Customes that are paid in the Haven Towns the Chief whereof in Sweden are Caymare Lodhuys and Stockholme where at some times four hundred Ships of Burden lye at Anchor Also Auge Revel Riga Parnovia and the Narve But these Customes are much improved since the Confirmation of his Acquists in Germany by the Munster Treaty 1648. by which he had the Upper Pomerania the Inheritance of the Marquess of Brandenburg with the City of Wismar in the Dutchy of Mecklenbury and Isle of Rugia with the Bishopricks of Bremen and Verden c. bordering along the other side of the Baltique Sea by which he hath a wide inlet into Germany given him in recompence of those Places he had Conquered in the more inward Parts so that this great addition of Territory hath made him a far more considerable Prince than ever he was and the Dane by sad Experience found as much in that War he managed against him in 1658. when by the Conjunction and Contiguity of those German Provinces he speeded without Obstruction out of Poland to stop the Progress of the Danish Armes and with speedy success reduced that King by the Agreement at Rosckeild to a very petty and pittant Soveraignty for thereby as good as one half of his Kingdom was passed over to the Swede the Principal Member whereof was Schoneland one of the fruitfullest Provinces but formerly belonging to Sweden with some other Places particularly the great Bayliwick of Drontheim in Norway which would have dis-membred that Kingdom and rendred the Dane but a precarious Prince of the rest But this and divers other former Concessions by that Treaty were annihilated or retrenched by the succeeding Agreement in the Swedes Leageur before Copenhagen after their Defeat in the Assault of that Town by the Mediation and Guaranty of the English Dutch and French Ambassadors in May 1660. nevertheless Schoneland remained to the Swede with some of the Baltique Islands and other Places not to be particularized in this Discourse All which Estates being laid and joyned together in some manner it were supposable at first view that he might easily render himself Master of the Baltique Sea but when it is again considered of what strength the Dane the Hanse Towns are as Lubeck Hamborough Dantzick together with the Interest of the Dutch in the Trade therein it will seem a tougher matter and too big for his Naval strength which yet of it self is very considerable No doubt the Swede hath chawed deliciously upon the Design but could never digest it it sufficeth him at present that his Ships are Toll free as they pass the Sound and that he enjoyeth other Priviledges which the Violence of his Armes have purchased him of the Princes his Neighbours As to the Force of this Kingdom it hath been perceived of what Effect and Puissance it is by that War it carried on under the late King Charles Gustavus against the Pole the Dane and the Muscovite at one and the same time But truly I cannot tell whether I may ascribe those Numbers of Men with which they have enterprised so much lately either to the Production of their own Country or their Fortune which hath drawn so many Foreigners into their service in which there is a certainty of Pay and general good respect had to them if they prove men of desert It is certain that in the late Danish War he had above sixty thousand men in Pay which is a number that few Princes can long maintain together and yet such is the good luck of these Martial Princes that they have been served faithfully without any Pay for many Months together as certain of Satisfaction somewhere either by the Swede or from the Enemy who is looked upon as very good Security in all the Undertakings of this Prince As to the Policy of this Kingdom having touched before that the Government is Monarchical we will briefly describe the menage of it Matters of Peace and War of Embassyes and Alliances are proposed by the King to the Senate for their Resolution which the Senators deliver with an entire Liberty and most Voices carry it but if it happen that the Vote be contrary to the Kings purposes he will assemble the States General to obtain of them what he cannot of the Senate These Estates are composed of the Nobility of the Clergy of Merchants and of the Peasants of the King that is to say Peasants that serve not Gentlemen in English Yeomen but subsist of themselves The Nobles that sit in such Parliaments or Estates General are of the eldest of their Families the Church sends two Priests of every Community or Diocess the Cities two Merchants and every Shire two of its Inhabitants These four Bodies consider of the Kings Will and Demand and by the major Voice determine of it if their Voices be equal the King makes the Election himself and gives the casting Voice for his own Designes and Interest All other Matters are referred to one of these seven Councills viz. The