he engag'd himself in was against the Bohemians upon their refusal to pay tribute to the Emperor Afterwards he turn'd his Forces against the Hungarians and restored their King Peter who had been deposed by his own Subjects for Tyranny In the year 1046 he march'd into Italy to compose differences among the three Popes who were set up by contrary factions But he depos'd them all and made a fourth viz. Clement II. renewing the old Law wherein it was enacted That no Pope should be created without the consent of the Emperor 1056. Henry IV. succeeded his Father at six years of age He is said during his reign which lasted fifty years to have fought sixty-two great battels which are more then either Marcus Marcellus Julius Caesar or any other Roman General could ever brag of Pope Hildebrand who went under the name of Gregory VII cast off this Emperors yoke and after some skirmishes got Rudolph Duke of Schwaben proclaim'd Emperor in his stead to whom the Pope presented an Imperial Crown with this Inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rudolpho But this Emperor of the Pope's making was soon vanquish'd and slain However within a while the Empire was taken from him in good earnest and that by his own Subjects who deposed him and elected his Son into his room This Emperor is reported to have been brought to those extremities before his death as to be forc'd to beg a Prebendary of the Bishop of Spire some say Wormes in the Church which he himself had built which was nevertheless denied him 1106. Henry V. was admitted into his Father's Throne by his rebellious Subjects and crown'd Emperor at Goslar At his Coronation part of his Sword was melted with Lightning but the Scabbard was untouch'd and himself escap'd without harm He was forc'd to acknowledg the Pope's Supremacy and to quit all pretensions to the power of Investiture which his Ancestors challeng'd as their right He reigned nineteen years dyed without issue and was buried at Spire 1125. Lotharius Duke of Saxony was elected to succeed Henry V. and receiv'd his Crown from the Pope at Rome in the year 1133. The greatest thing this Emperor did was the reviving the practice of the Civil Law in the German Empire after it had been banish'd thence for the space of five hundred years 1138. Conrad Duke of Schwaben and Lotharius's Sister's Son succeeded his Uncle carrying the Empire against Henry Duke of Bavaria who for some time opposed him In his days a Body of the Canon Laws was first set forth by Gratian a Benedictine Monk and publicly taught in the Universities of Germany He reign'd fourteen years 1152. Frideric Duke of Schwaben surnam'd Barbarossa from his red beard was elected Emperor upon the death of Conrad and was Crown'd at Rome by Pope Adrian IV. He was a wise valiant and pious Prince and commonly fortunate in all his undertakings Pope Alexander the third excommunicated him for his obstinacy but afterwards was reconciled when the Emperor threw himself at the Pope's feet and suffer'd him to tread on his neck In the year 1187 accompanied with our King Richard I. and Philip II. King of France he went to fight against the Saracens in the Holy Land Here he was drown'd in a river wherein he intended only to have bathed himself and was buried at Tyre after he had reign'd thirty-eight years 1190. Henry Frideric Barbarossa's Son tho short of his Father in deserts was-elected into his place He took Tancred prisoner in Sicily who thought to have supplanted him in that Kingdom and having put out his eyes sent him bound into Germany Pope Celestine who Crown'd him Emperor perswaded him to engage himself in the Holy-war but he never reach'd Palestine dying upon his journey thither when he had reigned almost eight years 1198. Upon the death of the Emperor Henry his Brother Philip was at first elected But because he refused to submit himself to the Pope as his Ancestors had done he was shortly after excommunicated and Otto Duke of Brunswic by the Electors and the Pope's authority declared Emperor Whereupon the two Emperors engaged the whole Empire in a long and bloody war each asserting a legal title and refusing to quit his pretensions to the Crown At last Philip was treacherously slain in his bed after he had ruled the Empire at least the greatest part of it ten years 1208. Otto Son of Henry surnam'd the Lion Duke of Brunswic got possession of the Empire as soon as Philip was taken of He had not reign'd four years e're he met with his Predecessor's fate having the Imperial Crown taken from his head by the Pope of Rome and the Electors and given to Frideric King of Sicily Otto got some succours from the Kings of England and Poland but was never able to make any considerable resistance One battel decided the controversie establishing Frideric in the Imperial Throne
Otto being deserted on all hands and afterwards dyed miserably at Brunswic in the year 1218. 1212. Frideric II. King of Sicily being by these means advanced to the Empire prov'd a wise valiant and learned Prince in every respect like his Grandfather Frideric Barbarossa before-mention'd He is said to have understood perfectly the German Greek Italian and Turkish tongues and to have been admirably apprehensive at learning all manner of Arts and Sciences He was five several times excommunicated by three Popes but could never be forced to submit Pope Gregory IX was deposed by him and had doubtless lost his head if he had come into his hands alive His continual quarrels with the Popes gave the first occasion of heats and animosities which afterwards burst out into a terrible combustion and flame betwixt the Guelphs and Gibellines whereof the former adher'd to the Pope's interest and the later to the Emperors After he had reign'd thirty-eight years he dyed some say was poyson'd in Italy After his death follow'd an Interregnum of twenty-three years continuance during which time the Empire was govern'd indeed by none but claim'd by these seven following Princes 1. Henry Landtgrave of Hassia and Thuringen who was slain at the siege of Vlm 2. Conrad IV. Frideric the Second's Son who was elected King of the Romans and in the year 1254 after he had pretended to be Emperor for three years and five months was poysoned by his Physitians 4. Manfred 5. William Earl of Holland who was first pronounced King of the Romans by the Pope in opposition to Frideric II. He was slain treacherously by the Frisians 6. Alphonsus King of Castile the Author of the famous Astronomical Tables that still bear his name 7. Richard Earl of Cornwal Brother to our King Henry III. He is supposed to have bought the voices of the Archbishop of Colen and the Elector Palatine of the Rhine who proclaim'd him King of the Romans in the year 1254. But the same men that set him up deposed him afterwards and he was forc'd within six years to return to England where he ended his days 1273. Rodolph Earl of Habsburg after a long and grievous Interregnum was by an unanimous consent of the Electors chosen at Francfurt His election was confirm'd by the Pope but he refused to fetch his Crown from Rome alledging for an excuse that of Horace quia me vestigia terrent Omnia te adversum spectantia nulla retrorsum Whereupon he was Crown'd at Aix la Chapelle and immediately after his Coronation put out several Edicts for the suppressing of Robberies Oppressions and Tumults which the late licentious Anarchy had produced These Statutes and Proclamations he back'd with force of Arms till he had at last reduc'd the Empire to its former peace and tranquillity And 't was no easie matter to effect this since in the single Province of Thuringen he met with no fewer then sixty strong Castles which the Robbers had made almost impregnable He was the first that raised the Austrian Family creating his Son Albert who was afterwards Emperor Arch-Duke of Austria He dyed in the year 1271 and was buried at Spire in the seventy-third year of his age 1292. Adolph Earl of Nassaw was by the interest of the Elector of Mentz declared Emperor contrary to the expectation of most of the German Princes who thought him a Prince no way qualified for so high an advancement He serv'd in person and took pay in the Army of our King Edward I. who was at that time engaged in a war with France This was so highly disgusted by the Elector of Mentz his late promoter who thought it an action highly infamous in an Emperor to make himself mercenary that he prevail'd with the other Electors to depose him and elect in his stead Albert Arch-Duke of Austria Adolph tho not able to manage the Empire was unwilling to part with the power he had once got into his hands and therefore assisted by Otto Duke of Bavaria Rudolph Count Palatine of the Rhine and several of the Imperial Cities he was resolv'd to oppose Albert and his party to the uttermost But all the forces which he or his friends could raise were not sufficient to secure him so that upon the first engagement which happen'd near Worms his whole Army was routed and he himself slain by Duke Albert's own hand after he had reign'd six years and six months The German Historians observe that all the Officers who commanded Albert's Army against the Emperor Adolph came to untimely ends 1298. Albert having thus slain Adolph was Crown'd Emperor at Aix la Chappelle and receiv'd his Crown tho he once refus'd to do it at the hands of Pope Boniface VIII He is said to have been a Prince of quick parts and solid judgment a munificent rewarder of men of great deserts and as severe a punisher of delinquents but withal one that too greedily gap'd after the Territories and Dominions of neighbour Princes He made his Son Rudolph King of Bohemia and endeavour'd tho in vain to bring the Kingdom of Hungary under his own subjection At last when he had reign'd ten years he was treacherously slain by his Nephew and three Ruffians more of his party who for this murder were afterwards imprison'd and executed 1308. Henry Earl of Luxemburg for his great wisdom and valour was elected into the room of Albert. He rul'd the Empire four years and nine months and is reported to have been a Prince of such an even temper that no excess either of prosperity or adversity could move him and so devout in the exercise of religious duties that he would spend whole nights in prayer before a Crucifix and constantly every day receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper This last piece of devotion cost him his life for he was poyson'd by a Franciscan Minorite with a Consecrated Wafer The Emperor was immediately sensible of the Friar's villany and therefore advised him to withdraw speedily lest he should be apprehended But the Priest neglecting his counsel was seized on first flay'd alive and afterwards put to death After the murder of this Emperor ensued a great famine in most parts of Germany which was so terrible in Bohemia and Poland that in some Families Parents and Children fed upon one another Nay in many Provinces the Malefactors that were in the day time executed for Murder and Robbery were in the night stoln from the Gallows or Gibbet and carried by the half-starved Bores to their Cottages and there eaten up Those that escaped the Gallows abroad and the jaws of hungry friends at home had much ado to secure themselves from the ravenous Wolves which could hardly be kept off with the best weapons the inhabitants were able to provide The German Chronologers have made use of the word Cucullum to bring to their remembrance the remarkable year when this famine first begun for it lasted three years in all whence the Verse Vt lateat nullum tempus famis ecce
CUCULLUM In which last word we have as many Numeral Letters as will give us the year 1315. 1318. Ludowic Duke of Bavaria after an Interregnum of some years was Elected and Crowned Emperor by a majority of the Electors but was oppos'd by Frideric Duke of Austria the Emperor Albert's Son who was set up by another faction and Crown'd at Bonna a small Town in the Territories of the Archbishop of Colen For some time the dispute was managed with equal success betwixt the two Emperors but at the last the victory went on Ludowic's side who having utterly routed Frideric's Army got the whole Empire into his own hands He was a great opposer of the Pope's authority insomuch that in a public Oration spoken by him at Francfurt he declared openly Quod nihil Juris Pontifici Romano sit in Imperium i. e. That the Bishop of Rome had no reason to pretend to any Jurisdiction over the Empire He deposed Pope John XXII and set up Nicolas V. in his stead He sleighted the Popes Excommunications which were daily denounc'd against him being encouraged thereto by Occam and some others who came in with him for a share in the Curse Occam's continual advice to him was O mi Imperator Tu me gladio defende ego Te verbis scriptis defendam i. e. Do you my Liege guard me with your Sword and I 'll protect you with words and writing 1346. Upon the death of Ludowic Charles IV. Son of John King of Bohemia was elected and proclaim'd Emperor by a Gang which he had corrupted with large sums of money He is blam'd by some Historians for taking much more care of the public affairs of France and Bohemia then those of the Empire for being more solicitous in promoting the interest of his own private Family then the good of the Commonwealth and lastly they represent him as a miserable penurious wretch that minded more the scraping together an Estate and great Portions for his Children rather then the administring of Justice and the grand concerns of his Empire and people However 't is commendation enough to say that he was the first contriver and establisher of the Aurea Bulla which contains a register of all the Rites and Ceremonies which for ever are to be observ'd by the German Princes in the Election of their Emperors of which more hereafter He was doubtless a prudent and learned Prince one that took great delight in the reading of Books and enjoying the company of Scholars There were three more Emperors elected against him at several times but none of them contended with him for the Crown The first of these was Edward III. King of England whose brave exploits in France had made him famous all Europe over But he finding employment enough in the management of his own Dominions at home very generously refus'd the Imperial Diadem when it was offer'd to him The second was Frideric Landtgrave of Thuringen who for a good sum of money very willingly quitted his pretensions Gunther Earl of Schwartzburgh was the third who was Crown'd at Aix la Chappelle and drew up his Forces near Francfurt intending to have given his Rival battel But Charles was loath to encounter so great a Soldier and hazard an Empire at one engagement which had cost him such large sums as he was obliged to pay to some of his Votaries He still fancied his Gold was the best weapon he had to trust to and so indeed it prov'd For therewith he hired a Physitian to poyson Gunther's body which made him unfit for government That done he compounded with his Children and a small piece of money bought off their Title He reign'd thirty-two years 1378. Wenceslaus Charles the Fourth's Son succeeded his Father upon his earnest entreaty for there was nothing in himself that could deserve a Crown In the beginning of his reign he gave himself up to all manner of vicious practices and towards the later end proved a cruel but unfortunate Tyrant He was twice taken prisoner but made his escape At last the Electors weary of so sordid an Emperor deposed him after he had reign'd twenty-two years Frideric Duke of Brunswic was elected into the room of Wenceslaus but never liv'd to enjoy the Imperial Crown For returning from the Election he was barbarously slain by Henry Count Waldeck who with a company of Ruffians lay in ambush for him near Fritzlar Whereupon the Electors immediately return'd to Francfurt and chose 1400. Rupert Elector Palatine of the Rhine A Prince of great valour tho never engag'd in any war but by constraint The greatest enterprize he ever set upon was the recovery of the Dukedom of Millain which his predecessor Wenceslaus had sold But John Galeazzes at that time Duke of Millain quickly routed his Army and forc'd him to retire back into Germany He dyed in peace after he had reign'd nine years and ten months and was buried at Spire 1410. Jodocus Barbatus Marquess of Moravia and the Emperor Charles the Fourth's Nephew succeeded Rupert He reign'd no longer then five months being no way qualified for an Emperor and having nothing remarkable in him but his beard which surnam'd him Barbatus 1411. Sigismund Wenceslaus's brother King of Hungary and Bohemia was chosen into Jodocus's place by an unanimous consent of all the Electors Historians represent this Emperor as a Prince of incomparable piety learning and valour who wanted nothing but success in his undertakings to make him compleatly happy He was a great promoter of the Council of Constance held in the year 1415 wherein John Huss and Jerom of Prague notwithstanding the Emperors Pass and promise that they should return safe to Bohemia were condemn'd to be burnt alive for Heretics This so incensed the Hussites that they immediately rebell'd against Sigismund under the command of their General Zysca who had been bred up in the Emperors Court This Zysca prov'd so fortunate in the field that he vanquish'd the Emperors Army fourteen several times He was a Captain of that courage that after his death his Soldiers cover'd a Drum with his skin imagining that the noise thereof would strike terror into the hearts of the stoutest of their enemies Sigismund having reign'd twenty-seven years most of which time was spent in a continual war with the Hussites dyed and left his Empire to his Son-in-law 1440. Frideric III. or IV. if we reckon the Duke of Brunswic who was slain at Fritzlar for one Duke of Austria was unanimously elected into the Imperial Throne upon the decease of the Emperor Albert and was Crown'd Emperor at Rome by Pope Nicolas V. He made it his whole business to procure and establish an universal peace in Christendom and to that end procured the calling of the Council of Basil He married Leonora daughter of Alphonsus King of Portugal whence the Houses of Spain and Austria were united into one Family He reign'd fifty and three years the longest of any of the German Emperors and dyed as some say of a Surfet by
eating too much of a Melon tho he was never tax'd for being guilty of any manner of intemperance in meat or drink but always esteem'd a severe punisher of drunkenness and gluttony 1493. Maximilian succeeded his Father Frideric having been before his Fathers death Crown'd King of the Romans in the year 1486. From his birth till he was almost nine years old he is said to have been utterly speechless but afterwards he gain'd the use of his tongue and prov'd one of the most eloquent and learned Emperors that Germany ever bred He married Mary the only Daughter and Heiress of Charles Duke of Burgundy upon which marriage all the Dukedoms Marquisats Earldoms and other Dominions of which the said Charles had been Lord were for ever annex'd to the Territories of the House of Austria The wars he was engag'd in against his neighbours on all hands especially the Venetians were almost innumerable tho for the most part he was forc'd to take up Arms in his own defence 'T is reported of him that he would never pass by a Gallows or Gibbet without a reverent salute in these words Salve sancta Justitia For five years before his death which happen'd in the twenty-fifth year of his reign he had his Coffin always by him and carried after him in every expedition he undertook which gave some of his retinue occasion to conjecture that he had some great treasure in it and that the pretence of its putting him in mind of mortality was only a false veil to blind the vulgar 1519. Charles V. Son to Philip King of Spain was elected Emperor and Crown'd with the greatest pomp imaginable at Aix la Chappel A puissant and brave Prince who well deserv'd the surname of Great conferr'd on him by Pope Paul III. The whole History of his Life seems to be nothing else but a Catalogue of his Conquests The writers of those times mention forty great victories obtain'd by him and seventy battels from which he came off the field a Conqueror The Pope of Rome and the French King were at the same time his prisoners He quash'd the League made by the Protestants at Schmalcade and took the Elector of Saxony and Landtgrave of Hassia prisoners He forced the Great Turk to relinquish Vienna and afterwards won the Kingdom of Tunis At last having reign'd thirty-eight years loaded with victories and honour he resign'd the Empire and betook himself to a Monastery where he was used to say That he had more pleasure and satisfaction in the retired and solitary enjoyment of one day in a Monk's Cell then ever he could perceive in all the fortunate Triumphs that attended the rest of his life 1558. Ferdinand I. upon the voluntary resignation of his Brother Charles V. was by an unanimous consent of the Electors declared Emperor tho Pope Pius IV. refused to pronounce the Election valid because Ferdinand had granted the Lutherans a toleration But some say the same Pope was afterwards so far reconciled to him as to grant him the priviledg of receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in both kinds He was a mild peaceful and temperate Prince a hard student and perfect Master of the Latin tongue He was exceeding courteous to all even the meanest of his Subjects and had a certain hour in every day in which he attended the suits and complaints of poor men When some of his