Council of Justice where presides the Lord Chief Justice assisted by four Senators six Gentlemen and six Doctors 2. The Council of War where presides the Constable assisted by four Senators Marshalls 3. The Council of the Admiralty where presides the High Admiral with four Senators Vice-Admiralls 4. The Chancery where presides the High Chancellour assisted with four Senators and the Secretaries of State 5. The Council of the Revenue where presides the High Treasurer assisted by four Senators These five Officers are called the five great Lords and are Tutors of the King and govern the Kingdom absolutely during his Minority being now in the 8th year of his age 6. The Council of Trade where a Senator is President assisted by four more of the same rank and order 7. The Council of the Mountains as we have of the Marshes where sit the same number and quality of Persons as in the Council of Trade The whole Kingdom into which are reckoned the late Acquists is divided into five Governments General viz. Of Finland of Ingermanland of Liefland of Pomerania and Schonen and obeys four great Presidents of Justice He of Finland holds Judicatory at Obo He of Ingermanland and Schonen at Norkopin the third of Liefland at Dort and of Pomerania at Wismar and acknowledges twenty nine Lieutenant Generalls Governours of Provinces for the King The Interest of Sweden is to keep and maintain Peace with the Muscovite to alarum equally and to divide Poland and Denmark not to quarrel by any means with the Hollander and to esteem and highly respect their strict Confaederacy with France and to seek all occasions of a War in Germany to be therein assisted with the French Money and Supplies not to neglect the friendship of the King of England who can when he pleaseth interest himself in any Difference in the Baltique Sea by a potent Umpirage Touching the Turk they are not over-forward in that service as expecting nothing but blows for other mens sakes nevertheless
and hospitable to Strangers The People generally thrifty and diligent in their Callings and of very good converse and civility The Religion is altogether Lutheran but the Bishops have more Authority and better Maintenance here than in Sweden but I know not what they do for a Metropolitan since the Archi-Episcopal See of Londen in Schonen which was the Primacy of Denmark was assigned to the Swede In elder times this Church depended upon the Arch-Bishoprick of Bremen and then the eldest Son of the King of Denmark which was in use till the Treaty of Munster was stiled the Arch-Bishop of Bremen but that dependance was removed to London above 500. years since and whether it will be removed now is uncertain The Strength of this Kingdom is mostly Naval the Danes proving better Water than Land Souldiers and more affecting the Employment yet of modern times they have dared also by Land their Conquest of Sweden was not above 300. years agoe not to mention their old Conquests with Us in 1628. they enterprised upon the Emperour in behalf of the Liberty of Germany of which as Duke of Holstein he was a free Prince although unfortunately Nevertheless the Enemy could not but acknowledge the Gallantry of King Christiern and dealt with him accordingly Since which time they were willing to be at quiet till the opportunity of the Polish War invited this King Frederick the 3d. to revenge the injurious Violence done to his Country of Holstein by the Swedes in 1643. and 4. which was acted partly by the instigation of the Dutch who perceiving the Dane screwed up the Rate of the Toll Money in the Sound for which by an old Treaty those Netherlands were to pay but a Rose-Noble for every Ship without searching or visiting and this was paid because of the Lights Tuns and Marks at Sea kept and maintained by the King of Denmark which Payment from the time of their separation from Spain he had raised at his own pleasure searching the Ships and seizing the Goods under pretence of Contrebanda or prohibited Merchandise By a League made in 1640. with the Swede they insinuated this Grievance which also offended that Queens Subjects so that in conclusion the Dane betwixt the Swedes Land Forces and the appearance of the Dutch Fleet was forced to a new Agreement with the Hollander at a set easie rate for the Toll which afterwards in 1650. having made the like defensive League with the Dane they Farmed at 140000. Peices of 8. per annum for some term with a Proviso and Caution of not being searched for any Goods the Master only declaring what they were To return to an account of his Forces they may be thus computed First Such as the Nobility and Gentry are bound to raise for the publique service which are a considerable number And Secondly What the People furnish upon such occasions and these have formerly amounted to great Armies But the strength of the Kingdom is now exhausted and it is yet able to do little The preceding discourse leads me to consider of this Kings Revenue which chiefly consists in his Toll upon Ships aforesaid for he makes little of his own Customes Fish being his greatest Commodity and no great Port of Trade in all his Realm which hath fallen much since his late Agreement with the Dutch who have the sole Trade here almost and more by the Northern Passage to Russia found out many years since He had also a Toll of 50000. Oxen which went yearly out of North Jutland into Germany by Holstein but the Duke now receives that at his Toll-house erected at his Residence of Gottorp There are also some Crown Lands but they do not amount to any considerable Revenue The Interest of Denmark is by no means to dis-oblige the Emperour as his surest Friend against the Swede nor the Hollander unless upon insolent Encroachments against which he hath the King of England his nearest Ally to a sure Friend and Defence to watch and keep fair with the Swede his constant and natural Enemy and to that purpose to keep the Russian alwayes enjealousied of their Greatness to be at League with all the German Princes and make his Interest as strong with them as is possible to be perpetually Confaederated with the Pole Offensively and Defensively and so to cherish the French Kings Friendship as to keep him a Neuter betwixt the Swede and himself Lastly to love and respect the Crown of England above all other Friendships whatsoever With other Princes than these he hath no Concern only a civil Correspondence with Spain and Portugal in point of Trade and Commerce What he can do against the Turk or what Supply he can give the Emperour may appear by the preceding Discourse the late Wars having utterly disabled him so that besides his good will and his Prayers he can no way advantage the Christian Cause without much despoyling and injuring himself which that Occasion cannot expect and perchance will not need And it is most certain that the Turk took his Resolution of the late Invasion from the Embarassement and Difference between these two Northern Kings in which the Emperour the Pole and the Marquess of Brandenburg were so far engaged so that having suffered sufficiently and he being the only loser upon that account he may well be excused And so we pass to the Dutchy of Holstein HOLSTEIN THis Dutchy of Holstein ought to have been referred to the Survey of Germany of which this Duke is a Prince although he never comes to the Imperial Diets nor is subject to any impositions or Taxes laid upon the Empire only in case of Appeal some Causes have been carried to the Rix-Chamber at Spiers which are now discontinued because of its former dependance to the Crown of Denmark to which it was annexed some Ages since by the Election of Christopher Count of Oldenburgh Heir to Adolph last Duke hereof and hath remained as the Title and posseson of the eldest Son or the younger brothers of the said Crown we will not dis-joyn it from this entire view of both together It is seated in the Southern part of the Cimbrick Chersoness or the Peninsula made by the Baltique Sea on the German shore and is divided from the Danish Provinces of Jutland by the River Eydore It contains four Provinces viz. Heagerland in west near the Sea and the fall of two Rivers Lubeck is seated a famous Hanse Town neatly built and well traded but of more estimation in former times 2ly Stormarsh whereupon the Elbe stands Hamburgh another Hanse Town and of late more famed than Lubeck by reason of the English Staple of Cloath for its greatness of commerce 3ly Ditmarsh and 4ly Holstein properly so called The whole Peninsula is but 75 miles in length and 60 in breadth with the 2 Jutlands belonging to the King of Denmark so that this Dutchy can be reputed of little force although it consist of a great number of walled Cities and Towns and is very
Discourse to these modern times Of Horse besides 12. Comets of Foreigners he had in Pay 240. Troops Cavaliers of his own Nation which in all amounted to above 30. thousand Of Foot he had 210. Regiments some few of them of 30. Companies and consisting of 90. Men in a Company not reckoning in the Switzers who make 6. or 7000. besides some Scots Irish Italians and Luyckers At Sea he had 30. Ships of War and 25. Gallyes and the number is now increased and their Lord Great Admiral the Duke of Vendosme which was before a meer Titulado with great Profit and Revenue become an Officer de facto and of great service in that Kingdom The Duke of Beaufort his Son commanding the Fleet before Algier The King hath four Guards the first of French Gentlemen in Place and Attendance like our Gentlemen Pensioners they are 200. in number their Pay 20. Crowns a Month. The second consists of Scots and they Gentlemen some attending on the Kings Person others appointed