Courtiers objected to him the inconveniences that would follow upon the permission of so easie an access to all manner of supplicants he answer'd That himself could expect but harsh usage at Gods Throne if beggars were hinder'd from approaching his He dyed of a Catarrh in the sixty-first year of his age after he had reign'd six years 1564. Maximilian II. Ferdinand's Son and King of Bohemia was elected into his Fathers room being first proclaim'd King of the Romans at Francfurt and afterwards Crown'd King of Hungary This Emperor prov'd as great a favourer of the Protestants as his Father insomuch that some Roman Catholics have not stuck to call him the Lutheran Emperor He renewed the Articles of Peace agreed upon between the Protestant and Popish parties at Passaw and granted some of his Nobility and branches of the Austrian Family a free exercise of the Lutheran Religion Qui in conscientiis Imperium sibi sumunt conantur coeli arcem invadere is a saying which Historians know not whether to attribute to this Emperor or Maximilian I. but 't is most probable it was the former's since he is known to have been the greatest favourer of the Protestant perswasion that ever rul'd the German Empire He dyed at Ratisbon in the year 1576 having reign'd twelve years 1576. Rudolph Maximilian's Son was elected Emperor immediately upon his Father's death Some curious Chronologers have fancied his coming to the Imperial Crown in this year something ominous since the Numeral letters in RVdoLphVs IMperator AVgVstVs make up the number 1576. He was a Prince exceedingly addicted to the studies of all manner of Arts and Sciences especially the Mathematics and Mechanics In both which he receiv'd great assistance from the famous Astronomer Tycho Brahe who dyed in his Court where he had spent the greatest part of his banishment Several Cities and Provinces in Germany at his request began to make use of the Gregorian account tho many Ambassadors sent from the Electors to Rotenburg to treat of this particular rejected it The greatest war he engaged himself in was against the Turks with whom at last he concluded a Peace in the year 1600. But the truth is he minded his book more then Arts of Chivalry and was a greater Scholar then Soldier Which gave his Brother Matthias opportunity of undermining and cheating him of the Kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia and forcing him to content himself with the Arch-Dukedom of Austria and the Empire 1612. Matthias upon his Brother's death was Elected and Crown'd Emperor at Francfurt The Protestant Religion was as much persecuted by this Emperor as it was encouraged by his predecessor Which harshness and severity gave occasion to that bloody Civil-war which broke out first in Bohemia and had afterwards like to have set the whole Empire in a flame When the oppression which the Protestants lay under had occasioned some dangerous seditions in a great many considerable Cities and Market-Towns in the Kingdom of Bohemia the Emperor order'd a Synod to be call'd at Prague designing to allow the dissenting party as they term'd the Lutherans some small priviledges but such as should be far short of the large Charter given and confirm'd to them by his Brother Rudolph At this meeting the Emperors Ambassadors William Slabate and Jurislaw Bazius where thrown out of the window for their domineering carriage and so perished This mightily incensed the Emperor who endeavouring to be reveng'd had like to have ruin'd himself and his Empire He dyed without issue having reign'd seven years 1619. Ferdinand of Gratz Arch-Duke of Austria and Grandson to Ferdinand I. by
present religious Emperor into a compliance with whatever they buz into his ears How the Emperors lost the power of Investiture c. we shall shew more at large when we come to treat of the Ecclesiastical Estate of the Empire In all Proclamations Patents Decrees c. the Titles of their present Emperor run as follows Leopold I. by the Grace of God Emperor Kayser of the Romans always Augustus Mehrer des Reichs c. King of Germany Hungary Bohemia Dalmatia Croatia Slavonia Bulgaria Bosnia Servia and Rescia Arch-Duke of Austria Duke of Burgundy Brabant Styria Carinthia Carniola Luxemburg Wittenberg together with the higher and lower Silesia Marquess of the Holy Empire Burgaw Moravia with the higher and farther Lusace Earl of Habsburg Tyrole Ferrete Kiburg Goritia c. Landtgrave of Alsace Lord of Windischamrck Portnaw and Salins For what more peculiarly relates to the Emperor as Arch-Duke of Austria we refer the Reader to the Description of that Country where he may also expect an account of the grandeur of the Emperors Court Retinue Servants c. Of the Election and Coronation of the GERMAN EMPERORS THE principal Members of the German Empire next to the Emperor himself are the Eight Electors viz. the Archbishops of Mentz Triers Colen who are also Arch-Chancellors of the Empire the first in Germany the second in France and the Kingdom of Arles and the third in Italy the King of Bohemia Cup-bearer to the Emperor the Duke of Bavaria Great Steward of the Empire the Duke of Saxony Grand Marshal or Constable the Marquess of Brandenburgh Great Chamberlain and lasty the Prince Palatine of the Rhine Cheif Treasurer of the Empire These Eight for so many they have been since the Westphalian Treaty tho heretofore only Seven have Right and Authority to Elect the Emperor and also to Depose him when by his enormous crimes or unmanly idleness he neglects the Honour of the Empire the public good and the duty of his place Thus they serv'd Wenceslaus tho advanc'd to the Imperial Throne at the request of his Father Charles the Fourth who had deserv'd far better things at their hands for composing the Aurea Bulla of which more hereaster The Archbishop of Mentz has several times taken upon him to remind such Emperors as have not suited with his humour of this grand power of the Electors and to threaten them with the execution of it if they should not alter their courses At what time the power of chusing the Emperors was first committed to those Princes who to this day bear the Title of Electors is not easily determin'd It is certain that Charles the Great transmitted the Imperial Dignity to his posterity by way of Succession And the same Right continued for some ages in his Family until some of his Successors falling far short of this incomparable Emperor were thought unfit to Govern Whereupon the Empire was offer'd to Otho Duke of Saxony and upon his refusal given to Conrad Duke of Franconia After his death Henry Duke Otho's Son was Elected Emperor by a general consent of all the Princes and Estates of the Empire and was succeeded afterwards by his Son Otho I. who obtain'd the Crown by the same means This way of Succession from Father to Son was observ'd till Henry IV. who coming to the Crown when he was a Child and managing it very ill when he was of years to have govern'd better was contemn'd and sleighted by the Lords of the Empire And Pope Gregory VII taking this opportunity of magnifying his own Authority in the German Empire excommunicated him and declaring him unfit to sway the Imperial Scepter order'd him to be deposed which was a thing before that time never heard of in the Empire Whereupon the Rebel Princes thinking themselves absolv'd from their Allegiance Elected Rudolph Duke of Schwaben into the Emperor Henry's place and made a Law That the Right of Succession should be therein abolished and the Power of chusing Emperors committed to the people What Anarchy and confusion follow'd upon this Decree the German Histories will sufficiently inform us But in process of time the less considerable part of the Rabble of Electors were depriv'd of their late gain'd right and priviledge of chusing Emperors the whole power being usurp'd by a few of the chief Officers in the Imperial Court From the year 1250 till 1500 it was the general opinion of all Historians that the Emperor Otho III. and Pope Gregory V. reduc'd the number of Electors to Seven only in this the Authors of those times cannot agree Whether the Emperor or Pope had the greater Authority in settling the Affair But this opinion has of later years been strongly oppos'd by most learned writers and 't is highly probable that more then Seven had voices in the Election of Emperors until the time of Frideric II. For Otho Frisingensis assures us that Henry II. was chosen by all the Lords of the Empire and after his death Conrad Duke of Franconia was advanced into his place by the consent of the same Electors Henry III. Conrad's Son was likewise Elected tho we are not told by whom The Abbot of Vrsperg tells us that Henry IV. was raised to the Imperial Dignity by the Bishops of Germany that Henry V. was chosen by an unanimous consent of all the members of the German Empire that Lotharius II. was made Emperor by two Archbishops eight Bishops with several Abbots and Lords of the Imperial Court that Conrad III. was admitted into the Throne the Duke of Saxony not being call'd to the Election and the See of Mentz being then vacant that Frideric Barbarossa was chosen by all the German Princes that Philip was Elected Emperor by the Suevians Bavarians and Saxons that Otho IV. had the Scepter from the Citizens of Colen Strasburg and some other Imperial Cities This Otho was afterwards excommunicated by the Pope of Rome and Frideric King of Sicily Elected into his room by the voices of the King of Bohemia the Dukes of Austria and Bohemia the Landtgrave of Thuringen and several other Princes of the Empire Hitherto we see the Emperors were not chosen by any set number of Electors tho it is likely that those Princes who have now got the sole power into their hands had even in those times the greatest share of authority in all Elections as being the most potent members of the Empire But when after the death of Frideric II. no man for many years took care of the supreme Government in this deplorable condition of the German Empire Seven of the chief Princes by taking upon them as is probable the management of all public affairs laid the first foundation of the Electoral dignity which was afterwards confirm'd to them by the Emperor Charles the Fourth's Aurea Bulla The reasons why the number of Electors was reduced to Seven was this because that if in any Election six of the voices chanc'd to be equally divided the seventh Elector might cast the ballance to that side where
get nothing but the bare Title of their Elder Brethren and are not permitted to have the least share in the Inheritance and Temporal Estate of their Ancestors The Bishopric of Lubec remains still an Ecclesiastical preferment tho in the hands of the Lutherans and ever since the death of Balthazar of Rantzau which hapned in the year 1547 has been in the gift of the Dukes of Sleswic and Holstein The present Bishop is a younger Brother of the Duke of Holstein and keeps his residence at Eutin a fair Palace situate on a Lake about two German miles from Lubec Among the Roman Prelates the Archbishop of Saltzburg is chief being born Legate of the Papal See and giving place to none but the Electors in the public Diets of the Empire How fair and strong a City Saltzburg is and what riches it brings in yearly to this Prelate by the abundance of Salt here vended we shall have occasion to shew hereafter Bishops of the Roman Church who still enjoy a Seat and Suffrage in the Assemblies of the Empire are Bamberg Wirsburg Wormes Spire Eichstedt Augsburg Constance Hildesheim Paderborn Munster Osnabrug Passau Strasburg Frisinguen Liege Trent Brix and Basil Amongst which Osnabrug belongs to the Lutheran Princes by turns and since the death of Francis Count of Wirtemberg the Bishopric came into the hands of the present Bishop Ernest Augustus Duke of Lunenburg youngest Brother of the House of Zell And since the late decayed power of the Elector of Colen who challenges the Bishopric of Hildesheim the last Duke of Hanover took possession of the Diocess of Hildesheim and kept it by a strong hand And whether his Brother Ernest Augustus Bishop of Osnabrug who has lately succeeded him in the Dukedom of Hanover will restore it to the Archbishop of Colen I cannot determine There had long been a quarrel between the Emperors of Germany and the Bishops of Rome about the Right of Election and Investiture of Bishops in the Empire â—â—stiâ—â—â— of â—â—ops before the Council of Trent determined the controversie and gave the sole power of conferring of Dignities and Prelacies not only in the German Empire but in all other parts of Christendom to the Pope How unjust an usurpation this was the Pope's own Canons will inform us where we meet with Pope Leo begging leave of the Emperors Ludowic and Lotharius to consecrate one Colonus Bishop of Riete with several other the like examples And an infinite number of Historians and other ancient Authors many of which the Reader may find quoted by the learned Author of the Review of the Council of Trent assure us that the Emperors always peaceably enjoy'd this Right of investing Bishops and Abbots till the days of Pope Gregory VII who altho himself had receiv'd Confirmation from the Emperor Henry IV. yet thunder'd out an Excommunication against all Emperors Kings Dukes Marquises Earls and all other secular powers that should lay claim to the Right of Investiture into Bishoprics or any other Ecclesiastical Dignities and against all those that should receive any such preferment at their hands This Decree has been observ'd by Gregory's Successors as an inviolable Statute of the Apostolic See and enroll'd in their Books of Decretals After many irreconcilable broils and bickerings betwixt the Pope and Emperor after this Excommunication was issued out the one endeavouring to keep the other to regain the said Right at last Henry V. was forced to yeild to Pope Calixtus and divest himself of that Right which his Ancestors had always challeng'd and to which most of them made good their title and plea. This poor Emperor I say abandon'd almost by all the world and combated by his own Subjects those especially of the Clergy was constrain'd to quit his claim to all manner of Investiture by this formal Declaration I Henry by the Grace of God Emperor of Rome for the Love of God and of the Holy Roman Church and of Pope Calixtus and for the benefit of my own Soul do restore unto God and to his blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul and to the Holy Catholic Church all kind of Investiture made by the Ring and Staff and permit that Elections and free Consecrations be made in all Churches Now tho the terms of this renunciation shew that it was only personal and that it laid no obligation on his Successors to follow his example yet by virtue of this surrender the Popes of Rome have for more then five hundred years pretended to an unquestionable Right of Investiture of all sorts of Eclesiastical Dignified persons And that Emperor's Successors have always wanted either courage or strength enough to regain their lost prerogative There are two ways of advancing these Prelates in the German Church whereof the one is term'd Election and the other Postulation When the Chapter of any Cathedral being Canonically assembled chuses any particular member of their own body to be head thereof which is supposed to be lawfully done when two thirds of the Canons give him their voices he is said to be Archbishop or Bishop by Election But if the same Canons think fit to promote to that Dignity some Prince or Prelate who is not of their own body they call that kind of proceeding Postulation Besides the Archbishops and Bishops there are several other Ecclesiastical Princes of the Empire Abbots who have Seats and Voices in the Diets The chief of these is the Master of the Teutonic Order tho he has nothing but a bare Title from his Order who keeps usually his Residence at Manenchal or Morkenthal and has a Vote in all Assemblies immediately after the Archbishop of Saltzburg The rest are the Abbots of Fulda Hirsesfeld Murbach Kempten Corbay Prum Stabel and Ludors the Grand Prior of Malta the Provosts of Elvang and Beressolagaden who have Voices after the Bishops There are three and twenty other Prelates Abbesses and fourteen Abbesses that come after the Secular Princes who tho they have Seats in the Diets yet have no voices but in a full body no more then the Counts The Abbesses are they of Quedlimburg Essen Hermord Nidez and Obermunster at Ratisbon Lindau Herenroda Buchau upon the Lake Federsic Rottemmuster near Rottevil Hagbaen Guttenzel Beind Dandelau and Gunderthem These Ladies are obliged to send in their Deputies to all public Assemblies of the Empire being excus'd a personal presence because of their Sex However they have as good a right to challenge Seats in the Diets as any Prince whatever The three and twenty Prelates have each of them the Title of Abbot Provost or Bayliff of some particular place and have commonly so large revenues annex'd to their Titles and Dignities that if their riches were employ'd to the best advantage they would be able to strike terror into any secular power that should dare to affront them All the reform'd members of the German Empire both Lutherans and Calvinists agree in this Reformed Church That they make all their Clergy acknowledg
or since their time The first occasion I suppose of the general mistake came from the Saxon Army's bearing a young black Horse which was afterwards upon the conversion of Witikind to the Christian Faith changed into a white one the Crest of the House of Brunswic's Arms to this day in their Flags Now Hengist or Hengst in the old Saxon dialect signifies a Stallion and that Horsa is a word of the same signification I need not tell the English Reader So that the Captains of the ancient Saxon Troops seem to have had the names of Hengist and Horsa given them for the same reason that some writers have enigmatically called the Emperor the Eagle the King of France the Lilly c. i.e. from the Arms they bear The excellency of the Municipal Laws observed in Saxony Laws even in the times of Heathenism appears from Charles the Great 's confirming a great part of them and that at the same time when he alter'd the Laws as well as Government of most other Provinces in Germany His example has been follow'd by the succeeding Emperor's down to our days Insomuch that the Saxons are still govern'd by the Laws of their Ancestors whereof a great part are comprehended in those two famous Digests of their Laws entituled Der Sachsen-Spiegel and Das Sachsische Weichbild Of which more hereafter For an account of the Ordeal their famous way of determining controversies soon after their being converted to the Christian faith we refer the Reader to what we have already said on that subject in the general Description of Denmark Tho I am apt to believe that this piece of Judicature was never practis'd by any other Saxons then the English and 't is certain they were not acquainted with it till some time after they had setled themselves in this Island SAXONIA INFERIOR Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart A DESCRIPTION Of some of the most Considerable PROVINCES IN THE Lower Saxony THE general name of the Lower Saxony by some late Geographers has been made to comprehend the Archbishoprics of Magdeburg and Bremen the Bishoprics of Halberstadt Hildesheim Lubeck Swerin and Ratzeburg the Territories of the Dukes of Brunswic and Lunenburg Holstein Mecklenburg and Saxon-Lawenburg Amongst these an account of the Dukedom of Holstein has been already given in the Description of Denmark and nothing within the precincts of his Dominions excepting Hamburg in Stormaria and Lubeck in Wagerland is at present reckon'd a part of the German Empire Of the commodities present state c. of the rest we shall endeavour to give the Reader an account in the following sheets Beginning with a Description Of the famous City of HAMBURG and the Country adjacent WHence this great City should have its name Name is not easily agreed on by the German Historians Some derive the word from the Hams of Bacon brought hither from all parts of Saxony and here sold to foreign Mariners Others again fetch it from Jupiter Ammon whose Image they tell us was worshipp'd in these parts until Charles the Great had extirpated Idolatry and planted Christianity in this and the neighbouring Provinces Crantzius says 't was first call'd Hamburg from one Hama a stout Saxon Champion who was here slain by Starcater a Danish Giant Dresserus brings it from Hain which signifies a pleasant Grove The most probable opinion is that this City first had its name from the Forest Hamme which formerly lay between the Rivers Bille and Alster and gave the Title to the ancient Lords of Ham who about the time of Charles the Great 's leading his Army into these parts built themselves here a Castle which from their own names they call'd Hamburg This conjecture is embraced by Sylvius Hamburgensis Andreas Angelus P. Bertius Isac Pontanus and most other Authors of repute who have given us any historical account of this City Pontanus tells us that Ham in the old Saxon Dialect signifies a Forest or Chase and proves it from Suderham and Norderham two large Forests in Dithmars But Authors are as hardly reconcil'd about the situation as name of the place Situation The greatest part of Writers tell us the City stands in Stormaria a Province in the Duke of Holstein's Dominions But some German Historians are very zealous in asserting that it is a true Saxon City and the outmost bounds of Saxony and Stormaria adding further that to a diligent observer it will evidently appear that the greatest share of the Town even at this day is separated from the Continent of Stormaria by some small arms of the River Elb. Some Antiquaries have endeavour'd to shew Antiquity that this noble Hans-Town was in the days of Albion the grand Captain of the Albingi who was afterwards Christen'd at Minden with Witekind a considerable Village After the death of this Albion about the year 785 Charles the Great gave this part of the Country to Vtho one of his Noblemen and Attendants who to secure himself from the frequent incursions of the Vandals and others his Heathenish neighbours began first to fortifie the place in the year 787 or as some say 789 But these first foundations were quickly shaken and Vtho's rude draught of a strong City was utterly defac'd For the Vandals pouring in upon him and his small retinue sack'd the Town and laid it wast in the year 810. This says Conringius is that which the Author of an ancient Chronicle means when he tells us Anno 810 Castellum nomine Hochbuci Albi flumini contiguum in quo Odo Legatus Imperatoris Orientalium Saxonum erat Praesidium a Wilsis captum From hence we must conclude that the Saxons had no place that deserv'd the name of a City before Charles the Great 's time and that Hamburg was one of the first tho in great danger of perishing in its infancy The year following the Emperor regain'd this Country from the insulting and barbarous Vandals and rebuilt the Town which was afterwards by his Son Ludovicus Pius advanced into a considerable City The same Emperor made it an Archbishop's See about the year 833 An Archbishoprick bestowing it upon Ansgar the great Saint of the City of Hamburg call'd by some of their Writers Anscharius by others Ansagrius or Ansearius who first converted the inhabitants to Christianity Within a while after the whole Province round about embrac'd the Christian Faith and several Evangelical Preachers subjected themselves to the Archbishop of Hamburg Afterwards the Archbishopric was translated from this City to Bremen as we shall have occasion to shew hereafter and for several Ages last past there has been neither Archbishop nor Bishop of Hamburg After the Hamburgers were established in the Christian Religion To whom subject and began to trade they had daily large and ample priviledges conferr'd on them by most succeeding Emperors to whom they paid homage But we must needs conclude that they were sometimes obliged to change their Masters according as contrary interests of their