to other Offices in the Court and go alwayes armed either with the Halberd or Harquebuze those which attend on the Kings Person are 24. and receive yearly 400. Franks apiece the residue 300. and a Livery The third sort is of inferiour French and their Employment is such as the service of the Yeomen and the Guard in England The fourth consisteth of Switzers and they wait at the Court Gate in warlike manner This King retaineth the Switzers more to dis-engage them from their Respects to the House of Austria and that Families service than for any other reason though the long Correspondence maintained with those Cantons hath abated of that jealousie Now notwithstanding for the number of the Gentry which is infinite almost the greatness of the Offices goodliness of Towns and multitudes of Forces and store of Ammunition this Kingdom may seem to challenge Precedence before any Court in Europe yet for Majesty of the Prince Order of the Court Provision of the Courtiers and Entertainment of Strangers it may no way compare with that of England and this is not mine but a Foreigners judgement of them Both. As to the Government it is Monarchical to Excess as it was said of Caesar Voluntas Caesaris pro Lege habebatur so it is as true of the French Kings Their Will is the Law For though they have now nine Parliaments in the Kingdom and that of Pau in Bern added by Lewis the 13th yet are they no more such a Constitution as Ours than Our Late High Courts of Justice which were Persons pick'd for the Usurpers purpose The main work of these Parliaments is to ratifie the Kings Edicts which are sent to them with a Command that such is Our Pleasure Nor doth this Ratification when done signifie any thing to the Validity of the Kings Acts but is meerly for shew and to personate that Authority which was in the former Parliaments even till the time of Lewis the 13th By which means the King imposeth upon his Subjects what he lists and supplyes that want of Patrimony which is mostly aliened and is the great Blemish of this Crown which commands so fair and spacious a Territory and yet hath very few Mannours or Houses of its own except about Paris And for the better support of this way of Government the Nobility are most of them employed in Offices and Commands the whole Kingdom being divided into 12. Lieutenancies as Imperious altogether as our late Major Generalls and who enjoying the sweets of their Arbitrary Power help to awe the People to a stupid Acquiescence under their Oppression And these Governours continue during life and are sometime Haereditary so that not seldom they have disputed it with the King and stood upon their Terms The Interest of this Crown is of late very perplexed and very closely carried the late League with Spain seems to be zealously regarded and many good words are given the Emperour of Assistance and Friendship Greater Respect was never given nor higher Professions of Amity ever expressed towards the Crown of England The Pope and He seem to be reconciled and the Confirmation of the Friendship between them is now in Actu by the Popes Performance of the Conclusion made at Pisa for that Cardinal Chigi the Popes Legate for the greater solemnity of this Affair is on his way with the Satisfaction agreed on The Duke Crequy is ready to return to Rome where the Pyramis is erected in memory of the Fact of the Corsi and Don Mario the Popes Nephew upon his departure But when all this is done no man conceives the Christian World more assured or freed from those jealousies which it hath long conceived of the Potency of this King He hath lately made a motion in Germany about Colmar and Slecksladt and it is suspected they are the light Trepidations of some greater Rupture thereabouts for that the French have long aimed upon the Imperial Dignity is obvious to every eye and this Prince is supposed to be more ambitiously bent upon that design than any of his Predecessors He hath to the purpose baffled and terrified the Pope the Emperours left hand and scared him before hand and for his right hand the King of Spain besides the Peace between them he will not be remiss in fomenting the War with Portugal The Princes of the Empire therefore give him fair words and will oblige him by performing his Demands about those Towns He is sure of the Duke of Savoy so long as he enterpriseth not upon Italy for then he would become a Morsel between his Grinders As to the Princes of Italy they do not care to see him there but love him well enough in France We neither suspect nor dread this Riddle of Fate nor shall want a Sword to solve it if with the Dutch and any body else he could make a threefold Cord of it and so we leave him to the Revolution of Time His Kingdom of Navarre lying in Spain we shall mention it there SPAIN SPAIN is defended towards France on the North with Confines