newe Werck built for the convenient harbouring of such Merchant-men as sail that way But the greatest Royalty the Citizens of Hamburg can pretend to without the limits of their own City is from the Custom-house at Tollenspicker not far from Winsen where all passengers pay a certain Toll for themselves and their carriages There are other places of less note that are equally subject to this City and Lubeck and pay an acknowledgment to both Corporations The moneys currant in Hamburg Money and the adjacent parts are the same as in the Empire those especially of the Emperor's coining and the Kingdom of Denmark Some small pieces are coin'd by the authority of the Burgo-masters and Radtsherrn of the City and the Coins of all trading Nations in Europe will pass here at a good value THE Dukedom and City OF BREMEN THE Dukedom of Bremen is bounded on the East with the Territories of the Duke of Lunenburg Bounds on the South with the Weser on the West with the German or British Ocean and on the North with the Elb. Which large plot of ground was anciently inhabited by the Cauci a valiant and warlike people and probably the ancestors of those who to this day inherit this part of Germany The whole Dukedom is subdivided into several lesser Provinces Division amongst which the chief is the Bishopric of Verhden on the borders of the Dukedom of Lunenburg The next in order and greatness is the Land of Bremen strictly so call'd containing a Circle of some miles round that large and famous City The third considerable Province is Wursterland on the Sea-coast from the Weser down to the mouth of the Elb. The inhabitants of this Province are reckon'd men of as good spirits and as brave Soldiers as any Subjects of the Empire whatever Their frequent rebellions under the Archbishops of Bremen first inur'd them to war and they have ever since delighted in following the Camp 'T is reported of them that in the height of their obstinacy for which they were often severely lash'd by many of the Archbishops they never built themselves any Cities or Forts of defence but relied wholly upon the strength and courage of their Companions which they fancied a sufficient bulwark against the sturdiest enemy that should dare to assault them And they have still this character given them That the Wursterlanders will fight and drink with the best men in Dutchland After these come the inhabitants of Hadelia or Hadeliria das landt Hadelen a proud and ignorant people so strangely enamour'd of gay-clothes that their neighbours alluding to this piece of vanity say proverbially of them There are no Pesants in Hadeland Some part of this Province upon the mouth of the Elb where stand the Forts of Ritzenbuttel and New-Werck was as we have said formerly in the hands of the Dukes of Saxon-Lawenburg and is now subject to the Citizens of Hamburg Another considerable portion of it in which is seated the Castle and Town of Atterndorff which commands the greatest part of the Province is still under the dominion of the said Dukes and no part of the Dukedom of Bremen to which no place of any consequence in Hadelland is subject except the Village and Castle of Nyen-huss on the mouth of the Oste Next after Hadel-land comes Kedingerland in which is seated the City of Stade and beyond that Alt-land or Old-land a pleasant and fruitful Country of about fourteen English miles in length He that shall travel the road betwixt Bremen and Stade Soil will be apt to have a very mean opinion of the whole Dukedom of Bremen meeting with nothing but barren Sands and Heaths a wast and uninhabited Country And yet elsewhere there is not any Country on the Northern parts of the German Empire fuller of pleasant Fields and Meadows fruitful Orchards and all other necessaries or delights Whence some witty Geographers have pleased themselves in fancying the Dukedom of Bremen to be mighty like a spred Cloak the two flaps of which containing the Countries along the banks of the Elb and Weser are lined with Velvet or Plush but the middle part which reaches from Vehrden up as far as the mouth of the Oste is nothing but course Canvas or Buckram Before the Westphalian Treaty in the year 1648 Bishops and Archbishops this Tract of Land went under the name of an Archbishopric and all the Princes under whose subjection it was were stiled Archbishops of Bremen Of whom with their three Bishops the account we have left us is in short as follows 1. Wilhad or as some of the German Historians call him Willibald an English Priest was at the request of Charles the Great sent over into Germany by Egbert Archbishop of York about the year 788 where he was employ'd in converting the Infidels of that Country to Christianity and for his meritorious performances at last advanc'd to the Bishopric of Bremen After he had spent several years in a vigilant execution of his Office he died in the year 790 and was buried in the Cathedral at Bremen where to this day they pretend to shew his Tomb. 2. Willeric another English man is said to have succeeded Wilhad tho many of their ancient Chronologers do not mention any such Bishop And indeed the whole account we have of him is only That having for some unknown time some upon what grounds I know not say till the year 840 enjoy'd this Jurisdiction he left his See to 3. Luderic a German The old Saxon Chronicle calls him Lenderic and tells us that for his intolerable pride and arrogance he was deposed by the Emperor Ludowic the Godly Charles the Great 's Son who chang'd the Bishopric of Bremen into an Archbishopric by setting up into this man's place 4. Ansgar of whom we have said something before the first Archbishop of Bremen and Hamburg who was remov'd to Bremen upon the sacking of Hamburg by the Vandals in the year 850 from which time till his death in the year 865 he kept both the Titles The Archbishop of Colen stoutly oppos'd this union alledging that the Bishops of Bremen had always been Suffragans to his See and that therefore 't was an encroachment upon his Jurisdiction to convert that place into an Archbishopric But the Emperor took no notice of these murmurings proceeding to confirm this newly conferr'd dignity to Ansgar and his Successors ordering as by his Diploma still extant does appear that within the Province of the Archbishop of Bremen and Hamburg should be reckon'd all the Bishops in Denmark Sweden Norway Groneland Halsingland Island and the rest of the Northern Countries 5. Rembert St. Ansgar's Scholar and adopted Son was immediately upon his predecessor's death advanc'd to the Archbishop's Seat which he kept tweny-three years and died in the year 888. Wilhad Ansgar and this Rembert are reckon'd the three great Apostles of the Saxons many of which Nation have taken the pains to write their lives But the stories they
tell us of them contain as many incredible things as the most Romantic Popish Legends However the Saxon Commonalty have still their memories and names in great veneration and would as soon part with Christmas-day as St. Ansgar's which is the eighth of February out of their Almanacks St. Wilhad's day is kept on the eighth of November and St. Rembert's on the fourth of February 6. Rembert was succeeded by one Adelgar a Monk of Corbey of whom nothing is recorded worth the taking notice of 7. Hoyer who was elected into the Archbishop's See in the year 909 and dyed the year following The Bremen Chronicle reports that about an hundred and twenty years after his death his Grave was open'd where nothing was found but a Pillow which had been laid under his head and a Cross both fresh and uncorrupted Whereupon the Monks of Bremen concluded that his body was immediately after his death snatch'd up into Heaven 8. Reginward 9. Vnni who going to convert the Infidels in Sweden died at Birca in Gothland 10. Adaldag 11. Libentius an Italian 12. Vnwan call'd by some Wimar 13. Libentius II. 14. Hermannus 15. Bezeline 16. Albert Son of one of the Dukes of Bavaria 17. Liemar or Leimar a Bavarian Nobleman the fourteenth and last Arch-Bishop of Hamburg For when at the request of Eric King of Denmark the Pope had erected an Archbishops See at Lunden in Schonen the Bishops of Denmark Sweden and Norway were subjected to the Archbishop of Lunden and only Lubec Schwerin Lebus and Ratzenburg remain'd Suffragans to the Archbishop of Bremen who thereupon for ever quitted the Title of Archbishop of Hamburg 18. Humbert the first that ever stiled himself barely Archbishop of Bremen 19. Frideric 20. Adalbar 21. Hartwic 22. Baldwin whose successor some have made one Barthold but without any good authority 23. Sifrid Son to Albrecht Marquise of Brandenburg 24. Hartwic II. 25. Woldemar Duke and Bishop of Sleswic 26. Gerhard formerly Bishop of Osnabrug 27. Gerhard II. Earl of Lippe 28. Hildebold or Hildebrand Earl of Broch-hausen 29. Giselbert 30. Henry I. 31. Florentius de Brunchorst against whom appear'd Bernherd Earl of Wolpe whom some Historians make Archbishop instead of Florentius â—at lost the day 32. John Bishop of Lunden and Provost of Roschild in Denmark 33. Burchard 34. Otto Earl of Oldenburg and Delmenhorst 35. Gotfrid Earl of Arnsberg He had great quarrels with Maurice Earl of Oldenburg for the See which when he could not peaceably enjoy he resign'd to 36. Albrecht Duke of Brunswic chosen Archbishop in the life-time of his predecessor in the year 1359. 37. Otto II. 38. John II. 39. Nicolas Earl of Delmenhorst 40. Baldwin 41. Gerhard III. Earl of Hoga 42. Henry III. Earl of Schwartzburg 43. John III. 44. Christopher Duke of Brunswic and Lunenburg 45. Henry IV. Duke of Saxony Engeren Westphalia c. 46. John Adolph Duke of Holstein c. who after the death of his Father was Regent Duke of Holstein and thereupon quitted the See of Bremen in the year 1596 leaving the place to his Brother 47. John Frideric who was at the same time Bishop of Lubec and having enjoy'd the Archbishopric of Bremen for the space of thirty-eight years died in the Monastery near Buxtehude in the year 1634 and was buried in the Cathedral at Sleswic 48. The last Archbishop of Bremen was Frideric Duke of Holstein Son to Christian IV. King of Denmark and Father to the present Danish King Christian V. But before this Frideric came to the Crown of Denmark he had nothing left but the bare Title of an Archbishop For in the year 1644 the prevailing Forces of the Swedish King overran the Archbishopric of Bremen and Bishopric of Vehrden as they had before many other Provinces of the German Empire Afterwards in the Treaty of Munster it was agreed upon that ut satis fieret Serenissimae Reginae Sueciae pro locorum hoc bello captorum restitutione Pacique Publicae in Imperio restanrandae condignè prospiceretur as 't is worded in the Tenth Article of that Treaty amongst other places there mention'd the Archbishopric of Bremen and Bishopric of Vehrden should be for ever subject to the Kings of Sweden and annex'd to their own Territories and Dominions sub solitis quidem Insigniis sed titulo Ducatus And thus the Archbishopric was turn'd into a Dukedom which Title it still retains Whence the City of Bremen which gives name to the whole Dukedom is so call'd City of Bremen there are several different opinions amongst the Germans Writers some of which for the Reader 's diversion I shall hear repeat leaving it to himself to embrace any one or reject all as he shall see cause One tells us there was formerly a Ferry cross the Weser in the place where the great Bridg at Bremen now stands and therefore will have the City so call'd from the flat bottom'd Boats in the tongue of the Neder-Saxons nam'd Pramen wherewith they us'd to ferry over passengers Another fancies Bremen may be fetch'd from the abundance of Broom in their tongue Brame which grows in this Country M. Martinius a man of no contemptible parts and learning guesses that because the Land of Bremen is the outmost bounds of the German Empire towards the Ocean therefore the City was call'd ein Brame which word signifies properly the outmost seam or selvidge of a Garment To omit the impertinences of other Etymologists all agree in this that Ptolomy's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence ever that word had its original is the same with Bremen Cluverius allowing of this opinion adds further Nec nomen omnino abhorret nam dempta priore syllaba reliquum BIRANVM satis aperta vestigia gerit vocabuli BREMEN Et quid scio annon apud Ptolomaeum M corruptum sit in N integrumque vocabulum fuerit FABIRAMVM Amongst the old rubbish of ancient German writers Antiquity and the small fragments of Antiquity which are at this day to be met with in that Country 't will be a difficult task to find out the first original of this City 'T is certain one great part of it which is known by the name of S. Stephani Statt is of a later foundation then the main body of the Town and another grand accession call'd Die New Statt or the New City has been added within these hundred years What time this City was first fortified we have no other account then in the general that the Cities of Saxony and in all probability Bremen amongst the rest were first wall'd round by the orders of Henry Duke of Saxony surnam'd Auceps or the Fowler about the year 1000. For this Prince had found by experience that his naked Towns were not able to withstand the fury and outrages of the Vandals who in those days miserably infested the Northern parts of the Empire All the modern Historians will inform us that the Suburbs of St. Nicolas which at this day make up a considerable part of the
But his large Dukedom was broken in pieces by the Emperor as we had occasion to tell the Reader before and himself reduc'd from a great Duke of Saxony and Lord of all the neighbouring Territories to a mean and inconsiderable Duke of Brunswic and Luneburg Hitherto we have found the Dukedoms of Brunswic and Luneburg united and subject to one Prince Dukes of Lunenburg But upon the death of this Henry which hapned in the year 1195 they were divided For Henry the Lion had three Sons viz. Duke Henry who was afterwards made Prince Palatine of the Rhine Duke Otho who was advanced to the Imperial Throne and Duke William who succeeded his Father in the Territories of Luneburg but only stiled himself Dominus de Luneburg And indeed he had but little reason to take upon him any greater Title since his two Brothers were sharers with him in the Estate of his deceased Father For Otho took possession of the City and Country of Brunswic and Duke Henry seized upon Zell Bremen and Stade About the year 1213 Duke William dy'd and was succeeded by his only Son Otho who afterwards in the year 1235 was made Duke of Brunswic by the Emperor Frideric the Second's Diploma which is at this day to be seen in the Duke of Zell's Archives Duke William dying in the year 1252 left behind him two Sons Albert and John Albert kept all his Fathers Dominions in his own hands but at last resign'd the Dukedom of Luneburg to his Brother John Since that time the Dukedoms of Brunswic and Luneburg have been always reckon'd two distinct Principalities and usually subject to two different Princes After this division of the two Dukedoms Duke John governed the Dukedom of Luneburg about eight years and then dying in the year 1276 left his Estate to his Son Otho By the way we may take notice of a notorious Parachronism in Dr. Heylin's Cosmography wherein reckoning only the eight years Government of Duke John without mentioning any power enjoy'd by his Brother Albert in the Dukedom of Luneburg he brings Otho II. to the Dukedom in the year 1261 which is fifteen years exactly the time that Duke Albert kept possession of both his Father's Dukedoms before his Father's death Otho having reign'd 53 years and dying in the year 1330 left behind him two Sons Otho and William who were joint-Governors of the Dukedom of Luneburg for the space of four and twenty years After which upon the death of Duke Otho without any Heirs male William was the sole Governor for some small term of years But considering that upon the failure of issue from himself and his Brother the Line of Luneburg was like to be extinct he resolv'd during his life-time to chose himself a Successor Whereupon at first he pitcht upon Albert Duke of Saxony his Brother's Daughter's Son but afterwards changing his resolution he resign'd the Dukedom to Ludowic Duke of Brunswic who had married his eldest Daughter Mechtild Duke Ludowic having govern'd three years and dying without issue in the year 1358 was succeeded by Magnus surnam'd mit der ketten or Torquatus to whom the Luneburgers submitted themselves upon condition that he should protect them against all injuries offer'd them either by the Emperor Charles IV. or any of the Dukes of Saxony Soon after Torquatus upon his Father's death got possession of the Territories of Brunswic and so both Dukedoms were once more united But notwithstanding the great confidence they repos'd in their new Prince and the vast pormises he made them Albert Duke of Saxony assisted by the foremention'd Emperor Charles the fourth in pursuance of his Right as being descended from the elder Brother's Daughter by force recover'd the Dukedom of Luneburg in the year 1372 and enjoy'd it fourteen years After his death there were great wars betwixt the Houses of Brunswic and Saxony each of them laying claim to and contending for this Dukedom At last in the year 1388 Bernhard Duke Magnus's Son obtain'd the Government But soon after Frideric Duke of Brunswic being slain in his return from Francfurt where he was newly chosen Emperor Bernhard was remov'd to Brunswic and the Dukedom of Luneburg given to his Nephew Henry who before had some share with him in the Government Henry having been sole Duke of Luneburg for the space of sixteen years dyed A. D. 1416. and was succeeded by his Son William who within a while after falling out with his Cousin Otho Duke Bernhard's Son made several incursions into the Dukedom of Brunswic many of the most considerable Cities whereof he laid siege to and took Some while after the quarrels betwixt the two Dukes were composed upon this condition that they should change Dukedoms which was accordingly done in the year 1428 and so Otho was made Duke of Luneburg and William removed to Brunswic Otho's Brother Duke Frideric succeeded him tho Dr. Heylin makes him his Predecessor in the Dukedom of Luneburg and having govern'd about fourteen years quitted the Dukedom and shut himself up in a Monastery at Zell in the year 1459. Hereupon the Government was committed to his two Sons Bernhard and Otho the former of which dyed within five years and the latter surving about seven years left behind him only one young Son about three years old This forced the old Duke Frideric in his extreme dotage to reassume the Government till his Grandchild should come to maturity he mannaged the Affairs of his Dukedom for seven years longer dying in the year 1478. The young Duke Henry being not above ten years of age at his Grandfather's death was assisted in the Government by his mother for some years Ten years before his death which hapned in the year 1532 he setled the Dukedom upon his three Sons Otho Ernest and Francis The first of these preferring a retired life to the state and grandeur of a Dukedom resign'd his Right to his Brother Ernestus during his Father's life demanding only a certain annual stipend sufficient for the maintenance of himself and a small family This Ernest together with his Brother Francis who shared with him in the Government till the year 1539 but was afterwards put off with the Lordship of Giffhorn and Monastery of Isenhagen brought in the Reform'd Religion in the year 1530. He died in the year 1546 and was succeeded by his Son Francis Otho who having govern'd about thirteen years dyed without Issue male and left the Dukedom to his two Brothers Henry and William These two rul'd peaceably together for the space of ten years but afterwards they separated themselves and agreed that William should have the sole government of the Dukedom of Luneburg and Duke Henry be content with the Revenues of the Lordship of Dannenberg and Monastery of Scharnebeck to which were afterwards added the Lordships of Hitzaker Luchau and Warbke In the year 1592 Duke William died and was succeeded by his Son Ernest who kept the Dukedom of Luneburg till the year 1611. In which he left it to
his Brother Christian Elect Bishop of the Diocess of Minden This brave Prince govern'd the Dukedom in great peace and prosperity two and twenty years and enlarg'd it with the Principality of Grubenhagen After his decease in the year 1633 the Dukedome of Luneburg fell to his Brother Augustus Elect Bishop of Ratzeburg upon which incomparable Prince of whom the Reader may expect a larger account in the description of the Dukedom of Brunswic descended not long after by the death of Frideric Vlric the Dukedom of Brunswic Whereupon the Dukedom of Luneburg was given to Duke George Lieutenant General of all the forces of the Lower Saxony in the year 1636. He left four Sons whereof the eldest Christian Ludowic for some years govern'd the Luneburgers paying each of his younger Brethren an annual stipend of 12000 Ric-dollars Upon his death the second Brother George William succeeded in the Government and kept as he doth to this day his Residence in his Brothers Palace at Zell By the Treaty of Hildesheim the Dukedoms of Calenberg and Grubenhage were assign'd over to the third Brother John Frideric who kept his Residence at Hannover in much greater state then his Brother at Zell These and all other Territories subject to the late Duke of Hannover are now in the possession of the youngest Brother Ernest Augustus who by the Treaty of Munster was made Bishop of Osnabrug and is now upon the death of his Brother John Frideric this last year 1680 Duke of Hannover He married the Lady Sophia youngest Sister to our Prince Rupert of whom this character is usually given that she is the most accomplish'd Princess in Europe by whom he hath three Sons and a Daughter Chief Cities and other places of greatest note in this Dukedom are FIrst Luneburg LUNEBURG We have already given the Reader an account of the most probable opinion about the original of the name of this City and but little more can be sai concerning its first Founders and those that fortified it The story of Julius Cesar's laying the first foundation of a City in this place is at best incredible and groundless There 's hardly an ancient City in Europe which does not pretend to some venerable piece or other of Julius's Architecture which tho ordinarily admir'd by the vulgar yet is contemn'd and laugh'd at by men of sence and knowing Antiquaries The best testimony of its age I can meet with is Dithmarus Mersburgensis's mentioning Luinberg by the name of Civitas in speaking of an Earthquake which hapned in the days of the Emperor Henry II. But 't is easie to observe how the Historians of those times were wont to compliment any mean Village with the title of Civitas Yet Lambertus Schafnaburgensis an Author of almost as great antiquity as the former in his account of the transactions of the year 1073. gives this character of Luneburg that 't was then Oppidum maximum Ottonis Ducis Saxoniae situm in confinio Saxonum Luticiorum At present the Town contains about two English miles in circumference being not built in exact square but rather an oblong figure The Streets are broad and most of the Houses tolerably well built Over against the Town-hall which is a neat and compact piece of building stands the Duke's Palace where the Duke of Zell and his Family are lodg'd when he has a mind to reside at Luneburg The chief Trade of the Town is in Salt which the Citizens make in great abundance out of certain pits of salt water which spring within the walls Their Salt-houses are fenc'd round and continually guarded as being the main support of the City These bring in the Duke a considerable yearly Revenue and besides provision is hereby made for a great number of poor labouring men who might otherwise starve for want of employment II. Bardewic BARDEWICK At this day a Village within a mile of Luneburg but anciently a strong and populous City Some Authors fancy it to have been the first City in Saxony And so questionless it was if it be true as they pretend to be able to demonstrate that it was built 990 years before Christ Over the door of the Cathedral which is now the only Church left of nine are wrote in an old Gothic character these hobling verses Abram dum natus mox Treveris incipit ortus Hinc annis Barduic mille sex X quoque quinque Post Barduic Roma duo C cum quinque triginta M C post Nat. junctis octaginta novemque Dum Brunsvicensis Henricus Leo dictus Simonis in festo Barduic subvertit ab alto Meibomius a learned Antiquary whom we have already had occasion often to mention has taken great pains to pick up out of these Rithms and all other Monuments of note about this Town a large account of the Antiquity of the place The name he imagines contrary to the humour of some other Historians who speak of Bardo a Knight Errant of old and Founder of Bardewic derived from the Bardi a Northern people who wandring a great many years up and down Saxony and the neighbouring Countries at last fix'd themselves in this place Whether these Bardi may not have been a Tribe of such Poets as Mr. Cambden and some other of our Antiquaries says gave name to Bardsey one of our British Islands I shall leave to the Reader 's judgment since every Historian that mentions the Bards will tell us that they were the Genealogists amongst the Gauls an undoubted branch of the German Nation as well as the Britains The Verses before-mention'd will inform us that this great City was destroy'd by Duke Henry surnam'd the Lion on St. Simon and Jude's day in the year 1189. Since that time it has never been able to recover its glory and is now remarkable for nothing but a College of Eight Residentiary Canons and some few Vicars III. ULTZEN A neat uniform little Town Vltren about the middle way betwixt Lunenburg and Zell 'T was anciently call'd Lawenwald i. e. Lion-Forest as appears from several of its old Records and an inscription to this day legible on the North-side of the Town-hall And from this its old name the Arms or Rebus rather of the Town are still a Lion Passant Azure in a Field Verd betwixt Three Trees of the Second The modern name Vltzen it had from the neighbouring Monastery of Olden-Stadt which as is evident from several ancient Writings bearing date A. D. 1255 and 1338 was formerly call'd Old-Vlssen On the twentieth of September in the year 1646 this City was miserably destroy'd by a fire which in a very short time burnt down the fairest and richest part of it This blow it has hardly yet so well recover'd as to be entirely rebuilt but however the most considerable streets and places of consequence are very much advanc'd by it and the new buildings are every-where more regular and splendid then the former The Citizens have a Tradition among them that the first English Saxons
that great Conqueror From his Loins after several generations descended Billiengus a potent King of the Vandals whose Mother say some was Charles the Great 's Sister He was the first that after his own conversion brought in the profession of Christianity into Mecklenburg tho afterwards at the instigation of his Son Micislaus both himself and all his Subjects turn'd Apostates The next famous Prince of Mecklenburg was Gottschalck surnam'd the Godly who would often himself take the pains to preach Christianity to his Subjects by whom he was at last for his Religion murder'd in the year 1066. From him descended amongst many others Henry II. who dying in the year 1228 left behind him two Sons Nicolot and John From the former of these sprang all the succeeding Princes of the Vandals until William the last Prince of that Line who died in the year 1430. From the later surnam'd Knese Janko or John the Divine because he had taken a Doctor of Divinity 's degree in the University at Paris are descended the present Dukes of Mecklenburg This John left behind him Henry who was six and twenty years kept prisoner by the Turks Father to Henry surnam'd the Lion whose two Sons Albert and John Dukes of Mecklenburg were by the Emperor Charles IV. created Princes of the Empire in the year 1349. Which is not to be understood tho I find this construction put upon it by several of the modern German Historians as if these two Princes before Charles's creation had been only ordinary Lords or Barons of Mecklenburg and by the Emperor advanc'd to the dignity of Princes or Dukes For from him they receiv'd no more than an admission into the number of the Estates of the Empire under whose protection they were brougth by making themselves members thereof upon condition they should be subject to its Laws and contribute to its necessities Albert's eldest Son Albert II. was chosen King of Sweden and not long after taken prisoner by Margaret Queen of Denmark by whom after several years imprisonment he was at last releas'd upon the payment of a vast ransom So that the management of the Dukedom of Mecklenburg was committed to his Brother Magnus a Prince that if we believe Chytraeus who in his first Book of the Saxon Chronicle has given him a noble character was nomine re Magnus endow'd with all the excellent qualities that are requisite to make a brave Prince His Son John who succeeded his Father in the Dukedom founded the University at Rostock in the year 1419. This Duke's Successors Henry the Fat and Magnus II. Founder of the Cathedral Church at Rostock upon the death of William the last Prince of the Vandals made themselves Masters of the whole Land of Mecklenburg After the death of this Magnus and his Son Albert II. the Dukedom came to his Grandchild John Albert in the year 1547 who first brought in the Lutheran Confession into his Dominions by demolishing Popish Abbeys and converting their Revenues to the use of the University at Rostock His Son John III. who died in the year 1592 left two Sons the eldest was Adolph Frideric who married Ann-Mary Countess of East Frisland by whom amongst other children he had Christian-Ludowic the present Duke of Mecklenburg-Swerin His youngest Son was Gustavus Adolphus who seated himself at Gustrow In the late Civil Wars in Germany the whole Land of Mecklenburg was overrun by the Imperial Army and the Dukedom conferr'd upon their ambitious and at last unfortunate General Albrecht Duke of Friedland However within a little while after the two Dukes Adolph Frideric and John Albrecht were reinstated in their Dominions by Gustavus Adolphus the victorious King of Sweden their Kinsman For a character of the present Dukes of Mecklenburg the Reader may have recourse to the following descriptions of Swerin and Gustrow the places of their residence The strength of these Princes would be considerable enough Militâ—â—â— strength sufficient to secure their own Territories and keep their neighbours in awe if firmly united Their equal pretensions to the sole government of the City and University at Rostock did formerly occasion some animosities between the two Houses but this quarrel has for some years last past been quite laid aside and now a difference in Religion the Duke of Swerin being a Romanist and he of Gustrow a Lutheran is the greatest cause of their mutual fears and jealousies Heretofore they thought it their chief interest to adhere to the Swedes and secure themselves under the wings of the potent Kings of that Nations but when after the many conquests of the brave Gustavus Adolphus the power of those Princes grew so formidable as to threaten an universal slavery to their neighbours round about them rather then the defence of any of their Liberties the Dukes of Mecklenburg thought it high time to relinquish that party and join with the Dane and Branburger in opposing their common enemy the King of Sweden They saw Wismar rent out of their hands without any probability of being ever recover'd and they had reason to fear that a great part of the adjoining Country would follow it if their ruin were not timely prevented by the strength of their new Allies The whole Land of Mecklenburg so much I mean as is now subject to the two Dukes which bear that Title is usually divided into these six parts Territries The Dukedomes of Mecklenburg strictly so call'd and Vandalia the Earldom of Swerin the Baronies of Rostock and Stargard and the Bishopric of Butzow In the Dukedom of Mecklenburg are reckon'd the Cities of Wismar to which is the neighbouring Island Poel Tempsin Gades Rhena and Bucow In the Dukedom of Vandalia Gustrow Sterneberg Malchin Stavenhagen Ivenack Neu-Calven Warin Pentzlin Rebell Wredenhagen Malchau Tetrou Goltberg Parchum Plage Lupsian Grabou Domitz Neu-Statt Eldenau and Gorlosen In the Barony of Rostock the City of Rostock Ribnitz Gnoien Tessin Laga Schwan Salines and Morlou In the Barony of Stargard Brandeburg Stargard Furstenburg Strelitz Mirow Fredland and Wesenberg And lastly in the Bishopric of Butzow the City of Butzow and the Peninsula of Swerin The most considerable Cities in the Dukedom of MECKLENBURG I. LUBEC Lubec This City is indeed situate in Wagerland and for that reason we have already given the Reader some short account of it in the Description of Denmark but because it is of it self an Imperial City wholly independant upon the Crown of Denmark and immediately subject to the Emperor of Germany we have reserv'd a more particular survey of it for this place And it cannot so properly be referr'd to any particular Province of the Empire as the Dukedom of Mecklenburg For altho the Citizens of Lubec do not pay any manner of tribute or homage to the Princes of Mecklenburg yet it may perhaps as justly be reckon'd part of that Dukedom as Bremen which never yet acknowledg'd any subjection to the Kings of Sweden may be esteem'd part of that Principality which now bears
and Albert Dukes of Mecklenburg two Cousin Germans in the year 1419. The Corporation of the City bore it seems half the charges of the foundation and therefore 't was then ordered by a Decree still in force that half of the Professors should be chosen by the Dukes of Mecklenburg and the other half by the Burgomasters and Radtshern of the Town The Rector Magnificus as they are pleased to intitle the chief Magistrate of their University is chosen every half year as in most other German Universities by turns out of the two Companies of Professors He has power to call Convocations and appoint times for meeting of the other Professors on all extraordinary occasions as collecting or disbursing any part of their common-Treasure or the like In matters of greater weight and moment then are usually debated he has an Assistant whom they call Promotor chosen out of the Seniors of the eighteen Professors The University was at first stocked with Professors from Leipsic and Erfurt who all of them received their Licences to teach and read in publick together with a Charter of priviledges and body of Statutes from Pope Martin V. The Bishop of Swerin is their perpetual Chancellor who commonly deputes one of the Senior Professors his Vice-Chancellor at any public Promotion or taking of Degrees when he himself is not at leisure to give a personal attendance Amongst many other learned men that have been bred in this University Albert Crantzius John Posselius and Nathan Chytraeus three famous Historians have got themselves and the place of their education great credit by their elaborate writings The Citizens are subject to a kind of mixt government made up of Aristocracy and Democracy The Democratical part consists of twenty four Aldermen chosen out of the Nobility Scholars and rich Merchants of the Town whereof four are Burgomasters two Chamberlains two Stewards for the River and two Judges The Chamberlains collect and distribute all manner of Assesments for the reparations of public buildings in and about the City The two Stewards are overseers of the Haven at Warnemund and look to the cleansing of the Channel from that Port up to the City The Judges determine and pass sentence in all causes Civil and Criminal These twenty four Magistrates of the upper House decide all ordinary Controversies and have the sole power of coining money chusing Officers c. But besides them there are in the Town a hundred more Common-Councilmen elected out of the inferior Tradesmen of the Town who are summon'd to appear and give their opinions upon debate of any matter of more then ordinary concernment to the common welfare Though the River Warna be navigable up to the Walls of the City of Rostock yet it is not deep enough to carry Ships of the largest bulk but such Vessels are forced to take harbour at Warnemund so called because situate on the mouth of the River a small Town about seven English miles distant from Rostock Since the Treaty of Munster the Swedes built a Fort on the mouth of this River by the strength of which and a good Garison always kept in it they exacted a toll or custom of all Merchantmen that pass'd this way from or towards Rostock to the great decay of trade in this City and impoverishing of its inhabitants This Castle was in the late wars between the Northern Crowns demolished and thereby a stop put to the Swedish encroachments Whereupon the Ministers for the Dukes of Mecklenburg in the last general Treaty at Nimeguen were very diligent in soliciting the Mediators for a redress of this grievance which they represented as a violation of an express Article in the Westphalian Treaty With Memorials and Petitions to this purpose our English Mediatours by the Duke of Gustrow's Minister and the Popes Nuncio on the other hand by the Duke of Swerin's were continually wearied in the latter end of the year 1678 and beginning of 1679. Their importunity prevailed so far at last as to have the following clause inserted into the first Proposal of a Treaty betwixt the Emperor and King of Sweden Omni casu salva sint Dominis Ducibus Mecklenburgicis sine turbatione competentia jura sublatum maneat vectigal seu telonium Warnemundense cum omnimoda aliarum quae ibi motae sunt pretensionum abolitione portus Warnmundensis relinquatur in pristina qua nunc gaudet commerciorum libertate But the Swedish Plenipotentaries in all their conferences with the Imperial Ambassadours upon this Subject constantly denied that they had instructions to meddle with it and the Imperialists were willing to omit the insertion of this point rather then delay the signing of the other Articles till new Instructions could be procured from the Swedish Court So that all the satisfaction the Princes of Mecklenburg had was a compliment from the Emperour 's Plempotentiaries shewing the great care their Master would be always ready to take in asserting their Rights and Priviledges as well as those of any other member of the German Empire against the encroachments of any Foreign Enemy whatever and a Certificate under their hands that their Ministers had used all imaginable diligence in the discharge of their duty Neque defuerunt say they durante hoc congressu officio suo praedictorum Dominorum Ducum i. e. Mecklenburgicorum Ablegati Dominus Antonius Bessel Dominus Joannes Reuter sed omnes partes impleverunt quae a Ministrorum fide dexteritate vigilantia expectari possunt In quorum omnium fidem Legatio Caesarea praesentes hasce a se subscriptas sigillis suis munivit Dabantur Neomagi duodecima Februarii Anno 1679. IV. SWERIN Swerin Situate at about fifty English miles distance from Rostock upon a great Lake which from the name of this City is usually by the Neighbourhood called Der Swerinsche See It was built and fortfied by Henry surnamed the Lion Duke of Saxony who soon after its first foundation which is said to have been in the year 1163. bestowed this City with all the Territories and Lordships thereunto belonging upon Guntzel or Gunceline one of the Generals in his Army whom he made Earl of Swerin His son Henry who succeeded his father in the Earldom was a great favourite of the Emperour Otho IV and well deserved all the honour his master could confer on him He took Woldemar King of Denmark prisoner in his own Kingdom brought him bound into Saxony in triumph and kept him in close custody in the Castle at Danneberg till his Subjects had almost reduced themselves to beggary by paying ransome The last Earl of this Family was Otho who died in the year 1355. His only daughter and child Richardis was married to Albrecht Duke of Mecklenburg for which reason the Earldom of Swerin after Otho's death was annexed to the Dukedom of Mecklenburg The Bishoprick of Swerin was removed from Mecklenburg to this City The first Bishop of this Diocess was one Johannes Scotus who in the fourth year of his Prelacy A.