strengthened both by Nature and Art viz. by the Natural Height of the Pyrenean Mountains which separate the one Country from the other and by the Artificial Forts of Scialon Parpignian and Pampalone the Metropolis of Navarre on all other sides it is encompass'd with the Atlantick Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea Its Empire is divided into four Parts or Members but we shall mention one only here viz. 1. The Kingdomes of Spain 2. The States of Italy Sicily c. And 3. Flanders And 4. The Dominions of India Spain is by the Spaniards for the greater grace divided into 15. Kingdomes namely Castile Aragon Murcia Granada Gallicia Guypuscoa Biscay Oviedo Leon Corduba Toledo Navarre Catalonia Majorca Valentia and lastly Portugal but it being wrested from the Spanish Dominions as it was formerly and now is a distinct Soverainty we will treat of the other 14. together and of that by it self The Country it self is very
and they are seven in number which that the King may be the better informed of all Affairs they keep alwayes near about his Person in several Chambers under one Roof their Names are these The Council of Spain 2. Of the Indies 3. Of Italy 4. Of the Low Countries 5. of War 6. Of the Order of St. John And 7. Of the Inquisition In these the slow and considerate Advisoes of Fabim rather than the praecipitant Resolutions of Marcellus are received In as much as may be Innovations and change of ancient Customes are avoided by which constancy and their wariness in their Actions they do seldom commit any oversight or fall into any disorder or rupture at home By this way of Council the King rangeth under his Obedience Castilians Arragons Biscayners Flemings Italians Indians Christians and Gentiles People utterly different in Laws Customes and Natures as if they were all of one Nation and all his natural Subjects The ill Correspondency that is alwayes amongst those Counsellours who aemulate one anothers greatness is the Cause of long Deliberations and Slackness in Matters of greatest Importance but all Matters once resolved on in Council pass indifferently with incredible and surpassing secrecy as well those of mean as those of the weightiest Consideration Secrecy of all securing every particular and being indeed the true scope of all Matters of State for Designes as soon as they have taken air are blasted therewith In this point Philip the 2d of Spain the ablest Prince of his time was very tenacious doing many things with his own hand which never came near his Secretaries but were transmitted by himself uncopied but what he took likewise himself to his Expresses and Dispatches In his last Advice to his Son there are these words Do not offend or anger the Secretaries deliver them alwayes work of small or great importance and make proof of them rather by your Enemies than your Friends lock your chief secrets in your own breast In this Prince failed that high-flown Ambition which had tormented his Father Charles and Himself during the whole course of their Reign namely the Conceit of an Universal Monarchy nor did it dye with him for having all his life studied nothing more than the ruine of France by the League and his own Armes he commended the pursute of the Design to his Son having also a little before his death resolved on another Expedition for England having procured a more exact account of its Havens the Roman Catholicks c. but his Successor Philip the 3d. for his Son Charles was murthered in the Inquisition as suspected to favour the Protestants by his own consent seeing how the Treasure was wasted and his Fathers Credit engaged for divers vaste Summs of Money not fully paid to this day but running on Interest and discharged by degrees resolved to steer another Course and first made Peace with England and then a Truce with the Dutch for 12. Years and as the greatest Act of his Reign utterly expelled the Moors 1100000. being driven out after their former Expulsion by Ferdinand who lest the Country should be dispeopled suffered such as would turn Christians to stay but now the Inquisition discovered them all for Hypocrites and entitled the King to a brave Patrimony This same Philip the 3d. was a great Stickler for the House of Austria in the German War newly begun with the Elector Palatine at which time in 1621. he died and his Son Philip the 4th succeeded with whom was that fruitless Treaty of the Marriage of the Infanta and the Restitution of the Palatinate This Prince hath been embroyled in the Dutch and French War all along against his Inclination which is otherwise disposed for he loves quiet and pleasure and vacancy from those troubles of Empire which afflict ambitious People and it is hoped therefore he will hearken now in his old age to a Composure with Portugal from which he hath reaped more loss and dishonour than the Kingdom