D. 1066 was martyred by the Wendish Apostates in these parts After his cruel and inhumane death for his murderers are reported to have cut of his hands and feet and in that miserable condition to have left him alive for some days the Seat was vacant for 83 or 84 years until Eberhard was sent hither by the Emperour Conrad III in the year 1260. This mans successour Bruno Berno or Benno was removed from Mecklenburg to Swerin when Henry the Lion by the permission of the Emperor Frederick the First had built a new Cathedral and endowed it with considerable revenues Some of the Mecklenburgish Historians report that much about the time of the foundation of this new Cathedral the said Duke Henry caused the Infidel Mecklenburgers to be driven by thousands into the Swerin-Sea at a place not far from Fichel which from so remarkable a passage to this day retains the name of Die Dope or the Font where they were all baptized by Bishop Benno From this Benno there continued an uninterrupted succession of Bishops of Swerin who nevertheless kept their usual residence at Butzow a Fort and considerable Town not far from Gustrow until in the Treaty of Munster the Bishoprick was converted into a Temporal Principality and given up to Adolph Frideric Duke of Mecklenburg as before hath been said In this City is kept the Residence of Christian-Lewis Duke of Mecklenburg Swerin who was born the first of December 1623 and by being educated in France and under the protection of Romanists was brought up in the faith of the Church of Rome which he still professes He married at first his Cousin German Christina-Margaret daughter of John Albert Duke of Mecklenburg and widow of Francis Albert Duke of Saxen-Lawenburg But having upon some discontent got himself divorced from her he was the second time married in France A. D. 1653 to Elizabeth de Montmorency widow of Gaspard de Coligny Duke of Chastillon and Sister to Francis-Henry de Montmorency Duke of Luxemburg Piney V. GUSTROW A well fortified Town Gustrow about eighteen or twenty English miles distant from Rostock but remarkable for little or nothing save the residence of Gustave-Adolph Duke of Mecklenburg-Gustrow only son of John Albert Duke of Mecklenburg and Eleonor-Mary Princess of Anhalt He was born the six and twentieth of February A. D. 1633 and bred up a Lutheran of which perswasion he still continues a zealous assertor being a Prince of as great Learning as Gallantry and equally able to maintain his Religion in the Schools and Field THE DUKEDOM OF POMEREN IT matters not much whether we fetch the word Pomeren out of the High-Dutch or Slavonian Language since Pomeer in the former signifies the same thing as Pomercze in the latter i. e. A Country situate upon the Sea-shore such as the Dukedom of Pomeren is known to be That the Slavonian tongue was once commonly spoken in this Country appears from the termination of several names of great Towns in this Dukedom as Bugslaw Wratislaw Witslaw c. And Historians will inform us that the whole land was many years subject to the Princes of Poland and first annexed to the Empire of Germany by the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa The whole Tract of Land which was antiently comprised under the general name of Pomeren or Pomerland was of a much larger extent then the present Dukedom 〈◊〉 taking in Eastward all Casubia and Pomerellia But afterwards this vast Countrey was by the Princes of Back-Pomerland for by this name 't was antiently distinguished from the present Dukedom of Pomeren which in those days was called Fore-Pomerland was given up into the hands of the Princes of Poland in whose possession it has ever since continued Towards the South a great part of the Marquisate of Brandenburg was formerly subject to the Dukes of Pomeren For first in the Vcker Marck not only Prentzlow Angermund Aderberg Schweet and Vierraden but also Stargard and Friedland were both subject to that Duke until the whole Vcker-Marck was given to John I Elector of Brandenburg by Barminus I Duke of Pomeren for a portion with his Daughter And tho Prentzlow with the adjoyning Territories was afterwards wrested out of the hands of the Brandenburgers yet they could not long keep their hold but were forced to resign back their Conquests The Mecklenburgers made themselves masters of Friedland and having once taken possession could never be beaten out Again on the other side of the Oder the greatest share of the New-Marck was under the Duke of Pomeren's Dominion as part of the Dukedom of Stetin Westward Pomeren reached as far as the Warna and Rostock was almost the outmost bounds of the Dukedom of Mecklenburg Lastly the Territories of the Dukes of Pomeren reached much farther Northwards into the Baltic Sea which by degrees swallowed up a good part of their Dominions The Isle of Rugen as we shall have occasion to shew anon is thought to be scarce half so large as it was formerly and some whole Islands in the Baltic are at this day covered with the Waves which antient Historians mention as habitable Countreys So that Pomeren though at this day only a small Dukedom nay indeed no more then an inconsiderable part of the Marquisate of Brandenburg yet might antiently have passed for a Kingdom and its Dukes have vyed Territories with most of the great Monarchs of Europe At present the Countrey which bears the name of the Dukedom of Pomeren is a long and narrow tract of Land Division extending it self from East to West along the Baltic Shore which is usually divided into the Provinces of Stetin and Wolgast and the Bishopric of Cosslin In the Province of Stetin are reckoned the Cities of Old Stetin Stargard Stolpe Greiffenberg Treptow upon the Rega Rugenwald Pyritz Schlawe Golnow Gartz Wollin Camin Belgarten New Stetin Sam Zanew and Pohlitz together with the forts of Sazigk Zachan Jacobs-hagen Fridrichwald c. To which were fomerly added the Lordships of Lauenburg and Butou both which upon the death of Bugislaus the last Duke of Pomeren were annexed to the Crown of Poland The Province of Wolgast contains in it the Cities of Stralsund Gripswald Anklam Demin Pasewalk Greiffenhagen Wolgast Barth Trubsees Grimmon Damgarten Vckermvnd Loytz Gutzkow Franckenburg Richtenberg Lassen and New Warp with the forts of Weissen Klempenau Lindenberg and Torgelou Within the compass of the same Province are usually comprised the Isles of Rugen Vsedom and some others upon these Coasts There are every where almost large and navigable Rivers in Pomeren Rivers and Lakes by the advantage of which the Inhabitants are not only enabled to export the Commodities of their own Countrey and furnish themselves with the fruits and good things of their Neighbours but also have a great convenience of fortifying their Cities and securing them against the Incursions of any foreign Enemy Such as these are 1. The Rekenitz which separates this Countrey from the Dukedom of Mecklenburg making a kind
Wartislaus The former seated himself in Pomerellia and retain'd the language and manners of his Countrymen the Slavonians the later was made Lord of the Lower Pomeren bordering upon the Dukedom of Mecklenburg and shortly after conform'd himself to the Laws and Language of the Saxons his neighbours Whereupon this part of his Father's Territories began to be reckon'd a part of the German Empire and Bugislaus and Casimir Wartislaus's Sons receiv'd the Title of Dukes of Pomeren and Princes of the Roman Empire from the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa This Dukedom was afterwards in the year 1217 parted betwixt Bugislaus and Otho two Brothers from whom sprang the two Houses of Wolgast and Stetin which continued near two hundred years But the House of Stetin failing A.D. 1464 upon the death of Otho the third that part of the Estate was conferr'd upon Frideric the second Marquise and Elector of Brandenburg by the Emperor Frideric the third This the Dukes of Pomeren-Wolgast look'd upon as a notorious piece of injustice to their Family and therefore were resolv'd to oppose with all imaginable vigor the Elector's pretensions At last the Quarrel was composed between the two Houses of Pomeren and Brandenburg upon these conditions That both of them should retain the Arms and Title of Dukes of Pomeren But the Possession and Revenues of all Territories comprised under that name should be yeilded up to the Dukes of Wolgast And that upon the failing of their Issue male it should descend upon the Heirs of the House of Brandenburg Accordingly upon the death of Bugislaus the fourteenth who dyed without issue in the year 1637 the late Elector of Brandenburg George-William put in his claim to the Estate But the Swedes having under pretence of assisting Duke Bugislaus against the Imperialists in the Civil Wars of Germany made themselves Masters of all the strong places in the Country could not be perswaded to part with a Maritime Province which lay so convenient for them And therefore as Conquerors use to prescribe Laws with far less regard to justice then their own interests they would not yeild to the conclusion of any Peace at the Treaty of Munster before it was agreed That all the Lower Pomeren with the Isles of Rugen and Wollin and the Town of Stetin should from thenceforward be annex'd to the Crown of Sweden and the Upper Pomeren only be enjoy'd by the House of Brandenburg and that no longer then the male issue of that Family lasted upon the failure whereof it also was to be added to the King of Sweden's Dominions and in the mean time both Princes were to enjoy the Titles and bear the Arms of the Dukes of Pomeren But because for the common peace of the Empire and in compliance to the peremptory demands of the Queen of Sweden's Ministers the Elector had in this Agreement quitted the Title to a good part of his Inheritance 't was further concluded That his losses should be recompenc'd by the addition of the Bishopricks of Halberstadt and Minden converted into Temporal Principalities to the Marquisate of Brandenburg to which was also added the Reversion of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg which after the death of the then Incumbent Administrator Augustus Duke of Saxony was to descend upon him and his Heirs Now altho the Elector may seem to have gain'd by this bargain since the Lower Pomeren which he has quitted to the Swedes will not doubtless yeild so good a Revenue as the Principalities of Magdeburg Halberstadt and Minden yet there is no question but upon examination we shall find reason to believe that he had rather have the entire Dukedom of Pomeren restored then three more such inland Provinces bestow'd on him Since by this means he would have the opportunity of making himself considerable at Sea and be freed from the inconveniences of having a potent neighbour who keeps him in perpetual Jealousies Upon these considerations the States of the Empire have thought fit to make a further reparation of his damages by allowing him Voices in their Assemblies as Duke of Pomeren and Magdeburg and as Prince of Halberstadt and Minden And because formerly the Archbishops of Magdeburg and Bremen took their turns in the Direction of the Circle of the Lower Saxony they have agreed that the Elector of Brandenburg should alternate with the King of Sweden who enjoys the ancient Archbishoprick of Bremen under the same Title as the said Duke does that of Magdeburg in the same quality After the Ratification of this Treaty at Munster the Swedes quietly enjoy'd the Lower Pomeren according to the tenure of the Articles aforesaid until in these late wars the united forces of the Danes and Brandenburgers not without great difficulty and much bloodshed over-powred them and siezed on all the Lower Pomeren together with the Isle of Rugen and the City of Stetin But of this we shall have occasion to say more in the following Descriptions of particular Cities Chief Cities in the Vpper POMEREN I. Stetin STETIN This has ever been reckon'd the Metropolis of all Pomeren and Stralsund only the chief Town in the Principality of Rugen By whom or when it was first built cannot easily be determin'd and 't is to no purpose to trouble the Reader with the idle conjectures of illiterate Historians who pretend to fetch its genealogy from a warlike Nation whom they call Sidini that before the building of Towns or Houses came in fashion in these parts of the world kept their usual Rendezvous in the place where Stetin now stands However 't is more commendable for the improvements it has receiv'd in the beauty of its buildings and number of inhabitants within the memory of its own Records then any Antiquity it can boast of altho as we have said it is beyond the skill of the ablest Antiquary to find out its original About four hundred years ago Stetin was built of a quite different figure from what it has at this day the Church of St. Peter which now stands without the walls being plac'd in the very middle of the Town The convenient and pleasant situation it now has on the rising of a small hill its regular fortifications beauty and strength it owes to the Saxons who by permission of some of the Dukes of Stetin came hither to reform the barbarous manners and language of their then Wendish Subjects By this means trading was advanc'd and the number of the inhabitants multiplied so exceedingly that some Writers who give us a description of this City in its modern condition represent it as a place where more people inhabit under ground then above it intimating that the Town is so populous that a great number of its Citizens are forc'd to live in Cellars and Vaults The Castle formerly the Palace of the Dukes of Stetin and now the usual Residence of the Swedish Governor is a Pile of building which excels perhaps any piece of Architecture in these parts of Europe and may vy with most of its kind in
to the Court who were easily won over to the Elector's opinions they could not but observe a continual advancement of Calvinism and as constant decay of the Lutheran party Whereupon they resolved the foremention'd Decree for the establishment of the Augsburg confession should be renew'd and confirm'd if possible beyond all fear of a future violation In pursuance of this resolution they procur'd the said Decree to be inserted as the seventh Article into the Westphalian Treaty which they look'd upon as an eternal and immutable Law to the whole German Empire Yet notwithstanding these assurances the present Elector of Brandenburg a zealous assertor of his Fathers Tenents has in many parts of his Dominions especially his two Universities of Francfurt upon the Oder and Koningsberg discouraged the Lutherans and countenanc'd Calvinism The hot-spur Professors at Wittemberg Abraham Calovius and his Brethren first provok'd him with daily Curses and Anathema's vented against Calvin and his followers to publish an Edict commanding all his Subjects to withdraw their Sons from that University within the space of three months after the publishing of the said Edict Upon the death of his first Marchioness Louis-Henrietta Daughter to the Prince of Orange and a zealous Calvinist the Brandenburgers had some hopes their Elector would have been brought over to their party or at least upon his second marriage with Dorothy Daughter to Philip Duke of Holstein and Relict of Christian-Lewis Duke of Brunswic and Lunenburg as resolute an assertor of Luther's Doctrine as the former of Calvin's have a little abated his rigorous persecution But hitherto their hopes have been blasted without the Elector's care to redress their grievances any further then to wink at the ordinary exercise of the Lutheran Religion And indeed 't is almost impossible for him to be truly reconciled as long as Strauchius at present a noted Preacher in Dantzic not long since committed to the Goal for railery with some other hot-headed Lutheran Pulpiters take upon them to represent not only Calvinists in general but the Elector himself as one of the Devil 's chief instruments for perverting the true Christian Religion Mutavit Dominos Marchia saepe suos Goverment is a saying we often meet with in the Historians that treat of this Marquisate But the first time that we hear of any Marquise of Brandenburg is after the year 927. For Henry I. Emperor of Germany having overcome this part of the Country bestow'd it on Sigefride Earl of Rengelheim on condition that he should defend these Marches or outmost limits of the Empire against the Sclaves thereupon giving him the Title of Marckgraf or Marquise From this time we may reckon up three several Catalogues or Classes of the Marquises of Brandenburg beginning first with such as were not Hereditary Marquises but had that Title confer'd on them by the Emperor and enjoy'd it during his pleasure These were 1. Sigefride Earl of Rengelheim who was as we have said created the first Marquis of Brandenburg by the Emperor Henry the first in the year 927. Besides his exploits in several expeditions against the Slavonians he might justly lay claim to some more then ordinary preferment as being Brother to the Empress After his death 2. Gero Count of Altenburg and Mersburg was made Marquis by Otho the first He built the Monastery of Gerenrood which still retains his name Having govern'd a few years he left the Marquisate to 3. Bruno or Brumito Earl of Within and Burgraf of Zorbeck created Marquise by the same Emperor And by the permission of Otho the third his Son 4. Hugh succeeded who having been the Founder of Seven stately Monasteries in Italy died in the year 1001 and was succeeded by his Brother 5. Sigebart whom Otho the third made the first Marquise Elector His Son 6. Theodoric proved a great persecutor of the Heneti two of whose Princes he perswaded the Emperor Henry II. to hang up and all other Tribes of the neighbouring Slaves and Vandals But was at last overpower'd by them and being beaten out of all his Territories by Mistivoius Prince of the Obotriti was forced to end his days miserably in a Monastery at Magdeburg 7. Vdo Earl of Soltwedel within some years after encouraged with the assistance of the Emperor Conrad II. and the Archbishop of Magdeburg gave battel to the Slaves and having forc'd them out of their new Conquests was himself made Marquise of Brandenburg 8. Vdo II. succeeded his Father But joining afterwards wards with Rodolph Duke of Schwaben in a Rebellion against the Emperor Henry IV. he was by the same Emperor proscribed and his Marquisate given to 9. Primislaus King of the Obotriti and Ancestor to the Dukes of Mecklenburg After whose death the Marquisate was made Hereditary by the Emperor Frideric Barbarossa who conferr'd it upon Albert surnam'd Vrsus Prince of Anhalt and Marquise of Soltwedel From whom we may reckon the second Catalogue of Marquises in the order following 1. Albert created Elector and Duke of Saxony Brunswic c. in the place of Henry surnam'd the Lion 2. Otho Albert's Son succeeded by his Son 3. Otho II. who died without issue in the Holy War leaving the Marquisate to his Brother 4. Albert II. He died in the year 1221 and left his Dominions to his Son 5. John a great Benefactor to Francfurt upon the Oder His Son 6. Otho III. built Brandenburg in Prussia and liv'd all his reign which lasted about fifteen years in a continual warfare with the Archbishop of Magdeburg and Bishop of Halberstadt This man's Brother 7. John II. has left nothing memorable recorded of him save that he kept possession for some years of the Dukedom of Crossen which was pawn'd to him by Henry Duke of Vratislaw John the First 's third Son 8. Conrad obtain'd the Marquisate after the death of his two eldest Brothers and died very old and decrepit in the year 1303. His Son 9. John III. did not long outlive his Father but dying in the year 1305 left the Marquisate to his Brother 10. Waldemar who annex'd a good part of Lusatia which he won from the Marquise of Misnia to the Marquisate of Brandenburg His Nephew 11. Waldemar II. died within four years of his Uncle in the year 1323 having acted nothing worth the relating And yet shorter was the Government of his Brother 12. John IV. the last Marquise of the House of Anhalt After whose death which hapned within forty days after he was advanc'd to the Government the Marquisate escheating to the Empire for want of Heirs was given to 13. Lewis of Bavaria by his Father Lewis the Emperor He resigned to his Brother 14. Lewis II. surnamed the Roman because born at Rome who was succeeded by the Emperor's third Son 15. Otho Count Palatine of the Rhine He afterwards sold the Marquisate to the Emperor Charles IV. who gave it to his Son 16. Winceslaus But he had not enjoy'd it quite five years before he was upon his Father's