can be worth to him Besides there are some Reasons of State why the Army of Spain should be disbanded and no Forces more than usual kept on Foot lest the General make some disturbance in the Succession who hath the Clergy and the Souldiery on his side However at present nothing is more eagerly carried on than the Preparations for this Campagnia but what the issue will be either Peace or Victory time will decide As to the Forces of this Kingdom the same may be said of them as of the Bees Quae Regio in terris nostri non plena laboris There is no Nation in Europe but the remote Northern Kingdomes that have not felt the Puissance thereof and it is well known that in all ages the Spanish have been accounted one of the most Valorous Nations in the World The French in nine Years were subdued to the Roman Yoak the Spaniards held out 200. and then too the Fortune and Person of Augustus Caesar the Universal Conquerour was requisite to their Subjugation They serve better on Foot than on Horseback although they have Horses of excellent Courage and better with the Harquebuze than with any other Weapon As concerning their Cavalry it cannot be gain-said but that the Spanish Gennet is the noblest Horse in Christendom far excelling the Courser of Naples or the Horse of Burgundy so much esteemed of the French or the Friesland Horse in so great request with the Germans And it should seem that Nature her self hath armed this People in giving them the Iron Mines of Biskay Guypuscoa and Medina with the Temperatures of Bilbo Toledo c. To conclude as to the number of the Forces aforesaid this Prince is of that Mightiness and Reputation to this day that besides his own Subjects he is able to wage what numbers of Horsemen and Footmen of the Germans Italian and Dutch Nations it pleaseth him besides his Noblemen are bound to bring so many Horse into the Field c. And he that remembers how the War was carried on in Catalonia Portugal Italy and the Low Countries together cannot but resolve that his Puissance is most considerable At all times his Majesty is likewise constrained to maintain a strong Armada in these Seas to safeguard the Navigation to the Indies besides 24. Gallies to guard the Coast from the Turks the Charge whereof is a Million of Crowns There are besides 8000. praesidiary Souldiers and no more in the Frontier and Coast Towns of Spain the Charge whereof I saw not computed As to the Revenue of this Potentate the ordinary Income thereof amounts to six Millions of Gold or 11. Millions of Crowns yearly whereof much is engaged for the Debts of the Crown the rest is spent in Charges of the Wars the maintenance of the Kings Houshold and in the Gallies furnished against the Barbary Pirates To this may be added as another ordinary Revenue the two Millions of Crowns which he receives yearly of the Clergy together with the Commendams of vacant Praesentations
as the King is a Prince of the Empire He is also a Prince and Member of the Circle of the Rhine made so by the aforesaid Treaty at Munster he is obliged and hath accordingly sent away his Aides into Hungary but so unwelcome is the Nation to the Germans that they had like to have been engaged and set upon in their passage near Erford by those whom they came to assist so that they have little encouragement to that service Besides He is in League or some rude manner of Friendship with the Tartar who merited of him well in the Polish War and he himself is so great an Invader and Souldier of Fortune that Religion or its Interest weighs little with him however our Puritans cried up the Great Gustavus for a Zealot All therefore that will be done by him in this Affair will be more out of necessity and the Laws and Decree of the Empire and the Example of other Princes than his own Choice and Generosity And so we pass to his Neighbour the Dane DENMARK DENMARK is bounded on the East and South with the Baltique Sea On the North with Norwey bounded on the West and North with the German and Frozen Sea and Sweden and on the West the said German Ocean The entire Body of this Kingdom was made up principally in form of three Parts The First is the Realm of Denmark containing both the Jutlands part of Scandia adjoyning upon the Swedes Country as Halland and Schonen which is now in the Swedes possession and the Islands of the Baltique Sea 2. Norwey To which must be added the Islands of Iceland and Freezeland in the Northern Ocean where such abundance of Cod is taken by the Dutch the Danes and Us of large extent but of little benefit to this Crown 3. The Dukedome of Holstein containing 4. Provinces but now exempt from the Kingdom and other Jurisdictions added to the said Dukedom which are likewise aliened from Denmark of which more hereafter The Kingdom of Denmark lyeth partly in the Cimbrick Chersoness adjoyned to the Dukedom of Holstein