death Elected Emperor Whereupon he conferr'd the Marquisate of Brandenburg upon his Brother 17. Sigismund King of Hungary and Bohemia who succeeding his Brother in the Empire sold the Marquisate to Jodocus Duke of Moravia but afterwards having redeem'd it out of the hand of William Marquise of Misnia to whom Jodicus had mortgaged it conferr'd it upon Frideric Burggraf of Noremberg at the Council of Constance in the year 1417. From which time we may begin to reckon up the third and last Catalogue of the Marquises of Brandenburg as follows 1. Frideric Burggraf of Noremberg was in consideration of his good services done against the Rebels in Hungary and Bohemia created as before said Marquise of Brandenburg paying only for his Investiture 400000 Crowns His Son 2. Frideric II. succeeded his Father Surnamed for his peevish and cruel temper the Marquise with the Iron teeth He was made Duke of Pomeren by the Emperor Frideric III. but his Brother 3. Albert relinquished all but the bare Title in Pomeren leaving nothing to his Successors but the name which they have hitherto kept of Dukes of Pomeren However he is said to have been so remarkable at some acts of Chivalry that the usual Titles conferr'd on him by Pope Pius II. were Achilles Germanicus and Vlisses Teutonicus He died at Francfurt at the Election of the Emperor Maximilian in the year 1494. His Son 4. John is reported to have been a Prince as eloquent as his Father was valiant and therefore he is commonly stiled Cicero Germanicus He left the Marquisate in the year 1499 to his Son 5. Joachim As great a Lover as his Father was a Master of Eloquence Founder of the University at Francfurt and first authorizer of the Reform'd Religion in Brandenburg 6. Joachim II. succeeded his Father and in the year 1534 got himself and his followers no small credit in a brave Expedition against the Turks at that time the common Enemy of the German Empire His Son and Successor 7. John George govern'd a long time in peace and prosperity During his life his Son 8. Joachim Frideric was Administrator of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg and after his Father's death govern'd the Marquisate of Brandenburg with the same peaceable meekness and piety He had the usual blessing of good and religious men the happiness to be a Father of many Children whereof the eldest 9. John Sigismund succeeded him He married Ann Daughter of Albert-Frideric Duke of Prussia and Mary Eleanor his Wife Daughter of William I. Duke of Cleve who married his Daughter to the said Duke as he did all the rest to other Princes with promise that upon the decease of her Brethren without issue she and her Heirs should succeed to all his Territories Upon this Title the present Elector of Brandenburg lays claim to the Dukedoms of Cleve Juliers and Bergen or the Mountains with the County of Ravensburg 10. George-William Son to John Sigismund and the Lady Ann beforemention'd claim'd in his Mother's right the Dukedoms aforesaid together with the Barony of Ravenstein All which were parted betwixt him and his Cousin-German Wolfgangus Palatine of Newburg and Son of Magdalen younger Sister to Mary-Eleanor But falling out at last about the division of their Territories they engaged their Friends and Allies in the broil the Palatine having call'd in to his assistance the Forces of Spain and the Elector John Sigismund in behalf of his Son the Confederate States of the Netherlands After the death of Bugislaus Duke of Pomeren 't was hoped he might succeed into that Dukedom also but how the Swede balk'd those expectations in the Treaty of Munster we have already inform'd the Reader This Marquise's Son 11. Frideric William is at present Elector of Brandenburg a Prince wise valiant religious temperate chast and in a word master of all the noble virtues without the least mixture of vices of his Countryand Family He was born in the year 1620 and upon his Father's death declared Elector in the year 1656. He has several Children by both his Wives before mention'd whereof the eldest Son or Electoral Prince Charles Emile was born the sixth of February in the year 1655. Tho the Elector of Saxony was formerly look'd upon as a much more potent Prince then the Marquise of Brandenburg Strength and for that reason has always taken place of him at the Elections of the Emperors yet certainly the case is much alter'd at present and the many accessions to the Elector of Brandenburg's Dominions whereof the present Marquise and his predecessors have made themselves Masters in these last ages have render'd him the most powerful and formidable Prince next to the Austrian Family in the German Empire Besides the Marquisate of Brandenburg he challenges the Dukedoms of Magdeburg Preussen Juliers Cleves Bergen Stetin Pomeren Casubia Vandalia Silesia Crossen and Jagerndorff Again he writes himself Duke of Rugen Prince of Halberstadt and Minden Earl of the Marck and Ravensberg and lastly Baron of Ravenstein The Marquise of Brandenburg's chief interest seems to consist in a firm adherence to the King of Denmark Interest who possibly is the only Prince can secure him from the encroachments of his neighbour the Swede Next to the Swedes he is most jealous of the Dukes of Saxony as having observed them more favoured by the House of Austria in the controversie about the Dukedoms of Juliers and Cleves then himself This obliged him to compose the differences betwixt himself and the Duke of Newburg upon easier terms then otherwise he would have been willing to have done The King of Poland is another terrible neighbour on the coasts of Prussia and therefore the Elector not daring to repose too great a confidence in a Prince who pretends a right to the Ducal as well as Regal Prussia is obliged to keep a constant and strong Army upon those coasts In the year 1657 this question was moved Whether the Elector of Brandenburg might lawfully be deprived of all the Territories which he held in Prussia as Dependances on the Crown of Poland upon his having enter'd into a League with the King of Sweden at that time declared Enemy to Poland The Polish Lawyers urged in the affirmative that the Elector was the King of Poland's Vassal and therefore forfeited his Lands by entering into a Confederacy with his Master's Enemies But certainly when we consider in what a miserable condition poor King Casimir was and how unable to defend either himself or his Subjects and again how probable 't was that in this conjuncture the Swedish Army would have swallow'd up the whole Dukedom of Prussia as it had already the greatest part of the Kingdom of Poland without being obliged to quit the field by such a Treaty the Poles had greater reason to thank the Elector for preserving by this expedient some part of their King's Dominions from the common destruction then to condemn him for wisely shunning the ruin which King Casimir had brought upon this Kingdom There are
opinion that 't was first built by Drusus and his Son Germanicus in the days of Augustus Cesar but Pyrckamer thinks 't is yet older and the same with Ptolomy's Vesovium They that fetch its original no higher then the Roman Captain Drusus's time tell us it had its name from an Image of Venus called in their language die Magde i. e. the Maid which say they the old Records of Magdeburg report to have been worshipp'd in the neighbouring banks of the Elb. Hence we meet with the names of Parthenope Parthenopolis and sometimes Parthenopyrga the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the same with the High Dutch Burg in Latin Historians instead of Magdeburgum This Image as the report goes was destroyed and its Temple utterly demolished by the Emperor Charles the Great 's Officers who converted the great Treasure they had seized to better uses in building St. Stephens Church in the Town An ancient Chronicle of the City of Brunswic gives this description of the foremention'd Image That it represented a naked woman with bright shining eyes and long yellow hair seated in a guilt Chariot drawn by two white Swans and as many white Turtles Upon her head was placed a Garland of Myrtle and on her breast a burning Torch flaming every way In her right hand she held a Globe of the world and in her left three Golden Apples She was attended by three Graces who cover'd each others eyes with a Veil What credit may be given to these stories I know not nor will it probably be worth the while to enquire However certain it is that whatever Antiquity the Town of Magdeburg may pretend to it was never wall'd round before the year 940 nor could ever challenge the name of a City till some time after For Edgitha wife to the Emperor Otho I. and Daughter to our English-Saxon King Edmund having the Land about Magdeburg setled on her for a Jointure prevailed with her Husband to give her leave to build a City in this place and to wall it in This Grant the Emperor seconded with large Contributions out of his own Treasury and translated the Bishopric of Vallersleben to this new City So that Magdeburg had if not its name at least its glory from an English Princess Soon after the said Emperor Otho prevailed with the Pope of Rome to make Magdeburg an Archbishopric and to order that several of the neighbouring Bishops particularly the Bishops of Mersburg Zeitz Havelberg and Brandenburg should be subject to the Archbishop of this Diocess as to their lawful Metropolitan who should acknowledg no man's supremacy in Spirituals but the Pope's From thenceforward the Archbishop of Magdeburg had the Title of Primate of Germany conferr'd on him tho as Krantius shews the three Spiritual Electors and the Archbishop of Saltzburg always refused to pay him that respect In this State the Church of Magdeburg continued till the year 1566 when the whole Chapter having abandoned the innovations and fopperies of the Church of Rome and embraced the tenents of M. Luther elected Joachim Frideric at that time the only Son of John George Elector of Brandenburg to be the Administrator of their Archbishopric having before his admission bound him by oath to the observation of certain Articles approved on by himself and his Father After whose death he was advanced to the Electorate of Brandenburg and his Son Christian-William chosen Administrator in his place Who faithfully discharged his trust till the year 1631 in which the Town after a long siege was taken by the cruel Count Tilly who destroyed the lives and fortunes of no less then thirty thousand Citizens with Fire and Sword and carried the Administrator prisoner to Newstatt in Austria where he chang'd his Religion and turn'd Papist Into his place the Chapter elected Augustus second Son to John George the First Elector of Saxony who had had the Title of Coadjutor from the year 1625. In the Westphalian Treaty it was order'd that upon the death of the said Augustus the Archbishopric of Magdeburg should again return to the House of Brandenburg and be for ever annex'd to that Elector's Dominions under the name of a Dukedom In pursuance of this agreement the present Elector of Brandenburg has upon the death of the said Administrator which hapned this last year 1680 taken possession of Magdeburg and the adjoining Territories which 't is thought will advance his yearly Revenues the sum of 600000 Rixdollars The siege of Magdeburg in the year 1631 which we have already mention'd is so famous for the valour of the Defendants Siege and notorious for the unparallel'd cruelty of the Besiegers that it well merits a more particular account then we have yet given of it The tenth of May old stile was the bloody day whereon this horrid and tragical Massacre was committed The Burgers had long withstood the threats and force of the Imperial General Count Tilly endeavouring to secure their Religion from the outrages of a Popish Army But after a long and vain resistance the bloody Count forced his way into the Town and commanded his men to spare neither man woman nor child but put all to the Sword to fire all their Churches and private Houses and to extirpate if possible their very name In obedience to his command women in travail were ript up and the sucking children snatcht from their mothers breasts and hew'n in pieces before their eyes The young Virgins were first ravish'd in the open street and then murder'd two whereof are said to have prevented their shame by hast'ning their death the one throwing her self before Tilly's face into a Well and the other into the Fire Sixteen Churches and Chappels whereof many cover'd with Lead and one with Copper were burnt down and not an House in the Town left standing save a few Fishermen's Cottages which the Imperialists would not vouchsafe to fire Of near forty thousand Citizens scarce four hundred were left alive and those destitute of Houses and other conveniences requisite for the preservation of the miserable lives they had spared them This bloody exploit Count Tilly was used to brag of afterwards in his jollity calling it merrily The Marriage-feast of Magdeburg Since this desolation the Town has not to this day been able to recover its former grandeur Present condition but is every-where checquer'd with new buildings and the ruins of the old They have rebuilt one stately Church but most of the rest ly still buried in their ashes Tilly in the heat of his rage was perswaded to spare the Cathedral which is indeed a stately structure and enough to recommend the whole Town to a stranger's eye In one of the Chappels in this Church is shew'n the Tomb of the Emperor Otho the Great with his Wife Edgitha before-mentioned holding in her hand nineteen small Globes within a Golden circle which denote so many Tun of Gold given by the Emperor at her request towards the building of this Cathedral There are
in this Church forty-nine Altars whereof the High Altar in the Quire is of one piece of stone curiously wrought and of various colours It is nine Hamburg Ells each of which makes one foot and ten inches in length four in bredth and one in thickness and valued at above two Tun of Gold Magdeburg had once the supreme Jurisdiction in Civil Cases as well as Ecclesiastical over all the other Cities in Saxony Judicature and the Archbishop of this Diocess was like our Bishops of Durham a Count Palatine who had the sole power of determining all Causes brought before him But that grand Authority was lost by degrees and now the Citizens of Magdeburg have no other Courts of Judicature then such as are kept by the Burgomasters and Raedtsherrn of other Cities as well as this That part of this Dukedom which lies on the Western banks of the Elb is exceedingly fruitful in Corn but wants Wood and other fuel and on the contrary that part of it which lies beyond the River has plenty of Wood but wants Corn. There are contain'd in the whole Circle twenty-eight Towns which anciently paid homage to the Archbishops of Magdeburg and are now subject to the Elector of Brandenburg as their Duke ANHALT BEtwixt the Sala and the Elb lies the greatest part of this Principality the whole being environ'd by the County of Mansfeldt the Upper Saxony the Bishopric of Halle the Dukedom of Magdeburg and the Bishopric of Halberstadt MARCHIA NOVA Vulgo NEW MARK in March Brandenburg PRINCIPATUS ANHALDINUS ET MAGDEBURGENSIS Archiepiscopatus Apud Janssonio-Waesbergios Mosem Pitt et Stephanum Swart 'T will not in this place be amiss to inform the the Reader that Prince Lewis beforemention'd to the great credit of himself and Family was the first Founder of the Frucht-Barende Geselschaft as the Germans call it or Fructifying Society The story of which is as follows This Prince having travell'd over all Europe and observed the great advantages which the Nobility in France Italy and other Nations had in being furnish'd with store of excellent Books in their own Languages was resolved to try whether he could perswade any of his own Countrymen to set upon the Translation of the best Latin and Greek Authors into a more easie and intelligible stile then was ordinarily used among them In pursuance of this design he instituted the Society aforesaid whereof himself was the first President and succeeded so well herein that in a very short time after there were above twenty Princes and at least six hundred Lords and Noblemen who enter'd and enroll'd themselves in this College of Wits And how much the German Nation is beholden to the endeavours of these Virtuosi there is no intelligent man but what is abundantly sensible For besides the opportunity which every man has of reading the writings of foreign Authors in his own Language the Germans are able to spell their own tongue aright which before the Institution of this Society so few of them could do that Duesius tells us one main design of his publishing a German Grammar was to teach the Nobility of that Nation to put their words into writing The most considerable Towns in this small Principality are 1. Zerbst Seated on a small River about an English mile distant from the banks of the Elb. Dresserus fancies this a Town of great Antiquity Zerbst and had its name from the Servetii or Cervetii as he reads it an old Wendish people But Werdenhagen a better Antiquary rejects this frivolous assertion and proves that Zerbst in the Wendish Dialect signifies a strong Fort. 'T is at this day remarkable for nothing but a sort of strong heady Beer which the Citizens brew in Summer and send abroad into all the neighbouring Towns and Provinces 2. Bernburg Bernburg Another Residence of the Princes of Anhalt separated from the Palace by the River Sala On the eleventh of March in the year 1636 this Town was taken by the Elector of Saxony's Forces who put the whole Garrison that defended it with all the inhabitants excepting only those few that belong'd to the Prince's Court to the Sword and plunder'd the City 3. Dessau A well fortified Town on the Elb Dessau seated in a pleasant and fruitful part of the Country It had its name given as most of the German Etymologists imagine by the Jews who in their mungrel Dutch-Jewish Dialect call a fat soil such as this Town stands on Desse The Prince's Palace in Dessau was first built as appears by an old Inscription over one of the Gates by Albert and Waldemar two Brothers Princes of Anhalt in the year 1341. In one of the Chappels of this Town is to be seen the Tomb of Jeckel Rehebock whom some German Historians name Meniken von Belitz an old Miller who having for some time attended Waldemar Marquise of Brandenburg in the Wars took upon him to counterfeit his slain Master and carried on the design so cunningly that a great many believ'd him to be the very Marquise and follow'd him with as great respect as they had done his Master before He dyed in the year 1350. 4. Aschersleben or Ascania Ascania whence the Princes of Anhalt got the name of Principes Ascanii 'T is an old Town on the confines of the Bishopric of Halberstadt and for that reason seized on by Canons of that Church upon the death of Prince Otho's Widow in the year 1315. Since which time the Princes of Anhalt have often complain'd of the injustice of this action and hoped for a redress at the Treaty of Munster but in vain for the Bishopric of Halberstadt was by that Treaty granted to the Elector of Brandenburg who is too potent a Prince to be frighted into a resignation of any of the dependances upon that Diocess THE DUKEDOME OF BRUNSWIC THE Dukedom of Brunswic strictly so call'd comprehends only the Territories subject to the Dukes of Brunswic and Hannover or Calenberg The Principality of Grubenhagen with the Counties of Blanckenburg and Reinstein are indeed usually comprised under the same name because subject to the Dukes of Zell and Wolfenbuttel who are both entituled Dukes of Brunswic as well Luneburg but are however in themselves distinct Dominions and shall accordingly be separately described The Dukedoms of Brunswic and Hannever are exceeding populous and fruitful Soil The Wheat and Rye in this Country grows sometimes to that prodigious height that their ordinary Ears of Corn are higher then the tallest man on Horseback But yet we must not expect to meet with such pleasant and profitable Cornfields as these in every part of the Country A great share of the Hercynean Forest ran thro this Land tho that be now parcell'd out into smaller Woods and Parks In these the Inhabitants have besides the provision of Timber and Fuel great store of Deer wild Swine Hares c. with Fowl of all sorts Not to mention their rich Mines of Iron Salt and Coal-pits of which in