as both the Jutlands out of which some part is newly borrowed to adde to the said Dutchy divided into several Districts and partly in Scandia but principally in the Islands As for the Dutchy of Holstein it hath of late years been unfortunate to the Danes being over-run by the Imperialists in 1628. in the Reign of Christiern the 4th but honestly restored by the Emperour upon easie Conditions Then it was harrassed by the Swede in 1643. and 4. and now finally freed by them from the Crown of Denmark only the best part of Jutland remaines in its pristine obedience In Scandia Schonen being gone Halland and Blecking is all he holds there and indeed they are fine Provinces but the unkind separation of their Sister of Schonen which signifies Beautiful renders them a little unpleasant to the Kings view and prospect So that his chiefest strength of his Dominions lies in the Islands in number 35. two of which Zeland and Fuenen or Fionia are most considerable and made more eminently famous by the late Swedish War the Latter for the Passage of the King of Sweden over to it upon the Sea on the Ice with Horse Foot and his great Artillery with the loss only of two Troops and the Defeat of his Forces there afterwards by the Confaederate Armies The Other for the Castle of Cronenburg that guards the Sound and Copenhagen the Royal Residence of the Kings of Denmark and which for almost two years space withstood a most perrillous Siege and finally beat off the Swedes with great loss and thereby overthrew all their Designes which proved in effect the death of that King It is a low Town ordinarily built and hath nothing of Magnificence in it but the Spirit of the Inhabitants the Kings Palace being no extraordinary Building save that its covered with Copper The Kingdom of Norway toward the North is separated from Lapland by high and craggy Rocks and the Eastern and Western Parts are hard to travel for the same reason The Land is not very fruitful of Corn and therefore the Inhabitants the meaner sort eat Stockfish which transported into other Parts is exchanged for Corn. The Inhabitants are naturally honest and not a Thief among them and very Civil to Strangers and formerly very Martial for these People were first called Normans and were Ancestors to our Conquerours but such is the hard Condition under which they are kept by the Danes though in appearance Fellow Subjects ever since the Union of the two Kingdomes by the Marriage of Aquinus in 1359. with Margaret the Daughter and Heir of Waldemar the 3d. of Denmark the Issue of which Marriage died and left this Kingdom to the Usurpation of his Mother Margaret whose Successors have continued it to this day that the Norwegians have wholly lost their Courage and former Valour not being suffered to go out of the Kingdom to traffique their own Commodities which besides Fish are rich Furrs Tallow Butter Tann'd Leather Train Oyl Pitch Clap-board Masts Deal-boards and Fire-wood from the Custom whereof ariseth the Kings greatest Profits being received for him at Bergen and Wardhouse but this Revenue is very inconsiderable The whole Realm is divided into five Lieutenancies or Governments which in this uncultivated remote Country will not concern us in any particulars no more than the appendixed Islands above mentioned Having thus summarily discoursed of the Parts of this Kingdom we will briefly mention the Government which having been placed in an Haereditary Monarchy from the Foundation of this Estate was challenged as Elective by the Usurped Power of the Nobles and People by their Deposing of Ericus about 1420. and Electing his Cosen Christopher Count Palatine of the Rhine who dying without Issue they again chose Adolph Duke of Holstein who excusing himself by reason of his age by his advice they chose his Nephew Christiern Earl of Oldenburg who brought both those Estates to this Crown Since when they continued the fashion of an Election but never passed by the next Heir until the year 1660. when in consideration of this Kings extraordinary Care Valour and Vigilance in defence of his People against the Swedes they resolved to restore what they had so long detained by returning the Government into the old Channel and making it again Haereditary in the Family of this Prince although with much reluctancy and discontent of many of the Grandees By which change so lately made there can no perfect account be given of the present administration being solely at the Kings disposal as it is with other absolute Monarchs As to the Nobles they are reputed the most antient of all Europe and the Gentry the like and to preserve and maintain that honourable Esteem they never match into Plebeian Families but keep their Blood unmix'd and pure in its first Current The Gentry are neither so fierce nor so subtle as their Neighbours and are very generous