their due place The chief Rivers are the Weser by which all manner of Merchandise are convey'd from Bremen up as far as Brunswic Rivers Leina Innerste Ocker with some more of less note which supply the neighbourhood with Fish It is observable Forts that every-where in the Dukedom of Brunswic as well as in the County of Blackenburg you may meet with the Ruins of old Forts and Castles on the tops of high Hills and ragged Mountains which by most Antiquaries are conjectur'd to be the Reliques and Rudera of so many Roman Fortifications and an evident argument that the Seat of the war betwixt the Romans and the Germans was for some time at least in this part of the Empire I had rather think them the work of some Saxon Commanders when engaged in the defence of their Country and Paganism against the Assaults of Charles the Great or perhaps built by that mighty Emperor to secure his Conquests However thus much we may venture to conclude from these venerable Tents of Mars 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 that the Lower Saxons those especially that inhabited these parts were anciently a stout and warlike people men that were hardly conquer'd and afterwards with more difficulty kept in subjection And such their progeny are still reckon'd They are men of a larger size then most others of the German Nation and withall inur'd to a coarse fare and cold lodging Their ordinary diet is dry'd Swine's flesh and Sawsedges which they digest with as much ease as any of their neighbour Nations do their choicest delicacies From their great greediness in devouring this sort of diet they are usually call'd by the Hollanders and other Germans Speckmuffen or Bacon-guts With these meats they eat a black and harsh tasted bread made of the coarsest Wheat or Rye-meal This in their barbarous and rustic dialect they call Pumpernickell a compound that has no manner of affinity with any primitive in the High Dutch tongue Some of their learned men give this account of the word that a French Gentleman travelling this Country and being ask'd what he thought of this kind of bread made answer that it was bon pour cheval i. e. good diet for a Horse which words being not rightly proportion'd to the mouths of the Brunswic Bores that heard him were by them miserably corrupted into the word before-mention'd Their Land affords no Wine but they think that defect abundantly recompensed by the great quantities of Beer brew'd in most places of note The Brunswickers are not 't is true so complaisant in their behaviour and carriage as some other Germans which a Traveller may meet with but their unfeign'd humanity and hospitality will sufficiently atone for their want of Courtship They know how to be civil to a stranger without flattery and in in their entertainment of Travellers their performances are commonly as large as a French man's promise We have already in the description of the Dukedom of Luneburg acquainted the Reader that the whole Dukedom of the Lower Saxony which was afterwards subdivided into those of Brunswic and Luneburg was formerly subject to one Prince and we have there also given him an account of the first original of this Dominion with the continuance of it under several Princes during the union of its members The first division of these Territories hapned in the year 1264 at which time Duke Otho's two Sons Albert and John not liking to be copartners in the Government of the Lower Saxony divided the Land assigning to the former the City and Dukedom of Brunswic and to the later the other of Luneburg However upon the death of William Duke of Luneburg Grandchild to the foremention'd Duke John without issue male in the year 1368 the two Dukedoms were again jointly subject to Duke Magnus surnam'd Torquatus But in this they could not long continue for Torquatus's Sons as ambitious of independant and absolute Government as their predecessors again separated Courts Bernbard the elder Brother claiming this Dukedom to himself and assigning Luneburg to Henry his younger Brother After whose death his Son William surnam'd Victoriosus for his valorous exploits fell upon his Uncle Bernhard whom he reduc'd to those straits at last that he made him and his two Sons change Dukedoms with him From that time the Dukedom of Brunswic was enjoy'd by William and his Successors until the extirpation of that Line in Frideric Vlrich who died without issue A. D. 1634. In the year 1491 this Dukedom was divided by Henry the elder and his Brother Eric into two equal shares whereof all the Country betwixt the Rivers Deister and Leina together with the Territories of Gottingen and known by the name of the Dukedom of Brunswic-Wolfenbuttel remained in the possession of Henry But soon after Eric's Line upon the death of his Son Eric II. in Italy A. D. 1584. was extinct and these two Dukedoms again united in the House of Wolfenbuttel In which condition they remain'd till the death of Frideric Vlric before-mention'd After which the Dukedoms of Wolfenbuttel and Calenberg descended upon some younger Brothers of the House of Luneburg The famous and learned Prince Augustus was advanc'd to Wolfenbuttel where he is now succeeded by his Son Rodulphus Augustus Of these two Dukes the Reader may expect a larger character in the following description of the Palace at Wolfenbuttel 'T will not be impertinent in this place to relate for the Reader 's diversion the Romantic History of the first original of the ancient Guelphian Family 〈…〉 which formerly afforded Dukes at the same time of Bavaria and Saxony and of which the Dukes of Brunswic and Luneburg are now the sole Relicts The story goes thus Jermintrudis Countess of Altorf in Schwaben having accused a poor woman of Adultery and caused several severe punishments to be inflicted on her for having had twelve children at a birth was within a while after delivered of the same number her self and all of them Sons Her Husband Count Isenberd being absent at the time of her delivery she commanded the Midwife to kill eleven of them fearing possibly she her self might undergo the same punishment or scandal at least which the poor beggar woman had done upon her instigation The Midwife going to execute her Ladies barbarous commands was met by the Count returning home who enquiring what she carried in her Apron was answer'd Woelpen i. e. Whelps But suspecting the truth of what she said upon her refusal to shew them examining farther into the matter forc'd her to confess the whole story Upon which enjoining the old womans secresie and concealing the knowledg of the fact from his Countess he put out all the children to Nurse taking care their education should be answerable to their quality At the end of six years the Count invited to a great feast most of his own and his Lady's Relations to whom in the midst of their jollity he presented his eleven Sons all attired alike to their Mother who
very Church now almost nine hundred years old wherein his first Sermons were deliver'd But the great ornament of this Town is the Academia Julia or University founded by Julius Duke of Brunswic-Wolfenbuttel in the year 1576. Amongst other grand priviledges granted to this University by the Emperor Maximilian II. 't was order'd that its Rectors should for ever be honour'd with the Title and Dignity of Counts Palatine Whereupon Henry Julius Duke Julius's eldest Son and Bishop of Halberstadt was by his Father made the first Rector and before his succession to the Dukedom of Brunswic upon his Father's death founded the fair College which is still call'd Juleum novum These two Dukes procured for the use of the Professors and Students in this University a considerable Library of Books which since has been well augmented but comes far short of that at Wolfenbuttel Amongst some hundreds of Hebrew Greek Latin and Dutch Manuscripts of little value they have two old Volumes containing the Pentateuch in Hebrew written on Vellam in a fair and legible character For these two Books they tell us several Jewish Rabbies who pretend to more then ordinary skill in discerning the true Antiquity of such kind of Monuments in their own language have offer'd some hundred of Rix-dollars After the death of Duke Frideric Vlric the last Prince of the ancient House of Wolfenbuttel the Dukes of Lunenburg divided the Rectory of this University amongst them agreeing that each of the Dukes Regent should in his course supply that Office for one year and no more And in state it has ever since continued There is not any University in the German Empire that has bred up more eminent and learned men within the compass of one Century then Helmstadt Witness Joh. Caselius Jac. Horstius Val. Forsterius Reinerus Reineccius Hen. Meibomius Joh. Stukius Jac. Lampadius Conr. Hornejus c. and of late years the ingenious Calixti and incomparable Conringius IV. 〈◊〉 HANNOVER The Metropolis of the Dukedom of Calenberg whence the Duke's Palace was removed hither by George Duke of Brunswic-Calenberg upon the decease of the above-mention'd Frideric Vlric The Town was anciently call'd Lawenroda from the neighbouring Castle which was subject to Counts of that name About Henry the Lion's time it got the name of Hanover from a Ferry at this place over the River Leina as some imagine Han over in the old Dialect of the Lower Saxons signifying the same as the more modern High-Dutch haben uber i.e. to have or carry over There are yearly kept in this Town four Fairs during which there is always a vast concourse of Foreigners as well as Germans from all parts of the Empire These contribute exceedingly to the enriching of the Citizens but however a more considerable share of their wealth arises from their Breuhane a sweet and muddy sort of Beer which is hence exported in great quantities into the neighbouring Towns and Villages V. HAMELEN Hamelen An ancient City on the outmost confines of the Dukedom of Brunswic-Calenberg seated on the mouth of the River Hamel whence it has its name and the banks of the Weser This place is look'd upon as the Key to the whole Dukedom and is therefore better fortified and garrison'd then almost any other City in the Duke of Brunsic's Dominions The Records of this City relate a notable accident which hapned amongst the Burgers on the 26th day of June in the year 1284. The story is as follows The Citizens being strangely infested with Rats and having tried all imaginable expedients but in vain to rid themselves of these troublesom guests at last met with a stranger who undertook for a certain reward to do the feat The Burgers agreed to his proposals and the strange Gentleman immediately with his Tabret and Pipe draws after him all the Rats in the Town like so many Maurice-dancers to the River and there drowned them Returning for his reward it was denied him as being judg'd to great a recompense for so small a performance However less he could not be perswaded to take but left the Town in a rage threatning in a short time to be reveng'd Accordingly about a year after he came again and play'd the second part of the same Tune but with another Train after him For now he went attended with a great number of Children who follow'd him in at the mouth of a great Cave on the top of a neighbouring Hill call'd by the Burgers Koppel-berg and were never after heard of In remembrance of this sad accident the Citizens were wont for many year after as appears by several old Deeds and other Records in that City to date all their Indentures and Contracts such a year von unser kinder aussgang i.e. since the departure of our Children The street thro which they pass'd is to this day call'd Bungloese Strass or Tabret-street and on the top of the Mountain near the Cave's mouth is still to be seen a mounment of stone with this inscription Post duo CC mille post octoginta quaterque Annus hic est ille quo languet annus uterque Orbantur pueros centum etque triginta Johannis Et Pauli caros Hamelenses non sine damnis Fatur ut omnes eos vivos calvaria sorpsit Christe tuere reos ne tam mala res quibus obsit Which sorry piece of dogg'rel is there translated into two Distichs in the Nether Saxon Dialect much of the same strain The Principality of GRVBENHAGEN GRUBENHAGEN Name in the Dutch language signifies properly a Grove or Forest belonging to the ancient Family of the Grubes tho afterwards that word was appropriated to a Castle built by some of the said Family which in process of time communicated its name to the whole Principality Thus the Hague in Holland called by the Low Dutch s'Gravenhaghe which is ordinarily render'd in Latin by Haga Comitis had its name from the neighbouring Forest where it seems the Earls of that Province were anciently used to hunt And indeed this whole Principality is nothing else but a large Forest Hercynian Wood. most of it being a part of the Hartz or Sylva Hercynia mention'd by Roman Writers Julius Cesar in his Commentaries says that this Wood is at least nine days journey in bredth and of an unaccountable length Several men he tells us have travell'd forty days together strait forward in it but that no man durst ever yet boast that he had seen both ends of it The German word Hartz out of which without all question the Latins form'd their Hercynia signifies properly Rosin or Pitch which is nothing else but the liquor distill'd out of the Pine and Fir-trees the only Timber wherewith this Forest abounds Since the Empire began to be cultivated and the inhabitants understood the advantage of uniting themselves into Cities and Corporations the Hercynian Wood has in many places been converted into great Towns and large Corn-fields but yet passing over these 't is still easie to track it
you may meet large Vineyards plentifully stock'd with Grapes out of which is press'd a much more palatable sort of Wine then can be had in any part of Saxony or the Marquisate of Brandenburg Amongst the many kinds of plants and herbs wherewith the Fields and Forests as well as Gardens of Thuringen abound the chief and most peculiar to this Province are wild Saffron and Woad the later of which is used by our Dyers in their best blews and sky-colours and with which the old Britains as Cesar informs us were us'd to paint themselves Near Sangerhausen and Salfeld has sometimes been dug up considerable quantities of Copper and Silver Ore and at Franckenhausen Saltzungen and Sultza they have still rich Salt-pits The chief Rivers of the Country are the Sala Rivers Werra Vnstrut Hiera Ilm Leina Schwertze Wipper Helbe Rahna Helme Lossa and Giessel Besides these there are several great Lakes at the bottom of some of their Mountains the most considerable of which are the Weissensee and Schwansee The Bores of Thuringen are a rough and unhew'n sort of people downright Clowns Inhabitants and so far strangers to Courtship and breeding that they are with much difficulty brought acquainted with the common principles of humanity They hardly admit of any manner of government or order among them and are possibly the only Germans that are uncivil to Travellers The Thuringers upon their first appearance in these parts Government subjected themselves to a King of their own chusing and continued in this estate till their whole land was overrun and conquer'd by the Francks in the year 1522. In the days of the Emperor Charles the Great and his Father King Pepin who first rooted out Paganism and planted Christianity in this Province the greatest part of it was subject to the Archbishop of Mentz who govern'd it by several Deputies and Lieutenants By this means the Kingdom of Thuringen came to be divided into a great many Counties and Baronies or Lordships such were the Counties of Schwartzburg Kirchberg Kefernburg Schoneberg Gleichen Sangerhausen c. the Lordships of Franckenstein Saltza Heldrungen Dreffert Apolda Vargila c. After the death of the Emperor Otho Ludowic Count of Schoneberg got the Title of Count of Thuringen conferr'd on him by the Emperor Conrad II. and his Grandchild prevail'd with Lotharius II. to change the Title of Count into Landtgrave In this Line the honour continued till the death of Herman Landtgrave of Thuringen and Hessen in the year 1226. Whereupon Henry Duke of Brabant got possession of Hessen and Thuringen fell to Henry Marquise of Misnia and has ever since been subject to the House of Saxony Erfurt the Metropolis of Thuringen Erfurt and one of the largest Cities in Germany is thought by Bertius and other learned Geographers to have had its name from Erfa an old ruinous Castle near thirty English miles distant from the Town I had rather believe its ancient name to have been Ierafurt which signifies no more then a Ferry over the River Iera on the banks of which this City now stands There are three Baronies and seventy-two fair Villages subject to the Citizens of Erfurt so that the Country Rustics have some reason for that proverbial saying in ordinary use amongst them Erfurt is not a City but a Country When this great City which is about as large as Coln and as beautiful was first built is not easily determin'd 'T is certain that in the days of Boniface Archbishop of Mentz it was reckon'd an ancient City For there is still extant an Epistle written by that Prelate to Pope Zachary wherein we meet with these words Vnam esse sedem Episcopatus decrevimus in Castello quod dicitur Wurtzburg alteram in oppido quod nominatur Buriburg perhaps Nuriburg tertiam in loco qui dicitur Erphesfurt qui fuit olim Paganorum The Town is situate in a pleasant and fruitful plain abundantly stock'd with all manner of grain and affording great plenty of good Wine Vast multitudes of the Citizens are maintain'd by gathering and dressing the Herb Woad before mention'd which grows in great abundance in most fields near Erfurt This and the other Commodities of the Town Corn Wine c. are carried off at two great Fairs in the year whereof one is held the week after Trinity Sunday and the other at Martinmass Weimar a neat and well built City Weimar in the middle way betwixt Erfurt and Iena is thought to have been anciently call'd Weinmarckt from the great quantities of Wine sold daily at this Town It is questionless a place of great antiquity since as the old Chronicle of Thuringen witnesses the Emperor Otho II. held a general Diet of all the Estates of the Empire in this City in the year 975. The only remarkable thing in the Town is the Landgrave's Palace a regular and stately piece of building The City of Iena seated on the banks of the Sala Iena and famous for an Univesity and great concourse of learned men may justly be reckon'd the third in Thuringen Some German Etymologists would have this Town as well as the former fetch its name from the Grapes or Vineyards about it They tell us Jain signifies Wine in the Hebrew tongue and therefore too 't is probable say they that the Jews were first founders of this City But this conjecture has as little of probability in it as that fancy of some others who endeavour to derive the name of this Town from the old Roman God Janus since it does not appear that there grew any Vines near this place fome Centuries ago or that ever the Jews were Masters of it The Town is at present a well compact piece and tolerably well fortified with Walls and Turrets The foundation of the University was first begun by John Frideric Elector of Saxony who procured for it many brave and large priviledges from the Emperor Charles the Fifth But this good Prince never liv'd to finish the work he had begun but upon his deathbed committed that charge to his Sons who got the foremention'd priviledges confirm'd by the Emperor Ferdinand in the year 1558. Since that time there has never wanted a considerable number of eminent Professors and learned men in all Faculties in this University among whom the great J. Lipsius was one a man sufficient of himself not to mention any of his learned Collegues to eternize the credit of the place They have here a Library given them by some of the Dukes of Saxony and daily augmented but not so considerable as to merit a particular Description Gotha the fifth great Town in Thuringen Gotha seated on the Leina is thought to have been built by some of the old Gothic Troops on their march through this Country towards Italy and by them to have had the name of Gotha given it However 't is certain it was only a mean Village such as might just serve for the Tents of a company of hardy
Tract in Latin containing its description and vertues The Oder is the chief of all the Rivers in Silesia Rivers It springs near the Town Oder not far from Teschen on the borders of Moravia and passes by Ratibor Cossel Oppelen Brieg Brieslaw Glogaw Beuthen and Crossen with some more Cities of less note before it leaves this Dukedom Other remarkable Rivers are the Bober Neisse Ohla and Queiss Besides these 't is the honour of Silesia that the Vistula the best River in Poland and the Elb spring out of its mountains There are also in this Country good store of Ponds and Lakes which yeild plenty of all manner of fresh water fish especially Lampreys which are caught in prodigious quantities in the Neisslish Sea and some other waters Other Commodities of the Land are Madder â—â—moâ—â—ies Flax sweet Cane or Galengal Wine especially in the Dukedoms of Sagan and Crossen Silver Copper Lead Iron and Chalk They have plenty of Salt-peter and some good Salt tho not so much as to be sufficient for their own use so that daily great quantities of this Commodity are brought in from Poland and other neighbouring Countries They have all the sorts of wild and tame Beasts that any other part of the German Empire affords Butter Cheese particularly a kind of pitiful stuff made of Ewe's milk Bacon Honey c. But the greatest trading Commodities they have are Wool and Flax. Silesia has bred several good Scholars and brisk Wits â—â—abiâ—â—ts tho the ordinary Rustics are look'd upon as a people of a shallow understanding and small sence They are commonly in way of derision stil'd by their neighbour Nations Eselsfresser or Ass-Eaters The occasion of which nick-name some say was this A blunt Country Rustic travelling from near Breslaw into the Dukedom of Crossen ' spy'd in a field an Ass feeding which the poor fellow having never before seen the like Creature mistook unhappily for an overgrown Hare Whereupon discharging his Blunderbuss he shot the strange beast and brought it home to his friends and acquaintance who being a pack of Bumpkins of no longer heads then himself roasted and eat up the outlandish Puss This is the relation which the common people of Silesia give of their Title Another story is that the Miners at Reichenstein not far from Glatz having discover'd a vein of Gold-Ore which they nam'd der guldener Esel lay at it continually being resolv'd that no strangers or foreigners should share with them in the Treasure And hence they got the name of Ass-eaters from stuffing their purses and not their carcases But this later narrative may possibly have been contriv'd by some of the Silesian Wits who by this means were in hopes to wear off the disgrace and ignominy of the former Some of them like the Bores of Italy and Bohemia have a custom of reckoning the hours of the day from the Snnsetting but few of the Nobility observe that method The Lieutenantship of Silesia was for some time committed to Matthias Corvinus King of Hungary but afterwards was conferr'd upon the Bishops of Breslaw until the Emperor Rudolf II. decreed that this charge should be committed to some of the Temporal Princes of that Nation who were to be nominated as well as the subordinate Lieutenants of the several petty Dukedoms or Counties by the Council Chamber at Prague to whom was also committed at the the same time the supreme inspection into all Law-Cases and the different administration of Justice in all Courts of Judicature in each particular Province Christianity was first planted in Poland and at the same time in Silesia Religion which was then a part of that great Dukedom about the later end of the ninth and beginning of the tenth Century In the infancy of Religion in these parts the Polanders and Silesians were wont to assemble themselves in Woods and other desert places of the Land for fear of laying themselves too open to the cruelty of their Magistrates who were men of another perswasion But at last Christianity was admitted to Court for Mieceslaus Duke of Poland having married Drambronica Daughter of Boleslaus Duke of Bohemia a Christian was himself baptized at Gnesna in the year 965. Whereupon he caused nine Bishopricks to be erected in his Dominions amongst which one was founded at Schmogra in Silesia which was afterwards removed to Bitschen and at length fix'd at Breslaw Soon after the Reformation begun by Luther the Augsburg Confession was brought hither and at last confirm'd by the Emperor Rudolph II. in the year 1609. But Ferdinand II. a bloody persecutor of the Protestants repeal'd that Charter allowing the public profession of the Lutheran Religion to the Citizens of Breslaw and some few Towns more and that too with several limitations and restrictions However that Emperor was sensible before his death how vain 't was to endeavour the extirpation of Protestants and the whole Empire some years after groaned under the dismal effects of his misguided zeal for the Church of Rome The Silesians are at this day generally Lutherans only some few of the Nobility with their Dependants adhere still to the Superstitions and Fopperies of the Romanists We have hitherto given the Reader a general account of the vast Dukedom of Silesia and proceed in the next place to a more particular survey of the several petty Provinces which make up this large Territory beginning with I. The Dukedom of CROSSEN IN the time that the Silesian Princes were Dukedom by the subtilty of John King of Bohemia set at variance and enmity amongst themselves of which stratagem we have already taken notice this Dukedom was first separated from the other parts of the Great Duke of Silesia's Dominions For in the year 1272 the City of Crossen was pawn'd to the Archbishop of Magdeburg but redeem'd within two years after by Henry Duke of Breslaw Four years after this the Citizens of Breslaw pawn'd it a second time to John Marquise of Brandenburg for four thousand Crowns towards the ransom of their Duke but with this proviso that the Marquise should not give assistance to Boleslaus Duke of Lignitz in his wars against their City Not long after Crossen was again redeem'd out of the Marquise's hands But John the Great commonly known by the name of Cicero Germanicus got possession of it a second time in lieu of fifty thousand ducats owing him for his wife's portion Again John Duke of Sagan deliver'd up this Dukedom into the hands of John the third Elector of Brandenburg with the consent of Vladislaus King of Hungary and Bohemia in the year 1391. Lastly Joachim II. and his Brother John Marquises of Brandenburg had the sole and entire possession of this Dukedom granted them by the Emperor Ferdinand the first King of Bohemia Since which time the Electors have always enjoy'd it and stiled themselves Dukes of Crossen in Silesia Crossen City in the language of some of the Natives of this Country signifies the outmost seam or selvidge
them in the year 1648 which have not since been rebuilt However the place is still beautified with a fair Church College and Town-Hall and the Streets especially the Market-place which is in an exact square are generally neat and uniform Oelsse had anciently its own Duke who kept his residence in that City but upon the death of Duke Conrad the Eighth in the year 1492. the Dukedom was given to the Dukes of Munsterberg who have ever since been Lords of it In this Principality are reckon'd the small Cities of Bernstatt Festenberg Kunstatt Stroppen Mosebahr Hundsfeld and Trebnitz VI. The City and Dukedom of BRESLAW BRESLAW or Wratislavia the Metropolis of Silesia has its name from Wratislaus a Bohemian Prince its first Founder whence the Citizens bear a great W in their Coat of Arms to this day 'T is seated at the confluence of the two Rivers Oder and Ohla in a rich and pleasant Country Towards the North indeed there are some Marshes and moist fields whence are now and then some unwholesome gales sent into the Town and the whole City is reported to have been built in the place of a great Pond dried up The Citizens who are exceedingly numerous by reason of their great Traffick with the Hungarians Bohemians Polanders and other foreign Merchants who resort hither are said to be as neat and gentile in their Clothes and Cookery as any other of the Emperor's Subjects whatever Breslawers love to be esteem'd immediate members of the German Empire and cannot endure to be reckon'd a part of the Kingdom of Bohemia Hence 't is that they have obtain'd leave of the Emperors to bear the spred Eagle in their Escutcheon and that they petitioned Charles V. to confirm their priviledges For this reason M. Boregius a Breslawer who wrote a Chronicle of the Kings of Bohemia ranks Breslaw among the Imperial Cities but ne're mention it with the King of Bohemia's Towns altho it be certain that 't was formerly subject to that Prince This Goldastus in his learned Treatise of the Kingdom of Bchemia evidently proves notwithstanding what is usually alledg'd as an argument to the contrary by some ignorant and silly Historians that it was once one of the Hans-Towns The generality of the buildings in this City are fair and stately only on the banks of the Oder stand four old fashion'd Fabricks with Turrets on the top which the Antiquaries of this place fancy to have been the ancient Palaces of so many Schwabish Princes who in former days were Lords of this City Besides the vast traffick of the Citizens the Town is famous for a Bishop's See and an University wherein have been bred many learn'd men and some great Writers The Bishops of this Diocese who had anciently the Epiphet or Title of Golden given them from their vast revenues are put in by the King of Bohemia whom they acknowledg their supreme Head at least in Temporals 'T is a receiv'd Tradition in these parts that the Kings of Bohemia have no power to promote a stranger to any Bishopric in Silesia so that a Bohemian is no more capable of being advanced to one of their Dioceses then a Silesian is of being preferr'd to the Archbishopric of Prague But how false this report is Historians will sufficiently inform us Boleslaus Dukedom surnam'd the Long a Polish Prince was created the first Duke of Breslaw and Lignitz by the Emperor Frideric in the year 1163. But these kind of petty Princes not being able to secure their Territories and especially this large and rich City which was a bait sufficient to tempt the most potent Prince of the neighbourhood from the incursions of the Tartars Polanders and other foreign Enemies the Citizens of Breslaw were forced to put themselves under the protection of the Kings of Bohemia or as they will have it Emperors of Germany to whom they are now immediately subject VII The Town and Dukedom of LIGNITZ LIGNITZ a fair City on the banks of a small Rivulet call'd Katsbach is thought to have its name from the Lygii City a German people the ancient inhabitants of this part of Silesia About the year of Christ 1170 this Town was much enlarg'd beautified and fortified by Boleslaus the Long the first Duke of Lignitz After him Duke Frideric the second so far improv'd his predecessor Boleslaus's undertakings that in the year 1532 it became one of the best fortified Cities next to Breslaw in all Silesia Things best worth seeing in the Town are the Hospital the Town-Hall and Castle The Dukedom of Lignitz is reckon'd one of the best Corn-Countries in Silesia Dukedom and affords near as great plenty of the Terra Sigillata as the Dukedom of Schweidnitz especially the white sort which is here more plentiful then in any other Province The whole is commonly subdivided into seven Circles whereof four have names from the four Cities of Luben Parchwitz Hayn and Goldberg and the other three are the division of the barren or desert part of the Dukedom VIII The Ducal Cities of JAWER SCHWEIDNITZ BRIEG MONSTERBERG and OPPELEN THE City of Jawer is seated in a pleasant Valley Jawer tho not far distant from the rugged Crags and Mountains which separate Silesia from the Kingdom of Bohemia It has not the advantage of any River near it so that all the fortifications it has are high Rampires and deep Ditches There is little of note in the Town but the Church burnt down in the late Civil Wars A. D. 1648. but rebuilt more stately then before and the Castle wherein resides the Lieutenant of the two Dukedoms of Jawer and Schweidnitz The Emperor Charles IV. King of Bohemia married Ann Daughter of Henry II. Duke of Javer who with his Brother Bolco Duke of Schweidnitz died without issue whereupon these two Dukedoms were more immediately subjected to the Kings of Bohemia in whose hands they still remain To the Dukedom of Javer belong the Towns of Buntzlau Lemberg Schonau Greiffenberg Lahn Fridberg Lubenthal Schmideberg Naumburg upon the Queiss Kupfferberg and Hirschberg 2. SCHWEIDNITZ or Schweinnitz Schweidnitz has its name from the great Herds of wild Swine which were harbour'd in this place before the Forest was cut down in the year 1070. Whence the Arms of the Town are a wild Boar. It was afterwards much enlarged by Boleslaus I. who fortified it with Walls and Rampires and beautified it with several fair buildings so that 't is now one of the finest Cities in Silesia The most remarkable sight in the Town next to the Churches and other publick buildings is the great Gun in the Armory which carries a Bullet of three hundred and twenty pound weight This is by Schickfusius in his Preface to Curaeus's Chronicle of Silesia very improperly reckon'd amongst the great and extraordinary blessings which the Almighty has been pleased to bestow on some of the Cities in Silesia In the Dukedom of Schweidnitz are the Towns of Strigau memorable as we have already acquainted
the Reader for the Terra Sigillata found here in great quantities Reichenbach Polckenhahn Landeshut Freyberg Friedberg Fridland Zobten Waldberg and Gottesberg 3. Brieg BRIEG or Brig has its name from the Polish word Berega which signifies an exceeding high bank of a River such as this City is seated on The streets here are uniform enough and the houses generally built of stone St. Nicholas's Church is an high and stately old Fabrick beautified with two Towers and built after the ancient Franckish mode This whole City excepting only some few publick buildings was laid in ashes by the Hussites who overran a great part of Bohemia and Silesia in the year 1428. In the Dukedom of Brieg are reckon'd the Towns of Strelen Olau Nimptsch Pitschen Creutzburg Loben Michelau and little Oelsse The two Mine-Towns of Reichenstein and Silberberg are jointly subject to the Dukes of Brieg and Lignitz who are both of the same Family and descended from the ancient Hereditary Kings of Poland 4. Monsterberg MONSTERBERG or Munsterberg so called from the Monastery built in this place by the Emperor Henry the first the Founder of this City is seated not far from the head of the River Ola in a pleasant and fruitful plain The Town is neither large nor strong and has nothing in it of note but the School an old Castle and a fair Town-Hall In this Dukedom are the Towns of Franckenstein and Warta to which some Historians and Geographers are pleased to add Hainrichau Tepliwoda and Kamentz 5. OPPELEN is seated in a sandy and dry Oppelen but fruitful Country 'T is subject to the King of Poland who prevail'd with the Emperor to withdraw all his Forces and Subjects hence in the year 1647. Since which time the Citizens of Oppelen and all the Rusticks in the Villages near it speak the Polish language If strong Gates and thick Walls were proof against modern sieges this Town were sufficiently provided against the assaults of an Enemy but otherwise its fortifications are very mean and inconsiderable Among the many Towns and Villages in this Dukedom the most remarkable are little Glogaw Neustat Kosel Beudten Gleibitz Tost Strehlitz Falckenberg Zultz Rosenberg Lublinitz and Schurgast IX The Cities and Dukedoms of GROTKAW JEGERNDORF TROPPAU RATIBOR and TESCHEN CROTKAW is a City of no great 〈◊〉 bulk as its name seems to intimate but so well seated that 't is a proverb in this Country 'T is as impossible as for a Grotkawer to starve or freeze The reason of which expression is grounded upon each Burger's having a plentiful share in the adjacent Corn-fields and neighbouring Woods Most of the Houses in the Town are Wood-buildings only the Church Bishop's Palace and the Town-Hall are of stone The Dukedom of Grotkaw is subject to the King of Bohemia tho sometimes its Lieutenant is a Polander and contains in it the Cities of Neisse a place of great traffick Otmachau Wansen Ziegenhals Freywald Hozenplotz Jawernick Kaltenstein Patschkau Oyest Weidau and Zackmantel The great trade of this Country especially the Citizens of Neisse is in making and selling to the Merchants of Bohemia and Poland a sort of strong and durable Linnen-Cloth for Beds and Bolsters 2. JAGERNDORF Jagerndorf Which signifies in the German language a Village inhabited by Huntsmen and had its name probably from the abundance of all manner of Game in the neighbouring Woods The Moravians call this Town Carnowf whence the Dukedom is ordinarily by Latin Authors nam'd Ducatus Carnoviensis and a Citizen of this place Carnowfsky from the ancient Arms of the City which are a pair of Horns between two great Stones This City with the small Dukedom which bears its name was given by Ludowic King of Hungary and Bohemia to George Marquise of Brandenburg who was at the charges of building the Castle and erecting the other little fortifications that defend the Town DUCATUS SILESIAE GROTGANUS cum Districtu Episcopali NISSENSI To John Nicholls Esq of Trewane in Cornwall this Mapp is Humbly Dedicated by Moses Pitt Notularum Explicatio Vrbs Arx Pagus cum Templo Pagus nobilis Pagus Episcopalis Commenda COMITATUS GLATZ Notae Vrbs Oppidum Pagus cum templo Vicus Arx Auri et argenti fordinae Mons Notabilis Kohloruben Holtz fluesse The inhabitants of these and all other Towns and Villages in the Dukedom observe the same Laws with the Moravians For which reason the greatest part of them have often endeavour'd to associate themselves to the Marquisate of Moravia and renounce all dependance upon the great Dukedom of Silesia but have always been opposed by the Citizens of Troppau who have still been zealous to continue members of their ancient Body 4. RATIBOR is seated in a pleasant plain about six German miles from Oppelen We have no account of it before the year of Christ 1164 so that most Geographers venture to say that 't was built about that time The private dwelling Houses of the Citizens are as in most parts of Silesia generally wooden buildings but the Duke's Palace Cathedral and some other publick buildings are of stone There is still in the City one Popish Monastery and formerly the Jesuits had a great footing in it but since the Reformation that sort of Cattel were driven out of their Harbors The Dukedom of Ratibor which contains the Towns of Oderberg Sora Ribenick Pilzowitz and Mieslowitz was formerly governed by a Duke of its own but upon the death of Duke Valentinus its last Prince who died without issue in the year 1516 it became more immediately subject to the King of Bohemia 5. 〈◊〉 TESCHEN or Tessin is one of the oldest Cities in Silesia said to have been built by Cessimir or Gessimir Son of Lescus III. Duke of Poland A. D. 810 and from him to have had its first name which has since been corrupted into Tessin It is seated on the confines of Silesia Moravia Poland and Hungary whence it comes to pass that its Citizens speak a medly of languages hardly intelligible to any but themselves They have here great store of all sorts of Venison and wild Fowl the Vistula and Elsa afford them plenty of Fish and the Hungarian Merchants bring them in daily vast quantities of Wine Fruit and other Commodities of that Country At one of their Churches they have weekly Divine Service and a Sermon in the Bohemian language and at another the like in High Dutch for of these two Nations the Burgers chiefly consist Here is brew'd Beer of two sorts the one with Wheat and the other with ordinary Barly Malt the latter of these they call Matznotz a sort of drink pleasant enough but mighty strong and heady which too often on their Market-days makes the poor Rusticks commit several outrages and disorders in the height of their jollity In this Dukedom there are several high mountains whereof two Rows are more especially remarkable and taken notice of by Geographers and Historians The first of these are those on the
return'd promoters of Puritanism and rebellious Principles They arriv'd at Francfurt in June A. D. 1554 where by the favour of John Glauberge an Alderman of the City they were permitted the free exercise of their Religion in a Church formerly assign'd to the French Protestants Their chief Ring-leaders were Whittingham Williams Goodman Wood and Sutton who before they began to instruct their flocks took upon them to reform the Liturgy and Discipline of the Church of England The Surplice and Litany were cashier'd as rags of the Whore of Babylon and the Responsals laid aside as formal pieces of canting which disturb'd the due course of Divine Worship In short the whole Liturgy except the Lessons and Psalms was rejected as savouring too much of Rome and Antichrist Instead of the Magnificat Nunc dimittis c. they sung so many Stanza's of Sternhold's Rithms After Sermon they had a prayer for all states and conditions of men more particularly for the Church of England meaning their own Tribe in imitation of our prayer for the Church Militant and then concluded with The Peace of God c. The noise of this upstart Church wherewith Dr. Scory Bishop of Chichester now Superintendent at Embden Grindal Sandys and Haddon at Strasburg and Horn Chambers and Parkhurst at Zurick had refused to have communion drew Knox the Scotch Incendiary from Geneva in hopes of making a better market here then he could do in Switzerland Here he arriv'd about the latter end of September and immediately took upon him the Superintendency of the Church Whittingham and the other Divines submitting themselves to his Apostleship and Government This was highly resented by the Divines of Strasburg and Zurick who were well acquainted with Knox's principles and knew of what dangerous consequence the promotion of such a Hotspur was like to prove Whereupon Gryndal and Chambers were sent to Francfurt to endeavour a composure of differences and a reunion of all the English Protestants But their endeavours prov'd successless and vain tho they proposed that the substance of the English Liturgy being retain'd there might be by a general consent an omission of some ceremonies and offices in it allow'd of For Knox and Whittingham were as zealously bent against the substance as circumstantials of the Book In the midst of these confusions Dr. Cox Dean of Westminster and a principal composer of the Liturgy in King Edward the Sixth's days comes to Francfurt attended with a great many more English Exiles Upon his first arrival he causes one of his company to read the Litany in the Pulpit and not long after got Knox expell'd the Town for publishing some treasonable expressions against the Emperor Having thus worsted his adversary he was resolv'd to follow the blow which he did so effectually as to procure an Order from the Common Council of the City requiring all the English Protestants to be conformable to the Discipline of their Church as contain'd in the Book of Common Prayer But Cox tho at present Master of the Field was not able to appease the dissatisfied Brethren who follow'd Knox to Geneva and there set up the profession of their former Schismatical Tenents In short these scandalous ruptures first begun at Francfurt and afterwards carried on at Geneva occasion'd the irrecoverable discredit of our Church beyond Seas and were the first seeds of those lamentable animosities which to this day threaten our destruction The Territory of Francfurt which is under the subjection of the Citizens and Magistrates of the Town is bounded on the East with the County of Hanaw Territory on the South with the Landgraviate of Darmstat on the West with the Archbishopric of Mentz and on the North with the County of Wetteraw The soil is generally cover'd with Woods or Vineyards and there is little of arable or pasture ground in it The inhabitants of this Country are a laborious sort of people Inhabitants applying themselves chiefly to the planting of Vineyards and making Wine The poor people sell off their Wine and drink water having seldom the happiness to taste a draught of Beer It was indeed anciently a proverb in Germany Sachs Bayr Schwab und Franck Die lieben all den Tranck i. e. The Saxons Bavarians Swabes and Francks Are all inclin'd to excessive drinking But now adays that piece of debauchery is laid aside in Franconia and you shall seldomer meet with a drunkard here then in any other part of Germany The ancient Francks were men exceedingly plain and careless in their habit whence the Germans to this day say of any thing that 's plain and ordinary 't is gut Alt Franckisch but the case is alter'd and the modern Francfurters are rather foppish then slovenly in their Apparel In this they are still imitators of their Ancestors that they are a stout and hardy people which is enough to keep up that honour and repute which their Ancestors have got in foreign Nations The Asians call all the Europeans Francks and the Mahometans give the Western Christians the same name The Abyssines in Africa as Vagetius witnesses call the other part of the Christian World Alfrangues and the Country they inhabit i.e. Europe and some parts of Asia Francia The Principality of HENNEBERG HENNEBERG was formerly no more then a bare County the Earls whereof were first advanced to the honour of Princes of the Empire by the Emperor Henry VII in a public Convention or Diet of all the Estates of the Empire in the year 1310. The first of these Princes was Berthold surnam'd the Wise who was succeeded by Henry This Prince married his Daughter to Frideric Marquise of Misnia bestowing on her for a Dowry the County of Coburg The last Prince of this Line was George Ernest after whose death which hapned in the year 1583 the County of Coburg with the whole Principality of Henneberg fell into the hands of the Elector of Saxony 'T is a populous and fruitful Country 〈◊〉 bounded on the East with the Forests and Mountains of Thuringen on the South with the Bishopric of Bamberg on the West with the Diocess of Wurtzburg and on the North with the Territories annex'd to the Abbey of Fulda The Castle or Palace of Henneberg whence the Principality has its name is seated on the top of a Hill not far from the City Meiningen but has nothing in it remarkable SCHLEUSINGEN 〈◊〉 which has its name from the River Schleuss on which 't is seated is accounted the chief City in the County tho perhaps not in the Principality of Henneberg 'T is famous for a Gymnasium built here by the last Prince of Henneberg George Ernest A. D. 1577. 'T was for some time the chief Residence of the Earls and Princes of this Country many of whose monuments are still to be seen in the great Church Besides this the Towns of Romhilt Meinungen and Koningshoven challenge the name of Cities but very ill deserve that character We have already given a description of